Small Questions regarding Commanders without Troops

[tinkthank]

Been monkeying about with troopless commanders recently, mostly because I would like to experiment with spells such as wrathful skies and whatnot. Works nicely with Pythium and a dozen or so Communicants!

I cannot come up with definitive answers to these questions; anyone have any tips?

1. Does PD count as "normal troops" in terms of army routing? That is: If I have zero "normal" troops (NOTE: by this I mean troops NOT set to "guard commander", who seem not to count as troops in terms of routing) but a little PD, and the PD gets killed, will my troopless commanders then rout because all the "troops" on the field have routed? Thus your own PD could be a danger to wrathful skies etc.

2. What about troops (including mind-enslaved enemies) in your garrison in the context above? It *seems* to me that if these troops are not given explicit orders, they don't count as "troops" upon whose death the entire army will rout, but that seems odd....

3. Sometimes I will see one mage commander run out from the pack of other mages (Communicants and (Arch-)Theurgs) and then run back. I cannot find an explanation for this. If he is indeed trying to "stay behind troops", why don't *all* the commanders follow his behavior? (E.g. why only one arch theurg, and not the other?) What troops is he trying to stay behind? That little elemental from the bag of winds?? (It always seems to be Barthalameous of Pythium, the Hero, btw who does this...)

Thanks much

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by tinkthank:
1. Does PD count as "normal troops" in terms of army routing? That is: If I have zero "normal" troops (NOTE: by this I mean troops NOT set to "guard commander", who seem not to count as troops in terms of routing) but a little PD, and the PD gets killed, will my troopless commanders then rout because all the "troops" on the field have routed? Thus your own PD could be a danger to wrathful skies etc.

Yup. PD bad.

2. What about troops (including mind-enslaved enemies) in your garrison in the context above? It *seems* to me that if these troops are not given explicit orders, they don't count as "troops" upon whose death the entire army will rout, but that seems odd....

If they fight, then yes, they count also. If they sit out the fight inside of a castle while your patrollers fight outside, then no, they don't count.

3. Sometimes I will see one mage commander run out from the pack of other mages (Communicants and (Arch-)Theurgs) and then run back. I cannot find an explanation for this. If he is indeed trying to "stay behind troops", why don't *all* the commanders follow his behavior? (E.g. why only one arch theurg, and not the other?) What troops is he trying to stay behind? That little elemental from the bag of winds?? (It always seems to be Barthalameous of Pythium, the Hero, btw who does this...)

Beats me. You actually tell them to Stay Behind Troops, instead of more specifically "Spells", or specific spells to cast?

[tinkthank]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
You actually tell them to Stay Behind Troops, instead of more specifically "Spells", or specific spells to cast?

Thanks.

No, I give them a 5-length script (comm master, quickness, etc.), then "spells".