Matrix Games Forums

Playing as the Colonials, I've noticed that even on the normal/enhanced time AI settings, the Brit AI will amass two or more large armies to assault an objective I'm defending; it will attack with one, exhaust it (and me), and then attack w/the other in an effective one-two punch.

Under these circumstances, I've learned it's best not to even contest the site and make a quick exit, but how should I retreat? Once my army leaves town, it will be even more vulnerable to attack.

Should I:
1) Leave a token force in town and hope the AI continues w/the objective and forgets the rest of my fleeing force.
2) Set the fleeing army's attitude to passive posture in the hopes of not engaging at all, but risk combat penalties if I should get attacked anyway.
3) Keep my main force in defensive posture, retreat and just hope for the best dice roll.
4) Both 1 and 2
5) Both 1 and 3
6) None of the above (yes, I've taken too many standardized tests).

Any suggestions?

And if I destroy my fort before I bug-out, do I get my cannon back? Then again, do I want it back as any artillery and wagons I have will slow my retreat. I assume carrying cannon and supplies adversely affects the leader's/army's FoW/detection settings.

I usually leave a single militia battalion (i.e., 1). The AI will then spend several days assaulting.

I find it's best to go in evasive posture and hope for the best. Usually thr AI will keep it's artillery, as long as you have no artillery you should be able to outrun them.

You get nothing for destroying a fort. Against the AI I think it's crazy for the Rebels to destry a fort - there is always a decent chance that you'll be able to take the fort back from a tiny garrison and use the fort to hold up the British again.

...I believe Roads is on the right track. As the British, you use main armies, as the Americans you need to fight dispersed, i.e. guerilla warfare. The British AI typically garrisons objectives with a single unit. I tend to use gifted Brigadier generals with two units to quickly overwhelm lightly defended places and easily take back unguarded areas. Washington, Greene and Lee get larger sized armies but avoid combat with anything approaching equal forces. War is not supposed to be about fighting 'fair', it is about winning, something I wish some of our modern leaders could understand.
...The Americans win the game by holding as many places as possible for militia generation; holding on until French intervention gives them the offensive punch to go toe to toe with the Poms.

I would try running to the hills in passive posture and forced march if possible. Passive does give a +15% to retreat chance (before battle and after each round), so the bonus is large enough to be considered. As Roads says, don't hesitate to put a militia or two as sacrificial lambs.