The Tipping Point
 

Forgive me if this has been discussed elsewhere, but I am curious. After maybe 20 games or so I've noticed that at some point the AI seems to have had enough. Healthy squads start to Rout after a single casualty, and they don't often rally either. I call that the Tipping Point, and that got me thinking. Am I imagining it? What triggers this? It certainly feels realistic to me but I figgered I'd ask some guys who know this a Hell of a lot better than me

Thanks!

Re: The Tipping Point
 

It can happen to your force too, if you suffer too badly.

The phenomenon is "force demoralisation", and can kick in at 60% of on-map forces destroyed/in rout/in retreat, though it usually happens more at the 75-80% level.

Once many formations have lost their leaders, then retreats etc can snowball from the lack of the leadership rally effect, leading to many healthy units retreating.

An actual wipe-out is not required - a general rout will do.

When your force is broken, rallying becomes more difficult, and events that cause suppression can be more unhealthy (extra S added for a casualty say). Arty fire will cause more S, and troops with high S in entrenchments are more prone to run from these even if no enemy is close. It applies to your entire army.

With the AI, once its force is broken and once all (or most sometimes) of the V-hexes are no longer in its control and there is none contested (Some healthy AI forces within 500m-1000m), it throws the towel in. After a couple of moves or so anyway (it is a random chance event). A human would need to manually retreat all off his baseline to trigger an early endgame here when in the same circumstances.

Andy

Re: The Tipping Point
 

Can a force recover from this condition if enough routed/retreated troops rally?

Re: The Tipping Point
 

Of course.

Andy

Re: The Tipping Point
 

Often AI have armored reserve on the edge of the board (or may be even off-board). Even with 60-80% forces routed this force can suddenly activate and hit you. If all visible AI force on the route, all V hexes taken and AI still didn't gave up you can expect armored strike form AI.