Newbie Question--Can you coordinate multiple armies attacking a single province?

[earwicker7]

So, let's say there are three provinces which all touch each other (i.e., armies in province A could move to province B or C, those in B could move to A or C, and those in C could move to A or B). I've got an army in A and B, and there is an enemy army in C.

If I were to send both of my armies into C, would they gang up on C (two armies join to become one, then they fight), or would it be more along the lines of the first army fights, then, if the enemy is still alive, the second army fights them, but the two friendly armies never meet until after the battle is resolved?

This game keeps blowing my mind, but wow, is there a learning curve!

[Muse]

Coordination will occur if all armies deployed in the movement phase arrive at the target province. (They will form one large army, with scripting and positioning intact.)
Individual armies can be delayed by *bad things* happening to them before the movement phase. Commander assassinations, Magic-Phase-Murder, all. Even being intercepted by a 'faster' army during the movement phase.
The same will occur for all units teleporting to a province in the magic phase.

Coordination will not occur between phases-- magic phase battle, then movement phase battle. (Two separate armies, ostensibly.)

As a slight note-- questions that are easily tested in the game, or by Wiki/FAQ searching may draw the likes of Calahan (or other stealthy watchers) to rend your mind from its vessel in a flurry of deathly sharp glares.

Though! I am quite glad you enjoy the game! New blood is nearly always welcome.

[DragonRider]

As an additional note, if you hit "y" while targeting a province, it will open up the army setup screen for all the units moving INTO that province next turn, making it easier to set up their formation so they fit together.

Though this makes me wonder...if my armies in A and B move to converge on C, but an enemy army in C simultaneously tries to march against A...is there a chance that A and C will have to fight without support from B? The rules when two provinces try to attack each other at the same time get kind of tricky.

[thejeff]

They will join together to fight in one battle, unless the enemy army in C attempts to attack either A or B. In that case, one of two things are likely to happen. Assuming C is attacking A, either A & C will fight in A while B invades province C, or both A & B will fight C in province C.
All movement is resolved then battles take place where ever hostile armies end up together. This is why you'll never catch an enemy army chasing it, you have to cut it off.
When armies cross each other (A attacks C and C attacks A) one army moves and the other stops. Very rarely the armies miss each other and swap places or neither moves.


Edit: Hah, my answer was ninja'd but I anticipated and answered the next question as well.

[Muse]

Originally Posted by DragonRider

As an additional note, if you hit "y" while targeting a province, it will open up the army setup screen for all the units moving INTO that province next turn, making it easier to set up their formation so they fit together.

This is very useful!
And... mayhaps a closely guarded secret of the Theurgs.
*peers over the hotkey lists and communion threads*

Originally Posted by DragonRider

Though this makes me wonder...if my armies in A and B move to converge on C, but an enemy army in C simultaneously tries to march against A...is there a chance that A and C will have to fight without support from B? The rules when two provinces try to attack each other at the same time get kind of tricky.

The no-support scenario happens quite a bit-- there has been conjecture that army size may determine which province hosts the battle (and thus which support detachments arrive,) with smaller armies perhaps moving faster. (Gaining the attacking role in the battle.)

I have not seen much in the way of probability testing numbers, though perhaps another is more familiar with the likelihoods of each scenario.

[DragonRider]

Originally Posted by Muse

This is very useful!
And... mayhaps a closely guarded secret of the Theurgs.
*peers over the hotkey lists and communion threads*

Heh. More like a closely guarded secret of the instruction manual. I knew I was reading it for a reason!

One word of warning: if a unit is currently in that province, but has been ordered to move out to somewhere else next turn, they show up on that screen anyway. Not typically a factor if you're invading rather than setting up a defensive force, but something to be aware of.

[Muse]

Originally Posted by DragonRider

Heh. More like a closely guarded secret of the instruction manual. I knew I was reading it for a reason!

One word of warning: if a unit is currently in that province, but has been ordered to move out to somewhere else next turn, they show up on that screen anyway. Not typically a factor if you're invading rather than setting up a defensive force, but something to be aware of.

*nods* I've just tested it and found it in the manual. I... I... missed it previously. This is saddening!

[earwicker7]

Originally Posted by Muse

As a slight note-- questions that are easily tested in the game, or by Wiki/FAQ searching may draw the likes of Calahan (or other stealthy watchers) to rend your mind from its vessel in a flurry of deathly sharp glares.

Ok, point taken on the searching

However, because of the lack of a save game option before ending your turn, I'm afraid to experiment too much, so it's not really that easy to test if you're only running one game (which is all I have time for) and you don't want to make a game-ruining mistake.

Thanks for the answer, though! This community is awesome.

[thejeff]

OTOH, it's fairly easy to set up a quick game to test questions like this.

Start a new game, recruit troops until you can take the weakest neighboring indy, take him. Attack another province with the survivors and new recruits from the capital. Observe.

Since you're not worried about efficiency or pretender design or long term goals or anything, it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. You don't even care if you win the second battle, just see who shows up to it.

[Stavis_L]

Originally Posted by earwicker7

However, because of the lack of a save game option before ending your turn, I'm afraid to experiment too much, so it's not really that easy to test if you're only running one game...

You might check out this utility:
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=39744

or this one:
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com//showthread.php?t=31522

...for save game backups.