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- Morale and routing
Morale and routing
Armies can break and run before they die, and recover if they reach safety.
On this page
Health and morale#
Health is whether a soldier can keep fighting. Morale is whether they are willing to. Some units have more resolve than others and shrug off shocks that would shake weaker troops.
Morale bands#
| Band | What it means |
|---|---|
| Steady | Fighting normally |
| Shaken | Starting to fight less well |
| Wavering | Close to breaking; always shown before a unit breaks |
| Broken | Routing: fleeing and ignoring normal orders |
A unit that wins, sees enemies break, holds a charge or completes a flank can become Inspired for a short time.
What lowers morale#
- heavy losses nearby, or friends breaking nearby
- attacks from the side or rear
- being surrounded or isolated
- a cavalry charge or bombardment
- being caught in March Column
Steady friends close by, enemies breaking nearby and time away from the fight help morale recover. An army of units that are not your enemies, such as a Truce partner's, has no effect on morale. A unit under heavy pressure may give ground, falling back a short way before it breaks.
Routing and recovery#
A broken unit flees toward your fallback rally point if you set one, otherwise toward your own territory around your Town Halls, keeps, towers and towns. It will not take normal orders while it runs. Routs are short, and near your own buildings the unit recovers quickly and returns to your control. Losing a fight does not always mean losing the army.
Villagers, caravans and siege engines keep their ordinary behavior and do not rout.
In the development build#
The development build has morale, its four bands, Inspired, routing and recovery. Heavy losses and routs among friends within five tiles, isolation, siege hits and being caught in March Column lower morale; kills, enemies breaking and steady friends nearby raise it, and it recovers a little each second away from the fight, faster within four tiles of your Town Halls, keeps, towers and towns. Seeing an enemy break nearby inspires a steady unit for eight seconds. A unit shows WAVERING for two seconds before it can break, steps back a tile when it starts to waver with an enemy in contact, and recovers from a rout after three seconds with no enemy soldier near, or when it arrives. An order to a fleeing unit is refused. Shaken and Wavering soldiers deal 90 % and 75 % of their damage, and Inspired ones 110 %. Every value is provisional until the combat laboratory. Flanks, surrounding, charges and pursuit are not in the build yet, and the battle screen does not show a unit's band yet; a refused order says that the soldiers are fleeing.
Pursuit#
Fleeing units move at their own speed, so fast cavalry can catch them. Attacks on fleeing units count as attacks from behind. Automatic pursuit stops after a short distance. A direct order can chase further. Decide whether to finish the beaten army or keep your formation. See also Flanks and surrounding.