Its not even fair...

[unmerged(522231)]

I'm playing as the Byzantines, and I just made a 15k man stack and destroyed the muslim 15k stack. Now there is this 2k army in my land and I have 6k men.

I CANT EVEN CATCH UP TO THE THEM. They're in hte middle of Anatolia and just capping provinces, and I finally catch up to them, and if I am going to arrive on their land on June 21st, they run away on June 20th (Legitimately...)

I tried splitting them up and then they ended up destroying both my 3k stacks and now I lose. WHAT THE HELL?

I actually almost broke my computer from this. This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen in a video game ever and it actually makes me unable to play the game. IN EU3 and Victoria2 you can always catch the enemy at some point, but in CK2..NOOOOOO they either destroy both stacks or you never catch up to them.

What the hell do I do?

 

[dantheman102100]

There is a predetermined travel time from province to province and the AI will seek to move out of a province ASAP if a big enemy is coming its way.

Best way I have to overcome this is simple: follow them. After one or two province moves at most you will catch them before they can get away. The key to this I have found is two things. First, don't have the game speed set high or the AI will react much faster than you will be able to. Second, use the shift key when issuing commands to create a custom path for your army.

And also I saw once I had an army general that had a special combat modifier that made him move his army 20% quicker. That guy was a BAMF, destroyer of many of my foes. Dont remember the trait but if you can get a guy with +move speed, set him as your army commander.

 

[Yenzen]

Two ideas:

1: Push them somewhere where your travel time will always be shorter than theirs. This generally always happens after a while because the AI doesn't consider the long term effects of moving somewhere.
2: Bait them with a weaker army, say 1,5k, when they engage, move there fast! Even better, drive them to the sea and run off the boats the moment fighting starts (or if you can catch them with the largest army first, even better)

In general: See where the fleeing army is going after each fight by hovering over the county, move there before you can see them arrive. They are unlikely to escape before you also arrive.

 

[unmerged(522231)]

I tried baiting, but my units died before my second army even got halfway there, then they died.

I tried chasing them and constantly kept getting outrun, while southern Anatolia was being capped by small armies. I had mroe troops than them, but couldn't win no matter what because I couldn't catch any of their armies.

 

[generalolaf]

Split your army in half. Have one group circle round and attack from the opposite direction.

Works like a charm.

 

[dantheman102100]

I tried baiting, but my units died before my second army even got halfway there, then they died.

I tried chasing them and constantly kept getting outrun, while southern Anatolia was being capped by small armies. I had mroe troops than them, but couldn't win no matter what because I couldn't catch any of their armies.

Like I said, make sure you have the speed set low so that you aren't loosing a single day in the chase. If you loose a single day that is likely all the AI needs to make a clean escape

 

[generalolaf]

I'm pretty sure the AI calculates exactly when it needs to leave to escape. I've seen it myself.

 

[Sopot]

If you cant drop your army on them via the sea, then send your army to where they are sieging, put about 1k men in a province next to them and have the rest of your men ready to move in after the battle starts, those 1k men might die, but atleast the rest of your army will be able to catch the enemy.

 

[dr eng1ish]

Play on slower speed and use the pause button. They can only run away once or twice, you will catch up to them if you pause to readjust a couple times. At least, it's never failed for me.

 

[Verenti]

You can also game the AI into making a bad decision. If they're retreating into a province you can also move to (happens often in Britain), tell your army to move into that province, the AI will stop its movement, and if you on that day order a move on their province, you will 9/10 catch them, because the AI does hesitate when issuing new orders.

 

[grommile]

Side note: Let the sieges progress a little. Past a certain point, I've noticed the AI becomes reluctant to abandon a siege even if it has a viable escape route faced with the threat of its army being smashed.

Alternatively: Move towards the enemy army, see which province it tries to retreat to, and march around them to that province. It tends to pick the absolute shortest escape route.

 

[JonStryker]

Lure them with a small force to a coastal province and ba-da-boom, ship-rape them. Also applies to the original monster-stack.

But usually eventually you'll catch them if you hunt them long enough.

Splitting the forces into two might help, too. You just have to walk with one half at the enemy and with the other to their escape-county. If there's no county to escape to left they'll stay where they are and you can fight them.

Btw: Raise your Varangians if you haven't already!

 

[Isaios]

Or ignore them and retake the provinces behind them. They'll run out of steam quicker than you, and eventually end in a province where they can't flee.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

And also I saw once I had an army general that had a special combat modifier that made him move his army 20% quicker. That guy was a BAMF, destroyer of many of my foes. Dont remember the trait but if you can get a guy with +move speed, set him as your army commander.

It's "organizer", IIRC. Those guys are awesome...

 

[nyah]

Or ignore them and retake the provinces behind them. They'll run out of steam quicker than you, and eventually end in a province where they can't flee.

If they're capturing provinces there's no way they can't be caught. It takes a few days to assault. Sometimes you have to chase them around, but you can always catch them eventually, just keep an eye on arrival dates and be clever about it.

 

[Damorte]

cant you just let that puny 2k stack run about while you wait for your levys to get back some strength? Otherwise if you can afford it buy a mercenary unit and crush the enemy

 

[Isaios]

If they're capturing provinces there's no way they can't be caught. It takes a few days to assault. Sometimes you have to chase them around, but you can always catch them eventually, just keep an eye on arrival dates and be clever about it.

True enough, and this really does smell of a non-issue.

 

[NewbieOne]

There is a predetermined travel time from province to province and the AI will seek to move out of a province ASAP if a big enemy is coming its way.

Best way I have to overcome this is simple: follow them. After one or two province moves at most you will catch them before they can get away. The key to this I have found is two things. First, don't have the game speed set high or the AI will react much faster than you will be able to. Second, use the shift key when issuing commands to create a custom path for your army.

And also I saw once I had an army general that had a special combat modifier that made him move his army 20% quicker. That guy was a BAMF, destroyer of many of my foes. Dont remember the trait but if you can get a guy with +move speed, set him as your army commander.

If you fight a lot with a certain guy in command, once he "levels up", you get the dialogue asking you what you want to focus on. That's certain types of terrain or troops or foes. One of the options, however, is "study organisation", which allows you to increase movement speed.

Edit:

It's "organizer", IIRC. Those guys are awesome...

Yeah.

***

And yes, I think it's quite unfair on the player how the AI reacts instantaneously and especially jumps back and forth, playing cat and mouse. But if you hover the cursor over an army, you will see the predicted arrival date. Travelling times vary, so it's possible sometimes to intercept AI depending on the pathing.