Question: Multiple stacks in the same region and combat.

[kc87]

This seems to be an occurrence that happens mostly early in the war before divisions and corps are allowed but has always confused me.

One example. I was railing in reinforcements to Beauregard at Manassas at the same time McDowell entered the region. McDowell;s large Army managed to engage ONLY the small group group of reinforcements on route in the same region to Beauregard's Army, thus annihilating them. Beauregard's large Army just sat there idly and never engaged.

Is there a rule which decides what separate stack will be attacked in a region with multiple stacks? How was McDowell able to engage only one separate stack and not the other ( both of my stacks were on D stance)? I've also seen the A.I attack the same region with multiple independent stacks early in the war which made for some confusing battles, any information on this would be awesome thank you.

[Captain_Orso]

Read the 'Commitment of Stacks' section of the AGE Wiki - Combat Explained article. It explains exactly what you are experiencing.

[kc87]

The wiki says: An army-stack cannot initiate a battle if there are other friendly troops present (including an unescorted Supply unit or solitary captured Artillery for example).

Does this mean that if there is an Army stack plus an independent stack in the same region as enemy forces, the Army stack cannot initiate combat until the stacks are combined? I've seen the A.I move multiple stacks, some independent, into a region where my forces are, then not commence an attack. I wasn't sure if it was a failed activation check or this.

It must have been bad luck for me at Manassas. My reinforcements must have entered at the exact same time as McDowell's Army and were attacked at random before they could join into my army stack.

Thanks for the Wiki link Captain Orso.

[Durk]

Well, a solution is to target your own stack at the end of movement.
This combines all arriving forces.

[ArmChairGeneral]

kc87, this relatively recent post by Captain_Orso is the best explanation of the special Army commitment rules that you will find.

[fdapra]

I had the same happen to me in a recent game and the reinforcements where targeting my already present stack.
In that case we both had a stack in the region with 50%MC each, the Union just attacked my reinforcing stack and the battle ended there.
In any case each stack engages separately so it can happen.
Ciao

[ArmChairGeneral]

The stack commitment rules produce unpredictable results; it is best to circumvent these situations by having as few stacks as possible, and to pay close attention to your Armies.

It is inadvisable to send reinforcements to join stacks in regions that already have enemy stacks in them. Sometimes you reinforce to a safe region and an enemy stack arrives simultaneously, which is bad luck, but does occasionally happen and you lose your reinforcements.

[kc87]

I had the same happen to me in a recent game and the reinforcements where targeting my already present stack.
In that case we both had a stack in the region with 50%MC each, the Union just attacked my reinforcing stack and the battle ended there.
In any case each stack engages separately so it can happen.
Ciao

Yes, I targeted my army stack as well. Apparently when reinforcements first enter a region they don't automatically join with the targeted stack and have an opportunity to be attacked at random.

[Straight Arrow]

Thank you gents,

This I did not know; The stack commitment rule has opened my eyes to why my [color="#FF0000"]"coordinated"[/color] attacks have gone nowhere.