AI Charging headlong- what to do?

[Alex]

The situation as following - Russian troops charged headlong fro Poland westward. The problem is that my troops closed in on Poland from south and north and had them cut off from the supply (normal rules). Now? what should I do - to keep position to starve them or o open the encirclement and meet them from the west? The problem is that the supply filter don't give a damn hint about enemies' supply lines - and may be this should be changed: after all the configuration of the supply lines of the "other side" was usually known to any serious fighting force since Napoleon?

[Ace]

Toggle MC filter on (1 shortcut). Supply can't flow to him through regions that have less than 25% Russian MC. Also, if he is surrounded by all regions with 100% your MC, he will have nowhere to retreat and can be destroyed entirely.

[caranorn]

I had the Russians pull a similarly suicidal move in Silesia. About a third (my estimate) of their army in front of Presmysl (1) mispelled, 2) could have been in front of Lemberg) just rushed through the gap their army had opened and across the mountains into the foothills on the other side. Their move actually managed to cut off 2/3rds of the Austro-Hungarian Army in Silesia (by cutting two of the three raillines). I pulled the front back into the mountains (easier to retreat if I cannot dislodge the force in my rear, also more defensible ground than the riverline I had attempted before). At the same time I railed German and Austro-Hungarian reinforcements into the foothills in front of the Russian breakthrough to prevent further exploitation. While those reinforcements were pushed aback a little, they neverless formed a second line. Meanwhile the main frontline now in the mountains detached their most agressive leaders and about a third of their troops and encircled the Russian vanguard. In the end I opted for attack rather than hope to starve the out as I needed those railroads open myself, I only had to delay a bit as I couldn't get all commands I was planning to use active the turn I'd planned for attack. Now (early December I believe) the Russian Vanguard has been smashed (not yet destroyed, but two or three very weak stacks) and the raillines are being repaired. Looks like I will be able to hold my mountain line for the winter and possibly push out in spring with the ~2 reinforcing armies...

Some ai behaviour definitelly needs improving yet. Such deep unsuported, penetrations shouldn't happen, or only as raids (the same used to happen in ACW, not sure what my ai settings are right now, those could improvematters). Likewise the ai has repeatedly assaulted Metz (one of the strongest German starting positions) in the West (the first 3-4 times put me in danger as my force grew weaker every turn). But I sent depleted divisions back out of danger to recover and sent fresh ones in to take their place. I also rotated corps from neighbouring regions in, put a recently promoted decent defense general in command (unfortunatelly he died in his first battle as 3* and the Kronprinz had to return and take over once again (I've lost two recently promoted 3* so far :-( )), kept strong forces on Metz' flanks to march to the sound of the guns etc. The ai on the other hand just tried a monster stack of doom approach with everything under a single army thrown across the Moselle at Metz, no pulling back of depleted divisions (I saw several french divisions enter combat with just their artillery only to be destroyed) etc. Even in November these assaults continued, now with 1/2 or less power odds. Essentially an early Verdun when those troops could have been used to good effect to consolidate the center (could be the center is strong, I lost contact when I dug in for winter) or their left (the BEF is cut off (without a port) behind the Escaut, a German vanguard is at Amiens backed by a solid line behind the Somme, though Antwerp is holding again my siege and repeated assaults (tying up between 3 and 7 of my divisions).

The BEF raises another ai issue, does the ai reinforce it? I still haven't seen more than the original 4 divisions plus cavalry. By now quite a bit more should be ashore (and there's far more available to the ai or a player than was historically at this time) even if it's in the form of a second BEF in France rather than with the first in Belgium.

Essentially the ai should know not to make too risky moves (they are clearly moving blind with single stacks), also know when to pull from the offensive and form defensive (trench) lines. Rotate battered units out and fresh ones in rather than to keep all at the front. Reinforce by sea.

Note, even the BEF's plight in Flanders is due to a daring counterattack by the ai (which felt right to me at the time, made me curse 2 week turns though). Essentially it rushed forward towards Lille around my right flank (brushing aside a small flank cover), retook Lille while a Belgian Corps retook the Flanders' coast. Essentially they saved Paris with their sacrifice as I had to stop my advance (my van neverless took Amiens but could not be reinforced) and push the BEF back off my LoC. In that case the ai's agressive move made sense (I wouldn't have done it as a player, or at least have drawn back out after taking Lille (and maybe placing some Belgians inside to make a nuisance) to either evacuate or hold Flanders (at that time they still or again had all the ports in Belgium and France).

[Kensai]

Are you guys playing the historical campaign (war plans)? If yes, in the first couple of turns the AI has certain objectives that wants to reach, so it is biased to reach them as soon as possible. Nonetheless, it should not do suicidal attacks. The supply lines of the AI forces may be cut off, if the player decides so, but remember if the enemy is strong enough it can open new supply lines inside your lands. For example, if the Russians get Königsberg they will be supplied by the sea and further inside even if you cut them off in the borders of East Prussia.

Let us know what happened in the following turns. Did you manage to starve them?