I have sword bands – they have swords bands. But I field 2x the amount of men (as Iceni vs Brigandes). My units are losing, so I take a regiment of sword bands and rear end attack the enemy. They are encircled, and STILL don't flee and I'm losing.
Does the AI cheat in very hard difficulty? Do they have hidden bonuses I can't see? Why is it that I lose vs farmer levy when I have sword bands AND I constantly flank the enemy with cavalry?
Best Answer
Yes, the AI troops have significant stat bonuses on very hard difficulty.
For example on very hard battle difficulty your troops get -5 morale and AI troops get +10. You also get smaller penalties to attack and defense.
However none of those bonuses should be significant enough that a farmer levy beats a sword band or you lose a 2v1 or fail to rout the enemy with repeated cavalry charges in the rear.