Attack Order: Attack Rearmost Enemies

[Psientist]

I have observed that this *never* seems to select enemy commanders, and often, not very "rearmost" at all even for flying units. Is it a line of site thing?

[Ewierl]

As the tooltip says when you mouse over it, it selects a random enemy near the rear of enemy formations. This is rarely who you want it to be!

[MaxWilson]

My understanding is that for RP reasons (it's considered unlikely that a friendly unit will be able to spot the very rearmost enemy way at the back), the actual target selected is *toward* the rear but not necessarily at the very back. My impression is that more enemies toward the back increases the likelihood of them being targetted, so it's probably something like "3% chance of being targetted, for every unit starting at the very rearmost, until one is selected."

Occasionally it is very effective. Usually against me, when I forget to give my mages bodyguards, and the enemy cavalry skirts my main formation and then, upon reaching the back, charges right at my mages. Sigh.

-Max

[Meglobob]

Attack rear depends also on morale.

I believe your squad on attack rear as to make a number of morale checks to pass enemy troops near the front. This is why those squads suddenly divert to attack those at the front.

I have had high morale squads, 30-50, successfully attack rear many times.

[Psientist]

Interesting. I haven't looked at the morale angle, but have found placing flanking squads to the front and side helps increase penetration toward the rear... but I haven't seen a similar benefit from flyers.

[Gandalf Parker]

It also depends on a units "view". If you use the page-down to lower your view to their level then you might get an idea of it. I like to set some knights very far to the side and on "hold and attack rearmost". That way the main attackers have moved way forward before my guys choose their rearmost viewable enemy to attack.

Also, you can use a commander way off to the side to "hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, attach rearmost" and then have a squad of units set to guard that commander.