Flank attack?

[ditchhook]

One of my Kris Sword wielders got "Sneak Attack" which the help file explains is a 50% flanking attack bonus. However, I can't find in the help files what a "flanking attack" is in the game. Does anyone else know?

 

[jlafleur]

Two or more of your units adjacent to enemy unit will get a flanking bonus. Look at the combat modifiers on the tool tip.

 

[Alziel]

Yes - to clarify, if you attack an enemy unit when another unit of yours is next to them, you will get a flanking bonus. It's a good idea to surround an enemy with as many of your own units as you can before launching your attack so that you can maximize the bonus from flanking.

It's a great strategy to use for taking down tough units or if you just want to take a unit out quickly.

Prior to the era of modern warfare, mounted units tend to be best at flanking enemies because of their additional speed and their ability to move after attacking.

Oh - and remember that the enemy can (and sometimes will) do the same to you, so try to keep your own units in positions where it would be difficult for them to be flanked.

 

[Camillo]

Does flanking bonus also works when defending?

If I have two fortified units like this:

X
X

And AI has two units like this:

Y
Y

So it looks like this:

X Y
X Y

And now when one of AI units (Y) attacks me then the AI will have flanking bonus +15% on attack and as well I will have flanking bonus +15% on defense?

And what if I the situation is like this:

X
Y
X

If AI attacks one of these units do I get flanking bonus on defense?

 

[Scarpa]

I believe on defense the bonus is called 'Discipline' and is something you get via the Honor tree. That may be stale info though as I'm recalling Vanilla Honor policies. Haven't touched Honor in BNW yet, unfortunately.

 

[Alziel]

I believe on defense the bonus is called 'Discipline' and is something you get via the Honor tree. That may be stale info though as I'm recalling Vanilla Honor policies. Haven't touched Honor in BNW yet, unfortunately.

'Discipline' is different to the Flanking bonus but it does stack with it. Discipline adds +15% combat strength on attack and defense for each unit of yours that is adjacent to another unit of yours. The position of the enemy has no effect on Discipline - that only applies to Flanking.

As for whether Flanking affects defending units, I do not believe it does but I'm not sure. I'm fairly certain it applies only to attacking units.

 

[Socratatus]

I always find `flanking` a strange term to use here since `flanking` is usually used for tactical battles not strategic battles.

 

[FstrthnU]

I always find `flanking` a strange term to use here since `flanking` is usually used for tactical battles not strategic battles.

Civilization V has a very strange combination of tactical combat with strategic planning/building. If you wanted to eliminate it, you would need to handle it like the board game Diplomacy or Risk.

 

[Barghaest]

Does flanking bonus also works when defending?

Yes, if multiple defending units are adjacent to the attacker, you get a flanking bonus on defense. Easiest way to notice this is have one your units next to two enemy units (like barbs) try to attack one of them and read the modifiers in the combat window before committing.

Where units are in relation to each other is immaterial for flank - the only thing that matters is where they are in relation to the unit being attacked - each unit adjacent to it provides flank.

Flanking bonus only compares same domain - so ships along the coast do not contribute to a flank for land units on the shore - and vice versa. Embarked land units have the same issue (and usually a critical AI flaw is to embark a unit to help surround a city since that makes them far weaker vs the cities range attack and they usually get one-shotted).

Units that may not melee (siege/archers) still contribute to flank bonus for melee units if both are adjacent to same opponent; however, flank is never applied to range attacks (most likely balancing due to the lack of counterattack).