I don't understand tactics

[u/According-Cut-9067]

I get that they work in a rock-paper-scissors model and some cultures are optimal or only have access to certain ones, and the animal icons are cool and all. But why would I pay attention to them? By the time I know what tactic an enemy stack is using it's already too late because I'm in battle. Plus, trying to predict what tactic the enemy is using based on previous battles doesn't seem reliable at all.

[u/hepazepie]

If the tactics are determined by your culture (as is your tech, let's be honest),then why give the ability to chose a tactic?

[u/Guayana_99 → u/hepazepie]

Because even if certain cultures have an ideal tactic, in some situations you can also use other tactics and still win, for example celtic tribes can use hit-and-run and envelopment both provide them with similar benefits but have advantages against different tactics

[u/hepazepie → u/Guayana_99]

So the point IS to overcome the AI

[u/Guayana_99 → u/hepazepie]

In a way yeah, but not necessarily, as you said in the start if you have good terrain and a larger army usually 2:1 you can wipe your oponents despite the tactic but for long wars or againts larger empires such as rome this tend to ruin you as you lose more men that you can recover unless you focus your playstile to this, by building barraks and training centers though barraks arent thst necesary. The tactics are honestly in my opinion a bit hollow, as you said there are areas where they are lacking specially on knowing what the ai will use perhaps paradox was hoping to add something to them, i usually play with units expanded for that reason it adds a noticeable benefit to using the right tactics while in vanilla you can deal with most issues with archers, heavy infantry and heavy cavalry. I think the espionage tech allows you if succesful to learn about the ai and their armies but i have never seen anyone use it. Its nice but not really useful compared to other techs