Anaerion
Baron

Ok heres an example defending city have 10k AT and 100k archers with a 100 pike and sword. AT has range 1300 + 200 so combat start at 1500 range. Send in a cav smack that march 1500 and they will kill archers round 1. Now do the same thing but add 100 catapults to the defending city base range 1500 + 200 so combat starts at 1700. The cav will march 1500 and have to fight the sword and pike before hitting archers. Hence proof that combat begins at base range +200. If you used ballistas instead of pults the cav would still hit archers round 1 because they cav have 1500 speed and 100 range which = 1600 and base range for ballistas is 1400 + 200 for combat start range so ballistas start combat at 1600 and can get destroyed by cav first round.

How would you determine this? Arranging a series of attacks by, say, an increasing number of warriors against a fixed city containing... oh, let's say a single archer and one Trap?

I was serious, BTW. I'd like to see what you know about combat -- not the hard way, mind. )