the flanks and groups had full authority on what to do in the course of battle - such as supporting other flanks or performing an individual feigned retreat as conditions seemed appropriate, in small groups of 100 to 1000 - so long as the battle unfolded according to the general directive and the opponents were defeated. Feigned retreat The Mongols very commonly practiced the feigned retreat, perhaps the most difficult battlefield tactic to execute. This is because a feigned rout amongst untrained troops can often turn into a real rout if an enemy presses into it. Pretending disarray and defeat in the heat of the battle, the Mongols would suddenly appear panicked and turn and run, only to pivot when the enemy was drawn out, destroying them at their leisure. As this tactic became better known to the enemy, the Mongols would extend their feigned retreats for days or weeks, to falsely convince the chasers that they were defeated, only to charge back once the enemy again had its guard down or withdrew to join its main formation. The most famous battle involving this tactic was during the Battle of Kalka river. See also Cavalry Eight Banners Endemic warfare Genghis Khan Horses in East Asian warfare Mongol Empire Mounted archery Timeline of Mongol invasions References Bibliography Amitai-Preiss, Reuven. The Mamluk-Ilkhanid War, 1998 . Chambers, James, The Devil's Horsemen: The Mongol Invasion of Europe. Book Sales Press, 2003. R.E. Dupuy and T.N. Dupuy -- The Encyclopedia Of Military History: From 3500 B.C. To The Present. (2nd Revised Edition 1986) Hildinger, Erik -- Warriors of the Steppe: A Military History of Central Asia, 500 B.C. to A.D. 1700. Da Capo Press, 2001. Morgan, David -- The Mongols. Wiley-Blackwell, Jones Archer -- Art of War in the Western World [1] May, Timothy "The Mongol Art of War." Westholme Publishing - The Mongol Art of War Westholme Publishing, Yardley. 2007. . Nicolle, David -- The Mongol Warlords Brockhampton Press, 1998 Charles Oman -- The History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages (1898, rev. ed. 1953) . Saunders, J.J. -- The History of the Mongol Conquests, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1971, Sicker, Martin -- The Islamic World in Ascendancy: From the Arab Conquests to the Siege of Vienna, Praeger Publishers, 2000 Soucek, Svatopluk -- A History of Inner Asia, Cambridge, 2000 Verbruggen, J.F. -- The Art of Warfare in Western Europe