I thought they removed that cheese ''stat'' some time ago. The ''flower'' tactic should not work or even exist, to be honest.
It's one of the reasons why I gave this game a second chance.
Can we get any confirmation from an experienced player or dev?
Splitting your armies, also known as flowering, doesn't offer any advantage in defense. When defending, your armies are treated as one, so splitting doesn't bypass any stack limits or provide extra protection. It's just extra hassle without any payoff.
However, when it comes to attacking, splitting can make a big difference depending on the situation. Unlike defense, attacking armies are individually calculated for damage, so splitting can help you go beyond stack limits. But there's a catch: each attacking group will take a full counter hit from the defending armies, even if they're split.
In simpler terms, splitting during an attack can speed up damage dealing, but it might also result in taking more damage, especially if your armies exceed stack limits.
