Amalickiah was not the first one to attack. He gathered all the men loyal to him, and Captain Moroni started assembling troops to go after him. Because the numbers were not in his favor and because he doubted the conviction of his followers (Alma 46:29), Amalickiah then fled to the land of Nephi, taking only a few men with him and abandoning the rest. He was a coward, and loyal to only himself. As soon as he saw Moroni’s troops, he fled—for Moroni had headed Amalickiah off. Captain Moroni had wanted to talk and make a covenant.
Amalickiah was smart, a very shrewd man. He knew that he did not have the strength at that point to follow through, so he did not stay. When he returned, he came using his Zoramite heritage to his advantage. He appointed other Zoramites as the leaders of his army, because the Zoramites knew the landscape. They knew the strengths of the Nephites, and they knew their weaknesses. There is nothing as useful as an insider, someone who knows the land and is able to make an effective attack.