Help:Battle Formations
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When you take control of a battle, you can get a sophisticated deployment
done, no matter what the individual troop leaders have chosen as their unit
settings. The only exception to this are heroes, who do not always follow
the orders of the battle commander.
The availability of some advanced formations depends on the leadership skill
of the battle commander. Peasant militia units often do not follow the
formation settings, because they are too disorganized.
Offensive Formations
- Infantry Charge
- Attack in force with all infantry units deployed up front, archers
behind them and cavalry in the back so they can charge into the melee.
- Cavalry Charge
- In this formation, cavalry units are deployed up front to open up the
battle with their powerful charge, with infantry following up to finish
the job. Archers are deployed further back to offer support fire.
- Archer Opening
- This formation has a line of archers at the front, who will open up with
missile fire. Infantry is deployed behind the archers, stepping through their
ranks after the first volley to protect them and engage the weakened enemy.
- Waves
- Sets your attacking force up in mixed waves of roughly equal strength. This
strategy can be very successful against an enemy who has his units strictly
concentrated on single combat lines.
- Soften and Charge
- A more complicated strategy that begins with an archer opening, followed by
a cavalry charge, all to soften up the enemy before the infantry mops them up. If
you have many archers and some cavalry against a mostly infantry opponent,
this formation can break them up before the real battle even begins.
- Careful Attack
- A fairly complicated setup, where infantry charges in waves while archers
hold their ground and support them. Cavalry adds to the melee, charging from
the back. Only useful for a well-mixed army.
This is an advanced formation that changes the units' formation settings.
- Weakening Skirmish
- An attack in waves where units charge in groups to deal maximum damage,
then withdraw quickly to preserve their strength. Good to soften up the
enemy prior to a main attack on the next turn.
This is an advanced formation that changes the units' formation settings and withdraw limits.
Defensive Formations
- Infantry Wall
- Deploy all infantry units in one strong row, in order to stop the enemy
dead in his tracks. Mixed infantry reinforces the wall while softening up
the approaching enemy. Archers stand behind the wall, showering the enemy
with arrows as he approaches. Cavalry is deployed far back, charging in once
the melee is underway.
- Fortification Deploy
- This formation is for fortifications. It deploys most units atop the walls,
including archers. Cavalry is kept back inside the fortification in order
to charge out in order to break the enemy ranks apart.
- Mixed Lines
- A defense in depths that will break the enemy charges by taking them in
multiple waves. The first few lines in this defense are almost certainly
doomed, but by the time the enemy reaches the 2nd or 3rd line, he will be
too weak to continue fighting.
- Delay and Wound
- If you are not fighting to win but to do maximum damage to the enemy,
this is a good formation. Your men are set up in multiple waves with an
attempt to ensure that you do as much damage as possible and force the enemy
to fight as long as possible. Good for causing maximum damage to a much
stronger enemy who would win anyways.
- They Shall Not Pass
- This formation deploys all units in box formation for maximum resilience
and staggers them for maximum defensive value - infantry back, archers right
behind them, cavalry in the rear. The purpose of this setup is to last as
long as possible, exhausting the enemy. It is quite useful to break the
impact of charge formations.
This is an advanced formation that changes the units' formation settings.
- Strategic Withdraw
- A formation set for dealing some damage to the enemy and then
withdrawing quickly. Units are deployed with archers up front and others
behind them, hoping to engage the enemy in one large melee where every
unit has the best chances to retreat without being slaughtered.
This is an advanced formation that changes the units' formation settings and withdraw limits.