Basic Battle Questions

[Sammich]

1. Is there a button or a way to make my entire line of infantry advance or charge? For instance I usually have a long line of 5 or 6 footmen up against 3 or 4 stacks. Id like my line of men to advance in formation but the closest I can get to is to individually attack each unit which is a micromanagement pain. Any ideas on simplifying this would be great.


2. Also any info on basic formations is appreciated. I always go with the standard foot then missiles with cavalry on the wings but thats damned boring.



Cheers

[Dick]

1. Is there a button or a way to make my entire line of infantry advance or charge? For instance I usually have a long line of 5 or 6 footmen up against 3 or 4 stacks. Id like my line of men to advance in formation but the closest I can get to is to individually attack each unit which is a micromanagement pain. Any ideas on simplifying this would be great.

Unfortunately not.

2. Also any info on basic formations is appreciated. I always go with the standard foot then missiles with cavalry on the wings but thats damned boring.

Depends who you play with, as different nations have different strengths thus requiring different starting formations. Also try mixing up army composition, as this will force you to become more creative. Add pikes, bowmen, cavalry archers, halberds and knights to change it up a little.

You could try missile on the wings in order to flank attackers, working best on the non-shield side of them. But, you aren't going to get much variety by saying infantry, it's the type of infantry that will make the difference and how you use them, which also depends on enemy troops.

[Krusadr]

Yea, what faction are you playing?

[Xenomorph]

you should read this thread for more info and tips about unit formations and stuff. the rest comes with experience, different factions use different tactics and youll have to adapt.

[gogis]

I still don't get, what's so good with horse archers. They useless in town/citadel battles, not kill enough for their costs and if you faild to micro them, die in single charge of enemy cavalry.

Given amount of battles you going into, microing plain archers and horse archers is real pain in arse.

I tend to use alot of elite experienced infantry (mix ap+sword'n'board) + basic archers and some heavy cavalry including generals to flank attacks or preventing cavalry charges.

Almost no use to spear/pikemen, no horse archers .
Why to use spears if anyways, sending peasants to consume charge and answer with your cavalry is so much better?

Or if you have no peasant-fodder, just answer to enemy cavalry charge with yours general, then swarm them with your infantry and destroy?

If you enable spear wall, your units simply can't move fast and never cathc up enemy cavalry. No spear wall? They still would be obliterated by heavy cavalry charge, like any other foot unit.

Looks like pure siege defending unit.

I just can't whitstand pure superiority of sword'n'board or AP-axe(Danes) infantry in any area, they are just SO
universal and formidable

[captainbloodloss]

In regards to the question of "Is there a universal advance command?" I say this: If you do not care much about losing a charge bonus (only 3 for most units anyways) you can simply order the entire army to march to a position behind the enemy army. When your units contact the enemy's they will stop and engage as if you gave them and individual attack order.

[Enduran]

you can simply order the entire army to march to a position behind the enemy army. When your units contact the enemy's they will stop and engage as if you gave them and individual attack order.

They already do that to a certain extent, but put simply - no, there is no command. What I will do is pause it right before contact and tell what unit to attack the enemy units, works quite well. A coodinated attack always will bring more stress and fear on your enemy.

[sumaznguy]

I pretty much use the same strategy for every faction in M2TW AND RTW.


Wall of infantry and missile units in the rear. I find using cavalry cumbersome. They never charge the enemies I want them to. But I have to admit they are really strong.


But most of the time I just have wall of infantry and wall of archers behind. My strategy is defensive basically. Let the enemies charge into my infantry wall and get pelted by arrows. Any idle infantry are used to flank the enemy. Obviously I can't kill the enemy routers, but that doesn't bother me.

During early game I pretty much use any unit I field even town militia and peasants if I start out with any. Obviously the peasants and town militia will die quicker, but I always win through my mass missiles from archers. If I happen to have my general, I will use him for flanking purposes.