Pike and Shot Formation Query

[Engrish]

As many of you know, these are the ultimate late medieval formation historically, but I have been having some trouble getting them to work in game.

If you have played the Pavia historical battle, the Imperial arquebusiers fire through the pike formation without incurring friendly casualties, but I'm not convinced this works in regular battles as of now, but I still haven't tested it.

The only other option of doing this is to place the arquebusiers/musketeers in front of the pike formation meaning they will at most get off two volleys of shots before they are overrun by the enemy and forced to retreat through the pikemen (but not before taking huge casualties and disrupting the spear wall). Putting the musketeers on the flanks is inviting disaster against larger armies as you are encouraging a flanking attack on your pikes and thus also leaving the gunpowder largely undefended against cavalry.

My question to you guys is, how do you create an effective pike and shot formation by keeping your gunpowder in an effective yet safe position?

[Old_Scratch]

In the Pavia scenario, the gunners are on a slight hill, so they are able to shoot over your own men. On even ground guns cannot shoot from behind your troops, so they have to be up front. The formations I use depend on who I'm fighting and where they are. If there is a lot of light cav threatening them, I'll have pike militia drawn up very close to the gunners so that their pikes extend beyond them but they can still shoot. If he has heavy cavalry behind his main army just sitting there and is pretty much just shooting it out with me I'll leave some space between the pikes and the gunners as to limit missile casualties while still providing protection. If they're going to charge my gunners go to the back and I either counter charge or hold a defense depending on the type of army I have.

[Engrish]

Nice, I'll keep that in mind.