Formations

[Skooma Addict]

I wanted to ask others opinion about the different default formations and ones they form themselves before the battle. I usually create my own formation before the battle. I am a very simple man, missile in the front followed by infantry, cavalry on the flanks, and artillery, the general and a few reserves in the second line.

MMMM
CCC IIIIIIIIIIIII CCC
RRRRR
G
A A A

I fire with my missile and artillery until the skirmish away, engage with front line while trying to flank with my cavalry, and use my general and reserve as little as possible. How do you guys line up? Do you use the pre-made battle formations? (I don't) If so how have they been useful to you. This is an attempt to better understand the use of formations to make myself a better battlefield general.(I think I'm fairly decent at the moment)

[Tsarsies]

I have a similar line up i guess. missile in front (with 2 missile in rear) with infantry (spear) close behind ready to jump in front incase the enemy decides to charge head on. I always keep a strong defensive infantry unit (spear) angled to either side to halt flank attacks. I generally only require 2 cavalry for most battles, my general and light cavalry used for running the enemy down or spreading there missile units. I only ever have artillary when i plan to assualt a settlment. I also, often have 2 cavalry units far to either side. Generally used for flanking attacks and coming in behind the enemy.

MMM
CC------------ I - IIIIIIIIII- I ------------CC
M -------------- M
CGC

Thats if i have a big enough stack to set up like that. Artillery is always set up infront of my general. Casvalry units are easy to move into positions once the battle begins. If i was playing a human player my light cavalry on either side would act as decoys. This set up works great if you have some missile light cavalry. You effectivly attack the enemy on 3 fronts and can easily redeploy.

+rep for an entertaining thread!

[Kundich]

I like to keep three lines of infantry with missiles in front. Cavalry, I used to put on the flanks, but I've gotten away from that. Now I keep all horse at the rear. The enemy tends to charge cavalry flanks, so my cavalry in the back does not immediately threaten them. They commit much of their force to the frontline infantry, which are supported by second and third line reserves. Horse come out only when the engaged enemy are fully engaged (not counting enemy units held in reserve). Third line infantry at the wings advance to flank, horsemen advance to fully envelop and whittle away with charges. The enemy line invariably breaks and often in massive routing numbers.


Thanks,
ADM

[Navajo Joe]

My front line are missile troops, 2nd line are Spearman and 3 rd line Heavy Infantry, with General behind. Missile troops drop back when enemy approaches, Spears engage and then I move my Heavies in when the enemy are fully engaged. Used this method since RTW, Archers, Hastati and Principes. Cavarly on flanks to chase away enemy missile and light cavarly and deliver flank and rear attacks

[Musthavename]

My front line is infantry, usually spears or pikes. Behind them I have a line of either skirmish troops (i.e: javelins), or simply sword / shock infantry (which move round & flank if possible, or reinforce certain areas, or protect the archers). Then a further line of archers. I tend to pull cavalry completely out of the way and a sort've mini-battle develops there, where they kill siege engines, archers & the enemy General. Once the General's dead, the enemy tends to have taken a lot of casualties and then starts to rout.

Great thing about this method vs the AI is that the only casualties I take are a few cavalry units (and maybe shock infantry) and some spears. Bar pikemen, spears themselves are easy enough to replace that the army can just keep being used, unless I screw up and lose my cavalry.

Though, I always keep my missles at the back unless they're Musketeers or the like which have to be used infront. I always think that the advantage I gain from being infront of my lines is lost again as I move them back, as the enemy will just charge when it gets in-range. So to avoid risking my missle units I always keep them behind.

[delra]

I'm recently placing my archers and crossbowmen in the front. But I do not withdraw them when enemy is close, I just tell my infantry from second row to run forward. This way bows/crossbows keep shooting and do not use their stupid skirmish ability which always sends them to some dumb places and breaks their positioning completely.

It works.

[crunchyfrog]

I'm recently placing my archers and crossbowmen in the front. But I do not withdraw them when enemy is close, I just tell my infantry from second row to run forward. This way bows/crossbows keep shooting and do not use their stupid skirmish ability which always sends them to some dumb places and breaks their positioning completely.

It works.

Yeah, it does.

I usually go for this basic formation for factions like danes, byzantines etc with good/decent swords/mace/axe infantry

AAAAAAA
S IIIIIIIIIIIIIII S
CC G CC

Archers in the front, spearmen on the flanks and infantry as the frontline and cavalry to flank round the enemy around the enemy lines when they have engaged.

[Zendjir]

Currently playing a lithuania campaign. My setup is very simple really. I split my forces into 2 groups; infantry and cavalry. The horse archer cavalry is deployed in loose formation and envelops the enemy. The infantry group is a line of missile troops up front in loose formation. Next line is infantry (shield wielding troops: axemen/spearmen). And I place two groups of heavy hitting infantry on the flanks, just behind the second line.

Works perfectly , the enemy has usually already lost any chance of winning when my infantry reaches them.

[Prankowski]

i´m normaly using this formation

C--------------IIIIIIIIIIIIIII---------------C
I----MMMMMM----I
AAA
G
i normaly use the spear-ability of the missile units to give infantry extra support against cavalry.
normaly i just stay in this formation and let the enemy come to me, flanking with the cavalry if i have them.
why is everybody using missiles in front line?! i just fear that my infantry can´t move before them fast enough so i alway put them in second line.

[Blakdust]

i´m normaly using this formation
why is everybody using missiles in front line?! i just fear that my infantry can´t move before them fast enough so i alway put them in second line.

Because archers have a better line of sight at the front an can shoot straight into the enemy an cause more damage rather than using indirect fire

[Lyons6]

Guys out of interest what are some good formations to benifit an English army?
cheers
Lyons

[crunchyfrog]

Guys out of interest what are some good formations to benifit an English army?
cheers
Lyons

AAAAAAA
S IIIIIIIIIIIIIII S
CC G CC

Longbows in front, when the enemy comes close charge you infantry at them, dont move the archers, just charge the infantry right through them. Move you spearmen together on the flanks to counter charge the enemy cavalry. Move your cavalry around the flanks and hit them in the rear when you infantry are engaged in combat. Oldest strategy in the book, but quite effective with england IMO

[Musthavename]

English one is obvious.

Random Infantry you don't care too much about, Spears do.
Longbows... More Longbows... Yet more Longbows
Then a few Knights.

On a serious note, you can't go wrong with Longbows, you just can't.

[Lyons6]

English one is obvious.

Random Infantry you don't care too much about, Spears do.
Longbows... More Longbows... Yet more Longbows
Then a few Knights.

On a serious note, you can't go wrong with Longbows, you just can't.

so maybe a formation like the one below. milita rabble in front of longbow with their spikes in the ground with some spearmen of heavy infantry backup and cav on the sides maybe?


sssssssssss
aaaaa aaaaa aaaaaa
sssssssssss
cc cgc cc

[Barser]

_____SSSSSS_______
______AAAA________
___CC (artel) CC _______

infantry (spearmen) in front of archers.
crossbows (if any) right in front of infantry.
artellery (if any) behind the infantry. (depends on artelry type if balistae and such they are with the infantry)
cavalry on flanks behind them all.
Possible units of pikemen stretched out in with the infantry.
possible a unit of halbard or such on each flank to hold the enemy cavalry untill you can charge them if they try to flank.


It all depends on what the enemy your up against use. Somerimes you have to use you cavalry to take out there archers or artellery.

[sabaku_no_gaara]

How do you guys form your pike and shot units?

I was looking up the Tercio formations, but that wouldn't work in MTWII I fear

Now I basicly put y pikes in defence mode and place my musketeers in front of them but in a way that the pikes still stick out so my musketeers are protected.

alternatively, to really feel like I have the gunpowder upperhand, I sometimes just bring 4 Basilik and 4 Musketeers and 6 Tercio's for back up. It's effective

Put the cannons on a hill and the Tercio's on the foot of the hill, and have your musketeers on the flanks of your cannons.


so

TTTTTT

MMCCMM <---------top of the hill, so they won't hit the Tercio's
G

[Weyoun]

HL HL HL HL HL
HA HA HA HA HA
HHA HHA HHA HHA HHA
KG KG Gen KG KG

[sabaku_no_gaara]

Asuming that HA is horse archer, and HHA is Heavy Horse archer, what are HL and KG?

[Skooma Addict]

I wanted to post this as a different thread but I don't want to spam the forum so...

Thanks for the feedback. Also while you guys are listing your formations, could you also specify if it would be better used to attack or defend. Again, I am a simple man. I pretty much use the same formation regardless, however, when attacking I sometimes put cavalry in front, followed by archers just to harass them into coming to get me.

CC
MMMM
C IIIIIIIIIIIIII C
RRRR
G

Usually I send the front light cavalry to "bother them" or smash their archers, possibly even take out some artillery if they have any. I just want to cause chaos until the archers are in range. If I take heavy losses I pull'em back. After that, I charge my infantry and flank with cav. as normal.

Also, as I suspected, not a lot of people use the group formations. At least not for the whole army. Thanks again to you all.

[Weyoun]

Asuming that HA is horse archer, and HHA is Heavy Horse archer, what are HL and KG?

Heavy Lancers
Khan's Guard