Holding the lines

[MetalPaladin]

When enemies are charging into my lines should I meet their charge or just hold my ground? Also, some units (currently playing as Denmark) have shield abilities like "shield wall". Do these increase the shield armor bonus, and should they be used when defending against a charge?

[Ichon]

When enemies are charging into my lines should I meet their charge or just hold my ground? Also, some units (currently playing as Denmark) have shield abilities like "shield wall". Do these increase the shield armor bonus, and should they be used when defending against a charge?

Almost always counter charge when it is infantry charging your line. In sieges at gate or wall breach better to hold ground usually and sometimes in forests or bridges as well. Cavalry it depends alot on charge stat of the cavalry involved. Infantry are usually better off repositioning vs charging cavalry than necessarily a counter charge. If you can move part of your infantry line out so cavalry don't hit entire unit or go to loose formation it breaks up cavalry pathfinding and weakens charge. Cavalry vs cavalry... well, yes you should counter charge or at least make sure your cavalry aren't getting charged in rear or side but better is to run away to higher ground, then turn and charge or run by a corner of one of your own units so enemy cavalry get distracted then turn and hit them in flank or rear.

Shield wall is useful for infantry in tight spaces vs especially higher armor infantry or AP weapon infantry. There is a slight defensive bonus and also the formation allows more of your men to be in contact with enemy formation which means more chances to swing and hit. In short battles there is not much difference but in longer battles especially in sieges on walls or down streets or the central square I've noticed about 30% difference in men alive after a battle when in shield wall vs when not in shield wall.

Don't use it vs archers or cavalry as the concentrated formation allows more arrows to hit and exposes more men to cavalry charge. Also later in a campaign when siege weapons become more prevalent it can be dangerous. Had a few times when 1 flaming ballista took out 15% of a unit in one hit when they were in Shield Wall formation. Also remember any special formations greatly slow a unit so usually is best to be in regular formation until just before contact with enemy is made.

[Tasmansk Tiger]

uhm, I find the shieldwall formation repels the cavalry more than infantry standing in a loose line. This is except for teh viking raiders though

[midget_roxx]

I find shield wall works well against anything equal to or lower than Mailed Knights (although this is going from SS so they might have different mechanics). Also if the enemy force is "tired" shield wall makes you invincible. I had my army being routed, I realised this and pulled a mass retreat and used my reserve spearmen who could form a shield wall and used them as bait for the rest of the enemy army so I wouldn't lose any more troops. The spearmen were surrounded and they continued to hold out o.O. So I brought my general and Polish Nobles for a few charges, routed the enemy and won a close victory :o

Also I find that shield wall works exceptionally well against a infantry charge and you will take few casualties, if any at all

[meese]

Spear wall and shield wall are very different things :/

Spear wall is what pikemen get and makes them so damn tough.

Shield wall is what viking raiders, viking huscarls etc. get and is not as useful (not nearly so) as spear wall. Also, I'm curious which spearmen get spear wall. I thought it was only available to pikemen/halberdiers.

[Prince Imrahil]

I find that shieldwall is a very useful formation if your vastly outnumbered. I remember in an old campaign when playing as Byzantium I had about 5 units of Byzantine Spearmen and two units of Trebizond Archers. They were against a Sicilian army thats cavalry alone outnumbered my entire force. I put all my spearmen into shieldwall and formed them up in a semi circle right at the corner of the map (so I couldnt be flanked) and placed the archers in the pocket behind them. My tiny force managed to defeat that army because they never managed to break the shieldwall and get to my archers.

So yeah, shieldwall = Good crack!

[Kameraden]

It's good for hammer&anvil. I keep my troops in three lines. First in shieldwall that holds the enemy, second splits half to enemy flanks and third line is archers. Then cavalry charge behind and that, as they say, is that.