Do you use a formation when you battle in the campaign?

[revo]

Title says it all
Personally, as makedon, I use a somewhat alexanderish formation. I have my like 8 heavy cav on the wing farthest from the enemy lines my Pez in the middle and my assualt force ( hellenic spear man, 1 unit of the no missile elite spears and the agrarians) on the wing closest to the enemy to protect my phalanx's flanks.
what formation do you use if any?

[fireblade]

Yeah,

For hellenistic armies, I mostly have archers and irregulars (aka anatolian hillmen etc.) on the left flank, phalangites in the centre and cavalry and a unit or two of thureophoroi on the right flank.

For the roman armies, I tend to use some (admitted, distorted) version of the acies triplex. So first hastati, then principes and triarii. Allied troops on the flanks.

[Captain_Aramsham]

Depends upon the terrain, my army composition, that of the enemy I'm facing, and whether I'm attacking or defending.

[Boriak]

In my armies, I go for diversity. EB has so many units to offer it would be a crime to fight with just three or four. I tend to have every possible type of units: light/heavy infantry, light/heavy cavalry, skirmishers, spear infantry, sword infantry, etc.

I also watch how many units the AI is bringing into battle so that I bring an equal or lesser number and it's not too easy too win.

Phalanxes make it way too easy to win, even if I do play one of the Diadochoi. So I tend not to use them unless the AI is bringing them in as well. Since the AI loves to spam phalanxes if it's allowed, that is often necessary but I will only bring a limited number of them. Four is the very maximum number of phalanx units I will bring into a single battle.

[The Kybrothilian]

When playing Romans, I tend to use the acies triplex formation. I once tried a very historical approach with hellenic army formations, which involves phalanx in center, medium and heavy infantry on the flanks, and cavalry on extreme flanks. But I gave up on it, when I saw the AI being more interested in moving their entire army at my flanks instead of the center. So now I have my medium and heavy infantry behind the phalanxes (though I do still place hoplites on phalanx flanks, as well as the cavalry)

[Frtigern]

My formations for barbarian factions, which I play most, hinge on the cup formation. Skirmishing cavalry on the extreme flanks ahead of the army. If I have horse archers, they take the place of the javelin cavalry. After them are infantry skirmishers, who are just forward on the flanks of my spearmen, heavies in the center and levy type spearmen flanking them. I prefer the spearmen to have javelins though. Behind them are my archers/slingers. Behind them are my swordsmen, flanked by my heavy cavalry, who are behind my infantry skirmishers. I sometimes do a reverse triplex acies when facing a missile impervious army, which means my heaviest spearmen are up front in guard (behind the skirmishers) with missile units behind then. The true second line are heavy swordsmen to plug gaps. Third line are fast light axemen/swordsmen/falxmen whose goal is to run around the flanks as the first line is engaged, but only after my cavalry has eliminated their cavalry. If I know I face a cavalry heavy army I instead use two lines of spearmen and one line of light flanking troops, the second line of spearmen screening for cavalry while the third line swordsmen exploit gaps and flanks, after enemy cavalry is engaged. Thus do I scoop up my foes and drink up their blood!

[Lansa]

On my current Arche Seleukeia file, I use a similar formation for most of my armies (I have about 10). I use a variant of the Alexandrian battle line; a core of 5/6 Pezhetairoi/Klerouchoi or occasionally a unit of Argyraspides, with 4 units of heavy cavalry (ie Hetairoi/Kataphractoi/Kinsmen cavalry/Lonchophoroi) and 2/3 lighter cavalry variants (Hetairoi Asphorodoi, Illyrian Hippeis, Prodomoi etc). I use about 6 supporting/assault units, such as Thorakitai, Iodaoi Taxeis, Sreni Patta Yodha, Peltastai Makedonikoi etc. I occasionally use missile troops, but I don't really rate them; I use Akontistai for dealing with elephants, but as far as archers/slingers are concerned, I only every use Rhodian slingers. In my usual formation, I have the phalanx in the middle, with spearmen on the flanks, and swordsmen behind the lines ready to flank. The heavy cavalry I usually deploy echeloned to the right, and use the lighter ones to provoke the enemy, or just to flank/scout. Works pretty well, although elephants are a headache.

[Ferdiad]

Never. Just make a line with INF, Archers behind with the General. Cav on wings.