What are some optimal army formations? (FoTS)

[darknessfalls]

I'm talking basic formations for open field combat, either with arty and naval or without.

One of my personal favorites with almost pure infantry with either naval or arty is like this.

\ /
\___________________________/
- -- -

_____

The angles aren't near as sharp of course, but it's basic line of infantry with a slight angling outwards. Two spear units (yari kachi or spear levy) as a cavalry defence going for the general or the arty. When facing mostly melee units i can shift the spear units to the sides and defend the infantry there while sharpening the angle so the other melee units are caught in a killzone for their final charge. If naval bombardment I use it when melee infantry is about to enter the range of the infantry so it times up with the killzone formation or as a general unit killer when their infantry enter range.

[Vampiresbane]

I do something similar.

Any Lines are infantry ie \ _ /
Arty are ^
Cav are #
Genearl are *
Ignore any . periods. That's for spacing.
If I can safely put arty behind my infantry on a higher hill (so they don't hit the infantry in front):

enemy in front

.__/\__/\__/\__/\__
/._.^._.*......^._......\
# ........................#

If you've noticed, I have 2 to 3 infantry units in reserve to help fill gaps where need or to attack calvary that try to punch through. I also put the cav behind my end of the line infantry so opposing cav have a harder time attacking them.

If it's a level field so that I have to put artillery between my infantry, I do something like this:

enemy in front
._. _......... _.. _
/. ^. \__/\__/. ^. \
# _ ......* .._.. _ .#

Hopefully you get the idea. It's harder to show using text, but I basically have units with overlapping fire, much like you would have done in Empire Total War. Plus I really like having backup units to help fill holes and/or fight charging calvary (which really helps in FotS since we don't have square formations).

[grumph]

_is just normal line, /\ are angles(ofc. not as sharp), I are spears, * is general, X is arty, G is gatling, and a * the line above a line means its elite infantry
* *
\__G__XXX__G__/
I I * I I

arty in the middle, gatling guns as area denial to add in the carnage and murder storming cav
the center lines are mixed 2 guards/foreign infantry with the next highest tier infantry
thee outer lines are as high as i can afford, so early on lines, later on shogunate/imperial/republic infantry
2 flank sharpshooters to exchange fire with flanking sharpshooters ect. and fire into the enemy that marches into my lines, and moves with the great crushing manouvre(one flank crushes a flank and quickly rushes up to attack the other flank/middle from 2 angles)

EDIT: damn, it doesnt show up well. anyway, centre is elite infantry, 2 spears behind them to defend either their gatling gun or the arty, general behind arty

[Vampiresbane]

EDIT: damn, it doesnt show up well. anyway, centre is elite infantry, 2 spears behind them to defend either their gatling gun or the arty, general behind arty

Yeah that's why I ended up having to use periods instead of spaces. It works better, but it's still not perfect.