Mobile firing?

[Rockapotamus]

Rumor has it that ranged units can fire while moving.
How do I accomplish this? I can't seem to figure out how to correctly control horse archers so they utilize their 360 degree firing cone while moving. They form up before firing most of the time and this can lead to many undesired outcomes (I.e. slaughtered by enemy ranged).

I've also heard that foot archers can fire while walking.

If there's a quick concise way of commanding them that allows this capability to function, I'd really like to learn.

Thank you!

[ikyu828]

i simply put all my horse archers in 1 or 2 group (or nore if you can handle it) of a straight line facing backward against the enemy
so if the enemy is getting close they can start running away w/o turning around 1st
i've been using a full stack of horse archers in my royal scythia campaign and this tactic works and it's very simple

foot archers or any other missile infantry can't shoot while moving

[Rockapotamus]

I leave fire at will off and micro my archers, so how would that work with them facing backwards when I click to begin firing and they reform into a forward facing formation before firing? I'm positive that I must be doing it wrong, I can't bring myself to accept that they're such a clunky unit to use if I'm doing things correctly.

Also, the point of horse archer for my own purposes isn't to remain in a static line and simply have a faster ability to run away, it's to have a constantly shifting force of fast moving and versatile ranged units which, if micro managed correctly can circle around an advancing army formation and tear apart whichever units I choose from behind before dashing away from danger, all the while firing in to the flanks of the units not trying to engage them.

How I've been attempting to do this is: right click on the desired unit I want to attack -- left click drag move to initiate a running pace away from or parallel to any advancing forces. I've also tried the opposite of this, moving before issuing an attack order, but the same results remain-- they stop their charge, turn around at a pitiful pace, and begin firing. Generally by this point the targeted unit will have turned around, making my horse archer essentially useless (as every archer tends to be when firing head on into any infantry other than light.)

Ideally my horse archers should be firing the whole time they are moving away, but they simply forget about their bows, charge to my desired location, and stand there, not once firing an arrow and wasting valuable time, while taking my attention away from many other aspects of the battle for no other reason than to keep them alive until I eventually get them around while in melee with the enemy army or they get lost in the back of my mind and get slaughtered because they're a pain in my ass to use.

Once again, this previous statement does not seem right to me, so it's only logical to me to assume that I'm doing something wrong, because there's simply no way they are just faster foot archers, else the "Fire whilst moving" ability would not exist.

[ikyu828]

even if you want to micro them one by one imo it's much better to turn on the fire at will since that way they'll keep firing while moving even w/o giving them an attack order
otherwise you won't get the advantage of horse archer of being able to constantly shoot while moving around and i'ts 360 degree of shooting radius

[Rockapotamus]

even if you want to micro them one by one imo it's much better to turn on the fire at will since that way they'll keep firing while moving even w/o giving them an attack order
otherwise you won't get the advantage of horse archer of being able to constantly shoot while moving around and i'ts 360 degree of shooting radius

Wow, who knew my desire to save ammunition was TOO stingy. I suppose I could activate the firing ability at certain in order to maximize my arrow usage. Thanks a lot brother. I really appreciate it. I didn't realize it was such a foolish mistake on my part.

That's why I came here! Thanks again.