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- Formations and special commands
Formations and special commands
Three universal formations, plus one special command for each culture group.
Three formations#
Every soldier holds one of three formations. Select soldiers and choose Line, Loose or March Column in the selection panel. A new formation takes a moment to deploy; the panel says Deploying… until it is in effect, and its benefits start only then. Soldiers start in Line. Villagers and caravans have no formation.
| Formation | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Ordinary fighting: a full front with melee in front and ranged units behind | Normal exposure to arrows and area attacks |
| Loose | Taking less damage from arrows and area attacks | It holds a melee line poorly and suffers more when pressed |
| March Column | Moving fast, especially on roads | Caught before it deploys, it takes a heavy morale shock |
Changing formation does not stop what the soldiers are doing. A move keeps the formation the soldiers already hold; moving soldiers in different formations together marches them in Line. A patrolling group takes a new layout at once; a moving group keeps its places until its next order.
In the development build, a deployed March Column marches 15 percent faster than Line, and Loose takes 70 percent of an arrow's damage (never less than one point). A formation change takes 3 seconds to deploy.
Caught in column#
A March Column that is hit before it deploys into Line is caught in column. The soldiers that were hit deploy into Line at once and the panel says Caught in column! until Line is in effect. They get none of Line's or the column's benefits meanwhile. The heavy morale shock arrives with morale.
Special commands#
Each culture group has exactly one special command:
| Culture group | Special | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Realms | Shield Wall | Infantry locks into a dense wall: excellent against frontal attacks, missiles and cavalry, and very steady. It moves and turns slowly and collapses if attacked from the side or rear. |
| Latin Kingdoms | Lance Charge | Heavy cavalry forms up and accelerates for a crushing first impact. It needs open ground; forest, marsh and cramped streets break it. |
| Sultanate Realms | Harass | Ranged and light cavalry keep their distance while attacking. Terrain and enemy cavalry still decide whether they can get away. |
| Steppe Confederacies | Feigned Retreat | Cavalry pretends to flee. Pursuers that lose formation become disordered, and exposed when the retreat turns. |
Disrupted formations#
Tight gaps disrupt a formation: the panel says Formation disrupted, and its benefits pause while the soldiers squeeze through. Once they are clear, the group re-forms for 2 seconds before its formation is in effect again. Forest and marsh will disrupt formations too, and a March Column on a road will stay organized; both arrive with terrain and roads.