Archer Formations

[Psyco]

I dont know how to do polls (so if anyone could enlighten me I would be forever greatful) so I'll just do it this way

What formation do you put your archers (not x-bows or guns)in?

I personally put them in wedges because of the concentrated fire and small frontage

how about you?

[ichi]

Pavs (XBows and Arbs) 2 deep.

Archers (LBs, Futuwwas, Turcomans, Bulgarians, Genoese Sailors) 3 deep.

Once they run out of ammo or if I am moving them in tight quarters I switch to wedge.

ichi

[PrinceBrobex]

I like to put archers two rows deep, but it's hard for me to manage such long lines so I usually end up with three.

[Finn]

if i can fit it within my army - 2 lines deep,
although my armies tend to be 4 * 4 rank deep spearmen wide on huge, so if i have more than 2 units of archers (which i will only do if they have a very spearmen heavy army) then its whatever depth they will be to fit completely behind my spearmen

[Zone]

At the top or bottom of the page when reading a thread you have 3 options, post a topic, post a reply, or new poll. When browsing the list of threads you only have post a topic and new poll. New poll is the one you want :) put the options you want in the small 'windows' and type as you would for a normal post in the large one.



As for archers, I usually try and have just one line, even if I have 5 units, with 6 I will double them up. that way I get maximum range with them, I pepper a different unit with each of my archer units with arrows and because of my wide battl line, the AI doesn't know how it should attack me and usually ends up just charging up the hill towards my awaiting spearmen :) On attack I find archers less useful, unless it's a fairly flat map. If there are hills I'm always worrying too much about leaving them open to attack so I leave foot units with them and they in turn get shot by the enemy archers...

Oh, and for unit formation, 2 lines deep if I have 3 units or less, 3 lines deep if more.

[katar]

i like to work with three to six units of archers (six or more when defending).

always have the each unit in two lines, having them in three affects accuracy.
fire at will and skirmish are always disabled, wastes ammo.
hold position and hold formation are enabled, so that they don`t wander off from their assigned position in the battle line.

i like to have them two or three units deep, as at close range their combined fire on a single enemy unit can decimate it before it hits my frontline, six units of archers concentrating on one unit of knights equals a lot of dead knights, with the few remaining ones usually routing before they hit my lines.

you have a limited amount of ammo, choose your targets carefully before you let rip, if possible wait for your target to stop moving before you open fire, it gives the archers better odds on killing them than a moving target. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif