Attack Deployment

[dragonchr15]

formation is used to advance on the enemy when attacking. I use the one suggested in the Beginner's Guide above

SP SP SP SP
Ar Ar Ar Ar
In Gen In
In In
Cav Cav

SP: Spears
Ar: Archers
In: Infantry
Cav: Cavalry

Besides being tedious to setup, Im not sure how to properly use it because it doesn't take Napolean incarnate to realize this is very vulnerable to missle fire. I mean, the AI is not so dumb as to blindly charge your spears so your infantry can flank them.

I was wondering if someone can advise me on the formation they use for any faction that works well.

Also, what if i want to add gunpowder troops to the above formation, would I deploy them in front of the spears rather than behind. They seem way to vulnerable because they need a clear line of sight to be effective and they reload so slow, preventing more than 2 maybe 3 volleys before being overun.

[katank]

That's fine though.

archers behind spear wall is less micro intensive.

archers in front with both in loose allows them to retreat back is better for kills due to clear LOS.

the formation works well. I suggest forward sweeping cav wings though and some skirmisher cav like HAs separate from battle lines.

For gunpowder, I use them on flanks.

someone said use arq. etc as flanking cav that don't actually need to be there. this is quite true.

besides, you get a nice extra morale bonus for firing into a flank.

using catapults etc. behind the lines can also give decent results.

actually the AI is stupid enough to charge your spears.

your archers when massed ie. 6+ can cause the AI to become confused and do stupid stuff like charge spear wall head on.

[son of spam]

The AI, as Katank said, will indeed charge your spearwall head on when you are attacking. It's only when you are defending that flanking becomes a problem. Actually, your best bet when attacking an AI enemy with few missle units is this formation


Ar Ar Ar Ar Ar
In Sp Sp def.inf Sp Sp In In
Ca Gen Ca

Ca=cav
def.inf=good defensive polearm/halberd inf (eg. militia seargents with valour, halbs, bills. Can use spear instead, but I choose good def. inf because usually if your center gives away, you are screwed)

With this formation, your archers will be able to missle duel against and hopefully destroy enemy units. Moreover, enemy archers will not be able to hit your valuabe sword inf units or reduce the morale of your spears. Plus, using this formation allows you to destroy entire armies with your archers, as if you use the beginner's guide formation, the enemy might engage your spears because they are too close, thus causing you to melee before you use most of your arrows which is a total waste of arrows. If the enemy do choose to charge your archers, move them immediately behind the spearwall using the wedge formation.

Notice that one flank (the left) is intentionally weaker than the right. The AI will always flank your weaker side, so you can expect most of the flanking attack to fall on your left. The idea is to use your right cav, which is very close to the gen to shore up that flank if it gets weak, and transfer inf from the right flank to the left flank if necessary. The reason for this is that it leaves your relatively strong right flank free to flank or rear attack into the enemy fighting your spearwall in the center. Once you hit them, they'll be sure to rout, making every other enemy unit rout also.

Defending is easier. Use the beginner's guide half-hexagon formation.

Oh yeah, about the arqs. Use them as katank suggested, but you MUST place them (and xbows and arbs) in front of your inf, because their shots go straight. Thus, if you place them behind your spears/inf, then the shots will go straight...through them http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[katank]

good stuff son of spam.

I also like using staggered spear wall.

early era budget army:

5 spears in staggered formation in front

10 archers

general.

provided no obscene amounts of RKs, this army does very well.

even swordsmen get mauled by spears head on

furthermore, expect most of enemy army to just melt away due to stiff morale penalties from archers.

AI enemy peasant rabble very easy to reduce this way.

replace with better troops when you feel like it.

BTW, as byz, you can go even more archer heavy as the treb archers actually can fight well.

in fact, they are my main stay in the desert due to everything else cooking.

[ichi]

Quote[/b] ]it doesn't take Napolean incarnate to realize this is very vulnerable to missle fire

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

Put your missiles (archers/xbows, pavs, etc) in front with infantry behind, cavs to the flank.

The missiles should be as far forward as possible, but close enough that it possible for them to retreat behind the infantry OR close enough that your cav can get to them in time should the enemy charge.

An alternative, which is useful when attacking uphill, is to put your cav behind the missiles, inf to the rear. This allows you to push your pavs father forward and still be able to respond (with your unimpeded cav) should the enemy charge them.

On defense especially, put your missiles in front with some arquebusiers or handgunners just behind them. Put the handgunners on Hold Position and Fire-at-Will off, and when the enemy cav charges your missiles have them retreat closer to the guns, then manually target the guns on the charging cav. You might lose a few archers this way, but you can really hurt the cav.

ichi

[dragonchr15]

Quote[/b] (son of spam @ April 12 2004,20:14)]If the enemy do choose to charge your archers, move them immediately behind the spearwall using the wedge formation.
Thanks for the help.

But please elaborate on this a little more. You mean change your archers to wedge formation and run them behind the wall?

Also, do I keep the archers in loose formation?

[Axeknight]

I use a very (very) simple method. Archers forward in a thin line, spear directly and close behind, 4-deep, swordsmen on the flanks (2-deep, for easy flanking), gen behind, opposite the enemy's weaker flank. Then 2 units of flying light cav on the flanks to harrass and lure. Use the flyers to lure away enemy spear, disengage towards the flank, and charge swordsmen into the flanks of the spear. Then, once the spear reform and start to fight the swords, turn the cav and charge into their flank or rear, catching the routers. Disengage swordsmen after routing, put them back where they were on the flank, and take light cav back onto their wide flanks. If you can, try to do it on 2 flanks at the same time. In conjunction with archer fire (Treb or Bulg brig for Byz), you can soften up the enemy for a charge by spear (who will be fresh, and rout the enemy before combat).

Others, however, will have better ideas http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[frogbeastegg]

Er, looks like that large update to formations I am working on is long overdue More specifically in this case there are several things I suppose I should have pointed out, but I forgot beginner's are not usually intimately aquainted with 'obvious' details like the fact you can move your units about inside your formation if you need to skirmish with your missile units a bit etc. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wall.gif

In no particular order:

1. That formation from the guide only really works well in early, in high/late you don't use missile units that can fire over people's heads, also spears are less useful.

2. I should have said something about being able to advance the missile troops forward if need be, they don't have to stay put behind the spears. It is merely useful to start them off there, and it is often good enough to leave them there as the AI is not Napoleon. Also as katank says this way is less micromanagement and that is assumed to be a good thing most of the time.

3.Loose formation is just one of those buttons at the top of the screen, near wedge and close formation. Hit that once and your unit will stay in loose formation until you order otherwise.

4. If you think that one is tedious to set up never try the \__/ shaped formation That one is so fiddly, very effective but incredibly fiddly to set up properly and even a tiny error can leave a gap to be exploited.

5. I like it when the AI charge into my spears while my archers still have ammo - plenty of big, close range, stationary targets I can hit with excellent accuracy Of course this is only a good thing if you have missile units that can shoot over your spears heads, otherwise you tend to kill more of your own people.

Katank: Swords get mauled by spears head on? I have only seen that in 1.0, how on earth are you managing that?

The guide update will include loads more formations for different eras and factions who don't quite fit into the standard models (e.g. Byzantines), as well as a lot more detail on what to do with your formation in the actual battle. So if anyone has any particularly bright ideas for formations now's a good time to speak up and see if you can add to the list I have already prepped.

[English assassin]

Its interesting to read what people do with missile units. For an attacking army I would take at most two missile units, and that is only to play with enemy horse archers if they turn up. So I would tend to deploy them one on each flank to cover the whole of the army. Even then its tempting to just take an extra two cav units to do the job instead. (generally I thnik there is not very much that you need missile troops for tactically that you can't also do with cavalry, if you are attacking. Its different if you are defending.)

Assuming you have roughly equal numbers of troops my approach to attacking is the classic (but maybe boring I know) one of fix and flank. I find missile units pretty pointless on that approach: simply charge your fixing infantry to contact once they start to come under missile fire, meanwhile the flanking units shouldn't be stopping moving until they come up against the rear or side of the enemy battle line. Whether to flank on both sides or only one depends on the terrain. If I am up against an infantry heavy army I tend to try to flank with infantry units as well because its far too easy against the AI if you give yourself a good cavalry arm. But against a more mobile army you do have to be able to match the cavalry with your own cav or you spend hours chasing all over the battlefield.

Finally I tend to deploy the flanker units in column behind the outer wings of the fixing infantry line, partly because it covers them from missiles, and makes it slightly easier to redeploy if need be, but mostly because I just love the moment when you swing them out left and right and start the envelopment...

[WorkNeglecter]

Quote[/b] (son of spam @ April 12 2004,20:14)]If the enemy do choose to charge your archers, move them immediately behind the spearwall using the wedge formation.
Like dragonchr above, I would like to know what you mean by wedging the archers. Does that automatically realign them behind the spears?

[katank]

@ lady froggy

by swords mauled by spears frontally, I'm referring to deep formation spears.

the thing is that frontally, the spears take a long time to die 1 on 1 vs. the swords.

the swords would win but it's a pyrrhic victory (sp?) with very few survivors.

with archer fire, the swords would suffer enough to not beat the spears.

BTW, my formation certainly doesn't work against good troops.

for the peasant, militia, spear rabble the AI usually fields, this is awesome.

really funny to see the withering archer fire hit the enemy spears marching up and they are dropping like flies.

they make one second of contact with my spear wall and promptly start to rout off the field where upon a few light cav I have proceeds to capture obscene amounts of prisoners who are naturally put to the swords.

BTW, use double speed and you can see the rabble wave approach and recede like the tide. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[son of spam]

Oh yeah, I should have clarified what I meant http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-blush.gif

Basically, since you always put your archers in a long line to increase accuracy, when you order your archers behind your spearwall, sometimes parts of the formation get stuck on the spears, so the enemy charges them and...there goes your archers http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif. I find that wedge formation works best for moving your archers, because one click of a button makes your archers into a nice compact unit that you can easily move behind your spearwall. Even better, the archers don't seem to get stuck on the spears in wedge.

Unless you have good hybrids, I didn't mean that you should charge archers into the enemy in wedge. That's just a formula for disaster. I would use hold formation or hold position for the +2 extra defense (whatever one does that, I forgot).

[Bezalel]

Assassin, archers are beautiful. They are cheap and used to take out more expensive units from afar. Not to mention people tend to get panicky when they're under a barrage of arrows. Archers can be used for very strategic actions.

[katank]

exactly, the AI has so much difficulty countering massed protected archers, regardless of difficulty level.

BTW, the combat bonus given on hard and expert to the AI doesn't apply to arrow proof parts, making them just as vulnerable to missiles.

I always have the best kill ratios when using ultra massed archery/siege.

BTW, I find loose formation archers and loose formation spears to allow me to retreat through spears easily.

then I change spears to close and they can brace for the cav shock.

[WorkNeglecter]

Quote[/b] (son of spam @ April 13 2004,12:42)]Oh yeah, I should have clarified what I meant http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-blush.gif

Basically, since you always put your archers in a long line to increase accuracy, when you order your archers behind your spearwall, sometimes parts of the formation get stuck on the spears, so the enemy charges them and...there goes your archers http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif. I find that wedge formation works best for moving your archers, because one click of a button makes your archers into a nice compact unit that you can easily move behind your spearwall. Even better, the archers don't seem to get stuck on the spears in wedge.
Great advice, this is going to save me a lot of archers. I often lose 20 or 30 in a messy withdrawal. Thanks. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif

[SpencerH]

Generally, I attack with a standard line of spear-types followed by archers with fast inf or cav behind. Once I see the lay of the land and defenses I can choose which side (and whether) to flank. Its a pretty standard method, shoot as many arrows as possible before close combat, pin your enemy in the spear melee, then flank.

I occasionally use archers as skirmishers in front of the spear-line but find them to be a tad slow in withdrawing. Mounted archers are a whole other discussion.

[Doug-Thompson]

Quote[/b] (frogbeastegg @ April 13 2004,04:46)]So if anyone has any particularly bright ideas for formations now's a good time to speak up and see if you can add to the list I have already prepped.
The idea of putting archers into wedges that can switch to long, two-rank firing lines for archers deserves serious consideration, frogbeastegg -- especially for missile cavalry.

Perhaps experts who have played live opponents have discovered the pitfalls of this, but I haven't.

When horse archers are in three ranks, the unit leader has to get to the back of the formation before it can begin to get away from approaching enemies. This often results in getting caught in melee.

When the HA are in a long, thin, seemingly unworkable firing line only two ranks deep, all the leader has to do is turn around, almost.

Obviously, the danger is on the dangling ends of such a long line. However, if you run to the rear and hit W at the same time for wedge, the formation falls in behind the galloping leader. The long ends reel themselves in.

The formation also unfurls itself very quickly back into a firing line.

Finally, two ranks is better for HA who can pull double duty as melee cav, such as Byz Cavalry and Steppe Heavies.

[frogbeastegg]

Quote[/b] (Doug-Thompson @ April 14 2004,20:33)]The idea of putting archers into wedges that can switch to long, two-rank firing lines firing lines for archers deserves serious consideration, frogbeastegg -- especially for missile cavalry.

Perhaps experts who have played live opponents have discovered the pitfalls of this, but I haven't.

When horse archers are in three ranks, the unit leader has to get to the back of the formation before it can begin to get away from approaching enemies. This often results in getting caught in melee.

When the HA are in a long, thin, seemingly unworkable firing line only two ranks deep, all the leader has to do is turn around, almost.

Obviously, the danger is on the dangling ends of such a long line. However, if you run to the rear and hit W at the same time for wedge, the formation falls in behind the galloping leader. The long ends reel themselves in.

The formation also unfurls itself very quickly back into a firing line.

Finally, two ranks is better for HA who can pull double duty as melee cav, such as Byz Cavalry and Steppe Heavies.
Now is that best suited to the beginner's guide, unit guide or the as yet unfinshed frog tzu? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-dizzy2.gif I'll see where I can put it, with credit as per usual.

[Doug-Thompson]

Quote[/b] (frogbeastegg @ April 14 2004,14:36)]Now is that best suited to the beginner's guide, unit guide or the as yet unfinshed frog tzu? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-dizzy2.gif I'll see where I can put it, with credit as per usual.
The issue of credit, if any is due, is about as hard to figure out as where to put this.

Putting archers in wedges is an old idea, probably inspired by the actual use of that formation at Agincourt, among other places.

As for having horse archers in a line two-ranks deep, that does seem fairly new, but it's still unproven in the game-playing community at large. I'd like to see what other, more experienced players think, including yourself.

As we all know, horse archers in skirmish mode are almost unusable. However, I have had success with skirmish mode when using two ranks instead of three if -- and I emphasize the if -- you keep a very close eye on them anyway.

By the way, your guides are superb. They are the best guides to any computer game I've seen yet -- including those sold commercially.

[frogbeastegg]

Quote[/b] (Doug-Thompson @ April 14 2004,20:50)]The issue of credit, if any is due, is about as hard to figure out as where to put this.
Whenever I encounter one of these known by everybody type facts that I have somehow neglected to include by default I always credit the person who raised the point, not for inventing it but for pointing out the absense.


Quote[/b] ]Putting archers in wedges is an old idea, probably inspired by the actual use of that formation at Agincourt, among other places.

As for having horse archers in a line two-ranks deep, that does seem fairly new, but it's still unproven in the game-playing community at large. I'd like to see what other, more experienced players think, including yourself.

As we all know, horse archers in skirmish mode are almost unusable. However, I have had success with skirmish mode when using two ranks instead of three if -- and I emphasize the if -- you keep a very close eye on them anyway.
Personally speaking I don't use horse archers much, they require too much micromanagement for my liking, and I admit I have never put in enough time to learn to use them really well. Hmm, two ranks would give better accuracy, as the last rank in the three rank formation recieves an accuracy penalty because the men in front block their view. That alone suggests that two ranks should be very slightly better, the problem comes with manoueverability and that is mostly down to the player's taste. Two ranks provides a more spread out formation, and spread out formations sometimes have trouble moving quickly without leaving their flanks behind. More compact formations remove or reduce this danger, but I find it takes them far longer to effect a complete 180 and get moving, as the men bump into eahc other and stumble about like drunks


Quote[/b] ]By the way, your guides are superb. They are the best guides to any computer game I've seen yet -- including those sold commercially.
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-blush.gif Well gosh http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-blush.gif Well I do have to admit it doesn't take much effort to be better than some commercial guides.

[SwordsMaster]

Attack?
Take all your heavies and charge them head on. The heavier the first wave, the better.The sooner they rout.

BTW, never take prisoners.

enjoy

[katank]

swordmaster, your tactics sound like mine when I just like a break from the strategizing.

I boot up a viking campaign and find it refreshing how I can order my huscarles, berserkers, and later joms to just charge head on and win.

same thing when you assemble 16 avar nobles on a hill and the enemy is approaching the bottom http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[thomonkey]

i always have a hard time using archers. dont get me wrong, i use em, but sometimes i feel that if i had a unit of good footsoldiers instead i would have had an easier battle. im thinking like this. what would haappen if ou fight a battle having one unit of foot soldiers and one unit of archers versus two units of foot soldiers. You will probably loose. What way do you guys use the archers to make them the best they can be?

[squippy]

Until I have arbs, I'm most likely to field 2 archer units in a full stack army. The reason is not becuase I thihkn archers are particularly good at killing the enemy, but because they are so good at provoking the enemy. My argument is that when the missile exchange begins, you are establishing an axis around which the battle must turn. If the enemy is manoeuvering into position, and come uner fire, they have the unenviable decision to stand there and take losses, or accelerate the attack with what units they have. Archery helps you seize and retain the initiative - and that is more important than the casualties they inflict.

More generally, my assualt strategy is basically 'foot first 3-line' with the swords and axes in the centre, unless the enemy has heavy cav stationed behind the centre.

[SwordsMaster]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif katank, keeping things simple is the best way to win....

I think for future Tw games they should include a moral penalty on troops that are the target of a charge...

What I do, is assemble CHMAA full upgrades for everything, CHsergeants, and RK in wild amounts and let the butchery begin...

The only thing i wished is that my infantry had the testudo formation, specially in bridge battles... But i hope we'll see that in Rome. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif That will be savage...

I can imagine it now....The best infantry in the world, full upgrades, 6 star general, unaffected by arrow fire charging downhill.... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[SpencerH]

I can only think of a few battles where I unexpectedly lost to a head on charge (so far I only play SP) from an army of mostly heavy cav.

One was against the Danes. I had good units, a hilltop position, but an inexperienced general. Unfortunately, the Danes, who were heavy cav bodyguards, charged so quickly that my arrow storm didnt cut any down. Once the 'spears' started routing it was all over but the crying.

I've also lost in the same way to the Mongol horde, but that was on the steppes.

[BrianBoru]

in one battle i had 6 spearmen, 2 archers, and 2 feudal seargents. i lost to 16 armies of 10 peasents, 3 woodsmen, and i believe a couple spearmen. my feudal seargents decimated 3 divisions of woodsmen and peasents on my right flank and my archers were doing well on the left with a army of spearmen in front of them holding off 2 divisions of peasents and woodsmen. but right in the middle were i had all the rest of my spearmen i got decimated and it collapsed. soon after the archers fled and then the feudal seargents after they had taken 90% casualties. does this mean that green peasents with a 1.5 ratio advantage can take on spearmen? or was it just my firmation? thx

[SpencerH]

I think the key with mounted archers is that the terrain has to be open for them to be effective. After all, thats where horse archers were historically important.

Defensively, I mostly use them as flank skirmishers (in two lines) to slow down the arrival of the second line of attacking units to the melee. Occasionaly, I've seen very dangerous (to me) units chase my MA all over the map while steadily losing men. In essense, they were removed from the battle.

Offensively, I try to use them to draw (foolish) charges that can be slaughtered piecemeal.

[SpencerH]

Quote[/b] (BrianBoru @ April 15 2004,08:48)]in one battle i had 6 spearmen, 2 archers, and 2 feudal seargents. i lost to 16 armies of 10 peasents, 3 woodsmen, and i believe a couple spearmen. my feudal seargents decimated 3 divisions of woodsmen and peasents on my right flank and my archers were doing well on the left with a army of spearmen in front of them holding off 2 divisions of peasents and woodsmen. but right in the middle were i had all the rest of my spearmen i got decimated and it collapsed. soon after the archers fled and then the feudal seargents after they had taken 90% casualties. does this mean that green peasents with a 1.5 ratio advantage can take on spearmen? or was it just my firmation? thx
IMO, you should have beaten them. I think the key would have been to charge them rather than let them charge you. Especially units who's facing is not straight at you. Once you get peasants moving backward its all over.

[BrianBoru]

hmmmm,,, yeah that probaly would have worked, then i could have pushed them to the end of the map and stood there and waited for their reinforcemnts to come, they had something like 3000 men because the polish had just taken over a territory that had had an uprising earlier and they all moved into my territory one turn after i had taken it over.

[SpencerH]

Well, if they had that many units it would have been touch and go anyway (because of attrition) unless you had high morale or cav (which you didnt).

[BrianBoru]

yes, but i noticed once before that if you make all their troops that are on the field rout at the same time, and can get them all off the map then when the AI brings up its reinforcements sometimes they wont even enter the playable porion of the map, they just turn around, or they come one one or two at a time, then you can pounce on them. but this was a long time ago and was probaly on normal difficulty, i dont know if it would be the same on a harder setting.

[Doug-Thompson]

Quote[/b] (SpencerH @ April 15 2004,08:51)]I think the key with mounted archers is that the terrain has to be open for them to be effective. After all, thats where horse archers were historically important.
That's a good point.


Quote[/b] ]Defensively, I mostly use them as flank skirmishers (in two lines) to slow down the arrival of the second line of attacking units to the melee. Occasionally, I've seen very dangerous (to me) units chase my MA all over the map while steadily losing men. In essence, they were removed from the battle.

Offensively, I try to use them to draw (foolish) charges that can be slaughtered piecemeal.

Now that's the ticket. Disruption first, then destruction.

I can't count the times that some full-strength unit of Order footmen have chased some unit of my faris around to no effect. Then the faris just leave them in some far corner and ride back to the real battle. Then the faris charge some hard-pressed enemy unit in the back, winning the battle.

Even if the footmen get back to the fight, they're exhausted and their friends are routing.

Way out on the flanks, HA tend to attract foot archers. The AI knows they're the best defense against HA. So if you draw foot archers to one end of the enemy line, you can withdraw the HA and attack the other end without having to put up with enemy arrows.

[squippy]

That principle still applies throughout, except on higher difficulties they will be more likely to actually engage even piecemeal. I have had some nasty experiences like this, getting hit by militia sergeants say at a bad moment. Also, this means your troops have crossed the whole map, and been fighting already, so will likely be very tired and not performing anywhere near their best. Also, you are a long way from your reserves. This is risky stuff; sometimes it can be better to let them go or to pursue ONLY with cav; this way you get to dress your lines, rest your men and prepare for them to come on again. Most likely they will break easily, having broken once already.

[Ludens]

Quote[/b] (Doug-Thompson @ April 14 2004,21:33)]The idea of putting archers into wedges that can switch to long, two-rank firing lines for archers deserves serious consideration, frogbeastegg -- especially for missile cavalry.
But this does not work with huge formation size. It takes my two-line, 120 men pavise arbalestformation 2 seconds to reform when I order them behind the spearmen with alt-double click. I shudder to think what would happen if I ordered them to go to wedge.

However, for horse archers it indeed seems a solution. I will try it out as soon as I can play again with those. I hope it will prevent them from getting mauled, like they usually do when I am in command.

However, I think the best way to improve the effectiveness of archers would be to improve the skirmish AI. That is on my top ten wish-list for RTW.

[katank]

Actually wedges are relatively fast to switch to.

Esp for HA, they help with turning on a dime really nicely.

Pav arbs are especially slow so I'm not sure whether it applies to them.

For vanilla archers or other missiles, going to a wedge is fairly fast.