How to keep units from turning during combat??

It seems that whenever my units engage the enemy, they always get turned around sideways, which causes them to be flanked and torn apart by other enemy units. Is there a way to prevent this or to deal with it?

My hypothesis is that, depending on the situation, I should hold back some of my flankers behind them main line, and use them to plug the gaps created by my spear units' rotation. Because what seems to happen alot of the time is that my swords and cav win the flanks easily, and then I have too many men to effectively use them all in an encirclement, while my center is getting torn to shreds.

So it's my theory that some of the surplus men on the flanks could be held back and used to strengthen my center, after melee is joined and my spear units start exhibiting suicidal tendencies. (But before the flank battle is won. Trouble in the center usually starts before then.)

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? BTW I'm playing SP.

DA

Make sure your spears are on hold positions ans well as hold formation. Then they should to turn.

Yes, I have tried this, but they still spin like they're swing dancing.

I've experienced the same thing. Similarly if I put someone on hold position to defend the end of a bridge or a castle gate, they'll still abandon their position to fight an enemy back.

I think you already made the best suggestion in holding a unit or two back to plug those gaps. The main place I've run into this is in my Late era German army based around a Swiss Armoured Pike phalanx. I've got 5 units of SAP as the core of my army, and with them all neatly lined up the only flanks exposed are on the ends, well protected by swiss halbs & chiv knights, but once the fighting gets going each of the five units eventually start pointing different directions and some get pulled apart, so I keep two units of CMAA right behind them with no purpose but to protect the newly exposed flanks once the phalanx gets disrupted.

Ajax

Hold Formation + Hold position works for me. However, it only works if you men don't attack. If you order a unit to attack, I'll automatically face the enemy. This is bad.

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Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

Hold Formation + Hold position works for me. However, it only works if you men don't attack. If you order a unit to attack, I'll automatically face the enemy. This is bad.

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I think anti has it. For spears you don't need to tell them to attack. They will just stand there, but still do damage.

Yeah they still seem to turn anyway. Even if they are just standing and a unit advances on them. Maybe it has to do with level of discipline?

DA

It could be that the AI is cunning enough to make its attacking unit turn to face a new direction, during the engagement (but when I try re-orienting a spear unit to trap a king/general but the spears are fighting, the order usually gets ignored) and your spears are merely responding to this.

If not that, then maybe a second unit was pushing at the gap between it and the next line unit, so the assymetric push forced your spears to turn. Sounds like a useful tactic to try for ourselves...

One occasion, I have had units in holdform/holdpos which actually chased a unit they routed. I was annoyed because more was coming at me but left them to their own devices. After about 100 yds, they broke off pursuit, turned around and returned to their original station. Holdpos therefore has a certain amount of flexibility to it (they're not totally rooted to the spot) and perhaps morale getting up to impetuous levels will trigger them to chase routers, but not too far.

In MTW/VI the spear units when put on hold formation hold position, Will not move at all until they route. They will only move when you click somewhere or on some unit. I group my infantry and move them with alt-click. My infantry lines stay nice and straight. But then again I am a very strict diciplinarian ~;)