How much do you Micromanage your battles?

[Vasiliyi]

Well, the question should be self explanatory, but ill explain it a bit more.

Do you use 1 or 2 lines? Do you group your infantry, cavalry? Do you use guard mode? Do you like your army being uniform and balanced?


Personally im fairly picky about my battles. I like to group my men into "Weaker" "Stonger" "Elite" sections, as well as my cavalry being grouped together. If I have a lot of the same Unit, I usually group the Lesser experienced men together to create the first line, and then the stronger men as the second line.

I usually try to create a strong infantry front and then Hammer the enemy with some good heavy cavalry when they are occupied. Not very unique, but it works.

I was wondering about this for a long time, as Ive seen many screen shots where people don't group their units.

[Ibrahim]

Well, the question should be self explanatory, but ill explain it a bit more.

Do you use 1 or 2 lines? Do you group your infantry, cavalry? Do you use guard mode? Do you like your army being uniform and balanced?


Personally im fairly picky about my battles. I like to group my men into "Weaker" "Stonger" "Elite" sections, as well as my cavalry being grouped together. If I have a lot of the same Unit, I usually group the Lesser experienced men together to create the first line, and then the stronger men as the second line.

I usually try to create a strong infantry front and then Hammer the enemy with some good heavy cavalry when they are occupied. Not very unique, but it works.

I was wondering about this for a long time, as Ive seen many screen shots where people don't group their units.

I could write a book on this

on number of lines: I typically use anywhere from 1-5 lines, depending on what I want, the army I use, and the stratification of units.

do I group infantry, cavalry, etc: of course I do! what kinda general would I be If I don't? and there are a lot of rules regarding that in my and my brother's case.

do I like my army balanced: yes-I need my army to fight in all sorts of environments, for all occasions and eventualities-from fighting in the woods to assaulting a city. no unit type comprises more than 30-40% of any given army.

as to how I sort my units: I do NOT group according to "strength" (experiece taught me there is no such thing-its all about the role, and how well equipped the unit is for said role, ie effectiveness). I group by function: assault troops are together, flankers are together, phalanx is together, etc. the more experienced and effective a unit is in a particular role, the more likely it is to be in the "place of honor" on the right hand side of a formation, due to the game engine and I may repeat this arrangement in all my lines.

tactics: they tend to vary alot. it depends on what I want-I may choose to leave a weak center, or leave my flank ungarded to lure the enemy. the hammer and anvil approach is actually considered the most innefective tactic in many a situation (rivers, woods, deserts, and assault). I recommend a recording of an IBFD IJ3 battle I had a week ago. its not EB, but it gives you an idea about the tactics I use.

[dake]

I do most micromanaging when playing the romans. I guess most people already know which tactics to use playing them.

Hastati in first line on guard mode to tire the enemy out very usefull against gauls and other barbarian scum.

Principes on fire at will mode waiting for the right moment to engage when the enemy is tired enough to brake down their morale.

I usually place triarii on each rear to fend off enemy cavarly flanking on guard mode. One in the middle to support my center behind the principes.

My velites is placed eithter between hastati and principes to pepper target enemies or behind principes line (fire at will off). Slingers are placed in the farthes back infront of the general.

Cavalry on the wings, left for charging rear and back on enemy line. Right to harass and interupt enemy missle units.

Least micromange is probably fighting with cavarly armies like pahlava and saka. Send HA and missle cavarly to right and left to brake their center line and scatter the enemy. Then charge with cataphracts and go home to persepolis for some afternoon coktails.

[Andy1984]

I find grouping extremely useful for missile purposes. Havings dozens of javelins, pilae, arrows and (most of all) stones being thrown in my front lines back when my opponent routs on impact is something to avoid.

I don't group units because they're in the center. The AI often attacks only part of my main line, so grouping is of little use for me there. Cavalry isn't grouped either, because they're most often way off my main line and can thus be selected easily. (Yes, I admit, I often use pause to select and deselect my units.) As for summary: slingers are mostly one group (sometimes combined with archers), while javelin- and pilae carrying units are another. Once a unit runs out of ammunition, they're degrouped (so to be capable to use the Q-button at any time). During sieges, grouping is of little use to me.

About the amount of battle lines I need. I try to have only one line of combat-infantry. Behind them are my skirmishers (except when my opponent has quite a few missile units as well). In front of them I position my accensi, who should retreat once the enemy attacks. Sometimes these slingers are to be send to the flanks, sometimes I target enemy units in the center who refuse to close in.

[chenkai11]

I rarely group units, micromanage every single unit, except marching forward the entire army.

Micromanage move, run, stop, attack, skirmish mode on off, guard mode on off. Lately mastering to NO PAUSE at all.

That's why no one is allow to bother me when I am in the middle of battle or they will get "GO AWAY!". Even my wife... then I will say sorry......after the battle.


My hayasdan army formation basically skirmishers and slingers or few archers in front with skirmish mode on (sometime off to hold the enemy for a while) and guard mode on. Second line spearmen of factional units and hellenic mercenaries (hoplites or thureophoroi), sometimes native phalanx, all guard mode. Third line are the real gunners (archers). 4th line cavalry, during battle, they will run to either left or right wing. Then......argh......I so lazy to continue. But my favorite micromanage part is cavalry charge of 2 to 3 units to enemy successively. First cavalry charge...impact...melee few seconds...withdraw, second cavalry charge...impact instantaneously after the first cavalry withdraw...and so on.

[dake]

Pause and battle time limit is for weaklings *runs and hide*

[Maion Maroneios]

Well, the question should be self explanatory, but ill explain it a bit more.

Do you use 1 or 2 lines? Do you group your infantry, cavalry? Do you use guard mode? Do you like your army being uniform and balanced?


Personally im fairly picky about my battles. I like to group my men into "Weaker" "Stonger" "Elite" sections, as well as my cavalry being grouped together. If I have a lot of the same Unit, I usually group the Lesser experienced men together to create the first line, and then the stronger men as the second line.

I usually try to create a strong infantry front and then Hammer the enemy with some good heavy cavalry when they are occupied. Not very unique, but it works.

I was wondering about this for a long time, as Ive seen many screen shots where people don't group their units.

I use 2 lines mostly. One main phalanx line, followed by a line of flankers and reserves. Missile troops in front and behind the phalanx I guess don't really count, as change their positions frequently. I group my main phalanx line together, as well as my missile troops by role. Meaning archers together, slingers together, javelineers together etc. This is mainly to be able to carry out an order faster. For example, if I want all my phalangites to form a phalanx simultanously, which is only possible when they are grouped together. The same rationale goes with the grouped missiles, in order to let them fire at will at a specific moment. This helps when I have a plan that requires I move fast and that, in turn, means that I have to carry out orders to many troops at once.

I never group my cavalry together. My typical army has from 2-4 units of them, varying from missile cavalry to medium and sometimes heavy cavalry. I don't group them together, because ordering a whole group of troops to attack a specific unit, many times results in each of the grouped units attacking a different enemy. I know, it's strange but it's true.

Maion

[Celtic_Punk]

your centre should be your weaker troops with your elites on the flanks. My usual strategy is like the battle of Marathon. Pull the centre back and push the flanks forward. collapsing around them in a V shape. Usually ends in a hugely destructive rout for the enemy.


btw cute wolf i just noticed you spelt balloons in your signature wrong.

[option]

As Epeiros or Kart-Hadast, I usually just go for the standard hammer-and-anvil/envelopment tactics, but as Saka, extreme micromanagement is key, especially with the insane late bodyguards. Proper management of their charges and stamina can lead to stuff like this:



I don't group units for the same reason as Maion. It seems to result in them all doing what they want.

[Mikhail Mengsk]

Envelopement is too easy against AI, i like to find other ways to victory.

[TruePraetorian]

I micromanage alot, especially at the onset of the battle..when setting up units is key. If you don't plan to succeed, you plan to fail.

Lately I haven't used the pause button once which creates incredibly dificult battles. Also, I am trying to use the "General's Cam" but can't figure out how to rationalize it for sieges (since you can't see over walls ). It really adds a realistic feel to it. One good way to use Generals cam is use delete instead to follow a unit. This way I can switch between family members.

[MerlinusCDXX]

I don't normally group my units when playing balanced army factions, as the AI tends to redo my formations whenever I move (I hate the AI's formation logic, if I wanted to use the AI's default, I wouldn't go to the trouble of deploying my troops...the AI also has the idiotic tendency to send all my grouped units forward at running speed, which sucks, since I try to manage fatigue. ). When I play nomads, I'll group my forward and rearward horse archer wings, and the "command group" (heavy cavalry). I also use the "group-ungroup" trick to place the unit cards next to each other, so I can use shift to select them quickly. Mostly, I don't really need to set groups, as I can use CTRL-I, CTRL-C, and CTRL-M to quick-select my infantry, cavalry, and missiles.