"Hold Position" ---- How effective?

**Colovion** · 08-06-2004, 01:30

Whenever I use spears and have them in a good formation and see some other unit charging towards me I usually press the "Hold Position" button on the top right of the screen. Does it really do anything to set up your troops for a charge like I think it does, or what does it do and how well does it do it?

**CBR** · 08-06-2004, 02:35

Hold position basically means that your unit will try and stay in that position. It has no effect on combat.

If used for missile units it will shoot at a target you have given but will not try and follow if the target moves out of range.

If used for melee units they will not pursue a routing enemy unit, some high morale units might still do it though.

CBR

**Duke of Gloucester** · 08-06-2004, 05:57

Units will also tend to return to their position after they move away. In terms of stopping units pursuing routing enemies, I find it more effective to watch them carefully and halt them when they start to move. Then you can decide whether to move them back. With hold position, I often forget to switch it off, so if I change to attack, once they win, then unit turn their back to the enemy to return to the position they are holding. This can be bad!

**SlyConqueror** · 08-06-2004, 07:29

OK Now it si very simple.
The defensive units like spearmans must be in HOLD FORMATION.
This is good becouse spearmans and pikemans have a rank bonus and you must keep them in order to get this bonus.Holding formation is for holding position(no retreat

)
Atacking units like cavalry or swordsman must be in ENGAGE AT WILL. Their role is to kill in battle. When they engage the can outflank the enemy unit if they have long enough front line and the other reason is that more of the troops will engage at the battle(not like spearmans where only the first line is fighting and the other are giving support to it).

**Malachus** · 08-09-2004, 00:53

Isn't there a command for your troops that if used gives them a defense bonus? I'm guessing that I'm wrong, or that if I'm right, that command is the hold position... I really don't know

**Maeda Toshiie** · 08-09-2004, 03:18

"Isn't there a command for your troops that if used gives them a defense bonus? I'm guessing that I'm wrong, or that if I'm right, that command is the hold position... I really don't know"

Hold formation: +2 defense, -2 attack.

**Sven Der Viking** · 08-09-2004, 03:31

Hold Position?? Offense Not Defense Wins Wars!! In my strategem i have noticed that holding is only used by the weak, undeserving, factions such as the polish, or the hungarians. The Key tactic i always use doesn't revolve around holding, it's offense. Take example the highland charge. The highlanders are poorly moraled yes, but in great numbers they can disrupt a rank of well to do soldiers!! As for defense i always say turn the tide on the offensive general and make him defend the land he sets his foot on to be stained by his own troop's blood!! Storm out of your castle and meet him face to face and let him see the rage in your eyes!!!

Hey anyways this is my strategy and i'm not saying it's right or wrong i'm just explaining that my tactics don't require holding.

**Maeda Toshiie** · 08-09-2004, 04:58

Originally Posted by Sven Der Viking

Hold Position?? Offense Not Defense Wins Wars!! In my strategem i have noticed that holding is only used by the weak, undeserving, factions such as the polish, or the hungarians. The Key tactic i always use doesn't revolve around holding, it's offense. Take example the highland charge. The highlanders are poorly moraled yes, but in great numbers they can disrupt a rank of well to do soldiers!! As for defense i always say turn the tide on the offensive general and make him defend the land he sets his foot on to be stained by his own troop's blood!! Storm out of your castle and meet him face to face and let him see the rage in your eyes!!!

Hey anyways this is my strategy and i'm not saying it's right or wrong i'm just explaining that my tactics don't require holding.

It depends on the faction and the types of units used. If you use viking like units or units that charge and do a lot killing (and often a lot of dying as well), hold position/hold formation does not exist in your game. However, if you use combine arms armies, they are needed. Skirmish is added for factions with HAs.

**massamuusi** · 08-09-2004, 15:14

I found out that byzantine infantry, for example get far less casualties and are much more of a kick ass unit if you stretch them quite a bit and order to hold formation and/or hold position. They just kick ass that way.

**King Edward** · 08-09-2004, 15:32

Byz Infantry are a great early unit but soon get outcalssed in the High and Late periods by the heavy catholic units or turkish janissary units. Also no decent spears makes the Byz vulnerable to cavalry.

As far as i know Hold position gives +2 Def and -2 Attack. (As already stated.)

**Blodrast** · 08-09-2004, 18:29

Originally Posted by King Edward

Byz Infantry are a great early unit but soon get outcalssed in the High and Late periods by the heavy catholic units or turkish janissary units. Also no decent spears makes the Byz vulnerable to cavalry.

As far as i know Hold position gives +2 Def and -2 Attack. (As already stated.)

sorry, as Maeda Toshiie pointed out, that's hold formation.
Hold position, again, as already stated, has no effect in combat (other than it just tells the unit to stay there). No bonuses, no antyhing.