Wedge Formation and is it any real use?

[Doug-Thompson]

I've seen wedges charge right through an enemy unit (though usually a routing one) and then comes around for another charge, while a line charges once and then gets caught in melee.

I use a line a lot more often, though -- much better for chasing when the opposition routs. I normally use wedges for squeezing through some gap that appear. For instance, if there's a big brawl around an enemy general, I'll sometimes form a wedge and ride around. A wedge is less likely to get hung up in melee combat while trying to ride around units or through a gap.

[AggonyDuck]

Well I use wedge when charging the enemy in the rear. I find that it tends to increase the attack a nice bit and will cause the enemy unit to rout faster.
But I never use wedge in frontal combat.

[Colovion]

I don't use wedge.

I'd rather get a full impact of cavalry charging into the enemy and my charges are usually never to split up the unit, it's always to kill it. Historically you'd charge into the middle of the enemy ranks and split them up, knock them down, and have infantry or other cav to mop up the breach to allow to widen it. That's pretty devastating. Not so much when you split one small unit of maybe 100 men as the untis in battle don't have a very big "part of the army" mentality.

[Jagger]

I wonder if wedge would be ideal for hitting a flank directly. You would be hitting only 4 men.

But I have really been wondering about the effectiveness of wedge. I am not sure it is worth it.

[Siris]

My experience is, sometimes it works well, others, it just plain sucks & suicides the leading horses/men. So I typically just use the full charge broad front, it impacts more head on enemy casulties, and makes them rout faster.

As some of the others have started, I do not charge to break up their lines, I charge to kill them. When they rout, I keep the attack until it wont let me attack anymore, mowing down their retreaters as much as I possibly can, because if you dont, you'll just be seeing them on another battlefield, so kill them while you have the oppertunity.

[NicSO]

I dont use it!

[Jeanne d'arc]

I have witnessed the AI using wedge formation multiple times when attacking my cavalry.It might give an advantage when charging cavalry.Lets make a series of tests in cavalry vs cavalry and cavalry vs infantry.

I always tend to use wedge in the first charge then pull back and continue charging in normal formation.

[Watchman]

I've gotten the impression the wedge might have an advantage if it meets another cavalry unit in wider, thinner formation head on - it seems to tend to smash through and disorder the other unit. But on the other hand it might just be that I always try to ensure my troops are better than the AIs...