Stupid question, re: attacking with archers

[gatoshin]

Okay, this is a stupid question.

Is it at all possible to issue a command for my archers to attack the enemy in close combat, before they've run out of arrows?

Does simply giving them an order to move "through" an enemy unit cause them to charge the unit in question, or are they just going to get cut to ribbons because they weren't prepared to fight?

[Alexii]

Hold alt, then click on the enemy. They will attack in close combat. They're crap though.

[Wilbo]

Archers are ok if you are desperate, but they are about as good as Ashigaru without the cavalry-bonus. Basically, hit em in the flank or rear.

[Adrian II]

Archers are ok if you are desperate, but they are about as good as Ashigaru without the cavalry-bonus. Basically, hit em in the flank or rear.

Correct. You can also put them in wedge formation, unless you're using them to attack a much smaller enemy unit; in that case put them in two or three rows so they can 'envelop' the enemy unit. Make them attack downhill if you can. In fact do anything to evade a full frontal fight with any other type of unit, because, yeah, archers really suck at hand to hand combat.

[Irinami]

I like my archers and Arquebustierres in close combat... at the right point. Wedge of Envelope, downhill, always try to flank. Their proximity to the battle can carry the day, erasing penalties for your main melee'ers being outnumbered and/or adding penalties onto the enemy for same. My 'Bustierres killed Mori last night. He attacked Awaji (I love defending there) in heavy rain. I used 2 cav units dancing around his flanks and rear to peel off 3 of his units. Long story short, my hidden 'Bustierres couldn't fire, so I held them in reserve. After loosing all my arrows and sending the archers in to support the yari spearmen (lost a fresh unit of No-Tachi in a delaying attack), I committed my tired cav to downhill attacks on his Very Tired Yari Spearmen. Lord Mori helped one of his spearmen, so the 'Bustierres charged in. Uphill behind him, but since they're so spread out they wrapped around him and his yaris. By the end, I had everyone on just him. It was great... "4 Heavy Cavalry (Mori)... 3 HC (Mori)..." Mori himself lasted a good 2 minutes, and my 'Bustierres were the ones who gained honor when he died. Very satisfying.

So short version: Use them indirectly to flank a tied-up unit which is giving you problems. Set them either on a very broad front or a Wedge and charge into them downhill or from flat terrain at worst. Once that threat is gone, you've probably got more profitable things for them to be doing. In My Newbie Opinion. ;)

[Sasaki Kojiro]

It's my opinion that if you have to send your archers in then you've done something wrong...rather than thinking about when it is right to send them in and how a good general will come up with tactics for winning without them.

[Wilbo]

True but I'm sure they can be used to turn the tide of a battle... If you have an army of 1 SA and 1 Ashi defending (though arguably you have made a mistake of guarding an edge territory with such a small army), it is sometimes neccesary to run downhill and flank a few Ashi units to send em runnin'