Pairing off

[Cicero]

How do people tend to group up their armies., and do you use different approaches depending on whether you're playing SP or MP. Assuming I've enough units on the battle field i put them in 3-4 unit 'divisions' and try to provide each one with some fire power and some decent assault troops. Is it better to do this, or to use the army more as a whole. To often I end up wiht one wing getting seperated, especially if it's my favourite No Dachi Cav archers combi. I don't know why i'm so fond of that, htey always die.



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Keep it simple: as simple as possible, but no simpler

[candidgamera]

If they all end up attacking the enemy at once from different directions it pays off.
Make sure your general has visual with each group, and that he's not too far away from any one of the groups otherwise the morale penalties might hurt at the wrong time.

Have done echelon attacks that worked ok with leader in middle, guys on flank attack first, as ai responds next two groups attack.
(can't speak to MP)

[Anssi Hakkinen]

I often use groupings in the opposite way: group certain unit types as specialized divisions. The spears move as a front, backed up by the archers, and then I have some flank divisions with assault troops and/or cavalry. This requires efficient co-operation between the units, and I can't manage it without the Pause key; thus, it's much less useable in MP.

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"2. Yu: bravery tinged with heroism."

[Steeleye]

Same as Ansi - I tend to group my units by their role - so I will usually group my gunners as one, archers as another, defensive Yari as one, and then have two or three packs of offensive troops - depending on the army/situation, with my general by himself, or with a minder, in the middle.

Has anyone else got experience of using different grouping approaches, and how successful they are?

Kyodaispan

[BanzaiZAP]

I group into special battle groups for attacking, but on defense I tend to go by group type. I like the control for flanking groups on attacks, and have balanced groups attacking from several directions. I like no-dachi/ashigaru combos, myself.

-- B)

[Hiroshi-O'Duff]

I get into some serious ruts during troop production phases, so I tend to have armies with a lot of the same units (I never play MP...)

However, when I have a mix of units, I tend towards these strategies:

First, I always start with the archers in front, move them back when attackers get near.

Now, the options I decide between, depending on the enemy army size and composition.

1) If the enemy has a lot of tough units, I try to spread the shock troops a little bit amongst the typical HtH guys, but leave a few to the far edges for a flanking encirclement.
2) If the enemy has a sh!tload of archers, I put the cheap, well-armored guys up front and leave the shock troops behind on the flanks, as well as directly behind. Then when we get up close, I hold with the Yari, cover weak spots with the shock troops, and flank like crazy.

Duff