Anybody having good success controlling an army?

[callahan9119]

So far I'm pretty much limited to: everyone hold ground, infantry advance ten paces. If I have cavalry I'll maybe have them follow me to the flank. Then try and advance everyone by 10 paces at a time.

I haven't played the pc version in ages. But I remember it being so much better.

I never have time to do much unit positioning because the controls are so limited and cumbersome. Half the time I got cav charging into my lines while I'm still just trying to do my little 4 or 5 commands 

 

[Andry Houston]

That's where voice commands come in handy.
But really, maybe you have not enough time because you set the battle speed to fastest?
I set it to slowest, and maybe because of this i have enough time to set everyone in their places.
But most of the times i'm just executing voice commands.

 

[William Bone]

So far I'm pretty much limited to: everyone hold ground, infantry advance ten paces. If I have cavalry I'll maybe have them follow me to the flank. Then try and advance everyone by 10 paces at a time.

I haven't played the pc version in ages. But I remember it being so much better.

I never have time to do much unit positioning because the controls are so limited and cumbersome. Half the time I got cav charging into my lines while I'm still just trying to do my little 4 or 5 commands

If you're on PS4 version, keyboard works well.

https://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,356869.0.html

 

[callahan9119]

I have an xbox one. I can't really use a keyboard because my lunatic 2 year old would somehow grab it. Same with voice commands and wearing a headset.

 

[William Bone]

I have an xbox one. I can't really use a keyboard because my lunatic 2 year old would somehow grab it. Same with voice commands and wearing a headset.

Then just stick with the D-Pad. It's not that bad with a bit of practice. Usually big battles give you time to manage your army. I use to have the same problem at the beginning with sarranids ( i use cavalry and archers ), now it's a lot better.

 

[fabittar]

Yep. Not having the option to use a mouse to set "flags" to position your ranks is troublesome, but I devised the following strategy: immediately at battle start have everyone stand ground; race your horse to a suitable location for your soldiers and have them take the position (optionally, order them to stand closer to each other); now ride to a suitable position for your archers and do the same, but maybe spread them out; have your horsemen follow you and take your distance from the rest of the troops. Watch as the enemy come in close to them, hopefully at missile range for your archers to thin them out a little. Order your soldiers to charge if applicable (once the enemy is in close enough range) while you and your horsemen circle the raging battleground for a flank attack.

This works, but has a lot of disadvantages, of course. For one, you're basically stuck with a passive stance. You won't be able to take the initiative. At least, not in an optimal way.

 

[William Bone]

Yep. Not having the option to use a mouse to set "flags" to position your ranks is troublesome

You can set the "flag" by holding right D-Pad button after the Hold This Position option.

 

[fabittar]

Thanks! I had no idea. Much appreciated.

 

[callahan9119]

Yep. Not having the option to use a mouse to set "flags" to position your ranks is troublesome

You can set the "flag" by holding right D-Pad button after the Hold This Position option.

Wait, what? I know you can bring up the tactical map, which is a goddamn sloppy mess. You can use the stick like a mouse to assign a position for certain units to go on the awful minimap.

What is this other way you speak of?

Woulda been nice to have some documentation

 

[William Bone]

Yep. Not having the option to use a mouse to set "flags" to position your ranks is troublesome

You can set the "flag" by holding right D-Pad button after the Hold This Position option.

Wait, what? I know you can bring up the tactical map, which is a goddamn sloppy mess. You can use the stick like a mouse to assign a position for certain units to go on the awful minimap.

What is this other way you speak of?

Woulda been nice to have some documentation

It's pretty simple. Just press the right D-PAD button to show the "command" menu. Here you can select your troops type and give them orders such hold your position, charge, follow me, advance, retreat, etc... .

 

[callahan9119]

Yep. Not having the option to use a mouse to set "flags" to position your ranks is troublesome

You can set the "flag" by holding right D-Pad button after the Hold This Position option.

Wait, what? I know you can bring up the tactical map, which is a goddamn sloppy mess. You can use the stick like a mouse to assign a position for certain units to go on the awful minimap.

What is this other way you speak of?

Woulda been nice to have some documentation

It's pretty simple. Just press the right D-PAD button to show the "command" menu. Here you can select your troops type and give them orders such hold your position, charge, follow me, advance, retreat, etc... .

I knew that. I had no idea you could hold down the button to place a flag on the actual landscape. Tried last night. They could have figured out a better way of doing this

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Redcross64]

If you worry about formations and orders you can use faction weakness against them for example sawdian always line up which makes them slow as they move stop then move again and so you could make a group of bandits or peasant or some khergit skirmishers to confuse them. Or you could do what I do and make an army of kerghit lancers and let them run wild they take very few casualties and best work in open spaces and groups. DO NOT LET THEM GET CORNERED as they will die easily. Go khergits

 

[swaba]

I use the command screen rarely due to the opacity but sometimes i have no choice, here's is how i fight against the command screen to fight against my foes.
@ start of battle:
- press 'n hold D pad right, aim at ground in front of me, release D pad.
A: look @ the sky in case of cloudy weather, open/close cmd screen until the buttons have a color that doesn't obscure the lfont.
B: look @ the shadow in case the sun shines, open/close cmd screen until the buttons have a color that doesn't obscure the lfont.
Yes it's absolute sh#te but it works.

I love the way you can orchestrate troop maneuverment with it, here's one i used to perform until i went full cavalry:

-select cavalry, issue (mount horses, weapons/fire at will, stand closer 2x), place marker on map @ around center of map.
-select infantry, issue (weapons/fire at will, spread out 1x), place marker on map @ around a quarter way  from personal location on map.
-select cavalry, issue(Charge,)
-select archers, issue(spread out 1x, hold fire, weapons at will) place marker behind infantry
-select cavalry, place marker in such a way that enemies stroll along  archers.
-select archers, issue(fire at will)
-select infantry, issue(advance ten paces)
-select cavalry, play with marker until enemy is between cavalry and infantry, issue(charge)
-select infantry, issue(Charge)

I now use the marker to force my cavalry through enemy formations by placing it right behind their lines. Issue stand closer a few times and they'll form a wedge right before impact.
Play with marker a few times, max spread out and issue charge.
Their ranks will be broken into individual soldiers so the show is over by then.

You can even force a huge army on it's knees by tricking the A.I into realligning their formation with a few horsemen, scout and kill the leader, flee when the formation breaks and keepthem divided between you and your knights

I won battles where i had to fight 450+ armies with +/- 50 knights. You'll end up fielding 5 units without reinforcements against 90+ X 3 waves in 2 or more rounds.

Some intense sh#t that was, 60+ minutes filled with hit and run attacks, switching from horses that shouldn't be alive to horses who we're barely maintaining to stand up straight.
All this drama while outpacing a hord of veteran nords

 

[carlos1879]

Started my save as a sort of commander with low weapon skills but good leadership tactics etc... and I start open field battles by sending my cavalry off to one side (sadly atm my cavalry consist of 2 companions) tell my archers to hold position on high ground if available and tell the infantry to hold just infront of them. Make my archers hold fire, Rhodok crossbow men when told to hold fire hide behind their shields this stops them wasting shots on enemies too far away to hit with anything other than luck and the shields stop lucky shots coming in. Once they get close the archers open fire and the first volley usually drops quite a few (usually any mounted enemies as they are closest) then once the enemy get close my infantry charge and my cavalry come in from the side. I generally stay with the archers picking off the more dangerous enemies with my cracked siege cross bow. If the infantry and cavalry seem to have it under control I mount up and start picking off fleeing enemies, if they need a bit of support I generally stay on foot and help out the infantry (never consistently land hits while on horse need a bit more practice and when you dismount the bugger has a tendency to wander off anyway) being not the best at combat my guy comes in on the edge of the fight and works my way in to stop me facing too many at once and allowing me to hit people in the back.

Works a treat bandits and like like rarely manage to kill or wound even one person and my few fights with enemy lords so far have mostly been them with a slight advantage of numbers and I lose a couple of infantry and my poor mounted companions get knocked out but with a small army of 40 I have managed to take down a lord with 80ish with few losses just by making them come to me. I imagine outside of mountainous areas where cavalry are more of a problem could be tricky but hopefully will have some of my own by then.