How do you group?

[Hughes]

Out of curiosity, how is everyone grouping their troops for tactics? Since Warband expanded its ability to issue commands, I'm curious how folks use it.

I use:

1 = Infantry!  (Default guys set by the game, like all factions' footmen, infantry, recruits, etc.)
2 = Archers!    (Default guys, except I make Rhodok Spearmen/Trained/Veteran Spearmen/Sergeants part of this group, and keep a few of them around to protect the archers)
3 = Cavalry!    (Default guys again, Horsemen, Knights, Khergits, etc., except for the ones below)
4 = Friends!    (This is all companions except Alayen, Firentis, Jeremus and Klethi)
5 = Manhunters!    (I've managed to keep a few of these guys alive all through the game, and I tell them to follow me and stay out of trouble - they get killed otherwise - until enemies start routing, then set them loose to get me prisoners.)
6 = Gentlemen!    (Alayen and Firentis. They carry blunt weapons as backup, so if it's not too dangerous a situation - bandits, or the enemy's largely defeated, or I need to capture a lord - I can tell them to switch to blunt weapons. Since my other companions don't have blunt weapons, I have to keep these guys separated if I don't want Ymira to start using her fists, or stop dead in the middle of the fight and sit there.)
7 = Ladies!    (My Sword Sisters. Their coursers are so fast I have to tell them to follow me - like the Doctor and the Manhunters - at the beginning of a fight, so they don't get out ahead of the rest of the cavalry and get mobbed.)
8 = Klethi!    (I like to keep tabs on Klethi since she's my looter. If she doesn't survive through the end of a fight, I don't get much loot. Especially useful in bandit camps, where her 30 Agility and light armor gets her ahead of everyone.)
9 = Doctor!    (Jeremus, who I need to keep an eye on for obvious reasons.)

What are your guys' custom groups? Do you even use them?

 

[ragingbull78]

infrantry for my huscarls, archery for my sharpshooters, and my companions are the only mounted troops i use so they are under calvery.      very exciting huh  lol.

 

[racaloo]

I just put all my campanions into a group and call it "Royal Guard" because I'm cool.

 

[Aethelred]

I actually don't bother with custom groups any more. At the start I created a 'rabble' group for farmers and the like, but the only tinkering I've kept was renaming the Archers group Crossbowmen. I have a Swadian army, I don't find there's really much use for splitting troops up beyond the default categories.

 

[tarnus]

It's a good idea to put your top looter and your doctor companion to the rear - they'll get less XP that way I think, but better than losing a bunch of units in my opinion. Something I need to do...i have Jeremus mounted, gave him the best armor I could afford (once I can get him a warhorse/charger, he'll live longer).

 

[Aethelred]

I made myself the surgeon so I don't need to worry about that.

 

[Dashi342]

I have my fighting companions in Cavalry or Infantry, and I make the fourth group Minions for my weaklings and just have them sit in a corner all battle, every battle.

 

[Sevrun]

There isn't a lotta time to make use of custom groupings, to be honest.  if you were allowed to set a formation before the fight started then maybe I would.  But as it sits, I just entrench on a hill until the Cavalry wave breaks against the Infantry rock and then charge the infantry/archers still coming up the hill.

 

[Bones40]

There isn't a lotta time to make use of custom groupings, to be honest.  if you were allowed to set a formation before the fight started then maybe I would.  But as it sits, I just entrench on a hill until the Cavalry wave breaks against the Infantry rock and then charge the infantry/archers still coming up the hill.

Check out the tweaks thread to find out how to make the battlefield bigger, it gives you lots more time to set up.

I usually have:

1. Infantry: All infantry aside from the top two tiers.
2. Elite Infantry: Top two tiers of infantry.
3. Archers.
4. Cavalry.
5 Companions (usually all heavily armored with blunt weapons atop War Horses or Chargers...great for breaking up the enemy line before engaging without risk of them dying...it also leaves your heavy horse to stay out of the initial engagement and leaves them free for flanking.  Also great to just send companions forward against bandits while all other troops stay at spawn for max prisoners).

I am my own Doc so I just make Jeremus into heavy cav.  I don't care much for the looting skill, but have it on Klethi anyways, though I don't worry about keeping her alive.  I get all my money from selling prisoners.

 

[anfiach]

Don't have a use for it really since you cannot separate groups of like units.

 

[SPD_Phoenix]

1-3 are default. Mostly mid to high tier troops that are still upgrading. This will include allies troops.
4- top tier inf
5- top tier range
6- top tier cav
7- companion inf (inf/range hybrid for me)
8- companions cav
9- recruits (all troops I want to keep safe)

 

[Loiro]

Only custom groupings I use are a "Backup"-group for Jeremus and Katrin, as they are my main healers, and at the bottom of the partylist, trying to keep them up and riding. Both are armed with crossbows.

And I have a "Bodyguard" group, this works pretty well, in it I have some companions (Bahestur, Ymira, Deshavi, Artimenner and Bunduk) who are ranged (and khergit lancers sometimes), so that they work fine during sieges following me around and watching my back as well as picking off targets. These are also horsearchers/have crossbows that work mounted and as such do their job of watching my back in open battle aswell. Rest of the companions are in Cav-group.  I have all companions, Marnid as minister.

 

[DrakeD]

I use kamikaze group for hired blades, noobs group for recruits and all women not swordsisters. Companions go with archers, strenght 10 so they can carry siege crossbow and decent 2 hander. Rest is party skills.  They mostly survive with the archers unless Im being stupid.

Swordsisters might suck in most battles, but they are the best against khergit horse archers. They also run down routers better than anything else. Just dont rely on them. 

 

[Lajkos]

1- inf

2- arch

3- chav

4- Lordly Guards (bodyguards) Matheld, Firentis, Klethi

 

[Silverchain]

I don't use grouping.  I occasionally use the "everyone" commands.