Standard Combat Orders

[Phoss]

So since I'm new to PoP, I haven't really figured out how to properly use combat tactics. Therefore I tend to stick with a few basic commands that I shout out at the start of every battle before everything just goes to CHAAARGE!

I line up my Infantry and my Archers behind them, preferably on a hill (1+2, F1 to hold position), then tell my archers to hold fire (F3, F1 IIRC).

I have my Companions set to a separate group (no.5) so then it's Cavalry+ Companions, Follow Me! (3+5, F2, F1), and then I proceed to lure the enemy close enough to my archers before I give the the Fire At Will command (don't recall the buttons).

What are some of your standard commands that you dish out at the beginning of every battle?

 

[sher]

Copy-paste:

I use rangers not like giant firing line which totally kills all attackers but as fire support to kill suitable targets and flankers. Usually field battles are like this (~20 archers present with maximum default battlesize):
1. F1-F3-F1-F2 - they break formations and form a line;
2. Move to suitable hill to let archers hold position on it in the end;
3. F1-F1 in right spot;
4. 2-F2-F4, F2-F2 - archers will stand closer behind other troops;
5. =-F2-F1 - other troops will rotate towards enemy and will be able to fire;
6. After deaths of few bait soldiers AI will send for provocations, in the right moment F1-F3 to create a fighting zone at a distance from my shooters.

Every field battle usually with balanced army.

 

[Uhtred of Bebbanburg]

First thing I do is order all troops to mount horses. Nothing bothers me more than my troops starting in a big clump and before they can sort themselves out some of them dismount. Those horse units are expensive and they aren't worth beans walking around on foot.

I have my companions (mounted) and cavalry F4 and F3 respectively usually stationed out to either side of my forces with my infantry up front in shield wall and my archers in back.

If the enemy doesn't move then I advance F2 F1 and position them so that my infantry are in front and my cavalry are to their sides and slightly behind them. The point is to have them all hit at the same time for maximum damage and chaos.

That method works best if for some reason they position themselves behind a hill and my archers can't shoot them.

I also try to avoid any cavalry units that have ranged capacity. It bothers me when there is a thick fight and my heavy cavalry is running around plinking at the enemy. I want them in melee so I will order all mounted unites to hold fire.

Right now I play with only 1 point in surgery plus the book for a total of 3 points in surgery with the leader bonus. So, I am really concerned about minimizing casualties since half will be KIA. It gets real expensive fielding armies that die a lot.

 

[DarkTemplar]

If you really want to exploit approaching ai, go hide in a corner, but dont dismount anyone. Form archer line a bit closer to the middle. This works only if ai isnt immediately charging or only holding position. What happens is they try to circle you, but end up hitting the border, dismounting, getting their units stuck between horses, allowing you and your party easy shooting. Plus they dont have any cavalry for the first part. Harassing is up to you, whatever you want to do with them. Just dont forget to charge with infantry and cavalry to keep archers alive, enemies will eventually get close enought to order their units to charge. This works with battle formations off, idk if any other setting is affecting this. Combat and campaign ai on good.

 

[Raviollius]

Learn to use the Stand Closer command with your infantry, together with the square formation(K if I'm not mistaken), to create a big blob of infantry that stops any cavalry charge.

 

[Phoss]

That's so funny, I've never experienced my cavalry dismounting on an open battle field, but I'll be sure to use the Mount command from now on!

I have been ordering my infantry to stand closer, and ordering both Infantry and Archers to creep closer when the enemy isn't closing. Eventually they'll creep within range and start shooting, but I just hate seeing my infantry stand there and take shots, so I usually order my cavalry to attack from the side (with me leading) once the shooting starts, to hopefully minimize cannon fodder casualties.

Well, it sounds like I'm on the right track at least. I don't think I'll be exploiting the AI by running them into an invisible wall, but hey, desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures =)

 

[sandoval]

I deactivated the fixed battle order in the camp menu. I hated how it didn't allow me to control my troops right from the start.

Since all enemies except some lords do a cavalry rush, which will inevitably catch my troops while they are still a disorganized clump, I have given up all pretensions of tactics and just order everyone to charge. Then when the battle is ongoing, I try to organize my troops with the usual infantry line in front of my archers. Then I die and it's a disorganized mass again.

Sometimes I send my cavalry into a a suicide charge to gain time so that I can organize the rest of my army. Sometimes I do that just to get them out of the way. My cavalry has a hard life. I also try to control the battle so that the actual fighting is always within reach of my archers. This means watching the cavalry that they don't engage the enemy over the hills and far away. But the main skill of my cavalry is getting entangled in my infantry or charging into the back of my archery-line.

Overall it's a mess. I don't know why I even win.

Edit: F2-F5 (Mount horses) is a winning move indeed. Cavalry has an irresistible urge to dismount whenever they stand still, even when they are in a tight clump with enemy cavalry. Then when the clump dissolves, enemy cav is all dismounted, while your guys are still on horse. It does win battles.

 

[Phoss]

*snip*

Overall it's a mess. I don't know why I even win.

Edit: F2-F5 (Mount horses) is a winning move indeed. Cavalry has an irresistible urge to dismount whenever they stand still, even when they are in a tight clump with enemy cavalry. Then when the clump dissolves, enemy cav is all dismounted, while your guys are still on horse. It does win battles.

Yeah, I'm with you on that one. I may try disabling those standard orders. I've also yet to use the custom orders, like shield wall etc. If I try to get fancy with the orders I'm usually dead on the ground by the time i look back up from the keyboard, so charge it is, lol.

Does anyone know how to apply horse archers? I've got a number of Ravenstern Mounted Rangers, but I don't know if I should treat them as cavalry or archers? Or something third?

 

[Raviollius]

I don't understand why people keep complaining about not having the time to make a line. Unless I'm fighting Jatu or having a close encounter in the woodlands, I usually have the time to put everyone into position easily.

 

[sher]

I don't understand why people keep complaining about not having the time to make a line. Unless I'm fighting Jatu or having a close encounter in the woodlands, I usually have the time to put everyone into position easily.

They're either slow (to put it mildly ) or overestimate importance of battle formations. Balanced army rarely needs them. Order to mount horses has its drawbacks (they will retreat instead of fighting) but universally loved due to inexperience. It just requires time to get used to how troops act in diffrent situations, when orders can actually help and when they will have no or even negative impact.

 

[mrbunnyban]

I usually have time to stick my archers on a hill at least. What controls are you familiar with?  For example, hold down F1 to command troops to hold position at the indicated spot?

The basics: Station archers on closest hill, infantry troops in front of them, separate out cavalry out to the side.
or
Even better: Park archers behind a river, infantry in river, cavalry to the side just above or also in river.

---
Then,

The dream: Send companions in to bait the enemy forces into charging then lead half enemy forces away in a merry chase around the map. Destroy enemy cavalry who charge infantry with your own cavalry charge from behind, then lead enemy infantry away from enemy archers. Charge enemy archers with cavalry. Regroup when enemy reinforces.

What normally happens: Companions are knocked unconscious, I have to lead forces away personally and am running for dear life. When enemy cavalry reach my infantry line I'll panic and command everything to charge, hope the enemy formation is so messed up by now we'll win anyway.  Oddly enough, this tends to work too.

The Wolfbode "special": lead 90% of the charging army chasing me in circles while my standing army deals with the whatever that slowly trickles out. This is how you deal with charging armies btw, lol. Very stressful, but there's always "load game" when it doesn't go well.