Formation Tactics

= Formation Tactics = By @fax5

Introduction
In The Conquerors 3, there is a function that allows you to group your troops in certain "formations". After playing with formations in-game a bit, I have created a guide on the different formations and the best way to use them. For any example images, I'm using 14 heavy soldiers and 11 heavy tanks

Why use formations?
You might be thinking "why use these formations anyway? why not just send my troops normally?". Well because of the way you can arrange your troops, it can allow units with higher health to absorb most of taken damage. Plus, your troops have a better line of sight if they're in 2 neat lines than clumped together. Plus, it looks so much nicer!

Formation Types
There are 5 different types of formations, and I have given them nicknames based on real-life formation tactics.

Double File Line
The Double File Line (DFL) is the first formation on the scroll bar and it puts your troops in two straight lines, one next to the other.

A group of Heavy Soldiers in a Double File Line

Four Rank Phalanx
The Four Rank Phalanx (FRP) is the second formation on the scroll list, and it puts your troops in a line with up to four soldiers in each rank

A group of Heavy Soldiers in FRP formation

Six Rank Phalanx
Six Rank Phalanx (SRP) is the third formation on the scroll list, and is identical to the FRP, except that there are up to 6 soldiers per rank



A group of Heavy Soldiers in SRP Formation.

Eight Rank Phalanx
Eight Rank Phalanx (ERP) is the fourth formation on the scroll list, and is identical to the FRP and SRP, except that there are up to 8 soldiers per rank



A group of Heavy Soldiers in ERP Formation.

Blockade Line Formation
The Blockade Line Formation (BLF) is the fifth formation on the scroll list, and puts your units in a straight, horizontal line.



A group of Heavy Soldiers in BLF.

Side note: the BLF begins to form a second rank after 20 units are in a line, but it is unlikely that you will have 20 units in a single formation.

Formation Tactics and Uses
Well, after that very copy-pastey section, let's move on to how to use these formations. Quick side note: Formations are practically useless for any armies that are less than 4 troops big

Double File Line
Double File Line is best used for groups of 4-5 soldiers, just to give them a bit of shape and form. When used with bigger armies, it's great for getting them up hills and through tighter spaces. Below is a link to a video showing how I used DFL to get 14 soldiers up a hill (sorry for the loud audio, forgot to turn off my mic).

https://youtu.be/AUWw_pEh3Iw

You can also use DFL to flank and create a box around enemies, as shown below. (WILL ADD LATER)

Four Rank Phalanx
Four Rank Phalanx is best used for groups of 6-8 soldiers, and keeps troops in two neat lines. It can also be used on larger armies to get through tighter spaces, and still keep your troops spread out. However, using FRP for combat formations with armies of 9 or higher causes your troops to be more bunched together, making it easier for an enemy to flank you.

Six Rank Phalanx
Six Rank Phalanx is best used for groups of 9-12 soldiers, and has similar uses to FRP. Just like FRP, when you put an army greater than 12 in SRP, enemies can flank you easier.

Eight Rank Phalanx
Eight Rank Phalanx is best used for armies of 13+. With the same strengths and weaknesses as FRP and SRP, it is the best formation for large armies.

Blockade Line Formation.
Blockade Line Formation should NEVER be used for combat or marching. It spreads your troops out too far, and makes them hard to manage and keep from hitting a wall or falling. However, there is one good use for Blockade Line Formation, and it has to do with it's name: blocking enemies. You can use BLF to keep enemies from leaving a bottled-up area, and is effective for blockading (hence the name). Above is an example of how to use BLF to keep an enemy in.

Combat and Marching Formation
There are 2 ways to position your troops using the above formations: Combat Formation, and Marching Formation. Here's how to set up each of them.

Marching Formation
To set up marching formation, you need to have soldiers with similar speed in a group. For marching formation, put your troops with the fastest moving speed in front, and the slowest in the back. This is best for getting your troops from one place to another without them bunching up.



A group of Heavy Soldiers and Tanks in Marching Formation.

Combat Formation
To set up Combat formation, group units of similar health values in 1 formation. Place the units with the highest health in front, and lowest in the back (you should also take range into account.) Because of TC3's AI, enemies and defensive buildings target the first unit that comes into their range, and does not stop targeting that unit until it is dead. So, the units in the front of the line will be taking most of the damage. This is best used for fighting a large enemy bodies or bases.



A group of Heavy Soldiers and Tanks in Combat Formation