| Formation | Shape | Effect | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line | Two ranks, wide front | +15% defense against frontal attacks | Vanguard holding the centre; archers behind it |
| Wedge | Arrowhead | +25% charge damage on contact, −10% defense | Elite and Reserve hitting a flank |
| Square | Dense block | Cannot be flanked, −20% speed | Guarding your statue or mine |
| Column | Three wide | +30% speed, −20% defense | Rushing a far position before the fight starts |
| Loose | Spread out | −50% arrow damage, −10% melee damage | Anything standing under enemy archer fire |
A squad hit from the side or the rear takes +30% damage, unless it is in Square. Your soldiers face the enemy side of the field by default, so "frontal" means the attacker is roughly in front of them. The practical rule: send a Wedge of Elite or Reserve around the top or bottom edge of the map while your Vanguard line keeps the enemy busy.
Vanguard line in front, Elite square behind, Archers behind them, Reserve column at the rear. Nothing advances; the enemy breaks on your line while archers shoot over it. Beats Full charge.
Vanguard holds the centre; Elite and Reserve wedges swing wide around both flanks; Archers in Loose formation in the middle. Beats armies with a weak flank.
Vanguard line pins the enemy (the anvil); the Elite wedge circles to hit the enemy's side (the hammer); Reserve square guards your statue. The safest aggressive plan.
Every squad switches to Wedge (archers Loose) and advances to the enemy statue. Strong against archer-heavy armies and when the enemy is already broken. Weak against a Shield wall.
The enemy commander re-evaluates every 15 s on Easy, 8 s on Normal and 5 s on Hard and above:
So: keep a few units on each flank, do not over-build archers, and hold the line until the enemy commits, then swing the hammer.