Overview
During the time period covered in the game, warfare was based on linear tactics, where disciplined armies composed of the three branches, infantry, cavalry and artillery, were used in skillful maneuvers to overcome the adversary. The game portrays this way of combat profoundly, while providing easy to use controls to command tens of thousands of soldiers with a few clicks and without overwhelming the player with unnecessary micromanagement. There are few basic things happening under the hood, that you can learn and use to fully utilize the unique combat system in the game.
The Basics
The cornerstones of the combat system are the used formations from the time period, and morale and fatigue simulation. The game also provides additional options to further enhance realism. These include fog of war, uncoordinated orders, order delays and historic features only. With historic features only off, you will be able to use formations, unit types etc. that were not present, yet, during the 7 Years War, but were introduced shortly later.
As a rule of thumb, always try to avoid equal fights, with your line exchanging volleys with the enemy line. You may win the battle, but this will always expose your army to losses, that can be hard to replace later on in the campaign. This is especially true when playing as Prussia, who starts with highly experienced field army, but has low recruiting base. Also the replacements will be inexperienced.
Order of Battle
You as the player assume the role of commander-in-chief of the army in the field. Your army, as well as the opponent’s, may consist of multiple divisions, your own and those of your allies. When an ally joins you in the battle, you are placed in full command of the combined force, even if you contribute less troops than your ally.
TIP: To request allied support, use the meeting point functionality in the campaign diplomacy. The ally will send in one or more divisions to this location if their situation allows this. Beware though, that the longer the ally divisions are near the meeting point, the more this will cost you diplomacy points over time. On the other hand, supporting your allies in their meeting points will win you diplomatic points.
On the battlefield, you can control three different entities: whole divisions, their individual brigades or single regiments. Because of the way the chain of command is portrayed, you must give the commands to a single entity at a time, and the game will not allow selection of multiple individual units. When giving commands to larger entities, the single regiments in their chosen formation are automatically placed in the chose brigade or division formation.
TIP: When building and managing your divisions in campaign game, the division formation has set order for the brigades, with 1st brigade on the far left and so on. It’s sound tactic to place the cavalry regiments as first and last ones in the division, as this will place them on the division’s flanks.
Brigade and Division Formations
Single line formation provides one line of single regiments that maximizes firepower to the front. It also allows to cover more frontage, for example when engaging the enemy in a diversion attack, while main force is moving to flank or envelope the enemy. Single line lacks ready reserves, so when the line cracks, the breach will be difficult to confine.
Double-line formation has the regiments in two lines, with the front line being able to fully utilize their weapons, while the second rank is limited to firing through the gaps in the front row. But limiting the frontage and firepower has an upside, as you have a reserve at hand if the line is under pressure, you are in danger of being flanked, or you want to rotate the regiments in the first line due to casualties or high fatigue.
Column formation forms the regiments behind each other to allow easier movement in limited space, but at the same times limits the firepower to that of the first regiment. The formation can be useful when crossing or fording rivers, or when marching around the opponent’s flanks.
Also when moving as larger entities in line or double-line formations, the regiments will match their speed to that of the slowest unit to maintain cohesion and battle readiness. For this reason having brigades made solely of cavalry will provide best speed.
NOTE: With order delays enabled, it takes a preset time for the orders to be issued via the command and control system of the time: couriers and aide-de-camps. The delay takes into account the distance the courier needs to cover, as well as the time the commander’s need to relay the order down the line. The delay is shown as a clock symbol, that counts down, as the couriers themselves are abstracted and not shown as individual sprites. If you order a single regiment, if the order is limited to the close proximity of the unit, no delay is issued as the game simulates the regiment commander using his own initiative.
The officers in the command hierarchy have an effect on the performance of your divisions. Better brigade and division commanders will provide your units with a boost in morale, as well as more rally commands for the regiments. Better lead units will also be able to rally quicker without the use of rally commands, when the unit has retreated from the harm’s way.
NOTE: With uncoordinated orders enabled, the human factor will play even larger role in the battle, as inexperienced commanders may try to charge the enemy without the order from their superior, and the units may break under pressure more easily, especially if facing a formidable foe or seeing friendly units running away. Green regiment commanders will make less rash decisions under experienced commanders, that know how to control their subordinates.
Regiment Formations
Used formations during the time period were designed to allow effective use of weapons or weight of numbers, and to allow easy movement. Operational movement and baggage trains are outside of the battlefield’s scope and thus abstracted in the campaign layer. Here are the features and uses of the regiment formations:
Line formation is the basic formation for infantry and allows effective volley fire as well as reasonable effectiveness in melee.
Column formation can be used to trade firepower to weight of numbers. Thus column is good formation when engaging in melee.
Note: If historic features only is set, only cavalry can use this formation.
March column is used to quickly move units in the battlefield. In addition to the speed, moving in march column has less effect on the unit’s fatigue than the other formations. A regiment in march column cannot fight effectively and suffer higher casualties in melee and when under enemy fire.
Skirmish formation has been used in one form or another since the introduction of firearms, but not very commonly used during the Seven Years War. In skirmish formation a single unit can cover wider frontage and engage the enemy with more soldiers actually firing, but the formation is weak in melee as cohesion is quickly lost and individual soldiers cannot properly support each other.
In the game, a regiment in skirmish formation will try to keep its distance to the enemy. If the enemy moves closer than half of the effective weapon range, the unit will automatically fall back firing, and will resume engaging from a safer distance.
Note: If historic features only is set, only natives and some special troops will be able to utilize this formation.
Square formation was used only later than the game’s time period, and hence is only available if historic features only is set to off.
The formation is used by infantry to counter enemy cavalry. The effect is in the cohesion of the square: the enemy horses are reluctant to charge a wall of men with fixed bayonets. The square can fire in four directions, but the weight of fire is much smaller than when in line. A tight square will also suffer more casualties than line formation under fire.
Square formation rules have been improved in later versions of the game. Now it takes a longer time to fully form the formation, and this is visually abstracted in the slow movement of single soldiers. If the square is charged before fully ready, the charge will break the square and the cavalry will gain the upper hand. The cavalry will move back if their charge is met by a fully formed, determined square. An experienced cavalry unit has better chance of breaking a square of an inexperienced unit, but counting on it may lead to irreplaceable casualties to your elite cavalry!
TIP: Intimidate enemy infantry to form up in squares with your cavalry, but then concentrate your artillery fire on the immobile foe and move up your infantry to break the square with volley fire.
Fatigue
Since version 1.106 the way fatigue is handled in the game has been rebalanced and linked to morale. In short, units will tire quicker and when tired, they will be less effective and will also break easier.
Terrain type, regiment’s formation and movement speed have effect on fatigue. Also building barricades and operating their weapons under stress and incoming enemy fire will tire the soldiers. Units moving in march column will suffer very low fatigue and units not moving or in combat will recover fatigue slowly. Tired units also move slower. Running, especially in rough terrain tires the soldiers very quickly, so using the double-time order should be used with care or at least they should be allowed a quick breather before engaging the enemy.
If the unit fatigue falls low enough, the unit will start to slowly lose morale until getting a chance to recover. Units will not rout due to fatigue, but they will break more easily, especially if they are inexperienced.
Melee has the most effect on your soldiers’ fatigue. As melee casualties increase when the men are tired, even the crack units under your command should not be used to charge into a melee that has threat of dragging on longer than expected. When outnumbered, even the best soldiers will tire and start taking heavier casualties.
TIP: For the above reasons maintaining acceptable fatigue levels in your units is one of your priorities. Whipping your men into exhaustion may provide costly later in the battle, even if it momentarily allows some success!
Morale
Morale, the fighting spirit of the unit, is the single most important factor you need to take into account in your tactics. And just like like the level of fatigue, you have some tools to influence the morale of your men. Notice that morale levels carry on from battles to campaign and vice versa.
Incoming fire, melee, fatigue, routing friendly units, enemy playing their march music, supply level, and when uncoordinated orders are enabled, also encountering elite enemy troops, have a negative effect on the morale of your men. Once morale goes down, a regiment will rout. The regiments’ flags will start blinking red if the unit morale is dangerously low, and once the unit starts to run away, the flag turns fully red.
Once routed, the unit will automatically move away from danger to a safer location. During the rout, you cannot issue any orders to the unit, other than rally order. The fleeing unit is vulnerable to enemy fire. Any losses in close combat are considered surrendered. As the men are running away for their lives, fatigue will be high, which means even if the unit rallies, fatigue should be recovered before moving the unit back into combat.
Once safe, the fleeing unit’s morale will start to slowly recover. The more experienced the unit, the quicker the recovery. This automatic recovery does not require any action from you.
If a unit suffers heavy losses during the battle (50% of the initial strength), it will rout and not recover, and cannot be rallied.
To boost your units’ morale, you have a number of rally orders available. The amount of commands is higher, the more experienced the unit commanders are. Only regiments can be rallied, not whole brigades or divisions, but the brigade and division commanders’ experience provides extra rally commands to the regiment commanders. The rally command will automatically recover a percentage of the unit’s full morale, so it is useful even before the unit starts to waver (flashing red flag). Be aware though, that the freshly rallied unit may suffer morale blow quickly if the conditions do not change.
The other way of boosting morale is by playing march music. The friendly units closeby will receive a slight boost in their morale, while enemies will are affected negatively.
TIP: Use march music to boost morale when advancing to contact under fire. This will help your units to resist the effect of enemy fire on morale. The show of discipline may also play in your favour, as if the enemy gets anxious, it affects their accuracy slightly.
Musket and cannon fire are less effective and accurate the longer the used range. When under inaccurate fire from a long distance, the units will suffer only slight morale loss, but a devastating volley from close up has a far better chance of breaking morale. Same is true for canister fire from cannons and being under melee attack.
NOTE: The effects of morale will be further enhanced when enabling uncoordinated orders. The unpredictable, but human behaviour also affects the AI.