Battle Formations

Just some useful things that we can do in Darkfall.

Since it\'s full collision, it is possible to block people, rather than just running through everything, like in WoW. Shields are also objects that will block incoming blows, arrows and spells. With this in mind, this gives us great opportunity for a few interesting formations.


Defensive Line


A fairly obvious one, but should be mentioned anyway. The soldiers position themselves in two rows across a space to be defended, i.e. a tower entrance. The first group of soldiers raise their shields to deflect incoming blows. Once they are low on stamina, the rows execute a swap as shown:

The Shield Swap Cycle:

..1..1..1..1..1...>>....1..1..1..1..1.....>>.....2..2..2..2..2...>> ...2..2..2..2..2...
..2..2..2..2..2...>>......2..2..2..2..2...>>...1..1..1..1..1.....>> ...1..1..1..1..1...


Step 1: Formation standard, first line blocks.
Step 2: First Line moves step to the left, Back Line remains stationary.
Step 3: First Line moves a step back, Back Line moves a step forward.
Step 4: New First Line (Former Back Line), move a step to the left to complete swapover.

Now, while the \"1\"s regenerate in safety behind the \"2\"s (i.e. eating and resting to regenerate stamina), the \"2\"s block incoming attacks with their shields. Once the \"2\"s are low on stamina, another shieldswap is executed, with the \"1\"s once again being at the front. In this manner, a defensive position can be maintained for a long time.


This is a critical point defence tactic that can be used against superior numbers and ranged heavy warfare enemies.


Offensive Line (Ranged)

This is a similar concept to the \"Plated Cannon\" formation below, but spread out again, in a line. The setup is identical to the defensive line, however, this time, as the first row runs low on stamina, they crouch or move to the side (Similar to the first step of the Shield Swap Cycle), allowing the back row to fire several shots over their heads or between the gaps at the attackers. Then, the Shield Swap Cycle is applied as in the example above, and the same is repeated. This is less stable for defence than the defensive line (since the back row are left vulnurable to attacks when the front row doesn\'t defend them), however, here an assault is being made against the attackers.

To increase efficiency of the attack portion of this formation, see \"Half Cycle\" below.

This is a critical point defence tactic that can be used against superior numbers and ranged heavy warfare enemies.


Offensive Line (Melee)

If the back row do not have any ranged capabilities, or if the attackers are primarily melee, it is best to use heavy melee attacks from the back row between blows. The Half Cycle can be used to strike at the attackers even while the defenders are still not out of stamina.

The Half Cycle:

..1..1..1..1..1...>>....1..1..1..1..1......>>...1.2.1.2.1.2.1.2.1.2....>>...1...1...1...1...1......>>...1..1..1..1..1...
..2..2..2..2..2...>>......2..2..2..2..2....>>....................................>>......2...2...2...2...2....>>...2..2..2..2..2...


Step 1: Formation normal.
Step 2: Line 1 moves a step to the left.
Step 3: Line 2 move a step forward and strike at the attackers.
Step 4: Line 2 move a step back.
Step 5: Line 1 move a step to the right and close the line.


This is a critical point defence tactic that can be used against superior numbers and melee heavy warfare enemies.


The Plated Cannon

3-6 soldiers surround a small group of mages/archers (1-3) and stick their shields facing outwards. Anyone that launches an attack towards this group are presented with a circular barrier of shields, so their damage is significantly reduced. However, at a timed moment, the shield-guards can crouch and the group of mages inside can release deadly arrows/spells towards potential enemies. The shields then go back up before the enemy can retaliate.

This is an anti-ambush and general defence tactic that can be used against superior numbers and ranged heavy warfare enemies.



More to come soon.

Looking forward to more

when i attempted to make an horde army i made a list of formations , ill try to see if anything usefull is in it

You might want to keep in mind that blocking uses stamina.

Yes, I do, that's why it mentions it in every formation. That's why the swap occurs.

Lokk Ironheart wrote:

Yes, I do, that's why it mentions it in every formation. That's why the swap occurs.

i think that swapping will happen every minuts or maybe even less then

Considering fights will not go on for over 1-2 minutes anyway, we won't need much

*Claps*
looks good these manuvers...
you may wanna look at some mounted formations too since there is mounted combat in Darkfall

Wanna use Ventrilo when defending or making a swift strike move at the opposers?

And also for the Mounted attacks, we're going to use pikes, amirite? Because let's face it, trying to take down a charging horse with a armored man up on it's whilst you wield a simple sword is clearly suicide if you don't know how to take one down.

But when we charge on the mounts, we are to use archers first then make an ambush attack?

btw incase you dont know it yet , on a mount you can only use melee weapons , so no mounted archery or magic

so you dont spend a lot of time on a formation including mounted archery:P

Did I say Mounted archers? No

i didnt say you said it but just to warn you incase you didnt know it yet

In that case, cheers fer tha' info!

I know everything there is to know about DF, Cookie! I have been stalking it since '07!

Mounts can be killed separately from the riders, Garundir. In which case, pikes are a good tactic. Although, if we're RPing barbarians, more of our tactics will rely on things like traps and guerilla warfare rather than organization.

Yeah, a thing I would recommend is to fight in a thick forest instead of a minefield filled with archers and such.

King Lokk Ironheart wrote:

I know everything there is to know about DF, Cookie! I have been stalking it since '07!

Mounts can be killed separately from the riders, Garundir. In which case, pikes are a good tactic. Although, if we're RPing barbarians, more of our tactics will rely on things like traps and guerilla warfare rather than organization.

Barbarians can be organized..

What to do if the Warlord isn't leading the army? Or if you're leading NPC's?

Outnumbered:

In some cases we will be outnumbered by our opponent. In a massed attack, the winner would be the one with the most men, so we obviously can't hope to win against superior forces that way. A proper defensive strategy is needed to destroy our opponent quickly before they can react.

Send out some scouts to find good ground on which you can make your stand. Once you've found the right ground, move your force into position as quick as you can (You never know when the enemy might attack you). Position less men in the areas that you can hold for a long time against superior numbers. In the regions where your defensive line is more vulnerable, place more men to defend it.
This is where it gets good. Set up a trap for your opponent. Take some men out of your line and move them back out of the enemy's line of sight. His scouts will see a large hole in your line, a perfect target in his mind. Take care, however, that you don't make your gap too big, or else your entire plan might come crashing down on you.
If your opponent thinks that this is his golden opportunity, he just might attack prematurely. Even if he does attack when his men are fully ready, your defensive line should hold if you've carefully positioned your men. As his forces march towards the gap in your line, draw him in. Start firing your artillery towards his men there, he will think that you're desperate to stop him and it will only encourage him to continue on. Have some of your reserve move in the general direction, encouraging his belief that victory is in his grasp. As he approaches your line, spring the trap.
Have the men who you pulled out of his sight come charging forward. At the same time, have one or two battalions come up on his flanks as he enters the gap. Also concentrate artillery fire on the area, although you must keep an eye on the other areas of your line as well. The attack, if well-coordinated, should catch him off guard. His men should panic and start to break, being fired upon from three sides. If his attack fails, prepare for the next step.

The next phase must be executed at just the right time to succeed. Move to slowly and your opponent will have time to fall back. Move to quickly and your men might be trapped by a premature movement.
After wrecking his attack, your opponent will go on the defensive. Although some of his troops may continue to attack your line, he will most certainly attempt to disengage and regroup before his next move. This is the crucial time to launch your counterattack. Pursue his fleeing men as quick as possible. The moral of his troops will drop and they are fired upon and chased. If you have cavalry in reserve, now is the time to unleash them upon the retreating line. This aggressive attack will only cause more confusion and panic among his men, giving you an advantage over their numbers. Your counterattack must be swift, but make sure that you don't go too far, or you might make a fatal blunder. Make sure that your attack drives them back in confusion, then analyze the situation before either returning to your defensive line, or continuing your attack. If you properly coordinate your men and execute your timing correctly, you can turn the tables on your opponent and take a huge victory.


Infantry

Line formation- The line formation brings a whole volley on a target. This formation provided the best frontage for volley fire, while sacrificing maneuverability and defense against cavalry. An infantry battalion will form "in line" by placing troops in several ranks, with three ranks being the most common arrangement. The line formation required that the troops be well-drilled and constantly supervised by officers and non-commissioned officers. Movement in line formation is very slow, and unless the battalion was superbly trained, a breakdown in cohesion was virtually assured, especially in any kind of uneven or wooded terrain. As a result, line will be mostly used as a stationary formation, with troops moving in columns and then deploying to line at their destination. The line formation can move, but it best used to volley fire and create a line of battle. In addition, the line formation was extremely vulnerable to cavalry attacks from the flanks and rear. Using battalions in line formation work best when used in multiple battalions to flank the enemy.




Square Formation- The formation takes the form of a hollow square, or a rectangle, with each side composed of two or more ranks of soldiers armed with crossbows. In the middle will be a reserve force to reinforce any side of the square weakened by attacks. Once formed in square, the infantry would volley fire at approaching cavalry, either by file or by rank. In game holding the volley fire until the cavalry gets close enough can it can deal high casualties or if the the volley is not timed right the formation can be overrun. In suitable terrain, maneuver squares to mass fire and even trap cavalry. Squares can also be arranged in a checkerboard formation to give supporting fire as cavalry moved between them. Lone infantry battalions in squares are easy targets but 2 or 3 supporting battalions is a hard nut to crack. However, only the front ranks or ranks that are pointing to the enemy can fire unlike the line formation where all the men can fire.

Column- A military column is a formation of soldiers marching together in one or more files in which the file is significantly longer than the width of ranks in the formation. It has the advantage of being easier to maneuver than other formations in that it permits an army to follow the form of a road, thus increasing its movement speed. However, column formations are very vulnerable to frontal and flank attack. The column formation as well does not bring all the crossbows to fight at one point. Usually only the front ranks can fire, but the column formation is great to move around.




Cavarly:

Echelon Formation- An echelon formation is a military formation in which members are arranged diagonally. Each member is stationed behind and to the right (a 'right echelon'), or behind and to the left ('left echelon'), of the member ahead. Tactically, echelon formations are used because of the excellent range of vision offered to each participant in the formation. The importance of this formation is that it only causes the first squadron to take the brunt of the volleys and leaves the last formations with a free window to charge home their attack. This is also good against cavalry as it helps leave a reserve that is so important in cavalry battles because it gives the attack the ability to outflank or bring up the last squadron to protect the line of retreat for the first squadrons.

Line Formation- Looked at from the front such a line, even advancing at a trot, presented a military spectactle that had few equals. This formation ensured the greatest number of weapons were brought to bear on the enemy and the wide frontage helped in outflanking the enemy. But the longer the line the more difficult it was to control and it should be as short as possible, so as to reach an enemy in good order, and without fatiguing the horses.
The charge in long line, except at short distances, and over even ground, usually the line had a tendency to form clumps or to break up, and degenerated into a charge by groups, or individual troopers, arriving successively. The longer was the line the easier it was disordered by obstacles or by too fast riding.

Column Formation- This is best used for attacking towns or places where there is little space. The column also makes it easier to move faster. However, this is not a great formation for battle as the frontage of the cavalry is not as deep as the ranks of cavalry. This means less men will be able to fight at one time. Used mostly for moving and attacking in tight places I would not recommend fighting to much in this position as it has a lot of drawbacks.

Pincer Movement or Double Evelopement- A basic element of military strategy which has been used, to some extent, in nearly every war. The flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy's flanks, in order to surround it. At the same time, a second layer of pincers attacks on the more extreme flanks, so as to prevent any attempts to reinforce the target unit. A double envelopment by definition leads to the attacking army facing the enemy in front, on both flanks, and in the rear. If the attacking pincers link up in the enemy's rear, the enemy is encircled. Such battles often end in surrender or destruction of the enemy force, although the encircled force can attempt a breakout, attacking the encirclement from the inside in order to escape, or a friendly external force can attack from the outside to open up an escape route for the encircled force. You should place one or 2 squadrons in front of the enemy with a few in reserve on both flanks. When the cavalry attack your front make sure to give them a volley then charge them. When they feel they are facing all your cavalry in their front bring your cavalry around their flanks and surround them. Great tactic and very easy to use and works very well when you are outnumbered.

Wedge Formation- A flying wedge or flying V is a charging technique in which troops are arrayed to form a V- shaped wedge formation or boar's head.If the point of the wedge can breach the enemy line, the following troops can widen the gap. As successive ranks of the wedge engage, they can draw their opponents' attention away from previous ranks, thereby protecting them. This tactic relies on momentum and penetration. If the point of the wedge can be stopped for even a moment, the wedge can be easily enveloped in a pincer attack. The flying wedge can be used to knock a small section of the line open, and flank the enemy from inside their own line. This is great for attacking a far large force with a decent sized cavalry force and causing the enemy line to be split in half without losing to many men.

controlling NPCs is out i believe