Is there any advantage of using formations in A25?

[Sebastián Gómez]

Is there any advantage of using formations in A25, specially with pikemen and spearmen?

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Nothing direct (no bonuses, except in Delenda Est ), but there are benefits to creating a well organized battle line, even in a mosh pit game such as Empires Ascendant. You spread your attack damage more evenly across the enemy line and most formations handily place the melee troops in front and the ranged troops behind for you. They also space pikemen so that you get a little of the attack-through effect from the second row.

[Dizaka]

2 hours ago, Sebastián Gómez said:

Is there any advantage of using formations in A25, specially with pikemen and spearmen?

Athens has a hero that gives armor bonus and attack speed bonus when in a formation.  Other than that nothing explicit.  Mostly indirect advantages that you learn of while playing.

When playing with eles the battle line formation puts eles up front and healers behind them.  Good for getting the right units up front since enemy only attacks nearest unit (unless they micro rear units).

Battle line formation is bad with siege rams.  Puts siege rams, like elephants, up front.  However siege rams can't attack units.  So they becomes expensive self-blocking structures.

Box formation surrounds healers with archers who are surrounded with pikemen.  Only issue is the hero is on the outer edge of the formation.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Dizaka

[Ceres]

When not using a formation, I experience regularly that my units cannot attack the enemy in an optimal way, because just a few of them in front attack, while the rest stands behind without contact to the enemy units. Well, if it's archers, it doesn't matter, but for melee it does. I assume that if you use an organized frontline that exceeds the enemy's line, will "wrap" around him, but right now I cannot tell for sure. Try it with the Atlas editor and placing some units to play with formations.

BTW, I like the idea of a bonus for a certain formation.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Ceres