Better control troops

[pixel24]

Hi@all,

I would still call myself a beginner in 0 AD. I play Alpha25 under Linux.

How do I learn to place and organise troops better in a battle? Do you make groups with certain troops here? Is there any help (text or video) on this somewhere?

I would be grateful for tips :-)

 

with best

pixel24

 

[Dakara]

ctrl +1 = group 1

ctrl +2 = group 2

Always keep an eye on your troops and back off before taking the fight if you feel like you're gonna get @#$%ed

 

[pixel24]

Thank you. I will try

[Jofursloft]

5 hours ago, pixel24 said:

How do I learn to place and organise troops better in a battle? Do you make groups with certain troops here? Is there any help (text or video) on this somewhere?

Use formations (the most compact and linear ones) to organise the troops. After the units begin to fight, disable the formation and let them do their job. While fighting, ranged units will automatically dispose in a "circular" position (which is the best way to damage the enemy units). 

[LetswaveaBook]

Also, there are stances as in most RTS games. If you want your ranged units not to move, you can set them on stand ground. If you want your units to move a little but not chase the enemy all the way, you can use defensive stance.

[pixel24]

21 hours ago, Jofursloft said:

Use formations (the most compact and linear ones) to organise the troops. After the units begin to fight, disable the formation and let them do their job. While fighting, ranged units will automatically dispose in a "circular" position (which is the best way to damage the enemy units). 

So to attack, choose this:

Edited September 24, 2021 by pixel24
Image missing

[pixel24]

17 hours ago, LetswaveaBook said:

Also, there are stances as in most RTS games. If you want your ranged units not to move, you can set them on stand ground. If you want your units to move a little but not chase the enemy all the way, you can use defensive stance.

Yes, I found that out.

Edited September 24, 2021 by pixel24

[pixel24]

I am concerned with the handling / organisation in combat. I don't think I'm doing that optimally.

I always moved the whole troop together and left it in formation when attacking.

I guess I have to form smaller blocks and control them separately. Just like it was in the battles in the past.

But here I don't know: which units are best combined?

[Yekaterina]

6 minutes ago, pixel24 said:

I am concerned with the handling / organisation in combat. I don't think I'm doing that optimally.

I always moved the whole troop together and left it in formation when attacking.

I guess I have to form smaller blocks and control them separately. Just like it was in the battles in the past.

But here I don't know: which units are best combined?

Range + melee.

Javelin + pike is the strongest combination, followed by javelin + spear, javelin + sword.

Slingers + pikes with Cleopatra hero or Philopator is also very strong combination.

Replace infantry javelin with cavalry for even stronger attack.

[Gurken Khan]

 

48 minutes ago, pixel24 said:

But here I don't know: which units are best combined?

I have five control groups at the frontline:

• CS cav
• CS inf
• support
• champs
• 'tower guys' (a handful of units to quickly occupy a captured building)

If I actually take along siege equipment (which I rarely do) they get an additional group. My reasoning is that those groups have different roles and speeds. I might grab'em all and send them somewhere, but when I have to act tactically these groups work for me. Also it's quick if I want to select a sub-group: hit the number and then click on the unit icon(s) to select or ctrl+click to un-select; handy for example if I want the melee more forward and the ranged more to the back.

 

Spoiler

And for some sense of completeness: 0 is always my buildings producing units for the frontline so I can quickly set a new rally point, my two mineral gathering groups get numbers because of their strategical importance and as long as I build houses my two women dedicated for that also have a number.

 

[pixel24]

1 hour ago, Yekaterina said:

Javelin + pike is the strongest combination, followed by javelin + spear, javelin + sword.

Ok, Javelin, Pike and sword are melee weapons. I group them together.

What to do with the slingers and the archers? In a separate group or integrate them into the group with the melee fighters?

Then I have siege weapons (catapult). Do I make a group for that too? I suppose I position them behind the other two so that they are protected, right?

So that's my position (from front to back):

• infantry & cavalry
• slingers & Archers
• Catapults

I hope I have understood it correctly.

Thank you for your patience!!!!!!!

with best

pixel24

[pixel24]

4 minutes ago, Gurken Khan said:

I have five control groups at the frontline:

• CS cav
• CS inf
• support
• champs
• 'tower guys' (a handful of units to quickly occupy a captured building)

What does "CS" stand for? Supporters are the spiritual ones who heal? Champs are then the heroes?

[Gurken Khan]

@pixel24 'CS' are citizen soldiers. Heroes are those three special units every civ has (like Cleopatra VII), while champions are the special soldiers every civ has (i.e. Royal Guard Cavalry). My support is usually only the healers; if I have a cav hero he runs with the cav champions, slow heroes like Cleo I put together with the healers.

One reason why I keep champs separate is that I play with capturing a lot; champs are better at that, while I try to give the XP to my CS.

[Yekaterina]

2 hours ago, pixel24 said:

Ok, Javelin, Pike and sword are melee weapons. I group them together.

What to do with the slingers and the archers? In a separate group or integrate them into the group with the melee fighters?

Then I have siege weapons (catapult). Do I make a group for that too? I suppose I position them behind the other two so that they are protected, right?

So that's my position (from front to back):

• infantry & cavalry
• slingers & Archers
• Catapults

I hope I have understood it correctly.

Thank you for your patience!!!!!!!

with best

pixel24

Normally I don't control group my units. 

Javelins (skirmishers) are ranged units, not melee. 

In general, you want to make the melee units run at the very front to block enemy units from moving forward, then use your ranged units to output damage safely from behind.