Formations Bonuses

Formations play a vital role in AC, even more than in Cossacks. They boost morale, help organise a rag-tag army and make large numbers easier to manage, and give bonuses in combat. Formations are efficient in having large numbers of troops gain experience. How, you say? If invididual units gained experience, they would probably not gain defence bonuses and apply only to that unit. Whereas if a few units in a formation gain experience, their effects will contribute to the entire formation (thats why its good to have larger formations as well) as a squad experience AND give it defence bonuses.

These effects can be severely affected by morale, lessening their effects or causing it to disband, leaving its units as they were, with no formation bonuses and relying on its own experience. Such can be: being attacked from the rear or flank (side), being fired upon when attacking, and the loss of more than 30% of the squad and causing severe morale loss, the loss of key units like the officer, drummer and flagbearer, which are required to make formations. (Thus prevent the enemy from targeting them, and try to target the enemy formations’ key units as well to cripple them). Try to sustain morale by healing units, providing reinforcements (to annex non-formation units nearby into an injured squad, press the “assume formation” button) , extra officers, drummers and flagbearers (to recreate formations and reannex the disbanded troops), having more troops in a formation (it raises the feeling of comradeship, raising morale) and preventing other morale dampening effects from happening.

Infantry Formations

The importance of formations is especially in the infantry, the most numerous and the backbone of your army. An infantry formation gains +2 attack and +3 defence upon formation of a formation (pardon the awkardness of that statement). This is not minute, especially in the early game. Applying to natives and Europeans across the board, because the attack and defence factors are especially low in 16th to 17th century units, these bonuses can almost halve the enemy’s effect of attack on your troops and nearly double the attack effectiveness on the enemy, allowing a formation army to defeat a non-formation army of its own kind thats 4 times its size! As time goes on, and as units increase in attack and defence and the gap between attack and defence might widen a bit, a veteran formation can gain even more bonuses from experience, having bonuses from +5 attack and +7 defence or even much more (+15 defence can be reached, if one is really experienced). Of course this is affected by morale, though, so keep it high!

Then there’s always stand ground, where a formation gains +9 attack and +9 defence which is very useful, it can cripple armies even more, perhaps 10 times its size, especially for defeating powerful cavalry! The formation may not move for its position, but however, its useful for guarding positions or critical areas like hills, mines, artillery or fellow units (ie. muskets, the stand ground formation acts like a shield) and your base.

ConditionAttackDefence
Normal+2+3
Stand Ground+9+9

European Cavalry Formations

Cavalry by themselves are powerful, Conquistadors gain +10 attack for each kill, and dragoons (17th and 18th) gain +20 attack for each kill, making them powerful melee units and can kill units with one swipe of the sword, together with a good defence, infantry are rendered useless in their path (thus making the enemy  resort to expensive artillery and muskets and other cavalry). Sadly, because cavalry formations lack a drummer, their attack bonuses are neutralised in cavalry formations, giving minute bonuses  compared to their potential. However, because of the added defence and higher morale, they are useful in transporting cavalry from place to place, especially if they have to bypass an enemy or if one wishes to manage huge amounts of cavalry. 

FormationRidersNormal Condition BonusStand Ground Bonus
Line40
90
160
Defence +1
Attack +1, Defence +1
Attack +2, Defence +1
Attack +1
Attack +1, Defence +1
Attack +2, Defence +1
Wedge40, 90
160
None
Attack -10, Defence +9
None
Attack +95, Defence -19
Column40, 90
160
None
Attack +5, Defence -5
None
Attack -27, Defence +80

Native Cavalry Formations

Same thing as above, (except that native cavalry have slightly decreased attack bonuses, ie. +5) but worse because they lack a flagbearer AND drummer.

By Natalinasmpf