[Arralen]

Yeh, really, we should have better control over our Space Marines .. oh, wait, we're talking 'bout ancient/medieval style wars here, with all those mind-linked astral mages not among those guys ordered to "hold, attack rear" ... .

In earnest: Have you ever played a serious table top game? All those rules take exactly that kind of control away from the players, at least at the level Dominions depicts its armies, and they do it for a reason: There is no way to control your troops in such detail once the battle has begun.

You may order your troops to hold, advance, charge. If you're lucky, you can order your flanks to hold or advanced, to change the facing of the battle line or encircle the ememy - if you have thoroughly trained troops. If you have some troops of good or even exceptional quality, you might even order an ordered retreat, either as a feint or a rearguard ... but all too often any backward movement (deliberate or forced) resulted in panic and headless flight!

Maybe, just maybe, and more to strengthen the role of the melee commander in Dom, than for logical or historical reasons, maybe commanders should have more options (attack mages etc), or 1-2 additional 'command slots', or both. That way, if you really want a squad to do a fancy attack run, you would only have to set them to bodyguard a melee commander and script that commander accordingly. If he's fast enough, he should reach the enemy rear in 3-4 turn easily.

A general "skirmish" order would be great, though, to make horse archers etc. more useful... (basically "fire and stay behind").