Tutorial: Threadspotting: troop positioning and tactics

[Kobal2]

Over at the Something Awful forum, they usually have a few Dominions DARs going on at any given time, and there's usually some good strategery to be found for newbs and not-so-newbs.

This particular post however seemed spectacularly useful enough to cross-post. Maybe even put up on the wiki by someone not quite as thoroughly lazy as I am.

[Shangrila00]

Hmm, there's that "morale check for attack rear" thing again. I guess nobody really knows how that works?

[Soyweiser]

Good idea, but! Ask for permission first. The goon might not like it if you lift the guide without asking. Anybody know the goon irc channel?

[Torgon]

http://wbe004.mibbit.com/?server=irc...goon_%3F%3F%3F

[RonD]

Originally Posted by Kobal2

This particular post however seemed spectacularly useful

True, but before you use the "have a squad in front set to guard a commander in the rear" trick in an MP game, you might want to ask the other players if they are OK with it.

[legowarrior]

My god, if you use archers in front as the squad....

[Torgon]

Originally Posted by RonD

True, but before you use the "have a squad in front set to guard a commander in the rear" trick in an MP game, you might want to ask the other players if they are OK with it.

Is this considered an exploit? Seems like it could have negative implications as well if you were expecting it, but I may be wrong. Do people generally have a problem with this tactic?

[bbz]

Originally Posted by Torgon

Is this considered an exploit? Seems like it could have negative implications as well if you were expecting it, but I may be wrong. Do people generally have a problem with this tactic?

I dont see any problem with it or any difference between that and the arrow actchers, you can apply the same tactic with single commander/thug set to retreat. Its all a question of scripting your armies better than your opponents.(So yea + 1 why is it considered exploit if it is?)

[janthony]

I would think it would be an exploit because the battle engine should allow units to adjust their attack closest as the closest enemy changes. However, you constantly hear about battles where the first attack was routed and the defenders give chase, only to be wiped out by the reserves. So this could be considered an exploit, but wouldn't it be nice if troops with higher morale or more intelligence(?) were able to figure out which enemy was closest and adjust. Like if the unit's morale is over 10, then it can calculate, if not, it just chases and gets mown down. That would be interesting if that was possible.

[Kobal2]

Yeah, I don't see the exploit either. Mastering the battle AI and its quirks is, like, half the game.

I believe the attack (unspecified) order sics the closest unit at the start of the turn rather than locking on one unit forever (and same for fire (unspecified) making the archers shoot whatever's in range at the moment), but don't quote me on this.

Originally Posted by legowarrior

My god, if you use archers in front as the squad....

Only really works with Firbolg nations (and LA Man), whose slingers/crossbowmen pack shields. Shieldless archers are bad at surviving arrow fire themselves, so your handful of archer decoys would just get murdered turn 1 and rout immediately, then the enemy archers would simply retarget. Might buy your own archers one turn of not getting shot to pieces I guess.