My current formation

[kensai]

Comments desired as always. :)

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/492/kensai.JPG

[kensai]

No comments at all. Oh well... I take it to mean that there are no deadly flaws in it. Or that it is beyond salvage.

[Duffman]

How do you play this formation... there is no way you go really go offensive with any protection. I mean some people put there units in the front and attack then move em back... looks like are doing the opposite, eventually leaving them exposed.

if you don't have a dragon and DSM then don't use pyros lol. Seriously. They have low power, Low HP and a long recovery time. Only thing they having going for them is range and unblockable but they are useless if the opponent has a cleric. Usually i swap mine with the so i can have both wards.

I want to say more but i need to get to sleep... sorry.

[plusminus]

Like duffman said, how do you play it? Most good formations are designed with a specific purpose that fits your playing style, but with that one, the units are just sort of there and that's it. Or that's how it seems to me.

Generally you've not got nearly enough scout protection I'd say. The witch could be sniped from the sides, and if you use the LW then your enchantress becomes immediately vunerable.

It does look like it could take a knight rush at least. But I don't think many people would rush while there's still all those easy scout targets.

[Bottle]

There's too many gaping holes in between the knights and the LW to have any success with this formation... I agree with plus and duff, this form has no use to it. Firstly, you have to hope that you are attacked, and secondly, that the enemy doesn't know how to use a scout, since the anti-scout units (knights) are too far back to do much good.

Oh, I've just spotted one more thing... if the enemy manges to kill your LW with his LW, witch and pyros (not unheard of) then you are truly screwed down the centre, the units which need the most protection (witch, cleric and chanty) are completely open to knights and scouts. You definitely need to move the knights up and probably put an assassin in too to cover the gaps.

[kensai]

The idea was to create a formation that does not easily take damage. Units that move in need to either wrap around or either LW range. Witches and pyros have a hard time reaching even two units, and to do that, they are electricuted for their troubles. No soft units are can be touched by knights, and each gap can be closed with a single move before a unit gets through.

The only problem is the Scout.. or Scouts when playing against a Gold, which typically is hopeless anyhow. There too I tried to find ways to prevent easy shots.

Where I go with this depends on the hostile formation. The gaps are there to allow the witch to move forth to blast. Fast units closer to the middle can move around, or alternatively, the edge knight can find a way around the hard front lines of a turtle opponent.

Thank you for the feedback. Now that I've finally acquired a non-Chanty unit to my ranks (my second Witch), life is easier anyhow. It might be interesting to add my foursome of Chantys to an opening formation, but that could get rather painful, ratings-wise.

[Bottle]

But what if the LW is destroyed?

[abyaly]

LW destruction is very feasible since you dont have a BW. It only takes 3 moves (4 with a heal), which can be done consecutively or otherwise, to kill the thing if the units are in place. If your LW is in range of theirs, a DMW and pyro often wont be far behind.

[kensai]

The LW has gone down a few times.. but it takes quite a while. In the meantime, I can use my turns to make sure I take down at least one of the spellcasting units involved in its destruction.

I have more often seen a useless LW at the end of the game than a lost game where the assault came through the ward. If the opposition feels they need to take it down, I conclude that it was in the right place.

Anyway, the formation is a lot different now.. not totally satisfactory, but clearly better, and this discussion has helped a lot in making it so.

Something that has been hard to decide is which unit not to include. I have the Grey starting kit + 3 Chantys + 1 extra Witch. What to put in the field?

3 Knights
1 Cleric
1 Lightning Ward
2 Witches
1 Assassin
1 Scout
1 Barrier Ward
1 Enchantress
---------
11 units. Which one to drop?

[Bottle]

Either one of the witches, or the assassin. Dropping the assassin mean you'll have gaps in your formation again though.

[kensai]

Dropping the Lightning Ward has made rather interesting games.. though the problems inherent in that choice are rather clear too.