How do you build/mix your squads?

[kapawski]

I think like most people, I have specialized squads for dragons/archers/cannons. But do you ever use mixed squads? If yes, how do you usually build them and what are your considerations?

Also, are archers any good in a mixed squad? I feel like they're only really good to be long-ranged specialized bows-only squads.

[Myth Alric]

I usually mix in some units to help balance them out. Typically I make the specialized squad, then I add a healer if I need healing, a mage for area damage, and so on. Dragons and cannons also mix in well with any squad to help them get more of a punch. Mages and firearms work well for attacking people on walls as well, so you can add them if you want an otherwise entirely melee group to have that option.

Archers do well in some groups. If you have a group that deals heavy damage to the front line, often you got squishy targets in the back, so the melee can wipe out the front line then the archers will snipe the people in the back and kill them.

[Jivebot]

Most of my squads are mixed and I find that works wonderfully.

I usually put my toughest Melee up front, obviously. If it's intended to be a primarily defensive unit I put two Shield-users on the front corners and a more offense-oriented melee in the center.

the middle column is flexible depending on what I am going for.

My cleric will either go in the middle center or back center spot depending on the overall unit composition. I like an offensive spellcaster in the middle too. They always have 0 Armor so they NEVER get put in the back. But I may also put light/offensive melee there too(assassins and sword women, etc) flanking the healer/spellcaster

Back column will be for additional ranged units(Archers, rifles, etc) tha thave at least SOME defense. I don't want my rear column being one-shotted by assassins if it can be avoided afterall.

The tech that allows Paladins to give Clerics addition defense simply by being in the same party with them makes it alot safer to put your clerics in the back without fear of them being assassinated.

My only real specialized squads are Bowman and even then I put three melee up front and a healer. Or Samurai up front for a Melee/Bow hybrid.

And Abigayle has the dragons. Abigayle has ALL the Dragons and my enemies fear her sweet, pretty little smile.

[Mesond]

Three upgraded dragons (two red) with the main character at mission 12. With a healer. Fear me.

In the end it was just him and that paladin left standing. It was so fitting. Stefen and his rangers were first to fall. Victims of the chests outside the fort. The archer squads next. The three cav with the two healers. One by one they fall as enemy cannons fire round after round.

Made it to turn 5 after the siege. Couldn't get to 6. Only had two tier 3 shield spear. One was leading a squad with two other tier 2 spears. Anti cav. I also had two samurai with a shield spear leading them. More for mopping up and helping to hold front lines. And collecting treasure/buildings/mines.

[Vambran]

Well i found Tanks in front , Healers in back works best for pure combat. The only downside is mobility and weak range attacks. But you almost never have to worry about taking losses.

[BoogieMan]

I think both work well. I have full melee squads backed up by healers that plow through enemy formations, and my mixed ones perform similarly offensively, sometimes better, but it is more likely for them to take losses, especially to cannons. Depends on the situation.

However it does seem useful to have an archer in a low mobility squad to attack at range when they aren't close enough to fully engage, less for the extra damage but more for extra experience for the party since it seems to be shared, but I haven't fully explored this yet.

Having a melee unit in the back row covering the rear of your healer pays off when facing those stealth attack units.

Traits can make a big difference on the effectiveness of a formation, too. Beacon/Bodyguard on a Sentinel front and center is pretty sweet.

[Detainee Pyramid]

Narima surprised me. Her strength is MUCH higher than typical archers & Guile allows her to attack any target. I got a "Sin Credo" fairly early on(I think) which gives the leader(Narima) an extra turn at the cost of 2Cap and other squadmates dealing 25% less damage. Im on mission 11 or 12 and I have had her with high morale attacking from hills and whatnot sending out 3-4 volleys! Just shredding enemy squads. Beautiful. :D

[David]

Archers and mages are valuable includes in general tanky squads because they do damage in a different order and targeting paradigm.

[Throwaway Name]

A good mixed unit is one dragon, one ice or fire mage, one sentinel, one healer, one cavalry archer, one knight, and one assassin. You get a lot of bonus from mixed unit tactics, a very flexible attack pattern, and still a nice front row with the sentinel, dragon, and knight.

[Ecthel_013]

I tend to go for mixed melee range squads with healers and mages and specialized ranged support squads that are all bows with maybe a healer, plus Samurai frontlines once I get reliable access to them (except for Jules, he's just going to have to hope I don't mess up his positioning. Sorry pal, but Archer Captain doesn't work with Samurai).

I tend to not make Mage squads until I get Mage Regiments (to maintain 6 speed so they don't fall behind the rest of my squads), and even then they're so squishy that I have to put tanking units and a healer anyways so it's basically a more damage oriented mixed melee squad.

Abagayle gets dragons plus mages and any extra dragons tend to get mixed into mage squads to both tank and deal even more damage. Lysander is the gun guy with spears in front, though I might start adding some to my melee squads once I get extra gunmen. Once I get Musketeering, I think I'll make him a full gunline unit.

Archers/Crossbows in melee squads do have their uses though, it's just that I prefer massing them for maximum damage at range. I put a couple of crossbows in Raskuja's squad once, and they were sniping both the armored frontline and the squishy backliners pretty well.

You can also use them to get a free combat heal if you shoot at units that can't shoot back and they can prevent the morale loss from technically losing battles if the enemies' mixed squads take potshots.

[bighotpuff]

For me, I maximize as many AOE damagers as I can and use front line tanks if 2, or 2 tanks and 1 melee dps. Typically I like having 1-2 cannons, 1-2 mage, 1 bow, 1 heal and 2-3 frontline. Id use dragons more but they arent easy to come by. I think i have 7-8 dragons.

My ideal group is 1 dragon, 2 cannons, 1 mage, 1 bow, 1 healer and 2 frontline tanks.
I rarely use light infantry on my main groups. Mostly tanks and AOE damagers. My kill anything squad goes 4 cannons, healer, 2 mages, 2 tanks.