Army Composition Please Help

[Crazy Bananazzz]

Hello yall. Around 1600s my armies keep getting smashed in this game. For example I just fought a war with tech 22 versus an strong commonwealth with tech 23. Combat width is 36. How many cannons and how many infantry should I have in one stack???

I was really close to uniting Germany then got PUed. This game is a cruel ♥♥♥♥♥ sometimes.

[Crazy Bananazzz]

Uniting Germany having started as an OPM Nassau, ah RNG.

[tonypa]

If we ignore economy (the cost of units) and Force Limit (stacking huge number of units in single province causes attrition), then the best stack would be:
- Infantry + Cavalry up to Combat Width
- Artillery up to Combat Width

The ratio between Infantry and Cavalry kind of depends which country you play as and how many modifiers you have from national ideas. If playing as Poland/Horde, I would go near 100% Cavalry, if playing as normal nation 2 or 4 Cavalry units is enough.

The strength of your armies and result of the battle also depends on many-many other modifiers:
- military tech level
- general
- terrain
- discipline, morale, infantry/cavalry/artillery combat ability
- drill (with CoC DLC)

Now Poland/PLC can be very-very strong once they have unlocked Winged Hussars and are stacking several cavalry modifiers.

[tinisiyo]

A few stacks of 20-24 inf and 16-18 cannons so they don't burn from attrition while idle and combined give you full row of cannons. And a few stacks for reinforcement with pure infantry.

[Exhelune]

As Tonypa said: Artillery up to Combat Width and the same for Inf + Cav. It could be good to have extra infantery units as reinforcement.

As it means quite big stacks (and attrition), you should split your army between the battles.

Anyway, if you fight R2N while you have a lower level of tech, it will be difficult, unless you have far more units/manpower than them.

[DankDansk]

Originally posted by tonypa:

If we ignore economy (the cost of units) and Force Limit (stacking huge number of units in single province causes attrition), then the best stack would be:
- Infantry + Cavalry up to Combat Width
- Artillery up to Combat Width

The ratio between Infantry and Cavalry kind of depends which country you play as and how many modifiers you have from national ideas. If playing as Poland/Horde, I would go near 100% Cavalry, if playing as normal nation 2 or 4 Cavalry units is enough.

The strength of your armies and result of the battle also depends on many-many other modifiers:
- military tech level
- general
- terrain
- discipline, morale, infantry/cavalry/artillery combat ability
- drill (with CoC DLC)

Now Poland/PLC can be very-very strong once they have unlocked Winged Hussars and are stacking several cavalry modifiers.

Historically, Poland becomes weaker into the 1700s. That's when Prussia and Britain become Superpowers. Your best bet is to get Offensive and Quality to simply out fire your enemies.

Anatolian Units and Muslim Units are beat up until 1600 onward, then it's Eastern Europe, then it's Western Europe.

[Crazy Bananazzz]

Originally posted by tinisiyo:

A few stacks of 20-24 inf and 16-18 cannons so they don't burn from attrition while idle and combined give you full row of cannons. And a few stacks for reinforcement with pure infantry.

So if the combat width says 36 on my military page that means one row is 36? Or one row is 18?

Is the "combat width" as it says in my military page the 2 rows?

[Tulduil Iphukiir]

Combat Width is the width of one row.
Your troops are deployed in two rows but only artillery can fight from the second row.

So with a CW of 36 you want 36 artillery and additional 36 regiments in "any combination" of cavalry and infantry. As said: this "any combination" heavily depends on your nation and your playstyle.

[Crazy Bananazzz]

Originally posted by Tulduil Iphukiir:

Combat Width is the width of one row.
Your troops are deployed in two rows but only artillery can fight from the second row.

So with a CW of 36 you want 36 artillery and additional 36 regiments in "any combination" of cavalry and infantry. As said: this "any combination" heavily depends on your nation and your playstyle.

Thank you. I think I understand now.

[tonypa]

Originally posted by BEGOME ORTHODOX:

So if the combat width says 36 on my military page that means one row is 36? Or one row is 18?

Is the "combat width" as it says in my military page the 2 rows?

Combat width is same for front row and back row. You have front row, made from Infantry and cavalry, and all your Artillery goes to back row. If you have 36 CW, it means front row of Infantry + Cavalry taking part in fighting is maximum 36, and also back row of Artillery can also fit at max 36 to fight enemy.

If you send in more troops than CW, they will not actively fight. You also can not assign Infantry units in back row, they can only fight in front row, same way Artillery units only go to back row. If for example you have stack of simply 36 Artillery, no Infantry at all, these will be easily wiped by enemy. If for example have stack of 40 Infantry units then only 36 will fight, in front row, 4 will stand there losing morale, doing nothing useful.

You can always use less troops, and commonly, when you need to consider cost too, you will not have full CW row of Artillery. They are just way too expensive.

[Crazy Bananazzz]

Originally posted by tonypa:

If we ignore economy (the cost of units) and Force Limit (stacking huge number of units in single province causes attrition), then the best stack would be:
- Infantry + Cavalry up to Combat Width
- Artillery up to Combat Width

The ratio between Infantry and Cavalry kind of depends which country you play as and how many modifiers you have from national ideas. If playing as Poland/Horde, I would go near 100% Cavalry, if playing as normal nation 2 or 4 Cavalry units is enough.

The strength of your armies and result of the battle also depends on many-many other modifiers:
- military tech level
- general
- terrain
- discipline, morale, infantry/cavalry/artillery combat ability
- drill (with CoC DLC)

Now Poland/PLC can be very-very strong once they have unlocked Winged Hussars and are stacking several cavalry modifiers.

I guess its national ideas and techs that's the problem. I just have German ideas which aren't that great I suppose.

[tonypa]

Originally posted by BEGOME ORTHODOX:

I guess its national ideas and techs that's the problem. I just have German ideas which aren't that great I suppose.

It is usually combination of multiple modfiers. Your General could be worse, you could be behind in tech and have units with less pips, your morale could be lower, your discipline lower, you have less infantry combat ability. If only one of these is lower for you, then you can normally use more troops to overcome the penalty. If multiple modifiers, even if only slightly, are against you, the battle can end very badly very fast.