(TFT) Importance of Formations

[Sgt Hulka <hulkasgt@yahoo.com>]

One of the things I love about Melee and Advanced Melee is that the combat system "naturally" encourages fighting in formation. The obvious and most basic example is Warriors advancing in such a way that they are either adjacent to each other or maintaining one hex spacing so that the opponent can't flank them.

When introducing mounted combat I've noticed a natural tendency to cluster into squares or circles so that the fast-moving horses can't flank you.

And more recently I've discovered the importance of multiple ranks, especially as it pertains to pole weapons. This discovery began against cavalry: multi-hex horses can trample the front line of a formation during the movement phase, preventing that front line from using set pole weapons agains the charging horses. A second line, therefore, is required.

But it's also important in regular combat if you rely a lot on pole weapons. One of the ways to defeat a pole weapon is to enter Hand to Hand combat. Since the pole weapon goes first in the action phase, and since it does double damage, you're generally dead if you try to engage. But by entering hand to hand, you have a chance to knock down the pole weapon user during the movement phase, before he gets the double damage attack against you.

However, if you try that against a wall of pole weapons users several ranks deep, you'll be annhilated. If you succeed on knocking down your opponent, the guy behind him can now set versus your charge with a +4 bonus thanks to you being on the ground.

Have you guys discovered any other less obvious but useful formations? I've been trying to figure out how to replicate the crossbow fire team, with one man protecting the crossbowman with a large pavisse, but I haven't come up with a successful version yet.
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