The Art Of War Files Episode 4

14 December 2001

Infantry and Calvary Formations
Explained

Four hundred years ago, mainland
Europe resounded to the sounds of bloody battles, as nations were created and
fell, fortunes made and lost, and new military tactics were developed. Cossacks:
The Art of War recreates these battles on an epic scale.

Featuring more than 35 enhancements
to the original, The Art Of War is designed to add a new lease of life to the
critically acclaimed game, which went straight to number one when it was first
released in March 2001 and was a permanent fixture in the PC top ten for nearly
six months (source ChartTrack 2001).

The original Cossacks:
European Wars gave us 3 infantry formations, in the Art of War Calvary
Formations have now been added to give more variations in tactics and strategy.

Formations in Cossacks are not there
to look pretty like other RTS games; in fact formations are key to winning
battles involving huge numbers. There are 3 types of Calvary formations, the
Line, Column and Wedge each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The Line Formations are
probably your most common of all, great for charges as well defences. Used by
players who want to play it safe as well as have the option to attack, the Line
formation is quite possibly the most versatile Calvary formation.

The Column Formation is an
excellent choice for the tactical armchair generals, linked with support of
Musketeers or Dragoons from the rear, the Calvary acts as a shield while the
guns pick of the soldiers as they collide. From a defensive point of view the
Column formation can be used to lead vital members to safety, with a higher
defensive bonus than the Line formation, this formation will have different
variations in its use.

People who like to lead a full-scale
assault use The Wedge Formation; it increases your attack bonus greatly
but lowers defence so a well planned attack needs to be swift… if planned with a
coup de grace the wedge formation will cut through infantry like a hot knife
through butter.

Probably one of the most ingenious
features with formations now is the ability to link various ones together and
actually have them march as one large single entity. With the sheer amount of
variations and troop size, Cossacks: The Art of War has once again proved itself
to be an RTS masterpiece, one that will have people playing for years to come,
this is one expansion pack the Napoleons of the World cannot afford to miss.