Are multiple sub-units more or less effective than a doom-stack?

[Emperor of Europe]

Hi

Playing Rome the show-down with Macedonia is moving closer. Our fleets are more or less on par, but my is divided into 4 separate stacks.

I suspect that the naval war will be decided in a big clash off the coast of Tarentum, and wondered what's the best tactic. Should I combine all 4 stacks in a single one, or should I let the 4 stacks participate individually in the same sea battle? Does it matter?

 

[Nostalgium]

I like to split my stack, because it lets you pick matching tactics to the enemy and gives you more room to maneuver and trap enemies in battle. The AI likes to run away from doomstacks, so splitting it in at least two stacks and staggering them can lead to the AI commiting to battles when they'd otherwise run. When you do split a navy/army though, make sure you lead with the worst admiral/general. This will ensure that when your second stack joins, the tactic chosen by the higher-level commander will overwrite the one you had previously picked. This also lets you match enemy tactics if you need that edge.

 

[IsaacCAT]

yes and no

It matters because the fleet will be distributed differently if merged before starting the battle than if you go each fleet separately.

It does not matter because the distribution is almost irrelevant, try playing with this amazing tool: https://ir.pdxsimulator.com/, there is a naval version if you click on the relevant icon:

 

[IsaacCAT]

I like to split my stack, because it lets you pick matching tactics to the enemy and gives you more room to maneuver and trap enemies in battle. The AI likes to run away from doomstacks, so splitting it in at least two stacks and staggering them can lead to the AI commiting to battles when they'd otherwise run. When you do split a navy/army though, make sure you lead with the worst admiral/general. This will ensure that when your second stack joins, the tactic chosen by the higher-level commander will overwrite the one you had previously picked. This also lets you match enemy tactics if you need that edge.

I think they have changed how the tactic is chosen, now it seems the bigger stack decides the tactic instead of the highest general. @Lord Lambert and @Todie know better.

 

[Todie]

the bigger stack decides the tactic instead of the highest general.

Correct.

splitting it in at least two stacks and staggering them can lead to the AI commiting to battles when they'd otherwise run.

This is still a valid reason to split, as is army supply if its an issue.

Another thing you can consider when deciding if you want to cluster or fan out with your troops is terrain, width and movment speed.

If you fan out, you want to minimize the risk of getting flanked, and of having one stack overwhelmed before others can reinforce.

Smaller stacks can hold their own a few tixks longer in rougher terrain / costal waters, but in plains or open sea, combat width is huge, so a larger army will gain advantage more quickly, especially if they have any amount of troops with manoeuvre to leverage flanking and colapsing combat lines.

As for OP, expecting one big sea battle, you may as well use one stack, unless you want two fleets for purposes of recon, naval landings or tactic-switching.

Dont expect to sink a lot of ships in a first battle though. To get such conclusive victories you nees to persuse their fleet after retreat and force it out of port befoee its able to repair or recover morale

 

[Oshidashi]

According to the wiki, any army beyond the first one counts as reinforcements in the batte. Reinforcing units always receive a base malus to morale (or maybe it was discipline, I dont recall exactly). So when your in a very tight spot, keeping the stack of doom might give that little extra edge you need. Another consideration can be costs. Every general earns a wage, so less generals equals more gold in bank.

 

[Todie]

According to the wiki, any army beyond the first one counts as reinforcements in the batte. Reinforcing units always receive a base malus to morale (or maybe it was discipline, I dont recall exactly). So when your in a very tight spot, keeping the stack of doom might give that little extra edge you need. Another consideration can be costs. Every general earns a wage, so less generals equals more gold in bank.

yeah iirc, any troops reinforcing after a certain amount of time has passed will receive an instant hit to their morale as a result. I don't think this directly impacts discipline or other str-damage parameters, but it can do so indirectly by making the combat line disorganized as cohorts keep retreating... but mostly if you end up pulling out a victory very narrowly or if you lose.

For sure, reinforcing late makes each man you field count for less in terms of "staying power" - winning the battle. But if you have enough bodies with morale to hold out for the win anyway, then it doesn't matter much.

... cohorts having their morale broken quickölly can actually be a "good" thing, so long as there are actually enough reserves behind them.