formation
Line
Wide, mobile infantry shape that most fights begin in. A resting state for moving and waiting, not a committed combat formation.
Chronicles: Medieval battles
formation
Block
Tighter and deeper, with a narrower front and more staying power.
formation
Loose
For ranged units. Disperses them so incoming arrows have less to hit and charging cavalry has less to crash into.
formation
Shield Wall
Locks infantry together to hold ground against attack.
formation
Spear Wall
A hedge of polearms designed to delete charging cavalry. Spear Walls can barely walk.
formation
Square
Unflankable defensive bulwark that can face threats from any direction. Squares cannot maneuver.
formation
Skein
Shock-cavalry formation built for a devastating charge. One magnificent charge, then it needs to reform.
formation
Wedge
For infantry or cavalry. Built to punch a hole through an enemy line.
Formations, morale, and lines
Battles are the tactical pillar: you deploy, you call the horn, and you can also step down into the fight. Most units begin in Line, a wide mobile shape for moving and waiting, not a committed combat formation. Block is tighter and deeper. Loose spreads ranged units so arrows and charging horses have less to hit.
morale
Inspired
Top morale state. The unit fights above its baseline.
morale
Confident
Normal fighting state.
morale
Concerned
First warning state.
morale
Wavering
Second warning state. There is a window to act before the rout.
morale
Broken
Bottom state. Triggers a rout. The unit flees and is counted as lost.
Shield Wall locks infantry to hold ground, Spear Wall is a hedge of polearms that can barely walk, and Square cannot be flanked and also cannot maneuver. Skein is the shock-cavalry shape for one heavy charge before it must reform, and Wedge, for foot or horse, is built to punch a hole. Morale runs Inspired, Confident, Concerned, Wavering, and Broken. Broken triggers a rout, the unit flees, and it is counted lost. Wavering is the window before that rout. Deployment uses Vanguard, Middle Guard, Rearguard, and Flanks.
battle line
Vanguard
Front of the army. French heavy cavalry prefer to lead from here.
battle line
Middle Guard
Centre. Holy Roman Empire forces favour a dense Vanguard and Middle Guard.
battle line
Rearguard
Behind the centre.
battle line
Flanks
Either side. English longbowmen prefer the flanks for sight lines.
Orders, horn calls, and layers
French heavy cavalry prefer the Vanguard, Holy Roman Empire hosts favour a dense Vanguard and Middle Guard, and English bowmen prefer the flanks. Standing orders are Aggressive, Defensive, and Versatile. Aggressive seeks enemies, Defensive holds and will stop if it spots a foe while moving, and Versatile may choose an advanced formation on its own. Six horn calls cover Advance, Hold, Fallback, Engage, Charge, and Retreat, each handed to the battle AI to work out per unit.
standing order
Aggressive
The unit seeks enemies and tries to kill them when a hostile target is in sight.
standing order
Defensive
The unit holds its ground. If ordered to reposition, it stops and holds when it spots an enemy.
standing order
Versatile
The unit uses judgement and may enter an advanced formation on its own.
Above the unit, three layers stack: General before the battle, Captain in third person once the clash starts, and Combat in the melee, with Captain and Combat switchable during the fight. Returning to the General layer in the middle of an Early Access battle has not been shown. The Gamescom 2026 closed-door demo fielded 500 against 500 and was marked work in progress. The battles diary names an ambition of 1,000 against 1,000 and says the studio is not ready to commit to that number.
global command
Advance
Advance is the horn call that sends hearing units forward in the formation they already hold, while the battle AI chooses the path.
global command
Hold
Hold is the horn call that keeps units on the ground they occupy, and the battle AI decides how each formation braces.
global command
Fallback
Fallback is the horn call that pulls units off the contact line toward the rear without marking the whole army routed.
global command
Engage
Engage is the horn call that commits units with a target, and the battle AI picks the approach for each formation.
global command
Charge
Charge is the shock horn call, and a skein or wedge spends it on the first crash before that formation has to reform.
global command
Retreat
Retreat is the army-wide horn call to leave the field, separate from a single unit that has already broken and fled.
Auto-resolve can finish a battle you do not fight, with a warning that it may be less efficient than commanding. Arrow trails can be turned off, and the Gamescom post says the UI and those trails are settings.
battle layer
General
Pre-battle command. Set strategy, deploy, and decide how the fight begins. Mid-battle return to this layer is not revealed for Early Access.
battle layer
Captain
Third person once the clash starts. Issue real-time orders to nearby units. You can switch with Combat during the fight.
battle layer
Combat
Direct fighting in the thick of the action. You can switch with Captain during the fight.
These records are the names the battle diary gives you to deploy with.
Horn calls share a job, a Command Mode order the battle AI interprets, and each row says what that call is for.
Pick any two names from the twenty-nine published battle records and read them side by side. The notes above stay the full list.
Melee still
The melee screenshot is the store image paired with this battle page.