Help - line or column

[Xaver]

Assault in column allways because you have column bonus (EXCEPT you are in a nation with no advantage here, are nations like UK lacking this bonus, they do the same assaulting in column or in line) and assaulting in column you are going to be after assault in next turn in a more versatile formation to deal with enemy counterattacks... at the price be more vulnerable VS enemy fire because you have a poor firepower option in column or line (assault means be disrupted next turn and you CANT change formation in disrupted formations).

But except in early war (RBR for example) in the firecombat part UK units (and sometimes other specific units like portuguese units) have extras on this area like stronger fire weapon and the 2nd rank line fire ability that increase their firepower compared with other units (better weapon+a bonus to firepower)

In defense usually column is stronger if you are in open to repel enemy assaults because is less common see your units in routed situation (i find line units maybe break more compared with column units BUT maybe is only my impresion)... apart this, if you are in a defensive melee next turn if you are lucky only have your unit in disrupted status this means you cant change formation and being in line means a practically static unit (line+disrupted).

In close terrain line could benefict from terrain bonus and is better be in line because you have more defensive firepower but like in open you cant change formation and your evade options are 0 because you have less mobility in non open terrain.

In general best is a mix in defense to be ready to counter using column formations, in attack line means expose more time to enemy arty and you have the risk of disrupt unit when move to the enemy... but column increase the effect of enemy firepower over your attacking units and could be very nasty with bateries of 4-6 guns at point blank.