Naval Battle Formations (Shogun 2 & Rise of the Samurai)
The following are group formations that a fleet or group of ships can be set into:
War of the Sword
This is a heavy ship formation, ideally consisting of four heavy bunes, four medium bunes and two bow ships.
Bird Cloud
This is a medium ship formation, ideally consisting of two heavy bunes, six medium bunes and two bow ships.
Three Day-Old Moon
This is a light ship formation, ideally consisting of two heavy bunes, two medium bunes and six bow ships.
Extended Snake
This is a balanced formation for heavy, medium and light ships, ideally consisting of two heavy bunes, three medium bunes and five bow ships.
Naval Battle Formations (Fall of the Samurai)
The following are group formations that a fleet or group of ships can be set into:
Line Abreast
The line abreast formation arranges your grouped ships into a single line, abreast of each other – hence the name. It will still work with ships that fire broadsides, but you must manually move them into position to fire. Line abreast particularly suits ships with guns mounted in their noses, such as the Kotetsu.
Line Astern
The line astern formation arranges your grouped ships one behind the other. As the ships move past the enemy they will fire off a broadside one by one. This formation particularly suits ships with large numbers of guns on their broadsides.