We Added Battle Formations to the AI | Devlog

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:00]Garthage Bellum Punicum is a strategy game set during the Second Punic War.

[00:00:05]Players command huge armies in deadly clashes that feature realistic battle tactics and in-depth gameplay systems.

[00:00:13]I'm Roland from Akella Interactive, publisher of Garthage Bellum Punicum.

[00:00:17]And in today's dev blog, we'll be taking a look at battle formations, what's available, and how they utilized in the game.

[00:00:25]In Garthage Bellum Punicum, AI commanders don't just send their armies forward in a straight line. Instead, they choose from a wide range of battle formations. So, how does the AI decide which formation to use?

[00:00:38]Three factors come into play.

[00:00:41]First is culture. Every culture has its own pool of formations reflecting its military traditions. [music] Iberians, Gauls, Romans, Carthaginians, each fights with distinct tactical identity. Second is the commander's personality. Traits like conservative or traditionalist [music] push commanders towards solid, orthodox formations. More innovative commanders may reach for something unexpected.

[00:01:07]Finally, the third factor is army composition. A cavalry-heavy force calls for different tactics than an infantry-heavy one. The AI adapts to [music] what it has. No two battles will ever feel the same.

[00:01:21]Let's look at some of the formations in the game.

[00:01:24]The classic is a balanced line with a solid center and cavalry on both flanks, dependable, versatile.

[00:01:32]The triple axis is a Roman favorite.

[00:01:34]Three central lines, light infantry absorbs the initial clash, medium infantry provides depth, and heavy infantry forms the rear guard with cavalry anchoring the flanks.

[00:01:44]Broken triples is a variation of that, splitting the front lines into smaller groups, letting the second line fill the gaps and push forward.

[00:01:53]The split triplex opens things up further. All three lines spread across a wider battlefield with the flanks arranged in a V-shape.

[00:02:03]The spearhead sends the center forward first, drawing the enemy's attention while the flanks reposition for the killing blow.

[00:02:11]The crescent trap does the opposite with the flanks engaging first, drawing the enemy into the center as it closes in around them.

[00:02:20]The flank fortress splits the army into two wings with a protected center. A high-risk formation, but a successful flanking action can lead [music] to a full encirclement.

[00:02:30]The clan war is a balanced tribal formation with a solid center and stable flanks. Nothing fancy, but hard to break.

[00:02:39]The crescent line takes a U-shaped approach with a strong double line center and extended flanks reaching out on both sides.

[00:02:48]The hammer right concentrates cavalry and light infantry on the right flank to act as the hammer, while the reinforced center and weaker left as the anvil.

[00:02:59]The twin [music] hammer reinforces both flanks at the expense of the center, going for double envelopment. [music] And finally, the moon wedge, which is similar to a spearhead, but with a wider gap between center [music] and flanks.

[00:03:13]The center forms a strong double line built to punch straight through enemy formations.

[00:03:19]These are just a few examples. There are many more formations in the game, each giving battles a different feel depending on who you're facing and who's leading the charge.

[00:03:29]We're also adding some new ways to customize how the battlefield looks.

[00:03:34]By default, units are displayed as square symbols in a style inspired by history march.

[00:03:41]If you want more at a glance information, weapon display mode replaces unit symbols with icons showing the unit's primary weapon. Toggle it at any time during a battle or set it to appear automatically when [music] you select a unit. There's also individual soldiers mode. Instead of a single square, you see every soldier. A unit of 484 men becomes 484 individual models on the battlefield. Toggle it freely or have activate automatically [music] as you zoom in.

[00:04:12]Battle formations are a big part of what makes each fight in Carpe Bellum Punicum feel distinct. And we're excited to keep building on this system. If you haven't added the game to your wish list on Steam yet, it helps us more [music] than you might think.

[00:04:26]The link is in the description.