Getting Total War combat right is tough, but Warhammer: Total War is on the right track

Here’s how a good battle works in the Total War series.

First, you set up your formation and jockey for position, facing the enemy. Then, you engage—the stronger force launching a charge, usually, or a give and take before full engagement between two evenly matched armies. This is where it gets tricky. In a bad Total War experience, this disintegrates into a rugby scrum. But in a good one, the lines hold for a while. The player can survey the battle, decide which flank needs a cavalry charge, or whether to send a victorious unit into a new fight, or let it rest. Perhaps there’s even a second phase to the fight, where reinforcements or rallied troops can turn the tide.