Conquest of Nine Kingdoms Free-Marching and Positioning Guide

To control combat effectively in Conquest of Nine Kingdoms, manually override default auto-pathing with the free-marching system, place high-damage ranged units behind defensive infantry, and kite city defenders out of defensive wall range during sieges.

Managing Open-Field Positioning and Free-Marching

Relying on automatic march paths often sends troops through disadvantageous terrain or directly into superior enemy formations. Use real-time free-marching to manually alter unit destinations while troops are mid-transit, allowing you to react to shifting battlefield conditions.

Formation Structure: Position fragile, high-damage squads (such as archers) behind durable vanguard infantry. If enemy cavalry attempts a flank, redirect your frontline using free-marching to intercept them before they reach your backline.
Target Selection: Direct mobile units past heavy frontlines to attack enemy backline damage dealers directly.
Terrain Utilization: Direct engagements toward choke points, including hills, forests, and mountain passes, to restrict enemy movement and prevent numerical encirclement.
Tactical Retreats: Monitor unit health pools constantly. When a squad drops to low health, issue an immediate retreat command to preserve the unit for healing rather than letting it fall in battle.

Tactics for City Sieges

Attacking fortified structures shifts the focus from open maneuverability to controlled spacing and perimeter management.

Form a Secure Perimeter: Position squads around the siege target to block incoming enemy reinforcements from reaching the defenders.
Spread Unit Spacing: Avoid clumping units close together in front of city structures. Spreading your forces minimizes damage taken from defensive fortification area-of-effect (AoE) attacks.
Kite Outward Defenders: If garrisoned troops step outside the gates to defend, use free-marching controls to pull back. Drag the defenders into the open field where your full army can destroy them away from wall-mounted archers and defensive towers.

March Fatigue and Movement Trade-Offs

While free-marching offers total spatial freedom, continuous long-distance movement incurs logistical penalties and consumes squad readiness.

Action Factor	Operational Impact	Recommended Response
Long-Distance Marching	Increases unit fatigue and delays arrival against established defenses.	Avoid chasing distant targets across wide distances; let overextended enemies come to you.
Frequent Re-Routing	Consumes time and leaves home territory open to counter-attacks.	Maintain defensive lines near critical assets instead of issuing constant field orders.
Defensive Holding	Prepares squad formations while forcing opponents to maneuver.	Hold choke points and wait for the enemy to overextend into a mistake.