How to Create Flanks!!!!

[Prsaval]

New crusader kings 2 player here who got it with the free version. I have been greatly enjoying the game despite numerous pitfalls and deaths, but I am plagued by one question whenever I raise my levies. How the hell do you form flanks! Every single time I call to arms all of my military for that unit is in the center flank and I cannot for the life of me create the left and right ones or mess around at all with troop composition. I merged armies 1 million times but all it does is make that center flank larger and it’s driving me to my wits end. Please advise.

signed,
a desperate newb

 

[ThePettyQueen]

When you select your army, there's an arrow at the top right corner of the army window. If you click it, you'll get an extended window with all your levies show and which flank they're in. You can either use the auto-balance button, or move things manually with the arrows by each unit.

 

[jonjowett]

First up, it sounds like something is wrong with your game. CK2 should automatically spread the troops out over the 3 flanks when you raise levies/merge/etc.

However, if you want to know how to arrange the troops manually, then here you go:

• Click the arrow on the right-hand side:
• Use the left and right arrows next to each unit to move them to a different flank:

 

[Mr_Plumrich]

First up, it sounds like something is wrong with your game. CK2 should automatically spread the troops out over the 3 flanks when you raise levies/merge/etc.

However, if you want to know how to arrange the troops manually, then here you go:

• Click the arrow on the right-hand side: View attachment 625373
• Use the left and right arrows next to each unit to move them to a different flank: View attachment 625372

There's nothing wrong with his game, if he only raises leivis from one holding there is only one group and it ends up in the center flank. He need to raise several holdings to get flanks.

 

[jonjowett]

There's nothing wrong with his game, if he only raises leivis from one holding there is only one group and it ends up in the center flank. He need to raise several holdings to get flanks.

This is true, but OP said that he tried merging armies ("a million times"). Normally, when you merge armies, the component units get distributed among the 3 flanks. So it's more than a little bit strange that OP's armies only exist in the center flank.

 

[JtW]

Oh my, it took me ages to figure that one out. CK2 really has an obtuse interface in places.

 

[Prsaval]

Thanks for the help everybody, you have all been awesome teachers in the basics. Unfortunately I just turned out to be a bit stupid. I was trying to split up my single levy unit of 159 into 3 flanks, as I started as a pretty small count on my first play through. I had no clue of the scope of armies size, and that a single unit ‘does not an army make’. That miscommunication was what was causing all my confusion. I’ve had a lot of fun these past couple days once I’ve gotten my feet dipped into the game, and a lot more makes sense now. Cheers!

Edit: As to my merging confusion, I think that at the time even when I had grown to four levies, the total army itself may have just been to small to split into flanks. I’m not having that issue anymore, and for all I know I may have been screwing something else up entirely lol.

Edit 2: I remembered what I was screwing up now. I kept on clinking the link icon to ‘follow X’s army’ and not actually merging the units. That was the source of my confusion. Mystery solved!