because the footmen have the first response thing they get to the battle before the rest of the party because they are a lot faster than the rest of the party so they often die before the rest of the party can come help.
one solution would be to get rid of the first response for the footmen.
another would be to give it to the others as well so they all arrive at the battle together.
I think a faster footman is a good way to break through enemy lines and catch their nasty archers, so what about a move-in-formation command? This would also solve the problem that eating or sleeping fighters can’t catch up or that my healer is the first to attack ^^
It’s been something I’ve had to micro manage. As the footman approach the enemy line, I let them get just close enough to take an arrow or two (sparing the knight a few steps behind them usually) and then redirect them manually. Ideally they move just far enough away that when they return to the enemy and engage in combat they come in right after the knights. If the circumstances are right and I get lucky, I can maneuver my footmen to get agro and pull the enemy melee forces off to the side. This better exposes the enemy archers and healers in back to my own archers without having to worry about them getting caught up in melee splash damage.