# Formations by Situation

Source page: https://wos.sheet.guide/en/guides/troops/formations  
Last checked: 17 Oct 2026  
Unofficial fan site, not affiliated with Century Games. Numbers, unlock days and event rules change with patches and differ between states; treat them as rules of thumb and confirm in-game.

Part of: [Troops & Formations](https://wos.sheet.guide/en/guides/troops.md)

Starting troop ratios for every common fight, from open-field PvP to the bear.

**TL;DR:** Use **50/20/30** for general PvP, go **Marksman-heavy** against the bear, lean **Infantry** on defense, and adjust from your battle reports.

## Key facts

- **General PvP:** 50 / 20 / 30
- **Bear Hunt (Gen 7+):** 10 / 10 / 80
- **Garrison:** 50%+ Infantry
- **Crazy Joe (city):** ~90 / 10 / 0

## Counter triangle

- Infantry beats Lancer
- Lancer beats Marksman
- Marksman beats Infantry

Note: Guides differ on the size of the counter bonus: one lists +10% attack, another says Marksmen deal 20% more and take 20% less damage against Infantry.

## Ratios by situation (Inf / Lan / MM)

| Situation | Ratio | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PvP and attack rallies | 50 / 20 / 30 | The common starting point. Infantry hold the front so Marksmen can deal damage. |
| [Alliance Championship](https://wos.sheet.guide/guides/battles/alliance-championship.md) | 50 / 20 / 30 | Recommended over the default 33 / 33 / 33. |
| Garrison / city defense | 50%+ Infantry | Start above half Infantry. One rally guide suggests 60 / 40 / 0. |
| [Bear Hunt](https://wos.sheet.guide/guides/battles/bear-hunt.md), Gen 1 heroes | 30 / 30 / 40 | The bear isn’t a player march, so no defensive formation is needed. |
| Bear Hunt, Gen 3 heroes | 10 / 20 / 70 | More Marksmen as your heroes improve. |
| Bear Hunt, Gen 7+ heroes | 10 / 10 / 80 | Some Gen 9+ leaders go as far as 1 / 1 / 98. |
| [Crazy Joe](https://wos.sheet.guide/guides/battles/crazy-joe.md), city waves | ~90 / 10 / 0 | Infantry first, Lancers second; Marksmen add little. |
| Crazy Joe, HQ wave 10 | 30 / 70 / 0 | One guide’s suggestion. |
| Crazy Joe, HQ wave 20 | 60 / 40 / 0 | Enemy damage spikes on the last wave. |
| Attacking a heavy-Infantry garrison | More Marksman | Counter their Infantry. |

Note: These are community starting points, not rules. Your heroes, gear and the enemy’s setup all change what works best.

## Getting it right

- **Match your lead heroes to your troops.** A hero’s biggest bonuses apply to their own troop type, so don’t send a Marksman-heavy march behind an Infantry trio.
- Read your **battle reports** and adjust the mix from what actually happened, not from a fixed rule.
- Copy what your alliance’s top rally leaders use. They’ve tested it against your state’s meta.

## Related

- [Rally Joiner Heroes](https://wos.sheet.guide/en/guides/heroes/rally-joiners.md)
- [Bear Hunt](https://wos.sheet.guide/en/guides/battles/bear-hunt.md)
- [Troop Tiers & Promotion](https://wos.sheet.guide/en/guides/troops/tiers.md)