Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-33393550-20180117165758/@comment-45.76.127.169-20180118203355

Formations could also be a cause. The game will tell you which one is "best", but sometimes "best" causes some stats to take a hit you wouldn't normally want. Personally, I try to never use Crane Wings or Square (bottom left and middle) because of their hit to leadership/mobility and mobility/impact, respectively, even if they're marked as advantageous. I don't know just how big a boost or hit to stats they cause, but it seems to be enough to consider not always using the "advantageous" one.

For example, if Crane Wings is marked as advantageous, then the enemy will be using Horizontal (increased leadership) and so choosing Fish Scale might be better for the increased impact, even with the hit to leadership. Or if Square is advantageous, then the enemy will be using Echelon (increased mobility, decreased leadership), so Horizontal might work better for the increase to leadership without the hit to impact and mobility.

And then of course RNG steps in with crits/no crits/all enemies targeting one sword, etc, but you do what you can.