There are eight formations in Homeworld 3, and each is potentially useful in its own way. It’s impossible to rank them all, but it’s worth knowing which formations are best in different situations. This strategy guide picks the top five and explains what each one is best for.

I've experimented with formations in Homeworld 3 and definitely use some more than others. In fact, in the heat of battle I usually don't worry about formations as much since they tend to fall apart organically anyway. The formations of your fleets, groups, and squads make the most difference when making your initial approaches to objectives. The best formation for a given situation will depend largely on the number of ships in the group, the types of fleets in the group, and the type of enemy target(s).

I used the Wedge formation more than any other during my time with Homeworld 3, especially later in the game when many of the battles were large-scale slugfests. When there are a few hundred ships in play, it doesn’t feel worth micromanaging much, and the Wedge automatically organizes large mixed fleets sensibly. It’s not too sprawling, like the Trail, or too tightly packed, like the Wall. Plus, your smaller ships are covered by their larger wingmates, so they don’t get wiped out on first contact with the enemy.

The game describes the Cross formation as “all-around effective,” and that’s the main reason I used it a lot. However, I’d also say that it’s most useful early in the game, when most of your ships are Strikecraft. It’s especially effective for bomber groups, as it allows them to focus fire while performing deadly flybys against large, slow-moving targets. The only downside is the slightly reduced maneuverability, but I didn’t find any situations where this was a major issue. So I’d say that in most situations “when in doubt, go Cross” is a good rule of thumb.