[Jack_Trowell]

try using units with good armor and/or shields as your main force. Units with 10+ armor and equippend with shield won't take much damage from ranged attacks.

I usually have the heaviest infantry I can recruit set to hold and attack in the front, with fast units flanking set to hold and attack rearmost (or sometimes attack archers)

I often script my own archers to fire archers, as ennemy's archers or others ranged units are more likely to have less armor, or to have mages near them that a lucky arrow could kill. And while my archers fire at the opponent's, they don't fire into the melee.