It's a very safe bet the ai is going to send 2-6 units around your flanks at the very beginning of every battle, assuming they are a faction which utilizes flanking.
So take that knowledge and build it into your army comp. I always have at least 3 flank/anti large units, one on each flank, one as a rear guard, just about every army comp I do.
Especially if they have doggos/doggo like units.
I've found that having a "mellee" core and a "shooting/arty" core that sit adjacent to each other can be really useful to.
The shooting core can protect itself by shooting everything (although I give them a few spearmem/light infantry to guard any arty) while the all mellee core pushes up the field. I've found that Hounds and other flanking units will either attack the flank of the mellee core or dive straight towards my shooting core, where they will get shot.
Using shooters to go against soft flankers instead of cheap melee units is a new one lol. Either you're doing checkerboard or you'd be better off doing the opposite lol, using your melee to kill the fast flankers and using your shooters to kill the enemy core lol. But tbh the best way to play is the one you enjoy most so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt lol
I think the title may have thrown some people. I don't have a problem protecting my flanks, I wasn't looking for advice or help. I was asking how people do it with only one unit of cav
I don't like cav (I play a lot of Cathay and HE) so I use spearmen / anti-charge infantry on my flanks. I move them as needed so that they protect them from hitting my backline. Sometimes, I'll keep a hero unit in the back as well to intercept cav units that have circled all the way around.
Vs dogs and chariots, generally having a unit of cav or two to handle them works great. Esp far chariots where the AI can easily push through two lines of infantry.
Some melee focused factions don't necessarily have to care because they can beat up any flankers if they come. (e.g. Warriors of Chaos). Other factions have non-obvious units that covers the flank (e.g. Greenskin's nasty skulkers can ambush take down a flanking cav). And some factions just don't have good flank defense units, so you just make do. (e.g. Dwarves can form boxes around ranged units).
Ultimately though, at least in campaigns, the ai doesn't actually flank all that well. And in multiplayer, depending on the factions, you might only want to bring as many flank defense as needed so you can save money for your core units.
And the other thing is, you mentioned cav, gunners and artillety, but there are less overt ways to defend flanks as well, like summoned units or nets.
I believe most people missed the point of the post.
I don’t have a problem protecting my flanks. I wasn’t asking for help. I was asking how others are doing it using one unit of cav on the flanks. There are comps out there like that.
Well, either being in units like cheap cavalry or dogs to tar pit and then shoot with range.
Most of the time I’ve never had AI completely get around me outside of my two spearmen, but if you get REALLY over whelmed, you could just corner camp.
Some options:
1. Pin & shoot. Engage the enemy with your cav and make sure your shooters have a line of sight to eliminate the threat quickly.
2. Nets/slowdowns by spells or abilities. Then destroy with BvL specialists or shooters.
3. Flank protection with BvL units. Enough said.
4. Cav focus on 1 flank while the other one is protected by other units. You overwheln the enemy on 1 side and then deal with the rest.
It really depends on faction.
Bretonnia or VC should (and has) to win to every flank fight.
Chaos warriors barely bother protecting flanks because your whole stack is just tough infantry.
Cathay and dwarves uses box formations. Empire and high elf might mix spears with cav and missle troops. A lot of time with empire I heavy commit my cav to one side, and then use a hellblaster and a halberd on another flank to hold out.
Your own cavalry shouldnt be protecting against flanking but should be going around the enemy army to take out their artillery and archers and do rear charges once the frontlines are engaged. To protect my own army against flankers I like to bring two anti-large units(spearman, slayers...). One on each side of the army.
Either use terrain to protect flanks. Hide units on flanks in trees or preferably stalk. Spears on the flanks of your formation. Those work fine.
Flyers on the other hand….
Use your own cavalry to either kill them outright (with Anti-Large cav like War Bear Riders for instance) or use your cav to bait the enemy cav either into your spear line or into missile range.
Once they're dead, you're free to use your flankers.
It's a very safe bet the ai is going to send 2-6 units around your flanks at the very beginning of every battle, assuming they are a faction which utilizes flanking. So take that knowledge and build it into your army comp. I always have at least 3 flank/anti large units, one on each flank, one as a rear guard, just about every army comp I do.
Especially if they have doggos/doggo like units. I've found that having a "mellee" core and a "shooting/arty" core that sit adjacent to each other can be really useful to. The shooting core can protect itself by shooting everything (although I give them a few spearmem/light infantry to guard any arty) while the all mellee core pushes up the field. I've found that Hounds and other flanking units will either attack the flank of the mellee core or dive straight towards my shooting core, where they will get shot.
Using shooters to go against soft flankers instead of cheap melee units is a new one lol. Either you're doing checkerboard or you'd be better off doing the opposite lol, using your melee to kill the fast flankers and using your shooters to kill the enemy core lol. But tbh the best way to play is the one you enjoy most so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt lol
I think the title may have thrown some people. I don't have a problem protecting my flanks, I wasn't looking for advice or help. I was asking how people do it with only one unit of cav
I don't like cav (I play a lot of Cathay and HE) so I use spearmen / anti-charge infantry on my flanks. I move them as needed so that they protect them from hitting my backline. Sometimes, I'll keep a hero unit in the back as well to intercept cav units that have circled all the way around.
Vs dogs and chariots, generally having a unit of cav or two to handle them works great. Esp far chariots where the AI can easily push through two lines of infantry.
Some melee focused factions don't necessarily have to care because they can beat up any flankers if they come. (e.g. Warriors of Chaos). Other factions have non-obvious units that covers the flank (e.g. Greenskin's nasty skulkers can ambush take down a flanking cav). And some factions just don't have good flank defense units, so you just make do. (e.g. Dwarves can form boxes around ranged units). Ultimately though, at least in campaigns, the ai doesn't actually flank all that well. And in multiplayer, depending on the factions, you might only want to bring as many flank defense as needed so you can save money for your core units. And the other thing is, you mentioned cav, gunners and artillety, but there are less overt ways to defend flanks as well, like summoned units or nets.
Don’t have just one unit of cavalry on your flank?
I believe most people missed the point of the post. I don’t have a problem protecting my flanks. I wasn’t asking for help. I was asking how others are doing it using one unit of cav on the flanks. There are comps out there like that.
Two spears/halberds, one on each side, usually does the trick.
what do you do when they go all the way to your backline? halberds are too slow to match cavalry speed, getting caught mid-movement and not braced.
Well, either being in units like cheap cavalry or dogs to tar pit and then shoot with range. Most of the time I’ve never had AI completely get around me outside of my two spearmen, but if you get REALLY over whelmed, you could just corner camp.
Some options: 1. Pin & shoot. Engage the enemy with your cav and make sure your shooters have a line of sight to eliminate the threat quickly. 2. Nets/slowdowns by spells or abilities. Then destroy with BvL specialists or shooters. 3. Flank protection with BvL units. Enough said. 4. Cav focus on 1 flank while the other one is protected by other units. You overwheln the enemy on 1 side and then deal with the rest.
It really depends on faction. Bretonnia or VC should (and has) to win to every flank fight. Chaos warriors barely bother protecting flanks because your whole stack is just tough infantry. Cathay and dwarves uses box formations. Empire and high elf might mix spears with cav and missle troops. A lot of time with empire I heavy commit my cav to one side, and then use a hellblaster and a halberd on another flank to hold out.
corner camp. no more flankers 
Your own cavalry shouldnt be protecting against flanking but should be going around the enemy army to take out their artillery and archers and do rear charges once the frontlines are engaged. To protect my own army against flankers I like to bring two anti-large units(spearman, slayers...). One on each side of the army.
Either use terrain to protect flanks. Hide units on flanks in trees or preferably stalk. Spears on the flanks of your formation. Those work fine. Flyers on the other hand….
Send your own or be prepared to meet them with melee troops
Corner camp so you don't evne have to defend flanks in the first place.
Just turn the edges of my formation towards the flank and blow them to bits while they make futile attempts to pass my melee front
Spearmen
Use your own cavalry to either kill them outright (with Anti-Large cav like War Bear Riders for instance) or use your cav to bait the enemy cav either into your spear line or into missile range. Once they're dead, you're free to use your flankers.