Broken Crown: How to Fix Units Not Moving or Responding

The most common reason your units are not moving in Broken Crown is due to a pathfinding glitch, a corrupted command queue, or a formation coherency lock. The fastest fix is to issue a hard stop command (default key: H) to clear their current order, followed by a force-move command (default: Alt + Right Click) to a clear, nearby location. This combination overrides the AI's confusion and resets the unit's behavior.

This issue is particularly prevalent in the game's Early Access build, especially on maps with complex terrain like the Blackwood Siege or the crags of Dragon's Tooth Pass. While frustrating, especially when your Ironsworn Paladins decide to admire a rock instead of charging the enemy, most instances of unresponsive units can be solved with manual input. This guide breaks down every cause and provides a definitive solution.

01

Is It a Bug or a Game Mechanic?tag

Before you diagnose a bug, it's crucial to rule out standard game mechanics that can halt your troops. In the heat of battle, it's easy to mistake deliberate AI behavior for a glitch. Your first step is always to check the unit's current stance and status effects. A squad that appears frozen might be functioning exactly as intended.

• Unit Stance: Check the UI at the bottom of the screen. If your unit is in a "Defensive Stance" or "Hold Position" mode, they will not pursue enemies or move from their designated guard area unless given a direct, overriding order. Similarly, units set to "Skirmish" mode, like the Ravenwood Archers, will automatically try to retreat from advancing melee units, which can look like they're ignoring your forward-move command.
• Engagement Rules: Once a unit is locked in melee combat, it generally cannot be ordered to simply walk away. The unit is "engaged." To move them, you must issue a specific "Disengage" or "Fall Back" command, which often incurs a temporary penalty to their defense or morale. If they're just standing there trading blows, it's not a bug; it's a fight to the death.
• Morale State: Is the unit's banner flashing or broken? Units with low morale (from heavy casualties, flanking, or terrifying enemies like the Grave Wyrm) can become Pinned or Broken. A Pinned unit suffers a massive speed reduction, while a Broken unit will ignore your commands and flee towards the nearest map edge. This is a core mechanic, not a pathfinding error.

If you've checked these three factors and your fully-abled, high-morale unit is still stationary in an open field, then you're likely dealing with one of the game's known pathfinding or command bugs.

02

The Three Main Pathfinding Glitches and How to Fix Themtag

Most genuine movement bugs in Broken Crown fall into three categories. They often occur during large-scale battles or when navigating tight chokepoints, such as castle gates or forest paths.

The Terrain Snagtag

This is the most classic RTS bug. A single model in a squad gets its hitbox caught on a piece of map geometry—a tree, a corner of a ruin, a decorative boulder. Because the squad's AI is programmed to maintain formation coherency, the entire unit will halt, waiting for the one stuck member to catch up. This happens frequently with cavalry units like the Knights of the Silver Sun, whose larger models are more prone to getting snagged.

• The Fix: Don't just re-issue the same move order to the same destination. Instead, manually guide the unit around the obstacle. Select the squad and issue a series of short, sequential move commands in a curve around the problem area. In severe cases, you may need to use the "Break Formation" command (default: G), move the units past the obstacle as a loose group, and then re-establish the formation.

The Formation Locktag

Slightly different from a terrain snag, a formation lock happens when two or more of your own units block each other. This is common at chokepoints when you order a wide formation of spearmen through a narrow gate, followed immediately by a unit of cavalry. The pathfinding AI can enter a deadlock, where neither unit can figure out how to give way to the other. The entire traffic jam of units will freeze in place.

• The Fix: The hard stop command (H) is your best friend here. Select all the gridlocked units and press it. This clears their conflicting move orders. Then, order them through the chokepoint one at a time. Move your first unit completely through the gate or pass before selecting and moving the second. It's slower, but it's foolproof.

The Command Ghosttag

Sometimes, a unit will appear to have a phantom order stuck in its command queue. You'll issue a move command, see the visual indicator appear on the ground, but the unit does nothing. You issue another, and another, with no response. This often happens after a unit has been interrupted mid-action—for example, if they were bracing for a charge but the enemy pulled back, or if their siege construction was cancelled.

• The Fix: This requires a more forceful reset. Rapidly spam the "Stop" command (H) three to five times. This aggressively clears out any latent instructions in the AI's queue. After this, issue a simple move command to an open area nearby. Once they respond to that, you can give them their real, intended order.

03

Advanced Troubleshooting for Unresponsive Squadstag

If the basic fixes aren't working, or if the problem is affecting specific unit types, a few more advanced checks are in order. These solutions address deeper issues with control schemes and specialized unit AI.

Are Your Control Groups Conflicting?tag

This is a common user error, not a bug. If you have a unit assigned to multiple control groups, you might be issuing conflicting orders without realizing it. For example, you have your archers in Group 2, but also in your full army Group 1. You tell Group 1 to charge, then you select Group 2 and tell them to hold position. The game's command priority can get confused, leading to stuttering movement or a total freeze. Audit your control groups mid-battle to ensure there are no unintended overlaps.

The Siege Equipment Problemtag

Siege engines like trebuchets, ballistae, and battering rams have unique and often clunky movement AI. They cannot turn on the spot and have very wide turning circles. They are also notoriously bad at navigating around small obstacles. When they get stuck, it's often because their destination is marked as an invalid deployment zone or the path is too constrained for their chassis.

• The Fix: You must be deliberate. Always move siege weapons to wide, open areas. Never give them a move order that crosses difficult terrain or sharp angles. If a trebuchet gets stuck trying to navigate a castle wall, don't just re-click the destination. Order it to move far back into an open field first to give it room to reset, and then plot a new, clearer path to the firing position.

The Last Resort: Verify Game File Integritytag

If you are experiencing persistent, widespread issues with unit responsiveness across all maps and game modes, it's possible your game installation has a corrupted file. This is rare, but it happens. For Steam users:

1. Go to your Steam Library.
2. Right-click on Broken Crown.
3. Select "Properties."
4. Go to the "Local Files" tab.
5. Click "Verify integrity of game files..."

This process will scan for and re-download any missing or corrupted files, which can resolve a host of deep-seated bugs, including those affecting unit AI.

04

Your Go-To Checklist: A Step-by-Step Unit Resettag

When a unit gets stuck, don't panic. Execute this exact sequence of commands. Over 90% of movement bugs can be solved by this simple drill.

1. Select the Stuck Unit(s): Isolate the squad that isn't moving.
2. Issue Hard Stop (H): Press the 'H' key firmly. This is the universal "cancel current action" command and clears the queue.
3. Use Force Move (Alt + Right Click): Hold down the Alt key and right-click on a clear patch of ground a short distance away. Force Move tells the unit to go to that exact spot, ignoring its default formation and engagement logic. This is the single most powerful tool for unsticking units.
4. Micro a Single Model: If the squad still won't move, try double-clicking the unit card to select just one soldier from the squad and move them individually. Sometimes this is enough to "un-snag" the rest of the group.
5. Order a Retreat: As a final option, use the "Retreat" command. This triggers a different AI script that prioritizes preservation over all other orders, and it can often break a unit out of a complex pathfinding deadlock.

05

FAQ: Your Unit Movement Questions Answeredtag

Why won't my archers move into firing range? This is almost always because they are in "Skirmish" mode by default. This AI setting tells them to maintain a maximum distance from the enemy. To make them advance, you either need to turn Skirmish mode off in their unit panel or use a Force Move command to override their AI.

Are cavalry units more likely to get stuck? Yes. Due to their larger model size and pathfinding width, cavalry units are more susceptible to getting caught on terrain and friendly units, especially in tight spaces. Always give them a wide berth and manage their pathing carefully through chokepoints.

Can multiplayer lag cause units to not move? Absolutely. In a multiplayer match, high latency can cause significant command delay. You might issue a move order, but it takes several seconds for the server to register it, making it feel like your units are unresponsive. There is no fix for this besides playing on a more stable connection.

My whole army stopped moving at once. What happened? This is often a Command Ghost bug affecting a control group that contains your entire army. Select all units on screen (Ctrl+A), spam the Stop command (H) several times, and then re-issue your move order. This mass reset will usually get everyone moving again.

The Bottom Linetag

While the developers at Crimson Forge continue to patch and improve the AI in Broken Crown, unresponsive units remain a part of the Early Access experience. The key to victory is not just grand strategy, but also the patience for tactical micro-management. By understanding why units get stuck—be it a feature, a bug, or user error—and by mastering the Stop and Force Move commands, you can overcome the AI's occasional stubbornness and lead your armies to victory.