...I don't think this *feature* request could remotely be considered a "must have" prior to release.
Personally, I'd put the ability to define how units will behave in battle above placement (i.e. aggressive vs. passive vs. flee). These are all things we'd like to look into along with things like rally points on the main map, units spawning ON the city tile (not outside the city to the bottom left), showing the path a unit is going to take before executing on that path, etc...
Thanks for the reply. 
See, I think all the other things you mention as nice to have but not essential. But being able to start a battle with some semblance of order to me is a fairly critical element for a battle-based strategy game.
To try and have this done effectively through programming seems a little too hard. You need to juggle a unit's initiative, its movement (compounded with Charge as a perk), its defensiveness, and its attack ability. If the programming, as an example, only put high initiative troops in front then the player can't use a turtle strategy with tank units. Conversely, if the programming focuses on high defense/hitpoint units up front as a shield-wall then your impact charge units are left useless in the rear for that all-important first attack. I have no idea why on earth a weak, low initiative ranged unit would ever be in the front line - but there they often are. Trying to solve this through programming seems a flawed concept to me.
The player should be able to enter a battle with some say in how the units will be arrayed.
I'm trying to think of one other strategy game that does this and where the impact on the game-play is so dramatic - and I can't think of one.
