My range units(archers) are still being put out of harms way  but i got my first npc hero(went with the more mage one) and even after selecting path of the mage, he is constantly put with in reach of mobs getting to him on the first round and killing him.  I dont understand why this is happening, because it hasnt before.  I dont think that enemy units should be that close, to close and engage in their first round and be able to wipe out any of my units.  Or at least let us decide where to put them, that way if we do fight high mobility enemies, our defensive units can be up front or however we like it.  Even then, why not put enough space on the tactical map that it takes more than one round(unless they have magic to increase their speed) to cross and engage?  Make it a bit more on the strategy side?

In the end, I think the best solution is just to allow us to place our armies if we choose to, or have it happen as is.  On the first battle you have, or in the options, just have the player select and off we go.

It really doesn't help that some maps have extremely cramped battlefields, and injured units seem to end up on the front lines quite often. I've had cases where injured units are trapped between their own forces and the enemy. It gets even worse when they have the same initiative, but the injured units move after the healthy. This means that your healthy units spend the turn defending, the injured spend the turn retreating, and the enemy gets another free attack.

Draw the icon and the pictures and I'll put it in the game as a mod