The direct answer
Commands are strongest when they solve the shape of the fight: melee for immediate pressure, polearm for reach and formation control, and ranged for concentrated damage without walking every ally into danger.
Do not fire every command on cooldown. Save one when a dangerous wave, boss vulnerability, or rescue situation is about to begin.
Army decisions
Compare ally traits by the effect they add, their tier or odds, and the unit or companion they require.
Protect companions and veteran allies when their permanent value is higher than the short-term damage gained by overcommitting.
Use unit profiles to identify enemy roles. Melee, polearm, and ranged enemies ask for different spacing and target priority.
The version 0.8.57278 patch fixed Archers’ Volley sometimes ending its damage early and improved projected command damage in the Army selection screen.
Reference routes
Army & Commands lists traits and command profiles. Units exposes health, power, attack timing, role, and linked attacks. Companion upgrade levels are grouped with the Upgrades catalogue.