Tactics for the Swamp (Fortress).

Wlk777, in that scenario, the zombies are one hex short of reaching the unit you've positioned, and you want them to go after the flyers (usually, they don't chase flyers, but go for slower units/archers). Are there any useful tricks to achieve this?
Qwerty, that's exactly what I'm saying - the best defense is not needing one in the first place. However, when attacking a faster stack (most situations), the remaining units attack on the next turn - it's better, in my opinion, to reduce *their* damage by 30% than to receive 15% less damage from them on their turn.
I also use this tactic, but I often still take damage because I misjudge the behavior of the neutral creatures. For example, what conditions are needed for a remaining stack of about 10 fast level 3 monsters to attack a single unit instead of 50 gnolls?
Avern, I completely agree; I've already mentioned that when planning for a long, shall we say, "grind," defense takes priority.
Dirty_Player, we'll lose many more gnolls in those 30 battles, even though there will be some savings. But the losses will also increase due to the remaining strong monsters.

In general, all these phrases and numbers about damage control are nonsense! (Please forgive my frankness) Without practical confirmation, they are worth nothing.

, so you don't calculate anything in battle?
My simple logic is this: attack always works, while defense only works when you make a mistake and expose yourself, so I'm afraid of prolonged battles (perhaps I lose because of this). In general, defense is good for slow troops, which are more likely to take damage, while attack is good for fast, tactical, and ranged units (which many don't appreciate: "tanks"). Is that more accurate?

Thanks to everyone for the insights!