Dude, don't use the same formation all the time. Fit, adapt, adjust!

But as spherical formation in vacuum it's good. I mean, it's universal, all-purpose: it won't be very good always, but most of the times it will be OK.
Same goes with the orders. For this formation only one thing is static: attack throgh flanks. The rest depends on how the game goes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, arrows don't have significant impact.