Games that have an strategy upper layer but switch to action combat when units fight.

[TentaclesMod]

It's a weird and interesting form of game-play, but I have only seen three (and a half) games that behave like this.

-Achron, the first one to use the idea.
-The Unholy War (and that weird magical girl game that uses it's engine)
-Wrath Unleashed.
-Soul Calibur 3 (this is the "half". It's a fighting game primarily, but chronicles of the sword is an rts where when units meet they have a match.)

Do you know any other game that fits?

 

[bjork]

Defender of the Crown, kinda? That castle invasion part with the swordfighting, anyway.
Dragon Force also kinda? You manage stats and stuff before the units wage battle with a jillion guys running around.

 

[Segadude113]

Lords of Magic

 

[Kamako]

Resonance of Fate is sort of like this. You get a bird's eye view of the arena while the action is paused. You then co-ordinate your party members so their line of movement/attacks intersect, and then watch them play out in real time

 

[Ferik]

Technically Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2, but the "strategy" part is more of a board game.

Zone of the Enders Fist of Mars is a Super Robot Wars clone that lets you manually override the attacking and defending so you have to line up the shots or dodge the enemy fire with the d-pad.

Shout out to Knights in the Nightmare which isn't what you're asking, but it is a strategy RPG and a bullet hell at the same time.

 

[jon2]

Dynasty/Samurai Warriors: EMPIRES

SD Gundam X/G-NEXT

Ring of Red (somewhat)

 

[Clippy]

Namco x Capcom and Project X Zone games. Both play like Fire Emblem/Shining Force for the most part but the combat sequences require you to time your skills correctly to juggle your opponents and do more damage to them just like in Valkyrie Profile.

 

[Sir Auriel of Lionel]

So Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

 

[moonbits]

Valkyria Chronicles?

 

[Sunnyside]

I'll echo a previous post. Dynasty/Samurai Warriors Empires games are exactly this. Project X Zone's another good example.