Tactics & Tips
General Advice
1) RESERVES
In any of the scenarios I cannot emphasise enough the requirement to keep a
decent sized reserve available. In attack or defence fresh unfatigued units can
save or win the day. A reserve element should consist of ALL arms not just a
weak
Quality 2 rated infantry battalion! Keep them out of harms way until the
critical
moment as they will be of little use if the enemy are allowed to punish them
with
artillery fire or outflanking cavalry charges whilst they wait.for their moment
of glory. Also, rotate fatigued units out of the line whenever and wherever
possible as the adverse modifiers they attract can turn even the Imperial Guard
into a substandard melee unit. Note that when skirmishers are re-called to their
parent battalion they will immediately adopt the fatigue level of the latter,
therefore it is not so important to rest skirmish units - rather re-call them
every now and again. A unit rested for 3-4 game hours can often play a decisive
role later in the day rather than suffer the ignominy of constant routs.
VERSION 1.1 UPDATE: When skirmishers are re-called to their parent battalion
they
do not adopt the fatigue level of the latter. Rather, they increase the fatigue
level of the parent unit by one. This was a much-needed improvement..
2) OBSERVATION
The old saying of "Know thy enemy" is still as valid today as it ever was. You
should also know his dispositions including strengths and weaknesses at any
given
point in the line. This can be accomplished quite easily with minimal loss by
the
adept use of small skirmish formations or detached cavalry squadrons. Go
on...take a look over that next hill, you may lose 25 skirmishers but you may
also find that your next attack will surely fail when they get charged by the
3000 heavy cavalry that are hidden behind the reverse slopes. Observation
becomes
critical at dusk and at night as you can`t see beyond 4 hexes. Keep those
lookouts posted! I`ve heard a lot about PBEM players using replacement leaders
(ie Colonel Anonymous) as recon units, good idea but hardly in the spirit of the
game. Try to avoid the temptation to do this (and other little tricks) otherwise
you`ll end up with no PBEM opponents.
3) SKIRMISHERS
Whether in attack or defence always keep a strong skirmish line in front of your
main force. They can not only reduce casualties in your densely packed line
battalions but can also hinder enemy cavalry movement (when in enough numbers)
and force your enemy to use valuable artillery rounds to clear them away.
Remember to keep skirmishers on the flanks as well as in front as an enemy flank
attack/volley is even more devastating than a frontal one. Make good use of all
your light infantry battalions, I often find that detaching all but 100 can give
you a very strong skirmish line without stripping standard line battalions of
their light companies. Finally, pull the skirmish formations back to their
parent
units every now and again to reduce their fatigue levels but bear in mind that
every time you do this you will increase the fatigue level of the parent
battalion by one.
4) COMMAND & CONTROL
Observe Divisional & Brigade Command radius at all times. Endeavour to keep your
formations together and you will find that units quickly rally and reform. Keep
all the leader units busy - have them racing up and down the field, rallying
routed battalions one turn and then leading an assault the next.. The modifiers
they bestow are well worth the time spent taken in good leader placement. Army
and Corps Commanders are especially useful at rallying broken units due to their
excellent leadership ratings. However, beware of using replacement commanders in
critical situations as they are often nowhere near as good as the original
leaders. Finally, don`t stack 2 leaders in the same hex, this is just a waste of
good leadership.
5) TERRAIN
The field of battle is covered with defiles, hills, hedges, orchards, buildings
and sunken roads - make use of them! It can be tempting to form a pretty line
going straight across the map with your troops in nice neat formations, but you
will soon find that units in the open will suffer tremendous casualties as
opposed to ones behind cover. When in defence use every obstructed hex/hexside
to
your advantage. It hinders cavalry charges and massively reduces casualties from
enemy volleys and melees. Remember: place line battalions in villages and
skirmishers in buildings for maximum protection. Follow Wellington`s example of
using the reverse slopes to protect your densely packed formations with only
handfuls of skirmishers on the ridge tops for observation. On the attack, keep
checking line of sight using the "visible hexes" command, you will often find
safe areas where the enemy batteries can`t touch you while you manoeuvre your
units into position. One last thing, avoid obstructed hexes like the plague when
advancing as there is nothing worse than having to spend 2-3 more turns
reforming
disordered units when they are needed instantly.
-----------------------------------
Infantry
Infantry form the core of both armies and as such you can be tempted to throw
away battalions in risky ventures as after all you`ve got 30 more where that one
came from. Don`t do it! Stop and really analyse if the move/attack you are
making
is necessary. example: Why send a brigade to attack the enemy in an area that
isn`t tactically important? A simple manoeuvre like refusing the main attacks
flank may well do the job without you having to suffer casualties.
Be careful that you garrison strongpoints and critical areas of the line with
good quality troops that don`t often break. Prime examples of poor formations
are
any of the Dutch-Belgian Brigades in the Anglo-Allied Army. They may look
impressive with 4-5 battalions but if one of them routs and the others are close
by the whole brigade will soon disappear. Use them as a second line of defence
so
that when they do make contact at least the enemy are already fatigued and
perhaps even disordered.
Move infantry in column whenever possible, the line formation is just too
fragile
for extensive manoeuvering. Finally, only use the square formation when you find
your units under direct threat from enemy cavalry. It requires careful timing to
anticipate the best time to form square and the problem can be accentuated by
units becoming disordered due to enemy threat zones. Again, keep those lookouts
posted and you should avoid having to face this problem in the first place.
-----------------------------------
Cavalry
Cavalry come in all shapes and sizes. Some are just made for breaking squares
and
counter charging enemy cavalry, others are of little use except for harrasing,
threatening and further routing already broken infantry units. Know the
difference.
The greatest asset cavalry have is their ability to threaten the charge, this in
itself can cause the enemy untold problems with manouevering, defences, assault
lines etc. Before you do commit a cavalry regiment or brigade to a full-blown
charge ensure that they won`t sacrifice themselves at the end of it. Consider
every eventuality and once you have decided to go ahead and charge stop and
think
it all through once again! This way you won`t give the enemy the opportunity to
decimate your splendid mounted regiments for the glory of perhaps taking out 1
artillery battery. Remember that the best charges are made from the enemy`s
flanks where you can sweep along an entire line of his troops routing unit after
unit - cavalry can attack up to 4 times in a single melee phase. Now thats a
charge! Make use of detached squadrons for observation and wider coverage. Above
all try to keep your enemy guessing as to your true intentions - use the
threat...
Cavalry are also very handy for protecting your infantry`s flanks when on the
move. This will hopefully negate the chance of an enemy cavalry charge
decimating
your units from the flank. Keep the cavalry out of obstructed terrain such as
orchards, forests and building hexes - they are of little use here and will
quickly succomb to enemy skirmishers as they mill about trying to move away and
reform. Finally, avoid placing your cavalry regts in a position where they can
be
quickly surrounded by enemy skirmishers. This can happen ever so easily after a
charge. It is really a game design fault more than anything else. Would 25
lightly armed men even consider placing themselves behind 500 Heavies - I don`t
think so! Do it to them before they do it to you - perhaps detach a few
squadrons
of supporting cavalry to ride right through any troublesome skirmishers before
the main attack goes in. This can be accomplished in the charge phase itself
using the "overrun" tactic.
VERSION 1.1 UPDATE: Cavalry now receive a +2 modifier for taking units in the
flank (as do infantry). This makes cavalry vs cavalry engagements much more
prolific as you can now take an enemy regiment from the flank and have a damn
good chance of driving them back!
-----------------------------------
Artillery
Properly handled artillery can prove absolutely devastating, poorly handled they
provide easy pickings for enemy skirmishers and cavalry. Keep the cannon well
back unless properly supported. They can be a source of much-needed victory
points to your opponent and rest assured they will be annihilated unless
positioned accurately and safely. Don`t squander valuable rounds on enemy
skirmishers, keep your stocks high for when you really need them. The French
Commander can afford to expend round after round on counter-battery fire, the
allies can`t. Remember this. Also, take note of the fact that when artillery
batteries are overrun if there is a friendly infantry unit in the adjacent hex
the crew will temporarily abandon the guns to take refuge. This is a great
feature which I`m sure Talonsoft are proud of, someone had their thinking hat on
with this one. Finally, artillery strengths are doubled within 2 hexes of enemy
units, if you can safely get your cannon this close then do it, its worth the
effort.
-----------------------------------
Summary
One last thing that has only been touched on in the above: Combined Arms. No one
unit type can accomplish much without the support of the others. In both defence
and attack keep a well-balanced force in all local areas and you shouldn`t go
far
wrong. Swarms of skirmishers, then columns/lines of infantry with cavalry on the
flanks and cannon tucked in behind - endeavour to use this formation every time.
It works.
Rules that I keep pinned on the wall next to the monitor:
1) Having more than 250 skirmishers in any one hex negates their -1 modifier
when
they suffer a ranged attack They also will not get the -75% modifier in
casualties.
2) Cavalry threat values are tripled within 2 hexes, doubled within 4
3) Disordered units attacks are reduced by 50%
4) Lancers strength is reduced by 25% when defending in a melee
5) Lancers & Heavies attacks are increased by 25%
6) Skirmishers gain a -2 modifier when defending in a building hex against
ranged
fire
7) The threat value exerted in any given hex can be accessed by right-clicking
on
the terrain info box
8) If a unit routs, all units in the same hex and those in adjacent hexes will
be
forced to make a morale check Update, version 1.1 now reduces the chances
of "multi-hex" routing. Therefore don`t count on routing whole brigades anymore!
9) VP comparsion:
25 Infantry = 1VP
1 Cannon = 4VP`s
3.125 Cavalry = 1VP
The Allied Army
Insights & Perspectives:
Known as Wellington`s most "infamous" Army, this hotch-potch command of variable
quality troops can be difficult to manage if you do not play to its strengths.
Firstly, and most importantly you *must* fight a predominantly defensive battle
if playing the Allies in the Waterloo scenarios. By this I mean make good use of
terrain (reverse slopes, hedges, buildings etc) and try to anchor your flanks on
easily defended locations. If necessary shorten your lines somewhat in order to
provide more depth to your defence. Pay particular attention to leader placement
so you can crack the C&C game in relation to Brigade/Divisional defence lines.
By
this I mean if you keep your Divisional Commander in the centre of his Division
and your Brigade Commanders likewise to their Brigades you can effectively
spread
your battalions out a lot wider and still maintain command control. This is so
important! You benefit from a lot of positive modifiers when your units are "in
command", take advantage of this. If you are facing an experienced French
commander you will have to be really on the ball to pull this battle "out of the
bag". Thats where the next section comes in:
Stategies for defence:
Infantry:
Your Army has some very weak links eg a lot of Quality 2 rated infantry
battalions. It can be difficult to use these troops effectively - do you push
them forward with the other troops? keep them as a weak reserve? probe at the
French flanks?
I have found that ideally these troops should be pulled back to a second line of
defence so that by the time they see any action the enemy that they face are
already fatigued, disordered, suffering command and control problems etc etc.
Even then only use them sparingly as i have repeatedly found that a
Dutch-Belgian
Brigade for example will repeatedly break and run if only one or two of its
battalions suffer morale checks and fail. Try to keep the light battalions and
quality 3 units at the front as they are less susceptible to routing, the
quality
2 units should be kept in the rear defending villages, forests and other areas
where they benefit from good modifiers. At the beginning of most of the Waterloo
battles the Dutch-Belgians that begin on the French left flank are very useful
for breaking up or distracting attacks on Hougoumont - break those 2 light
battalions down and get those skirmishers in!
Onto the "middle qualtity" troops - the 3, 4 and 5 rated units. These guys are
the heart of your Army so take good care of them. Watch your spacing between
defence lines - if you have a second infantry line (reserve) within 200-300
yards
of your first they will suffer disorganisation if and when units from the
frontline break and rout through them. This is also a valid point re cavalry
reserves, keep them well back as they are no good to you if a routed 25 man
skirmisher unit passes through your massed mounted ranks and disorders the whole
lot! I`ve had this happen to me and its a complete pain in the arse - your
vengeful smile disappears once you see your masterful counter-stroke is
completely buggered!
Update: The problem mentioned above has now been solved. In patch V1.07 cavalry
can now occupy the same hex as (250 or less) skirmishers with only the
skirmishers suffering disorder. Well done Talonsoft..
Okay...onto the higher quality infantry. The Guard Brigades and the light
battalions. The British Guard are your best infantry but they are poorly used if
you throw them into defending Hougoumont. Keep them behind the reverse slopes -
out of sight. Guard battalions in line are particularly good at routing French
regular infantry who come marching over the ridges. They are also good at
counter-
attacking (melees) as they often gain positive modifiers against French regulars
due to their higher quality. The light battalions should always be broken down
into their constituent parts, 6-7 skirmisher companies can cover 600-700 yards
of
terrain if you have a hole in your frontline (okay its a last resort but they
will hold the enemy up until you rally your broken battalions). They can also be
used to harass enemy artillery and cavalry, especially the longer-ranged
riflemen
units who can stand out of range of French skirmishers and blast away with
impunity. Skirmishers are also particularly adept at rushing forward and
outflanking the enemy. Its no great loss if 25 skirmishers get taken out in
return for taking out a Grade A French cannon! The next bit of advice is a
natural progression from the preceding sentence: Watch Your Flanks! A defensive
line should always have skirmishers or a cavalry squadron on its flanks - simply
to avoid the enemy wheeling a unit around your line to get that important +2
modifier himself! Even try refusing your flanks - place a unit at a 45 degree
angle to your frontline at each end and this helps to alleviate any potential
problems.
A final point - keep those supply wagons within 500 yds. If you don`t you`ll
soon
find that units will run low on ammo - therefore giving adverse modifiers with
regard to morale as well as obviously not being able to fire. Keep the wagons
protected as each time you lose one you also lose artillery ammunition. Damn.
Cavalry and Artillery:
I`ve placed these two unit types together as thats exactly how they should be
used - together! In the previous general tactics section I touched upon the
combined arms aspects of Napoleonic warfare, this is expanded upon here.
The Allied cavalry and artillery are quite numerous although not as much as the
French. Typical huh? A good strategy for cavalry use is to keep them out of the
way of the French grand batteries - in fact, keep them out of sight of all the
French forces if possible. In defiles, behind ridges etc. The threat of the
charge is the most important Allied ruse here...you have to decide whether to
actually go ahead and charge an advancing enemy force, hopefully taking them by
surprise or keep your cavalry in view but well back therefore threatening the
charge and forcing the enemy comander to keep forming square. This is where the
artillery comes in. Cannon devastate squares. Point made? Everyone has different
playing styles - we all understand that, so you will have to constantly analyse
your enemy`s moves and decide which way to use your offensive forces. Hide and
then charge like hell? or make a show of force to slow your opponent down?
Another important point re cavalry is their ability to be broken down into
squadrons. Just one squadron of cavalry is enough to ride right through a long
line of French skirmishers if you can charge from their flank....and you`ll
still
have the rest of the regt in reserve. See the new Cavalry tactics page for more
info. One thing to consider: if you do charge into an advancing enemy force its
highly likely that your mounted regts will be massacred in the following turns
as
they try to reform and return to their lines. Hopefully this is something that
will be remedied in future releases as its not at all realistic.
Expanding more on artillery - watch your ammunition. If you consistently fire
8-9
rounds per phase you will run out halfway through the battle and bang goes your
combined arms defence!! Its very hard to discipline yourself with artillery
shots - but as a rule of thumb try not to fire unless the range is within
500-600
yds or slightly further if you are using higher quality cannon. If you
consistently shoot at extreme range you are effectively wasting ammunition even
if you do kill 25 infantry in the process. Position an infantry battalion
adjacent to all threatened batteries as they will "save" your gunners if the
battery is charged by enemy cavalry. Also pay attention to the different quality
ratings of the various batteries and position your guns accordingly. Try not to
fire many shots with the annoying strength 2 battery that begins the battle
north
of Papelotte - I may not be right but I think its a waste of good ammunuition
for
all the damage it does! Remember if your batteries are in danger of being
charged
or assaulted then limber them up in the defensive fire phase as it gives any
survivors a chance to escape.
To summarise all of the above; try to keep your head when playing the Allies as
I
admit it can be very daunting when a particularly aggressive French commander
comes at you with all he`s got! Above all watch your flanks and keep the thin
red
line constant - no gaps! Don`t worry too much about fatigued troops as you don`t
have enough men to constantly rotate battalions in and out of the line - just
don`t let the buggers break through otherwise you`ll lose a lot of men in a
hurry. Remember that the Prussians will eventually arrive on the left flank and
that the French commander will then have to start shuffling men all around the
battlefield. I haven`t seen a French player yet who has kept a full Corps in
reserve to stave off the Prussians....and that is exactly what they need to do.
Throwing in the Young Guard will only delay the inevitable. If as the Allied
player you can "mix it" with the majority of the Grande Armee and survive you
are
halfway there!
Le Grande Armee - A Strategy For Offence
A "Grand" Strategy
Right, you`ve just started one of the Battle Of Waterloo scenarios, you`ve got
over 70,000 eager men under arms and ready to do your bidding. Now what do you
do? Here`s suggestion number one: really, and I mean really think about your
overall strategy. Its so easy to just start detaching skirmishers here and there
and following the same old tactics of taking the Hougoumont orchard, the sunken
lane to the left of it, isolating Papelotte, moving I & II Corps forward...need
I
go on? We`ve all done it. (Apologies for the few of you out there who haven`t!)
What you`ve got to decide upon is a good working plan that actually has an
objective at the end of it ie not just "Lets take Papelotte and Hougoumont and
then see what happens". Firstly, analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your
forces and be aware of them at all times. eg do not use the Guard quality 9
cavalry regiments for charging down skirmishers and incurring needless
fatigue..use them for counter-charging the British Household Cavalry...they`re
good at that! Another example would be don`t commit standard (Quality 4) line
battalions against the British Guard brigades - its suicide...they always end up
asking directions back to Paris.
An example of a "Grand strategy" would be as follows;
1) II Corps
The 6th Division from II Corps will manoeuvre to the far left of Hougoumont.
They
will pin the Dutch-Belgians on the Allied far right flank with 2 battalions of
skirmishers and then make an attack on the ridge NW of Hougoumont. Pire`s 2nd
Cav
Division will support them. The 9th Division from II Corps will feint against
Hougoumont by sending out a small screen of skirmishers and moving forward some
artillery into good offensive positions. The masse of the Division will slowly
work their way around to the left and support the 6th Division`s attack on the
ridge. 5th Division will remain in reserve in the valley to the SE of Hougoumont
but will openly demonstrate in full view of the Allied forces so as to deceive
Wellington as to where the main attack will fall.
2) I Corps
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions will demonstrate as if preparing for an assault
on
the Allied centre. Of course they will do no such thing. The 4th Division will
infiltrate around papelotte with as many skirmishers as possible and generally
create havoc. The line battalions of 4th Div will isolate Papelotte if and when
the Allied garrison are worn down...they will then take it when conditions are
right (ie the garrison are reduced in numbers and fatigued) and anchor our right
flank on the village to the right as a fire base to meet the first of the
Prussian hordes. When this is accomplished the 3rd Division will move to
reinforce the 4th providing fresh troops to meet a potential Allied counter-
attack (unlikely) or to help hold the Prussians (likely). The Cavalry Division
will be held under cover to meet any potential Allied cavalry charge on the 1st
and 2nd Divisions.
3) VI Corps
The entire Corps will move to their right using terrain-masking and will take up
positions on the far right flank. The 19th Div will hold the area around
Frichermont, the 20th Div will be to their right. Both Divisions will send
skirmishers forward to occupy all bridges, fords, crossroads and finally the
forested area on the far right. (To slow the Prussian advance) Both the 3rd and
5th Cav Divisions will provide support - as the Prussians have very numerous
mounted forces. The VI Corps will under no circumstances be drawn into the
battle
for Papelotte. They will be held back as fresh troops to meet Blucher.
4) The Guard (!)
The Grenadiers and Chasseurs of the Guard will advance to a position next to the
5th Division SE of Hougoumont. When the 6th and 9th Divs from II Corps are
attacking the Allied right flank they will launch themselves like a thunderbolt
against the ridge between Hougoumont and Le Haye Sainte. They will be supported
by all the Guard artillery and the Guard cavalry. The Young Guard will be held
as
a reserve to reinforce any breach in the Allied lines. When the forces from II
Corps and Guard Corps converge they will orient east and march against the ridge
west of Mont St Jean. The 5th Division from II Corps will keep the garrisons of
Hougoumont and Le Haye Sainte busy whilst the main assault goes in.
There - sorry to go on a bit! What I am trying to say with all the above is have
a plan and stick to it. In the above case Napoleon will try to smash the Allied
right flank as early as possible (which is more difficult to reinforce than the
the centre, and it is the opposite side of the battlefield from where the
Prussian reinforcements arrive). The Allied player will hopefully fall for some
of the ruses put into place - ie I Corps fainting against the centre, VI Corps
looking like making a move on the Allied left etc. If all goes well the French
will have pushed the Allies back against Mont St Jean whilst keeping 3 Divisions
(the 5th/II Corps and the 1st and 2nd/ICorps) in reserve. The French right flank
will have a good anchor on Papelotte and will be defended by 2 Divisions from I
Corps and the whole of VI Corps.
It sounds like a plan...
Finally...on the strategy front..please please remember to keep a LOT of fresh
troops to defend against the Prussian attack as there are millions of the
buggers....:-)
Mark Trowbridge
CHÂTEAUX, AND HOW TO TAKE THEM
By Matt Payton
The Basics
First, we must look at the basic objectives / methods that are used in attacking
a Chateau.
First, why are you attacking this chateau? (Hint: The answer is not Victory
Points)
Most likely the Chateau is either Papelotte, LHS, or the dreaded Hogomount, and
most likely it is in the way of your main attack, and has been loaded down with
skirmishers ready to pour enfilade fire down upon any troops that try to attack
around it. Right? If that's not the case, ask yourself once again, WHY are you
attacking this Chateau, attacking a chateau can be a lengthy, resource-draining
endeavor, and unless you really need those troops out of there, DO NOT attack
it.
Especially for a mere 200 VP, Granted, you would have to lose 50 cannon or 5000
infantry to make it a wash, but you will add fatigue, waste time, waste
resources, and tie up troops in the attack. THINK before you begin the attack.
Okay, let assume that the chateau must fall.
Question: What must be done to take it?
Answer: The garrison in the chateaux must either be 1) destroyed, 2) or routed
out of it AND it must be impossible for your foe to re-garrison it.
How can you do that? There are two different ways to "destroy" them, w/t ranged
fire or via melee. And since cavalry cannot enter a Chateaux, then it must be
melee w/t infantry, even more bad news, when you do melee a chateau's garrison,
the attacking troops have their strength values halved (for purposes of melee
odds.)
Getting the troops to rout out of the chateau and, more importantly, getting
them
to rout out of the chateau and making sure it can't be re-garrisoned is very
tricky. The problem with this method is twofold. 1. They will rout at the
beginning of your foes movement phase, which means.. 2. Since they were able to
rout out of the chateau, most likely, troops can get back into the chateau (but
not always!)
On a side note, they will not rout out of the chateaux because of losses
suffered
during an (obviously) failed melee, it must be either ranged fire or adjacent
troops that trigger the rout check.
What method you use depends on the type of troops, strength (size) of those
troops, the ground around the Chateau, and the Chateau itself.
The Ground
The ground is the first place to start. This must be analyzed before any attack
can begin on the Chateau.
You are trying to figure out two things when analyzing the ground around a
Chateau.
1. What ground can we attack the chateau from? both from ranged fire and melee's
2. How easy is it to take and hold the ground we must attack from; with (this is
important!) the garrison present in the chateau. Since we only have two options
on getting the garrison out of there, the analysis of the ground is rather easy.
Where can we fire at the chateau from? Think in term's of infantry lines and
cannon. Marching lines up to the Chateau is always less desirable than cannon,
so
look for cannon spots first. The easy way, make the Chateaux the hot-spot, hit
the 'ol LOS icon on the tool bar and make a note of any hex that has LOS to the
chateau from 2-6 hexes away. (you can go up to 6 with class-A cannon). One hex
is
always a sure thing, and 3-6 all depend on the type of cannon (3-4 for B, 3-6
for
A). All cannon are good from a range of two. Not quite a one-hex fire power, but
much better than 3+.
Once you realize where you can/have decided to fire on the chateau from, the
ground must be secured. This can be the tough part but believe me when I say
this, any attack upon a chateau will fail if you do not secure the ground around
it first. I will repeat that. Any attack upon a chateau will fail if you do not
secure the ground around it first. Now, you do not have to secure it an hour in
advance, it can be secured the very turn in which you take the chateau, but it
STILL must be secured by infantry.
The Chateau
The next, and fairly obvious factor is the chateau itself. The main thing we are
concerned with here is path of least resistance. They go in this order 1. Open
2.
Hedge/Embankment/Elevation* 3. Low Wall 4. Gate 5. High Wall (cannot melee,
ranged fire only!)
Gate/High wall are very undesirable unless it is your only option. If a Low wall
or something else exists, I would spend more time taking the ground around the
chateau, so the attack upon the chateaux can take place over the wall/hedge/open
than trying to attack a chateau threw a gate or over a high wall.
*If you can place yourself higher than the chateaux, you can give the defenders
-
's to their ranged fire; However, if you have to be lower than the chateau you
get more -'s for ranged fire and melee's.
The Type of Troops
Finally, some good news, the only troops allowed in a chateau are infantry, and
infantry comes in two forms. Skirmishers and Line Bn. (lord help us if the game
allowed artillery!)
Skirmishers are the toughest, so we'll talk about those suckers later.
Line Bn.
Line. Bn. Have two big weaknesses in defending a chateaux. 1. Line Bn. do not
reduce ranged fire, so cannon from 3-5 hexes can still inflict a good hurt! 2.
Line Bn. Cannot form a square in a chateau, so they must be in column or line
and
therefore they have a flank. Which is a lot more important than you think.
Your best bet here is to just blast away with cannon and infantry lines, don't
bother melee'n them at all .. most likely the numbers and odds will be too great
anyway. They WILL eventually rout out of the chateau or be destroyed from your
cannon's. All it takes is time, if it must be done quickly, bring more cannon.
Only melee when/if the numbers get reasonable (like BELOW 100 left), and then
send in one or two columns for the Coup de Gras. Of course, if they all die,
melee with what you have in the area for that "defending hex overrun" and take
that freebee!
Routing
While we are on the subect, this is probably a good time to diverge to the
subject of troops routing out of a chateau. First, YES, it does happen. So:
"Show them a way to live, that way they will not be so willing to fight to the
death" - Sun Tzu
If you want the defenders to rout, DO NOT surround the chateau, well, at least
not completely. Your best beat is to secure the ground around the chateau so you
can leave the exists/entrances open, and have no fear of reinforcements ariving.
If you can`t do that, get ZOC's around the entire chateau, but still allow an
exit to be open. Its a tricky manouver, but can be done. The problem here is a
troop will rout at the beginning of your foe's movement phase, which means he
will be able to re-man it if you keep an exit open. This (sometimes) can be
prevented with creative ZOC's. Figure it out.
This is also why the flank of the columns and lines help out a bunch. If you are
lucky enough to get a line enfilade, then not only will you get a +2 to your FRT
roll, but you also get that ever-important +2 DRM to the rout check! If their in
column, no big deal, no +2 FRT mod but cannon still get there 50% increase in
fire factor (25% for infantry lines), and the +2 DRM for the rout check still
applies. Even Qual-7 troops have a chance of routing with just the enfilade
modifier, qual-5 or 4 forget it.. they are out of there.
Skirmishers
This is your nightmare. Skirmishers defending a Chateau. First, if there are
more
than 250 of 'em in it, blast away just like it was a Line Bn. Until their
numbers
are reduced to 250 or less (hopefully you can get 'em to like 275, and kill 50-
100 to get them actually below the 250 skirmish mark, and not right at it). It
is
very helpful to have the chateau isolated by this point too, otherwise more
troops will keep piling in and you'll never get anywhere. Remember, leave an
exit
open if you can! At this point, the skirmishers have a good chance to rout, if
not completely destroyed, w/t ranged fire. Once one rout's, they all disorder
making the rest easier to rout, then when a couple start running low on ammo,
they rout even easier, etc.. etc..
Once the skirmishers hit the 250 skirmish mark, or if your foe was smart enough
not to overload the chateau, life becomes miserable. And this really becomes a
game of understanding the game mechanics, lucky rolls, and throwing columns of
troops upon the chateau, hoping & praying that you don't lose too many troops,
or
fatigue too many troops in the attempt. [Editors Note: if you are playing with
the optional isolation rule, once skirm's get below the 250 mark, and are
isolated, their effective force is 125 or less, almost making it possible to
melee with some decent odds, w/o sacrificing your entire army in the process.]
Also, after a couple of failed melee's (it will happen!) the troops inside the
chateaux fatigue should be up around the 4+ mark and beginning to effect the
rout
chances. At this point you might want to really consider giving the troops a
path
out (of course w/o allowing more troops in), and letting the cannon try and get
the lucky 25-man hit and get the defenders to flee. This is important, even if
you can't get them all to run, at least you can reduce their numbers, making the
melee's a little less painful.
Combo Best bet here. Treat 'em like you would any Chateau defended by
battalions,
try get 'em to rout and hope they take the skirm's with them. If they don't,
make
sure you have read the section on skirmishers real well.
The Strength
The actual numbers are not as important as the quality of the troops defending
the chateau. Everyone knows what a pain those qual-7 Footguard/Coldstream
skirmishers are. We've all tried to dig them out of Hogomount before. Its not
that easy, is it? But yet, Those qual-4 skirmishers in and around Papelotte seem
to go much easier. Weird.
Numbers are numbers, and all numbers can be defeated with more numbers, quality
on the other hand. Quality can overcome numbers and situation, and lets face it
they got a good situation here. Which means its just that much more difficult.
Examples of melee's
2-100 man skirmishers are in a chateaux, to melee it w/t 6:1 odds you must
attack
with 2400 infantry.
I.e. it can't be done.
ARMY COMMAND & STRUCTURE for BEGINNERS
COMMAND:
For a beginning player, one look at the Allied Army on the field at Waterloo can
induce overwhelming confusion. Here's some tips on how to proceed with command:
Your Army Commander is Wellington. He has an unlimited hex range command
modifier
(small "c" on his unit icon) which is "B." That means he has 5 chances in 6 ("A"
would = 6 in 6, "F"=1 in 6 etc.) on a 6 sided die roll, to pass along his
command
modifier to the next level of command which is Corps Command. You have two Corps
Commanders; The unfortunate Prince of Orange (I don't know why he was
unfortunate
but everybody calls him that) who commands I Corps and General Hill (II Corps).
Like Wellington, the Corps Commanders also have unlimited range to pass on their
command modifiers to the next level; Divisional Command. Here's where your
command problems become tangible.
For the Divisional Commanders to pass on their command modifier to the next
lower
level (Brigade Command) they must be within 4 HEXES of the Brigade commander who
must then be within 2 HEXES of all his battalions. So the magic numbers here are
4 & 2. It is imperative to keep a tight command structure so that the command
modifiers can be passed on to each battalion, to re-order them when they become
disordered. Units become disordered sometimes when they pass through obstructed
terrain, after melee and most often, when they take casualties during an enemy
fire phase. In the enemy DEFENSIVE PHASE if your unit fails a moral check (6
sided die roll based upon your battalion's moral); Militia, which usually have a
moral of "2" will disorder on any roll higher than that. Guard units, with a
moral of "7" will never disorder in an enemy defensive phase. In an enemy
OFFENSIVE PHASE, your units will always disorder is if they take a hit and rout
if they fail the moral check. So, Militia, will rout on a roll of "3" or more,
while Guard will only rout if there are extra modifiers applied, for example,
disordered units check moral with a +2 modifier, attacked in flank in another
+2,
so a disordered Guard unit with a moral of "7" attacked in flank will have a
cumulative +4 added to the die roll. So it's possible they can rout too.
Unlike the French Army, the British/Dutch has very few commanders to pass along
modifiers: So your units do not have the resiliency of the French. Be prepared
to
play the game with very few of your Army's units regaining good order in the
command phase. At best, they will have only 4 chances in 6 of re-ordering:
Wellington > Corps Command > Divisional Command > Brigade Command. And there;
only in I Corps & II Corps. All units attached to "Reserve" and "Cavalry
Reserve"
have only 3 chances in 6 to re-order, and then only if Wellington and the
Divisional commanders in the "Reserve" pass their command checks to the Brigade
commanders. Other independent outfits like Lambert's & von Kruse's big boppers,
which operate without a division command, (their divisions are elsewhere) will
re-
order at best 2 chances out of 6. Keep in mind however that big units like that
pack a lot of firepower even when disordered as long as they are in line
formation.
STRUCTURE:
1. This is essential: Don't be in a hurry to move everything around.
Wellington's
deployments can serve you as a firm base of operations for your battlefield
management. Right off the bat, there's an interesting group of units in your
center which you should try to not move until in desperate need. They are
Lambert's 10th British brigade, von Krause's Nasssau Reserve Contingent,
Somerset's 1st Cavalry brigade & Ponseby's 2nd cavalry brigade and General
Colbert's Dutch- Belgian cavalry division, which is a right fine outfit. Leave
all these outfits alone for a while. This reduces the number of decisions you
have to make every turn and it insures you a nice little army group for use late
in the game. Those two infantry brigades are very strong and when you use 'em,
make sure they are in line. Believe me, those 900 strength battalions pack a lot
of punch when in line formation! There's no greater satisfaction in Napoleonic
wargaming than to have an 800 strength unit in line formation firing at enemy
infantry units in column formation.
2. Colbert's Dutch- Belgique cavalry division, believe it or not, is the best
cavalry detachment you have. The reason for this is that Colbert, as division
commander, has three powerful cav brigades under his command along with two
batteries of guns. The rest of the British cavalry, all 7 brigades of them, have
only ONE divisional commander (Uxbridge) which means that to insure command
integrity, those 7 British cav brigades need to be within 4 hexes command radius
of Uxbridge in order to have a reasonable chance to re-order after a charge. The
Dutch-Belgiques can operate on their own! Keep them together.
The Left Wing, aka. The Smohain Complex.
Fight there with the skirmishers from those two D-B light battalions. Put the
skirms in the chateaux, orchids and towns, where they can't be overrun by
cavalry. If your opponent wants to make a push over there; let him fight through
your light troops (hold those chateaux!) and come to your 4th & 5th Hanoverians
in line. Those boys don't have much moral but they have some firepower! And they
are backed up by 2 fine cavalry brigades and Pack's 9th British brigade. Be
prepared to fall back on your left. Again, you don't have to move a lot of
troops
here. Trust Wellington's deployments, play with the cards that are dealt 'ya and
any French player foolish enough to commit major resources to a push in that
area
will soon have the Prussians at his back. If you have to fall back there, fall
back to Mont St. Jean town & farm and make that the Main Line of Resistance
(MLR).
The Center.
This is more of a problem here especially with the guns deployed forward. At the
first hint of an enemy push here you need to get the guns out of there before
they are overrun by cavalry or else deploy infantry in front of them to prevent
that. Fight like crazy to hold La Haye Saint farm and if the enemy by-passes the
farm counter attack with infantry, cavalry & horse guns which can move, unlimber
& shoot all in one turn. This is the essence of combined arms attacks. Use all
three forms and make sure Uxbridge is there to re-order the cav after they are
spent from the charge.
The Right.
The key defensive terrain here is the Hougomont complex which is one tough nut
to
crack. If you lose that place then the ridge behind it might well fall too;
although it's not automatic. If the ridge does fall and the enemy place guns up
there and proceed intelligently you are in a lot of trouble. Remember though,
it's much more difficult for the French to hold Hougomont than for you. If you
lose it, counter-attack to re-take it; again making sure Uxbridge is there to
personally lead the cavalry contingent. Your structure on the right is again
well
deployed. II Army Corps is in good position and I would try to hold them in
reserve. Hill is the II Corps commander and Clinton (who begins the game in a
forward position with Mitchell; get him out of there!) commands the 2nd Division
which is all of it. The outfit behind them is the Duke of Brunswick's private
army. Unfortunately for you, the Duke got hisself killt at Quatre Bras so
Offermans is in command which means they have at best 3 chances in 6 to re-order
while units in II Corps have 4 chances. If you can, use the scenario editor to
increase the strength of the 52nd Light Battalion (II Corps) to about 900. For
some reason, it's understrength.
Another key terrain feature on the right is the town of Braine 'l Alleud whose
defense is entrusted to Chasse's 3rd D-B infantry division of I Corps which is a
good outfit. Hold the light battalions in reserve and break 'em down into skirms
to fight in the town. If the enemy makes a major push here, and most French
players do, these boys will need support: Brusnwick & II Corps are the logical
choices. You can't blame a French player for using two squadrons of lancers to
destroy your most forward deployed battery of guns here. Be prepared for that.
Finally, you'll probably be faced with a mechanized infantry attack, i.e. the
type of assault where the French player cranks up all units, gets 'em on the
roads to close everywhere as soon as possible and attacks everywhere all at once
hoping for a quick decision figuring that he's gonna lose anyway if the attack
fails and the Prussians arrive. It's not Napoleonics but rather generic
wargaming
(the field could be anywhere; the units on the east front; it's the panzerblitz
mentality spawned by games with short duration spans and quick resolutions) and
it's your choice as to whether or not you want to play against it. As wargaming
goes it's an effective attack but it's not the kind of military movements which
were customary in the 19th Century. If you're interested in Napoleonics, look
for
opponents who wish to re-create the mood & movements of a Napoleonic battle
rather then just win baby. Good luck.
John Egan
FRENCH ARMY COMMAND & STRUCTURE for BEGINNERS
Definition of terms:
Strategic movement: The movements which brought the army to the battlefield.
Battlefield strategy: The general plan of attack. Grand Tactical Movement: The
movements of large military organizations on the battlefield (Corps &
Divisional). Tactics: The movements of small units: Brigades, Battalions &
Companies.
The French Army is the most difficult to command of the three armies engaged in
the 100 days Campaign because with them lies the burden of attack. For the
beginning, even experienced player, coordinating all the various arms into a
smoothly functioning offensive machine is difficult. However, there are ways to
succeed. Most importantly, the beginning player must recognize Napoleonic
structure and understand that the Napoleonic wargame is fundamentally different
from any other. The reason for this is that the three Generals in command of the
armies engaged in the 100 days campaign were all military geniuses of the first
order. The military structure you inherit from them at Ligne and Waterloo can
serve you as a base of operations for a full day’s Napoleonic struggle. The
beginning player should strive to maintain this inherent organization for as
long
as possible. This will not necessarily lead to victory but you will never be
badly beaten if you do so, even against the most experienced players.
Structure:
The French Army structure at Waterloo is a classic example of perfect Napoleonic
organization. With the centrally located Brussels road as the median axis, the
French Army is absolutely balanced left, right and center. French II Corps and
III Reserve Cavalry Corps are to the left. The I Corps and IV Reserve Cavalry
Corps are to the right. In the center is a powerful reserve: VI Corps and its
sturdy attached cavalry as well as the Imperial Guard with its cavalry arrayed
right and left. Use the full screen map to gauge the structure. One feature of
the Talonsoft battleground system is the jump map. Flash the jump map on and
create an image of the French Army in its original dispositions. As the battle
progresses, look frequently at the jump map. As the initial image slowly and
progressively disintegrates, as it must, you will see the gradual deterioration
of your original structure. As your structure erodes, so does control. In the
beginning, all your units are in command and all are mutually supportive. As you
commence to move thing around, structure breaks down and when it does, your
problems multiply and the military situation becomes a mind-bending maze of
arduous and often seemingly impossible decisions. Thus the essential problem:
How
does one wage a Napoleonic battle knowing that we must move units to attack and
win, while maintaining the original Napoleonic organization for as long as
possible?
The answer to this intrinsic problem is to fight the battle with as few units as
possible, relying upon ECONOMY to defeat the opponent while reducing one’s own
organizational and command problems. For example, the French Army at Waterloo
consists of 12 infantry divisions, 24 brigades, and c. 75 infantry battalions
which usually detach hundreds of skirmish companies. There are also 10 cavalry
divisions, of 21 brigades, which can be broken down into, again, at least a
hundred squadrons. If you begin the game, as many experienced players do, by
moving every unit, you have therefore hundreds of both tactical and strategic
problems to deal with every time you crank up. Not only is this very time
consuming, but the myriad of decisions you need to make both on a small unit
tactical level (zones of control, formation changes, enemy fire etc.) and large
scale strategic level (where to go with each large scale organization, are they
in command?, are they mutually supportive?, etc.) will, especially for the
beginning player, lead to organizational problems, strategic errors and eventual
rout & defeat. When you play the French in the Twin Battles (PTW) add on another
10 divisions of infantry and 6 divisions of cavalry. If you put every unit on
the
road immediately, you are faced with more than enough decisions to baffle even
the most experienced wargamer, if not the military genius. Since most of us are
not the latter (myself included), they way to reduce decision making and the
prospect for error is to discern the structure we inherit from Napoleon and to
maintain that construction for as long as possible. Fundamentally, you begin the
game with an army assembled for you by a military genius. That makes you a
genius
on game turn one, if not later.
I’ve made these arguments before in the Napoleonic Forum and dissenting voices
say that the French deployments at Waterloo are flawed because Napoleon did not
know the Prussians were coming from the east. However, none of those voices
could
ever logically offer better dispositions. One suggestion was to deploy the
centrally located VI Corps further east. However, that only reduces French
flexibility with no appreciable gain; since at its central position VI Corps can
deal with the Prussians but also be used left and center if one chooses to deal
with the Prussians in another way. Another suggestion was to deploy II Corps
further west to facilitate a turning movement left. This idea comes without
appreciation about just how difficult it is to deploy 80,000 men for battle sans
enemy interference: For if you move too close or fundamentally threaten the
enemy’s position they will start shooting. The trick is to gauge that fine line
correctly and to then successfully deploy the army so that one’s strategic
vision, which is the idea behind the dispositions, may be carried out upon one’s
own fashion, in a rapid or leisurely manner. If you think army deployment is
easy, use the scenario editor and place the French Army at dawn in the vicinity
of the Brussels road and Placenoit and attempt to deploy against an active
opponent.
The efforts to discredit Napoleon’s deployments at Waterloo are illogical and it
is apparent: One only needs look at the dispositions to see the inherent balance
and power therein. Prussian arrival is a problem to be sure. However, it can be
dealt with from the present dispositions. What’s more, Prussian arrival should
be
looked upon as an opportunity! Since your opponent probably has never actually
proficiently deployed an army for battle; because we usually get them
deployments
ready made, and since he is probably pressed to assist the British/Dutch Army,
you can almost count on your opponent to screw it up! With the Guard in reserve,
you have a good occasion to jump on him and turn a seeming defeat into victory
or
at least a draw. The key here is to be prepared to play a full 44 game turn
battle. Most players are not primed emotionally and psychologically to do this.
It takes a long time, real patience, protracted strategic planning, guts and
endurance. People want to play these games for fun. A 44 turn, gut-wrenching
battle, which may take 6 months or longer to play, is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Most players are more used to a 12 turn Panzerblitz/Squad Leader tactical kind
of
game in which we close rapidly with the enemy with all available force and seek
quick resolution before the clock expires. A Napoleonic Battle of Nations is
something completely different.
The Napoleonic battle is an OPERATIONAL game. An example of a military operation
is the German 1944 Ardennes Offensive. The original deployments of the German
divisions determine the subsequent military movements. The Napoleonic
dispositions do the same on a smaller scale. The structure you inherit from
Napoleon on June 18, 1815 should determine your ensuing strategic and grand
tactical movements. Remember, the deployment you see for the French Army is not
a
mere snapshot of a brief moment in time, showing the transient location of the
French Army on its way from someplace, to another place. The army configuration
at 11:00 AM June 18, forms the basis for your operation. Again, it’s important
to
stress that you don’t have to do this. One of the joys of wargaming is the
ability to alter history and to do whatever one wants. However, if we wish to
enter the realm of 19th century military movements, and capture the spirit and
mood of a Napoleonic battle, then we need to plan and execute our battles within
the structure of the 19th century military operation in which the original
location of the army was a steady anchor, a positional benchmark, determined by
the commander to be the best place from whence the army might best carry out the
strategic vision. For us, the dispositions we inherit can make out task easier
to
attain if we at least attempt to recognize the structural foundation for the
day’s battle. If we rip it apart from the get go we are like reeds in the wind,
whom by chance might be blown into the bosom of success, but then perhaps not.
With Napoleon’s deployments as our bedrock we can know we are always on sure
ground. Anyone who doubts these assertions should read the plentiful battle maps
available in David Chandler’s great book on the Napoleonic wars. A brief study
will show that once an army was deployed for battle, the units of that army
seldom moved very far from their original dispositions, even in battles that
lasted a few days.
Command:
Army command begins Napoleon & Ney at Waterloo with Grouchy also in Army Command
in PTW. Those fellow’s command rating (small “c” on the unit icon) are “C”
and “B” respectively, which means Napoleon has 4 chances in 6 (on a six sided
die
roll) to pass on his modifier to the next level of command (Corps) with Ney, and
rouchy 5 of 6. Their hex range is unlimited and so too for the numerous French
Corps commanders, All those fellows have unlimited range as well, and your
command problems only become tangible on the Divisional & Brigade levels. Each
of
your Division commanders must be within 6 hexes of the Brigade commanders who
must be within 3 hexes of their individual Battalions to pass along the
modifiers, which by now, due to the concise and well structured French command
system, is 5 chances in 6 for a successful re-ordering of any disordered
battalion, and 6 of 6 in PTW, provided the units are “in command.” This is why,
many times, you will see your command report say, for example, 35 units
undisordered out of 35 units checked. The program will not check units in woods,
town or rough terrain hexes. If you keep undisordered units in clear terrain
they
will almost always reorder, provided to don’t get Ney & Grouchy killed.
I can’t stress too much, how important it is to maintain the command structure.
This is the single most important aspect of TS Napoleonic wargaming. Once a unit
disorders and is outside the appropriate command link, it will re-order 1 chance
in 6 and you can wait a long time for that to happen; sometimes the whole game.
Units become disordered sometimes when they pass through obstructed terrain,
after melee and most often, when they take casualties during an enemy fire
phase.
In the enemy DEFENSIVE PHASE if your unit fails a morale check (6-sided die roll
based upon your battalion’s moral), it will disorder. Regular infantry, which
have a moral of “4” will disorder on any roll higher than that. ELITE INFANTRY
(moral of 5,6, 7,& 8 ) will never disorder in an enemy defensive phase unless
they suffer from high fatigue and/or are hit in flank. In an enemy OFFENSIVE
PHASE, units always disorder if they take a hit and rout if they fail the morale
check. So, regular infantry will rout on a roll of “5” or more, while ELITE will
only rout if there are extra modifiers applied. For example, disordered units
check morale with a +2 modifier, attacked in flank in another +2, so a
disordered
ELITE unit with a morale of “7” attacked in flank will have a cumulative +4
added
to the die roll. So it’s possible they can rout too. The French Army has three
problem units: One is the 1st Infantry Division who’s 1st Brigade commander went
over the hill. To keep this brigade in command you must keep its units within 3
hexes of divisional commander Quiot, which means this division had a limited
range of operation. A good chore for this brigade is to hold the town of La
Belle
Alliance. With skirmishers in front, enemy fire will always be reduced -3 on a
twelve sided dice roll. The Brits can fire away at long range all day and not
score a hit. Another similar brigade is The Empresses’ Dragoons, the 2nd Brigade
of the Imperial Guard Heavy Cavalry. Like the 1st Infantry, the Empresses’
Dragoons must be within 3 hexes of divisional commander Guyotto remain in
command. The third is the 14 Infantry Division assigned to IV Corps on the
French
right wing in PTW. Division commander Hulot must stay within 3 hexes of 1st
Brigade units to keep them in command. With these exceptions, French divisions
have a wide range of operation, much further than their Allied counterparts. A
centrally located French divisional commander can deploy for action units 18
hexes in range left and right compared to 12 for a Prussian or British/Dutch
commander. It’s a big difference.
Battlefield Movements (Grand Tactics):
Take a look at your deployments and don’t try to do anything radically different
from what Napoleon set up. The Twin Battles (PTW) is an interesting military
problem for the French. On the left wing, before Quatre Bras (QB) the battle is
a
meeting engagement, i.e. the forces are not deployed but instead meet in a fluid
battle of maneuver. On the right wing, the French are deployed for battle and
your best bet is to simply use the units as Napoleon intended: Use III Corps &
the attached 7th Division of II Corps to attack straight through St. Amand town
and village and break through. Just take a look at the map, see the direction
your forces are pointed at and send them in. Use one brigade per division to
achieve your ends, keeping one in reserve. Bring up the artillery reserve,
attached to the Guard, to support the attack. Same with IV Corps: Send one
division in to take Ligne, keep one in reserve, and send Hulot’s 14th division
forward to defend against a Prussian player who might attack you with Prussian
III Corps. Your artillery batteries set to fire with III & IV Corps are all well
placed and avoid moving them automatically, even if they have no apparent
targets, just in case the Prussian counter-attacks. Remember, the Prussian army
is very powerful and in the hands of an experienced aggressive player, he can
come at you. Those big 24 pound “A” batteries before Ligne & St Amand village
are
in good position to counter any threats out of the town.
In PTW your most significant strategic decision is where to move I Corps, which
is strung out on the road to QB. Napoleon wanted to shift this outfit east to
fight the Prussians. If you decide to do this, use different routes to march the
four divisions of I Corps east. Move Durutte’s 4th Division east on the road to
Mallet. Margonet’s 3rd Division, and Donzelot’s 2nd Division on the main highway
and Quiot’s 1st Division on the road to Villers-Perwin. Gather together the
disparate elements of III Reserve Cavalry Corps and march them east too as a
powerful cavalry reserve. This gives you wide avenues of approach and strategic
flexibility since you can never really know, initially, what the enemy is about.
This leaves II Corps, a very powerful outfit, against the British/Dutch and you
might as well know that against even a moderately competent opponent, II Corps
does not have the strength to take QB. So here is the yin and yang of military
decision making; if you beef up II Corps with elements of I Corps you may then
take QB but an intelligent and aggressive Prussian player can successfully
attack
your left. Whatever you do, try to concentrate your forces at the place where
the
decisive action will be fought. Keep the entire Guard in reserve until the late
afternoon when the intervention of this massive reserve can turn the tide. With
the exception of the artillery, most of which should be moved up immediately to
support III Corps, don’t even move the Imperial Guard for the first hour of
play,
and then move it only onto the east-west path bye Martinrou, shielded from enemy
long range artillery, to give the Guard the ability to rapidly intervene in any
direction. Late in the game, when both armies are at the point of collapse, the
introduction of the Guard can be a sledgehammer blow to the enemy. Again, let me
stress, do not move the Guard near the front in the early going. There, the
temptation to use units of the Guard to solve minor tactical problems can often
be too strong to resist. The Guard should be your SRATEGIC RESERVE, used late in
the game as an intact fighting force.
WATERLOO:
Again, take a look at the direction the units are pointed to and attack with
them
in that direction. The single most important object for the French is the
capture
of the Hougoumont orchard. Prolonged enemy occupation of this terrain is a
dagger
pointed straight into the heart of your position. Once you take it, you are free
to attack left and right around Hougoumont and to occupy the high ground behind
the chateaux and to then establish an artillery presence up there. With that,
the
enemy has no choice but to withdraw to the north edge, with no reverse slops to
protect him from your artillery. Moves to the right, against the Smohain, La
Haye, Papelotte complex of farms and chateaux are a waste of resources. Hold
there, defend La Belle Alliance and smash the enemy right with II Corps, & VI
Corps. Don’t worry about the Prussians as they are most likely to arrive late
and
self-destruct.
Sooner or later, every French player wants to move left from the get go. If you
do, you need to SHIFT your army. Just pushing Prince Jerome’s 6th Division
against the Dutch is not enough: Napoleon’s “brother” will soon find himself
isolated and overwhelmed if you don’t support his movement with a massive shift
to the left. THE SHIFT is like a dance; The various forces involved must move in
unison, concert with one another, so that the essential structure of the army
remains intact. Foy’s 9th Division should follow and support Prince Jerome, and
Bachelu’s 5th Division should follow and occupy the area vacated by Prince
Jerome. Units of the VI Corps would then fill in the gaps left by the departing
9th & 5th Divisions of II Corps. Many players also use the Young Guard (the 3rd
Division of the Imperial Guard) to support the move left. While this is an
historical aberration, it is legitimate as a “what if.” Still though, the
orchard
must be dealt with, and, eventually, your forces must attain some leverage for
attack into the enemy position, i.e. they got to stop moving left, and head
north
to break through: Much like a running back on an American football sweep, the
attack must stop stringing out and “hit the hole.” As you disperse your once
concentrated army, you are open to enemy counter-attack, especially out of the
orchard and environs. Fundamentally though, the reason you should not waste too
much personal time on such movements is that your true purpose as a wargamer
should be to attempt to make the game system work properly within the context of
proper homage to history. It is possible to manufacture a successful attack out
of Napoleon’s deployments, using COMBINED ARMS TECHNIQUES. Rely upon firepower
(artillery & infantry in line) and shock attacks (melee with infantry in column
&
cavalry) to overwhelm the enemy at the decisive point. Once the orchard is
taken,
this can be to the left or right of the Hougoumont chateaux. But the key is to
MAKE THE SYSTEM WORK in your favor without the feeling that this can only be
done
by using 20th century mechanized infantry movements on roads.
FIRE COMBAT vs., SHOCK (MELEE) COMBAT:
You should rely upon fire to defeat the enemy rather than shock combat. Shock
combat seems easy but the units that engage in it rapidly lose effectiveness
through the accumulation of fatigue. A unit in line formation can deliver a
steady stream of effective fire for hours while a unit engaged in shock combat
can be used up in less than one hour. Also, since your command structure is so
solid I would be very wary of using my officers to positively affect the outcome
of shock attacks. On cavalry charges/attacks, allow the officer to accompany the
charge and ‘drop him off” astride one company to the rear of the attack. From
there, he can keep the attacking cavalry in command without risking personal
injury. However you do it, the +1 modifier is not worth the risk of permanently
eliminating an officer who’s capable of a “B” or “A” command rating to be
replaced with Col. Anonymous rated “F.” Also, since your command structure is of
such high quality, don’t be afraid to operate with your infantry units in line
formation: Move right through that obstructed terrain hex. Even when disordered
a
battalion in line will deliver heavy firepower. Your command structure will
reorder them next turn providing not too many of your officers were killed
leading charges. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to place units in line
whenever the enemy is nearby. Avoid the over use and over dependence upon
cavalry
and you should do all right: A cavalry strength point loss is worth 8 times!
that
of infantry. Good Luck.
John Egan
Disclaimer: The information presented on this page is presented purely
as a result of my own playtesting and experiences. Please don`t take it
as gospel and if anyone out there has better ideas/suggestions send them
in!
General Advice:
1) RESERVES
In any of the scenarios I cannot emphasise enough the requirement to
keep a decent sized reserve available. In attack or defence fresh
unfatigued units can save or win the day depending on how you look at
it. A reserve element should consist of ALL arms not just a weak Quality
2 rated infantry battalion! Keep them out of harms way until the
critical moment as they will be of little use if the enemy are allowed
to punish them with artillery fire or outflanking cavalry charges whilst
they wait.for their moment of glory. Also, rotate fatigued untis out of
the line whenever and wherever possible as the adverse modifiers they
attract can turn even the Imperial Guard into a substandard melee unit.
A unit rested for 1-2 game hours can often play a decisive role later in
the day rather than suffer the ignominy of constant routs.
2) OBSERVATION
The old saying of "Know thy enemy" is still as valid today as it ever
was. You should also know his dispositions including strengths and
weaknesses at any given point in the line. This can be accomplished
quite easily with minimal loss by the adept use of small skirmish
formations or detached cavalry squadrons. Go on...take a look over that
next hill, you may lose 25 skirmishers but you may also find that your
next attack will surely fail when they get charged by the 3000 heavy
cavalry that are hidden behind the reverse slopes. Observation becomes
critical at dusk and at night as you can`t see beyond 400 yards (4
hexes). Keep those lookouts posted!
3) SKIRMISHERS
Whether in attack or defence always keep a strong skirmish line in front
of your main force. They can not only reduce casualties in your densely
packed line battalions but can also hinder enemy cavalry movement when
in enough numbers and force your enemy to use valuable artillery rounds
to clear them away. Remember to keep skirmishers on the flanks as well
as in front as an enemy flank attack/volley is even more devastating
than frontal ones. Make good use of all your light infantry battalions,
I often find that detaching all but 100 can give you a very strong
skirmish line without stripping standard line battalions of their light
companies. Finally, pull the skirmish formations back to their parent
units every now and again to reduce their fatigue levels.
4) COMMAND & CONTROL
Observe Divisional & Brigade Command radius at all times. Endeavour to
keep your formations together and you will find that units quickly rally
and reform. Keep all the leader units busy - have them racing up and
down the field, rallying routed battalions one turn and then leading an
assault the next.. The modifiers they bestow are well worth the time
spent taken in good leader placement. Army and Corps Commanders are
especially useful at rallying broken units due to their excellent
leadership ratings. However, beware of using replacement commanders in
critical situations as they are often nowhere near as good as the
original leaders. Finally, don`t stack 2 leaders in the same hex, this
is just a waste of good leadership.
5) TERRAIN
The field of battle is covered with defiles, hills, hedges, orchards,
buildings and sunken roads - make use of them! It can be tempting to
form a pretty line going straight across the map with your troops in
nice neat formations, but you will soon find that units in the open will
suffer tremendous casualties as opposed to ones behind cover. When in
defence use every obstructed hex/hexside to your advantage. It hinders
cavalry charges and massively reduces casualties from enemy volleys and
melees. Follow Wellington`s example of using the reverse slopes to
protect your densely packed formations with only handfuls of skirmishers
on the ridge tops for observation. On the attack, keep checking line of
sight using the "visible hexes" command, you will often find safe areas
where the enemy batteries can`t touch you while you manoeuvre your units
into position. One last thing, avoid obstructed hexes like the plague
when advancing as there is nothing worse than having to spend 2-3 more
turns reforming disordered units when they are needed instantly.
Infantry
Infantry form the core of both armies and as such you can be tempted to
throw away battalions in risky ventures as after all you`ve got 30 more
where that one came from. Don`t do it! Stop and really analyse if the
move/attack you are making is necessary. example: Why send a decent
brigade to attack the enemy in an area where there are no VP`s to be
had! A simple manoeuvre like refusing the main attacks flank may well do
the job without you having to suffer casualties. Be careful that you
garrison strongpoints and critical areas of the line with good quality
troops that don`t often break. Prime examples of poor formations are any
of the Dutch-Belgian Brigades in the Anglo-Allied Army. They may look
impressive with 4-5 battalions but if one of them routs and the others
are close by the whole brigade will soon disappear. Use them as a second
line of defence so that when they do make contact at least the enemy are
already fatigued and perhaps even disordered. Move infantry in column
whenever possible, the line formation is just too fragile for extensive
manoeuvering. Finally, only use the square formation when you find your
units under threat from enemy cavalry. It requires careful timing to
anticipate the best time to form square and the problem can be
accentuated by units becoming disordered due to enemy threat zones.
Again, keep those lookouts posted and you should avoid having to face
this problem in the first place.
Cavalry
Cavalry come in all shapes and sizes. Some are just made for breaking
squares and counter charging enemy cavalry, others are of little use
except for harrasing, threatening and further routing already broken
infantry units. Know the difference. The greatest asset cavalry have is
their ability to threaten the charge, this in itself can cause the enemy
untold problems with manouevering, defences, assault lines etc. Before
you do commit a cavalry regiment or brigade to a full-blown charge
ensure that they won`t sacrifice themselves at the end of it. Consider
every eventuality and once you have decided to go ahead and charge stop
and think it all through once again! This way you won`t give the enemy
the opportunity to decimate your splendid mounted regiments for the
glory of perhaps taking out 1 artillery battery. Remember that the best
charges are made from the enemy`s flanks where you can sweep along an
entire line of his troops routing unit after unit. Now thats a charge!
Make use of detached squadrons for observation and wider coverage. Above
all try to keep your enemy guessing as to your true intentions - use the
threat... Cavalry are also very handy for protecting your infantry`s
flanks when on the move. This will hopefully negate the chance of an
enemy cavalry charge decimating your units from the flank. Finally, keep
the cavalry out of obstructed terrain such as orchards, forests and
building hexes - they are of little use here and will quickly succomb to
enemy skirmishers as they mill about trying to move away and reform.
Artillery
Properly handled artillery can prove absolutely devastating, poorly
handled they provide easy pickings for enemy skirmishers and cavalry.
Keep the cannon well back unless properly supported with infantry and
cavalry. They can be a source of much-needed victory points to your
opponent and rest assured they will be annihilated unless positione
accurately and safely. Don`t squander valuable rounds on enemy
skirmishers, keep your stocks high for when you really need them. The
French Commander can afford to expend round after round on
counter-battery fire, the allies can`t. Remember this. Also, take note
of the fact that when artillery batteries are overrun if there is a
friendly infantry unit in the adjacent hex the crew will temporarily
abandon the guns to take refuge. This is a great feature which I`m sure
Talonsoft are proud of, someone had their thinking hat on with this one.
Finally, artillery strengths are doubled within 2 hexes of enemy units,
if you can get your cannon this close then do it, its worth the effort.
Summary
One last thing that has only been touched on in the above: Combined
Arms. No one unit type can accomplish much without the support of the
others. In both defence and attack keep a well-balanced force in all
local areas and you shouldn`t go far wrong. Swarms of skirmishers, then
columns/lines of infantry with cavalry on the flanks and cannon tucked
in behind - endeavour to use this formation every time. It works.
Remember to keep your enemy guessing as to your true intentions and
placements, make use of terrain, rotate front line units and keep those
reserves. If you`ve made it this far then I thank you and hope this site
has been of some use. Please contact me if you have any
observations/suggestions at mst@ndirect.co.uk. This is my first attempt
at Web Publishing, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Mark Trowbridge
mst@ndirect..co.uk
From:
Mark`s Unofficial Battleground Waterloo Home Page
http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~mst/