Melee - How its calculated.

Posted by Ken Whitehead on Friday, July 02, 2004 (CST)

How the differentials are calculated to resolve a melee. This information was collected by Bob Breen from a number of sources including manuals, readme files, testing and input from Kelly Ross and Ken Miller.

The results of a melee are determined by consulting the melee table which is indexed by the "melee differential" and a die roll (standard table appears to use a 12 sided die, the optional table two 6 sided die).

The melee differential is determined as follows:

Unit Strength Difference divided by 100 rounded down (attacking 675 men with 900 results in a +2 difference). Artillery counted as 12.5 men per gun.

Defender Strength Modifers:

• Isolated unit strength is quartered.
• Routed unit strength is quartered.
• Units retreated into hex from lost melee are halved.
• Disrupted units count as full strength.
• Dismounted cavalry at three quarters(horse holders).

Defender Differential Modifiers:

• -1 Leader present.
• -1 For defender at one level higher elevation.
• -2 For defender at two or more higher elevation.
• -1 All defender units A or B quality.
• +1 At least one defender E or F quality.

Hex side modifiers (largest only):

• -1 Breastworks
• -2 Wall

Fatigue level of defenders (not confirmed yet)

Attacker Differential Modifiers:

• +1 Leader present.
• +2 At least one attack is through rear/flank hex.
• +1 All attacking units are A or B quality.
• +1 None of the attacking units fired before melee.
• +2 All attackers are mounted cavalry attacking clear to clear hex.
• Hightest Fatigue level of attackers is:
  • -1 If 4-6
  • -2 If 7-8
  • -4 If 9

If all units involved in melee are cavalry, casualties are reduced by 1/4 of normal.

Units engaged in a melee incur fatigue points (exceptions are automatic melee or all attacking units eliminated). The amount incurred:

• All units involved one level.
• All units incurring losses loose another level.
• The loser of the melee incurs another level.

Probabliity of success of a melee is a function of both winning the melee and the losses incurred/inflicted. Based on the optional tables the following summaries the reuslts:

Diff Suc  Ratio Attk Def
-3   0%   0.3   150 50
-2   3%   0.3   125 50
-1   8%   0.3   100 25
0    33%  0.4    75 25
+1  50% 0.6    50 25
+2  61% 3.0    25 75
+3  72% 3.6    25 100
+4  83% 3.9    25 100
+5  92% 4.5    50 150
+6  100% 4.4  50 175

Where:
Diff - is the differential after all modifications.
Suc - Probablity of success.
Ratio - Average defender to attacker losses or kill ratio.
Attk - Typical attacker losses.
Def - Typical defender losses.

Based on this table the following conclusions are made:

Don't melee unless you have a minium of a +2 differential. If you can get to a +3 differential definitely go for it. The increase to 72% success with the 20% increase in ratio of losses is worthwhile. A +4 differential doesn't offer much.

The jump from +3 to +5 has some value. The increase to 92% success and the 4.5 kill ratio is nice if other factors don't affect your decission. Loading up for a +6, which is the max, seems like a waste of resources. Don't try for this unless you need a guaranteed victory for some reason. Note that this table is based on the optional melee tables. The standard table has a higher maximum, +7, and a diffent distribution but probably close to this.

Keep in mind that other factors may be important like minimizing fatigue, the need to take a position, or to set up another attack. Meleeing has a very high fatigue cost so always keep in mind that not meleeing may save your unit for normal fire in the next turn.

Melee

By Brig. Gen. Laabs on Friday, July 02, 2004 (CST)

Words of caution for recruits:

One thing to be careful with is that often the CSA has larger units, fatigue from melee can be costly. As such one might wish to be careful at times, using it. In addition it will mean your units will be disrupted for the next turn (1/2 the fire), if they are adjacent to units next turn this might not be as effective as it seems. I would figure 1000 men for instance should inflict atleast 50-75 men damage, disrupted cut it to probably 25 (cutting the advantage of the melee loss differential). Thus, I would argue the point of always taking the melee. With small units, I am inclined to agree more often. I still usually only melee when it is very productive, such as cutting off a retreat. of hitting a union artillery unit.

One additional thought is that, if one can get a flank on the opponent, that really provides a free 200 men to the melee. And should be considered. Again, however, if one has issolated a unit one might want to consider the benefits of waiting for a flank shot to rout a Union stack, rather than wasting the fatigue. If the stack ends wholely routed, all surrender---no fatigue--no disruption---not a bad deal.