American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Hello,

I played the WDS Napoleonic titles where unit order is important if you're stacking in a single hex and wanted to know if the same applies in the ACW games. Are leaders at higher risk if they're placed in the top of the stack ? If I have 3 regiments stacked (A, B, C) and regiment 'A' is at the top of the stack, then is A in front of B and C ? If an enemy has 3 regiments stacked, am I more likely to cause more casualties if I hit the unit at the top of the stack ?

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Cadet Seltzer
Union Army

The short answer is, "no." It doesn't matter how you stack units or leaders. Dismounted leaders are, in fact, safer than mounted ones though (this took years to confirm and was only verified after extensive testing). But with units, it doesn't matter in what order you put them in the hex or which unit in a stack you fire at. The math will still be the same math.

For a very detailed look at how firing works, you can check out this old article https://www.acwgc.net/opportunity-fire.

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Gen. Blake Strickler
Confederate General-in-Chief
El Presidente 2010 - 2012

I agree with Blake. The answer to your specific question is 'no'. The numbers of casualties should not alter no matter depending upon where a unit is in the stack.
However, the effect of those casualties upon a specific unit can vary. It's generally to do with fatigue. A large low graded unit will not suffer casualties well in comparison to a medium-sized A-grade unit.

Also, I suspect stacking may be important in melees. I haven't tested it out but I do know that if you send three units from one hex to melee in another they will not suffer equal casualties or fatigue. One will always suffer significantly more casualties than the others. It seems that the game factors in stack position, unit grading, unit size and even weapon range when it decides which unit will suffer the most casualties. I don't know what the exact calculations are but I think if I was to melee a few units from one hex to another I would want at the top: the least fatigued, biggest unit with the highest grade and the shorter range weapon. It would be the one more likely to suffer the most casualties and the best able to bear them. Even if it doesn't then you can still be sure that there never seems to be an equal distribution: one always suffers significantly more than the others in a melee.

I also have a suspicion about stacking and opportunity fire. Again, never tested but I suspect that, all things being equal, the unit on top of the stack is the one most likely to be the first to engage in opportunity fire.

Still, I think they are relatively minor things. Concentrating on improved tactics and target selection should reap higher dividends.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

Best advice ever

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Gen. Blake Strickler
Confederate General-in-Chief
El Presidente 2010 - 2012