Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Bonsoir Messieurs,

I went through the MOE4 rules as I am a fan of the embedded game playing. Now, I need some advice. I have seen that the rule of skm coys preventing a unit to retreat does not figure anymore within the MOE4 rules. In point 2) miscellaneous it is only mentioned that leaders and supply wagons may not prevent retreat. Now, I was the opinion that the embedded game playing should bring the game down to a realistic historical aspect. I can not beleive that a skm coy of about 100 men are able to prevent any retreat of a battalion of 5 to 10 times more men.
What is your opinion? thank you for your answers,

Sir, this is an interesting point. First, the MOE rules do state that units of less than 25 strength cannot move next to an enemy unit. And since 100-man skirmisher units are allowed to melee formed infantry then they should prevent retreat as well. So, the problem is restricted to skirmishers of between 25-99 men.

Use of the optional rule allowing retreat overruns will make this problem go away. Retreating and routing units will simply go through and eliminate all skirmisher units in the hex. If you find this rule annoying, then I suppose that you will have to have a gentlemen's agreement with your opponent about the use of skirmishers. The AI of course, does not adhere to gentlemen's agreements.

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FM Sir 'Muddy' Jones, KG
2nd Life Guards, 1st Squadron, Household Cavalry
1st Duke of Uxbridge & Anglesey K.G.

Bonjour Sir Muddy,

thank you for your quick answer.

In your statement you refer to: "...100-man skirmisher units are allowed to melee formed infantry" and prevent retreat.

In S.3 of the MOE4 rules it is mentioned: "Skm may melee...if the units are of equal or less strength than the attacking skms" and this would also count to prevent retreat of enemy infantry. Is this correct?

Thank you for your reply

I've always interpreted that as being the sum total of skirmishers involved. So, a 400 man battalion might find itself surrounded by 6, 100 man companies and could be subsequently meleed. While the batalion is larger than any individual unit, it is in the presence of greater numbers.

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Marechal Jeff Bardon
Duc de Castiglione et Prince de Wagram
Commandant de la Garde Imperiale