Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Gentlemen,
I am a a player of MOE4 and it happens that you get in to a situation where you do not find the answer in the MOE4. In general I think that it just needs some common sense and the problem is solved by itself.
Now I have come up in a battle where my opponent has set up a row of 100 skm coys and more per hex lined up in front of his formed infantry. I would like to melée those skm coys away to get to his formed infantry and so on. But if you look at M.2 of the MOE4 it is mentioned: "Melée attacks against skm coys (if numbering less than 100) may be conducted at any time during the turn". So far so good, only how do I get rid of those skm coys numbering more than 100 if I may not melée them? I did not find an answer in the rules. (My common sense would tell me to negociate with the opponent before you start the game. You cannot be aware of all possible situations coming up in the game.)

Maybe somebody can explain to me why we limit the number to 100 and if it needs a limit at all?

Thank you!

I prefer to play without the 100 man limitation, so that one can melee skirmishers of any number at any time. I don't like skirmishers having too much ability to hold off the attack of formed infantry. I am very much in favour of the embedded melee rule though, and I never play without it. But that's just my opinion...

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The number limitation makes sense to me the way that Muddy has written the MOE rules. All he is saying, is that when you have a sizeable number of skirmishers, they will cannot be so easily brushed aside. It would be more time consuming to move them, hence the fact that a combat with them would be treated as a melee. You could argue the value of 100, but that is really subjective too. The more important point to me would be the ratio of attackers to defenders. A 500 man formed unit may easily brush aside 50 skirmishers and continue on thier way, but if there were 2,000 (stacking limit) skirmishers arrayed against them, they would have a much more significant problem. In the game engine, formed units will always force skirmishers to retreat after melee. The question becomes how quickly they can accomplish this goal and that is dependent on how many skirmishers they must 'convince' to dispersse.

That is just my interpretation of the intent of the rule.

I like a dirty blitz attack taught to me by the master - Jeka
I also like embedded melee and in 10 min moves the no artillery blitz rule I invented that has worked well in a few games now.

Michael Fredel and I are using this at the moment in Paris 1814. I should looked at how many guns his side had though before I suggested it though LOL

In essence if you can adapt your games to the different approaches you can have more opponents and also I think it makes you a better player. Just my opinion though.

As for the skirmisher rule I like it with and without hahaha. Oh well you get the idea.

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Marechal Knox

Prince d'Austerlitz et Comte d'Argentan
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"

General Knox, salute

Please expand on the No Gun Blitz rule - this sunds interesting

...what do you mean by the "No gun Blitz rule"? Is there a copy of this version, never heard about it. Thank you,
regards,

Oooh, that is one of Colin's special rules. It means that he can take your guns, while you must leave his alone.

Actually, now that I think about it, Colin will usually take your guns whether you leave his alone or not.

All kidding aside, the rule simply states that you may not capture unlimbered artillery if you are required to displace another unit to do so (i.e. Blitzing). Limbered guns are, however, still fair game.

Mark is correct mostly. It works like this:

Intent : for use in 10 minute moves it reinstates the power of artillery but still allows freedom of movement melee and fire in any particular order. So the flow of your turn is not undermined by remembering to stop and do melee everywhere. You just need to remember to respect your opponents guns and zoc setups to defend them.

The rule: No unlimbered artillery battery and any other units in the same hex may be meleed if another unit formed or unformed has to be melee'd out the way to reach it.

The exceptions:
You can shoot a unit out of the way (by overkill)
Pursuing cavalry can ignore the rule if they are in the process of pursuing (but not assisted by fresh units)
skirmishers, officers and supply wagons can be blitzed out of the way.
The rule does not apply to limbered artillery which can be meleed anytime

This rule is easy and allows a low house rules game with a bit more realism. To many house rules can be tiresome in a big engagement say for example Leipzig. Although as Andy Moss pointed out there is so much artillery in these later titles the rule may not be a good idea.

These things said I personally still prefer embedded melee in 15min turns.

Anyhow its been tested in a few games now and works fine from what we can see.

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Marechal Knox

Prince d'Austerlitz et Comte d'Argentan
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"