Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Gentlemen,

I’d like to share some thoughts on a new rule regarding Light and Guard Infantry units. The latest version gives us possibility to deploy such a unit entirely into skirmishers. The final segment has a “parent” element indicator but it’s still also a skirmish company. Recombining skirmishers to a parent element allows us to get back to a column formation. It’s a powerful tool when fighting in woods or towns. We can now deploy a battalion entirely into skirmish companies, go through an obstructed terrain undisrupted and recombine battalion in a column formation in a good order on the last hex of forest or village even with Column Movement Restriction optional rule on.

I used it in my last battle of Quatre Bras to my advantage, but I think that a new rule is a bit too strong. I deployed 5 battalions of Baudoin’s brigade entirely into skirmish, went through the Bossu forest at a speed of two hexes per turn, stopped one hex before the last line of hexes of the forest securing the edge of the forest with one company per hex. In my next turn I went on the last hex still being in skirmish order and recombined battalions formed in columns 500 meters from Quatre Bras village (with no cost) still having half of my movement points. My opponent was completely surprised – he observed some skirmish companies inside the forest but didn’t expect 3000 fierce soldiers attacking in columns directly on his back (luckily for him the Guard just arrived, so we will see how it ends).

And there is the point – in my opinion there should be some cost for recombining the parent element back to a column formation and cost of half of movement points would be just fair. It means that skirmishers do not form lines of the column being in a full run, but they need 5 to 8 minutes (depends on the turn’s length) to get back to formed ranks. It’s enough to put this cost only to parent element recombination, as without that step a column cannot be restored.

What do you think about it?

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Chef d'Escadron Michał Młódzik
1er Régiment de Dragons,
Cavalerie, 2ème Division,
3ème Corps d'Armée

The first thing to note is that you did well exploiting the enemy's mistake of leaving the Bossu woods unguarded.

Players can maneuver through the woods, covering 2 hexes per turn, whether in a formed unit or in skirmish formation, so the ability to 'deploy all skirmishes' is irrelevant in my view. If the allied player could see your skirmish line within the woods and assumed there is nothing behind them then it was a bad assumption.

However, attacking through the woods using large formations is indeed questionable from a historical perspective, albeit a brigade of light infantry is historical.
There is a quick fix to discourage players from using major maneuvers through woods by adjusting the PDT file and changing woods movement costs from 8 to 9 (for 10-minute turns). This will effectively allow infantry to move one hex per turn and would make players think twice before they commit large forces across the woods.

Your example was for offensive action. However, there is another handy trick where light infantry's ability to deploy entirely into skirmish formation can be used defensively. While deployed in a rearguard, light infantry can:

1. Start the turn deployed in Line.
2. Deploy entirely into skirmish formation and retreat company by company.
3. Reform into column formation.

This is a cool distinctive feature underlying the tactical flexibility of light infantry. I would be sad to see this tactical advantage lost if there are extra costs introduced to reform into formation.

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General-Leytenant Alexey Tartyshev
Leib-Guard Preobrazhensky Regiment (Grenadier Drum)
1st Brigade
Guard Infantry Division
5th Guard Corps


(I don't play with with ZOC kills and Rout limiting ON)

Well if formed units pay 1/2 their MP to change formation, why should skirmishers not pay at least a bit MP?
Currently you can break a bat. completely down for zero cost, move them in all directions, move them back and still have to pay nothing to reform them into a bat. again. Seems a little cheap.

At least the unit that splits away should maybe pay 1-2 MP for deploying away from the parent unit, same I would say if they all do so.
Problem maybe would be if recombining them all again into a single unit, I guess the lowest amount of MP would be then set as MP for the reformed unit, or not?

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I am for the skirmishers paying to breakdown and the parent unit recombine the companies into the formed unit. I would not be for changing the woods cost from 8 to 9.

A lot of Davout's III Corps fought in skirmish order during the battle of Eckmuhl. Honestly, skirmishers should be stronger in woods than they are. There is a new column disorder rule for non-Open terrain that would effectively even the odds in those kinds of encounters.

Its impossible to recreate what Davout's corps did in our series. The reduction in melee ability for skirmishers should only happen in Open/Clear hexes.

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Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Prinz Peters von Dennewitz

3. Husaren-Regiment, Reserve-Kavallerie, Preußischen Armee-Korps

Honarary CO of Garde-Ulanen Regiment, Garde-Grenadier Kavallerie

NWC Founding Member

For Club Games: I prefer the Single Phase mode of play. I prefer to play with the following options OFF:

MDF, VP4LC, NRO, MTD, CMR, PR, MIM, NDM, OMR (ver 4.07)