Battle strategyes

[WiliamWallace]

what strategy do you use on ground battles playing with England or France?

[MAGNUS454]

I always play Britain as I am British in real life as it makes sense to me Anyways with my British armies I standardise my armies so I know that where ever I am fighting be it India, Europe or America I have the same troops for the same tactics every time. Now one of my armies consists of 12 line infantry, 2 cannons, 2 cavalry and one general.

I always use 6 line infantry stretched to other one line or two line deep to provide me a skirmish line. This is the first line I present to the enemy. These chaps are set on fire at will and the hold command. This gives the enemy to focus on while I use the rest of my forces to attack from what ever angles my foe presents to me. I normally have 3 reserve line infantry group together and the other three reserves in another group. One of the groups will go on the left wing and the other group on the other wing. The chaps on the wing or flank if you like will be about four deep as I use them like Napolean did as melee columns to break up enemy lines.

My general and the 2 cavalry units go behind my first line as they are used to charge anywhere into my first line where the enemy brings me cold steel. I will use my melee columns on the flanks long before my first line begins to break.

I use my cannon to take pot shots at the enemy general if he is stupid enough to be in range. A lucky kill on the general and its game over.

As the first line of foot are engaging the enemy either in melee or fire I move my melee columns around the flanks and probe to see where I can get them to charge into the enemy. I normally find the enemy will move to meet my flank attacks and I will charge them with bayonets using my melee columns. Using your men in melee columns which are 4 or more deep gives them good depth to withstand charges, always make sure the melee columns do not have hold on as when they reach the enemy they need to be able to freely engage the enemy in hand to hand fighting.

Normally I win most battles on land using the tactics as they are nothing special and pretty much standard and are based on British military doctrine of the era as recorded by general Wolfe.

Mag
My spelling and grammer and spelling sucks but I havent proof read this so my apologies.

[Jayzilla]

that seems like too many line infantry. It would get difficult to have enough room to bring all those muskets to bear. My preferred setup is 3 dragoon, 4 foot cannon, 3 grenadier (these guys rock in melee. I've seen a single unit take on three line infantry and do well) and 6 line infantry. Usually my stacks are a bit short of full, and if so i'll sacrifice 2 line infantry and a grenadier squad.

my usually deployment is

. ==+(c)(c)(c)(c)+==
/(D) . .+(g)(D) . . . (D)\

+=grenadiers
(D)= dragoons

This is my defensive strategy, which i usually deploy in even in attacking battles because sometimes the enemy will attack b/c i have more cannon. The main thing is that if they come to you, its important how. If they come in the middle, envelop. if they come on the flank heavy, take the grenadiers and dragoons from the other flank and use it for support.

The biggest flaw in the AI is that they attack line infantry over cannon 99% of the time. that means your canister shot will own them usually. Also, remember that
cannon > line, line > cav, cav > cannon. Grenadiers kill everything in melee, don't use grenades if they can shoot you or run.

let me know if this helps or if you need more advice.

[strongside]

My set up is always on the high ground like this....

I = Infantry
C = Cannons
H = Horses


never mind, the forums do not let my set up characters to show you how I form my armies.



--------
This Gives me an almost inpenetrable frontline that then allows my calvary to flank the enemy and go right for the General (if he presents himself) or straight for the calvary and gangup on them before they have time to group up.


* I have yet to lose a battle and I play on hard.

[Jayzilla]

My set up is always on the high ground like this....

I = Infantry
C = Cannons
H = Horses


never mind, the forums do not let my set up characters to show you how I form my armies.



--------
This Gives me an almost inpenetrable frontline that then allows my calvary to flank the enemy and go right for the General (if he presents himself) or straight for the calvary and gangup on them before they have time to group up.


* I have yet to lose a battle and I play on hard.

just use periods as spacers like i've done in my post.

[Thomas_Kenobi]

MAGNUS454: That is actually one of the best strategies, regarding the use of reserves, that I've heard. I tend to use a lot more arty and cavalry than you do, but my main difference is that it never occurred to me to employ melee as a primary tactic. I tend to focus on musket duels and generally don't move into melee unless forced to by the enemy.
However, using the reserve forces for column melee attacks is, I think, a very sound strategy. It might be a good idea to make the reserves 2 line and 2 grenadier regiments, instead of 4 line, for that extra melee strength.

PS: Off-topic. Does anyone else find it weird to call these units regiments, while they, by today's standards, are more like companies?

[coman]

I call them companies. They ARE companies.

I do this, lots.

[Ulysseslotro]

I always play Britain as I am British in real life as it makes sense to me Anyways with my British armies I standardise my armies so I know that where ever I am fighting be it India, Europe or America I have the same troops for the same tactics every time. Now one of my armies consists of 12 line infantry, 2 cannons, 2 cavalry and one general.

I always use 6 line infantry stretched to other one line or two line deep to provide me a skirmish line. This is the first line I present to the enemy. These chaps are set on fire at will and the hold command. This gives the enemy to focus on while I use the rest of my forces to attack from what ever angles my foe presents to me. I normally have 3 reserve line infantry group together and the other three reserves in another group. One of the groups will go on the left wing and the other group on the other wing. The chaps on the wing or flank if you like will be about four deep as I use them like Napolean did as melee columns to break up enemy lines.

My general and the 2 cavalry units go behind my first line as they are used to charge anywhere into my first line where the enemy brings me cold steel. I will use my melee columns on the flanks long before my first line begins to break.

I use my cannon to take pot shots at the enemy general if he is stupid enough to be in range. A lucky kill on the general and its game over.

As the first line of foot are engaging the enemy either in melee or fire I move my melee columns around the flanks and probe to see where I can get them to charge into the enemy. I normally find the enemy will move to meet my flank attacks and I will charge them with bayonets using my melee columns. Using your men in melee columns which are 4 or more deep gives them good depth to withstand charges, always make sure the melee columns do not have hold on as when they reach the enemy they need to be able to freely engage the enemy in hand to hand fighting.

Normally I win most battles on land using the tactics as they are nothing special and pretty much standard and are based on British military doctrine of the era as recorded by general Wolfe.

Mag
My spelling and grammer and spelling sucks but I havent proof read this so my apologies.

Might want to consider Black Watch, Guards and Grenadiers for that melee force hehe. I was doing the exact same thing until I got Light Dragoons. Now I'll use 9 Line Infantry, 5-7 Light Dragoons, 2 Life Guards (otherwise I'll get Light Dragoons), 1 Puckel or Ferguson, 1 24lb

[Blau&Gruen]

My favorite fire tactic is simple and effective, crossfire.

It's basic infantry training.

PS: Off-topic. Does anyone else find it weird to call these units regiments, while they, by today's standards, are more like companies?

They are called regiments because CA uses a scale 1:10 for infantry units.

Rgt Inf (administrative organization)
(- battalion)
-- company

Rgt Inf (tactical organization)
- battalion
-- full division (company sized body)
(--- half division)
---- peloton/platoon*

Bat Inf (administrative)
- 4 companies of musketeers, 1 company of grenadiers

Bat Inf (tactical)
- 16 small peloton of musketeers (in 4 full divisons) + 1 company/full division of grenadiers
- 8 large peloton of musketeers (in 4 full divisions) + 1 company/full division of grenadiers

Gren bat (ad hoc)
- are formed out of the Gren companies of 2 rgt inf
-- 4 companies of gren
--- gren are distributed among the musketeer pelotons (between 1670 until shortly before 1700), then gren are divided like the musketeers in peloton)

Numbers (including staff and aides):
Rgt Inf 1300-2400 men
Bat Inf 500-900 men
Company Gren 100 to 150 men
Peloton 30-40 men (earlier, smaller type = quarter of a full division)
Peloton 60-80 men (later, larger type = half division)

Cav Rgt (administrative)

Cav Rgt (tactical organization)
- 4 to 6 squadrons

Numbers Cav:
Rgt about 1000 horsemen
Squadron 140-190 horsemen


*The peloton (or platoon) is the basic tactical fire "unit" in the 18th century. The peloton is formed ad hoc on the battlefield by dividing the battalion into 16 later 8 teams of the same size (counting through the ranks). The peloton replaces earlier tactical fire forms such as the enfilade and the counter-march. The early pelotons have about the size of tactical units that fired in the enfilade and the counter-march (20-30 men) normally under the cover of pikemen or adjected to pikemen units.