Mobile Armies

[tw2obsessive]

I have lately been experimenting with a 2nd Boer war guerilla era sort of unit selection. That is to say an army that is designed to be as mobile as possible and to totally encircle. Zero camping, just non stop attack. Anyone familiar with Deney's Reitz' experiences should give it a go. There are variations to this setup depending on any game rules set. Below is my no mortar/rocket setup. This setup leaves 0 Gold left.



So group one is 6 Line infantry and one light infantry. That is the immobile group. I think it's important to explain that I start by having this group on one side of the deployment area, spread into a long formation. When the map starts the opponent will need to readjust to meet the infantry. Now group two is the mobile formation. 7 Light Dragoons (the more elite kind), 3 Regiment of the horse and 2 horse drawn artillery. Note that the general stays with the mobile unit (as that is the one which takes the initial poundings), so in fact group two has 13 units. Yet they are deployed to the very extreme other side of the deployment area, in long tight columns. Depending on what map features are present the design should be to immediately move horse artillery first to high ground on that extreme side. Leave the rest of the mobile unit just behind the danger zone, not yet exposing them to arty fire. If the player tries to send light infantry or horses to attack the undefended horse arty then you will easily stop them in time. The player should again have to readjust defensive formation into a wider ^ shape to face both this disposition and the line infantry (which are by now slowly walking to the other extreme side of the enemy.) Close the gap by sending all regiment of the horse storming up the extreme side and into melee with any enemy. Then simultaneously send the Light Dragoons through this melee battle (take off auto attack and keep charging them behind the enemy.. When they are through run and run until you are behind the enemy. Dismount and line up. The enemy is now faced on the one hand with 6 line infantry coming on one flank, a considerable amount of infantry in it's rear, a melee battle on it's other flank and of course directed artillery fire. The general should stick behind the horse artillery so it is not too far from the waging battle.

[Firran]

When i play late on large funds, i prefer elite units over ordinary line. If you opponent has an well balanced army he could probaly take out your line and artillery prettry quickly, and then you do not have that much of a choice


And seeing that you do not have elite units to form your core, they will die pretty quickly. And then he can use howitzers and riflemen to take out your horses while they are protected by elite line infantry in squares.

[tw2obsessive]

When i play late on large funds, i prefer elite units over ordinary line. If you opponent has an well balanced army he could probaly take out your line and artillery prettry quickly, and then you do not have that much of a choice

I find it is the wide disposition of the flanking line infantry which makes the enemy need to turn most it's force to face. I tried Elite but can only afford 3, which does not present enough of a threat against maybe 8 elite infantry. The line is too thin. The occupation of this group is to just tie down enemy resources and they should not advance into rifle fire until the mounted units have dismounted and approached the enemy from the rear. Now the player is manicly panicing to face units in all kinds of directions. Regards to your artillery point (group one and two only move into enemy artillery range once the 2 horse arty have either destroyed enemy arty (by overshoot even better) or have themselves been destroyed but have at least reduced the reloading time of the enemy arty by some hits.

It's worked for me a few times and failed miserably other times but it's something I want to keep trying.

[Zenodox]

It sounds like it would be an interesting fight, but you've paid a high price for the mobility of your dragoons. Six line infantry on one side and the equivalent of three and a half line infantry on the other doesn't sound like it's going to be enough to crush an army.

I doubt you'd catch cavalry such a trap, so if your enemy has any cavalry is going to be completely free to wreak havoc by charging your units from the rear. If he doesn't have cavarly then you're probably be going to be heavily outnumbered and unable to encircle.

[average650]

it seems to me that light dragoons are not a good unit for the most part. They are poor cavalry because of their stats and poor infantry because of their numbers. For the same price you can get a line infantry unit that has twice as many men. it would be an interesting battle but one which will probably end in your defeat. If they are smart, they won't turn their entire force towards your infantry, they will apportion an appropriate amount of troops to each group. The only way it works is if they get flustered and confused, which a good player is very unlikely to do.

[Zamarn]

Well the cavalry stats isn't that bad, they can fire while mounted and they are cheaper than other cavalry so I think light dragoons are quite good actually, if you use them in the right way that is.

[Fingon NL]

The nice thing is that they're bigger, so they can still be quite nice, especially in killing light inf.

[guerra]

France and Russia have better horse skirmishers. Sweden gets more light dragoons.

[tw2obsessive]

Sweden gets more light dragoons.

Thanks guerra that is very useful info! I will now be doing the mobile army under Sweden.

To those pointing out superior enemy numbers : ETW does a good job of routing units which are taking fire on more than one side, no matter what their number.

[Arej]

That army would be quite easily beat.. too much cavalry, not enough light infantry and no elite units.

Also: DO NOT dismount light dragoons. They are much, much more effective when mounted.

But yea, like someone said before.. a good player would never allow you to do this.

[Docbroc]

That army would be quite easily beat.. too much cavalry, not enough light infantry and no elite units.

Also: DO NOT dismount light dragoons. They are much, much more effective when mounted.

But yea, like someone said before.. a good player would never allow you to do this.

I agree for the most part BUT i think i found a glitch, i noticed when i used my dragoons that were at exhausted level, by the near end of the game, that if i dismounted that their status changed to active right away! That was kind of cool and helped win.

[Deathofjams]

I agree for the most part BUT i think i found a glitch, i noticed when i used my dragoons that were at exhausted level, by the near end of the game, that if i dismounted that their status changed to active right away! That was kind of cool and helped win.

Well, I guess it was the horses that were tired. The guys on them had just been sitting around :p

[average650]

I must admit, this would be fun to try, but I don't think it's a good way to win. Have fun with it though.

[tw2obsessive]

I must admit, this would be fun to try, but I don't think it's a good way to win. Have fun with it though.

Quite. This is about experimenting and some fun.

It's obvious there are other late unit formations that will more likely win a battle, but when you guys get bored of that same style, on those same maps, this is worth a go.. at least in non-ranked if you worry so much about wins.

[Arej]

Well, that can be quite useful... although I use my Light Dragoons as game-enders usually so they don't have time to get exhausted but if they do, that might be worth doing

[average650]

what happens if you dismount then mount?