What is "Screening", and how do you do it?

[♔GrinningManiac♔]

I've seen plenty of real-life references to Screening forces with other parts of armies, and people also talk about using it in the Total War series

Initially, I thought it meant that you had a part of your army march in front of the main body to hide surpise troops. But that didn't make sense to use in Total War, what with the birdseye God Mode view and all

So what is Screening?

And how do you Screen?

[daniu]

Initially, I thought it meant that you had a part of your army march in front of the main body to hide surpise troops. But that didn't make sense to use in Total War, what with the birdseye God Mode view and all

So what is Screening?

And how do you Screen?

I understand it the other way around: sending a part of your army in front to find hidden troops and avoid ambushes.
I screen by sending my light infantry some distance in front of my line if I suspect hidden units; they have a higher firing and detection range for hidden troops.
This way, if I detect a trap, I can fire at the found units from a distance or single them out by attacking with my main army.
I don't keep the line too far back though, so they can support the screening units, should they be attacked.

[♔GrinningManiac♔]

Ah! That would make sense!

The same way you "screen" people for whatever reasons: you check to see if it's safe

This makes sense! Thanks

[MortenJessen]

Hi there.
I use three different tactics for screening.
1) Is the artillery screen, where I have my artillery fire in front of my advance (or have them pre-bombard the area in front of my army before I advance).
2) Is the light infantry screen, where two or three light infantry (if available I use those capable of moving while still hiding) move in front of my main advance to clear up ambushes.
3) Is a light cavalry screen, where my light cavalry rides crosswise the battlefield, charging units they discover.
Y.S.
M. Jessen

[The Spaniard]

I've seen plenty of real-life references to Screening forces with other parts of armies, and people also talk about using it in the Total War series

Initially, I thought it meant that you had a part of your army march in front of the main body to hide surpise troops. But that didn't make sense to use in Total War, what with the birdseye God Mode view and all

So what is Screening?

And how do you Screen?

You are right about the "God Mode" view that battle gives, it does take away from what one would consider conventional screening; the ability to disguise your movements from the enemy by using mobile forces to restrict the enemy's ability to act on your movements. Daniu is right when he "[sends] a part of [his] army in front to find hidden troops and avoid ambushes". He's protecting his army's ability to move and deploy unhindered.

[british_general]

You can "screen" the bad way by sending expendable troops up and wait for the bullets to start flying......

[TheAussieDigger]

You can "screen" the bad way by sending expendable troops up and wait for the bullets to start flying......

thats a meatshield, not screening

[british_general]

No, they are scouting by getting killed

[TheAussieDigger]

hidden units are never really a problem and u do know how a meatshield works dont u?

[daniu]

thats a meatshield, not screening

I would agree it's a kind of screening...

[Valkierei]

thats a meatshield, not screening

thats the forlorn hope! every army needs one! peasants die for nobles! the unwritten law of the day! =)

[british_general]

It protects guys behind it?

[TheAussieDigger]

yes and no

it enables u to get the first volley off whilst still attacking

[MortenJessen]

Hi there.
Meat shields are not screening. It is a vaste of men. I never use meatshields since I tend to avoid getting into slugfests where some units are worth more than other. If I am under artillery bombardment I deploy my men in thin lines, if I am under cavalry attack I either counter attack or form square, or withdraw. If the enemy does something nasty I trow in my reserves to avoid disaster. But I never spend men on useless meatshields.
Y.S.
M. Jessen

[daniu]

Meat shields are not screening. It is a vaste of men.

Them being a waste of men does not prevent them from being "screening". Wikipedia doesn't seem to have a military entry for it, but the disambiguation page says "preventing access of something by some sort of barrier", so if your militia prevents bullets access to your main line, it does fall under the category

Admittedly,
1. they make a lot of more sense in MP than in GC (because rifles are more common there; although you may be able to catch some cannister with a militia instead of with a line inf)
2. they are a tactic only used in TW, almost exploiting the reload mechanics; imagine a historical regiment "23rd Bullet Catchers".

That said, I don't use meatshields either.

[theglenlivet12]

The way I understand it, screening is sending light infantry in front of your line infantry. Since they have the ability to kneel and not be shot in the back, they are the "screen".

[CSpiffy148]

we call it recon in force these days. It means push a large enough unit, far enough forward, until someone shoots at it. Not much fun for the unit unless they're Rangers or Recon Marines

[zakumara]

There is an other aspect to screening (for those who play football):

You get a strong enough force but not too strong to hold the main army of your enemy, but I the same time a large part of your force shift on side. It worked well in normal battlefield from this erra due to amount of smoke and chaos it creates. The first group that faces the enemy effectively screen the rest of the force to move left or right. I believe commander like Napoleon were using such tactics.

[BlueHawke]

I love the way this thread got so hung up on the concept of a 'meatshield'!!!

But screening in the sense of the initial question IS having an "van guard" that forces enemy forces away from the main body of the army so that it can maneuver without being watched and retain the element of surprise.

The screening with light infantry the sort of thing we are on about but there is NO REAL screening in ETW because you can usually see your opponents movements anyway. So what occurs in game is more of a pre-battle skirmishing with light infantry/cavalry. because if you move line infantry anywhere on the map they can be seen... Hopefully napoleon will have a bettet line of sight concept than empire... but i am not holding my breath, its more of a 'sid meiers gettysburg' kind of thing screening... the total war games are just a big too arcade for it.

[daniu]

I love the way this thread got so hung up on the concept of a 'meatshield'!!!

That is because

there is NO REAL screening in ETW because you can usually see your opponents movements anyway.

Meatshields are as close to screening as it gets in ETW (modulo light inf detecting other hidden light inf units).