Column

**kingtigertank** · February 07, 2010, 05:40 AM

Does being in a column really give an advantage in melee against an enemy in line?

**Dengero** · February 07, 2010, 05:47 AM

Well you are a smaller target to the opponent, so you you can charge right through then round them from the back?

**kingtigertank** · February 07, 2010, 06:08 AM

What do you mean Dengero? I dont understand.

**The Gallant Forty-Twa** · February 07, 2010, 06:22 AM

When you're in a column, you're a smaller target. If a whole line of men fire at you, only the few guys at the first couple of rows will be hit, a smaller amount than if you were spread out in a line.

So you can just knock straight into the thin lines, break through and encircle them.

**kingtigertank** · February 07, 2010, 06:34 AM

I tried this but when i attack the enemy, my men hit a section of the enemy line, and compress into a mass there, but then start spreading backwards again and get owned because they already lost men to enemy fire.

Is there an optimal number of ranks and files?

**The Gallant Forty-Twa** · February 07, 2010, 06:36 AM

Yeah, Empire failed utterly to replicate the effects of a Column. Don't try to use it in Empire, it just won't work.

Napoleon was a chance to correct that, since the French loved their columns, but it seems they didn't bother fixing it there either.

I was purely speaking out of historical context, as columns in Empire will just get your lads killed as they're not implemented properly.

**kingtigertank** · February 07, 2010, 06:40 AM

Oh, thats a shame, I would have liked to use columns especially as the French in NTW. Well Thx for explaining it to me.

**tommyd** · February 07, 2010, 08:09 AM

If the enemy gets on either flank, you are screwed. If the enemy gets behind you, you are screwed. If the enemy has artilery, especially canister/shrapnel shot, you are screwed.
I have never seen the AI use columns to attack, hopefully N:TW will fix this.

**TommyAtkins** · February 07, 2010, 08:28 AM

I find columns useful when fighting among buildings; if they're in line, it's hard to get them to deploy quickly and they tend to lose formation when moving around.

**StrawberryDUTCH** · February 07, 2010, 10:17 AM

Columns are quite useful if you're trying to punch a hole in a screening unit to get at something you want to kill behind it.. ie cannons, Generals, stationary cavalry, etc. A good tactic is to form your grenadiers into a column, attack a line regiment head on, push through, and then support the breach you've made with a line regiment of your own while the Grenadiers go on the wreak havoc in the rear. Obviously this tactic also works with Cuirassiers.

**userstupidname** · February 07, 2010, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by kingtigertank

Does being in a column really give an advantage in melee against an enemy in line?

What you want to do is to get DARTH MOD, you'll see some very good changes there especially regarding meele.

**kingtigertank** · February 08, 2010, 06:53 AM

Well I tried Darthmod and with a column vs line, the column still lost.

**kingtigertank** · February 09, 2010, 12:16 AM

Well I have tried some more and columns are still useless in darthmod. In darthmod, when you charge, your unit penetrates through to the other side, but this applies for line as well as column, so line is better.

**wiskey78** · February 11, 2010, 08:41 PM

I use columns on a broader scale as the french really did they were battalions columns of companies in line a company was about half the size of a ETW regiment. (approx 60 men) so this isnt too far off. get your line regiments in line individually but in a column one behind the other at 30yards interval use light infantry skirmishing on the flanks to keep the rest of the enemy line busy they try to hit you in the flank your rear regiments now have the bolder enemy's flanks also you should have arty positioned on each of your flanks to hit the enemy infantry en filed. This uses all the principles that made the column the preferred form of attack in Napoleonic warfare, mutual flank support, concentration of combat power, light infantry. However be aware your light infantry will be very vulnerable to cavalry so you will need a superiority in cavalry to use this tactic (interesting the french emphasized cavalry superiority)

**PVT-Kanaka** · February 12, 2010, 01:02 AM

wiskey 78, I stumbled upon this tactic, too. I believe the US Civil War term is "column of regiments." It works very well to close up on a fort, town, or prepared position. I will usually line up three "brigades" (3 regiments) abreast, with each "brigade" in column of regiments.

As mentioned, your flanks are vulnerable during the advance. If hit by cavalry, I have the engaged unit form a square, then push through with the follow-on regiment(s). If it is the last regiment in column, that unit has the dubious honor of tying up the cavalry while the rest of the column advances. If flanked by infantry, I just wheel the leading regiment to face the threat and push on with the rest. I find in "Vanilla" and DMUC at both N and H settings, this seems to work,offering a nice combination of punch, flexibility, and protection to the advancing units.

**Keiichi** · February 12, 2010, 02:12 AM

Well one thing you need to make sure you do when engaging in melee is to turn off 'Guard' mode (a little shield icon). It's on by default for line infantry, and what it does is make regiments try to maintain their formation no matter what. So if you charge a column into melee, but leave 'Guard' on, they're going to try to stay in their column as they fight which isn't too helpful as they will start to get enveloped and suffer a morale loss due to being attacked on their flanks.