Light infantry army counters?

[pkrexemplar]

Hey guys,

Last night while playing, I encountered someone who used all light infantry. He stretched his line extremely long, so I couldn't flank them with my cavalry. I tried to counter with my fergusons but was outgunned numerically.

I guess my question is how do I counter a person that uses only light infantry and canister shot?

[average650]

more or less, you charge right at him. If they have a couple lines, then you should try to flank, but if they have one long line that can't be flanked, then charge right at him, using whatever light inf you have, or militia, or non ferg rifles as a meat shield to for your cav, line inf, and fergs. After they unload on your meatshield, your cav and other units get to the rifles, where you then have the advantage. He will probably just run away, but here's where you need to use your cav, preferably light cav, to run them down. Use your inf to keep them running and not firing, and your cav to actually kill them. Always try to get them to fire at your meat shield rather than your cav when they do fire. Your cav is the most valuable unit in this battle. light inf makes the best meat shield because it's the cheapest and has light inf behavior which reduces the casualties it takes under fire.

It's not that hard to beat, once you get the hang of it.

[Alf]

well you forget stakes factor there buddy

[average650]

well you forget stakes factor there buddy

Stakes really aren't that much of a hindrance. There are usually gaps in the stakes, and if there aren't, then go around them, and if the line is so long that you simply can't then form a very deep thin line and lose like 2 horses getting past the stakes. They are annoying, but usually not a real problem.

[blonkers1234]

You can use a low quality cav unit to destroy the stakes then send a heavy cav in.
Insta routs are easy to make against unprepared lights.

[Keiichi]

Insta routs are easy to make against unprepared lights.

This is actually what I hate most about fighting all light inf armies; as you close the range you'll lose perhaps 200 men from your meatshield/skirmisher units. Once you close the range however, you can kill just two or three hundred of the enemy and the match ends as the entire enemy army breaks and runs. I want more time to cut down all the routers with my cavalry .

[blonkers1234]

This is actually what I hate most about fighting all light inf armies; as you close the range you'll lose perhaps 200 men from your meatshield/skirmisher units. Once you close the range however, you can kill just two or three hundred of the enemy and the match ends as the entire enemy army breaks and runs. I want more time to cut down all the routers with my cavalry .

Feel the joy of seeing them mutilated by sabres.

[Alf]

though I dont think anything can beat a whole bunch of grenzers...

[blonkers1234]

though I dont think anything can beat a whole bunch of grenzers...

Rifles to draw them out, then meat shield take shots and cav charge while pushing line up?

[Asymmetric]

though I dont think anything can beat a whole bunch of grenzers...

I've fought all grenzers before and beaten them. And that was when grenzers had bugged double reload rate in (1.2?).

Their not even that hard. You just need a sucide meatshield, a whole lot of men set on melee stance and a willingness to run head first into it with plenty of inspiring units. If they stake off the entire battlefield then just focus your cav in one area and overrun the stakes after the enemy starts fleeing.

Rememeber if the enemy lays stakes, it means a lot of his shots will be deflected on them anyway, so it's win-win.

(now NTW is another matter... I'm still searching for effective ways to hunt down skirmisher heavy armies)

[{GODS}Scipio_Africanus]

also, since you have numbers, you should try using his stakes to lower the casualties to your own troops. I am not saying forget a meat shield, but if his fire is pretty constant or your meat shield is gone, use the stakes as a protector. Don't try firing at him while behind the stakes though, I always move right past the stakes if they are in front of me, usually the enemy can't make a stake line across the whole battlefield so i am usually fine with my cavalry. Oh and if you are using Maratha, your elephants can break stakes with no losses if you hit them from the side, not saying this is any help but if you find some way that will help you, go ahead and try it, make sure it is at the same angle that normal cavalry can go through it without deaths and they will break the stakes.