Best battle yet (My thoughts on drop-ins)

I just tried a Drop-In battle for my GB Campaign. I attack an French army just outside Paris. I had Wellington commanding:
Three dragoons
Three six pounders
One skirmisher regiment
And about five Line Infantry (Basically all the forces from England and Wales at the start of the game).

My opponent had fewer units immediately available, but about the same number again as reinforcements commanded by Field Marshall Ney.

Anyway, there was some large woodland between us, so I sent my skirmishers forward, whilst bombarding his cannon with mine.
I also sent the dragoon on the right to deal with the cannon on the right.. They were massacred by cannon and the French dragoons.
The dragoons on the left were also sent to fight French dragoons, but they were outnumbered and routed.
By this point, I had made one of his cannon rout and done quite a bit of damage to his line infantry with my skirmishers. However, I had also lost a unit of line infantry.

The French reinforcements arrived, so I moved my cannon to the right flank, whilst moving three units of Line further into the woods, the final unit was in melee to the left.
The French reinforcements included four Line and three cannon units. The cannon set up and started to fire on my troops, whilst the Line formed up on the edge of the woods. Two of my line units were firing straight at them, whilst the third was further away, and firing into the end of the flank closest to my deployment area.

Marshall Ney and his bodyguard tried to flank my cannon as they set up. Luckily, they were able to do so in time, I changed to canister shot and quite literally decimated him seconds before his charge hit. Up until that point, I had been losing, but now things were starting to go my way.

The line infantry in melee made the French rout, and were able to help the two other line units in the woods. After a few more minutes, all three were dead or routing, leaving me with three units of cannon, Wellesley and one unit of Line with about 80 soldiers left.

The French had two cannon units and two Line infantry, both at over 100 soldiers remaining. Both of them were moving in to surround my last Line unit. With a flash of inspiration, I made it retreat through the woods back towards my cannon. As it did so, it went into range of a French unit for a few moments, dropping it to under 70 men.

Eventually, the exhausted soldiers were able to form up to the left of the cannon, across the road through the woods. The cannon switched to canister again and prepared to fire. The first French unit to emerge from the trees was instantly hit with a volley from my Line infantry and canister from nine cannon's. This reduced it to around fifty men. I switched the cannon to fire at the other unit which was attempting to flank me, whilst the infantry maintained fire on the first French line unit. That unit routed just as the other one reached the far side of my Line infantry, so I stopped the cannon's firing.

As I turned the Line infantry, the French unit was able to fire a volley at me, dramatically cutting my numbers. My unit fired once, before being hit again by the French and routing. As a last, desperate resource, I sent Wellesley to charge them. Thankfully, soon after the charge hit, they routed, leaving me with him and three cannon units, against a single French cannon unit. My cannon maintained fire as it started to move forwards. I sent Wellesley through the woods to flank and attack its rear. After a minute or so, it stopped and started to unlimber, whilst Wellesley was still within canister range to its right.

Thankfully, a final volley from my cannons made the final French unit rout. The battle ended in a close victory. Unfortunately, I forgot to save the replay, so no pics.

My thoughts on Drop In battles:
They are a very good addition to the game, although I wouldn't want to do one every time considering how close it was. The main downside to it was that there was no way to talk to the opponent at the end, just the normal Victory/Defeat screen, then back into the campaign game. It would have been nice to be able to talk to the opponent for just a few minutes to thank him for a good game. I honestly thought I would lose at one point.

Originally Posted by tommyd

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I just tried a Drop-In battle for my GB Campaign. I attack an French army just outside Paris. I had Wellington commanding:
Three dragoons
Three six pounders
One skirmisher regiment
And about five Line Infantry (Basically all the forces from England and Wales at the start of the game).

My opponent had fewer units immediately available, but about the same number again as reinforcements commanded by Field Marshall Ney.

Anyway, there was some large woodland between us, so I sent my skirmishers forward, whilst bombarding his cannon with mine.
I also sent the dragoon on the right to deal with the cannon on the right.. They were massacred by cannon and the French dragoons.
The dragoons on the left were also sent to fight French dragoons, but they were outnumbered and routed.
By this point, I had made one of his cannon rout and done quite a bit of damage to his line infantry with my skirmishers. However, I had also lost a unit of line infantry.

The French reinforcements arrived, so I moved my cannon to the right flank, whilst moving three units of Line further into the woods, the final unit was in melee to the left.
The French reinforcements included four Line and three cannon units. The cannon set up and started to fire on my troops, whilst the Line formed up on the edge of the woods. Two of my line units were firing straight at them, whilst the third was further away, and firing into the end of the flank closest to my deployment area.

Marshall Ney and his bodyguard tried to flank my cannon as they set up. Luckily, they were able to do so in time, I changed to canister shot and quite literally decimated him seconds before his charge hit. Up until that point, I had been losing, but now things were starting to go my way.

The line infantry in melee made the French rout, and were able to help the two other line units in the woods. After a few more minutes, all three were dead or routing, leaving me with three units of cannon, Wellesley and one unit of Line with about 80 soldiers left.

The French had two cannon units and two Line infantry, both at over 100 soldiers remaining. Both of them were moving in to surround my last Line unit. With a flash of inspiration, I made it retreat through the woods back towards my cannon. As it did so, it went into range of a French unit for a few moments, dropping it to under 70 men.

Eventually, the exhausted soldiers were able to form up to the left of the cannon, across the road through the woods. The cannon switched to canister again and prepared to fire. The first French unit to emerge from the trees was instantly hit with a volley from my Line infantry and canister from nine cannon's. This reduced it to around fifty men. I switched the cannon to fire at the other unit which was attempting to flank me, whilst the infantry maintained fire on the first French line unit. That unit routed just as the other one reached the far side of my Line infantry, so I stopped the cannon's firing.

As I turned the Line infantry, the French unit was able to fire a volley at me, dramatically cutting my numbers. My unit fired once, before being hit again by the French and routing. As a last, desperate resource, I sent Wellesley to charge them. Thankfully, soon after the charge hit, they routed, leaving me with him and three cannon units, against a single French cannon unit. My cannon maintained fire as it started to move forwards. I sent Wellesley through the woods to flank and attack its rear. After a minute or so, it stopped and started to unlimber, whilst Wellesley was still within canister range to its right.

Thankfully, a final volley from my cannons made the final French unit rout. The battle ended in a close victory. Unfortunately, I forgot to save the replay, so no pics.

My thoughts on Drop In battles:
They are a very good addition to the game, although I wouldn't want to do one every time considering how close it was. The main downside to it was that there was no way to talk to the opponent at the end, just the normal Victory/Defeat screen, then back into the campaign game. It would have been nice to be able to talk to the opponent for just a few minutes to thank him for a good game. I honestly thought I would lose at one point.

I wish I could actually get a drop in battle...I tried to do one lastnight but it never connected and then wouldn't let me cancel out, but I just reloaded the save game and went against the AI.

But good work on your battle, sounds like it was a great fight.

It was, and very close as well.
You just have to hope someone wants to host at the same time you want to join one. And as there are more people who want to join than are hosting...

just won my first drop-in battle defending against an Ottoman army. it took me a few minutes to find an invitation. i was sure if it was a really drop-in battle or not because i was fighting Ottoman at Austerlitz?? but i did use the drop-in battle button to get there.

they are attacking uphill using a pincer movement but i was able to beat his move by engaging him with my light infantry units, which are really good, and moving my cavalry and some line infantry from left to right. my canons did a lot of damage during his approach march. his strong attack on my right flank was met with a couple of cavalry charges. after crushing his right flank, finally i kill his general with a light infantry unit. close victory but if the battle continue, i think i can easily wipe him up.

it was fun.

How does this work? Are u just playing your campaign minding your own business when you get a message asking if you want to drop into someone elses game? Or, do u have to go to a lobby and wait to drop in?

Originally Posted by mikeCK

How does this work? Are u just playing your campaign minding your own business when you get a message asking if you want to drop into someone elses game? Or, do u have to go to a lobby and wait to drop in?

You'll be playing your campaign and it'll ask you if you want to drop into someone's game.

When you go into a battle, where you can select auto-resolve, there is a new option to allow people to drop into your campaign.

Got it, thank you.

That's not true Diz(?). In order to drop into someone else's campaign battle, you MUST go into the proper lobby. If you are playing your own campaign, you must actively invite someone to drop in on an evenly matched battle. If there are people waiting in the lobby, then the link will be made.

Yes its true. The option in before you start a new camp is not for your drop in battles but for others. Meaning you could be playing and all sudden you will get a pop up asking you if you want to drop in on such and suchs personal camp battle.

You can have your own drop in battle anytime you want, the button is always available right next to the Attack button no matter what you select at the start of camp game.

^ Now that is definitely UNTRUE - unless it works differently from Napoleon campaigns. The options before the campaign allow for others to drop into your campaign battles, but only if you ask for it during specific battles. It's not a 'all of a sudden' thing, and it only is available on evenly-matched battles. Unless you can prove me wrong, you can't randomly be asked during your campaign to engage in another person's battle. You have to go through the proper multiplayer menus if you want to drop into someone else's campaign battles....

Again, unless this works differently for campaigns other than napoleon's, everything I stated is based on actual experience in-game. And why else would they add a 'drop in battle' section to the multiplayer menu? I have never EVER received a message during my campaign to play a battle in someone else's campaign.