The Kommandant
Infantry
posted 14 May 2010 05:14 PM EDT (US)
Hi
I've been doing a fair few multiplayer games and while i've got an excellent army make up now, care of Brass45, but while i've been able to turn peoples flanks and stuff with more cavalry, i almost always mess up in the end. Ideas and advice please!!
The Kommandant
Infantry
posted 16 May 2010 12:07 PM
EDT (US)
2 / 4
I can name a few.
Example one
One time a few days ago I turned my opponents flank successfully with lots of cavalry thanks to my new army set up. The map was grassy flat lands. I was the Prussians. Me and my opponent had both our enemies boxed in with their flanks turned. My ally beat my immediate enemies ally and was coming in for the kill with his remanants at my immediate opponents back. I don't do battle replays for now so I can't give any screen shots.
While that was happening I had advanced up to the middle road on the attack. I had no artillery as the rules were only cavalry and infantry. My enemy had arrayed with light infantry at the front with line infantry behind them and cavalry at their rear to the flanks. I was like that apart from that I had my cavalry to immediatly to the line infantries flanks.
My light infantry were silesian silzen, my line infantry were musketeers. I made the mistake in deployment of forgetting to put my two guardsmen units in reserve as Brass45 recommended. My cavalry were four units of hussars and 2 of dragoons. My opponent was also Prussian, from memory he had less cavalry which were all lancers and instead of silesian silzen had german fusiliers or the chasseur equivalent.
I advanced up forwards, with all my cavalry on his outer flank, I kept pushing them around until I had the entire flank to myself.
I advanced my silesian's in and did not realise until to late that their fire at will button had been switched off. My opponent advanced with his more numerous light infantry and opened fire knocking down 20 or so of the silesians in one volley. I finally realised my error and they opened fire. Doing annoyingly little damage despite their 80 accuracy rating.
Within a minute one unit was routed and the rest were losing men fast. I moved my two guardsmen units forard to give some fire power to my light infantry, which failed also, I then realised they should have been in reserve but it was too late and for better or for worse I left them there.
I then Moved several line infantries around to my flank, intending to roll up his flank. I made the mistake of sending them in piece meal and they were each defeated despite my attempts to send cavalry in to force them into squares.
With most of my army commited and no reserves I watched as my units were in turn routed. My ally had by then defeated his french opponents but had sustained many cassulties and so was unable to do anything substantial to save the situation.
In a last ditch effort I sent my cavalry in to try and defeat the depleated enemy units but all they found were resolute squares and fresh units of lancers that massacred them gleefully.
Example two
I was the british with line infantry units of highlanders and using "experiance" gained from my defeat earlier, decided to use four light companies instead of rifles. I had two howitzers and no elite infantry as british ghardsmen are too expensive to me. I had 5 units of light dragoons. The map was homestead.
My enemy had a hotchpotch of Polish legions, fusiliers, and Old Guard.
He had several units of carabineers and cuirassiers also. I had an ally also who was defeated early on. I might also add in his defence that we were both facing dudes with 50000 skill points.
My immediate foe also had 6 or so units of voltigeurs and no artillery that I saw or used.
Me and my ally stayed in defence. This may have een a flaw as we stayed in our starting positions and didn't advance up into the hills. As soon as my howitzers could hit something they fired. The howitzers were the most devastating units I had they did some serious damage to many of my opponents line units and close to halved the strength of the old guard.
I had my light companies at the front of my units as always. The enemy tried to first cut our armies off with some lancers or hussars but they met squares and were seen off. The enemies voltigeurs arrived and commenced shots with my light companies. They had an advantage of height but that did not stop several units from being routed. then my opponent grouped three units together.This offered a tempting target for my Howitzers and they took a steady toll on the voltigeur but not before their concentrated fire detroyed my end company and two units of highlanders. Then my opponents sent in the old guard and the rest was a walkover. The old guard went by the highlandres as if they weren't there and killed and routed the rest of my army. By this time my ally had also been destroyed.
Comments, constructive criticism and preferably advice are all welcome.
ahugeUSMCfan
Infantry
posted 16 May 2010 02:32 PM
EDT (US)
3 / 4
That's good that you recognize your mistakes. Your problem just seems to be a problem of trial and error.
Brass45
Infantry
posted 17 May 2010 08:08 AM
EDT (US)
4 / 4
Wow,that's a really comprehensive description(also,thanks for the credit)! It seems that in your first example,your problem was mainly just that you left fire at will off,a mistake anyone can make,and by "Piece Meal",do you mean that you had each unit isolated?If so,you already know your mistake,you just need to keep units close enough to support each other at all times(except maybe when cavalry is chasing down routing units or making a suicide dash for atillery).As for keeping the guard units in reserve,it's a mistake I often make even against the AI,and in this case you actually did do the right thing:you used your Guard Units to support your crumbling line(although you probably should have gone straight for a melee charge if it was just against his skirmishers and he couldn't support them).I think the problem was just that you should have sent most of you line infantry to attack the front while just one or two attacked the flank,since,as you said,his light infantry outnumbered yours.As for the second example,you didn't make any major mistakes except maybe not taking the hill,and you also probably should have met his voltigeurs with your light infantry in melee(light infantry melee attack>skirmisher melee defense).Also,for the Old Guard,they're tough,arguably the the best unit in the game,but you can flank attack them,surround them,etc.(since you had superior numbers)?That should have gotten them.