Post battle thoughts after my 7th FOGN game

The armies deploy. I have deployed...poorly. The Russians to the north are on a Frontal Attack. I am attempting an envelopment.

Battle report to come later, but some initial thoughts after playing and losing 50% to 10% vs Dave's Russian 1815 infantry corps:

1. Frontal assault is popular and effective. Block them if I roll for strategy that way.
2. If the enemy does a frontal assault, I need to deploy outside the frontal assault direction. They cannot turn or face someone outside their direct front but move too fast to do much otherwise.
3. Probe can deploy after a frontal attack - if so, deploy to the flank and NOT IN FRONT of the attackers! You will need 2+ turns before the reinforcements arrive, and maybe 4-5.
4. Steep Hills are NOT to be deployed ON. Deploy behind them and force the attacker to move across them. They are like a anti tank trap for attacking troops. Wait till they cross them, then move into close range when they get on the other side. 
5. Never put artillery on rough or difficult terrain (eg on a steep hill). 
6. When making my own hills, make the slope gradual enough to sit figures on and not fall over. 
7. When making my own hills, draw a line or have a small angle to represent the crest. 
8. Use a forest instead if needed instead of a steep hill.
9. If flanking, get a 2nd road to deploy the armies line of communication on.
10.  If I use envelope, deploy close to the edge. The flanking units will always take too long to arrive.
11. Don't use envelope. I'd need need more units that I cannot afford. 
12. Provisional defence with units behind hills and strong points is a better mission for my army.
13. Having 4 divisions did not help much. Compress 2 of the infantry divisions to 1. 
14. Having a 3rd cavalry unit as a reserve only works AS a reserve if they can make their cohesion roll. Make it a veteran unit.  
15. British Dragoons are really good. 
16. The 95th Rifles and Guards units are really good at attacking towns. Use them for this.

Why do British Cavalry suck : The Waterloo Association > History > Regiments > British Cavalry

The Waterloo Association > History > Regiments > British Cavalry

This goes into a LOT of detail on why the British Cavalry is IMPETUOUS. 

Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, was an unyielding taskmaster who demanded absolute obedience from those men under his military command. He trusted or relied on few officers, instead preferring to do much of the staff work himself....

....Yet, one branch of the army consistently disregarded Wellington’s enforced discipline: the cavalry. During the time of England’s conflict with Napoleon, 1803-1815, the British cavalry exhibited a fatal propensity for abandoning all purpose and formation during a charge and running themselves into unnecessary defeats. Six charges, at Vimeiro, Talavera, Badajoz, Fuentes de Onoro, Maguilla and Waterloo became as many misfortunate episodes. These maddening rushes have been called ‘the curse of of the British cavalry during the war.’

  What the French said:

It is ironic that the most penetrating appraisal of the British cavalry was offered by a Frenchman, Marshal Exelmans, who was Murat’s chief-of-staff in Spain and his Master- of-the-Horse. He wrote:

“Your horses are the finest in the world, and your men ride better than any continental soldiers; with such materials, the English cavalry ought to have done more than has evert been accomplished by them on the field of battle. The great deficiency is in your officers, who have nothing to recommend them but their dash and sitting well in their saddles; indeed, as far as my experience goes, your English generals have never understood the use of cavalry. The British officer seems to be impressed with the conviction that he can dash and ride over everything, as if the art of war were precisely the same as fox hunting”

 

.

What do I do with my Light Dragoons?

I have a small unit of average impetuous Light Dragoons, but I can't decide what to attach to them.

With the points available, I can do the following:

• Make the unit a large unit
• Make them a superior unit 
• Make it a veteran unit that is no longer Impetuous
• Add a brigade commander
• Add an Artillery battery detachment 
• Add a brigade commander or artillery unit to an infantry unit or cavalry unit

Tactically, the unit can be used in multiple ways:

• As a direct charging unit working with the paired Shock Heavy Dragoons 
• As a superior unit better in combat
• As a veteran unit better able to act independently and make cohesion checks
• As a unit lead by a commander that makes it better ijn combat and better cohesion checks (though not as good as a veteran unit)
• As a unit able to stand off from infantry in square and shoot them with the attached artillery
• Add a brigade commander and use it optionally away from the rest of the division (On the other flank of the army for example)
• Use the points elsewhere

What to choose? 

A new model army, following the latest disaster

After working on my army, I have added two more units, and gone back to an original idea I had.



I've added Spanish Guerrillas, the Loyal Lusitanian Legion and a Royal Artillery brigade (and removed one of the 95th Rifle Brigades). Had to downgrade the Light Dragoons to Average, This makes it much more colourful!

It's only missing a Portuguese Militia and Redoubt, but I can only get if I downgrade Wellington to a Competent commander :(