Help - line or column

[phoenix]

What do the experts do?  Melee in line or column?  Face a melee in line or column?  Or doesn't it matter?
In my experiments I think I've noticed that, with equal forces etc, the odds for the melee appear to be roughly the same whether you're in line or column.  But I've noticed in my games that almost everyone tries to melee and faces an attack in column. Anyone have any conclusive wisdom? hanks.

[Xaver]

Assault in column allways because you have column bonus (EXCEPT you are in a nation with no advantage here, are nations like UK lacking this bonus, they do the same assaulting in column or in line) and assaulting in column you are going to be after assault in next turn in a more versatile formation to deal with enemy counterattacks... at the price be more vulnerable VS enemy fire because you have a poor firepower option in column or line (assault means be disrupted next turn and you CANT change formation in disrupted formations).

But except in early war (RBR for example) in the firecombat part UK units (and sometimes other specific units like portuguese units) have extras on this area like stronger fire weapon and the 2nd rank line fire ability that increase their firepower compared with other units (better weapon+a bonus to firepower)

In defense usually column is stronger if you are in open to repel enemy assaults because is less common see your units in routed situation (i find line units maybe break more compared with column units BUT maybe is only my impresion)... apart this, if you are in a defensive melee next turn if you are lucky only have your unit in disrupted status this means you cant change formation and being in line means a practically static unit (line+disrupted).

In close terrain line could benefict from terrain bonus and is better be in line because you have more defensive firepower but like in open you cant change formation and your evade options are 0 because you have less mobility in non open terrain.

In general best is a mix in defense to be ready to counter using column formations, in attack line means expose more time to enemy arty and you have the risk of disrupt unit when move to the enemy... but column increase the effect of enemy firepower over your attacking units and could be very nasty with bateries of 4-6 guns at point blank.

[phoenix]

Thanks Xaver. When you say - 'except early war (eg RBR)' what do you mean? I'm playing mostly RBR a the moment. You mean there's no bonus in attacking in column or line for RBR units, either French or Coalition?

There is always the movement effect following the attack and the consequent disorder - good point and I understand that, but as far as attacking and defending the melee goes, it makes no difference for RBR units?

[Xaver]

Not in all scens british troops have the "2nd rank line" status, with right click you see the unit armament+any extra bonus (like the rusian troops fanatical +2), i cant see now the games but i have in mind that british lack the ability in some titles... now i doubt if is based in early time or in the british invasion scens in Austerlitz for the militia units (i think no more militia units for british in nap serie).

In melee i think is in the manual where point that non british unit have a +25% bonus in melee when attack in column, this means british have same melee value in column or in line, no bonus like continental armies (i imagine that portuguese units have the +25% bonus because they are a diferent nation and i dont remember they suffer the british lack of bonus).

I dont see diferences in RBR, in the end the core of scens cover Austria VS France and in general they are very similar (well, some austrian units have rifles instead muskets), the diference is when you face british units or similar where the firepower of infantry is more noticiable in defense... and in melee the in general better quality for british units compensante the lack of bonus when face french regular units (legere are more dangerous because are usually B, not C).