New Leipzig PBEM AAR

[milrevko]

In reply to you comments about skirmishers.

In open terrain a battalion of 700 men would walk through the skirmishers, it would not fight, it would not shoot, it would walk and it really would not even slow its pace. It really is that simple and straightforward. Line units walked trough skirmishers units (and most likely the skirmishers of the line unit advancing would be out there slug'n it out with charlie) That is history of skirmishers on the Napoleonic battlefield.

In terms of the game a 70 man skirmisher would be spread out over and in the depth of a 100 yard hex (there is no way for 70 men evenly and in depth to impede a 700 man compact formation marching in step), they were not little line units, they were general order formations formed out of the better men of a battalion to operate in front of the battalion as a picket line and to keep other skirmishers away. And, yes occasionally the skirmishers would cause losses and those losses would cause a moral check and that moral check would cause even a rout. It did an does happen but what did not happen was a skirmisher impeding the movement of a formed line unit in open terrain (side note: a 700 man french battalion of mine of "C" or "B" moral took, I don't remember if it was skirmisher fire and that fire caused a 2% loss to the unit, that unit then proceeded to rout off the map for all intent and purpose, that is the 1% of the time when things get crazy)

The skirmishers would take pot shots, they would pick off the outliers and woo whoo shoot and officer that got to far out. They did not stop a formed battalion of 700 men from marching there full movement(within reason) or cause them to move only a 100 yards in ten minutes or 15 minutes (what ever the game turn is).

People who do not read about napoleonic battles see the skirmishers units and think wow this is great, I can put out a 70 man skirmisher unit in clear and stop 700 man formed unit from advancing more then one hex.

Yes, some were trained to operate away from and independently from line units, but we are talking about 5% est. of all skirmishers and yes, they are great in woods, towns and chateaus which was historical.

Yes, I also know what the designers try and failed to do with the rules about moral and disruption for skirmishers but they trapped themselfs, people wanted the totally unhistorical commando squads, intelligence gathers, mini-line type operators and would throw a fit if they could not use skirmishers as such...