Confused on game mechanics

[BigDuke66]

Well either it's a simple leftover of the way the modifiers are applied or it was done on purpose.

The way the modifiers are applied seems to swings from being a benefit for the attacker to being a benefit for the defender.
- For example, an attack from the flank and the front shows the +40% modifier, that these +40% are applied to the complete melee attack although attacks from the front shouldn't get this bonus is a benefit for the attacker.
- Another example are the hexsides, here the biggest modifier is applied, that means if a unit is attacked from multiple directions and just a single attacker has a bad hexside like a wall all attacking units will suffer that hexside modifier, that is a benefit for the defender.


If it was done on purpose it could be because the skirmisher fire harasses the attacker and reduces the visibility what may lead to the attacker not hitting the defender correctly. That lesses the impact of such a flank attack and may enable the defender to react to it by allowing some companies to face to the attacker. Skirmishers were just there for protecting the flanks of formed units be it on the defence or the attack, it was mandatory to use them back then.


The flank advantage is still there because one has to see the disadvantages of the defender:
1. There are normal units that are restricted or Militia units that can't deploy skirmishers at all and so are unable to protect their flanks.
2. A melee, even if unsuccessful, will disorder the defending units and by that make it impossible to deploy or recall skirmishers.
3. Skirmishers stacked with a defending battalion likely take casualties at a normal rate and not at 1/5 like they would get if the target hex would have a stacking of below 1/8 of the maximum stacking limit. More casualties make a rout more likely.
4. Besides the higher casualties skirmishers are generally more likely to rout away as they get 1 point less for moral checks.
5. Skirmishers of none light/guard units can only recover from disorder & rout if being within 5 hex of the parent unit, so if the skirmishers routed beyond these 5 hex limit it will not recover unless being able to get in range of the parent unit. But routed units usually can't move towards the enemy so the parent unit has to fall back or the skirmishers are out of battle.

Overall the short term gain of denying the +40% flank bonus comes with a lot disadvantages and usually it's more wise to establish skirmishers ahead of the formed units so that in case of a rout the skirmishers end up within 5 hexes of the parent unit and so are able to recover from rout & disorder.



Personally I hope the skirmishers get some more fine tuning as they are a great tactical tool and interesting component in these battles.