Charging rules

[Liebchen]

The defending units must not consist entirely of Infantry in Square formation with Leaders and/or Cavalry. However, if only Skirmishers, Artillery, and Supply Wagons occupy the defending hex with Infantry in Square, then the charge is negated.

This is a confusing sentence. Why not simply say that there is no charging melee bonus when attacking a hex with an infantry unit in a square, even if there is also a Leader, a Cavalry unit, Skirmishers, Artillery, or Supply Wagons in the hex. Or does it mean something else?

Is it also saying that there is no charging melee bonus when attacking a hex with a Cavalry unit in it? If so, is this linked to the presence of the infantry in a square?

[Liebchen]

Wow. 54 views and no one has any ideas what the rules on charging are? :conf:

[Xaver]

I think it refer if you have a btl in line or column with a btl in square enemy cavalry in charge has the bonus (20% no???) because i think have 2 units in the same hex with different formations simulates desorganitation and made easy the charge..... or not :whis:

If you read only non combat units and skirmis with btl in square dont interfer in defense.

[jonnymacbrown]

You only get the 3x bonus against infantry & artillery. If a Cav unit is in an infantry square both would be disordered and you'd get the charge bonus. Cav against cav is 1 to 1, no bonus except other bonuses might apply like heavy cavalry bonus. I think you also get a charge bonus, so lancers or heavy cavalry vs. cavalry would get a +2 and +3 if the defenders were lancers. There are some problems with HPS rules. For example, some players choose to put artillery batteries in squares which serve as anti-cavalry firing platforms. This is ahistorical and against the spirit of the rules. I'd make sure there was some agreement that this is inappropriate: The artillery make take protection in an infantry square but not fire out of it, methinks. Jonny

[jonnymacbrown]

You want to play with the multiple cavalry melee rule ON. This mean that when a cavalry stack attacks in melee, it may continue to charge until it either; a) loses a melee or b) runs out of movement points as it may charge up to the full MPs it has or c) you decide to stop it which is difficult for most players to do, which is why/////!!!! You should always have cavalry ready to counter -attack as the enemy cavalry will almost always be overextended. This is what happened with the famous charge of the British heavy cavalry @ Waterloo when they overextended and were destroyed by a French counter-attack, something that can happen often in these games.
:hissy:

Also, you want to attack enemy cavalry with a charge. You don't get the 3x bonus as against infantry/arty, but if you win the melee, you may continue the charge and keep pounding your defeated opponent until you run out of MPs, or hit the now disordered enemy cavalry with a fresh stack of lancers. POW! :smoke:

The multiple infantry melee rule should be OFF as Napoleonic infantry generally did not have the capability or wherewithal to charge, as it was tough enough to get those fellows into line formation to shoot, much less wade through a series of enemy battalions with fanatical charges.

Also massed cavalry actions can be very effective. Even though you may melee an infantry unit only once, what often happens is that the enemy infantry is forced back into a hex containing an infantry unit that has not been meleed. Best of all, is when an enemy line formation is forced back into an enemy column disordering both (or vice-versa), and you are able to hit them with a fresh stack of heavy/lancers. In the end the trick is to learn to show some restraint and halt the charge before it becomes overextended, which sad to say, is almost humanly impossible. Jonny