Mixed order in HPS NC

[jonnymacbrown]

"So they send infantry instead. Fine. Artillery greets them on the way in. When they get close enough to melee the guns, you can limber and withdraw them. If you need to buy time for this, the skirmish line can briefly step off the crest down the front slope to hold off the enemy long enough for the guns to pull out."

This sort of defense worked very well in Wellington's Victory and I'm sure in miniatures as well. However in HPS it is a sure recipe for disaster: In HPS you always need to deploy infantry in front of your guns to protect them; not only from cavalry which you can usually see coming, but from the far more dangerous infantry in column which can move their full movement allowance and then melee. If your guns are in front they are soon done for; destroyed by waves of infantry in column which can, panzer style, blow a hole in any skirmish line and then melee and take the guns. Remember in HPS Napoleonic games, every army is a cavalry army: There are units that are nominally infantry but they may function as cavalry and in fact are actually much more dangerous than cavalry, as they can move and assault on the same turn, and when they are A rated Garde your guns are done for. jonny :hissy:

[JasonC]

Another reason that HPS blows chunks compared to the older Battleground series, let alone the SPI games they all descend from.

Why play stupidly broken games when the unbroken originals are available?

[FM WarB]

Artillery was if anything more vulnerable in Talonsoft games. With no automatic defensive fire while the enemy moved, it got only one crack before *poof they're gone* the guns were lost in melee.

[jonnymacbrown]

"Artillery was if anything more vulnerable in Talonsoft games. With no automatic defensive fire while the enemy moved, it got only one crack before *poof they're gone* the guns were lost in melee."

Agreed. BG was much worse. HPS made some improvements. But as we went over in previous posts, the only fix is to adopt a system similar to F14 which would eliminate rapid road column infantry attacks and other rapid fire/assault movements. jonny

[bwv]

how much is this an issue in HPS's Civil War games? (not having played them)

[jonnymacbrown]

"how much is this an issue in HPS's Civil War games? (not having played them)"

Not an issue at all. Cavalry may charge but rarely do on account of being slaughtered. The movement and pace of the ACW games is really good, and you have to use era tactics to be successful. They are really good, adapted from John Tiller's original CW games developed for BG series. If you are into ACW this is the place to go! jonny

[bwv]

Found these rules, which require some honesty, but would eliminate the chained melee attacks that are at the core of the blitzkrieg style

http://nap.phxsim.com/articles/house_rules/moe3.html

M - MELEE
M.1 All melée combat takes place in an Embedded Melée Phase within the player turn. The player may move and/or fire as many units as he wishes, setting up his melée combats for the turn. He then executes ALL melée combats. He may then move and/or fire any units still eligible to do so, but may not conduct any further melée combat for the remainder of the turn.
M.2 Melée attacks against skirmishers (if numbering less than 100), wagons, and/or leaders may be conducted at any time during the turn. Overruns by charging cavalry can occur BEFORE the embedded melee phase.
M.3 Charging cavalry may still melée multiple hexes in one turn, but the first two of these melées must take place within the embedded Melée Phase. For example, charging cavalry MUST initiate their first melee within the melee phase. It may then attack a second hex BEFORE melees involving other units are initiated. In other words, charging cavalry can conduct two (2) melees BEFORE all other melees are conducted. This allows cavalry an opportunity (though limited) to penetrate and cut off retreat routes. AFTER all other melees are done, then charging cavalry can undertake their third and fourth melees if they desire. After the initial melee, attacking cavalry can move through clear terrain, overrun skirmishers, artillery, and wagons without restriction. These actions do not count as melees. Cavalry intending to conduct such melée attacks must, obviously, charge BEFORE the embedded Melée Phase.