We can talk a little

[Hard Sarge]

ORIGINAL: marecone

Ok. New one.
What about artillery? Types? What about canister shots? Is artillery imortant in the game or so so? Let say in Frank Hunter's excellent game that was one of the errors. Artillery didn't mean s*hit [;)]
Thanks

P.S. Artillery commanders? Is artillery part of the brigade or do you have batteries like independant forces?

Yes and No

the closer you are to the target the more damage you got a chance to do, one hex range is MURDER

but, the closer you are, the better chance you have of takeing return fire, and nothing worse then finally getting your Arty to bear then to see if drop it's tail between it's legs and run away (if it can)

you can build a Arty Bde, you can also have Arty Attached to a Bde, there is also Horse Arty for Cav units

you can also, force feed a Inf Bde into becomeing a Arty Bde by placeing two Arty attachments to it, but to takes a very nasty hit to morale and skill (that one is a catch 22 deal, if you need it and got the resources, you can have Arty, but if anyone shoots at them, they running away)

not really sure if we would call them Arty Commanders, but a General with a Arty unit, or Inf with arty attached, will give a combat bonus (if the General has a bonus to give)

but over all, I would say, to make sure your arty has a leader, it helps it move and it helps it fire and it helps it to stand in place

it is nasty, but it is tricky too, and it can be HARD to bring into action

there are counters to Arty also, there are troops who have a Blasted skill, meaning they get a bonus when they charge Arty (that one scares me just thinking about it)

also Sharpshooters get a bonus when firing at Arty

best part is Arty can be captured and become yours !!!
Cav you just get the Horses, Inf, the enemy loses the troops

Gun models, lots and different, if I got everything I can get, I like Withworths, but have been known to run around with a few 24 pound Hows(deadly at close range) the 6 pound gun is the deflaut
the 12 pound gun and 12 pound How are decent run of the mill types if low on resources

there are good long range guns, and good close range ones, depends on your style or what you can afford at the time

there is also Arty for Forts you can buy (siege combat, not detailed)

also Forts have some upgrades you can buy for them just like the combat units

[Hard Sarge]

there are also different upgrades that can be reseached, that effect Arty, either cost and build time or damage done

Arty is Importent, but you can win battles with out it and you can lose battles with it

so it is still up to the commander

[marecone]

Very informative Hard Sarge [&o] Thank you

[marecone]

One question about my favorites. Cavalry. Can cavalry forces fight dismounted? If they charge infantry I presume they take heavy losses. Correct?
And what special commanding ability does Forrest have?
Thanks in advance.

[Hard Sarge]

Cav

yes, the idea is they ride towards battle and then dismount and fire, which basicly in the game works out you ride in column to where you want to go, and then form a line and then fire, of course, since they are Cav they normally can move more then Inf can (give them Good Horses and they can move more, but good Horses cost Horses)

one reseach you can gain is Dragoon Tactics, which allow you to still have part of your turn left after you fire, so a Cav could move a few hexes, form a line, fire, form a column and then move away

one thing nice is they can move to the flanks or rear and then get a "good" shot in, but you can not move next to a unit and form a line (well, you can, but the odds go way down on doing so) so that cuts down on how much you can move around

Cav with Dragoon Tactics can also do a another round of fire combat, which if armed with Spencers or Sharps can be very nasty, but also can make you run out of Ammo in a hurry

most Cav weapons, while they can fire from 2 hexes away, are not too swift, most are better in close

chargeing is very dangerous, it can really hurt the bad guys, but it also has a chance to really hurt you also, Inf and Cav can both charge

for me, I try to stay away from it as much as I can, I believe in the magic of fire power

but, if done with care and timing, a good charge can really change a battle around (which of course, a bad charge can really ruin you day)

Forrest ?
to be honest, I think I would have to say, I have either never seen him, or when I did get him, I didn't get a chance to use him

(remember as a tester, I run my turns and my battles, report what I see, and pretty soon there is a new and improved model sitting there, and so, a new game starts, I have only had the time to win one game so far (LOL, should I show my Victory Screen ?) I had one weekend, where I played all (err tested) day and when I was totally crossed eye and ready for bed, went to post my remarks and then seen that a new verison was ready, downloaded and then began again)

[Hard Sarge]

Spruce

you can set up a line, but you can not double stack units

what is a little different in this game then most others is the front hex is the front (facing hex) the two hexes to the side also face front but count as a simi flank, then the next two are simi rear flank, with the last hex being Rear

so you can not really set up a all forward faceing line, any unit can still get a simi flanked attack made vs it

now for what you were asking, you can get a long range rifle unit and place it behind the arty, which can fire though the arty unit to anything coming close to it

or when you get the inderict fire reseached, you can then place the arty behind a unit in front of it (I think Hows have this to start with)

(get a troop, armed with Spencers and attached Gatlings guns, with a decent Arty sitting behind it, and it is a bear to knock out)

unless the line is really dug in good, it is easy to break up a line

[Oldguard]

ORIGINAL: Hard Sarge

but, if done with care and timing, a good charge can really change a battle around (which of course, a bad charge can really ruin you day)

Any cavalry commander in history would agree with you -- the success of a charge is always going to depend on one thing: timing. When the enemy's will to fight is hovering in the balance, cavalry is the breeze that blows it over.

[*Lava*]

ORIGINAL: Oldguard

ORIGINAL: Hard Sarge

but, if done with care and timing, a good charge can really change a battle around (which of course, a bad charge can really ruin you day)

Any cavalry commander in history would agree with you -- the success of a charge is always going to depend on one thing: timing. When the enemy's will to fight is hovering in the balance, cavalry is the breeze that blows it over.

Cavalry played a critical role in the ACW, but it wasn't by charging in battles.

The confederate cavalry ruled the battlefield for the first two years and were thus able to give Lee a significant advantage over his federal adversaries because of their ability to scout and screen. Thereafter, as the Union cavalry grew in both strenght and proficiency, the tide began to turn in the east.

I hope this is somehow a part of the game.

Ray (alias Lava)

[Oldguard]

ORIGINAL: Lava

Cavalry played a critical role in the ACW, but it wasn't by charging in battles.

I hope I didn't give the impression that it was. The fact is that the ACW was dominated by the defense and the defensive position. The difference between the Napoleonic wars and the ACW was one thing: the growth of firepower. However, all that is not to say that a unit which has been badly shaken in morale which is caught in flank or rear by a strong cavalry charge could not be routed - in theory it should still be possible.

The confederate cavalry ruled the battlefield for the first two years and were thus able to give Lee a significant advantage over his federal adversaries because of their ability to scout and screen. Thereafter, as the Union cavalry grew in both strenght and proficiency, the tide began to turn in the east.

I hope this is somehow a part of the game.

I gather that it is. I've been asking about AI functionality with this in mind - if the AI must cope with the fog of war as well as the human player, then as you note the cavalry functions of scouting/screening will play their appropriate part. And the side that doesn't use its cavalary correctly will find itself outflanked and outmaneuvered. Justly so.

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: Lava

The confederate cavalry ruled the battlefield for the first two years and were thus able to give Lee a significant advantage over his federal adversaries because of their ability to scout and screen. Thereafter, as the Union cavalry grew in both strenght and proficiency, the tide began to turn in the east.

I hope this is somehow a part of the game.

Ray (alias Lava)

Scouting and screening are two of the ways cavalry can be used. The CSA has a cavalry advantage in the game, which means more opportunities to do both, and the superior quality of many CSA cavalry units also gives an advantage.