Matrix Games Forums

In a detailed battle both the defender and attacker are given scores reflecting their "Will to Fight" (WtF). I was in the following situation:

Human: Union
Computer: Confederate
Senerio: Coming Fury (not balanced)
Union: +3
Confederate: -3
Advaned rules but without generals or governors; No time limit

Detailed Battle: Fredricksberg, Turn 1
Equal Numbers: approx 30,000
time limit for battle: Four days

I knew that I would lose this battle because of the defender bonus and quality diffference. I lined my troops up between two rivers, thus securing the flanks. At best, I would inflict causalties before retreating. At worst, no causalties and no major battle. The latter occurred. the Confederates did not approach my position and there were no causalties.

CONFUSION: As I watched the time pass, I noticed that the defender's WtF slowly decreased. It was down to 2 by the middle of day four. I do not understand the reason for this fall. Not only had the Union fordces been without loss, the Confederates never even appeared within sight. This confused me as the Confederates, defenders, would have won the battle after four days. The WtF has a major influence on the tactical performance of units during the battle. Why did unharmed troops lose their "Will to Fight" without ever having seen the enemy?

Please help me understand.

Rules are that an attacking side lose 2 WTF per day of battle. i suppose to make an attacker actual attack and show the general lose of momentom of offensive moves in general. Think the minus 2 is done on the first night turn or is it the midnight turn, i ferget.

Trick of the trade is that u can retreat from HW assuming the enemy isnt near to POW any of ur units and the retreat is "free" unlike retreats from QC/IB thats carries a POW chance for each unit retreating.

Hope it helps,

Rasmus

Thank you very much.  I do not like it, but can accept the rule.  Please help again with POW, what does it stand for.  My retreat was not absolutely free, the Union lost a victory point.  Again, thanks.
 

POW= prisnor of war or captured troops.

I mean free, in that u dont take any casulties for retreating per say from HW/DC unlike instant or quick combat where if/when u retreat there is a chance that a unit will spontanious surrender. To show pursuits.

In HW/DC its protrayed in battle as u can surrounder and capture enemy bde's, but if u have no contact with the enemy then chance of that is ofc remote. U will still lose VP for lost battles.

Hope it helps,

Rasmus

As you have been so kind as to answer my questions, I have another.  When is a unit surrounded?  To wit:  faced by two enemy units on opposite hexes, 180 degrees apart, three units, four, six. My impression is that to be surrounded a unit cannot have access to any open hex.  Thanks.

Yes, must be completely surrounded. Once the enemy "sounds the retreat", you can block it in with anything, including supply wagons. Also, when you see that you are pretty close to the enemy having "negative" will to fight, start shifting your units back to column mode for the pursuit that you will want to initiate. You can even use units that are out of supply in this "pursuit" phase. You want to surround and cause the surrender of as many enemy units as possible to prevent them from being remanned and returned against you.

Sometimes in battle a very battered enemy unit may surrender even when not fully surrounded but that is very rare so best to play safe and go for all 6 hexes. Impassable terrain is also very useful for achieving surrenders with fewer own units. Nothing better than to pin routing enemy units against a lake or a mountain - pure heaven if its a mountainous valley where the passes can be blocked at either end.

You can even use surrendered enemy units to block escape routes but that is very risky - unless there is nothing else available - as there is a 50% chance of them disappearing from play each turn.