Matrix Games Forums

I’m seeing discrepancies in the detailed combat report results. The following is based on my understanding that all committed units should get a shot in combat if they are undamaged and there are enemy targets remaining.

Per 4.1.1 (on the combat report): “Then it shows the number of units for each side that were actually committed to the battle”.

In a Union attack on New Kent (which had a fort), the report showed US 6 INF, 1 Arty, 1 Cruiser, 1 Gunship and Confederate 4 Militia committed to the battle. Both sides had an Army commander in the attack. There were no Union units hit in the combat and 3 Conf Militia destroyed. The Union lost the battle and had to retreat.

1) Since (per my understanding) only committed units are considered in retreat calculations, how could 6 INF and 1 Arty ever be deemed the losing side and have to retreat from 1 Militia (even if in a fort). There were several uncommitted Conf Inf/Mil in the region, and all units were supplied.

2) Only 3 of the 6 committed Union Inf had a shot in the combat. Why didn't they the other 3 fire?

I do not have a save of the above since the next combat clears that report but I double checked that my description is accurate.

In trying to duplicate the result, I noticed several battles where not all indicated committed Union Inf are given a shot in combat.

If the combat is happening the way I think it is, the targets are picked before the shots are fired, and once a militia unit is damaged, all units that were going to shoot at it won't fire. That's to be expected by the way the system works, although we may not have described that in the manual. As for the Union loss, it does sound odd. What were the combat numbers listed in the e key report and the odds. The fort can offset the fact that the units were damaged, and if the leaders were of vastly different quality, then the CSA could win. I'd need to see the details or a save to know for sure. The manual lists how the odds numbers for retreat purposes are calculated.

Thanks for the response. It explains why the 3 US INF didn’t fire.

However, either the combat report info was in error or the retreat mechanics weren’t followed.

Per 10.1.4 on combat resolution:
The 6 undamaged, supplied US INF have a base combat value of 48. Since none of the other modifying factors are negative, there is no combination of factors the sole surviving Conf militia could have added to its 6 base value to best 48.

The South should have retreated.


The e key report was:

Attacker Combat Odds 0.94 (66 to 70).

Beauregard wins a Major victory.

CSA losses: Men 2520 guns,ships zero

USA losses: Men 440 guns,ships zero

Army commanders were McDowell and Beauregard.


This occurred in a Union AI game; is there a way to save the game during the AI turn before the combat report is cleared in the next battle?

Each militia unit could have the following added to it:

Rnd(12) for AC Leader
1-4 for Unit Commander
Die(10) for fort
2xentrenchment level

In addition, the 3 damaged militia and 1 undamaged militia are worth 15 points. Let's say there was a 3 defense leader and 2 units were entrenched at level 1, with average luck, the defender would have:

60 points added to the 15 or would end up with 75 points. So this result is very possible. I'm not sure there was a bug here, I'd really have to see the battle to know for sure.

You can use the replay to view the detailed combat report if that's what you're asking.

Again per 10.1.4:

"Only committed units that were not destroyed count...."

The 3 Conf militia casualties were destroyed (since they're one hit units), not damaged. The math doesn't work if applied to only 1 Conf militia.

What I was asking was if it was possible to break into an AI combat execution phase to save the game, since a combat result of interest will be cleared if not the last one performed in the AI phase

No, militia units are not considered destroyed, but only damaged (half thier population returns to the pop pool). So they actually do count in retreat calcuations. Sorry if this is not clear in the manual.

As for clearing the combat results, I'm not sure what you are saying is being cleared. There is the info in the e key reports that are not cleared, and there is the ability to run the replay and see the detailed combat report screen (the small combat report window comes up and you can click on the button on it to show the detailed report screen), so there is no info that is cleared by my understanding.

[font="times new roman"]I see now in the manual where militia with one hit are defined as damaged, not destroyed.  The subject outcome was indeed possible.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Sorry for the false alarm. I’ll remember to research the manual more thoroughly before posting.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]And I got an abject lesson on the value of fortifications. There will for sure be an increase in the Southern fort building supply budget allotment next game..[/font]