Committing The Guard?

[Capt Cliff]

As the French and during battles will there be a button to select when to commit the Guard? I believe the board game allowed this, I have not played in years and the game is boxed up in storage.

[Marshall Ellis]

Yes you can!

There will actually be two buttons, one for a level 1 shift and one for a level two shift!

Thank you

[donkuchi19]

If I remember correctly, only the French and Russians could make a two level shift. Is this correct and is it correctly implemented in the game?

[ardilla]

Yes, only Russians and Frenchs guard factors (more than one factor) are able to commit with +2 level of moral, with one point they will attempt only +1.

Spanish and British are not allowed to commit and Turkish neither, since they do not have guard points....

Regards.

[donkuchi19]

Just a bump because no one answered the question about French and Russian Guards being the only ones able to use the level 2 shift.

Anyone know?

[YohanTM2]

Ardilla's comments above your last inquiry are correct. We have to assume at this point that they will be implemented correctly but I have not heard otherwise.

[Black Hat]

If I remember correctly,

French +1 or +2 20gd/3cav Factors
Russian +1 or +2 12gd/2cav
Prussian +1 only 8gd/1cav
Austrian +1 only 5gd/1cav, But they have TWO "guard" Units

UK and Espania have 2gd factors in thier I corp

[ktotwf]

I am interested in this. Could someone better explain what "Committing the Guard" does, and how large of an effect this has on a battle?

How often does this usually happen?

[eg0master]

Commiting the guard means a few extra (0-2 for +1 or 1-4 for +2) guard factors are lost but instead you get a +1 or +2 morale "modifier".

Depending on what strategies where choosen for the field combat a +1 morale shift means something like 0.2-0.5 extra morale loss. +2 means 0.5-1.0 (approximatly). This extra morale loss can ensure victory. If victory is not certain and the opponent does not break, the side comitting the guard breaks if the comitment fail to bring the player to victory.

So this is not used often. My experience is that it is used to ensure victory the same day (to avoid an other day of combat) when the opponent is close to break. And often players don't like to loose their guards "this easy" and rather save them for later to improve overall morale. So only in important field battles, possible where you are the waeker part and had a lucky break choosing strategy (and you don't want another day of battle).

So what can it be? I have seen guards commited maybe once every 2 or 3 years in the game. BUT the possibility is checked in EVERY battle including guards.

Hope you feel a little more educated by that... [;)]

[ktotwf]

So you automatically lose the Guard points? Can you build them like normal units?

[Roads]

yes. But they cost more.

[eg0master]

Well it is not 100% you lose guards if you do a +1 shift (33% you don't I think it is), but yes, statistically you lose a few guard factors and they cost more to build and take longer to build.

And they increase your morale since they have the highest morale of all units (5) where infantry typically have 3 (4 for france and 4.5 for britain).

[Madcombinepilot]

My experience is that it is used to ensure victory the same day (to avoid an other day of combat) when the opponent is close to break.

Or you guards are used for the exact opposit. You will often see a Guard committal when you KNOW that your army is going to break, and it improves your chances of breaking you opponents army as well thus avoiding the situation where you lose politcal points. In tabletop EIA, I commit the guards in about 1/2 my battles where they are present -- Austrans with 2 guard corps can burn through those guys at an alarming rate---

The game is all about converting money and manpower into politcal points (hence victory points) by any means possible.

[Pippin]

And they increase your morale since they have the highest morale of all units (5) where infantry typically have 3 (4 for france and 4.5 for britain).

Maybe it's just the way I play, but I noticed the increased moral with guards is almost barely noticable even in small stacks. Note: I am not talking about commiting the guard here either.

[ardilla]

Well Pippin, if you are used to play with FR or GB maybe not....but with other countries I can tell you it does a lot the guard!!! [;)]

You can simulate with Spain, Austria, Prussia and Russia!!!

It is a big deal since most of the battles are won by morale or at least drawn.

IMO and experience in the game.

[ian77]

ORIGINAL: Pippin

And they increase your morale since they have the highest morale of all units (5) where infantry typically have 3 (4 for france and 4.5 for britain).

Maybe it's just the way I play, but I noticed the increased moral with guards is almost barely noticable even in small stacks. Note: I am not talking about commiting the guard here either.

There is a big difference between an Austrian or Prussian corps with and without guard factors. Yes, to GB with inf at 4.5 moral the difference is minimal, but when your inf starts at 3 you need every fractional increase you can get to keep your troops fighting in a long battle.

[ktotwf]

So, does having the guard automatically give you a morale bonus, and then Committing them actually gives you a much bigger bonus?

[carnifex]

having the guard in your force raises your overall morale, since guard troops usually have the highest morale

comitting them means you increase the damage you do during combat

[yammahoper]

I often commit the guard when playing. I always look at the battle table and see if a shift on the morale column will insure a break or if a descent roll will if I should commit the guard. Also, on rounds I know I am going to break, I have also commited the guard hoping to break my enemy too.

EiA battle table is a cross index. On one side of the index is five rows for "casualties". On the other side is five rows for "morale". If a fight starts on the 2-3 table, you go to row number 2 on the casualty side and row number 3 on the moral side. Attacks are rolled on a d6 and can result from -1 to +7. Now, imagoine you are the Russian fighting the Turk and all you face are fudal corps, which all have a 2.0 morale. You choose Assualt and the Turk choose Outflank. The first day of battle you fight on the 2-3 table as the russian, while the Turk fights on the 2-1. Looking at the 2-3, you notice that you will do 2.0 morale damage to the turk if you roll a five or better. However, the 2-5 table does 2.1 morale dage on a THREE or better on a d6. Often, the turk has big numbers, and to make matters worse, if he successfully outflanks you, he will roll on the 4-4 table for the next two days of battle and you will be on the 3-1 table. If this occurs and you roll average, you will loose the fight and face pursuit by a lot of fudal cav. Knowing this, you may opt to commit the guard for a two colum shift on the first day, risking the battle in an all or nothing gambit. If you roll well, great, but if you fail you will be torn up by cav pursuit...on the other hand, since you auto break, you do not have to face those two days on the 4-4 table!

Guard commitment can be done for lots of reasons. In the above example, if the outflanking force had very little or no cav, commiting the guard is an even better gamble as it guarentees you will save 8 to 15 factors (or more as troops used to outflank are doubled in number for figuring casualties suffered!) in troops should you be outflanked. One of the very real weaknesses of the Brits, Spanish and Turk is they cannot commit guard, a fact that has haunted me many times playing the Brits.

yamma

[Ozie]

Marshall

How is committing the guard and every other order given in the middle of the turn handeled in multi-player?