French Infantry Corps D'Armee 1809

[MatthewP]

Just trying to put together my first French army and this is my sorry attempt so far. One aggressive infantry division with the better quality foot, supported by the cavalry division, and one defensive division with the conscripts and the artillery. 13 units, 5 attachments.
Does it look viable? I havent played yet so it's difficult to establish a sense of balance.

Any comments appreciated.
Thanks

Matthew


France and Central Europe

1 Corps Commander skilled
4 French Light Infantry Light Infantry Average Drilled
6 French Line Infantry Line Infantry Average Drilled
6 French Line Infantry Line Infantry Average Drilled
4 French Line Infantry Line Infantry Average Veteran
4 French Light Infantry Light Infantry Average Drilled
4 Hussars Light Cavalry Average Drilled
1 Officers Attachemnt
1 Sirmishers Attachment

1 Divisional Commanders Competent
4 Dragoons Heavy Cavalry Average Veteran
4 Chasseurs a Cheval Light Cavalry Average Drilled
2 6pdr Horse Artillery Horse Artillery Average Drilled
1 Heavy Artillery Attachment

1 Divisional Commanders Competent
6 French Line Infantry Line Infantry Average Conscript
6 French Line Infantry Line Infantry Average Conscript
4 French Line Infantry Line Infantry Average Drilled
3 8pdr Field Guns Medium Artillery Average Drilled
1 Heavy Artillery Attachment
1 Cavalry Attachment
1 Sirmishers Attachment

796 points

[Blathergut]

-need divisional commander for that first division

I've been running the same army against deadtorius's Austrian hordes. I find if I go quality, like last battle, I'm outnumbered (by bases if not by units). The small French units face off against large Austrian regiments. He'll reduce my medium range shooting with cavalry (so my small line unit fires 1 die) and he runs two units side by side, one with artillery attachment (2 dice medium range) and one with skirmisher rifles (again, 3 dice if I have horse nearby). Plus, the large units reduce hits by one.

This was the last corps I ran:

Corps Commander: Skilled (This gave the army a +5 initiative rating!)

Div. 1: Competent Charismatic
-Light Inf (small superior veteran) + arty
-med foot arty (ave veteran)
-light inf (small ave dr)
-line inf (large ave dr)
-hussars (small sup vet) + officer
-light cav (small ave dr)

Div. 2: Competent Charismatic
-line inf (small sup vet) + arty + skirm
-med foot arty (ave vet)
-line inf (small ave dr)
-line inf (small ave vet)
-hussars (small sup vet) + officer
-light cav (small ave dr)

Div. 3: Competent
-line inf (small ave dr)
-line inf (large ave conscript)
-line inf (small ave con)
-med foot arty (ave dr)

I had wanted the two ave cavalry in a separate division, but by game time there was still some question as to that. Now I would run them in their own, with an officer attached to one. That way, each could be sent to different parts of the battle with commander.
The experiment was to launch the two superior veterans + both vet arty at a building occupied by superior grenadiers. It was a failure. The building rarely took hits and gave out a horrendous amount of firepower. We never got them below disordered.
My thinking now is to launch the superior stuff at his infantry and ignore any buildings if at all possible. (I'll post my latest corps next.)

[Blathergut]

(Both of these are running at 1000 points.)(It may very well be that 800 is great for FoG Ancients, but I suspect 1000 is better for the Napoleonic version.)

Corps: Competent (Not enough points for skilled. )

Div. 1: Competent + Charismatic (Use as many of these as you can get! I'm thinking they are actually better placed with an average division to give them a 3rd die in their rolls to recover than with veterans who probably don't need the 4th die.)

-light inf (large ave vet) + arty [Corse et Po option for the 6pak]
-line inf (small ave vet) + officer + skirmishers
-line inf (small ave conscripts)
-light cav (small ave vet)
-med foot arty (ave dr)

Div. 2: Competent + Charismatic

-light inf (large ave dr) + arty
-line inf (large ave dr) + officer + skirmishers
-line inf (small ave con)
-light cav (small ave vet)
-med foot arty (ave dr)

Div. 3: Competent

-light inf (small ave dr) + arty
-line inf (small ave dr) + officer + skirmishers
-line inf (small ave con)
-med foot arty (ave dr)

Div. 4: Competent

-heavy cav (dragoons)(small ave dr) + officer
-heavy cav ( " ) (small ave dr)

I've found that if I get more than about 2 or 3 active units in a division, cohesion starts to pile up and you can't recover. I think the large units here will make a difference against the Austrian swarms. Hopefully!

[Blathergut]

The second version drops the heavy duty superior stuff. It is just so costly (again, in number of bases as opposed to overall number of units). Small French regiments end up fighting large Austrian regiments and it becomes a no-contest unless you get lucky with the dice.

[MatthewP]

Thanks for this Blathers. I will dissect it in the next few day. Is there any consensus in the community regarding the effectiveness of small units v. large. I was thinking that the better the quality the smaller the unit. Interesting to see you put artillery attachments with the light foot. Why is that? I was thinking to use artillery and skirmisher attachments to stiffen the poorer quality, although they be better to max out the better units. Good luck against those foul Austrians.

Vive l'empereur

Matthew

[Blathergut]

Maximize the punch of what you are striking with.

[hazelbark]

(Both of these are running at 1000 points.)(It may very well be that 800 is great for FoG Ancients, but I suspect 1000 is better for the Napoleonic version.)

Actually the evidence every is 800 is not ideal. They pulled the number out of a best guess.

All the games tend to play better with higher density of troops to table.

[Blathergut]

The French/Austrian 1st Battle of Chateau du Blather on Saturday, with 1000 a side, actually filled the table nicely and could have even had more. It had a very good feel to the game (despite the outcome).

[deadtorius]

we Austrians thought the outcome was most sufficient

Our experience has shown that large units tend to be more resistant to shooting and combat than small units, even if they are superior or superior veteran. The reduce 1 hit can take you from a 2 cohesion drop to a single drop, that can keep an average large Austrian unit in the fight longer. I have finally managed to learn how to use my Austrians effectively, only took about 5 losses in a row to figure it out.