Terrain placement help/tactics

[Dukewilliam]

As terrain placement is so random, I would like some advice on how others place it. What are some general guidelines? What good does the small or large hill do for the defender? How do you place it? Someone suggested buildings as a defensive measure, good idea or bad? Especiallyt if they end up out of your set-up area and as the defender you can't move for two turns. How do you get them where you want them? Terrain atop a hill? Just hope and pray the die rolls allow you to miraculously place one terrain piece on top of another or, as a noob, am I missing something?

Any help, comments, ideas, suggestions welcomed.
Thanks,
Steve

[Blathergut]

The only sure thing is the hill as the defender. I run French and face Austrians. If I am defending, I use that hill as an anchor, refusing the far flank and loading up on the other, trying to smash forward before the endless smarmy swarms of white overwhelm. If I am attacking, same deal!

Buildings are a coin toss. If you get one or two, they can be great to help anchor one sector. But you will always run the risk of the other side getting into them first (i.e., placed closer to their lines). Buildings get a lot of dice shooting out at multiple targets capable of shooting at them. A large unit is best since it will reduce hits by one.

Personally I prefer less terrain than more. But the randomness of terrain placement makes it interesting. You can never really count on much of anything going how you'd like it.

[hazelbark]

Well the first rule of sun tzu is assume one side wants more terrain and one side wants less. Which are you?

You have lots of artillery. You want terrain to channel attacks into your firing zones.
You have lots of cavarly you want nice open spaces.
You have conscripts hills are nice.
You manuver less well than opponent, you want a river to secrure against turning actions. We nearly always see rivers or streams now.
You like flank marches you want roads coming in form defenders sides so you can speedily get into action.
You are attacking and have artillery you want roads so your artillery can rapidly move on turn 1.

Generally I find if you are defender you want more buildings not less. If they fall outside your deployment zone no big deal. Inside they are defensive anchors. I now bring a howitzer and or a superior unit for the express purpose of helping evict building defenders.

[Dukewilliam]

This is helpful, more please.

Please explain how hills help conscripts.
Thanks,
Steve

[BrettPT]

Please explain how hills help conscripts.

As well as getting 2 extra combat dice, Conscripts get 2 dice for cohesion tests if they have another unit giving them rear support (needs to be another unit, self-supported doesn't count for this), or if they are in a Defensive position - ie on a hill (see page 70).

A 2nd die for CTs is crucial when using conscripts in the front line.

Cheers
Brett

[hazelbark]

This is helpful, more please.

What more?

[Dukewilliam]

Please explain how hills help conscripts.

As well as getting 2 extra combat dice, Conscripts get 2 dice for cohesion tests if they have another unit giving them rear support (needs to be another unit, self-supported doesn't count for this), or if they are in a Defensive position - ie on a hill (see page 70).

A 2nd die for CTs is crucial when using conscripts in the front line.

Very helpful and thanks for having patience with a noob. I am liking this game more and more as I get help making sense of the rulebook!

Steve