5 arty units?? :)

[Blathergut]

Went back to the French 1809 list, pondering to try it again after so long. Wondered if I might add in a Guard division and noticed that if I did, it could have two artillery units. Add in one for each of the other three infantry divisions. I end up with 5 small artillery units in the army.

Has anyone run that much artillery? How did it work out? Did you manage to get most of it into medium range?

[deadtorius]

I hope that 5 artillery units, 2 being guard, means less cavalry than you had out last time.....

[Blathergut]

Unfortunately.

That army (Army of Italy 1805) is probably the best French army I've run. I'd miss all that horse!!!!

16 Units:
-Light Inf x 2
-Reg Inf x 4
-Consc. x 2
Arty x 3
Light Cav x 3
Heavy Cv x 2
Ooodles of charisma!!!!!

Not sure I'd rather have 2 more artillery and some Guard infantry in place of the horse.

[Blathergut]

The proposed 1809 comes in as:

-Gd Inf x 2
-Ave Vet Inf x 1
-Light Inf x 1
-Reg Inf x 2
-Concr x 2
-arty x 5
-Light Cv x 2

= 15 units
not so much charisma and no skill!!!!!

Neither army has/had much in the way of attached officers, with 1809 having none so far!

[deadtorius]

With all that artillery who needs skill? Still say you should quit being so cowardly and give it a run, can't do any worse than your horse army you ran last time.

[Blathergut]

We have indeed requested the Guard move from frolicking in Paris up to le fronte where they may frolic in the Austrian hills.

[deadtorius]

If it makes you feel any better I will run an 1809 list myself, historical and all that.

[Blathergut]

I still think there is only one Austrian list!

[KendallB]

I run 5 arty with my 1806/07 Russian - 2 heavy, 2 medium, 1 horse.

Initiative of 1 plus competent general means that it defends. When those five units go down the opposition's face blanches!

However it does make you somewhat static but skilful use of terrain to restrict the enemy manoeuvres will help. I tend to deploy back and keep the guns limbered until the enemy's plans are obvious. I make sure two guns always work together and are backed up by the conscripts.

[Blathergut]

hmmm...i kinda figured 'static' would fit in there somewhere

i'm not much for 'static'

[hazelbark]

5 batteries defending is awesome.

Watch what happens turn 1 when two heavy batteries hit a unit at 16 mU with 8 dice.

[deadtorius]

His intentions were to create a grand battery and blow away my units one at a time, forcing them back.
He did manage to get two batteries to shoot into a single unit of infantry in tactical, with a stinking unit of skirmishing lights that sauntered up beside me to close range so all 16 dice would count full hits not just the single cohesion loss you normally take, that broke my infantry which was disordered and failed to rally during my turn

[KendallB]

16 dice? 6 for each battery (unless they're large) = 12, 3 for the skirmishing lights firing at close range = 15 dice all up all hitting on 5s (5 hits on average). You can only ever take 2 cohesion losses from firing so unless your infantry was already disordered all they should have done was an outcome move of d6+2MU.

[Blathergut]

I think it was 6 + 6 + 4 skirmisher close...but something else might have been hitting it too...and it was disordered

But that many dice had fired three times...twice doing almost no hits...worst French firing ever

[hazelbark]

I found not putting the batteries side by side but with 1-2 units in between the guns pivot onto the same target is more effective than side by side as the guns need to pivot anyway to mass fire

[Blathergut]

Well, it is interesting to toy with. Guards units mightily tooled up + veteran Guard heavy artillery is definitely FRENCHY. I can even add an officer to an artillery unit. Oh baby, get out the prolonging ropes!!!!!!

And 3 out of 4 commanders can be charismatic!!!!! **orders an extra crate of toothpaste**

[deadtorius]

Stocking up on bandages and searching for more Dolly Parton hills to defend

[BrettPT]

Forget the bandages Blathergutt. IMO, open terrain and bums on seats is what you want against a Rolls Royce (ie small) Guard opponent.
Then go Cannae on them.

[hazelbark]

Forget the bandages Blathergutt. IMO, open terrain and bums on seats is what you want against a Rolls Royce (ie small) Guard opponent.
Then go Cannae on them.

Agreed. Even the relatively cheap 1813 spring Guard at 900 points had a hard time mustering in two directions on defense.

[Blathergut]

Um, 1809 doesn't seem to be too bad. The problemo with 1805 was that you needed to have Guard infantry, cavalry, and artillery. With 1809, you can goes just infantry or cavalry, with arty tossed in. So I think I'm at 15 units as it stands now, which is only down one unit from the glorious army of Italy that was running around with 16. Now, granted, it's either cavalry or artillery but you probably can't have lots of both, so we'll see what shows up. Am thinking with lots of artillery, the Austrian horse won't be too keen to frolic into the French lines.