"Waterloo question - tis the season" Topic

So like many others, I broke out a Waterloo campaign. In my case, the Napoleon's last battles quad. The combat results table is kind of benign – which got me wondering.
In terms of a game like this (brigade level), how many units would have actually be "destroyed" as a fighting formation? AS opposed to just a retreat?

I think morale is key, and the main difference between the Armies.

So in a sense a Brigade is only broken once it thinks it is…

Look how quickly the Prussian army was able to reform and resume the offensive after defeat and Ligny, but how quickly the Armee du Nord's morale shattered after widespread fear of treason appeared confirmed after Grouchy's announced appearance was proven to be a chimera..

I agree with N417…… Look at all the against all odds action or elite v the mob where moral and unit cohesion carried the day. This is down to training, leadership and IT……..

IT on the day being the unknown that makes a unit/ army behave the way it does…

I think brigades are "rarely" completely destroyed and when they are they are much remarked upon.
Perhaps if a whole brigade is captured, which is more plausible than one being wiped out by casualties.

This is the thing I like about 'Black Powder' – no casualties, just 'Hits'. Hits can be rallied off – but never the first one. A unit with 3 hits is 'Shaken' and is restricted in what it can do. when more than half of the units in a Brigade are shaken, or have quit the field (hits over the 3 force morale test) then it must stay at least 1 infantry move from the enemy.

We play Shaken units in Broken Brigades can be rallied to get the brigade 'unbroken' (in the rules this is not possible). We like this because it means that a unit that stays unmolested for a few turns can reform – its not about the deaths, its about the morale. It also means there is a good reason to press a broken brigade, to keep it retreating so it can't be rallied.