"Skirmisher units in your games." Topic

How many use based skirmishers? Or do you just separate the bases of an entire Regiment to show its skirmishing and not use smaller skirmisher bands roaming around?

I play bigger battles so ignore them completely.

I do.

B

I don't use rules that allow skirmishers – too much detail for me!

If the rules are based upon brigade level movement elements, I agree – skirmishers are too messy. If the rules are based upon regimental movement elements, the effect of skirmishers is IMO difficult to ignore. They acted as essential tactical antennae for their parent body on the battlefield and could deliver important fire effect under particular circumstances. Having said that, care must be taken within the game mechanics to prevent skirmishers from achieving an unrealistic superman status.

B

I do. I use GdeB and all my figures are individually based on 20mm square thin metal bases and then placed on company or battalion unit magnetic bases for formation flexibility.

I believe this works well for Corps, Division and Brigade level games where the basic unit is a battalion and the figures are 20:1 ratio.

So, my light companies can be part of the battalion or part of a brigade skirmish screen on magnetic skirmish strips double spaced and suitably flocked.

Similarly, I can place my figures on a magnetic unit base in the open order formation.

Thanks for your help. I'm a bit torn. Most of the popular Rules that I've read seem to ignore them. On the other hand most historical descriptions I've read mention them.

I found them to be invaluable in hidden movement Johnny Reb games. Much better to find the enemy with the skirmishers.

Skirmishers in the ACW never got used in a major combat role like skirmishers in the Napoleonic era. Primarily used for recon, picket duty, observation when the main action started they fell back to form with the main unit to fight formed.

Large scale assaults such as Pickets Charge, the attack on Mayres Heights, etc went straight in with masses of formed troops with every man in the main battle line.

Unfortunately I have seen many ACW games where skirmishers end up getting used in the Napoleonic fashion where they deliver lots of firepower, but take less casualties because the rules allow for just that.

The rules that simply leave skirmishers out are probably the most accurate if you are actually fighting a major action since by that point they would have fulfilled their primary role and re-formed with the parent unit for the main fight.

Kim

Uh, I recall Sherman saying that for most of the war he never really saw formed units but rather the fighting was done in a loose order that sounds a lot like 'grand bandes'. Union "artillery regiments" in the late eastern regions were shot to pieces until they learned that fighting in loose order was effective and lowered loses.

A question to answer: what was the formation used in the Wilderness?

That makes it a lot clearer to me now, thanks a lot. I'm coming from a Napoleonic background and that's how I was misreading the descriptions. The do mention them falling back after the initial contact.