"Does commander really need escort in battle ? (tabletop)" Topic

Do you usually give an escort to your C-in-C ?
Is it mounted escort ?? How large ?

Or you think this is a complete waste of resources ?

Since we game at a 1:100 ratio, we do not provide a separate escort for command figures, but each is assumed to have an appropriate establishment. And remember that one of the primary uses of the escort is to provide couriers.

The "escorts" in my game are associated staff to flesh out the command stand:

Escorts only if the General may need couriers to send orders to other units or commands.

A lot does depend on troop ratio.

Usually a blond

Usually, I wouldn't do it. The problem is by the time your miniature commander is high-enough ranking to rate an escort unit, the troop ratio is too high to show the unit. The commander needs to be relatively low-ranking or the escort unusually large. Napoleon's duty squadrons of the Imperial Guard might make it, or the escort companies of light horse which often went with French corps command in the Peninsula.

But mostly, I just put more men on the command stand to show level of command. If there's a special escort of ADC uniform, I'll try to use it.

I increase the establishment of the staff as the commander becomes more senior. I use the following for 1:20 scale Napoleonics:

Brigade HQ – Commander, ADC and escort (latter replaced by trumpeter in cavalry brigades).

Division HQ – Commander, 2 x ADC, escort (cavalry troop, 3 figures), Chief of Staff (brigade major, adjutant-commandant, etc), artillery commander.

Corps HQ – Commander, 3 x ADC, escort (cavalry squadron, 6 figures), Chief of Staff, artillery commander and ADC, engineer commander and ADC.

This allows for the commander to make a physical impact and for a variable use of the figures depending on rules in use.

Also, painting staff officers is fun.

I agree with the above comments
I use them quantities of figures on command bases to show level eg brigade division corps and army . I also use figure types to differentiate cavalry from infantry generals command bases

1:20 ratio here also. All my commanders are on circular bases. One General figure only for Brigade. Two figues for Division, 3 for higher rank/position Footprint is large anyway, so I minimize it by a circular base vs. square or rectangular for the rest of the army.

Yes.

Command figures and escorts make the best eye candy. They do not have to be mounted. On my table, Napoleon is escorted by the Old Guard band, while the Tsar gets a squadron of Chevalier Guard, and so on.

If I am gaming with a tactical command – my favorite being a cavalry corps at 1:20 ratio – my "escort" will be a guard cavalry regiment, with a pair of attached horse artillery batteries.

Rick

Usually a blond

Mounted?

You could simply assign the commander a melee value. Add rules that he can not attack, must flee to the nearest formed unit unless trapped and cut off and then allow him to "fight his way clear" if surrounded.

Need? Sometimes it's nice to have a break from all the same uniforms and get to paint up the really gaudy ones found among the staff…

Usually a blond

Mounted?

Surely not during the battle!

But yes, I model high command with staff.

But yes, I model high command with staff.

"High" command? – Aah yes, Kutuzov and his vast stockpile of bad quality brandy sitting in the rear areas at Borodino, ignoring Barclay's requests.

Brigade generals are just a single figure, divisional commanders have one ADC, corps commanders have two ADC's or escort figure, commander in chief has a full vignetteIn our rules. And then we use loose ADC's for messengers

I use the same system as Marcel 1809 -helps to sort out who's who on a cluttered battlefield

Back in the day when I actually gamed, I used 1:20 ratio, 36-figure French battalions. I considered an independent officer figure with 1 additions – aide de camp for the brigade of 4 battalions. My units were all for the Peninsular Campaign.

For the Division of 3 brigades, I considered one officer, two others.

For the Corps of 2 or 3 divisions, planned to use the officer, plus 2 Lancier Gendarmes, and an aide de camp. Soult was to be my Corps commander, with his yellow-coated aide from the 2nd Hussars.

GdeP

Lion the Stars wrote:
"Usually a blond
Mounted?
Surely not during the battle! evil grin
But yes, I model high command with staff."

:-)))))
One of the funniest comments on this forum all times.

What worries me is no "e" on the end of blond. Masculine therefore.

XX Chromosomes requires an "e" to be a "blonde". Mounted on anything else is a bit "progressive" for me I confess

OK there was a scandal about Prince Billy in later years as King…..but otherwise……..