"More Napoleonics at Historicon 2018" Topic

A more direct Link
link
Very Nice!

Notice the Austrian and French battalions seem equivalent in size. For most of campaign the Austrian units were 1/3 larger. Is there a specific reason to this "making a level playing field" when historically it may not?
In planning stages for my Fall-In game I have that situation where one side is typically 1/3 to 1/2 again larger unit vs unit and to plan accordingly.

Understand and thought that was the case….
for my planning of an upcoming game/ a specific campaign, If I take that route of use of a common base for best aesthetics and easier play, do you have a suggestion as to HOW to address/recapture the historical tactical advantage the one side had in larger units, in regards to a modification in the game play that captures this historical condition at hand? It's significance I do not think should be lost/left out, but do not know how to best recapture.

Any advantage conferred by having larger battalions disappears when a game's scope zooms out to Grand Tactical.

If corps or divisions meet on a roughly equal frontage, there is no advantage to having that frontage made up of 8 large battalions, rather than 12 small battalions. If two divisions attack one, the size of the battalions becomes largely irrelevant to the outcome.

Including a consideration of battalion size in a game of corps and divisions would be like having a game of regiments and brigades that gave an advantage to sub-units whose men were, on the average, 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier – significant, perhaps, on an individual level but otherwise meaningless within the scope of the game.

David/Greg,
Recently I've been noodling about the same issue (i.e., different base sizes) as I've pulled out my hundreds of 6mm figures – but the differences in base sizes at 150 or 200 yards scale are minor.

It was my understanding of the British in the Peninsular that finally made me decide to have a standard base size. New battalions coming out from Britain would have 1000-1100 men, while units in the field might have 400 to 700. However, it seems that all units, irrespective of manpower, were expected to occupy approximately the same sized area when in line. Hence some in three ranks and some in two.

This matches with David's "battalions control, not occupy their base" concept.

I figured that for significantly larger or smaller units (in terms of manpower), I would just adjust the unit's Combat Rating – thereby having the same effect as the "Opposing Larger Unit(s)" modifier.

And now I know at least one of the games I'm going to try and get into at Fall In!
Greg, what day/time are you thinking of running your game?

John H.

Lord Hollier
Saturday-most likely the Morning.

All appreciate the replies. I have the perspective now and it has made clearer a possible solution.