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REPUBLIQUE
GRAND-TACTICAL NAPOLEONIC WARFARE IN
MINIATURE
Battlefield
Tactics
A few words on tactics and their application
to the Republique wargame rules |
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- Grand Tactical Support
- Proper deployment of your forces is crucial. Placing
divisions too far apart from each other is a common error which leaves your
units vulnerable. Many army corps of this period operated on surprisingly
narrow fronts, often between 20 and 30 inches game scale and sometimes less.
This assured that neighboring divisions were nearby and able to help. 18
inches may not seem like far on the game board, but in reality, divisions would
have avoided operating 1500 yards apart from each other. Despite these
constricted deployments, you must still attempt to maintain clear lanes within
each division to allow for passage of cavalry and artillery.
- Tactical Support
- One of the biggest problems in many games is lack of
mutual support for attacking units. Many commanders are tempted to go on
adventures with individual formations, especially with cavalry brigades which
are fleetingly presented with tempting targets. Remember, Republique is not
forgiving to poorly supported units, and while your cavalry may pound an
impressive hole in enemy lines, the enemy will react. And his reaction may be
to flank the cavalry before it can reform and withdraw. When you use your
cavalry, support it with other cavalry and horse artillery to prevent enemy
units from cutting them off.
- Artillery is another type of support which should be
closely integrated. A common mistake is to mask artillery batteries with
assaulting troops. After all, once the assault goes in, the infantry will
decide the rest right? Maybe not. When organizing an assault, leave gaps in or
between your attacking divisions. These can then be used by artillery to keep
firing onto enemy targets right up until (and after) the assault hits, thereby
giving your infantry the best possible support.
- Terrain
- Develop an eye for terrain. Intervening rough ground can
interfere with mutual support of units. Rivers, forest, ravines and rough areas
can all slow down units moving to the aid of formations in distress. On the
other hand, look for enemy deployments which can be exploited. See if your
opponent has isolated units which can be destroyed piecemeal before help can
arrive. If your current deployment does not allow "interior lines" then abandon
part of it to consolidate your position.
- Skirmishers
- If pesky enemy skirmishers are harrassing your troops near the edge of a woodline, try sending one of your dedicated light infantry units forward in line, and sweep the area with packed skirmishers (if there is no enemy artillery nearby). As you move in, hit the opposing parent unit with skirmish fire until it is so disordered that it has to pull in its own skirmish markers. This effectively sweeps the area clear of the problem, at least for the moment.
- Maneuver
- If you end up with a heavily morale-hit unit at the front
of an advance, move it to the rear first. This gets the weak unit out of the way at its own movement cost instead of forcing fresh units to lose movement
as they pass through the rattled or shaken troops to their front.
- Withdrawals
- If you are forced to withdraw to another place on the
field, place some infantry in square supported by cavalry. About face the rest
of your force so it can march away at full speed while the squares and cavalry
guard the rear.
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