Light infantry in Skirmish Order

[Leatherneck24]

So I was using my two bavarian light infantry battalions to act as a skirmishing screen to my whole division. They worked perfectly and found the Austrians as I wanted them too. I stopped both and made sure they were facing correctly the Austrians as I still needed time to move my two brigades from road column into a line formation. The Austrians advanced and my skirmishers did not open fire until 100 yards which was the same time the Austrians were able to open fire. Since my men were spread out I did not lose a lot of men, but I am lost on what the point of the skirmishers are. My men in the end were charged and forced to rout from the area. I was under the impression that they would be able to fire at the Austrians from a distance farther than line infantry troops limits. Maybe pushing it out to 150 yards would make using skirmishers more effective. Right now 100 yards is not enough for them to get off any decent fire to even slow down the advancing units.

So maybe some changes

Increase range to 150-175 yards
or Increase speed of withdrawl so they still can fire but move faster than the advancing troops.

Thanks
LN

[gunship24]

Thanks, skirmisher weapons are in the files but not implemented yet because they needed balancing properly i think I ended them in "_sk", so when in line they were not overpowerful. Skimishers are at a very early stage of modding. The French for example have what look like voltiguer battlions but are rather meant to be representation of detached companies, however micromanaging them around would be a pain hence why I put them altogether in a 300 or 200 man unit. The Austrians on the other hand dont have any similar detachments.

[Jack ONeill]

LN,

Remember, most skirmishers were armed with the same smoothbore muskets as their formed comrades. They would open fire at roughly the same range as the enemy, like what happened to you.

Unless they are armed with rifled weapons, they their firing power is the same as Line troops.

Skirmishers in real life were very valuable. They were the tripwire, as it were, to warn your side of the enemies advance. They were sent out to find the enemy, particularly valuable if you were advancing up a hill or through the woods where you cannot see very far. The French were masters of this in the attack - Their Infantry in the early days being somewhat untrained, as it were. They would push "clouds of skirmishers" out front to engage the formed troops of the Enemy and force him to open fire, wasting their first volleys on gnats trying to sting them. This would shield the advancing columns until they were close enough to charge. Skirmishers were also good in forcing advancing columns of troops to halt and form line to fire back, thus gaining time for your own formed troops to get ready to receive the attack or move to an attack of their own.

I have no information on whether the Bavarian light Infantry was armed with rifled weapons or not.

Jack B)

[Leatherneck24]

Gracias senor,

The Bavarians actually armed about 1/3 of the third rankers with rifles. The rest were using the regular musket. However, skirmishers were better trained than your fusiliers or center company. These men were picked for their smaler size, speed, and ability to think on their own. The reason the French did not adopt the rifle as some were issued with them during the revolution was due to the speed of reload. However, officers with the volts were armed with the rifle. I have even seen paintings of volt officers in the light infantry having a double barreled rifle made from specially for them. The french were well know for their accuarcy with the musket because skirmishers were acutally issued the French pattern dragoon musket. This was a smaller version of the regular musket due to the weight and size of the smaller men in the volts. If I can recall these men were trained to take well aimed shots at 200 yards or more. You have to remember center companies were not taught to aim other than Great Britain. It was about mass fire and speed of reload. The sniping was for the volts.

Jack I believe skirmishers at least in the case of the French were actually a little more specialized as their role was to pick off artillery personnel and officers and NCOs of infantry. They were used in advance and to screen the infantry, but also skirmishers at least in the case at Teugen-Hasuen were grouped together in a 2000 man force from Friants regiments to flank through the woods to help stop a counter attack by the Austrians and as they did pick off high ranking officers. They wounded 2 GM during the battle.

Gunship by the way I think your MOD is great and please keep up with it as it has so much potential. Hopefully my suggestions won't seem rude but just improvements. I believe skirmishers really set apart this time period even more than the Civil War.

LN

[Jack ONeill]

LN,

No problem. Your information is quite correct. The limitations of this marvelous game engine preclude a lot of the smaller but correct aspects of the Infantry.
Yes, the French Voltigeurs did carry the Dragoon pattern musket, when they were available. However, have you ever tried to hit a target at 200 yards with a smoothbore musket? I own one, a Brown Bess, 1790 pattern. Hitting a man at 200 yards is impossible. with a smoothbore. Indeed, Friants Voltiguers did yeoman's work in the woods against the Austrians. Hot work there. Notice they didn't leave the woods. Had they done so they most likely have been ridden down by the Austrian Horse. The French Voltiguer did become more specialzed as they gained experience and became more professional further into the wars.

Good work!

Jack B)

[Marching Thru Georgia]

Actually, skirmishers reached their zenith in the Civil War. The Union, especially the western armies used them to great effect. It was not unusual to have an entire regiment so deployed from a brigade. Sherman's use of them in the Atlanta campaign was unequaled. And Lee made heavy use of skirmishers in the last year and a half of the war.

The problem is that in SOW, they have to be micro-managed. Otherwise they behave just like battle line troops.

[Jack ONeill]

MTG,

Quite true. They sort of need to be micro-managed in NapWar too.

Jack B)

[Jack ONeill]

Gun,

Almost forgot. Combining the Voltigeur companies was a great idea AND historically correct, as our colleage LN has pointed out. It gets them in the game with minimal fuss.

Also, the Austrian do have Skirmisher units - the Jager Battalions. Unfortunately, the High Command grouped them in the "Advanced Guard" Divisions instead of giving one to each division or so. Oh well.

Jack B)

[Leatherneck24]

I would imagine 200 yards a pretty darn hard mark in general for that time period. Although rifles probably not as hard but still time consuming to load.

So just had another combat sent a Light Battalion after some routed Austrian infantry to keep them busy. They reformed and I moved in skirmish order. My men opened fire on the closed ranks of the Austrians at 126 yards. We exchanged fire for awhile and I received more casualites than I dished out. Maybe if the range is not possible is there a change for amount of killed and wounded when the man are spread out. I was under the impression that when in skirmish mode you were less likely to get hit and give more punishment than received.

By the way Jack your new OOB just caused me a great cavalry battle right outside of Gettysburg. Probably about 10 counter charges in all. Even caught a whole brigade of my men marching through town in marching column. Those dragoons are sneaky!

[Jack ONeill]

Brother,

We've all noticed the annoying amount of casualties skirmishers take. I have actually no idea what to do about it. No, they should take about one for every 5 or so they dish out.

A rifled weapon - such as the Baker Rifle - could actually hit something at about 300 yards. Takes FOREVER to reload though. It is a little easier firing at a long line of troops than one man.

LOL! Yes, I ran the OOB last night before I posted it. Cavalry is Fabulous in this Mod. I played as the Austrians. The Bavarians moved to the attack, rolling up their Batteries supported only by Infantry. I had formed the Dragoons on my left, in a big, open field southwest of Gettysburg. Formed in a double line and slowly advanced, hit double quick for about 100 yards then the charge! Rolled right thru the batteries, capturing 7 guns. Flailed around fighting Infantry for a bit, then withdrew. Lost some lads, but sweet as hell!

Jack B)