American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Gentlemen: I was sitting here drinking my sarsaparilla the other day and a young officer asked a question of me, he said:

Is it better to melee in column, as this is how his grandfather attacked in the Napoleonic Wars?

I had no answer other than the fact that when in column you aren't prepared to fight, and cannot fire at the enemy. I looked at the User manual and parameter data, but found nothing about attacking in column. Now this may seem like a silly question, but I really couldn't answer his question as I don't know all the details of the game. I am only asking for details on this subject from someone with more knowledge?

_________________

Maj. Gen., L. D. Drummond,
Commanding, III Division, XVI Corps
Army of the Tennessee, U.S. Army

"We can make war so terrible and make them so sick of war that generations pass away before they again appeal to it."
William Tecumseh Sherman

General Drummond <salute>

The rules allow melee in column formation. Many have written that such action historically was very rare. However, as you know, assaults across bridges (at Antietam for example) occurred.

In most of the games I have played, my opponent and I agree to use this house rule:

-Melee by infantry may be conducted in column only across bridges, ford hexes and into town hexes.

Respectfully,

_________________
Walter A. Dortch
Commanding -/4/V AotP
UA Cabinet Secretary
UA Operations Officer
UA Wolverine Team Leader

As said, the game and club rules allow melee in column. Many use a house rule, as stated, to limit the use of infantry meleeing in column, but many of us also do not use a house rule to limit it. The choice is up to the players but it should be settled before the game starts. If nothing is agreed upon, then the game and club rules stand which allows the use of the melee in column. Melee in column has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that a unit might not have enough movement points in order to reach the defending unit and thus melee it that turn without doing it in column. Another advantage is that units moving after dark become disrupted unless they are in column and disrupted units cannot melee. The disadvantage is that the unit in column is subject to higher casualties from both the defending unit's defensive fire and any counterattack that your opponent might be able to mount before you have the opportunity to change the unit out of column formation your next turn. Another disadvantage is that units in column cannot fire (can melee but cannot fire). The bottom line answer is that meleeing infantry in column is usually a disadvantage unless you couldn't melee without being in column (not enough movement points or night time or town/bridge hex). Discussing cavalry in column is a completely different subject.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00