Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

At Valley Forge the American army recieved extensive training from von Steuben. I don't see this training reflected in C1776. The army is the same in Monmouth as it is at Germantown, in terms of quality, leader ratings, sub-brigade level organization. I think this ignores what happened that winter.

I suggest the army fought as a more unified force than before. I recommend the OOB's for post VF battles need to be revised. Regimental leader qualities need to be raised, and perhaps even the average American infantry unit quality needs to be raised, but definitely the way the brigades are organized and used in battle does need to be reflected.

Prior to VF units within the army and even a single brigade may have had different drills and commands. Afterwards, everyone was on the same page. How does this, or should, this effect C1776. Here are my thoughts.

Let's use a hypothetical brigade of 4 regiments each of 150 r&f giving the brigade a total strength of 600 r&f. Before and after VF each regt, administratively would have its 8 hat coys with it, having sent its lt coy to a special lt inf unit. This would give each coy 18 to 19 r&f. Prior to VF the brigade would fight as four seperate rgts with 8 coys each. Using the small coys was a very inefficient use of the available manpower. After VF the brigade would deploy in two bns, each of 300 r&f giving each of the 8 tactical subdivisions of the bn 37 or 38 r&f each. The two bn formations would take the senior Cols name for reference.

So in game terms at Germantown this brigade would have 32 coys organized in 4 rgts with 4 rgtl leaders and 1 brigadier. The coys would be 18 or 19 men. This means their firepower per coy is woefully weak compared to the average 30-40 man coys of the Brits, some having even more! At Monmouth this brigade should be represented with 16 coys in 2 bns with 2 rgtl leaders and 1 brigadier, and each coy is 37 or 38 men. (BTW, the coys would be evened out to have an equal number per bn.) Now when an American coy goes up against a Brit coy the numbers are more equal, and since each is using the same combat formula, thier firepower will be more equal.

This more efficient use of manpower within the brigade because of a common drill is what helped even the balance between the two armies in open field battles.

I think our games should show how the armies evolved and adapted throughout the war to allow us to see how certain battles were won or lost.

Any comments? [:D]