Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

I would have imagined there ought to be a penalty for meleeing across a bridge, but I can't seem to find it anywhere in the manual. Anyone know?


Maj. Rich White
4th Cavalry Brigade
Cavalry Corps
Anglo-Allied Army

Hm, being in column and not being able to stack is some decent penalty?

Otherwise, try it out with "on map results" OFF and see if a modifier is listed in the result window. [8)]

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D.S. "Green Horse" Walter, Maréchal d'Empire
Duc des Pyramides, Comte de Normandie
Commandant la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3e Division Bavaroise[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/EdM_start.htm"]L'Ecole de Mars[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant des Grenadiers à Pied de la Vieille Garde, "les Grognards"
</center>

Not being able to stack is a huge penalty, IMHO. [:0]

Maréchal Hamilton, Baron d'Barbancon
21st Division
VII Corps, ADR

Saxon Leib-Garde, de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale

Official answer: there is no modifier for meleeing from or into a bridge hex.

The reasoning is simple: unlike other terrain types a bridge attack was mainly a melee test. The restrictive nature of the bridge is reflected (as Rich points out) by limiting stacking to one unit. The lack of a defensive bonus for the attacker ON the bridge is due to the openess of the structure (thus you are open to more losses). And the defender can stack as much as he likes and the exit hex is secure for as long as he can continue to pile units at that location.

In other words the game reflects a bridge attack very well.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram)

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

Thanks for the replies. The only issue now is that surely large (eg. Austrian) units are likely to have an easier time meleeing across a bridge than small units. This, like large units deployed in line, would no doubt give one side a significant advantage.


Maj. Rich White
4th Cavalry Brigade
Cavalry Corps
Anglo-Allied Army

Bridge attacks against a properly emplaced enemy are basically suicide. Especially in the BG system. You must either go around the obstacle or dominate it with artillery. You historians can probably find some good examples but it very difficult to make an oppossed river crossing - even today.

BTW this is the #1 reason I play with a 2-3 hex skirmisher lease. It allows attackers to get across a bridge, with proper artillery support, against a weak but determined defender. The only tougher tactical situation is trying to take an unisolated chateau...

General de Division Doug Fuller
Duc de Montmorail et Comte de Hainaut
2e' Grenadiers a' Pied de la Vielle Garde
I Corp Commander
AdN

The bridge at Lodi comes to mind. Suicide yet it worked. Probably not something you can replicate easily in our game system BUT in a Landshut scenario my Austrian 756 man unit was able to win against a Bavarian line infantry bn of some 560 men. Doesnt happen often but it did that time.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram and ... more to come)

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]