Napoleonic Wargame Club

If using the No Detached Melee rule in your games just know that on the first turn of a replacement leader (Col Anonymous for brigade leaders) the brigade units will be considered Detached and will not be able to melee. Not sure if everyone knew that.

I could not find anything in the manuals that spelled that out. Maybe I missed it.

Just be aware of this and it means that protecting your leaders is even more vital than before. I was at a crucial stage in my Dennewitz game and needed to attack with a brigade and they could not because their brigade leader had become a casualty on the previous turn.

Kudos to Rich Hamilton spotting that. I never would have noticed.

The rule has some pros and cons in that surrounded units cannot fight their way out. The rule does reward good placement of leaders and with the rule ON you have to use your leaders more as MANAGERS rather than as leaders at the front.

The one turn period is that brief lapse of command ability that could have happened at the battles where a leader falls and the command chain is suspended briefly and the second in command has to be informed that now he is in charge.

Anyway, just thought I would pass this on. I do not think that Detached status for a unit is new as Disordered units that are Detached cannot reorder from what I remember.

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Bill Peters - Prussian civilian observer - NWC Founding Member
Scenario Designer for John Tiller Software "Napoleonic Battles" and "Panzer Campigns" series games

Thank you for highlighting this. I think that is quite reflective of the confusion caused by the leader becoming a casualty, I like it.

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Général Gregor Morgan
Duc de Montebello et Comte de Gironde
Commandant
3ème Division
4ème Corps d'Armée

And no, the "Detached" unit status is NOT new to the series. Its been there all along. It just takes on a more important meaning if the unit is detached. With the rule ON the unit cannot melee.

Detached units that are Disordered will have a harder time returning to "Good order." A die roll of "1" is necessary to remove the Disorder status. With no Command Bonuses the unit has a 1 in 6 chance of passing the test when out of command range.

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Bill Peters - Prussian civilian observer - NWC Founding Member
Scenario Designer for John Tiller Software "Napoleonic Battles" and "Panzer Campigns" series games

Greetings gentlemen. I’m new to the club, although I’ve been playing JT's napoleonic games for several years.

It also happened to me on one of my last turns in the Leipzig campaign. I do not think it is a bad idea to reflect uncertainty and the delay in the succession of command after the loss of one of their commanders, especially considering that they continue to be able to attack the enemy with the shots of their carabiners.

What I don't like is that the detached units option prevents the cavalry from melee, which especially in large scenarios does not make much sense and there are crazy situations of enemy cavalry squads fraternizing.

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Sous-Lieutenant Rubén M,
16ème Compagnie du 5ème Régiment d'Artillerie à Pied,
Artillerie Divisionnaire, 3ème Division,
5ème Corps d'Armée

Does it stop skirmish units from taking supply wagons and enemy leaders behind enemy lines?

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2ème Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne of 2ème Brigade, 1ère Division, 1er Corps d'Armee
Général de Brigade

Yes and no. A detached skirmisher or unit cannot melee a supply wagon, but it can march through it and capture it that way.

In other words, if they don't have an escort and come within range of the skirmisher's movement points, they can be captured, since it is not considered melee combat.

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Sous-Lieutenant Rubén M,
16ème Compagnie du 5ème Régiment d'Artillerie à Pied,
Artillerie Divisionnaire, 3ème Division,
5ème Corps d'Armée

I recommend the optional rule between players that you must keep skirmishers within 3-5 hexes of a formed unit.

Some say their parent unit, but that gets pretty complicated.

realistically, that's how battalions fought. The organization had to be close together or morale would disentegrate.

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2ème Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne of 2ème Brigade, 1ère Division, 1er Corps d'Armee
Général de Brigade

Garrett - usually we said "unit of their brigade" as you can select the skirmisher unit and then choose the ORG button on the toolbar and the units in the brigade are all highlighted.

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Bill Peters - Prussian civilian observer - NWC Founding Member
Scenario Designer for John Tiller Software "Napoleonic Battles" and "Panzer Campigns" series games