Tactics for Light and Guard Units

This is an introduction to advanced tactics, which can be used, mainly for defence purposes in the Battleground Waterloo & Prelude to Waterloo. It is for use with units that are capable of going into extended line and especially for Guards and Light Battalions that are capable of deploying more than one Skirmisher Company. However other units can use these tactics as long as they stay adjacent to each other, in order to move the skirmishers.

The tactics are especially useful when threatened on a large front, when ground coverage is essential to stop being out flanked.

Extended line

The first move is during the defence turn. Change formation, into extended line this doubles your ground coverage and provides twice the fire power, I would recommend, that if possible these manoeuvres, if at all possible be carried out, behind a hill ridge line or at least out of sight of the Enemy Coy A & B from 1st Battalion. Coy C and D from 2nd Battalion. Each coy has equal numbers.

Deploying skirmishers

Next during your movement turn, this is when you have to decide how you want to deploy your battalions in the oncoming battle; there are several ways you can deploy.

Whist the two companies are adjacent you can move skirmishers from one unit to the other.

The permutations are endless, but for this session lets move 400 skirmishers from Coy A to coy B and likewise with Coy C and D. You now have you now have two companies of 900 men and two of 100 men, or two companies of 800 plus 2 skirmish companies.

The important think to remember and the main benefit of the next moves is to reposition Coy's A and C to the rear and at an angle, the reason for this will soon become clear. Place any officers present with companies A and C.

Recall skirmishers

In the next defence move Coy's B and D recall their skirmishers by going into ext line. The benefits of this are Coy's A and C are still in ext line of 100 men, Coy's B & D are now back in 4 line formation and are capable of either repeating the whole process again (if numbering over 600 men) or can change into square or column.

Square and further extended lines

Here Coy B has formed square, Coy A is still in extended line and can if required in the defence turn, recall Coy B if threatened by cavalry or artillery.

Here are a few scenarios, which might demonstrate the uses.

Coy B is threatened by cavalry or artillery, it can if require FIRE! Then Coy A recalls B, the whole unit is now back in 4 line formation, and as long as Coy A DOES NOT FIRE, it can also change formation, into Square, or column, if it does fire it will remain in 4 line formation. This is also true if Coy B is disordered or even Routed, by recalling Coy B the whole Battalion comes back into good order.

Further extended lines

Here Company D has again gone into extended line, thereby creating 3 companies; a further skirmisher has been deployed which will enable company E if required to reform into 4line formation, and subsequently column or square. Again skirmishers can be moved between all 3 companies to suit the problems faced. The benefits of doing this is if threatened again, by recalling units all three companies can be reformed back into one unit, thereby effectively moving the forward unit 2 hexes in the defence turn.

Recall position

To be able to recall 3 or more companies there are several rules that must be obeyed. Any extended line unit that is going to recall the next unit MUST be in good order. Any unit that is going to recall a unit MUST have that unit on it's flank hex, the other unit does not have to facing the same way or even be in good order.

Any Officer must be in the hex with the final company, or he will be left out in 'no mans land' and remember to recall from the front line to the rear.

In the above picture Company B will recall Company C (note the way the units face) company A will then recall the newly formed Company B (B and C combined)

In the above, the officer has got his positioning wrong. Coy B can not recall Coy C. However Coy A can recall Coy B, thus forming two 4 line units, but if Coy C is in difficulties, it cannot be recalled. For this to work Coy C should have been 1 hex back, where it says 'Coy C' If that was the case all three units could be recalled to Coy A.

Other uses for these formations

Two extended line battalions placed side by side (a 4 unit front) Cavalry is placed behind. When threatened by cavalry, during the defensive turn the Line units recall to the flanks, leaving a two hex gap for the cavalry to counter charge in the defensive turn.

Two extended line units again side by side, but the inner company of each Regiment in the same hex (3 unit front), when threatened, the two out units fire, the front rank of the inner units fires, then is recalled, leaving a second rank which can also fire, this unit then can be recalled if required. A third rank can even be put in thereby tripling the firepower from 1 hex. Extended line companies can even attack French Skirmishers, turning defence into attack, then be recalled.

The number of uses for these tactics are endless I have mentioned only a few, I suggest practising with these formations to see the full benefits. The majority of these manoeuvres can be achieved with any unit that can change into extended line, including the Hanoverian battalions. I now as a matter of course, in the early stages form my Hanoverians and Dutch into extended line, well away from the fighting, then by moving skirmishers between the two units unit I have the main unit of 500 - 600 men and a HQ company in extended line of between 25 and 75 men. The main unit can be formed into column and the HQ Company held in reserve to quickly reorder any units that become routed or disordered. (Remember to move the HQ companies well to the rear to avoid disordering) The enemy will not notice the number changes and think you have just deployed skirmishers.