Small Napoleonic Divisions

[Paul Roberts]

Hi all,

This is a question regarding the combat engine, born of the fact that I play both AACW and NCP.

I've noticed that most of the divisions in NCP are just seven or eight elements at most, usually consisting of just four or five infantry and an artillery element. I can't help comparing this to my divisions in AACW, where the usual practice (mine and the AI's, as far as I can tell) is to pack divisions closer to the maximum limit of eighteen. I'm wondering if there is any advantage to either method.

Pocus (or someone else who knows), could you explain how the size of a division affects the combat logics? Is there any reason to favor larger or smaller divisions?

[Pocus]

Most of the time it is better to have big divisions (units), as when they are targetted, they can rotate better their weakened elements.
But if you have too few units, compared to the opponent, you can lose some opportunities. For example your big bad division target a lone cossack and destroy it easily... with perhaps 1/4 of its needed strength. The remaining elements will sit iddle for the rest of the round though... and this is a drawback!

Perhaps the max division size should be smaller in NCP, this would be more historical.

[Paul Roberts]

Perhaps the max division size should be smaller in NCP, this would be more historical.

How small, do you think?

[Nikel]

Assuming these battles are tipical:

Gettysburg order of battle divisions have around 10-18 regiments

http://books.google.es/books?id=JapFibS2HRoC&pg=PA26&dq=osprey+%22order+of+battle%22&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=qoI0SMDIGYy6ygSFzaDMDw&sig=xqhIXcnL6E8_EjmmwHOHaDaC7no


But in Lutzen and Leipzig, around 4-8 regiments

http://books.google.es/books?id=IceNOb_iQ-kC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=osprey+napoleon+%22order+of+battle%22&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=iEOICMkY9daPJ1wJ_Pe5Ia1WU-0

http://books.google.es/books?id=QVjbqP2IA00C&pg=PA28&dq=osprey+napoleon+%22order+of+battle%22&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=dYU0SPzgI6e-ygSF-YnMDw&sig=Qm11VnmEw_eW95HR4Duj5LQtxbo


But I think the number of soldiers in napoleonic war regiments is higher than in american civil war

[Pocus]

How small, do you think?

Given the OOB, most of the French divisions do not have more than 8-10 elements. Problem is that each faction could have a different number. Some Rhine allies had divisions with 18 elements, even if whose were batallions...

Ideally, we would want to have a size for each faction.

[Adlertag]

In France, after the 1808 reform, each regiment is composed by 4 war battalions and 1 "depot" battalion , for a total of 3970 men and 108 officers (in theory).