BigDuke66 wrote:Although I worked through the topics that are about the division composition I still have questions about the usefulness of some elements.
Zouaves
Any benefit except filling infantry divisions as they come a single elements?
Cavalry(in infantry formations)
If these are good for screening to prevent additional damage from cavalry pursuit, is the right place in:
- an infantry division
- loose in a corps
- as extra division within a corps
- in the army stack
Light Infantry
Is it an alternative to cavalry in the attempt to prohibit damage from cavalry pursuit?
Marine / Sailor
Are these usefully at all inside an infantry division if that division is part of a crops that has a potoon unit?
6lb artillery
Correct me but if support units are chosen randomly such 6lb might be used instead of better Napoleons or rifled artillery?
So there place is more in garrisons or small side theaters like the swamp/marsh terrain in Florida, etc.?
From what I remember Zouaves are Light Infantry with flavor. In the stats they have slightly higher recon and patrol values than regular line, but not as good as CAV. So a slight improvement, although I just like the flexibility of them coming in 1 element builds.
For Cav, if a stack wants screening protection from pursuit, it just needs to have cav elements in it. (For some reason my memory is telling me a 16CP stack should have 4 cav elements for proper screening...) Within the stack, i recommend putting the cav in a division of some sort, because there is always a chance that an enemy division will target the lone cav element...which is bad news for them. (As for a cav only stack, don't do it to help your screening, do it if you want high mobility combat power.)
Sailors/Marines lower the combat penalty associated with river crossings. Pontoon units jut make you cross rivers faster. So if I had to pick one, I would go with the Marines (but the 2 things complement each other).
6 ponders...better than nothing, and ok on defense. (Yes, they have an equal chance of filling a support slot as a better gun)