Some examples:
Leader traits -
Cavalryman: 25% combat bonus when leading cavalry elements in clear, desert or plain (unconstricted) terrain.
Fast Mover: 25% move bonus to the whole stack.
Master Driller: Occasionally improves training of the elements under his command.
American-Indian: Leader may command Indian units without a command penalty.
Reckless: Commander is less likely to retreat from battle.
Railroad Expert: No minimum % of control required to use railroads. Railroad repair time reduced by 50%.
Poor Scouting: Often misled by faulty reports, this leader increases throughout the area the Hide value of all enemy stacks by 1 if the leader with this trait is the Commander in Chief in the area.
Element abilities -
Engineer: Reduce the time needed by the parent stack to build trenches.
Ranger Survival: The parent unit uses less food in wild terrain.
Crossing Expert: Reduces the time needed by the parent stack to cross rivers.
Screener: The unit can negate some losses during rout.
Sharpshooter: The parent unit gains +1 initiative in combat.
There are several important aspects of traits and abilities to consider.
First, traits and abilities apply conditionally. For example, consider the Cavalryman trait. The benefit from this trait only apply when cavalry that are lead by this leader fight in unconstrained terrain. Trying to charge horses in mountainous terrain won't give much benefit! The Ranger trait also illustrates this in that the unit is made, at least partially, of hunters so the parent unit can reduce how much food is consumed while the unit is in woods and forest terrain due to local foraging. Forget the bonus if you are camping in open terrain!
Also, traits and/or abilities, while possessed by either leaders or elements, can share their benefits (or curses) with the parent unit, or even the whole stack. And finally, traits and abilities can add or subtract from each other in some very interesting ways. While having 2 elements that are Crossing Experts will not double the time reduction in time for crossing a water obstacle, having them in a stack with an leader that is Reckless will allow your stack to get to a battle quickly if it has to cross rivers AND then not retreat so easily once there.
See the glossary for a detailed description of elements, units and stacks.
Glossary:
Element: The smallest fighting component in AACW. For example, a regiment, an artillery battery or a special company.
Unit: A collection of elements. A division or a brigade is made of regiments (= elements).
Stack: A collection of units. A corps is made of divisions and brigades.
To illustrate this point, consider the following examples. You have a sharpshooter company in your brigade. Because they help suppress the enemy reactivity (lieutenant's take cover when there are sharpshooters around!), the whole brigade (yours!) can fire first more often and not just the sharpshooter company.
Or, lets say, you have a Crossing Expert element in a stack. This is a company of bridge layers ... but they will help several divisions move faster by laying pontoon bridges across river obstacles along the route of movement.
An early screenshot which is not giving justice to the ability system (I will update it within a few days). Jackson will have several abilities as you can expect from this superb commander, and the Detail Window will include several new informations.
Can't wait to see some of the other "gods of war" that will be in the game.
