Cavalry skirmishing

[Uffz_Feuerhake]

There is a little unbalance between infantry and cavalry action in the Napoleonic HPS games.
The infantry is able to screen a terrain with the skirmisher units, the Light Infantry is able to skirmish with 100 %.
But the cavalry is only able to be shot or attack with their sabres.... or retreat.

I think, it is not a problem to change the weapons of some little sections of light cavalry from sabres into carabines.
I have read about some experiences in some German clubs.

How is the opinion about this historic circumstance. Lets try to talk about historic facts, less hearsay :hush:

[FM WarB]

Historically, cavalry fired from both the saddle and dismounted during the Napoleonic period. In my oobs, cav have a fire capability with chasseurs and light dragoons better than heavy cav and lancers. All much less than infantry. Cavalry is broken down into squadrons, which can breakdown to form platoon size scouting parties. Thus cav scouting and skirmishing becomes possible.

[Gary McClellan]

I fail to see how Cav can be "skirmished" by infantry as you say. Skirmishers can't approach Cav in open terrain (it's part of the engine). If the Skirmishers are in open terrain, and aren't backed by their own formed infantry, they're easily overrun and destroyed.

Now, all of that assumes open terrain. If a cav unit is hanging around the edge of woods or something, they deserve what they get.

I have no problem with giving Cav a small fire factor, though from a play point of view, I'd suspect it would generally be more trouble than it's worth (the expected losses from return fire would outweigh anything you could do to the enemy)

[FM WarB]

I have no problem with giving Cav a small fire factor, though from a play point of view, I'd suspect it would generally be more trouble than it's worth (the expected losses from return fire would outweigh anything you could do to the enemy)

Thus I may either slightly raise cav fire effectiveness or eliminate it. It certainly has little or no effect on skirms, as is. It was more intended for cav vs cav recon engagements, and to give cave a possible crack at formed enemy infantry moving adjacent to them to fire. Cav Still does not want to get into a firefight with infantry, especially as they are in squadrons.

[Uffz_Feuerhake]

Historically, cavalry fired from both the saddle and dismounted during the Napoleonic period. In my oobs, cav have a fire capability with chasseurs and light dragoons better than heavy cav and lancers. All much less than infantry. Cavalry is broken down into squadrons, which can breakdown to form platoon size scouting parties. Thus cav scouting and skirmishing becomes possible.


Sounds practicable! Great :laugh:


The argument from Gary McClellan:
I have no problem with giving Cav a small fire factor, though from a play point of view, I'd suspect it would generally be more trouble than it's worth (the expected losses from return fire would outweigh anything you could do to the enemy) .

I think you are absolutely right!!!!!

As an example I want to quote from the known source ;) Imperial Bayonets from George Nafziger / page 203 - "Cavalry skirmishing":

(...) They [the British] sent theirs 200 yds in front of the squadron, the remainder of which always stood with swords drawn ready to support them. The British felt that "all firings [were] best performed on the move, and it is unnessary to halt for that purpose only". This would tend to eliminate any possibility of accurate aimed skirmish fire by British cavalry. (...)

This means, your described game problem has been a very historic problem too. Thank you :D
I think, this circumstance is not really important for collectors of victory points, it is only important for historically interested players.