irregular warfare

[anders]

what is best then, portraying irregulars and insurgents as units on the map, which you have to hunt down and fight in COIN operations, or portraying them in an abstract way, as a stady trickle of lost resources as and manpower in areas where they operate, and let the number and type of troops +leve of happiness you have in that area decide the volume of irregulars.

[Hosakawa Tito]

The European powers that were competing for control of the New World, especially Britain & France, employed the best guerrilla fighters in that era against each other, the Native American tribes. It should be restricted to the American continents of course, but shouldn't be ignored. The Brits also used units such as Roger's Rangers *Major Robert Rogers* to great effect during the French and Indian War. Members of this group of frontiersmen later became important leaders in the American Revolutionary War and many ex-rangers fought as patriot minutemen.

[pdoyle007]

How about if at the end of a turn on the province info screen the guerilla activities was listed with a loss in money attached that would be rectified by increasing troops or happiness? Maybe have some units lose a few men, similar to how an uprising caused this previously?

The other option is an ambush where the rebels attack but then disappear quickly, rather than running round and round till you pin them down. Would follow the info we have where AI decides wether to weaken you or fight to the finish and would have a morale penalty on your men. Would accurately portray how annoying the guerillas were to regular troops.

On the topic of how effective they were, in the Penninsula war I think it was documented that the guerillas accounted for more deaths than regular troops and didn't they make a French army surrender at Bayers?

[CBR]

On the topic of how effective they were, in the Penninsula war I think it was documented that the guerillas accounted for more deaths than regular troops and didn't they make a French army surrender at Bayers?

Bailén you mean? That was not guerillas. Throughout the Peninsular War there were several Spanish armies figthing the French. They were just not very coordinated nor high quality.

Angry peasants killing stragglers, patrols and foraging parties were hardly a new thing for this era. The American regulars, helped by local militia, worked as an ordinary army. AFAIK the main guerilla activity happened in the South, but it was still regular armies with Continentals and militia that was the main focus of the actual campaigns there.

Having to actually fight battles against guerillas would be a waste of time in ETW when it can be handled by revolts with loss of income, damaged buildings and lost soldiers etc. If it gets bad enough or too few troops to control a province then an actual enemy army could pop up.


CBR

[Oleander Ardens]

Having to actually fight battles against guerillas would be a waste of time in ETW when it can be handled by revolts with loss of income, damaged buildings and lost soldiers etc. If it gets bad enough or too few troops to control a province then an actual enemy army could pop up.

Well said. Not too many fights against rebels, but still heavy disadvantages...

OA

[Fisherking]

Speculation on what should be, aside, we know that irregular units will be included at least in the SF edition.

I don’t see how a single regiment of irregular infantry will have a great impact on a given battle but it could be very disruptive in the hinterlands of a region and tough to catch. It would demand a much stronger force to catch and defeat it so they would be expensive to counter also.

The reason I say it wouldn’t make much difference on the battle map is that the AI sees all so it is tough to surprise someone who knows there is a unit there.

Against other humans in multiplayer it could be a different matter though.

Irregular units are represented in the game in some form so I guess we will be fighting them in some form.

[Polemists]

well assuming you had a general who could do that, I'd almost prefer similar to the ambushes of Rome Total War.

Very rushed, very little time to assemble, and flanking has a impact.


Obviously you could ambush in MTW but it just never seemed quite as effective.

Plus, and this may be off topic, but I really did enjoy the nightfighting in games, made for colorful units and backrounds and would like to see this in game.

With how big a role formations play, I could very easily see Gurellias ambushing you as a viable tactic if you don't have time to "Assemble"

I'd love it if they could cut off supply lines, but I just don't think we are that far along.