Stopping missile casualties

[cmacq]

The Blow of Mercy

On the one hand I will simply not tolerate all but a few loses due to missile attacks. In contrast, its far nobler my opponents suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, well before the melee starts. Pick your ground. The key is upslope, protected (trees), with cover (more trees). If your portion of the battle field is all down slope, place all you force on an extreme flank and make a dash for a dominant up slope land form, on your opponent’s side. Once you controll the right ground use your missile troops to counter those of your opponent. The Opfor skirmishers will typically be in the van and will be in your range at a much greater distance. In order for them to return fire they will need to get very close to your front line. Overall your fire will not be very effective as the Opfor will go to a loose formation, but it will more or less neutralize the Opfor's missile troops and minimize your losses.

You can use this defensive tactic as part of a combined arms action that can be turned offensive; herein 1) due to your suppressive fire you 2) force the enemy skirmisher to close, as 3) they reach a dead line (the dead line should be the point on the siope where the Opfor skirmishers can return fire on your front ranks) you counter by charging your medium or heavy foot into the Opfor skirmishers (simultaneously swing your horse from behind the center, to the flanks), the 4) Opfor will counter by quickly charging its medium and heavy foot towards yours in the center while retreating its skirmishers to the rear and flanks through its foot, 5) at this point you can a) halt your foot in the center on guard mode, b) retreat back upslope some distance then turn and defend, or c) continue straight into the enemy foot (while this is done move your missile troops to the flanks as these are now backed by your horse). Each option has its advantage for example; no matter what happens, when the enemy either follows or halts they will come under increasingly more effective fire now on their flanks. At this point its now about the timing, or how long you think your center can hold. Meanwhile, 6) as the Opfor foot and horse are fully engaged in the center, directly attack (melee) their still retreating and strung out skirmishers (the more strung out a unit is the quicker it routes), which will still be in a loose formation, with one unit of the same on each flank while you swing your horse around and deliver the coup de grace, on these. As this is being done shift and concentrate all your missile fire to the enemy general. Once the Opfor pickets have routed you can do as you may to finish the main body. If you get lucky, the Opfor general may be pinged by your massed missile fire and 'that’s' more or less how they say, 'the ball game.'


And, remember ambuscade, ambuscade, ambuscade, and of course ambuscade where and whenever you can.


CmacQ