Light Infantry vs Line Infantry

[Didz]

Well I'm getting the hang of this now and have developed Ottoman Column tactic's to make the best use of the way infantry work.

Four Jannissary units in dense column grouped with two units of skirmishers in line with skirmish on.

What happens is that as the enemy approach they get a volley of musketry from the skirmishers which usually provokes them to charge. The skirmishers retreat through the the jannisaries, I order the jannisaries to charge, the skirmishers stop running, and start firing at the enemy in the melee.

So you end up with enemy musketeers (melee defence 4/5) being hacked to bits by janissaries (melee attack 15) and shot by skirmishers. The only thing to avoid is using artillery, which would make mincemeat of everything.

The AI seems to get really confused at having its own expliot used against it, I've even seen Russian Musketeers try to form square. It also works against cavalry if you turn the skirmish ability off so that your snipers keep firing, they seem to pick off the cavalry quite quickly as the jannissary keep them busy.