how to use advance and fire?

[nafod]

Seconded....The myth of the bayonet charge was based upon a fantasy propagated by those who never actually saw the front line of battle, but thought they understood what it was about. Actual historical evidence suggests that opposing troops only every crossed bayonets on three occasions during the entire Napoleonic War and two of those were accidents. The only deliberate bayonet v bayonet action occured at Austerlitz when a column of Russian Infantry and a column of French infantry emerged from the mist opposite each other and just kept marching forward rather than trying to deploy. Another accidental bayonet fight occurred between oppositing light troops who were both rushing to secure the top of a ridge line and arrived at the same moment.

By comparison there are numerous eyewitness accounts of soldiers just a few paces apart racing each other to relod their muskets rather than risk the lottery of trying to use their bayonets.

However, Nafod makes a valid point the Napoleonic Wars do not fall within the period covered by ETW. I'm not sure whether bayonets were used more aggressively in the 17th Century, as musketry was in a period of evolution throughout this period.

Hats off to you Didz. That's all I have to say this is not a game about the Napoleanic wars.

[Didz]

Hats off to you Didz. That's all I have to say this is not a game about the Napoleanic wars.

The only positive evidence I have of troops being expected to use bayonets aggressively from this period was the story of the Battle of Culloden, where apparently soldiers were taught a special drill to deal with the highlanders.

[Fwapper]

The only positive evidence I have of troops being expected to use bayonets aggressively from this period was the story of the Battle of Culloden, where apparently soldiers were taught a special drill to deal with the highlanders.

It was more a defensive tactic really - the problem was that crazy Scottish people would charge screaming down a hill wielding eight foot swords and hack the redcoats to pieces... the rather counter-intuitive solution was for a soldier to completely ignore the crazy Scot running towards them and instead focus on the one running towards the man on his right. As the Scot lifted up the giant sword he would leave his right chest particuarly exposed to a well timed bayonet stab.

The English won