Positioning units for bridge defences

[gollum]

Originally posted by Martok
You just highlighted what is -- for me, at least -- a key limitation on ashi teppo units: I only truly find them useful in defensive battles. When attacking, I almost never employ them at all. Their range is too short, and can be too easily flanked since I prefer to attack over more open terrain as a general rule.

The key to use teppos offensively is to set them in front of the melee line (yaris/nodachis/naginatas/wariormonks interspersed ie YS-WM-YS-WM-YS say) and when ready group them all and move them at once in running speed from where they stand to in range of the enemy. This means that the teppos will all together start to fire with the melee line behind them and also that most likely you'll take the first shot at the enemy teppos. This is often crucial because the advantage in men in teppo duels "mushrooms" quickly - a small initial difference may become large quickly.

If the enemy retreats, they'll take casualties and when out of range repeat.

If the enemy stays where they are just shoot them to pieces; teppos get backshots, that is any bullet that doesnt hit anything in continues until it does hit a man a tree or the ground, so melee troops behind the teppos may fall. This is why its best to have your melee troops some distance behind your teppo line while a missile duel goes on.

If the enemy moves his melee line or cavalry to engage your teppos, move your melee line at once and as a whole/grouped at walking speed (ordering charge the last few metres before engaging each unit individually) to meet them and try to time the engagement to take place in front of your teppo troops. In this way you maximise the distance the enemy has to run, the teppo casualties they'll take until they meet your melee line and also you tip the outnumbering morale penalties in your favor as the melee will take place closer to your army. In addition while the melee goes on, any kills the teppos make (they dont have to be many, even one may be enough) will put further morale penalties on the enemy melee troops and so your chances to win the main melee engagement are further increased (and yes teppos can make such kills while shooting right behind your engaged melee troops).

Once the enemy breaks, let the cavalry, no dachis, warrior monks and yari ashigaru loose, or better still just have some cavalry come at the rear by then; total massacre

edit1; its best to use the excellent grouping feeatures ie select units from cards or battlemap using control and mouse select and then group using control+shift+number and recall with control+number. You can have subgroups that are subgroups of a set group or subgroups that extend accross two set groups. The system is very flexible; usually can do say 1; missiles, 2; melee, 3;light horse, 4;heavy horse, 5;taisho(general). There's no need to set a group for all as you can always control+all and then g which selects and then groups all. During action the numbered groups can be used to split the all group appropriately. Also remember that grouped units will march in formation ie maintaining the initial distances. You can rotate with alt+rightclick point to where you want your unit/group to face.

edit2; aggressive use of teppo has less chances to succeed if the defender has sloping ground at his favor with equal number of missiles or simply more missiles. In such a case, the same maneuver should be used only now the attacker (you) should make the melee attack, while using the teppo as a screen for the melee troops until the latter can get close to the enemy ranks. Cavalry and melee balance of power between the armies also play a part; if the attacker has more cavalry the whole may be combined with a cavalry flanking maneuver or if having a melee superiority with an infantry flanking maneuver. Such maneuvers should aim to hit the enemy ranks simultaneously from two directions -ideally sandwich them- in order to maximise the flanking morale penalties to achieve rout and massacre. If it happens that the defender has equality-superiory in missiles, melee and cavalry either baite some units off in a skirmish to try and get an advantage or consider withdrawing.