Native Bowmen:best counter?

[oz_wwjd]

How best do you counter these things? I've had the hardest time countering an army that had no fewer than 6 of them and 6 lancer units,while I was dealing with a full-stack of native mob units as well. Basically the reinforcement army deployed on my flank and pelted my units from extreme range,while any of my line infantry that attempted to get in range came under fire,then came under a charge from the lancer and routed. I had some success with artillery using canister to blow holes through them,but again,they outrange my 12-pounder foot artillery units,or seem to by quite a bit..

I was using Colonial Line inf and Hessians at the time,with a few calvary and no fewer ann 4 artillery cannons..

[peacemaker]

The simplest way to deal with any light infantry/skirmishers is cavalry. Just keep them away from normal infantry or they'll get slaughtered.

[FactionHeir]

Cavalry isn't too advisable against native bowmen unless you feel like losing your horses quickly. Those bowmen's attack is really terrifying actually and the way I go about killing them is to go on the offensive with my line, advancing my infantry against them. Luckily, they got fairly low morale so a few massed volleys and they'll rout rather quickly unless backed up by a general. Then you should just get those bayonets out and charge them.

Outside of that, the best counter is to use native bowmen yourself to get them to shoot your bowmen and then envelop using cavalry or infantry. Just don't let your cavalry attack them whilst they are not engaged.

[Hermann the Lombard]

Nasty combo with bowmen+lancers and both in quantity. Obviously the bowmen don't outrange your 12-lbrs (100 vs 400), perhaps you mean outranging canister (I don't know that range).

I also rush bowmen with line infantry but that shootout isn't a cakewalk at all, and getting countercharged by lancers isn't easy either. I guess right now exploit the bug that allows infantry to form square while in melee, that will mess up the lancers who will also be taking friendly fire from the bowmen.

[FactionHeir]

Any type of square with or without bayonets will kill any cavalry. Just form the square when you notice the enemy cavalry charging you (i.e. notice which unit in particular they are going after.)

[Husar]

IIRC with the french I overran most natve armies with cuirassiers, four units of those can be quite effective.

[ollicompolli]

If you got decent bayonets, charge them with your line infantry, supported with cavalry on your flanks.

[Didz]

Just chase them down with cavalry.

[A1_Unit]

Just chase them down with cavalry.

Always does it for me.

[antisocialmunky]

Always does it for me.

Elephants are better.

[Hermann the Lombard]

Rather a later period than ETW or NTW: The King of Siam offered elephants to help the Union in the Civil War. Lincoln politely declined, saying that he did not think they would thrive in America.