Brigade morale conundrum

[Bakblast]

Call me anal, but I have a problem with a two battalion brigade having the same staying power as a four battalion brigade.

[Big Al]

How could you mean? Every brigade becomes broken if Over 50% is lost or shaken. That is no way the same for a two battalion brigade as it is for a four battalion brigade!
A two battalion brigade becomes broken much more quickly and with fewer “casualties” than the larger brigade.

[Bakblast]

A two battalion brigade is broken when 100 percent of the battalions are shaken, that’s two battalions

A four battalion brigade is broken when 50 percent are shaken, again two battalions.

[Big Al]

No, you have that wrong. It is at half of the unit’s that form the brigade that must be broken or shaken for the brigade to be broken.
Page 83 first paragraph under Broken Brigades states that a brigade is broken when half or more of the units are destroyed or shaken.

Merry Christmas!

[Ben Norton “nzdarkelf”]

Actually I believe Bakblast to be correct as an exception to the rule was made for 2 unit brigades.

Its late where I am so I’m sorry I’m not breaking out the rulebook and going looking. I’m happy to be corrected, especially if this was a 1st edition thing that hasn’t been carried over to the 2nd edition.

If I remember I’ll look tomorrow.

[Big Al]

No, that may have been something in one of the supplements. As Bakblast did not specify such, my comments are correct. I also gave rulebook references to show my comments were correct!
I tend to only comment on the main rules. All of those provided in the supplements are only suggested alternatives and not the actual rules.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by Big Al.

[Bakblast]

Big Al, while it is true the rule suggestion first appeared in Albion Triumph Volume One, it is included in BP2, page 83, under “broken brigades” first paragraph, middle column, after the bullet point.

[Ben Norton “nzdarkelf”]

I guess your original question comes down to how you play your brigades. Do you commit all 4 battalions to the fight or do you attempt to use some as a reserve?

I think this rule is helpful with cavalry which are unlikely to have 4 regiments, as a way to discourage single regiment brigades.

[Bakblast]

Ben, it’s not a question, but an observation.

Consider the possible “cheese” factor in this scenario.

A rearguard action between an 8 battalion division as a rear guard holding off a (very) small corps of 16 battalions. The attacking corps has 4 brigades of 4, while the defender is organized as 4 brigades of 2. Both armies would be considered broken after 8 units are shaken.

2 battalion brigades should be discouraged IMO.

BTW, I always deploy in depth.

[Big Al]

I stand corrected. Sorry chaps.

That rule is something of a contradiction, really, don’t you think? A small brigade having better morale than a larger one? I suppose it would be fine if the brigade was made up of two elite regiments, but for ordinary ones…..

[Dr Dave]

Speaking from a historical perspective I can’t think of 2 bttn brigades being all that common tbh.

50% of 2 = 1
50% of 4 = 2

And I didn’t even need a calculator. Really not sure why there’s a problem.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by Dr Dave.

[Bakblast]

Dave refer to the rule reference, BP2, page 83, middle column, first full paragraph.

[Bakblast]

Typo in my comment to Ben, not 8 battalions, but 4.

[Napoleon]

Hey guys,
If it’s any help we play the Brigade Broken rule slightly modified. We apply the rule when greater than 50% of the Brigade breaks (not shaken).
This increases resilience all round but also solves the 4 vs 2 battalion conundrum. A 2 battalion brigade would have to break in combat, a 4 battalion brigade would be broken when 3 units break.
It plays well for us.

[Bakblast]

Napoleon, that’s still 100% vs 75%, in my view 2 battalion brigades should be discouraged.

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