Napoleonic Battles Standardization Notes

The purpose of the standardization project is to bring a certain level of harmony to the fourteen
games in this series, where appropriate. After all, the games were developed over a period of 20
years by multiple different scenario designers, and each has gone through a certain level of
refinement in that time. The experience presented in each title can vary quite widely as well, not
only with the topic being covered, but basic things like movement rates, length of turns and the
performance of various weapons. From a player standpoint that presents challenges and makes it
a bit more difficult to transition from title to title. And that is what we hope to address with this work
– to make the playing experience simpler and more enjoyable for the player. You should be able to
enjoy the topic at hand, the unique maps, forces and the situations the title is presenting you with –
without having to learn new basic variables that impact how you control your forces.

With that said, there will always be some variance. For example, when weather effects are in play –
that will impact movement rates, costs and even fire values. That is unavoidable and essential to
differentiate the environment the battle was fought in. But if you have a clear sunny day – the core
experience should be the same whether you are in the fields of Belgium, the plains of Germany or
the steppes of Russia. Things like terrain will still vary from title to tile – so a “Forest” in one game
may have different height and combat modifiers associated with it than in another title – to reflect
the terrain you are fighting in. Referencing the PDT file will still be required to define these variables.
With version 4.08 the PDT file will be able to remain open and on the screen while you interact with
the game. Very handy, especially if you have multiple monitors – you can move it off to the side and
continue to play.

There are two distinct major divisions between the scenarios that are available in this series of
games, and a third sub-set.

• 15-minute turns – original design intent and series default.

• 10-minute turns
• Company level scenarios

This standardization project focuses primarily on the 15-minute turn scenarios offered up in the
various games. The 10-minute turn PDTs will have a reduced max visible range and will also have
the weapon range & fire values applied. The company level scenarios will not have any changes
made, but they are a very small part of this series. For games that have few or no 15-minute turn
scenarios, they will be added.

The reasoning behind a lower maximum visible range is that we, the players, already have too much
information at our fingertips. Our historical counterparts had to seek out the opposing force with
their Cavalry screen – they had to work to build their intelligence. By reducing the maximum range
a single unit can see it makes the player do more of this. The value set is driven by the maximum
range for artillery – because a battery can’t fire further than it can see. Keep in mind, you as the CiC
get to see 22 hexes in every direction from your furthest flung troops – so you still have an immense
amount of visibility. We also highly suggest the use of the “Strict Line of Sight” optional rule to further
confine the data you are gathering to actual members of your force gathering it. Think of it this way
– you have the “topo map” of the local region in your hand already – you can see the entire
topography of the game map. But to see the actual opposing force moving across that terrain you
need to at least have your ADC positioned on a hill sending riders with updates of what he sees,
right?

To keep the distances we are dealing with in perspective, consider the following:

100 meter hexes.

- A standard Soccer/Football pitch is 110 meters end to end.
- A standard US Football field is 120 yards (109.7 meters) end to end.
- Baseball from home plate down the right field line is normally about 330 feet (100 meters)

To give an idea of how limited information can be using just the

human eye – and to help you understand why the various info
restrictions are in place when you play with Fog of War (FOW) (see
image at left) we include the following details.

This is based upon the information published in the Artillerists

Manual 1839-1859 and the Almanach de Drapeau 1900-1909.

• 200 meters/2 hexes: All details are tolerably clear and officers may be distinguished from men.
• 300 meters: You may be able to distinguish shiny ornaments and equipment and designs on a
flag.
• 500 meters: You will be able to make out the heads of individuals and the shape of their
headdresses. Faces may be discerned as light-colored spots, head, body and arm movements
can be seen as can the design and color of the troop's uniforms. Firelocks with bright barrels can
be seen.
• 700 meters: You can count the number of files in each unit. Headdresses of soldiers and white
cross belts and trousers can be seen.
• 900 meters: You can see the arm and leg movements of troops.
• 1000 meters: A single individual detached from the rest can be seen. e.g. couriers, messengers,
or scouts.
• 1100 meters: You can see telegraph poles and similar objects.
• 1300 meters: You can count the files of infantry formations and the number of artillery
teams/guns and tell if troops are mounted or dismounted. Infantry formations can be
 distinguished from cavalry and the movement of troops can be seen. Individuals cannot be seen
but the height and shape of formations allows those that are mounted to be clear.
• 1600 meters: A black unbroken line indicates infantry. A black line with a notched upper edge
indicates cavalry. Officers with good eyesight may distinguish the movement of masses of troops
and tell the difference between cavalry and infantry.
• 2200 meters: The glitter of sunlight on bright equipment.
• 4400 meters: The chimneys and windows of buildings can be seen.
• 11000 meters: Windmills and towers can be seen on the skyline.
• 16000 meters: Church Bells Towers can be seen.

We do recommend the use of the default Optional Rules set for play. This uses the Optional Melee
Resolution rule which allows for all movement and fire to take place in one segment, then you
advance the “turn” to be able to conduct your melees. This prevents “blitzkrieg” tactics of blowing
a hole in a line with a large stack of troops and pouring others through it. It is also suggested using
the Movement Threat Disorder rule which adds a further level of realism to account for troops
quality and, often times, lack of willingness to press forward into a strong position. When the rule
was initially introduced it admittedly had several faults, but after numerous refinements it now
adds much to game play without the original problems.

Additionally, we encourage you to think like a period-appropriate commander. It would not be

uncommon for a large portion of the army to be stationary while one portion executed a maneuver
or launched an attack. Having every single unit move at the same time, all the time, was not how
these battles were fought. Additionally, they always kept a reserve and further, kept a close eye on
their line of supply and communication. It was common for a commander to relinquish a position
simply due to his opponent maneuvering to a location that compromised a larger element – beyond
the immediate tactical battle. Think combined arms tactics, avoid cavalry attacks that will leave
your troopers isolated with no support (Ney at Waterloo?). Soften your opponent up with artillery
barrages before launching an assault, and so on. Playing as a Napoleonic commander and not a
21st century armchair general will yield the best results from the system – and we submit to you, the
most enjoyment of your time invested.

Ok, then that leaves us the following categories that this project addresses:

• Movement point allowances

• Movement point costs
• Weapon effectiveness

Movement
In the initial version of the project (in 2022) we went with lower movement point allowances. The
thought process behind that was, it would be easier for players to see at a glance where their units
could move. However, since then we have received the Reachable Hexes engine change which
basically blows that requirement out of the water. Now, if you want to know, you simply select the
unit, hit the H key (which is the Hotkey to activate the command) and the hexes reachable by the
selected unit in that turn based on their formation, condition, and any weather variables is
displayed. Obviously a much better solution! Additionally, we have received multiple comments
about the lack of differentiation between movement costs on Pikes & Roads. We agree, they
shouldn’t be the same. So, we have revisited the movement point allowances and cost per terrain
type in this revision. Artillery and Supply still travel the same rate on Roads and pikes, but all others
differ.

This engine does not support nation or unit specific movement rates – so all Infantry must conform
to the same values, same with artillery & cavalry. We are not saying this is a perfect solution with
this new version – but given the constraints of the current system it is the best we are going to
achieve at this time. In some cases, the movement will remain the same – Infantry in Column will
still move a max of 5 hexes per turn across clear terrain in good weather. Some other values might
be a touch higher, while others will be lower than what is current in circulation prior to these updates
in the previous “Standardized” games.

We understand that different nations had different march rates for different circumstances. So, to
get our baseline we are using the middle of the road. A player can simulate a high march rate by
using their maximum amount of movement points along a road. Or a more modest march rate
across an open field, and of course a player doesn’t have to move their force at all. We do not make
provision for the fastest possible rate a body of troops *could* move under pristine circumstances
over short distances as it would skew the model over all – as players would likely push their forces
to the max all the time – as no mechanism exists to limit it to short, sporadic distances.

Using values for the five major powers in the Napoleonic Wars we came up with an average march
rate of 2.27 miles per hour. This equates to 3524 meters per hour, or about 900 meters per 15-minute
turn. Again, that is going to be the top possible speed for an infantry column marching by itself (not
stacked) along a Pike in good weather conditions.

Cavalry on the other hand can move 2.98 miles per hour. Thats 4796 meters per hour, or about 1200
meters per 15-minute turn. That’s at a normal travel speed, not a cantor or gallop. With version 4.08
we have introduced the ability for “Light” cavalry to have an additional 20% movement rate – which
will allow them to cover more ground than their “Heavy” counterparts. This allows then to be the
mobile scouting force / raiders they would normally be – while the core of the combat force move at
a bit more of a measured rate. So, the Light cavalry will be able to cover this higher distance, while
the Heavies will move a bit slower.

Artillery comes in at 1.99 miles per hour for a rate of 3203 meters per hour. This brings us to 800
meters per 15-minute turn.

We are making a compromise between reality and game play by assigning Supply Wagons the same
movement rates and costs as artillery when moving across Clear, Field, Pikes, Roads & Trails.
Otherwise, they would be left in the dust and significantly impact game play in larger map scenarios.

To model these rates, we are assigning the following movement point allowances.

Infantry Allow: 28 Cavalry Allow: 50 Artillery Allow: 25 Supply Allow: 25

The Summary Info Document has been updated for each game with these new Standardized
Values, so it will provide you reference charts you can keep handy while you become comfortable
with the values.

Weapons
And then we have weapon effectiveness. The values in use prior to this project kicking off were quite
varied in some places. It made it more difficult than it needed to be to switch between Napoleon’s
Russian Campaign and say Leipzig or Eckmuhl. So, we have dug in and done some research on the
topic and are bringing you the further fruits of this labor. Additionally, we are taking advantage of the
fractional fire values now available in the PDT files to create a more realistic reduction in
effectiveness in the longer ranges.

Artillery

It is important to note that this project is not removing

diversity of weapon types represented. In some
cases, it’s the opposite. For example, the earlier
games in the series had far fewer weapons
represented than later titles. Waterloo had British &
French forces using the same entries for the 6 lb foot
& horse artillery. That has been divided out now with
unique entries for each army. This project is also not
altering OOB files beyond a case like the one
mentioned for Waterloo – to differentiate the weapons between forces. If the original OOB had a
certain mix of guns assigned to an army then that remains unchanged. Rather, the focus is to correct
things like the difference in how a “Prussian 6lb” is represented between games. Prior to this release
in Leipzig & 1814 it had a maximum range of 11 hexes, but in Bautzen it had a 17-hex range and has
3x stronger effectiveness rating at 10 hexes.. and 6x at 11… there are other instances as well. These
types of items are being addressed.

Other differences, such as the Gribeauval System and its replacement – the System of the Year XI -
are handled more at the OOB structure level, as they pertain primarily to weapon type
standardization, ammo handling and the like. Again, these types of things are not being changed.

Generally speaking, you will see a reduction in lethality from the initial values used in this project,
(and in games not included in the initial release) especially at the closer ranges with these new
PDTs, but in some cases longer overall range. Regarding ranges, the values we are using are an
amalgam of shot, canister and shell (& shrapnel for the British) since we do not currently
differentiate between load types or firing techniques. For example, in good weather on relatively
even ground it was a common practice to “Skip fire” round shot – propelling it across the ground
bouncing as it goes until it ran out of inertia – causing carnage in the entire path of its trajectory. This
is radically different than firing canister – which was essentially a huge shotgun blast spewing small
metal balls in a wide pattern. We have one set of values to model all of this.

Again, generally speaking, round shot aimed and fired at a distant target (not skipped) had the
greatest accuracy. So, at 1000 meters (10 hexes) there was a ~30% chance of hitting a stationary
target. For skip shooting that chance dropped below 20% and canister had almost no chance of
hitting a target at that range. When we are in the 400-meter range we see canister accuracy jump
way up – depending on the tests run it could be as high as 40% accuracy with round & skip shot
being slightly better. At the 100-meter mark canister is >95% accurate as is shot – but a weapons
crew would automatically have switched to canister or “grape” when an enemy was in the =< 400-
meter range.

Artillery is thus represented with significant firepower in the 1-4 hex range, with it dropping off after
that – more quickly the smaller the caliber of the gun. And while some guns are now able to fire
1,900 – 2,200 meters, their effectiveness is going to be poor, so it would be wise to avoid those long
shots in almost every situation. You will notice a similarity between calibers at short range in some
cases. This is because the canister was quite similar in its composition between the 6 – 12-pound
sizes and across the nations. The actual balls used for 12 lb. cannister were often a little heavier,
but their number was on par with the amount used for 9, 8 & 6 lb. guns. So, the 1-hex effectiveness
is a bit higher for the higher caliber guns, but as things move through the rest of the canister range
values even out.

We have seen comments questioning the “quality of French powder”, especially in the later portion
of the era. What we have found was this generally applied to French powder at all times, however
ammunition was more plentiful (normally) and the French also used a “fixed cartridge” which
included the shot joined to the powder bag, which permitted a much higher rate of fire. For these
reasons we make no allowances for the “inferior powder” arguments.

Small Arms

One thing that will immediately jump out is the extra hex
range for the Musket. Considering that the firing unit is not
necessarily at the “back” of its existing hex, but rather
closer to the center, give or take, this then has us firing 250
to 300 meters using a 3-hex range.

At the max range it has a relatively low fire factor replicating

the inability to aim that far, and the fact that some of the
rounds would have driven into the ground at that point and
others spin off into the air over the heads of the target. We
don’t have a lot of data to work with when it comes to
assigning these effectiveness values. There were (minimal)
tests run and documented during the period, but data pertaining to actual battlefield practice and
effectiveness is very slim indeed. The following section taken from Nafiziger’s “Imperial Bayonets”
pretty well sums it up:

“This does not, however, resolve the question of musketry accuracy and effectiveness under
combat conditions, nor can it reasonably be predicted by test results or a single battlefield
incident. There are simply too many unknowns and too many variables.
As a result, and climbing out on a limb, I would suggest that Graph 1.3 reasonably defines
the effectiveness of period musketry.

Zone A is that area between the curve produced by the Prussian tests and an artificially
drawn mid-point line between the Prussian test results and the Göhrde volley. The Göhrde
volley was selected as a lower limit because the troops were conscripts with less than six
months service firing under ideal conditions. Zone A would describe the “Perfect Conditions
Zone” (crack troops, clean muskets, no fear and no enemy fire at them to unsettle them). The
probability of a volley occurring in Zone A under battlefield conditions must be considered
an act of divine intervention.

Zone B is a region in which one would expect to find the normal results of veteran troops firing
their first volley on a battlefield. Successive volleys would, necessarily, decline in
effectiveness as the weapon fouled.

Zone C is an artificial zone, drawn by eyeball estimate more than anything, of the region
where the effectiveness of most battlefield musketry would probably lie over the course of a
prolonged battle.

Zone D is that region where the musket, as a piece of equipment, ceases to be the
determining factor in effectiveness. It is where morale, or the lack there of, on the part of the
attacker or defender plays a greater role in the effectiveness of the volley.”
The values used in these PDTs fall in the realm of the lower end of Zone C. The variances relating to
the actual units doing the firing are handled by the Fire Modifiers in the engine, as described in
section 5.3.12 of the User Manual.

Nafziger had this further paragraph right after the above quoted section, which may be crossing your
mind as you consider this section:

“One might wonder why rifles were not common on the battlefield. There were several
reasons. First, they were significantly more expensive. In addition, they were slower to fire,
as shown by Sharnhorst’s study. They often required a mallet to pound the ball into the firing
position, they usually required better grades of powder, required custom-manufactured
balls, and fouled too easily. Also, there was a tremendous amount of bureaucratic resistance
to such innovations in many of the armies. As a result, the muskets prevailed and because
of its inherent inaccuracies, linear formations had to be used.”

Outside of the weapons being able to fire this far technologically, and data from use backing up that
they did fire at >300 meters somewhat frequently, we also have a desire to move the bar a bit more
towards ranged fire and a bit less dependent upon melee. Ultimately the player has complete
control over how their units react. If you never want them firing at 3 hexes you can set the “Auto
Defensive Fire” setting to Medium, or even Minimum. This setting is accessed from the A/I menu
within the game, and then the “Adjust Auto Defensive Fire” option. And then of course when you are
conducting fire manually you can make the appropriate, situational choices.

For those who wish to use the original values, they are still included in the games. Inside both the
Data and Scenario folders is a sub-folder called “Legacy”. These files are the ones in service prior
to the Standardization Project being implemented on that title. So, you can copy those files up one
level and they will be the ones you are pulling from for future games if you and your opponent wish.
Also, you can edit the PDT files to use your own values as you desire. Keep in mind, both players
must use the same version of the PDT file, otherwise you will get many problems and likely file
corruption.
Bibliography
Imperial Bayonets, Tactics of the Napoleonic Battery, Battalion and Brigade as Found in
Contemporary Regulations (New edition) – George Nafziger – Helion & Company, 2017

Les armes de Napoléon - Eric Dauriac – 2011

Revue des Études Napoléoniennes – Janvier – 1917

Artillerist’s Manual, compiled from various sources – John Gibbon, 1860

Smoothbore Ordanace Journal – various contributors, The Napoleon Series

Swords Around A Throne, Napoleon’s Grand Armee – John R. Elting – The Free Press, 1988

Waterloo Logistics, Collected Papers and Maps of Major Archibald Frank Becke – Dr. Stephen
Summerfield – Ken Trotman Publishing, 2018

The Waterloo Companion – Mark Adkin – Stockpole Books, 2001

Firepower, How Weapons Shaped Warfare – Paul Lockhart – Basic Books, 2021