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Empire: Tactical Warfare A Guide to the Mod
Developed by Mooncabbage
This is a basic guide to outline the changes and improvements you can expect in the Tactical Warfare mod that apply to multiplayer games, along with a few tips on how to use your units so that they perform effectively on the more realistic platform.
In every possible case, ranges, movement and reload speeds, morale effects and historical use of units, has been scaled or altered in order to give a more realistic, historical feel to the way the battles develop and play out.
Also, many new skins have been added along with a variety of minor nations.
REMOVED or ALTERED
Some examples - (please see the unit panel on selection or ingame for full info)
- Ferguson Rifles, known to have only had a temporary appearance on the battlefield, are removed
- General units have been removed to allow for the use of an extra unit slot (they had little discernable effect anyway in Vanilla - elite units inspiring now nearby troops in the same manner)
- Some light infantry weapons have been removed from nations that never used them or had insufficient amounts of them to warrant a whole unit being armed similarly (eg. rifles for non field Jägers of Prussia and Windbusche arms for Austrians)
- Siege artillery
- Rockets for all nations
- Shrapnel, as it does not exist in this period
These units still exist in the Grand Campaign, for the most part, as high tech research units.
MOVEMENT SPEED, RANGES & RELOAD
Movement speed, as far as possible, has been scaled to match the historical infantry march paces and cavalry gaits. Walking will not incur fatigue- running or melee will.
Cavalry charges especially may visually seem a little slow, (though it is still far faster than the actual scaled rate), but have the same impact effect and damage.
Weapon ranges are based on effective real-life ranges as reported by the tests of the era. Cannon ranges are based on direct fire and bounce-through effective ranges. Although cannon could almost double it's real-life range by fully elevating the barrel, this fire was reported as ineffectual and a waste of ammo. Reload speeds are a little faster than historically correct but is a compromise to gameplay - however, don't expect your rifles to be firing as fast as a MG42, or even a musket!
PRICES and UNIT DEFINTIONS
Unit prices have been reduced to an extent that allows a full 20 slot army with a few elite/ heavy units and artillery. To field a more elite or specialised army you will obviously end up with fewer, more expensive units.
Basic types of infantry armed according to national characteristics:
- Irregulars: generally skirmishing troops
- Militia: poorly trained or equipped but capable of basic close order drills
- Line: adequate training and equipment and trained to a good standard in close order drills
- Light: well trained and well equipped- competent in close and open order drills
- Heavy/Shock: very well trained in close order drills & melee specialists
Basic types of cavalry armed according to national characteristics:
- Irregular/Militia: poorly trained or poorly equipped- ideal for screening, harassment or pursuit
- Light line: well trained- ideal for screening, harassment, pursuit & the occasional well executed charge
- Lancers: shock class- ideal for the initial softening blow to a target. Need melee support
- Heavy line: shock class - ideal for coup de grace or decisive cavalry action- tight formation for greater impact
- Dragoons: firearmed mounted infantry- ideal for harrasment but not shock duty
Basic types of artillery:
- 12 pdr cannon: long range, high powered foot artillery- ideal as a base of fire
- 6 pdr horse artillery: fast, medium range & power- good for fast support action
- Howitzers- low power, medium range foot artillery- ideal for suppression and firing over obstacles
MORALE
The deciding factor in all battles, morale will be your primary concern- maybe watching the enemy's morale status and penalties in order to perfectly time your coup de grace or cavalry charge or, keeping a keen eye on your own units' morale so you may withdraw fatigued or shaken men from the frontline to be replaced with fresh troops.
Many things effect morale ingame, compound morale penalties may rout a seemingly full strength unit, but a few very crucial penalties to watch out for in Tactical Warfare are:
- "Flanks Secure" bonus: Insecure and threatened flanks will seriously damage your troops' morale and may lead to an untimely rout if not addressed quickly.
- "Tired" or higher fatigue morale penalty: Fatigued troops will fight less effectively, move more slowly and, worst of all, rout more quickly if put under pressure.
- "Recent Casualties" penalty: If a high percentage of unit casualties are taken in a very short timeframe, this penalty will become active. Even a square, if caught unformed, may take many impact casualties and receive this penalty - possibly causing the square to deform.
- "Attacked in rear or flank/ Exposed flank" penalty: A serious problem especially when combined with other penalties.
*Also, any unit that has received 60% casualties will reach its shatter point and attempt to rout from the field. Real life units would become ineffective far earlier than this but, as we are limited to 20 units, this is a compromise to gameplay that works well...however, don't send a half strength cavalry unit charging into the face of musketry and necessarily expect it to arrive with any cohesion- a few hits will take it dangerously close to the shatter point.
**At first glance, cavalry morale stats may seem low, but this has been extensively tested to balance and make them behave more realistically- the cavalry may charge, win through and reform with few casualties with no negative effects, but, if it has taken damage or ends up in an exposed position, (compound morale penalties), may waver or rout to reform in safety. This represents the way cavalry would probe for weakness, and if none, wheel and reform out of danger. Having supporting reserves will aid the chance to rally quickly.
BASIC TIPS
- Time your volleys to increase effect at various ranges- especially useful against charges
- Gain enfilade and fire obliquely through your target to increase hits
- Attack flanks to minimise casualties to your own men and cause panic in enemy
- Keep reserves and army depth to give more options for endgame
- Use the terrain effectively to minimise casualties and cover flanks
- Aim at ground with artillery when possible- it is generally more accurate than AI fire
- Use combined arms actions
- Time assaults and charges into melee based on enemy morale status
- Keep up your troops’ morale bonuses
