Historical OOB and figure ratio

[BP]

I am currently building my British Peninsular divison(6th at Salamanca). From Nafziger OOB I have the following strengths

6th Division: Major-General Clinton
Brigade: Hulse
1/11th Foot Regiment (31/485) 516 = 26
2/53rd Foot Regiment (25/316) 341 = 17
1/61st Foot Regiment (29/517) 546 = 27
5/60th Foot Regiment (1 coy)(2/59) 61 = 3
Brigade: Hinde
2nd Foot Regiment (27/381) 408 = 20
1/32nd Foot Regiment (33/576) 609 = 30
1/36th Foot Regiment (29/400) 429 = 21
Portuguese Brigade: Rezende
8th Portuguese Regiment 1200 = 32 & 28
12th Portuguese Regiment 1420 = 36 & 36
9th Cacadore Battalion 590 = 30

About half of the British battalions are very fragile in R2E, especially the 2/53rd at a game size of 18 I'd wager. Looking at he sample OOB in the rule book the Peninsular battalions are all given a strength of 30. In the above example the brigades would have

1st brigade
1 unit 18
1 unit 24
1 unit 28

2nd brigade
2 units 20
1 unit 28

Are these unit sizes really too small for R2E or do I make the smaller units veteran to help with the inevitable resolve checks from shooting casualties which will soon mount up. I realise its possible to combine the 2 smaller units each brigade into 1 unit, just dont know if that ever happened with the British.

Can anybody shed any light on the best way to handle these small battalions(other than carefully behind a stout wall) within R2E.

Thanks

Bill

[quindia]

Probably half of the units in my collection are 24 models. An 18 model unit does seem a little weak, but the real life battalion would probably have been seen just as brittle by it's brigadier. The French units on the other side would have been equally as varied. My collection is based on the Combat on the Coa and many of the French units work out to 18 model battalions. I simply combined them into regiments for the tabletop to get 36 model units. It is more difficult with the single battalion Brits.

1. If the other side has some similarly sized units, don't worry about the small battalions. The enemy will be dealing with the same problem. Your games will just run faster! Remember your units operate as brigades and will rarely be left on their own unless you split them up.

2. Nothing we do on the tabletop is 100% accurate. Simply draw some last minute reinforcements and nudge the wee units up to 24 models. You could just model your force at 1:15 (which boosts your 18 model unit to 24) all the way around if it bothers you. I build my units in multiples of 6 so I always give and take a little.

[BP]

Thanks for the response Clarence.

I too have been bulding units 24 strong, but I'll need to do a bit more painting for the larger units as all the 6 regiments I have done at the moment have different coloured facings. More painting as ever

The opposition for the 6th division at Salamanca seems to be Bonnets 8th Division of the 118, 119, 120, 122 regiments. These all seem to be reasonably strong on paper, 3 battalions each at

Name Battalions/Off/Men Proposed R2E size
118th Line Regiment (3)(53/1,584) 1637 28/28/24
119th Line Regiment (3)(64/1,265) 1329 24/24/20
120th Line Regiment (3)(63/1,745) 1808 32/28/28
122nd Line Regiment (3)(55/1,582 1637 28/28/24

Although they had been bloodied in the fighting with the 4th division before facing the 6th, so casualties would have reduced there strength
before the 6th was involved. By say a combat group for each battalion at a wild stab in the dark. That would mean there were quite a few 20 strong battalions on the French side too, with a generally lower quality.

Like you say, it should just speed the game up, although quite a few of these battalions could be combined into larger units as they are the same regiment.

Cheers

Bill.

[barr7430]

an 18 model unit of Veterans in line could shoot with a maximum of

10 dice at a point blank enemy column target and 5 at effective range.

They will be quite hard to shift if supported until their casualties rise above 50%. OK ... fair wind case here but a 36 model French Drilled battalion in column of attack at the same range would should with a max of 5 dice at PB and 3 at Effective.

Almost every battlaion we use for the big games on the French side are 24 model as most French units in the field were about that strength. You'll get a feel for it with a few games and know where to position your weaker battalions and how to support them..

Think of the Black Watch at Waterloo - 15 models.... they did OK that day