1. Cavalry Command, because I for one delight in stealth and sneak attacks. The greater the challenge, the more my mind just becomes this massive scenario simulator and I can quickly make decisions that I believe would be best for my soldiers.

2. I'd either go with Vanguard or Lance Major (leaning towards the latter). Swift attacks at weak points can turn the tide of a battle so quickly

3.Reconnaissance Officer

Does that answer your questions?

Sure does! Thanks for your input!

Now, for extra credit, which of the four factions would you pick? I'll give a quick rundown:

Beastfolk- cavalry & melee focus

Humans- artillery & cavalry focus

Elves- missile infantry & melee focus

Dwarves- missile infantry & artillery focus

I'd probably pick the beastfolk... just because I'm beast like that

You'd probably enjoy the Sabalazmon, then- culturally a bit like Cossacks. They're replete with good light cavalry units that stick people with either lances or arrows, and their slinky-like bodies mean that they can shoot while withdrawing.

1: Infantry Command, from my understanding, infantry have a wide variety of weaponry and tactics to overcome any obstacles int heir way. That is why I picked this.

2: Captain of Grenadiers, chaos is a great factor in overwhelming the enemy. If you can overwhelm them, you can break them down and destroy them. Plus, grenadiers are awesome.

3: Veteran Engineer. From what I've picked and how it seems to operate, grenadiers operate in close range and have to be close to enemy defenses to generally destroy or maim them. Since grenadiers also defend in close range, good defensive procedures would be needed, the Vet. Engy could do that.

My guess.

There's no real wrong answer in the book of tactics- if the battle is lost, then one simply tries to determine what went right and what went wrong. In my opinion, though, a Grenadier/Engineer combo would be pretty neat, as it enables both aggressive and defensive strategies.

!. Calvary because they are highly mobile yet powerful and dashing

2.Commander of Mounted Infantry because it combines the srenght of Infantry with the mobility of the Calvary.

3. Master of Sharpshooters or Destrier

Heh, how did I know you'd pick cavalry? Still, mounted infantry is an interesting choice- balanced and flexible, and unmatched when it comes to getting troops where they need to be first and fast.

Indeed so

1. Artillery, because this gun makes the loudest boom!

2. Probably Royal Engineer (for defenses) or the Bombadier (because I share a particular passion with the Mythbusters, one for huge explosions.)

3. Recon Officer, he can tell me which way to point my big beautiful guns. :P

A bad one.

1. Combat School: Infantry
-Although it allows bad commanders to hide incompetence, it also allows skilled commanders to deal some serious damage at the least convenient place for the enemy and the best possible time for your forces.

2. Combat Specialty: Captain of Skirmishers
-Good intelligence is the key to a successful battle plan, and a little panic in the enemy's front lines now might just be the hesitation that holds back an pivotal counter-attack later.
Put simply, "I have no intention of letting this devolve into a fair fight."

3. Subordinate Commander: Master of Sharpshooters
-A hardened officer skilled in use of a rifle as well as concealment and living off the land? And he improves my skirmishers' accuracy, stealth and health? Where is this man and why is he not already under my command?

Also, I'll take the Armourer for my Camp Follower. Better rifles mean better shots. Looking good doesn't help you fight. Good food would be nice, but if the men are used to living off the land, a special meal every now and then can boost morale just as well, eh? And I don't need any musicians to announce my presence in the field, thank you very much.

Interesting selection you have there...similar to what a scout-snipers basically are. Which is not surprising considering your username, hehe

Skirmishers are an appealing choice to me as well- they're the thinking man's infantry, usually outnumbered but packing some good firepower and a bag of tricks, not to mention the endurance to run far away in case things don't turn out quite as planned.

Fortunately, in the course of the game no one is restricted to having just one camp follower and subordinate commander. Ultimately, you can have at least one of each of those categories- the limitation being that you can't use all of your sub commanders and their special abilities at once.

I was wondering about those camp followers... Althought I have no real use for a treasurer, I can see where the others would each contribute to the overall well-being of the troops.
-Barber/Tailor: Hey, the troops wanna look good when they're not in the field to impress the ladies, right?
-Quartermaster: Gotta stay well-supplied. You never know when supplies might get cut off, and it would be nice if we could avoid burning through our reserves within the day.
-Surgeon: Although we're experts at hiding and sneaking and getting away unseen, invariably someone will get hit, and I want my survival rate to be exponentially better than those of other companies.
-Spymaster: More intelligence is always a good thing, even if it means sorting the good from the bad and unreliable. And having a ready source for this information is a worthwhile investment.

Man, I want to play some Flames of War or something... But sadly, miniatures are expensive, and college takes priority.

1. Army school of badassery

2.Stealth and recon because taking out the enemy and they don't even see you will damage moral (psychological warfare) and intelligence is always important

3.I dont understand question 3

Ya hafta read the document to fully understand some of the questions, lad! Otherwise, you're goin' te be a little lost!

yeah I just realized that I missed your submission that goes with this.

1) Infantry. Infantry does the heavy lifting of combat when it all comes down to it. They always have, and they probably always will.

2) Master of Skirmishing. An outright punchup is hardly an efficient method of combat, a high-speed blindside is always the better option. It isn't about honor, it's about winning. Traditional warfare is the modern equivalent of people lining up in rows and taking turns shooting at each other until one side runs out of people, skirmishing is spec ops.

3) Ideally, sub-commander would be someone that rounds out the force with a bit of cavalry artillery. Nothing works quite like artillery with the mobility of cavalry, to always be in the best possible place to inflict maximum damage with minimum casualties. Combined arms tactics are used because they WORK.

I have to admit, the path of the Skirmisher appeals to me as well in many ways. They're the weakest against cavalry, but a strong choice against enemy infantry and even artillery if they can sneak up properly. Plus, they outrange most other units and can make life for an enemy miserable by shooting, withdrawing, shooting again, etc, even before they reach the front line.

Used right they can be a good match against cavalry even. It's all a matter of picking the battlefield and the battle. A cavalry unit taken by surprise when every ranged fighter takes down a separate target, and everything suddenly explodes from whatever infantry portable artillery, particularly if it's coming out of dense woods where horses can barely move.

I would say Artillery and Air Superiority (even though its not stated,I just like bombing things.)
As for fav Commanders-Julius Ceaser-advanced cavarly use and rush tactics.
Erwing Rommel-advaced mechanized Command,artillery.
General Patto-advanced armor.

1. Infantry Command, because I'm not much of a tactician and usually just rush right in

2. Captain of Skirmishers, because few well aimed arrows can create chaos in the enemy camp making it easier to finish them off

3. Assassin, because they match the tactic above. First, use the riflemen to create chaos, then swordsmen to kill the survivors

4. Elves- missile infantry & melee focus, kinda obvious choice regarding 2. & 3.

An interesting choice, but one with merit! The Elves have a more conservative and professional modality of combat, but they're strong ambushers. Their units are expensive, but used judiciously and kept alive they're a great choice for precise, decisive strikes and keeping the enemy on the back foot.

1: artillery, what better victory than one with no casualties? Also the angles and power involved would be great to figure.

2: I'd say light artillerist, being able to rain down near constant shells would break morale. It also lets the group have a fighting chance if the forces break through the front or if it was a sneak attack.

3: lord alchemist is the best choice here. To make up for the lack of heavy firepower with devastating magics and chemicals.

4: always a fan of the dwarf. Plus even without the bonus you gave them, they seem like the perfect race to handle artillery.

Light artillerists usually forgo explosive shells and heavy siege weapons for the sake of mobility and close-range killing power. Thus, you may not be able to inflict much damage on an army at long range (the exception being artillery rifles, which can pick off individuals or small clusters at extreme range), but once they get close they'll be in serious trouble.

I like the choice of a Lord Alchemist as well- he (or she!) is a beastly force multiplier for the artillery. Dwarves, as you surmised, are a solid choice for having access to a wide variety of artillery pieces.

Yup, range would be a problem. But seeing as how they have high mobility it's be much harder for long range artillery to pin point and with the advantages of your light artillery it'd make it very difficult for infantry and cavalry to break ranks. All in all, very rounded group. Very clever of you to make all these bonuses for all the commanders.

It was a tough choice to choose the sub commander. There are a lot of good choices. Just seeing that the specialty I chose, it didn't really seem necessary to have anything but the Lord Alchemist. Also, I just always see dwarves connected to earthly people, what better job for a dwarf(other than hauling artillery pieces) than being an alchemist. All those minerals and powders to be combined.

1. Artillery command. Dealing damage from far away means that you don't have to see the face of your enemy dying, not clearly.

2. I am torn between bombardier and field artillerist. Both of them deals good damage from a comfortable distance, I think. Well, maybe I lean more towards field artillerist, for the reduced costs.

3. Sub commander would be lord alchemist. Veteran engineer might be useful as well.

There's something satisfying about the potential ability to end a battle before the enemy can inflict any meaningful damage on you. Though risky, a Bombardier or Field Artillerist with good positions and an open battlefield can win the day almost without support.

1. Artillery Command. The enemy can't hurt you if you blow them into next year before they even get down the hill, after all.

2. Field Artillery. Higher rate of fire means more shells in the air, more shells in the air means more explosions, more explosions means more dead enemies... accuracy becomes an academic concern when the whole hillside is saturated with explosive rounds.

3. A Lord Alchemist sounds fascinating... I do love the odd bit of chemical weapons to spice things up between barrages of explosives. A Surveyor would also be a welcome addition.

All that remains is pray all those footsloggers from Infantry Command remember how to hold a line long enough for my guns to fire off a volley or two.

You've a strategy that Napoleon would likely appreciate- saturating an area with artillery fire and wreaking havoc on the enemy's center.

The quicker my enemy can be broken and routed, the less casualties for my side, providing more strength for future battles... and artillery fire makes a right mess of the morale of anything caught in the target area.

Infantry - A highly versatile and responsive force, able to adjust to a variety of situations quickly
and efficiently when well commanded

Logistics Officer - A couple reasons:
a:An army marches on it's stomach.
b:A properly equipped infantry unit is the most dangerous thing on the
battlefield.

Mercenary Captain - Knowledge is power and this man(or woman) can lend that to you for the right
price.

1) Infantry Command

Infantry are more versatile than cavalry and artillery, capable of travelling over a wider range of terrain and with less cost. When it comes to defence, infantry are more able to hold key areas at short notice than cannons and more capable of taking fortified areas (horses and cannons can't climb ladders or walls). In addition, there's also the romantic appeal of instances like The Thin Red Line.

2) Captain of Skirmishers

I like the idea of creeping forward of the rest of the army, hidden away from the enemy's sight, and then letting rip a round of fatally accurate rifle fire into an enemy flank before dissappearing before they can react. It also means I'm not as constrained by formation as, say, infantry of the line, and don't have to worry as much about how the terrain will break up my line. As skirmishers, the unit should be broken up a little anyway.

3) Master of Sharpshooters/Priest

I'd also like to make sure the enemy actually goes down, not just unnerved, so a Master of Sharpshooters can ensure that the unit hits more accurately. Likewise a priest is capable of providing moral support for the skirmishers without giving away our position (like a musician), and can also do a bit of basic medical work without needing to set up an actual operating area (like a surgeon).

I'm seeing a lot of skirmishers coming forward. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'll give you a bit of a poser: what would happen if you bumped into an enemy commander who is also a skirmisher? Which sub commander/s would you choose to outdo them and how would you protect your own light infantry from sniper fire?

That's because skirmishers are awesome. :P But it's a very valid poser, so I'll do my best to answer. Needless to say, I'm an absolute amateur at Napoleonic tactics so I don't expect any of this to be especially effective.

For my subcommanders, I'd set my Master of Sharpshooters out to try and pick off key elements of their command and, if I happen to have available, maybe a a Battlemage among the men to give their offense/defence a little oomph. A Recon. Officer would also be invaluable for spotting key locations and giving me a rough idea of the composition of the enemy force.

As for my own soldiers, I'd get them into cover as quickly as possible, whether a thicket of trees or even a low wall or a ditch, and try to use decoys to draw away the fire of enemy sharpshooters, such as hats on sticks depending on how accurate I expect the enemy to be. My soldiers would be encouraged to fire around cover, not over it, whenever they're able so as to present a more difficult target. If the enemy is the stronger force, a steady retreat would be ordered, with a rotating system of retreat/covering fire for designated squads.

1) Artillery command
If you strike while the iron is hot - well... You'll end up striking a hot iron :V

It's much better to apply tactics as soon as possible, in my opinion.


2) Royal Engineer
All the predictions and calculations that would be required not only of a good fighting strategy, but to make the most of your resources is enough to lure me in.


3) I'm a bit unsure as to the limits on subcommanders and retinue, so I'll just talk about some of the useful subcommanders, and assume the retinue is all OK.

A recconaisance officer would be essential - without one the reasoning behing strategies would be incomplete, if not non-existant.

A lord alchemist would be a useful addition, as the products of their work would (presumably) be able to be specialised for specific tactics.

A veteran engineer would initially seem like a good idea, but assuming the number of subcomanders is limited I feel like the specialties in the role could be lost amongst the sea of other engineers.

A battlemage would be useful for positioning the enemy into useful positions. They're unikely to go places that have a lot of fire/lightning and more likely to follow strategic "pleasant" paths set by a mage.

I haven't written any documents so far detailing exactly what parameters are allowed going into battle, but I have some rough ideas. The camp followers, naturally, stay in camp. I'd say that you should be able to pick about 3 sub commanders to follow you into battle, but you'd be able to pick and choose from among your command staff based on the situation at hand.

For instance, if you observe that the enemy has a lot of infantry, that might influence you to pick the Lord Alchemist to boost your artillery abilities, the Veteran Engineer to slow the enemy down further to give you more time to kill them, and the Reconnaissance Officer to get an accurate tally of the enemy as well as run down the enemy's vanguards and skirmishers.

You'd acquire Subordinate Commanders through your travels, mainly by meeting and embarking on quests for them. With their allegiance secured, you'd be able to deploy them in battles of your choosing. Additionally, sub commanders cannot 'die'. They can be wounded and removed from action for a period of time, however, so there would be at least some impetus not to let them soak up cannonballs with their faces.

1.) Artillery Command

Rather shatter the sky of Opposition from afar than engage them and waste troops.

2.) Bombardier

Explosives are an art form superior to any other.

3.) Reconnaissance Officer

I need to know where not to be to avoid all these potentially hostile forces
___
Is there any chance to requistion a few Commissars?
My troops are anoyingly spineless.

Well, a reconnaissance officer could be handy for another reason- try dropping explosive shells into a bunch of infantry hiding in the trees and see what happens next!

As for 'Commissars', every company comes with a handful of officers built in to keep the gin-sodden bastards in line, but if you're not satisfied with their standalone capabilities you could always keep one of your sub-commanders in charge of them. At the onset of battle you can choose 3 of your allies to attach to existing companies/squadrons/batteries, boosting their morale and giving them special abilities. In practice it's not all that different from Dawn of War.