Stats for Elite Light Cavalry

[ChrisGinn]

Further to the earlier post, what should the stats be for elite light cavalry.

French
Eg 23rd Chasseurs a cheval.

Russian
Most of the Russian Hussar regts, apparently lance armed after 1812, all except one had been awarded Distinction awards by the end of the Napoleonic wars.

Prussian Hussars
The two life regts and the Brandenburg Hussars seem to have had a fairly good record from 1813 on. In 1807 the Prussian cavalry was the main worry of the French.

I don't know much about the Austrian Light cavalry but presumably they had some crack regiments.

The Brtish Hussar regts appear to have run rings around the French in the Corunna Campaign and some of the Light dragoon regiments had a very good reputation in the later campaigns.

[Big Al]

Hi

If you take a look at page 127 there is a list of basic stats for the various troop types. Using that as a basis you might then add the Elite useful rule on page 85, although Elite Light Cavalry are already listed.

[ChrisGinn]

Thanks, I had not noticed that table.

However, if I understand it correctly, does it not mean that Chasseurs of the Guard are inferior to ordinary line dragons, and not even equal to the poorer catagory of Russian dragoon who presumably would not qualify for the Heavy cavalry bonus?

[Big Al]

Yes, but you can look at the Useful Rules section and maybe add something from there to beef them up a little, like giving them Elite, which would give them the ability to overcome disorder (page 89). You can further modify it by altering the dice roll required accordingly. There are other additions you could put in there as you feel appropriate.

[ChrisGinn]

OK, thanks for your help.

[charge the guns]

I wouldn't get too caught up in trying to match the stats. of a unit to its title. The 1st KGL Hussars at Waterloo had on average bigger horses than the Royal North British Dragoons, and British cavalry didn't fight in different formations depending on their title. I think you have to base it on how the actual unit performed. Bowden put forward the interesting idea of distinguishing 'battle' cavalry and '2nd rate' cavalry for Napoleonic games. I'd see the 1st KGL in the former category, while the Dutch-Belgian 'Heavies' were certainly in the second. One of the great things about BP (and HC) is the ability to add on a special rule here and there to those special formations. Equally simple to change the main stat line.

[grecian1959]

Chris, as far as i can remember russian hussars had the lance generally only for the front rank during 1812 -it was abandoned after that and they reverted to sabre armed cavalry.
peter

[ChrisGinn]

Grecian,

I think you will find that most lance armed cavalry only had lance for the front rank.

I was not aware that Russian hussars dropped the lance after 1812, although to be honest there are so little references to it being used, I do wonder if it was one of those items of equipment that was quietly dropped as soon as they left the depot.

However, if it was used it might explain how the Russian hussars maintained such a consistently high standard of combat performance, althogh the quality of their manpower was btter than the norm.