ACWGC

Just what is a Melee anyways? A Melee, or pell-mell, is disorganized hand-to-hand combat in battles fought at abnormally close range with little central control once it starts. According to Wikipedia that is. Meleeing allows the controlling player to initiate attacks against enemy units in adjacent hexes and possibly occupy the defending hex.

 

Melee Specifics

 

How to Melee

Conducting a Melee consists of making a couple of decisions beforehand. You must first decide which enemy location you wish to Melee attack. You can specify that location by right-clicking in the enemy hex. You then must decide which of your own forces you wish to commit to the melee. They must be in adjacent hexes and facing the enemy hex. You select the units you wish to commit, and then use the “Add to Melee” command of the Melee Menu to add them to the attack. Once you have added all of your attacking units, you resolve the Melee using the “Resolve Melee” command of the Melee Menu, or the corresponding toolbar button. A second, perhaps easier method for initiating and resolving Melees is via the "drag and drop" method. Here you simply select the attacking units and, while holding down the left mouse button, move the mouse to the target hex and let go. Then you resolve the Melee normally using the menu command or toolbar button.

 

Melee Restrictions

Certain restrictions apply to units that are committed to a Melee attack:

• Disrupted, Fixed or Routed units cannot Melee attack.

• Units must be Facing the hex they are attacking.

• Infantry units and Dismounted Cavalry cannot Melee attack non-Isolated Mounted Cavalry.

• Artillery and Supply Wagons cannot Melee attack.

• A unit cannot Melee attack a hex they could not legally move into (it is not possible to Melee attack across an unbridged Creek hexside for example).

• Units may only Melee attack once in each Melee Phase.

• The total number and strength of the attacking units may not exceed the stacking limitations of the defending hex.

• Cavalry which is Dismounting cannot Melee attack.

• Cannot Melee non-isolated Mounted Cavalry with Infantry.

 

Melee Modifiers

Melee results are determined using a mathematical equation (listed further below) to calculate a victor. The odds for success, or defeat, may be tilted by the addition of modifiers into the equation. The modifiers are listed below based on whether one is attacking or defending.

 

Melee Modifiers for Attackers

• If no attacking units have fired in the Turn, or preceding Offensive Fire Phase, then 10% is added to the attacking strength.

• If the attacking units have a Leader with them (any leader), then 10% is added to the attacking strength.

• If all the attacking units, either Infantry or Cavalry, attack from a hexside which the defenders are not facing that 20% is added to the attacking strength.

• The largest hexside modifier of all of the hexsides the attackers are attacking through is applied to the attacking strength. Likewise, if the attackers are attacking across a Breastwork hexside, then the Breastwork modifier, as determined by Parameter Data, is applied to the attacking strength.

• If the attackers are attacking across a Creek hexside via a Bridge, then 30% is subtracted from the attacking strength.

• If the attacking force consists entirely of Mounted Cavalry and Leaders attacking a Clear hex from all Clear hexes, then 25% is added to the attacking strength.

• If the attacking force consists entirely of Mounted Cavalry and Leaders attacking a Clear hex from all Clear hexes, and the enemy is facing away from them, then 45% is added to the attacking strength.

• Melee attacks against higher elevations have a modifier equal to the elevation change (in elevation increments) times the Elevation Modifier (see the Parameter Dialog for this value).

• Dismounted cavalry use ¾ of their strength for melee.

• A unit with Medium Fatigue (300 – 599) loses 10% from their melee strength when the unit participates in a Melee attack.

• A unit with High Fatigue (600 or higher) loses 20% from their melee strength when the unit participates in a Melee attack.

• A unit with Maximum Fatigue loses 40% from their melee strength when the unit participates in a Melee attack.

 

Tips for Attackers: Avoid firing offensively if you want to increase your chances of success. Bring a leader along for the melee but never any officer above a brigade level. Avoid attacking across hexsides modifiers or uphill as these will incur large modifier penalties. If you must attack over breastworks or uphill than bring enough men to the fight to reinforce the first attack if it does not succeed. One wave usually won’t get the job done.

 

Melee Modifiers for Both Sides

Some modifiers affect both sides during a melee.

• Under the Quality Melee Modifiers Optional Rule, if the unit of lowest Quality on a given side has Quality of A or B, then that side receives a 10% bonus. If the unit of highest Quality on a given side has Quality of E or less, then that side receives a 10% penalty.

 

Melee Modifiers for Defenders

• Each defending Artillery gun counts as one third Stacking Point (this depends on Parameter Data but would normally work out to 7 men per gun).

• Routed and Isolated units have their defending strength divided by 4. However, units that are both Routed and Isolated have a defending strength of 0.

• Units that have already defended in melee and have retreated into a hex that is then attacked in melee have their defending strength divided by half.

• Supply Wagons and Uncrewed or Spiked Artillery defend against melee with a strength of 0.

• If the defending units have a Leader with them (any leader), then 10% is added to the defending strength.

• Dismounted Cavalry has an effective strength for Melee purposes that is ¾ of its normal strength to account for horse holders.

• A unit in a Disrupted state suffers no penalty during a melee.

 

Tips for Defenders: The best way to increase your modifiers if Meleed against is to have a Leader in the hex or to utilize hexside modifiers as much as possible.

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