regimental guide upload.pdf

8/11/2019 Regimental Guide upload.pdf

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Darkeh | Regimental Advisor | December 14, 2013

MOUNT AND BLADE:

NAPOLEONIC WARS

Regimental Operations Manual


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ContentsIntroduction .................................................................................................................................... 4

Organisation ................................................................................................................................... 6

The purpose of individual ranks .................................................................................................... 9

Types of events................................................................................................................................ 13

Leading a regiment ........................................................................................................................ 16

Formations ..................................................................................................................................... 18

Commands ..................................................................................................................................... 27

Shooting ......................................................................................................................................... 29


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Foreword

Everything youre about to read in this guide is the result of over 700 hours of

gameplay, my experience in about 16 different regiments, varying in type, rank and

structure. There may be parts of this guide that are wrong or even void by the time

you read it, or maybe even segments that in your experience are not correct, I ask

that you dont immediately disregard everything as a result, because your experience

will undoubtedly be different to mine. If you want me to amend anything major,

please let me know either through steam or via the forums.

The tactics, organization and suggestions sections of this guide should be taken with

a pinch of salt, in my experience these solutions have worked and have served me

well in the past. But as with most things in life, the same thing isnt always useful

twice in a row and the majority of issues in regiments require you to think outside

the box to solve the issue. Often the biggest problems have the simplest solutions, it

just takes you a while to find out what they are.


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Introduction

Ill start with the dictionary definition of the word regiment;

Military: a unit of ground forces, consisting of two or more battalions

or battle groups, a headquarters unit, and certain supporting units.

Okay, so thats what regiments in Mount and Blade will be like right? Well, those

of you who are familiar with the mount and blade community will know that thisis almost never the case. Usually what qualifies for a regiment can vary, from 15

man skirmisher groups to huge 200 man lines. However, there are a few common

conventions that the majority of regiments regardless of type share;

1.

They are usually commanded by one individual, usually the commander

will hold the rank of Colonel and his direct second (If they have one) will

hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

2.

They will specialize in a particular class in game; for example Cavalry orRiflemen. (Some larger regiments may have individual companies, but more

on that in the Organization section of the guide)

3. They work together to function as a single unit in game, using various

tactics to try and out-play other regiments in community events.

4. They almost always make use of a Mumble or TeamSpeak server, and the

majority of regiments also have in game server which they may use for

training members of the regiment, or even for recruiting new members

through the game.

5. Often have a historically accurate name or Identity however, this may not

always be the case.


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6. They will have their own official thread on the forums and more than likely

a steam group to let other regiments know that their selected name is

taken, and allow them to communicate with members of the regiment

outside of the game.

It should be noted that all regiments have their own quirks and unique traits, and

that two regiments will never be exactly alike. Many members of the community

switch between multiple regiments during their time playing NW (Napoleonic

Wars) and often have their own preferences as to what they prefer in a regiment.

The next section will detail standard regimental organization, along with whatbeing in a regiment usually entails.


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Colonel

Lt. Colonel

Major

Captain

Lieutenants

Officer Cadets

Regimental Sergeant

Colour Sergeant

Sergeants

Ensign

Corporals

Veterans

Regulars

Privates

Recruits

High

Mid Officers

NCOs

Vet Rankers

Rankers


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Some regiments may have multiple companies, which can cause the rank structure

to differ somewhat, but usually to no large degree. For example, instead of just one

captain, there may be multiple captain, each having their own corresponding

Lieutenants, Ensigns and Officer Cadets. Many regiments have different variations

of this structure, but it is primarily the same. The structure still follows the same

Officers > NCOs > Rankers structure.


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The purpose of individual ranks

Many regiments have different ideas on what each rank in a regiment should be

for, and often these ideas function well, however some regiments dont know how

to properly utilize each rank to its full potential. This is often the leading cause to

regiments having a breakdown in communications. What follows is a suggested

purpose for each rank in the standard regiment structure.

Officers

Colonel

The Colonel is in charge of the operation of the entire regiment, he has the final

say in all matters and makes most of the major decisions for the regiment. He isfirst-in-command on the battlefield.

Lieutenant Colonel

The Lieutenant Colonel's purpose is to assist in the administration of the regiment,

and assume the duties of the Colonel when he is not present. On the battlefield

this man is second-in-command.

Major

The job of the Major is a more administrative role, the major is the one who signs

the regiment up for events, and also checks that the Warrant Officer has been

maintaining rosters and checking attendance. On the battlefield this man is third-

in-Command.


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Captain

It is the role of the Captain to oversee the training of his company, and also keeptrack of the medals and promotions given out to members of the division. If there

is more than one division present on the battlefield, this man will be ordering his

division as acting first-in-command, following orders from the Colonel.

Lieutenant

The Lieutenant is the second in command of a division, and will be directly in

charge of teaching those below him in trainings, he will set a date for training andbe the one to carry it out. He is also to oversee discipline for the division, and

ensure that the NCOs are properly trained to carry out their duties.

Ensign

Ensigns are officers who have no specific task on the battlefield, and may be

assigned one by command staff, such as the Colonel or Major. One potential

purpose is to assist the Captain in leading trainings, as well as to ensure that all

NCOs are performing their duties correctly.

Officer Cadets

Officer Cadets are NCOs that have displayed the potential to become officers. They

are on a sort of Probation Period for becoming officers. If they prove themselves

capable without being pushed to do so, they may be promoted.

Non-Commissioned Officers


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Warrant Officer

It is the role of the warrant officer to maintain the regimental documents, and alsoto ensure that all the NCOs are disciplined and carrying out their jobs correctly.

He needs to work together with the officers to ensure that all the schedules and

rosters are up to date. He is the one to be made aware when a new recruit is

brought into the regiment so that he can update the documents accordingly.

Sergeant Major

The Sergeant Major's job is to maintain discipline within trainings and line battles,it is his duty to train the NCOs and also to make sure that trainings follow the

Captains aims and objectives, and he is to assist him with any problems he has

and requires help with.

Staff Sergeant

The Staff Sergeant is in charge of discipline amongst the rankers, any breaking of

line discipline will be corrected by the Staff Sergeant, he is expected to lead byexample, and be skilled at melee and shooting.

Colour Sergeant

The Colour Sergeant's role is to carry the colours in battle, he is expected to be

good at both melee and shooting, but specifically sword fighting as he is carrying

the colours.

Sergeants

Sergeants are respectively trainers of melee and shooting, they are often called

upon for demonstrations in trainings, and are usually the most destructive force


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within the line on the battlefield, they are expected to help maintain discipline

within the line.

Corporals

Corporals are veteran soldiers who have made a good contribution towards the

regiment and are potential candidates for a more specialist role within the

regiment and by extension a promotion, they are expected to be good in either

shooting or melee.

Rankers

Veterans

Veterans are expected to be skilled soldiers who understand the point of following

orders, and assist in keeping discipline amongst rankers. They are the next in line

for promotion up to NCOs if there is a position vacant.

Regulars

Regulars are rankers who have proven that they belong in the regiment, usually

through distinction on the battlefield, or consistent attendance or results when

fighting. They are expected to be somewhat skilled in melee and shooting.

Privates

Privates are fully fledged members of the regiment and have turned up to a

number of trainings and line battles, they are in the process of being trained to

become a destructive force to be unleashed upon others on the battlefield.

Recruits


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Recruits are newly joined members of the regiment who have little experience or

training, they are promoted when they have proven themselves worthy of the rank

of private.

Types of eventsIn the mount and blade community, there are multiple events, hosted by multiple

regiments on different days and times, in different time zones also. However, there

are some main types of event that you should be familiar with.

Line battles

Line battles are probably the most common and most diverse of all events. These

are battles that involve regiments literally moving around in lines in a historically

accurate way in an attempt to try and destroy the other team before they can do


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the same. Often these events make use of all the classes available in mount and

blade, Cavalry, Rifles and Artillery as well as the standard lines.

Line battles are usually administrated events, with set rules that often vary from

server to server. Usually though, they are similar to the following:

General rules

1.

Rambos (1-2 lone combatants who are away from the line, who attempt to

engage in combat against a larger line solo, named as such because of the

resemblance to the popular film series) that do not seek attachment to a

friendly line will be slain.

2. Postponing defeat as the last alive by running away from oncoming

regiments usually results in being slain.3. Regiments may not enter/garrison any buildings or structures that have

been pre-rendered into the map. However, sapper constructed cover may

be used. (This is subject to change depending upon the admin, sometimes it

is best to ask before you do this)

4. If there are less than 3 men in your line you must join another friendly line,

or if you are the last alive; engage the enemy.

5. Aiming for the officers leading another regiment is not permitted.

Line infantry rules

1.

Line infantry may not use spacing within the line, if someone can run

between the gaps you are too far apart.

2.

Firing outside of formation is not permitted (Subject to change depending

upon administration)

3.

Crouching is not permitted

4.

Firing in charge may or may not be permitted, it is best to ask an admin

before starting the event.

5. You may not reload in a charge

Light Infantry rules


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1. Crouching is permitted (Sometimes subject to change, check with the

admin)

2.

You must still be in a formation when firing, and within a 1 man spacing of

the next man in the formation.

Rifleman rules

1. Crouching is permitted

2.

You must still be in a formation when firing, and within a 5 man spacing of

the next man in the formation.

3.

Sometimes taking a sapper is permitted, but you should always check with

the admin of the server

4. Firing out of line is usually permitted, but only if you are near to the rest of

the skirmishers.

Artillery rules

1. Only two trains per regiment (subject to change, again youre better off

asking the admin for clarification)

2.

You may have a sapper

3. Guards must remain close to the artillery

Cavalry rules

1. When you have less than 3 men you must dismount and join a friendly line.

2.

You may fire your musket from horseback if you are in a line.

3. You must stay with the rest of the cavalry when fighting, splitting off will be

seen as Ramboing

Siege Events


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Siege events also make up a large part of the communitys events. They consist of

two sides, one attacking one defending, defenders usually have a limited number

of respawns (5 is the normal amount) whilst the attackers have infinite respawns.

These events also usually have a set of general rules, but are often mixed with

standard line battle rules, so it is always best to check beforehand. What follows is

a list of standard rules for siege events.

General rules

1.

You may not leave the spawn when attacking if you have less than 3 men in

the line.

2. Defenders must not open the gate.

Conquest Events

Conquest events are less common than the other two variations of event, and

involve capturing a number of different flags or bases to reduce the enemies

counter down to zero. There are some rules for Conquest events also, again these

are similar to line battle rules.

General rules

1.

Both teams should spawn at a specific flag, which will be defined by anadmin either before the event, or in the event topic.

2.

Basecamps may not be captured by either team unless specified otherwise

by the admin.

Leading a regiment


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Now that Ive given you some suggestions tips tricks and the means of

running/leading a regiment, Id like to explain my views on leadership to you. I

encourage you to find out what leading is like for yourself if you havent already, as

itll make you a more diverse and interesting person, which is always a good thing.

Commanding a regiment can seem daunting at first, and rightly so. Its very

difficult to be put in a situation where you are under pressure to make correct

decisions very quickly, and knowing that one wrong or late call can cause your

regiment and perhaps even your team to lose a round can be pretty crushing

sometimes.

Importance of automation in training less words


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Formations

There are some basic things you should know about the way regiments work, as it

will probably be different from anything youve done before (Unless youve played

Mount and blade previously). Mostly because all the tactics are historically

accurate to some degree. The reason for this is that the game mechanics are geared

towards making the game both realistic and fun.

There are some standard formations that the majority of regiments use or at least

are familiar with. The most standard of these is of course the line.

Key

Officer

Ranker

NCO

Direction of movement


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Line Infantry

Line

This is the most common and simplest formation. It allows for you to directly fire

onto an enemy with the force of the entire line. Most other formations will be

formed from this position, as

Similarly to this there is the column formation. This is the formation you see

everyone forming at the start of a line battle, some commanders will specifically

use the phrase Form Column or some may simply say Form line on me at the

spawn either way, this is the formation that they mean.


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Column Formation

Commanders will use a variety of different phrases when they want you to form a

column on them either when moving, or at the spawn. Its important to

understand that when a commander says Form a line behind me they actually

mean form a straight line like the one on the right, as opposed to the formation

above.

Another simple formation that most regiments will be familiar with is the anti-

cavalry formation. Some people refer to it as a Blob formation because of the way

it looks.


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Anti-Cavalry Formation (Fast)

This is usually a last resort formation if you havent seen an enemy cavalry

regiment that was previously concealed by a tree line or a hill. But youll

commonly see regiments try and form it desperately. There is a correct way to

form an anti-cavalry formation, but it requires precision and training with your

regiment beforehand.

Anti-Cavalry Formation (Slow)

As you can see, this formation can be difficult to teach correctly but is relatively

simple. The man at the front of the line runs in a large circle and attempts to join


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onto the back of the line. When they have met up, the first man stops, and the

man behind him also stops, creating a circle that makes for effective anti-cav.

Another anti-cavalry formation is simple, but not very effective. It is however, less

likely to result in deaths than the first anti-cavalry Blob.

Anti-Cavalry Formation (Sparse)

This formation is obviously a last resort if there is little else that you can do to

prevent your line from being smashed into by a cavalry regiment. This also closely

resembled skirmisher formation. (Detailed later in this section)

Centered Line


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The centered line is formed from a column, the first man behind the officer upon

hearing the order to form a centered line should go to his left and the next man

the right, and so on down the line until youre correctly formed.

The centered line is a good formation to use when on the move, or after just

encountering an enemy line in front of you meaning that you need to form a quick

base of fire so that you can take control of the firefight. It is usually formed from a

column, and again, has multiple potential commands, some may say Form a line

on my left and right and others may say Form centered line

Similarly to the line and column formations, there is the double column.

Double Column


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This sadly isnt used often in events, because of the amount of time it is used to

form, as well as making your regiment a big glowing target for enemy skirmishers

and artillery. However, it is often done instead in practice as a way to teach new

recruits about how moving in a formation can be essential to keeping the entireregiment alive. There are different names for this formation including Double

rank and Double line often it depends upon the commander which order youll

be using for it.

Another scarcely used tactic is the anti-cavalry infantry square. It requires a large

regiment to form, which is one of the reasons its not often used, besides from

being complex and not always that effective, as it makes the regiment vulnerable

to artillery fire.

Square Formation


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With the complexity of this formation, there are many different ways to form it.

Another simpler method of forming a square would be this:


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In this method, the men at the front and back of the column form the corners of

the square. The rest of the line then fills in the gaps between them, and everyone

compacts forming a square in 3 stages, rather than the usual 5.

Skirmisher Formation

This formation is usually only permitted for skirmishers and riflemen, as it allows

for large spacing between each man.

Those in the line will usually be crouching and firing of their own accord.

Light Infantry Formation


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This is similar to the standard line formation, except that there is now a one man

gap (spacing) between each man.

Commands

Now that youve seen the different formations used, itllbe useful to know how toorder a regiment to get into each of these positions. What follows is a set of

common phrases used by commanders to


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Formation Order

1. Line2. Centered Line

1. Form line on my (Left, right)Form up on my (Left, right)

2.

Form centered line on meForm up on my left andright

1. Column2. Double Column

1. Form column (behind, in frontof) me

Line up (in front, behind) me2.

Form double column from theback on the (right, left).

1. Anti Cav (Fast)2. Anti Cav (Standard)

3.

Anti Cav (Sparse)

1. Form anti cav on me2. Form anti cav circle around me

3. Disperse around me

1.

Square Formation 1. Form square

1. Skirmisher Formation 2. Form skirmisher formation onmy (left, right, on me)

1.

Light Infantry Formation 2. Form light infantry formationon my (left, right, on me)


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Shooting

Shooting is perhaps one of the most important functions of NW. Its pretty much

the bread and butter of regimental mechanics. Contrary to its counterpart, melee,

it requires little to do effectively. Despite this, few regiments truly manage to

capitalize upon this, and as a result often die early on during line battles.

The one important thing to remember is that there is NO bullet drop on the

muskets or rifles, and there are many videos displaying this quite clearly, if you

want, you may test it for yourself. The reason that it appears there is bullet drop is

because of the random direction that bullets sometimes travel due to the

programmed accuracy system to simulate the weapons at that time.

Aiming may be done in first or third person, but never switch between the two

when lining up a shot as it changes the placement of the reticule, and may cause

aiming to be off.

At all times you should aim directly at the enemy and not above or below them,

specifically aiming for the torso, as this is the largest Hit box on the player

model.

Below is an example of how to correctly use and fire a musket.


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First, put the white dot at the center of the reticule onto a target.

Then, present the weapon at the enemy.


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Rifles

The range of a rifle is slightly more effective, with weapon accuracy looking like

this:

Musket:

Short: 6/10

Medium: 3/10

Long: 1/10

Rifle:

Short: 7/10

Medium: 6/10

Long: 3/10

Despite this, the same rules of aiming apply, simply put the center of the reticule

directly onto a target and fire, the bullet should hit your target.

Reloading

After firing you should click immediately to start reloading, this whilst also

allowing you to fire volleys faster, means that towards the end of reloading you can

start to move again. However, it is important to note that you should not standand reload whilst your line is moving, as this can result in the death of you or

anyone stood behind you. Commanders will often give the order to Break reload

this means move out without reloading.


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Meleewfa


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TacticsThere is a lot to succeeding tactically in NW, events call for specifically careful and

rapid thinking to calculate how to swing a battle in either sides favor. Some of thetime you may even be fighting a larger, better organized team than yourself, its at

times like these that using tried and tested tactics along with coordination with

the rest of your team becomes vital.

The basics

Everything you do tactically should try and achieve one of the following things:

1.

Deprive the enemy of something

2. Give yourself the tactical advantage

3. Allow you and your men to escape death

If you keep these principles in mind it will become easier for you to make smart

choices for you and your men.

One of the most vital things to do when you begin on a map is to get a feel for the

terrain. Try and remember where the hills are on the map, good locations for an

ambush if its applicable, natural cover you can use and such like. Many

commanders skip this step and often just dive straight in attempting to bring their

line as close to the enemy as possible, and as a result, they often die quickly.

Taking the high ground gives you a very tangible advantage over other combatants

on the field, as it allows you further view of the battlefield than them, as well as

this, it is a strong and often easy to hold position, as attacking high ground results

in a slower attack, giving the defender time to fire off one, if not two volleys into a

slowly advancing line, usually resulting in extremely heavy casualties. Here is an

example of using a hill effectively.


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Making use of cover is another vital part of tactics within NW, moving a line

behind a hill can provide a few advantages;

1. It effectively cloaks your regiment from enemy view, as they will not be able

to see over.

2.

It prevents men from being shot

3. It can be used to ambush an advancing regiment, preparing a volley to fire

into a regiment when theyve reached the crest of a hill is a very effective

tactic.

Again, here is an example of how to correctly use a hill as a form of cover.


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You also need to know when to disengage. This is a vital part of commanding a

line, the majority of regiments are killed because commanders believe that if they

just continue firing into an enemy line it will somehow be destroyed before their

own. This obviously is not the case.

If you are not in a tactical position, are facing a larger line or have sustained heavy

casualties with little effect upon the enemy you should consider disengaging, as

even with a few men you can still be effective elsewhere on the field.

For more information regarding tactics, and tactical thinking you should consider

reading The art of war by Sun Tzu, its regarded as one of the best books ever

written on the subject of conducting warfare. However, looking up period tactics

of the forces in the Napoleonic era would also be effective, as they are applicable in

game.


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http://steamcommunity.com/groups/57eme_Aus/discussions/0/846945955294085379/

Linebattle rules

Id like to give my thanks to various members of the community for helping me to

write this guide, so in no particular order:
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/57eme_Aus/discussions/0/846945955294085379/http://steamcommunity.com/groups/57eme_Aus/discussions/0/846945955294085379/http://steamcommunity.com/groups/57eme_Aus/discussions/0/846945955294085379/

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