In Issue #6, Mike Gilbert presented us with some very interesting material for our consideration. The roles of Commanders and their respective Generals is certainly important. How many times can we find instances of Generals assuming command of nearby troops and leading them into battle. Or again, how many times have subordinate Generals, simply because of their rank, (which isn't to be confused with their abilities), taken charge of those nearby troops and altered the entire strategy of their Commander-in-Chief. Troops certainly behave and fight better when they are aware that their National or Military leader is watching them. History is full of examples of French privates who performed outstandingly or performed some near impossible feat because the Emperor was viewing his particular sector of the battlefield. Even the much maligned Neapolitans fought courageously with Murat on the field. And then consider the poor, foot-sore, tired enemy private who, upon advancing forth to combat, is made aware of the fact that those troops opposing his battalion are personally commanded by the enemy's Supreme Commander. That certainly causes much uneasiness to an already nervous system. Casualties among from line Generals were frightful. A musket or rifle ball, shot, shell or sword, had no respect for rank. Marshal Lannes, Marshal Bessieres, General Duroc, Prince Posiatowski, Prussian Prince Louis Ferdinand, General Hautpoul, General Picton, General Uxbridge, General Salle, General Gibbs, General Packenham, to name but a very very few, were such casualties. Take just one battle, Borodino (the Moskows to the French), for example, Marshal Davout, wounded 14 Lieutenant Generals 34 Major Generals 7 Adjutants 32 Officers of the General Staff 86 aides-de-camp 37 Regimental Commanders 210 Killed or Wounded "Anatomy of Glory" page 240. And the effect on the line soldier when he loses his commander, especially if the person in point of fact, was popular, could be decisive to the outcome of the battle. And to prevent a General from being caught in a melee, we may find ourselves detaching a squadron or two of our precious cavalry for headquarters duty. This is certainly historically accurate. These "Guides," drawn from the light cavalry regiments, must be prepared to defend and protect their leader from any danger. Several questions come to mind immediately. 1. What happens to the player whose figure is killed or captured? Does that player then cease to be a part of the game? 2. Will we allow a command figure, one actually representing a player, to fire? (Maybe this question is out of order since he could melee, but better to have stated the point and gotten an answer, then to wait until that moment arrives during a game). 3. what about the capturing of a command figure? Certainly a somewhat depressing event. These will bring a little more reality to our games, and perhaps cause us to be a little more careful in the placement of ourselves upon the field of combat, so that we don't become hor de combat. Response: A Guarded Moment (EEL v1n8) Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 1 No. 7 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by Jean Lochet This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com