One of the trickiest, alluring, and potentially self-destructive questions in the CWB and to some lesser extent in the TCS is when to close that final distance with the enemy -- to close combat or assault the enemy units own hex. While I cannot give any analytical, statistical formula for this determination (I'll leave that to others who might be so inclined, who will remain nameless, Rod), I can give some guidanoe on when I think its a good idea and when I think it isn't.

As a caveat, I play my game from the hip usually -- which means I'm usuallly not interested in squeezing that last little bit of performance out of my units and that I'll accept what amounts to a higher order of both risk and mistakes simply because I play by "feel" and not in a highly calculating manner. So, with that in mind, you can take or leave what I have to say as it suits you and your style of play.

Generating close combats (in this article, I'll address the CWB specifically, and TCS only by your own transposition of concepts, for the sake of simplicity) is as close to an act of desperation as you can come in our games. I'll initiate a close combat only as the coup de grace to a stricken unit or as a final level of punch toward the end of an assault. It is not the approved manner of attack in general. Conditions must be mainly correct or a close combat will entail needless levels of loss at a highly exaggerated rate.

In our games, troop conservation is a high priority -- players who run up huge butcher's bills and compare the system's tables are out of whack take note: unlike in most games, the player must take an active part in conserving his army for the long term battle. The system gives historical results when used historically, period. Since close combat goes against the grain of troop conservation, it must be looked upon as a specialized event used for effect in certain situadons, not as a line softening device!

Used incorrectly, close combat can cripple large formations in a very short penod of dme. For instance, in a playtest game of In Their Quiet Fields (a long time ago, I'll admit), yours truly pounded one Confederate brigade stacked with guns with the Union 2nt Corps. In the course of one turn's attack, 2nd Corps launched repeated assaults against that one hex and, in the process, eliminated itself as a viable force. The entire corps, that is. The hex, of course, wasn't taken. Used correctly, as by Tom Watson in our Spring Retreat game of Pipe Creek (albeit with a great degree of luck) such assaults can rupture the enemy line and send him flying back. As a caveat to Tom's assault, while in one or two instances it was very successful, in other cases it wasn't, the net result was a near-victory and a bloody stalemate with some 8,000 casualties in Longstreet's reinforced Corps but that is a long story...

Conditions

The conditions needed for good close combat usage involve the units on either side and the potential events after the attack. The attacking units must be B morale or better with a good leader (unless they are bloodlusted in which case it doesn't matter.) Strengths of above average to be preferred with enough buffer such that no matter what happens in the fire combat, the unit will skill do well on the Odd's Table.

Obviously, line formation is a must. I would stay away from assaulting with units which have extended lines (wasteful and clumsy.) Units from wrecked divisions or ones which are wrecked themselves should never close combat as attackers. In the 2nd Edition rules, wrecked units are expressly forbidden from attacking.

The target should be in as bad a condition as possible -- DG or Routed, no leader, no cannons, as weak as you can estimate their strength or in some formation (column comes to mind) in which they are helpless. There is no chivalry in close combats. Pound the weak and the sick. Hit 'em while they are down -- the harder the better. Never expend a close combat on someone who can put in a decent fight -- always aim at those whom you can slam on the floor witwut too much effort or drain on the attackers. It's not a pretty sight, but kicking the enemy when he's down is half the fun, isn't it?

Terrain such as trenches, sunken roads and the like should be avoided unless the enemy gives you a nice juicy target like limbered guns or infantry in column (or that greatest of all targets -- mounted cavalry!)

A word about guns as targets limbered ones are easy and fun to kick around, unlimbered ones, unless taken in the flank, are very painful but can be productive if, and only if, they are unsupported by infantry in line. Gun units are pretty fragile and cannot take much in the way of lumps if you get at them uncovered -- when you get the chance go in and tear them up, if you get to the Odds Table you almost can't lose!

The player must look ahead to the future when executing these attacks. A failure to do so may very well end a fun turn of slamming the sick and weak with a disaster. This is especially true in the 2nd Edition rules where the "turn to meet 'em option" has been removed. Before defenders could readjust their facing if the attacker had to do so in order to get at them. This is no longer the case. Now, if you squirm into his line in a one hex breach, one or the other of the adjacent units will be able to close combat your flank in the coming phases. You must breach at least a two hex wide hole in his line to avoid this unhappy situation.

Exploiting a close combat created situation must be handled with great care. Once you've blown that nice hole in his line, pouring through with every available unit may not be the best plan. Pounding the flanks of the hole (the expanding torrent, B. H. Liddell Hart) may or may not be either. It was in pounding open the flanks of a breach in which Tom's attack above lost some of its initial great success.

It may be best to pull back, form a good firing line studded with artillery, and let him try to reoccupy. I can't give much advice on how to choose between the above options as it is so heavily dependent on the local situation, your orders, and your manner of play. I can say that if the initial success can be attributed to a great dice roll (in combat or morale) chances are it isn't going to be productive to leap into the gap or try and expand it. If, however, it was due to a wrecked unit and you think that others nearby might be or become wrecked (or are in any of the above juicy categories) go for it.

With all the cautions above, I'm afraid I might make you be too tentative about making close combats. I can only follow by giving you the advice not to putter around with your attacks -- if you are going to attack, then ATTACK like you mean it -- as U.S. Grant said "Hit him as hard as you can, as often as you can, and keep moving on." Limp, halfhearted attacks in this game system do not cut it -- they needlessly remove the fighting edge of the attacking troops with little or no gain.

If you are going to do it, then by all means do it, but if you're not sure make a decision -- attack all-out to see if it works, or don't attack at all. And, as a last word, its always best to let your opponent to attack you in the place of your choosing -- a strong line in good terrain heavily studded with cannon. Let him pay the butcher's bill, so you don't have to. When he's crippled himself, he won't be able to stand your attack in the second half of the game...