Optimal Brigade size

[fanoren]

I've been starting to wonder if I've been organizing my men to the best I can. I usually use brigades that number somewhere between 1400-1800. How many do you guys usually use or reccomend?

[ceutermark]

I usually get to AO lvl 6 to have 4 divisons per corps with 2,000 man infantry brigades and i've had good results with that size and also i don't go above AO lvl 6

[Kristoph42]

I always try to have my INF brigades maxed out to full strength. It doesn't happen that often, but I try. I do not like to use rookie replacements. I always use veteran replacements. Your 1400-1800 is normal. Personally, I try to only use brigades with at least 1500. That is like my cut off for mainline troops.

[ohener]

I tend to use full-size brigades for everything except artillery whenever possible. On most maps your main limit is the number of units you can bring, so it's beneficial to make those units as strong as possible. This is especially true on minor battles where the enemy has a fixed unit size, but even on many major battles it's a good idea to pack as many troops as you can into your vanguard.

Stick to the more expensive officers when possible to offset the command penalty. It also helps that higher-level officers increase the experience of their unit, making veterans cheaper and making it easier to keep your army at 1 or 2 stars at least, even if you're only buying fresh recruits.

[jj?]

A few maxed out lines for me, but most tend to fall around the 1,500 mark. I like having two really good, well-numbered corps that are somemwhat even. But this is also where it feels like a war of attrition is kicking in when I am able to do this.

For example I fought Gettysburg the other day and lost about 18,000. Recruits+medicine didn't cover the losses even though I defended Gettysburg. Things like that seem to limit me in keeping lines at 1.5k spanned out over three corps. Firearm availability, costs, battle losses, etc.

[Wright29]

The hardcore min-max golden number is 1450. you can detach skirmishers and combine brigades, then recall the skirmishers to have 2,900 sized brigades.

1450 is quite low so auto-scaling won't hurt you too bad. And it's high enough that is will be able to participate in melee and will be able to take some casualties without too much fear of shattering.

If you're hurting for officers, keeping the number low is good as well since you can have a Lt. Col leading most of the time without a penalty.

But really the answer is whatever you want to make you feel comfortable or whatever your gut tells you.

[danloveschrista]

1400 seems real good with the scaling. As of Malvern Hill, I have 4x1400 INF with 16 ART per division. I'm not struggling to replace losses like I was with 2000 brigades, and after a few losses I can combine brigades. Didn't realize the detach-merge-attach scheme. That's a neat trick!

[Wright29]

Originally posted by danloveschrista:

1400 seems real good with the scaling. As of Malvern Hill, I have 4x1400 INF with 16 ART per division. I'm not struggling to replace losses like I was with 2000 brigades, and after a few losses I can combine brigades. Didn't realize the detach-merge-attach scheme. That's a neat trick!

Must admit I've never seen a corps composition with so many arty brigades. Do you have trouble defending on the larger maps?

[wanderingthoreau1987]

I think he means a battery of 16 guns.

[Wright29]

Ah he said per division. That would be far more normal.

[danloveschrista]

Originally posted by Wright29:

Ah he said per division. That would be far more normal.

Right, 4 infantry and 1 artillery per division. I actually think 3 infantry and 1 artillery per divison is even better sometimes. 3 seem to group better when I tell them where to go. Also 3 can surround a single enemy brigade when targeted, and 4 shift all over funky.

[Wright29]

Originally posted by danloveschrista:

Originally posted by Wright29:

Ah he said per division. That would be far more normal.

Right, 4 infantry and 1 artillery per division. I actually think 3 infantry and 1 artillery per divison is even better sometimes. 3 seem to group better when I tell them where to go. Also 3 can surround a single enemy brigade when targeted, and 4 shift all over funky.

Well you always want to max out brigade participation if only to get more experience for your army and officer group.

[MaGicBush]

Yea i do 3 inf and an arty with 1500 men as well as a sniper squad sometimes or cav.. Its been working good so far, but im not to the last two newest battles yet.

[Lonesome 77]

Noob here--it looks like the higher the number of men, the lower the efficiency? How important would efficiency be? Worth losing some manpower in your ranks? Also I'm curious about efficiency when it comes to weapons, and whether a high efficiency build for units (prioritizing efficiency in the brigade size and also in weapons) would be remotely a good idea, or just suicide.

[MaGicBush]

Originally posted by aShotOfJameson:

Noob here--it looks like the higher the number of men, the lower the efficiency? How important would efficiency be? Worth losing some manpower in your ranks? Also I'm curious about efficiency when it comes to weapons, and whether a high efficiency build for units (prioritizing efficiency in the brigade size and also in weapons) would be remotely a good idea, or just suicide.

As I understand it the more manpower you have the more manpower the AI has because of scaling. So it's better to keep a smaller more manageable army so the AI scaling doesn't get out of hand. Weapons are always good to upgrade as you go through the campaign, as they obviously improve damage, range, and reload speed(melee as well, but that gets worse with better weapons).

[Kristoph42]

Originally posted by author:

Noob here--it looks like the higher the number of men, the lower the efficiency? How important would efficiency be?

Im not sure of the exact effects of efficiency. (Don't know actually games mechanics regarding efficiency) I can tell you, from experience, units with high efficiency seem to preform better in all regards. They shoot faster, kill more enemies per volley, move quicker, change thier frontage, react to orders quicker and everything else.

Higher ranking officers give better efficiency to larger brigades.