My battles are carnages, slaughterfests

[General_Chasse]

Hi there,

It appears that when I have an army of 80.000 strong (or more), I consistently lose 20-25.000 of my men and my win (if it is one) is always classified as 'marginal'.

Has anyone ever been able to recreate e.g. Austerlitz, with only 8000 casualties or prisoners on the French side, and a whopping 20.000 on the Allied side?

If so, how?

[Hook]

It appears that when I have an army of 80.000 strong (or more), I consistently lose 20-25.000 of my men and my win (if it is one) is always classified as 'marginal'.

Has anyone ever been able to recreate e.g. Austerlitz, with only 8000 casualties or prisoners on the French side, and a whopping 20.000 on the Allied side?

I've never gotten quite that one-sided a battle, but then I'm not Napoleon either.

I'm not certain, but I think the highest enemy casualty activity in the game is attacking a defensive line from the flank.  The highest friendly casualty activity is probably attacking that same line from the front.  

If you can get a local superiority of forces in one part of the battlefield, the enemy casualties will be disproportionally high for that part of the battle.  

If your opponent masses all his troops against you at one point, send someone around his flank to take his lines of operation.  If you hold even one extra line of operation the enemy morale is reduced considerably while your morale is boosted.  If you hold two, the effect can be devastating.  Not to mention that any friendly prisoners will be freed as they pass by your forces if there are no enemy around to contest the area.

Don't count "Left the battlefield" forces in the casualty count.  Those guys will be available for battle the next day.  The only forces you've actually lost are the killed and missing, the wounded (some of whom will be returning to battle) and prisoners.  Look at your "New potential" numbers on the second Analysis screen to see what your actual losses are.  Check the screen shot to see an example of a battle where I did very well.

Hook

[General_Chasse]

Sir,
That's a fine result indeed!

Thanks for the explanation.
How did you play this battle, on Grognard level?

[Hook]

That was Eylau from the Allied side. Lots of artillery.  Conscript mode.

Hook

[antiochus]

 I was able to do an almost Cannae manuever and had roughly 10,000 casualties against 40,000 of the enemy.

 I had two corps take the brunt of fighting in the middle of the battlefield and then attempted to close the noose with 4-5 others.

 I can't remeber what battlefield but the terrain was neither a plus or a minus.