Should we be better than the Generals we emulate?

[Last Hussar]

I recently asked a question about how the Russians used their artillery reserve in 1812.  The answers were along the lines "nobody really knows"

However, on the subject of requesting it Ithoriel commented

Alternatively [the corps commander] can contact Kutusov, the C-in-C, who seems to have lost all interest in the battle from the moment it started.

A player would absolutely go "better get those guns into battle", there is none of the interpersonal stuff that real officers have. (Side note; the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava charged the wrong guns partly because Lucan and Cardigan disliked each other, and Lucan didn't think to make the order clear. Not malice, he didn't want to speak to the man who had eloped with his sister)

Should we just be better generals?

[Matt J]

It wasn't Lucan's order and he needed clarification himself. Raglan was a crap commander and Nolan didn't help matters. It was Lucan married to Cardigan's sister. But that's an aside.

Should we be better generals yes we should that is why we roll dice.

[FierceKitty]

I've just added a rule: if a player elopes with another player's sister, -1 to all command rolls. Thank you for drawing my attention to this often-overlooked factor.

[d_Guy]

Of course we should be better (barring an awful run of the dice). We are under no stress (very little, anyway), we are aware of most of the mistakes both sides made, we are not in immediate danger of being maimed or killed (depending on the battle, our command level, and the century). And best of all we can take a congenial break and nothing awful happens in our absence.

[paulr]

Most of us also have much more experience than most actual generals

I've already 'fought' 30 battles this year

[Orcs]

I've just added a rule: if a player elopes with another player's sister, -1 to all command rolls. Thank you for drawing my attention to this often-overlooked factor.

   

[fsn]

We are also blessed with psychic communication between commanders and subordinates.

Years ago, I did a Kriegspeil as a management exercise where players on the same side were kept separate and could only communicate via the C-in-C.

Chaos ensued. The amount of assumption, mis-communication, sheer bloody mindedness and inability to deal with large amounts of conflicting information was staggering.   

[Last Hussar]

Kriegspeils are fun. Players miscommunicate even when you let them talk to each other!

[Ithoriel]

In my last but one kriegspiel, having had no communication from our beloved leader I sent the following to my fellow corps commanders

"Turkey trots to water. Where is, repeat where is our C-in-C? The world wonders." 

I was so disappointed no one got the reference but apparently it generated much confusion in the enemy who captured one of my couriers.

As to being better than Kutusov, there have been  many games where I suspect my decamping 30 minutes travel from the field of battle and having a picnic would not have made a difference to the result!

[Last Hussar]

During lockdown (as this has morphed into a kriegspeil story thread!) I ran a couple of games remotely with Sunjester. In one we used our phones as radio communications - he had a map and starting position of his forces, I had paper with force info on my table.

During what he thought was a slow march he enquired why the unit in question was taking so long. He received the polite version of 'We're fighting the f'ing Nazis, and they keep shooting at us'. 

[steve_holmes_11]

I've just added a rule: if a player elopes with another player's sister, -1 to all command rolls. Thank you for drawing my attention to this often-overlooked factor.

-2 if it happens during the current battle.