Here's to you Fuzzy Wuzzy... how to break a British Square?

[Harry Faversham]

Skimming through a few rule sets as I'm building my Colonial forces, I'm coming round to cheap an' cheerful, hand to hand combat. If you ever reach a thin red line of Colonial Terminators, as many benighted 'eathens as you can get in base contact can have a proddle, by my maffs that's up to four if you disorder the line. Plenty of chance for Tommy Atkins to make a name for his self and win a VC... but wot about squares? Do you think a plus one to Tommy in formed square is enough, as long as they hold the line, all the fights will be one-v-one... all suggestions happily recieved.

[Hobbit]

I think this can be a bit of a thorny issue. I remember getting into a somewhat heated discussion elsewhere on the effectiveness of British infantry in close combat. My contention is that a British infantryman, in good order, with rifle and bayonet is the equal of any opposition they are likely to meet. The British are only overwhelmed where there are other extenuating circumstances.

[efredbar]

Me and my son play a very adhoc war game using his British and Zulu toy soldiers. Because the Zulu's take such a beating, from the rifles, trying to make contact...we give them a big advantage in hand to hand combat. It may not be historically correct but it makes for a fun game.

[Harry Faversham]

I'm with Hobbit truth be told, the very last thing you'd want to come up agin after storming through a blizzard of volley fire, is Tommy Atkins with his 'lunger'. Downside of this is that in the Emporium I'm always the Zulus/Fuzzy Wuzzys/any poor sod with a spear and shield! 
The dynamic dunderheads I battle against flatly refuse to command the targets in the shooting gallery... so if I do ever last long enough to get among 'em I want all the advantages I can get!

[Atheling]

Try over whelming them.

Be sneaky, take to the low ground then appear close to their lines etc.

Plenty of historical precedent there though the enemy usually came off a lot worse.

Also, place the Brits at some kind of disadvantage.... maybe they have a commander as hopeless as Elphinstone in the first Afghan War for example?

Darrell.

[Harry Faversham]

Don't need to penalise my enemies any more than they do themselves. My two regular opponents level of incompetence would get them Field Rank in any British Army where lions are led by donkeys!
It's the evil, and triumphant cackling, as the two dunderheads's blunders are rescued by the disciplined volleys of their men... that sends mi' highly strung and very excitable 'eathens into suicidal charge mode.