Warhammer Great War: Some special close-order marching rule?

[WuZhuiQiu]

At a recent game of Warhammer Great War, one of the players suggested that there was a special rule for the Germans (in 1914) that allowed them to move faster if they were in close order.

I could not find the rule in either of the two books - was it published separately, or might he have been confusing different rule systems? of course, many of the rules are scattered throughout the books, and some details are not always easy to find.

Thanks!

[Bryanbowdell]

I've not noticed that rule in the book (I haven't got the second book) in our WW1 African campaign we have adapted the rules a little.  We have been allowing units to move 9" if they do not fire and double if they are on a road, it's been working OK but it's obviously a club rule!

[clyde85]

In the Warhammer historical The Great War game supplement Over the top, on page 51 there is listed a special rule called German Attack Column and text reads;
  "The Germans were described as moving in old-fashioned close order attack columns that proved to be east targets for British marksmen. This style of maneuver was typical of the Franco-Prussian war and at the outbreak of the First World War, the Germans still believed that the old tatics would suffice to win this new conflict. Any German company may use the Attack Column formation during the game. This reduces the Unit Coherency distance to 0" (meaning that the models must remain in base-to-base contact as if in close order) but grants the unit the same benefit as the French Elan special rule as long as the coherency is respected. You must decide before deployment if your army will use Attack Column or not and you cannot revert to usual formations during the game. When Shooting at an Attack Column, any unit gains the Marksmen special rule. Units defined as "Light" may not use Attack Columns.    

[WuZhuiQiu]

Thank you! It is interesting to note that units cannot revert to usual formations.

[fred]

I think it is very in keeping that units must stay in one formation or the other - pre-war German units were not really trained in fire and manoeuvre tactics, and they certainly weren't flexible enough to switch from attack columns to skirmish lines.

Early War tactics were very old fashioned by nearly all sides - most armies had looked at earlier conflicts and used these to reinforce their pre-conceptions of what was effective tactics, rather than use these conflicts to develop effective tactics.  This led to the huge losses in 1914 on all sides - as there was the belief that Elan and Valour would carry the troops on to the enemy, where their bayonets would win the fight.

This rather ignored magazine loading rifles, and quick firing artillery.