The Tactical Unimportance of Roads

I've been listening to a number of different wargaming podcasts recently and many have included divergent commentary on rules mechanisms. Whilst no one has discussed this feature in particular, this morning my mind wandered onto the subject of road movement so I thought I'd share my thoughts on the matter.

Firstly, the context for this is Napoleonic period battles with a particular focus on Waterloo by way of an example and a vehicle for my thoughts.

I suspect that aside from wheeled vehicles (guns in particular) roads are not a feature of tactical consideration on a battlefield. To be sure, the movement of wagon trains, siege trains and artillery more generally relied on them in a campaign sense but when the battles unfolded, you don't notice them featuring in deployments or affecting maneuver.

Brigades and divisional assault don't rely on them - I mean, how could they? Large bodies of troops have a footprint on the ground far in excess of some narrow, rutted dirt or cobbled roadway. In dry conditions, I suspect the advantages of a roadway in open, gentle country would be negligible. In wet and muddy conditions, it may be a different matter.

It's another matter in hard country where rocks, forests, gullies and the like would impede even light and dispersed formations. When I look at Wellington's defensive posture along the Ohain road at Waterloo, he used the road not so much becasue of it's aid to movement, communication or transport but because it featured on the top of a small rise and it's sunken featured made for a defensive work.

d'Eerlon's famous corp attack was made east of the central roadway across open fields. Generally from what I have observed, a hill will feature more importantly than considerations of a road in the tactical mind.

As far a forming up an army for a set piece battle, I'm sure roads were useful for transport chains but suspect infantry and cavalry would have made way for vehicles even when marching to the forming up areas.

If you agree, then why is it that rules often afford accelerated movement to units moving on roads? In terms of a table-top battle, it seems to me that they might be more often relegated to a visual terrain feature only. Even in dry conditions, wagons and artillery would likely gain little advantage and in cases for roads in poor condition or repair they'd be better off rolling across open fields.

I am forming the view that a road ought not accelerate tactical movement on the table-top but it might off-set disadvantageous ground is bad wet weather conditions, when running through difficult and broken ground or heavily ploughed fields and the like. In these cases, impediments from hard going would be reduced to normal movement on a road - but no more.

But I'm open to correction and suggestions.