nicewolf64

it's easier to kill (and slim chance to capture) the skirmishers in the woods by using your general as bait to draw them south of your units. but you cant jump on them too quickly (skirmishers retreat north instead of east), or send the general too far north (dies). the 2 hilltop skirmishers totally disappear by the time i get my cav to the hilltop lookout point. i suffered almost no loses this way (less than 20 total). thanks to the comments here, i now see how much easier and less deadly an attack on the north bridge is. put the cannons along the river out of rifle range and just rout them over and over. but you have to watch for the west side brigade. if they retreat to the south bridge, they'll come back at some point. of course if the retreat across the north bridge, that's 2 brigades that you have to wear down. you need to be across and secure the town before the 3 new brigades come at 1:30, otherwise you are greatly outnumbered and they put a whooping on your ass.

I just tried this and at around 1:30, 3 new brigades came flying into town. so whichever bridge i tried to take, they always had a new brigade to replace any that i routed at the bridge. if i crossed the river b4 they got there, then i'd get swarmed by all 6 brigades plus a couple of skirmishers and their artillery. this is my 1st attempt at MG, and I've already noticed that its harder to capture units. on BG, i'd capture at least 1 skrinisher and the west side brigade. but they are retreating way too quickly for me to capture, and if they dont retreat, then they simply disintegrate.