Hidden Division Orders

[Al Wright]

Let us suppose I have a division of two units on a Hidden Unit Marker. Because they are both hidden, so is their general.

What orders can I give this division? Do I have to give them an order on deployment, or can I give them an order as and when I see fit to reveal them, or when the enemy finds them?

If I have to give them an order on deployment, can I choose to give them an attack order, and then ignore it until I choose to reveal them or they are found?

If they have an attack order and they are found by an enemy unit on attack or engage, have they missed their activation this turn?

If they start with a Defend order, how do I change it to an attack order without alerting my opponent?

If I can give them an order when I reveal them, can I wait for my opponent to do all his Attack orders and then reveal my hidden units on Attack?

[RogerGreenwood]

I cannot see a rule that says you do not give an order. The order marker will be face down as usual.

If it is attack or engage order then some of them are going to have to move. I am pretty sure you will have to declare the order when that order reaches its time to activate.

If you change the order you may have to declare the quality of the general.

As far as I can see, if you want troops to sit hidden it is logical that they have the 'hold' order. That is in fact what they are doing. When you want them to advance you change their order as normal.
The hold order permits an entire piece of terrain to be in the area. Units hidden behind a crest or in a wood will be able to charge units that enter the terrain. That's about the nearest you can get to an ambush. It isn't really a thing in large Napoleonic battles.

[Al Wright]

Having them on a hold order until you want to change it makes sense. But would I not then write a hidden division's order on the battle plan, without putting it on the table? In the note on p81 it says you can roll for the division as if it's on a flank march until you roll a number that indicates a real flank march should come on. If you put the order marker on the table next to the hidden unit marker, it's kind of obvious that it is neither a decoy nor on a flank march...

[RogerGreenwood]

I don't see why you couldn't have a marker there. If the hidden marker is a dummy you can just make it a hold order marker and do nothing when activation comes.
Even better, you could bluff and do an order change as well.

To be strictly correct, you would probably have to nominate any other divisions you had on hold for the 'who activates first roll'.

[Al Wright]

A strategist can have three Hidden unit markers. A lot of time could be wasted rolling bluff order dice and "In case I have a hidden division CP dice" which also aren't mentioned in the rules....

Reading the note on p81 "If an entire division is hidden, roll 1d6 each turn as if a division were on a flank march to keep the opponent in ignorance. If the d6 indicates the entry of the flank march, then the player indicates to his opponent that there is no flank march."

I think that 1d6 should be all that's required as long as the division is drawn on the Battle Plan with a hold or possibly a manouvre order. Only when you want to send an order change should you say that you are doing so in the strategic command phase, and even then if you have more than one hidden unit marker, you still don't reveal which the division is hidden under until activation.

[RogerGreenwood]

No real need to roll any dice. Just say they are on hold orders and not moving.
If it is a division it has to have an order. Even if it is a dummy division you need an order chit to maintain the bluff.