Slitherine

Can irregular light cavalry use artillery attachments? They count as skirmishers for movement and combat, infantry in skirmish dont shoot with artillery attachments, but irrgeular light cav in tactical formation move and combat as skirmishers, seems to say they can shot in tactical with art attachments and count in combat with other cavalry and squares, is this correct?

I am going to have to say no since skirmishing troops can't use attachments. Irregular cavalry are always in skirmish formation, they can never be in tactical so I don't think they can shoot with an attachment. Perhaps we need a rules author to add in those famous words "skirmishing Infantry"....

Somehow Cossacks dragging around battalion guns is just something I can't see happening. Perhaps trying to drag off your opponents guns, but more likely they would just cut down the crew and leave the guns behind.

Don't see why Cossacks should not have artillery with them. Tried to post a link but auto moderator says no. Look at Marks military history site ( Google it)

I would state again that Irregular Light cavalry are NOT always in skirmish formation (and in practice I would think they never are) they can be in in any formation but the rules state in combat and movement phases they treated as if they were. Shooting isn't mentioned, the rules as written I see no reason why they cannot.

Once again they are permanent skirmishers and can not use tactical ever. Skirmish and tactical are two separate formations you can be in one or the other but not both and do not switch at will during the turn. page 106 Irregular last sentence: Irregular Light Cavalry are always treated as skirmishers

As an example in my Austrian army in 1805 and 1809 I can use Grenzers as either poor drilled or average irregular. The difference is that poor drilled can use tactical or skirmish but average irregular are permanent skirmishers, they can never be in tactical formation. Granted being infantry they can both shoot but the average irregulars won't stand if charged in the open and have all the skirmisher charge restrictions as well. Poor drilled in tactical formation act as any other drilled troops in tactical,including the ability to shoot attached artillery, they can form square can stand if charged etc. If the poor drilled change to skirmish formation they are treated as skirmishers, so no standing in the open if charged and all the normal skirmishing charge restrictions, no shooting attached artillery. The only way I can change them from one formation to the other is during my turn they remain stationary and change formation. Irregular light cavalry and irregular Grenzers don't have the option to change formation and are always treated as being in skirmish formation. They can reform into extended line or 2 deep formation but are still in skirmish formation.

I know that infantry skirmishers can not use artillery attachments for shooting but am not sure if that was written as just skirmishers or specifically infantry skirmishers who can't use them. Unfortunately can't find them in the amendments but I know I have seen it here in the forums at least.

At the very least seems like an expensive option when you will need to pass a CMT with a single die roll to either charge or stand to use the gun in combat.

re read the rules, the ignoring of artillery attachments says "infantry skirmishers". Seems they can use artillery attachments quite freely.

The clarification of infantry skirmishers unable to fire at medium range was made on the QRS for Firing. I don't remember if it was added in the errata.

Like I said I was not sure if the term was "skirmisher" or "Infantry Skirmisher" who could not use the attachment. Seems you found it and so the Cossacks can be up gunned. Still seems like a lot of points for two dice. Personally I would rather stick them with an infantry unit but to each their own.

Also worth remembering is that attachments to an irregular unit shoot as irregulars - ie re-roll 6s. I imagine this would discourage anyone from making an artillery attachment to cossacks ...

I had no intention of giving art attachments to cossacks, I was just thinking about possible grey areas in the rules. I'd consider giving an officer attachment to a unit of cossacks.

Perhaps we need a rules author to add in those famous words "skirmishing Infantry"....

It was certainly the intent.
Cossack artillery did exist, so Cossack cavalry units should be able to take artillery attachments.
As already pointed out, they will fire as irregular, so are of less value than 'normal' attachments.