Commands you should know how to give (if you are an officer), and how to execute them!
This is the basic command set line infantry. Read this before joining up for line battles, it will make your pre-fight training go much smoother, you will know what you need to do, and now there is a baseline from which you can yell at your commander that he is "terrible and doing it wrong" which is always a fun place to be.
Note: Bold text below is some modifiable stuff that changes one command into something similar but different.
"Form 1/2/3 rank(s) to my front/right/left" (if in front, it means form a column. To the side, it means form a line)
(in column) "Forward march" (follow the dude in front of you)
(in line) "Forward march" (front rank, watch the guy on your right. When he starts moving, you start moving straight forward. Avoid drifting away from the mass. If you are the guy on the far right, you start running as soon as the march command comes. Rear rank, stay behind the guy in front of you. We move forward as a diagonal line)
(in line) "As one, forward march" (advancing all together as a line, at WALKING SPEED. The rightmost guy sets the pace of the line: if you ahead of him, stop and let him catch up. If you're behind him, run until you're in line with him. End result is we move forward as a straight line, rather than a diagonal one.)
"Halt" (furthest forward person stops, line reforms off him)
"Left/Right/Rightabout face" (turn in place)
"Dress the line" (fill gaps to your right. Always to the right!)
"Front rank, kneel/crouch/rise/spring up" (front rank, and only front rank, crouches/stands. Rear ranks never crouch in combat.)
"Present" (rear rank moves right to aim between heads of front rank, everyone takes aim)
"Fire" (everyone shoots at once)
"Fire at will" (shoot at targets of opportunity)
"Cease fire" (stop shooting, morons!)
"Front/rear rank, present! Fire" (if you're in that rank, follow the commands)
"Prepare to receive cavalry/oh god form cavalry blob" (face outwards from the centre mass of the line, form a sort of circle/square/geometric entity of your choice, let the officers, musicians, and flags into the centre of the blob, then crouch and brace bayonets facing outward)
(while marching in column)"Right/left wheel" (the column is turning right/left. make sure you follow it correctly)
(while marching in line) "Right/left wheel" (the line is turning right/left, very gradually. Dress the line in the direction of the turn. If you are on the inside of the turn, slow down so that the line swings around like a door)
(while wheeling) "Forward" (stop wheeling, start going straight again. try to repair the line while doing it)
(while stationary) "Right/left wheel, 30/45 degrees, march" (on the wheel command, face 30/45 degrees in the direction the wheel is going. On the march command, walk straight forward until the line is straight again, then dress to repair the line)
This is the basic command set line infantry. Read this before joining up for line battles, it will make your pre-fight training go much smoother, you will know what you need to do, and now there is a baseline from which you can yell at your commander that he is "terrible and doing it wrong" which is always a fun place to be.
Note: Bold text below is some modifiable stuff that changes one command into something similar but different.
"Form 1/2/3 rank(s) to my front/right/left" (if in front, it means form a column. To the side, it means form a line)
(in column) "Forward march" (follow the dude in front of you)
(in line) "Forward march" (front rank, watch the guy on your right. When he starts moving, you start moving straight forward. Avoid drifting away from the mass. If you are the guy on the far right, you start running as soon as the march command comes. Rear rank, stay behind the guy in front of you. We move forward as a diagonal line)
(in line) "As one, forward march" (advancing all together as a line, at WALKING SPEED. The rightmost guy sets the pace of the line: if you ahead of him, stop and let him catch up. If you're behind him, run until you're in line with him. End result is we move forward as a straight line, rather than a diagonal one.)
"Halt" (furthest forward person stops, line reforms off him)
"Left/Right/Rightabout face" (turn in place)
"Dress the line" (fill gaps to your right. Always to the right!)
"Front rank, kneel/crouch/rise/spring up" (front rank, and only front rank, crouches/stands. Rear ranks never crouch in combat.)
"Present" (rear rank moves right to aim between heads of front rank, everyone takes aim)
"Fire" (everyone shoots at once)
"Fire at will" (shoot at targets of opportunity)
"Cease fire" (stop shooting, morons!)
"Front/rear rank, present! Fire" (if you're in that rank, follow the commands)
"Prepare to receive cavalry/oh god form cavalry blob" (face outwards from the centre mass of the line, form a sort of circle/square/geometric entity of your choice, let the officers, musicians, and flags into the centre of the blob, then crouch and brace bayonets facing outward)
(while marching in column)"Right/left wheel" (the column is turning right/left. make sure you follow it correctly)
(while marching in line) "Right/left wheel" (the line is turning right/left, very gradually. Dress the line in the direction of the turn. If you are on the inside of the turn, slow down so that the line swings around like a door)
(while wheeling) "Forward" (stop wheeling, start going straight again. try to repair the line while doing it)
(while stationary) "Right/left wheel, 30/45 degrees, march" (on the wheel command, face 30/45 degrees in the direction the wheel is going. On the march command, walk straight forward until the line is straight again, then dress to repair the line)