Randy
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Post by Randy on Nov 3, 2016 9:08:41 GMT -5
From playing Hail Caesar years ago I remember some arguments and debates about rules. When Shane and I played last week we got bogged down looking up rules so I thought as I read through Black Powder I would write notes and post them here so we can all be on board when we play. As I go through the book I will update areas of play. Also as noted in the book these rules are guides and we can adjust them as we see fit.
First, Orders - page 25. (Bold copy from the book)
1 - The commander-in-chief can does not command a brigade but can give orders to any units in the army.
The brigade commander can give the entire brigade an order or orders to individual units in his brigade. I see this rule as the commander-in-chief can not give the brigade an order but can give units in the brigade orders. When we played Hail Caesar when a commander failed an order we let the commander-in-chief jump in and start giving orders. (But see below rules) Also can the commander-in-chief give orders across brigades or only one brigade? Any thoughts?
2 - Each commander must complete all of his orders before another commander can begin to give orders.
If the commander-in-chief completes a brigade commanders failed orders he would need to continue giving orders across brigades. (see below) If he stops he is done giving orders that round. If another brigade commander fails the command-in chief cannot jump in anymore.
3 - If a commander fails to give an order then he cannot give any more orders that turn. This applies to all commanders including the general(commander-in-chief).
4 - If a double six is rolled by the commander-in-chief when giving orders then the result is a blunder plus no further orders may be issued by any commanders that turn.
Ouch!
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Randy
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Post by Randy on Nov 4, 2016 9:34:34 GMT -5
Brigade orders page 26 A brigade commander can issue the same order to any or all of the units in his brigade so long as all the units form a group with none more than 6" apart when the order is issued and none more than 6" apart once the order has been carried out.
The commander-in-chief can give brigade orders to groups of units in the same or different brigades. Such units must still be within 6" of each other before and after their move as described above.
Initiative orders page 30 Initiative orders rule allows a unit to move once without an instruction from a commander. Units that move using initiative cannot be given orders by a commander that turn.
Units using initiative must do so before any commanders issue any orders. Failing to do so results in much embarrassment and can lead to unseemly outbursts of which no more shall be said!
A unit can use initiative if there are enemy units within 12" of it at the start of the command part of the player's turn.
Free Moves page 30 This section describes other kinds of free move that follow from failed orders. These free moves are exceptions to the normal ruling that units cannot move if an order is failed.
A unit in march column, infantry square or a limbered artillery piece can move once even when an order is failed - and must do so if this is compatible with its orders.
If an order is blundered all free moves are lost.
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Randy
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Post by Randy on Nov 7, 2016 14:54:37 GMT -5
Move page 32 Should we halve the distances?
Page 33 Once the enemy are within 12", the unit's ability to perform even the most basic maneuvers is considered to be impaired - once close to the enemy, units must move roughly straight forward or straight back
Artillery movement Page 33 Horse artillery can limber or unlimber at the beginning or end of a move without penalty, and can limber at the start and unlimber at the end of the same move if desired. This ability to move and shoot within a single move makes horse artillery extremely mobile.
Foot artillery take one whole move to either limber or to unlimber and deploy ready to fire. For example, a gun that is already limbered can unlimber and is ready to fire within a single move.
Page 36 Infantry in skirmish order move within woodland at half pace of movement,. Other troops cannot enter woodland except by means of roads or tracks that pass through them.
Page 37 An infantry or cavalry unit that wished to cross an obstacle must give up 6" of movement to do so. If a unit does not have 6" of movement remaining then it will halt in front of the obstacle without attempting to cross.
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Post by shaneymania on Nov 7, 2016 18:56:45 GMT -5
I think it depends on the size of the table we are playing on. If it's a 6x4, then it might make sens to cut them down.
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Randy
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Post by Randy on Nov 7, 2016 19:49:29 GMT -5
We did that for Hail Caesar because we were playing on a 6x4. Look what happened to you with the cavalry when we played. First turn they were across the table and sitting ducks.
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Randy
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Post by Randy on Nov 8, 2016 10:20:17 GMT -5
Page 40 - Visibility
For convenience of play, a unit's ability to 'see' is always judged from the center of the unit's front rank - ie, from the 'leader' model. This is yet another good reason for giving our troops distinctive looking leaders. The unit sees what the leader sees, and if the leader can't see then the unit can't see either.
Page 42 Enemy units already engaged in hand-to-hand combat can't be shot at.
In most situations a unit must shoot at the closest enemy unit
Page 44 Units that are not clear targets
Page 46 - Shooting If any dice score a 6, the target automatically becomes 'disordered'
Page 47 If half or more of the target is behind cover then treat the whole unit as behind cover
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Randy
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Post by Randy on Nov 9, 2016 8:27:10 GMT -5
Page 48 A unit that becomes disordered remains disordered until the end of its following turn unless it is engaged in hand-to-hand combat: in which case the unit remains disordered until the end of a turn when it is no longer fighting.
Page 49 Enfiladed targets Only troops armed with firearms or artillery firing directly at a target can enfilade their enemy. Troops throwing javelins or shooting arrows cannot do this, nor cannons firing overhead.
A target is deemed enfiladed if the shooters are shooting into the flank of an infantry or calavry line, attack column, or warband formation, and the shooters' leader model lies within a corridor extended to the targets' flank.
Page 50 Skirmishers To work out shooting for skirmishers, nominate a model from the outside of the unit's formation. This can be a different model each time the unit shoots.
Page 51 Closing fire Only an infantry unit in line, attack column, square, or mixed formation can deliver closing fire, warbands, skirmishers and troops in march column cannot.
A unit shoots closing fire exactly as it shoots in the shooting part of its own turn.
Chargers who suffer so many casualties from closing fire that they are shaken must take a break test counting the unit as engaged in combat. If the result of this test is to force the unit to retire then the chargers chargers are moved back the requisite distance without hand-to-hand combat being fought.
Cannons shoot closing fire in exactly the same way as infantry using canister or grape shot. When a charger takes closing fire from two or more enemy units at the same time, it is always treated as a 'not clear' target and therefore -1 to hit.
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Randy
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Post by Randy on Nov 14, 2016 9:07:04 GMT -5
Page 57 Remember, unless a unit is specifically instructed to charge, it will not do so.
Page 59 A unit which is given an order to charge will always attempt to fulfill its order in the most direct way possible. There fore, if a unit begins its turn to the front of an enemy formation it will attempt to charge to the front, if a unit begins its turn to the side it charges the flank, and a unit begins its turn to the rear then it charges the rear.
Page 61 Adjacent units are drawn into an engagement if the charger covers at least half of their facing.
Page 62 Skirmishers can charge units occupying buildings, artillery in march column and other units in skirmish formation. Skirmishers can charge an enemy unit they are not normally allowed to charge if that enemy is already engaged to its front and the skirmishers are charging the side or rear of the enemy formation.
Page 65 A unit normally fights to its front, but if attacked in the side or rear, or if attacked from multiple directions at once, then attacks are distributed as follows. The player must decide where a unit's attacks are directed before rolling dice.
Page 66 For the avoidance of doubt, units that charge an enemy behind cover do not benefit from cover themselves merely because they are poised on opposite sides of the same wall, fence or hedge!
Page 67 A unit can support a single engaged friend within 6". A unit cannot support more than one friend even if it is positioned so that it could potentially support several different units.
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Randy
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Post by Randy on Nov 17, 2016 8:17:22 GMT -5
Page 68 Victory Too much to type but this is the page to go to.
Page 71 Supporting units break tests Supporting units are considered to be such if they are theoretically able to support regardless of whether they actually contribute a support bonus or not. Regardless of the number of friends who break from an engagement, a supporting unit only has to test once.
Page 73 A retiring unit must move a full move, or in some cases two full moves, as described on the results chart. Units normally retire to their rear, except that units fighting only to one flank, or only to their rear, must retire in the opposite direction instead.
I think this is enough to cover us getting started. At this point I have reached the advanced rules in the book. We should play a few times before we get into those.
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captainecho
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Post by captainecho on Nov 17, 2016 10:58:06 GMT -5
sounds good to me.
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