From: "James D. (Jim) Parmenter" Subject: [Bouting] More of Ed W's messages from ConSim Again, I lost the date of the first message. With best regards, Jim 8^) ---------- Original messages ---------- Hey All, Just answered some questions for a fellow in Norway. Pay particular attention to #2 and let me know what you think. 1. The command radius of a Brigade Leader is plus one hex (that is, adjacent to the leader and one more, or in the parlance of game design 2 hexes). 2. This is a toughfy: Replacement leaders? Dead Brigade leaders can be only replaced by their Division leader. Dead Division Leaders can be replaced by their corps leader. Dead Corps leaders can be replaced by their army leader. Call this "The Step Down" rule. Each leader that steps down, loses the function he performed at the higher step in rank. (Dead Army leaders cannot be replaced since this would take either an act of congress or at least a day to sort out.) The best tip? If a game doesn't have rules for replacement leaders (such as Mont St. Jean) don't use your leaders where they can get killed. Of course, a divisional leader may be replaced by the ADC belonging to the same corps too. 3. Correct; there is no ricochet modifier in the 4th edition rule. Medium and long range fire attacks are a bit like bowling with cannon balls. Ed Wimble - 06:47am Oct 22, 1998 PST Some more Questions and Answers: 1- The Tiralheurs a cheval vs charge rules seems a bit strange to me. Imagine the following situation: The Guarde light cavalry is deployed as TaC. A one-step light cav unit (50 horses) with equal movement potencial moves and charges from 18 Hexes away. By the rules, when it becomes adjacent to the guarde, they immediatly rout (no chance whatsoever to react or resist) and lose 3 steps in persuit losses. Is this example correct? "I assume you are using the 4th edition rules, and that the 1 increment unit moved roughly 15 movement points and charged 3 hexes. Yes, the unformed light cavalry unit would rout no matter who they are. "Is this odd? Yes. However, in light of the CaC being entirely deployed in Tirailleur order, that's odd too. Especially since they could have done so by squadron, and kept a few squadrons formed for support. This is not really a good example because of this. "The game series is designed to show tactics of support. In the case of cavalry in open order you have to have cavalry in closed order nearby. That's why the designers went to all that trouble giving you a rules for reaction charges. You might as well have asked me about artillery deployed unlimbered alone in a big field. And an infantry battalion closing on it from three hexes distant. The infantry manauvres so as to hit the artillery in the flank. Now, of course in an historical scenario the gunners would have shifted their guns to face these infantrymen, however, the greater sin committed in this situation is that the guns were unsupported. Shouldn't the TaC have some chance to react? Does Cav. suffer pursuit losses the same away as infantry? "No. They can run away. But this is a darn good question. The "Pursuit" section of the rulebook does not clarify this at all except that its examples all deal with routed infantry." 2- When a cavalry (or other unit) enters a hex after winning a melee, must it preserve orientation, or is it allowed to change orientation/formation? "I think the rulebook is fairly specific on this one, and that units must have the rear of their counter touching the hex they assaulted from; unless units from different hexes advance into the hex, in which case they must 1. conform to stacking limits 2. adopt identical facing 3. if they are in different formations upon entering the hex they desordre." 3-When a unit occuping two hexes suffers a DS result on one of those hexes, is the whole unit affected, or only the steps present in that hex? "Strickly interpreting the rules here, the whole unit surrenders. However, I can see where a case can be made for only surrendering the half of the unit. Make a house rule for this one if you want to." 4-In QB, the fire defense for infantry in swamp is not given. What are the val ues? "Same as clear." 5-Batalion A has printed morale 16. Batalion B has printed morale 21. Suppose the corps they belong is at level 3, they both have lost half their increments and and they are being charged by lancers. As I read the rules, batalion A would not be affected by any of this, and would roll-to-stand at 16 morale. Batalion B would be affected by all this and would roll at 21 (-12 -6 -6) = 61. Is this correct by the rules? "Yes, and now you understand some of the crisis a designer must experience when he decides who will have a morale of less than 21, and who will not." If correct by the rules, I understand the idea, but isn't this a bit drastic? What about the negative modifiers dividing by 2 (or 3) for elite units, instead of simply disappearing? "I suppose what you are really asking me is why these rules are not as long as they are for Advanced Squad Leader. I realised when I was doing rules for the chateau in Preussish-Eylau that I could write and entire section of rules on how many men could pass through a door in a single turn, and that then I'd have to rate the width of every door in the chateau, and count the windows on the first floor, and take into account that some of the men could climb out of windows on the second floor. And then the game designer in me stepped forth and cried... Anon!"