Alan; This is a 8/14 posting from CSW by Bruce McFarlane, designer of MicroGame Design Group's "A MERE MATTER of MARCHING." CJH bmcfarln@telusplanet.net - 03:41pm Aug 14, 2002 PST (#1198 of 1198) Sorry about not keeping up with questions on MMM. I lurking with you throughout Laura Secord Rule discussion and then went on vacation. Then all the questions showed up. I've tryed to answer all the questions while leaving out the redundent ones. 1. Do units have to roll for movement when reinforcing a battle? -- YES 2. Can US units cross the river to reinforce? -- YES 3. If a general is left alone in a battleboard column, can he move to a different column? -- NO, but he can move into reserve, so he is not captured I'll probably try the 1812 scenario again - maybe by leading with militia in the US first wave, and following up with the regulars, a toehold can be gained and a real campaign begun. The 1812 scenario is really stacked against the Americans. The low River Crossing limits, means that the British can reinforce the battle much quicker than the Americans. Once the initial invasion is repelled the game ends. I included the scenario because a) it happened and b) it’s a good “learning scenario” before moving on to the next two “real” scenarios. 4. MMM question - since the Americans can't move along the US side and the Brits can't cross the Niagara, the road along the east side of the Niagara is purely decorative? -- YES, its decorative 5. Also, can Americans retreat across the Niagara? -- NO, if that’s the only escape route move them into the USA, but consider that they would be too demoralized to re-cross into Canada – they are effectively destroyed. 6. The troops that get the Woods bonus (Lights, Volunteers, Indians, etc.). Are they marked some how to show this? Assume "Lt" = Light. Indian units are label with their tribal name (ie. Seneca) and the picture is of a Native with a tomahawk. The only Volunteers in the game are the Pennsylvania Volunteers (labeled Pn Vol) and their picture is of a man in a hunting shirt and peaked cap. The only Light units in the game are the US 1st Lights (1st US Lts) and the British Glenngarry Lights (Glngrry Lts) Both have pictures of the soldier in his national uniform, only green in colour. 7. And what's a Fenicble (sp?)? Basically a Militia that volunteers to serve outside his own colony. Treat them as Regular units 8. Can you retreat into a fort after combat has gone on for a few rounds and you decide you've had enough?. -- NO the Fort Rule (11.0) states that the decision to hide in the fort has to be made “Before a battle takes place” 9. Can Indians alone take an unoccupied fort? --Good Question ! I’d say YES – BUT they will fight a battle rather than stay within the fort and stand a siege. 10. Does moving a force from Chippawa to Fishermans' Creek mean you can't use that road (section) to move from Lyon's Creek to Chippawa, or Lyon's Creek to Fisherman's Creek on that turn? Travel IS allowed between Lyon’s Creek and Chippawa. The map is incorrectly marked. The Lyon’s Creek Road should connect directly to Chippawa, and not join the Fisherman’s Creek Road. 11. Does a force which has retreated into a fort have to roll to move in order to join in on the combat when a relieving force shows up and attacks? If so, I would assume they could roll each round to join the battle as reinforcements - right? -- All the above is CORRECT. 12. Can a lone leader conquer an unoccupied fort? -- NO 13. Can the US make a reinforcing move across the river? -- YES 14. If so, does the crossing limit apply for each reinforcing move? -- YES 15. Does cavalry move 2 spaces in a reinforcing move? -- YES 16. Do the road limits apply during the reinforcing moves (that is, is the limit 1 force per road per reinforcing move, or 1 force per road per battle). -- 1 force per EACH reinforcing move. ie., if you get lucky and roll low on your movement rolls, you can move one stack of units down a given road every Battle-move 17. When the US crosses the river with 2 regiments in the 1813 scenario, can an attached artillery cross along with them if attached to a leader ? -- NO that is in excess of the 2 regiment limit. Consider all the units attached to one leader as a separate regiment. 18. If a leader moves a lone artillery unit, what type of "unit" is this considered? -- FOOT Company 19. "...which ground the game to a halt. A literal reading of the rules meant that the Americans couldn't reinforce a battle across the river (force limits per turn and only reinforce via road). If they lose the initial battle, and the British get more troops to the landing site (since it can't change), it's "Game, Set, and Match." … … allowing reinforcements across the Niagara River would go a long way." This is correct and by design. Transportation and communications were so bad on this frontier (remember the area had only been settled in the 1790’s) that once the Americans choose a Base of Operations they had to continue to use it for the rest of the summer. To change its location would have taken the rest of the summer and they would have to forfeit that year’s campaigning . This means the 1812 scenario is almost an assured British victory. The other two campaigns are much more balanced. The American reinforcements ARE allowed to cross the Niagara River. Also, like roads, the Invasion Crossing Limits is the most you can move in one turn, but that limit is renewed at the beginning of every Battle-move, as well. So, in 1812, if the American gets very lucky, he can cross 1 regiment during his move and then 1 regiment during each and every reinforcement move, as well (as long as he keeps rolling “ 7” or lower)