Garry Wills

In addition to Nat’s explanation, a unit can be ‘whipped’ by shooting without being shaken if it has the ‘wavering’ special rule. However this is the only case I can think of as ‘whipped’ units can’t be rallied.

Sorry but I have to disagree, the rules  specifically say that the -1 to hit as a skirmish target is applied. Nowhere in the rules does it say the mixed formations are treated as skirmish targets ‘in all respects’. If it was intended that the morale save did not apply we would hope that Rick would have said so. Obviously people can play this…[Read more]

That is a great question. I think the brigade order rules must apply so that one other unit would have to move half a move to keep the brigade integrity.

Personally I play in 15mm and use a 12cm brigade integrity distance to allow more realistic deployments, so it would be less of an issue, but in the past I have just left  the unreliable units…[Read more]

I tend to consider them as linear obstacles and assume that the units are in line or skirmish. I think columns are inappropriate. Alternatively you could consider them as buildings in which case formation is not important. However I think to make them buildings is to make them unrealistically strong. Just my opinion though.

I don’t play that period but the thing that pops out to me is the artillery. My understanding is that the artillery can’t be moved once unlimbered, but needs an order to change front, so you may need them in separate brigades with a specific commander. Odd number of units per brigade is pretty conventional. Have you looked at historical  OOBs?…[Read more]

The 6 inch movement penalty is significant and might add to the fire the attackers receive. If the stream is a significant obstacle, I would give the defenders the ‘stubborn’ rule while defending the stream. I use this approach to give uphill units an advantage.

So the cavalry passed the charge to contact break test using the shooting line on the break test, as in the FAQ 2010, rather than the RAW.

Welcome to Black Powder. I think the rules were written for more crowded 28 mm scale battlefields. I play in 15mm and have increased the artillery ranges  by 25% and this seems to work. When you try historical scenarios it is obvious that the artillery ranges are too short. However I still keep the short range at the equivalent of 6 inches (6 cms…[Read more]

Nat, there are very few differences between the two versions and therefore the same questions get raised. The point about charging and closing fire is a case in point. With the RAW in BP1 and 2 Cavalry will always at least retire when charging the front of artillery unless they get no casualties which is very unlikely with 3 dice at 3+ to hit.…[Read more]

One of the frustrations associated with BPII is that they did not include the 18 points made in the official 2010 FAQs document, so this document still applies;

Closing Fire: The 2010 FAQs  (point 18) distinguished between shaken units which test on the close combat chart and non-shaken units which test on the shooting chart. Personally this is…[Read more]

Skirmish infantry can’t evade cavalry, just infantry.

Just that commander. The other brigade commanders are unaffected. In the first edition of the rules the commanding general of the army could order units and if he threw a blunder, no further orders could be given by any of his brigade commanders. This option is still available in BPII, so it is still relevant.

Garry

Hello, I am not sure that once the square is formed, assuming that it is still adjacent to the artillery, that the artillery could be contacted, because you can’t contact one without the other (p.63) and the cavalry can’t charge home on the square. Thus the gunners are protected by the square without a house rule. Just a thought.

Garry

Interesting discussion. You can argue it both ways, i.e. the troops opened a disordered fire thus preventing the formation of square or as Nat says the unit’s officers spent all their time trying and failing to form square. As written the rules on page 89, don’t preclude the infantry firing disordered. However, I think this is due to loose…[Read more]

Totally agree, even then it might be a bit much given that they also get two extra combat dice. The average +2 to combat resolution is equivalent to 5 extra combat dice, so all together it is like being attacked by two normal units.

Yes the example given following my quotation spells it out. Yesterday, I refought Venta del Pozo and the French lost a third of their force when a squadron of Gendarmes broke, quickly followed by both supports! Three scores of 4 or less in a row!

Best regards

Garry

George

I like these forums because we always have the opportunity to learn about the games we love. However on page 78 at the bottom of the first paragraph it reads ‘For purposes of this test, supporting units are considered to be such if they are theoretically  able to support regardless of whether they actually contribute a support bonus or…[Read more]

Yes it is added to the combat resolution. Hvy Cav +1 is approximately the equivalent of adding 3 close combat dice, so a big effect.

and the units test whether they actually supported the combat or not, they just have to be within the 6inches.

The proximity rule is straightforward, the French grenadiers need to move into either their forward or rearward quarter (see p.24), the number and position of the Austrians doesn’t matter other than them being within 12 inches. The key point in this example, is that the grenadiers would have to charge the Jagers,  (you cannot contact them without…[Read more]