Garry Wills

Looking at p.110 in AT2, where an upgrade for large unit is given, I think the profile for a Guards unit on p.105 (7/4/3+/4)  refers to a standard sized unit (although increasing the stamina as well as the morale is a probably overkill). Thus a large Guard unit would be 9/5/3+/5 under AT2. Not sure I agree with this but that is my interpretation…[Read more]

Hello Karl,

In Albion Triumphant 2, the units are given different guns, the British are given Smoothbore (16 points for shooting, p.106) and the Prussians are given Light Smoothbore (12 points for shooting, p.128). The Dutch (p.114) are the comparison you mention, as the RHA are given additional special rules.

Adkins ‘Waterloo Companion’ shows…[Read more]

Yes, see the moving artillery by horse section of the rules. Personally I don’t allow units to fire if they have moved more than once, a rule introduced in the Last Argument of Kings and Clash of Eagles supplements.

Garry

No, there is nothing in the rules that prevent you changing formation within proximity distance. The main point of the rule is to stop units being shuffled sideways in the presence of the enemy. In formation changes the unit stays in place and moves neither forward nor backwards, so it is very similar to turning to face. On p.33 of BP2 under…[Read more]

Hi CtG, I see your reasoning but I was sticking to RAW. With your example I think it is even more important that the RAW approach is taken, BP’s strength is the randomness it brings to command and movement. No units are exempt from friction. Good discussion though.

I am sorry CtG, free moves are only available to units that failed their command roll. First para of p.34. Hence some units with free moves won’t get them if they are not ordered for whatever reason.

Regards

Garry

No it doesn’t test. The excess casualties are just removed. I know it seems odd but that is what happens. The winners of the melee are still shaken and so are vulnerable to any counterattack.

Garry

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