George

Yes, wounded (well, killed, removed) only on a 5+ after being hit (5 being the “penetration number” needed). But bear in mind some weapons have bonuses to penetration rolls.

Nobody really knows what Warlord will publish or when. They do things their way and don’t say anything until preorder time.

They showed us the mock ups for a Crusades supplement for Hail Caesar at Salute back in 2012 and it still hasn’t materialised! The ACW one was displayed at the same time and wasn’t released for another 6 years or so!

Yes that is correct.

This was not a popular rule and a suggestion was made in Albion Triumphant to reduce the effect, somewhat. That suggestion was that the first unit would suffer the closing fire but not contact the line and would support the second unit, which would be the one that contacted the line and fought.

However, V2 of the Rules has…[Read more]

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]

So basically you’d take the LI mixed formation rule (from CoE) drop it from 50% to 33% in the Line formation and use that to replace the Skirmish formation on normal and large battalions?

(Small & Tiny formations are representing a company or two so should in theory stay as they are….)

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]

OK, not played first edition & I’ve not seen anything that says the v1 FAQ is still valid …so with that in mind I’d answer the questions as:

Closing fire – page 54 makes it clear that the break test is made counting as in combat not being shot at.
[quote] Chargers who suffer so many casualties from closing fire that they are shaken must take a…[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]

Bleh… its cavalry skirmishers who can evade formed cavalry charges..

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

In Napoleonics… any infantry unit that is bigger than Tiny CAN form square.

If you use the Clash of Eagles supplement its an Order checkwith modifiers so isnt alway automatic.
Tiny units cant form any formation other than skirmish or march column
Units with the Skirmish rule can either do closing fire, form square or flee maneouver – now as…[Read more]

Yes, interested. Tell us how it goes.

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]

Well, the French flank company epaulettes normally had not been fixed to the coat by sewing. Like officer ones they  had been removable for cleaning.  Nice for parade but in action they take every position one might think of.   I have in my collecion many uniforms with epaulettes and most rotate. Only those sewn to the coat do not move to str…[Read more]

No, because your charge response is to form square not perform closing fire.

The same as if you tell a unit to perform 3 moves then fail the order roll.  You’ve made the response of form square, just the guys have blundered and not managed to do so before the enemy cavalry hit home.

It is a bit of a pickle, as with any game that evolves. They really should have included a lot more of the common rules (like some terrain and weather stuff) in the rulebook. And take out all the  basic army lists in it, nobody uses those.

Hopefully this will all be in v3…

But I think people are not going to be happy at forking out for a…[Read more]

TL = theatre list

Aka the theatre selectors