George

Looking at this and its not to hard to port over from V1 to V2:

You pick Decisivness then you get general traits (pg 109) Decisive on a 5 or 6 OR Hesitant on a 1

If you pick Independance you get Headstrong on a 5 or 6 OR Diffident on a 1 (diffident is different to the old Irresponsible but replaced it)

Always! Artillery are proper lightweights. If you just blow on them, they will disappear. They don’t want to fight, they want to shoot.

Yes they are DEAD & GONE!

In fact if it was HtH that causes a break test dont bother rolling it just remove them as EVERY result is Artillery is Dead 🙁

Yes, George, they have to roll again next turn. Fog of War.

Seriously, Ben, I haven’t! And I have played a lot of games! Just lucky, I suppose.

Garry, that isn’t quite right. The enemy must be in your unit’s front quarter for the final move into contact. That means for initiative moves or the final move of multiPle moves. The chargers must also have A clear line of sight To the target at the beginning of the final move into contact

The rule for charging from two or three moves away, Is…[Read more]

Excellent. Thanks!

Yes you have missed the ‘position the charging unit’ section on page 60. This should be in the declaration of charge orders section but isn’t. The frontal arc restriction applies when the order is given a the start of the turn. Note the use of ‘turn’ not ‘move’ in this section. Moves and turns are very different in Black Powder, which is…[Read more]

Thanks for the correction Big Al.

Regarding Break tests see p.77, which lists the specific occasions when break tests are required. P.81 says you remove excess casualties after all NECESSARY break tests are done. Consequently putting the two together, winning units with excess casualties can remove them without a break test.

To Big Al’s point…[Read more]

Thank you Garry and Al, very helpful.

However,  for (2) both sides taking heavy losses over their stamina in hand combat:  I can’t see any reference on p71-72 that says the winner just throws away any excess casualty (shaken) markers. I thought any unit that takes excess hits needs a break test regardless of where or when?

Garry has answered your questions correctly, except that the supplement is Last Argument of Kings, not First ;-).

The idea of not shooting after a number of moves is generally thought of as a good idea. However, it assumes that you are actually moving the full distance over turn. I never use it, as I don’t agree with it because there is no p…[Read more]

1. Yes initiative moves are automatic but they must be done before you start issuing orders. (p.32)

2. Only the losers take a break test. The winners simply ignore the excess casualties and they are removed. (p.71-2).

3. This rule of not firing if you have moved more than once was introduced in the First Argument of Kings as being particularly…[Read more]

Thanks Invisible Officer, useful historical info.  And Big Al, thanks again. I had wrongly assumed the rules on page 88 were for big squares made from multiple units as shown on the photo  on 89. But they would be Brigade Squares (p.91), not Battalion Squares (p.88) ! Damn it. Mystery solved.

For some reason, my full reply was blocked! Here is the rest of it.

3) If enemy cavalry are within 12 inches, the infantry must remain in square and cannot change formation. Otherwise, the infantry can change formation.

With regard to the Proximity Rule, a formation change (expanding or contracting of the frontage) does not count as moving to…[Read more]

1 & 2) It is all there on page 88. A square can move a maximum of 1 move regardless of the success of the command roll. It can only move at half pace (6 inches) and can only move towards its own baseline. If the order fails, it can still make a single move (sometimes the proof read misses something).

Test

BP is much more flexible than other rule sets.

Historically we have many moving squares.   The French often used a massive one, not the hollow one.  And that massive one was little different from a Battalion column.

In colonial wars it was common to advance in squares. Often very large ones, made from some Battalions.   Front and back in line…[Read more]