BP2 Initial Impressions

[Peter Douglas]

https://singlehandedadmiral.blogspot.com/2018/10/black-powder-2-first-impressions.html

Overall I like the content. I like the rule changes, the book is far better organized and I like the scenarios.
But…
“Frankly I am disappointed with Warlord over the typos. Personally I am a typo machine (ask my students) and I can work with typos in a lot of the hobby press. But this was a high production, big box store rule book from an outfit that occupies a leadership position in the hobby. I expect high production, leadership type production quality in proofreading as well as glossy pictures. Warlord are not a cottage industry or a hobby press, they need to pull up their socks. I’ve yet to see an official errata sheet or FAQs and that needs to hit the web ASAP.”

[Anonymous]

Peter you already know my views re BP2. I like the amendments etc, in fact the whole book would be great if there wasnt the glaring errors. Will Warlord consider printing a sheet that we can use to stick over the errors? and perhaps an accurate quick play sheet?

[Peter Douglas]

We are of a like mind Robbie. A clean copy of BP2 would be a great step up, but what’s done is done. I would really like to see an official correct QRS and a set of errata.

[Colin]

I’m with you both on this! Very unprofessional.

[Peter Douglas]

Cheers Colin.

[Anonymous]

I know Im looking like a bit of a killjoy but Black Powder 2 has also missed out the Closing Fire Rule for artillery and how to test for such. In the FAQ; cavalry charging artillery should actually test on the Shooting test for artillery hits and not the hand to hand chart. As was pointed out at the time no cavalry would be able to close with artillery unless the shooting chart was used.I probably haven’t explained this too well but hopefully I have been successful in a download re the reply.

[Garry Wills]

Another potential issue that I have just spotted is that in Mixed Formation the skirmishers can be ignored at any range by artillery. This is perhaps a case of unclear wording, with the 12 inch range condition still applying. However if the Rules are played as written, there would be little point in using mixed formation in BP2, at least against artillery.

I like the 12 inch restriction on the screening effect of skirmishers, but don’t understand why the distance wasn’t pushed out to musket range of 18 inches.

Regards

Garry

[Charge The Guns]

Hi Gary, I thought the point of the rule change here was exactly what you’ve said; skirmishers should not have any effect on artillery firing at a formed body behind the skirmishers. My understanding is that skirmish screens were to ‘annoy’ formed enemy infantry, or protect you from their skirmishers. The only ways troops had to protect themselves from artillery was to lie down or stand behind a hill.

[Garry Wills]

Well that is not the change to Shooting at Skirmishers section which gives the unclear target modifier if the skirmishers are within 12 inches of the firers. The point of the skirmishers was their fire on the gun crews. Either way there is a potential inconsistency in the wording.

To reflect their effect skirmishers need something other than the coarse effect of their fire in the game.

[Nigel Tullett]

It’s disappointing that there seems a delay in a playsheet for downloading being available and no sign of a central location for rule/proof reading issues to be clarified.

Just have a look at the support Sam Mustafa provides to the purchasers of his game systems for comparison…….

[Charge The Guns]

Hi Nigel, good news! I don’t think anything on the QRS has changed since BP1 so you can still use that one. http://www.warlordgames.com/now-available-free-black-powder-playsheet/ . The army roster from BP1 is also unchanged. So that means the QRS was released before the rules – amazing. Well done Warlord 😉

[Dr Dave]

“The point of the skirmishers was their fire on the gun crews.“

The point of skirmishers is to shield your men against the enemies skirmishers. If it was to shoot artillery then in the absence of artillery no one would have skirmished. The idea that an iron ball travelling at 200 m per s can be stopped dead by a skirmish screen is utter fantasy. This rule change is spot on.

[Garry Wills]

Dr Dave,
You missed the point of my post, I mentioned skirmishers in the artillery context only because the discussion was about artillery.

I don’t remember in the 10 years of Black Powder, anyone being stupid enough to suggest that a dispersed line of skirmishers actually stops roundshot, anymore than a close order line of infantry.

The rule change in BP2 which means that Skirmishers have no effect beyond 12 inches is obviously welcome. But I am surprised that you support it so vehemently because at less than 12 inches, without any penetration in BP2, the skirmish screen effectively does stop the roundshot and canister.

My original point that the mixed rule is probably poorly worded, I think still stands.

In many ways Black Powder needs to be taken “seriously but not literally”.

There seems to me to be a lot to do to make this forum as useful as the one it replaced.

All the best

[Dr Dave]

“I don’t remember in the 10 years of Black Powder, anyone being stupid enough to suggest that a dispersed line of skirmishers actually stops roundshot”

In black powder v1 that’s precisely what the rules said – see the last 2 lines of the main text on p78. But I think we play(ed) it that arty (not canister) fire is always at the main body and ignores skirmishers.

I have BP2 but I’ve not read them yet – too busy with tanks I’m afraid. So if I supported something vehemently it was by accident.

[Dr Dave]

Nigel, you said “…have a look at the support Sam Mustafa provides to the purchasers of his game systems for comparison”. Yes, I’ve had responses within hrs from Le Grande Fromage himself to my Rommel queries. But I think he benefits from fewer rule systems, hence fewer customers and in turn, fewer questions.

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