Wednesday, July 7, 2010

More on Morale

Here's my latest take on the Morale rules which owe a great deal to Ross and Ion's suggestions.

The normal morale rules for "The War Game" hold true barring these circumstances:

Troops in very extended order - that is to say skirmish lines of one rank with 1" seperating each figure or detachments. Detachments are in made of multiples of eight figures and an officer; this detachment size is based on breaking a 27-figure regiment down into a maximum of three sub-units.

In the case of Skirmishers, any part of the line that finds itself within the range of enemy musketry or gunfire to either it's flank or rear must test for morale per the detachment morale rules. If the threat is at the maximum "range" band for the weapon type, or if the threat is cavalry within charge range, one pip must be deducted from the morale roll; if within the second band, two pips and; if within the nearest, then three pips must be deducted.

In the case of Detachments:

1. A portion of a regiment may be detached but must include an officer. Once the detachment is separated from the main body by at least 6", it counts as a unit for morale. When a regiment is together, the officers count as normal for morale. When an officer is sent with a detachment, he counts as 3 points when the detachment tests morale, thus being more vulnerable. The main body counts the remaining officers as normal. % casualties are based on the detachments original strength.


2. If a sub-unit fails morale and retreats, it may rejoin its main unit if it can do so while retiring. Once it reaches the main body, it rejoins and adopts the morale status of the main unit.

3. Apart from the rally rules as per "The War Game", if a brigadier joins a unit he may replace any missing officer for morale purposes.

2 comments:

samrrye said...

Have you considered Grant's Napoleonic rules as an adjunct to the wargame, bringing it forward as it were. As you probably know Grant's total frontage of men in a battalion usually determined his ground scale from then on. Cheers.

Archduke Piccolo said...

Instead of 8-figure 'companies', I tend to go for 6 (4 per regiment - though not all my units have 24 'other ranks'. However, if any portion of the unit is detached - including sent forward as skirmishers - they must be commanded by an officer figure. In my army, this officer figure is usually the musician, but some units have a subaltern officer instead.

Most of my figures are based in strips of three, mainly in the interests of stability. Tends to make the 8-fig sub-unit awkward (not that it matters a swag of a lot).
Cheers,
Ion