Questions for RossMac on MacDuff rules

aducknamedjoe
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Questions for RossMac on MacDuff rules May 28, 2017 23:31:34 GMT

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Post by aducknamedjoe on May 28, 2017 23:31:34 GMT

Ross, wasn't sure the best place to post these, and figured some other folks here might benefit from your answers as well. Apologies if this isn't the right location!

I just finished a short game of your "With MacDuff to the Frontier" rules (found here: docs.google.com/document/d/11g4aRzzMYFNK6LWPdIeXxeKD3U7UoJ8H81dsp7H2f1c/edit?usp=sharing) and loved them! It's exactly the type of toy soldiery, 19th century feel I've been looking for.

I played a small affair on my floor with some books as hills, using 18 figure infantry units, 10 figure cavalry, and 4 figure artillery (AIP colonials: Russians and Boxer Rebellion Indians). With 3 units and 1 general a side it took about an hour, but most of that was learning the rules as I went along.

Anyway, I ran into a couple places I had questions and was hoping you would be kind enough to answer them! (I'm hoping to do a larger battle tomorrow with 6 units and 3 commanders a side).

1. Do you count moving up/over hills as broken ground? I didn't see hills mentioned anywhere in the terrain section, and was curious if you play them as slowing/affecting movement rates at all.

2. For maneuver orders, like formation changes, it's clear in the rules that you cannot perform a maneuver and shoot in the same turn (except in reaction), but can you perform a maneuver and then move with any left over movement? For instance, it takes 5" to change formation, but a unit rolled 11", can they then move 6" after the formation change?

3. How would you add Gatling guns to the rules? Currently only artillery is denoted. I tried to search your blog but came up short.

4. Is there any penalty for charges falling short? Can charged units still reaction fire, for instance?

5. Is column formation only a benefit on roads?

6. Other than the special rules for squares, do units only remain in melee contact if both scored equal hits?

7. For artillery shooting at vehicles do you just use the Breaching Fire rules?

Sorry, that's quite a lot, as you can tell I'm quite excited by these rules and eager to give them another outing.

www.plasticcommand.com/ and atthequeenscommand.com/

rossmac Administrator Posts: 172	Questions for RossMac on MacDuff rules May 29, 2017 0:14:38 GMT via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by rossmac on May 29, 2017 0:14:38 GMT This is as good a place as any. I'm glad you enjoyed the game. I can't give you a full answer right now but I will tomorrow. Ross
	Ross gameofmonth.blogspot.ca

rossmac
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Questions for RossMac on MacDuff rules May 29, 2017 14:47:15 GMT

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Post by rossmac on May 29, 2017 14:47:15 GMT

May 28, 2017 23:31:34 GMT aducknamedjoe said:

Joe (Short for a Duck named Joe?)

I'm going to start by saying that the copy you looked at was drawn up specifically for a War of 1812/American Revolution small action game at Huzzah that year and thus misses all the later 19thC weapon etc.

This will be the 20th anniversary of the original publication of the Colonial and F&IW versions in the Courier and I am in the midst of writing a "final" amalgamated version which is similar to the version you are using but a bit closer to the original with a rally test (or saving throw) to sit if hits are permanent or temporary. I still haven't added the middle/later 19thC weapons or the various non North American troop types but I will although they are easy to add yourself. If you are interested the current draft can be found here: With MacDuff to the Frontier 20th Anniversary Draft

In the meantime you are welcome to keep using the 2014 version and modifying to your needs. I have answered each question below:

1. Do you count moving up/over hills as broken ground? I didn't see hills mentioned anywhere in the terrain section, and was curious if you play them as slowing/affecting movement rates at all.

> It depends on the hill. A smooth low hill wound be open ground although blocking line of sight. A steep rocky hill would be classed as broken ground or possibly worse with some slopes being impassible to most troops.

2. For maneuver orders, like formation changes, it's clear in the rules that you cannot perform a maneuver and shoot in the same turn (except in reaction), but can you perform a maneuver and then move with any left over movement? For instance, it takes 5" to change formation, but a unit rolled 11", can they then move 6" after the formation change?

> (Oh dear, this is the only version of the rules that was expressed in this convoluted way and I only played it twice and that was 3 years ago! Yes any remaining movement may be used. (It has already been penalized by dropping a die compared to a straight march move.)

3. How would you add Gatling guns to the rules? Currently only artillery is denoted. I tried to search your blog but came up short.

> The rules have usually treated gatling guns as light artillery for most purposes. For firing purposes I would give them a straight 24" range with 4 dice counting as superior so hitting on 4,5,6 but if 2 1's are rolled it jams and can't fire until the crew spends a turn clearing the jam. (That probably exaggerates the risk but adds excitement and is fun for the other side)

4. Is there any penalty for charges falling short? Can charged units still reaction fire, for instance?
> No. There is no charge if it doesn't contact. I have never liked the "suspended in mid step" or "got exhausted and stopped 2 feet away move". I have recently decided to let people roll before declaring their action treating this as a sort of "local officer initiative" thing.

5. Is column formation only a benefit on roads?

>In most armies troops in column moved at the same rate and length of paces per minute. The advantage comes when you try to wheel a line vs wheeling a column or if you have to pass through a gap. It also allows you to concentrate 2 units on one when they have guns and you don't.

6. Other than the special rules for squares, do units only remain in melee contact if both scored equal hits?
> Correct.

7. For artillery shooting at vehicles do you just use the Breaching Fire rules?
> No but that is an interesting idea which I will tuck away. I treat them like artillery with hits killing crew and the vehicle being put out of action when all the crew are gone. Early armoured boats, trains and cars are treated as "cover". If I want to increase protection I round hits down rather than up as usual but the breaching idea is interesting for artillery.

Sorry, that's quite a lot, as you can tell I'm quite excited by these rules and eager to give them another outing.

Always a pleasure to take questions and suggestions and discuss ideas.

Ross
gameofmonth.blogspot.ca

aducknamedjoe
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Posts: 451

Questions for RossMac on MacDuff rules May 29, 2017 18:00:36 GMT

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Post by aducknamedjoe on May 29, 2017 18:00:36 GMT

Ah, didn't know there was a newer version of the rules out there. I'll give these a look-see as well, thank you!

Those Gatling rules are great, thanks again. Love the idea of jamming as well, feels very "Vitai Lampada." I also like your original artillery rules of giving as many dice as there are gunners, as that allows battery effectiveness to degrade as casualties mount, so I may do the same here, but with 2 dice being the minimum number even if only 1 gunner survives (because machine gun).

And good point on the column stuff, though curious; what is the benefit of being able to concentrate 2 units on one in melee if, through counting ranks, you would still get fewer combined dice than if you had 1 unit in a line formation? (E.g. an 18-man unit would get 9 dice in melee in line formation, but two 18-man units would only get a combined total of 4 dice if both were in column formation assaulting the same enemy unit).

Thanks again Ross, huge fan of your blog.

www.plasticcommand.com/ and atthequeenscommand.com/

aducknamedjoe
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Posts: 451

Questions for RossMac on MacDuff rules Jul 6, 2017 0:33:05 GMT

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Post by aducknamedjoe on Jul 6, 2017 0:33:05 GMT

Had a great follow-up game with 6 units a side yesterday, figured I'd share:

Russians with Afghan allies tried to force the passes into the British Raj but were thrown back by Royal Marines and Sikhs.

Both sides had reinforcements coming up--2 regular army regiments for the Brits and a field gun for the Russkies (I played that each rolled a die at the end of the turn, where the reinforcements would show up on a 6 after the first turn, a 5+ after the second turn etc. It took 5 turns for either side to see any of their reinforcements!).

The Russians pushed back a charge by Skinner's Horse after 3 rounds of brutal melee on the top of a hill which I treated as broken ground, causing both units to become unformed and only be able to land hits with their front ranks (the Russians, defending the hill, got a 3+ to hit in melee where the lancers, after the charge bonus of the first round, only got a 4+).

But that was the end of the good fortune for the Russian invaders. On their left flank, a lucky shot took out the tribal chieftain of the Afghan allies, and they hesitated to advance. A later piecemeal charge by the Afghan light horse and tribesman was defeated in one after the other by the blue-clad marines, defending their hill, even after being hit in the flank and rear by the cavalry!

With their left flank shattered, the Russian center was enduring a brutal fire from the Sikhs and British mountain gun. Even as reinforcements arrived for both sides the center Russian regiment broke, and with the added fire of the marines, wheeled to cover the hill, killing the crew of the Russian gun before it could unlimber, the battle was over. Despite a strong right flank, the Russian army had lost 4 army points (out of 3): 2 commanders killed, 1 unit routed, and another destroyed) and quit the field.

The whole affair took about 3 hours start to finish, but that included set up and take-down, and the pauses to watch snatches of old episodes of The Office my girlfriend was playing above me.

www.plasticcommand.com/ and atthequeenscommand.com/

Post by aducknamedjoe on May 28, 2017 23:31:34 GMT

Post by rossmac on May 29, 2017 0:14:38 GMT

Post by rossmac on May 29, 2017 14:47:15 GMT

Post by aducknamedjoe on May 29, 2017 18:00:36 GMT

Post by aducknamedjoe on Jul 6, 2017 0:33:05 GMT