I’ve started using a system that I originally designed to control my AI opponent to limit my own god like overview of the battlefield - so I thought I’d knock out a quick post to highlight the details for anyone interested in the experiment.
Not only can we normally see where everything is on the board but we often unwittingly end up controlling every aspect of our own forces, fulfilling the roles of Corporal, General, and every rank in between.
Now that’s not so bad in skirmish gaming where the levels of a forces rank structure is more condensed but I’ve started playing 2mm ECW again and my omnipotence at this level just seems historically and factually wrong. We do know how battles were fought in this period and we also know broadly what the role and limitations of a generals ability to shape events are - once battle is joined.
Okay so let’s get into the detail.
Once the defender and attacker have deployed their units (2 - 6 battalia organised into brigades) you as the general give each brigade leader (usually a senior colonel) an order counter that his battalia must follow. This is a reflection of the usual sedate pace of battlefield positioning, the assembly of a council of war and the agreement amongst the senior officers of how the forthcoming battle should be fought.
The orders are generic and represented by an initially hidden counter placed next to each brigade commander.
The four order types are:
o Attack (arrow symbol) Foot and horse units should move towards the nearest enemy with a view to engaging them in combat. They will continue in this mode until they are no longer able through loss or broken morale. Cannon may engage in ranged fire rather than move. Order defaults automatically to hold if one unit within the brigade routs from the table.
o Sieze objective (double arrow symbol) Foot or horse units must attempt to occupy the nearest marked objective hex. Once occupied this defaults to a hold order without the generals intervention. Troops with this order are allowed to INITIATE combat only when attempting to dislodge opponents in the objective hex but may always battle back if attacked prior to this.
o Hold (hand symbol). All units maintain their current positions but cannon may fire in ranged combat and units may battle back in their own defence if attacked. Units ordered to hold may not initiate close combat.
o Retire (bent arrow symbol). The brigades units must retire in an orderly fashion towards a nominated counter marked hex. Units will stop moving when they are on or adjacent to the indicated hex. Units may battle back if attacked in close combat / melee - but may not initiate same. Once on or adjacent to the nominated hex the order automatically defaults to hold and 1 unit within the brigade receives 1 strength point reinforcement (never bringing them back to full strength).
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| A brigade of 3 Foote battalia with a « hold » order. |
The kicker is that once battle is joined you as the general may only change a limited number of these orders and only change them when a brigade is activated (by chit draw). King Charles who I’ve rated as poor can only change 3 order counters during the entire game while Rupert can change 5. This can be increased by 1 if the general is placed on a hill higher than the bulk of his forces or reduced by one if he attaches himself to a particular brigade leader during the battle.
Testing so far has been limited but it seems to give a satisfactory result. When do you make a change to your plan and what should that change be? Can you afford to change early on to seek advantage or save any order adjustments to stave off a possible disaster later in the game?
It should be pointed out that this system is applied to both of the opposing forces.
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| A brigade of 2 regiments of horse with an « attack » order. Each stand is a troop, 2 troops to the squadron and 3 squadrons to the regiment. |
This mechanic forms part of my 2mm ECW home brew rule set originally titled « Standing on the shoulders of midgets »** (both to reflect the scale of the miniatures and the fact that the entire thing is a mash up of other proven system mechanics - Msr Foys Corporal John / C&C combat mechanisms, master Freitag’s brigade activation and a few bits and pieces of my own).
The rules will be used in my forthcoming ECW campaign and the assembly of two large armies for this is nearly complete - so I’ll be looking for faction leading volunteers to make strategic decisions in an ahistorical ECW in the new year I expect.
Toodleooh
* By way of compensation he usually gets to field a larger force than anyone other than Essex.
** Now more sensibly titled « Noe Quarter ». My lawyer has asked me to point out that it’s the miniatures and not Msr Foy or Master Freitag who are the midgets on whose shoulders I am perched.