The La Bataille Forum

Some Errata

by Ed Wimble

One bit popped out at me the other day that escaped my notice after several playings with the "finished" components... somehow the squadron of Mamelukes ended up with the incredible melee strength of 15. Well, as good as this unit should be, it isn't that good. Replace this " 15 " with an " 8. " This number " 15 " is probably the one that was supposed to go on the front of the Soumski Hussars as their movement factor.

James Cordell of Tennessee was one of many to gripe about the change from the "Regs. XXII" that prevents infantry and artillery backing out of a zone of influence in the Lutzen rules. (In other words, zones of influence lock these units in place now.) I'm willing to bend a little here even though I really do think that changing ones' front when in contact with the enemy is about the most difficult thing one can accomplish even in modern armies. At the tactical level its practically unheard of.

However, I grant the possibility that if an officer of high rank accompanied by his staff (which is really what a leader counter represents) rode into a battalion in the midst of a fire-fight (and lets face it, once you are less than one-hundred meters from the enemy you are in a fire-fight whether the players are rolling the dice for it or not) there is the chance, however remote, that by beating and kicking the men around him he just might get them to nudge away in a different direction. Therefore:

    If a leader is present in the hex, an infantry unit (in skirmish order or formed) may attempt to exit the zone of influence of an enemy infantry or artillery unit by checking morale. This dice roll is modified by -6 (for the worse) in addition to any modifier the leader may add to the attempt. If successful, the unit may exit the hex (and thereby incur opportunity fire from the enemy unit) but may not immediately enter another enemy zone of influence in so doing (it may enter another enemy zone of influence with the second hex it enters). The leader need not begin the movement phase stacked in the hex and may continue movement after the attempt if it was successful (he must accompany the unit for the remainder of its movement). However, this attempt costs the leader onehalf (112) of his printed movement potential (he may not make the attempt if he does not have at least this much MP remaining to him that phase). If successful he must accompany the unit for the remainder of its movement regardless of the MPs he has remaining to him.

Dallas Gavan (another Aussie) suggested that units are too fixed in position and unable to respond to local circumstances when, in fact, they could do more than just form square if charged by cavalry, or execute opportunity fire. He is right, especially if the unit is not fixed; i.e., in the zone of influence of an enemy unit. "For instance, cavalry may opportunity charge and artillery may now shift in the face of an impending assault" (see Rule 12.3.E) he asks, "shouldn't infantry have a limited ability to do something like this as well?"

Yes, there is little more frustrating than having your divisions deployed but unable to do anything as the enemy prances up and selectively hits each battalion in the one flank hexside they happen to have uncovered. Assaults tend to be a little too precise. This is because we move one stack at a time, when, historically units moved in concert, across a broad front, maintaining their interval and protecting one-another. Infantry hitting an enemy unit in the flank was much more the result of an accidental overlapping than a tactical ploy.

One can cure this on the computer where moves can be plotted ahead of time, and the intervals maintained during the execution of movement (at least a good tactical simulation should incorporate this). However, a boardgamer cannot do this by growing more arms so that we can move several stacks at once! A solution is to discourage the practice by allowing infantry the same option as artillery. As Dallas suggests; that is, to shift its front if it is not already in the zone of influence of an enemy unit, or fixed. Therefore:

    An infantry unit that is not in the zone of influence of an enemy unit may attempt to shift itsfront (changefacing) by one or two hexsides, or an about-face, in order to meet an enemy unit that moves adjacent to it (whether as the result of simple movement or closing for assault). The option to shift the infantry unit occurs after the enemy unit has moved adjacent to it. Shifting units may only attempt to change theirfacing upon successfully checking morale. Failure to pass this check disorders the unit.

    Procedure:

      1. The enemy unit moves adjacent to the friendly unit.
      2. The owner of the friendly unit declares his intention to shift the facing of his unit.
      3. He checks its morale.
      4. The unit either disorders (fails) or shifts to face the enemy unit.

Note that either way, passing or failing this morale check, the unit will successfully face the enemy unit simply because disordered units have all-around facing.

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