ED. NOTE: Excerpts from this article were published in SLINGSHOT.
Having been annointed as umpire for the 9th Norbert Gisclair Memorial Tournament (Baton Rouge, October 1986), at which time we used for the first time the WRG 7th Edition, I decided it was incumbent upon me to become as knowledgeable as anyone at the tournament about the rules. I set about playing a few games, and studying the 7th in some detail, expecting it to be a modified 6th. WRONG! The rules are deceptively similar, with similar basing and melee tables, but they play very differently in both macro and mirco terms. As fair warning to the participants at this tournament, and perhaps even as a first step towards some norms of interpretation of the now famous "Barkerisms", I offer these interpretations for others' comment and consideration.
One of the first problems I expect to encounter is integration of the 6th Edition army lists into the 7th Edition format. For example, what do you do with Rus druzhina, who are mounted HI, or German SHK, when they dismount? Mounted, they are 3 figures per element, but on foot they are 4 figures per element. 7th (p6) states, "Three elements of chariots, two of other light, or one of other troops exchange for one of foot." Therefore, 3 SHK become 4 SHI, and 4HI become 3 mounted infantry. This does not resolve the injustice to Genoese SHI, for example, who can never mount up and will "cost" a full 4 figures, but it does seem better than requiring commanders of these troops to have multiples of 12 figures in each unit, and seems to correspond to the intent of the rules. The "advantage" is partially offset by mounted HI being unable to use shields and able only to right with side arms (p6), and irregular mounted drop a morale grade on foot (p6).
The next "order of battle" problem I anticipate is with the adjusting of minimums and maximums. Can a CnC figure count toward meeting either? No. My personal preference would be to permit a similarly armed general to count toward both, especially where the minimum or maximum is expressed in a number which is a multiple of a full element. in other words, a CnC armed as a SHC could count toward meeting a minimum expressed as 12 SHC. However, this does not appear to be intended. Instead, that minimum may be dropped to 8 SHC, but the commander in this instance will still have to have, because he will need 3 SHC to fill out his CnC's element. There is no limitation on the adjustment of minimums and maximums to the next lowest or highest, . respectively, complete element. If the minimum or maximum specified in the list corresponds with a multiple of figures required to make complete elements, you can still drop or add one. This adjustment is not limited to odd figures, such as, in our example, a minimum of 11 SHC. A general armed differently than the rest of his army will translate into one element including the general and similarly armed bodyguards of the requisite morale grade: a mounted general will not be forced to dismount to command his all infantry army.
While we are on generals, a general and his staff cannot join another unit unless they are independent, i.e., attached to no other unit or elements (p9, 34). However a general "with or without an additional bodyguard element" (p18, emphasis added - what an illogical place!) may intercept a routing body to rally it. Does this mean a unit of 3 or more elements including a staff element cannot intercept a routing body to rally it? Yes, that appears to be what is intended: with one element (independent), he can join anybody for any purpose; with two elements, he can join another body to rally it; with three or more elements, he joins nobody for nothing.
Moving on to the play of the game itself, there are several relatively obscure and abstruse rules with rather dramatic consequences to some of the favorite tactics I have seen under the 6th:
Combined arms: Although some reviews have emphasized that use of combined arms will be necessary to be successful under the 7th, and that by and large seems to be true, read carefully the second to last paragraph on p25: "Charges are pre-empted and cancelled if... foot or elephants and a separate mounted body declares a charge against the same enemy body." The only way I can see to interpret this is that the tactic of charging cavalry wedges or chariots between the gaps of simultaneously charging friendly infantry is no longer permitted.
Skirmishers: Skirmishers may no longer charge, even against lights or on to flanks (p25). If you want your skirmishers to charge, you must take them out of skirmish formation during the march, approach or counter phase (p26), and declare your charge in phase 7, making them subject to preparatory fire in phase 6 (p19).
Disorder: Disorder does not prevent troops in rear ranks from fighting. The rules do not specifically say this, but those familiar with this aspect of the 6th will search in vain for a statement that they cannot fight (p23, 32). Instead, the disordered unit takes a minus 2 if disordered close formation troops, or a minus 1 if disordered loose or open formation troops. Further, the opponents of disordered pike and spearmen do not suffer a minus two (p33). Curiously, the minus 2 still applies if you are facing disordered elephants with pike-armed crew men (p33). Perhaps this is because elephant and chariot crew figures disregard all tactical factors (p32)?
Artillery: It has a use! Frustrated by that circled wagon laager or palisaded village? Blow it away with your bombards! (p36 and 42). 1 assume wagons are treated as transport for these purposes if moving. It only requires 4 CPF to destroy a transport target. But if your opponent is instead cowering behind it, does it count as "transport" or as "wooden structure", similar to a wooden palisade? The rules are not specific on this point. Surely they are less substantial than a section of palisade; a wagon laager is still made of wagons, which are still transport; and destroyed means destroyed. Therefore, 4 CPF on a wagon/wagon laager, or 20 EP (Engineering Points (EP) - treat the casualties caused by bombardment as EP, one for one) on a wooden palisalcle destroys it. The rubble left behind counts as a difficult terrain one element wide, which the defenders must evacuate.
Ditches: Ditches count as a field obstacle (p24). Stakes count as an obstacle against all troops except elephants (p24). Both count as difficult terrain (p24), so both cause disorder (p23), which, as noted above, causes a minus factor and deprives the pike and LTS of its negative effect on opponents - BUT this only occurs after they have forced the defenders to recoil, i.e., as they are crossing the obstacle (p34). The ditch does not, however, cause defenders to t:ount as "halted on higher ground" (p33), as this appears to be limited to troops defending a shore line or gully lip or in wagons (p34). What this rule set could really use is another chart illustrating and summarizing what obstacle or terrain does what to whom, when!
Some other items which may be of help in "unlearning" the 6th:
Column Formation: It appears that you do not have to deploy in column, and you do not have to be in column formation in order to "march" except in special circumstances (p15 & 24-5), although troops which cannot fit on the table must" deploy heads of column", i.e., be in column formation (p15).
Morale grades: Those that say that morale is not critical in the 7th have not had to roll for many waver tests. Morale has changed radically from the 6th, however. Some which were prized under the 6th will be scorned under the 7th. Regular A's are treated almost exactly the same as Regular B's except that A's (regular and irregular) never are uneasy, and neither is the unit of which they are a part if any of the A's are in the front rank (p22). Thus, such units never have to take a minus 1 on their die rolls for a waver test. However, as "bodies" become shaken, including those with a general, this may be a good reason to use A class troops over B's as bodyguards. irregular A's, once prized for their ability to go impetuous, now must go impetuous if they can, whereas all irregulars have the option to do so, with no rolling of dice. However, Irregular A's can and sometimes must charge unprompted (p2l), and can be more effective in melee.
Morale categories: You might expect uneasy troops to be reluctant to charge or more difficult to prompt into aggressive action, and eager troops vice versa. However, that isn't the case. The only effect of being uneasy is on the waver test. Shaken, on the other hand, is a condition to worry about. It is much more significant that in the 6th. All exhausted troops are shaken (p22). Shaken troops cannot charge, countercharge, advance, take a negative on the waver test die roll, and suffer severe reductions on fighting and shooting ability. If two thirds of a command's units go shaken, the entire command goes into RETREAT (p22,25, 26, 31, and 33). They are not counted toward your remaining troop strength to determine the winner of tournament play (p39). The name of the game appears to be make your opponent's troops go shaken. This is particularly important when evaluating the usefulness of cavalry, which is much less able to rout foot troops than under the 6th.
Generals: Ally generals are treated strangely. Under both rules, you pay an additional 25 points for them over a mere sub-general, but under the 6th you received a "bold" commander. Under the 7th, you still have to roll for his character, but worse, he may actually turn on you and go over to the other side! This,may be an historical and good change for "fun" games, but is sure to elicit howls in tournament play. At the least, the generals should cost the same - but that isn't what the rule book says.
Terrain: Reaction to the new terrain rules has been uniformly positive. They are an immense improvement over the 6th, which often resulted in a strip of woods and hills across the middle of the table. However, for tournament play, we have elected to go with terrain maps, in the interest of time. Had we not, we would still have deleted the section on Weather (p16) because this would give "Tropical" armies a distinct advantage inappropriate to tournament play.
Irregulars: Why do irregular troops tire in combat twice as fast as regulars? Do they have inherently less stamina? This must be a balancing mechanism to offset the advantage of the impetuous charge - but if so, shouldn't it be limited to the impetuous chargers, rather than all irregulars? That would also give a commander more reason to pause before automatically declaring all his irregular charges impetuous; the only disadvantage now being the mandatory obligation to follow up and pursue (p37). But, that isn't how the rules read.
March: All marches after the first bound must be prompted unless they directly continue a last bound's march of at least one segment, or other exceptions (p25). If a unit doesn't march in every segment to which it is entitled to march, it must halt until next bound (p24). If it halts, it cannot directly continue last bound's march into the next bound. Can it continue if it marches part of each segment for a total of at least one segment? If not, doesn't that in turn imply that a unit must march its entire allotment each segment, or not at all that segment? Clearly, once you stop marching for an entire segment you cannot move again without being prompted, unless you are within 480 paces of the enemy. If you don't have to move all of a segment, you may have units moving 10 paces a bound just to "keep marching". But, if you don't allow this, it would be impractical for faster troops to deploy behind slower troops because you would have to prompt the faster troops each bound to march. Rather, a unit should have the option to march all or part of each segment in which it is entitled to march, but must march some in each such segment and at least one segment in total to continue marching unprompted next bound.
Melee: The old tactic of "going deep" to absorb a charge and then expanding in the next round of melee is no more. Only loose or open formation troops can expand during melee, and only if they are following up (p27). A unit in melee cannot turn to face a charge: it may only do so after it is contacted (p27). Pinning appears to be a much more practical tactic under the 7th.
Interpenetration and Recoil: On page 37, there is an interesting statement that "A body that receives either twice as many hand-to-hand casualties than it inflicted, or three CPF, or is unable to recoil when called upon to do so, becomes disordered." When is a body "unable" to recoil? This must apply to a unit whose back is literally against the wall, or some similar situation, as any recoiling unit can involuntarily interpenetrate troops immediately behind it, disordering both units in most instances (p27).
Interpenetration and Rout: This section of the rules is particularly unclear. "Troops broken-through or mutually breaking-through count as having suffered a disordering penetration" (p37). just what does mutually breaking through mean? I suppose these are two routers whose paths cross. if so, they would be disordered by the normal interpenetration rules on page 27. Or, does it mean that the troops breaking through are disordered as well as those broken through? if so, wouldn't it be simpler just to say that? That is the only interpretation that makes sense to me.
On page 38, it says that "Routers other than elephants or scythed chariots who meet friendly troops of a type they can normally interpenetrate will do so. (Disordering the interpenetrated unit unless the routers are LI, p.27.) if the friends are not of such a type, the router attempts to pass around them if there is a gap at least 120 paces wide within 240 paces of straight ahead of the furthest element from it...". How does this work? Routers rout with their backs to the enemy, and there is no move deduction to turn to rout (p39). Presumably, you next take a line perpendicular to "straight ahead" of the routing unit to see if the gap is within 240 paces. Presumably, you measure from the closest corner of the furthest element, although that is not specified. If the gap is close enough, how do we go through it?
On page 26, we learn we can drop back elements to pass a gap during a tactical move, without reducing moves (routs are tactical moves, p24). That solves the problem if the gap is immediately behind one element of the routing unit: you drop the other elements behind and pass through. Do you expand again on the other side? Apparently not, as a body cannot both expand and contract (p27). What if the gap is off to the side? My guess is that you take the closest element to the gap, move it straight for the gap from the point where it begins its rout, and drop the other elements into a column behind it, with no loss of movement. NOTE: I do not see where evaders have the option to pass through a gap. Evaders must move directly to the body's rear or directly away from the charge (p26). Presumably, then, evaders meeting troops they cannot normally interpenetrate will do so anyway, disordering both units (p27), unless there is a gap directly behind one of the evading unit's elements, in which case it can drop back elements to pass through the gap (p26). Heading for gaps off to the side is available only to routers (p38)! Problem: What if the routing unit is so close to another unit when it turns to rout that to head straight for a gap would take it through the other unit; in other words, it would have to turn 90 degrees, move along the front of the other unit into the gap, then turn 90 degrees again to go through the gap? Can you imagine an officer ordering his panicked troops through this little exercise? And what are the pursuers doing in the meantime, watching? My interpretation is that if there is insufficient room for the element closest to the gap to wheel at most 45 degrees and head straight to the gap, wheeling at most another 45 degrees to go through the gap, then it is not possible. instead you burst through the unit directly in the normal path of the routers. If a commander is foolish enough to put his units that close behind one another, he can suffer the consequences.
Charge moves: Presumably, although it is not specified, the charging unit must move its full available charge move if it can until it makes contact (p25). There appear to be no provisions for false charges, as were available to regulars in the 6th. Thus foot which charge evading mounted and fail to make contact will be disordered because they have stepped forward more than 40 paces (p23).
Prompting: The CnC only needs to prompt sub-generals in order to change their orders, not to make them charge, march, etc. (p20). You add the plus 3 for prompting irregulars if any of the units being prompted are irregular, not for each irregular body which is prompted.
Visibility: Unlike the 6th, you cannot see through Lights (p17). You can see and be seen from elephants over any troops (p17), but you cannot shoot at or frorn these same elephants over any troops (p30). The elephants you see and can't shoot at will still disorder other mounted within 80 paces (p23), cause non-Indian mounted to take a minus on a waver test die roll (p22), and cause all other troops to be uneasy (p22). A unit does not have to see an enemy body to charge it through a friendly body (p27), however, my interpretation is that the charging body must have reason to know the unseen enemy is on the other side. "Reason to know" might be a general which can see both the target enemy body and the charging body (from an elephant?) and who prompts the charge. "Generals and troops can only consider facts known to them" (p17).
We elected to go with the 7th edition for our tournament in face of a lot of comments that the 7th devastated cavalry and 2HCW armies, was not suitable for tournament play, and was not as popular as the 6th. Addressing these in order, most of the complaints about cavalry are, for example, "my cataphracts can't even rout a LMI javelin unit" - a complaint which is rather distressing viewed through 6th edition lenses. Of course, one has to ask why a historical commander would want to waste his cataphracts on such a unit in the first place, unless he was already in deep trouble!
Be that as it may, let's examine this complaint with a fairly typical 15 man Irregular C LMI is Sh unit against a fairly typical 8 horse Irregular B SHC L Sh unit, and see what might happen. Let's further assume the ILMI are in the open, which is the only place cataphracts have any business charging them, anyway.
First, if you choose, dismount: problem solved. Assuming we are being more historical and less radical, in order to "counter" (prepare for the SHC charge), the LMI must dice: there is a 50% chance they will be unable to counter and may have to take the charge as they are (in the rear or flank, unable to fight back?). That is something they would not have to contend with under the 6th. Assuming they counter, they still have a waver test: "LMI responding to charge by mounted unless beyond difficult terrain". They have a I in 3 chance they will go shaken, a 50% chance if they are uneasy (such as the SHC or other enemy being behind their flank). If they go shaken, they are also disordered (p23). Putting all this together, there is a good chance that the SHC will enjoy a plus 2 for mounted fighting disordered foot, and the LMI may not fight back at all or if they do may suffer a minus 2 for being shaken. On top of this, as Irregulars the SHC can add a plus 1 by declaring themselves impetuous, and as B class can add plus 1 to a minus random roll.
At the least, the cataphracts will have 8 figures fighting at a base 4 (lance), plus 1 for charging, and plus 1 for impetuous. There will be no support shooting (p29). Assuming no random die roll effect, 8 at a 6 is 40 casualties. At best, 8 at an 8 is 60 casualties. The LMI will fight with 6 in the front rank, and none in the back because the javelin bonus does not apply. If they can fight back, they will have 6 at 0 (other foot), for 6 casualties inflicted. Still, 40 casualties is not 3 CPF (Casualties Per Figure), so unless the SHC roll up or are fighting shaken and disordered troops, they will not rout the LMI (although a 12 man unit would be history). Any up roll will rout the LMI. Chances are the LMI will be both shaken and disordered and will rout. But, if they don't, is it so bad? The LMI will recoil and remain shaken and disordered. The SHC have the option of bursting through into any troops behind them, hitting two units with one charge. The new target can neither shoot nor move (p25). The command of the LMI has one shaken unit which is dead meat for virtually any unit that charges them. If the SHC do not burst through, they should rout the LMI next bound, if that is what you are after.
Although the shock impact of cavalry definitely appears to be blunted against infantry under the 7th, the situation is not as unbalanced as it might first appear. One counterbalance is that the mobility of cavalry is incredibly enhanced, giving bow armed skirmishing cavalry armies a chance they certainly did not enjoy under the 6th.
As for tournament play, if you do away with time of day, weather and terrain selection rules, decree that all battles will be "fair and open", in good weather, in daylight and in a neutral climate, I don't see why they are not suitable rules. We have had some debate about the ability to adjust armies for fortifications and for special equipment (bottom of p11), but for our first go at it will probably suspend these provisions, too. However, casualty inflicting obstacles will not be limited to historical opponents: what's historical about Aztecs fighting Teutonic Knights, anyway? And yes, we expect to see a lot of reputedly invincible pike armies, but what else is new? Besides, if you have seen pikes trying to cross ditches in the face of long bowmen under the 7th, you might not be so quick to conclude pikes are invincible.
As to the last complaint, how can we possibly know whether they are popular until we have tried them? I'm sure we will take a survey of the tournament players as to whether they would prefer to play the 7th in the future, and we'll let you know how it turns out.
WRG ABBREVIATIONS
We get many complaints about the use of obtuse abbreviations used in ancients articles. Here is an explanation of those used here. - ED.
CnC Commander-in-Chief
CPF Casualties Per Figure
HI Heavy Infantry
LI Light Infantry
LMI Light Medium Infantry
LTS Light Throvving Spear
SHI Super Heavy Infantry
SHK Super Heavy Knights
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