For The People

Leader Trait Rules

by Jim Winsor (nicked off the Net again)

Most of the infantry Generals now have some sort of inherent special Trait, chosen from a list of standardised leader Traits below. A Trait will apply only if a general is, at the time the Trait is to go into effect, a type of general which triggers the Trait. The 3 basic General types are:

  • Army General (AG): In command of an Army;
  • Subordinate General (SG): In an Army, but not the commander;
  • Independent General (IG): Not in an Army.

Here are the Traits:

Administrator (AG, IG): -1 SP to Attrition (but not Forage Attrition).

Ambitious (SG): An army intriguer who continually tries to undermine his commander. Roll a die at the start of the strategy phase, adding 1 if the Army the general is in was defeated the previous turn. If a modified "6" is rolled, the current Army general is immediately removed, and a successor must now be chosen amongst the current subordinates (possibly the Ambitious general, possibly not). All regular SW penalties apply.

Amphibious Attacker (IG): General adds a +1 AA modifier to the attacker when included with an amphibious assault force.

Amphibious Defender (AG, IG): General adds +2 AA modifier when in a port, against either the port itself or its accompanying coastal fort.

Cautious (AG): Cannot attack or move adjacent to enemy Armies unless moved with a Campaign card. Not a good trait!

Drillmaster (AG): A nifty trait. Can place an Elite unit in the Army by playing an 3 OC card for this purpose during the Strategy Phase.

Dual Use (All): General can be considered either a Cavalry general or an Infantry general for the turn, at the option of the controlling player (declared at the beginning of the Strategy Phase). Sheridan has a Political Value of 1 in infantry mode.

Entrencher (AG, IG): This general is especially skilled in laying out breastworks and entrenchment, beyond that already factored into the CRT. When defending, the general gives the attacking force a -1 DRM.

Fabian Tactician (AG, IG): -2 to all Retreat Before Battle rolls.

Forager (AG, IG): -1 SP to Forage Attrition.

High-Ranking (AG): This general held a large theatre command during the war, with authority over more than one army. This general negates rule 5.22. Two friendly Armies can now co-exist in a space. If in battle, the High-Ranking general is considered the commander (if more than one, then highest Political, controlling player breaking ties), and can draw on all other leaders in both Armies for DRM's. Also: A High-Ranking general is always considered to a higher Political Value than a non-High-Ranking general, regardless of the printed numbers.

Reckless (All): General takes a lot of personal risks and exposures on the battlefield. -1 to leader casualty rolls (see special new leader casualty rules below).

Reviled (AG, IG): The CSA player earns +3 SW points every time this general is defeated in battle, of any size, and/or +3 SW if he is killed or captured. This is in addition to any points gained for a Large Battle victory.

Sanguinary (AG, IG): General is very aggressive, and heedless of casualties. As an attacker, all Defender results on the CRT are considered to have an asterisk. If the attacker wins the battle, both sides immediately undergo Attrition (in addition to the normal battle casualties). If the attacker loses, only the attacker undergoes such attrition.

Seamover (AG): Can do an Army sea move, despite not being a "1" strategy general.

Sickly (All): Roll a die at the start of the Strategy Phase. On a "6", the general in question is Wounded and placed face-down on the Turn Record Track for next turn. No SW penalties for Army commander changes occur due to this event. In addition: All generals who are ever wounded due to other events are considered Sickly for the rest of the game.

Timely (AG, IG): -2 to Interception rolls, but only into a friendly occupied space.

Womaniser (All): Roll a die at the start of the Strategy Phase. On a roll of "6", the general is killed. No SW penalties for Army commander changes apply due to this event.

CSA Generals

Beauregard - Coastal Defender, High-Ranking, Timely
Bragg - Cautious, Drillmaster
Early - NONE
Ewell- Sickly
Flashman - Womaniser, Coward, Swine
Forrest - NONE
AP Hill - Sickly
Hood - Reckless, Sanguinary
Jackson - Reckless, Sanguinary, Timely
AS Johnston - High-Ranking, Reckless
JE Johnston - Cautious, Fabian Tactician, High-Ranking, Timely
RE Lee - Drillmaster, Entrencher, High-Ranking, Timely
Longstreet - NONE (but I agree with others his strat rating be 2)
Morgan - NONE
Pemberton - Amphibious Defender
Polk - Ambitious
Price - Fabian Tactician
Smith - Amphibious Defender
Stuart - NONE
Van Dorn - Dual Use, Womaniser
Wheeler - NONE

USA Generals

Banks: NONE
Buell: Cautious, Timely
Burnside: Amphibious Invader
Butler: Cautious, Reviled
Curtis: NONE
Flashman - Womaniser, Coward, Swine
Fremont: Ambitious, Cautious, High-Ranking, Reviled
Grant: Forager, High-Ranking, Sanguinary
Halleck: Administrator, Cautious, High-Ranking
Hancock: Timely
Hooker: Ambitious, Womaniser (was never shot by a jealous husband, but could have been)
McClellan: Administrator, Cautious, Drillmaster, Entrencher, Fabian Tactician, High-Ranking, Seamover
McDowell: NONE
McPherson: NONE
Meade: Entrencher
Pleasanton: NONE
Pope: Amphibious Attacker, Reviled
Reynolds: Timely
Rosecrans: Cautious
Sheridan: Dual Use, Sanguinary, Timely
Sherman: Forager, High-Ranking, Reviled
Stoneman: NONE
Thomas: Cautious, Entrencher

And going along with this variant, is the following New Leader Loss Rule. It replaces rule 7.7:

New Leader Loss Rule

For each non-Army commander general participating in a battle, roll a die. If a "1" or less is rolled, roll again. On a modified roll of >= 4 , the general is Wounded, and immediately placed face down on the Turn Record Track for next turn. He is considered Sickly thereafter (that is, a flare up of the old war wound). On a roll of <4, the general is killed. Subract 1 from both die rolls above if the general's force is completely eliminated in battle. Also, subtract 1 from both rolls if the general has the Reckless trait.

Army commanders go through the same procedure as above, except the first roll is with 2 dice, and a "2" or less must be rolled. (Note: the percentages here are based pretty much on VG's Civil War, with non-Army commanders in FtP considered as ** generals, and Army commanders being *** generals).

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