Opportunity Chips,
Charges, and Evades

PK House Rules

by Brent Oman

Using OPP Chips to Play Cards in Hand


Peter

I allow a player to use an Opp chip to use any card in the player's hand to be played at a cost of one chip. If you have the right chips in your hand, this allows cavalry to charge and potentially melee when the opportunities arise, but it can also allow the infantry to form square (we require a difficulty check if the other (infantry) guy plays a chip with a deployment card in response. Of course, if you don't have the cards you need, you're out of luck as usual

Cavalry Opportunity Chip Charge

Cavalry will get to use Opp Chips like Infantry and Artillery do, but they will get to use it to charge or evade. Right now only Artillery and Infantry get the advantage of the Opp Chip.

Pre-battle additions:

1. Every army receives one more Opp Chip than listed in the rules. Since cavalry will now be in on the use of Opp Chips they should go quicker.

2. Each army receives an extra Cavalry in Open card (increases the speed and maneuverability of cavalry. Not sure if it is needed or not)

3. Each army receives a new Cavalry Melee Resolution card (increase the chances for cavalry to go into melee, not sure if this is needed or not)

How Cavalry can use the Opp Chip (during the enemy's initiative only)

1. One Opp Chip to Charge with *one* cavalry unit.

2. One Opp Chip to Evade with *one* cavalry unit.

3. Two Opp Chips to Charge with an entire cavalry "in-command" group

4. Two Opp Chips to Evade with an entire cavalry "incommand" group

Opp Charging Mechanics

Cavalry unit may react to advancing enemy Infantry or Artillery (should this include Cavalry?) by declaring an opportunity charge. Before the cavalry may Opp Charge they must dice off versus the enemy infantry or artillery (see chart below) Morale value vs. Morale value.

If the cavalry wins the roll it must move up to their full movement allowance or until they contact the enemy based on their unit formation. Melee is immediately resolved. The infantry doesn't get to Opp fire, etc.

If the cavalry ties or loses the roll they stay in place and go out of command if they were in good order to start with. If they fail and they are already out of command then they go to disorder and stay in place.

CAVALRY OPP CHARGE CHART

Unit Morale Value vs. Unit Morale Value

UNIT TYPE

    Heavy Cavalry = UP2
    Medium Cavalry = UP2
    Light Cavalry = UP1
    Infantry =
    DOWN1 Artillery = DOWN2

    UNIT FORMATION
    COR = DOWN2
    Attack Column = UP1
    Skirmish = DOWN1
    Line = NC
    Square = UP2

    UNIT SITUATION
    Out of Command = DOWN1
    Disordered = DOWN2
    Charged on Flank or Rear = UP2 for Cavalry
    Both flanks secure (friendly unit within loo yards) UP1 for Infantry or Artillery

    LEADERSHIP
    If sub-commander or C-in-C *within* command range their modifier is *automatically* applied
    Superior = UP2
    Skilled = UP1
    Average = NC
    Poor = DOWN1
    Abysmal = DOWN2

OPPORTUNITY EVADE RULES


Recapping the previous additions and costs.

1. Every army receives one more Opp Chip than listed in the rules. Since cavalry will now be in on the use of Opp Chips they should go quicker.

2. Each army receives an extra Cavalry in Open card (increases the speed and maneuverability of cavalry. Not sure if it is needed or not)

3. Each army receives a new Cavalry Melee Resolution card (increase the chances for cavalry to go into melee, not sure if this is needed or not)

How Cavalry can use the Opp Chip (during the enemy's initiative only)
1. One Opp Chip to Evade with *one* cavalry unit.
2. Two Opp Chips to Evade with an entire cavalry "in command" group

During the enemy's phase you may use Opp chips to "evade' enemy movement.

After the enemy has moved all units on the current card, you may use your opp chip to evade. This is not automatic. You must first pass a difficulty check.

D8 vs. Sub-commander Leadership Rating (even if the unit is not in command radius)

OOC = DOWN1
DO = DOWN1
Out of Leader's command radius = DOWN1 (maybe two depending on period)
Light Cavalry = UP1

NOTE: You may use the C-in-C's Leadership rating only if the unit(s) are within his command radius.

Instead of two rolls (one to evade and one to see if they go out of command) use one roll. If you win, but don't double the score you may evade (full speed) and go out of command. If you win beat the enemy by double or more you can evade and still remain in command. If you tie or fail, then you go out of command, or if you are already out of command you become disordered.

If you are already disordered you rout!

Example: Enemy infantry Brigade advances on your Light cavalry regiment, which is in line formation. You decide to use an Opp Chip to evade. Your cavalry is not within the leader's command radius and your leader has a POOR rating. You cavalry is currently in command and not disordered.

POOR Leader: D12

Not in command Radius: DOWN1 Light Cavalry = UP1

That gives you a D12 vs. the enemy's D8. You roll a 8 and the enemy rolls a 7. You may evade 9 inches, but the cavalry is now out of command. Control now passes back to the enemy.

QUESTION 1

Do you think formation should allow you to evade better or worse? You fill in the blanks with any modifiers you think would apply.

SKIRMISH =
LINE =
ATTACK COLUMN =
WARBAND =
Column of Route =

QUESTION 2:

Should we use the standard D8 or should we use the nationality's Difficulty Other die. This could give a little more national characteristics to the roll.

I hope some of you will playtest these ideas also. Remember this is all based on Opp Chips so you must now manage your Opp chips very carefully.

More PK House Rules

Back to Piquet Dispatch Vol. 1 Issue 4 Table of Contents
Back to Piquet Dispatch List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 1999 by Piquet, Inc.
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com