No rule can cover the use of reserves because the composition, position and employment of a reserve is a matter of judgement but I feel the following suggestions are of value as a reply to Mike Perkins rule problem in the March Newsletter regarding some benefit for retention of a reserve.
A possible answer could be to modify the firepower movement and morale of troops thus:
1. Troops who fire for the first time have a bonus added onto the effect of their firepower. I would suggest 20-30% (Note 1) though I have heard of 50% which seems excessive. This is to simulate the first round being much better prepared probably well before the battle starts when no undue confusion and smoke is about.
2. Troops who have fired, say 4 times will subsequently have a reduced fire effect say 20- 30% (Note 2) again. This is to simulate various factors such as:
- a) Fouled bores and malfunction of the weapons.
b) Increased nervousness and weariness of troops. (Note 3).
c) A drop in the overall rate of fire in order to conserve remaining ammunition.
3. Troops who have moved say 4 moves or whatever suits the rules and game are considered fatigued and to have lost a certain amount of cohesion. They therefore move at a reduced movement rate.
4. Troops who come under fire for the first time add one for morale. This seems a trifle hard to justify, but it does benefit the retention of troops out of the enemies fire as long as is tactically necessary. This notion could be expanded and a reduction in morale made after a certain number of moves under fire, although in fact it would only seem to be significant if accompanied by heavy losses, particularly in a professional army.
Of course these factors need monitoring, each move spent moving or firing should be clearly marked on the order sheet e.g. by a coloured symbol. In order to clarify further, counters could be placed by the units or better still, to retain the aesthetic appearance of the battlefield, certain special figures could be included with each unit. Thus each unit could be equipped with a standard bearer, drummer and bugler and used as indicators in the following ways:
- A1 -Troops who have not fired retain the Drummer at the rear, once they have expended
their first round bonus the drummer is moved to the front of the unit.
A2 -When a unit has fired four times the drummer is removed completely thus units without drummer will fire at reduced effect.
A3 -A bugler represents movement, when a unit has moved so many moves and thus considered fatigued the bugler is removed. Thus units without buglers move at a reduced rate.
A4 -The standard bearer of a unit which has not received fire is retained at the rear of the unit after the unit has received its first fire the standard is moved to the fore.
This may seem a trifle complex, but I think a visual indicator by the unit concerned is much more useful and practical than off the table notes.
5. Finally, since simple rules generally make cannon very effective I would urge that a system of limited ammunition be adopted. Perhaps a set of say ten counters by each gun, each counter representing one round of ammunition. This particular system was first expounded in the book "War Games". If you look carefully at the pictures of the action in the Plattville Valley, you can pick out the counters by the guns.
NOTES:
1.If a volley fire system is used, the volley could be reduced say from 6 to 4 men. Alternatively if a saving throw is used it could be decreased from say 4, 5, 6 to 5, 6. If a factor table is used, add one factor to fire effect for the first volley.
2. For a volley system, increase it from say 6 to 8 or 9. Alternatively - for a saving throw amendment increase the save by one. For a faster system minus one factor from the total.
3. "Amongst 24,000 loaded rifles picked up on the field, only a quarter were properly loaded. 12,000 contained two charges each ... the other quarter from three to ten."
... the fire of Mars-la-Tour affected my nerves for months."
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© Copyright 1974 by Donald Featherstone.
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