Sunday 3 January 2010

Using initiative for moves in "Charge".

I find that dicing for which side moves first during the movement phase works quite well for solo games, I've never been a fan of written orders anyway but as an almost exclusively solo player written orders would be pointless. 

 However, I am attempting to refine the system to gain some of the feel of the written orders used in "Charge" and "The War Game". I have made up some order chits which will be chosen in initiative order and placed by the units before carrying out the instructions on the chits as a simultaneous move.

 The chits are as follows:-CHARGE, ADVANCE WITH HASTE, ADVANCE WITH CAUTION,WHEEL TO THE LEFT, WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, FORM LINE, FORM COLUMN, FORM MARCHING COLUMN, LIMBER UP THE GUNS, DEPLOY THE GUNS, MANHANDLE THE GUNS, DEPLOY INTO OPEN ORDER and EXTRAORDINARY ORDERS. 

 I printed these chits in a flowery old fashioned font for appearances. There are no move distances specified as these will depend on formation but the Advance with caution will be at a rate that allows shooting and the Advance with haste chit is at maximum possible speed with no shooting.
 I have no chit for a unit standing still, I will use a blank side or maybe make some. Shooting is also not specified and is dependant on targets being available after moving and is left to the unit commanders rather than orders from the CinC. 
The Extraordinary Orders chit will be used for blowing bridges and the like!. I will try these out soon and report on their effect.



8 comments:

  1. I was thinking something along these lines myself. Perhaps placing a card in front of the command stand, to be revealed as each unit moves. A little like Wings of War but with orders.

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  2. "Overwatch" might be another possible order . . . Skirmish" might be another . . . and, of course, HOLD . . . but we could go on for quite some time.

    Give them a try and then report back . . . and "good luck", sir.


    -- Jeff

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  3. Yeah, I've just made some Hold cards,I'll use Deploy into Open Order for skirmishing but I'm probably going to need others.

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  4. Great idea! (Remind me of Command Decision). Reading it brought another possible use for solo games. If one side was poorly trained or poorly led, you could pick 2 or 3 plausible chits for them, flip them over, shuffle them and secretly pick one. (an example might be an irregular cavalry unit that in the given situation might charge but would be as likely to retreat or might dither and do nothing). This would given a slightly randomn level of uncertainty. The other side of regular troops would then be controlled as normal by yourself. (forces would have to be adjusted of course to counter the advantage of full control).
    I'll have to tuck that thought away.
    -Ross

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  5. Food for thought Ross, thanks.
    Paul.

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  6. This comment comes after mine on the latest posting. I wonder if maybe there ought not be fewer order cards, rather than more? You left out firing, as would I - you can rely on the boys to shoot if and when they have to.
    But maybe the orders could be displayed in symbolic form, in which the meaning of a symbol depends on context. For example (I'm nicking this idea from Command Decision). Suppose you had a solid arrow meaning 'full advance' and a hollow one meaning 'cautious advance'. The latter might allow you to preserve the unit's ability to fire in the same turn; the former gives you farther reach but at the cost of being able to shoot.
    That would apply to infantry. But those same symbols might have a different meaning for cavalry, in which the solid arrow might (say) be specifically used for the charge; the hollow arrow for other manoeuvres.
    For deployed artillery the slow advance might mean 'manhandle'; the solid to limber up and move (supposing the guns are deployed at the time.
    Something to consider, maybe; and possibly such a system can be made less obtrusive?
    Cheers,
    Ion

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  7. I'm considering all these ideas Ion, I'm very grateful for all this feedback.

    Thanks,
    Paul.

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  8. Paul,

    Just arriving late to the party but I'm also a fan of Charge and The Wargame and am very interested in your command ideas.

    Dave

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