Of Faltering and Baulking Under Fire

Well summer is finally winding down with some rather wet weather here at last. Been a busy time what with family vacations, fatherly obligations, and the odd medical scare (all is well I assure you). Still that, and a quite consuming interest in the history of the EPSOM offensive in 1944 and its recreation in board games has left me rather out of the miniatures' scene for a bit.

However, encouraged, or egged on more like by the reception of the Universal Charge table in some circles here is a follow up presenting the Reaction Tables from the draft version of Muskets and Mohawks. 

Hope you enjoy!

Introduction

When the original draft of Muskets and Mohawks/Long Rifle was submitted for publication it was “packaged” as a single game. Like Muskets and Mohawks, figures acted and reacted as units, like Long Rifle, figures fired as individuals.

There were many changes before the final products were released that brought you the games as published.

Where the original theme stressed the roles and responsibilities of officers and NCO’s on the black powder battlefield, the resulting products stressed playing games with unit (Muskets and Mohawks, Rifles and Rebels), or individual (Long Rifle) combatants.

While the published games succeed quite well in their aims, some folks have expressed interest in the things that set the original draft apart from its published descendants.

The original Universal Charge table has already been provided as an option here and in the Two Hour Wargames Yahoo Group’s files section.

Here is a look at the Reaction Tables featured in the original draft. The notable introductions here are the concepts of “bunching” and “faltering”.

While the terms as used in the game are explained under Involuntary Movement below, here is a look at the intent behind them. A common theme in military writing regarding the development of modern warfare is the difficulty officers faced trying to keep their men spread out sufficiently during a battle. Apparently when men are frightened a sort of herd instinct emerges that causes a man to huddle near his neighbors. What starts out as a skirmish line or even close order line would soon end up as huddled knots of men, only a few being able to fight effectively while the rest played no part at best, or hindered their more aggressive comrades at worst. It was the responsibility of a unit’s officers and NCO’s to keep the men in their places, so keeping them an effective part of the unit.

“Faltering” addresses another bugaboo of command and control in the black powder era. Very often the stress of combat coupled with the very sound of battle itself combined to render units unable or unwilling to receive and implement commands from their leaders. The men would go into a sort of trancelike state simply reloading and firing by rote.  At the same time a formation having fallen into such a state was very brittle and likely to stampede if the enemy could give it a shock. Again it fell to the officers and NCO’s to re-exert control over their charges and bring the unit back under orders.

The game effects of these states and some more or less familiar to THW players follow under the section titled Involuntary Movement. Following that, readers will find the Reaction Tables from the original draft.

Readers are encouraged to treat these as optional rules to experiment with in their games.

Finally, as with the Universal Charge table, some bits will not quite apply as written, due to the changes from this version to the published games.

                                                            Bob

Involuntary Movement 

Figures can be forced into involuntary actions and movement due to the results of a Reaction Test.  The procedures for taking a Reaction Test will be described later (page, 16). However, the possible involuntary actions and moves are as follows.

Bunch – Figure moves adjacent to nearest friendly figure within normal move distance. If no friendly figures within move distance, Retire instead.

Charger Baulks -  Charging foot return to their position at the start of the charge, and may not be in base contact with one another. Charging cavalry will veer left (1-3) or right (4-6) for the remainder of their move, avoiding contact with enemy figures. Cavalry will end this move not in base contact with one another.

Cohesion Test - The Leader immediately takes the Cohesion Test (page, 19).

Duck Back – Move to the nearest cover within 6”. This can be in any direction, even forward.  If no cover is available within 6” then the figure will drop prone in place, ending its turn. It may not fire until active or caused by a subsequent Reaction Test. Figures in Duck Back cannot see or be seen by the cause of the test but those that go prone can.

Falter – Figure may not voluntarily move any closer to any enemy figures until rallied. Figure always fires as if volley firing until rallied. A Faltering figure that Falters again will Leave the Battlefield unless immediately rallied.

Escort Casualty to the Rear –  Two closest failing figures pick up one of the casualty and take him to the rear for medical assistance. The carrying figures and the casualty are immediately removed from play. If more than two figures score this result, treat any excess figures as scoring a Falter and Bunch instead.

Fire - The group immediately fires at the cause of the test.

Fire Fight - Charger remains stopped at 6” from Target. Target may now fire (volley/gun) or test to fire (all else). The charge has faltered and any reactions caused by defender fire are carried out as usual.

Leave the Battlefield - Figure is removed from play unless immediately rallied.

Melee Ensues - Move charging group to contact with target group. All prone figures involved immediately stand up. Enemy figures in base to base contact now conduct a round of melee. Where multiple melees are involved the charging player may execute the combats in an order of his or her choosing.

Retire - Move towards friendly table edge at normal speed. Movement to avoid enemy models is allowed. End each move facing the enemy

Formed Regulars Reaction Tests

* = Star May choose to pass 2d6, 1d6, or 0d6.

Reason	Pass 2d6	Pass 1d6	Pass 0d6
Received Fire  *	Carry On.	Fire.	Falter. If already Faltering, Leave the Battlefield.
Man Down  *	Carry on.	Carry On.	Escort casualty to rear
Leader Lost*	Carry on.	Falter.	Leave the Battlefield.
Recover From Knock Down	Spend this activation recovering	Try Again Next Turn!	Out of the Fight

Unformed Regulars Reaction Tests

* = Star May choose to pass 2d6, 1d6, or 0d6.

Reason	Pass 2d6	Pass 1d6	Pass 0d6
Received Fire *	Carry On.	Fire.	Falter and Bunch. If already Faltering Leave the Battlefield.
Man Down *	Carry on.	Falter. And bunch if not in cover.	Escort casualty to rear (counts as Leave the Battlefield, cannot Rally)!.
Leader Lost*	Carry on.	Falter and Bunch.	Leave the Battlefield.
Recover From KD **	Spend this activation recovering	Try Again Next Turn!	Out of the Fight

Irregulars Reaction Tests

* = Star May choose to pass 2d6, 1d6, or 0d6

Reason	Pass 2d6	Pass 1d6	Pass 0d6
Received Fire   *	Fire.	Duck Back and Falter.	Leave the Battlefield.
Man Down *	Carry on.	Bunch and Falter.	Escort casualty to rear (counts as Leave the Battlefield, cannot Rally)!
Leader Lost*	Carry on.	Bunch and Falter.	Leave the Battlefield.
Recover From KD **	Spend this activation recovering	Try Again Next Turn!	Out of the Fight
Trophies*	Carry On.	Move 16”  to take Trophy.	Move 8” to take Trophy.

*Trophies

Whenever friendly irregulars are closer to an enemy KD, OOF, or OD then any good order enemy for the first time this test is taken by the closest friendly figure.

Any figure Rep 4 or less that takes a trophy

will count +1 to Rep for the rest of the game.

Horse Reaction Tests

* = Star May choose to pass 2d6, 1d6, or 0d6

Reason	Pass 2d6	Pass 1d6	Pass 0d6
Received Fire *	Fire if so armed, otherwise Carry On.	Charge if in Range, Stand if Not.	Retire and Falter. If already Faltering, Leave the Battlefield.
Man Down  *	All carry on.	Bunch.	Escort casualty to rear (counts as Leave the Battlefield, cannot Rally)!
Leader Lost*	Carry on.	Carry on Low Rep Runs.	Retire Low Rep Runs
Recover From KD **	Spend this activation recovering	Try Again Next Turn!	Out of the Fight

** = Armored allowed to roll 3d6 instead

Gunners Reaction Tests

* = Star May choose to pass 2d6, 1d6, or 0d6.

Reason	Pass 2d6	Pass 1d6	Pass 0d6
Received Fire   *	Carry On.	Carry On.	Retire – Leave Gun
Man Down  *	Carry on.	Carry On.	Escort casualty to rear (counts as Leave the Battlefield that cannot be Rallied)!
Recover From KD **	Spend this activation recovering	Try Again Next Turn!	Out of the Fight

Officer Reaction Tests

* = Star May choose to pass 2d6, 1d6, or 0d6

Reason	Pass 2d6	Pass 1d6	Pass 0d6
Received Fire   *	Carry On	Carry On.	Take Cohesion Test.
Rally  *	Rally half of figures, round up. Min. 2.	Rally half of figures round down. Min. 1	No effect.
Cohesion Test *	Carry on.	Half or less of unit Carrying On. Retire. Otherwise Carry On.	Leader Leaves the Battlefield takes unit with him!
In Sight*	Hold Fire or Fire as Desired,	Hold Fire or All Fire.	All Fire.
Recover From KD **	Spend this activation recovering	Try Again Next Turn!	Out of the Fight
Motivate	Success!	May carry out any action other than Charge.	No actions this turn.
Dress Lines	Success!	Try Again Next Turn.	Unit falters after maneuver.

Melee (and the Lack There Of) On The Horse and Musket Battlefield

This bit of mechanics was written for what has been published as Muskets and Mohawks and Rifles and Rebels. While it did not make it to the final cut I still think this method of resolving charges both speeds play and leads to a more historically plausible outcome.

On those occasions when melee does indeed occur, just use the melee rules as published.

So give them a try if you like.                                  

Melee On The Horse and Musket Battlefield

Or hand to hand combat made easy!

Although very popular in fiction, hand to hand combat has always been one of the most stressful of the battle experience. Both Indians and Europeans were loath to meet hand to hand for perhaps different reasons.

For the Indian, any unnecessary risks taken in battle could mean one less man to support his village, and family left destitute without a hunter to provide for them.

For the European, the advent and spread of firearms technology made the need for hand to hand combat, or melee much less central to battlefield success then it had been say 300 years earlier.

Both these factors combined to make melee a much more morale oriented contest than one of brute strength and cunning.

In Muskets and Mohawks 2 we use a method dubbed The Universal Charge Table to resolve attempts to close with and disperse an enemy unit.

As you will see, in most cases there is no melee at all with one side or the other foregoing that final step into the maelstrom of hand to hand combat.

Universal Charge

Use this table to resolve all movement to contact.

Follow these steps:

1.     Leader tests to Motivate charging group.

2.     Charging group tests for Fast Move (optional). Charging group must have sufficient movement to close to 6” from the target group. Otherwise move charging figures straight towards target group and carry on with turn.

3.     Moving group closes to 6” from target group.

4.     Both players roll 2d6   for their groups.

5.     Charging group counts its successes and subtracts target group’s successes to get Charge total.

6.     Consult charge modifiers and adjust Charge total up or down accordingly.

7.     Find the Charge Table entry most closely corresponding to the Charge Total and apply the results.

Charge Modifiers

Charger is:		Target is:
Formed or Deeper**	+1	Formed or Deeper	-1
Cavalry	+1	Cavalry or Artillery	-1
Irregular	+1	In Cover	-1
Charge Flank/Rear	+1	Faltering	-1
Faltering	-1	Entire infantry group unloaded	+1
Outnumbered 2:1 or more	-1	Outnumbered 2:1 or more	+1
		Retiring	+3

** A unit is Deeper if it is:

• Facing a Formed enemy.
• Itself Formed.
• Has more ranks than its enemy.

If any one of these conditions is not met, the unit is not Deeper.

Universal Charge Table

2 or more	Target Leaves the Battlefield
1	Infantry in open facing Infantry Retire. Otherwise Melee ensues
0	Fire fight.
-1	Charger Baulks
-2 or less	Charger Leaves the Battlefield

Charge Table Results:

Charger/Attacker Leaves the Battlefield: 

Group is removed from play. When target is removed, charger continues moving directly forward until it has moved the full distance determined in step 1.

 If the Charger Leaves the Battlefield, any Target cavalry will move forward one normal move. If any movement caused by Running Away brings two opposed groups within 1” of one another, both groups take a Charge Test counting the moving group as the Charger.

Melee Ensues: 

Move charging group to contact with target group. All prone figures involved immediately stand up. Enemy figures in base to base contact now conduct a round of melee. Where multiple melees are involved the charging player may execute the combats in an order of his or her choosing.

Fire Fight:  

Charger remains stopped at 6” from Target. Target may now fire (volley/gun) or test to fire (all else). The charge has faltered and any reactions caused by defender fire are carried out as usual.

Charger Baulks:   

Charging foot return to their position at the start of the charge, and may not be in base contact with one another. Charging cavalry will veer left (1-3) or right (4-6) for the remainder of their move, avoiding contact with enemy figures. Cavalry will end this move not in base contact with one another.

This information is also available as a pdf, with a detailed example, as well as an embarrassing typo, in the files section of the Two Hour Wargames Yahoo Group here.