A.T. Selvaggio
United States
Webster
New York
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I am playing through a basic game and it seems common for large stacks to emerge, given the significance of certain locations and the lack of a stacking restriction. This has led to a lot of the battles involving large stacks. I find the combat resolution to be a bit tedious in this case because, as I understand the rules, you must identify the target for each unit and roll a die. In many other wargames you essentially calculate the odds differential between the two attacking forces and make one die roll, refer to CRT, etc. So in this case, if there are 10 units on each side, you must roll a single die 10 times per side each round.
First, I am playing this right?
Second, any thoughts on quickening the resolution of such battles? I am guessing that some of the advanced rules will alleviate the big army issue. I have tried to roll three dice for three units and treat the rolls as sequentially applying to the first three units, then the next three units, etc. It is a little hard because the dice do not necessarily come to rest in an orderly sequence.
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Patrick Carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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Sounds like you are playing right. I've tried what you've already tried. Don't have any other ideas at the moment.
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Have you ever played with a stacking limit? I am thinking about creating one just for this reason alone....
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Moshe Callen
Israel
Jerusalem
I like to exchange ideas but I have no interest in a pissing contest.
If you want me to review your game, just GM me and send me a copy. Abstracts, wargames and euros equally welcome. No party or dexterity games please.
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YMMV but I find once one gets used to the game it's not an issue.
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Roger Hobden
Canada
Montreal
Quebec
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Love this game : one of my favorites.
I don't mind the "big stack problem" at all.
Here's a suggestion, though : buy 7 colored dice, the colors of the rainbow,and roll them all at the same time. Resolve the results following the rainbow order: violet, indigo, blue, green, etc.
with brown, black and white added you could "process" ten units at a time.
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Scott Muldoon (silentdibs)
United States
Astoria
New York
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When several units of the same type are firing on several units of the same type, you can roll all at once.
One of the advanced rules limits the number of pieces that can fire each round; it's not a stacking limit, but a firing limit, based on the Command Table. It hamstrings the Union quite a bit in the early going, but that might be OK.
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Moshe Callen
Israel
Jerusalem
I like to exchange ideas but I have no interest in a pissing contest.
If you want me to review your game, just GM me and send me a copy. Abstracts, wargames and euros equally welcome. No party or dexterity games please.
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I don't use the Advanced rules but one thing I will do is basically take the units in combat off board, since after all we have combat markers to remind us where the battle is happening. Then I'll line up the units facing the units they're firing at. When more than one unit fires at the same unit, I put the extra units behind the first firing unit perpendicular ot the main run of the line. Then I just roll down the line one roll after another applying the hits. The opponent then does the same and finally any casualties are removed. Reinforcements are then put into the line as needed.
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A.T. Selvaggio
United States
Webster
New York
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Mallet wrote: Love this game : one of my favorites.
I don't mind the "big stack problem" at all.
Here's a suggestion, though : buy 7 colored dice, the colors of the rainbow,and roll them all at the same time. Resolve the results following the rainbow order: violet, indigo, blue, green, etc.
with brown, black and white added you could "process" ten units at a time.
Thank you for this idea. I played this morning employing red, white, blue and grey dice. Easy to remember the order of red, white and blue and then you always know the grey dice is fourth. This sped up combat immensely and increased the fun of an already fun game. Thanks!!
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Rolling bad dice in wargames since 1977
United States
Austin
Texas
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sdiberar wrote: One of the advanced rules limits the number of pieces that can fire each round; it's not a stacking limit, but a firing limit, based on the Command Table. It hamstrings the Union quite a bit in the early going, but that might be OK.
We played yesterday and got as far as January, 1863. The Union were basically nowhere. They had chase the Rebs out of Missouri and parts of Kentucky and Virginia, but that was it.
Pimping the Union a bit on marches, I can understand. Pimping them with the #%$&*@ Command Table by restricting the number of units they can use in combat is insane.
We then reset the map based on the 1863 scenario and the difference in positions was night and day. You'd think the Union was on a tear by comparison, yet Lee still managed to attempt the Gettysburg campaign in real life.
I don't know who put together that Command Table, but its NUTS.
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Tom Swider
United States
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania
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Command Table
BradyLS wrote: sdiberar wrote: One of the advanced rules limits the number of pieces that can fire each round; it's not a stacking limit, but a firing limit, based on the Command Table. It hamstrings the Union quite a bit in the early going, but that might be OK. ... Pimping the Union a bit on marches, I can understand. Pimping them with the #%$&*@ Command Table by restricting the number of units they can use in combat is insane. ... I don't know who put together that Command Table, but its NUTS.
I think the Command Table is one of the intended ways of preventing the "one big stack, everybody up to the front" technique. Supply rules are the other.
I disagree that the Command Table is insane. Communications were poor and it was hard to field and coordinate large armies for a long time. USA leadership was generally poor at the beginning of the war.
I would prefer a game system that allows you to make the same errors that real life commanders made, rather than force you to make historically better decisions, or through "idiot" rules that make you do certain things or lose victory points as a result.
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