As
you will see from the reports in the blog I am an enthusiast for the Black
Powder rules. I find them simple and fun to play. But a few issues have
appeared in our games including a recent BP2 test game. These are my house rules updated for Black Powder 2 as some of my earlier 1st edition House Rules have been superseded by the new rules.
At the end I have some
notes on commonly forgotten rules and important clarifications.
HOUSE RULES
THE BIG ONE – THE MODIFIED
SEQUENCE OF PLAY
This
comes from the WSS “& Blenheim” rule modifications by Ian Hopping available
on the Yahoo BP Forum. We have used this revised turn sequence in all our games
for many years and it seems to work well. It prevents the often complained
issue of units making double or treble moves and firing at their enemy at short
range when the enemy has not been able to fire. It also gives unit’s a chance
to exploit the effect of their shooting by charging units that may have become
shaken or disordered. As an example it allows shooting to disorganise or shake
squares which can then be charged by cavalry in the command phase. This version is my extended text of the
original. Importantly no new phases have
been added to the game turn.
Initiative
Phase
Declare
and undertake initiative movement – there is no change to the basic rules for
this.
Optional:
All moving units to be marked as having moved this turn. (They cannot move
again in Command Phase).
Reactions
- Any units charged may deliver ‘Closing Fire’ at the end of the initiative.
Counterchargers move to meet their chargers as usual.
Firing
Phase
Moving
player carries out firing as per the rules.
Optional:
All firing units to be marked as having fired this turn (for modified Command
Penalty).
Command
Phase
Give
orders and move as per the Command phase of the rules.
There
is an additional command penalty:
“-1
if fired this turn”
Any
units charged may deliver ‘Closing Fire’ if they have not fired before in this
turn.
Melee
Phase
Conduct
Melees as per rules
INTERPENETRATION
The
rules allow interpenetration of units at all times. We have debated this at
different times as we think this is too free and leads to some very unrealistic
tactics. In our recent games we have relaxed this and allowed interpenetration
by formed troops but not if a charge is involved. Chargers can interpenetrate
their sides skirmishers.
TERRAIN
I
don’t like the basic rules for moving thru woods in which everyone operates as
skirmishers. I prefer that trained skirmishers still have advantages in wooded
terrain so the 2 rules we have been using are:
Rule
- Formed infantry move at half speed through woods except when moving as the
result of a break test when they move full speed.
Rule
- Formed infantry are not an ‘unclear target’ in woods. (To give them this
would give them the same cover as skirmishers in woods).
To
clarify - Troops in woods get the morale modifier for cover except when
charging to contact or in hand to hand combat.
CLOSING FIRE BREAK TESTS
Charging units becoming
shaken by closing fire or suffering artillery hits take an Engaged in Combat
Break Test. This is as BP1 was written
however this was amended by the FAQ No 18 as below.
Because the best result
that cavalry can get from such a test is ‘retire’ this makes it practically
impossible for cavalry to charge home onto artillery (they would have to suffer
zero casualties from 3 shots per cannon requiring 3+to hit and -2 saves).
Rule - The test for
cavalry suffering artillery hits when charging in should be taken using the
Shooting results on the Break Test, and not the Hand-to-Hand results as you
would for all other cases.
ATTACK COLUMNS –
MORALE SAVES
Attack
columns get a +1 Morale save against everything other than artillery fire. The problem here is that nothing defines when
this ends in a melee/engagement. This makes
attack columns in ongoing melees suffer low losses compared with their
opponents. Even worse in a recent BP2
French Vs Russian action when it was 2 columns engaged.
A
possible solution is taken from Albion Triumphant - if the attack column’s
opponent does not Retire or Break in the first round of melee then in
subsequent rounds the attack column ceases to get its +1 Morale save.
IT WAS A TERRIBLE
FIELD
Some
battlefields were noticeably wet for most of the day (Waterloo) or became very
wet (Katzbach) and at some there were large areas covered in tall standing
crops. All of this slowed movement. Due to this all units are limited to a
maximum of 2 moves when ordered rather than the normal maximum of 3 moves.
Further
Option - If you adopt this do you also change the Order Rolls so even, -1, -2
equal 1 move anything else 2 moves?
BROKEN BRIGADE RULE
There
is a new version of the Broken Brigade rule in BP2. Given that Shaken units count when brigades
are being assessed as Broken I think this makes brigades very susceptible to
becoming Broken.
My
suggestion - a Brigade of more than 2 units is Broken when only 1 of its units
remains unbroken. The others have either
Broken or Retired Shaken from the Table.
Once a brigade is declared Broken the rules in BP2 apply to the
remaining unit.
SQUARES (NAPOLEONIC
MUST FORM SQUARE RULE)
These
are revised rules for squares which we have used successfully since June 2013. Now I would use these rules in smaller games
as in big games I would go with the standard BP rules.
Rule
- Non disordered infantry in the open charged by cavalry to their front must
attempt to form square as their response.
To do so the infantry must pass an order test based on their brigadier’s
command rating counting normal modifiers (except command radius) plus
optionally the following:
If
cavalry need 2 moves to contact then infantry have a command modifier of +1
If
cavalry need 3 moves to contact then infantry have a command modifier of +2
If
they fail they stay in their formation, become disordered and deliver closing
fire.
Normal
square combat rules apply i.e. cavalry receive no charging bonuses. However a square testing for a non cavalry
combat break test applies all the break tests results. If they retire they become disordered and
form line formation. As per the rules a
square testing for losing or drawing a combat against only cavalry ignore all
results except Break.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN
SPECIAL RULE
Under
the basic rules skirmishers can only charge formed troops who are already
engaged in hand to hand combat. Allowing formed troops to move thru woods
limit’s the effectives of Indian skirmishers in forest fighting so I suggest
the following.
Rule
- Indian skirmishers are allowed to charge skirmishers and shaken or disordered
formed troops frontally and all troops in the flank or rear.
SYW/AWI LEGIONS
This
is my idea for dealing with SYW/AWI legions which were mixed infantry and
cavalry units.
Rule
- Treat them as small skirmishing infantry units but give them an extra hand to
hand dice, they shoot normally, move as infantry but evade as light cavalry so
can evade cavalry and they have a cavalry evade move of 12" at 66% scale.
This
rule is for small Legions eg Light Horse Harry Lee's or Pulaski's Legion.
Larger Legions like Tarleton's was big enough to be split into distinct
infantry and cavalry units.
FOUR DEEP LINE
FORMATION
The
only extra formation that I suggest using.
The 4 deep infantry line allowed the British and Allied troops under
Wellington at Waterloo to form up on the restricted battlefield. It looks like an attack column i.e. 3 bases
wide and 2 bases deep - but isn’t an attack column. A unit in 4 deep line reduces its Hand to
Hand and Shooting values by 1. It does not count as being in column so does
not suffer a +1 to being shot by artillery.
66% MOVEMENT AND
RANGES
We
have often played games using the 66% version of the movement and the ranges.
In these games we agree that though ranges and moves were decreased that given
the physical size of the 28mm units that
Command
radius is standard 12”
Support
distance is standard 6”
Proximity
distance is standard 12"
However
we reduce Initiative distance to 8"
SOME MORE USEFUL
RULES
LEVY USEFUL RULE
This
is taken from HAIL CAESAR. Useful for applying to militia - the problem with
poorly trained troops is keeping them organised in action. Value can be modified eg 2+ to 5+. I would combine with Unreliable for militia
units.
Levy
Useful Rule - Unit must roll 4+ to remove disorder at the end of its turn.
STOIC USEFUL RULE
I
used to give Russian Napoleonic infantry the Steady useful rule as suggested in
the rulebook. However there is no risk of failure in the first break test with
Steady which I think makes it too powerful a useful rule with units surviving
in quite impossible situations. Some uncertainty is required. My solution is to
use a version of Valiant but amended so that the unit can only reroll the first
break test it makes rather than the first test it fails.
Stoic
Useful Rule - Unit can reroll the first break test it makes.
GALLOP AT ANYTHING
This
rule applies to the famously uncontrollable British heavy Cavalry at
Waterloo. They get a +1 to a Charge
Order, have a Ferocious Charge (Page 101) and must make a sweeping advance or advance
upon the retiring enemy even if this takes them of the table. They suffer a +2 to their command rule when
dicing to return.
This
is from Albion Triumphant
OFTEN FORGOTTEN RULES
Page 29 ORDERS – Not stating an order
before rolling command dice is a Failed Order and a Blunder.
Page
31 COMMAND BONUSES AND PENALTIES - No command rating can be modified to more than
10 or less than 5.
Page
69 MORALE SAVES - Once a defender has lost a round of combat they no longer get
cover saves. As an example normal troops Morale Save drops in a BUA from a 2+
to a 4+.
Page
80 UNITS THAT HOLD THEIR GROUND - Units struck in flank or rear which hold
their ground after a round of the combat turn to face their opponent and automatically
become disordered.
CLARIFICATIONS
THE
PROXIMITY RULE
This
is taken from a clarification by BP author Rick Priestly on the Yahoo BP Forum.
Once
an enemy is within proximity distance a unit cannot move to its flank. It can
only move forwards or backwards within its front and rear quarters; it cannot
shuffle sideways. This does not prevent a unit turning to face so long as it
remains within its front or rear quarter.
For
example: - with enemy to the flank within 12 inches you could turn to face the
threat just by turning through 90 degrees about your centre - or wheeling
forward or back; and having done that you could (assuming you have more command
moves) move towards the enemy.
Units
making a charge order have to fulfil their order in the most direct way
possible - which could be a turn to bring the enemy within the unit's front
followed by a charge move. At least two moves would be required in this
example.
REMOVING
DISORDER
At
the end of each side’s turn all that side’s disorder markers are removed apart
from units still engaged in combat and units from broken brigades and those
that have undertaken a Disorderly Retreat this turn..
BUILT
UP AREAS (BUAs)
The
Rules As Written can make BUAs seem like mini Hougoumonts. At the start of games you should consider
making a judgment about the strength of BUAs before the game begins based on
their historical effect or on the effect you want them to have in a made up
situation.
First
off decide is the BUA is composed of mostly wooden structures or is more
substantial. Based on that make the cover save either +1 or +2. Then don't
automatically go with the default +3 support value for a Standard unit in a
BUA. Make a conscious decision whether this should be +1, +2 or +3 (the BUA
still cannot be supported by other units as is normal). Finally decide whether
the 'ignore all break test results except Break' rule should apply on not.
By
using all the above variables you can create all kinds of different strength
villages and towns. It becomes easy to get those see saw results that happened
so often in Napoleonic battles. No new rules mechanics are required, just a selective
application of the rules already available.
