More rule tinkering

The temperature turned out to be lower than predicted as it was minus 4C when we got in the car to take the grandkids to school this morning so it was definitely a good call to bring the paints indoors from the Hinton Hut on Sunday!

However, this has not stopped me on my rule-tinkering journey and having put a lot of thought into it, and finally drawing up a useful spreadsheet (I know, I know, Goya was right, don't say it!) I've determined that too much tinkering is a bad thing.

I tried adopting a D6 rather than an average die for morale but strangely this didn't really make any difference. Then I tried amending various melee/morale factors but again it didn't seem to change the outcomes. I also fiddled around with the 'morale results' table but quickly abandoned that too.

Nice to see the Brunswickers on the table (they don't get out much). The Duke of Brunswick is old school and doesn't approve of tinkering with the rules or war.

I have made some changes though, the main one being to reduce the morale modifier for winning/losing a melee from 2 to 1 (I felt the +2 to winner and -2 to loser is just too much of a variable). I have also made the 'passage of lines' test easier to pass mainly so that supporting cavalry can more readily replace a unit already engaged to their front.

The French Guard Lancers have just lost the first round of melee (that's what you get for tangling with the Scots Greys) so they are going to attempt a 'passage of lines' with the supporting Cuirassiers. It went well but then the Cuirassiers lost too.

Apart from that there are some minor changes mostly sorting out anomalies and adding a bit more clarification to some of the not-so-well written stuff. In the end it has been enough to announce a Version 8 of the rules. If you would like a PDF copy then drop me a line (there is a contact email on my profile).

Tinkering with rules

It's generally not a great idea to tinker with rules but there have been a couple of things bugging me about my Muskets & Marshals rule set that I felt needed looking at. This is mainly the morale and melee factors for 'disordered' units and 'melee losers'.

I set-up a small game to try out my amendments. Goya would say that such things should be trialled on a spreadsheet and he's probably right but I do like to see the figures on the table.

If you have played the rules then you will know that it is very difficult for a unit that loses the first round of melee to win the second round because of the cumulative effect of these two factors. So I have been experimenting with toning things down a bit to give a less predictable result.

I'm also taking a look at fighting in buildings because I have an idea to try a small Dresden type game next year and there will have to be buildings in that.

I am concious though, that in the context of an eight-turn game where infantry melees only tend to happen in the last couple of moves, a dramatic result may not be a bad idea. At this stage the jury is still out.

I was taking a look at the weather for next week and thinking it may be wise to move my acrylic paints (and the PVA tube!) out of the cabin and into the house so I don't have a repeat of last year's calamity.

Austrian Commanders

With the sudden spurt of growth to the Austrian infantry it occured to me that they probably needed a few more commanders to lead them in the field. Now, as you know, Hinton Hunt only produced one Austrian General so I've had a bit of fun with some conversions.

This is the Emperor Francis converted from FN/224 French general in cocked hat. I've repositioned the hat and removed his epaulettes. I think he looks suitably regal. I read that Francis only styled himself 'emperor' in response to Napoleon taking that title.

Archduke Charles, the most able of the Austrian generals according to Bruce Quarrie. He is converted from BN/107 British general pointing again with hat turned and epaulettes removed. 

Finally, this is a straight casting of AN/102 Austrian general in cocked hat reading map to represent Schwarzenberg. The casting was generously donated by none other than the Archduke himself. He will be able to join Mack in the map reading classes at the Austrian Staff College. Goya (perhaps unkindly) suggested that the mid-region of this figure should be a bit more portly for historical accuracy!

"Over there your highness."
"Hmm, not sure, what does it say on the map Schwarzenberg?"

This has been a bit of fun and a useful distraction from finishing off painting the 26th Schroeder Regiment but I'm already back working on them now.