Last nights game

[obriendavid]

Barry, Colin and myself had a BLB game last night in preperation for the Malplaquet game, the first for quite a while and a few situations came up that we couldn't find a ruling on or were unsure of and a number that we had just forgotten.

Firstly I assume that all rules in the Addenda overwrite anything in the main rules?

Hussars. These are based 2 figures to a base so I assume a hussar squadron is three bases wide to make six figures as opposed to cavalry and dragoons which would just be two bases wide?

Multi unit combat. We had a situation where Colin charged a squadron of horse into a unit of grenadiers and won the first round of combat. My grenadiers passed their morale and were pushed back 2". In the next move I charged a unit of horse into the flank of Colin's horse but inflicted no casualties (no surprise there). Colin only inflicted one casualty which he put on the infantry. The infantry lost the melee and should have been pushed back and another morale test but should the two units of cavalry just held their ground and carried on fighting?

What happens to an infantry unit that gets hit in the flank by pursuing cavalry, is it just fought as a normal combat?

Do retreating troops count as being disordered? I couldn't find anything about this but I know we have done it for R2E.

I hate the morale rule where if you roll a 6 you automatically pass irrespective of other factors. At least four or five times I had enemy units which should have routed just suddenly look as if nothing had happened to them. The only time I seemed to roll sixes was for cavalry trying to charge

Apart for these queries the game flowed very smoothly and we must have fought at least ten moves.

Cheers
Dave

[Churchill]

Hello again Dave,

It sounds as if you had all the bad luck during this game, but your right about the Addenda and Barry added this to sort out a few thing's which weren't explained clearly in the rules.
Your also correct about hussars/cossacks and the like being irregular cavalry.These are unable to charge formed cavalry from any other direction than the rear unless the target is routing.Base size as per formed cavalry, but only two figures to a base 60mm frontage by 50mm depth.
Multi-unit combat, oh my god!!! David your grenadiers must have been at least "Elite" if not "Guard" and they failed to shoot Colin's cavalry up before charging home.Remember the shooting casualties you cause count towards who wins the melee.The way the melee turned out the grenadiers are pushed back a second time, but the victorious cavalry can't follow this up as they have to carry on fighting the enemy cavalry on their flank.
On the persuit question you'll have to check with Barry.

Regards...................Ray.

[obriendavid]

Multi-unit combat, oh my god!!! David your grenadiers must have been at least "Elite" if not "Guard" and they failed to shoot Colin's cavalry up before charging home.Remember the shooting casualties you cause count towards who wins the melee. .

Thanks Ray, that's another rule we forgot but for this combat my elite grenadiers had already fired their first volley and in their panic at being charged they fired a long range type of volley and caused no casualties.
That's the trouble of not gaming the period for about a year that you end up forgetting all the little rules.

Cheers
Dave

[obriendavid]

Still waiting for a reply from Barry so while waiting here's another question for him.

IIRC disordered troop can't declare charges (or is that me getting mixed up with R2E?) but can a formed unit declare a charge against an enemy unit knowing it is going have to cross disordering terrain? Along with that question, terrain that causes disorder only does so as the unit moves through it so would a charging unit be re-ordered in the charge move?

I would argue that they should NOT receive the advantage of being reformed if they also get the benefit of being able to charge in the first place.

Cheers
Dave

[Churchill]

Hello again Dave,

Barry will correct me if I'm wrong and I don't mean to step on anyone's toes by answering your questions.
First your correct that disordered troops can't declare charges (Page 16 "Effect of terrain on movement" under the notes).
Next I would say "Yes" to declaring a charge even if this took you over disordering terrain as long as the troops start formed and steady.The troops will end their charge disordered and remember must reduce their movement accordingly through the terrain.To count as charging you must move at least 3".
Finally the troops charging through disordering terrain do not automatically become formed again once out of the terrain, but must reform again for a turn.

I hope I've got this right and that it helps...........Ray.

[obriendavid]

Ray, thanks for your replies. At least you're answering unlike a certain Mr Hilton who will be getting a clip round the ear when I see him on Saturday. As to disordering terrain I was under the impression that the troops were only disordered whilst they were moving over it but I would agree that the disorder should last for the whole move. As far as I gather from the rules units do not need to spend a move reforming after crossing difficult terrain. It would be useful to have this from the horses mouth as we are having another bash at the club tomorrow.

Cheers
Dave

[barr7430]

I am sorry that I have not served the esteemed membership of this forum well enough recently but I had to take some time off from my full time wargaming job to play at running a business for a while

Ray, does such a good job answering queries (particularly yours DOB!.. and of course he is too polite to say.. 'read the bloody rules' but.. )

The charging over difficult terrain thing.....

There is a wee bit you are both missing which makes the whole thing sensible(I think)
The difficult terrain is effectively taking twice as long(or more) to cover therefore the units are moving in excess of their normal move distance and thus would be disordered even when they left the disordering terrain(but of course for a different reason). This one is NOT cessation cured and requires a rally/reform. They would therefore contact the enemy(if they have enough movement left) disordered..

make sense?

[Churchill]

Hi Barry,

Well I didn't like to say that and I've already said "read the bloody rules" to a couple of my own club members who ask me on a weekly basis about what the rules mean and moan when thing's don't go right.
My own question is though "Why buy them in the first place" is it for Clarance's colour photo's??? Like any set of rules, you have to read them over and over again.
Just remember Barry how I was when I first started playing, I threw all sorts of questions at you every week.
Of course theres always the kind of wargamer who reads them once and thinks he's an instant expert and wants his army made up of guard and elite troops when they weren't and then spit's his dummy out, takes the few figures he brought back to Reiver Castings for his money to be refunded and say's the rules are rubbish.I think you know who I'm talking about.

Regards.............Ray.

[Captain of Dragoons]

"Why buy them in the first place" is it for Clarance's colour photo's???

You mean that we are suppose to read them too
That's why my guys only move around the table and not engage each other

Still though, once Barry gets over the 'Napoleonic thing' (just kidding Barry, I like the Napoleonic thing too') can't wait for futher releases under the BLB project.

cheers
Edward

[barr7430]

Well, now Edward....

funny you should mention that...

[obriendavid]

I am sorry that I have not served the esteemed membership of this forum well enough recently but I had to take some time off from my full time wargaming job to play at running a business for a while
Ray, does such a good job answering queries (particularly yours DOB!.. and of course he is too polite to say.. 'read the bloody rules' but.. )

Barry, I think half the problem is that my brain has been focusing so much on R2E recently and the format of the rules has lots of similarities that I have been getting some of them mixed up and not helped by not playing BLB for nearly a year.

See you tomorrow for that clip round the ear

Cheers
Dave

[Churchill]

Hi Dave,

Just remember to take those lucky dice with you tomorrow you know the ones with a six on each side.
A battle report and some photo's would be nice good luck!!!

Best Wishes.............Ray.

[barr7430]

Why do you need a clip round the ear Dave?
I'm happy to give it to you!