Our First Game - Some Questions

A board for questions and discussion relating to Clarence Harrison's ECW focused rules which are growing in popularity. Please post here for questions and discussion relating to VWQ
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JohnHollier
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Our First Game - Some Questions

Post by JohnHollier » Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:40 pm

Hi Everyone,
I just joined this board after playing our first game (at Maplewood Hobby in New Jersey) of VWQ this past weekend. It was enjoyed by all and we're looking forward to our next game.

Wish I'd known about the information here before the game as some of Clarence's clarifications in the previous posts would have been helpful during the game!!

That being said, we still have some additional questions that, based on my reading, haven't been asked/answered yet. So maybe Clarence or one of the experienced players can help us out.

1. We played that all movement is straight forward, as the rules don't discuss wheeling during a move. Is that correct?

2. We allowed a player to shoot either before or after the unit moved. Is that correct?

3. We didn't allow a unit to “backup” (made him about face [Maneuver], move, then about face again – so it took 3 cards to perform). However, on page 10, under the Stupid commander description, one of the random orders is “Withdraw half move”. Is this a standard move option? For infantry and cavalry?

4. Which point do people use as the “pivot point” when Maneuvering? The inside flank or the center of the unit?

5. When two cavalry squadrons that are brigaded together are side by side, do they pivot as one unit or as two separate units when Maneuvering?

6. Often when charging, the two units end the charge move at an angle to each other (because we played "all movement is straight"). Do you “square up” the two units (charger to target, or vice versa)?

7. If you don't square up, does the comment about “only stands in base-to-base contact fight” in flank attacks, apply to all attacks (including overlap situations)?

8. If two cavalry squadrons, brigaded in the same unit and deployed side-by-side, charge the same infantry target, we assumed a) the squadrons move independently, b) if the infantry fires and gets just a single hit that the Morale check is for both squadrons, and c) that hits are (as close as possible) evenly distributed between the two squadrons (meaning you have to get a total of five hits between fire and melee to put a Casualty Marker on one of two squadrons). Did we play this correctly?

9. If, as we played, all movement is straight, when a unit routs and there is a friendly unit in the rout path, what do you do? A) Have the routing unit just go through the other unit as if it isn't there. B) Have the routing unit slam into the friendly unit – maybe with a chance that the friendly unit may fail morale? C) Allow the routing unit to “flow through” and around the friendly unit through any available gaps?

I hadn't realized we still had so many unanswered questions, because a number of the situations we encountered were resolved in previous clarifications.

Again, apologies if these questions have been asked/answered previously and I'm just too blind to see them.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

John Hollier
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Emir of Askaristan
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Re: Our First Game - Some Questions

Post by Emir of Askaristan » Thu Aug 22, 2013 7:43 pm

Hi,
Hope I can help.

1) see page 3 "Manouver". Units can change facing or formation. If they change facing by up to 45 degrees they may make a half move.

2) the rules don't specify when you fire. The example on page 8 shows a unit moving then firing however.

3) we play that a unit may about face but may not then move.

4) we're pretty loose about exactly how a unit physically manouvers - wheels are from a corner - as long as its not manouvering more than 45 degrees a pivots ok with us.

5) we field our horse in paired squadrons which fight side by as a unit, not as separate stands.

6) We square up our combats. For neatness sake only. There's nothing in the rules about only moving straight ahead when attacking. But the feeling is men surge forward when contact is made so parts of units would soon end in contact.

7) with the above in mind most of our combats are one on one

8) our regiments of horse, 4 squadrons, if we play any, move, fight and die as a single unit, not as 2 lots of 2 squadrons.

9) foot test morale if a foot unit is routing within 6in. I'd say that a unit contacted by another unit which is routing is therefore forced to check morale.


The key thing to consider is these are not competitive rules and really should be used for friendly games. If it looks right, feels right and is in the spirit of the rules go for it....if not, the agree to disagree but talk it through over a pint in the bar after!
As you can see from my other posts sometimes things do need clarified, but until they are the above method comes heartily recommended !

Hope I've been of some help.
All the Best

The Emir
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quindia
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Re: Our First Game - Some Questions

Post by quindia » Fri Aug 23, 2013 1:57 am

Only had time to glance through, but The Emir's answers look pretty good. I'll check things closer tomorrow...
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flick40
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Re: Our First Game - Some Questions

Post by flick40 » Fri Aug 23, 2013 12:53 pm

- we allow units to do an about face and move 1/2
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