After having a go at the WSS period with Polemos, The Last Argument of Kings (Black Powder) and Maurice, our club wants to have a go at BLB, with an eye on large multiplayer games (yes Barry, we are the bunch next to you in Antwerp who had a champagne start to the day
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In preparation of a first game i have been reading the rules extensively, but i end up with several questions:
page 26 Good order and Disorder
phrase "Disorder caused by terrain or interpenetration whilst stationary ceases immediately when those conditions no longer apply"
so a foot unit starting its movement against a Low Linear Obstacle and throwing a 1 for reduction ends its move on the other side of the LLO and is not disordered for musketry ?
page 27 Expand by one stand for 1/2 turn
a foot unit ends with 2 stands in front row and 1 stand behind ? is this a legal formation ? what can they still do in the other 1/2 turn as the requested order is FORM ?
page 37 Removal of casualties
I cannot find a clear definition of the number of casualties a unit (or stand) represents/can take
the text seems to imply that 1 model = 1 casualty, in this logic a foot unit can take 18 casualties so takes away a stand after 9 casualties ? (and a cav unit has 6 so drops a stand after 3 casualties ?) but the table on page 12 allows foot 5 models per stand and cav 2 models per stand, does this influence the casualty calculation ?
for artillery page 33 (the loss of each crew model means the loss of a shooting dice) seems to imply 2/4/6 crew models for the different type of guns ? is a gun removed when it no longer has shooting dice ?
page 39 Charging units
what distance is refered to in "it must be within charge reach allowing..." ?
for horse 14 inch or 15 inch (because of the D2) ? measured from center of its own front to nearest point of enemy ?
page 40 Change direction
if by going straight forward you can just touch a unit (with your front corner or his front corner), do you need to wheel ?
if you wheel must you align parrallel to the target ? (max wheel angle ?)
if you touch do you align the units in full frontal contact or leave them at an angle ?
page 45 Determining who fights
the text "in close combat the entire unit fights" implies that a foot unit at full strength has 3 dice, even if not all stands are in contact ?
the text of the 6 model group is confusing, it is a stand that generates a dice ?
page 46 Close combat proces
point 1 seems to imply that you must keep casualty record PER STAND to determine whether it is over half strength ?
A checkup on a complex sequence (horse on horse and foot on foot seems OK, just horse on foot breaks my mind) shattered over a lot of pages
a unit of Horse is standing by idle and sees a unit of foot in the distance
is measuring allowed ? (i can find a "no premeasure" text for artillery and musketry but not for charging)
suppose it is not, the officer thinks he can reach, so declares a charge
must we measure now if the distance is OK ?
suppose not, the horse must first test their resolve, they go !
must we measure now if the distance is OK ?
suppose not, the foot must now declare their reaction, they choose stand and fire
must they now do their check ?
suppose yes, as the horse will have to take the volley at that distance and then see if they charge home ?
suppose the foot roll a Devastating Volley but the horse have to wheel first, and do not get to short range because they throw 6 on wheel reduction , what happens ?
if the horse can reach the foot fire distance but will not reach the foot, what happens ?
then there is the test to halt a charge which will fail to contact, at what point in this sequence does it happen ?
suppose the horse have enough distance, they move up to the foot fire distance, take the volley, then take a charge home test ?
if they get 2 casualties by the volley, they have a -1 morale modifier ?
suppose the foot is all musket Guards at close range with first fire, who throw 2 six, they blow away the horse unit with 6 casualties ?
i now, a lot of "suppose" and "what's that" but i want our first game to run as smooth as possible without to much book consulting/arguing to slow things down
Alex