| Stephens123 | 12 Mar 2013 8:26 a.m. PST |
At Cold Wars 2013 – had a chance to use the LSNC Fate of Battle rules to fight the Napoleonic Battle of Vauchamps 2/14/1814.
I think this is a great set of rules. I really like LSNC having most information you need on labels on basis. Fate of Battle introduced (to me anyways) Napoleonice flavors like skirmishers. Game is fast moving (4 hours was over before I knew it), easy to learn, and is fair and balanced. May not have all the grizzly detail of Empire (not a knock)but if looking for some fun and a guick game then I suggest giving it a try. Anybody else's thoughts? |
| coopman | 12 Mar 2013 9:27 a.m. PST |
How do the rules handle different formations? Do you have to change over to a wider base when a unit goes from column into line or what? |
| Chris Palmer | 12 Mar 2013 9:28 a.m. PST |
Glad to hear you enjoyed the game! For photos of the battle, and the other Fate of Battle games Buck Surdu and Dave Wood ran, check ot my blog:
link
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| Who asked this joker | 12 Mar 2013 9:30 a.m. PST |
I've played LSNJ WWII and liked them a lot. I had two problems with them though. One major problem is that some tanks are immune to artillery fire and that air strikes don't seem to be all that effective. So support strikes (air and artillery) seem pretty weak. I think I have a way around it though. I'm not sharing until I've tested it a bit better. A minor problem is the way moral is handled. You roll 1 die and if the unit type comes up you are affected by morale. However the second die tells the effect. One of the effects is 'OK'. So you can fail the morale check and get 'OK'. The way around this is to have the unit/company that failed to get a 1 turn pin. That is they get a half move or fire at half effect for that move only. At then end of the move they would automatically rally. This is for the result of OK only. I also have the ACW version but have not played. From a couple of read throughs, I have no problems with the rules. I will probably give them a go either at a convention or I'll put on a game with some friends. |
| Chris Palmer | 12 Mar 2013 9:38 a.m. PST |
coopman-
Each unit(battalion) is made up of two 1.5 x 1.5 inch stands. When the stands are side by side, the unit is in line, when the stands are placed one in front of the other, the unit is in column, and when the stands are placed back to back, the unit is in square.
Who asked this joker-
The apparent immunity of armor to artillery and air support is very conditional with the armor of the tank, and the caliber of the artillery/air support. Bigger caliber guns, are very lethal against thinner armored tanks as one would expect.
I like your suggested modifcation to the morale rules. How has this worked for you? |
| surdu2005 | 12 Mar 2013 10:21 a.m. PST |
The okay result on the morale "failure" die makes the math work out correctly -- gets you the right percentages for failure and passing. In the design notes, the percentages are described Your change sounds interesting as a home rule. How do the folks in your club like it? |
| Who asked this joker | 12 Mar 2013 1:25 p.m. PST |
I think it works fine. I don't get to play much to be honest but for the scale LSNC:WW2 is still my favorite! The thing about the morale mod is that it is markerless since you roll morale before you move. If you "fail" with an OK result, just move this turn as pinned and mark nothing. John |
| surdu2005 | 12 Mar 2013 5:32 p.m. PST |
John, I'm glad you enjoy the game. We hope to see you at one of the conventions. Stop by and say "hi." Yes, "stateless" or "markerless" is always good. By "move this turn as pinned" I assume you mean you move if the card is black, but not if the card is red? Buck |
| Who asked this joker | 12 Mar 2013 8:45 p.m. PST |
As pinned is perhaps a bad statement. Unit gets a half move OR shoots as pinned that move. |
| Who asked this joker | 13 Mar 2013 7:36 a.m. PST |
OR shoots as pinned that move. Not sure why I am stuck on "pinned"! Should read "shoots as damaged" for that move. Damaged elements (platoons) do not get to shoot if the morale results in an OK result. |
| vtsaogames | 13 Mar 2013 2:06 p.m. PST |
What are the basing standards for 15mm? What size base for a half-battalion, cavalry unit, artillery battery? |
| surdu2005 | 13 Mar 2013 2:24 p.m. PST |
We really don't make a distinction as to base size based on figure size. You can put as many or few figures on a base as you like. It's the base size that matters. The rules call for a battalion to be represented by two one-and-a-half-inch-square bases. The bases are then arranged to represent column, line, and square formations. We fit three strips of Old Glory 10mm figures on each base, so ~45 figures represent a battalion. You could probably put almost as many 15mm figures on the same sized bases, and it would look very good. Take a look at link You will see some pictures of 25mm figures mounted for Fate of Battle. In this case, Dave decided to modify the base widths so that he could use his old 25mm Minifigs. Where the frontage of a battalion in the rules is 3 inches, he modified his to 4.5 inches. This allowed him to put his 25mm figures onto magnetic bases the correct size with no rebasing needed. (In the WWII version of the rules, many people have put two of their Command Decision bases onto a three-inch-wide megnetic base so that they can play LSCN with no rebasing needed.) Buck |
| surdu2005 | 13 Mar 2013 2:26 p.m. PST |
Who asked this joker: Yes, that makes sense and is similar in some ways to what we did in the Napoleonic version, where bases take three hits, rather than two. Buck |
