"How do you handle "Overkill" in TSATF?" Topic

Sever examples here.

We were playing a Boxer Rebellion game last night, using a variant with 10 figure infantry units, 6 figure cav units, and 2-3 artillerists per gun.

Example 1.
My Chinese had 2 artillerists. The gun and gunners were the sole target. A German sailor unit scored 5 hits. There were no face cards drawn. So, we said there were no casualties.

Example 2. A Boxer unit had one leader, 3 swordsmen and a rifleman left. Another marine unit scored 6 hits. One face card, no aces.
We (meaning me…) argued about (discussed) this for a while. I had no problem with the lone remaining rifleman being wiped out with only one face card, but thought that with no ace, the unit leader survived. This would be in keeping with the cinematic, Hollywood feel to the game. After all, his name appears in the credits, whereas "Rifleman #2" does not.

I have argued in the past that a face card, a "key figure" represents an aimed shot, and the shooter can define the "key card" before he shoots.
However, what if their are hits left over? How do you handle hits that cannot be assigned by the card draw?

They way I understand it is

you fire at an area not a unit. So if there are 2 units of brit infantry and 1 unit of cannon in my arc they are all eligible targets

gunners are only "key figures" if there is no one else to be hit in my area of fire. If they are the only target in my arc of fire, they die on hits

This goes the same for leaders (unless you count them like scouts and only face cards hit them)

I could be wrong though. I am no expert at TSATF.

I really enjoy playing it though :)

Quad is correct.

In example 1 since the artillery crew is the only unit in the target area they take the hits. But please bear in mind that the target area is 30 degrees of each figure and to the maximum range of the firing unit.

In example 2 is how we would have played it. Leader survives everyone else takes a hit and you lose excess hits.

That's the way we have also always played. Like Quad & whill.

Same. The gun crew would have been wiped out.

We've been playing it by rote so long that I can't swear that our version is correct but as with whill4, the gun crew would have been wiped out and only a leader left on example 2.

I play the way you did, if you don't turn over the correct card then there's no casualties. Otherwise your artillery are not going to last long in a game. IMHO.

Take more care of your guns, don't leave them alone to get shot up!

Sorry John, but I'm with Quadratus on this as well.

I am glad to see there is consensus here.

A problem I have to this day with TS&TF is the lack of consistency when "target areas" are defined, versus other rules that specify that the nearest enemy unit must be the target of a firing unit. Or that artillery may not direct fire at more than one enemy unit. The rules can provide conflict. I am therefore usually lenient about enforcing "target area" rules where they collide with common sense or the legitimate desire of the firing player.

That said, I usually give gunners the maximum protection offered by the rules, otherwise they get ground up by sniper fire. Make face cards mandatory to hit them in nearly any situation, same as scouts. They are smaller, mobile targets after all, compared to a block of formed troops. Leaders , if they are the sole remaining figures in a unit taking hits, are allowed to be made casualties by the rules. But if the unit began the phase with other figures besides leaders, you might want to give the leaders a "saving throw" special grace equivalent by saying that they can only be eliminated in such circumstances by a key figure (face) card being drawn. That gives the owning player a possible turn to extricate a surviving solitary leader who just had a "miraculous" escape.

I look at this way. If you moved your artillery where they are close enough to get hit by rifle/musket fire, whose fault it that? If you don't pull your artillery back from an advancing enemy whose fault is that? Sometimes the gunners just have to give their all to stem the enemy advance.

To speed up the game we do the opposite. If you have over kill when firing then you killed everyone. But then again we don't worry about wounded either. A hit is a hit. I still turn over cards to see if a leader is hit, unless everyone is hit then just turn over cards equal to killed to possible use up an ace.

Just play the game how ever you like and have fun. If you are not having fun playing TSaTF then you are not doing it right.

I agree with Doug Redshirt extra hits kill special figures and leaders if there are not enough rank and file left to soak up the hits.

If you are not having fun playing TSaTF then you are not doing it right.

Amen, Brother! Preach it!