"Few Questions about Sharp Practice Rules" Topic

Finally getting around to this project. I looked at the YouTube videos several times from TFL and read the rules without playing, and feel I have a good handle to get a beginner game rolling, but I have a few game set-up questions.

First – Do I need to use the Bonus deck? Didn't see one used in the videos. I'm thinking when you play a more extensive/mission played game.

Second – About how big should the play area be? What's the average size folks are using out there?

Thanks.

P.

I've played a smattering of SP. The bonus deck seems optional but it does provide some fun twists. 25mm I would start with a 3x4 maybe a good deal of terrain.

If you go to the TFL site, you can join the "Sharp Practice" forum. Or, just google "Sharp Practice forum"

The bonus deck is optional, but is also added fun. Although half the time, we forget to check for the "more 1s than 6s" trigger for the deck any way. I'd still recommend using it starting your 2nd or 3rd game.

What I would skip for a while is "rolling up" your commanders' abilities & social class. It also is optional added fun, but it requires the players to be in a role playing mood, & be willing to be driven into conflict with each other, even between players on the same side.

I think a 6x4 is standard for 28mm, but that's probably because that's the standard for any 28mm non-gang game (at least here in the US).

One hint I'd give you is to get the concept of what a commander does vs what a unit does very clear in your mind. Unfortunately, the Lardies use the word "dice" to refer to what the commander can do, & we found it very confusing since when a commander uses a "die" to activate a unit, that unit gets 2 "dice" itself (separate from the commanders).

AronBC came up with the term "Command Points" for what a commander has. So a Status 3 commander has 3 Command Points. With those 3 command points, he can activate 3 different units (or activate 1 unit & remove 2 Shock, etc). When activated, each of those units has 2 of their own "Unit Points". Firing takes 1 unit point. Reloading a musket takes 1 unit point. Moving 1d6 takes 1 unit point. 1 Command Point actually "buys" 2 Unit Points. So a high level commander's turn can be quite lengthy: i.e. Commander uses 1 point to trigger a unit; Unit uses its 2 points; Commander uses 2nd point to trigger a unit; Unit uses its 2 points; etc.

Also, don't forget like I did that a unit can only ever be activated once per turn. I was allowing a unit multiple activations, & 1 unit shot down a whole 12-man unit in 1 turn with 3 rounds of fire.

Hi there, a few more points to remember if a smaller game try to not have too many high grade officers/ncos as that just 're sets' the moral of the units and the game becomes a bit static, if you are going for multiple units that need to form up (as in reality for the period) you need commands that do this as well as leaders that use their dice(points) to maintain order/moral.
These rules do portray the joys/headaches of higher command and control to keep the troops in the attack line
(this plays beautifully in these rules and is brilliant for AWI games- think Officers of HM forces slowly being shot down by the rabbles rifleman until there is none to cajole/threaten the troops to continue the fight) play your first games a slow pace and go through the cards and phases slowly,above all have fun with these rules I do.

Gents,
Wow! Thanks for the great advice. Right before we played a game today, I came back into TMP and saw your responses, and definitely helped. We did a small action with two French units and 3 British units. A slap-shot scenario was put together to get started. I went back to the TFL web site and bought the scenario book, another good source to get things going. It was about the second turn when things got real exciting and fun. We already have plans to use the bonus deck out next game. I can see how the bonus deck add that next level of game play.

The only real question that came up, or really an odd point in the game was the command points for the Big Man. Say I have a Status 3 commander, which yields 3 Command points and he has drawn Grasp the nettle of III card prior to his activation card, so does that mean he now has a total of 6 Command points? With that predicament, can the Big Man now activate a unit to move more than once, or fire, reload, and fire again?

Thanks again for all the help. Click on the link for pics:
link

P.

Each unit can activate only once per turn.
A Big man can use extra command points to rally shock, move himself, or move multiple units.

It's been a while since I played, but I recall each Grasp the Nettle card is one command point. The III determines what level of leader can use the card.

Gents,
I made it over to the Sharp Practice Forum, and spent about two hours reading all the answers to my questions. Great stuff from here, and really appreciate your help.

P.