This is my review of Across a Deadly Field (ADF) the newly released ACW rules authored by John Hill of Squad Leader and Johny Reb (I, II, III) fame. They are published by Osprey.
I've had access to the rules via the Scribd subscription service for about a month now. I don't have the paper version yet (that's coming from Amazon).
I have read the rules thoroughly and have played out the introductory scenario provided in the rules (a first day of Gettysburg scenario) to get a feel for the rules and how they play.
This review is not comprehensive. It's just an overview and some impressions.
GAME SCALES:
So, the game scale is 1 infantry figure = 60 men, 1 Cav. figure = 30 men, and 1 artillery model = a battery. The number of gun sections in the battery is indicated by the number of crew figures on the base.
Units are infantry regiments, cavalry regiments, and artillery batteries.
This means units aren't very large, at least in the mid-to late war. For example, largest unit in the starter scenario (set in 1863) provided in the rule book is 10 figures. (600 men). There are some units that are only 4 figures.
The ground scale varies depending on the size of the figures your using. For 15mm, it's 1" = 80-100 yards.
The time scale is 1 turn = 30 minutes.
The rules say they can be played with any size figure; 25mm, 15mm, 10mm/6mm. The ground scale is a bit different for each scale and the rules give charts for each scale. Regardless of the scale though, each figure = 60 men, etc..
BASING:
The rules don't specify a size for bases. This is left up to the player.
They do state that units are supposed to be composed of the same number of bases, regardless of the number of figures in the unit. The options are two base units or three base units. This means that, ideally, you have bases with different numbers of figures on them to make up the units.
It's done this way so you can see a unit's morale status at a glance just by looking at the unit. Each unit starts at a certain morale point (called a Basic Morale Point-BMP). As it loses bases its BMP changes. For example, if using the three-base scheme an Elite unit that starts with a BMP of 3 (lower is better) would have a BMP of 6 when it's lost one base and a BMP of 9 when it's reduced to its final base.
TURN SEQUENCE:
The turn sequence is very simple. There is not movement phase, fire phase, rally phase, etc.
Each Turn is composed of two player-turns. The scenario will specify who gets the first player turn.
In each player turn there is an active player and a reactive player.
The active player chooses a unit and can perform two actions with that unit in any order; move, fire, rally, change formation, charge. So it could move and fire, fire and move, fire twice, move twice, move and charge, etc.
You finish one unit's (or group's) actions before moving onto the next. Actions are resolved strictly sequentially.
The active player can also designate a group of units to take their actions at the same time. These aren't permanent groupings, but instead can be chosen each turn. The units in the group have to be adjancent (usually within 1"), in the same formation, and all have to do the same thing.
While the active player is acting with his units, the reactive player can (you guessed it) react with his units. Allowed reactions are fire, change formation, change facing (I think Rally also).
The reactions can only be to reaction triggers. The active player triggers a reaction if his units fire, move more than 1" and/or take any action while within 2" of the enemy.
Each reacting unit can react only once. So if a unit fired at an active unit that moved if a juicier target comes along later in the sequence, too bad.
MOVEMENT:
Movement is what you'd expect. Distance depends on the formatio and terrain moved through.
There is an interesting move called a Disengage move. This lets a unit move a long distance in any direction at the expense of dropping a morale level. You use this when a unit is Shaken to get it out of the way so it can rally (a unit that is Shaken doesn't drop to Routed by using the Disengage move).
Units can wheel, oblique up to 45 degrees, move backwards at 1/2 speed, interpenetrate friends at the risk of being disordered.
A unit can only do one Charge action in a turn though.
FIRE:
Units calculate fire by figure, generating fire points per figure. You add those points to a die roll and consult a chart to see the effect. The number of dice your roll depends on the range (1 dice for long range, 2 for normal, etc.) There are also die roll modifiers for firing on the target's flank, first fire in a battle, etc.
Units can pool their fire in groups. Up to 18 figures or 16 fire points. Aritllery can group up to 3 adjacent batteries. To do this they have to be designated as a group with the restrictions stated above. This is important to do because especially with smaller units and at long range where the fire of individual units won't likely have any effect alone.
The results of fire will be either nothing, a morale check on the target (sometimes modified), or lose a figure or figures and take a morale check as well.
One interestig point is that units have a Primary Fire Zone. This is, for infantry, straight ahead up to 9". A unit has to shoot at a target in its Primary Fire Zone if there's one there. This can sometimes make it difficult to mass fire on one target.
CHARGE/MELEE:
Units (or groups) can only charge in a straight line-no wheels, oblique, etc. (If you want to do that you do it with a move action before charging).
The charge distance is a normal move + a bonus move which is random. So depending on how far away you start you're not always sure you'll make it.
The target of the charge (and other reacting units) can fire at the charger. If the target has already used its reaction it can stil fire, but at a very reduced effect. The target can also hold its fire against the charger until it gets to point blank range. The target has to take a "Fear of Charge" morale check and if it fails that it's fire may be at reduced effect.
If the fire on the charger doesn't have an effect, or has an effect but doens't cause a morale failure, the target now takes a "fear of impact" morale check. (if it hasn't already done that in waiting to fire a point blank range).
The combat results are based on comparison of the charger's impact value to the target's. The Impact Value is the number of figures + a die roll – the Morale point. The higher total wins. The results are dependent on the difference as set forth on a chart.
Support is very important in the charge (and for morale in general). This is because each supporting unit reduces the units Morale Point by 1 (this is good, lower is better). So when charing you want to bring along friends for support and the defender wants to have friends nearby as well.
MORALE:
As alluded to, morale tests are taken throughout the turn in reponse to being fired on, having units rout past, being involved in a charge, etc. You can also take one as a Rally action.
To take a Morale test you take the unit's Basic Morale Point (which depends on how many stands are left) and add modifiers to get its Modified Morale Point.
The most common modifier is support from other units. The MMP is also modified by whether the unit is Disordered, Shaken or Routed.
You then roll two D6 and if you exceed the MMP you go up a level or two, depending on how far you exceed the MMP, or down one or more levels.
Effects of the Morale test are implemented immediately.
The practical effect of allthis is that you'll want to keep your units together to lend each other support. If you don't, you're likely to have trouble with morale tests.
OTHER STUFF I HAVEN' TRIED
There are rules for Leaders. Essentially they can provide a Leadership Bonus that helps units pass Morale Tests. If they get killed they'll cause your units to test.
There are rules for mounted and dismounted cavalry.
There are rules for Engineering activities.
There are rules for Big Artillery.
There is a point sytem for creating pick up games with equal forces (The rules call it a Muster System).
The rules include a mini-campaign set in the East in the Fall of 1863 using this.
SUMMARY:
I like ADF a lot. It's well written and nicely presented. The rules work and I think have the right amount of detail without being either too finicky or too abstract.
In my opinion the most interesting thing about it is the Action/Reaction Sequence. Ths should keep all the players involved and forces you to make some difficult decisions as the Reacting player (i.e. when and if to react).
I also like the restriction on targets for firing. This prevents units from ganging up on one target in what I feel is an unrealitic fashion.
The most annoying thing about it, for me, is the basing. I don't like the fact that I need to have a supply of bases with different numbers of figures to accomodate the rules as written. Yes, you can work around it, but I think that if the author had calibrated firing and fighting around number of bases rather than figures, the whole issue goes away. (Then you can use any bases you have and it doesn't matter how many figures there are on them).
This isn't a major quibble though and all things considered I give the rules a firm thumbs up. I'm looking forward to the release of the accopmanying scenario books.