"1Hour Wargames questions" Topic

So I wanted to see how people out there handle various questions that we've ruled on as they come up.

Please note for the diaper-wetting brigade that this is not in any way a commentary on the game, on the length or complexity of games in general or your mothers cooking skill.

I am just curious how different people play the game.
Deal?

Deal.

Okay so, a lot of these comes from the suggested units being quite long (book recommends 4-6")

1: When units turn, do you let them turn "through" each other or can units not overlap at any time (except skirmishers)

2: How much of a unit must be in woods for the unit to be "in the woods" ?

3: if a unit is in contact with multiple enemy units to its front, do you attack one? Split the damage? Attack both?

4: When a moving unit makes contact at a corner of the enemy stand do you even them out? (moving the two units into "proper" contact with each other) or do you leave them engaged at the odd angle?

5: How do you measure the firing arcs? From the centre of the unit? The corners?

1) Depends on what a unit is. A formed battalion? No overlap.
2) In our group we declare in or out, no "halvsies." If you need to write a rule either over 50% or if the center is inside the woods.
3) Attack both, but splitting factor/dice both ways.
4) Leave them as is.
5) I don't play with firing arcs for firearms. They are battalions, not turrets. Otherwise 360

1. Neil is pretty adamant is his rules that only skirmishers can interpenetrate. This is how he creates the problems of command and control and deals with people that want to cram in every soldier in every last square inch.

2. I make a unit get at least halfway in before they can declare cover. If it is questionable, the player should ask the other player to declare the intention of being in or out.

3. If we are specifically talking about the rules "One-Hour Wargames" by Neil Thomas, see the rule Limited Engagement. You are probably playing it wrong. If you are playing the ACW rules or later, all hits would go on the unit of your choice.

4. Leave them as is.

5. Because the whole unit fires and there is no partial fire, I take it from the center of the unit.

Of course, if I were playing these rules with anyone who felt differently, I would probably change to how the wanted.

That said, I know of no one who plays these rules any other way than solo. So I never hear about any disputes.

In his Napoleonic rules even skirmishers cannot move through formed units. In his Wargaming the 19th Century book they can. However only the skirmishers may move through formed units, not the other way around.

1. I don't let any units overlap when turning.
2. i do half or more to be in woods. Not my real preference (I would do any bit in and they are counted as in) but easier to play this way with my daughter as it makes more "sense".
3. I roll the die for damage, split the damage between them and then modify the damage as required.
4. Leave them as is.
5. I do it from the corners only as that how I have always done it for games that don't specify.

Note I have only played the Ancient, Dark Age and Medieval rules.

Dale – I have played it with my daughter and there is another guy who recently started a blog playing 1HW with his young son. So there is 2 but still a very small number! But in these games, there would still be no dispute as my daughter is not reading the rules, and I don't think the other guy's son is either!

1) Small overlap is OK. Say through a corner.
2) If any part of the unit is in the woods, it is in the woods.
3) Pick a unit and attack. I say the unit to the front first, followed by a unit to the flank if a unit to the front is not available and finally a unit to the rear if no flank or front units are available.
4) Rank up. The defender turns slightly or stays put as the owning player chooses. The attacker then conforms.
5 From corners. It makes more sense to me.

@Dale I also played a few games with my son. He liked them well enough but thought that you did not have enough choices. We've moved on to other games.

1. No overlap, ever. Although players can get very creative.
2.Significantly more than half.
3. Only one unit can fight on a specific face at once.
4. We do a DBA shuffle after the first round of combat. I find it more visually pleasing.
5. Edges, but more than half the firer and target needs to be in arc. Which is effectively centre to centre , I have just realised….

Interesting all the variations. It does not surprise me though because it probably reflect the rules that we cut our teeth on, or have found most influential.

Good call on melee units not being able to be engaged with more than one. Im not sure how I missed that.

For that matter, what do you do if a unit can cut hits in half twice (ancient infantry on a hill) ?

We opted to only halve it once.

Great answers from all, but incomplete. It is not just a wargame, with linear rules. Imagine you are there, in column or line, leveling a musket that soon needs fast reloading. Imagine you are there.Your answer will follow.Follow your imagination, because that is the only way you will understand real history.The answer is not in numbers or dice, or anything nice. It is in what men had to do.

I play the rules with my 9 year old daughter and my 6 year old son. Rules work so well I am thinking of adding a few bits and using them as a set for a Convention

Well, one must use rules to be sure of convention.It works well with children. I would ofer an option- Computer rules. Carnage & Glory link

"We opted to only halve it once."

Yes, just halve it once or it gets silly.