"OTR" Topic

On to Richmond. Not my period, but it is our groups go to rules for ACW.
As I let my host run the game I often have to put up with multiple interpretations- especially as we are using the new edition, and some times the optional rules…and other times not.
Anyway Ed, some questions.
1) Rolling for morale markers – you roll and then you take it off?
2) Placing one back if you hit difficult terrain in your move?
3) when you retreat in the next turn, you roll for your morale marker and apply the result – or do you miss a turn because you retreated – thus having "moved" this turn. I note in the new edition you retreat facing the enemy.
4) cavalry that have a marker, can they counter charge? +2 on their dice roll to get under their cv to do so.

In passing, if anyone is using the morale chart – adjusted into 5 column based on their commanders, do you also adjust the morale passes each commander has. It would seem to me if you were using the new morale chart all commanders should only have 2 passes- double jepody otherwise.

Really it's how you play it, but consistency would help at my location.

Sometimes consulting the rule book does not help,
5) if you roll for a morale marker and you get a advance or revenge result, do you need to roll under cv before contact?
6) if get a bonus result and you use it to charge another unit do you need to roll under your cv first?

Sillypoint:

#1 Yes
#2 Do not understand the question. By 'placing one back'
do you mean a 'moral/disorder' marker ? If so, then
yes moving through disordering terrain will cause
a disorder (aka 'moral') marker.
#3 Is this a forced move (the retreat/retire move)as a
result of a morale roll-off ? If so, yes the forced
move counts for the brigade's move in 'this' turn.
#4 Cavalry with a marker are disordered. Units in
disorder should not be allowed to charge UNLESS
getting a 'revenge' or 'advance' result on roll-off,
which of course means they'd clear the disorder.
In this case, the cavalry are not in their movement
turn, hence no opportunity to roll off – a house
rule I use allows a Firebrand commander to try to
roll-off the morale to counter-charge (but not
infantry) but woe unto him if he fails (caught flat-
footed).
#5 No. Charge to contact automatically if revenge,
regardless of distance. If an 'advance' result,
check morale (cv test) as normal to close to contact.
Recall that charges are straight line, while advances
are not necessarily straight line, but get no impetus
bonus.
#6 If you mean a bonus movement as a result of winning
a melee, then if the unit is NOT in disorder, you
may charge another enemy but must test (cv roll).
A house rule I use: the bonus move may be used to
make a normal move; may be used to charge another
unit (if the bonus mover is not in disorder);
may be used to reform and reface the bonus moving
unit WITHOUT actually moving, in which case if the
bonus mover incurred a marker as the result of the
combat, the marker is removed for free as long as
no actual movement is expended, just reforming/facing.

I don't have a copy of the new edition, and have no idea
if my comments are in-line with any changes made. If not,
ignore my comments. If they are in agreement with
any changes or new rules in the current edition, play on.

Hope those helped.

That's a very good response time. Thank you for your rulings. I will put it to the boys.

How do you handle 90 degree change of face? Line turns 90 degrees to face its flank?

Consider that the units are brigades and then recall
the time represented by a turn.

Is it reasonable to presume that a BRIGADE deployed
in a line could turn itself 90 degrees within the
time represented by a turn ?

What you're asking is if the brigade can pivot on
one flank base, executing a wheeling maneuver.
I don't think there'd be enough movement to make
a full 90 degree change of facing.

If the idea is to face a flanking threat force,
the house rule I use is to allow one base to change
its alignment to be at right angles to the rest of
the brigade. This means that any attacker hitting
the brigade would not get the flank attack bonus.

Hope that helps.

BTW, I wouldn't present these as 'Ed's rulings'. I've
merely played the rules a great deal and do what
seems to me to make sense. Rulings would be the
original author's (Paul Koch's) purview, but I've not
heard from Paul for several years.