Post by crazycaptain560 on Jun 4, 2016 5:37:10 GMT
I wish I had taken pictures for a full battle report, but my friend and I had a DBN game this afternoon with a Union Corps and a Confederate Corps facing off. Each stand was a regiment, and a number of regiments were grouped into Divisional Commands which we kept at roughly 10+ elements each. We did a 36 point game and included my ideas for Vets and Green troops (Vets re-roll 1s, Green re-roll 6). In all it took only 2.5 hours to fully complete the game. We used the demoralized command rules instead of the traditional 1/3 across the board.
A largely Green union division broke due to the hard efforts of a Veteran filled Confederate division smashing into them. Otherwise there was a good rate of attrition (we did use this combat mechanism) and close fighting. After a few bounds when everyone has been hit or shaken, the stands seem to really vanish. 2 of the Three confederate Divisions Broke causing a very narrow defeat. The Green Union Division broke early, and another division on my right flank was only 1 stand short of breaking. Had that happened it would have been a draw.
Thoughts
We both liked it, but firing became harder to figure out after the combat developed with new groups and some at an angle due to wheeling. That was the hardest part honestly.
Things were moving too slow for a big battle. We allowed more pip expenditure options to open up more decisions and promote maneuver.
Artillery needs some work, at least for this. Counter battery Fire was unbelievable. We both sat astonished at how easy it is to destroy cannon from range. Not sure just yet, but this will really require a rewrite which I imagine will transfer over to the Napoleonic period as well.
I am a little stumped on how I feel about attrition combat rules; they slow the early combat period down for one. It seems critical to include something like this for games like the ACW where there were almost exclusively +4 v Foot elements on the table. Without it, a lot of pushing would happen that would not have gone places anytime fast I imagine. Plus this did look and feel better. I do wish there was more recoiling though to represent those fall backs for regrouping and to provide more decisions to be made with CAPs. My thinking is, based on a DBA-ACW set I read a while ago (can't remember the name!), that for a better than but not double result the infantry should have the choice of taking a hit to stand, or voluntarily recoiling. If doubled take 1 hit and recoil. That is an idea we may use next time.
Oddly enough, not a single death from recoil. I am sure the lack of recoiling was part of this.
Cheers
Addition: Figures were based on 1"x 1"3/4 bases for the infantry as Regimental Fire and Fury requires. DBx is great as you can really play most base sizes, without any changes, as long as the frontages for both sides are the same.
A largely Green union division broke due to the hard efforts of a Veteran filled Confederate division smashing into them. Otherwise there was a good rate of attrition (we did use this combat mechanism) and close fighting. After a few bounds when everyone has been hit or shaken, the stands seem to really vanish. 2 of the Three confederate Divisions Broke causing a very narrow defeat. The Green Union Division broke early, and another division on my right flank was only 1 stand short of breaking. Had that happened it would have been a draw.
Thoughts
We both liked it, but firing became harder to figure out after the combat developed with new groups and some at an angle due to wheeling. That was the hardest part honestly.
Things were moving too slow for a big battle. We allowed more pip expenditure options to open up more decisions and promote maneuver.
Artillery needs some work, at least for this. Counter battery Fire was unbelievable. We both sat astonished at how easy it is to destroy cannon from range. Not sure just yet, but this will really require a rewrite which I imagine will transfer over to the Napoleonic period as well.
I am a little stumped on how I feel about attrition combat rules; they slow the early combat period down for one. It seems critical to include something like this for games like the ACW where there were almost exclusively +4 v Foot elements on the table. Without it, a lot of pushing would happen that would not have gone places anytime fast I imagine. Plus this did look and feel better. I do wish there was more recoiling though to represent those fall backs for regrouping and to provide more decisions to be made with CAPs. My thinking is, based on a DBA-ACW set I read a while ago (can't remember the name!), that for a better than but not double result the infantry should have the choice of taking a hit to stand, or voluntarily recoiling. If doubled take 1 hit and recoil. That is an idea we may use next time.
Oddly enough, not a single death from recoil. I am sure the lack of recoiling was part of this.
Cheers
Addition: Figures were based on 1"x 1"3/4 bases for the infantry as Regimental Fire and Fury requires. DBx is great as you can really play most base sizes, without any changes, as long as the frontages for both sides are the same.
