<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Banshee</i>
<br />I agree with others, it makes good reading and you should be
commeneded for the effort you've put in this exercise.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Again, Shannon, Tris (in memory), and I thank you for the Club Members' encouraging comments.
At this time, Shannon and I are playtesting Ver. 2 of the "Mounted Reconnaissance" house rules. For us, the beauty of House Rules is that as wargamers, we have more custom control over the kind of historical wargaming experience we seek. House Rules provide us the level of personal control that is otherwise unavailable to us, given an otherwise 'fixed', proprietary pc code.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">On the other hand, the games in which we engage are abstracts of real life. Many of the rules built into the game would never be
observed in a real life encounter. An example: As the game enters
a player's melee phase, a victory hex, determining the scenario's
outcome is occupied by a single mounted cavalryman. Six regiments
surround him, yet they cannot melee him. He'd be dead meat in real
life, if he didn't surrender. But it's an abstract designed to
prevent infantrymen from meleeing on foot, against a mounted
cavalry regiment that could ride right through them.
Your suggested house rules alter a number of important facets of
our abstract scenarios.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Yes, "altering" is the general direction if not underlying guiding "point" and spirit, underlying a custom mod like ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">By the same token, a unit moving adjacent to an unlmbered artillery battery is forced to undergo a second volley of canister. Well placed 2 gun batteries along a defended line would almost have
the effect of abatis, even though none was provided in the scenario.
An attacking general, faced with the prospect of leaving his regiments out in the open to be butchered by artillery and supporting infantry, ...just wouldn't attack.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">General Cuneo,
I share your concern about the potentially devastating nature of charging, shoulder-to-shoulder, a well positioned array of heavy enemy ordnance.
The point, however, governing "Artillery Capture" as per ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢ (please, see section VIII), is to "show not tell" just how heavy ordnance simply can't disappear without a trace -- in an instant, no less -- from an otherwise contentious battlefield situation.
ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢ delays 'capture' but for one additional 20 minute simulated phase. Obviously, this too is but a trying compromise to history, General Cuneo, but only because Mr. Tiller's code demands that once you win a simple melee over an enemy artillery hex, all enemy (or likewise friendly) guns -- no matter how many might actually be <i>stacked</i> in hex, eh -- <b>instantaneously</b> disappear into thin air without a trace - indeed, without any allowance or possibility for "recapture". This is simply too regrettable (fictional) to ignore.
I will note here that our original Version 1.0 of our "Artillery Capture" rule, required that any combat units that wished to melee an artillery hex could do so in the same turn -- with the single caveat that they could expend no more than 1/2 of their MP's (movement points) in order to remain eligible to melee enemy guns in the same turn -- again, the thinking herein was to observe how some additional <i>time</i> was demanded in being able to not only 'capture' the guns, but likewise was required to remove the guns from the contentious part of the battlefield and/or 'spike' the guns.
Current version 2.0 of our "artillery capture" rule simply affords a bit more potentially lethal (bloody), hence, challenging contest for securing 'victory' over an artillery hex. This remains our current game-play preference; however, feel free to try some or any other idea(s) you might feel better expresses the essential factor of <i>time</i>, underlying capture/recapture/spiking/and removal of enemy guns from a contentious portion of the battlefield.
Perhaps, in closing, one only need review the contest on Henry Hill (First Bull Run) to appreciate just how the capture -- and recapture -- of enemy guns proved one crucial turning point in the battle proper? And, by the example provided in ACW House Rules Essentialsâ„¢, regarding Gen. Manigault's (CSA) capture of the yank's 20 lbers, the subsequent recapture -- "within 30 minutes" -- and the turning of the guns back upon the rebs by XV Corps, proved but one more 'turning point' in the Battle for Atlanta.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I've mentioned just two, but in my eyes, there are many others. The games are designed, for the most part, to be playable, as is. Many of these suggested house rules hinder a player from using the mechanics of the game to succeed.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">"Playable" without mods is just fine - it's all a matter of personal choice between you and your worthy, venerable opponent(s).
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I would suggest some heavy play testing before we agree to incorporate any of these rules as club house rules.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Actually, what I might <i>offer</i> is that you consider trying a single section . . . say, "Breastworks" (please, see section X) or "Stacking" (Section I) and consider even modifying any House Rule you feel might benefit from your own personal perspective or readings on tactical / grand-tactical ACW period warfare.
Honestly, one of the inherent beauties of House Rules is that you any your opponent can agree to play with as few or as many rules as fits your own level of interest and commitment to historical simulation wargaming. You are even free to "edit" and/or add to any rules you like in order to fit them more in line with your own insights! God speed!
(Or as you rightly observed), you are free -- as always -- to continue to play the game exactly the way it was fixed and pre-recorded in the first place for generic, general consumption.
In any case, General Cuneo, suh, there be no right or wrong herein -- ACW House Rule Essentialsâ„¢ simply remains a humble, pro-bono <i>offering</i> at absolutely no cost to anyone. The choice as to <i>how you play the game</i>, forever remains the strongest point, underlying your ACW Game Club. May victory pave your way all the way to Washington, good General!
Denny
Secretary of the Cabinet, CSA, Retired
<i>From a certain point onward there is no turning back. That is the point that must be reached.</i> --F. Kafka