|
Historic Online Learning
Foundation
Rolling of the Drums
Rule Book
Last modified April 23,
2024
This document provides the rules of Rolling of the
Drums (ROTD), the land combat module of the Civil War Online
(CWOL) game. A player who has read and understood these
rules should be able to command units in ROTD. New players
should start with the rules
summary before going through this document. More
details of the rules aree available for those seeking more
information about the mechanics of ROTD by clicking on the
"More Details" links in this page.
The basic rules are divided into twelve sections:
1.
Strategic Map
1.1. ROTD takes place on a strategic map
of the eastern United States, 140 columns wide by 120 rows
high. Each square on the strategic map is approximately 10
miles square. Each column is referred to by a letter and
number; the westmost column is A0, the next is A1, and the
eastmost is N9. Each row is also referred to by letter and
number; the northmost row is O0, the next is O1, and the
southmost is Z9. A given square is referred to by its column
and row, separated by a dash. Thus, E8-Q6 is Chicago,
Illinois.
1.2. Each strategic square has a
particular terrain. There are ten possible types of terrain;
open, river water, hill, forest, forested hills, mountain,
high mountain, marsh, and swamp. Some strategic squares also
contain cities. Squares with water, high mountain, and swamp
are impassible.
1.3. There are three types of river on
the ROTD map; fordable, unfordable, and unbridgeable.
Fordable rivers will always have fords on their tactical
maps (see section 2 below) where land units can cross.
Unfordable rivers will not have fords and can be crossed
only with the assistance of bridges (see section 12 below).
Unbridgeable rivers have no fords and cannot be bridged;
they can be crossed only by ferrying (see section 12 below).
Unbridgeable rivers may pass through marsh, swamp, or ocean
terrain; in the latter two cases the strategic square is
impassible for land units and landings cannot take place in
those squares. Both unfordable rivers and unbridgeable
rivers are navigable rivers. Deep draft ships (IC, SL, FR,
TR) can only sail in unbridgeable rivers; shallow draft
ships (RI, RG, RT, GB) can sail in both unbridgeable and
unfordable rivers. There is also railroad on the ROTD map.
Each river square and railroad square is marked as USA
controlled or CSA controlled, or neither if both sides have
a unit (for RR control) or ships (for river control) in the
square. Initial control of railroads and rivers follows the
loyalty of the initial population, except where the USA has
control of CSA-loyal territory at game start. [More Details]
1.4. Each strategic square is located in
a state. Each state is either a Union state, a border state,
or a Confederate state. Each city is controlled by either
the Union or the Confederacy. Clicking on the city icon will
display its name, the state that controls it, and the amount
of supplies available there.
1.5. Strategic squares which contain one
or more units are marked with flags. Blue flags represent
active Union troops; red flags represent active Confederate
troops. A square may be marked with more than one flag if it
contains troops from boths ides. Clicking on a flag will
reveal the side of the troops present in the square, and
their approximate number and branch of service (infantry,
cavalry, artillery, headquarters). The reported number of
enemy troops may be somewhat higher or lower than the true
number of units there. The reported number of friendly units
will be accurate. During a campaign, a strategic square
cannot contain more than 200 active brigades and two
inactive brigades (in cities the limit is three inactive
brigades). In peace or truce, a strategic square cannot
contain more than three brigades if it contains a city and
cannot contain more than two if it does not. Militia units
in their home city and units in forts do not count against
the limits on inactive units (note: the latter is not yet
coded). If a square contains only inactive units, it will be
marked with a blue or red tent icon depending on whether
they are Union of Confederate. If a square contains only
shattered units, it will be marked with a boxed S of the
appropriate color.
|
F8 |
F9 |
G0 |
G1 |
G2 |
G3 |
G4 |
G5 |
G6 |
G7 |
G8 |
G9 |
H0 |
H1 |
H2 |
|
V0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V0 |
V1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V1 |
V2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V2 |
V3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V3 |
V4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V4 |
V5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V5 |
V6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V6 |
V7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V7 |
V8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V8 |
V9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V9 |
W0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
W0 |
|
F8 |
F9 |
G0 |
G1 |
G2 |
G3 |
G4 |
G5 |
G6 |
G7 |
G8 |
G9 |
H0 |
H1 |
H2 |
|
Sample strategic map: northeastern
Italy (American sample map coming eventually)
Click here for map
legend
2.
Tactical Maps
2.1. Each strategic square on
the ROTD strategic map has an associated tactical
map, 15 columns wide by 15 columns high. Each square
on each tactical map is approximately two-thirds of
a mile on a side. Each column and row is referred to
by a number. Column 0 is the westmost column and
column 14 is the eastmost column; row 0 is the
northmost row and row 14 is the southmost row. Each
square on a tactical map is referred to by column
and row, separated by a dash. For example, 14-1 is
the tactical square directly below the upper
right-hand corner of a tactical map.
2.2. Each tactical square has a
particular terrain. There are ten possible types of
terrain; open, hills, high hills, river, ford,
mountain, pass, water, forest, and town. River,
ford, and pass squares can contain bridges. Tactical
squares with mountain and water terrain are
impassible, and tactical squares with river terrain
are impassible unless they contain a bridge.
2.3 Rivers and mountain ranges
join continuously across the edges of adjacent
tactical maps. For example, if tactical square 0-5
is a river square in a given strategic square, then
tactical square 14-5 will also be a river square in
the strategic square west of the given one.
2.4. Each tactical square has a
defensive terrain rating from 0 to 4 indicating the
general suitability of that square for defense. A
rating of 0 indicates poor defensive terrain; a
rating of 4 indicates excellent defensive
terrain.
2.5. Tactical squares which
contain one or more units are marked with flags in
the same way as strategic squares are. Clicking on a
flag on a tactical map will reveal the identity of
the units present in the tactical square. A tactical
square cannot contain more than 16 brigades, and
cannot contain more than 8 units allied to one
another. No tactical square can contain more than 2
NB units.
2.6.
A
city can be besieged. If the city is besieged, there
will be a note at the bottom of the tactical map
noting that it is, and the movement of supplies, and
the strategic movement of units, into and out of the
city will be limited. (Note: this rule may be
removed in the near future.)
|
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
|
3 |
4
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
4
|
3 |
4 |
1
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
4 |
5 |
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
5 |
6 |
2
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
4
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
6 |
7 |
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
7 |
8 |
0
|
0
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
8 |
9 |
0
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
9 |
10 |
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
10 |
11 |
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
11 |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
|
Sample tactical map showing river with
ford, hills, forest, town, and four brigades
|
3.
Units
3.1. The basic unit of ROTD is the
brigade. Brigades come in six types; infantry, cavalry,
horse artillery, light artillery, siege artillery, naval
battery, and militia. Each brigade has a nationality and a
number within that nationality, and its unit ID is composed
of its nationality, number, and type. Thus, US3IN is the
Union's 3rd Infantry Brigade. There are also two types of
headquarters units, army headquarters and corps
headquarters, and pontoon bridge units. Each brigade is
composed a number of men, a number of associated regiments,
and a number of attached artillery batteries (possibly
zero).
3.2. Each brigade is rated for
quality, experience, morale, fatigue,and initiative.
Quality represents the innate abilities of the
officers and men of the brigade. Experience
represents their exposure to combat over the course
of previous campaigns. Morale represents their elan
and willingness to fight. Initiative represents
their ability to respond quickly to tactical orders
[More Details].
Fatigue represents their endurance and ability to
execute orders. Most actions a brigade can take
increase its fatigue [More
Details]. At the end of each turn, cavalry,
horse artillery, and army headquarters units regain
4 points of fatigue; other units regain 3.
3.3. Each brigade is located in
a particular strategic square and a particular
tactical square within that strategic square.
3.4. Each
brigade carries one of two particular types of
weapon. Infantry and militia can carry muskets
(basic weapon) or rifles (more advanced); artillery
can be smoothbore (basic) or rifled (more advanced);
cavalry can carry single-shot carbines (basic) or
breechloaders (more advanced). Infantry and
cavalry units with attached batteries can have
either type of artillery weapon as well as either
type of personal arm. Units equipped with the basic
weapons can upgrade to the advanced types.
3.5. Each brigade has an
commander and a deputy commander, both of whom
receive reports from the unit and can send orders
for it. Each player has a password that identifies
him or her as the commander or deputy commander of
his or her brigades. Commanders and deputy
commanders are assigned by the Secretary of War of
the brigade's side, or by the commander of any army
headquarters unit of that side. Officers appointed
to command AQ units must hold the rank of general or
lieutenant general; officers appointed as executive
commanders may also hold the rank of major general.
Officers appointed to command CQ units must hold the
rank of general, lieutenant general, or major
general: officers appointed as executive commanders
may be of any rank. Exception: If all officers of
the rank of general or lieutenant general are
already commanding an AQ, or such ranks have not
been authorized, then any officer may command the
rest; if all officers of the rank of major general
or higher are already commanding a CQ, then any
officer may command the rest. A player may not
command more than one AQ, nor more than two CQs (a
player may command one AQ and two CQs). This rule is
not enforced until after all assign orders for a
turn are processed, so a player may temporarily
command more than one AQ or more than two CQs, as
long as that player is back within the limit by the
time his side's final assign order is processed for
the turn. There is no limit on the number of Q units
on which a player is XO, if he holds proper rank;
this restriction only applies to COs.
|
FR1IN
Commander: Louis Davout |
Deputy: Andre Massena |
Location: G8-V5 strategic, 0-2
tactical |
Strength: 3000 |
Batteries: 0 |
Quality: Very Good |
Experience: 8 |
Morale: 6 |
Fatigue: 0 |
Supplies: 0 |
Ammunition: 1 |
Supply: FR1CQ |
Communications: FR1CQ |
Sample unit status report
|
3.5. A state can merge of its units into
another if they are of the same type (IN, LA, MI, etc). If
the combined unit exceeds the maximum size allowed for that
type (3100 = 5 regiments and 1 battery for infantry, 1600 =
5 regiments and 1 battery for cavalry, 400 = 4 batteries for
artillery, 1500 = 3 regiments for militia) then the excess
manpower returns to the manpower pool at the end of the
following season. HQs may not be combined at all. The units
must be in the same strategic square, and if there is an
enemy unit present in the strategic square, then they must
be in the same tactical square. If CS1IN is merged into
CS2IN, then the combined unit will be CS2IN, its commander
and location will be those of CS2IN, its strength and
batteries will be the sum of the strength and batteries of
the two merging units, its quality, experience, morale,
fatigue, and ammunition will be the average of the two
merging units weighted by their strengths, and the new unit
will be carrying a supply only if both units were before the
merger. Merger will happen during the supply phase (before
movement and combat).
3.6.
Units
gain
experience
by
fighting
in battles, 1 to 5 points in each tactical phase of combat
depending on the odds of the battle, receiving more points
in battles with even odds. They also gain experience by
marching (making strategic moves), 1 point per turn, until
they reach 8 experience, at which point further marching
does not increase their experience. At the end of each
campaign, units lose a fraction of their experience,
reflecting turnover of men within the unit and the effects
of inactivity if they have not been gaining experience by
fighting and marching.
3.7. Units gain morale by
being in winning battles or by being close to them. They
lose morale by being in losing battles or by being close to
them. Larger battles produce greater increases and decreases
in morale. Units that capture cities, or are near them, gain
morale, and units near cities that are captured lose morale.
Morale starts at 50 for each unit and moves up or down. Each
turn morale tends to return towards 50 if the unit has not
gained or lost morale from battle or city capture. [More Details]
4.
Detection
4.1. During a campaign, on the strategic map,
active units can detect friendly units up to 3 squares away,
except army headquarters units which can detect friendly
units up to 5 squares away. Units can detect all other units
up to 1 square away, except cavalry brigades which can
detect other units up to 2 squares away if they are in
communications and their strength is 250 or greater, or 3
squares away if they are in communications and their
strength is 500 or greater. Cavalry units without
communications or with strength below 250 detect 1 square
away. Enemy units can be detected only if the detecting unit
has a line of contact to the enemy unit (see rule 11.2
below) except that for this purpose only, lines of contact
can be traced through squares adjacent to enemy cavalry
units in order to detect enemy cavalry units (but not other
kinds of units). Inactive units do not detect other units at
all. During peace or truce turns, active units detect
friendly units up to 5 squares away except for army
headquarters units which detect friendly units up to 10
squares away, and detect other units up to 3 squares away.
Position reports will display all squares within 5 squares
of an active unit. Number of enemy units will be reported
only approximately. Units reported as "brigades"
normally have 2-3 units, "division" have 3-5, "divisions"
have 6-8, and "corps" has more than 8. If more than one
corps is reported, the number of units is approximately 12
times the number of corps reported. Reports will also have
the letters I,C,A,H to indicated infantry, cavalry,
artillery, and headquarters units, and these letters are
also only approximately correct. Militia will be reported as
infantry in this instance.
4.2. On the
tactical map, units can detect all same-side units and the
nearest enemy unit (or units if two or more are equally
close) in each of the eight directions (north, northeast,
east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest).
Headquarters units (army and corps) do not sight units nor
block sight by enemy units (this prevents them from taking
advantage of their immunity from combat to do screening or
reconnaissance - see rule 10.2 below).
4.3. Units in the strategic
square of port cities (whether in the city tactical square
or not) will receive reports of the ships in the harbor and
attached coastal waters. Ships located in the harbor, but
not the coastal waters, will automatically report the
identities of ROTD units in that port's tactical square, and
have a chance to report the identities of ROTD units in the
port's strategic square but not in its tactical square.
Units in river strat squares will receive reports of the
ships in the same strat square as themselves if they have an
exit cone (in any direction) that is clear of enemy units as
far as the river. Ships will report the identities of ROTD
units on the riverbanks, but not units that are inland.
Garrisons of off-ROTD-map ports will report the presence of
ships in those ports to the Secretary of the Navy with a
one-turn delay.
4.4. During
a campaign, when units move tactically, their movement is
reported to all friendly units in the same strategic square.
If the start and end points of their movement are visible to
any other unit in the strategic square, the movement is
reported to all other units in the square as well. If only
the end point is visible, then only the end point is
reported; if only the start point is visible, then only the
start point is reported. If neither the start point nor the
end point of the movement is visible to an enemy unit, then
the movement is not reported to those units. A movement
through a waypoint is treated as two separate movements for
the purposes of this rule.
4.5. During
a campaign, if a unit moves strategically, its departure is
reported to all friendly units in the square it is departing
from, and if the unit is visible to any other unit, then the
departure is reported to all other units in the square. Its
arrival is reported to all friendly units in the square it
is arriving in, and if its arrival point is visible to any
other unit, then its arrival is reported to all other units.
4.6. On the
strategic map, each player can see only what is visible to
the units assigned to his personal command. On the tactical
map, each player can see what is visible to any same-side or
actively allied unit on the same tactical map.
4.7. Each
side's War Minister will receive two types of additional
information about enemy dispositions. First, he will receive
occasional reports of the location of headquarters units;
second, he will receive reports of the location of enemy
troops on his nation's territory and not within sight of
that nation's troops. The locations of these reports will be
one turn out of date and may contain errors, sometimes large
ones.
5.
Turn Sequence
5.1. ROTD is played in turns. One campaign
consists of 12 campaign turns, unless all hostilities end
earlier.
5.2. Campaign turns are divided into a supply
phase, tactical phases, and strategic phases. Combat occurs
during tactical phases, after tactical movement is
completed. Tactical movement happens first and strategic
movement happens subsequently, with three exceptions. First,
at the start of the turn, units in squares where battles
were fought the previous turn can make a strategic move to
withdraw from the battle. Second, in the middle of tactical
movement, there is one phase of strategic movement, to
permit brigades to join a battle in progress if they are in
an adjacent strategic square. Third, after strategic
movement there is a final phase of tactical movement, to
permit arriving units to deploy on the tactical map. Each
turn has five tactical and six strategic phases. Thus, a
ROTD turn begins with a supply phase, followed by strategic
withdrawal, followed by two phases of tactical movement,
then one phase of strategic movement, then two more phases
of tactical movement, then five more phases of strategic
movement, ending with a final tactical phase in which combat
does not occur. The following diagram shows the exact
sequence of a campaign turn.
In peace and truce turns, there is no supply phase, and
there is no division into tactical and strategic phases;
instead all movement happens simultaneously.
5.3.
At the end of each turn, every player will receive two
reports. The first one contains a list of all events that
happened during the turn that were observed by the
player's units. The second one contains maps and unit
status reports showing the positions of the player's units
at the start of the following turn.
6.
Orders
6.1. Units send orders for each brigade, for
each turn, at the ROTD Order Desk. Orders may be sent by the
commander of the unit or the deputy commander of the unit.
No other player may send orders for the unit unless it is
reassigned. If multiple orders are sent for a unit, the last
one sent by the commander is accepted; if the commander did
not send orders, then the last order sent by the deputy
commander is accepted. The orders sent govern the actions of
the brigade during the turn. During campaign turns, players
submit orders using the campaign order submission form,
which is divided into six sections.
6.2. In the first section, players type
the ID of the unit which they wish to send orders, and their
password to identify themselves as commander or deputy
commander.
6.3. In the second section, players send
orders for strategic movement. Players can specify a path
for movement, and can also indicate that the unit should
pursue enemy units moving strategically, or should move to
the nearest adjacent battle square,or nearest adjacent
square with allied or enemy units. They may also specify an
entry square, and indicate whether they wish the unit to
halt its movement if it encounters an enemy unit during
strategic movement, in the case that it moves into an
enemy-held square (halt on detection) or an enemy moves into
its square (halt on enemy entry). Other orders for strategic
movement (e.g. pursuit or march to battle) are not
cancelled. They can also order a halt if further movement
would require a forced march, and this does affect all forms
of strategic movement.
6.4. In the third section, players specify
tactical movement. They can specify a destination square and
an intermediate waypoint (they do not need to specify the
entire movement path), and the tactical phase for movement
to take place. They can specify that a unit should not enter
a fort if it enters a city with a fort (units will enter the
fort unless ordered not to). They can also indicate that the
unit should engage an enemy combat unit in its strategic
square, and the tactical phases in which it should do so.
They also specify the line in the battle formation in which
the unit should attempt to place itself (first line, second
line, or rear) if it finds itself in combat.
6.5. In the fourth section, players
specify the unit's reaction to the movement of other enemy
units. Units can give support to battles in nearby squares
if combat takes place, or can move to intercept enemy units
moving nearby. In both cases, units can specify the area in
which they wish to react, by specifying its center tactical
square and its radius, and the tactical phases in which they
wish to react.
6.6. In the fifth section, players
indicate the offensive and defensive postures they wish
their units to take, in a range between seeking combat and
avoiding it.
6.7. In the sixth section, players
indicate the amount of supplies they wish their units to
carry, and the source from which they wish to draw supply,
if they desire. A unit need not specify a supply source; if
it does not, the closest available source will be used. It
is only necessary to specify a source if there are two or
more available sources and it matters to the commander which
source is used. If a unit does not wish to draw supply at
all, it can enter "None" and it will not draw supply.
6.8. In general, players may submit
orders in all sections in any combinations they desire.
6.9. If a unit fails to send orders,
default orders will be carried out for the unit. The unit
will not move, will use skirmish formations on attack and
defense, will seek the front line in combat, will support a
same-side or actively allied brigade in combat within 2
tactical squares of its start-of-turn position, and will
draw one unit of supply.
6.10. During peace or truce
turns, players send orders using the peace/truce order
submission form, which has only one section, in which
players specify the unit ID, their password, and the
strategic and tactical locations to which they wish to move
the unit.
6.11. On all turns, if a unit is
reassigned during a turn, or its commander or deputy changes
passwords during a turn, then orders for the unit submitted
before the reassignment or password change was submitted are
evaluated using the old assignment and passwords, and orders
for the unit submitted afer the reassignment or password
change was submitted are evaluated using the new assignment
and passwords. [More Details]
7.
Strategic Movement
Rules 7.1 through 7.16
apply to campaign turns: rule 7.17 and 7.18 apply to
pregame
deployment.
7.1. Units can move one square on the strategic
map in each phase of strategic movement. Infantry units,
light artillery units, pontoon bridges, and corps
headquarters have a normal movement allowance of three
squares per turn; horse artillery units, cavalry units, and
army headquarters units have a normal allowance of four
squares per turn. Siege artillery have a normal movement
allowance of two squares per turn. Militia have a normal
movement allowance of two squares per turn; they may not
move to a strategic square outside their home state. Units
pay one point of fatigue for every strategic square moved,
or two if moving into a strategic square with mountain
terrain or marsh terrain. Units with fatigue in excess of 18
may not move strategically.
7.2. A unit's normal movement allowance is
decreased by one square if it is carrying supplies, as it is
compelled to remain with its wagon train, and is decreased
by one square if it is not in communications (see section
11, Communications and Supply,
below).
7.3. A unit can move one strategic square
beyond its normal allowance as a forced march, but pays
three fatigue points (four points, if cavalry or horse
artillery), rather than one, for the additional square of
movement. Militia and pontoon bridges may not force-march.
7.4. Units specify the path they wish to take
in strategic movement in the strategic movement section of
the orders page, one square per box. Diagonal movement is
permitted, but diagonal movement between two water squares,
two swamp squares, or two impassible mountain squares is
blocked. (Diagonal movement between two different types of
impassible terrain is permitted.) If a unit is ordered to
move to a strategic square not adjacent to the one it is in,
it will halt its movement at that point. Example: a unit
ordered to move G4-V6 G5-V6 G7-V8 will halt in G5-V6 because
G7-V8 is not adjacent to G5-V6.
7.5. A unit in a strategic square where
a battle was fought on the previous turn may make a
strategic withdrawal during the strategic withdrawal phase.
Units making strategic withdrawal cannot move to a strategic
square containing active hostile combat units at the start
of the turn. If a unit making a diagonal strategic move
would be interrupted (see rule 7.15 below) then the move
cannot be made. A unit that makes a strategic withdrawal
does not move in strategic phase 1, having made its first
move in the strategic withdrawal phase, but continues moving
normally in strategic phase 2 and later. It pays two fatigue
points rather than one for making a strategic withdrawal
move, and will lose some stragglers; 10% to 20% if an enemy
unit is in an adjacent tactical square (including diagonally
adjacent), 0% to 5% if not. Units can skip a phase of
strategic movement by leaving a blank box in the strategic
movement sequence; it can still movent its full movement
allowance as long as it fills in at least three (four for
CV/HA) of the boxes.This permits units can choose in which
of the six phases of strategic movement they wish to make
their three or four moves, as long as they make only one in
any given phase.
7.6. In each strategic phase, cavalry
and horse artillery units move first and other units second.
Within groups, the order of movement is random, and
different in each phase.
7.7. A unit cannot make a strategic
movement unless it has a path to the edge of its
current tactical map which is free of enemy combat
units (see illustration). Neutral units block
movement in this way only when in their home nation,
and impassible terrain does not block movement this
way except for uncrossable rivers and mountain
chains. [More Details]
Units cannot march strategically if to do so, they
must pass diagonally between two non-actively allied
units adjacent to them on their present tactical
map. Units that are besieged may not move
strategically. If a unit's move is blocked in one
strategic phase, it will attempt to make the move
again in the next strategic phase, and will continue
the rest of its movement orders, each one phase
later than ordered (including any phases skipped).
7.8. If a unit is in the presence of
enemy combat units (that is, non-HQ units) at its
turn to move, then it cannot make a strategic
movement that requires it to cross a river or
mountain range. It must first cross to the proper
side of the river/range in tactical movement. If the
river is unfordable, and there is no bridge nor a
river transport group to act as a ferry, then it
cannot make a strategic move across the river at
all. (For ferrying rules see rule 9.7 below.) A unit
marching past the end of a river (e.g. K3-S4 to
K3-S3) must enter to the correct side of the
tactical map, where column or row 7 divides the
sides of a tactical map with no river or mountain.
When moving from a non-river square into the first
square of the river there is no restriction on entry
squares. A unit also cannot make a strategic move
out of a marsh strategic square unless it is at the
proper edge or corner of the tactical map to do so.
Neutral combat units block movement in this way only
when in their home nation. [More
Details]
7.9. If a unit selects the "halt on
detection" option in strategic movement, it will
halt strategic movement when it moves into an
enemy-occupied square. If it does not select that
option, then it will attempt to continue its
strategic movement (the enemy unit may block its
further strategic movement under rule 7.7).
7.10. If a unit selects the "halt on
enemy entry" option in strategic movement, it will
halt strategic movement upon detecting an enemy unit
entering its strategic square. If it does not select
that option, then it will attempt to continue its
strategic movement (again, the enemy unit may block
its further strategic movement under rule
7.7).
7.11. A unit can select the "do not
force-march" option in strategic movement. If it
does so, then it will not make any move which would
require it to force-march. This is true both of
pursuit and march to battle/allies/enemy moves, and
of programmed moves, either a fourth programmed move
(fifth if cavalry), or a third programmed move
(fourth if cavalry) if the unit has been diagonally
redirected and required an extra step to finish its
programmed move.
7.12. A unit can select the "pursuit"
option in strategic movement. If it does so, then if
an enemy unit leaves its strategic square, it will
attempt to follow that enemy unit. It may fail due
to rule 7.7. If a unit has both a strategic movement
path and the pursuit option selected, it will follow
the strategic path and attempt pursuit until
it makes a successful pursuit, at which time its
strategic path will be cancelled and it will
exclusively pursue for the rest of the turn. A unit
in pursuit mode will make a forced march to pursue
if it can do so, unless the Do not force-march order
prevents it. A unit can be ordered to limit the
number of pursuit moves it will make.
7.13. A unit can select the "march to
battle", "march to allies", and "march to enemies"
options in strategic movement. If it selects March
to Battle, and does not have a specified strategic
move to make, then it will find the largest battle
(strategic square with at least one same-side or
actively allied unit and at least one hostile unit
present) in or adjacent to its own strategic square.
If the largest battle is in its own square, it will
not move. Otherwise it will move to the square with
the largest battle, force-marching to do so if
necessary. If there are no battles in the same or
adjacent square the unit will not move. A unit with
a specified strategic path will not march to battle
until it completes its specified path. March to
Allies and March to Enemies work similarly, except
that they depend only on the number of allied or
enemy units in adjacent squares and the unit's
present square, rather than the total number of
units in a battle. If a unit specifies more than one
of these options, then March to Battle takes
priority, followed by March to Allies, and then
March to Enemy.
|
For a unit at U to move
strategically, the
appropriate colored squares
(red for north,
gray for northwest, etc.) must
be clear of
enemy units to the edge of the
tactical map
|
7.14. When units move strategically, they are
placed on the tactical map in their new strategic square
along the first four rows or columns of the edge of the map
in the direction from which they entered. For example, a
unit that moved north will be placed on the south edge of
its new tactical map (ie, in rows 11 to 14), or a unit that
moved east will be placed on the west edge (in columns 0 to
3). A unit that moved northeast can enter in the west half
of the south edge, or the south half of the west edge, and
similarly for the other diagonal movement directions. A unit
can specify an entry tactical square for its strategic
movement. If it does not, the coordinates of the tactical
square in which it begins the turn will be used. The unit
will enter the tactical map as close to the entry square as
possible. For example, if the unit specifies the entry
square 5-4, then the unit will enter at 5-3 if moving south,
at 3-4 if moving east, at 11-4 if moving west, at 5-3 if
moving southeast (closer to 5-2 than the alternative choice
of 3-4), and so forth. If the east (or west) edge is the
same distance as the north (or south) edge, then the unit
will shift east (or west). Example: A unit moving southeast
with an entry square of 5-5 will enter at 3-5, not at 5-3. A
unit cannot enter the map in a tactical square containing an
enemy unit, nor one with an enemy unit between it and the
map edge. The entry square will be adjusted as necessary to
prevent this. [More Details] If a
unit is moving from one strategic square with mountain or
river terrain to another, then if enemy units, or neutral
units on home soil, are present in its starting strategic
square, then it must enter on the same side of the
river/range that it was on at the start of its strategic
movement. If a unit in such a situation tries to move
strategically along a river or mountain range and attempts
to enter on the opposite bank/side than it starts on, then
its entry square will be adjusted to keep it on the correct
bank/side. [More Details]
7.15. If a unit attempts to move
diagonally, so that it passes between two squares adjacent
to its current square, then its movement may be interrupted
by an active (not inactive or shattered) enemy unit in one
of the adjacent squares the moving unit is passing between.
The unit will be charged one step of strategic movement and
be assessed fatigue points. However, in the next strategic
phase it will attempt to continue its movement to its
original destination square, and in subsequent strategic
movement phases will attempt to remain on its planned
movement path, force-marching if necessary to complete its
move. [More Details]
7.16. Movement into the squares of
Canada is forbidden.
7.17. During pre-game deployment,
all units except NBs and militia, whether they are
active or inactive, may move to any strategic square owned
by their nation, meaning that the closest city in the same
state is controlled by their nation. They are not limited by
distance or by movement paths; they need only specify the
strategic square in which they wish to be placed, and the
tactical square. (Note: a distance limit may be added, but
hasn't been yet.) Exception: The Union may move units to any
square in Confederate territory where it already has a unit
in the at-start positions. (Normally this will apply only
to, at most, Fort Monroe VA. Alexandria VA, and Pensacola
FL.) If the tactical square is left blank, the current
tactical square will be kept if it is passable terrain in
the new strategic square. If the strategic square is left
blank, the unit will move to a new tactical square in its
current strategic square. Movement into Canada remains
forbidden. Militia units can only move within their home
states in pre-game deployment, and only to strategic squares
owned by their nation. NBs may not move at all. Movement
orders are sent by the commander and executive of the unit,
just as on regular game turns.
7.18. Units may not board
transports in pre-game deployment.
8.
Rail Movement
8.1. Units, except for militia units, which
begin their turns in strategic squares with
friendly-controlled railroads, and do not make strategic
movements by foot, may make rail movements. If no enemy unit
is present, the moving unit can be anywhere in the strategic
square; if an enemy unit is present, the moving unit must be
in a railroad tactical square. The distance that units may
move on one turn is 40 squares along the railroad. Paths
cannot include diagonal moves, but must be north, south,
east, or west. There will eventually be a limit on the total
amount of rail movement each side can do in one turn as
well., but for now there isn't. A unit which makes a
strategic move under rules section 7 cannot also move by
river or rail. Militia units may not move by rail. Rail
movement takes place immediately after the last phase of
strategic movement.
8.2. A rail square is
friendly-controlled if the last combat unit (non-Q, non-PB)
to occupy that strategic square was friendly. In squares
with rivers or mountain ranges, if the railroad is on only
one side of the river/mountains, then only units on the same
side as the railroad can affect control. If a square
contains both friendly and enemy combat units, then if a
friendly combat unit is in a railroad tactical square and no
enemy combat unit is, the railroad is friendly-controlled.
If no combat unit is on the railroad, or both sides have
combat units on the railroad, the railroad is not controlled
by either side and cannot be used for rail movement. [A
river square is friendly-controlled if it contains no enemy
river batteries and the last warship to sail in that square
was friendly. This probably belongs in the naval rules now.]
8.3. To move by rail, units
enter the destination to which they want to move and an
entry square. They may optionally submit a waypoint to move
through as well. Units will move via a valid path between
the unit's location and its destination (and through the
waypoint if one is submitted) if it is less than 80 squares
long. Although the path can be up to 80 squares long, the
unit will only move 40 squares along that path. If the unit
cannot reach the destination square in a path up to 80
squares long, either because enemy units block the move or
because it exceeds its movement limit, it will move as far
as it can along the shortest blocked path towards the
destination (through the waypoint if one is submitted). If
the unit's shortest path requires it to move more than 80
squares, the unit will not move at all. [More Details] Units pay one
fatigue point for moving by rail, regardless of the
distance. Note: the program does not always find the
shortest path between the location and destination. It is
best not to order moves longer than about 50 squares, as you
will only move 40 in any event. [More
Details]
8.4. Units moving by rail can
enter in any railroad tactical square. If a rail entry order
is sent, it will be used; if the entry square is not a
railroad square, the entry will be adjusted to another
square in the same row (if moving north or south) or column
(if moving east or west) that is a railroad square, if
possible. If no entry square is ordered, then if the unit
has a city as its destination, the city tac square will be
the entry square, otherwise it will be the unit's current
tactical location.
8.5. Railroad track can be destroyed by
a unit that spends a turn in the strategic square where they
control the railroad without moving strategically or
engaging in combat. The railroad must remain under that
side's control during the turn. If the strategic square
contains an unfordable river, then the unit must either be
on the same side of the river as the railroad or have some
means to cross the river (pontoon bridge, railroad bridge,
or ferry). For now, contact the GA to have railroad
destroyed. Railroad can be rebuilt if destroyed. This takes
one turn, does not require a unit, but does require that the
railroad in the square be under control of the side doing
the repair. It costs 10 Eg and 5 MPs. Destroying railroad
track in a square with a railroad bridge does not remove the
bridge unless that is requested.
8.6. Railroad bridges may be destroyed.
To do so a unit must be in the bridge tactical square and
must not move or fight during the turn. Destroying the
bridge will remove the track in the square as well. Railroad
bridges may be rebuilt, which will cost some Eg and some MP,
not many, probably about the same as repairing track will
cost.
9.
Tactical Movement
Rules 9.1 through 9.12 apply to campaign turns; rule
9.13 applies to pregame deployment.
9.1. Units can move on the tactical map in each
phase of tactical movement. Cavalry and horse artillery and
army headquarters units can move up to six tactical squares
in each tactical phase. Other units, including corps
headquarters units and pontoon bridges, can move up to four
tactical squares in each phase. If there are hostile units
in their strategic square, units pay one fatigue point for
each phase in which they move tactically; otherwise tactical
movement does not incur fatigue. Units with fatigue in
excess of 8 may not move tactically if enemy units are
present in their strategic square.
9.2. Units moving tactically specify the
tactical square to which they wish to move and, optionally,
an intermediate waypoint to move through en route. Units may
specify a particular tactical square (e.g. 5-9) or the
nearest ford or the nearest mountain pass as their
destination. They can only specify a particular square as a
waypoint. If no waypoint is specified, then units move in a
straight line to the destination square; if a waypoint is
specified, units move in a straight line to the waypoint,
then in a straight line to the destination from the
waypoint. These are referred to as "specified moves" below.
They can also specify the tactical phase in which they wish
the movement to begin. Movement will commence in the
specified phase (in the first phase if no starting phase is
specified). If the unit can reach its destination in one
phase, it will complete the move; if not the unit will move
as far as it can along the straight-line path to the
destination (via the waypoint, if one is specified), and
will continue moving in later tactical phases until the
movement is completed, or the unit makes a strategic
movement to a different strategic square in which case
remaining tactical movement is cancelled, or the turn ends.
Units can also specify not to enter a fort if they move into
a fortified city tac square. Units currently in forts
wishing to exit, or currently in tactical squares with forts
wishing to enter the fort, can do so by sending an order to
move to their current tactical square (the fort's tactical
square) and checking or not checking the "Do not enter fort"
order, as appropriate. Units moving in and out of forts, but
not moving to a different tactical square, will move before
any unit which is moving to a different tactical square.
9.3. If a unit encounters an enemy unit during
its move, either at the destination or prior to the
destination, then its movement is halted, as is the movement
of the enemy unit or units it encountered, and a combat
begins. [More Details] A unit
which is in evade offensive mode and cannot attack an enemy
unit this way, or a unit which cannot enter combat for other
reasons, will instead halt one square short of the enemy
unit. If a unit's movement calls for it to encounter a
neutral unit, then it will not move at all.
9.4. Units
outside a besieged city that are not hostile to the side
controlling the city may not enter the city tac square.
Units that are hostile to the controlling side may enter the
tac square of the city and a combat will result. Once a
battle has started, all units who are not neutral to any
unit in the city can join the combat.
9.5. If a unit is in the same strategic
square as an enemy unit, then if its path to its destination
or waypoint square in tactical movement crosses through
impassible terrain, or crosses a cliff (a border between a
high hill tactical square and a non-hill tactical square)
then the unit's path is blocked and it does not move at all.
This rule applies when the moving unit is in the same
strategic square as a neutral only if the neutral unit is in
its home nation or a nation with which it is actively
allied. This limitation is not applied if there is no enemy
or neutral unit present in the square, except in the case of
river and mountain squares - see rule 9.7 below. [More Details] If a unit moves in
more than one tactical phase, and an enemy or neutral unit
enters the square between tactical phases (either between
tac phases 2 and 3, or between phases tac 4 and 5) then the
limitation will apply in the tac phases after the enemy or
neutral unit enters.
9.6. In each tactical phase, units move in
order of initiative, 1 first, 5 last. Within initiative
groups, units move in a random order, and the order is
different in each tactical phase of the turn.
9.7. Units may not cross from one side of a
river or mountain range to another in tactical movement
unless they use an appropriate ford, bridge, or pass square
as the waypoint for the movement; units ordered to cross
without using a ford/bridge/pass waypoint will not move.
This rule applies even if no enemy unit is present. If a
river has no ford and no bridge, then units can use a river
transport group or a pontoon bridge to cross the river. See
rule 12 below for details.
9.8. Units may also be ordered to engage the
nearest enemy combat unit. Units may be ordered to engage in
specified starting and ending phases. If a unit has two or
more enemy units that are equally near, it will attack the
one requiring the fewest diagonal moves. If the enemy unit
is farther away than the unit's tactical movement allowance,
the unit will move as far as it can in the direction of the
enemy unit it is trying to engage, but if it continues to
engage in a later tactical phase, will re-select the nearest
enemy unit at the start of that later phase. If a unit has
both an engage order and a specified order (see rule 9.2),
it will make the specified move, and begin to engage the
nearest enemy unit only in the tactical phase after the one
in which it reaches its destination. Units will not engage
an enemy headquarters unit unless there is no enemy combat
unit available to engage. If a unit fails a morale check, it
will cease attempting to engage enemy units.
9.9. Units can specify the line in which they
wish to fight if they enter combat during tactical movement.
A unit cannot occupy the second line or rear unless another
unit occupies the line or lines in front of them; if not,
the unit will automatically move forward as required. They
can also specify the attitude they wish to take if they find
themselves attacking or defending in combat. Assault and
last-ditch defense mode represent extreme effort in combat
resulting in increased combat strength, but heavier losses.
Skirmish mode represents a lighter form of combat, and evade
mode represents leaving a screen in front of the position
while keeping the majority of the unit disengaged.
9.10. Units can indicate the desire to support
same-side or units in combat. If a unit has an order
to support, then after all other tactical movement is
finished, the unit will move to join a battle in progress.
Units must specify a location at which to support and a
radius around that location. For example, if a unit
specifies support location 10-5 and a radius of 2, then the
unit will move to support any combat in the box between
columns 8 and 12 and between rows 3 and 7. If there are two
or more combats in side the support radius, then the
supporting unit will move to the closest one; if two are
equally close, it will move to the one in which the odds
against its side are the worst. Support moves cannot be
longer than two tactical squares, or three tactical squares
for CV/HA units.
9.11. Units can also move to intercept the
movement of other units. If a unit has an order to
intercept, then it specifies an interception location and a
radius around that location in the same manner that it
specifies a box for a support order. If an enemy unit moves
through the specified box, or if a neutral unit does so when
the given unit is in a strategic square controlled by its
own state, then the unit with the intercept order will move
to engage the enemy/neutral unit if it can reach a square
within the interception box that the enemy unit is moving
through and that the intercepting unit can reach in the same
number of steps, or fewer, as the enemy unit. If the enemy
unit is moving via a waypoint, then the move to the waypoint
and the move from the waypoint to the destination are
treated as separate moves for this purpose. . [More Details]. Interception
of enemy units will result in a combat. Interception of
neutral units will not, but will halt the neutral unit's
tactical move at the intercept point. The interception will
take place when the moving unit reaches the edge of the
intercepting unit's intercept box if possible; if not, it
will be made at the first possible point of contact, which
may or may not be inside the intercept box. If the
enemy/neutral unit is moving only one square, then
interception is not possible. If two units attempt to
intercept the same enemy/neutral unit, then the first one to
move in interception determines the point of interception,
and all subsequent interceptions must take place at that
point. A unit may move to intercept an enemy/neutral unit
whose point of interception is farther away than the unit's
movement allowance (4 or 6 squares depending on branch) but
if the interception requires the unit to move more than its
tac movement allowance, it will move only to its allowed
limit, and will not intercept the enemy/neutral unit.
Waypoints are not used with intercept movements. When a
combat results as a result of an interception, the
intercepting side will be the attacking side and the
intercepted side will be the defending side, but both sides
will use their attack mode in the battle. A unit which has
selected evade as its attack mode may not intercept the
movement of enemy/neutral units.
9.12. In any given tactical phase, a unit
will make only one move from among specified move, engage
move, and intercept move. If a unit is ordered to make more
than one kind of move, then the priority is as follows: If
an opportunity to make an intercept move arises before the
unit's opportunity to make its own move, then it will do so,
and will not make an engage or specified move that tactical
phase. If not, then when it gets the opportunity to make its
own tactical move, it will make a specified move if it has
one, if not it will make an engage move if it has that
order, and if it has neither it will not move. In the latter
case only, if an opportunity to intercept later in the
tactical phase occurs, the unit will intercept; in the
former two cases it will not, since it has already made one
of the other types of move. However, a unit which has made a
specified move, an engage move, or an intercept move may
also make a support move in the support phase if it can
otherwise do so. (For instance, units that intercepted will
normally be in combat and hence unable to make a support
move.)
9.13. In pregame deployment, units may deploy
in any passable tac square in any strategic square to which
they can deploy (see rule 7.17).
10.
Combat
10.1. During a campaign turn, if at the end of
a tactical movement phase, two or more units hostile to one
another are in the same tactical square, combat begins.
Combat cannot occur on peace or truce turns. Combat occurs
in two segments, a firing segment and a melee segment.
Not all battles have a melee segment; a battle has a melee
segment only if at least one attacking unit is in Assault or
Attack modes, at least one defending unit is in Defend or
Last-Ditch mode, and at least one attacking unit is able to
move to close quarters. [More Details]
Warships may fire support into land battles if they are in
the same strategic square as the land battle, the land
battle is happening in a tactical square which is adjacent
to the river or coastline, and no enemy warships or NBs are
present. See WISC rule 7.7 for details.
10.2. Army and corps headquarters units
do not engage in combat. If an enemy unit enters their
tactical square, there is a small chance that they will
shatter (see section 13 below). If
they do not shatter, they will fall back before the
attacking unit and take no further part in the battle. If
they cannot fall back from the attack they will shatter. If
a corps HQ is carrying supplies when it is shattered or
forced to fall back, the supplies will be destroyed.
10.3. At the beginning of combat, units place
themselves into lines according to their orders. There must
be at least one unit in the front line, and there cannot be
a unit in the rear unless there is at least one in the
second line. If no unit wishes to be in the first line, or
the second line when a unit is needed there, a unit is
selected randomly and placed in that line.
10.4. The number of units that can fit in the
front line depends on the size of each unit and the length
of the battle line. If the attacking side entered the
tactical square where the combat occurred from one
direction, then the front line can contain up to 3000
infantry, or 4000 cavalry, or 375 artillerists (or 750 naval
battery gunners), or combination thereof where 1 infantryman
takes up 1 space, 1 cavalryman takes up 3/4 spaces (for each
three men on line, one is in the rear holding horses), 1
artilleryman takes up 8 spaces, one naval battery gunner
takes up 4 spaces, and 3000 spaces total are available. If
an infantry or cavalry brigade has a battery attached, then
100 of its men count as artillerists. For example, an
infantry unit with 2400 men and no battery takes up 2400
spaces, but one with 2500 men and 1 battery takes up 3200
spaces (2400 infantry plus 100 artillerists at 8 spaces
each). If more units wish to be in the front line than there
is space available for them, then each unit contributes
enough strength in proportion to fill the front line, and
the remaining strength fights from the rear line (even if no
unit is in the second line). If a side's front line is
reduced by casualties in the firing phase, then the strength
in the rear line will return to the front line to fill the
space. If the attackers entered from more than one
direction, then the front line extends by another 3000 men
for each direction the attackers came from, or 1500 if an
additional direction is adjacent to another, or 0 if an
additional direction is adjacent to two others. Example: If
attackers came from the north and east, the front can
contain 6000 men, but if they came from the north and
northeast, only 4500, and if they came from north,
northeast, and east, again 6000. The second and third line
have the same size limit as the first. Units that do not fit
into the third line cannot engage (but will take
casualties). [ More Details ]
10.5. Cavalry fights dismounted and infantry
do not form squares.
10.6. The effective strength of a unit depends
on the number of men and batteries in the unit, the weapons
it has, the quality, experience, morale, and fatigue of the
troops, the terrain in which the battle takes place, attack
or defense mode (units in assault and last-ditch defense
mode have higher effective strength; units in skirmish and
evade modes have lower effective strength), whether it is
protected by fortifications, and whether the unit moved to
enter the battle square or not (units that did not move have
a higher effective strength). Militia fight at reduced
strength if moving, and if not in a town tactical square. In
a battle, if there is a unit on one side which did not move
in the tactical phase (this can be true of only one side)
then that side is defending, uses its defensive mode, and
gains the defensive terrain bonuses; the other side is
attacking. If all units in a battle moved tactically into
the battle during the phase (whether by ordered movement,
interception, or support movement) then all units on both
sides use their offensive combat mode and do not get
defensive terrain bonuses. Units attacking fortifications
have reduced effective strengths as long as at least one
defending unit was in the battle tactical square at the
start of the tactical phase. [More
Details]
10.7. In the firing segment, all infantry in
the front line and all artillery in the first or second line
(including batteries attached to infantry or cavalry
brigades) may fire. The casualties that a side inflicts on
its opponent are proportional to the effective strength of
its firing units, and are distributed among the enemy units
in the first and second lines in the combat in proportion to
their strengths, increased if the unit is in assault or
last-ditch defense mode, and reduced if the unit is in
skirmish or evade mode. Units in the rear line will not
receive casualties in the firing segment. Each unit that
engages in the firing segment receives 1 fatigue point,
including an infantry or cavalry unit with an attached
battery for which only the battery fires. Units in forts
receive reduced casualties.
10.8. Units that have been out of supply for 4
turns or more (even if they have foraged on some of those
turns) must pass a check for dissolution in the firing phase
of combats. Units with morale 40 or higher always pass;
units with morale before 40 have a chance to shatter which
depends on their unit quality and on how far below 40 their
morale is.
10.9. Units that suffer 2% or greater losses
in the firing segment must take a morale check. The chance
of passing the morale check depends on the unit's quality,
experience, number of men lost, and whether the unit's
flanks are anchored or exposed. [More
Details] A unit has one flank anchored if there is an
adjacent square containing same-side or actively allied
troops or impassible terrain. A unit has both flanks
anchored if there are two adjacent squares, not in adjacent
directions (example, not north and northeast), with
same-side or actively allied troops or impassible terrain
and the front line is at least 75% full (ie, 2250 infantry,
3000 cavalry, 281 artillerists, or a proportional number of
mixed troops if the line is 3000 men long.) Flanks cannot be
turned in battles in which the defenders have fortifications
protecting them in all directions. If a unit not in a fort
fails its morale check it may retreat up to 4 tactical
squares, or may rout to an adjacent strategic square; units
in forts that fail morale checks will not move. Units that
retreat incur 2 fatigue points; units that rout incur 5
fatigue points. If a unit fails a morale check and is unable
to retreat or rout, it shatters. Units that rout will pick a
direction randomly, and may pick a direction that is blocked
even if open directions were available. Units that retreat
will pick an open direction if one is available. If a
retreating or routing unit has its movement blocked, it will
surrender. River batteries do not retreat or rout; if
required to rout, they are destroyed. Units that rout or
retreat will cancel any engage orders they may have; units
that rout will cancel all tactical movement orders. [ More Details ]
10.10. In the melee segment, if it occurs, all
units in the front line engage at full strength, units in
the second line engage at +10% strength (+20% for artillery
brigades) and all units in the rear line engage at half
strength. Units that engage incur 1 fatigue point. Units
with exposed flanks suffer a penalty. Units
in attack or defense mode will switch to skirmish mode (to
reduce casualties) if the odds in the melee phase are at
least 2:1 against them. Units in assault or last-ditch
defense mode will not do so. The casualties that a side
inflicts on its opponent are proportional to the effective
strength of the units and are distributed among the enemy
units in the combat in proportion to their strengths. Units
in forts will received reduced casualties. The side that
loses the melee suffers increased casualties.
10.11 After the melee if it occurs,
or after the firing phase if not, the side that loses the
battle falls back to an adjacent tactical square. Naval
batteries do not fall back, but are destroyed. Units falling
back will move to a tactical square containing same-side or
actively allied units when possible. Units falling back
receive 1 point of fatigue. They cannot fall back to an
impassible square or to one containing enemy units. If no
legal fallback direction is available, they will shatter. [ More Details ]
10.12. Units on the attacking side may capture
artillery batteries from units on the losing side. If an IN
or CV unit which already has a battery captures a second
one, it may keep the second battery but cannot use it in
combat. It may, however, transfer the captured battery to an
IN/CV unit which does not have one. (It should also be
allowed to transfer it to an artillery unit - IN to LA and
CV to HA - but at the moment this is done by requested a
hand edit from the GA). The capturing unit will be one that
took part in the battle, unless no unit able to take the
battery (LA are taken by IN and LA, HA are taken by CV and
LA) took part, in which case it will be given by the closest
unit that can within 5 tac squares. If only a unit that
cannot take the battery is available to capture it, then it
will be captured (and will effectively change types). If the
capturing unit already has guns, then the captured gun will
be of the same type (smoothbore or rifled) as its existing
guns, even if it was not that type originally, except that
if a smoothbore-armed unit captures rifled guns, then all
its guns will be set to rifled.
10.13. Units that suffer losses in the melee
segment must take morale checks under the same rules as
units that take losses in the firing segment, and rout or
retreat similarly.
10.14. At the end of each phase, if a
sufficiently large number of units in a strategic square
have routed or retreated, all other units of the same side
must take morale checks. If they fail, they join the retreat
or rout, or surrender if their retreats or routs are blocked
by enemy units or impassible terrain. (Note: Not yet
implemented and probably never will be.)
10.15. Casualties suffered in combat are
dividing into four types; killed, wounded, prisoners, and
stragglers. A fraction of a unit's stragglers will rejoin
the unit on each successive turn, and will rejoin faster if
the unit has no strategic movement order. Wounded rejoin the
unit at the end of the campaign and are available for
subsequent campaigns.
10.16. Artillery units, and
infantry and cavalry units with attached artillery
batteries, that are not engaged in combat and did not move
in a given tac phase may bombard enemy units in adjacent
squares in that same tac phase. Units that are engaged in
combat in a tac phase do not bombard in that tac phase, but
will do so later if they can. Rifled artillery of type LA or
SA (including batteries attached to infantry brigades, but
not HA or NB or batteries attached to cavalry units) may
bombard into a tac square two squares away, and may bombard
over the heads of friendly units. Bombarding artillery units
may move in earlier or later tac phases. Bombardment takes
place after movement and before other combat. Units that
bombard may not fire into tactical squares containing
same-side or actively allied units. Units bombarding receive
a +50% modifier to their strength. Bombardment produces
casualties for the bombarded units in exactly the same way
as other combat does. (WHAT FOLLOWS IS GOING TO CHANGE)
Bombardment can also reduce the level of a fort. The chance
of this is 1% for every 350 modified strength
bombarding. Light artillery (including artillery of
infantry brigades) cannot damage forts above level 2; horse
artillery (including artillery of cavalry brigades) cannot
damage forts above level 1. Warships in river and harbor
strategic squares can also bombard land targets. See WISC
rule 7.7 for details.
11.
Communications and Supply
11.1. During campaign turns, units in ROTD are
either in communications or not in communications. Army
headquarters units are a source of communications and are in
communications at all times. Corps headquarters units are in
communications if they are have a line of contact to an army
headquarters unit and are not more than 5 strategic squares
away from it, or if in the same strategic square as a
same-side-controlled or active-ally-controlled city. Other
brigades are in communications if they have a line of
contact to a corps headquarters unit that is in
communications and not more than 2 squares away from the
unit , or if they are in the same strategic square as a
same-side-controlled or active-ally-controlled city.
11.2. Two units have a line of contact
if there is a path between them (not including the strategic
squares in which they are located) along the strategic map
that does not enter impassible terrain, does not cross an
unfordable or unbridgeable river except at a bridge (a ferry
is not sufficient), does not enter a square containing an
enemy unit, does not enter a square adjacent to an enemy
cavalry unit unless a same-side or actively allied combat
unit is also in the square or in the square of the enemy
cavalry unit, and does not pass diagonally between enemy
units, does not cross an unfordable and unbridged river,
and, if there are enemy units in their strategic squares,
both units have a clear path to the edge of their tactical
maps (see rule 7.7 above) in the direction of that path.
Lines of contact for purpose of detecting enemy cavalry
units (but not non-cavalry units) may be traced through
squares adjacent to enemy cavalry. [More
Details] Units are in contact with cities and
supply depots/caches if they would be in contact with an
unit in the city/depot/cache tactical square, unless the
city is under siege (see next rule). Two
cities/depots/caches have a line of contact to one another
if they are controlled by the same side or allied sides, and
units of the controlling side in each of their tactical
squares would have a line of contact between them.
11.3. Cities may be besieged. A
city is besieged if the unmodified strength of hostile units
in tactical squares adjacent to the city is more than 150%
of the unmodified strength of same-side or actively allied
units in the city tactical square or adjacent tactical
squares, and if there is a fort in the city, hostile
unmodified strength is at least half the capacity of the
fort. Supplies may not be moved in or out of besieged
cities. Units in besieged cities may draw supply and
communications only from the city or from a Q unit in the
city; units outside a besieged city may not draw supplies or
communications from the city or from a Q unit inside the
city. A siege can only begin at the end of a movement phase.
Thus, if a city is not besieged at the start of a movement
phase, it will not become besieged until the end of that
phase. At the end of a turn, in the siege surrender phase,
units in besieged cities which have no supplies may
surrender. The chance that the units will surrender is 1/3.
One roll is made for the whole garrison, so either all units
in the city will surrender or none will. Non-city tac
squares cannot be besieged, even if they contain depots
(this rule may be revised in future).
11.4. Units can also be besieged. A unit is
besieged if it cannot trace a path of non-diagonal moves
from its position to the edge of the tac map without
crossing impassible terrain or a non-allied unit. It must
reach a tac map edge which has passable strategic terrain in
the next strat square; a unit can be besieged against an
ocean or impassible mountain. This definition implies that
if enemy units plus impassable terrain form a connected
circle around a unit (allowing diagonal connections) then
any unit inside that connected circle is besieged.
11.5. Units not in communications lose one
square from their strategic movement allowance.
11.6. Supplies can be stored on the map
in supply depots or supply caches. Supply depots and caches
are purchased and placed by the Treasury Secretaries of each
side, or the President or Vice-President of that side.
Supply depots and caches may be placed in strategic squares
containing friendly-controlled railroad, friendly-controlled
navigable river, or a friendly-controlled city, or in
strategic squares that have open or river terrain and are
within 4 squares of a friendly city or supply depot (but not
a supply cache). If a supply depot is in a railroad square
it must be in a railroad tactical square; if in a river
square it must be in a tactical square adjacent to the
river; if in a city square they must be in the city tac
square; if the city contains more than one of those things,
then the tac square appropriate to any of them may be
chosen. Supply caches may be placed in any passable tactical
square. If a depot or cache is not on a rail or river, nor
in a friendly city, then movements of supplies into or out
of that depot are limited to 10 supplies per turn, and such
movements cannot pass through mountain terrain squares.
These limit do not apply to CQs drawing supply out of the
depot/cache, only to movements between depots/caches or
between a depot/cache and a city. Supply depots and caches
can be removed if not needed; the Secretary of War, or the
President or Vice-President, may send orders to remove a
side's depots and caches.
11.7. During campaign turns, active units in
ROTD, except naval batteries, consume supplies. Naval
batteries and inactive units do not use supplies. Supplies
are stored in supply depots, caches, and in cities, and
distributed via corps headquarters to units. A corps
headquarters can draw supplies from a same-side supply depot
if the depot is not more than 4 strategic squares away, and
it has a line of contact to the depot (as defined in rule
11.2). It can also draw supplies from a same-side supply
cache or city if it is located in the cache/city strat
square (if the city is besieged, it must be in the city tac
square). A unit, including an army headquarters, can draw
supplies from a same-side or actively allied corps
headquarters if the corps headquarters is not more than 2
squares away and the unit has a line of contact to the corps
headquarters not longer than 2 strategic squares. Units can
also draw directly from cities or supply depots/caches if
they are in the same strategic square as the city or
depot/cache. One corps HQ can supply a maximum of 18 units,
including itself. A city, depot, or cache can supply as many
units as wish to draw supply from them. A unit can also
requisition supplies if it is in a strategic square with
open or river terrain, there are no enemy brigades in the
same strategic square, and there are no more than 3 total
brigades in the square. A unit can enter "None" for its
supply source if it does not wish to draw supplies; it will
still requisition supplies if it can. If a CQ does not wish
to draw supplies, it can enter "None" for its supply source.
It then will not draw supplies from a city or a depot/cache,
but will still give the supplies it carries (if any) to
units that request supplies from it.
11.8 Any commander of an army headquarters
unit, or the Secretary of War, can order supplies moved from
one city or supply depot or cache to another, if the
cities/depots/caches have a line of contact to the depot not
longer than 4 strategic squares. Supplies can also be moved
by river and rail if the cities or depots or caches have a
valid rail or river path between them and are within 40
squares for a rail move or 30 squares for a river move.
Supplies may also be moved from one city to another, or a
depot or cache in a city strategic square, if both cities
are ocean port cities, are connected via a coastal waters to
the same sea area or adjacent sea areas, there are no hostile
ships in either port, and in the connected sea
area(s), there are not more enemy warships
raiding commerce than there are friendly warships
convoying
commerce.
It is not necessary to supply the method of transport or the
path - only the origin and destination need be specified,
and any valid path that exists will be used. State bloc
governors and Congressmen may order supplies moved from
cities (but not depots and caches) in their state bloc.
Supplies may be moved only from the city or depot/cache in
which they began the turn (ie, supplies cannot make two
consecutive moves on one turn) and no city or depot/cache
may originate movement of more than 60 units of supply per
turn. A depot or cache not located in a river or rail
square, or in a friendly city, can originate movement of
only 10 supplies per turn, and its movements cannot go
through mountain strategic terrain. During pregame setup
turns, the distance limits and the quantity limit do not
apply; any number of supplies that started the turn in the
city/depot/cache can be moved any distance.
11.98. If an enemy unit
enters the tactical square of an undefended depot or cache,
or if enemy units win a battle in the tactical square of a
depot/cache, the depot/cache is destroyed. All units of the
destroying side in the same strategic square will
automatically load ammunition and supplies from the
depot/cache, up to the limit of the number of supplies in
the depot/cache when destroyed. Corps headquarters have
first priority to load supplies, other units second; within
groups the order of loading supplies is random.
11.10. At the start of each turn, units
consume 1 unit of supplies, then draw more supplies if they
desire. Units, including corps headquarters, will consume a
supply they are currently carrying if they can, and
otherwise will consume one from their supply source if one
is available. Units using a corps headquarters for a supply
source will consume from the corps headquarters' supply
source if it has one, otherwise will draw from the stores
carried by the corps headquarters. When drawing supplies to
carry during the turn, corps headquarters units can carry up
to 12 units of supplies; other units can carry 0 or 1 unit
of supplies. Commanders indicate the desired level of supply
they wish to carry in the supply level box on the orders
page, and the unit, if it has a supply source, will draw or
unload enough supplies to bring itself up to, or down to,
that level. except that if an enemy unit is present, or it
is out of supply, it cannot unload. Units with a corps
headquarters for a supply source will draw from the corps
headquarters' supply source if it has one, from the corps
headquarters' carried stores if not. A unit that indicates a
supply level of 0 will still draw supplies for immediate
consumption if it can do so. If the supply level box is left
blank, the unit will neither draw nor unload supplies, but
will keep the amount it had at the end of consumption.
Supplies are drawn before supply movements and purchases
occur, so a unit can only draw supplies from a city if those
supplies were present in the city at the end of the
preceding turn.
11.11. During campaign turns, units that
do not have supplies to consume suffer losses from desertion
each turn that they lack supplies, unless in a besieged
city. Units that requisition supplies suffer reduced losses
from desertion during requisitioning. The number of men lost
depend on the quality and morale of the unit. [More Details] Supply losses are
divided between prisoners and stragglers. Units in
besieged cities do not lose deserters, but there is a 33%
chance that they may surrender if there are no supplies in
the city. If one unit in the fort surrenders, then all will
do so. Stragglers will rejoin their units over time unless
the unit is out of supply for three turns or more, in which
case stragglers cease to rejoin until the unit comes back
into supply.
11.12. Infantry and artillery units in ROTD
also consume ammunition in combat. Units can carry five
units of ammunition, and expend one unit of ammunition in
any tactical phase that they fire or engage in melee. If a
unit has no supply source, or is drawing from a CQ with no
supply source, then if the unit is in a strategic square
owned by a hostile side, and 3 or fewer friendly units are
in the square, there is a 50% chance that the unit will use
up one point of ammunition dealing with small hostile
militia groups not represented as units on the map. Units
automatically replenish ammunition whenever they draw
supplies if (and only if) they are drawing supply from: 1) a
supply depot that contains supplies; 2) a home-nation city
with a manufacturing level of 3 or higher; 3) a city with a
chain of contact to a home-nation city with a manufacturing
level of 3 or higher; 4) a CQ which satisfies one of the
first three conditions, or 5) a CQ which is carrying at
least one supply and last loaded supplies from source
meeting one of the first three conditions, even if that CQ
has no supply source.
11.13. Infantry units that are out of
ammunition cannot fire, and fight in melee at half strength.
Artillery units that are out of ammunition cannot fire or
engage in melee.
11.14. At the end of each turn, units locate
the nearest available source of supply; corps HQs locate the
nearest city, other units locate the nearest corps HQ. This
supply location is listed on the unit's status report. [More Details] Unit commanders
may specify a different supply source on the campaign orders
submission form if they wish to do so; if not, or if the
ordered supply source is not valid, the unit will use the
one listed on its status report. If a city changes hands or
a CQ is disbanded, then the unit may select a different
supply source at the start of the following turn.
12.
Bridges and Ferries
12.1. Units that wish to cross
unfordable rivers may do so by crossing at bridges. There
are two types of bridges in ROTD: railroad bridges and
pontoon bridges.
12.2. Railroad bridges automatically
appear in any square where railroad track crosses a river. A
square containing a railroad bridge is used in the same way
that a ford is used in tactical movement; the unit wishing
to cross the river specifies the square containing the
railroad bridge as a waypoint, or if it wishes to end its
move in the tactical square of the bridge, as the
destination.
12.3. Railroad bridges may be destroyed
by destroying the railroad track in the strategic square
(see rule 8.5) and may be rebuilt, if destroyed, by
rebuilding the track. New railroad bridges may not be added
to the map. Ships may also destroy railroad bridges (and the
track in the square thereby) if they spend one turn in the
strategic square of the bridge without moving or fighting.
12.4. Pontoon bridges are units and move
about the map in the same way that units do. They can be
deployed into tactical squares that are friendly-controlled,
bridgeable rivers using the pontoon bridge
deployment/removal order form. They must be deployed into a
river tactical square. No enemy warship can be present in
the strategic square. If enemy units are present, the
pontoon bridge unit must be in an adjacent tactical
square; when enemy units are not present, it can be
anywhere in the strategic square. Pontoon bridges
take one tactical phase to deploy. When deployed, they are
placed into the river tactical square and can be used to
allow units to cross the river in the same way that fords
do; the unit wishing to cross the river specifies the
tactical square containing the pontoon bridge as a waypoint,
or if it wishes to end its move in the tactical square of
the bridge, as the destination. One pontoon bridge cannot
cross another pontoon bridge; to get a pontoon bridge across
a river, either deploy it and undeploy it to the far side,
or cross at a ford or railroad bridge, or use a ferry.
12.5. Pontoon bridges can be removed
from deployment. When removed, they move to a tactical
square on dry land adjacent to the square in which they were
deployed (it can be on either side of the river). Once
removed, they can move about the map normally but do not
allow crossing of rivers until redeployed.
12.6. Pontoon bridges can take part in
land combat. Undeployed pontoon bridges take part in combats
normally, and may be destroyed in those combats. If a combat
occurs in a tactical square containing a deployed pontoon
bridge, and the pontoon bridge's side loses the combat, the
pontoon bridge is captured. If a naval combat occurs in the
strategic square containing the bridge, and the pontoon
bridge's side loses the combat, the pontoon bridge is
destroyed (ships cannot capture them). If there are only
enemy warships in the square, then the pontoon bridge may be
destroyed immediately by requesting that the GA remove it.
12.7. Units can also cross a river using
an RT as a ferry. (TRs should be able to do it too; check
with the GA to make sure the code supports this.) To do
this, use the ID of the ferry as a waypoint for the move.
The unit may not stop its movement on the ferry; the unit
must have a destination square that is not a river tac
square. Do NOT use the tac square the ferry is in as the
waypoint. That doesn't work. One RT can ferry units in this
way only as long as the total size of the units that have
been ferried on one turn is less than the capacity of the
ferry, minus the space taken by any unit it is carrying,
times 4. For example, an RT with a capacity of 3000 and a
1000/0 IN aboard, which has 2000 spaces free, can allow two
IN with strength 2400 and one battery (total space
2600x2=5200), an LA with 4 batteries (space=800) and a
cavalry unit with strength 600 (space=1800) to cross,
because the total capacity used is 5200+800+1800 = 7800,
less than 2000x4 = 8000. The RT cannot move during the turn.
If there is a naval combat in the strategic square, the RT
can continue to ferry units across the river as long as its
side wins the naval combat. If its side loses, it will be
forced to retreat and this will prevent the ferrying from
taking place.
13.
Inactive Units
13.1. During campaign turns, units in ROTD can
be inactive in three situations. 1) Units aboard transports
become inactive until they unload into a ROTD map square. 2)
Units located in garrisons of (naval modle to be named)
ports which are not on the ROTD map (there will be a few,
probably) are inactive. 3) Units on the ROTD map can be
inactivated by the commander or by the Secretary of War.
13.2. A single square on the ROTD strategic
map cannot contain more than three inactive units (including
militia) if it contains a city, and not more than two
inactive units if it does not contain a city. Attempts to
inactivate units when the maximum number of inactive units
are already present will fail. Units may not inactivate when
neutral or enemy units are in their strategic square.
13.3. Inactive units do not require
communications or supply and do not take supply losses. They
do not move or detect enemy units. They will, however,
automatically activate if enemy or neutral units enter their
strategic square. Inactive units appear on report maps with
a tent icon instead of a flag icon. They do not provide
intelligence information. They are listed at the end of the
position report.
13.4. Inactive units on transports or on the
ROTD map do not engage in combat. Inactive units in port
garrisons will fight if enemy units land at the port. The
normal combat rules do not apply to fights in garrisons,
because those battles do not take place on the ROTD map.
Rules for these combats are found in the WISC rules, rule
10.2. as are other relevant rules for units on transports
and in garrisons.
13.5. Players may send orders for inactive
units. These orders will not cause the unit to
activate. However, if the unit is activated during the turn
for some reason (for example, if an enemy unit enters its
strategic square) then the unit will begin carrying out the
orders it has received at that time. Note that if an
inactive unit is ordered to move in strat phase 1, but is
not activated until strat phase 2, then it will not attempt
to carry out its strat phase 1 order, as that phase has
passed.
14.
Shattered Units
14.1.If a unit is required to retreat or rout,
but its attempt to do so is blocked by an enemy or neutral
unit, or if it takes a morale check when its fatigue is 16
or greater, then the unit will shatter. Units that shatter
lose 20% to 60% of their strength, on average about half as
stragglers and about half as prisoners.
14.2. Upon shattering, a unit will immediately
move to a strategic square with no enemy units and commence
reforming. If the unit is drawing supply from a CQ and the
CQ has a depot, cache, or city as supply source, then if the
unit has a line of contact to the city or depot, it will
move 3 or 4 squares along that line. Otherwise, if the unit
has a valid line of contact to a friendly-controlled city
within 15 squares, it will move 3 or 4 squares along that
line. If that square contains an enemy unit, the shattered
unit will instead locate in an adjacent square, selected
randomly, until it finds one with no enemy unit present. If
the unit has no line of contact to any same-side or actively
allied city, then it is destroyed.
14.3. Shattered units take 2 or 3 turns to
reform, including the one on which they are shattered, and
reform at the end of the turn on which they complete
reforming. While shattered, they do not report intelligence
in any way.
14.4. If an enemy unit enters the square where
the shattered unit is reforming, then the shattered unit
will again move 3 to 4 squares along the line of contact to
a same-side or actively allied city (but not a depot - it
will be destroyed it if has no city available) and will
require an additional turn to reform.
14.5. When the unit is ready to reform, it
reappears as an active unit on the map if it has supply and
communications, or is in the same strategic square as a
supply depot or cache. If it does not meet the conditions,
then it attempts to reform on the following turn. If it
cannot reform for three turns, it is destroyed.
ROTD rules written and maintained by Stephen Schmidt.
|