I have recently been re-examining Joseph Morschauser's 'Frontier' (i.e. Colonial) wargame rules and his Battle Rules have been giving me a few problems. The wording of the relevant sections of his rules are as follows:
TROOP TYPES
Infantry: 2 squares; Battle Power: 5; Range: Adjacent Squares.Cavalry: 2 squares; Battle Power: 5; Range: Adjacent Squares.Maxim Gun: Move: 2 squares; Battle Power: 6; Range: Adjacent Squares.Light Field Artillery: Move: 2 squares; Battle Power 1; Range: 4 Squares.Field Artillery Move: 1 square; Battle Power: 1; Range: 6 Squares.Position Artillery: Move: None; Battle Power: 1; Range: 10 Squares.Command Unit: Move: 3 squares; Battle Power: 6; Range: Adjacent Squares.
Notes
Infantry & Cavalry: Native State units of this type have 1 point less Battle Power.Other units: will not move forward to replace enemy after successful attack.No Battle Power will drop below 1 regardless of other rules.
BATTLE RULES
1. Battle contact is made when one piece faces an enemy in an adjacent square. A piece may fight only one battle during its turn, that is attack only once during its turn.
2. When attacker moves into contact with flank or rear of enemy the latter is faced to meet attacker at once. If several attackers contact one enemy, enemy faces last attacker to be moved into contact. If attacker loses battle it is faced attacker that should be removed.
3. If attacker is successful, remove defender at once. Then move attacker whom defender faced into defender's square if desired (optional). If this results in new contact attacker still may not conduct another battle this turn. If defender is successful attacker re faces should be removed as noted above in (2).
4. When several attackers assault one, defender's Battle Power is reduced thus;
2 ATTACKERS – defender's Battle Power reduced 13 ATTACKERS – defender's Battle Power reduced 24 ATTACKERS – defender's Battle Power reduced 3
The Battle Power used for several attackers is Battle Power of attacker defender faces.
Battle Conduct
Side taking turn (attacker) rolls one die for its piece (or pieces), a different coloured die for enemy piece.
Roll only once per attack.
(a) Both dice show Battle Power number pertaining or less – remove both (if several attackers against one), remove defender and attacker he faced.
(b) Neither dice show Battle Power number pertaining or less – stalemate, all pieces remain on board in position.
(c) One die shows number pertaining or less, other does not – remove other piece (if loser is several attackers, remove attacker faced by the defender's tray).
The Frontier Rules in use with Britains 54mm figures. The original rules were designed to be used with a 12 x 12 square grid. In this photograph the playing surface appears to be marked off with a 24 x 16 square grid, allowing for more troops to be deployed on the tabletop.
The Frontier Rules in use with Britains 54mm figures on a 12 x 12 square grid.
Whilst reading this, I kept feeling that it was a counter-intuitive mechanism ... so I decided to do some worked examples.
Example 1
A Native Infantry unit (Battle Power = 4) attacks a European Infantry unit (Battle Power = 5). Each Infantry unit throws a D6 die and they score 6 and 3 respectively. The Native Infantry unit does not get a score that is equal to or less than its Battle Power. the European Infantry unit gets a score that is equal to or less than its Battle Power. As a result, the Native Infantry unit is removed.
Example 2
Three European Cavalry units (Battle Power = 5) attack a European Infantry unit (Battle Power = 5, reduced to 3 because it is being attacked by three enemy units). The European Cavalry unit facing the European Infantry unit and the European Infantry unit each throw a D6 and they score 3 and 2 respectively. The European Cavalry unit gets a score that is equal to or less than its Battle Power. The European Infantry unit gets a score that is equal to or less than its Battle Power. As a result, both units are removed.
Example 3
Three European Cavalry units (Battle Power = 5) attack a European Infantry unit (Battle Power = 5, reduced to 3 because it is being attacked by three enemy units). The European Cavalry unit facing the European Infantry unit and the European Infantry unit each throw a D6 and they score 5 and 6 respectively. The European Cavalry unit gets a score that is equal to or less than its Battle Power. The European Infantry unit does not get a score that is equal to or less than its Battle Power. As a result, the European Infantry unit is removed.
Example 4
Two Native Cavalry units (Battle Power = 4 each) attack a European Light Artillery unit (Battle Power = 1 ... but not reduced as no Battle Power can be reduced to less than 1). The Native Cavalry unit facing the European Light Artillery unit and the European Light Artillery unit each throw a D6 die and they score 6 and 5 respectively. The Native Cavalry unit does not get a score that is equal or less than its Battle Power. The European Light Artillery unit does not get a score that is equal or less than its Battle Power. As a result, the fighting is a stalemate and neither unit is removed.
Example 5
Two Native Cavalry units (Battle Power = 4 each) attack a European Light Artillery unit (Battle Power = 1 ... but not reduced as no Battle Power can be reduced to less than 1). The Native Cavalry unit facing the European Light Artillery unit and the European Light Artillery unit each throw a D6 die and they score 2 and 4 respectively. The Native Cavalry unit gets a score that is equal or less than its Battle Power. The European Light Artillery unit does not get a score that is equal or less than its Battle Power. As a result, the European Light Artillery unit is removed.
Example 6
Two Native Infantry units (Battle Power = 4 each) attack a European Maxim Gun unit (Battle Power = 6, reduced to 5 because it is being attacked by two enemy units). The Native Infantry unit facing the European Maxim Gun unit and the European Maxim Gun unit each throw a D6 die and they score 6 and 3 respectively. The Native Infantry unit does not get a score that is equal or less than its Battle Power. The European Maxim Gun unit gets a score that is equal or less than its Battle Power. As a result, the Native Infantry unit is removed.
These examples show that although the mechanism still feels counter-intuitive, it seems to work. Perhaps I need to try it out in a proper wargame to be firmly convinced that it does.
Can you tell what the source of your intuition is? A feeling that dice=high should be good rather than bad? That the marginal value of additional troops should be larger (or smaller)?
ReplyDeleteJWH,
DeleteOne of my ‘rules’ of wargame design is to use the psychology of numbers where high results are good and low are bad. As a result, I find this mechanism rather jars with me … even though my examples show that it works!
All the best,
Bob
If rolling equal to or under was the counter-intuitive part, I found by changing my POV and starting from the position that high Battle/Melee Power values are better than low ones, the combat results where rolling low is better then seemed natural.
ReplyDeleteJohn Y,
DeleteYou are quite right; if looked at it from that perspective, it does have a logic that I can live with.
All the best,
Bob
I agree with this sentiment. It has some things in common with TTRPGs in that a highly skilled player character would roll under their skill score to achieve a success. A soldier might have a 80% skill in marksmanship so they would rolla D100 and succeed on a result of 80 or less.
DeleteMr. Pavone,
DeletePut that way, it makes sense to use the mechanism in that way.
All the best,
Bob
I think the probabilities work out the same if you want a high dice roll to be good, if you just have BATTLE POWER + 1D6, scores of 7 or higher = success.
ReplyDeleteJWH,
DeleteThat’s in line with my thinking and is probably how I will use this mechanism.
All the best,
Bob
And this method is similar to the one used in Warhammer 40K. A figure has a Ballistic Skill (BS) and to roll a hit when shooting you roll a D6 and add BS. A 7 or greater hits. It looks like you could go either way as long as you're consistent.
DeleteMr. Pavone,
DeleteI didn’t know that WH40K used a similar mechanism.
As you write in your comment, as long as the mechanisms used are consistent, then they will work satisfactorily with each other.
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
ReplyDeleteI thought the way the system was expressed rather odd, but agree with your interpretation. It does bear some similarity with 'my' 'Die Range' system. It is possible I think to reverse the system such that the high rolls have effect. You would have to rename the 'Battle Power' to something like 'Troop Quality'. Then first class troops get '1' and have to roll greater than or equal to their (modified) troop quality.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteI must admit that I found the language a bit clunky … which is surprising as Joseph Morschauser was a journalist.
I am thinking along the lines that you (and JWH) have included in your comment, with higher scores producing better results than lower scores. I also agree that the term ‘Battle Power’ needs to be replaced with something better.
All the best,
Bob
It isnt any different to other systems which roll against some measure of unit strength, and which generally require you to roll equal or under. It is also very similar to the roll low mechanism you use in the Portable Napoleonic Wargame. As noted, you could just use combat power as an addition against a target number if you want to roll high instead. I'm more baffled by the mechanic which requires a unit to face it's last attacker, now that really is counterintuitive!
ReplyDeleteMartin Rapier,
DeleteThanks for your very pertinent comment … for reminding me that I’d used a similar mechanism in the PNW rules!
I must admit that I would expect a unit being attacked by several enemy units would face the first of its attackers and not the last.
All the best,
Bob