A Shot in the Dark

A Shot in the Dark

Fiddling about with dawn/night rules for SP2

John's seemingly endless hospitality led to another splendid gathering at Levenhall and a chance to run through some prototype "dawn/night" raid rules for SP2.

We need a name for these gatherings.

Scenario:
Peninsular War, c.1811/12. This is a variant on scenarios 5&6 from the SP rulebook. The British have surprised the French with a dawn raid to capture a strategic bridge (back the board, picture below.) The French are unprepared, so come on from the "northern" edge, with only 1 unit/leader per turn deploying. The British can deploy everything except the Dragoons from the start - chips allowing - which gives them a better chance of reaching the bridge. There were a few extra "narrative" objectives in game, from the inebriated Italian artillerymen trying to reach and fire their cannon, through to the French panicking and exploding a hidden stash of gunpowder, the British spiking the gun, the Dragoons completing a charge, and both sides having the chance to escort sheep off the board "for later." To add to the mayhem, each side only knew their own objectives ... although for some reason the British were instantly drawn to the sheep and the French ignored them?

Special rules:

Roll at Tiffin	Stage	Impact/Rules
0-20	Twilight	Visibility for all units is 10”. This is … -          The maximum range for declared charges -          The maximum firing range Hard to see: all models being fired on count as being in hard cover. If distributing fire onto groups beyond 10” they count as being in hard cover and discard the first kill (first 2 kills if skirmishers) Flashers: all models that fire become highly visible until Tiffin (firers add +1 to hit rolls) Floundering about: Shock from Movement is doubled & Movement bonuses for roads do not count Use amended Tables for “Random Move and Firing Events” (when 3 flags are drawn in a row)
21-34	Crack of Cock-rise	Visibility for all units is 10+2D6”. This is … -          The maximum range for declared charges -          The maximum firing range Hard to see: all units being fired on count as being in one level of cover higher than they are (max hard cover). If distributing fire onto groups beyond 10” they count as being in hard cover and ignore the first kill (first 2 kills if skirmishers) Flashers: all models that fire become highly visible until Tiffin (firers add +1 to hit rolls) Use amended Tables for “Random Move and Firing Events” (when 3 flags are drawn in a row)
35+	Daylight	All chips returned to bag and normal daylight rules now apply

Random Events

I amended the random move and firing tables (3 Flags in a row.) Alas, this never happened in the game. Some are really rather nasty, including firing at the closest unit - friend or foe. Nice way to waste that first-fire bonus. The rules are included at the foot of this page.

Tiffin

When a Turn Ends (Tiffin) both sides roll a D6 and add them together – keep a running total. Check the table above for the impact.

End of Chapter

If Tiffin is drawn out first (End of Chapter) then we skip on to the next available phase of morning/daylight.

The Forces:

Leader	French Leaders/Units	Cost
1 2	Major Volte-Face (Level III) – overall force leader 2 groups of 8 Line Infantry 1809-1812 (1/16th Line), Muskets	9 3 8
3	Captaine Cliché (Level II) Caporal Rallier (Level I) 2 groups of 8 Line Infantry 1809-1812 (2/16th Line), Muskets	6 8
4 5	Captaine Blasé (Level II) Sergent Grippeur (Level I) 2 groups of Voltiguer Skirmishers 1809-1812 (6/16th Line), Muskets	6 3 14
6	Sergent Flatulento (Level I) 3 Inebriated Italian Crew for Light Cannon	3 3
	Spirits, fuse and tinder box (enough for every Big Man and 2 groups)	1
		64

Leader	British Leaders/Units	Cost
1 2	Captain Raclette (Level II) Sergeant Lindt (Level I) 2 groups of 8 British-Swiss Line (Regt De Roll), Muskets	6 3 12
3	Captain Maycock-Etupp (Level II) 2 groups of 8 British Line (Cumberland Regt), Muskets	6 12
4 5	Captain Pitlick (Level II) Sergeant Leghorn (Level I) 2 groups Light Infantry Skirmishers (Monmouthshire Regt), Muskets	6 3 16
6	Lieutenant Shattenkirk (Level I) 1 group of 8 Light Dragoons (14th Light Dragoons) May be dismounted as 6 skirmishers with carbines Can arrive/deploy once “Twilight” is over	3 6
		67

Random ramblings and reminiscences: 

Overview of the board after Turn 1.

Closer look at the British deployment.

The chap in the White Top Hat was a ghost! No chip, shouldn't really be there. 

My bad ... sorry Roderick!

The French peer over a hedge. They subsequently skedaddled off towards the bridge.

British Light Infantry leg it down the road. Pitlick to the fore.

Overview with everyone but the Dragoons deployed

Flatulento's men, slightly the worse for wear having "appropriated" the local communion wine, trundle off towards the bridge and/or cannon

 Volte Face eponymously turns about, marches his troops out of the ploughed field and off towards the bridge. Flatulento stumbles onto the bridge.

Hooza! The Light Dragoons arrive and decide to ram the Light Infantry off the road.

A firefight develops on the British right - Roderick's Maycock-Ettupp makes a run for the gate.

 Raclette's/Mike's Swiss get stuck in a haystack. 

Would this drag Gerard's French into a musket duel whilst the British Lights and Cavalry swooped onto the bridge? (Remember, the French didn't know what the British were trying to do.)

Fine showing of wargamer's lower midriff and hands. Obligatory snap for every game.

 Hmm. The bridge is looking a likely objective. 

The French Voltiguers cunningly dash into the cover of a wood and start blasting at everything.

Break for a beer or something stronger?

Light Dragoons spy the bridge. And they spy Flatulento's tipsy artillery. 

And a glint enters Mike's eye as he declares a charge.

Overview

Ouch. Charge hits home.

It's looking tight here - if the Dragoons get onto that bridge they might be hard to shift.

Voltigeurs blast away. British Light Bobs return fire. 

In the distance, the haystacks are riddled with holes. 

The Brits over there are getting a bit bogged down but one good move and they can flank dear old Cliche behind the hedge (top rightish)

Pfooof. Flatulento is gone with the wind. 

Artillery very massacred.

But casualties and shock building on the Dragoons as the French fire into a flank.

Overview shot - about 2/3rds through the game now.

More carnage on the British right flank. 

Cliche's doing rather well.

In fact, all the leaders are doing better than when I order them around. Might be a reason for that?

Ah. Shattenkirk's Dragoons have been shot up but spot a nice safe copse to hunker behind. 

That's a lot of shock to rally before they can attack again.

The Voltigeurs and one group of Volte-Face's Line chip away at the British Lights.

But Charley's Lights do spike the gun.

Discussions about what is happening on the British right flank.

The gate is tantalisingly open.

We spot the ghost in the white top hat (an extra leader with no chit) - ah well, that's one to remember.

Hand of fate. Oi, put that haystack back.

 Charley's charge (TM) 

It was bound to happen at some point. What could go wrong? 

Would it have been different if we'd looked at the rules for duels?

The outcome. Better than my usual showing with these chaps, it has to be said.

Dashing. Debonair, even. But slightly doomed.

 The French have worked out what they need to protect.

The British are finding it hard to get to the bridge.

Derek's Voltigeurs spot a chance to shoot some more Brits.

Phrases heard at this point:

"It would be rude not to."

"Never give a sucker and even chance."

 Quick glance at the Force Morale. Ah. OK. Game over.

"What could have been."

The bit where we recap and think about what should have happened.

Et resultat
The British secured more narrative objective points (spike the gun, dragoon charge, sheep-rustling) but the French secured a win thanks to the Force Morale, protection of the bridge and the sheep in the sack for later (so to speak.) It was one of those games where the Force Morale board didn't tell the whole story. But the British found this one pretty tough in the end. Once the French players worked out what the British were aiming for, they got into a good position to stop the attack. Over on the British right, the big units got a bit bogged down thanks to some excellent shooting from Gerard's French Line unit which seemed to emerge relatively unscathed from a very long shooting match.

Those Dragoons are scary but in truth they are one-shot nuclear missiles. The British Lights acquitted themselves pretty well given the distance they needed to travel. The British/Swiss Line were shot up but actually were still in the game. A few more flags earlier in the game and they could have done some nifty volley and charge shenanigans.

No exploding gunpowder store or random dawn events. But we can't have everything, right?

Umpire's notes and general digestives (and any other thoughts?)

- The game seemed like fun - if not quite "right" yet. There was plenty of movement but there's room for more gallivanting about the board and some fine-tuning for objectives etc.

- In a shorter game, just one level of dawn/night is needed. Less faffing about.

- Giving the two groups of skirmishers two "Big Men" to share makes them a bit too powerful and flexible. I'd go for one Level II between the French groups in future, just to force a few more command decisions and speed up the game (less chits being drawn.) The Brits still need a couple of leaders as they'll be running about (gaining lots of shock) or may want to run 2 separate groups.

- The Light Dragoons wouldn't be entering the board at the canter (which they can do in the main rules.) Given dawn is breaking as they arrive, they should come on the board at a walk to start with. Then it gets lighter, so fair enough, tally ho! Also, this was the first time I'd seen them in action and boy they can shift. A couple of decent rounds of high movement dice and they'd be off the board 6 feet away.

- Explain the deployment rules to the French players. Somehow I forgot that.

- Set the French deployment zone on one side (the north) to make it easier to plan the scenario objectives.

- To make the French "explode the powder store" objective more achievable, the building needs to be a bit closer to the centre of the board and maybe randomised. Perhaps one leader should be unattached (the "spare" from the Voltigeurs?) and tasked with exploding it?

- The inebriated Italian artillerymen were mildly amusing but stood no chance of reaching the cannon or doing anything else, really. They pelted along the road rather than staggering about so I'll need to think about that. But I'll also relocate the cannon or the artillerymen's deployment point to make it hard but not impossible to achieve. Again, the cavalry move range has to be taken into account.

- The bridge needs to be more central rather than off to one side. And maybe a few inches nearer the British side of the board so it becomes part of the game rather than a distant objective.

- The woods near the bridge should be at long range from the road and bridge OR another set of woods should be on the other side of the road to allow the British to scoot behind them. This will affect the French ... so I'd need to check they can actually reach and/or hold the bridge given all the restrictions they have.

- The hedge and haystacks combo led to an unexpected hard cover choke point - well used and played by Gerard but it meant the bigger British units were fairly static for the whole game. Once shock kicks in, they stop moving.

- The sheep should probably move randomly at Tiffin. Unless tethered to something?!

- Thinking outside the box: in a time-limited game (e.g. 2-3 hours) what if the force morale was ditched? So the only way to win is to fulfil objectives and/or rout the enemy units off the board. Might be fun. Then again, this is my favourite set of rules (but Test of Honour might emerge as a challenger.) I don't think I've ever played a bad or dull game of SP2, so why fix something that ain't broke?

A Shot in the Dark – Random Events before Sunrise (* = different to main rules)

Roll	Firing Random Events	Moving Random Events
2	Nasty discharge! Leader shot in backside. Status -1	*Deserters! 1D3 models form a separate group and head for the nearest table edge (rolling 2D6). They move like this at every Tiffin card from now on. If a Leader joins them, they will reluctantly head back to re-join their unit whilst the Leader is attached to them (but will slope off again if he leaves them.) They are lost if they leave the board
3	Fouled barrels. -1 on their “to Hit” rolls when firing until unit finds water	Damned Dog! Leader steps in dog poop. Status -1 until he finds water to wash it off
4	Damp squib! Group/Formation fires at half effect until they are supplied with fresh powder	Make Way! Leader barged down; can only stand up for next activation
5	*It’s dark, too dark to see … Half the Group/Formation drop their powder and shot in the darkness; it fires at half effect in the next Turn (only)	Spitting Feathers! Group/Formation moves at -1 pip per D6 until they find water and spend 1 action drinking
6	We’re Beating Them Boys! Remove 1 shock from each Group that fired	*Step Out Lads! Immediate extra D6 movement with no additional shock and ignoring terrain effects
7	*Panic! The Group/Formation immediately takes 6 shots per group at the nearest Group or Formation (friend or foe); usual rules for firing, shock etc. This will waste a First Fire bonus if they have not yet fired in the game.	*Panic! The Group/Formation immediately takes 6 shots per group at the nearest Group or Formation (friend or foe); usual rules for firing, shock etc. This will waste a First Fire bonus if they have not yet fired in the game.
8	Three rounds a bloody minute! Unit takes an additional firing related Action (firing, loading, presenting as allowed)	*Dress the Ranks! Formation (only) The Formation may not move next turn. But each group in the Formation removes up to 2 points of shock
9	*Charge them to Hell! Firers surge straight forward 2d6” ignoring terrain effects and they do not gain shock for moving	*We’re Lost! The rival player rolls 1d6 and immediately moves the unit that far in the direction and facing of their choosing
10	Low on ammunition. Can only fire at close range until resupplied. Ignore if they have only fired once in game so far	My Bally Leg! Leader moves at -1 pip per D6 for rest of game
11	Baa! Livestock within 18” move random 4D6”. Break Formations they move through. Inflict D3 points of shock on any Group they contact	Commissariat! 1 supply of water or powder immediately applied to a unit of choice
12	Good Lord, I think I’m hit! Leader with target unit reduces status by 1	*Panic! The Group/Formation immediately takes 6 shots per group at the nearest Group or Formation (friend or foe); usual rules for firing, shock etc. This will waste a First Fire bonus if they have not yet fired in the game.