Hi, after reading i have some rules questions about the rules "Kommandant der Armee".

- Tempo cost of formations. In the list of tempo point costs, there is "To instigate movement for a single unit" 2 pts, "... for a corps or formation" 4 pts. But then there is "for each extra unit within a formation after the first" 1 pt. How does it work together? Example: I have a corps with 12 Bases and want to start a formation in the corps of two bases to start moving? How many points (3 or 4)?

- Ranged attacks. They are a dice throw against each other, with bad results possible for both sides. Is this also the case by firing against a unit, that cant fire back (Cavalry, or firing with Chassepot against shorter ranged needle gun)?

- Phasing in a turn. The turn sequence (p. 12) has in the attack phase three subphases: Ranged attacks, outcome of ranged attacks, movement of units launching attacks into combat. Then is the (close) combat phase, and than the other movement. Is it right, that units launching attacks are only units that are in 1 BW range and that are automatically moved into contact?

-- So: A single unit 2 BW away of an enemy can shoot. He cant go into close combat, because he is not in 1 BW? In the "other movement step" he could move into close combat (3 BW move, because only one unit wide). Does he fight in the enemies "contact phase" (his own has already happened)? Does he than get his assault bonus?

-- The same unit is 3,5 BW away. He moves in the "other movement step", is now 0,5 BW away. Enemy turn. The enemy cant shoot, because he is under 1 BW. Who is moved in the enemies "launching attack"-substep. The unit or the enemy? What happens, if the enemy doesnt want to move (because he is in cover)?

Thanks Frank

Really? No answer in one month. Anyone playing the rules?

I have tried to get myself an answer to my questions. So maybe the following is right:

- Tempo cost of formations. I still have no idea, how an answer should be. At the moment, i would ignore the "for each unit within a formation" part.

- Ranged attacks. It only makes sense, that units, that cant shoot back, dant make any damage on the shooting unit.

- Phasing. I think the rules are missing the part, that in the attack phase units can first move into fire or close combat range. This rule will solve all problems.

- So, a unit 2 BW away, will first move into contact. It doesnt move in the "other movements" step.

- A unit 3,5 BW away will first move to 0,5 BW and than aitomatically into close combat. It doesnt move in the "other movement" step.

I have had the rules for years, but haven;t played them for years as I just could not work out how they were supposed to work. This infuriated my regular opponent so much that we switched to something else Piquet Field of Battle, then a modified Neil Thomas C19th rules. I have since become a solo player so that anything I can't figure out I just make up. Not to everyone's taste, but it keeps me out of the pub.

"Really? No answer in one month. Anyone playing the rules?"

Noch´n "Nein"...

IIrc you were frustrated with the lack of decisive result using AoF, when I tried Polemos Napoleonics (with Kniva) and ACW I had similar frustration results. So I went on.

I guess it is not to complicated to make up FPW rules for AoF if you want to avoid "1871" by Bruce Weigle.

A friend of mine back in the UK had a go at adapting AoF to the FPW, mainly by altering firing ranges and designing commander strengths and weaknesses gleaned from the various books on the FPW. I do like the mechanisms of AoF and the brigade bases. I do a slightly reduced scale AoF using the Peter Pig 3mm blocks of troops.

1871 (and BBB) use an element equals about a bataillon, so are not usable for a game with about 10 elements per corps (DBA style). So i am looking for rules, that use one element equals a brigade.

I have tried AoF for 1866. The biggest problem IMO is, that AoF abstracts shooting so much, that the differences in weapons in 1866 and in 1870 arent visible.

You could give Austrian a +1 in Melee, the Prussian a rule "always in light cover as they are lying down to fire" and the French a greater range and a +1 for firing

Have you tried Volley & Bayonet? That uses brigade bases.

Come to that, I know you dismiss BBB as not usable, but you could use brigade bases for BBB too. I have done and I know others do. You just need a way to track strength and formation. 

I use a brigade base for BBB these days, with a 5mm dice frame fixed to the back, the advantage is you simply use one base per unit in the army list in a scenario. The dice frame gives you the starting strength in bases as per the scenario list. You can also base 6mm figures in various formations, e.g. 1866 Austrians with a skirmish line out front and two columns behind. Looks good in 6mm, as do 3 artillery pieces on a base for artillery batteries. My bases are 75mm x 40mm

Hello Sorry All  

I will look at these tomorrow.

Cheers

Peter