I haven't read this but think that it should be on my list
I mentioned briefly in my previous post that I had been looking at Volley and Bayonet by Frank Chadwick for inspiration for my own rules, or to be more accurate, I had been looking at certain parts of them. Now I realise that merely transporting great chunks from various rule sets and lashing them together could be seen as a recipe for disaster and so I shall avoid the temptation to do so. However, taking the concept as a whole is a different matter.
I like the idea of commander driven movement - that is that units have to be within a certain distance of their commander in order to be able to move. Using this approach in conjunction with a hex grid is a very easy way to solve the old activation/command point conundrum - at least it appears to be. I am thinking about using a single hex command zone (that is the hex the commander occupies and each of the six hexes around him) for low level commanders and perhaps a two hex command zone for the army commander. In order for this to work properly it will be essential to have a clearly defined order of battle so that it is clear who commands what on the table.
I do not have anything for this idea on paper as yet but it will certainly be an avenue to explore.
6 comments:
I've just bought a copy of Volley & Bayonet and although I haven't tried them on the table yet, they do look interesting. Following your project with interest David. Thanks for posting.
Steve
David,
You seem to be putting together some interesting ideas ... and I am looking forward to seeing how you deal with Command and Control.
All the best,
Bob
How often does the army commander give orders to TROOPS?
Certainly this depends on period, but for Horse & Musket and later with a chain of command they issued their orders to subordinate generals. [Occasionally, they would take command of troops in their immediate vicinity during a crisis or short-lived opportunity].
So would that 2 hex-zone for commanders be to reach sub-ordinate generals to enable them to issue orders to their units?
If the C-in-C chooses to take command of the troops in his hex, he should have to forgo issuing orders to his generals.
The most interesting mechanic I have ever seen was premised on the fact that both movement and attack takes time. This was represented by an attack 'costing' a certain number of Movement Points to conduct. So a unit could use all its movement to just keep going and get into a nice flanking position (think Rommel and his 7th PzDiv in France) or keep slamming into the enemy, possibly more than once in a turn where manoeuvre isn't a factor (think Kursk). A very interesting C2 mechanic
Hi SAROE,
Many thanks for the questions - keep them coming as it serves to focus the mind!
Essentially I envisage that a C in C will have a command value with which to, for want of a better word, activate his subordinate generals. They in turn will activate all the units under their command as long as they are in the correct distance.
I need to fine tune the mechanics of this and my first idea of having areas centred around the general has already been modified slightly.
All the best,
DC
Hi Paul,
That is a good response and all I can say is....funny you should mention that particular idea....;-)
All the best,
DC
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