American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

I am looking for the definition of "Embedded Melee". I saw it explained somewhere a few years ago but cannot now find it. It seems that my recall of that definition is different from some other members of the club. I know that the general purpose of the house rule is to prevent the blitzkreig effect in turn based games. The "Optional Melee Resolution Phase" has solved this problem for single player games but Embedded Melee is still needed for multiplayer games.

Please be as detailed as possible in your explanation with regards to the three areas of Movement, Gun Fire and Melee. These are the areas governed by this house rule. Thanks.

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Gen Doug Shaw,
4/1/XIV AotC

I believe that you may find some of what you are looking for at this older MD post: http://wargame.ch/board/acwgc/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=14702&hilit=embedded.

The search function of this forum is a most useful tool.

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General Jos. C. Meyer, ACWGC
Union Army Chief of Staff
Commander, Army of the Shenandoah
Commander, Army of the Tennessee
(2011-2014 UA CoA/GinC)

Here's how I've always played it in my multi-player games:

Phase 1: You can move and fire as many units as you wish, in any order, including moving into position and firing with any units you intend to use in melee combat.
Phase 2: You conduct all melee combat together.
Phase 3: Once you start to move or fire any units again the melee phase is over and no more melee combat is allowed. You may move and fire with any units still able to do so.

However, I am aware that some people play without Phase 3, which effectively prohibits any exploitation of melee success, and more closely mirrors the optional melee resolution setting that is often used in single player games, with melee combat being the last thing a player does.

Both approaches limit blitzkrieg tactics, but the two phase approach reduces attacking options further. It's all a matter of personal taste and opinion on how far you want to go in making the games play in a more historically accurate fashion. I'd be happy to play it either way in a multi-player game. In a single player game I'll always use the otional melee resolution setting.

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General Antony Barlow
2/1/XX, Army of the Cumberland