Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

While checking out phased play with HPS games I have noticed that automatic defensive fire is not an option in the Nappy games (it is in the Civil War games). I am curious why this is this case. It isn't like the BG games where you can change formations and countercharge during your defensive phase. The only thing one can do is fire, so why not have the option to have automatic defensive fire so we can speed up the games. I am sure that some people would like to play in phases so as to avoid blitz attacks. Is this something that is going to be addressed with patches in the future?

Major Dale Lastowicka
13th Light Dragoons
4th Cavalry Brigade
Cavalry Corps
Anglo-Allied Army

Personally, I'd far rather have the square forming and cavalry counter-charge features of the BG defensive phase restored, followed by the charge phase. Until this occurs, the BG games will not become obsolete and will continue to enjoy significant tactical advantages over the HPS multiphase mode.

Forming square in the movement phase (or in single phase mode) really doesn't make much sense as it's not a response to an enemy cavalry threat, and the enemy will be able to conduct his subsequent turn against the square, which will probably get disrupted and thus stuck. So, unless facing unsupported cavalry, I rarely use squares for the HPS engine, but use them quite often when playing BG games.

The lack of a counter-charge feature is also a serious drawback, which I'm sure a lot of players miss.

Alright, automatic defensive fire might "speed up" the games, but unfortunately this wouldn't actually improve the gaming experience. So I'd rather have more file exchanges and retain - for the HPS engine - the range of tactical options available in the BG engine.

Alternatively - to cater for those players who prefer "speed" over gameplay - perhaps HPS could incorporate <i>both</i> options for multiphase mode, ie. the full BG multiphase system for those players who feel that square forming should be in response to a direct cavalry threat and who also like to conduct counter charges, and also Dale's "quicky" ADF system.


Maj. Rich White
4th Cavalry Brigade
Cavalry Corps
Anglo-Allied Army

Yes, it's a mystery that always vexed me. The only reason not to have ADF, as you say, is formation changes in the Defensive Phase, but the HPS games don't have that.

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Commandant la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3e Division Bavaroise[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
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I havent seen enough examples of how this auto-square rule would override the issues of the battlefield to answer on it.

My feelings Rich are that you guys need to talk this one out more. Just saying we need the rule isnt enough. Type out how it will work.

As an Allied player for the most part I tend to defend alot and frankly seeing my units get toasted after failing to square due to my enemy using the system, bringing up cav close by to toss a mean Threat Zone on them and then use a set of cav further back to initiate the charge ... well you get the idea.

I would also like to hear how often a combined arms assault was used. In other words add in some infantry in this example. Now with the TZ on the defender I can see him fail to square and be disordered - toast for the cav. Or he squares up and now must get attacked by the infantry.

Here is how I think it all should be done:

1. Auto square ability against cavalry:
If the cavalry succeeds in charging (lets not worry for now how many cavalrymen) then the infantry attempts to square if its in the charge cone of the cavalry.

The cavalry MUST attack the square. No calling off the attack.

Squares would have no ZOC.

Cavalry would go BY them (typical move) and not attack the square and could attack other units behind the infantry (but note this could mean more squares)

Gunners would take refuge in the nearest port (my Kingmaker language coming out), er square. Guns would not be removed from the game.

Once cavalry is done with charge then they are disordered as usual.

2. Auto Line ability from Square.
Ok - the cavalry attacked and the infantry squared up. Now in comes the infantry. Similar to above the infantry attempts to Auto-Line so as to bring its firepower to bear and not lose melee advantage.

Similar to above. If they fail they are disordered and a square.

Now the issues of this are so far reaching and I can hear the cry of gamers as they find their units disordered all over the board. Gamey tactics no doubt would abound. The old hammer and anvil type of attack (cav to project TZ and other cav and inf to adminster the coup de grace) would probably cause lines to fold faster than they do now.

Anyway, my point is that you need to talk through this auto-square idea long before you take it to Rich Hamilton at the HPS support email.

My playtest team and I have done so in the past. Frankly I dont see it getting added to either phase system but if it does its got to be an Option at best.

Bill Peters