Spring 1741: Deadlines

All Players have submitted their initial dispositions.

They have been gleaning information from travellers crossing the border from adjacent provinces and they are aware of any significant military movement nearby. They have not heard about less significant movements.

This is a time for diplomacy.

The deadline for movement orders is 24:00  on July 13th.

Naval Matters

Although only two nations start with a naval contingent, any nation can build a fleet and, following a query from a naval power, it is necessary to lay down the ground rules (sea rules?) now. There may be one detail I've changed since an initial informal discussion with one player. These rules below stand. They further clarify comment on sea travel in Campaign Map

Combat Fleets and Transport Fleets may be built in the build phase
Combat Fleets can fight but not transport
Transport Fleets can transport up to 3 units but not fight

Fleet movement is along the defined routes as shown in the insert below from  the SoK NE Map

Fleets move one sea zone a move.
There is no limit to the number of fleets in a zone
More than one nation may be present in a zone but there may be random generated combat

Land units may 
    a) embark and sail one zone or
    b) sail one zone and disembark

There is no limit to the number of units that can disembark in a province held by the fleets nation
Only up to 3 infantry units may make an amphibious invasion and these may only be in the provinces shown in the sea route inset  (i.e. those not in bold)

To be in supply disembarked units must have a chain of fleets back to land province that is in supply except that an amphibious landing may be in supply for one move after the landing.

Poor Quality Irregular Units with no, or few firearms.

Some nations may have poor quality irregular units with few or no firearms.

These may be raised as two units for the cost of one from Spring 1741 onwards BUT they cannot garrison a province on their own.

BLACK POWDER: LAOK VARIATIONS  AND HOUSE RULES

These are as used in Ian's running of the previous campaign                                                        

a) Variations from basic Black Powder as detailed in LAOK

  

1.Infantry columns may only form line by turning to the left or right flank . Only Prussians may form column to the front.

2. A unit interpenetrating/interpenetrated loses ½ its move. If there is insufficient move the unit is placed to the rear of the unit to be interpenetrated.

3. No unit that has moved more than twice may fire.

4. Dragoons may fire mounted with a -1 modifier.

b) House Rules

1. Units may no longer move sideways. They may wheel or echelon up to 45 degrees or move forward or backwards.

2. A unit or group blundering and being forced to move sideways becomes disordered instead 

3. Artillery making any move including unlimbering or pivoting may not fire.

4. A general attempting to join a unit to rally it but failing the test still joins the unit.

5. Evading.

If a charge is declared on skirmishers it must declare if it intends to evade before the charging unit   tests. The charging unit then tests If it fails the skirmisher needs not evade If the charger succeeds the evader is moved 1 move and if the charger has sufficient move it contacts the skirmisher in its rear.

6. Additions to the break test.

            Contacted in flank by a charge that started behind the flank -2

            Contacted in rear by a charge that started behind rear  -3

            Skirmishers contacted  by close order in melee  -1

            Each difference in melee winning test -1

Militia and Fortresses

Militia and Fortresses: Evolving Rules

Militia
Can be raised in the capital and certain other provinces (as advised in each player's spreadsheet) if the province is invaded. They represent the local population press ganged into military service. They are not going to be paid so they come free. They go back to being civilians the moment enemy forces move out of the province. They cannot move into any other province.

There are 2 + D3 militia units that can be raised in a capital province and 1 + D3 that can be raised in any other province which can raise a militia.

Irrespective of any definitions of militia in any army list the following stats will apply

Militia H2H 5 Shooting  3 Morale 4+ Stamina 3. (Unless randominsed by special rule.
Special rules. Roll D6 for each unit On 1 Unreliable, On 2 Wavering. On 3  Untested On 4 Freshly Raised

Fortresses: Initial situation. 

For free at the start Capitals have a Large Fort. Any other Militia Raising Province has a Small Fort. 

Forts can by bought at the Build Phase from the first move on. Large Forts 10 eco units. Small Forts or upgrading Small to Large: 5 eco units

The Opening Bundle of Information

The Initial Bundle of Information

This may take a couple of days to prepare. I'm juggling between charts in WITAOR and BP(LAOK). 

In the opening bundle, which will be in Excel format, a participant will be told his, Nation, Capital Province, Militia Raising Provinces and Other Provinces together with their economic value in Economic Units

There will be an initial treasury of strength points to be spent on units for his forces. At this stage they will cost 1 economic unit each. In any subsequent move economic units can be converted to military units at a cost of 5 economic units (plus purchasing any optional extra quality rules in the Spring build from the second full move onwards.)

Units may be purchased within given limits according to the BP (LAOK) army lists. The types and their BP stats are listed. The units come with the special rules given in the lists.

Many of these units may also have optional special rules which players may use to upgrade the quality of units. These may be purchased per unit at a cost of 2 economic units in the Spring move of any year after the first only. (The campaign will start in Spring 1741., so the first upgrade will be Spring 1742.)

Note also, that England and France begin with a free naval allocation.

Participants

Allocation has been done randomly but the results are:

Austria:

The Empress Maria Theresa

played by

Paul Newton

England

George III

played by

Simon Brooks

France

Louis XV

played by

Ian Etchells

Prussia

Frederick II

played by

Derek Fairfax

Russia 

The Empress Elizabeth 

played by

Alan Lumley

Sweden

Frederick I

played by

Mike Kisil

Turkey

Sultan Ali I

played by

Steve Gudmunsen