The Charge;

I never liked the charge rules on JRIII. The idea of massing a large number of supporting units behind a “point” unit to arrive at the most advantageous dice-down impact morale seemed way too gamey for my liking. ADF procedures depict a more realistic charge and support procedure. In ADF the number of units that can lower the charge’s MMP (modified morale point)  is limited to two units for morale, and three unit (-3) for the impact dice-down. Supporting units must be within 1″. However, since each charging unit or group must complete both Active actions before another unit or group is activated, we now have a situation where charges are supported more realistically.

Once a charging unit/group has completed its charge, other units/groups can direct their active phases to the goal of supporting the previous charge by charging, or moving, a/o firing in a manner that exploits a breakthrough, or to sustain a repulsed unit/group. You only need to see this process in action to really appreciate how much more realistic the charge process is simulated. The “real” support is not based on pips, it is based on how subsequent movements by other unit/groups truly supports the original charge.

Dean West’s 15mm Piedmont scenario. This is a small, introductory scenario that Dean created to show gamers new to ADF how the game plays.

Though the modified impact point is aided by accumulating beneficial pips, now the real “power” lies in the number of figs in the strongest unit making the charge + the raw Impact dice roll.

Example: three units in contiguous line (units 1″ apart or less) charge. One unit has 10 figs, the other two eight. During the charge the 10 fig unit suffers one casualty and passes it’s morale.
The defensive line contains three six fig units, so center unit will subtract -2 for support, and has one unit within 1″ in rear, totalling -3 so it’s MMP is 1. Both units are veteran, which means basic BMP is 4 (but for morale rolls now the MMP dice roll only needs to EQUAL the MMP, not exceed it).
Anyway, the impact dice down is calculated as follows:

Strongest Charging unit has 9 figures because it suffered one casualty. The charging player rolls 2D6 and rolls a 7. It’s MMP is calculated at net 1 (4 for Vet, -1 for charging, and -2 for support). DRMs are determined by selecting THE 2 BEST AND THE 2 WORST DRMS (die roll modifiers, plus an officer if attached). Hence, since there are no officers involved, the charging unit’s modified Impact morale point is 1. In this case same as defender. The defender is also Vet, but it has Three supporting units (one on each flank and another within one inch in rear. So it’s point is also 1. The defending player’s impact dice roll comes up 8, but its strongest unit is six figures.
So now we do this simple calc to determine which side won the impact, and by how much. Attacker has 9 figs and rolled a 7, so add these together to arrive at 16. The defender rolled an 8, so add 8 to the strongest defending unit’s fig count, which is 6 figs + for at total of 14. Now compare the two impact DRMS, in this case a wash because each reduced BMP by 3. So the dice toll modifiers cancel each other and nothing is added due to net zero. Hence, the attacker won the impact by 2, so consult the  variable outcome chart to find result.

 In most cases the die roll modifiers are not equal. So let’s say for the sake of discussion that the strongest defending unit was in disorder (in ADF, disorder is now a morale grade). Disorder adds +2 to its MMP. So total MMP is 3. Attacker’s is 1. At dice down these numbers are compared and the “overage” of +2 is added to the defenders impact result, so now the defender lost by 4.
To lose by 2 means all four defenders fall back distance in inches equal to the number they lost by, 2′ in this case, and all lose a morale grade. So the impacted unit itself goes from disorder to shaken, while the supporting units become disordered. (Note: since all three defending units in this example are six figs, in the real world the defending player would not have selected a disordered unit to represent his fellow units at impact, he would have selected a 6 fig unit that was not disordered).

However, for sake of illustration, due to falling into the result category “rolls 1 to 4 less than MMP”, the additional plus 2 for disorder would not have altered the variable outcome for the defender.
This process is really much easier to do than to describe. Basically, add up figs and dice roll, then compare DRMS and assign plus minus or minus pips to appropriate unit, then add all together and HIGH number wins the impact, and check result against variable outcome table for specific outcome.

 

ADF Unit basing examples – the 11th OH has 8 figures on two bases, Rifled Muskets (RM) and has a morale of 4 with two stands and 8 with a stand loss. The 3 stand unit on the right has smoothbores and morale of 4 (all stands), 6 (one stand lost) and 8 (two stands lost). Picture by John Hill

 

Overall, ADF provides a highly enjoyable grand-tactical game, that encourages and rewards historical play and forces the players to make constant decisions. It is the natural progression of JR and plays much faster and more intuitively. The demo games we ran at Nashcon were played with nothing more than the two-sided reference charts and all the gamers seemed to catch on quickly.

Good Gaming – Dean West

Dean was one of the original designers of “Johnny Reb” and is also part of the design team for “Across A Deadly Field”. He is currently promoting ADF on the convention circuit with his “Battle of Piedmont” scenario . He is also currently working on the “Battle of Champions Hill” scenario for ADF and  on a new edition of his JR/ADF Seven Year’s War variant – “Final Argument of Kings”. He is a frequent contributor to Cigar Box Battle.