Fire and Fury QRS and Rule Clarifications for the Gettysburg Refight.

For all those of you who are interested I have added a new Page with a copy of the QRS we will be using on the day.

Below are some rule clarifications from Geoff the Umpire also to be known as GOD!!!

Rule for the Gettysburg Refight.

The following list of Rule clarifications and changes is taken from Fire and Fury’s official scenario books and website. It includes a number of rules, unchanged from the rule book that we are in the habit of forgetting during play. There are also six rule changes that have been adopted from the excellent Regiment Fire and Fury rules.

Victory Points: 1VP for worn brigades, wrecked/captured batteries, or for killed exceptional brigade, division or corps commanders. 2VP’s for spent brigades. 4VP’s for destroyed brigades. [Eastern Scenario Bk. pg. 4 col. 1]

Manoeuvre Table Roll (Rules Change): ‘A brigade must roll on the Manoeuvre Table if it attempts to move, change formation, or begins the player turn disordered’. For brigades that are within the command radius of their divisional leader one die roll is made. All brigades under the command of that leader use the same base die roll. A separate roll on the manoeuvre table is made for each brigade that is outside the command radius of their divisional leader. [Rules change from RFnF].

Movement: you cannot wheel and oblique in the same movement phase. [Clarification Rules pg 28 col. 1]

March Column: may not initiate charge combat, except with a limbered battery, which must then move off a full move and end its turn disordered. [Western Scenario Bk. pg. 4 col. 1]

About face: a unit may only about face free in the following circumstances…

A) when it retreats ’... more than half its movement rate to the rear...’ and ends facing the enemy.

B) when ‘... moving by the flank...’

C) or when ‘... holding its ground...’ [Rules pg.27 col.1/2.]

Units having about faced may not charge.

Refusing Flanks: In order to maintain its facing, a unit should only refuse up to half its front rank stands. When moving, its refused stands come back into the original facing before movement. (This should prevent the temptation to form on the refused stands for a subsequent move) [Rules pg.28 col.1.].

Also, "...as it advances and withdraws..." suggests to me a brigade can refuse flanks if it is pushed back, and if it is occupying the ground. [Rules pg.48 col.1.] The only exclusions are "...when charging or in column..." count breakthrough as a charge.

Dismounted Cavalry: dismount from any formation into a single line, and mount up into any formation. They may not support and cannot be supported. When tardy, they may dismount, but only if in a single line. [Website Answer.] Cavalry may not charge in the same turn as mounting because of formation change.

Firing: a unit may be targeted by a firing stand when...

a) some part of one stand is in range... [Rules change from RFnF]

b) and it is within the firing arc... (45 degrees for infantry/30 degrees for artillery)

c) and firers have line of sight to the unit. (ie Not blocked by terrain and troops. [Rule pg.38])

Low on Ammo Guns (Rules Change): An artillery battery that is low on ammo may fire out to maximum range at half fire points. Fire points for canister are also halved. [Rules change from RFnF].

Benefits of Woods; artillery and mounted cavalry deployed in woods do not get a terrain modifier in fire or combat. [Eastern Scenario Bk pg.5 col.1]

Batteries: cannot be enfiladed. . [Clarification Rules pg.39 col.1.]

Fire over Obstacles; changed to....'may fire if...battery or target is on a...higher elevation, and no part of the obstacle is closer than 4" to either the firing battery or the target'. [Eastern Scenario Bk pg.5 col.2]

Musketry and Cannonade (Rules Change): A brigade that suffers a ‘Lively fire’ result on the Musketry & Cannonade Table loses one stand if it was already disordered. [Rules change from RFnF].

Combat: effects of the table are applied separately to each participating brigade. [Rules pg.42 col.2.]

Charges: should be by the ‘most direct route’…'the centre of the charging brigade to the closest point of the defending unit...’ though it may wheel and charge, or charge obliquely. [Rules pg.28 col.2.]

Although units must charge along the most direct path, you may adjust the path of each additional charging unit to allow its stands to contact the target [Rules change from RFnF].

Modifiers; 'defensive modifiers given in charge combat for favourable ground are non-cumulative... but... modifiers given for stone walls and fieldworks are in addition to those given for favourable ground'. This is not clear from the original rules. [Eastern Scenario Bk pg. 4 col. 2] Stone walls and field works do not modify combat if the unit is attacked from flank or rear. [Eastern Scenario Bk pg.5 col.1]

Charge Bonus: +1 bonus is carried through by Confederate troops into desperate struggles and breakthroughs. [Clarification Rules pg.47 col.2.]

Charge Combat (Rules Change): An attacking brigade that suffers a ‘Hard Pressed’ or a defending brigade that suffers an ‘Assault Checked’ result on the Charge Table lose one stand if already disordered. [Rules change from RFnF].

Breakthroughs: you are outflanked, if a breakthrough starts from behind your frontage. [Clarification Rules pg.46 col.2.] Frontage is measured by drawing a straight line between the outside corners of the two front end stands and extending it.

Retreat: away from the enemy need not be in a straight line. It may angle more than 45 degrees to complete its retreat requirements. [Rules pg.29 col.2.]

Retreating a Full Move: a disordered brigade is removed from play only if it is forced to retreat through an enemy brigade or impassable terrain. It may angle more than 45 degrees to complete its retreat requirements.  [Clarification Rules pg.29 col.2.]

 

Here are some photos of a bit of 1:1 scale wargaming!