Horse Musket and Gun

While I haven’t posted much, at least publically, on Horse Musket and Gun I have spent many an hour discussing it shortcomings with Fitz as well as exchanging emails with others discussing ways of correcting those issues. Currently the Command and Control structure of Brigades and higher echelons of command does not work as written or even as tried.

It is unfortunately fairly obvious that another major re-write of the rules is necessary to correct the issue of command and control for higher echelons of command. I have spent at least a year looking at other alternatives but none have been forthcoming. This is something that has plagued us from the beginning yet we had always hoped a simple solution would present itself to correct this problem. It hasn’t so a rewrite of the Command and Control rules is going to happen. It is depressing that these are the heart and soul of the rules and isn’t a little rewrite by any means.

As I have to rewrite a large section of the rules I also think it is time to do some other streamlining of other sections in an effort to promote faster play.

While I find it depressing that after eight attempts we are so close and yet so far away from what we want to achieve. After much discussion it obvious that we need to combine the best parts of Napoleonic Commander with Horse Musket and Gun and create a single rule set.

The first step is simplification of the Turn Sequence. I am not the most happy person about having to make that change but the three cycles was just too damn confusing. The new turn sequence will look like this:
Command and Control
Rally and Recovery
Order Changes
Initiative
Artillery Bombardment
Movement
Compulsory Movement
Charge
Movement
Combat
Ranged
Close
Morale
Unit
Brigade
Higher Echelon

Also the Morale system will be reworked using a combination of the classes from “Napoleonic Commander” with the more complicated system of “Horse musket and Gun”.
Now rather than checking morale when a unit has four fatigue markers a units class will determine how many fatigue markers must be on the unit before the test is taken. Class E troops will have to check with 1 Fatigue Marker while a Class A Unit will have to check with 5 Fatigue Markers.
Certain aspects of the game no longer put fatigue markers on the units but it will be tougher to remove them as well.

Combat will still use the attempt table but the modifiers will change slightly.