Vom Kriege Rules Update for Version 4

Version 4.0 is a major update of the rules to reflect learnings from recent play-throughs. Some of these changes will be tested in the next solo battle.

In summary, the changes include:

• Command Points: More refined calculation of command points for leaders that reflects command size and leader quality. This provides a better simulation of command differences for each nationality.
• Command Orders: Addition of command orders that constrain the actions of units in that command. This improves solo play and penalises frequent changing of each sides battle plan.
• Open Order: Change in designation of skirmish formation to open order. Open order now automatically applies to units in built-up areas.
• Disorder: Introduction of unit disorder to improve simulate the temporary effects of combat and terrain. Disorder reduces a units effectiveness and requires the focus of the command leader to remove disorder.
• Major Objectives: Major objectives now count for 20 points rather than 10 points. This better balances the value of objectives versus unit losses.
• Artillery Movement: Artillery movement has been increased but units must now limber and unlimber to move.
• Move and Shoot: Units can move and shoot at 50% effectiveness. This better simulates what can be done in a 30 minute turn and provides an incentive to close with the enemy.
• Test to Form Square: Introduced a simple test to form square. Units with several hits or in disorder or conscript have a greater chance of failing to form square.
• Shooting: Fine-tuned the shooting adjustments and introduced a more realistic disorder and retreat outcome to replace the 'retreat on Flag roll'.
• Melee: Significant change to melee procedure. All melees now involve both the attacker and the defender in simultaneous combat. A clear melee winner is now determined in a single initiative.

Command Orders

All commands must be allocated command orders. Unit orders must be consistent with the command orders.

Command orders include:

• Deploy
• Assault
• Hold
• Move
• Break-off
• Reserve
  

The command orders assigned to a command leader can be changed subject to a successful Change of Orders test.

Open Order

Light troops can now form Open Order to simulate mass skirmish lines. This splits the unit's stands over 2 hexes. The unit still moves as one unit but each of the split stands battles independently.

Infantry moving into built-up areas automatically form open order, and non-light units must reform immediately upon leaving a built-up area.

Disorder

Disorder is a temporary state simulating the effects of combat and movement through certain terrain. Disorder can usually be removed in the following turn but may temporarily reduce the effectiveness of a unit in combat.

Units moving through difficult terrain automatically become disordered.

Disorder is also now a common outcome of shooting and melee combat. All cavalry involved in melees become disordered.

Shooting

With the introduction of unit disorder, the effects of shooting on a target are now more nuanced. Two infantry lines at short range (1 hex) now have an 80% chance of scoring at least 1 hit, a 70% chance of disordering the target, and a 30% chance of forcing the target to retreat.

A unit moving into short range and then shooting has a 50% chance of scoring at least 1 hit and a 25% chance of disordering the target.

Instead of using rolled Flags to retreat targets, the sum of hits and Flags is used, with results covering both disorder and retreat of targets. This change reduces the 'luck' element of a single Flag roll and more reasonably takes into account the hits inflicted.

Melee

Previously melee combat followed the strict Command Colours approach. However, this often resulted in no decisive melee winner. Instead, both attacker and defender now calculate strengths in melee and roll to determine the melee winner. The winner is the side which inflicts more hits and Flags than the other. The disorder and retreat outcome for the loser is then determined by the difference in hits and Flags rolled. This follows more mainstream approaches by wargame rules.

The melee attacker still has an advantage if the defender does not counter-charge but the 'Battle-back' by a defender is now built into the melee itself.

An infantry unit attacking another infantry unit in melee has a 95% chance of inflicting at least 1 hit, a 75% chance of disordering the defender and a 75% chance of forcing the defender to retreat. The defender has a 80% of scoring at least 1 hit on the attacker, a 25% chance of disordering the attacker and a 25% chance of forcing the attacker to retreat.

With the ability of a defender to conduct 'defensive fire' before the attack goes in, the odds change significantly. The attacker now has a 55% chance of inflicting at least 1 hit, a 33% chance of disordering the defender and a 33% chance of forcing the defender to retreat. Conversely, the defender has a 95% of scoring at least 1 hit on the attacker, a 75% chance of disordering the attacker and a 67% chance of forcing the attacker to retreat.

In a straight-line attack of infantry versus infantry, the attacker is likely to lose. The attacker needs to either soften up the defender with disorder or hits, or outnumber the defender.

Cavalry melees are also more definitively decided. But, even the winner will be disordered, so that any counter-attack by reserves will likely win in turn.