Playtest Update

Playtesting has begun!

So I spent most of the day pasting, cutting and mounting counters then printing more files and finally setting up for the Pickett's Charge scenario which is a smaller, three turn scenario. 

So in a nut shell, thus far:
Zones of control are sticky (units must abort movement upon entering an enemy zone of control)  and cover a full 360 degrees. Oddly, friendly units DO NOT negate zones of control for purposes of movement.

No facing or formation issues to deal with as it would seam the scale isnt micro enough for it.

Units moving into an EZOC risk Approach Fire which denies them the ability to fire back during combat and they get a negative to hit modifier.

Combat is mandatory for units within enemy zones of control and can occur twice per turn (hour) per engagement. If after the first round no one retreats or is eliminated, then proceed to another round.  If after this, the situation is still the same, then the attacker retreats.  Both sides may fire but only the activated side may retreat before combat/advance after, or bombard.

Lots of morale checks to roll for.

During combat, a natural roll of one always results in a hit regardless of modifiers, and conversely a natural 10 always results in a miss regardless of mods.  So no matter how good or bad the situation may seem, think again.  You roll 1d10 for each strength point.  Basically, if a unit is fired on, it may fire back.

Hits can result in strength loss or demoralization.  As a result, units may be forced to retreat, become eliminated or shattered.

So bascially you roll a ten sided die for each strength point and if you get a hit/s the defender makes a morale check.  If it passes, it transfers the hits into demoralizations and the unit doesnt have to retreat.  If failed, one hit is taken as a loss and the rest as demoralizations. Additionally the unit must retreat and becomes Shattered if all of its strenth points are demoralized.

Surrounded units suffer adverse affects, while units firing at a surrounded  unit receive a bonus.   There are height advantages/disadvantages and the normal terrain effects.

Retreating into a friendly occupied space can cause the units within that space to retreat or even suffer losses.

Artillery can conduct bombardments which can only result in demoralization.

A units morale can span from -3 to +3 and among other things, this number determines how many strength points can be rallied.

Demoralized units may not fire. 

You can retreat before combat under certain circumstances.

Shattered and demoralized units rally during night turns, and costs them their movement ability to do so.

Interestingly, a unit will never rally all of its strength points, always retaining 1 demoralized SP.  Thus shattered units with only 1 sp cannot rally.

Shattered units are completely removed from the map and cannot return until rallied.

Cavalry may not voluntarily enter an artillery  or infantry enemy zone of control.  So really the only purpose they serve is to beat up on horse artillery and other cav. In fact, they have to make a morale check to retreat before combat if approached by infantry, if failed, they must stand and fight.

Victory for this particular scenario consists of:
Cemetery Hill/ridge and Culp's hill plus points for eliminated/demoralized units varying for inf. to cav. to art...

For playtesting, a chit pull system is used.  For this scenario, the Confederates have the initiative which means when a chit is pulled they activate the corresponding formation and can choose to engage in combat or move. If they choose to move, they again have the option to engage in combat after doing so.

So the counter density for this scenario leaves roughly 50 percent of the map open for maneuvering.  What is more, a ton of units are unable to move at all (but still capable of combat as needed) per set up rules.  So with all that in mind plus the sticky zones of control, there isnt a ton of wide sweeping manouvers going on in this thing, its more along the lines of slug fests between well established positions. 

So when this thing comes out for IPad, obviously all this "work" will be done for you, but i wonder just how many people take all this behind the scenes stuff  into account as they manipulate a pair of thumbs across a screen.

Thanks for reading.