In Volley and Bayonet the rules are really shaped around keeping a roster of the units so that their strength points can be marked off as they suffer casualties. This is great for providing a degree of fog of war and nervous tension to a game. However, sometimes it is just nice to set up a quick game and/or allow the players to keep track, and take some of the burden off the umpire.
The main things that need to be recorded and kept track of in a Volley and Bayonet unit are:
1. Morale grade, usually between 3 and 6.
2. Unit strength during the game. A Napoleon infantry brigade might start with between 4 and 6 points.
3. Whether the unit is stationary (infantry and artillery only). In other words, it is deployed and in optimal condition/formation to defend against attacks.
4. If the unit is out of command.
5. If the unit is disordered.
6. If the unit is routing.
7. If the unit is permanently disordered. A condition that a unit adopts if it ever has the misfortune to rout, and then rallies.
Now, items 1 and 2 would be dealt with on the roster. But items 4 - 7 would have to be counters with the unit on the table. For example, the following use pipe cleaners:
Yellow pipe cleaner to show a disordered unit. |
Yellow and red pipe cleaners to denote that a unit is routing. |
A blue pipe cleaner to signify that a unit is stationary. |
I think you get the drift... and I haven't even put up photos with markers for out of command!
So, to tidy up a little AND to be able to ditch the paperwork of a roster, if I so choose, I've decided to try out a multi-coloured dice system.
The unit will have a green die to show the morale. This number does not change during the game. It also has a white die for the strength points. This can and does reduce during a game.
Infantry unit with morale of 5 and current strength of 4. |
Now if the unit becomes stationary in order to better defend a position, a blue die is placed. The number showing is immaterial. It's the colour that matters.
The same unit but now marked as stationary. |
If the unit becomes out of command then replace the white strength die with a red one, making sure to keep the same current strength number showing.
The infantry now marked as out of command. |
Now if the unit should become disordered, the green morale die is swapped for a yellow die making sure to keep the right number showing.
Yellow disorder die now in place and still showing the units morale rating. |
If these merry fellows were to now rout, a red die would be placed in the empty position. Routing units would be highlighted by having both yellow and red dice at the ends.
Yellow and red equals a routing unit. It doesn't matter what number the red die is. It's the colour that counts. |
With a bit of luck and a dashing leader this unit rallies. However, the damage is done and they are now permanently disordered. So, replace the yellow die with the green morale die - keep the number right! This shows that they have rallied from routing. The red die now stays with the unit... forever!
The red die on the right shows that this unit is permanently disordered. |
"But what do you do if the unit is permanently disordered and out of command," I hear you ask. Well, simply do as we did earlier. Replace the white strength point die with a red one.
This is a regiment in some difficulty! Permanently disordered AND out of command. |
Now if you are thinking where do you put the blue stationary unit die if a unit is permanently disordered, you don't. In Volley and Bayonet, disordered units can never be considered stationary.
And there you have it!
Hopefully it will control the table top detritus and offer players the chance to keep track whilst unburdening the umpire from keeping rosters from time to time. I'll have to see how this works in anger on the gaming table. Plus, adopting it for other rule sets as appropriate.
You present a good system for tracking stats on table. I prefer this approach over rosters when umpiring and especially when umpiring a remote game. My only concern is the amount of time necessary to swap dice during the game and the possibility of making an error. With practice, I am sure swapping correctly would become almost automatic.
ReplyDeleteYou may have a point Jonathan. But perhaps no more so than a player who knocks the casualty die and no one is sure of what it should be. In my experience, opposing players are very quick to spot discrepancies in their opponents markers.
DeleteYes, players are quick to note when a GM makes a mistake too!
DeleteThat seems an elegant and attractive solution to me Richard. We use different coloured straws cut into smaller segments for our 15mm games, and put them over the bayonet of one of the figures which seems to work well.
ReplyDeleteThank Lawrence. It all about finding what works for you as umpire and player.
DeleteCreative and clean markers, Richard. I'll keep the colored pipe cleaners in mind for future use.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dean. Bless all those hobby shops and their coloured bits and pieces.
DeleteCrackin idea Rich, but its scrambled my brain! Think I'll need to read this a few more times.
ReplyDeleteCheers Ray. You'll soon get the hang of it.
DeleteA find various coloured dice work best for me, based upon our games of Bloody Big Battles, which uses a similar system to mark various states of that a unit can be in.
ReplyDeleteSounds like great minds think alike, Steve.
DeleteThey do!
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