Artillery and Musketry

[Jeff965]

Another game played the other night, couple of questions.
Firstly if an artillery gun misfires do you have to reload I.e. clear the gun and load a fresh charge?
Secondly for me musketry is to lethal, I would like to hear views on making it less so. I was thinking a wound chart something like the one for heroes but a little simpler. Biggest downside to this would be units with different morale levels and keeping track of this.
Your thoughts would be most welcome.

[quindia]

Firstly if an artillery gun misfires do you have to reload i.e. clear the gun and load a fresh charge?

Yes.

Secondly for me musketry is to lethal, I would like to hear views on making it less so.

You are welcome to use the wound chart for all models for your game, but you find the game slows down.

You could try applying a range penalty of -1 to hit for targets over half maximum range. However, you should be aware that this is far harsher on d6 models than d10 models (Recruits will in fact be unable to hit over half range unless in close order). Maybe this is fine - serves an officer right for herding peasants into combat in the first place!

I've not usually found musketry to be too deadly in my own games. One of the keys for a good game is to make sure there is plenty of terrain on the board. Besides offering cover saves to targets, this will also restrict line of sight. Make sure to use the terrain to your advantage - The best defense against being shot full of - is to keep a solid wall between you and your opponent (until you are ready to attack, of course)!

Hope that helps (and any one else with suggestions, please feel free to chime in)!

[obriendavid]

Secondly for me musketry is to lethal, I would like to hear views on making it less so. I was thinking a wound chart something like the one for heroes but a little simpler.

I can't say that we've ever found musketry being lethal, are you using the card for reloading and remembering that muskets can't move and shoot?
There are also the chances of misfires which is another penalty that firearms have, Gerry is very good at this
Perhaps your dice rolling is just much better than ours.
Cheers
Dave

[Jeff965]

Thank you both for the prompt reply, Clarence I think the -1 idea would be best even if it penalises the militia types, I get the feeling they would cuddle up together in close order for mutual support lol.
David I took all those rules into account and as far as terrain was concerned, I set out the table exactly as it is set up in the first scenario in the book.
I have given this some thought and I have decided that I am not going to change anything on the strength of the half dozen games I have played as I think I could have improved my tactics and not charged blindly into eight elite muskets and expect to survive. Perhaps if I had waited until they were unloaded instead of charging at the first opportunity then It would have been a better outcome. I really do like these rules so I think they are worthy of quite a few more games yet, and hopefully become my de facto skirmish rules.

Cheers Jeff.

[obriendavid]

Are you adding a time limit to the scenarios you're playing?
In most of our games you are usually lucky if the musketeers get off 2 shots in a game before someone gets their victory conditions plus we always have lots of intervening terrain. When I first read Clarence's rules for the artillery before we started playtesting them I thought they were going to be way too effective but with the restrictions he placed on them they can be avoided but if you decide to attack them frontally then you deserve to take punishment.
The main object of the rules is to have fun, so as long as you are achieving that then any changes you decide to make are fine.
Please keep us updated on any changes you make and how they work out in your games.
Cheers
Dave