1870 Updates

• Higher Commanders giving orders (clarification):  Sometimes, a higher-level commander might find it necessary to personally give an order to units under his command -- leading a unit in the absence of the brigade commander, for instance.  When this is done, the higher-level commander in effect becomes the brigade commander, and his order is activated as if he was a brigadier on the Activation Table.  For instance, if a “Good” division commander ordered his whole division to reform, he would roll as if he was a “Good” rated brigadier:  (1-8).  If a “Poor” corps commander wanted to move up his reserve artillery, he would roll to activate the order chit at the “Poor” brigade commander level (1-6).  The largest size unit that can be given a single order is a division. 
  
  
• Disarray:  A new troop status – Disarray -- has been introduced to fill a need discovered in 1870 games involving woods fights and charges.  Units now become disarrayed – not disorganized -- when then they overrun an enemy position (i.e., when they charge and eject the defender without a melee), and after moving through woods for one turn.  Once in disarray, units move at half speed, like disorganized units.
  • Disarrayed units are represented as a ragged line of stands (disorganized units have no order at all); single stands in disarray can be distinguished with a colored marker.
  • Disarrayed units may shoot with all stands, albeit with a +2 modifier on the Musketry Table
  • Units in disarray – unlike disorganized units – may charge enemy units, and do not suffer the "disorganized" modifier in melees and on the Morale Table.
  • A disarrayed line of infantry requires a REFORM chit to get itself sorted out into a proper formation, as do disorganized units.  Once that is accomplished, the unit can advance in good order for another turn in open woods before going into disarray again.
  • Light infantry units – Jägers and chasseurs – do not become disarrayed in woods.
    
    
• Units in Buildings:  With 6mm figures, as many stands can “occupy” buildings as fit the approximate frontage of the buildings, or the approximate area of building models used with 10 or 15mm figure
  
  
• Separated Units:  Units fire, become suppressed, or check morale individually as single stands when they are detached or physically separated from the rest of their unit.  For a single stand to be considered a detached/separated unit they would be over 3 inches from the rest of their unit.
  
  
• “Sideways Movement” -- An infantry line edging sideways rather than forming column, marching a short distance, and forming line again – can be done at the retrograde movement rate: four inches per turn.
  
  
• Up Hill movement rate:  Is now ½ normal speed, rather than ¾
  
  
• Reform order change:  Originally, a unit had to reform in place -- which often mean under the very noses of an enemy unit.  Now, a disorganized or disarrayed unit can withdraw up to an inch with a REFORM chit, too.  In woods, this little benefit will take the unit out of sight of the enemy, and thus out of shooting range.  If his enemy doesn’t advance, the reforming unit will usually be safe from interference during his reform turn.
  
  
• “Field works”:  now replaces the less-precise term “dug in” on the Artillery and Rifle Hits Tables.  Field works are considered trenches and redoubts, but woods, tree lines, dykes, and rifle pits are considered “light cover”.  Light cover gives some protection against rifle fire (plus two to the shooter’s die roll), but not against artillery fire.
  
  
• Changing front for artillery:  Once unlimbered, a battery can engage targets in its forward 45° arc only.  To engage targets outside that arc requires an entire turn to reorient the battery – during which time it cannot shoot.
  
  
• “R” (repulse) result change:  An “R” result on the Rifle Hits Table now includes a loss of one Combat Point in addition to repulsing an infantry or artillery unit 3 inches in good order, or a cavalry target 10 inches in disorder.  “R” against units in buildings is counted as a die roll 2. 
  
  
• Movement and Firing clarification:  The partial fire modifier applies to “all units” that move over half their movement allowance, not just infantry.
  
  
• Reduced fire beyond short range (optional rule):  At beyond short range (3 inches), most units shot at a much lower rate of fire than they did when in the immediate presence of the enemy, in order to conserve ammunition.  Therefore, at ranges of over 3 inches, all line infantry shoots with just one fire point per stand; Jägers and chasseurs shoot with two points.  German stands still pick up an extra fire point at close range, reflecting their larger battalions and skill at close-range rapid firing.
  
  
• Tactical surprise for charging cavalry:  In some circumstances, cavalry approaching the flank or rear of an infantry or artillery unit can approach unseen – taking advantage of presumed dust, smoke, or terrain features – and charge unexpectedly on an unprepared unit.  If a 9 or 0 is rolled for the cavalry charge bonus, the charging unit has achieved tactical surprise besides the extra distance it can travel.  Being surprised prevents the defender from forming square or facing the attack, and adversely effects his morale (for being hit in the flank or rear).  Surprised infantry lose their triple Combat Point bonus; surprised gunners disappear for the rest of the game.  If the cavalry melees the infantry, the cavalry also gets an advantage for flank/rear attack.
  
  
• Morale is now required to be checked at each point loss for single stand units, in addition to the other six criteria listed in the 1870 rules.  This is an oversight corrected; without it, individual or detached stands could lose all their combat points and never have to check their morale!  The loss rate is still three Morale Points for each Combat Point lost in single stand units.
  
  
• In Half- (“Double“) Scale, it is no longer obligatory to keep one stand behind the other.  The players should determine, based on the tactical situation, whether they want both half-battalions on line or whether they want to retain a strong reserve. Historically and doctrinally, most armies kept as much of their battalions unengaged as possible.
  
  
• Tactical depth: In the Melee Modifiers, the modifier “For superior depth vs Infantry/Artillery” (which appears only on the 1870 Cheat Sheet) has been replaced with plain “For tactical depth” (basically the same thing as “superior depth”).  If an infantry or cavalry stand has a support stand within an inch behind it, it has “tactical depth”, against any opponent.
  
  
• Artillery "battalions": The Artillery Tables in all the Grand Tactical Rules games were calibrated to give the most accurate results when two or three grouped batteries engage the same target simultaneously, i.e., with one die roll.  If two or three batteries are grouped together (to gain the "battalion" morale benefit), they must all engage the same target as well, massing their points and firing on it with a single die roll -- rather than rolling as individual batteries.