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COMMAND & CONTROL, ORDERS, ACTIVATIONS, SUPPRESSION, ETC.
Q: The movement of generals: They 'teleport' (once only, though, I presume?)
to where most needed at the order activation stage. But then when their units
step smartly off, do they leave their generals behind, or do they move along with them
in some way?
A: Good point and one I obviously never thought to clarify. I’d say that,
once the general had trotted on over to some recalcitrant unit to help with it’s
activation and having succeeded it would be the player’s prerogative to leave the
general behind as the troops march off to glory, or to accompany them, as he saw fit.
Q: Does a brigade commander need to be within the command radius of his
division commander and him in turn to be in command radius of the corps commander,
for the corps commander to pass orders?
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A: Hmm… probably some confusion about “passing orders”, here. No.
This order business is just an abstraction; there doesn’t need to be a link
between the brigadiers and their senior commanders for them to place order
chits. Ordering troops starts with the brigade commanders… whether the
brigade is in command radius of its div or cps HQ doesn’t matter at this stage;
what matters is whether the regiments’ stands are within command radius of
their brigade commander. If they’re not, its 20% less likely they’ll
activate. Where the div and cps HQ command radius is important is in the
activation appeals process… if the brigade level activation fails, and the unit
is within the division (or corps) command radius, the gamer can roll again on
the higher level HQ’s command rating, to see if he can get a second chance to
activate.
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Q: Or can a corps commander allocate order chits to divisions and brigades
beyond his command radius?
A: Yes; the brigades don’t have to be within division or corps command radius
to get chits or activate normally… but they do, as noted above, have to be within
superior HQ command radius to “appeal”.
Q: An Order Chit can only be used to move an entire division when all
brigades are in the same formation moving the exact same way? Or is it ONLY
brigades and regiments--not artillery, light infantry and cavalry divisional
assets?
A: The chit could be used to move an entire division (including any
attached units like some corps artillery batteries or additional infantry assets)
if it was capable of acting on the single order chit in the turn it was issued.
For instance, both brigades of a division in bivouac (a "disorganized" formation)
could be given a single REFORM order to prepare them for a MOVE order the following
turn. You wouldn’t be able to give two different units a single CHARGE order,
though, if one brigade was disorganized, and the other already in line formation,
since disorganized units usually can’t charge. To fall under the influence of
a single order chit, all units to which the order was intended to apply -- including
arty, light infantry, attached units, etc -- would have to be capable of responding
identically.
Q: Cavalry divisions have no commanding officers. It is not clear
when or if they require an officer to receive orders. Which officers can help
activation and appeal?
A: The flag-bearing stands of a cavalry unit (usually one per brigade) are
the command stands in cavalry divisions; one of those stands also represents the
divisional CO. As long as a flag-bearer is present, the unit can receive
orders… if the flag stand is eliminated, some other stand becomes the flag/command
stand, just like the infantry "commander kill" criteria. Some players like to
have a separate divisional CO stand for their cavalry divisions, just to work their
command mechanics for cavalry like the infantry units. This is okay, too… it
would be a non-combat stand, just like the infantry’s. The appeal process
would follow normal chain of command; divisional cavalry regiments would appeal to
the division commander of the infantry division to which they were assigned;
cavalry brigade commanders would appeal to their division commanders… who might
appeal to the Army commander.
Q: Is a “continuing order” part of the corps order allotment, or is it
in addition to the corps total? Could you give some examples?
A: A continuing order is one of the corps orders that remains in effect
for several turns, not an additional order. For instance, a French corps of
one cavalry and three infantry divisions generates four order chits per turn.
On the first turn, the player (corps commander) issues one chit to his first
division (which is still encamped) to “reform” into line. The second division
is already formed in columns, and so gets an order to move to (and occupy) a
distant town -- this division’s order chit is in effect a “continuing order”
because it will stay with the unit until it accomplishes its mission several turns
later (or until the unit is stopped by the enemy, or receives new orders).
Meanwhile, the third order chit goes to a single brigade of the third division
(also formed in columns), which the corps commander wants to occupy a strategic bit
of high ground on his flank; because the corps reserve artillery park is within an
inch of this brigade, the player attaches a couple of batteries to the brigade as
well (their close proximity to the unit of attachment obviated the need for a
separate chit to move the artillery). The last order chit goes to the
remaining brigade of the third division, to move up and face the approaching
enemy. It changes formation from column into line at the end of its move, so
can move 2/3 of its movement as a column (8 inches), and spend the remaining 1/3
assuming a line formation.
At the end of the turn, therefore, the corps has one division moving towards
a town under a continuing order, another division forming into a line in place, a
brigade with a couple of batteries moving onto a hill, and another brigade moving
forward a few inches. The cavalry division and the remaining reserve
artillery, for want of orders, remain where they are.
Q: If a continuing order does not require a chit each turn, does that
mean, theoretically, that an entire corps could be moving during a turn on
continuing orders and not require any order chits or activation rolls to move?
A: Exactly. The new chits the corps generates each turn could be
used to change some moving unit’s objective, or split off a part of that unit to
advance in another direction. Or they might not be used at all.
Q: How about an example or two on command radius, order activations
and appeals?
A: Let’s say that one brigade of a division needs to be reformed, and
the other brigade needs to move; further, let’s say that the first brigade has
a weak commander. The division is given two order chits by corps, so the
division commander trots on over to first one to personally supervise the
execution of the REFORM order by placing himself within an inch of the brigadier
during the “Command and Control” phase, when the chits are being placed. He can
now add his command rating to his subordinate’s, to increase the probability of
the order being activated during the activation phase. In doing so,
however, he took himself farther than 8 inches (his command radius) from his
second brigade.
The second brigade successfully activated its MOVE order by rolling less
than its brigadier’s command rating -- but if it hadn’t, there would have been
no opportunity to appeal (except to the corps commander); the division command
was both beyond 8 inches, and was fully engaged in getting his first brigade
moving anyway. As it was, the division commander’s presence didn’t help
the first brigade activate; it failed its activation roll by rolling too high.
The brigade was still within the corps commander’s 12-inch radius, however, and
he undertook to intervene. Since he was rated as a “Good” corps commander,
a die roll of 3 got the brigade reforming.
Q: What is the difference between activation rolls and appeals?
It seems that both division and corps commanders can do appeals, correct?
A: Correct. You attempt to activate each chit is by first rolling
against the brigade commander’s rating. If the roll was too high to
activate the order, it can be "appealed" to the division commander and/or the
corps command to activate using his rating …if the senior commanders are
available for appeals, that is. Sometimes units (a brigade, say) get more
than one roll because part of the unit (one of its regiments) is out of the
commander’s command radius. Since this lowers the probability of activation by
20%, you’d have to roll twice on the same order… once for the regiment within
the command radius of the commander, at his rating, and once for the regiment
out of the commander’s radius, at 20% less.
Q: It seems that even when using one chit to move the entire division,
each brigade has to roll separate activations… doesn’t it?
A: Like the previous example, two rolls on a single (divisional) order
chit would be necessary only if one brigade was out of the division commander’s
command and control radius. Otherwise, the whole division activates (or
doesn’t) on the strength of the division commander’s command rating.
Since he’s the one giving the primary order, you apply his rating (let’s say
it’s “Average”) to his roll as if he was an Average brigade commander.
He’d activate his whole division with a “7”.
Q: Do the non-activated Order Chits carried over from a previous turn
count against the overall number of orders (chits) that can be given by that
corps?
A: No
Q: Say a German corps places 4 order chits turn 1, 2 do not activate
in Turn One and hold over to Turn 2. Therefore does the German corps have
2 new + 2 old order chits in Turn Two or, 2 old + 4 new?
A: 2 old + 4 new
Q: Suppression Markers come off at end of turn of the second turn
after a unit was suppressed. Does it take an Order Chit to do this?
Do ‘Continuing Orders’ still apply?
A: The suppression marker comes off automatically two turns after the
unit was suppressed, unless re-suppressed the next turn, or is “unsuppressed”
by order and morale check. When a unit is suppressed, the Continuing
Order is no longer valid, and is removed. Once no longer suppressed, a
new order gets the unit moving again (the order chit can be issued the same
turn the suppression wears off)
Q: Why a black marker for suppression?
A: Like the green casualty markers, it was inconspicuous and doesn’t
mar the aesthetics of the game board unduly. Plus, the black marker can
also be used to show that a unit is routed by placing it on the unit – instead
of using a marker of yet another color. If you’d rather use some other
method to denote suppression, though, be my guest -- some guys like to use a
wounded casualty figure, for instance: first turn of suppression gets two of
these, second turn gets one.
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