ACW Rules:Bootcamp Week One:Formations and Movement

This is my rifle, this is my gun, this is for fighting ,this is for fun!

As promised the first of the American Civil War workshops. I'll be posting a number of these before the ACW month in March and while this is aimed specifically at preparing you budding General Shermans for Joy of Six, I am investing a lot of time, effort and any spare cash I have after Mary has bought yet another handbag, toward putting on some very nice scenarios later on in the year.

So firstly, the first lesson of boot camp is Formations

LINE

A single line of stands placed side by side. Used by Infantry and the ONLY formation that dismounted cavalry may use. It may conform to terrain i.e edge of wood , hill , wall or stream. It is the ONLY formation that can refuse its flanks by UP TO 45 degrees

A unit in LINE may may move up to 12".

It may either :
Wheel ONCE UP TO 45 degrees at any point during the move, pivoting on the front outside corner of either end before moving forward again.
In the example below the Union Brigade advance forward, before starting a wheel around the hill of approx. 40degrees and then continuing straight forward.

OR the Brigade may move Oblique UP TO 45 degrees UP TO its full movement rate with all stands facing in their initial direction at the end of the move.

A Brigade in LINE may also move BY THE FLANK (sideways) at half speed. It may not wheel during this movement but it may oblique by UP TO 45degrees

SUPPORTED LINE

Two evenly distributed lines. Only the FRONT rank may fire in normal musketry however BOTH ranks will fire if the unit charges or is charged in CLOSE COMBAT. In CLOSE COMBAT all the stands are counted as engaged and the UNIT counts as being SUPPORTED so gets a +1 in the CHARGE phase. It moves in the same way as the LINE formation but cannot REFUSE A FLANK or CONFORM to TERRAIN. Used by Infantry and MOUNTED cavalry brigades.
FIELD COLUMN

Two Columns of equally distributed stands. The BRIGADE MUST be of 5 stands or more or it is deemed to be a SUPPORTED LINE. It receives a +1 when rolling on the manoeuvre table. It may change direction as often as the player likes and in firing and charging it fights like a supported line.
Units firing on a Brigade in Column get a +1 modifier. Used by Infantry and Mounted Cavalry Brigades

MARCH COLUMN

The Brigade, moving one stand behind the other in a single column. Gets a +1 modifier on the movement roll. Only infantry formation to get a road movement bonus (and only when its leading stand is on the road). Can change direction as often as it likes. In normal combat only the leading stand can fire. It may CHARGE along a road, even if the road curves but MUST be able to see the unit being charged at the beginning of the CHARGE. When in Charge contact the First two stands can fire and in the first round of combat only the first two stands can fight. It is the ONLY formation that can cross a BRIDGE or FORD (this will be covered in a later blog). Used by Infantry and Mounted Cavalry Brigades

CHANGING FORMATION

To change formation a player MUST roll on the Rally With Elan or Well Handled.

To change from

FIELD COLUMN INTO LINE OR DOUBLE LINE

Pick a stand, any stand in the column. It must remain in its current position but it may pivot in any direction to any facing. The rest of the stands are now placed on one or both flanks of the chosen stand in the required formation. This change must happen at the beginning of the move and costs half the movement rate. The unit may now move the remaining distance in its new formation. Any fire directed at the Brigade during the Defensive Fire phase gets a +1 modifier for target changing formation.

MARCH COLUMN INTO LINE OR DOUBLE LINE

The formation forms on the LEAD stand in the column. It must remain in its current position but it may pivot in any direction to any facing. The rest of the stands are now placed on one or both flanks of the chosen stand in the required formation. This change must happen at the beginning of the move and costs half the movement rate. The unit may now move the remaining distance in its new formation. Any fire directed at the Brigade during the Defensive Fire phase gets a +1 modifier for target changing formation.

LINE OR SUPPORTED LINE INTO SUPPORTED LINE OR LINE

From Supported line into Line, the rear rank stands can be placed onto one or both flanks of the front rank stands. The Brigade cannot change facing however these stands may be placed REFUSED UP TO 45degrees. This formation change takes UP ALL OF THE BRIGADES MOVEMENT. Any fire directed at the Brigade during the Defensive Fire phase gets a +1 modifier for target changing formation.

From Line into Supported Line, The Brigade CANNOT change facing. Stands are removed from one or both flanks of the Line formation and placed in the same facing behind the front rank. Equal numbers of stands MUST be placed into the rear Rank or one less if its an odd number. . This formation change takes UP ALL OF THE BRIGADES MOVEMENT. Any fire directed at the Brigade during the Defensive Fire phase gets a +1 modifier for target changing formation.

LINE INTO MARCH COLUMN
Pick any one stand in the current formation. Replace it with the Brigade HQ.  This stand may now pivot in any direction and MUST move ALL its remaining HALF movement rate. Once its finished its movement the rest of the Brigades stands fall in behind it following the route of the HQ stand.Any fire directed at the Brigade during the Defensive Fire phase gets a +1 modifier for target changing formation and any modifiers for a March column always being ENFILADED.

LINE OR SUPPORTED INTO FIELD COLUMN
Pick two adjacent stands. These two stands can now pivot in any direction. Form the rest of the Brigade in two equal columns behind these two stands. The Brigade may now move UP TO its remaining HALF movement rate. Any fire directed at the Brigade during the Defensive Fire phase gets a +1 modifier for target changing formation.

MARCH COLUMN INTO FIELD COLUMN
The two leading stands now become the two front stands in the Field Column. They may be pivoted to face in any direction and the rst of the Brigade forms in two equal columns behind them.The Brigade may now move UP TO its remaining HALF movement rate. Any fire directed at the Brigade during the Defensive Fire phase gets a +1 modifier for target changing formation.

ABOUT FACING(don't know why i've never spotted this,but its a small paragraph on page 27)
A Brigade can withdraw, straight backwards,OVER HALF and UP TO its FULL allowed movement rate , and is considered to have done an, about face ,moved away from the enemy and then ,about faced, back toward the enemy. It can also do this when Moving By The Flank or Holding its Ground. It must roll on the RALLY WITH ELAN or WELL HANDLED to do so. Any fire directed against it gets a +1 for change of formation. A unit that only moves backward UP TO half its allowed movement rate is considered to have fallen back, facing the enemy and the +1 modifier is NOT applied.

That concludes Boot Camp Week One. Week Two will include Leaders, Bridge/Ford crossing and Charging