Bingo chips are a highly suitable play aid for those of us who don't mind our tabletop (historical) wargames being a bit more on the gamey side of things. They add color and provide a useful reminder of the morale and/or status of our units. Plus they are cheap and can be purchased in bulk through a retailer like Amazon.
Long time visitors to The Grand Duchy of Stollen will know already that my painting, collecting, and occasional gaming continues to be informed by The Greats of the hobby, among them Gilder, the Grants, Featherstone, and Asquith. Large shiny units, stylized scenery, and fairly simple rules based on those of my predecessors and using the venerable D6.
Or, for those times when I am living out there on the bloody edge of life, 2D6!
In any case, my outlook continues to have a decidedly late 1970s to early 1980s feel about it. Not surprising since this is when I entered the hobby via Dungeons and Dragons before finding my sea legs a couple of years later with 15mm late Naploeonics and finally coming home to the mid-18th century in the early 2000s. In many ways, things are decidedly old school here in The Grand Duchy, and that's fine by me.
One area where I depart somewhat from that approach, however, concerns how unit morale is handled in the games between my son The Young Master and me. The really old school approach is the very simple 50% Rule where units are removed from play once reduced to roughly half of their strength. By contrast, here is what my now 12-year old son and I are currently developing and (sporadically) experimenting with (or 'playtesting' if we really want to get above ourselves) for our games down here in Zum Stollenkeller in The Grand Duchy of Stollen:
1) Units initially are considered at the outset to be 'Steady' and receive a Green bingo chip placed next to or behind them, indicating all is well.
2)
Units of various morale classes follow orders and perform normally
until suffering a critical mass of losses (killed, wounded, slackers,
etc.) when a test must occur:
A Class 35%
B 30%
C 25%
D 20%
E 15%
3) Units pass their morale check based on the following D6 rolls:
A 2,3,4,5,6
B 3,4,5,6
C 4,5,6
D 5,6
E 6
Units passing this test are considered to be 'Steady' or 'Holding' and retain their green bingo chip.
4) For those units that do not make the above rolls, roll a second D6 to learn what their new status/reaction might be:
5-6 -- Hesitant. Halts all actions for one turn (denoted by a Yellow bingo chip).
4 -- Under pressure. Retires in good order one normal move to the rear at the start of the next turn (denoted by an Orange bingo chip).
3
-- Temporarily shaken. Retreats in disorder one charge move to the rear at the start of the
next turn (denoted by a Red bingo chip). A second full (and inactive) turn is required
for officers and NCOs to restore order and move the unit forward again.
2
-- Permanently shaken. Routs in disorder two charge moves to the rear at the start of the next
turn (denoted by a Dark Red bingo chip). After a second full (and inactive) turn, a
mounted general may join and attempt to rally the unit on a roll of 5-6. If he succeeds, the unit fights as permanently shaken with a -1 or -2 for all future
rolls (you decide). However, the mounted general is swept away if a '1' is rolled when
attempting to rally, unit continues its disintegration, and is considered destroyed in the following turn.
1 -- Destroyed (denoted by a Black bingo chip). Flees in complete disarray two charge moves to the nearest table edge and is
removed permanently from the game once it reaches that table edge.
There are a few more details to share after looking back at my notes, but basically this is as far as I have
managed to get with trying to reflect unit morale in our games. There is certainly ample room for refinement, expansion, or
simplification of the system. Or, as the late Donald Featherstone used to advise, change it if you don't like a rule.
In any case, I'm after something that is a bit more
nuanced than the old '50% Rule,' a mechanic which will introduce some
'friction' to the occasional games that The Young Master and I play. I, for one, enjoy the potential for confusion that results when units pause or stop doing what they have been ordered
to do initially. This approach seems to fit with Christopher Duffy, Rory
Muir, Brent Nosworthy, Philip Haythornthwaite, and John Keegan's descriptions of mid-18th century and
Napoleonic battle conditions (fatigue, noise, smoke, and confusion)
Above all, I've been trying to devise
fairly simple, fun rules that can be committed to memory without to much
trouble, so we can get on with the playing time, table, and inclination
permitting.
-- Stokes
Comments
Another question just arrived. Is the test done just once in the game on hitting the target casualty figure or do say the Militia test every time they lose another 15%. That would make it a triple jeopardy. However if the answer is 'no' having survived one morale test early in the battle they would be heroes for the rest of the action however they suffer.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Stephen
Currently, in our games, The Young Master and I check morale twice. If a unit manages to pass two such checks, like Whitehouse and Foley advise in A Gentleman's War, we consider them "heroic," and they remain in the rest of the game that day.
We also check morale when a unit is surprised, shocked, attacked in the flank or rear, facing an oncoming charge, or (for cavalry) after close combat.
I recall reading recently online somewhere that one gamer and his opponents only check morale if/when an opponent requests it. Likewise, I remember reading brief rules publish in a magazine quite a few years ago that, according to the writer, moral can be tested whenever a player might deem it necessary. Another interesting idea. Other than that, morale was left to the discretion of the players, which sure saves on page space.
Thank you again for your questions. Great food for further thought there.
Kind Regards,
Stokes