Skip to main content

Featherstone's Words on Shaken and Disordered Units (1988). . .

 

A Featherstonian battle in progress from decades past.  Photograph "borrowed" from the Man of Tin blog.

Rules of Wargames in the American Civil War Period (pp. 34-35 of Feathertone’s Complete Wargaming, 1988)

“The effects of being fired upon or taking part in a hand-to-hand melee are reflected by the morale of the unit as a whole being affected in that it is – Unaffected, when it remains where it is on the field, able to move, fire, or fight in the next game move in the normal style.

Shaken – when the unit withdraws its normal move distance, still in good fighting order, but not able to move forward (or towards the enemy) until the next game move.  It may fight in the normal way if attacked.

Disordered – when the unit withdraws its normal move distance, but ends with its back to the enemy, unable to fight or fire until its owner  is able to score a 4 or over on the dice, which he may throw at the beginning of each subsequent game-move.  Each failure to make the 4 means the unit retreats a further game move distance.  Whilst disordered, a unit can be fired upon or attacked without being  able to retaliate and automatically moves back – in disorder – its move distance.

Units do not suffer individual casualties and no figures are removed from the table.  This means that the actual strength of the tabletop unit is unimportant – it may consist of 20, 30, or more figures without practically affected  in any way, neither advantageously, or detrimentally.”

-- Stokes 

 

Comments

Phil Dutré said…
Always nice to see clippings like this. My own house rules also have abolished individual figure removal, and look at the unit as a whole. Much more pleasant gaming experience.
9:56 AM
Mike Hall said…
That picture looked familiar, if a little low definition.

A quick check of my bookshelves proved this to be correct: plate 10 in Featherstone's "War Games" (December 1965 reprinted edition). The climax of the excellent little "Action in the Platteville Valley", with the Federal forces triumphing as night falls at end of move 8. I can't quote the morale rules though as none are given - though the account of the action shows that they exist and are a little more primitive than the 1988 version. No "disorder", units just become "shaken" and, unless rallied at some point, eventually retreating off the table edge. This makes a nice "old school" refight (I just borrow the Ancient Warfare morale rules from earlier in the book).

I think that the picture credit should probably be "Don Featherstone by way of Man of Tin blog" though it is possible that both of you need a higher quality scan.
12:50 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Here's an RSM Painting Update

Here's a picture illustrating my (S-L-O-W) progress with the second company of Stollen's Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja's Own) Grenadiers. You can see I'm doing things a bit differently this time, altering the painting process to keep it interesting basically. This evening, I'll do the white gaiters and, if that goes reasonably quickly, and time allows, the red breeches. Still lots to do, but I like the way these fine fellows are shaping up along side the completed 1st company that's standing in formation just off camera, to the left here. Until tonight then!
3 comments
Read more

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!
14 comments
Read more

Having a "No Day". . .

  F or the almost 20 years that she lived in Mexico, one of my late mother's Irish friends frequently mentioned having a "No Day."  A day with no social obligations, chores, tasks, or other work that interfered with whatever personal interests took one's fancy on the day in question. Since today -- a gray and chilly Saturday -- is Mom's birthday, the Grand Duchess is out with friends, and the Young Master is ensconced on the sofa in the TV room with a cold, yours truly is taking his own such No Day.  I think Mom would approve of my decision to make the world go away, as the old Eddie Arnold song intoned, even if only for a little while. So, I will spend Saturday afternoon focused on that first squadron and small regimental staff of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers.  These have stood waiting  untouched over on the painting table for almost three weeks while we skied and otherwise gadded about with snowy, winter outdoor activities. I hope to share a painting update Sunday...
3 comments
Read more