Honour Forums

Discuss the Honour system.

1. steadythebuffs
   Member

   Hi,

   We have played two games of Lasalle now and have thoroughly enjoyed them. One query that has come up is that whilst artillery cannot limber and unlimber in the same activity phase they can limber as a result of the Fall Back reaction and unlimber in their subsequent Activity Phase. This doesn't seem right as this would mean that you are more flexible when facing an imminent threat from enemy troops. I know that in a previous thread this was raised but answered by stating that artillery cannot limber and unlimber in the same phase but these are two phases (reaction & activity) and so it seems that they can do this. Wouldn't a solution be to say that an artillery battery cannot both limber and unlimber in the same TURN?

   Thanks, Kevin.

   Posted 1 year ago #

2. Sam Mustafa
   Le Grand Fromage

   Any unit that passes its Discipline Test can take various actions in the Reaction Phase, and then act again - similarly or differently - in their following Activity Phase. It's not unique to artillery.

   Posted 1 year ago #

3. steadythebuffs
   Member

   Hi Sam,

   Thanks for your reply.

   First off can I just say that Lasalle is looking as if it is going to re-invigorate our club with regards to Napoleonics. We have shifted over the years to rules where you can just turn up and play for 3 or so hours and get a result rather than rules where you need a doctorate to be able to decipher the charge phase. Pushing the toys around the table, rolling dice and having a laugh with your friends are the most important parts of wargaming. What struck me was that whilst Lasalle seem to be a simple set of rules there are a lot of clever mechanisms included and as we play more games we are uncovering more of the subtleties and nuances. Thank you very much.

   The only issue that concerns us is the artillery when charged. I understand your reponse but really find it difficult to envisage a 12 pdr battery limbering up as a response to being charged then outdistancing the charging cavalry (complete with crew walking alongside) only to re-deploy ready to fire again before the cavalry can react. I can reason that horse artillery might have a chance but 12 pdrs that weigh 2000 pounds each! I do understand the issue of not being able to deploy in the activity phase as suggested though because you would have to keep moving to stay out of charge reach whilst limbered which would be totally unrealistic - a bit like a bizarre Benny Hill comedy chase. I'm not sure that foot artillery should be allowed to Fall Back. Guns were an expensive part of an army and perhaps following history is the answer in that they should always be supported to protect them.

   Either way it's not a game breaker and for some reason I'm finally painting those AB Russians I bought 8 years ago.

   Thanks, Kevin.

   Posted 1 year ago #

4. Sam Mustafa
   Le Grand Fromage

   Bear in mind that the limbering-up during Fall Back is simply a game convention to force the battery to be disrupted (i.e., can't fire in its own turn.)

   My understanding is that most of the attacks against artillery batteries did not really kill or overrun the batteries, but forced them to relocate or make a run for it. That disruption is what your attack was hoping to achieve. The artillery player may sigh with relief to see that his battery escaped destruction, but now it has to move and set up shop somewhere else, and until it does that, it can't shoot.

   Posted 1 year ago #

5. steadythebuffs
   Member

   Hi Sam,

   I guess it's just getting used to game concepts and ideas. The conventional thinking is that artillery was just not that manoeuvrable once deployed. I can find accounts of e.g. 12 pdr batteries being sent to support an attack but it's unclear whether they were relocated or undeployed and in reserve.

   From my (limited) reading it appears that gun crews went to the extremes in that they either defended the guns to the death or ran away hoping to recover the guns later. I was also surprised by how vulnerable guns could be to frontal attack especially from fast moving cavalry who could exploit the flanks of a battery. This was why they sited them with infantry support and with difficult terrain in front them where possible. The Fall Back rules then start to make a little more sense.

   Thanks, Kevin.

   Posted 1 year ago #

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