CaM: The Battle of Macysburg

Special Rules

Victory:
Tactical – be in control of all Macysburg squares after 36 (day) turns.
Operational – chase opponent’s army off board by turn 36.
Strategic – destroy opponent’s army, reducing it to 20 or fewer units.

Rules:
All basic rules are used.
Infantry quick march is used.
Replacements and night moves may be used.

Each player gets 84 action points/turn, allowing each to move that player’s entire army every turn. Otherwise, standard command control rules are used. Note: it is probably easiest to check for all units out of command at the beginning of each player’s turn, and mark them. Generally, they are few and can be brought into command easily during the turn, then moved.

Order of Battle:
Blue ……………………….. Red
At Start:
A L7, 6I, 1S …………. a L8, 7Cv, 1S
B L6, 5I, 1S …………. b L7, 6I, 1S
C L5, 4Cv, 1S ………. c L4, 3I, 1S

Turn 5:
B L8, 7Cn, 1S ………. b L7, 6I, 1S
C L6, 5I, 1S …………. c L5, 4Cn, 1S
D L4, 3Cv, 1S ……… d L5, 4Cn, 1S

Turn 15:
E L7, 6I, 1S ………… e L8, 7Cv, 1S
D L6, 5I, 1S ………… d L7, 6I, 1S
C L5, 4Cv, 1S ……… c L3, 2Cn, 1S

Turn 20:
F L8, 7Cn, 1S ……… f L9, 8I, 1S
E L6, 5I, 1S ………… e L5, 4CN, 1S
D L4, 3Cv, 1S ……… d L4, 3I, 1S

Placement of units:
The leader is placed directly on the labeled square (a/A, b/B…) and the other pieces are placed in the 8 squares directly around the leader, in any order the owning player wishes. A tenth piece arriving at a location will be placed to one side or the other of the first nine; it may not be placed closer to the center of the board than 3 squares.

Optional Rules

Rallying the Troops

Replacements:
The replacement rate is 1 per 3 casualties of each type. These are considered rallied units, and they come in during night turns.

Night Turns:
After each 12 regular turns, night falls. Night turns are not marked on the turn record track, as they are optional. If used, they occur between turns 12 and 13, 24 and 25, 36 and 37, etc.
1) Both players mark all their units that are adjacent to enemy units.
2) The first player moves all marked units 1 square farther away from all or the maximum number of enemy units possible. Any friendly units that block such movement are themselves marked and moved. When a unit is moved, the marker is taken off it.
3) The second player moves all marked units 1 square farther away from all or the maximum number of enemy units possible. Any friendly units that block such movement are themselves marked and moved. When a unit is moved, the marker is taken off it.
4) If there are still enemy units in direct contact, repeat steps 1 to 3 until there are no more opposing units in adjacent squares.
5) Now both players place their own replacements, one at a time, on top of their leaders. All leaders must get 1 replacement before any leader gets 2, etc.
6) Players move replacements off leaders, one square farther away from all or the maximum number of enemy units. Blocking units (are marked and) also moved back 1 square, until all replacements are off leaders.
7) Mark all units that are in range of any enemy unit(s), that is, all pieces that could be captured by one move.
8) First player moves marked pieces one square “away”, then second player. Repeat until no units on either side can be captured with one move.
9) Start the next day move.

Comment:
This somewhat elaborate procedure is necessary to prevent the first player from bringing rallied troops in that can immediately capture one or more of the second players units. These rules were worked out during a playtest of Macysburg.

Ran into a bit of a problem during another playtest of Macysburg. On turn 12, Red, moving second, made a cavalry charge into Blue’s flank, leaving 4 Red cavalry units with no leader intermixed with Blue’s right flank. Night falls. According to the rules above, the armies must separate now, allowing Red’s cavalry to disengage and move back toward their lines without any casualties, when if Blue had a normal turn, all 4 Red units would be eliminated immediately. It also swings the balance of captures toward Red by 4 pieces. The whole situation was blatantly unfair, but night was falling, and Blue couldn’t take turn 13, and then have night fall, because you’re just reversing the unfairness, not addressing it. I decided on a continuation of combat rule.

Continuation of Combat:

1) All pieces in contact with one or more enemy units when night falls get marked and must move 1 square, but may move toward the enemy instead of away, capturing and/or moving adjacent to enemy units.

2) Only units in command range of a friendly leader may move toward or capture enemy units at night. All out of command range units may never attack, but must move away from enemy units.

3) This continues, which each player marking adjacent units, and alternately moving all their marked units 1 square, until all surviving opposing units are no longer in contact.

4) Then rallied troops are placed, and the night turn sequence of play continues from there.

This is not perfect, but I believe it addresses the problem adequately. However, I did not dream up the idea of night turns, but remembered playing a game (ACW, I think) where the armies did have to disengage at night. Is anyone aware of games that have dealt successfully with this issue?

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