Rebels and Patriots firing dice

[tim at frontline]

Played my first game of R+P set in the ACW. Overall I like the rules except for the number of dice throw when firing and in combat. these are 12D6 for a fresh unit but shouldn't this change as casualties mount and the volume of fire reduces. As it stands a unit of 6 figs not disordered will still use 12 dice (unless I'm reading it wrong)  Next game we play I will suggest we use a D6 per fig and see how that plays.

[fred]

When a unit gets to half strength it gets a permanent disorder marker see p34

So that causes it to fire with half dice.

[SHARPE52]

Tim,
it's funny I have posted a similar post regarding firing dice for skirmishers after playing a game adapted to Jacobite Rebellion.
The point is more or less the same you raise and I agree with you about the number of dice used by worn or small units.
I think it worth trying a small change in the rules and reduce the firing/combat dice according to the remaining figures in a unit.
However it would be nice to hear Maersey's opinion who sometimes writes in this forum.
Marco

[Marine0846]

I have been playing this family of rules for a few years now.
I really think that rolling 12 dice till you get to half figures is a way
to keep the game going at a faster rate of play.
I always give each player 12 dice to start.
That way they just have to pick up the dice and roll.
Try to count the number of figures and then roll that number of dice for them,
 it does slow down the game.
Also say that you are rolling 8 dice against an armour 4 unit.
What chance you you have to cause a lost of a figure?
This is my thinking about the matter.

[SHARPE52]

Marine,
I agree that working out the number of dice according to losses makes the game slower.
Maybe the point of armour is referred to Lyon Rampant as in R&P there s no armour:-)
M

[vtsaogames]

I find it faster than counting figures as in "The Men Who Would be Kings", their previous set of rules. R&P moves faster. The Men etc. had different leaders for each unit and thus different activation/morale/rally numbers. In R&P all units are 6, except green units 5 and veterans 7. If you want to add in other stuff, expect the game to slow down.

[tim at frontline]

Thanks for the replies. As this was the first game we played we just went through the basic mechanics. Perhaps using the officer traits etc will put a different slant on the game. I raised this point as I thought that with a unit of say 7 or 8 figs in good order and good shots, could inflict ( with aid from the dice gods) inflict more hits with 12 dice than there are figs firing.

[has.been]

Are the rules simple? Oh yes, thank the gaming gods.
Do they move along quickly? Again yes, which is a good thing.
Are  they a hoot? For a third time...yes.
I introduced them to our school wargames club. The comments
were very favourable. Several of the pupils are now planning
a Napoleonic clash with figures they will purchase & paint.
You could add more details to the rules, e.g. reduce the firepower
as the unit takes losses, but why bother? other rules (even some from the same stable)
already do that.
Reb&Pats has managed to get my (very dusty) ACW off the shelves & onto the table.
I, for one, am happy with them.

[guitarheroandy]

If you do number of dice vs number of figs it'll probably alter the game quite a bit. I haven't played yet but was a play tester for TMWWBK and I suspect that if you use the latter's firing mechanics with R&P's other mechanics it might not be quite as satisfactory.

[vtsaogames]

Thanks for the replies. As this was the first game we played we just went through the basic mechanics. Perhaps using the officer traits etc will put a different slant on the game. I raised this point as I thought that with a unit of say 7 or 8 figs in good order and good shots, could inflict ( with aid from the dice gods) inflict more hits with 12 dice than there are figs firing.

Under normal circumstances, 7 figures rolling 12 dice can only get 6 hits even if all the dice are hit, since it takes 2 hits at close range to remove a figure.

[tim at frontline]

We use a lot of the Osprey blue book rules because they are easy to pick up  and give a fun game, which are the type of rules we like a the moment. The number of dice is not a problem, just an observation.  We only played one game so far so  I'll see what happens after a few more. Next one is F+i wars