Questions about Bonnie Blue Flag ACW rules

[bong-67]

Hi,
I  recently bought the Bonnie  Blue Flag ACW wargames rules by Kevin Calder (published by Partizan Press)   and  there are some areas of the rules I'd  like clarified please.
On p 17 for movement it says to roll a d6 and add the appropriate movement for the unit type.
Does a unit have to  move its full distance or can it choose to move up to that distance?  E.g. if an infantry unit rolled 4 on the d6 does it have to move the full 10 inches or can it move less, up to 10 inches?
 For  mounted cavalry the move  is  12 inches plus  2 d6 if charging.  Does  this mean that charging cavalry go 12 inches plus 3d6
How do units turn when moving, by wheeling, or pivoting or something else ?
Can units move oblquely if moving straight ahead, and if they can move obliquely to what angle of straight ahead? 
If units can change direction  how many changes of direction can they make in a move and when can they make them?
In the Under Fire Results table on p 22 what is the definition of infantry advancing?  Is it  only infantry which  was moved  by the player with initiative  being fired on by he non initiative player during that turn or does it also refer to infanrtry moved by the non initiative player in  the previous turn being fired on by the player with initiative in the current turn?
In he meleee modifiers on p 26  for "Having a supporting unit in melee" how is this defined?  What is classified as a supporting unit?
Many thanks and all the best,
George.

[vodkafan]

In all wargames I have ever played, one NEVER has to move the full distance. It is a maximum, that's all.

[shandy]

I don't know about Bonnie Blue Flag, but in games by Too Fat Lardies, you have to move the distance you rolled, unless you give a sensible order beforehand, such as: stop at the crossroads, or the fence. On an open field, a unit may move further than you intended. You can't say: Stop half an inch before getting into close range of the enemy.

I think it is a very good mechanism to prevent people from stopping just out of firing range or such daft things, and it models that moving troops may be unpredictable - if they go too far, we always think that they are over-eager...

[bong-67]

Hi Folks,
Many thanks for the useful replies.  I also posted the question on the Wargaming ACW Facebook page and eventually managed to get official answers from the author.  Just in case anyone here wants to see them here they are (author's text in quotes as written).

"1. Units do not have to move the full distance.

2 charging cavalry do roll 3 d6

3 units will pivot/wheel by one flank base remaining in place while the opposite flank moves up to its full move distance ( if
needed) the unit then realigns between the 2 bases. Pretty universal within most if not all rule sets !

4.yes units can oblique move,players should be able to judge what is valid without an arbitrary rule. Fire and Fury is the only set in my possession that tackles this and gives a 45 angle.

5. Units change direction in the movement phase. Don't quite understand your question about how many times in a turn is allowed.

6.If a units last action was advance then it is still advancing until it does otherwise even if it goes second in a new turn

7.A supporting unit is a friendly unit engaged in melee with the same opponent.

I hope this clarifies things.
While I accept that the supporting unit definition could have been better explained and that there is no specific rule for oblique movement I am a bit puzzled by the constant references to ambiguities and the need for house rules in order to explain and play the rules. Neither of these criticisms have been levelled anywhere else as far as I am aware so I'm at a bit of a loss on that."

The author, as you might pick up from the comments was a bit snarky that I didn't understand his too briefly written rules.  They may make sense to him but I think they are just a QRS with a small bit of explanatory text.  Some reviewers say they give a good game and they may work for my purpose of doing ACW games with just 6 units a side so I'll try them at some point.  However, as written they are poorly explained compared to almost any other ACW set I've read so I'm not sure i would recommend them.

[Norm]

Thanks for posting the list of answers.

[Johnp4000]

Thanks for posting that. I think it is fair to assume that many rules writers seem to get very defensive over any implied criticism of their rules.
There was an interesting post on these rules a few months ago, I think called 'test play bonnie blue flag rules' that may also help you make a decision about the rules.

[fred]

Many sets of wargames rules start from a base of assumed knowledge of how wargames are played, rather than starting from nothing and explaining all the details.

The problem with starting from assumed knowledge and expectations is that we all have different history of gaming, and therefore different starting points.

It is also very hard for rules authors to be able to get feedback from someone who is just playing the rules by reading them - without any input from the author. Recent use of Zoom calls for gaming perhaps make this rather easier, as the author can send the rules to a remote play test group, and then observe how they play just from reading the rules. But this all takes time and willing volunteers.

[FlyXwire]

I thought the rules here innovative enough to buy a copy, but after reading them, found them hardly clear enough to present to my group without necessary clarifications.

@bong-67, thanks for pursuing the process. 

(funny that requests for rules clarifications must follow precise wording, when lack of that is often the cause and source for originating the questions)

[Bydand]

Hi,
There seems to be a misconception here that Bonnie Blue Flag as written are poorly explained. Please be aware that Bong 67 was perfectly able to answer his own questions posted on the Wargaming ACW face book page before I had replied. Please also be aware that my comments that he decided to post here were directed at his own comments on the face book page and not (as implied here)  to his original questions. Bonnie Blue Flag has both written and illustrated explanations to the various mechanisms within them, hardly a QFS as he states or indeed difficult to explain to others. Fake news it appears is here to stay folks.