A Short, Sharp Shock: A Sharp Practice Boshin War AAR

[EnclavedMicrostate]

Hello all,

Following on from my last post comparing rules, here's a Sharp Practice game incorporating a couple of suggested rules amendments for late 19th century games. Or, more specifically, my particular variation on one particular amendment, namely adding a chance for smoke to be generated during any firing action by any unit, which wasn't necessarily decisive but certainly encouraged a bit more movement around the table.

https://cohortsofthedamned.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-short-sharp-shock.html

[Mudyinsquall]

Always good to see some Boshin.

Nice report man, and blog followed

[rokurota]

Great!

[EnclavedMicrostate]

Thanks, chaps!

[carlos marighela]

Nice AAR and good to see something a little exotic.

I take it that the smoke rules are meant to reflect a higher firing rate for breechloading rifles? Makes no sense otherwise as shot for shot a breechloader will produce no more smoke than a muzzleloader.

[EnclavedMicrostate]

Well, I based my version of the smoke rules on Simon Walker's, who is active on the Colonials board, so if you want you can ask him too...

My own impression/assumption is that the idea is that it's meant to also account for how, with less time between firing, the smoke also has less time to disperse in between and so will be more concentrated? A muzzleloader firing once every 20 seconds and a breechloader firing once every 10 seconds will produce the same amount of smoke per shot, but the breechloader will produce twice as much smoke for a given period of time. It's therefore not so much that the higher smoke rate reflects a higher rate of fire, but more that the higher rate of fire will produce more smoke faster.