2020 rule tweaks

[Simon Meg-Meister]

READ THE OVERALL ONE ON THE 2020 COMPENDIUM BEFORE THIS POST

As mention above we are not changing much in the rules. There is very little I want to change about the game balance.  It is playing very well with great army feel. Overall I want to make archers and horse archers armies a bit more viable but it doesn't need many changes.  Only:

Prompting through Fire to be more expensive
1. Becomes recover 1BW = YELLOW, 2 BW = RED

I also want to balance Professional vs. Insinctive a bit in the PBS phase and introduce the choice fo the terrain into the game.  This gives a lovely narrative for the PBS system and will get some territories into use that currently never get played.  It will also create more variety of command structures.

PBS
1. First card/disc is played to see who chooses which of the defenders territory type is to be used.  So you can play a RED to try to get this.  Represents invader picking which bit to attack.
2. Professional armies get 7/6/5/4 for AC grade, Instinctive 5/4/3/2 with scouting included as today.  No benefit for Subs.  Simpler and more balanced advantage for Professionals. Points adjusted up 100 for instinctive generals as Pro one slose their boost for PBS.

All the other changes in the next post are minor fixes for issues players have raised this year, or simplifications of things that confuse to little effect.  So we will fold them in.

[Simon Meg-Meister]

SIMPLIFICATIONS AND FIXES
The following is a range of removals, simplifications and fixes not expected to have a material effect on the overall game, but to clean up areas players have found needing adjustment.  A few are responses to the comments people kindly posted to my request for input above.

Terrain adjusted to provide alternative cavalry friendly space and to encourage more interesting tables
1. Uneven removed entirely
2. Replaced with OPEN space that blocks other terrain placement.  Open Spaces may not be taken as compulsory items.  Encoruagement to leave them on table to improve the look.

Deployment changed to solve outscouting issues against large armies
1. Deployment to be in ⅓s rather than in 4 UGs at a time.
2. Outscouting to go down first and opponent match the % they put down.

Characteristics cleaned
1. Shieldwall to be 2+ deep and in Good Going to get its benefits.
2. All "Barricades" revert to paying for each base with pts cost adjusted.
3. Keil solved by having them in 12s and keeping a simple Kiel characteristic.
4. Laying Stakes and Caltrops moved to the Movement Phase.

Flank Charges fixed to remove the cheesy one
This is rthe occurs when you are just past the line but there is enemy support nearby so it feels wrong.
1.Retain the line as today as it is simple, but add a second condition that there must be a 1BWx1BW empty space on the flank to be charged.

Charge-Only Forced Charges
1. CL/DC with Charge-Only shooting to be subject to Forced Charges.

Allies cards not be used as a buffer when hesitant
1. Hesitant allies cannot discard cards (except at End of Turn!). 

Wounded Mediocre Generals fixed
A 2-card general who is wounded to lose any cards they currently hold.

Break Off fixed
To keep Loose Cv in range of Cataphracts and bows and to limit foot break offs to only those that are reasonably realistic.
1. Maximum of movement distance -1BW. 
2. Only Cv,Cm,Ch allowed to break off from equal speed opponents.

ArmHrs to count vs. PBw at range
1. ArmHrs to count vs. PBw and XBw inside 1BW

Mounted Short Spear to count in terrain
Makes it fit better with LSp - remove * from SSp charge combat.

Artillery
1. Not to benefit from shooting at Unprotected
2. Never Run Away or Skirmish

[AntiokosIII]

All of these tweaks look very welcome to me, although the PBS stuff will take some getting used to. I particularly like the tweaks to flank charges, allied cards discarding, and wounded mediocre generals. Well done, O Mighty One!

[AntiokosIII]

Oh, and the tweak to prompting through fire. Love it.

I imagine this stuff (wording of tweaks, changes to lists, new Army Builder, etc) will be available for download and play test in a few weeks? Soon in any event? Hope so.

[Raiderd]

Good job Simon   

[mad lemmey]

Barricades, is that both ranks or just front rank like stakes & caltrops?

[RogerW]

Presume hesitant allies will still be allowed to discard at the end of the turn to try and become reliable...

[Rino]

On uneven, it was use to give an edge to mounted on infantry.

What would be the options now for a changing lancer against long spear army going table wide?
Going through the woods?

Hard time for the lancers.

[Simon Meg-Meister]

Barricades, is that both ranks or just front rank like stakes & caltrops?

its the same for all.  But tis no change really.  Just 1/2 the points per base and pay for the whole TuG.  KISS change.

Si

[daveparish]

Barricades, is that both ranks or just front rank like stakes & caltrops?

its the same for all.  But tis no change really.  Just 1/2 the points per base and pay for the whole TuG.  KISS change.

Si

That means you could now go single ranked behind barricades etc if you wanted to, which would be handy sometimes.

[Simon Meg-Meister]

Presume hesitant allies will still be allowed to discard at the end of the turn to try and become reliable...

Yes can always discard at the end just not during the move. 

[Simon Meg-Meister]

Barricades, is that both ranks or just front rank like stakes & caltrops?

its the same for all.  But tis no change really.  Just 1/2 the points per base and pay for the whole TuG.  KISS change.

Si

Indeed and one of the reasons.  Thin line of ottoman janissaries behind barricades is quite historical.

S
That means you could now go single ranked behind barricades etc if you wanted to, which would be handy sometimes.

[IanN]

Look sensible - however some concern over 'all chariots can evade' .... what even those Mycenaean chappie with long spear (as cavalry with long spear can't) and more worrying .. Assyrian/Babylonian tanks which should struggle with anything straight ahead. Am assuming the characteristics will determine this ?

[IanN]

Like the Kiel solution - Pikes in 12's. Ideal for Italian Wars etc. Saves that occasion list with single pike block of 8 bases and mandatory kiel characteristic - how doe that work ?

[nikgaukroger]

Look sensible - however some concern over 'all chariots can evade' .... what even those Mycenaean chappie with long spear (as cavalry with long spear can't) and more worrying .. Assyrian/Babylonian tanks which should struggle with anything straight ahead. Am assuming the characteristics will determine this ?

It isn't all chariots can evade. Its:

They can therefore evade as cavalry (if allowed to by other rules - so if hey have missile weapons and no Scythed Chariots cannot evade!

Si amended what he posted to catch that one after RJC pointed it out