This simple order system, combined with the Revised Command and Control Rules have been developed and playtested over the last 4-5 years.
The basic mechanisms in Napoleons Battles work well but do nothing to counter the 'helicopter viewpoint' players have and can take advantage of. Also, the result of the Army Commander's command span reaching down to Divisional level results in Wing and Corps commanders not acting in a historical way but rather being used as rallying points, stray unit tows, assault leaders, etc. Whilst such commanders could perform any of these duties in real life, it was only an occasional thing. Their main occupation was in directing the units under them in order to achieve the corps or wing's objective.
To provide a more 'realistic' feel to a battle, the following order system provides for:
Delays in the transmission of orders to simulate messengers getting lost or captured, generals failing to understand their orders and requiring clarification and just the fact that nothing in real life works perfectly.
Organisations are restricted by their orders and thus will find it difficult to react to changed circumstances, fleeting targets of opportunity and so forth. Many of these events the commanders on the spot in real life may not haveeven been aware of but which players see from their elevated perspective.
The following rules have been tested, work fairly well and are easy to implement. They replace or add to the existing rules and should only be used in conjunction with the r Revised Command and Control Rules.
4.1.2: THE COMMUNICATION STEP: If desired, this step may be timed.
4.1.2.1: Generals test to see if they can act on orders received the previous turn.
4.1.2.2.: Write orders, fold and place under generals within the writing general's command span or place with a messenger at limit of general's command span for delivery on a later turn.
4.1.2.2.1: Place orders which arrive by messenger this turn under the receiving general's base. Remove messengers which deliver their orders.
4.1.2.2.2: Read written messages that arrived during the previous Turn, and remove from the tabletop the messenger units that delivered them. Attempts may be made to decipher captured messages (10.7.2.3.2).
4.1.2.2.3: Write messages, fold, and place under new messenger units.
4.1.2.2.4: Confer with players whose personal commander units touch.
7.3 ORDERS: Each Organisation must have an order written for it on an Order Sheet. These are provided and should be photocopied liberally by players.
7.3.1.1: The number of orders available to a side per turn is determined by the issuing general's Response number. This is based on the general's 'real' response number.
7.3.1.2: If a general has a response number of 7 or 8 he may write 2 orders per turn. If his response number is 6 or less he may only write 1 order per turn.
7.3.2: WRITING ORDERS:
7.3.2.1: There are four basic types of orders available for use as described below.
ATTACK: Attack orders are used to advance and secure terrain objectives. Objectives must be clearly defined and if of some distance, a route should be outlined. At least half the units available must make either a full forward move, rally from rout or remove a disorder marker, till the objective is achieved or changed. Units can only advance beyond objective if it improves defensive position and then no further than maximum infantry firing range. Upon taking the objective, they Organisation will change their orders to "Defend" that objective unless other orders have been recieved.
DEFEND: Must list terrain limits Division is to defend. If pushed back, units must advance to regain positions lost as per Attack orders. May not advance beyond terrain limits more than maximum infantry fire range.
SUPPORT: Support orders may only be given to cavalry units. Cavalry can support the next command higher of Corps or Wing within the same chain of command. For example, with a French Corps of three infantry divisions and a cavalry division, the cavalry division may be given orders to support the whole Corps. Cavalry Corps can be given orders to support the whole Army or Wing (next command level higher). Cavalry may be given orders to support a Division in another chain of command but not a higher organisation.
STANDBY: Units with Standby orders are considered to be in Reserve in Limbered or Column formation. Standby orders must define a terrain area where the units are to remain. The entire Organisation must be out of enemy Melee contact and firing range (not artillery) otherwise the Division's orders automatically change to Defend with the same terrain area. No forward movement allowed although units may be rearranged within their standby area
7.3.2.2: Upper echelon commands are given orders that refer to areas rather specific locations as with Divisions. Thus a Corps would be ordered to "Attack" the area between the villages of "XXXX" and "XXXX". Similarly it may ordered to "Defend" the area south of the river "xxxx" and west of the town "xxxx".
7.3.2.3: Upper echelon commands my be given 'combination" orders. Thus a corps may be given orders to attack one area and defend another.
7.3.2.4: The number of "combinations" is as follows: a Corps may have 2 "combinations", but if more than one both may only consist of "Attack" and "Defend"- i.e. a Corps may not be on "Standby" and also "Attacking" somewhere. A wing may have 1 combination per Corps under it's command without any restrictions as to type.
7.3.3 INITIAL ORDERS: All Generals which start the game on-table must have orders written for them before the game starts.
7.3.3.1: In ad-hoc games, the initial orders can be whatever the player wishes to have for each General. In such games, it is suggested that Organisations which arrive later in the game be given their initial orders before the start to simulate that such troops would have orders and that they may no longer be appropriate, as was often the case in real life.
7.3.3.2: Troops arriving later in such games can have new orders (see 7.3.4 below) written for them before their arrival, but such orders may only be written on the Turn immediately preceeding their arrival.
7.3.3.3: In Historical Scenarios, orders for all Organisations should be based on what the units concerned actually did at the start of the battle. Thus, at Waterloo, Jerome's Division should have orders to attack Hougemont and the British Guards should be deployed in the chateau with Defend orders, and so on.
7.3.4. CHANGING ORDERS: Orders may only be changed by an overall commander in a Division's chain of command. There is a built in delay for all generals to help simulate the time it would take for the general to act on the new orders and his orders to his brigade and regimental commanders to be received and understood, often in the midst of battle.
7.3.4.1 PROCEDURE: When an upper echelon commander (Army, Wing or Corps) wishes to change the orders of one or more organisations under his command, he must first allocate one of his available order allocation that turn (7.3.1.1.).
7.3.4.2.: On the bottom of the order sheet next to the Time heading, the player writes in the time the order is written (game time or turn number).
7.3.4.4.: Where the organisation general is beyond the command span of the general writing the order, the order is placed on a messenger figure and positioned at the edge of the issuing general's command span closest to the receiving general. The order (if the messenger can reach the next turn) is treated as being written the following turn.
7.3.4.5 ACTIVATING ORDERS: Once the order reaches a general in the next Communication Step unless he is on "Standby", he dices to determine whether it is understonod that turn or the next. The delay is to simulate various real delays that could happen such as a messenger getting wounded or killed, the general not understanding the order and requiring clarification, the general being lethargic or preoccupied etc.
7.3.4.5.1: Generals on "Standby" react the same turn as they receive the new order, i.e. if they are within the command span of the General issuing the order they may act straight away.
7.3.4.5.2: In addition to faster activiation, all Genrals on "Standby" are assumed to be with their commander awaiting new orders. Therefore, all Generals in a command on "Standby" may be given new orders at the cost of only "One" order allocation by the commanding general.
7.3.4.6 When due to activate a new order a general rolls one dice and copmpares the result against his response number. If it is equal to or less than his response number, it is activated immediately otherwise it is activated the following turn.
7.3.4.6.1: The number required is modified as follows:
+1: If French general under Napoleon at any time or in the period 1804-1815, Prussian General 1813-1815 British General under Wellington
-1: If receiving orders from a Russian General, if a Spanish General not under British Command or if an Ottoman Turk General or if a Neapolitan General not under Napoleon's overall command - -1
7.3.4.6.2 SPEEDING CHANGE: The speed of tranmission for new orders may only be improved by placing the issuing General in base to base contact with the receiving General. In this case the orders are acted upon the same turn as they are issued.
7.3.5 CHANGING CHAIN OF COMMAND: Orders are normally issued down the chain of command, thus the CinC issues orders to his Wing or Corps commanders. They in turn issue orders to the organisations under them and so on. However, at any time an upper echelon General may issue orders directly to lower echelon organisations, by-passing one or more levels of the chain of command.
7.3.5.1: When an upper echelon commander by-passes one or more levels to driectly command a lower echelon organisation, that organisation is temporarily removed from its normal chain of command and is now commanded by the upper echelon General who issued the order.
7.3.5.2: A general whose chain of command has been altered as above will continue to be commanded by the upper echelon General until he receives new orders from his normal chain of command superior.