Lasalle 2 review more thoughts
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- Опубліковано 3 сер 2022
- Preparing another Lasalle 2 game for tonight's club meeting. Further thoughts regarding some rules that we found a little confusing/unclear and some rules that are quite different in our experience to other Napoleonic rules.
Based on your comment, I sent him the following Follow up question:
As a follow up, I was just watching this video: Link to LaSalle Review and the speaker asked the question (at about 16:00) about a unit in mass formation behind earthworks (or on page 79 behind a wall). Why did the infantry not get a -4 for being in poor formation? The rules states that the infantry should (see page 78) Infantry engaged with cavalry and not in square).
I sent Sam this question today:
It looks like the example on page 79 of LaSalle needs correction (errata); or else the rule on page 76 needs correction (i.e. one of the two).
The Combat Modifier rule on page 76 states that "A unit that has any portion of its footprint in difficult terrain subtracts one from its combat score."
The example on page 79 shows unit C (a cavalry unit) which does not have it's footprint in difficult terrain, and thus, per the above combat modifier rule on page 76, should not receive the -1 modifier for difficult terrain. The earthworks is already giving the British +1 for a strong position. So either a correction to the example should be added to the errata, or...
On the other hand, if you intend for units passing through difficult terrain in their charge to get the -1 combat modifier for difficult terrain, then the rule on page 76 should be changed (in the errata) to read something like:
"A unit that (1) has any portion of its footprint in difficult terrain, or (2) that passed through or over difficult terrain or (3) that will pass through or over difficult terrain in making the attack subtracts one from its combat score."
I would say you can join the earthworks together if you want to.
See Page 143 for Sam's explanation of why no other units have to test morale when a nearby unit routs or a general is lost.
Thanks for your interest. Confess due to a variety of reasons I haven't played Lasalle 2 since about the time of this video (? 6 months), so my memory is "rusty" and we have since "moved on" to playing "Blucher". As indicated in the video I did ask on Sam's "forum" (can't recall if "Facebook" or his old website) about what he means by "earthworks", but Sam himself didn't reply. Generally comments from others agreed with my idea about deciding what such represented on a scenario by scenario basis. I'm not an expert on Napoleonic warfare by any stretch of the imagination, but even I would confidently assert that no way should infantry (or artillery) in a redoubt, strong barricade or fleche etc. have to form square or suffer a -4 penalty if attacked by Cavalry across such (different if attacked via a rear "opening") - thinking specifically of Borodino in this instance. One chap threatened a "bloody nose" to anyone trying to argue for a -4 penalty in such circumstances on his table! 😆 Agree there are different values & capabilities between different unit "types" in the rules, but we felt such were to "subtle" (at least compared with other rule sets we've played), but to each their own. Sam of course feels the difference between unit types in other rules is to exaggerated. Again, thanks for your comments and good luck with your enquiries.
The French Guards are not shaken until they have only 2 SP left, while the Spanish provincial infantry are shaken at 3. The Guards (their resolve is 5+) do not take disruption unless a 5 is thrown, vs the Spanish with take disruption 50% of the time, because the resolve of the Spanish is only 3. Their resolve also effects rally, and the Spanish will only rally off Disruption 50% of the time, while the Guards will do so 83% of the time. The Guards shoot with 6 dice vs the Spanish shooting with 4. The Guards add 3 to the skirmish screen, vs the Spanish adding only 1. This adds up to quite a difference. Remember, for the Spanish to enter combat with the Guards, they will have to undergo a volley of 6 dice before any hand to hand combat takes place. With bad luck, they might have to endure two such shots. If they take any disruption, their combat strength will almost certainly be lower than the Guards.