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REPUBLIQUE
GRAND-TACTICAL NAPOLEONIC WARFARE IN MINIATURE



Update History & Designer's Notes

We appreciate the compliments and recommendations which are regularly received from Republique players. Several of the corrections and changes below are partially or wholly a result of the vigilance of gamers around the world, and we thank all of you for your help!

Pending Revision 5.0 General Notes
The assault curve is now shallower compared to version 4 of the rules. Only base (B) hits and panic (P) hits are inflicted as modified assault results, Morale (M) hits are now the result of the point difference between the natural (unmodified) assault die roll spread (same roll, no extra rolls). This gives a much wider variety of assault results. K (kill) hits have been renamed B (base) hits throughout the rules. Artillery fire resolution has been completely changed to a more linear system and includes provisions for mass battery fire. The Panic table has been modified so that divisional panic is now far less likely to happen, and only occurs at the highest level of individual unit panic. The rally table is now used in a slightly more dynamic way, allowing a unit's morale to either improve, stay the same or get worse, which gives wider range of battlefield results. Command and Orders have been combined into a simpler Maneuver system in which units only need to roll for more difficult movement changes.


Major recent development changes (December, 2022):
Command and Orders replaced by the Maneuver table and related rules (faster, more managable game play)
Modified Mass Battery table and some related rules.
The Unopposed Overlap and Timed/Conditional order rules have been moved to the optional rules section.
Removed some assault modifiers, rolled some others into similar existing modifiers (see modifier definitions).
Changed nature of written messaging between players (simplifying game play while keeping time delay in comms).
Skirmishing: Eliminated skirmisher mod for artillery, art cannot fire at fully deployed, changed effects on units that take artillery hits through their skirmish markers.
Hors de Combat: Streamlined the rules to make officer loss calculations faster and simpler.
Emergency Rally: Moved to optional rules under Assault (rule #512).


Revision 5.0 - General Changes List (2018 to 2021):
Command
Changed leader injury/killed to a more general Hors de Combat category. Streamlined function and conditions of the leader loss.

Artillery
Changed artillery table, extensive changes.
Eliminated the need for tandem target to be in same range bracket as main target.
Stipulated how limbered artillery may accompany friendly troops conducting a Carry Position or Breakthrough movement, including movement and unlimbering.
Clarified that Firing at Cavalry mod must be against moving cavalry.

Assault
Disengaged B and P hit cause from M hit cause, gives wider variety of results. Chart changed to match.
Have extended Break-off option to both infantry and cavalry attackers.
Clarified result categories of carry position, breakthrough and overrun.
Codified closing ranks at end of Assault Phase.
Changed carry position result to full position instead of half of position.
Expanded tactical bonus selection, including effects of artillery involved in breakthroughs. Woods bonus only applies to formed units.
Modified assault table; Removed K hits and added breakoff options for infantry assault.
Panic: Clarified that divisional panic does not trigger addition of morale hits.

Rally/Panic
Eliminated fail roll (now a Pass roll) in all but Panic 5 columns. Less chance of panic except in more serious situations.
Removed Death-of-leader as a panic trigger, removed C-in-C and Leader loss mods from Panic table. Panic index is more for mass troop events and not isolated incidents, also for troops trends beyond command control.
Modified rally table. The reason that "Disordered" has been changed to "Unformed" is to let each morale hit level have its own abbreviation, IE - Unformed, Rattled, Shaken and Demoralized (U, R, S and D).
Rally of damaged artillery now carries negative modifier.
 
October 1, 2000. Revision 4.0
The major change this year is the adoption of a Panic Index which connects assault results, army panic, demoralized unit panic and deaths of leaders into several semi-related series of events, all of which are controlled through one multi-purpose chart. Demoralized units no longer vanish or automatically rout, but their presence on the field is now a liability to those around them! A trade-off which we hope adds realism to the situation while simultaneously streamlining the process.

Note: The update list does not include any references to areas which were re-written if the change did not affect any standing rulings.
CORRECTIONS:
  • Corrected command radius conflict between text and combat chart
  • Corrected cavalry assault rules to cover loss of line bonus against rough targets and performance versus squares.
CHANGES:
  • Adjusted artillery fire points & ranges.
  • Reduced artillery prolong distances.
  • Adjusted and merged maneuver systems and passage of lines.
  • Changed some assault modifier ratios from "over half" to "greatest percentage." Also changed assault modifiers for being outnumbered.
  • Changed rough movement interference from ¼ inch to ½ frontage base.
  • Changed Enemy artillery/cavalry nearby rally modifier to Dangerous enemy nearby, also changed from -1 to -2 each (see text).
  • Changed cavalry reaction to pro-rated at from 15cm range or line of site.
  • Changed demoralized assault modifier to -7 in compensation for removal of auto-rout.
  • Reduced artillery fire into cover from 1 inch to 1cm.
  • Changed qualification of artillery leader modifier and attached artillery leader abilities.
  • Streamlined command radius categories.
  • Streamlined leader injury table.
  • Lowered skirmish fire effectiveness as compensation for rally and leader injury effects.
  • Changed name of mandatory movement to Forced Movement
  • Changed name of "defensive bonus" to "tactical bonus."
  • Changed approximate turn time to 40 minutes.
ADDITIONS:
  • Added Panic Index, coupled with streamlining of assault results and addition of prisoner-taking and fall back result. Linked demoralized panic to new index.
  • Added Local Breakthrough rule for assaulting units rendered out of contact with assault targets due to target panic.
  • Clarifying skirmish rules, added "bluff charge" to optional rules for countering skirmishers.
  • Added saved fire as assault defense bonus.
  • Added passing fire modifier, coupled with changes to passing fire rule.
DELETIONS:
  • Eliminated Army Panic roll and associated rules. Replaced it with more closely integrated Panic Index.
  • Exempted leaders who have already rolled for injury during assault from rolling again at end of phase.
  • Deleted immobilization of damaged artillery batteries.
  • Deleted automatic demoralized unit desertion and auto-routing.
  • Eliminated limit on Divisional Wing system commander's assignment of units
CLARIFICATIONS:
  • Established clearer definitions for the two orders systems.
  • Clarified leader's abilities to conduct emergency rallies.
  • Stipulated inability to stockpile saved fire markers for artillery.
  • Specified order changes as occurring during the command phase.


September 3, 1998 Revision
This update involves an number of clarifications of already existing text. Because most change involves elaborations or explanations on pre-existing themes, only rules text associated with the few actual changes has been "colorized."
CORRECTIONS:
  • Clarified assault effects on incidentally contacted units.
  • Deleted erroneous reference to the pro-rating of attached leader/courier movement.
CHANGES:
  • Changed behavior of demoralized units to include mandatory withdrawal movement. Established a Mandatory Movements chapter in the maneuver section in order to merge it with other already existing rules.
  • Adjusted maneuver parameters for units using the Prussian maneuver system .
  • Merged passage-of-lines movement penalty into "rough movement" category. Previously was a separate 3" reduction in speed.
  • Adjusted terrain effects.
  • Changed the title "defense class" to "defense bonus" for clearer intent.
ADDITIONS:
  • Added ruling allowing dispersed cavalry brigades to be reformed back into original units during battle.
  • Specified that damaged artillery cannot be "merged" to produce undamaged artillery.
  • Added corps/army level command control guidelines (recommedation only, not a mandatory rule)
DELETIONS:
  • Removed requirement to move in a straight line for 2" before assault contact.
     Reason: Assault contact does not automatically infer charge movement.
  • Removed disordering of units in woods.
     Reason: Reforming of units upon exiting is not warranted given the length of game turns.
  • Deleted 1806 Prussian defense bonus (retroactive, actual deletion was done 11-97).
     Reason: By this period, Prussian volley tactics were widely imitated, resulting in a general "continental" style within which the Prussians were no longer very distinctive. The Prussians did still maintain very rigid discipline, but this was dramatically offset by their lack of practical combat experience.
June 22, 1997 Revision
Most of the critical changes made in this revision were achieved by changing or rearranging already existing rules instead of creating new ones. Game play will be affected quite a bit, so players should familiarize themselves with these differences. We have also extensively rewritten some sections to make their intent clearer while not changing their rulings.
CORRECTIONS:
  • Clarified rules text. (All)
  • Artillery road move corrected to double move instead of triple move.
CHANGES:
  • Changed hilltop spotting to two inches
  • Changed the change orders values for Austrians, Prussians and Russians.
  • Moved application of charge disorder to end of assault phase and broadened it to effect any unit which uses assault movement bonus during the turn.
  • Changed the assault table's cavalry attacker column to coordinate with the new charge disorder application.
  • Moved Leader Injuries to the Assault Sequence. Causes involved leaders to roll after each assault round instead of only once each turn. Changed emergency rally rule to include all units involved.
ADDITIONS:
  • Added rule limiting skirmisher recall during the assault phase
  • Tied death of a national leader to the army panic roll.
DELETIONS:
  • Removed "ordered" from the "...ordered infantry in squares..." section in the cavalry assault rules. Infantry squares with morale hits now benefit from their formation.
UPGRADES:
  • Created metric version of combat chart.
3-15-97 Revision
CORRECTIONS:
  • Inserted passage showing loss of cavalry's assault bonus when fighting ordered infantry square
  • Corrected contradiction of rally modifiers in presence of enemy cavalry & artillery (Rally).
  • Corrected mixed formation description from "two bases wide" to "two bases deep"
CHANGES:
  • Changed command rules for corps reserve formations
  • Changed elite support to heavy support
  • Assault results for infantry at losing end of chart. Added one kill at -7,8 level.
  • Reduced officer mortality
ADDITIONS:
  • Added army panic rule
DELETIONS:
  • Deleted text reference to artillery target modifier which contradicted combat chart
  • Reacting cavalry may not withdraw
UPGRADES:
  • New combat charts with easier to read fonts.
 
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