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1.1 Chain of Command Republique
uses a very simple divisional level command system. Every infantry regiment,
cavalry brigade and artillery battery needs to have a divisional commander in
charge of it, and every divisional commander is controlled by someone who
issues his orders. Even in the rare case of units without any official
divisional commander, there will be a leader who fulfills the role of a
divisional officer and who is considered such for game play purposes.
At the beginning of the French Revolutionary period, the highest permanent
formations were usually regiments. Eventually, nations began grouping regiments
into permanent or provisional divisions and by the last half of the wars, these
divisions were grouped into permanent corps. Below is a short description of
each of these systems and how they are represented in Republique. Related
subjects such as orders and command radiuses are explained later in the
chapter. Regimental Pool System: Using this basic system, a
commander-in-chief was allotted a general pool of units which he then doled out
to various officers under his command. These subordinates then operated their
own columns or "wings," either independently or as part of a larger army.
During battles, the commander-in-chief would commonly assign these column
commanders to the army's left flank, center, right flank and advanced guard.
In Republique, the wing or column leaders function as divisional
commanders. They are issued game orders by the commander-in-chief, and
all units assigned to them must remain within their respective command
radiuses. Divisional Wing System: This is similar to the
previous method, except that column commanders were assigned divisions and
brigades instead of regiments. Each division was likely to be a semi-permanent
organization of infantry, artillery and/or cavalry. In Republique, the
divisional commanders operate as normal by keeping the various units under
their command within the required command radiuses. Column commanders issue
game orders to various divisions under their command. The
commander-in-chief in turn issues written orders to the various column
commanders. Corps System: In this system, autonomous corps are
assigned their own semi-permanent commanders and divisions. Each division is
permanently assigned certain regiments and has organic artillery elements. Each
divisional leader is given orders by the corps commander who may assign
additional cavalry and/or artillery assets from the corps reserve. In
Republique, corps commanders issue game orders to the divisional leaders
and may remove units (especially artillery) from the divisions and assign them
to corps reserve formations. They may also assign various reserve units to the
divisions, in which case the newly assigned units are subject to divisional
commander radiuses. Corps level reserve formations with their own leaders
operate in the same manner as divisions, receiving game orders from the
corps commander. Corps (and army) reserve units without their own leaders must
either be assigned to a division or assigned an aid-de-camp, who acts as
their divisional commander. Army level divisions (usually reserve formations)
receive game orders from army commanders in the same manner that member
divisions of a corps receive game orders from their corps
commanders. «
1.2 Command Radiuses All units
under the command of a divisional leader must remain within that officer's
command radius (CR), which is measured from the edge of the commanding
leader's base. The command radius represents a zone of communication within
which a divisional leader may automatically control units under his command.
Units within their divisional commander's effective radius will always respond
to order changes on the same turn upon which those changes are successfully
rolled for and changed. Units outside their divisional leader's command radius
are considered to have exceeded the ability to communicate with them in a
timely manner and have correspondingly limited courses of action. This command
radius system applies only to divisional leaders and their equivalents,
not to corps/army commanders, who do not have command radiuses. At the end of
each assault phase, divisional leaders may adjust their positions by up to 8cm
in order to keep within their command radius those units which conducted
mandatory movements during the assault phase. There are three command
categories, each of which have operate using established command radiuses and
order change abilities. These categories are:
Efficient: 30cm command radius.
Change orders on a die roll of 4 or higher. Functional: 25cm
Command radius. Change orders on a die roll of 6 or higher.
Cumbersome: 20cm command radius. Change orders on a die roll of 8
or higher. Refer to the Troop Types by Nationality list for
command category information for specific nations. Leaving the
CR - Units which leave their divisional leader's command radius because of
a morale failure or assault result (i.e. - due to a mandatory movement.) will
remain in their final position until they rally (if necessary). If after
rallying they are still out of the CR, they must either remain stationary under
an automatic defend order, continue withdrawing each turn if demoralized, or
move to rejoin their parent formation. While separated from their division,
they receive no benefits for rally orders which their division might be under
and they may not execute divisional orders until they rejoin their division by
re-entering the CR. They may however, receive rally bonuses from other leaders
in their chain of command or other charismatic leaders who are within
8cm. Leaving units behind - Units attempting to individually
rally may be left behind by divisional leaders in order to maintain the pace of
a move or attack order. Leaders attached to regiments continuing assaults may
also leave distant units behind. The units left behind suffer the same
restrictions as units which have retreated from a CR.
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1.3 Orders There are two types of
orders used to transmit commands during game play: game orders and
written orders. Game orders are issued to divisions by their respective
corps or army commanders. Written orders are issued to corps or columns,
effectively limiting direct communication between participating players.
Divisions never receive written orders, and corps/armies (or their equivalents)
never receive game orders.
Game Orders At the beginning of
each game, every division must be issued initial game orders by its
respective corps/army commander. Official game orders are: attack, defend,
reserve, move and rally. Once game play begins, players wishing to change a
division's orders must first pass an order change test, which may only be
attempted during the command phase of the controlling player's turn. To attempt
an order change, consult the Leaders section of the combat chart. The
Change Orders column in that section indicates the die rolls required
for a formation of that nationality to have its orders changed. Order changes
include switching among order types, changing a command path in any way or
changing the configuration of a defensive area.
Move - Moving divisions mark their movement route on
the battlefield map. This command path is drawn as a single line
terminated by an arrowhead. The arrowhead indicates where the division will
stop and automatically revert to a defend order, with the attitude of the
arrowhead indicating the division's defensive facing. The command path itself
may be as straight or sinuous as the commanding player wishes, although players
should keep in mind that the more complex a unit's march route, the more
subject the unit will become to unexpected events. Each turn that a
division is under move orders, it must have at least half of its units expend
at least half of their available movement following the command path line until
they reach their objective or come within 25cm of enemy units. While the
division is within this 25cm contact range, its units may move at any
speed required to fight properly so long as the division's overall center line
remains within 15cm of the command arrow's route shown on the map.
Attack - Attacking divisions are assigned specific
enemy units to attack. This command path is drawn on the map as a single line
leading to the target location, which is circled. Units under attack orders
must have at least half of their units expend at least half of their available
movement moving toward the target units. Once within 25cm of the assigned
enemy, attacking infantry and cavalry must attempt to assault and artillery
must unlimber and fire. Except for cavalry reaction and emergency rallies, the
division will ignore enemy formations other than the ones targeted for attack.
Attacking divisions will track and follow the assigned targets regardless of
the enemy's movement.
Defend - Divisions under defend orders must attempt
to hold specific terrain or areas. Once placed, defending units may not
voluntarily advance or withdraw beyond the overall defensive position. The
center-point of the division must remain within 15cm of the center-point of the
defensive location shown on the combat map.
Reserve/Restage - Units may only be given reserve
status at the start of the game. Once play begins, no units may be given a
reserve command. Divisions in reserve must remain stationary at their original
starting position unless:
a) They are issued new orders during the
Command Phase. Reserve status divisions which are issued new orders will act on
them without having to roll for change of orders. b)
Enemy units approach within 45cm If approached by enemy units, a reserve
division will immediately revert to defend status, losing all benefits
that are associated with being in reserve. c) They restage. Reserve
divisions may restage; advance up to one move. They must pass an order
change roll in order to restage and may not come within 45cm of any enemy unit
at any time. They are still considered to be in reserve status at the end of
the restage move.
Rally - All member units of a division under
rally orders may use their leader's value. (instead of only those within
8cm). The units must be within their leader's command radius and may not move
during their upcoming maneuver phase. A division assaulted while under
a rally order reverts to defend status. The division commander may not lead an
attack or defense if the division began that turn under a rally order. When all
the units of a rallying division successfully rally, the division automatically
reverts to defend status.
Written Orders Because most games
of Republique involve players who command groups of divisions, all orders above
divisional level are handled using a simple written order system. Corps or army
commanders whose on-the-board command figures are not in base to base contact
with each other are not allowed to discuss battle events or issue verbal orders
to each other during the game. Instead, they exchange written notes which are
delivered via assigned courier figures which travel 48cm per turn. This method
enforces a certain time lag into the command loop, thereby preventing the
"command by ESP" phenomenon. Note that individual players in charge of several
corps obviously do not need to send themselves messages, the written message
system is meant purely as a control over verbal contact between several players
on the same side.
In order to send a written order, write the desired message
on a sheet of paper and assign it to a courier figure during the Change Orders
portion of the Command phase. This is best achieved by numbering all courier
bases and then writing the respective numbers on the outside of the folded
orders, which are then placed to one side until their delivery. During the
following movement phase, the courier moves toward the leader to whom the
message is aimed. At the beginning of the Change Orders segment following
the courier's arrival, the message recipient may unfold and read the
"communique." « 1.4 Leaders Leader
figures benefit units under their command by boosting assault performance and
by helping units to rally more quickly. In order to lend their leadership value
(if any) to an assault, leaders must be attached to one of the participating
units. Leaders may attach to units only during the Command Phase, which is
achieved by moving the leaders figure into direct base to base contact with a
unit. Once attached, the leader may not be detached until the next friendly
Command Phase. While attached to a unit, a leader does not lend his value to
any other units under his command. See the Assault section for details
of attached leader benefits. The process of attaching and detaching leaders
does not affect the movement of the unit to which the leader(s) are
attached. During the Rally Phase, leaders lend their value to all
friendly units under their command which are within 8cm of their base. If the
leader is a divisional leader, and his division is under rally orders, his
value will apply to the rally die rolls for all units within the division.
Leader values are an indicator of both the particular abilities of the man in
question, and also an expression of the army within which he commands. As a
leader's value increase, his battlefield abilities also increase. Note that any
leader whose value is 3 or greater is considered charismatic:
"-1" leaders - A minus one leader is either
widely despised or dangerously inexperienced, and is probably viewed by the
troops as someone who is going to get them killed. His presence hurts more than
it helps, and he is probably in his position because he is either a (usually
young) member of a royal family, or a guerrilla leader who has assumed
responsibilities out of his normal area. "0" leaders - A "Zero"
leader is either an uninspired but capable officer serving in a progressive
army, or a standard product of many of the more conservative and rigidly
controlled armed forces typical of many nations of this time. He serves as a
conduit for the transmission of orders so that his divisions and other
formations can function, but his personal commitment and/or rapport with his
troops is limited to the technicalities of daily operations. "1"
leaders - A "One" leader is a fairly standard product of the more
progressive armies of the period, and represents a capable, normally trained
officer. If present in a more conservative army, he probably represents a
substantial cut above the rest of the officers around him. "2"
leaders - A "Two" leader probably belongs to the top third best officers in
a more progressive army, and represents a truly inspiring leader for more
conservative forces. He has a good combination of experience and ability.
"3" leaders - A "Three" leader is both capable and charismatic. In
progressive armies, he represents the cream of the crop of the officer corps,
with an effective combination of ability, management technique and bravery. In
conservative armies he represents one of a tiny handful of officers with the
connections and charisma to both retain a command and become popular with his
troops for one of several possible reasons (religion, reputation, seniority,
propaganda, etc.). Class three commanders can give their leader bonus to all
units of the same nationality, regardless of chain of command. "4"
leaders - A "Four" leader has become famous in his own time, both in the
army and in the populace at large. Regardless of particular abilities (of which
there were usually at least some), class four officers first and foremost have
a strong personal influence on the men under their command. Class four
commanders can give their leader bonus to all units serving on the same side,
regardless of nationality or chain of command. "5" leaders - A
"Five" leader has not only become famous in his time, but he is both extremely
powerful and charismatic. A combination of great ability and cult following
allows him to exert an influence over his men which are out of proportion to
his real abilities, which are considerable nevertheless. Note that in campaign
games, this powerful position can become the focus of great resentment and
blame if things do not go well. Class five commanders can give their leader
bonus to all units serving on the same side, regardless of nationality or chain
of command. « 1.5 Morale and
Rallying Morale Conditions - During the game, units can
suffer Morale Hits which degrade their effectiveness and increase the
chances that they will attempt to spontaneously withdraw. The ideal unit
condition is ordered, which represents a unit fully under the control of
its officers and able to perform as ordered. Ordered units have no morale hits.
If one morale hit is suffered, the unit becomes disordered. If the unit
has not rallied when another morale hit is inflicted, it will become
rattled. If another morale hit is suffered, the units become shaken, and
if a fourth morale hit is suffered the units finally becomes demoralized. Units
can recover from morale hits by rallying, but they may also suffer more than
one morale hit at once. Shown below are the possible morale conditions and
their respective restrictions, if any.
Ordered - Unit behaves normally.
Disordered -Unit may not change formation. Rattled - Unit may
not change formation or deploy skirmishers. Shaken - Unit may not
change formation or deploy skirmishers. Infantry will not attack cavalry or
artillery. Cavalry will not attack artillery. Artillery is silenced.
Demoralized - Unit may not change formation or deploy skirmishers and
will not voluntarily move toward any enemies. Artillery is silenced. Unit will
suffer one panic hit for each additional morale hit inflicted upon it by
skirmishers and/or artillery. Rallying - At each rally step
of the Command Phase, players must attempt to rally units which have morale
hits. Roll one die and modify the roll using the modifiers shown in the Rally
section of the Combat Chart. Compare the modified roll to the cross reference
Die Roll box, making sure that the troop grade and morale levels match the unit
being rallied. If the modified roll is within the range for those troops, the
unit rallies and reverts to ordered status. Units which fail to rally will
retain their current poor morale, following any limitations imposed by the
morale hits definitions. Rally Modifiers
- +(v · 2) Emergency rally - A leader
attempting an emergency rally and who has survived his injury roll may apply
double his normal value to that unit's rally die roll.
- Division rallying/leader within 8cm - If a
division is under a rally order, all units in that division's command radius
receive their commander's leader bonus added to their rally die roll. For
divisions not under a rally order, only those units within 8cm of their leaders
will receive the same bonus. Leader bonuses are cumulative. For example: A unit
within 8cm of both its divisional and corps commander may apply the morale
benefits for both to its rally die roll.
- Heavy support within 8cm - Any unit rallying
within 8cm of friendly elite units and/or cavalry receive a +1 modifier to its
rally die roll.
- Dangerous enemy nearby - Units attempting to rally
under the following conditions suffer a -2 to their rally roll for each type of
threat (to a maximum of -4).
- Threat 1: Enemy cavalry and/or
artillery is within 25cm (regardless of line of sight).
- Threat 2: Unopposed enemy skirmishers
are within effective range (3cm, 5cm or 8cm). Must be effective range for the
threatening skirmishers. For example; good skirmishers cannot be a threat at
8cm range.
- Divisional panic victims - Units belonging to a
division which panicked during the previous turn suffer a -1 to their rally die
roll for each level of panic suffered by the division. This modifier only
applies on the turn immediately following the divisional panic.
Replacing Fallen leaders - When a leader is killed,
another may replace him during the controlling player's next command phase. The
new leader will have a value of "0", and is only used to show the division's
location and its ability to receive orders. Players may adjust their command
structure to bring a more valuable leader into a vacated position. For example:
If a "4" value corps commander is killed, instead of replacing him with a "0"
rated commander, he could be replaced by one of his divisional commanders who
might be a "2". The "0" value replacement is given command of the divisional
position just vacated by the new corps commander. No order changes are
permitted for a formation during the command phase following the death of their
leader. This rule applies to divisional, corps and army level formations and
there are no exceptions. As an additional note, the charismatic leaders rule
may not be used to "leverage" new orders by having leaders commandeer entire
formations which are temporarily leaderless. That rule is for use only to
change the structure of an intact chain-of-command, not to improve the
condition of one which is damaged. For example;
Corps Commander Lannes is wounded and carried from
the field at the end of an artillery fire phase. None of his divisional
commanders may receive new orders during their next command phase because the
replace leaders step comes after the change orders step. Even if
Napoleon is within movement range of one of Lannes' divisions, and the
commanding player really wants to change that division's orders, he can't (i.e.
- Napoleon may not ride up to the division and verbally change that division's
orders). The injury to Lannes is considered to have "damaged" not only the
officer, but also the command and communications for his corps and its
superiors. For further explanation, see the Questions & Answers section. |