BATTLECRY
OFFICIAL ERRATA/FAQ V1.05 02/20/02
FAQ’s
GENERALS:
Q: A general is allowed to move, attach, and battle with a unit already in a Woods Hex. Does this same rule apply to moving into a Building Hex with a unit already there?
A: (RB) Yes.
Q: Can a lone General occupy the shaded area to count for a lost Union flag?
A: No. The rules refer to "units" and "Generals" as being separate things. The special rules for Shiloh say a "unit" has to occupy a shaded hex to count as a Union flag lost.
Q: Does attaching a general to a unit allow it to fire one hex further?
A: No. Attaching a general only allows you to roll one extra die, not extend the range of attack.
Q: The movement of units through hexes with a lone general, and lone generals through hexes with units is confusing me. Would you please clarify what I can and can't do regarding this?
A: To sum this all up... A unit or general may not move through a friendly or enemy unit hex. Units may move into, but not through, friendly hexes with a lone general; and a lone general may move into, but not through, hexes with friendly units. The exception to this is that a lone general in retreat must move his full retreat distance. It may not stop short. It may move through a friendly unit as long as the unit's hex does not also have a general.
Q: Shouldn't units be able to move through a space with a general? I agree that there may be circumstances that would prevent a general from continuing to move quickly once he comes upon a unit. But, a cavalry unit or a force march infantry unit moving into a general's space should not be stopped. If they are on a mission, the general would (try to) not hinder their progress and would even urge them onward, whether he was going to accompany (attach to) them or not. Anyway that's my thought on it. However, as long as it's official, I will play it your way.
A: (RB) To keep all players on the same page when playing at a convention or in a tournament, I believe that a standard set of rules is important. House rules, its your game... have fun!
Q: Must a lone general stop in woods/buildings on his first or second hex of movement? (In one errata question you make a distinction between units and generals, but in the rules there is some overlap. The rules say "unit.")
A: First. (RB) Good point! Generals are like units when moving and must stop when he enters a wood, building, or waterway and may not enter rough terrain. (Will add the word general, to the second edition rules.)
TERRAIN:
Q: Terrain restrictions are supposed to be ignored when retreating. Does this mean a retreating unit may enter or pass through a normally impassable rough terrain hex?
(ALSO)
Q: It states in the rules that terrain has no effect on Retreat moves. Does this mean that a unit or general may move through or onto a Rough Terrain hex?
A: (RB)The next line should state... A unit may not retreat onto, or through, a hex that contains another unit, rough terrain and/or impassable terrain.
Q: Can two (or more) Field Works be built in the same hex? The rules are not specific on this and I allow two or more to be built if you can play the right cards to do so. This simulates the construction of a fort, or entrenchment.
A: The "Construct Field-Works" text reads ... Place a Field-works token on 2 different hexes (if allowed) that are occupied by your units... Therefore if you are lucky and get the "Construct Field-Works" card twice in a game, you may build your fort.
Q: Is a Waterway Bridge Hex considered a Waterway Hex?
A: Yes. This prevents Field Works from being constructed on Waterway Bridge hexes. Also, a FieldWork piece will not fit properly on Waterway Bridge hex without covering some of the water due to bridge position. Therefore, a Field Works may NOT be built upon a Waterway Bridge Hex.
Q: Is a LOS blocked that travels along the edge of the board if the on-map terrain is blocking? The question really becomes what is in the hexes that are just off board. Do you always assume blocking terrain around the entire perimeter of the board?
A: Yes, in the above situation LOS is blocked. Off board hexes or those around the edge are considered as blocking terrain for LOS purposes.
Q: Does an Infantry or Cavalry on a hill have its line of sight blocked when attacking over a unit (any unit friendly or enemy) in an adjacent hex on lower/non LOS blocking terrain? The rules state that an artillery unit may fire over a friendly unit or General in an adjacent hex.
A: Infantry or Cavalry on a hill may not fire over friendly units. Only artillery, on a hill hex, may fire over a friendly unit in an adjacent hex to the hill. Therefore, their line of sight would be blocked.
Q: The Sunken Road in the Antietam scenario. Is the number of battle dice reduced by two for attacks from any direction, or is the terrain treated like a fence section for defense benefits?
A: No. Treat the sunken road, like a fence line (see page 10). An attacking unit in front of a sunken road (fence line) will have to reduce the number of battle dice rolled by 2.
DECK & CARD:
Q: What happens when you reach the end of the Command Card deck?
A: Re-shuffle the cards in the discard pile and continue playing. Since the discard pile is reshuffled into the deck whenever "All-Out Offensive" card is played, this shouldn't happen all that often.
Q: Can you play a card on an area (flank) when there are no units there to be ordered (whether or not you have other playable cards in hand)? Basically, can you play an "unplayable" card?
A: Yes. SEE ERRATA #6 BELOW
UNITS:
Q: Can a unit, issued an order, attack without moving?
A: Yes. From the rules... You may move units you've ordered...The key words here, as you have already noted, are "may move".
Q: Some scenarios include special rules for horse artillery, which has a "maximum range of 4 hexes." Does this change only affect the range, or does it also affect the strength of the attack at close ranges? I.e., does horse artillery have a strength of 5, 4, 3, and 2 dice (at 1, 2, 3, and 4 hex range), or does it have a strength of 4, 3, 2, and 1? I assume the answer will also apply to the VMI cadets at New Market who also have a reduced range.
A: This isn't as clear as it should be. The range on horse artillery is 4 and the dice are 4/3/2/1. Yes, the same logic applies for the VMI cadets, 3/2/1.
Q: Can you opt to eliminate a figure rather than retreat off the map board if forced to do so?
A: No. If the unit (and/or general) is forced to retreat off the battlefield (by virtue of being attacked while it is in the last row), the unit (and/or general) is eliminated.
Q: Are ALL casualties from ALL firing units removed before ANY retreats from ANY firing unit? I believe this is yes from a reading of the rules, but there is some small room for doubt. Yes would make sense because the units might retreat out of range. Please Clarify.
A: (RB) Each unit's battle is resolved before the next unit's battle is started. Hits are taken first followed by retreats. The order you choose to battle with your units is an important skill a "Battle Cry" commander must learn. As you noted, after the first unit's battle dice are rolled, the target unit may retreat out of range of another unit you were planning to battle with on the turn.
Q: Tying in to that last question, must all shots be "called" before resolving any? This would seem to be yes, to keep a player from seeing who was successful and then targeting a different enemy. This is how I
play, and it is a standard wargaming convention, since all shots are presumed to be simultaneous.
A: No. (RB) In "Battle Cry" unlike standard wargaming convention, shots are not called. As each unit battles you should state the unit battling and its target unit. Determine the number of dice you will roll. Roll the proper number of dice and remove hits and then the unit is move back if any retreats were rolled. After all this, and only after all this is completed, should the next unit battle. You may call the same target unit... but this is up to you based on its position etc.
Q: While playing the Pea Ridge scenario, a lack of supplies card was played early in the game on the union player. The unit was to be placed on the back row of the same section; however all the spaces are filled with units. is the unit that the card was played on- a. eliminated; b. placed in the next closest hex to the correct section; c. other?
A: (Rob/AH) Other. (though close to b.) The unit is placed as close as possible to the back row of that section. We hadn't looked fully at the setups when we made the first ruling. The new ruling is that a unit that cannot make it to the edge of the board is placed as close to the edge as possible. See "Out of Supply" below under Card Specific FAQ's.
SCENARIOS:
Q: In the Shiloh scenario, when are Confederate units on the back line counted - at the end of the Confederate turn, or the end of the Union turn? I say in the Confederate's turn, because you get flags in your own turn...but if in the Union turn, it always gives the USA player a chance to get them out of there...which is it?
A: (RB) The turn a Confederate unit ends its movement on a shaded hex, it counts as one Union flag loss. It counts as one Union flag loss, until the unit is no longer on the shaded hex (it moves off or it is eliminated).
RETREATS:
Q: If a unit receives enough flags to have it exit the board, is that unit is lost, & the flag is given to the opponent?
A: (Rob/AH) Yes. And if it has a general attached, both flags are lost.
Q: Is one piece is removed from a unit for each flag received if the unit is unable to retreat (due to units, impassible terrain, etc.)?
A: (Rob/AH) Yes.
Card Specific FAQ’s
Q: REINFORCMENTS - Can reinforcements that appear in woods/buildings battle on that turn? The rules say they can't because they just entered the woods...the card says they can.
A: Yes. (RB) The units that appear when called as reinforcements, may battle even if it is placed in a building or woods hex.
Q: FORCE MARCH - Suppose an infantry unit is adjacent to an unattached general and Force March is played (everything in clear terrain). If the infantry unit moves into the general's hex, does the general automatically attach to the unit and move with the unit to the second hex?
A: Yes the general attaches. No, the infantry unit cannot keep moving, it must stop.
Q: OUT OF SUPPLY: The "Out of Supply" card forces a unit to retreat to the last row on his side of the board in his section. What if, by some chance, all the hexes in the back row are filled? Does he lose that whole entire unit?
A:(Changed according to Rob at AH) "We hadn't looked fully at the setups when we made the first ruling. The new ruling is that a unit that cannot make it to the edge of the board is placed as close to the edge as possible." This will usually occur only in the Pea Ridge scenario.
Q1: LEADERSHIP: I think the wording of the "Leadership" card could have been clearer. A rules lawyer might argue this card allows an attached general to move and attach to another unit and grant it the battle dice bonus.
A: This card is a little confusing.... The original intent of the "Leadership" card was that all generals receive an order. When a general was not attached to a unit, it may move. If he attaches to a unit, the unit may not battle this turn because it was not ordered. When the general is attached... (As written on the card).
Q2: LEADERSHIP: Does the card override the normal restrictions of the artillery unit, or not?
A: No. So if a General is attached to a artillery unit that was given an order to fire, then it would get the bonus, but it still won't allow artillery to move and fire.
Q: HIT AND RUN: Does the "Hit and Run" card to allow a cavalry unit to enter a woods or river hex on the first move then exit (possibly entering a second woods or river hex) on its second move?
A: Yes. The intent of this "Hit and Run" card, is to give the cavalry unit two movements on the same card play. Another way to state this is to say a cavalry unit is making two movement turns on this card play. Normal Cavalry movement is one to three hexes. When cavalry enters a terrain hex that halts movement, its movement is stopped. What the "Hit and Run" card lets you do is to make a second move on the same turn. The Cavalry may not battle twice on the turn; it may only battle after its first movement. Of course, it does not need to make a move and may target an enemy in an adjacent hex. After its battle it may make a move. Terrain effects would apply both after the first move or the second move, i.e. if the Cavalry moved into a woods hex on its first move, it could move no further and would not be able to battle either. It may make a second move.
One other note about the "Hit and Run" card. You do not need to run back after an attack. The card's name may imply this but the cavalry may move forward, back or to its flank. For the record, a cavalry unit doesn't have to battle at the end of its first move, to get its second move.
Q1: BOMBARD: Can you shoot BOTH bombardments before doing retreats from the first one?
A: (RB) No. A bombard is like battling twice, the card just lets you battle with the same artillery unit twice.
Q2: BOMBARD: The "Bombard" special order card allows all your artillery units to move twice or bombard twice. Does "move twice" include the possibility of moving into and out of a woods/waterway/building hex?
A: The "Bombard" card allows artillery to battle twice or make two moves. Normal artillery movement is one hex. When artillery enters a terrain hex which halts movement, its normal movement is expended (one hex move). What the "Bombard" card lets you do, is to make a second move on the same turn. It may move into a terrain hex which stops movement and its first move ends. But the card gives it a second movement on the turn. So it may move another hex. The artillery may not battle and move when playing a "Bombard" card.
Q1: COUNTER ATTACK: We've had a couple of different interpretations of the Counter Attack card. Could someone please explain exactly how this card works?
A: Simple. You just get to play the same card your opponent just played. Think of the counterattack card as a wild card in poker. The catch is that you have to attack on the same flank he did (if you're duplicating a skirmish, probe, or attack card, that is). For example, if he played an attack card for his *left* flank, you're going to do the same thing on your *right* flank (in other words, the troops who were just attacked are *counterattacking* the units who attacked them). Obviously, if he just attacked in the center, you're going to do the same thing in the center, so no "left-right reversal" is necessary.
Note: If it was the "All-Out Offensive" card issue an order to all units and generals. If it was the "Coordinated Attack" card issue an order to 1 unit or generals in each section.
Q2: COUNTER ATTACK (as applied to specific cards): I play a Counter Attack card following my opponent's Forced March card. He did his force march on his right flank. Do I have to force march my left flank or can I do as the card says and force march any section? (There is no "flank" reference on the Counter Attack card)
A2: Yes. On a "Force March" and on a "Fire and Hold Position" card, they both state: "... in one section of the battlefield." The other special order cards do not.
When a "Force March" or "Fire and Hold Position" card is played, the player may choose in which section of the battlefield the card action is taking place. The player must define which section of the battlefield the card is being used for at time the card is played. Therefore, when the "Counter-Attack" card is played right after a "Force March" or "Fire and Hold Position" card, the section to which the counter attack must take place was already determined by your opponent.
Note: The other special order cards do not force a player to make a section of the battlefield choice nor do they state which section the card must be played. Some special order cards just state the type of units ordered (Bombard, Hit and Run, Leadership, and Construct Fieldworks). The units using this special action can be anywhere on the battlefield. Some special order cards just state the cards special action (Rally, Call for Reinforcements, Short of Supply, Sharp Shooter). These actions can also be done anywhere on the battlefield.
ERRATA
-- This is a misprint. There is no infantry unit on the lower-right hex (in the river).
--The waterway hex, top row, right side of the battle map (on the union left flank), should be a woods hex, not a waterway hex, and the hex just below should have a waterway hex curving off the edge of the board.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the many people on the RGB newsgroup whom have both posted questions and provided their interpretations of the rules.
Special Thanks to Richard Borg and Rob at Hasbro/AH who have diligently answered questions about the rules and clarified misunderstandings in an effort to improve game play.
V1.05 Posted and revised by Walt Mulder 14 February, 2002