Further to my last post, I've discovered that our rocketry rules are very anemic, so I've taken it onto myself to rectify that problem!
For anyone interested here are my draft rocketry rules, which while written for our own club rules, may have some adaptability to other rules. Also, if you have any suggestions based on your own experience of rocketry rules, please feel free to leave a comment. I've yet to test them, but will give you a detailed AAR with an appraisal of the rules when I do!
Looks like a nice little rule, but for gods sake don't throw a 10!!!
ReplyDeleteSharp Practice has rocket rules If anyone in your group has a copy. The rules include deviation and effects depending on through the air or skipping across the ground.
ReplyDeleteI tried making my own rocket rules for Napoleonics years ago. Most rule sets ignore them or give them very little power (usually only a morale test at best) and yet every account I read about use of rockets in the period suggested that they were very good at breaking up large bodies of men, scaring off cavalry and especially setting fire to buildings.
ReplyDeleteAccuracy was the issue - some did fall short, went off line etc. and rules should accommodate this.
Again there are a nice set of rules but you could use a scatter dice to randomly determine where the rocket ends up
ReplyDeleteGreat!
ReplyDeleteI think a three step process works best i.e. roll to see if they fire (don't roll 1 as it means its blown up on the launcher!) then roll for direction and then to hit on a 5 or 6 (a D6 for each rocket successfully fired). We tried this at a Cancon demo some years ago using Phil Jones' 'Elan' rules and it worked well. We were doing a Liepzig/Waterloo type scenario with a RHA Rocket troop on the Allied side. The rockets were mostly a fizzer but when they hit, they really made a mess (one of the largest and loudest explosions on the Napoleonic battlefield apparently). We had one hit right in the middle of a Cuirassier brigade in march column. Took out half a regiment and broke the brigade - one could only imagine the effect such an explosion would have on any horses in proximity. I recall it took two turns to rally the surviving regiment - so very nasty when they go bang!
ReplyDeleteI think your version should work OK as the trick is to find the right balance. Rockets can be an overwhelmingly devastating weapon and also (more often) completely useless - but you don't want either factor to completely dominate their use on the tabletop.
Cheers,
Doc
Have to disagree with any real effects except for setting buildings on fire and blowining themselves up. Morale checks and occasional casualties as they pass through tight and close to the ground. Blowing up a limber or caisson on a direct hit and high die roll. But Blowing a hole in a cavalry regimrnt. Highly unlikely. We as wargamers have too nuch of a tendency to treat this "fireworks" like modern LAWS / Tomahawks / or cruise missiles.
ReplyDeleteThere was absolutely NO control over where these things might land - at best you had a 50/50 chance it would hit your own troops. Any realistic rules need to take this vague ability to hit anything into account.
Thanks for the comments, chaps.
ReplyDeleteI'm aiming for a bit of random fun rather than a game winner. I don't want it to be too powerful, but I still want to have the morale effect on the enemy. I like the thought that it can be a two edged sword as well!
I'd forgotten about their incendiary use as well, so I might try to make some rules for their building burning applications as well.