Age of Rifles FAQ #5 -Terrain Effects in AGE OF RIFLES- 1)Terrain Effects On Melee Combat 2)Terrain and Formation Effects On Movement 3)Terrain and Formation Effects On Fire Combat -Terrain Effects On Melee Combat- Terrain has no direct effect on melee combat, however by allowing units the option to deploy in defensive order, it can have a very strong indirect effect. -Terrain and Formation Effects On Movement- Road movement Road movement costs take precedence if allowed. Units must be disordered or in march column, and movement must be along the road from one road hex to another. Road movement is not allowed if abatis are present in the hex. March column....................................................1 Disorder........................................................2 Road movement cost modifiers Other unit in hex..............................................+1 Soft ground condition (road)...................................+1 Soft ground condition (improved or sunken road).................0 Dismounted unit under fire or taking cover.....................+1 Off road movement Standard cost (by formation) March column....................................................1 Disorder........................................................2 Attack column...................................................2 Supported line..................................................3 Line............................................................3 Square..........................................................5 Off road movement cost modifiers: Town or village - always use the standard cost, following will not apply. Each line of modifiers is cumulative with all other modifiers. The modifier for each line is only charged once, thus (example) a unit which is under fire and skirmishing will only pay +1 to move. Soft ground or heavy rain.......................................+1 Dismounted unit under fire, taking cover,or skirmishing.............................+1 Night...........................................................+1 Heavy equipment in unit.........................................+1 Marsh...........................................................+2 Berm............................................................+1 Hex on fire............................................not allowed Fence, wall, or trench (mounted)..........................1/3 full Fence, wall, or trench (not mounted)............................+1 Crewed weapons in unit..........................................+1 Escarpment (no elevation change).........................no effect Escarpment (elevation change)..........................not allowed Bridged stream..................................................+2 Unbridged fordable stream or gully (no heavy equipment).........+2 Unbridged fordable stream or gully (heavy equipment)...not allowed Unbridged Non fordable stream..........................not allowed Woods...........................................................+1 Abatis, redoubt, or walled compound (mounted)...................+2 Abatis, redoubt, or walled compound (not mounted)...............+1 Rocks, mud, sand, any field (mounted)...........................+2 Rocks, mud, sand, any field (not mounted).......................+1 Change in elevation (mounted)...................................+2 Change in elevation (not mounted)...............................+1 Note: "Heavy equipment" is a characteristic of some types of crewed weapons. See weapons database to determine whether any particular weapon is considered "heavy equipment". Naval Movement / Naval Units River or lake (deep water).....................1 River or lake (small vessels, shallow water)...2 (may run aground) Otherwise......................................not allowed Note: A river lake hex which shows even the smallest amount of land is considered shallow. Water Movement / Non-Naval Units River or lake (non frozen).....................Not allowed River or lake (frozen).........................Normal movement costs SPECIAL CASES: Artillery may not be pushed (moved while unlimbered) into any hex adjacent to an enemy unit. Units may always move one hex per turn regardless of cost, as long as the movement would not otherwise be prohibited. -Terrain and Formation Effects On Fire Combat- All fire in the game is resolved by first calculating a raw lethality for the firing unit (the expected casualty rate in the target unit) which is then multiplied by an "optical cross section" value to get the effective lethality. Units will small optical cross sections are well protected from enemy fire. -Target Optical Cross Section (by formation)- -Defensive Order (or Unlimbered artillery)- trench,sunken road,town,walled compound,or redoubt...0.15 village..............................................0.25 -All Other Formations- If "front", "flank", or "rear" are indicated, the line applies only to fire received through that specific arc. Digging or Disordered vs. artillery........................................1.20 vs. small arms.......................................1.00 March Column............................flank................0.70 March Column........................front or rear............0.88 Attack Column vs. artillery...................front................2.10 vs. small arms..................front................1.20 vs. artillery...................flank................3.15 vs. small arms..................flank................1.80 vs. artillery...................rear.................2.63 vs. small arms..................rear.................1.50 Supported Line vs. artillery...................front................1.50 vs. small arms..................front................0.80 vs. artillery...................flank................2.25 vs. small arms..................flank................1.20 vs. artillery...................rear.................1.88 vs. small arms..................rear.................1.00 Line (small arms or artillery fire) small unit......................front................0.60 large unit......................front................0.80 small unit......................flank................0.90 large unit......................flank................1.20 small unit......................rear.................0.75 large unit......................rear.................1.00 A "small" unit has no more than 500 (100 yard scale), 1000 (200 yard scale),or 2000 (400 yard scale) troops assigned. More than this, and the unit is actually in a hybrid "line/supported line" formation. Square vs. artillery........................................2.40 vs. small arms.......................................1.40 -Modifiers For Units Not In Defensive Order- Bridge.......................................................2.00 Berm or Partial Breastworks front................................................0.80 flank or rear........................................1.20 Full (360 degree) Breastworks................................0.80 Skirmishers Deployed vs. artillery........................................1.00 vs. small arms.......................................0.33-0.66 (depending upon proportion of troops skirmishing - 0.33 modifier is for units deployed 100% as skirmishers. 0.66 modifier would apply for a very large unit with a small proportion of troops deployed as skirmishers). Mounted......................................................3.00 Target on higher elevation than firing unit..................0.90 Dry Stream...................................................0.90 Town,Walled Compound,Redoubt.................................0.70 Village,Rocks,Tall field,Woods...............................0.80 Abatis,Field,Brush...........................................0.90 All modifiers listed on separate lines are cumulative. -Examples- A unit in defensive order, in a village would only suffer 25% of the raw expected casualties. A unit in defensive order, in a redoubt would only suffer 15% of the raw expected casualties. A small unit in supported line formation, receiving small arms fire from a flank, deployed in an open rocky hex, with skirmishers out, would suffer: (1.20 x 0.80 x 0.33)=0.32 (32%) of the raw expected casualties. A small unit in supported line formation, receiving artillery fire from a flank, deployed in an open rocky hex, with skirmishers out, would suffer: (1.20 x 0.80)=.96 (96%) of the raw expected casualties. A large mounted cavalry unit in attack column formation, in a field, taking small arms fire from the front, with skirmishers deployed would suffer: (3.00 x 1.20 x 0.90 x 0.66)=2.14 (214%) of the raw expected casualties. A unit in supported line formation, receiving artillery fire from a flank, deployed in a brushy berm hex higher than the firing unit would suffer: (2.25 x 0.90 x 1.20 x 0.90)=2.19 (219%) of the raw expected casualties. -Notes on Fire Strength- A unit's raw fire lethality (strength) is based upon its "capability" and the number of weapons the unit can fire (in turn based upon its formation). Mounted cavalry units suffer a 33% penalty. Previously moved units suffer a 20% penalty. All units suffer a 30% penalty at night, as well as a 15% penalty in light rain or snow or a 30% penalty in heavy rain or snow. Additional penalties may apply for some classes of weapons in certain circumstances. All of this will be detailed in a separate document soon. The fire strengths shown in the game already reflect all of these effects. Norm Koger 2.0 October 23rd, 1996. Updated October 24th, 1996.