Demoralised Commands In BBDBA

[AlanYork]

I played a game of BBDBA on Monday with a slight amendment to the rules. We allowed a demoralised command to make one single element move as well as being able to hold single elements and groups.

This seemed to work quite well as it gave a demoralised command at least a minimal ability to defend itself, rather than just standing around helplessly waiting to be destroyed as happens under the rules as they are written currently.

What do you think guys?

[Martian]

I played a game of BBDBA on Monday with a slight amendment to the rules. We allowed a demoralised command to make one single element move as well as being able to hold single elements and groups.

This seemed to work quite well as it gave a demoralised command at least a minimal ability to defend itself, rather than just standing around helplessly waiting to be destroyed as happens under the rules as they are written currently.

What do you think guys?

In convention demo games I usually allow elements of a demoralized command to make a tactical if they are grouped with the commands general.

That and that the general and his bodyguard are never themselves demoralized and so don't take the -2 penalty.

This allows the players to stay 'in the game' a bit longer.

I have to make sure they know this is NOT 'by the book' though and the events are listed as a BBDBA variant.

Of course the player who loses their General, as Phil always says, 'They deserve what they get.' ;)

[miros]

IIRC, demoralised commands are allowed to make one move in DBM in addition to holding elements/groups.

Not bad as a house or scenario rule for DBA.

[Bob. (and his dog)]

As Marty says, keeping people in a scenario game is important. Getting people out of a tournament game is likewise important. So the latter go by the rules and the former go by what the game master likes.

[John Loy]

I like it for a house rule also.I'll have to try it next week. The demoralized rules always seemed a little extreme to me; although I'm sure there are plenty of historical examples. I also agree with Bob (?!) that there is a need to expedite tournaments .

[SteveW]

For my campaign games (usually Big Battle), my house rule is that a command is not demoralised once it loses enough elements. I play that a command having lost sufficient elements to demoralise it, is only demoralised when in a subsequent bound it loses more elements than it destroys.

This can introduce a bit more tension into the game. The player controlling the command teetering on the brink of demoralisation has to tread a careful path if they want to keep that command in the field.

[Steve Schifani]

I prefer using the HOTT rules for demoralized commands. Removing demoralized units for which there are no pips really speeds things along.

Steve