Activation cards

[majortom]

I am new to this type of wargame, so please be patient

I do not understand what I am expected to do with the "activation cards"

Are they meant to assign orders to regiments? Are they meant to be random orders?

If someone could explain how these work, perhaps an example of how to use them I would really appreciate it.

While researching the first battle of bull run I decided to try to run a simulation of the battle in miniature.
I have just purchased IMEX ACW miniatures and am getting ready to base them. I bought the pdf of TFoB yesterday and have read them twice, but I still struggle with some of the concepts.

thanks
Tom

[Cmdr_G]

Hi MajorTom.

The Activation Cards represent an abstracted concept of command and initiative. The intention is to break up the traditional turn structure into something resembling the OODA (Observe, Orientate, Decision, Action) decision making cycle. The side that typically has the highest number of cards in the deck will typically have the highest levels of initiative and command responsiveness. The number of activation cards is therefore based on the Leadership ability of the leaders of Units, and can be adjusted for scenarios to reflect tactical surprise etc.

I shall assume for this example you are playing with a Brigade as the highest command. You total up the Leadership scores for all the Leaders on each side (in CP, see page 7, with Legendary usually getting just 1 although situationally I make this 3 cards). So if my Brigade had a Average Commander (2 Activation cards), a regiment with a Poor Leader (1 Activation Card), another regiment with a Average Leader (2 Activation cards), a third regiment with a Inspiring Leader (3 Activation cards) and say a fourth regiment with a Legendary Leader (1 Activation Card). This would give me a total of 2+1+2+3+1=9 Activation Cards.

The cards are a pool of command resource, so that no card is tied to a particular Unit. Instead cards are allowed to be played to activate units in a sequence of the players desire with one priority, as detailed in 3c of the Turn Sequence.

OK, so each side has assembled their Activation Cards, they make a Activation deck by combining their cards and adding 2 End of Turn Cards. They are shuffled each turn.

Right, using the Turn Sequence, the player with the starting initiative decides how many cards they will draw from the face down deck, 2-5 cards. They can choose 2 cards to play cautiously, 3-4 to play with more fluidity, and 4-5 to be rasher or try and make bigger plays of coordinated actions. Their is a plus side and a down side to all these choices. When choosing fewer cards you have less chance of losing the Initiative, but you are making small piecemeal plays which may have less impact. Larger card choices run the risk of losing the Initiative or even allowing the enemy a massive activation of his forces which you are also trying to achieve. Their is a time and place for choosing each number of cards (this will become more apparent as you play).

The Activation cards now become a means to activate a Unit. One card will activate one Unit (see the Turn Sequence 3c for the priority in assigning cards to Units). You select the Unit that the card will activate and it goes about casualty resolution, morale resolution, and then any movement and firing, etc.

Right, back to our example. We decide to draw 3 Activation Cards (Turn Sequence 3.) It reveals 2 of our cards and 1 of the enemies. Because we have more cards than the enemy we keep the initiative. The enemy who does not have the initiative must now activate a Unit of his, and because he must follow the priority set by 3c. he assigns it to his Unit closest to our forces. We have 2 cards so must assign 1 to our Unit closest to the enemy and can assign the other to any Unit of our choice (lets say we have an artillery unit supporting us with a nice view of the enemy). So now we know who will activate, we now decide what they will do. The side without the initiative must declare first and then we do as we have the initiative.

Each side now resolves their activations, the artillery fires, our men advance, the enemy fires on them, etc.

Now we choose cards again. This time we decide on 5 cards as we feel lucky and want to really push alot of men towards a hole or flank before the enemy reacts. We draw 5 cards and get 2 cards for us and 3 for the enemy. Because we have less we lose the initiative. We assign our 2 cards to 2 Units first as we lost the initiative, the enemy assigns his, we declare our actions with those 2 units, he declares his next, we resolve the activations, etc.

Next card draw the enemy has the initiative so decides on the number of cards drawn.

Important Notes
-------------------

=> A Unit may be activated more than once a Turn. Each activation uses 1CP of the Leader.
=> A player must use the activation priorities set in 3c. of the Turn Sequence, i.e. that at least half the cards you have must be spent to activate units closest to the enemy with the remainder going where you like. Fractions can be rounded either way so that 3 could have its half rounded to 1 or 2, your choice.

Does this help? Do you need more info or detail? Do you want more reasoning on the why it works this way?

Ask away, happy to help.