Sequence of Play
0. General Description
The two sides alternate turns, each of which has four phases: in the De-shaking Phase, the moving player’s shaken units automatically undergo a Morale Check to try and de-shake (become eager again); in the PIP Phase, the moving player’s generals dice for PIPs (command points) and spend them in doing things with the units under their command; in the Firing Phase the moving player’s units fire on the enemy, with consequences (if any) mostly for the defender; in the Charge Phase, charges declared (and paid for) in the PIP Phase are resolved. It is then the other player’s turn.
1. De-shaking Phase
The first phase is the De-shaking Phase. In this phase, the moving player rolls a Morale Check for each unit that is shaken at the start of the turn. The Morale Check uses all the morale bonuses and penalties applicable. (E.g., a normal unit of cavalry will require 5+ to pass, since it has a -1 penalty to morale because it is shaken, but a veteran infantry unit in a BUA will require 3+ to pass, since its -1 penalty for being shaken is offset by +2 for its being veteran and for its being in a BUA.) Units that pass the Morale Check immediately remove their Shaken marker. With one exception (cavalry resisting a charge by cavalry: see Charging), this is the only way that a unit can pass from a shaken back to an eager state.
2. PIP Phase
In the PIP Phase (described in more detail under PIP Phase), the moving player assigns PIP rolls to each Divisional general: these indicate how many PIPs (command points) that general has to spend that turn. Once assigned, this die roll can be modified in a few ways:
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great generals add +1, bad generals lose -1 each turn;
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each Corps and Army commander can add +1 to one Divisional general's die roll per turn, if that Divisional general is within 9" of the Corps/Army commander;
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a bad Corps or Army commander turns every subordinate's PIP die roll of 1 to a 0 for that turn, with no chance to add +1 for that turn either.
PIPs are used to do things with the units subordinate to the Divisional commander. You can spend any number of PIPs on a unit per turn, subject only to the restriction that you can only move or pivot once per turn. PIPs can be used to
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move or pivot a unit;
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start or stop firing (add or remove Firing marker);
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declare a charge (in addition to the cost of moving) (add Charge marker);
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limber or unlimber artillery (add or remove Limbered marker);
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rally a routed unit (remove Routed marker);
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de-silence artillery (remove Silenced marker);
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spike guns (i.e. destroy silenced artillery in contac).
The game is more fun if there are no "take-backs," i.e. if PIP points, once spent, cannot be reallocated on second thought: oversights and mistakes in this regard simulate the mistakes that subordinate officers can make.
3. Firing Phase
In the Firing Phase (described in more detail under Firing), every unit marked with a Firing marker must fire, if it has a valid target. (All units of both sides who lack a valid target have their Firing marker removed at this point.) Firing is resolved in whatever order desired by the player whose turn it is and the effects are immediate, i.e. you fully resolve one firing attack before beginning to resolve the next. Note that the targets of fire are not pre-specified in the PIP phase, and it is only at the moment of resolving the firing that the player whose turn it is need specify which enemy unit will be fired at. Attacking units do not combine fire, instead resolving their firing one attack at a time, even against the same target.
4. Charge Phase
In the Charge Phase (described in more detail under Charging), all units marked with a Charge marker in the PIP Phase resolve their charges. Charges can be resolved in the order desired by the player whose turn it is. Whereas firing attacks are resolved one at a time, however, charges declared against the same target are combined and resolved together, one of the charging units being chosen by the charging player as the principal charger. All charges are resolved by the end of the Charge Phase. As each charge is resolved, remove the pertinent Charge marker(s). Successful cavalry charges may result in follow-up charges, which are resolved immediately.
End of turn
Once all charges are resolved, the turn is over and the other player now begins a new turn at the start of this Sequence of Play.