I have made some minor changes and additions to the rules and these are available through the Hotz link to those who have purchased the rules in the form of replacement pages.
Here they are:
Battles
for Empire 2: Errata and changes
April, 2015
Whole sections of the rules are copied
below with changes or additions noted in red text.
Replace section 13.8 with the following:
13.8 MG FIRING AND JAMMING
The
early MGs of the nineteenth century were unreliable especially when fired at a
high rate by crews under pressure. When
firing an MG the player first decides on the number of fire dice he wishes to
throw (3-6 dice) and carries out the normal firing procedures. Immediately re-roll all “missed” dice.
The MG jams if any of the re-rolled dice result in a “1.” A jammed MG causes no hits on the target this
turn but is ready to fire again next turn (with another risk of jamming!).
Note that more reliable modern MGs like
the MG carry the same jamming mechanics.
Since they “hit” more easily their risk of jamming is already less than
the older MG types.
Machine Gun Fire Example:
A
British Gardner gun unit (one stand) fires at a Shaken Dervish foot unit in the
open. The British player decides to roll
six D6s in order to maximize the possibility of accruing hits, and needs a 5-6
to hit on each die. The D6 results are
2, 3, 4, 4, 5, and 6. The player
immediately rolls the 4 “missed” dice; one result is a “1” and the MG jams
eliminating the effects of this shot.
Had no “1” resulted the shot would have caused two hits; that equals 2
Kills and a Shaken effect. The repeated
Shaken effect is meaningless. In the next turn the MG may fire again normally,
but again with a risk of jamming.
Replace text concerning jamming on QRS
with the following:
Jamming: re-roll misses; “1” on any die=jam; no
shooting effects this turn Fire normally
next turn, with risk of jamming again.
Replace Section 14.1 with the following (note
that only the Procedure sentence is changed):
14.1 CONSEQUENCES OF RAPID FIRE
In
contrast to controlled volley fire, Rapid Fire expends greater amounts of
ammunition, particularly at ranges where the enemy are especially threatening
and the firers excitedly discharge their weapons without restraint. Therefore, a unit that Rapid Fires, must
determine whether it has run short of ammunition.
Procedure
After rolling the Rapid Fire dice,
immediately reroll all “missed” dice. A
unit becomes low on ammunition if any of the dice result in a “1.”
A
unit that runs low on ammunition is marked as such (an ammunition box or a chit
marked with “low ammo”) and remains low on ammunition until re-supplied by an
ammunition mule. A unit that is low on
ammunition may fire but does so with a negative fire modifier. It also suffers
-1 in melee.
A
firing unit not rendered low on ammunition is unaffected by Rapid Firing. The unit performs as usual and may Rapid Fire
again next turn.
Native and Boer units:
Native
and Boer units may usually not Rapid Fire. However, scenario designers may
sometimes give Boer units the ability to Rapid Fire and can apply the effects
of low ammunition to any units to suit the situation being represented.
Imperial and Colonial Recruit Camel
mounted units. Add the Exception to the Charging
rules:
16.1 CHARGING INTO MELEE CONTACT
A
charge is a move into melee contact.
With the exception of Imperial mounted units, once a unit is in melee
contact it may not voluntarily move until the melee is resolved and there is no
more contact with the enemy.
Charging with cavalry and infantry:
All
mounted units may charge any unit type.
Exception: Imperial and
Colonial Recruit Camelry units may never initiate a charge into melee
contact. If charged themselves, they
immediately become Shaken. Apply the
marker immediately in the Movement Phase.
Add Boers to the Moving and Firing rules
(and the -1 penalty for doing so):
13.1 RIFLE AND MG UNIT FIRING ELIGIBILITY
Only
foot units (and dismounted cavalry) armed with firearms may fire; the effects
of javelins, spears, and other hand-hurled weapons are represented by
melee. Imperial and Boer mounted units
may not fire but may dismount to do so.
See Optional Rules (Sec. 20.0) for Mounted Unit Firing.
Only
front rank stands can fire (Exception:
Pathan and Boer infantry in skirmish order may fire 2 ranks of stands; see
Skirmishing, Sec. 9.1). The entire
frontage of each firing stand (foot or MG) must have a clear path of fire to
the target uninterrupted by intervening enemy or friendly troops or
terrain.
Moving and Firing:
Moving
and firing is mostly dependent on the kind of firearm being used, but unit
training and formation also affect the ability to move and fire. ALL MG units must remain stationary to fire
except they may pivot in-place and fire as ‘moving’ (-1).
Formed
and Massed Units
Muzzle-loading
smoothbore or rifled muskets:
All
Formed and Massed foot units armed with muzzle-loader muskets that remained
stationary that turn may fire. Any
movement, including changes of formation, wheeling, or changes of facing, prohibits
Formed or Massed foot units and MG units from firing.
Exception: Skirmishing
with muzzle-loaders
Units
in Skirmish order armed with muzzle-loaders that are permitted to move (e.g.
not Natives) may move up to half their movement allowance and fire with half
their number of eligible firing stands applying the -1 modifier for moving and
firing. The movement may include any
allowable type of movement (e.g. Wheels, retrograde, change of facing, etc.) as
long as it does not exceed half the movement allowance of the skirmishing unit
or result in melee contact (e.g. a charge).
A
muzzle-loader unit may change formation to Skirmish order and fire as moving
skirmishers as long as no further movement is conducted that turn. This is the
only type of fire and movement permitted to most Native units in skirmish
order; most Native units may not move while in skirmish order. Pathans and Boers are exceptions; see Sec
9.1)
Breech-loading
rifle:
Drilled
Europeans, Colonial Recruits and
Boers armed with these weapons may move up to their full movement
allowance in any formation and still fire; they fire with a -1 modifier. The movement may include a change of
formation or a change of face, including dismounting. A unit may not charge and fire in the same
turn.
