Field of Battle 3 - a list of changes from FOB2

Having been privileged to get a gander at Pdr version of FOB3, Brent (the author) as asked me to publish a list of changes/tweaks that I had noted.

Posting here for those interested, however if you do not have/use FOB it may make little sense, but if not I can only highly recommend this final version.

For those in UK Lancashire Games are taking orders for the rules and the card decks for those so disposed.

FOB 3 changes from FOB 2

Herewith a brief list of changes I have noted from FOB2 to FOB3 showing a substantial number of major and minor changes/tweaks. They are in no specific order and only outlined (as don’t want to spoil anyone else’s reading fun!). There may be some I have missed or am in error over detail (so feel free to add to list/expand info)

Also not mentioned is Seasons of Battle as new to most everyone (but a lot of changes from an early play-test set I tried)

Order and Disorder replaces In and Out of Command (semantic change)

Changes to card deck which are now a basic 23 cards not 27.

Only 3 Deck quality types now with correspondingly only 1-3 Lulls cards.

Manoeuvre card is gone with its function now included on Leadership card (but not possible if Leader rolls 1 on Rally attempts which must occur first)

Infantry & Artillery Firepower cards renamed as Fire cards (functionally the same)

Rapid and Rolling Fire cards appear for Breach loaders/MGs etc

Special Event card definitions expanded

A new Incident card appears with lots of scenario options (replacing some special cards in FOB2)

Rally from Routing now achieved by rolling higher does not require having to recover 1UI

Daring Deeds – Officers can now assist Rallies by upping Rally dice by 1-3 but this puts them at immediate and corresponding risk (you add 3 so you die on a 1-4 on D12)

Officer Replacements – slight tweak in that Replacement may be delayed on a roll of 1-2 and their Quality is rolled for instead of automatically down 1 dice level.

Units can only Change Facing or Formation not both per Move Segment or on Leadership card

Unit Integrity has been amended, all types now destroyed on reaching zero (previously it was Rout on zero and die on -1) also Cavalry now 4UI and Artillery 3UI.

Cavalry no longer Destroy units when they cause 2UI and Even win, this is now Rout.

Attack Columns do not suffer Down 1 from enemy musketry only from Artillery

Certain units (Skirmishers and Cavalry charged by Inf) can Evade but may or may not become Disordered (DD vs DD)

Skirmish rules tweaked to encourage them to hug terrain (Down 1 firing in open)

Grand Batteries redefined acting as separate Commands with only outside units able to turn.

Terrain in general has had several tweaks with Hedges and Walls now separate features.

Bridges and suchlike no must be taken by Columns ‘Forcing Passage’

Interpenetration has been redefined and restricted (especially by period) and no charging through into contact.

Pursuit has been changed (user defines those types subject) with pursuing units losing same UI as defeated unit.

Lots of Period Specific Army lists (seem to be more than in FOB2?) with English Civil War making a new appearance with quite a few new troop types, formations, special rules.

Lots of defining by period what troop types can or cannot Immediate Melee and suchlike.

Several separate Period specific Quick Reference sheets. 

These include several changes to the old generic FOB2 sheet. 

Some include entries for Cav vs Inf and suchlike.

Field of Battle - Lutzen the Guard fails !!

Managed with session late last night and this morning (both sides of chores) to complete this most entertaining solo game.
Things really got intense with huge swings of fortune going to and fro between both sides !
Units were decimated then recovered, flung themselves into melee destroying or being destroyed in equal measure.
Both sides at one point had exhausted all their Morale Chips and only surviving on `owed` chips.
The French at one stage had a failed Army Morale roll until I recalled my scenario rule that capture or recapture of a village garnered +5 Morale points to a force.
With both Rahna and now Klein-Groschen in their hands this gave them 10 extra Morale allowing them to continue.
French losses in actual units through Routs and Destruction greatly exceeded the Allied losses (although several units on table Routing) but they were hanging in there and at one crucial point, after several absolutely devastating volleys, had forced the Allies back to zero Morale, but the Army Morale test just did not appear (a fortuitous reshuffle likely aided the Allies).
Subsequently the Allies gained the upper hand again, mainly through staunch resistance of Russian foot and a breakthrough by Prussian Grenadier Brigade in French centre, dwindling the French Morale pool to zero and gaining some much needed Allied Morale.
Several Young Guard and the Old Guard Chasseurs had succumbed.
Just when it looked like a foregone conclusion 3 Allied Leader deaths in one go (Army Morale card) threatened the Allied success as their Brigades went out of command.
However their next card was Leadership allowing them to recover nearly all units despite lower grade replacement commanders.
More mayhem occurred with some units being charged on flanks as both sides tried to exploit gaps and a couple of devastating Allied cannon cannister blasts saw French in real trouble and of course an Army Morale was turned and failed by the Emperors forces !!

Such a joy to play through this even solo.
The straight up in your face nature of the encounter helped as not much scope for sneaky Grand manoeuvring bar when to commit reserves.
Was fun to get my entire Young Guard collection on to table (12 units) and was different using randomised Unit stats rather than my usual ‘generic’ system.

Besides scenario house rules (re Morale extras and set up) I used a couple of house rules, the main one effecting the game being use of ‘Brigade Skirmish Screen’ units, units of 3UI skirmish only types an idea ‘stolen’ from GDB/GDA.
I do have a house rule re ‘Hasty Squares’ for Infantry contacted by Cavalry but only used this twice (not a great deal of Cavalry here).

I could extensively wax lyrical (And do a bit below !) about the strength of FOB as a ‘big battle’ rule set but suffice to say I own no other set that comes close to generating such an exciting game that builds a real narrative to a game, full of excitement and incident all within a plausible Highly playable framework.
Not a ‘chess with dice’ system as if you want complete control of your troops FOB will frustrate you greatly.
For me it is a set that generates games that play out just like accounts of battles that I read, with equal amounts of inspired tactics, luck, frustration, units under performing or being truly heroic.
The lack of a strictly structured sequence of play is a major boon as in bulk of other sets I know when and how far a unit will move, when it will fire etc not so in FOB/PK as the vagaries of the Initiative rolls, deck sequence and construction, combined with the opposed dicing systems and the odds vs evens results (for Movement, Firing, Melee) lead to a much more exciting and unpredictable gaming experience.
Some deride the PK systems as the game ‘playing you’ rather than you playing the game, but I feel this is mainly due to a lack of understanding of the inherent game design and simulation model and typically a wish to be the ‘100 foot General‘ and in control of nearly all aspects troop interaction with only the dice rolls adding any random element (the chess with dice style or as I sometimes call these system ‘millimetres matter’ sets).
I do enjoy other styles of game (such as Shako, FOGN, GDA) but almost always find PK/FOB just delivers a much more satisfying, dynamic, exciting and decisive game experience overall with much less rules overhead.
FOB certainly has several abstractions such as free interpretations, lack of 'Brigade' morale (its all about the overall Army level), no bounce through, no overtly obvious use of supporting lines/troops and the pre-game preparation of forces and stats can be time consuming (but also enjoyable).
I have used several house rules for varied periods but in the end have cut these down to a minimal few I actually use as (as per Brents design notes) less is actually more.
But (and like Beyonces its a very BIG one!!) very few if any sets come close to dynamic nature of game style, with only Blucher, Maurice, GDA (and to a degree Black Powder) coming anywhere close with variable levels of ‘inertia and/or chaos’ included but still somewhat more stilted as games overall.
If FOB3 turns out to be less than I expect it to be then FOB2 still hits the ‘buttons’ for me.


A selection of pics (with captions this time) from last 2 sessions.



The false 'victory' for the Allies

French regroup outside Klein-Groschen

French centre before the 'fall' with silenced battery (green marker)

Routing Young and Old Guard !!

French still trying swing to right of Rahna (a D8 leader did not help here)

Allied left refusing..................

Russian and French Guard light cavalry tangle (both were subsequently lost)

The Prussian Grenadier Brigade supports Horns Brigade

Temporary stalemate at Klein-Groschen

French centre buckling (silenced artillery now gone)

Prussian Grenadiers swing towards French centre

Overview showing French trying to turn Allied left

Klein-Groschen has fallen to reformed Legere

Prussian Grenadiers are pushing into centre

Russians stoically holding the Allied left despite losses

Prussian Grenadiers suffer temporary set back (1 unit Routing but quickly recovered)

The bitter slog continues on French left with disorder (Out of Command) the order of the day

French high-water mark as Allied left looks about to collapse

Klein-Groschen firmly in French hands again

Overview at stage that both Armies had zero Morale left (both swung up and down wildy)

Prussian Hussars appear

Both sides saw leaders fall here

Prussian Grenadiers forge ahead breaking French centre

Allied left holds.......barely

French in disorder and rout

Overview of French right and centre

And of their left

Final throes of battle as both sides struggle to inflict the coup de grace........

Prussian screening Klein-Groschen whilst pushing towards Kaja

Prussian Grenadiers sweep all before them and now about to charge into flank of a Young Guard unit.

French failure on Allied left now plain

The final victory of Allied cause is secured.

French losses vis Allied (a whopping 14 units vs 3) but a mere 3 Allied Morale remained !!

The basic map (from a General De Brigade scenario)

Field of Battle - Lutzen action heats up

Played another couple of sessions and things really getting exciting (even solo) !
Allies have destroyed 3 units of French now and 2 more routed (although one recovered) including the Berg cavalry wiped out in a single round of combat by the Russian Guard cavalry.
However directly after the Old Guard Dutch Lancers set to the Russians and routed them.
French had an excellent Melee card round routing 3 Russian foot units.
A unit of Russian Grenadiers had routed 2 French columns with a devastating volley and a charge but then found itself routed by 2 fresh Columns of Young Guard.
Klein-Gorschen remains in Prussian hands as French were shot off prior to assault.
Both commanders on this flank have fallen in the mayhem with lesser replacements now in charge and both struggling to bring their units back into command.
Allied left flank in danger of being flanked by a Young Guard Brigade.
Both sides have lost just over half their starting Morale Pools.
So much happened in these phases hard to retain the narrative flow but just so enjoyable to play through.

The genius of the odd vs even outcomes really comes to the fore cutting out so much extra dice rolling for morale tests and outcomes.
Extreme results can come to the fore but are tempered by the frequency (or infrequency !) of the card draws (French just cant seem to get an Artillery Firepower card) and indeed the old Piquet ‘peak fire/combat effect’ is apparent.
The better Allied deck has had some effect as several Lulls have went their way giving them some interruptive actions.

Encounter still in balance as both sides still have reserves to utilise although timing could be key as Morale Pool diminish......