BaM Ladder Rules

Quick Start Summary

1. Check ladder pairings to see who your opponent is
2. Lower player on ladder makes bid for side he wishes to play, and emails it to his opponent
3. Bidding continues until one player passes
4. Player winning bid notifies GM of winning bid and by whom
5. GM sends (randomized) .gam files to Austrian and French player.
6. Austrian player begins game by making first move.
   
   
   
   

Notes on Optional Rules (listed below)

The Revealed Units optional rule IS in effect by default.
Bowen's optional rules are NOT in effect by default.

The default state applies to ladder games unless mutually agreed upon by the participants. This should be discussed and an agreement should be reached BEFORE bidding begins.

Finally, when you report your bids, please make sure to specify what options you have agree upon.

Optional Rules Summary

Revealed Units (optional rule - this rule will be used unless BOTH players agree not to use it):
Units that are turned up for any reason, including retreats, may not be turned face down until such time as they are eligible to be shuffled with other units.

Note: An artillery piece which has declared a bombardment is not eligible for shuffling. Bowen has confirmed that it is not possible to both shuffle and cancel a bombardment in the same turn.

CyberBoard's replay function gives players unlimited ability to go back any number of turns to identify pieces that were revealed and then turned face down (but not shuffled). The optional rule simply accommodates CB’s tracking ability by enforcing BaM’s actual shuffling rule (pieces are eligible to be shuffled only at the start of the owning player’s turn) with a revised, but simplified, rule for when revealed pieces can be turned face down.”

Bowen Simmon's Optional Rules

BaM Optional Rules

These are (for now) unofficial BaM optional rules, which basically incorporate some of the more easily integrated game system changes introduced in NT. I think that the changes will make the game more historically accurate and also improve the game balance. The French slow withdrawal strategy, which compared to Austrian pursuit is easier than intended, will particularly be made more complicated:

9. Maneuver Attacks

DELETE the rule beginning "A group making a maneuver attack into cavalry-obstructing terrain". It is no longer a requirement for a group making a maneuver attack into such terrain to include an infantry unit. Since it is no longer a requirement, there is no longer any need to turn a unit face-up to prove that an infantry unit is present.

12. Retreats

DELETE the four rules beginning with "An artillery piece that is forced to retreat", "For infantry pieces forced to retreat from reserve,", "Cavalry pieces forced to retreat from reserve", and "For each approach from which infantry or cavalry pieces are forced to retreat". These four rules together govern retreat losses and are replaced with the rule named below:

INSERT the following rule:

"Retreating units take losses as follows:

• Artillery units are eliminated.

• For each approach (other than the attacked approach if the retreat is from an assault) occupied by infantry or cavalry units, a one-strength point loss is assessed if the approach is narrow, or two if it is wide. The retreating player chooses which infantry and/or cavalry units from the approach will take the losses.

• If there are infantry units in reserve, a one-point loss is assessed if the attacked approach was narrow, and two if wide. The retreating player chooses the reserve infantry unit or units that will take the loss. Important note: cavalry units in reserve do not take a loss when they retreat."

As with all optional rules, players may use them by mutual consent.

BaM Ladder Rules Details

Please note: these rules are somewhat preliminary and subject to change based on the desires of the players and the whims of the gamemaster. They have also been ripped off from The Russian Campaign Online! PBEM rules, and modifed for the BaM format. Any errors and/or omissions are completely mine, and no fault of the TRC grognards.

Introduction: The ladder is a ranked list of players. Each player engages in a match against an 'adjacent' player. Winners advance halfway up the list while defeated players drop halfway down the list. The person at the top is the "King of the Ladder".

Gamemaster (GM): Dick Jarvinen
Assistant GM's: George Fagin, Garry Haggerty

Objective: The first and foremost objective of this ladder is to promote playing Bonaparte at Marengo in a competitive but friendly manner. Gentlemanly behavior and good manners are expected at all times.

Administration: The Gamemaster is responsible for administering the event and addressing issues that come up in individual matches. He will have (hopefully) two assistants to address issues that come up in his own match.

Gaming Aids : The default pbem program for BaM is Cyberboard; should one of the players be unable to use Cyberboard, then players can a) use the Vassal module; b) use 'text' moves; c) use a 3rd party as a 'go-between' (one player could use Cyberboard, and another could use 'text' moves; the 'go-between' would forward the appropriate moves and files to each player. Check the downloads page for links to these files.

Ladder Format: Each ladder match shall consist of one complete game (16 turns) of BaM.

• At the top of the ladder the winner will become the Defending Champion and the loser will move down the ladder.
• Each round lasts approximately three to four months (this allows a move rate of slightly more than one move per week by each player); new players may not normally join after pairings have been announced but often there is an unpaired player, and we will strive to find an opponent for that player. Please refer to the BaM Scheduling Page.
• A loser moves half way down the ladder. For example, in an event with 20 people, the loser of the championship match will begin the round ranked as #11.
• New participants will be added to the bottom of the ladder in the order in which the Gamemaster receives their request to join the ladder.
• The ladder position table details the rankings, opponent matchups, and match outcomes.
• A participant may withdraw at the end of a round in which case all other participants below the vacated spot move up one position on the ladder chart.
• Any participant who doesn't start a scheduled match at the appointed time will forfeit that game and be seeded at the bottom of the ladder.
• After the first round, a player may request a 'pass' in subsequent rounds. If you pass once, you will drop one place in the ladder (i.e. if you were ranked 7 in the current ladder, you will be ranked 8 at the start of the next ladder round. If you pass two consecutive rounds, you will be placed at the bottom of the ladder (but above new players just starting). If you pass three consecutive rounds, you will be dropped off of the ladder.
• Seeding is as follows: Winners, Losers, New Entries, Late Start Winners, Late Start Losers.

Scenario: The game to be played is "Bonaparte at Marengo" by the Simmons Game Company. Each match consists of one game; players bid to determine sides (see below).

Determining Victory: The victory conditions for the campaign game are described in the BaM rule book.

Rules: Each pair of BaM players is free to adopt whatever playing conditions, victory conditions, optional rules, combat resolution and/or error correction conventions, they wish as long as both players agree in advance.

Revealed Units (optional rule - this rule will be used unless BOTH players agree not to use it):
Units that are turned up for any reason, including retreats, may not be turned face down until such time as they are eligible to be shuffled with other units.

Note: An artillery piece which has declared a bombardment is not eligible for shuffling. Bowen has confirmed that it is not possible to both shuffle and cancel a bombardment in the same turn.

CyberBoard's replay function gives players unlimited ability to go back any number of turns to identify pieces that were revealed and then turned face down (but not shuffled). The optional rule simply accommodates CB’s tracking ability by enforcing BaM’s actual shuffling rule (pieces are eligible to be shuffled only at the start of the owning player’s turn) with a revised, but simplified, rule for when revealed pieces can be turned face down.”

Shuffling Units (reminder):
The rules allow a player to shuffle his units only at the start of his own turn (see page 2 of the rules). We thought this was worth mentioning because this is one rule that seems to have been universally overlooked until Clark Millikan brought it up as a question on BoardGameGeek. The thread can be found here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/126190 .”

Choosing Sides: Players bid to play their desired side. The lower seeded player bids first. The first bid must include the desired side as well as a number. This number is their bid for the right to choose the side they get to play, and represents the demoralization level at which they start of the game. The second player may accept this bid, in which case the game will start, or make a counter bid, in which his number must be less than the previously bid number. Bidding continues until a player declines to bid at which point his opponent has the desired side at the stated bid. At this point, the winning bidder will start his demoralization (using the demoralization track on the game board) at the number he bid.

Note: this is slightly different than the Tournament Rules listed on the Simmons Games site; the Tournament Rules give some excellent guidelines for running ftf games, but many of the rules don't apply well to pbem. In email play, trying to do a 'simultaneous' bid is awkward; the 'lower rated player' bid system proposed here is used in many other pbem games, and works well.

Example #1 bidding session: Player A bids French 17. Player B mulls this over and then bids 16. Player A declines to bid. Player B will play the French but start the demoralization level of the French at 16 (instead of the 'normal' start value of 17).

Example #2 bidding session: Player A wants to play the Austrian side and so bids Austrian 15. Player B decides that he does not want to play the Austrians with a 2 point demoralization penalty (he would have to bid Austrian 14), so passes. The demoralization level of the Austrians start at 15 (one less than the normal starting value).

Time Allotment: See the BaM Schedule Page for time schedules and restrictions.

Disputes: Any disputes will be resolved by the Gamemaster (and associates) and will heavily depend on copies of players' correspondence: It is in both parties interest to keep accurate records.

Reporting Game Results: Please email dickjarvinen@hotmail.com with your results. All games will be AREA rated..