More Mare Nostrum

[Jeff Lewis]

I'm starting a new thread for Mare Nostrum updates, to keep the scrolling to a minimum. The Italians play a major role in Mare Nostrum, of course, and they have a few different unit types. Above is their first-line Royal Army Squad. They have pretty good Firepower and Range, and a solid, if not standard, Morale. Perhaps you have noticed the asterisk above and to the left of the Squad's Morale. It's new to the LnL system. All Italian Royal Army (First and Second line) units in Mare Nostrum have this. It represents their unpredictability, and the rule reads as follows:

Royal Army units were unpredictable when determining how well they would fight. To address this, Royal Army units have an asterisk before their Morale value. When the Italian player rolls an unmodified 6 on his initiative roll, each Royal Army unit with an asterisk adds one to its Morale for the current game turn.



The Royal Army units do have a tough time rallying, as they all have a Shaken-side Morale of 4. They are strong when things are going well, and can even be excellent, if the initiative roll is a 6, but when the going gets tough, the Royal Army units can have a tough time on the battlefield.

 

[Cottonbaler]

Thanks Jeff. I'm looking forward to the challenge of handling the Italians!

 

[Stefano G.]

Very beautiful pics, as David Julien is used to draw: his graphic skill is an assurance! ... to see italian submachine gun MAB38 on this counter is a great encouragement for any italian-side player (even if it was not so well-distributed among Royal Army first/second line units; this good submachine gun was mainly used by Italian Police in Africa, by some units of Folgore - airdrop units - and few elite Alpini unit - such as "Monte Cervino" ) ... i can not wait to see the other David Julien's italian counters! ...Avanti Savoia!!

 

[David Julien]

Hi
I sent to Jeff all Italian MMC, I'm sure he'll show them soon ;-)
I'm going back to work on Italian leaders....

David

 

[Stefano G.]

Hi
I sent to Jeff all Italian MMC, I'm sure he'll show them soon ;-)
I'm going back to work on Italian leaders....

David

Well...i'll check this page every day!! ...i have seen Sgt. Strega Bersaglieri leader time ago... hope to see other ones soon..thank you

 

[Jeff Lewis]

The Royal Army 1st Line Squads reduce to two different Half-squads based on a 1d6 roll. Their vulnerability come through here: Odd, they remain firm in their Morale and Firepower and get a 1-4-4-*5; Even, and they get a less powerful 0-4-4-*4. Both counters are below:



The Royal Army 2nd Line Squads look as follows:



And reduce, always, to a:



The Bersaglieri, Alpini and Folgore have a lot more mettle. Check back tomorrow for more.

-Jeff

 

[Stefano G.]

The Bersaglieri, Alpini and Folgore have a lot more mettle. Check back tomorrow for more.

-Jeff

Here i am!!...let the show start!

 

[David Julien]

Let him to wake up!

 

[Stefano G.]

Let him to wake up!

Yep... this "time zone" is a little problem for us, european players

 

[Captain Darling]

Hi All,

Good to see some updates here those counters are looking good.

Regarding the rule on the unpredictability of Italian unit morale:

Royal Army units were unpredictable when determining how well they would fight. To address this, Royal Army units have an asterisk before their Morale value. When the Italian player rolls an unmodified 6 on his initiative roll, each Royal Army unit with an asterisk adds one to its Morale for the current game turn, do we have an idea of a release date?

It would be interesting to add if a there is an unmodified 1 on the initiative roll one is taken from the morale for that game turn?

Increasing Italian front line units morale like this puts them ahead of the other countries line units and on par with their elite ones, now going on the overall performance of the Italian army in WW II and the wars just prior to it I would expect few Italian line squads to out preform the line squads of the other major powers and in general be of a lower standard than them...okay I'm ready start attacking me for generalizing!!!

Cheers
Darling

 

[Captain Darling]

Ah forgot...is there a proposed release date for Mare Nostrum?

 

[Jeff Lewis]

Today we'll take a look at the Italian Bersaglieri. Their Squads (but not Half-squads) have a feature that is new to the LnL system: the E-superscript on their Firepower. See below.



They were better trained and equipped than the regular Royal Army units. To give the Bersaglieri units a boost for their added training and equipment, they are given an “E” superscript to their inherent Firepower. When an even number is rolled during a DFT attack, add one (1) to their inherent FP for the attack being resolved. One (1) is added for EACH firing stack containing a Bersaglieri unit with an “E” superscript, NOT for each “E”-superscripted unit taking part in the attack.

This does not apply to the FP of any SW used by the MMC, or SWs crewed by SMCs.

So, two Squads firing together (1 + 0.5, rounded up to 2) roll a 4 on their opposed die roll. Their FP goes from 2 to 3 for that attack. Instead of a modified DFT roll of 4 + 2 FP = 6, it's now 4 + 3 FP = 7.

-Jeff

 

[Jeff Lewis]

Hi Capt. Darling,

RE: It would be interesting to add if a there is an unmodified 1 on the initiative roll one is taken from the morale for that game turn?

We did discuss doing this and did playtest it but it was really too punitive to the Shaken first-line and the Good Order and Shaken second-line units. A 3 Morale is near impossible to rally out of without being in a hex with a +TM and Leader with a Leadership Modifier, and only one of the three Royal Army Leaders have a LM.

RE: When?

The question to end all questions. This is a huge module with the most unique counters of any module to date; there will be 6 countersheets! David Julian is doing (an amazing job on) the counters and has given me late January as an estimate for completion. Every other aspect of the development is falling into that timeframe. That's an estimate, not a promise.

-Jeff

 

[Captain Darling]

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for prompt the replies.

I can see your point on the lower morale when broken but looking at this we are going to have Italian first line squads that can fight like elite red berets which I am sure happened 'occasionally'. And they'll be up against other nationalities that do not have this advantage when I am sure it would have occurred for them too.

Maybe this rule should just affect the unbroken morale rating which would mean the lowering option would be more acceptable. It is interesting they can be unpredictable but only for the better...

Cheers!

 

[Ralph Ferrari]

A Motale of 6 does put the RA units into the Elite status of other LnL units, but the increased Morale only lasts for the current turn. Unless you are a die rolling shark and roll a lot of 6s.

 

[Jeff Lewis]

Like Ralph said, the increased Morale is only for the one turn. They have a 16.6% chance of this; that's occasionally. The dice decide. And when these units are reduced and Shaken they are in big, big trouble. Things can go badly very fast for the Royal Army units. Again, we tested it as a negative, too, and decided against it for the reasons previously stated. When you are not very good units to start with, the only way to go is up. The Brits have both 5- and 6-Morale MMCs in MN; the 6-Morale for cases when they had hardened troops involved.

 

[Captain Darling]

Hmmm I'm not sure I'd call a 1-5-4-5 a poor unit to start with. I understand its only going to be one in six turns on average but given Italian units actual performance I'm not sold on this, I'll have to play it and see (I can feel a house rule coming on)

Thanks all!

 

[Stefano G.]

Well...we are dealing about Royal Army in Africa and not about italians during the last war year when Italian Army was deeply demotivated and frustrated by a disastrous war. Not considering false allied war period propaganda, depicting any italian soldier just like a spaghetti-eater or mandolino-player (or japanese soldier like mentally retarded man with slanting eyes) , italian soldier morale (even for first line RA) was not bad or less then British counterpart. I find correct Jeff and Ralph rule about giving a "5" to first line RA morale (in addition, and to not forget that broken side has a catastrophic "4"!) and giving (with an extremely low chanche of 16.6%) the possibility to boost Morale to "6" (and to "5" for broken side). I like to have an historically correct and well balanced wargame: Jeff's rule makes it possible.

 

[David Julien]

RE: When?
The question to end all questions. This is a huge module with the most unique counters of any module to date; there will be 6 countersheets! David Julian is doing (an amazing job on) the counters and has given me late January as an estimate for completion. Every other aspect of the development is falling into that timeframe. That's an estimate, not a promise.

Ah Ah!! Thanks Jeff Lawis to put the pressure on me! ........

 

[Captain Darling]

Not sure I agree with you Stefano but we all are all entitled to our own opinions.