Help with CoC

[Tim Hall]

Remember that the difference in force ratings gets added to the support points for the side with the lower force points.

Anyone else's brain hurting?

Yes. I bought a set of CoC this year to see what all the fuss was about, and brain ache and migraine set in after only a few pages. I didn't get much beyond what the dice do, and I still don't understand it, but as I've said before I think TFL rules are very much a case of the Emperor's New Clothes. I did watch the training videos that the Lardies did, and still didn't understand the whoopty do surrounding them. The last video is quite telling when Rich Clarke, looking haggard and tired, expresses his relief that the whole thing was over. Not really selling it to me then.

[Jeremy]

Most Lardy sets are like marmite. You either like them or you don’t. What I like most about them is the Lardy theory of the rules are a toolbox and do with them what you need to best reflect the period you’re playing.

I don’t find them at all hard to understand. But then again I used to play WRG and Corps Commander Moderns! I do sometimes find that you need to hunt around and the rules aren’t always in the section where you think they would be, but that’s fine.

With most rules, they are what you make of them and the person you play against can either make them shit or great.

[Jeremy]

Remember that the difference in force ratings gets added to the support points for the side with the lower force points.

Anyone else's brain hurting?

Your force rating is 7 and mine is 6. It means I can add one additional point to my support points. Not exactly rocket science BvR

[tim.w]

Well, It went as expected. I understand the patrol phase now and it does have it's attraction. I've always tussled with the edge of the table deployment in games, a very nickable rule that too. There are other elements of the rules I'm still not sure about and compared to BA there is a lot to play through in some turns. However, it does give a better period feel I think but not so much to choose one over the other. The shock, pinning and morale is a headache! I also don't really like how prescriptive it is in your force selection, far better to get all your toys on the table and blast away in my opinion. Threw a few double sixes but as the defender in the probe scenario they did nothing for me until the very end. Going to give it another go next week. Seems a schism in the club between BA and CoC people so I plan to butterfly between the two. I do wish I hadn't sold my copy now.

[tim.w]

[tim.w]

I was defending with British on the right while a German force on the left attacked in the probe scenario.

[Jeremy]

Tim, unless you have artillery, you shouldn’t be playing the pinning rules? Shock is quite simple when you boil it down. When you get shot at, one of three things happen. They kill a man or issue one point of shock or miss. For every one shock you have, you deduct one from each dice you throw for movement. For every two shock you have, you deduct one dice every time you fight or shoot. If you have more shock than men, you have to retreat.

As to force options, the scenarios are a guideline. If you want to get all your toys on the table, by all means do so! I know for a fact that Rich would be very upset if you were playing the letter of the law on that point.

At the end of the day, for me there’s not much between CoC and BA. I’ll happily play both. I just think CoC provides a more realistic game. Not necessarily more fun, but more realistic.

[levied troop]

And you can of course remove Shock as a ‘leader’ action to restore your troops effectiveness, although doing so may mean that you can’t give them other orders. Decisions, decisions

[Jeremy]

Indeed LT. Indeed. It’s what makes CoC most fun. You can’t do everything you want. Almost like real life. except possibly in Amsterdam

[tim.w]

Aha, right. Brill thanks. The guy I'm playing is still feeling his way with his CoC so I'll discuss with him next week. Thanks for the help. Really need to get a set of rules.