Clarification on Guns please!

[barry w]

Good evening all,

Just started to look at the Bloody Barons rules and just having a bit of a problem concerning guns. Firing, combat etc no problem but its movement and deployment which is giving me a headache.

First off deployment. Under Scenery on page 21 there is a note stating, "Even though guns cannot enter some of the above terrain, they can also deploy into any scenery type."

If you now turn to Section 37 - Artillery and deployment on page 70 it states, "Guns may deploy in any scenery type except marsh/boggy ground". Same page under Light Guns movement it also states, "May not move into any boggy/marsh scenery, other than at initial deployment". Bit of a contradiction here so what is correct. Are guns allowed to be deployed on a marsh zone?

Movement next conundrum! Heavy guns - no movement although can move forward with the initial zone advance. Any terrain other than marsh/rough hill? Or same as light guns below?

Light Guns. May move 1 zone in each turn and only a facing zone so no sideways movement. The playsheet mentions that Light Guns can only move into linear, meadow, open or gentle hills.
So just to clarify Marsh – No
Wood/Building – No
Gentle Hill – Yes
Rough Hill – No
Hedge (linear?) – Yes?
Ditch/Stream (linear?) – Yes?
Am I correct?
Much appreciated.
Barry

[John Watson]

My understanding is that heavy guns cannot move, except with a battle that is advanced before the start of the game. It cannot deploy in marsh/bog, rough hill, wood or building. If the movement above would put it in forbidden scenery then it cannot be moved in such an advance.
Light guns can move straight forwards or backwards one zone per turn (if it does I don't think it can fire). It can only move into gentle hill, linear or open zones. However I think it can deploy in wood, buildings or rough hills but then it cannot move out. Marsh/bog is forbidden.
It is quite a while since I have played BB so others may correct my thoughts.
John

[Leman (Andy)]

The models themselves help with this "problem". The heavy gun has no wheels and must weigh a hernia inducing amount and would also just sink into a marsh or bog, not to mention the water playing merry hell with the gunpowder and the fire necessary to keep the match alight. The opportunity to deploy one square further is assumed to take place before the battle has commenced; it is not an extra move during the battle. The light gun looks exactly what it is - a small tube on a light wooden frame, easly moved by a couple of strong lads, but again unsuitable for use in a marhy area.

I think the problem may be that the rules are developed over a long period of time, with a great deal of playtesting and adjustment by the RFCM team. Unfortunately a discarded rule sometimes gets left in by this process. My go to is, if it ain't on the playsheet it ain't getting used.

[barry w]

Thanks gents for your replies - very much appreciated.

I like the mechanisms in the PP games which represent various aspects of the battle in a simple way without too much fuss and advancing a ward is one such aspect. I, too, considered it happens before the battle starts not during the battle as I quite agree that trying to move a heavy bombard during a battle would be sheer lunacy!

I am fairly comfortable with how to deal with guns but I'm always curious as to what was actually intended by the rule writer as conflicts do crop up in the rules as I've highlighted and again, as mentioned, a rule is occasionally left in which should have been removed but gets overlooked.

Thanks again.
Regards
Barry