GMT's For the People Unofficial Clarifications




These have been gatherd from the Consim FTP board. I removed names and such since this page does not pretend to be 'Official', though I suspect the below would hold up if put before the Consim 'board'.


============= IMPORTANT ================
"For the record, you always need a LOC to convert a space with an SP, with the exception of Armies in 1864 onward. Cavalry may only remove PC markers, never place them so they are never a threat to Resource space destruction. I thought we caught every reference to it, but 11.3 builds on 11.1 where the condition is stated.
As far as I can tell this totally ends the slipping guys through the line tactic, unless you can maintain a valid LOC by chaining SPs in which case it is a legitimate invasion..."
============= IMPORTANT ================
the attacker "is in supply if it can trace a LOC from the battle space through the space from which it entered".

On the question of the cards 38 and 41, although I did make the point on card 41 of over engineering the wording, both cards use the singular space. The SPs are placed in only one space for both cards.
The two SW penalty is literal, if any general is on the map (generals on army displays are not considered on the map), you pay the penalty.
On the intercept, retreat before battle, - intercepts always come first and if successful a battle occurs immediately preventing a retreat option and once you initiate a retreat before battle, the moving force cannot be intercepted any longer (this is all relative to one space of movement), so in your example Jackson must intercept first, if he succeeds there is a battle, if he fails ANV can attempt retreat, but Aop cannot be intercepted any longer. This is all unchanged from the first edition.
Can a force attempt to intercept and then, if it fails, retreat before combat?
Yes. As Mark pointed out above, you can't successfully intercept and then attempt to retreat with the intercepting force.
Is it true that one can redeploy using both rail and naval movement with 1 SR?
Only if the destination is an army. Otherwise, you can't mix them.
Can a 1SP Cav Brigade and/or a 1SP Corp attempt to withdraw out of the path of a 10+SP Army?
Yes
When tracing an LOC to determine supply, may the path of friendly spaces include spaces connected solely by a river connection?
Yes, as long as the side tracing has naval control of the river.
In response to the naval control rules question, I don't have the map in front of me, but I do have the rules, so using the diagram on page nine,if there is a Confederate fort in Paducah and a Union fort in Cairo the following is possible.

The Confederate can cross into Cairo, because he has control over his blue bar and the side of the Cairo box doesn't have a blue bar. The corollary is that a Union force in Cairo can cross into Paducah because it crosses a blue bar (also Union naval control is usually sufficient) into Paducah.

Basically, Paducah is not a great space to prevent Union crossing of the river, but a fort in Paducah is required in most cases for the South to cross North into Cairo because of the blue bar in Cairo and the blue bar in Paducah.

As far as the other map questions, I will defer them until tomorrow when I can have the map present, but the Confederate SW penalty for losing its capital is 15 not 10 SW.
If a space you're moving into has a blue bar (and you must cross over it to enter the space):
  1. The USA can always enter if no CSA fort is present.
  2. The CSA can enter if a) no USA fort present and b) no USA river control over the space.
  3. Otherwise, no entry is possible -- save for USA amphib assualts (which must begin on a river, btw, so no amphib assualts from Bloomington to Louisville!).

If crossing a river into a space without a river boxside symbol (or into a space with a river symbol, but not crossing that symbol):
  1. Union can always enter.
  2. Confederate can enter unless the Union controls the river at that point.

I would just add to Mark's answer that you cannot combine naval and rail movement for SP to be railed to another location w/o army markers; however, any SP anywhere w/ LOC can be taken into an army. That's why, army markers are very important; they can suck in SP from far flung locations.
(Well, from FTP I, pretty sure it still holds)
An Overrun does trigger the Emancipation Proclamation. Two reasons, one it prevents you from attacking with 9 SPs versus 1 SP to accomplish what 10 Sps can't and (2nd reason), I had earlier ruled in the archives that this was the case. I had forgotten that. I hope this hasn't inconvienenced anyone.
In a battle for a Confederate Resource Center "When both sides have been eliminated" and the CRT result was 1* to 1, what happens?
Because it's at a resource space, 1* has no effect; therefore, it's a tie and both sides retain 1 SP and the attacker retreats back.
First, for the Campaign Game victory conditions, there is a mention of things being determined at "the end of the 1864 game turn." Problem is, there are three 1864 game turns! Which one? Or is it all of them?
It's the last turn in the year 1864, turn 12.

Also, for purposes of the Red River campaign, what is considered "adjacent" to Grand Ecore? I assume Monroe is. What about Shreveport and Alexandria? Is there a definition of "adjacent" somewhere that I missed?
A space is adjacent if there is a road, rail or river connection between the two spaces.
Re-read the full passage which I am excerpting here...5.73 If the moving Army or Corps is twice (or more) the size of the defending force and wins the battle...7.32...If the winner was the attacker and began the battle twice the strength or more of the loser...

The 2 to 1 is calculated before the battle.
Hypothetical situation: I have 4 SPs and 2 Genls in a space (Corps). One Genl has a P rating of 8 and a Strat rating of 3. The other has a P rating of 2 and a Strat rating of 1. Can I activate the 1 rated Genl and move the Corps (including the other Genl) or must I wait for a 3 OC to move the entire Corps? Are there any penalties involved?
You can activate any lower ranked leader, in your case, the "1" general, and bring along up to 3 SP w/ him. You must leave behind at least 1 SP for the higher ranking general.

I understand the rules (i think) to say that I can do this. However, when inactive, the Genl with the highest P rating is considered in command (for interception and defense purposes). Am i correct?
yes; only exception is that if a lower P rating leader moves along and picks up another force w/ a high P rating leader, then goes into battle, the ACTIVATED leader (i.e. the lower ranked) is considered to be in command. See Rule 7.41.
Clarification note: a Cavalry brigade is both a general and an SP. When a card calls for the removal of an SP, interpret this to mean an infantry SP. As stated in the rules Cavalry SPs can only be removed due to battle or the cavalry general being removed. The comment in the rules that it is an SP for all game purposes is too broad in this context. Mark
Q:What happens to infantry leaders (for lack of a better term) when all the SP in the space is Cavalry? I.e., i placed 2 more leaders in a space with Polk and 2SP. Both ended up to be Cav ldrs. The special red counters came out, leaving Polk and 2 Cav brigades in the space. Is he useless there or what?
The situation you described with Polk is legal. The space contains one more general than SPs. The problem will be that if you activate Polk and he moves with one or both of the cavalry bde's they will move like a corps, not a cavalry bde. This is explicitly covered in 5.33.
To clarify two points. First off you never need a general to conduct a naval operation. Rule 6.11 defines a naval move which includes the 3 OC option, and rule 6.12 states, A naval move can consist of up to three Union SPs plus one general. The general is optional...

As far as building a fort, rule 6.86, A player may place a fort in any friendly-controlled space...(you need a PC or it has to be one of your original spaces).
Retreat before battle is not a move, so the entire force retreats and they all go to the same space.
When determining 7.42, is the basic USA Army Commaders battle rating used, or is the rating used after accounting for 7.52. Example: USA Army led by McDowell(1-1) attacks and army led by Smith (1-1). Smith has Cav, McDowell does not. When determining 7.42, does McDowell use a '1' or a '0' as his battle rating?
Look at the example of battle on the same page (Gettysburg), and I think that answers your question. Lee's battle rating is FIRST reduced by two for lacking a cavalry general. Then, this allows the Union player to use two subordinates because Lee's (modified) rating is not greater than Meade's rating.

So, to specificly address your question, I'd say the cavalry leader FIRST reduces McDowell's rating to "0". Then, since his rating is less than Smith the Union player only gets one subordinate. It is VERY important to have cavalry in an army.


Can the USA trace supply along a river through an enemy port?
The "simple" requirement, as I read the rules, is that the Union have naval control over a port that the force is tracing supply to. Looking at the example at the bottom of page 27, the presence of CSA units in spaces above and below Vicksburg is irrelevant, simply because the Union has naval control over the port of Vicksburg. In this case, Vicksburg itself acts as a Union supply source.
The rule states that you can have one more general than SPs in the space. As I noted in the glossary, a fort is zero SPs, therefore one more than zero is one.
Can the Deatur AL - Jacksonvile AL - Kingston special 5.10 path be used by the CSA to trace an LOC?
The answer is no, as it is normally closed to normal movement -- if anything, moveing wagons through an area is harder than marching men through the same area.
The Union then plays a Contraband of War and chooses the 1 SP in the ANV to die. Legal?
Yes.
It seems that in FTP II one can leave behind a general without any SPs, either with a division move, or by activating one of the 2 generals in a corps, even the one with the lesser Political rating. Of cource at the end of the round the General will go to the turn track. Am I missing some rule?
Yes and no. The moving player may not purposly create such a situation by turns end.

The other player may play an SP removal on you creating say a lone General or three Gen in a 1SP space, come your turn you do not have to correct this because you did not create it, though at the end of your card play the excess Generals will be removed.
OR
During your turn you can create such an excess situation, but by the end of it it must be corrected. Now, during such a move the move could get interrupted by Mud March or get intercepted or lose a 2:1 battle, ect. If so, then you would have to show that had you not been interrupted how you would have ended your move.

Note the 'lose a 2:1'. This may be even guaranteed, but I think the moving player is not held by this, that is, he may assume he will win for the purposes of creating an 'excess' situation though in fact he will lose.

AND
Going into battle where it is assured thorugh modifers and such that the attacking force will be left with excess Gens because of casualties does not count tword this.

Clear as mud? The rules note that trickery is possible, and ask the gamers to use common sense (second 'Player Note' top of page 16). Thats the trick though eh, not so easily done sometimes.
Can a 1SP Cav Brigade and/or a 1SP Corp attempt to withdraw out of the path of a 10+SP Army?
Yes
Can Kentucky Anarchy be played when Kentucky is no longer neutral?
Yes
The blockade can never go below zero. It doesn't say that anywhere although its implied by the track. Although the condition that the blockade can never go above 4 still holds, plus all of the other conditions.
Is it true that one can redeploy using both rail and naval movement with 1 SR?
Only if the destination is an army. Otherwise, you can't mix them.
Cavalry Generals
Assume that the cav general's brigade piece is the last SP in an army, and the cav general is killed. The rules state that the SP is removed and placed 1 turn ahead on the turn record track. This rule eliminated 2 (seriously -- told you we fought a lot!) armies, and seemed a little harsh. In the confines of an army, wouldn't it be reasonable to be able to keep the 1 SP in the army if the other choice was destruction? As this is one of those things that might never have come up before, I wanted to raise the issue.
As far as the Cavalry general casualty is concerned, its an interesting subtlety, but I am happy with the way it played out. In the first edition, the loss of the cav general would have allowed the cavalry SP to become an infantry SP which I no longer want to happen. My only advice is to make sure you have a bit larger cushion on armies with lots of die modifiers in the future. I think your experience is 3 sigmas on the curve.
Strategic Concentration Cards.
These cards do not mention "railroads," while Operational Concentration Cards do. Based on the Strategic card's wording, and rule 10.21 (Strategic Movement), which states that an army can receive an SP via strategic movement as long as an LOC exists (RRs are irrelevant), it would seem legal to concentrate up to 5 SPs using railroads or roads -- or even river movement! Is a RR connection needed for Strategic Concentration? [My guess is yes, but my opponent felt any path with an LOC would be OK]
The answer is the card is correctly worded since the range is unlimited, as the South cannot use any type of Strategic movement besides rail, I'm not sure what your opponents issue is. I think Rule 4.51 is quite explicit when the opening sentence states ...no road connections allowed. The South has a limited Riverine capability which is only accessed through the use of an OC, it is not a part of Strategic movement which only the Union can perform (10.23). The reason the Operational Concentration make specific mention of RRs is because in Strategic movement it is close to infinite in range whereas the Op Concentration cards are limited in range.
River Crossing.
Just to be on the safe side, I'd like to ask the following: CSA has fort in Louisville. USA has fort in Bloomington.
a. USA cannot go directly from Bloomington to Louisville as it would cross a river "side" into a fort. USA units in Bloomington could not amphib assualt Louisville, since Bloomington's not on the river, and thus they don't have a "river connection" which can be used to amphib assualt Louisville.
b. CSA units could cross directly from Louisville to Bloomington since USA naval control is denied at Louisville, and the CSA units are not crossing a river "side" to enter Bloomington.
c. In a nutshell, you only worry about river "sides" if the spaces you're ENTERING have them, and you need to cross that side to enter the space. Correct?
Think of the blue bar on a space as the river, just like any hexside effect in another wargame. If you have to enter a blue bar to enter a space or cross a blue bar on the space when you are exiting, you are crossing the river. The space you are entering has no effect on this equation, unless it also has a blue bar (you are crossing another river). The new fort rule changes very little from a Southern perspective. A fort in Louisville allows the South to cross into Indiana. The fort in Bloomington is irrelevant since you are already across the river when you attack it. The fort in Bloomington is still a fort (+2 DRM) but it has no effect on the river crossing aspect of the operation. So, for all of those who think you can no longer cross into the North except by going the long way to Pittsburgh, please stop stressing, its not true. ====================================================================================== Major differnces between FtP II and previous AH's version.
a)Naval assault vs non-fort space with only an ironclad. Is it like forts (+4 for odds etc) or auto win for the attacker?
As far as the ironclad in a port space with no SP, its an auto victory because the Union force once in the space kills the ironclad. The reason the Union gets into the space is there is no battle for the ironclad to support. Basically assume the navy was able to eventually deal with the ironclad and then the troops went ashore.

b)Related to it, naval assault vs space with 1 SP + ironclad without a general. If the defending SP is eliminated and the battle won by the defender (in a result of 1/1), what happens? Is the defender considered eliminated and the attacker wins and occupies the space, or the ironclad keeps the defender's win?
Now in the case where the ironclad is supporting an SP fighting for its life, this is a bit more tangled. Basically, 6.42 takes precedence over 7.33. Why you may ask, because first you determine who wins the battle, at this point rule 6.42 kicks in and says the attacker returns home with no qualifying statements, so you never really deal with 7.33. The ironclad has no impact on the outcome other than as a drm to help determine the result. If the Union ends up with the space the ironclad is eliminated.

c)Union corps is in a confederate river port without PC marker but able to receive supply by the river, so it is in supply(right?). It then attacks *by land* an adjacent port along the same river. Am I right to believe that the attack is made without supply, although if the union corps were in the target space would receive supply by the river?
Your supply question is actually fairly easy to answer, the Union force in the CSA PC port space is in supply in that space due to the naval LOC, but once he moves "overland" (even though his destination is a port space) he is out of supply. This is identical to the situation if you did this from any CSA controlled space, no difference. You could not make a naval move from the port since it isn't Union controlled.
1. Farragut. If the Union passes a coastal fort and loses the battle, can it retreat back past that fort (losing an SP in the process)?


Yes 2. Concentration Cards. No generals can move to the "rally point," only SPs, correct?
Correct
1)If a Capitol is put in flight, may that sides Armies still place PC using movement points (or, since it takes and OC card to move in the first place, Armies may not place PC..)?
The Army may place PC using movement points.

2)During attrition, a space has 2SP and a Cav Bgd (so if attacked they defend with 3SP). Does this space suffer attrition?
Yes.
1) Can I SR the last SP from a space that contains a single general? This doesn't seem like it should be allowable, but the only rule I see right now seems to allow it (leaving one more general there than SPs - in this case 1 general, zero SPs).
No, you may not voluntarily create an excess leader situation.

2) During a leader reorg, can you move leaders from multiple different spaces or just from one space.
All leaders can move (except for Army CO's and the ranking Army subordinate at that instant (so you can reorg one with a hight P in so's the now former ranking subordinate can moveout)).

3) Can a leader moving by himself be intercepted?
No
Question, playing "Detached Cavalry" against an army with more than one cavalry brigade, that is, two or three, are the army commander's ratings are reduced by two (down to zero)?
It doesn't matter if you have one, two or three cavalry (or even four) bdes, the army is treated as if the cavalry general(s) (the SPs are still available for all combat calculations) are absent. This reduces the army commanders rating by two and the cavalry general (all of them in this case) are not available for general casualties.

May the Army Commander include a cav brigade General's DRM in the upcoming battle, as there were more than one brigade in the army, assuming only one is "detached"?
No.
OK, a mechanics question on Interceptions [5.8].
Suppose Beauregard is in a space with 3 SPs. The AoP attacks him. Longstreet is in an adjacent space (not a Fort) with 4 SPs and successfully Intercepts.
Now, if Longstreet were commanding an Army, he'd simply absorb the 3 SPs and make Beauregard a subordinate General (who'd be eligible to participate in the battle).
But suppose instead that he is not commanding an Army. Are the following assumptions correct?
1. The 4 and 3 SPs are combined and so the defender has 7 SPs. Since Longstreet is only moving 4 SPs he is not violating the Corp movement restrictions, even though the total force ends up being larger than a Corp move allows.
2. Longstreet's successful Interception does NOT make him the CO because Beauregard outranks him, but Beauregard DOES get the +2 DRM for the Interception.
3. In spite of #2, Longstreet must still be physically relocated to the space in question, and becomes eligible for General Casualties.


All true.
Can out of supply armies overrun ememy units?
Yes.
Can Grierson's Raid be used to place PCs in spaces with no friendly LOC?
Yes. Rule 11.3 applies. Other than restrictions 11.3 C & D, for any strategy card played as an EC to place PCs, the applicable constraints / conditions are those written on the card.
Fort Monroe-How do the "Coastal Fort Rules" effect the CSA? Can the fort be converted via an Army move? If ungarrisoned does it effect movement in any way?
Fort Monroe is the only Coastal Fort (in the game) that is approachable by land. When attacking from Williamsburg treat it as a regular old fort except that it is not removed after a successful attack if it is captured. As with all coastal forts Fort Monroe is considered a port for all purposes. Other than its ability to be attacked from Williamsburg, the only known exception to the general coastal force restrictions is that the CSA may have as large a garrison in it as they dare; they are not limited to a 1 SP garrison. Fort Monroe blocks access to Norfolk. While in Union Control it prevents landing Blockade Runners there. (As I understand it) if in CSA control it would prevent an Amphibious Assault in Norfolk (except for the possible use of the Farragut card if ungarrisoned). It does NOT block access to/from the Chesapeake and the Atlantic Seaboard nor block any rivers. (There may be another exception that your question brings to mind... see my question to Mark below.)
If a 1 sp garrison is attacked and the losses are 1/ea. side (with no * result) does the attacker leave the space even if the defender is elim.?
You're right. See rule 7.33.
An enemy force (assuming it can enter) can remove any ungarrisoned fort during Movement without extra MP cost? Must an enemy force remove a fort if it does not end it's move in the space? (The Feds may not want to allow the CSA to build it elsewhere.)
The fort (but not any associated PC which are covered under their own rules) is removed whenever enemy forces enter the hex (e.g. during unopposed movement or after a successful attack) PERIOD. If one wants to "game" it otherwise, they must continue to make the effort to move around it; there is no by-passing in this game. (Even ungarrisoned forts are full of belligerent artillerymen with BIG guns.) Typically they are on a PC counter so there is always the danger that reinforcements may be raised there.
I assume that the CSA can make a CSA riverine movement between Norfolk and Ft.Monroe if they are both CSA controlled. Am I assuming correctly?
If Ft Monroe and Norfolk are both CSA controlled then you can move between them via CSA riverine movement. Additionally, if Norfolk is an open port then Richmond can trace to it to be a supply source. This is all within the logic of the rules.
I have been considering the question of pulling Confederate SPs from coastal forts to Armies using strategic movement. I can't think of any historical reason to restrict this. A literal reading of the rule allows for it (the Union naval point is for situations outside of army reinforcement), so unless someone can think of a good reason to prohibit it, you can do it.
1: Is a general activated as a Corps move and moving without SP subject to interception? No
2: Can a General activated as a Corps move and moving without SP also bring along a Subordinate (the two Generals are moving "alone together")? Yes
3: Can a General activated as a Corps move and moving without SP enter an enemy controlled space? No
4: Can a General activated as a Corps move and moving without SP enter an enemy controlled space that has a friendly SP there? No
5: Is a General activated as a Corps move, and during the move drops off and picks up SPs (moving as a Corps activation), only along friendly controlled railroads the entire time, eligible for the Railroad Movement Bonus (5.9)? Yes
6: With regard to Strategy Card #4, is the Cavalry general (aka Bde) considered when determining whether or not the target Army has 2 or more subordinates? Yes
6a: Lastly, if he is subject to the card, what happens to his Bde when he is only WOUNDED? Placed on trun record track for next turn (just as if it was a KIA).

The effect of interrupt cards should be taken literally. This may be different than what has been said in the past, but I can't remember saying so (although I'm sure someone will post it, if so I have changed my mind) So Mud March, since it allows one space of movement doesn't effect an amphibious assault since there is only one space of movement, port to invasion space. Quaker Guns and Guerrilla Raids specifically cancel the activation of a general, naval moves can be done independent of generals, so they cannot be cancelled in this manner. The effect of interrupt cards should be taken literally. This may be different than what has been said in the past, but I can't remember saying so (although I'm sure someone will post it, if so I have changed my mind) So Mud March, since it allows one space of movement doesn't effect an amphibious assault since there is only one space of movement, port to invasion space. Quaker Guns and Guerrilla Raids specifically cancel the activation of a general, naval moves can be done independent of generals, so they cannot be cancelled in this manner.

Here is the deal, the Mud March, because it allows one space of movement doesn't cancel a naval move (which is what I wrote in the original post). Guerrilla raids and quacker guns do not stop an amphibious invasion since the general isn't activated, so they do not cancel the move.

Bottom line naval operations cannot be canceled by any of these cards. I choose to go this way because staying literal is best for clarity purposes, which this ruling keeps within.

Yes, a destroyed resource center still gives the defense the benefit of the doubt on the asterisks. Also, Union defenders in such spaces (destroyed or otherwise) may enjoy this advantage in addition to the Confederates.

If an enemy force moves adjacent to my Army, can I detach a Corps to intercept or must I use the whole Army? Haven't found anything in the rules or posts here to say I can't but just wanted to check. Thanks.

See the last sentence in rule 5.81. An interception must be made with the whole force, not a part of it. (There is very little in common with interceptions in FTP and army reaction moves in VG's CW; IMO it's easier to just forget the later as keeping that concept in mind just leads to dumb mistakes.)
The Exceptions following the initial paragraph of 5.81 are interesting.
(1) A single SP may be left behind as a garrison if the intercepting force is leaving a fort.
(2) An intercepting force can NOT take along more generals than it can normally move in violation of 5.29 or 5.34. If necessary to prevent this type of violation enough SPs must be left behind. (Technically the rule says "ONE SP may be left behind...", but I'm interpreting that as the minimum number of SPs required to avoid violating 5.29/5.34 must be left behind.)
(3) Note that if an independent Cavalry Bde (e.g. not stacked with any other general) is intercepting, it intercepts alone even if it is stacked with other SPs because the cavalry leader can not lead other forces.
(The highly unusual circumstance of two or more independent cavalry brigades being stacked together and having an interception opportunity has apparently not come up yet, but as I understand this rule only one attempt can be made so the owning player would pick one Cav Bde and intercept with that alone. Although this makes sense, it saddens me; I'd love to see the expression on some damnyankee general's face when he learned he was being assailed by both bugaboos: Forrest and Stuart!)

The CSA may not play the On to Richmond card if the Union armies do not meet the requirements.

Elite units are attached to an army at initial placement and may never transfer out of the army.




Above the Fields