Hidden Movement Cards for Shako

I’m toying with the idea of Principles of War style Hidden Movement Cards for Shako.

Hidden Movement Mechanisms

A Hidden Movement Card is about 10 cm by 5 cm and each card represents a real or imaged group of troops. Unlike the Hidden Deployment Cards, these cards can be moved. The owner of the card writes on the back the troops the card represents; this might be blank.

A Hidden Movement Card is turned over when it comes within line of sight of enemy, including enemy hidden movement cards. (Assume blank cards represent scouts.) If a revealed card is blank on the back, then it is removed; if the card represents real troops then the card is replaced by the troops. When placed on table all units must overlap with the area where the card was physically located (even if the overlap is a fraction of the unit). When a Hidden Movement Card is reveal, if it has previously moved during the game, then the units must be in column (if that is important), otherwise they can be any formation. Cards move as if a single infantry unit in column (if that is important).

You can put some stands of figures on top of each card until it is revealed. These stands don’t count as combat stands; they are there merely for esthetic reasons, and to indicate the ‘front’ of the card for movement purposes (this can be to any of the four sides of the card, but can’t change during the game).

The number of Hidden Movement Cards each side gets is variable. A side gets one for each senior officer. A senior officer is whatever is appropriate for the scale of the game; it is the level of command above a single unit, whether that officer be a General, Brigadier, or whatever. If your game system means there are relatively few senior officers, then give each one several hidden movement cards – enough so that each side has at least 9 cards. In addition a player can purchase additional hidden movement cards; for each unit they trade in, they gain an addition 1d6 of hidden movement cards.

First Carlist War Hidden Movement heets

I’ve made up Hidden Movement Cards for the First Carlist War. There are 12 cards per sheet.

Very obviously a Carlist Hidden Movement Card

Cristino – I’ve used the full arms of Spain and the new tri-colour of the National Militia (which became the national flag).

Carlist – I’ve used the Standard of the Generalisima.

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