Multiple Phases

[Contrarius]

So, under TT’s house rule, how do you remember which units have already shot? Some kind of marker?

[john de terre neuve]

It was not a particular problem for us, but I suppose you could use smoke puffs.

[Levi the Ox]

Everyone I've played with drops a die from the pool for each consecutive phase. If we didn't, frankly, several of them wouldn't play Chain of Command.
Multiple consecutive phases with full dice pools quickly leave everyone unsatisfied, since either you or your friend effectively stops being allowed to affect the game.

Removing dice outright not only reduces (and eventually prevents) the possibility of additional consecutive phases, it also significantly restricts the active player's options, so that most consecutive phases result in a double activation for 1-2 units at the expense of not activating the rest of the platoon. This means the active player still needs to make good decisions to capitalize on their luck, which I feel is more in line with the idea of a fleeting opportunity than the unrestricted "go again" rule is.

[Contrarius]

The real problem is when you have senior leaders on the table. Being able to add dice results means you can almost always manufacture at least one ‘four’, which often equates to three unit activations on its own.

[DougM]

Ok, I am going to suggest to my regular opponent that we use the 'remove a die' option though, as noted, if you have a senior leader you can often activate three units by making up a 4.

[Truscott Trotter]

It was not a particular problem for us, but I suppose you could use smoke puffs.

We just remeber as there are not that many units but a puff of smoke is not a bad idea

[Tomm]

I'm afraid I view multiple phases as 'Bad Things Happen'. Sometimes luck just ain't with you. Sometimes it is.

[Truscott Trotter]

Thats OK so do half the players so they can play RAW
The rest of us ain't

[Munin]

When I'm teaching the game to newbies, I use the "dropped die" method (being sure to explain that it's a variant to the rules as written), but with experienced friends we let the phases fall as they may and play as written.

[andyskinner]

Is anyone who has their own approach likely to switch over to an "officially sanctioned alternative"?

Just curious. If I decided there was a problem, I'd lean towards that, I think.

I'm a bit curious whether TT's approach encourages maneuver. (This because of the question that comes up sometimes about whether games get bogged down in a shooting match. I know there are good tactical responses to that.) If you get 2 sixes so know you have at least two phases but can only shoot once, would you go ahead and move in the first one, since you can't blast away both times? I'd say that shooting more than once is among intended effects, but you've provided some of that if someone gets 3 sixes or plays a CoC die. At first I thought this was too much change, but I'm wondering.

andy