Card-based Initiative and Long Runs for One Side

I have been contemplating how to deal with the possibility of a long run of cards for one side in my Company Fire rules (available in the side bar).

For those who are just joining us, my rules use a single deck of cards for initiative. One side is assigned red, the other black. A card is drawn from the deck and the side with that color can act. However, it doesn't mean they can necessarily do what they want without restriction: an odd card means the side can move (or fire with a penalty), an even  card means they can fire (or move if they pass a test), and a face card means they can move/fire as desired.

The enemy can opportunity fire during the other side's movement and they roll when being close assaulted but otherwise they aren't doing much.

German ATG Draws a Bead on the Approaching US Jeep.

 As a solo player, it's not really a problem - I'm doing something on every card after all - and in any case, you can just explain it away as momentum/luck was on their side. I think that's the way it's treated in Piquet and I don't think it's unrealistic in that respect. Realism doesn't always make for a fun game, however.

I can imagine if someone were to try this mechanism with two players one side would either be bored or frustrated by their inability to do much of anything except opportunity fire. Even as a solo player, it can be frustrating, as I tend to side with whichever side is doing poorly in the moment.
 
Here are two ways I have settled upon as candidates, although I have not decided between them.

Idea 1: Steal from Crossfire.

Crossfire is a big inspiration behind these rules - not that I've ever played it, I just like the idea of the rules, and the AARs are always fun to read. They *sound* like a game I want to play. Except they don't use a grid and I am grid-happy right now and want to play the 2x2 Crossfire Scenarios on a grid.

Anyway, one of the key things about Crossfire is that you have initiative until your opponent takes it from you or you give it up. You can have initiative for a long time but your opponent still gets to take actions and so isn't super bored waiting for you to finish rolling over them.

So for my rules:

If any attempted action fails - meaning a failed rally, no suppress/kill on shooting, a moving unit is suppressed or killed by opportunity fire, the attacker loses a close assault, failing a movement test - no further action may be taken on card by any remaining unit and a new card is drawn.

Long card runs are still possible, but any given card has a chance to end before all units have taken their actions. It doesn't necessarily take away the initiative from the phasing player the way Crossfire does - since the next card could still belong to the same side - but it may help make those long runs less boring for the other player. At the very least, it makes failure for actions have some severe consequences and adds makes the decision making process a weightier matter.

Idea 2: Steal from Advanced Squad Leader

I mentioned in my last post that I ordered ASL Starter Kit #1. I did some reading about it online and found a nice explanation of the turn sequence. One thing I liked was that the non-phasing side gets to take more than just reactive fire. So, why not do the same?

So:

Once all actions by the phasing player are complete, any of the non-phasing side's units that didn't opportunity fire or can't (in the case of light mortars), can fire, using the rules for individual units.

This is not a moment for coordinated group firing, but individual squads, teams, and vehicles can fire. Again, it doesn't prevent a long run of cards, but it does mean that the non-phasing player isn't just twiddling their thumbs, firing with one unit here or there in opportunity fire. Both sides will have a chance to act on every card in some way.

Idea 2b: Same as above with one other option.

I also contemplated allowing non-phasing units a choice of either moving (limited  to 1 space, and perhaps only away from the other side) or firing. I think that might be too much but I'll have to give it a try to really know.

Regardless, of where I land, I definitely need to play some more games to sort this out (not that I needed an excuse, but it's always good to have one!).