INTRODUCTION Probably the biggest impact that THE SWORD AND THE FLAME (TSATF) will have on our hobby over the long run will be to attract hundreds of eager new players who cut their teeth on fantasy role playing games. Lots of people who painted their first figures for D & D type games are happily chasing Dervishes or Pathans across table tops with Colonial troops. it is an easy step from this to other historical periods. I have attempted here to add my own wrinkle to TSATF by incorporating a record keeping system within the rules which traces individual men. The first step is in organization. All figures are mounted on single bases, each of which are numbered. I start with number one for the platoon leader, number two for the platoon sergeant and so on. The same holds for the Sergeant Major, Captain, Colonel, etc., each receiving a base number. Each 20-man unit also has the edges of its stands painted a unique color, so that you don't have to reference the roster to find out to which platoon a figure belongs. For example, first platoon can be edged in black, second in brown, third in yellow, and so on. Platoon leaders and platoon sergeants are edged in silver, regardless of the unit they belong to, leaders being expected to lead no matter where they find themselves. Having the bases edged also helps you keep track of where the members of a particular platoon wind up after fierce melees, charge move lag-behinds, etc. After the platoon leaders and sergeants are distinguished, the remaining 18 men in each platoon are broken down into three 6-man sections, with one figure designated (and painted with a stripe) as the section corporal. This is largely a ceremonial and organizational title because a corporal, for all practical purposes (ie. melee, fire, morale, etc.), is just another trigger puller. Where the organizational differences apply is in the individual record keeping aspects of TSATF. As any player of TSATF knows, there are inevitable "openings" in the rank structure that occur due to the hardships of campaigning (ie. Dervish swords, Pathan Jezails, Zulu knobknerries, etc.). The question is then posed to the regimental Colonel: "Whom do I promote?". When a corporal is eliminated, promote the most deserving ranker in his section. Promotion points areas follows: Participate in battle: 1 Point Kill enemy in melee: 2 Points per Kill enemy leader: 5 Points (melee only) Run away in melee: -5 Points Not participate in charge: -8 Points Win VC: 25 Points (10 for dispatches) A running tally of points on the unit roster is kept for each man. if any enlisted soldier runs up 100 points, he is offered a commission when the next lieutenant is slain. Note that enlisted soldiers who make it to the officer corp will receive -20 points for their next promotion due to class snobbery in the army... they have to work that much harder for their promotions. When a platoon sergeant dies, the most deserving corporal within the battalion is selected. When a Sergeant Major is eliminated, use the same process for a replacement. Once a soldier is promoted to Sergeant Major, he is ineligible for a commission. Would you trade a Sergeant Major for a butter-bar? Use the same process to select officers for the next higher rank. Dead lieutenants are replaced by new officers from Sandhurst (or St. Cyr) if no eligible enlisted soldiers are available. All promotions cause a man's promotion points to go to zero. The man must prove his mettle (tin?) at his new rank. The exception is a ranker being commissioned and starting off with a -20 total towards captain. Privates come in from the depot battalions to replace losses due to action or promotion. Using the above ideas can greatly enhance what is already a very enjoyable set of skirmish rules, enabling you to actually follow the military career of your men. Now for a report of a skirmish battle set in the trackless wastes of North Africa, between a green (newly painted) platoon of Stone Mountain 15mm Foreign Legionaires and the blood thirsty Arabs. THE FIGHT FOR THE OLD FARM HOUSE Once again the classic "old farm house" scenario raises its ugly head in the absence of a campaign generated conflict. This fight, between a platoon of French Foreign Legionaires and three clans of North Af rican Arabs was a quick test of Larry Brom's rules for the North African theater, a quick introduction to TSATF for a friend of mine, not to mention the fact that I was eager to commit my newly painted French and Arabs to battle. The scenario, such as it was, represents an instance of active patrolling in force in an area where there had been a series of raids by Arab bands. The farm house, set in the low area between two small hills, was to be the objective of the patrol, which would, presumably, spend the night in it, and move on the next day. The patrol, led by Lt. Suchet and Sgt. Berne, advanced for the first three turns toward the farm house. The patrol had the first squad deployed in open order to the left, with second squad on the right, also in open order. The third squad formed an open order cross bar between 1st and 2nd squad. The lieutenant was positioned behind the 3rd squad so that he could control the movement of the wedge-like formation. Pvts. Knowles and Carnot were posted as scouts out front and to the left and right, respectively. The Arab bands were initially hidden, and managed to move undetected for the first two turns. The bands, hereinafter known by their base colors, were able to avoid being seen by moving out of the line of sight of the patrol. The Yellow band and the Green band were armed only with swords; the Brown band was armed with spears. The Yellow band initially was deployed in the scrub to the left of the patrol. The initial position of all units is shown in Figure 1. Turn 1-3 As the patrol approached, the Yellow band watched with eager anticipation. The leader of the tribe, Yacef Ali, had promised all three bands that any weapons captured from the infidels would be booty for the capturing warriors, hence a chance to better arm themselves. This point was not lost on the sword armed warriors. On Turn three, the Yellow band could contain themselves no more and sprang into the open in front of the scrub. The scout, Pvt. Knowles, immediately saw them and gave the alarm. The Brown band, with their spears, moved to the scrub vacated by the Yellows to lend the support of their spears. Unfortunately, after doing so, they were still out of range. The Green band, led personally by Yacef, had been moving up from the blind side of the farm house, undetected. At the sound of the din raised by the Yellow band, they, too, left their concealed position and advanced in the open. For some unexplicable reason, neither Lt. Suchet nor Sgt. Berne ordered the troops to fire. Instead, on Turn four, the lieutenant ordered the men to form an open wedge in close order by two ranks. Since there were no missile troops in the bands (yet detected, that is), this seemed to be the best formation to shoot down the charge that must inevitably come. Rather than wait for the Green band to get in position to support them, the Yellow band launched headlong into the serried ranks of the Legionaires. Perhaps the Yellow Amir dared not hope that his band could be spared a hail of lead for two turns in a row. Only one of the eager Yellow warriors lost heart and fell out, the other nineteen screaming Arabs closing easily, even after three of their number were shot down and leftwouncled. In North African scenarios, hand to hand fighting is quite savage. Figures losing a close action on a one or a two are killed, wounded on a three or a four. Arab swordsmen receive a +1 modifier in the charge, this being counterbalanced by the Legionaires defending in close order. The ensuing melee was especially savage. Having expended their lucky dice to close, the Yellow band came off on the short end of the bayonet. Their leader was quickly wounded, along with nine others in the band. The Yellow band also lost eight killed, but claimed the lives of Sgt. Berne, Cpl. DuPont, and Pvts. Ascorgne, Olejer, and Salpoe. Pvt. Toulon was wounded. The first and second squads had been badly bloodied. On Turn five, the Yellow survivors (both of them) quit the fight, but the Brown and Green bands were glad to take their place. Two black cards were drawn, the Browns advancing to spear range and the Greens declaring a charge. The French elected to stand firm, wanting maximum firepower, foregoing retreating and carrying the wounded at a corresponding loss of firepower. The Browns drew first fire (being the only Arab unit capable of missile fire) and wounded Cpl. Brecon and Pvt. LeFrere with their spears. The French returned a feeble volley and wounded one Arab of the Browns. Against the other (right) wing of the wedge charged the Green band. The feeble fire against the charge scored one hit, but an important one. The Ace of Spades cut Yacef down in his tracks, wounded. As a result (and a bad dice roll), the Green band failed to close. They fell back pinned, abandoning the wounded Yacef on the field between themselves and the blue coated Legionaires. The Arab army commander wounded, turn six started with the Arabs dicing to see if they could move at all... they passed. The Greens, however, failed to "unpin" themselves. The Browns again drew a black card and moved first towards the French ranks. The lieutenant, not wanting to take another hail of spears, moved his troops back out of range with the help of three 6's being rolled. Lt. Suchet then gave the order for all able bodied men (who weren't occupied carrying wounded) to fire on the Browns. Three hits are scored, and a black card was turned over along with two Hearts, including the Ace! The leader of the Browns slumped over dead. Turn 6-9 On Turn seven, again in the absence of thir army commander, the Arabs failed their basic movement die roll. The French also elected not to move to give the Brown band the full benefit of their marksmanship. This time the hapless Browns lost two wounded and one killed. Turn eight began with a red card being turned over and the Legionaires backpeclaling with their wounded in a line of open order. The Brown band moved next, dicing to move without a leader and bring the French in range of their missile weapons. The Green band, desperate to restore their reputation after failing to close, declared a charge. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak, as they rolled a miserable 6 inches of movement on four dice, and didn't have the reach. Three of their band failed to move even the six inches. Figure 2 illustrates the situation at this time. The Brown band drew a black card and pelted the Legionaires with spears, inflicting one wounded. The French returned fire, wounding four. Turn nine was pretty much a replay of Turn eight. The French moved first, moving back carrying the wounded. The Browns moved up to launch another spear attack. The Green band was stricken again with bad luck. They declared a charge and had six fall out. Three one's and a two on the4 movement dice again caused the Greens to fall short of their objective. The Brown band's attack wounded another Legionaire, losing 1 killed and another wounded to French bullets. Both sides were beginning to show signs of exhaustion. Turn ten started with the Arabs failing their basic movement die roll. The Browns could not muster enough spears to inflict any casualties. The French rifles, already hot from fire, volleyed again to bring down two more wounded and another killed in the Brown ranks. The Brown band could take no more punishment. Having lost their leader quite early in the battle and over half of their effectiveness two turns ago, they "elected" to rout. Their low dice helped them along. The Legionaires then formed close order in two ranks and fired on the Green band, who failed their leaderless movement die roll and lost two wounded and one killed. These were the only casualties besides Yacef that the Green band would suffer. Thus ended Turn eleven. By mutual agreement, the Arabs all routed on Turn twelve and the battle came to a close. The French lost 5 wounded and 5 killed, including the platoon sergeant. The Yellow band was all but wiped out with 8 dead and ten wounded, including the leader. The Brown band also suffered, losing a total of 5 killed, includingthe leader, and eleven wounded. The biggest loss forthe Green band, however, was their reputation. With only two wounded and one killed, their performance was substandard, to say the least. Their failure to close with the enemy was compounded by the failure of the band to even reach the enemy on two successive attempts. Their luckless leader was the only surviving leader on the Arab side. Such are the fortunes of war. A few different dice rolls and the French player would have had a radically different battle on his hands. The ferocity of the melee on Turn four gave riseto the inevitable "What if..." in regards to the failure of the Green band to close on Turn five... or, if the Arab army commander had not been wounded... or... I'll leave it for the modern Algerian historian to surmise. For me and a new covert toTSATF, it was just another in what I'm sure will be a string of battles across the sandy wastes of the bled of my kitchen table. French Foreign Legion Painting Information Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. VII #1 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1986 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com