Armed with this briefest of backgrounds to the Pershing Expedition I would like to suggest some modificationsto TheSworclandthe Flame so that actions from the Mexican Civil War and the Pershing Expedition might be fought.
1. TROOP QUALITY
Before the game, roll percentage dice for each unit in the scenario to determine troop quality. These resultsdo not haveto be madepublic but we suggest a scrap of paper marking troop quality be placed face down next to the units in question.
| uality | Carrancista/ Rurales | Villista | US Cavalry | US Infantry | US Nat'l. Gd. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green | 01-10% | 01 -10% | - | - | 01 -30% |
| Poor | 11 -67% | 11 -61% | 01 -15% | - | - |
| Average | 68-89% | 62-89% | 16-50% | 01 -50% | 31 -80% |
| Superior | 90-00% | 90-00% | 51 -00% | 51 -00% | 81 -00% |
All artillerymen and machine gunners will fire on the tables designated for their fire but take morale and other checks as the table above indicates.
2. AMMUNITION SUPPLY
Unless playing a campaign, ammunition supply will be limited as in the supplementary rules of TSATF. The forces of the United States will roll three dice per unit. All Mexican forces roll two dice per unit.The number of pips on the dice are equal to the number of turns a unit may fire.
3. UNIT ORGANIZATION
A. All US forces should be organized as I mperial forces in TSATF. The only addition would be the machine gun troop of cavalry. The MG troop should be represented by a 12 figure unit with 2 machine guns. Dismounted, the machine gun troop will have one officer and two machine guns with crews of four. The remaining figures will serve as horseholders.
B. All Mexican forces will be comprised of 12 figure units. This number applies to infantry and mounted cavalry. Dismounted cavalry will consist of 9 figures firing and 3 figures as horseholders. All machinegun/artillery crews will contain three figures to reflecttheir lower training and quality. There will be one leader or officer figure per group. All Mexicans may be in open order to fire or move but must be in a mass formation to charge.
C. It is suggested that a rough balance of forces would be three Mexican units for every one American unit.
4. MOVEMENT
Movement is as in TSATF except that any American unit with an officer and a sergeant may divide into two components as long as an officer commands one component and the sergeant the other. American units may split, move and fire separately, rejoin and split again as manytimes as the player desires. When split each component uses a card and checks morale based on the strength of the component. (ED. NOTE: This willgive the US player the advantage of more movement options.)
5. SCOUTING
Scouting is the same as in TSATF except:
A. Apache scouts may be employed with a regular cavalry troop, no more than one or two Apaches per troop. Since every reader has probably adapted certain house rules for scouts I would suggest that it would be appropriate to double normal scouting capabilities for the Apaches. in our group normal scouting is confined to six inches in rough terrain or woods. An Apache would be able to detect Mexicans twelve inches away.
B. Aircraft were not used for scouting, nor were they an important addition to the expedition. However since few of us can resist the occasional sight of a JN-2 on the table, I would propose that at the beginning of every turn there will be a 15% chance or less than an aircraft will appear. Should an aircraft be successfully diced for the aircraft will use a card and roll six movement dice each turn. The aircraft must fly more or less in a straight line the length of the playing area until it exits the table, never to return. The Jenny will spot any troops behind hills but none in the houses. In rough terrain, gullies or woods the aircraft may only spot those areas directly under its wingspan. Jermys may be shot at. All aircraft are Class II targets. Only key figure hits effect the crew. One key figure hit and the aircraft cannot perform recormaisance. Two key figure hits and the aircraft crashes three feet away. Any ace forcesthe aircraft to leavethe table but the ace of hearts causes the aircraft to be shot down in an area farthest away from the American forces.
NOTE: Carrancista forces may also employ scouts.
| MORALE CHARTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit | Major Morale | Critical and Pinned | |
| Leader | No Leader | ||
| Superior | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| Average | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Poor | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Green | 6 | 9 | 6 |
Add one to the dice roll if the unit has lost personnel as prisoners to the enemy.
Deduct one from the dice roll if the unit is in a building or trench.
6. MOTOR TRANSPORT
To re-supply US forces both wagons and motorized transportwere used. In games in which vehicles will be used each vehicle uses a card. Before movement, roll one D6. A six results in that vehicle breaking down. A roll of one or two next turn repairs the vehicle. In rough terrain a roll of 5 or6 will cause a breakdown but only a roll of I will repair the damage. Each truck will hold up to five infantrymen or one machine gun crew. Vehicles may be shot at. All vehicles are Class II targets. Passengers may be hit by any card but the driver can only be hit with a key figure hit oran ace. Any acewill disable a vehicle as if in rough terrain. Theace of hearts will cause the vehicle to be permanently disabled.
FIGURE AVAILABILITY
Miniatures: Figures representing the various forces in the Mexican Civil War and the Pershing Expedition are sold in 25mm by Frontier Miniatures. This line includes a complete selection of figures including US Sailors for the Vera Cruz landing. Minifigs pack train and mountain artillery sets would serve the purpose for the mobile cavalry strike forces. Artillerymen can be made up by purchasing the Frontier horseholder figure (without horses, 10 to a pack) and afixing artillery equipment in their hands.
Aircraft: The best model of a JN-2, in my opinion, is a Lindbergh Classic model. Although it is 1/48th scale the pilots and crew figures are very close to 25mm. One thing however; ditch the decals. Photographs I have seen show a dark handpainted star on the tail of the aircraft and a numerical designation, 53, 43, 58, etc., etc., on the fuselage.
Transport: Vehicles come from a company called Ledo. They have a line called "Models of Days Gone". Model #6 is a truck with a hard top. Model #8 is a water truck. Now again photographs and descriptions indicate that the trucks used by the army were essentially flat-beds with a Conestoga top attached but I haven't gotten that ambitious to modify the existing models. it will be necessary to repaint the models but that is a simple process. The company also sells Model #9, a red, open-topped police car. Not only is the police car a cracker-jack command car but for those of you interested in recreating scenes from the Wild Bunch (set in Huerta's Mexico in 1913), the car is a dead ringer for General Mapache's red car. I purchased the models from a discount train center.
Finally, let me thank my friends and fellow gamers of the Buzzkreiger Club of Cincinnati for their playtesting suggestions and ideas.
ED. NOTE: Pershing Expedition by Charles Duncan published by Frontier Miniatures is a good source of information. - BOB BEATTIE
More Pershing Expedition to Mexico 1916 by Henry G. Lubbers
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