This is a simple set of Napoleonic rules for playing out smaller battles. Each player is a brigade commander in charge of 10 or so "battalion" units. To play, all you need are a bunch of figures, a few six sided dice, pencil and paper, and time.
UNITS: Each battalion units consists or 6 or so 25mm figures.
SCALE: Musket range is 20" Artillery range is 6011
SYSTEM SHIFTS: As the battle progresses players will advance from one "stage of battle" to the next.
The stages are ...
- 1. Entering the battle
2. Fighting Fresh
3. Fighting Tired
4. Cowed
5. Routed
Each brigade is in its own particular stage of battle. It is very easy for one brigade to be fresh while another is tired. The brigade commander checks to see when (not if) the system shift occurs. He does this by keeping track of the number of morale checks, rallies, and other order rolls that the unit has failed. When a unit has raked up enough failure, a saving throw is made to see if the brigade shifts systems to the next one down. Eventually a brigade checks for the shift after every failed roll so brigades DO make system shifts If they hang around battles.
| STAGE OF BATTLE | SAVING THROW | AFTER HOW MANY FAILED ROLLS |
|---|---|---|
| Entering Battle | - | You leave this stage when you decide to deploy your troops. |
| Fighting Fresh | 9 | After the first 10
failures And again after 5 more And again after 5 more And then after each extra 1 failure |
| Fighting Tired | 8 | After the first 10
failures And again after 5 more And then after each extra 1 failure |
| Cowed | 8 | After the first 5 failures And again after 5 more And then after each extra 1 failure |
The rules of play change as the brigade shifts from one system to the next. They are all presented In the same format so you can see how a brigade becomes progressively less and less able to fight.
ORDER OF PLAY:
1. Give orders (one order per unit)
2. Move units
3. Fire units
4. Melee
Roll morale checks, and saving throws for system shifts as needed through the turn.
ENTERING BATTLE
This phase of battle is when the two armies are advancing to meet one another. Brigades In this stage of battle are not fighting one another, so the rules do not allow players to shoot at one another. The player decides when he wants to advance into the fighting fresh stage.
Movement
March column 3D6 inches
Line
Column
Square
Mob 2D6 Inches
Orders
Retreat -
Open Fire -
Change Formation -
Stop Fire -
Advance 3+
Enter Melee -
Combat Fire
- Melee, Line,
Column, Square,
Mob
- In future stages roll 2D6 to
see if a hit is scored (ie a
morale check made)
Artillery -
Morale Check 10
Rally -
If a brigade is shot in this phase count the failures against the fresh stage. A unit in this phase may not melee or fire, but it may be meleed and fired upon.
As a rule if you roll equal to or more than the number listed using 2D6 then you have passed the check or scored the hit.
FIRE EFFECTS: When an attacker scores a hit from fire or melee the defender must make a morale check. If the defender passes then nothing happens. if he fails, then he marks if for the systems shift. He arranges the figures to reflect the loss of morale. The first missed morale check makes the unit become a mob. The second missed check causes the unit to begin moving to the rear. Units are stopped and reformed by Rallies. One rally is needed for each level dropped.
FIGHTING FRESH: This is the meat of the battle, when the men are best able to fight.
Movement
Line 1D6 inches
Column 2D6 inches
Square 1D6 inches
Mob 2D6 inches
Artillery 1D6
Inches
Orders
Retreat 4+
Open Fire 4+
Change
Formation 5+
Stop Firing 6+
Advance 7+
Enter Combat
8+
| Combat | Fire | Melee |
|---|---|---|
| Line | 7+ | 9+ |
| Column | 9+ | 8+ |
| Square | 8+ | 7+ |
| Mob | 10+ | 10+ |
| Artillery | 8+ | 10+ |
Morale Check
7+
Rally 8+
Critical Distance Morale Checks
Whenever a unit enters or reenters
within...
60" of the enemy (Artillery
range)
20" of the enemy (Musket range)
10" of the enemy (Charge range)
And to enter melee
CRITICAL DISTANCE MORALE CHECKS
These morale checks reflect the fear of closing with the enemy. Each time a unit enters Into this range it must check morale. If it fails then the unit will stop at that range (for Instance faltered Just before the charge hit home). These checks also make the brigadier aware of how the battle begins even before the shooting starts.
FIGHTING TIRED
This stage of battle comes after the first flurry of activity passes. This is usually where the turning tide begins to become evident.
Movement
Line 1D6-1 inches
Column 2D6-3
inches
Square 1D6-2
inches
Mob 2D6 inches
Artillery 1D6-2
inches
Orders
Retreat 4+
Open Fire 5+
Change
Formation 7+
Stop Firing 8+
Advance 9+
Enter Combat
10+
| Combat | Fire | Melee |
|---|---|---|
| Line | 8+ | 10+ |
| Column | 10+ | 9+ |
| Square | 9+ | 8+ |
| Mob | 11+ | 11+ |
| Artillery | 8+ | 11+ |
Morale Check 9+
Rally 9+
If minuses reduce a units move to zero then it doesn't move.
COWED
This is the stage of battle when one side is nearly defeated. The wise general looks to run away at this point.
Movement
Line 1D6-2 inches
Column 2D6-4 inches
Square 1D6-2 inches
Mob 2D6 inches
Artillery 1D6-2
inches
Orders
Retreat 3+
Open Fire 7+
Change Formation 9+
Stop Firing
10+
Advance 11+
Enter Combat -
| Combat | Fire | Melee |
|---|---|---|
| Line | 9+ | 11+ |
| Column | 11+ | 10+ |
| Square | 10+ | 9+ |
| Mob | 12+ | 12+ |
| Artillery | 9+ | 12+ |
Morale Check
11+
Rally 10+
ROUTED: This is the stage of battle where one side Is soundly defeated. Even if the brigade still has troops that have not fought, they are unlikely to follow any attack orders anyway. It is time to flee.
Movement (to rear only)
Line 1D6 inches
Column 1D6 inches
Square 1D6 inches
Mob 2D6 Inches
Artillery 1D6 inches
Orders
-Retreat 3+
Open Fire -
Change Formation
Stop Firing -
Advance -
Enter Combat -
| Combat | Fire | Melee |
|---|---|---|
| Line | 11+ | 12+ |
| Column | 12+ | 12+ |
| Square | 10+ | 12+ |
| Mob | - | 12+ |
| Artillery | - | 12+ |
Morale Check 12+
Rally 11+
Artillery men leave their gun.
Units already firing may continue
A retreat order stops fire here if a unit becomes a mob.
The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back
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© Copyright 1990 by Chris Engle
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