These rules were devised after trying to recreate Indian warfare during the Seven Years War. The problem is that Indians, due to their skill in woodcraft, were unpredictable and could appear from behind any tree without warning. The following rules should go some way to create this sort of surprise attack. When setting-up the wargame table, the terrain should be covered with plenty of trees, bushes and fallen logs. Anything that might conceal one or more figures. To illustrate the game, imagine a unit of Rangers on their way to capture a French village, deep in a wooded area. On the first bound, the Rangers move towards the village. If a figure comes within musket range of any cover, for example a single bush, throw a normal six sided die. With a score of 1, 2 or 3 gives the number of figures hidden behind the bush. With a score of 4, 5 or 6 there are no figures hidden. As the hidden figures have the element of surprise, they may be able to fire one or more volleys, before the advancing troop have the opportunity to return fire. To assimilate this, throw another die. With a score of 1, 2 or 3 they fire a single volley. With 4 or 5, two volleys and with a six they are considered to have been seen by the advancing troops. So losing the element of surprise. After the advancing Rangers have checked their reaction to this surprise attack, they can continue to move forward, checking each piece of cover for hidden Indians as they move into musket range. When coming into contact with larger pieces of terrain such as a long stone wall, building or large rock formation, the same method can be used, but using a twenty sided die. So there is a chance that there is a maximum of ten figures being hidden, and from eleven to twenty, there are no figures. With these large pieces of cover, to give things a bit more variety, with a score of twenty, might mean a small cannon has been concealed or something equally nasty. This method of play can be unpredictable, stopping a large force in its tracks or on the other hand, the advance can be made without difficulty. It all depends on the fall of the dice. Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior #106 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Solo Wargamers Association. 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