This is the second installment in the series. Links to the other installments are at the end of this article.--RL
4. Replacement, Supply and Army Composition.
a. Supply. A country must buy supplies with the points allocated to it. Each army, fleet, or garrison uses up 1 point of supply per week no matter the size. If a fleet is in a port with a garrison, then only 1 supply point is consumed.
Each army must trace a line of supply to a friendly city using the shortest distance by road. A supply train may only move along this route to re-supply the army. F~ch supply train may carry 1 supply point. If this route is cut, no further supply trains may traverse the supply line. Any trains which are between the blocking army and the army they wish to supply may continue moving to that army but any trains between the blocking force and the supply base must return to the city. Only one supply train may be sent out of a city per move. Supply trains caught alone are captured or destroyed at the captor's option.
Each army can have two weeks supply accompanying it when it is sent out on campaign. Fleets may carry an unlimited amount. Supply lines may be traced along a river to a friendly city if a barge flotilla is operating from this city as a supply carrier. This supply line can be cut by an enemy army holding a bridge hexside unless a friendly army also holds the bridge hexside.
When an army enters a hex which is an enemy supply line hex or crosses a bridge over a river being used as a supply line, then that army must be told of the existence of the supply line.
b. Replacement. There are three types of cities on the map: 1st class, 2nd class and 3rd class. Each city has a replacement points value. These points are taken per annum in the winter season interphase and are mustered in the capital. Supply trains may be placed in any friendly city.
Replacement values are as follows:
| City | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st Class | 200 |
| 2nd Class | 100 |
| 3rd Clnes | 50 |
If a capital city is taken, the entire country and any captured territory is lost to the captors, all supply lines are cut and any garrisons in the country surrender and are disbanded. Any existing armies of the nation which has lost its capital are disbanded. A country collects replacement points from all cities under its control, not just the home cities.
c. Army Strength. An army must be at least 250 points and not more than 750 points to be sent out on campaign. Equipment moving alone or moving with a detachment escort are considered an army for order purposes. Combined field armies may exceed 750 points but the excess points may not be used in battle and suffer any consequences of such an engagement. Commanders are to ensure that their armies are historically balanced in all arms and troop types.
d. Experience. All troops begin the campaign trained except guards who count elite.
Nations without guards begin the campaign with some veteran troops. Each nation starts
with 250 points worth of guards or veterans. The percentage of guards may never be
increased during the campaign but the original number may be maintained.
e. Points costs. When a battle is to take place, the opposing commanders convert their army points into infantry battalions, cavalry regiments, and artillery batteries using the points system below. Depleted units may be fielded but no more than one of each arm is allowed. Cavally may not exceed the proportion of one per four infantry figures. Excess points may be used for lower class troops, e.g. 5 points of veterans may be used as five trained or five raw. Siege guns cannot be used in battle.
After each battle all surviving figures or fraction of are converted back into points.
Commanders should note any change in class for experience.
| Points Cost for Troops and Equipment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Generals | Guns and Limbers | ||
| Austrian | 15 | Light (Max. 3 crew) | 12.5 |
| British | 25 | Light Medium (Max. 4 crew) | 16 |
| Prussian | 25 | Medium (Max. 5 crew) | 18.5 |
| Russian | 25 | Heavy (Max. 6 crew) | 24.5 |
| Other | 20 | Equipment | |
| Cavalry Figures | Barge Flotilla (12 boats + 72 Sailors) | 200 | |
| Cuirassier | 7.5 | Detachment (1 Squadron of Light Cavalry) | 15 |
| Other | 5 | Engineer Unit (1 Engineer + 12 Pioneers) | 16 |
| Infantry Figures | Pontoon Unit (1 Pontoon + 1 Engineer + 4 Pioneers) | 30 | |
| Line | 2 | Siege Gun (1 Gun + 1 Limber + 7 Crew) | 50 |
| Light | 3 | Supply Train (1 Week SUPPLY) | 2 |
| Riflemen | 4.5 | Ships | |
| Gunner Figures | 1st Rate | 60 | |
| Horse | 10 | 3rd Rate | 45 |
| Foot | 2.5 | Frigate | 20 |
| Merchant | 15 | ||
| Schooner | 20 | ||
f. Detachments. Detachments are employed as supply train guards, used for raiding, as equipment escorts, and for scouting. Detachments do not effect barges in any way. Only one detachment may occupy a hex and only two detachments may be deployed per city controlled. If there are more than the correct number of detachments per city controlled in any season interphase, the nation must disband the extra ones.
When detachments enter an enemy occupied hex several situations may occur. If the enemy is
another detachment then they will engage each other. Roll to see the outcome:
| Detachment Combat | |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Attacker eliminated |
| 4-5 | Attacker retires 1 hex |
| 6-7 | Defender retires 1 hex |
| 8-0 | Defender eliminated |
If an enemy supply train or equipment has been contacted they will be automatically be captured or destroyed. If the enemy is an army or city garrison roll to see the outcome:
| Scouting | |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Retires 1 hex but scout successfully |
| 4-5 | Retire 1 hex |
| 6-7 | Eliminated but scout successfully |
| 8-0 | Eliminated |
| Modifiers | |
| Scouting 2nd Class City | +1 |
| Scouting 1st Class City | +2 |
g. Generals. Each nation has a pool of twenty generals ranked from 1 to 20. The abbreviation for these for order purposes is G1 to G20. Each must be named and the initial die roll for type recorded. Each active general's location must be specified. When a general is required to command a field army or garrison he must be taken from his pool from the top ranking general down. When a general is killed a replacement is rolled for and placed in the lowest rank. Generals allocated to the field or garrison duties may be transferred amongst the various commands at will but remember no general may move without a field army in escort. Following is the general type according to nation and die rolled:
| Nation | Cautious | Rash | Bold |
|---|---|---|---|
| British, Prussian or Russian | 2 or less | 3 | 4 or more |
| Others | 3 or less | 4 | 5 or more |
| Austrian | 4 or less | 5 | 6 or more |
Modifiers:
| Decisive field victory | +2 |
| Take fortress | +2 |
| Major field victory | +1 |
| Breach a fortress | +1 |
| Cause a Bloody Repulse | +1 |
| Force besiegers to lift siege | +1 |
| Major field defeat | -1 |
| Lose fortress | -2 |
| Decisive field defeat | -2 |
A randomiser is also thrown to take into consideration a general having an offday or being in form.
| Randomiser | |
|---|---|
| 1 | -3 |
| 2 | -2 |
| 3 | -1 |
| 4-7 | 0 |
| 8 | +1 |
| 9 | +2 |
| 0 | +3 |
If the generalship rating is required during any generation
| Generalship Rating | |
|---|---|
| 1-2 Poor | |
| 3-7 Average | |
| 8-0 Good | |
| Modifiers | |
| Bold General | +1 |
| Cautious General | -1 |
5. Sieges and Field Engineering.
a. Time Scales. An army must be accompanied by an engineer unit to construct field
defences and carry out siege operations.
| Time Scale for Sieges | |
|---|---|
| 1 week: | Following a garrison surrender Each assault To abandon a siege |
| 2 weeks: | To lay a siege |
b. Field Fortifications. Any army which remains in a hex for one move may build field fortifications in that hex consisting of one redoubt per battery and one entrenchment per battalion.
When contact occurs in a fortified hex three situations may apply:
- A battle may take place and the defenders have full use of their fortifications.
- The defender retreats one hex out of his entrenchments and the attacker occupies the hex.
- The attacker retreats one hex out of the fortified hex and the defender remains in place.
No further movement except that stated above is allowed when contact is made in a fortified hex. To prevent a mini-siege situation if the attacker has decided to fight he must carry the enemy positions within one day or retreat as per situation (iii) above.
c. Fortresses. There are three classes of fortresses on the map. These are 1st Class, 2nd Class and 3rd Class. 1st Class fortresses have an outer defence, an inner defence and a citadel while others only have an outer defence. Following are the innate strengths and maximum garrisons for each type of fortress.
| Fortress | Strength | Garrison |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Class: | 150 | 300 |
| 2nd Class: | 100 | 200 |
| 3rd Class: | 50 | 100 |
Any number of points may be placed within a city but the above is the maximum garrison which may fight in a siege situation. Extra points may reinforce a garrison back to its maximum strength at the beginning of a move. Excess troops suffer the same fate as the combat garrison. There is no limit to the amount of equipment or supplies that may be placed in a city. If a city is under siege no lines of supply may be traced to that city and any barge flotillas within are stranded for the duration of the siege. Also, no reinforcements may be taken from that city. If the city is a capital then no mustering may take place in a season interphase during which the city is under siege.
d. Procedure for Siege Operations. Actions (1) to (4) are carried out at the beginning of the siege only while actions (5) to (7) mav be utilised each move:
- Lay siege
- Treachery
- Loss of nerves
- Supply
- Assaults
- Breaching
- Abandon Siege
e. Lay Siege. The besieging army builds siegeworks around the city.
f. Treachery. A 3rd Class fortress may be taken by treachery. Roll and on a 1-2 a suitable traitor has been found. A further roll of 1-5 means the fortress falls and the garrison is taken prisoner and all equipment and supplies are captured.
g. Loss of Nerves. If a 1-2 is rolled then the defender's generalship is rolled for. A poor generalship rating might forfeit a 2nd or 3rd Class fortress due to loss of nerves. Roll a die:
| 1-2 | Surrender unconditionally and garrison taken prisoner |
| 3-5 | Surrender on terms so garrison gets safe conduct |
| 6-0 | Garrison ignores general and fights |
| Modifiers | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Class Fortress | +2 |
h. Supply. If a commander puts his men on 1/2 rations a morale check must be made. Use the table in (g) with a 1st Class fortress modifier of +3. Also, due to civilian unrest, treachery must be checked. Use the table in (f) with a lst Class fortress modifier of +3 and a 2nd Class fortress modifier of +2. If a garrison runs out of supply roll a die:
-
1-8 Fortress falls and garrison taken prisoner
9-0 Fortress falls and garrison given safe conduct
i. Assaults. An assault is an attempt to take a fortress by stonn. It can only be attempted at army points odds of 3-2 or better. Roll for Generalship rating before each assault.
| GENERALSHIP | MODIFIER |
| Good | 2.0 |
| Average | 1.0 |
| Poor | 0.5 |
Attacker's strength = Points x generalship modifier
Defender's strength = Points + fortress strength x generalship modifier
Work out ratio rounding off in favour of the defender and roll on the table below:
| Die | 3:2 | 2:1 | 3:1 | 4:1 | 5:1 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 (a) | 50 (a) | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| 2-3 | 50 (a) | 50 | 25 | 25 | 100+ |
| 4-5 | 50 | 25 | 25 | 100+ | 100+ |
| 6-7 | 25 | 25 | 100+ | 100+ | 20+ |
| 8-9 | 25 | 100+ | 100+ | 20+ | 20+ |
| 0 | 100+ | 100+ | 20+ | 20+ | 20+ |
Definitions
-
##: % of garrison strength lost by attackers and defenders
(a): % øf garrison strength lost by attackers only and denotes bloody repulse. Attackers must die and if 1-3 is rolled they must raise the siege and retire. They cannot resume the siege until reinforced.
+: % of garrison strength lost by attackers only and denotes the fortress has fallen and the garrison is lost.
Both commanders must be rolled for. On a 1, the general has been killed in the assault.
j. Breaching. A regular siege may only be attempted by an army who has a 3:2 or greater ratio of siege guns than the enemy. Dunng the siege's duration assaults may be declared but the breach time is increased by one week for each assault undertaken.
To find out how long it takes to cause a breach check the ratio of siege guns between the
attacker and defender and cross reference this ratio with fortress type on the table below. Round off the ratio in favor of the defender.
| Ratio | 3rd Class | 2nd Class | 1st Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:2 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| 2:1 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 5:2 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 3:1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| More | 1 | 4 | |
| # = Number of weeks before breach is made. | |||
Once a breach is made roll a die to see
if the garrison surrenders. IS' Class roll when the citadel is breached.
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Surrender unconditionally and garrison taken prisoner |
| 4-7 | Surrender on terms and garrison given safe conduct |
| 8-0 | Refuse terms |
| Modifiers | |
| 1st Class fortress | +2 |
| 2nd Class fortress | +1 |
Safe conduct allows unhindered passage to the nearest friendly city. If the garnson refuses terms then the breach must be assaulted. The defenders lose the fortress strength bonus.
1st Class Fortresses If the outer defences are breached, the garrison may retire to the inner
defences taking all their siege guns with them. The breach procedure must then be gone through
again. After the inner defences are breached the garrison may retire into the citadel again taking their siege guns. Here half rations count as full because the garrison does not have civilians to worry about. Again the breach rules must be referred to. Once the citadel is breached the garrison must roll for surrender.
If the garrison remains at the breached defences instead of retiring and is assaulted successfully then roll a die. On a 1-5 they may still retire to the inner defences or the citadel losing 25% of their points and siege guns, rounded up. This percentage is used instead of normal assault losses. If the roll fails the fortress is lost.
k. Abandon Siege. If a besieging army falls below 3:2 ratio of army points then it must abandon the siege unless anempting to breach in which case it has a chance equal to the number of weeks required to cause a breach to bring up reinforcements. An enemy force cannot remain in a city hex unless it has laid siege for assault or breach purposes.
l. Sorties. A garrison may sortie out of their city at any time if the besiegers fall below 3:2 ratio of army points. The besiegers may have 75% or their infantry and guns, rounded down, in field fortifications if they have spent the full two weeks laying siege. A sortie may also be anempted against an army which is abandoning a siege due to the 3:2 ratio rule.
m. Disease. If a besieging army continues to breach for more than one month then a die must be rolled each move thereafter. If a 1 is rolled there is sickness in camp and the besiegers lose 5% of their force every week until the siege is over. After two months the garrison must also start rolling
Modifiers
- On 1/2 rations: -1
Out of supply: -2
n. Relieving Forces. If a relieving force arrives on the scene of a siege the garrison may sortie out to aid it unless the besiegers leave an equal number of army points as the garrison in the siegeworks. A besieging army attacked by a relieving army may have up to 25% of its infantry and guns, rounded down, in field fortifications as long as it has spent the full two weeks laying siege. If the relieving army is victorious any points containing the garrison suffer the same fate as the defeated army. Conversely, if the besieging army wins, any of the garnson which sortied out retreat with the relieving army.
o. Repairing Fortresses. A breached fortress is considered repaired if it survives one season without being involved in a siege.
Other Installments
-
First installment in Lone Warrior #114
Second installment in Lone Warrior #115
Third installment in Lone Warrior #116
Fourth installment in Lone Warrior #117
Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior 115
© Copyright 1996 by Solo Wargamers Association.
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