1. Introduction. The reason for this issue's column is to introduce boardgamers to the VICTORY PROCEDURE detailed later. As most of the work involvement in bring the Victory Procedure to its present format was played tested using the above rules in a conventional wargame using figures, and the rules are perfect for solitaire play, I thought it was a good idea to review the WRG rules as well as go into some depth regarding the Victory Procedure.

The WRG Horse and Musket figure-gaming rules provide the player(s) with an excellent Divisional level (supported by Corps elements) battle simulation. It is a perfect system for solo play with alternate play, lack of tactical order writing, eight reaction charts (you want a unit to initiate a charge? Ask them politely, they just might!) and non-existent paper work (accountant wargamers, look no further!). Though more suited for Napoleonics, the companion Seven Years War Army Lists compensates for this bias. Once the rules are familiarised, the battle can be resolved using the game's one, two-sided, reference card alone.

WRG Wargames Rules 1685-1845 were inspired by Brigadier Peter Hughes' classic, Firepower. Play proceeds with alternate play (response, shoot, Hand-to-hand and manoeuvre) with one bound representing 15 minutes of actual conflict. Figure scale is 1:50/40 and gun model scale is 1:2. Ground scale for 25mm figures is 1" = 25paces or 1mm = 1pace.

2. WRG 1685-1845 Rules Clarification and Amendments Rules The following WRG Supplement was compiled by referring to the WRG "SYW Army Lists" and the Emperor's Press "Warfare in the Age of Reason" (Tod Kershmer enlightened me ref. - Victory Procedure!) and by much tinkering and ball-kicking at GSHS (my local club...?!?). [And here is me thinking Godfrey was the only wargamer on Malta GC!] The WRG Supplement consists of 9 sections, which are:

1. Skirmishers Rules to prevent Skirmishers from becoming hordes of Duke Nuk 'ems.
2. Artillery Includes detailed rules regarding battalion guns (inadequently covered in the basic rules) and a general update.
3. Response Introduces the Brigade Casualty Test, a brigade-level reaction test and coverts the First Opposition Reaction Test to Brigade Level First Opposition.
4. Shooting Clarifications
5. Hand-to-Hand Clarifications
6. Manoeuvre Clarifications; Please note added detail (ambiguous in the basic rules) ref. - attacking and defending buildings, in this section, and Sections 4 & 5 above.
7. Cumulative Damage Effect For those of us (again, I refer to accountant wargamers!) who would prefer to lessen the randomiser effect of the WRG system. I, personally, prefer to leave my fate in the hands of the Goddess of Luck!
8. Victory Procedure See "3" below.
9. Organising an Army Thoroughly tested. Guaranteed to force a player to field an historic force. Suitable for any Napoleonic Divisional sized Army List.

Victory Procedure. At what point does a force (Brigade, Division, Corps or Army) Withdraw, Quit the Field, Break, Disintegrate or Rout? Most historical boardgames specify a set time for the scenario which collates with the time span of the actual engagement. Victory is then determined using a system of Victory Points for destroying enemy formations, capturing topographical features or clobbering the local dragon! Whatever, I feel this system gives rise to totally unrealistic grand strategy.

Let's take a standard ACW regimental-level boardgame. SPI's "Wilson's Creek", August 10, 1861, specifies a game span from 0520hrs to 1000hrs. The battle suddenly ceases at 1000hrs...exactly! and victory determined. What could possibly happen so instantaneously? Reinforcements arrive? Army morale collapses? Even if the events mentioned were to take place, a variable period of delay would precede the actual impact of the event.

No general throughout military history ever knew exactly at which point in time the battle he was controlling would end. History would be quite different if they had had that knowledge. Last minute impetuous charges; reserves committed in the nick of time, all with the futuristic knowledge that at the sacred time, everyone on the battlefield will lay down their arms and calculate a mathematical diagnosis of the day's carnage to determine who takes over the ground underneath and who is bonded into slavery for the remainder of his short, miserable life.

The Withdrawal Chart listed in the Victory Procedure section comes close to a complete solution to the dilemma of the "instant" end to a battle. The basic concept system is to use victory points as active numerical values rather than end-game passive ratings.

One of your field batteries as been overrun by enemy skirmishers and the position has been occupied. You don't wait till 1000hrs to suffer the consequences (a negative VP modifier), but, if the 25% casualty threshold has been passed, would immediately cause an army withdrawal check, at say 0800hrs, when the event happened!

The Withdrawal Chart presented can be easily modified for other historical periods. Batteries could be groups of catapults, brigades could be medieval batteries. Actual customised withdrawal charts can only be designed by yourself for the game in question. The random base could be a D20 instead of a D6 system. Numerical values for losses, morale loss, staff casualties and objective control can be modified to suit the particular game's concept of victory.

This system creates scenarios like "will we hold until nightfall or get cut down under the noon-day sun?" rather than "Okay, we have till sunset, so let's defend this position steadfastly and recklessly, knowing the 'bad' guys will leave us alone from 1800hrs... exactly!

If anyone would like some help in "Quitting the Field" chart design for a particular game, please contact me. Enjoy your solo-gaming and may your enemies always quit the field before you do!

VICTORY PROCEDURE

a) Victory conditions are determined by Withdrawal Factors which are checked during the withdrawal phase at the end of each game turn after the point one or both sides have taken 25% casualties.

b) These factors represent the cumulative total of the positive and negative factors considered by the commander in chief of each army during the course of a battle. Such factors as casualties, terrain objectives gained or lost., standards lost or gained, artillery pieces lost, etc. are summarised on the Withdrawal/Terrain Objectives table.

c) This table is consulted during the Withdrawal Phase of the first turn in which the sum total of an army's casualties reaches 25%, and each turn thereafter until one side or the other withdraws, or 15 turns elapse.

d) Withdrawal check procedure, Army checks at 25% casualties and every turn thereafter. Add appropriate numbers below to arrive at the final number of dice (D6) to roll. Roll dice and withdraw army if score is 12 or greater.

e) If both armies have suffered 25% casualties, then they both must check. The army with the highest number of Withdrawal Factors rolls first. Should the roll fail it losses, otherwise the other army must roll. If withdrawal factors are equal both armies must roll simultaneously.

f) Routed units that do not rally are counted as casualties and not routed. Surrendered units, though counting as 25% casualties, cause the captured flag negative withdrawal factor, as do units that are Eliminated. 3 eliminated battalion guns count as 1 battery for withdrawal factor purposes. 2 extra, odd battalion guns also count as 1 battery.

g) If there is a road running off an army's baseline within the deployment area, it is considered a primary road. If two or more are present, one must be declared primary before the start of the battle.

h) To be in control of an objective, an army's units must be in sole occupation of or have been the last to occupy it. If contested (i.e. occupied by troops of both sides), neither has control but any original occupant still count it as lost. Field defences are considered to be occupied if adjacent, troops are classed as a protected target. due to the feature.

i) A gained objective is any terrain objective captured outside of an army's initial area of deployment whether previously held by an enemy or not or an objective inside the army's deployment area that was lost to the enemy and then regained.

J) A lost objective is any terrain objective that is controlled at any time by an army and is then lost to the enemy or which later catches fire.

k) Objective sizes are: Buildings and woods are the size of the area occupied by the feature. Road Junctions, Bridge or Ford 100 paces X 100 paces. For hills the objective is presumed to be the entire crest line of the terrain. Each separate section of field defences is considered an objective.

l) Geographic objectives are: Junction of primary road and board edge, cross-roads, junction of secondary road and board edge, bridge, ford. building, field defences, hill, wood.

m) Withdrawal Chart:

Each friendly flag captured by enemy 1
Each friendly battery eliminated by enemy 1
Each friendly brigade retiring shaken 1
Each friendly brigade retreating off table 2
Each friendly subordinate general killed, captured or off table 1
Friendly CinC killed, captured or off table 2
30% losses 1
40% losses 2
50% or more losses 3
Each controlled geographic objective lost to enemy 1 (4 if Primary Road)
Each enemy flag captured by friends -1
Each enemy battery eliminated by friends -1
Each enemy brigade retiring shaken -1
Each enemy brigade retreating off table -2
Each enemy subordinate general captured -1
Enemy CinC captured -2
Each geographic objective captured by friends -1 (-4 if Primary Road)