I wanted some campaign rules that would simulate surprise and give programmed responses to my army movements. The result is this set of rules where the enemy action is governed by dice. These rules were devised for use in a horse and musket period campaign, but they are suitable for earlier periods. For modern campaigns, I would suggest changing the map move from one week to one day.
Diplomacy
I used Mike Elliott’s system with one additional rule designed to give you a nasty surprise. Throw percentage dice every three months for each country that has a neutral or worse relationship with another country.
- Relationship: Dice Score
Provocative: 5%
Unfriendly: 2%
Neutral: 1%
If the dice score is equal to or less than those listed above the country will attack. This can result in some unpleasant surprises: that neutral country on your western border can suddenly attack you with no warning.
Attacks
When a country attacks it must spend three moves of preparations to gather troops together, get them to the border, and be ready to attack. Throw a decimal die to see if when you realise the attack was happening:
- Throw: Realisation
0; Your spies inform you an attack will occur in four moves.
1: You hear of troops gathering. The attack will occur in three moves
2: You hear that troops are marching to the border. The attack will occur in two moves.
3, 4: Troops have been seen gathering on the border. The attack will occur next move.
5, 6, 7: Attacked this move.
8, 9: Attacked last move! This information has only just reached you. To simulate this give the attacker double movement allowance this move.
The objective of attacking troops is the capital of the invaded country. Once the capital has been captured, the country must surrender. Attacking troops capture towns on their route to the capital which act as a supply line. If these towns are recaptured and are in the hands of the invaded country’s troops for four consecutive moves, then the supply line is broken. Once this occurs, the attackers have lost and must retreat as quickly as possible.
If you decide to attack a country, throw a decimal die to see if they are ready for you or are caught unawares.
- Die Result: Awareness
0: Your army is ambushed as it crosses the border.
1, 2, 3: Your army is faced by a prepared position (trenches and other earthworks).
4, 5, 6: The town’s garrisons have been strengthened.
7, 8, 9: The defenders are prepared.
Throw one decimal die each move after the attack to see when defenders start to counter attack.
- 2nd move after the attack: 1,2,3,4,5 = counter attack
3rd move after the attack: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 = counter attack
4th+ move after the attack: The defenders counter attack
Once the attackers have been counter attacked by the defenders throw one decimal die to see how they attack.
- 0,1,2,3: Attack all armies with equal proportions of defending army ( e.g. if attacked by two armies, one twice as large as the other, the defenders will split their army by one third and two thirds.)
4,5,6: Half the defenders relieve captured towns, the rest act as above.
7,8: Split the defenders equally amongst attacking armies regardless of their size.
9: Half the defenders relieve captured towns, the rest act as above.
Size of Attacking Armies
When a country has been attacked throw one decimal die:
| Die | Number of armies | Attack % | Support % | Home Guard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 70% | 20% | 10% |
| 1 | 3 | 70 | 10 | 20 |
| 2 | 3 | 60 | 10 | 30 |
| 3 | 2 large, 1 small | 50 | 20 | 30 |
| 4 | 2 | 40 | 30 | 30 |
| 5 | 2 | 50 | 10 | 40 |
| 6 | 1 large, 2 small | 40 | 20 | 40 |
| 7 | 1 | 30 | 20 | 50 |
| 8 | 1 | 20 | 20 | 60 |
| 9 | 1 | 20 | 10 | 70 |
The attack percentage is the percentage of the total army that attacks the country. The support percentage is the number of troops held in reserve and used to hold captured towns. The Home guard is the percentage that stays in the homeland and defends it. I hope these rules are of use, or at least have given you some ideas.
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