It would be too involved to go into too much detail on war game rules in this booklet, for one would have to write about the Ancient, Musket Period, and Modern warfare, with all their variations. Suffice it to say that by using the basic rules here outlined, you can adapt them to the historical period you play your games in. I might also suggest that you subscribe to War Game Digesi, for within its pages there is a constant source of ideas and rules being presented by outstanding war game players from around the world. The beginner has best start slowly using only the basic rules, and as time goes on, gradually add to your rule book the variations you think or, or read about that will make your game more realistic and interesting. One word of advice - don't complicate your games too much with rules. Keep them simple and easy. Starting the war game If possible, set up a curtain between the two opponents, down the center of the table, so that troops may be set up in secret. Each player then sets up his troops along his base line (about and infantry move out from the edge of the table), Remove the curtain, roll one die to determine who starts the first move, and you are off to the races! Basic types of war games There are several different types of war games one can play. Each is a little different from the other, and produces different results. We suggest the beginner start with the Alternate Move game, and then advance to one of the other types as experience is gained. 1 -Alternate Move Game A-Player one moves all his troops, fires his volleys and cannon (known as combat) while his opponent remains passive. B-When player one has completed his entire play, then player two has his turn while the opponent is passive. 2-The Combination Game A-Player one moves his troops while player two is passive. B-Combat is then judged on a simultaneous basis (i.e., each opposing force fires upon one another simultaneously). C-Cannons are then fired alternately, with player one having first shot. D-Player two then makes his troop movement, while player one remains passive. "B" and "C" above are then repeated. 3-The Simultaneous Move Game A-Both players move their troops at the same time, each man starting from his left and moving to his right. B-When all troops on both sides have been moved, combat of the two forces are judged on a simultaneous basis, and then each side fires his cannons alternately. 4-The Move-Countermove Game A-The player rolling high dice (before each game move) may choose whether he wants to make the move or countermove. B-The move player then moves all his troops. C-The countermove player then moves all his troops D-Combat is judged on a simultaneous basis. E-Cannons are fired alternately with the move player firing first. Moves and ranges The foot move, or infantry move, is the length one infantryman can be moved on each player's turn, The length of this move is determined by the scale of the figures used and the size of area being played on. On an 8-foot by 6-foot table this is usually 8 inches, so we'll use this as a basis for our tabulation below. The cavalry move is twice the length of an infantry move, thus it would be 16 inches. Generally cavalry, light infantry, tanks, and vehicles use the cavalry move length. Rifle range in musket period war is usually a cavalry move (16 inches). In modern war it is increased to perhaps 20 inches. This means that any opposing troops 16 inches (or 20 inches) away from the man firing is eligible to be killed. Measurements are usually made on a stand to stand basis. Artillery range is generally 4 to 5 infantry moves in length. That would be 32 to 40 inches long. Range is always measured from the muzzle of the gun, and all men within this range can be killed. Combat After all troops have been moved by the player (or players), the combat between the troops within fighting range of each other is then judged. Only troops within combat range of one another can fight one another. There is generally a definite order of combat to be judged in all games as follows~ 1 . All melees (hand-to-hand fights) are judged and casualties removed. 2. Rifle volleys are measured, firing commences, and casualties removed. 3. Artillery ranges are measured, targets picked, and cannons fire, with casualties being removed. The beginner will find it best to choose a suitable order of combat in judging combat and stick to it, rather than make a helter-skelter thing of combat judging. It matters little whether you want cannons to fire first or last, but once a decision is reached, stick to it for the entire game. Now let's take each form of combat and explain it fully. The Melee (or hand-to-hand combat) The melee occurs at the discretion of the player making the move. To cause a melee, the player places one soldier within half an inch of an opposing soldier and announces that this is the melee point of contact. The player then may move in all troops within legal range around this point of contact, From the point of contact a melee circle (360 degrees) that is an infantry move in diameter is measured, All troops within this circle (whether friendly or enemy) are "caught" in the melee and must stand and fight, Troops outside the circle are not in the melee. Now there are many different rules for melees. Offhand I can think of eight different kinds, each different from the other. Some are technical, some are simple, and most use a roll of the dice to add and element of chance in determining the winner. For the beginner, I think, however, one of the best rules was originated by the late Captain Sachs of England. The Sachs Melee Rule 1 . After the men involved in the melee have been determined, the players count their troops who are involved. 2. First, deduct from the inferior force as many men as it is inferior. Remove these men as casualties from the table. Then, starting with the weaker force, every second man on both sides is killed. 3. The player left with the most men is declared the winner and the loser must retreat one infantry move. The winner may reorganize his men, but cannot pursue. 4. Cavalry and infantry count as equals. 5. If both sides are equal in combat, half the men on each side are killed, and victory will depend on which side can bring up reinforcements first on ensuing moves. We player of the musket period game, however, object to Sachs' idea that cavalry and infantry are equal in melee. So, most players use a point system whereby cavalry equal 2 points and infantry 1 point, Thus in Sachs' rule, the count of men would be changed if on a point basis provided one side was loaded with cavalry. Our suggestion is that you use the Sachs rule, but apply the point system to it. However, if infantry can be formed in a hollow square, the point basis is always 1 to 1 against cavalry. Another objection many old timers have to the Sachs-type melee is that the stronger force always wins. If a dice is thrown the element of chance gives the inferior force a chance to win. Let's take a melee rule that gives this element of chance as originated by Homer Delabar of California. The Delabar Melee Rule 1 . Unless in square, infantry count I point, cavalry 2 points. 2. Each player counts the points involved in the melee. 3. Each player rolls one die, multiplying the number rolled by the number of points involved in the melee. 4. The highest total wins the melee and holds the ground. 5. The low total loses the melee and loses 50% of the points as casualties. The remnants retreat a cavalry move. 6. The winner loses 50% of the points that the loser has lost. (If the loser has lost 40 points, the winner would lose 20.) One other point about melees must be brought to your attention, No friendly or enemy troops may fire into a melee or into men who have fought in a melee. For melees theoretically going on while all the other combat is going on in the battle, and neither side dares fire into a melee for fear of hitting their own men. The beginner must remember that fighting a war game is much like watching a motion picture which is stopped at various points by the operator to show a still shot. Thus, a war game is temporarily frozen when the combat is judged, but we must base our rules on the fact that action never ceases, and that there is continual fighting and movement going on at all times. By basing your rules and ideas on this assumption, you will more readily obtain realism than if you think of war games as a series of "stop and go" fights, rather than a continuous flow of action. The Volley The rifle volley is perhaps the most important part of the combat action of war games, There are no real hard and fast rules for volley firing, and players determine casualties by dice, by fire tables, or by percentages. Many players bring in the morale factor whereby a dice throw determines whether men will move into volley range of an opposing force, or whether, once a volley is fired, if they will stand or retreat after taking losses. The simplest method for volley firing is to use one roll of the dice for each six men firing. This is known as a volley group and a line volley may consist of one or several volley groups, Thus, for each volley group in line, you would roll the dice once to determine the casualties. The more volley groups you have, the more firepower you bring to bear on the opponent. The technical question then arises, Who can fire and who can't? Generally, in musket period wars, we allow only the front ranks of troops to fire upon one another. In the modern game, where men are not usually in formation and are spread out, any man is eligible to fire, provided he is within range of an opponent. If you decide to use fire tables, set them up realistically for the type of warfare you are fighting. Thus, in musket period games, we suggest for every 10 men firing, they could kill 4 enemy troops. For modern battles, this could be raised to 6 casualties. And by all means, if possible, use some type of morale factor to determine a winner of each volley, for otherwise the fighting will go on along one line throughout the whole battle as each player brings in more troops to support his volley lines. However, morale of this kind can only be used in games where simultaneous fighting occurs. It would be difficult to use it in the Alternate Move game. Let's look at two types of morale that you can use. Pre-move Morale Before regiments of troops can be moved into combat, a dice throw is made. If a throw of "1" is made, the regiment will not move into combat, but stays where it is. After-combat Morale a-After the casualties have been removed from the volley, each player counts his survivors. b-Each player rolls one die and multiplies this number by the number of survivors he has. c-Highest total wins and holds his ground. Lowest total must retreat cavalry move, Thus, with the morale factor added, troop formations can be broken up, ground gained or held, and a change in the entire scope of the battle is possible. Without the morale factor, each side will hold his position indefinitely, bringing up reinforcements as fast as he can and fighting at the same spot all evening long until one man is defeated by losing all his men. It is always a rule of thumb also, that only men whose head and shoulders can be seen can fire, or be fired at. Rifle fire is always direct fire, and if a man is hidden, he cannot fire or be fired upon. Since horses were generally unsteady platforms to fire from, cavalry usually have less firepower than infantry when it comes to volleys. Fire tables should take this into consideration, or if dice are used, they should be reduced. Some players allow cavalry no firepower whatsoever, using them only for the melee. Your own judgment of the situation here will answer this problem as you see fit. The Greenwood and Ball cavalry figures are one solution to this problem. All riders are dismountable, and by soldering wire "skis" to the feet, the riders will stand up when dismounted. Thus, a cavalryman built like this might have no firepower from the saddle, but has equal firepower when dismounted and fighting on foot. Artillery Artillery rules are basically similar, but many variations exist. Some players actually shoot spring loaded model cannons, while others use dummy guns, measuring sticks, and roll dice to determine casualties. Let us first look into the basic rules about artillery, then we can digress into ideas on firing the guns. Basic Rules 1. A cannon can move or fire on any game move, but cannot do both. 2. Cannons can be moved an infantry move if not fired, but must remain stationary to fire (some players hedge a little on this rule and allow the crew to hand push the gun a few inches and still fire). 3 The gun crew are generally "marked" men and, if they are killed, cannot be replaced.(If a gun crew is all dead, the gun can be serviced by infantry, but kill only half the casualties they would if serviced by regular artillerymen.) 4. All guns, except howitzers, are direct fire weapons. If you cannot see the opposing target over the gun barrel, you cannot fire at it. Firing the Cannon 1. A measuring stick is made that is as long as the range of the gun. On the end is tacked or glued a round cardboard. This is the burst pattern and should be scaled to the troops you use (for 30mm, a 3 inch pattern is about right). 2. The player firing the cannon points out the target, checks for range, then places the burst pattern over the target. 3. He folls one die. The number thrown specifies the casualties of the troops caught under the burst pattern. There are several other ways of using the measuring stick and dice method. One method is to mark off the measuring stick in inches. The player firing the gun must guess at the correct number of inches from the gun muzzle to the target without measurement. He then places the stick at the correct number of inches from the gun muzzle to the target to see if the burst pattern covers the target. If it does, he is allowed full casualties of the men under the pattern. If not, he must throw the dice to determine casualties. The beginner may want to use canister fire and round shot. Generally the canister stick is built in the form of a V with the small end being placed at the cannon. Enemy troops caught inside the V can be killed. Canister is usually the same range as rifle fire, Round shot is usually a long-range projectile, and is also used for destroying objects on the battlefield. A piece of 3/8 inch dowel cut the length of the range is made. This is then divided off into 8-inch sections. The ricochet of the shot will kill any men the stick touches. However, it will kill only within any given section on the stick, so that if one man is killed at the beginning of a section, the ball comes to rest at the end of that particular section. Howitzer (or mortar) fire is indirect fire, and targets hidden from other guns can be shot at with howitzers. As a general practice, howitzer range is shorter than direct fire cannons and howitzers cannot fire round shot or canister. The burst pattern stick would be used to determine casualties. If you use a spring-loaded cannon to shoot with, it is best to use a cotton tipped swab so as not to harm your soldiers. Generally, a burst pattern is placed over the point at which the projectile finally lands and casualties are assessed. Some players also kill any soldier the swab happens to hit while in flight, before it comes to rest. Cannon Crews Generally four to six men serve one cannon. Two men must at all times be right at the cannon, but the remainder may be scattered around the gun, so long as they are not over an infantry move away. Thus, if the gunners at the gun are killed, two more may be brought up on the next game move. A captured gun must be physically taken by the troops and cannot be fired on the first move it is captured. Here again, if regular infantry capture the gun, it has only half fire capacity. Counter-battery Fire Since most artillery fire is done on an alternate basis, counter-battery fire is of importance to silence or destroy enemy guns. In general, the player firing the gun must call out his target - either the gunners or the gun. To destroy the gun he must roll a 6 on the die. If he calls for the gunners and kills the two serving the gun, that gun is silenced and cannot fire until new gunners reach it. Firing On Other Objects Cannons can destroy objects such as houses, bridges, fences, and breach walls. The players generally arrange the destruction cannons can wreak before the battle. Thus, light objects such as wooden houses or fences might be destroyed with a roll of 4, 5, or 6 on the die, while heavier objects such as the stone walls of a fortress would require a roll of 6. It is best to have a complete understanding before each game so that no arguments will arise during the game. Special Troops The basic rules described above take into consideration only the foot soldier, the cavalry, and the artillery, Most players, after experience on the miniature battleground, like to add special troops who either have special moves or special fighting power. Briefly, such troops would be commandos, paratroops, light infantry, grenadiers, sharpshooters, engineers, signal men, first aid men, and others who perform special duties on the battlefield. War-game generals usually outline rules for these special troops, depending on what type of work they do in battle, Obviously sharpshooters are better shots than the average infantryman, and likewise commandos or light infantry move faster than the regular line infantry. We suggest the beginner draw up his own rules for these special troops based on a realistic approach to the type of troop involved. One should, however, remember that special troops should be limited in number, that they be easily distinguishable from other troops (by uniform or action position), and that once they are killed, they cannot be replaced. One thing to remember is that the addition of too many rules, special moves, and special types of troops adds too much confusion to the games. Limit yourself to one or two types and keep the rules and game simple. The Solo War Game Don't be ashamed to "go it alone" if you can find no opponent to play war games with you. Many of our best table-top generals play solo games. There is no limit in solo games, and here the player can allow himself to go all out with special rules, moves, and troops. The element of chance is all important in solo games, and one should use chance cards and depend heavily on the dice to break up any favoritism you might show for one force or the other. Solo games are excellent as a proving ground for new ideas, and many battles may be fought historically correct in this manner that is not possible when playing against an opponent It might be said that chance must rule the solo game, while simplicity should rule the game when you have an opponent. More All About Wargames Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Troops Chapter 3: Converting and Painting Chapter 4: Wargame Set Up Chapter 5: Army Organization Chapter 6: Basic Rules Chapter 7: Campaigns Back to MWAN #106 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum 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