Bases: I mount 18 10mm infantry figures three deep on a base that looks good. On the same size base I mount 4 10mm cavalry figures, then number the stands. Each stand is a unit. You figure your own figure/base ratio. My three-player army is: Red - 10 infantry, 5 cavalry; Red Allies = 6 inf, 2 cav; Blue = 13 inf, 5 cav. Blue always get choice of where to defend. Attackers may only set up directly to the defenders' front, no closer than 15", and may not start units extending past the flanks of the defender. Game Set Up: Grab a dusty old board game off the shelf and pull out the counters. Separate the sides, then separate the counters into inf, art, and cav. Place each type in a paper bag. On a piece of paper write down your units' numbers. Draw one counter for each unit, type for type. Write the combat value of the chit, +6, for the unit which drew it. After all the units are assigned combat values, you may elect to designate an infantry unit of your choice as an artillery battery. That infantry unit is now your artillery battery. Artillery have a pre-assigned strength - see below. you must state which infantry unit is artillery. Both sides must draw up specific battle plans. They must detail where units start and what the brigade objectives are. Once the game has begun, no deviation of the initial battle plans are allowed unless the enemy causes a unit to react to a threat. Up to 1/4 of an army may be held in reserve, at least 6" behind the front lines. Once a reserve unit is activated it must be given specific orders. Reacting to a threat: A unit may deviate from its orders if it is charged, or at risk of being charged, or if a friendly flank units is pushed back, or if enemy units are in line of sight (LOS) and are behind a unit's flank. Once a unit elects to deviate from its pre-assigned orders it may no longer advance toward an enemy unit. It may hold ground, change face or formation or fall back. It may advance again, as per its original orders, if it passes its morale and has successfully repulsed an enemy unit or is in LOS of a friendly flank unit that has repulsed an enemy unit. Simultaneous Movement/Sequence of Play Write if a unit is moving or firing or charging or changing formation or attempting to rally. During a turn a unit may move, fire, change formation, about face, limber or unlimber, or wheel. You may need markers to indicate column and square. Turn Sequence: Formation changes Artillery fire Charges Movement Musketry 5 Movement Unit Line Column Inf/Art 3 4 Cav 7 Roads/down slope/charges x1.5 cumulative Rough/woods/up slope/town x0.5 cumulative Water per umpire If any portion of a stand is in penalty terrain, it pays. Units in line advancing must move dead ahead straight as an arrow. The entire stand must be in advantageous terrain to get the bonus. Units may interpenetrate if forced to do so but it takes an entire turn and units must have been in base contact at the beginning of the turn. Fire Roll 6 sided dice. Every hit removes 1 combat factor. You get 1 die pip for every combat factor (14 combat factors would get 2 dice and a 2 pip.) Units may combine their fire. Only an infantry unit with the enemy directly to their front may fire. Cavalry may not fire. Artillery has a 180 degree arc of fire. Infantry Close Medium Long Range (Hit On) (0-2") 1-4 (2-4") 1,2,3 (5-6") 1,2 Artillery Cannister Close Medium Lon g Range (Hit On) (0-3") 3-6/4 (3-6") 4-6/3 (6-12") 5,6/3 (12-18") 6/3 Infantry stands may only fire directly to their front. There is no "arc of fire." An artillery stand has 2 guns. Each gun may fire independently. It takes 4 hits to destroy a gun, 8 for the stand. Artillery has a 180 degree arc of fire. Artillery must always fire on the closest available target in its LOS. Units block LOS. Only artillery on a hill may fire over friendly infantry, if the friendly infantry is closer to the guns than the target is to the friendly infantry in front of the guns. Units may fire on any target that moved through their line of fire during the current movement phase at the closest point to the firer during the target's movement. Fire hits on squares or length wise through line or column are doubled (umpire's call). Morale Roll 1 D6 and match or roll below unit's combat value to pass morale. A unit that rallies will lose I morale marker. A unit must test for morale and apply the results immediately if/when: Attempting to charge or being charged. Enemy in LOS of flank or rear. Takes 1st casualty from artillery fire. For every fire hit taken in flank or rear. After a melee (see melee rules). Within 6" of a routing or retreating friendly unit. Any square or column once for every fire hit. When a friendly unit is forced through another friendly unit both units check. Failing Morale If a unit fails morale it will get a morale marker and if it now has: 1 marker: It will stand and only fire defensively. It will not advance 2 markers: It will immediately fall back I full movement rate facing the enemy. It will not advance. It will lose 1 combat factor per turn until rallied. 3 markers: It will immediately rout and head for the closest board edge behind your lines in as straight a line as possible at charge rate. It will lose 2 combat factors per turn until rallied. Artillery which is deployed and forced to retreat is destroyed. Melee A unit must charge successfully to initiate a melee. Only the stands in base contact count in the melee. Each side rolls 1D6. Add your die roll and bonuses. The highest total wins. Ties re-roll. Opposing forces may not touch each other without charging. Bonuses are cumulative: +1 to your total for: every combat value involved every stand of attacker if defender has more morale markers every friendly stand in support flank base contact +2 to your total for: every stand of cavalry attacking infantry in line or artillery every stand defending in cover/works/up slope every stand of infantry in line attacking line infantry or artillery in flank or - rear +3 to your total for: every stand of cavalry attacking any column or the rear of any unit Artillery starts the game with a melee combat value of 8. Artillery may not initiate melee. Cavalry may not attack squares. Units must be in line formation to melee. A unit must begin their charge on an enemy's flank or rear to get those bonuses. Routing units have no melee value. If meleed they are removed from the game. attacking units must pass their morale or are considered "In pursuit" and are also removed from the game. Winning cavalry that fail their morale must pursue. Melee Results: 1. Compare die roll and bonuses and pip totals. Highest total wins. 2. Divide the winner's total by the loser's total, rounding down any remainder. Equals "X" 3. The loser loses "X" combat values. 4. The loser gets 1 morale marker for every 2 combat values lost. 5. The winner receives 1 casualty less than the loser, on the attacking unit/s of its choice, but no morale marker. 6. Both sides roll for morale and apply the results immediately. 7. If after rolling morale both sides remain in position, the melee continues the following turn. Most Important Rule of All: This is not the Bible. If you want to change something or add something, do it. Have fun! Back to MWAN #110 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2001 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