These rules were inspired by Wargames Research very enjoyable " De Bellis Antiquitas" fast play ancient rules and influenced me to try to write a set of rules for a favorite period of mine, the Anglo-American War of 1812. As compared to the greater Napoleonic Wars occurring in the same period, armies on both side were smaller than their European counterparts and hence battles tended to be smaller, but no less deadly. DBA gave me the jumpstart to try some ideas I have had . Hopefully, these rulettes will play through I give thanks to my friends for taking their time to playtest these roulettes. These are: Hal Dyson, Alex and Jen Bagosy, and my old friend , Joe Walukonis, who kept at me to get these ideas down on paper and now on diskette. He is now threatening to add a supplement with uniform ideas as well as tactics. GO JOE !!!! Last, but not Least, my wife, Dottie, who has proven to me that the third time is the charm, and has not shaken in her faith in me. Components: Several DR10's, inch rulers, terrain and miniatures. Optional: orders markers, casualty figures, and whatever else you think may enhance the game. Scale: 1 stand roughly equals an infantry company, cavalry troop or artillery battery. The CinC stand and subordinate/allied general stands represents aides, runners and HQ guards. Ground scale is variable and gives me a headache muy grande thinking about it. Stand sizes: Since I game in mostly 20mm, I chose a 40mm frontage for the base size with a depth of 30 mm for infantry, 40mm for cavalry/command stands and a variable size for artillery to fit the guns and crews from Revell, and HAT . For larger figures, reduce to 3 line infantry and reduce by one for 3-stands. For my wild western gaming in 15mm, I use a standard 3/4" x 3/4" basing, with 2 cavalry figures to a base/3 infantry/artillery base. Stand types Regulars: trained to fight and shoot to European style drill regulations and formations, includes marines, some state volunteers and Canadian Militia, riflemen, some Royal bodyguards. 3-4 per stand Militia: non-regulars, raised to fight only in a specific area, such as frontiersmen, will be unenthusiastic if asked to serve far from their homes. 3 per stand Amerindian/Pacific Islander warband- may be musket armed, or with bow, spear or other weapons,3 per stand Dragoons- 3 per stand Other Horse- 2 per stand. These include Kentucky Mounted Rifles, a very well trained militia unit trained as mounted infantry. They can be when mounted, are two [2] to a stand, but if dismounted are three [3] to a stand. Artillery, including rockets- 1 gun per stand, 2 rocket tubes per stand, 3-5 crew per stand Command stands- 1 general +2-3 Other figures per stand, 1 [one] command stand per 12 - 16 stands. Game setup I recommend a battlemap area of 4-6'x 6' square divided into 1' grids subdivided into 4 Quadrants. Movement is from quadrant to quadrant and eases speed of play. Otherwise, each side should choose up to 3 terrain pieces and alternately place them. 1] Both sides agree on its deployment side. 2] Both sides roll 1 dr6 for weather: tie roll or difference of 1-2 fair weather; 3- cloudy; 4- foggy; visibility is 2"; 5-Stormy: " 1". In the event that "stormy weather is rolled, both sides work with maps. Movement is done via "blind trust" between players when an umpire is not involved, stands being placed only when blundering into one another. 3] Both sides roll dr10 to determine attacker/defender. Defender is smallest # and may set ambuscades on battlefield drawing a map to site any hidden troops. 4] Attacker deploys any troops that he chooses to initially enter in his own zone. GAME SEQUENCE 1] Both sides roll 1 [one] DR1O to determine INITIATIVE. 2] Initiating player rolls DR10 again to determine how many actions he is allowed. Actions consist of the following: Movement: regular moves, charges, fall back Formation change: troops arriving after initial deployment actions may be performed as a group or as single stands. Resolution. 3] Other player does same. 4] Both sides again roll to see who shoots first: small arms and artillery fire: opportunity fire from ambuscade* Resolution 5] Other player does same 6] Hand to hand combat [simultaneous] 7] Resolution from actions involving shooting and combat. These are: [1] recoil [2] destruction [3] breakthrough [4] last stand/breakout [5] surrender [5] TIE Description of Terms: RECOIL occurs whenever a stand is forced back due to shooting or hand to hand AND has nothing blocking it., directly to its rear, or is flanked. DESTRUCTION is when a stand has received a 2x result from shooting/hand to hand and/or is completely surrounded and if chooses last stand option, fails, or if recoils cant because it is flanked or otherwise blocked.. BREAKTHROUGH - when a stand by virtue of victory in hand to hand, either recoils or destroys its opponent. This can be classed as pursuit by infantry or cavalry. LAST STAND/BREAKOUT- any stand which finds itself in an impossible situation[such as finding it cannot recoil safely] may opt to fight fanatically against all comers. The stand chooses a single enemy stand, ignoring flanks. Opponent does not get the benefit of having friends in the vicinity, but should last stander lose by any margin, he is destroyed no if ands or buts. However, should he win, by any margin, he destroys the target stand and either retreats to the safety of nearby friends, or lacking that seeks the nearest cover not occupied by opponent. CAPITULATION- again, if the stand finds itself cutoff and retreat is precarious at best, it can elect to surrender. In that case, opponent must detach a stand as guards and both stands are placed in victor's rear area. The captured stand is counted as twice a loss to the owning side. Tie - both sides tie in DR, can either continue combat or fall back. If continuing combat, both sides suffer an automatic [ -1] to their die rolls until one side is removed or gets into a situation involving the "last stand " option. MOVEMENT: As explained before, from quadrant to quadrant regardless of troop type line 1/2 of movement to change formation, limber/unlimber artillery, or if crossing an obstacle stands may elect to move at the quick, which they may double their movement[ may be either be like a charge or a positioning move]. If doing so they move x 2 quadrants but suffer a penalty if other than a move that ends in contact with enemy. May be attempted only once during the game. SHOOTING All stands armed with muskets , bows and rifles/cavalry carbines may shoot. Shooting factors are = to # of figures per stand. Ranges: [AGAIN IN DECADENT INCHES] Weapon Short Range/Penalty Long Range/ Extreme Musket 1-5/0 6-12/-1 13+/-2 Rifles 1-8/0 9-15/-1 16+/-2 Eastern Bows 1-8/0 9-15/-1 - Cavalry Carbines 1-4/0 5-10/-1 - Artillery - Canister 1-3/6+DR10 None - Artillery - Sht/Shl 1-12/5+DR10 13-24/4+DR10 25+/DR10 ROCKETS: USE SPECIAL GAMES WORKSHOP DICE FOR DIRECTION. IF ROLL INDICATES A DIRECTION OTHER THAN TARGET, MISSLE FIRES IN DIRECTION AWAY FROM TARGET INDICATED BY ARROW AND SHOOTER ROLLS 3DR10 TO MEASURE DISTANCE MISFIRE GOES. IF HITS, STAND MUST ROLL ITS DEFENSE TO ASSES FATE. SUBTRACT FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING : -1 TARGET STAND IS IN SOFT COVER [ LT WDS, BRUSH, DITCH,THATCHED OR ANY GRASS HUTS, LIGHTLY CONSTRUCTED BLDNGS, HASTILY PREPARED DEFENSES. SHOOTERS ARE FIRING DURING RUSHES, TARGET IS IN RUSH MOVE ITSELF, FOR EACH FRIENDLY STAND SEEN DESTROYED BY CANISTER, OR IS ITSELF UNDER CONTINUOUS ARTILLERY BOMBARDAMENT. IF TIE AND PER SUBSEQUENT COMBAT [CUMULATIVE] TARGET STAND[S] COMING UNDER AMBUSCADE FIRST TIME ONLY TARGET STAND:FOR EACH STAND SUPPORTING ATTACKER IN MELEE OR SHOOTING TARGET STAND IS FLANKED OR SURROUNDED [UNLESS DECLARING LAST STAND OPTION] -2 for the following TARGET IS IN HARD COVER [ HVY FORESTS, STONE AND/OR HEAVILY TIMBERED STRUCTURES, WALLS, DEFENSES PREPARED BEFOREHAND BY ENGINEERS/PIONEER STANDS. GENERAL SEEN KILLED OR CAPTURED Results: If dr of shooter is 2x that of target; target is destroyed, otherwise recoil one [1] base depth If a tie, no effect. Artillery crews that lose in counter-battery fire must abandon gun[s] and need an action point to return. HAND TO HAND count again # of figures on a stand as their melee factor+drl0 -1 for the following for each stand in support on either side of aggressor stand, or if target stand is flanked if stand is in defensive positions or behind an obstacle or defending in woods or inside building To attacker if frontiersmen or native Americans in woods, Pacific Islanders in jungle rainforest, Southwestern Indians in arroyos or great canyons If cavalry charging infantry on flank, or any stand emerging from ambush to take target in flank CinC, or any other general killed in previous turn Militia or Amerindians caught in open by cavalry INFANTRY threatened but not charged by cavalry in close proximity ANY under initial bombardment by rockets and any subsequent turn [cumulative] Any stand facing another stand supported or attacked by a general's stand American/Europeans facing Pacific Islanders incited by Kahunas or Native Americans by Shamans/Medicine men. -2 for the following Europeans facing Hawaiians led by Kamehameha I: likewise any others facing Americans/British/other Europeans generaled by Historic Personalities. DRAW result, both sides receive a -1, if continuing in hand to hand[see below] Consequences: If DR of winning stand is 2x that of opponent, losing stand is destroyed, OTHERWISE RECOIL IF POSSIBLE. A tie, combat continues with a -1 for each side, locking both until one side is destroyed. Artillery crews that lose in melee abandon guns and these in turn may be considered captured and may be turned against their former owners. Capturers must substitute 1 stand to crew weapon taken.  Clarification If in case #1 where a stand is destroyed, winner may opt to move up to 2 [two] base depths to breakthrough to get to another enemy. A stand directly behind destroyed stand is not destroyed, but recoils one [1] base depth itself. A stand that is prevented from recoiling is destroyed. Victory The side which loses 1/3 of its stands +1 loses the scenario. I am assuming that the losing side goes into retreat and hence doesn't necessitate a long dragged out fight. Army sizes depend on the scenario designer. I recommend 12-15 for small battles, but upwards of 24-48 if wanting to fight larger battles, necessitating the use of up to 2 [two] other general stands. Also, an army is designated as 12+ stands. One [1] general stand is required to command it. For stand #s exceeding 12, army receives 1 more DR10, not to exceed 2 . Hopefully this will provide the basics for a fast play 1812 game. Use a compromise if you reach a sticking point in these rules, nothing is ever set in stone. * Once opening fire from ambuscade, logically these stand[s] must be placed on board. Back to MWAN # 121 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com