UNITS:

Infantry units of 8 figures, cavalry of 4 figures, artillery 1 gun & 2 crew. A company is 2 infantry figures, 1 artillery or cavalry figure. Infantry & cavalry can be 4 deep in column (not deployed) or 1 deep in line (deployed). Infantry can also form in square or as skirmishers. Artillery can be limbered (not deployed - trail in direction of movement) or unlimbered (deployed - muzzle in direction of fire). Infantry & artillery can fire only when deployed: cavalry can charge only when deployed. Elite units have 1 more company, poor 1 less.

BRIGADE ORGANIZATION & INITIAL ORDERS:

Each player has 10-20 units in brigades of 2 to 5 units, each commanded by a Major General. Initial brigade orders are advance (place the Major General in front of the brigade), hold (Major General behind the brigade) or withdraw (Major General behind the brigade facing the rear). If the army commander is with a brigade or unit he may automatically change orders. Orders can also be changed by a brigade commander tossing a 5 or 6.

TURN SEQUENCE:

British activate/resolve combats, French activatelresolve combats.

ACTIONS:

A unit must pass an accomplishment toss to: change formation or withdraw from a melee or charge into melee (new or existing: Note that artillery may not move into contact. that cavalry or infantry must already be deployed to do so and subtract an additional -1 from the toss if the enemy is behind cover or if the attacker is cavalry charging an infantry square)

Toss 1 die: infantry & cavalry fail if toss exceeds the number of companies in a unit, succeed if the toss is less than or equal to the companies remaining in the unit (artillery figures count double). A successful change of formation counts as movement for the unit.

Note that failure means that a unit under movement orders (advance or withdraw) continues to move unless this would force a unit that is not deployed to contact an enemy unit (in which case the unit stands). Units with movement orders may unlimber or form square (which halts movement, but does not change orders). Units with hold orders may attempt charge if an enemy unit is within range.

MOVEMENT:

Crossing obstacles requires an success toss: succeed on 1-4; fail on 5 or 6. Failure is no movement, success is move at normal speed: Deployed artillery/infantry square = 0"

Deployed infantry = 5" Deployed cavalry or infantry/artillery not deployed = 10" Generals or cavalry not deployed = 15". Units in a mixed brigade may conform to the movement of the slowest unit.

COMBAT:

Going through each category separately (i. e.. Artillery is resolved line of sight), then Musketry [10"], then Melee (contact) the phasing player totals the number of units attacking a target unit and tosses 1 die, normally scoring a hit (i. e., forcing a morale check) on a 5 or 6.

Modifiers are:

-1 from toss: if artillery firing at over 18" if target behind cover

+1 to toss: for first round of melee if target not deployed (i. e that is limbered or in column) if target cavalry under fire if target infantry attacked by cavalry (-2 if behind, over or in square--Note this means cavalry scores only on a 6 with a +1 for first round of melee) for every additional attacking unit (Note that artillery may hit targets at long range behind coyer only by combining fire from several batteries)

MORALE:

If the attacker scores a hit, the defender must check morale. Toss 1 die:

Artillery -1 from fire/+1 in melee: all units if behind cover from fire -1.
an infantry square has no modifiers against cavalry but ignores all results except 5 or 6):

A Major General may attempt to rally a unit before morale effect; toss 1 die:

1-4 = subtract that number from the toss
5 or 6 = general is killed (6 is captured if in melee).

If a Major General is killed in a rally attempt, his brigade checks as a whole for changes of brigade orders (units take all further reaction tests individually):

Toss 1 die:(-1 if withdrawing, +1 if advancing):

1 or 2 = withdraw
3 or 4 = hold
5 or 6 = advance.

Note that the army commander may also attempt rallies, but brigade movement orders are not affected by the loss of the army commander.

A unit of infantry or cavalry remains in play as long as it has 3 companies; a 3 company unit that loses a company is removed. Note that guns are left in place if their crews fall back or are eliminated.

SQUARES & SKIRMISHERS:

An infantry square is formed by placing all figures facing out; it cannot move or fire and counts as a deployed unit with a movement factor of on. An initial cavalry charge can break a square only by a toss of 6. A square that is forced to check morale by a cavalry charge ignores all results against except 5 or 6 (see above)

Infantry skirmishers have a front line of 4 figures on a 10" front with the remaining companies in a rear rank; move 10" or move 5" & fire (-1 for crossing obstacles or rough terrain), may not charge (& automatically lose melees if attacked & +2 modifier on morale check after melee), count as behind cover from fire (also screen troops behind from fire and vice versa); they may fall back 10" & reform in column on a successful accomplishment toss.

EXAMPLE OF PLAY:

A British artillery battery (attached to the infantry brigade) fires from its position on a ridge (behind which the infantry is sheltered) at a deployed French dragoon brigade (of 2 regiments plus an attached battery of artillery) located 9 inches away and on the far side of a river, scoring a 4 (+1 for cavalry under fire = 5)--a hit. The dragoons check morale, scoring a 3 and choose to lose a stand rather than fall back or risk the MajorGeneral.

During the French phase. the two regiments of dragoons (which has orders to advance) toss to close to melee, scoring a 4 (for the full strength regiment) & 3 (for the under strength regiment). thus both pass (note that the artillery cannot close and does not toss). They do not yet move, but each unit must toss dice to cross the river as well as to climb the ridge (i.e., 2 obstacles). The understrength regiment tosses a 1 and a 5. thus it fails to move at all.

Whereas the full strength regiment tosses a 2 and a 1 and moves into contact. The artillery also fails a toss and remains in place. The dragoon regiment in contact now tosses for combat. scoring a 4 (+1 for first round of melee = 5)-- a hit. The artillery battery checks morale, scoring a 3 (+1 for artillery in melee = 4 )- - the Artillery chooses to abandon their guns and falls back 10 inches.

On the subsequent British turn the infantry will have to decide whether to form square for protection from the dragoons (and becoming a prime target for the French artillery if he can get into position). Of course the decision will be depend on what other units are available in support or are in a position to reinforce them.

Vimeiro Order of Battle

British (21 units)

Wellesley

Oxfordshire Light Infantry
Queen's Own

Garrison of Vimeiro

Queen's Regt.
King's Royal Rifle Regt.

Garrison of Ventosa

Highland Light Infantry
Worcestershire Regt.

Hill's Brigade

Northumberland Fusiliers
Norfolk Regt.
S. Staffordshire Regt.
3 batteries R.A

Nightingales's Brigade

Seaforth Highlanders
Gordon Highlanders
Black Watch
3 batteries R.A

Crauford's Brigade

Arghyll and Sutherland Highlanderss
Loyal Lusitanian Legion
20th Light Dragoon

French (23 units)

Junot (with Solignac's brigade)

Chalot's Brigade

15 Legere
32 Ligne
82 Ligne
70 Ligne
1st Provisional Cuirassiers
1st Provisional Dragoons
1st Lancers
4 batteries artillery

Solignac's Brigade

12 Legere
58 Ligne
66 Ligne
2nd Provisional Dragoons
2nd Lancers
2 batteries artillery

Brennier's Brigade

2nd Provisional Cuirassiers
Provisional Grenadiers
4 Legere
2 batteries artillery

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