These rules are a compilation of ideas originally set out between Joe and myself back in the late 80's. Both of us were a little dissatisfied with the rules out during the period, which though were historically accurate, were nonetheless too time consuming and involved too much bookkeeping. With the advent of the DBA system, the possibilities that opened up were phenomenal. A simple system that with a little homework could be adapted to other time periods, I adapted them for the 1812 War which Joe and I proceeded to have a lot of fun with.

A number of people at one of the cons asked me to publish my adaptations, which I tried but always there was one constraint or another. These are the latest in that attempt.

Saturday, 27Jan2001, Joe, Walt and myself play tested the initial set at Walt's. While we did have a good time, a number of discrepancies did show up and hopefully they will be addressed by this latest version. Enjoy!

Components needed:

Singly based miniatures
Poker Chips
% Dice, DR10's and DR 6's
Terrain pieces
Deck of Playing cards
An inane sense of humor.
Organizing your army:
12 figures to regular formations
16 figures to irregular units
8 figures to mounted troops, whether irregular or regulars
4 artillery figures per gun
1 officer per division
1 commanding general
Riflemen in small detachments of 8 (skirmishers)
We recommend 8-12 units per side for a 2-3 hour game

Pre-game setup:

Both sides may choose up to three terrain features apiece, within reason. Alternate placing.
Dice for Personality points for all your leaders. D 6's. These are points that can be used through the game for rallying. Commanding general: 3 d 6's. Sub-commanders: 2 d 6's.

Each time a unit needs to be rallied, it must have a general figure attached to it. Each time, a PIP is removed from the general's points, but he adds 15 in the case of the CO and 10 to subsequent commanders, to the unit's morale. Once the PIPs are used up, the general is removed from play and cannot be brought back to the game. This is counted to the opposition's victory conditional points.

Indian Allies:
The owning player must dice for these. This reflects the power of both the tribal Shamans, and the belief in magical omens.

D 10
1-6 The Indians are steadfast and will fight.
7-8 They are reluctant, will desert once conditions begin to go awry for their side. A general or tribal chief must rally them EACH turn.
9-10 Omens are wrong! They desert from the onset, & cannot be rallied. Again, their loss is added to the victor's points
11 Initial setup: all sides may set up to 12“ from table's edge.

Only those units that can be seen or wish to be seen are placed on board.

Game Sequence:

[1] Rally moves from previous bounds.

[2] Both sides pick a card from the deck equal to the units on board. Each card is placed face down in front of unit. Once all cards are down, a card is picked from the remaining deck by the CO of each side. The side with the winning number decides the initiative for that turn. He then chooses form his side which unit gets to act first. The foe opposite must react immediately to his action, flipping his card in response:

Higher card: either moves first or shoots (see modifiers).
Equal cards: cancel each other out: both sides stand, no actions taken.

[3] In the event that there are no units facing one another, then the unit may choose to move or fire if within range.

[4] Units hidden in ambush and within range may fire. Of course, this done, the ambush is over. Any units hit in ambush have all their planned moves cancelled, and must check morale as in regular moves.

[5] Regular shooting: all units in range may fire if desired. The procedure goes as follows:

Skirmishers, cavalry, dragoons.
Artillery.
Close order units, militia.

[7] Charges that can be homed in and charging unit has not been driven back by shooting can be done at this time.

[8] Melee

[9] Tally chips for morale checks.

Movement: close order foot 10"
Skirmishers: 12”
Cavalry: 20"
Limbered artillery: 18"
Advancing a gun by hand: 3"

[Modifiers]:
Terrain obstacles of any kind: ½ move
Change formation, mtd/dismnt/lmbr/unlimber: 1/3 move on road.
+1 Cavalry pursuing routers.
+3 Frontiersmen/ Amerindians in wood/forest: ignore terrain restrictions.

Shooting ranges:

Musket: 12”
Rifles: 16”
Artillery: 36”

Determining a hit:
5, 6 on a d 6.

[Modifiers] +2 if enfilading a unit on its flank from ambush or because of movement the firing unit is able to do so.

IN other words, 3,4,5,6 causes a casualty. +1 rifles 4,5,6 to hit. -1 for any cover.

Dice determinations at full range. British regulars/Hessians/Continentals: 1 d 6 for every 3 figures present at that time in the unit. Round all fractions up. All others: 1 d 6 for every 4 figures present at that time in unit. Rifles ignore these restrictions since they will be in smaller units. In which case they will be 1 d 6 for every 2 figures. Cavalry dragoons the same.

Close to half range: British regulars/Hessians/Continentals: 1 d 6 for every two figures present at that time in the unit. All others: 1 d 6 for every 3 figures present at that time in unit.

Artillery graduation:
25-36" 1 d 6
13-24" 2d 6
7-12“ 3d 6
1-6“ 4d 6.

Melee

Basically the same as shooting, except for modifiers.

[Modifiers]
+1 if continentals, cavalry riding down fugitives, Amerindians/frontiersmen in woods. Any unit defending an obstacle.
+2 If British regulars/Hessians. Later American Continentals and French and Spanish allies
-2,if Amerindians/raw militia in open and charged by any or if been under artillery fire for more than one consecutive turn.
-1, If riflemen being charged by regulars in the open.

The presence of unchallanged opposing cavalry in the presence of any unit. Any unsecured areas in the unit's vicinity that may be declared ambush sites.

Tallying up the chips:

For each casualty, a chip is given. Blue to the redcoats indicating loss to Americans, red to the Americans.

Morale is assayed at this time. Basic Morale at start of game.

British Regulars, Hessians, later Continentals, French, & Spanish: 85%
Continental Line: 80%
Volunteers, Canadian levies raised by British: 75%
Militia: 60%
Amerindians: 50%

[Modifiers

:-5% for each chip
-1% for each friend seen routed and an additional -1% for each subsequent turn not seen rallied.
-2% for Amerindians if being under continued artillery fire.
-2% if infantry and in presence of cavalry and unable to form square.
-5%-if seeing army commander harmed in any way.
-4%-seeing subordinates in the same way.
-2%-if the unit standard is lost and not recovered within two {2} turns.

Failure to make morale or its modified number, unit falls back in good order unless pursued by either victorious foot or cavalry. Generals may attempt to rally 3 times and only 3. After that, the unit breaks in rout. Rally can only be made if unit is not in contact or may not be contacted in 3 subsequent turns.

Procedure: A unit may be rallied if intercepted by a leader who adds 10 points to the morale check. This may be attempted 3 x's in the following turns. Otherwise the unit is lost for good. Each time a leader is used, remove a PIP from his personality points. Risk to leaders: Anytime a leader is attached to a unit that either comes under fire there is risk to the leader. An additional d 10 is thrown, with a 1 or 2 indicating death or wounding to that personage. He is subsequently removed from play and is added to the cost of victory points.

Points: Army Leader=100 points, Subs: 75 points, gun model lost, unit colors 50 points, each other figure lost 10 points. Breaking units not rallied 50 points per unit when losses tally up for either or both sides to 60 % check point totals to assess victory.

Addendum: A unit should have one officer, standard and a musician. This is no means struck in stone. Joe plans to add uniform details in the future. These rules are being played in 54mm (with inspiration and thanks to Mr.Chadwick, and the subsequent cost of lead (LOL). Besides, check out the plastics produced by Accurate, Call to Arms, and Barzo, as well as Classic Toy Soldier and all the Marx recasts. There is a wealth of imagination out there for us miniature lovers.