EDITOR'S NOTE
Here's a closer look at the "morale game" Napoleonic rules that Tom Elsworth's club uses. Its interesting feature is that, if you suspect a unit is going to Impact on you, the objective is to impact on it, first. The result of the impact is to temporarily lower the target unit's for the next turn.
Thus, seeing a unit about to charge me, I'd fire on it. Next turn, when the charging unit makes contact with my boys, the combat effectiveness of the charging unit is slightly downgraded. The diminution of effectiveness however, lasts only one turn ... thus it's important to keep impacting on the enemy every turn.
Rules written by Mark Wilson
Many of the Napoleonic wargames played at Oxford in the last couple of years used a set of rules written by Mark Wilson which revolve almost entirely about the concept of morale. In particular, the Napoleonic campaign described in the. December issue of the REVIEW used these rules.
Perhaps "morale" is not the right word... "combat efficiency" might be nearer the mark. The essential premises are:
- 1. That in most battles, the proportion of actual casualties
occurring before a unit had decisively won or lost an action was small,
and should not be modeled by removal of figures torming a necessarily
large percentage of a model unit.
2. That we want to keep bookkeeping to a minimum.
3. That the rules writer, in a club atmosphere, need only set the rough parameters ... leaving the players and umpire ( if any ) to deal with detail of particular situations.
Five basic situations are identified in which the morale of a unit is called into question:
- 1. Wishing to receive or countercharge an enemy.
2. Wishing to fire on an enemy.
3. Wishing to close to hand-to-hand combat as charger.
4. Wishing to rally from rout.
5. Army - as a whole - wishing to test its morale.
Each of the situations is described by a list of relevant factors ( of which usually 3/4 apply at any one time ) having plus and minus effects. This total is then added to another factor derived from a random value generated by dice rolls. The number of dice thrown depends upon the morale type categorization of the unit involved:
| Unit Type | Number of Normal Dice | Application
of Average Die |
|---|---|---|
| Guards or equal | 3 | plus (average die - 1) |
| Veterans | 3 | plus (average die - 2) |
| Regulars | 3 | |
| Raw | 3 | minus (average die - 2) |
| Levy | 3 | minus (average die - 1) |
To explain, one takes 3 normal dice, totals them, and then if the unit is of Type Guards, Veterans, Raw or Levy, one also throws an average die, modified as shown, which adds or subtracts to the previous total.
These die rolls also constitute the only recording keeping in that a unit loses one of its 3 normal dice each time it routs. Units, therefore, have 3 "lives." Whenever it is necessary to check the situation of a unit, the dice rolled are retained for all other checks in that bound.
A sampling of the factors relating to situation 2, firing on the enemy, is:
- Musket target over 30 yards -4
Rifle target over 50 yards -4
Small arms target in open order -4
Target is unlimbered artillery -4
Target is cavalry crossing front -4
Target is behind cover -4
Each casualty per figure, last move -1
To the total of the applicable factors above is added the sum of the dice throws previously described, and the result translated into a Morale Factor (MF):
| Score: | 1-7 | 8-13 | 14-16 | 17-19 | 20-21 | 22-23 | 24 | 25+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Having obtained the MF, the casualties are:
- Casualties = figures firing x MF
One of the interesting aspects is the effect of fire. This is calculated by checking the firing unit's effectiveness as above and being given a rate of hits per man on the target unit, indicated by placing a marker, such as a toothpick on the unit being fired at to mark off the casualties just received. This "weight of fire" is carried forward to any subsequent checks made on the target unit in that bound and the immediately subsequent one. The markers are then removed.
Melee is decided by obtaining an effectiveness-factor for both units, multiplying this by the number of figures Involved, and establishing the ratio between these values for the two units. Reference is then made to a simple combat results table giving instructions such as "break off", "melee", "rout", breakthrough", etc.
The movement sequence for a turn is divided into 2 "bounds as follows:
- (i) A moves during which ...
- (a) B checks to receive charges announced by A.
(b) B checks to fire such units as are able during movement by A, giving A's units "fire effect markers" which will be carried next bound.
(c) A checks to charge home, and melees are resolved.
(d) A checks to rally routing units.
(e) B removes "fire effect markers" from his units.
(ii) a moves repeating the above sequence.
It will be seen that firing alone in Phase (b) can achieve nothing... it only produces deterioration in the effectiveness of the target units when they are subsequently checked in Phases (c) and (d) for some other purpose. Thus to reap the value of an effective volley, the target of that volley must be charged in the next bound while it still retains "fire effect markers". The "next" bound, of course, will be the firer's bound. Thus, if B fires now on Phase (b), the "fire effect markers" he gives A will negatively impact on A when, next bound, B announces a charge and A checks to receive that charge. For that matter, they will also negatively impact on this bound on A when he checks to charge home ( Phase (c) ), or to rally his troops ( Phase (d)
Movement itself is based on the "actions" concept derived from COLUMN, LINE & SQUARE. Different unit types have different basic numbers of actions, e.g., horse artillery have 4, foot in column of skirmish order have 3, foot in line have 2. etc. These may be traded in for one of a limited number of purposes:
- 3 inch forward movement veering not more than 45 degrees)
a facing of more than 45 degrees,
cross over an obstacle,
firing, and so on...
The rules have proven to be very popular with all except the most hidebound of Wargamers ... they appear to produce quite realistic effects, such as the need to combine the fire and charge, or to keep a reserve so that units that have been weakened by a rout ( and in these rules the weakening effect is very serious ) can be pulled out of line.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Tom's morale game essentially uses the "A move, B fire" concept which nicely integrates the firing and movement procedures of both sides. Below is a flow chart of the sequence which may help to clear things up a bit.
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© Copyright 1985 Wally Simon
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