Here is a set of optional rules for Montcalm & Wolfe, which more completely simulate the options -- dilemmas -- facing the adversaries in the French and Indian War. These rules provide more detail on the respective roles of fortifications and Native Americans in North America colonial conflict, reflect additional aspects of geography in the theater of war, and provide other enhancements to historical and play interest.

Taken together, they probably benefit the French player somewhat: he gains the opportunity for more Native American allies and more targets to raid, plus the fortress of Louisbourg to guard against British naval assault. The capabilities of his Indian allies are more restricted, however, as is his ability to reinforce his farflung western forts. These rules can be used separately but work best all in conjunction.

Louisbourg

This great fortress on the Cape Breton Island (Isle Royale) harbored a French flotilla that guarded the seaward approach to the St. Lawrence River, Quebec City, and New France. The British commanders in the war hit early on the strategy of cutting New France off from their European reinforcements by seizing Quebec, But, they also soon discovered that they would first have to reduce Louisbourg.

Only in the summer of 1758 were Amherst and Wolfe finally able to land and overcome the fortress with a formal siege. Wolfe struck Quebec the next spring. The following rules simulate the important buffer provided by Louisbourg. They also enhance British naval movement capability, provide a British safe haven for staging forces at Halifax and offer the British a means of choking off Canada's reinforcements from France.

Sketch two holding boxes on a separate sheet of paper, one for Halifax and one for Lousibourg. Louisbourg is a French fortress, like Quebec in all respects (including the 2 shifts for capture), except that militia receive only the normal +1 to their strength for demobilization checks. The Louisbourg box is considered a Woods hex. Halifax is a British port in a clear hex. Units at Louisbourg may defend outside the fortress, then retreat inside.

Naval/Amphibious movement is possible only along the following lines (except among British ports): any British Port - Halifax Louisbourg - Quebec Montreal. For example, if the British sent an Amphibious invasion force from Halifax to Louisbourg and had to retreat , they would have to go back to Halifax.)

Add the following to initial set up:

French - Drucour and 2 regulars at Louisbourg,

British - Monckton and 2 militia at Boston (Monckton led a force of provincials to capture Acadia and small French forts there in 1755)

A British leader may activate (at normal activation cost) and conduct Naval Movement with all units under his command, plus a subordinate commander and his units. Such units must all go to the same friendly Port. Normal (free) Naval Movement or Amphibious Assault to land and start a siege without combat. If such a siege is lifted (i.e. ultimately unsuccessful), however, the British commanding officer is dismissed (removed) as per any Amphibious Assault.

If the British control Quebec, the French receive no Regular or Leader reinforcements.

Forts and Sieges

18th century fortifications - when constructed according to well established engineering practices and properly garrisoned - were extremely difficult to overcome by assault. As a result, bulky siege artillery and its concomitant supply train - which could only move along waterways or decent roads and lengthy sapping operations could be required against even the better timber and earth forts built in the American wilderness during the 1750s. General Abercromby's disastrous, hasty assault against Montcalm's fortified lines at Carillon in 1758 demonstrated these facts. The following rules amplify the effects; of forts and sieges in the game. Alter Combat Rating Modifiers its follows:

+2 for defending inside a Fort/Port
+3 inside a Fortress
-2 for Native American, Ranger, Irregular, or Militia attacking a fort/fortress

If units defend inside a Fort/Port/Fortress, no other terrain modifiers apply to either side.

Besieged units check supply as follows:

1st Turn: Militia and Native Americans removed on a 9+

2nd Turn: Militia and Native Americans rcn1ovcd on 8+, others on 10

3rd Turn: Militia and Native Americans removed on a 6+, Mothers on 8+

Subsequent Turns: Same as third turn, but add one to the die for each turn past three, unless British besieged in originally British port.

A force attacking a fort may, in lieu (it retreat after a combat round, initiate a siege (provided he has more units than the defender). Major Victory would not be awarded to the defender in such an instance.

A besieging force checks supply in its next supply phase, not immediately. If a force enters a fort hex and enemy units elect to defend outside, the moving force may enter the fort (until the enemy force is retreated or eliminated). However, if the enemy force is currently besieging a friendly force inside the fort, the latter may participation the combat, with the option of retreating back inside.

Add a fort in hex 2717: Fort Federic (aka Crown Point). This Avas a medium- sized, stone structure that .served as New France's frontier outpost on Champlain until Carillon was built. Move Fort Edward to hex 1716, eliminate the river hexside between 1716 and 1815 (Fort William Henry) and add a road between the two forts. These two forts were at the opposite ends of' the Great Carry - a portage road of' 12 miles between the Hudson and Like George. Forts Stanwix, PresQu's IsIe, and Le Bocuf similarly guarded such carries vulnerable bottlenecks for movement of supplies.

Native Americans and Raiding

Tribal war parties, often led by French officer,,, raided (he frontiers of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and many other colonies nearly every year of the conflict, drawing off provincial manpower and other resources. The Iroquois, meanwhile, remained largely neutral (except for the pro-British Mohawk). TheNative Americans almost never assaulted significant fortifications on their own, however, Pontiac's rebellion of 1763 was an exception in this regard. India allies were therefore of limited use to the French for capturing and holding territory.

These rules add the option for both players to dedicate more attention to recruitment of Native Americans at the expense of conventional operations and, in general, increase the case with which the French can find such allies. However, Native American units arc more narrowly restricted by these rules to their historical capabilities.

If a player has activations remaining during the Alliance phase, he may make one alliance attempt, in addition to his free attempt per spare activation. An activation due to the enemy's roll of 4 or more the Command Table may similarly be used for an Alliance attempt. No NA unit may be attempted more than once per phase. French leaders off map modify all attempts for tribes of that map edge (North or West). No more than one NA unit per phase may be placed on a given entry hex.

Modify the Alliance table as follows:

-4 No Effect.
5+ Allied.
+1 for each leader
-3 for West if Duquesne is British controlled

Iroquois

1-7 no effect
8+ Allied.

Iroquois Modifiers:

British: =2 if Johnson present
French: +1 per leader

For any attempt (North, West, or Iroquois):

=2 if Political track is 4 or 5 in favor of your side
-2 if in enemy's favor

Stacks made up exclusively of Native Americans unit,; may never capture a fort or settlement, or end movement in an enemy occupied fort hex, or defend inside a fort.

One raid attempt may be made against each settlement each calendar year. When rolling for the success of a raid, add -1 to the die if a friendly leader is present. British rangers and British allied Iroquois may raid. Iroquois settlements may be raided (but not captured) if that tribe is enemyallied at that moment. Note the need to defend the settlements of' newly-acquired Iroquois allies if there are enemy war parties about can thus be a disincentive to seeking Iroquois alliance in the first place! Iroquois units may never raid other Iroquois settlements, however. Rule 14.3 is replaced by the following: If attackers capture a fort or settlement and at least one Native American unit of the attacking side was present at the start of combat (or at the moment of capturc by siege). roll one die for the possibility of Plunder (8-9; no Political shift) or Massacre (10; political shift for the defender). This rule allows for the outcome of' Montcalm's capture of William Henry in 1757 - a massacre despite the presence of French regulars. IF NA units participate in a recapture, the Plunder/Massacre roll is made, the Recapture roll is riot made.

The special rules for Native Americans or Rangers on defense apply to Mountain hexes as well as Woods. They apply even if a fort or settlement is in the Woods or Mountain hex. Also, Native Americans or Rangers conducting a Surprise Attack may shoot twice, similar to NA/Ranger defense. Note this gives a single unit a 16% chance in Woods and 9% in mountains of eliminating a lone defender in a Surprise Attack, before the latter can retreat. If Irregular or Light units arc stacked with Native Americans or rangers, they may participate fully in the NA/Ranger defense or Surprise Attack.

On the map add settlements at 1104 (British-Winchester), 1613 (British - Schenectady), and 2418 (French St. Francois). Add the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers: 1601/1701 to 1602/1702 to 1703/1803 to 1904/1905.

Reinforcements

These rules reflect the challenge of' getting any sizable reinforcements from settled areas to more remote Posts, particularly in the case of the French western forts. They also cover the fact that Robert Rogers commanded only it handful of men in 1755, and the political pressure that would develop to obtain the release of any prominent officers who fell prisoner.

Regular and light unit reinforcements may appear only at Ports/ Fortresses. Militia may not appear at Niagara, Presqu IsIe, Le Bocuf, Duqucsne, Carillon, St. Federic, Oswego, Stanwix, or Cumberland.

The ranger unit is riot used in 1755, but appears as an automatic reinforcement during the first Strategic Interphase. If both sides possess captured leaders during any Strategic Interphase, leaders must be exchanged on a one for one basis (chosen randomly if one side has more than the other).

Movement

During winter, throughout most of the theater of operations in the French and Indian War, ice and snow prevented movement by boat or wagon. These rules simulate this effect. They also provide a disincentive to keeping troops constantly embarked on bateaux and prevent the routine use of bateaux to cross water obstacles perpendicular to the line of march thus simulating the fact that large numbers of boats first had to be marshaled to allow an army to travel by water.

During winter months, no bateaux movement or naval transport to/from Quebec are allowed, and roads are ignored.

Change the Terrain Table as follows:

River +1 to cross
Lake hexside +2 to cross

Batcaux embarked units must immediately debark if enemy units enter their hex. They suffer a -1 modifier in any combat that turn. Similarly, if attacking units debark from bateaux directly into a combat hex, they suffer a -1 modifier in combat that turn.

A unit may not use bateaux movement after it uses land movement in a given phase. To use bateaux movement units Must begin adjacent to a lake or river hexside and use their first Movement Point to embark.

Supply and Attrition

These rules case supply and demobilization penalties slightly, simulating the gradually increasing availability of forage during the growing season and the roughly even degree of militia participation throughout the war. They also increase play tension because a defender does not find out until after his turn how well an enemy force approaching a cross wilderness will forage before reaching reaching its target. Forage rolls are modified by -1 during the months of July. August, and September. Militia strengths for demobilization checks are modified by +3 for presence of a leader. (Note: The latter rules still results in only a 49% chance of a militia unit in a fort and with a leader of making it through two winter turns. Resolve Supply, Attrition, and Demobilization after Command and before Activation.

The resulting Sequence of Play is:

Command
Supply
Attrition & Demobilization
Activation
Reserve Movement
Combat
Alliances & Reinforcements

French Initiative

This rule reflects the tendency of the French command to get things rolling more quickly than the British. It also gives the French player a slight edge in the use of Native Americans, in that he can use September reinforcements to defend against the subsequent British move, while any Iroquois units raised by the British that turn would immediately go home for the winter. The French player goes first each turn.

Final Play Note:

It is useful to write on the backs of' the markers or otherwise construct markers labeled its follows: Bateaux (to mark units that remain embarked at the end of their move)

Captured (to mark a site that has changed hands but is currently not occupied)

Raided (to mark a settlement ineligible for additional raids that year).

I think Volko deserves a big thanks for the time and effort he has put into these changes. Since I have yet to sit down and play them, I can only speculate on how much they change the game. As people try these changes, I hope you'll let the rest of us know how you feet about them.