Автор: Oman B.  

Теги: board games   games   game guide  

Год: 2020

Текст
                    
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Field of Battle 3rd Edition By Brent Oman Piquet Inc. 8995 S. Edgewood Lane Highlands Ranch, CO 80130 www.Piquet.com www.piquetwargames.blogspot.com Acknowledgments Printing Superior POD 130 Front Street Vestal NY 13850 voice 607-240-5231 fax 607-348-1429 email info@superiorpod.com 3rd Edition Editing/Proofreading Peter Anderson Tim Couper Gavin Shanks 3rd Edition Playtesters/Developers Chris Caudill Greg Cornell Eric Miller John Mumby Rodney Postillion Greg Rold Terry Shockey ©2020 Brent Oman, Piquet Inc. All rights reserved 1
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Table of Contents 1.0 1.1 1.11 1.2 1.3 1.31 1.4 1.5 2.0 2.1 2.11 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.41 2.42 2.5 2.51 2.6 3.0 3.1 3.2 4.0 4.1 4.11 4.2 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.3 4.31 4.32 Section Title Introduction Page 4 General Description Rolling Won Even and Rolling Even Scale Representations Basing and Unit Representation Unit Formations Unit Integrity Turns 4 6 7 7 8 11 14 Preparing to Play 15 Unit Ratings How To Rate Units Leadership Leadership Ratings Sequence Decks Sequence Deck Grades Sequence Deck Composition Army Morale Points Determining Army Morale Points Command Groups Initiative and Opportunity Actions Opportunity Fire Evasion General Movement Rules Movement Distances Special Movement Considerations Terrain Terrain Definition Terrain Effects on Movement Movement In Town Sections Movement and Rivers Movement Across Bridges Movement Across Fords Movement and Fences and Walls Movement and Hedges Maneuvering Formation Changes Facing Changes 15 16 18 18 19 19 19 20 21 23 24 24 26 27 28 29 29 29 30 31 32 33 33 33 34 34 34 34 Section Title 4.4 4.5 4.51 4.52 Interpenetration Movement Resulting from Fire or Melee Combat Fall Back Moves Rout Moves 5.0 5.1 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.2 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.3 5.4 5.41 5.42 5.43 6.0 6.1 6.11 6.2 7.0 7.1 7.2 8.0 8.1 9.0 10.0 2 Page 35 35 35 36 Combat 37 Fire Combat Fire Combat Conventions Weapons and Ranges Firing in Woods or Orchards Grand Battery Fire Combat Table Fire Combat Resolution Towns and Fire Combat Fire Combat Modifiers Melee Combat Contact Requirements for Melee Initiating Melee Melee Procedure Melee Combat Table Melee Combat Modifiers Melee Results Unique Melee Situations Ordered and Disordered Unit Status Summary Ordered Disordered Routed 37 38 40 41 41 42 43 44 45 49 49 50 51 52 53 57 60 64 64 64 64 Leadership 65 Leadership Table Leadership Modifiers Officer Loss Effects Sequence Card Definitions Standard Sequence Deck Cards Special Sequence Deck Cards Winning the Game Margin of Victory Glossary of Terms Period Rules 65 66 67 68 68 74 79 79 79 81
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Table of Contents 11.0 11.1 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.2 11.21 11.22 11.3 11.31 11.32 11.4 11.41 11.42 11.5 11.6 11.61 11.62 11.63 11.64 11.7 11.71 11.72 11.73 11.8 11.81 11.82 11.83 11.84 11.9 11.91 11.92 12.0 13.0 Section Title Season of Battle Campaign Outline and Elements Campaign Process Battlefield Deck Campaign Deck Setting Up the Campaign Creating Army Rosters Determining National Morale Points Per Campaign Year Page 125 Creating the Campaign Map Assigning Area Victory Points Assigning Area Terrain Densities Playing the Campaign Opposition Dice Winning the Campaign Campagn Card Definitions Campaign Card and Battle Set Up Result Battle Set Up Additional Squares Command Group Set Up Strength Post Battle Adjustments: National Morale Points and CiC Fate National Morale Point Adjustments Margin Of Victory Losing Army CiC's Fate Post Battle Adjustments for Units and Leaders Checking for Units Eliminated Checking for Units Routed Off the Table Checking for Units Remaining On the Battlefield Checking for Leaders Pursuit and Recognition Pursuit Points Recognition Points 126 127 128 130 130 131 131 133 134 135 135 136 136 137 143 143 145 145 145 147 147 147 148 149 149 150 150 150 151 151 152 Designer Commentary Appendix 153 156 3
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 1.0 Introduction Field of Battle covers the period from approximately 1642 to 1900. This time period provides some of the most colorful gaming opportunities available. Field of Battle is a stand-alone game - no additional supplements are necessary for play. The same basic rules and procedures are used for all periods. Period specific rules (see 10.0 Period Rules) are provided to add color and unique features to the different wars covered by Field of Battle. Period specific rules are included for the following wars:. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • English Civil War 1642-1651 War of Spanish Succession 1701-1714 Great Northern War 1700-1721 Jacobite Rebellion 1745-1746 Seven Years War 1756-1763 American War of Independence 1775-1783 Napoleonic Wars 1799-1815 Mexican-American War 1846-1848 Anglo-Sikh Wars 1845-1846, 1848-1849 Crimean War 1853-1856 Franco-Austrian War 1859 American Civil War 1861-1865 Austro-Prussian War 1866 Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 Russo-Turkish War 1877 Anglo-Zulu War 1879 Anglo-Sudan War 1881-1899 Field of Battle is designed to be fast playing. Games of 20 units per side can be completed in around 2 to 2 1/2 hours; smaller and larger games vary accordingly. The best way to learn to play Field of Battle is to read the sections that discuss specifics of movement and combat, and then read the descriptions of actions available on each card. The game mechanics and main combat modifiers are easily memorized. Don’t worry about memorizing individual rules. Quickly read through the card definitions and get a feel for the decisions that will be required during a game. Players can quickly learn specific rules by referring to the Sequence card definitions as the cards are revealed. After a short learning phase, minimal rules reference is required during play. Field of Battle is a mechanically very simple game to play, with very few table references required. Do not be intimidated by the length of the rules book! Field of Battle is a simple game to learn – as suggested above, read the basic rules for the turn sequence, card play, movement, and combat, and then use the cards as rules prompts during play. The rule book length is a result of all of the supporting material for multiple periods, cards, and campaign system. There is no need to memorize specific sections (movement in various terrain, for example) – just refer to the sections as needed. 1.1 General Description Unit Integrity is a single digit value that reflects the current status, morale, and strength of a unit. Unit Integrity may be lost and rallied throughout the game. Unit Integrity losses may be tracked on a roster, by marking losses on units, or by removing stands. 4
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" The Combat Die (CD) represents the unit's overall level of combat capability. The larger the Combat Die size, the better the unit will be for both fire and melee combat. The Combat Die is modified based on the situation and is rolled when firing at the enemy or when engaging in melee. Die sizes are referred to by following the convention listed below. D4: 4-sided die, numbered 1 to 4 D6: 6-sided die, numbered 1 to 6 D8: 8-sided die, numbered 1 to 8 D10: 10-sided die, numbered 1 to 10 D12: 12-sided die, numbered 1 to 12 D12+: 12-sided die, numbered 1 to 12, plus a modifier value Die sizes are modified Up and Down the progression shown above, using modifier tables based on the tactical situation. Note that when a D12 is modified Up, it is not a D20, but rather the Up value is added to the D12 roll. A D12 roll has a maximum value of 12; any modified result in excess of 12 is ignored and the result is 12. Note that there is no modified Die size smaller than a D4. Any modified result below a D4 is ignored and a D4 is used. Example: A D8 is modified Up 3. The progression would be D8 to D10 (Up 1) to D12 (Up 2) to D12+1 (Up 3). Example: A D10 is modified Down 2. The progression would be D10 to D8 (Down 1) to D6 (Down 2). Example: A D8 is modified Up 1 (to D10) and then Down 4 (D10 to D8 to D6 to D4 to less than a D4). Since no result can be less than D4, a D4 is used. Example: A D10 is modified Up 4. The progression would be D12, D12+1, D12+2, D12+3. The D12 roll is an 11. The modified roll is 11 + 3 = 14, but the maximum roll result is 12. The final roll value is a 12. A series of opposed die rolls are used during the game. When a die is to be rolled versus another die, the enemy player should always roll the opposing die. Prior to play, a single D20 is rolled to determine each unit's Combat Die. The result of the D20 roll is used to determine a unit’s Combat Die, which is dependent on the troop type. Each unit's Combat Die size is noted on a roster or by marking the unit in some manner. See 2.1 Unit Ratings. Each officer's leadership skill is represented by their single Leadership Die (LD) size. Prior to play, each officer is rated by rolling a D20. The D20 roll is cross referenced with the Leadership Quality (found in the Army Characteristic Table) to determine the Leadership Die size. See 2.3 Leadership Ratings. Each side determines the number of Army Morale Points that it has for the upcoming battle. See 2.5 Army Morale Points. Each side prepares its Sequence Deck by placing the specified number of each card type in its card deck. See 2.4 Sequence Decks. A turn consists of a varying number of Initiatives. Play begins with each side rolling their army commander's (CiC) Leadership Die, with the side that rolls higher winning the Initiative. Ties end the turn. The side winning the Initiative decides whether to act first (Active) or second (Reactive). The Active side plays from 5
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" their Sequence Deck, and the Reactive side may use Opportunity Fire. See 1.5 Turns for a detailed description. The end of the game is determined by a Leadership failure during an Army Morale test, or as specified by scenario or player agreement. See 2.5 Army Morale Points and the definition of the Army Morale card in 7.1 Standard Sequence Deck Cards. 1.11 Rolling Won Even and Rolling Even A won Even result is a die roll in which a side rolls higher than the enemy roll while having an Even die roll. If rolling a won Even when firing at the enemy, winning a melee, or rolling for movement, unique capabilities and effects will result. These benefits are summarized in the table below, and on the play sheets. Specific rules are explained in the Army Morale sequence card definition; 5.16 Fire Combat Resolution; 5.26 Melee Results; 4.0 General Movement Rules, and the Move/Move 1 Command Group sequence card definitions. Note that an Even die roll is the natural number rolled on the die - not a modified result. Example: Hans rolls a D10 and rolls an 8, while the enemy rolls a 4. The result is a won Even roll. Example: Pierre rolls a D8 and rolls a 4, while the enemy rolls a 7. While Pierre rolled even, he did not win, so it is not a won Even roll. Example: Fritz has a D12+1 and rolls a 7. The modified roll is 8, but the natural roll was a 7 and was not even. Fritz did not get an Even roll. Action Fire (see 5.16 Fire Combat Resolution) Melee (See 5.26 Melee Results) Movement (See the Move/Move 1 Command Group sequence card definitions) Benefit from Rolling Even Roll won Even when firing at enemy unit: Enemy infantry or cavalry falls back the difference in inches, Disordered. • Enemy infantry in Square/Hedgehog holds, Disordered. • Enemy Unlimbered artillery holds, Disordered • Enemy units in Town Sections hold, Disordered • Enemy units in Defensive Works hold, Disordered Roll won Even and cause 2 UI or more losses on enemy unit: Enemy infantry or cavalry routs the difference in inches. Roll even when meleeing an enemy unit: Ordered units remain Ordered. • If a unit loses a melee and rolls even on all die rolls, the act of losing a melee and falling back Disorders the unit If the unit wins the melee, it may follow up to occupy enemy's position. Roll won Even on Leadership Die roll for movement: May change formation. May change facing. May immediate melee, depending on period and unit definitions. 6
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 1.2 Scale Representations Game Scales • 1 Turn = Varying amount of time from 30 minutes to 2 hours • 1" = 40 yards • 1 Infantry Unit = 1 Infantry Battalion = 480 to 720 men • 1 Cavalry Unit = 1 Cavalry Regiment = 400 to 600 men • 1 Artillery Unit = 1 Artillery Battery = 6 to 8 guns and crew 1.3 Basing and Unit Representation Individual base sizes are not critical to play in Field of Battle. Field of Battle can be played with virtually any figure mounting system. As a general guideline, the following sizes can be used. Artillery and machine gun units consist of 2 stands; cavalry and infantry units consist of 4 stands. The stand frontages work well with all figure scales. The number of figures per stand is irrelevant to game play. Players are encouraged to base their armies as they prefer. The stand sizes shown below will provide ample opportunity for mini-dioramas on the tabletop. If units on both sides are mounted similarly and unit frontages in Line are approximately in the 4” to 8” range, the rule system can easily accommodate differing mounting methods. Troop Type Artillery; Machine Guns Cavalry Infantry Officers Basing and Unit Representation Stand Size 1 1/2" wide x 3" deep 1 1/2" wide x 2 1/2" deep 1 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" deep 1 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" deep for Command Group Officers; 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" for Army Commander (CiC) Figures per Stand 1 Gun, 3 crew 2 3 1 or 2 for Command Group Officers; 2 or more for Army Commander (CiC) Note that Field of Battle can be played with any scale of figure. If gamers wish to use 6mm or 10mm figures and smaller frontage bases, ranges and all measured distances can be proportioned accordingly. Alternatively, players using small scale figures with smaller unit frontages can measure in centimeters instead of inches. Example: A 6mm infantry unit is based so that it has a 3” frontage in line formation. The ranges and move distances in Field of Battle assume a 4” to 8” infantry frontage in line formation, with an average frontage of 6”. The unit frontage ratio of 3/6 or can be applied by halving all measured distances. 7
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 1.31 Unit Formations The following formations are allowed, depending on army and period restrictions shown in 10.0 Period Rules. Attack Column - Attack Column is a good infantry assault formation (UP 1 for melee) but suffers a loss of firepower (Down 1 for fire). The Attack Column formation for infantry represents not only actual closed Columns of Companies and Columns of Divisions for the Napoleonic and American Civil War periods, but also the much looser 1870 Prussian infantry battalion deployed in company columns. In later periods cavalry can be deployed in Attack Column. Attack Column for cavalry represents a cavalry unit deployed in multiple lines. Line - Line is a good formation for fire and melee (no change for combat). Line is the basic linear combat formation throughout the timeframe covered by Field of Battle. The density of the line formation varied throughout the extended period included in the rules. Early in this time period, a line was densely packed of typically three or more ranks. The American War of Independence and American Civil War featured lines of 2 ranks, while Line for the Franco-Prussian War is more of a loose, open order formation. All are represented with the same formation in the game. The basic combat formation for all cavalry is Line. 8
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Skirmish - Skirmish is represented on the tabletop by spreading the unit's stands out, leaving gaps between the stands. These gaps should be a maximum of a stand width. Skirmish units are not terribly effective in battle in the open field, but are very effective in Class II, III, and IV terrain. Designer's Note: Throughout the period represented in Field of Battle, individual units increasingly deployed their intrinsic skirmish screen. These are not represented on the battlefield, as it is assumed that since both sides have roughly similar and equivalent intrinsic skirmish screens, they cancel each other out. The primary function of skirmish units was to screen and provide information back to the main force deployed in the combat winning close order formations. Units in Skirmish formation are not “super units”, but they have their place on the battlefield. Units deployed in Skirmish formation are more effective in terrain that provides cover, such as woods or towns. All units in Skirmish formation move more rapidly in rough terrain than units in closed order formations, and the Skirmish formation fire penalty does not apply in terrain that provides cover. Units in Skirmish formation can attempt to evade from enemy infantry that moves into contact. See 3.2 Evasion. This allows units in Skirmish formation to harass and delay enemy infantry movement. Entire units in Skirmish formation have little place on the open battlefield, as they cannot stand up to closed order formations in close combat. Again, note that each unit is assumed to have their own skirmish troops deployed in screens that are not represented on the table as that is below the scale of the game. Units in Skirmish formation are much more mobile in rough terrain, reducing all Class II, III, and IV movement penalties by one Class. See 4.22 Terrain Effects on Movement. Units in Skirmish formation may move at their full movement rate to the rear. The unit ends the rear move facing in the same direction as it was before the move. Consult the period specific rules for those units that are suggested to be able to deploy into Skirmish formation. All dismounted cavalry units are in Skirmish formation. All Native American units are deployed in Skirmish formation. Units in Skirmish formation never receive the Up 1 modifier for initiating melee. Infantry or dismounted cavalry units armed with repeating rifles ignore the Down 1 modifier when firing. 9
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Square - A defensive infantry formation that provides all around flank protection. While in Square, units may not be flanked in melee. Units deployed in Square formation may not initiate melee, nor do they receive the UP 1 Initiating Melee modifier. Units in Square formation do not move. This formation may not be used in woods or towns. Designer’s Note: Melees involving Squares are considered a special situation and have specific rules for resolution. See 5.3 Unique Melee Situations. Squares are immobile and not “that easy” to quickly form and change to or from. March - Infantry and cavalry units are formed in March formation for quick, flexible movement. March is a very poor combat formation, but a very maneuverable one. Units in March formation may move with unlimited facing changes during movement. See 4.32 Facing Changes. Units may not fire while deployed in March. Units in March formation never receive the Up 1 modifier for initiating melee. Unlimbered - Unlimbered artillery or machine gun units are deployed and ready to fire. Artillery or machine guns must be Unlimbered to fire. Unlimbered units do not move but may change facing. Limbered – Limbered artillery or machine gun units are deployed in a movement formation. Units that are Limbered are very maneuverable. Units in Limbered formation may move with unlimited facing changes during movement. See 4.32 Facing Changes. 10
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Mass – Mass is used by irregular native troops, both cavalry and infantry. Mass represents an unformed body of fighting men and can be represented either with stands arranged linearly (Line) or in depth (Attack Column). Mass does not present any advantage or disadvantage for melee combat as it is a loosely organized swarm rather than a dense body of men. Similarly, while the amorphous state of the Mass formation doesn’t penalize the unit as a target in fire combat, a unit firing in Mass formation is penalized due to the lack of fire control and training. 1.4 Unit Integrity Unit Integrity (UI) is the all-encompassing title given to the physical, morale, and combat effectiveness of a unit. Different unit types have different Unit Integrity values. • Infantry units have 4 Unit Integrity. • Cavalry units have 4 Unit Integrity • Artillery and machine gun units have 3 Unit Integrity. Unit Integrity is lost as a result of fire and melee combat. For an explanation of combat Unit Integrity losses, see 5.16 Fire Combat Resolution and 5.26 Melee Results. Hits are the difference between the opposing Combat Die rolls in melee or between Combat Die and Defense Die rolls in fire combat (if the modified Fire Die roll is larger than the Defense Die roll). Each 3 hits taken by a unit reduce its Unit Integrity by 1. Hits accumulate from multiple units firing at the same target unit at the same time. Hits do not accumulate from separate fires from the same unit. Example: The Prussians fire at a French infantry battalion, inflicting 5 hits. The 5 hits cause 1 Unit Integrity loss, with 2 hits remaining. The Prussians fire another unit at the French infantry battalion - causing an additional 2 hits. The total number of hits is now 4 (2 remaining from the previous fire plus 2 hits from the new fire). The 4 hits result in one more Unit Integrity loss, with a 1 hit remainder. The Prussians are now out of units available to fire at the French infantry unit, and the 1 hit remainder is discarded. Designer's Note: Unit Integrity losses may be tracked in a variety of ways. Unit Integrity can be tracked on a roster, by placing markers on or near stands, or by removing stands. I prefer to leave figures on the table and use a casualty marker to track Unit Integrity losses. In my games, a single marker with one, two, or three rocks indicating a one, two, or three UI loss is placed adjacent to the unit. 11
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" The French dragoon unit attacking the Prussian artillery in its flank in the foreground has a 2 UI loss marker sitting on its base, while the Prussian infantry unit in the background has a 1 UI loss marker. Unit Integrity and Effects Unit Integrity 4 3 2 1 0 Infantry Cavalry Artillery Fully Capable; No Modifiers for Loss 1 UI Lost Down 1 For Fire & Melee 2 UI Lost Down 2 for Fire & Melee 3 UI Lost Down 3 for Fire & Melee 4 UI Lost Destroyed Fully Capable; No Modifiers for Loss 1 UI Lost Down 1 For Fire & Melee 2 UI Lost Down 2 for Fire & Melee 3 UI Lost Down 3 for Fire & Melee 4 UI Lost Destroyed NA Fully Capable; No Modifiers for Loss 1 UI Lost Down 1 for Fire & Melee 2 UI Lost Down 2 for Fire & Melee 3 UI Lost Destroyed When a unit’s Unit Integrity is reduced to zero, the unit is destroyed and removed from the game. 12
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Example: An infantry unit has 1 Unit Integrity remaining. It suffers a 2 Unit Integrity loss from enemy fire. As this drops the Unit Integrity 0, the unit is removed from play. Unit Integrity can be regained incrementally, even while a unit is routing, by performing successful Rally actions on Leadership cards (see the Leadership card definition). If the Leadership die roll is 3 or more higher than the opposing D8 roll, Unit Integrity is rebuilt at 1 Unit Integrity per 3 pips difference between the die rolls. Players may optionally elect to vary the starting Unit Integrity for exceptionally large or small units to meet specific historical scenario requirements. Large cavalry and infantry units would begin the game with 5 UI. Small cavalry and infantry units would begin with 3 UI, or in extreme cases 2 UI. Units that begin with 5 UI do not suffer negative combat modifiers for UI loss until they are at 3 UI or less. Units that begin with less than the standard UI for their type will begin the game with negative combat modifiers for UI loss. Designer's Note: Field of Battle uses Unit Integrity to rate a unit's overall combat ability and durability. Unit integrity is an abstraction of a unit's manpower and morale; its willingness to fight and its effectiveness in doing so. There are no separate morale tests in Field of Battle; the effect of varying unit morale during the battle is captured in the Unit Integrity of the unit as well as the unit's reaction to combat losses. Combat losses in Unit Integrity represent not only casualties, but also morale losses, skulkers and stragglers - all reducing the overall combat effectiveness of a unit. Unit Integrity can be regained during a game. Casualties aren't magically being brought back to life; the Leadership Rally action represents steadying, rallying, and reforming a unit. While manpower is a part of Unit Integrity, my design philosophy is that quality and capability is more critical than the sheer size of a unit. Standard unit sizes are used for ease of play, as well as ease of collecting and creating armies. I do not believe that just because a unit might have a larger headcount it would necessarily be a stronger unit. Unit sizes can generally be scaled up or down one level of unit size without any detrimental effect on the game. For example, a unit which is normally defined in Field of Battle as a battalion could represent a regiment or it could also be scaled down to represent a company. This approach will allow gamers to game widely varying sizes of games. 13
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 1.5 Turns Each turn represents a varying amount of time from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Turns consist of a varying number of Initiatives. There is an Initiative die roll in each Initiative. Each side rolls their army CiC's Leadership Die, with the difference in the die rolls being the number of Initiative Points that are available for each side. The side rolling higher decides whether to act first (the Active side) or second (the Reactive side). Both sides receive the same number of Initiative Points during their portion of the Initiative. Initiative Roll (LD vs. LD) Active side plays from Sequence Deck Reactive side may use Opportunity Actions (Opportunity Fire at Firing/Maneuvering/Moving Enemy Units, Opportunity Evasion) Reactive side plays from Sequence Deck Active side may use Opportunity Actions (Opportunity Fire at Firing/Maneuvering/Moving Enemy Units, Opportunity Evasion) The side acting first (the Active side) turns Sequence cards from their Sequence Deck one at a time, spending either 0 or 1 Initiative Point per card turned (depending on the card). The Active side then acts on the Sequence card. This is repeated until the available Initiative Points are spent. The Reactive side may use opportunity actions (opportunity Fire at maneuvering or moving enemy units, opportunity evasion) during the Active side's Initiative. See 3.0 Initiative and Opportunity Actions. After the Active side has finished its portion of the turn, the Reactive side turns Sequence cards from their Sequence Deck one at a time, spending either 0 or 1 Initiative Point per card turned (depending on the card). The Reactive side then acts on the Sequence card. This is repeated until the available Initiative Points are spent. The Active side may use opportunity actions (opportunity Fire at maneuvering or moving enemy units, cavalry evasion) during the Reactive side's Initiative. See 3.0 Initiative and Opportunity Actions. There is no Initiative Point cost per unit to act on a card. Initiative Points are only spent to turn cards. Some cards do not cost an Initiative Point to turn. See 7.0 Sequence Card Definitions for the Initiative Point cost for a card. Actions are performed on cards without any additional Initiative Point cost. When the Active and Reactive sides have both turned and acted on their Sequence cards, both sides roll their CiC Leadership Die for Initiative and the cycle begins again. The game continues, rolling for Initiative as necessary. Most Sequence cards do not have to be acted on unless required (See the Army Morale and Movement card definitions for situations when actions are compulsory). A turn ends for both sides when either: • A side has turned and acted on their last Sequence Deck card. • The opposing Leadership Die rolls for Initiative are equal. 14
At the end of a turn, all Sequence Cards are returned to their Sequence Deck and are shuffled prior to beginning the next turn. Note that the end of an initiative is defined as when both sides have had the opportunity to turn and act on their cards. If the first side acting as the Active side turns and acts on their last card, the other side still receives the same number of Initiative Points in their portion of the Initiative. Example: The Confederates have 5 cards remaining and the Union has 6 cards remaining. The Confederates win the Initiative roll by 5 and receive 5 Initiative Points. They elect to act first and use their 5 Initiative Points and end their Active portion of the Initiative with all the cards in their deck being turned. The turn will end when the Union uses their 5 Initiative Points. The turn ends because the Confederates do not have any cards remaining, even though the Union still has a card remaining. Designer’s Note: Field of Battle’s turns contain much more activity than games with one movement phase or combat phase per side per turn. When designing scenarios, rather than using a turn as the measurement as to when reinforcements or flank marches arrive, instead use the number of Move cards. For example, a scenario may specify that a flank march is to arrive at turn 4. In Field of Battle terms, this means that the flanking force could move onto the board on the appearance of the 4th Move card. 2.0 Preparing for Play Each unit and officer will have a rating that is randomly determined. See 2.1 Unit Ratings and 2.3 Leadership Ratings. Each army will have a Sequence Deck that is composed of a specified number of Sequence Cards. Gather the appropriate numbers of cards for each army's Sequence Deck and shuffle prior to play. Each army has its own Sequence Deck. See 2.4 Sequence Decks. Each army will have Army Morale Points that are based on the number of units and a random die roll. Calculate the Army Morale Points prior to play. See 2.5 Army Morale Points. Each army will organize their forces into Command Groups. See 2.6 Command Groups. 2.1 Unit Ratings Each unit must have a Combat Die (CD) size that is randomly determined. Each unit will also have a Defense Die (DD) size that is determined by the unit quality (Rabble, Raw, Regular, Crack, Elite). The Combat Die is used in fire and melee combat. The Combat Die is modified and rolled versus an enemy unit’s Defense Die (fire combat) or modified Combat Die (melee combat). The Defense Die size is never modified. The Defense Die is the die size that is rolled when the unit is fired at by an enemy unit. The larger the Defense Die size, the more resolute the unit. Rabble units have a D4 Defense Die, Raw units have a D4 Defense Die, Regular units have a D6 Defense Die, Crack units have a D8 Defense Die, and Elite units have a D10 Defense Die. 15 Ratings cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Note each unit’s Combat Die (CD) and Defense Die (DD) on a roster or by marking the unit with a label or inconspicuous marker. Rabble units are representative of the lowest possible quality units. Very low quality militia and untrained or poorly trained regulars are troops that cannot be trusted to perform well in combat. A good portion of Native units will be Rabble. Many Native units that are Skirmish units armed with muskets or rifles will be Rabble. Rabble units have a D4 Defense Die. Raw units are representative of lower quality regular units, well trained militia units, or tired veteran line units. The bulk of Native units will be Raw. Raw units have a D4 Defense Die. Regular units are the bulk of nearly every regular army. These are the regulars, the grunts, the heavy lifters. Regular units include line infantry, and possibly units with a name reputation that have no proven combat track record. The best quality Native units trained or intended for melee combat would be Regular. Regular units have a D6 Defense Die. Crack units are any units that have a proven high efficiency in combat. Crack units can be, but are not limited to light infantry, grenadiers, typical guard units, and line units with a proven record of excellent performance. Use historical research or scenario requirements to assign Crack status. Examples of units that could be considered Crack would include converged grenadier battalions in the Seven Years War, the Iron Brigade and Hood's Texans in the American Civil War. Crack units have a D8 Defense Die. Elite units are "the best” and most dependable units in the army. These are units that inspire fear in the enemy’s ranks. Elite units have a D10 Defense Die. Designer's Note: Combat in Field of Battle emphasizes the relative quality of the opposing units in either fire or melee combat. Higher quality units (Elite, for example) will lose Unit Integrity in fire combat less easily than lower quality units (Rabble, for example). Higher quality units will tend to remain in fire combat without falling back out of combat; lower quality units will tend to fall back more often. The Defense Die is a simple method of incorporating unit quality and morale reaction to combat without any secondary morale procedure. 2.11 How To Rate Units To determine the Combat Die size for a unit, roll a D20 and cross index the result with the specific unit type (light artillery, medium artillery, heavy artillery, machine gun, light cavalry, medium cavalry, heavy cavalry, and infantry) and unit quality (Rabble, Raw, Regular, Crack, and Elite). Example: A Regular heavy cavalry unit is being rated. The D20 die roll is a 13. The heavy cavalry unit has a D12 Combat Die. The unit rating table is shown on the following page. 16
Unit Rating Table Unit Type RABBLE Light Artillery (3 lb. or less) Medium Artillery (4 to 8 lb.) and Early MG Heavy Artillery (9 lb. and larger) and Late MG Light Cavalry Medium Cavalry Heavy Cavalry Infantry Unit Type RAW Light Artillery (3 lb. or less) Medium Artillery (4 to 8 lb.) and Early MG Heavy Artillery (9 lb. and larger) and Late MG Light Cavalry Medium Cavalry Heavy Cavalry Infantry Unit Type REGULAR Light Artillery (3 lb. or less) Medium Artillery (4 to 8 lb.) and Early MG Heavy Artillery (9 lb. and larger) and Late MG Light Cavalry Medium Cavalry Heavy Cavalry Infantry Unit Type CRACK Light Artillery (3 lb. or less) Medium Artillery (4 to 8 lb.) and Early MG Heavy Artillery (9 lb. and larger) and Late MG Light Cavalry Medium Cavalry Heavy Cavalry Infantry Unit Type ELITE Light Artillery (3 lb. or less) Medium Artillery (4 to 8 lb.) and Early MG Heavy Artillery (9 lb. and larger) and Late MG Light Cavalry Medium Cavalry Heavy Cavalry Infantry D8 1-16 1-12 1-5 1-14 D8 1-10 1-7 1-8 D8 1-6 1-4 1-4 D8 1-2 D8 - Combat Die D10 D12 17-20 13-20 6-17 18-20 1-13 14-20 1-10 11-20 1-15 16-20 15-20 Combat Die D10 D12 11-20 8-19 20 1-6 7-15 1-10 11-20 1-7 8-18 1-4 5-12 9-18 19-20 Combat Die D10 D12 7-18 19-20 5-16 17-18 1-4 5-13 1-7 8-18 1-4 5-15 1 2-12 5-16 17-18 Combat Die D10 D12 3-8 9-19 1-4 5-15 1-2 3-11 1-4 5-15 1 2-12 1-9 1-4 5-15 Combat Die D10 D12 1-5 6-16 1 2-12 1-7 1 2-12 1-9 1-6 1 2-12 D12+1 D12+1 16-20 19-20 13-20 D12+1 19-20 14-20 19-20 16-20 13-20 19-20 D12+1 20 16-20 12-20 16-20 13-20 10-20 16-20 D12+1 17-20 13-20 8-20 13-20 10-20 7-20 13-20 Designer’s Note: Players may wish to add further flexibility to the rating system by mixing and matching the Combat and Defense Die ratings. Specific scenarios may require that brittle units (low Defense Die) have good fighting skills (high Combat Die). In that case, assign a Defense Die as needed, and roll from the Rabble, Raw, Regular, Crack, or Elite categories to determine the Combat Die. 17 Ratings cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 2.2 Leadership Officers or Leaders are used to determine how much movement is available for their Command Group, to rally Unit Integrity and rally Disordered and Routed units. Each officer must have a Leadership Die (LD) size that is randomly determined or assigned per scenario requirements. The larger the Leadership Die, the better the officer and the more likely that he will be successful. Leadership Quality is a descriptor that categorizes the relative individual and collective command capabilities of armies. Leadership Quality levels are Abysmal, Poor, Average, Skilled, and Exceptional. 2.3 Leadership Ratings To determine Leadership Die sizes, roll a D20 and cross reference the die roll with the Leadership Quality. Refer to the Rating Table shown below. On a roll of 1 or 2, the Leadership Die size for that officer is not known at the start of the game and must be rolled after all battle deployments are complete and prior to the first initiative roll. If another roll of 1 or 2 is made at that time, the Leadership is a D8. Note that each officer has a Command Radius in inches equal to 2 times his Leadership Die size. Units that are outside of their Leader’s Command Radius cannot be rallied or maneuvered. Leadership Quality Abysmal Poor Average Skilled Exceptional No Replacement Leadership Leadership Leadership Leadership (Re-roll on next Die Die Die Die Leadership card) D8 D10 D12 D12+1 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 3-16 3-14 3-5 3 - 17-20 15-19 6-17 4-10 3-9 20 18-19 11-18 10-17 20 19-20 18-20 Example: An army has a Leadership Quality of Poor. The D20 roll is a 5. The officer's Leadership Die is a D8. Example: An army has a Leadership Quality of Exceptional. The D20 roll is a 15. The officer's Leadership Die is a D12. Example: An army has a Leadership Quality of Average. The D20 roll is a 2. The officer’s Leadership Die is unknown at the start of the game. Officers are assigned to Command Groups and Command Groups are deployed on the table. When all pre-game deployments are completed and immediately prior to the first initiative roll, the officer rolls a D20 to determine his Leadership Die. He rolls a 7, resulting in a D10 Leadership Die. 18
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Each army will have a basic Sequence Deck consisting of a mix of 23 cards. Scenario specific optional cards might also be included in a deck, which could take the total card count in the deck to more than 23 cards. These cards define the actions that the units in the army can make, and when they can take an action. Each army will have a randomly determined grade of Sequence Deck. See 2.42 Sequence Deck Composition. 2.41 Sequence Deck Grades There are three grades of Sequence Decks available. The grades are: Inferior - Relatively bad and inefficient staff and command capabilities. Average - Middle of the road command and control. Most armies fall into this category. Superior - The best possible command and control. All three grades of sequence decks have equal numbers of Move, Fire, and Melee cards. Varying numbers of Leadership cards provide the difference in the grades of Sequence Decks. The larger the number of Leadership cards, the more resilient, flexible and useful the army will be in battle. Designer's Note: Field of Battle gives each army's units equal opportunities for fire, melee, and movement. The differences in the armies are in the flexibility and sophistication of their command and staff capabilities. Armies with more Leadership cards will be better able to rally and hold their units in place during combat, as well as being much more tactically proficient (more frequent opportunities to change formation or facing). 2.42 Sequence Deck Composition Each grade of Sequence Deck has a unique combination of sequence cards. Each army will have a randomly determined grade of Sequence Deck, based on the CiC’s quality. To determine the Sequence Deck grade, cross reference the CiC Leadership Die and a D20 die roll. The results of the D20 die roll will determine what grade of Sequence Deck the army will use for the upcoming battle. CiC Leadership Die D8 D10 D12 D12+1 Inferior Sequence Deck 1-10 1-5 NA NA Average Sequence Deck 11-20 6-15 1-10 1-5 Superior Sequence Deck NA 16-20 11-20 6-20 Example: A Mahdist army has a D10 CiC Leadership Die. The Mahdist army rolls a D20 and cross references the die roll with the CiC Leadership Die. The D20 roll is a 6. Looking at the Sequence Deck Grade table, a die roll of 6 gives an Average Sequence Deck. The composition of each grade of Sequence Deck is shown in the table below. The definition of each sequence card is given in 7.0 Sequence Card Definitions. 19 Ratings 2.4 Sequence Decks
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" If an army doesn't have either artillery or infantry (unlikely!) in its army, the army still includes all the standard cards in its deck. The cards which have no functional use still cost 1 Initiative Point to turn. In effect, they are a useless card that evens out the card count without giving a benefit to the army with fewer unit types. Card Name Army Morale Artillery Fire Infantry Fire Leadership Lull Melee Move Move 1 Command Tactical Advantage Standard Card Total Sequence Deck Composition Sequence Deck Grade Inferior Average 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 1 1 2 2 23 23 Superior 3 3 3 4 1 3 3 1 2 23 2.5 Army Morale Points Army Morale Points are an abstract measure of an army’s morale, its will to fight, and its overall level of determination. Each army starts the game with Army Morale Points. Army Morale Points are lost throughout the course of the game. Each Unit Integrity lost due to fire or melee combat costs 1 Army Morale Point. • Routing units that lose Unit Integrity from fire or melee do not cause a loss of Army Morale Points. • Units that rout off the table do not cause any additional loss of Army Morale Points. When an army is out of Army Morale Points: • • When an Army Morale card is revealed from the army's Sequence Deck, an Army Morale check is immediately performed. See the Army Morale card definition. If an army's units suffer Unit Integrity losses due to combat, the enemy army is awarded one Army Morale Point for each Unit Integrity lost due to fire or melee. Example: A Prussian army is out of Army Morale Points. A Prussian unit is hit and loses 3 Unit Integrity and 3 Army Morale Points. Since the Prussian army is already at 0 Army Morale Points, the Prussian's opponents are given the 3 Army Morale Points. Designer's Note: Victory in Field of Battle is achieved through the destruction of the enemy and their will to fight by damaging them to the point that they are out of Army Morale Points and quit the field. Other objectives, be they geographical or abstract, are secondary to the destruction of the enemy force's will to fight. I don’t believe in assigning victory points, time objectives, or objective points to guide a scenario. I much prefer to let the tabletop terrain, the initial deployments on the table, the relative troop strengths, and the player's tactical decisions drive the flow of the game. The flow is then natural and not contrived to force players to seize specific victory locations and is instead focused on defeating the enemy's will to fight. 20
Ratings cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" The black flag ECW infantry battalia has suffered 1 UI loss, as indicated by the 1 UI hit marker 2.51 Determining Army Morale Points Prior to the start of the game, each side determines the number of Army Morale Points it has for the game. Army Morale Points are randomly determined based on the size of the army. Count the number of artillery, cavalry, and infantry units in each army. Roll a D12 die and cross reference the number of units in the army with the result of the D12 roll. The result read from the table is the number of Army Morale Points the army has for the upcoming game. Designer’s Note: Army Morale Points can be tracked on paper or with chits or markers. I use poker chips that are placed in a small cinch top bag so that the enemy cannot see how many AMP’s the army started with or currently has left remaining. 21
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Army Morale Points D12 Die Roll Number of Units 1 2 3 4 5 6,7 8 9 10 11 12 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 7 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 8 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 9 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 10 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 11 8 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 13 14 12 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 15 13 10 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 14 11 11 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 15 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 17 18 19 16 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 17 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 18 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 19 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 20 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 21 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 22 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 23 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 24 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 25 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 26 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 33 27 20 22 23 24 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 28 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 29 22 23 25 26 28 29 30 32 33 35 36 30 23 24 26 27 29 30 32 33 35 36 38 31 23 25 26 28 29 31 33 34 36 37 39 32 24 26 27 29 30 32 34 35 37 38 40 33 25 26 28 30 31 33 35 36 38 40 41 34 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 43 35 26 28 30 32 33 35 37 39 40 42 44 36 27 29 31 32 34 36 38 40 41 43 45 37 28 30 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 44 46 38 29 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 39 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 40 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 Example: A Russian army has 17 units. The Russian commander takes a D12 and rolls a 9. The Russians get 19 Army Morale Points for the battle. 22
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 2.6 Command Groups Command Groups are groupings of units under one officer. All units must be in a Command Group, and each Command Group must have a commanding officer. Independent officers or units are not allowed. Only the army commander may act independent of any Command Group. Command Groups may consist entirely of one type of unit, or of multiple types of units. There is no limit to the number of Command Groups that an army can form. Players will find that it is a balancing act between forming numerous, small Command Groups (a high proportion of officers) and fewer, large Command Groups. A good ratio is approximately 1 officer for every 3 to 4 units in the army. Example: A Russian army has 21 units (14 infantry, 4 cavalry and 3 artillery). The Russians decide to split their army as follows: Infantry: 4 Command Groups - three Command Groups of 4 infantry units and one of 2 infantry units and 1 artillery unit. Cavalry: 1 Command Group of 4 units. Artillery: 1 Command Group of 2 units. Multiple Federal Command Groups move to attack Confederate forces on a ridge. A Command Group consisting of only an officer and an artillery battery provides support for two Command Groups, each with 3 infantry regiments. A Command Group to their left is composed of 3 infantry regiments and an artillery battery. 23
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 3.0 Initiative and Opportunity Actions Each side rolls their army's CiC Leadership Die. The difference in the die rolls is the number of Initiative Points available to each side during their segment of the Initiative. The side rolling higher decides whether it wants to act first (the Active side) or second (the Reactive side) during the Initiative. Example: The Prussians roll a 9 and the Austrians roll a 4. The difference is 5; there are 5 Initiative Points in play. The Prussians decide to act first. The Prussians are the Active side and have 5 Initiative Points to use for turning Sequence Cards. After the Prussians have completed their portion of the Initiative, the Austrians (the Reactive side) also have 5 Initiative Points to use for turning Sequence Cards. Field of Battle allows the Reactive side to perform opportunity actions that are defensive in nature in reaction to threatening enemy activities. Threatening activities include enemy fire, enemy movement, enemy movement to contact for melee, enemy changing facing, and enemy changes of formation. Units that have not been marked as having fired may Opportunity Fire (see 3.1 Opportunity Fire). Cavalry units and infantry in skirmish formation that are contacted by moving enemy infantry units may evade (see 3.2 Evasion). 3.1 Opportunity Fire Opportunity Fire may be performed by the Reactive side during the Active side's portion of the Initiative or by the Active side during the Reactive side’s portion of the Initiative. Opportunity Fire may not be targeted at stationary, passive enemy targets. Opportunity Fire may only be targeted at enemy units that are firing or using movement or maneuver activities (moving, moving to contact on a Melee card, changing formation or facing on Move or Leadership cards). Example: The British have just won the last Initiative roll. The British are the Active side. The British turn a Move card and the French want to fire before the British move out of range. The French fire 4 of their units at the British during the British Active segment of the Initiative. Pre-Emptive Opportunity Fire: Any move, change of facing, or change of formation currently being made on Melee, Move, or Leadership cards may be pre-empted. Pre-emptive fire occurs prior to the enemy's action or at a range chosen by the side performing Opportunity Fire. The firing player decides at which point to resolve Opportunity Fire at moving targets. If an enemy unit is moving and receives Opportunity Fire that forces the unit to fall back, the unit will fall back from the point at which it received the fire and halt with no further movement. If an enemy unit is changing facing or changing formation and receives Opportunity Fire that forces the unit to fall back, the unit will fall back and then carry out its action. Example: An Austrian cavalry unit is moving toward a French artillery battery. The Austrians start 23” away and have 3 move segments available. The French announce that they will opportunity fire at the Austrians when they are 12” away. The French fire is resolved with appropriate modifiers at the 12” range. The fire results in the Austrians losing 1 UI and falling back 3”. The Austrian 3” fall back move is measured from the 12” point from the French artillery. The Austrian cavalry end up 15” away from the French artillery. The Austrian cavalry move is done; they lose their two remaining move segments. 24
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Simultaneous Opportunity Fire: Opportunity Fire at enemy units that are firing and stationary (not acting on a Melee, Move, or Leadership card) is resolved simultaneously. Note that if an enemy unit moves and then fires (active card is a Melee or Move card), Opportunity Fire at the moving unit would be resolved prior to the enemy unit’s fire (pre-emptive, since the Opportunity Fire is occurring while the enemy is acting on a Melee or Move card). Designer’s Note: Making Opportunity Fire pre-emptive penalizes the moving unit as it closes the distance to the Opportunity Firing unit (since it is using its actions to move rather than fire). As the number of Opportunity Fires are limited by the number of units available to fire (not being able to remove fire markers until they get a Fire card during their segment), I felt it was necessary to reward a defensive postured unit by resolving the effects of their fire first. Making Opportunity Fire pre-emptive vs. moving targets also simplifies the entire Opportunity Fire process a great deal, keeping the excitement up and the game moving. Example: A French heavy cavalry unit is acting on a Move card and is moved towards a British infantry unit. The British elect to Opportunity Fire at the cavalry unit. The French cavalry unit begins the move 10” away from the British infantry unit. At the start of the move, the cavalry unit is out of musket range (6”). The cavalry unit will move 8”, ending 2” away from the infantry unit. The British decide to resolve the Opportunity Fire at the 2" range. In this case, that is Point Blank range. Example: A Confederate infantry regiment starts 12” away from a Federal infantry regiment and moves 8” closer, ending 4” away from the Federal unit. The Confederate commander decides to fire at the Federal unit at the 4” range after the move was completed. The Federal commander elects to use Opportunity Fire at the Confederate unit. The Federal fire and its effects are resolved prior to the Confederate fire, since the Confederate unit is acting on a Move card. Example: The British are the Active side. They declare fire from an artillery battery at an opposing French artillery battery. The French player decides to return fire from their artillery battery. The fire from both units is resolved simultaneously, and losses are then applied after both units have fired. A Federal artillery regiment uses Opportunity Fire to fire at an onrushing Confederate infantry regiment 25
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Designer’s Note: Why are there no “hasty squares”, refused flanks, or cavalry countercharges in Field of Battle? Aren’t those defensive actions? Shouldn’t they be represented in the game? Well – yes and no. All those actions are typically those that gamers want to have in their bag of tricks to offset a bad initial deployment, or to prevent the enemy from getting the jump on them. I don’t view them as actions that would be the concern of the lowest level of command in the game – the Command Group officer (a brigade or division officer, depending on how big you elect to make your Command Groups). “Hasty squares”, refused flanks, and cavalry countercharges are the immediate tactical decisions made by battalion commanders responding to directly impending enemy threats. In Field of Battle terms, these impending enemy threats are essentially what are included in the Melee action. The competence and success of the individual battalion commanders in responding to these threats to their specific units is represented in an abstract manner by their Combat Die roll in melee resolution. Roll high and you have a battalion commander that “knows his stuff”. Maybe the unit got into square just in time before the enemy cavalry thundered home…maybe the Grenadier company on the flank of the battalion’s line refused their flank and held off the enemy threat….maybe the cavalry regiment’s commander ordered a charge that resulted in his unit spurring into an approaching enemy cavalry unit over the last few yards prior to contact rather than being caught “flat footed”. Be creative – it's quite easy to bestow heroic reasons that the little lead lads chased off the enemy. On the other hand, if the unit’s Combat Die roll is low in melee….well….somebody has blundered! Where are those Grenadiers? How did the enemy appear on our flank? Where did that cavalry come from? Why didn’t my skirmishers warn me that they were out there? Again – be creative! You can easily make up more credible reasons for what has happened on the tabletop given the set of circumstances that exist than can be accommodated by extra rules. Instead of agonizing over a long list of conditions that allow you to do this or that, with this or that result, and consulting this or that table, all these situations are included and abstracted in the melee result. The result is greatly increased speed of play, and in my opinion – more fun in that it allows players to fill in the blanks and create the narrative of what is happening on the table. 3.2 Evasion Cavalry may attempt to evade infantry that move into contact. Infantry in skirmish formation may attempt to evade infantry not in skirmish formation that move into contact. • The moving unit’s movement ceases on contact, regardless of any remaining movement and the results of the evading unit’s evasion roll. • Roll the evading unit’s Defense Die vs. the enemy foot unit’s Defense Die. o The evading unit will move directly away from the enemy infantry a distance equal to the difference in the die rolls. ▪ Evading units may not use evasion movement to improve their tactical situation. ▪ Evading units maintain their facing and formation. o If the die rolls are equal, the units remain in contact. If the move to contact qualified for an immediate melee, resolve the melee if desired. o If the evading unit’s Defense Die roll is higher than the opposing Defense Die roll, the evading unit remains Ordered if it was Ordered before the evasion attempt. o If the evading unit’s Defense Die roll is equal to or lower than the opposing Defense Die roll, the evading unit becomes Disordered. ▪ If the evading unit was already Disordered, they lose 1 UI. • UI lost in the Evasion process does not result in a loss of Army Morale Points. 26
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 4.0 General Movement Rules Each Command Group rolls their officer's Leadership Die vs. a D6 to determine how many move segments the Command Group units may use. Units may make 1 move per move segment. Roll for each Command Group's movement and move that Command Group prior to rolling for other Command Group movement. Designer's Note: Just because you "can" move 3 segments doesn't necessarily mean that it is a good idea. Players need to evaluate the tactical situation, take risks as appropriate, and live with their decisions. Rolling for movement for all Command Groups and then moving is not allowed. This removes all risk taking and decision making from the move process and eliminates drama and excitement from the move portion of the game. If a Command Group is currently leaderless, no unit in the Command Group may move. If the Army CiC has been killed and has not been replaced, modify all Leadership Die sizes used for movement rolls Down 2. • If the Leadership Die roll is 6 or more than the D6 die roll, each unit in the Command Group receives 3 move segments. • If the Leadership Die roll is 3, 4, or 5 more than the D6 die roll, each unit in the Command Group receives 2 move segments. • If the Leadership Die roll is less than or equal to the D6 die roll, or only beats the D6 roll by 1or 2, each unit in the Command Group receives 1 move segment. • If the Leadership Die roll is a 1, no movement is allowed for any units in the Command Group. • If the Leadership Die roll is even and higher than the opposing roll: o Units may immediate melee without waiting for a Melee card. Refer to the period specific rules for any unit type limitations. o All units in the Command Group may use a move segment to maneuver (one change formation or facing, mount or dismount, limber or unlimber). A maneuver costs that unit one move segment. The Army CiC may roll for movement for one Command Group if the Command Group officer is within the Army CiC's Command Radius. If the Army CiC rolls for movement, the results of his roll apply, even if worse than the results of the Command Group officer's roll. Roll the Army CiC Leadership Die vs. a D6 die and apply the normal move results. If the Army CiC is used to roll for movement, he is at risk. See the Army Morale card definition. 27 Movement Designer’s Note: Limbered artillery is not shown as being capable of evading infantry. This was a deliberate omission. I feel that allowing limbered artillery to evade infantry would promote an undue amount of aggression for artillery to closely approach enemy infantry. This is allowing too much of a “safety blanket” for artillery. While there are historical precedents for artillery acting aggressively, they are far more infrequent than frequent. I believe it is better to allow artillery to act aggressively, but at a risk that the player must evaluate before taking the action.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Cavalry and infantry units may move 1/2 their normal move distance backwards. Units that are Disordered move at 1/2 all normal move distances. Units may move at the oblique. An oblique move is measured by moving up to ½ of the unit’s frontage in line per segment to the side and then forward in up to the full movement distance. A unit does not have to move forward and may just oblique to the side. Example: An infantry unit frontage in line is 6”. The unit may oblique ½ of the frontage, or 3”, per segment. If the unit has 3 segments, it may move to the side up to 9” (3 segments at 3” per segment) and also forward up to its 3 segment move of 24”. Note that if the unit is disordered, these move distances are halved and the oblique move to the side would be 4.5” and a maximum forward move of 12” Designer's Note: A bit of simple math - a 1/2 move penalty joined with another 1/2 move penalty is a resultant 1/4 of the original move, not a "no movement" result. For example, infantry that is Disordered (1/2 move, or 4") in Class III terrain (another 1/2 move penalty, or 2") will move 2". The movement penalties are multipliers and will always result in some movement ability. Units in March or Limbered formation moving on a road move at 1 1/2 times their normal movement rate. All routing units in an army are moved when a Move or Move 1 Command Group card is turned. Command Group officers may move on the Move or Move 1 Command Group card. Command Group officers receive the same number of move segments as rolled for their Command Group. Army CiCs may only move on Leadership cards, and only receive 1 move segment. Designer's Note: There is a difference in mobility between the Command Group officers and the Army CiC. Command Group officers are in the thick of battle and are more intimately involved and active. The Army CiC is in overall command of the army, and isn’t scurrying at will around the battlefield, dragging their HQ staff behind them. 4.1 Movement Distances In general, units may move up to the distances shown per move segment. Note that Unlimbered artillery and units in Square do not move. Refer to period play sheets for the movement distances for the different periods. Movement Distances (per move segment) Limbered Foot Artillery and Machine Guns Cavalry and Horse Artillery Infantry Officers Rout Movement 8” 12” 8” 16” Infantry: 8"+D6” Cavalry: 12"+D6” Limbered Artillery and Machine Guns: 12” Cavalry: 18” Infantry: 12” Road Movement 28
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 4.11 Special Movement Considerations Foot Artillery: Foot artillery units may only perform one action per move segment - move, limber, or unlimber. Horse Artillery: Horse artillery units may limber and move, move, or move and unlimber per move segment. Movement and Melee: A unit that moves and engages in melee will cease movement, except for any follow up, fall back, or rout movement resulting from the melee. 4.2 Terrain There are 4 classes of terrain that effect movement and combat In Field of Battle: Class I, Class II, Class III, and Class IV. Terrain combat modifiers are listed in 5.0 Combat. Terrain can be defined as one Class for movement and another Class for cover in combat. Terrain that counts as cover for combat will typically be, but not limited to, woods, towns, and defensive works. Terrain that effects movement will typically be Class II, III, or IV terrain types such as hill edges, rough areas, woods, and town sections. Create nuanced terrain by combining different terrain Classes in the same area, such as wooded hills, or Class I open woods (line of sight) straddling a river (movement restriction). Clever combinations of terrain and varieties of terrain for either movement or cover inside of a larger area of terrain adds dimension and tactical challenges to the tabletop battlefield. It is possible to define a terrain area that is Class II or higher for movement purposes but does not count as cover for combat. Examples include open hill areas, boggy or rough movement areas. Class II hills stop movement on contact but are not necessarily cover for any unit on the hill. Class III hills stop movement on contact for entrance and exit but are not necessarily cover for any unit on the hill. By themselves, hills effect line of sight and movement. Any cover on the hills would be added as wooded (Class II or III) or rough areas with large rocks and brush, for example. 4.21 Terrain Definition Class I Terrain: Represents open terrain types that do not impede movement. Class I terrain includes low rolling hills or gentle rises that block line of sight. Plains and generally flat ground are Class I terrain, and do not block line of sight or provide cover. A wooded area that is very light, or with no undergrowth, can be Class I terrain and block line of sight, but provide no cover. Class II Terrain: Represents more restrictive terrain that will impede movement and may block line of sight and provide cover terrain modifiers. See 4.22 Terrain Effects on Movement. Steeper hills, small rivers, streams typically restrict movement, while orchards, open woods, light earthworks and framed structure town areas are examples of Class II terrain that can provide cover modifiers. 29 Movement Firing and Moving: Units may fire before or after they move. A unit may not interrupt its movement to fire and then continue moving.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Designer's Note: My Town Sections are between 30 and 40 square inches (4"x8", 4"x10", 5"x6", 5"x7", 5"x8", 6" x 6"), with multiple buildings on each square or trapezoidal area. I leave enough ground space free to place a unit in the Town Section. I use custom built buildings (effectively 20mm scale for my 25/28mm scale armies) to fit in the areas. By accentuating the vertical dimensions of the buildings while minimizing the footprint of the buildings, they work well with the figures and give the illusion of a built up area. Class III Terrain: The most difficult terrain present in Field of Battle that can still be moved in or through. Class III terrain impedes movement and can block line of sight and provide cover terrain modifiers. See 4.22 Terrain Effects on Movement. Areas of rugged ground, steep hills, rough forests and woods, rivers, substantial town areas, bogs, and marshes are all typically Class III terrain. Permanent or semi-permanent entrenchments, rough forests or woods, and brick or stone Town Sections are Class III cover. Designer's Note: Be creative with terrain. You can mix terrain types - for example, use a Class II hill with some or all of the hill covered with Class III woods. Have a Class II woods with sections of Class III woods interspersed. You can make hills more difficult by applying the movement rules for every contour of the hill that is contacted. Class IV Terrain: Impassable for movement. Examples include cliffs, impassable rivers, and lakes. If the Class IV terrain provides cover, the Class III modifier is used in combat. 4.22 Terrain Effects on Movement • If any part of the unit is in or contacting a terrain area, the unit suffers any applicable movement penalties. Movement is unaffected by Class I woods and hills. Movement stops at contact with Class I streams. • Class I Hills block line of sight, with no movement penalty. Units deployed on Class I Hills gain combat modifiers if at a higher elevation than the enemy. • Class I Woods block line of sight, with no movement penalty. Weapons range is limited to 6”. There is no terrain modifier for combat in Class I woods. Movement is affected by Class II terrain. • Units that are moving into Class II terrain will stop all movement for that move segment when any part of the unit contacts the border of the terrain. • Units that are moving out of Class II terrain will stop all movement for that move segment when any part of the unit contacts the border of the terrain. • Movement in Class II terrain is at full speed. • Units in Skirmish formation treat Class II terrain as Class I terrain for movement. • Artillery treats Class II terrain as Class III terrain for movement. • Mounted cavalry treats Class II terrain as Class III terrain for movement. Designer’s Note: Depending on scenario or period, gamers may wish to require that cavalry in Class II woods becomes Disordered. I think that can be an appropriate adjustment, but not one that I’d automatically apply for all eras. Regardless of the rules adjustments or terrain specifications, it is typically best to make sure each side knows the terrain definition and effects for the tabletop terrain prior to game play. 30
Movement is affected by Class III terrain. • Units that are moving into Class III terrain will stop all movement for that move segment when any part of the unit contacts the border of the terrain. • Units that are moving out of Class III terrain will stop all movement for that move segment when any part of the unit contacts the border of the terrain. • Movement in Class III terrain is at half speed. • Units in Skirmish formation treat Class III terrain as Class II terrain for movement. • Artillery treats Class III terrain as impassable Class IV terrain for movement. • Mounted cavalry treats Class III terrain as impassable Class IV terrain for movement. Movement considerations for Town Sections and rivers are treated separately. See 4.23 Town Sections and 4.24 Rivers. Units in March or Limbered formations that are on a road moving through terrain will ignore any terrain penalty. Units that are Disordered and moving in terrain will suffer both the half speed penalty for being Disordered as well as the terrain penalty. Units that fall back due to receiving hits in combat will move the full distance to the rear, ignoring any nonriver terrain effect on movement. Units that fall back stop on contact with a river. Units that rout will move the full distance to the rear, ignoring any non-river terrain effect on movement. Routing units that contact a river will stop on contact and lose 1 Unit Integrity. If the river is Class II or III, the next move is a normal rout move measured from the point of contact. If the river is Class IV, the routing unit is immediately removed from play. 4.23 Movement in Town Sections Only infantry and dismounted cavalry may deploy into Town Sections. Only 1 unit may be deployed in a Town Section at any one time. Units may not move into a town that is occupied by a friendly or enemy unit. Movement is affected by Town Sections • Units moving into Town Sections will stop all movement for that move segment when any part of the unit contacts the border of the Town Section. • It requires one move segment to move from the border into a Town Section. • Once a unit is in a Town Section, it is assumed to be in contact with all borders of that Town Section and can move out in any direction. • It requires one move segment to move from one Town Section into another Town Section. • It requires one move segment to move out of a Town Section to touching the outside border of the Town Section. The unit can be placed in any formation and facing, in contact with the outside edge. • Units moving out of a Town Section move from the border at full speed, in any formation and facing. 31 Movement cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Example: Town Section B 3 6 5 2 1 4 Town Section A An infantry unit has a move with 3 move segments. It moves from point 1 and contacts the border of Town Section A at point 2. This ends the move in move segment 1. Move segment 2 is used to move from point 2 to inside Town Section A. At this point in the move, the unit inside Town Section A is in contact with all four borders of Town Section A. Move segment 3 is used to move from point 3 ("touching the border") into Town Section B at point 4. Another move card will be required to leave Town Section B. A move card is turned (conveniently!). The roll for movement is very successful, and the unit receives 2 more move segments. Its first move is from point 4 to leave Town Section B. It moves outside the Town Section to point 5 and ends the first move in line formation facing point 6. The second move segment is made at full speed and the unit ends its move 8" away from the border of Town Section B, at point 6. Movement through town areas on roads may be made with no movement penalties if the moving unit is in March or Limbered formation. Example: Assume the same situation as in the example above, except that line 1-2-3-4-5-6 is a road through the 6" wide Town Sections and the moving infantry unit is in March formation. Movement is rolled for and the unit receives 3 move segments. The unit starts at point 1 (4" away from point 2), and measures 24", ending at point 6, 8" outside of Town Section B (4"+6"+6"+8"). Moving through towns by road is much faster than moving through towns section by section! 4.24 Movement and Rivers Rivers represent a potentially significant movement barrier and are treated uniquely for movement. Class I Streams • All units stop at contact with the stream. • The next move segment for infantry and cavalry is at full speed. • Artillery moves to the far edge of the stream on their next move segment. Class II Minor Rivers • All units stop at contact with the river's water area. • The next move segment is to the far edge of the river's water area. • Artillery may not move across a river unless by bridge or ford. 32
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Class IV Rivers • Impassable except by movement over a bridge. Units that fall back stop on contact with a river. Routing units that contact a river will stop on contact and lose 1 Unit Integrity. The Unit Integrity loss does not result in the loss of an Army Morale Point. If the river is Class II or III, the next move is a normal rout move measured from the point of contact. If the river is Class IV, the routing unit is immediately removed from play. 4.25 Movement Across Bridges Crossing River on a Bridge • All units not in March, Limbered, or Skirmish formation stop at contact with the bridge. • The next move segment is up to a full segment and is measured from the contact point with the bridge. • Units in March, Limbered, or Skirmish formation move across the river without penalty. 4.26 Movement Across Fords Movement across rivers using a ford is handled very similarly to bridge movement. • All units not in March, Limbered, or Skirmish formation stop at contact with the ford. • The next move segment is 1/2 speed and is measured from the contact point with the ford. • Units in March or Limbered formation move across the river without penalty and may still apply any road movement bonus. 4.27 Movement and Fences and Walls • • • • On a won Even movement roll, cavalry and infantry units may move through fences and walls with no movement penalties. Such movement through fences or walls results in a section of fencing equal to the unit frontage is considered to have been sufficiently broken down (rails removed, sections knocked down) that it no longer is a movement penalty or serves as cover. On any other movement roll, a move segment ends on contact with the fence section. Movement may continue if additional move segments are available. Artillery may not move through a fence or wall. Units in March, Limbered, or Skirmish formation move through a fence section with a gate without penalty. 33 Movement Class III Rivers • All units stop at contact with the river's water area. • Their next move segment is to the middle of the river's water area. • A third move segment is required to move the unit to the far edge of the river's water area. • Units moving across a Class III river are Disordered. • Artillery may not move across the river unless by bridge or ford.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 4.28 Movement and Hedges • • • • All cavalry and infantry units stop movement in a segment at contact with the hedge. The next move segment is to the other side of the hedge, ending movement with the back of the unit in contact with the hedge. Artillery may not move through a hedge. Units in March, Limbered, or Skirmish formation move through a hedge section with a gate without penalty. 4.3 Maneuvering • A unit may change both formation and facing on a Move or Move 1 Command card. o Won Even movement roll is required. o Note that a formation change and a facing change each cost 1 move segment. • A unit may change either formation or facing on a Leadership card after all rally attempts are done. 4.31 Formation Changes Units may change formation on Leadership or Move (with a won Even Leadership Die roll) cards. See the specific card definitions for limitations that may apply. Units changing formation will retain the same facing direction after the formation change. Units change formation on the front center of the unit. The front center of the unit will not move during a formation change. Designer's Note: Some may feel that forcing units to change formation on the center of the unit and retain the same center of the new formation's frontage is too restrictive. If so, feel free to allow changes of formation to be made from any point in the unit's original frontage. In truth, we have probably played it both ways! Just be consistent inside of a game, and no problems will arise. 4.32 Facing Changes Units may change the direction they face on Leadership or Move (with a won Even Die roll) cards. See the specific card definitions for limitations that may apply. Units in March or Limbered formations may also change facing without limit on their Move card. Units deployed in these formations may “snake” around the battlefield without restrictions. Units may change face by either pivoting the unit on its center or by pivoting on one of its flanks. Example: A Confederate officer rolls an 8 on his Leadership Die vs. a 2 on a Move card. The Command Group has 3 move segments per unit. A Confederate artillery battery limbers (1 segment cost) and moves 2 segments for its 3 allowable move segments. A Confederate infantry regiment changes face (1 segment), moves 1 segment, and changes formation (1 segment) for its 3 allowable move segments. 34
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 4.4 Interpenetration Interpenetration is a voluntary action that is allowed with period specific exceptions. Refer to the period rules for the exceptions. Units may not interpenetrate and initiate melee on a Move or Move 1 Command card. The moving unit must have enough movement to entirely clear the stationary unit. 4.5 Movement Resulting from Fire or Melee Combat Units may be forced to fall back or rout based on a fire or melee combat result. Any unit that is forced to fall back (whether from fire combat or from losing a melee) becomes Disordered. Forced fall back or rout moves are made immediately after the fire or melee combat that caused them. Designer's Note: Players will notice that units falling back or routing do not affect nearby units or units that they contact or move through. After many, many games, I finally decided that including special rules for those circumstances only added process - without any tangible added benefit to the game. Units falling back and routing, along with any associated loss of Army Morale Points, are sufficient penalties. 4.51 Fall Back Moves Units that are forced to fall back due to fire combat will usually fall back away from the enemy a distance in inches equal to the total number of hits taken. Fall back moves are made immediately after the fire or melee combat that caused them. Fall Back Exceptions for Fire Combat • • • • Units in Town Sections do not fall back but become Disordered. Infantry units in Square/Hedgehog do not fall back but become Disordered. Unlimbered artillery units do not fall back but become Disordered. Units in fortifications (redoubts, trenches, earthworks, etc.) do not fall back but become Disordered Units that lose Unit Integrity in melee and do not rout will usually fall back a distance in inches equal to the total number of hits taken in the melee. There are exceptions to falling back as a result of melee combat. Fall Back Exceptions for Melee Combat • • Infantry units in Square/Hedgehog do not fall back but become Disordered. Unlimbered artillery units do not fall back but become Disordered. Units falling back ignore all terrain limitations, facing the enemy. Units falling back will move backwards without changing facing or formation. Units falling back are Disordered. 35 Movement A unit may only interpenetrate or be interpenetrated once per Move or Move 1 Command card.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Units falling back will pass through friendly units as they fall back to the rear. Units may not end movement intermixed with any other units. If fall back movement forced by fire or melee combat would force a unit falling back to end its move intermixed with any friendly unit, the unit falling back will stop when it first contacts the friendly unit. Units falling back that contact enemy units will halt at that point. Units in Town Sections that must fall back due to losing a melee will fall back one Town Section away from the enemy. If all adjacent Town Sections are already occupied, the unit remains in its current Town Section, Disordered. If there is no adjacent Town Section, the unit falling back measures its fall back move from the appropriate edge of the Town Section. 4.52 Rout Moves Initial rout moves are made immediately after the fire or melee combat that caused them. Routing units will initially move a distance in inches equal to the total number of hits received in the fire or melee combat. Rout moves are made directly to the rear, or away from threatening enemy units for the initial rout move. Rout moves must be made as much as possible directly to the rear, or friendly table edge. No positional or situational advantage can be gained by the movement of the routing unit. When a Move or Move 1 Command Group card is turned, all routing units in that army are required to move. Rout move distances are determined by rolling a D6 and adding the result in inches to a single standard move segment distance. • Infantry rout movement is the sum of 8" plus a D6 roll. • Cavalry rout movement is the sum of 12" plus a D6 roll. Routing units ignore any and all terrain movement penalties. Units in Town Sections that rout measure movement from the edge of the Town Section. If there are adjacent Town Sections located directly towards their table edge, they will rout through 2 Town Sections. If there is only 1 adjacent Town Section, they will rout through that Town Section and then D6". If there are no adjacent Town Sections, they move normal rout move distances measured from the appropriate side of the Town Section. Example: A Prussian infantry battalion is deployed in a Town Section. It is routed in melee. The town section that the Prussians are in has one adjacent Town Section. The rout move is made into the adjacent Town Section plus D6". They roll a 4 and rout 4 inches out of the Town Section. Routing units will pass through friendly units as they rout to the rear. Units may not end movement intermixed with any other units. If rout movement forced by fire or melee combat would force a routing unit to end its move intermixed with any friendly units, the routing unit moves a greater distance until it is entirely clear of the intervening friendly units. Routing units will stop on contact with the table edge. Unless rallied, they will move off the table and be removed from the game on the next Move or Move 1 Command Group card. 36
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Routing units that contact enemy units or Town Sections containing enemy units are removed from the table. In all cases where a routing unit is removed from the table, no additional Army Morale Points are lost for the unit removal. 5.0 Combat 5.1 Fire Combat Fire combat may be used by artillery, infantry, and dismounted cavalry. Mounted cavalry cannot fire. Limbered artillery cannot fire. Routing units cannot fire. Note that units are not required to fire on a Fire card. Units may fire at any time that they are not marked as having been previously fired. Units may fire during their Active or Reactive segments of the Initiative. The frequency of fire is controlled by the appearance of the Fire (Artillery, Infantry, Rapid Fire, Rolling Fire) cards. Example: An artillery unit fires. A marker is placed in front of the artillery unit to indicate that it has fired (cotton puff balls, or acrylic pillow stuffing work well for fire markers). The artillery unit cannot fire again until after an Artillery Fire card is turned and the fire marker is removed. Example: An Infantry Fire card is turned. An infantry unit is fired, a fire marker (smoke marker) is placed, and immediately removed on the Fire card. Since it is now unmarked, the infantry unit decides to fire again, and the fire marker is placed at the front of the infantry unit. Two Austrian infantry battalions are marked as having fired. The front French battalion is also marked as having been fired. None of the marked units can fire until the markers are removed on an Infantry Fire card. Note that the French unit has lost 1 UI and is also Disordered (the end stand is misaligned/jumbled). 37 Fire Combat There are two types of combat: Fire and Melee. Each type of combat is described in its own section.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.11 Fire Combat Conventions Accumulating Hits: Hits accumulate from multiple units firing at a target unit if the firing is not interrupted by the turn of a card. Hits from a single unit do not accumulate from firing, using a Fire card, and firing. Units may fire, remove fire markers on a Fire card, and then fire again at the same target, but the hits from the first fire are not carried and added to any hit results from the second fire. If any unit's fire causes hits that result in a fall back or rout move, that movement is made before any additional fire is resolved. Example: An Infantry Fire card is turned. An infantry unit is fired, causing 2 hits - insufficient to cause a Unit Integrity loss to the target. A fire marker (smoke marker) is placed and is immediately removed on the Fire card. The infantry unit decides to fire again, and the fire marker is placed at the front of the infantry unit. The infantry fire causes 4 hits. The target loses 1 Unit Integrity. (Note that the 2 hits and the 4 hits, separated by a Fire card, do not add together. The results of the separate fires are treated as unique events). Example: Two Federal infantry regiments both wish to fire at a Confederate infantry regiment. The first Federal unit fires, achieving 2 hits. The second Federal infantry regiment fires, achieving 4 hits. The 4 hits are added to the 2 hits from the first shot, giving a total of 6 hits and enough for a total of 2 Integrity losses. Example: The Prussian player has 3 units he wants to fire at a French infantry battalion. The first unit fires at point blank range and hits the French battalion with 4 hits on an even roll, forcing it to lose 1 Unit Integrity with 1 remaining hit and fall back 3". The range has now increased for the fires from the remaining two Prussian units. The second Prussian unit fires and hits the French battalion with 2 hits on an odd die roll. The fire was not interrupted by the turn of any card, so the hits accumulate. The French battalion previously had 1 hit, plus the two additional hits which now add up to 3 hits total and a second Unit Integrity lost. The third Prussian unit fires and hits the French battalion with 1 more hit on an even die roll. The additional hit is not enough to cause a Unit Integrity loss, but the even roll requires the French battalion to fall back an additional 1". After all the fire is resolved, the French battalion is forced back 4" and has lost 2 Unit Integrity. Arc of Fire: Units have a frontal firing arc of 45 degrees measured from each frontal corner of the unit. Cover: The center of the target unit's frontage facing the firing unit determines the target unit's cover and location in or on terrain. If the center of the target unit's frontage facing the firing unit is in the open, then the unit receives no cover benefit. If the center of the target unit's frontage facing the firing unit is in or on the edge of cover, then the unit receives the cover benefit. Similarly, if the center of the target unit's frontage is on a higher hill level than the firing unit, then the target unit receives the benefit of being uphill. Firing at Units in Contact with Friendly Units: Any fire by friendly units that is directed at an enemy unit in contact with another friendly unit may possibly damage that friendly unit. Resolve fire at the enemy unit using normal firing procedures and modifiers. After the fire at the enemy unit is resolved, resolve the fire at the friendly unit. Regardless of the target orientation, modify the fire Combat Die UP 2 as for a flank/rear fire and roll vs. the friendly unit's Defense Die. Apply normal results to the fire combat resolution. 38
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Example: An Austrian infantry battalion is in contact with a French cavalry regiment. An Austrian artillery battery is nearby and elects to fire at the French cavalry to "help" the Austrian infantry. Assume the modified Austrian artillery Fire Die is a D12 and the French Target Die is a D6. Both dice are rolled; the Austrian roll is a 6 and the French roll is a 5. The French fall back 1", Disordered. The Fire Die is then modified UP 2 to a D12+2 and rolled vs. the Austrian infantry's Fire Die (a D6). The Fire Die roll is a 9, modified (D12+2) by adding 2, for a result of 11. The Austrian infantry roll a 2! The Austrian infantry lose 3 Unit Integrity (11-2=9; 9/3 = 3) but remain in place. Line of Sight: At least one half of the target unit’s frontage must be in line of sight in the frontal firing arc traced from the center of the firing unit. Line of sight is blocked by terrain and friendly or enemy units. Any enemy unit in contact that qualifies for a frontal melee may be fired at regardless of the firing arc restrictions. Measuring Ranges: All ranges are measured from the center of the firing unit's frontage to the closest point of the target unit. Note that by definition, any enemy unit in contact with the front or a front corner of the unit is at the shortest firing range. Mounted Fire: Mounted cavalry cannot fire. Dismounted cavalry may fire. Dismounted cavalry removes fire markers on the Infantry Fire card. Moving and Firing: Units may fire before or after movement. Once a unit has fired, it may not move any more on that Move card. Overhead Fire: Artillery units may fire over intervening units as long as either or both the artillery and the target unit are on higher terrain than the intervening unit. The distant target unit must be at least 8” away from the intervening unit. Example: A Federal artillery unit is deployed on the crest of a Class II hill. A line of Federal infantry is 8” in front of the artillery unit. A Confederate cavalry unit is 17” away from the artillery unit. The Federal artillery unit may fire over the Federal infantry unit at the Confederate cavalry unit since the distance from the Federal artillery unit to the Federal infantry unit is 9”, which is more than the 8” minimum distance. 39 Fire Combat Hits: The number of hits is the difference between the Combat Die roll and the Defense Die roll.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.12 Weapons and Ranges Musket: Smoothbore muskets or smoothbore carbines. Rifle: Rifled small arms, including all rifled carbines of any type. Includes repeating rifles, Baker rifles, Pennsylvania rifles, and early breechloading rifles like the Prussian Needlegun. Infantry or dismounted cavalry units considered to be Skirmish units armed with repeating rifles ignore the Down 1 modifier for firing. Improved Rifle: Breechloading rifles, including French Chassepot, British Snider and Martini-Henry. Smoothbore Artillery (SB): Includes all smoothbore muzzleloading artillery pieces, including howitzers, of all weights. Muzzleloading Rifled Artillery (MR): Includes all rifled muzzleloading artillery pieces, of all weights. Parrot guns, Ordinance rifles, rifled French guns from 1859 through the Franco-Prussian war. Breechloading Rifled Artillery (BR): Includes all rifled breechloading artillery pieces of all weights. Whitworth guns, Krupp guns. Machine Gun: Rate Gatling guns, Mitrailleuse, Gardner guns, and Nordenfeldt guns as Early MG. Rate Maxim machine guns as Late MG. Small arms and artillery weapon classifications and ranges are shown on the period playsheets. Designer's Note: Ranges are simplified in Field of Battle. I don't believe that the weight of an artillery piece (weight of shot fired) has an effect on the actual firing ranges on a battlefield. Heavier pieces required more energy (powder) to fire a heavier shot roughly the same distance as a lighter piece firing a lighter shot. For practical considerations in a tabletop game, there is no real range differentiation necessary. Mark Adkin, in his brilliant book "The Waterloo Companion", page 257, states: "All guns could fire at greater ranges, and occasionally did so, but these maximums were not effective battlefield ranges, and no selfrespecting artillery officer would waste ammunition by opening fire at targets much in excess of 900 - 1000 meters." More Adkin, from page 272: "where virtually all targets are made of flesh and blood, it is not the weight of shot that makes a difference but the number of pieces firing, the rate of fire and the skill of the gunners". There are no specific rules for howitzers because of the scale of the game. Any special rules will make the howitzer much more useful than was true in the field. Similarly, there are no separate ranges for carbines. This is intentional. Since dismounted cavalry is only allowed to be in Skirmish formation (Down 1 for firing), carbine fire is already at a disadvantage vs. longer firearms. All infantry weapon ranges reflect more typical battlefield engagement ranges, limited by terrain and vision, rather than by a weapon's ballistic properties. 40
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.13 Firing in Woods or Orchards Units firing through woods or at a target in woods, do so with a penalty based on the class of the woods. • Fire through Class I woods or orchards is limited to 6". • Fire through Class II woods or orchards is limited to 4". • Fire through Class III woods is limited to 2". • Units that are deployed in contact on the edge of woods and are firing out of the woods will fire without penalty for the woods terrain class. A Grand Battery consists of 2 or more artillery batteries in a single Command Group without any other troop type. The artillery batteries must be in base to base contact when deployed. • • • Grand Batteries are only permitted as indicated in the period rules. If the Grand Battery officer becomes a casualty, all batteries are Disordered. Only flank batteries in a Grand Battery may maneuver. Designer’s Note: Rather than reward a concentration of artillery with a bonus for fire or some other modification to make them a “super unit”, the mere concentration of artillery in a small location by itself creates a highly effective command. I created multiple Grand Battery rules and tested them all extensively. At the end of the day, the grand battery effect takes care of itself with the firepower concentration from multiple artillery units and the game plays better without adding layers of additional rules. However, if you wish to differentiate between Grand Battery and individual battery fire, allow hits from all units in the Grand Battery to accumulate, while disallowing hits from individual batteries to accumulate. A French Grand Battery (note the Command Group officer) 41 Fire Combat 5.14 Grand Battery
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.15 Fire Combat Table Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank vs. Rear Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Musket: 6 - 4" Rifle: 12 - 8" Musket: 4 - 2" Rifle: 8 - 0" Musket: 2 - 0" 24 - 18" 18 - 12" 12 - 6" Firer's Formation Attack Column; Skirmish in I; Square Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line; Square Limbered; Line Class I Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges Artillery Firing At Target Cover 36 - 24" Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II 6 - 0" Any Column; Square NOTE: The Fire Combat Table shown above is from the Napoleonic playsheet. Use the period specific playsheet for the era being played. All fire is resolved by applying the modifiers shown in the Fire Combat table to the firing unit’s Combat Die. All modifiers are shown as die size shifts. Up 1 indicates an increase of one die size, Down 1 indicates a decrease of one die size, and so on. More than one modifier may apply per category. Apply the final total of all modifiers to the firing unit's Combat Die size and roll vs. the enemy unit's Defense Die. Example: A French infantry regiment armed with muskets (D10 Combat Die) in line is firing at a Russian infantry regiment in line deployed on the crest of a hill 5" away. This is the French unit’s first fire in the game. The modifiers are Down 1 (Uphill), Up 1 (1st Fire), Down 1 (Range), No Change (firing from Line), No Change (firing at Line). The final modifier is Down 1 (2 Down 1s, 1 Up 1). The French would roll a D8 (D10 Down 1 to a D8) Combat Die. 42
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.16 Fire Combat Resolution All fire resolution consists of 2 stages: • Determining hits and Unit Integrity losses. • Applying any fall back or rout movement. Apply the final modifier to the firing unit's Combat Die size and roll vs. the enemy unit's Defense Die. If the firing unit's Combat Die roll is larger than the target unit's Defense Die roll, hits are taken by the target unit. If the Combat Die roll is less than or equal to the Defense Die roll, the fire has no effect. Unit Integrity Losses: For each 3 hits, the target unit loses one Unit Integrity and the army loses one Army Morale Point. Routing units that suffer Unit Integrity losses do not cause Army Morale Point losses. Destroyed Units: Any unit that drops to 0 Unit Integrity is destroyed. Destroyed units are immediately removed from the table. Infantry units are eliminated and removed from play if they suffer four Unit Integrity losses. Cavalry units are eliminated and removed from play if they suffer four Unit Integrity losses. Artillery units are eliminated if they suffer three Unit Integrity losses. Fall Back: If hits have been taken, and the firing unit's Combat Die roll is even, the target unit will usually fall back a distance in inches equal to the number of hits taken. See 4.6 Movement Resulting from Fire or Melee Combat and 4.61 Fall Back Moves. Unlimbered artillery units do not fall back but remain in place, Disordered. Example: A Union infantry regiment rolls a D12 Combat Die vs. a Confederate infantry regiment’s D6 Defense Die. The Combat Die roll is a 7, and the Defense Die roll is a 2. The number of hits is 5. The Confederate regiment loses 1 Unit Integrity (5 divided by 3 = 1+, with the remainder dropped). Since the Combat Die roll (of 7) is not even, the Confederates will not fall back. Example: A Prussian infantry battalion rolls a D12+3 Combat Die vs. a French infantry battalion (Ordered) that has a D6 Defense Die. The Prussians roll a D12 Combat Die and add 3 since the modified Combat Die value is more than a D12. The Prussians roll a D12 and add 3 (a D12+3). The D12 Combat Die roll is a 7, with the +3 addition resulting in a final total die roll of 10 (remember that the maximum roll is a 12, regardless of the + modifier). The French Combat Die roll is a 6. The number of hits is 4. The French infantry will lose 1 Unit Integrity (4 hits, 4/3 = 1 1/3). The French infantry unit will not fall back since the Combat Die roll (of 7) was odd. Example: A Russian cavalry regiment is fired at by a French artillery battery rolling a D10 Combat Die. The Russian cavalry unit has a D6 Defense Die. The Combat Die roll is a 10 and the Defense Die roll is a 6. The number of hits is 4. The Russian cavalry regiment loses 1 Unit Integrity (3 hits and 1 remainder) and is forced to fall back 4" (the number of hits) since the Combat Die roll was even. 43 Fire Combat The number of hits is the difference between the Combat Die roll and the Defense Die roll. Any remaining hits that were insufficient to cause a Unit Integrity loss do not carry over to the next Initiative.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Rout: If the target unit suffers 2 or more Unit Integrity losses from a single fire Combat Die roll, and the firing unit’s Combat Die roll is even, the target unit will rout 1” per hit. See 4.6 Movement Resulting from Fire or Melee Combat and 4.62 Rout Moves. Unlimbered artillery units do not rout but remain in place, Disordered. Example: A Confederate infantry regiment is at Point Blank range from a Federal artillery battery. The Federal battery fires, rolling a D12 vs the Confederate D6. The Federal roll is a 12, and the Confederate roll is a 4. The Confederates suffer 2 UI lost, and the Federal roll is even, so the Confederates rout 8” (124). Designer's Note: The fall back and rout game mechanism reflects a unit's morale quality to hold its place in the firing line having taken effective fire. Since units roll their Defense Die (a relative measure of their quality and morale) when fired at, unit morale is already considered in the firing resolution. 5.17 Towns and Fire Combat Units deployed in Town Sections have no flanks or rear. Units deployed in Town Sections fire at a Down 1 modifier. There are no formation modifiers for the target unit deployed in a Town Section. The target unit receives the appropriate modifier based on the terrain class of the Town Section. Example: A French unit is deployed in a Class III Town Section. A Prussian unit (no Unit Integrity losses) in line and Ordered is firing at the French with an Up 1 modifier for range. The final modifiers are Up 1 (range), Down 2 (Class III terrain) for a result of Down 1. Units that are deployed in towns may fire at targets in adjacent Town Sections or at targets outside of the town. Fire may not be directed through a Town Section. Fire at targets in adjacent Town Sections uses the shortest range modifier. Fire at targets outside of a town is measured from any point on the border of the Town Section to the closest point of the target unit. Fire from outside of a Town Section at a target unit in a Town Section is measured from the center of the firing unit to the closest point on the border of the Town Section. Fire may not be directed through a Town Section. 44
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.18 Fire Combat Modifiers Note that not all fire combat modifiers apply to every period. As a result, some of the modifiers described below are not shown in the Napoleonic fire combat table shown above. Use the period specific table for the specific era being played. Fire Combat Table: Circumstance Firing from Town: Firing unit is deployed in a Town Section. Highland Infantry: For the Jacobite Rebellion period only. Firing unit is a Highland infantry unit. Infantry 1st Fire: Infantry units firing for the first time receive an UP 1 fire modifier. The 1st Fire bonus does not apply to Skirmish units, Native units, dismounted cavalry units, or units that are in Towns. Tactical Advantage: Firing unit plays a Tactical Advantage card. The Tactical Advantage card is used to receive an additional Up 1 modifier for fire combat for any one unit. The Tactical Advantage card is placed in the discard pile after being used, whether the attempt was successful or not. The Tactical Advantage card is shuffled into the Sequence Deck at the end of the turn. Designer's Note: The Tactical Advantage card is an abstract way to reward local unit commander's Initiative and tactical prowess. The tactical advantage that is being awarded is below the level of representation on the tabletop through unit position or terrain. It could represent an ideal use of small folds in terrain, an unexpected counterattack, an unexplainable good run of luck, or even some tactical blunder by the enemy. 45 Fire Combat Counterbattery: For the English Civil War period only. Firing unit is firing at an unlimbered enemy gun unit.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Franco-Prussian French infantry positioned outside of two Town Sections Fire Combat Table: Orientation Target Uphill: Firing at a target that is uphill, at a higher elevation than the firing unit. Frontal: Fire is being received by the target unit from any enemy unit that has the center of the firing unit's frontage forward of a line traced along the front of the target unit's stands. Frontal vs. Flank: Fire is being received in the target unit's flank target zone. A flank fire occurs if the center of the frontage of a stationary firing unit is in the target unit's flank target zone. The flank target zone is formed by lines traced along the frontage of the target unit and along the edge of the target unit. Flank fires receive an UP 1 modifier. Flank Flank vs. Rear: Fire is being received in the target unit's rear target zone. A rear fire occurs if the center of the frontage of the firing unit is in the target unit's rear target zone. The rear target zone is formed by lines traced along the edges of the target unit. Rear fires receive an UP 2 modifier. Rear 46
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Fire Combat Table: Losses Disordered: Firing unit is Disordered. Maneuver Disorder: For the English Civil War period only. Firing unit is marked as being Disordered due to its change of facing resulting in Maneuver Disorder. Per UI Loss: Down 1 die size per each Unit Integrity loss suffered by the firing unit. Att. Col.: Firing unit is in Attack Column formation. Skirmish in I: Firing unit is a Skirmish unit in open Class I terrain. Infantry or dismounted cavalry in Skirmish formation armed with repeating rifles or carbines ignore the Down 1 modifier. Square: Firing unit is in Square formation. Company Column: For Prussian and German states infantry in the Franco-Prussian war that are deployed in Company Column. Line: Firing unit is in Line formation. Skirmish in II, III, IV: Firing unit is a Skirmish unit in Class II, III, or IV terrain (not Town Sections). Note that this eliminates the Skirmish penalty for being dispersed that a unit in Skirmish in the open has. This makes units in skirmish formation most effective when operating in terrain. Unlimbered: Firing artillery unit is Unlimbered. Fire Combat Table: Foot Formation (ECW Only) Pike Forward: For the English Civil War period only. Foot unit is deployed in Pike Forward formation. Shot Forward: For the English Civil War period only. Foot unit is deployed in Shot Forward formation. Commanded Shot and dismounted dragoons are always in Shot Forward formation. Fire Combat Table: Foot Ranges (ECW Only) Salvo: 4-0” (Shot Forward): For the English Civil War period only. Foot units deployed in Shot Forward formation as well as Commanded Shot units may Salvo fire and receive an Up 1 modifier. Salvo fire required a doubling of ranks, by bringing the back 3 ranks forward into gaps between files. This allowed all infantry to fire at one time rather than by the less intense but more continuous fire by rotating files. 47 Fire Combat Fire Combat Table: Firer's Formation
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Fire Combat Table: Infantry Firing At Skirmish: Target unit is a Skirmish unit. Unlimbered: Target unit is an Unlimbered artillery unit. Any Column: Target unit is in any type of Column formation (Attack Column, March, or Company Column). Limbered: Target unit is a Limbered artillery unit. Line: Target unit is in Line formation. Mass: Target unit is a Native unit in Mass formation. Square: Target unit is in Square formation. Fire Combat Table: Artillery Firing At Skirmish: Target unit is a Skirmish unit. Unlimbered: Target unit is an Unlimbered artillery unit. Limbered: Target unit is a Limbered artillery unit Line: Target unit is in Line formation. Mass: Target unit is a Native unit in Mass formation. Any Column: Target unit is in any type of Column formation (Attack Column, March, or Company Column). Square: Target unit is in Square formation. Fire Combat Table: Target Cover Class III: Center of the frontage of the target unit facing the firing unit is in Class III terrain. Class II: Center of the frontage of the target unit facing the firing unit is in Class II terrain. Class I: Center of the frontage of the target unit facing the firing unit is in Class I terrain. 48
Melee Combat cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.2 Melee Combat Melee represents the complete commitment of troops to decisive combat – whether that be intense close range infantry firefights that have resolution, or swirling cavalry clashes. Melee could just as easily result in no physical contact between units, but simply the morale failure of a unit that loses its nerve and falls back as a threatening enemy approaches. Melee will result in a clear cut winner – one side or the other will fall back or rout. See 5.3 Unique Melee Situations for special considerations for the following melee situations: • • • • • Flank or Rear Melee Melee in Town Sections Melee vs. March and Limbered Units Squares in Melee Two vs. One Unit Melees: Designer’s Note: While the term “melee” is used, it should not be assumed that troops are engaging only in hand to hand combat. Melee could just as easily be thought of as “close combat” composed of a combination of intense point-blank fire, physical intimidation, and actual hand to hand combat. 5.21 Contact Requirements for Melee Any point or portion of the attacking unit's frontage must be in contact with the enemy unit. There is no requirement for lining up units. Any portion of the unit's front, or front corners that are in contact with the enemy unit, qualifies for contact in melee. 49
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.22 Initiating Melee There are two different ways to qualify to initiate a melee: Use a Melee card and an Immediate Melee conducted on a Move or Move 1 Command card. • Melee Card o See the Melee card definition. o Melee can always be resolved when a Melee card is turned if units are in contact. o Melee can be resolved when a Melee card is revealed, and the attacking unit can make qualifying contact on a move to melee that is made on the Melee card. ▪ Attacking (and supporting units, see 5.3 Unique Melee Situations, Two vs. One Unit Melees) units may move up to 1/2 of a single move segment into contact on a Melee card. ▪ The target unit must be in line of sight prior to any movement. ▪ The move must be without a change of face. ▪ Units may oblique per the normal movement rules. ▪ All terrain and Disordered movement penalties apply to the melee move to contact. ▪ If the unit does not have enough movement to contact the enemy, it remains in place and does not move. o Melee is optional and not required if units are in contact. o Units that are Limbered or in March may not initiate melee. ▪ See 5.3 Unique Melee Situations for special rules regarding forcing passage of bridges, defiles, and fords. • Immediate Melee o Refer to period rules to identify which units may Immediate Melee. o Melee card not required. o Immediate Melee is achieved on any Move or Move 1 Command card by rolling higher and even for movement. o The target unit must be in line of sight prior to any movement. o Units may only change face on the first move segment. o Units may oblique per the normal movement rules. o Units that are Limbered or in March may not initiate melee. ▪ See 5.3 Unique Melee Situations for special rules regarding forcing passage of bridges, defiles, and fords. Designer's Note: Players determine in what order they wish to resolve melee. Players on either side can also fire a unit prior to resolving melee, assuming they are not marked with a fire marker. 50
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.23 Melee Procedure Once a melee has been declared, both sides modify their Combat Die using the modifiers shown below. Each side rolls their modified Combat Die and the results are compared. Melee continues, re-rolling the Combat Die for each unit until one side wins the competitive die roll and causes the opponent to lose a total of 1 or more Unit Integrity. The loss of Unit Integrity will result in the losing unit falling back or routing out of contact. Hits carry over from roll to roll. Note that the Melee Combat modifiers will likely change from roll to roll in a melee. The Combat Die modifiers must be determined anew for each melee roll. Round 1: Prussians roll a 7+1=8. French roll a 7. The French have 1 hit that carries over to Round 2. Round 2: Both sides are Disordered. The French are disordered because they lost the melee roll, and the Prussians are Disordered because they rolled odd. since they rolled odd in Round 1. The Prussians now roll a D12 and the French roll a D8. The Prussians roll a 5 and the French roll a 7. The Prussians suffer 2 hits. The Prussians carry over their 2 hits to Round 3, and the French carry their 1 hit from Round 1 to Round 3. Round 3: No new modifiers apply. The Prussians roll a D12 and the French roll a D8. The Prussians roll a 1 (!!!) and the French roll a 6. The Prussians suffer 5 hits. The Prussians have now suffered a total of 7 hits (2 in Round 2 and 5 in Round 3). The 7 hits equate to a total Unit Integrity loss of 2 Unit Integrity. Since 1 or more (2, in this case) Unit Integrity were lost, and no single roll resulted in 2 or more Unit Integrity loss, the Prussians fall back. 51 Melee Combat Example: The Prussians turn a Melee card. A Prussian infantry battalion resolves melee against a French infantry battalion. The Prussians start with a modified D12+1 Combat Die. The French start with a modified D10 Combat Die. The Prussians are initiating the first Round of melee.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.24 Melee Combat Table The Melee Combat Table shown below from the Napoleonic playsheet. Use the period specific table for the specific era being played. Use the modifiers listed in the Melee Combat Table to modify each unit's Combat Die. Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout Melee Combat Down 2 Circumstance Outnumbered Line/Att. Column vs. Cavalry Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Cavalry vs. Infantry Losses Orientation Formation Terrain Down 1 Limbered/Unlimb; March;Skirmish Opp. In Class III No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Up 2 Sq. vs. Cav. Frontal Line; Square Both in Class I Opp. In Class II vs. Flank vs. Rear Attack Column Example: An Austrian cuirassier unit (Heavy Cavalry, D12 Combat Die) in Attack Column has moved into contact with a French infantry unit (D10 Combat Die) in Line. Both units have a D6 Defense Die. Neither unit has any Unit Integrity losses. The Austrians turn a Melee card. The Austrians decide to resolve the melee. The melee modifiers for both sides are: Austrians: Up 1 for Attack Column; Up 1 for Initiating Melee. The net final modifier for the Austrians is Up 2. French: No modifiers. The Austrians roll a D12+2 (D12 roll adding 2 to the roll) and the French roll a D10. 52
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.25 Melee Combat Modifiers Note that not all melee combat modifiers apply to every period. As a result, some of the modifiers described below are not shown in the Napoleonic fire combat table shown above. Use the period specific table for the specific era being played. Melee Combat Table: Circumstance Guns in Melee: Player’s unit is a gun unit. (ECW) Mounted frontal vs. Pike Forward/Pike: Player’s unit is a mounted unit engaging a Pike Forward or Pike foot unit frontally in melee. Mounted include Horse, Cuirassier, Dragoon, and Lancer units. (ECW) Dragoons: Player’s unit is a Dragoon unit. (ECW) Horse/Dragoons/Lancer vs. Cuirassier: Player’s unit is a Horse, Dragoon, or Lancer unit engaged in melee vs. a Cuirassier unit. (ECW) Outnumbered: Opponent has a unit supporting their primary attacking unit. See 5.3 Unique Melee Situations, Two vs. One Unit Melees. Rifles: Player’s unit is armed with rifles and no bayonets. (AWI) Town Melee: Melee involves a unit deployed in a Town Section. All units in a Town Section or outside of and contacting the Town Section use the same Town formation modifier. No other formation modifier applies. Units deployed in Town Sections have no flanks or rear. Higher DD: Player's unit has a higher DD (Defense Die). Designer's Note: The "Higher DD" modifier is an acknowledgement that there is an advantage in class of unit, perceived self-worth, and professional status, in melee. In effect, all Combat Die sizes are not equal! A D10 Combat Die for a Raw unit in melee is not as good as a D10 Combat Die for a Crack unit, for example. A veteran or guard unit would hold the power of self-confidence and intimidation over their foes. Initiated Melee: The unit that chooses to initiate a melee on a Melee card or in any immediate melee receives an UP 1 modifier. The Initiated Melee modifier only applies in Round 1 of a melee. The following exceptions apply: • Artillery o Artillery may not initiate melee and never receives the UP 1 Initiated Melee modifier. • Cavalry o Cavalry that is in a melee in Class I terrain with infantry in any formation other than Square/Hedgehog receives the UP 1 Initiated Melee modifier. o Cavalry never receives the Initiated Melee modifier if in melee vs. any unit in Class II or higher terrain or defensive works. 53 Melee Combat Mounted vs. Hedgehog: Player’s unit is a mounted unit engaging a foot unit in Hedgehog formation in melee. Mounted include Horse, Cuirassier, Dragoon, and Lancer units. (ECW)
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" o The Initiated Melee modifier never applies for either side if the melee is vs. an infantry unit in Square/Hedgehog formation. o Cavalry moving across or currently in a river or stream do not receive the Initiated Melee modifier. Their opponent does receive the Initiated Melee modifier. • Infantry o Infantry never receives the UP 1 Initiated Melee in melee vs. cavalry. o Infantry in Skirmish never receive the UP 1 Initiated Melee modifier. o The Initiated Melee modifier never applies for either side if the melee is vs. an infantry unit in Square/Hedgehog formation. o Infantry moving across or currently in a river or stream do not receive the Initiated Melee modifier. Their opponent does receive the Initiated Melee modifier. Tactical Advantage: Player’s unit uses a Tactical Advantage card. See the Tactical Advantage card description. The UP 1 modifier will only apply for the single Melee round for which it is played. Throwing Spears: Native unit armed with throwing spears receive an Up 1 modifier in melee once in the game. Uphill from Enemy: Uphill or at a higher elevation than the target unit. Mounted vs. Shot: Player’s unit is a mounted unit engaged in melee vs. a Commanded Shot unit. Mounted include Horse, Cuirassier, Dragoon, and Lancer units. (ECW) Any vs. Gun: Player’s unit is any unit engaged in melee vs. a Gun unit. (ECW) Melee Combat Table: Cavalry vs. Infantry Line/Att. Column vs. Cavalry: Infantry in Line or Attack Column formation are in melee vs. cavalry. (Anglo-Sikh Wars, Mexican-American War; Napoleonic Wars) Line vs. Cavalry: Player’s unit is infantry in Line vs. Cavalry. (American War of Independence, Great Northern War, Jacobite Rebellion, Seven Years War) Sq. vs. Cav.: Infantry in Square formation are in melee vs. cavalry. (Anglo-Sikh Wars, Mexican-American Wars, Napoleonic Wars, War of the Spanish Succession) Melee Combat Table: Losses Disordered: Player's unit is Disordered Maneuver Disorder: Player’s unit is currently Maneuver Disordered. (ECW) Per UI Loss: Down 1 for each Unit Integrity loss. 54
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Melee Combat Table: Orientation Flanked/Rear: Player’s unit is contacted and meleed in its flank or rear. See the qualifying requirements below for Flank and Rear melees. Frontal: Unit is contacted along the front edge of its stands or corners of the front stands by an enemy unit that is engaging it in melee. Frontal Flank Flank vs. Rear: Melee is being initiated in the target unit's rear target zone. A rear attack occurs if the center of the frontage of the attacking unit is in the target unit's rear target zone. The rear target zone is formed by lines traced along the edges of the target unit. Rear melees receive an UP 2 modifier for the attacker in the first round of melee. If the melee continues to a second round, the attacker receives an UP 1 modifier. If the melee should continue, there are no modifiers from the third round until the melee is resolved. Rear 55 Melee Combat vs. Flank: Melee is being initiated in the target unit's flank target zone. A flank attack occurs if the center of the frontage of the attacking unit is in the target unit's flank target. The flank target zone is formed by a line traced along the frontage of the target unit and a line traced along the edge of the target unit. Flank melees receive an UP 1 modifier for the attacker in the first round of melee. The UP 1 modifier does not apply after the first round of a melee.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Melee Combat Table: Formation Shot: Player’s unit is a Commanded Shot unit. (ECW) Shot Forward: Player’s unit is a Foot unit in Shot Forward formation. (ECW) Pike Forward/Pike: Player’s unit is a Foot unit in Pike Forward formation or is a Commanded Pike unit. (ECW) Limbered/Unlimb.: Player's artillery unit is Limbered or Unlimbered. March: Player's unit is in March formation. Skirmish: Player's unit is in Skirmish formation. Line: Player's unit is in Line formation. Mass: Player’s unit is in Mass formation. Square: Player’s unit is in Square formation. Attack Column: Player's unit is in Attack Column formation. Company Column: Player’s unit is a Prussian or German States infantry unit in Company Column formation. (Franco-Prussian War). Melee Combat Table: Terrain Opp. In Class III: Center of the frontage of the enemy unit is in Class III terrain. All units from both sides that are involved in a Town Section melee apply the town’s terrain class modifier. Opp. In Class II: Center of the frontage of the enemy unit is in Class II terrain. All units from both sides that are involved in a Town Section melee apply the town’s terrain class modifier. Both In Class I: Center of the frontage of both the enemy unit and the friendly unit is in Class I terrain. 56
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.26 Melee Results Compare the two modified Combat Die rolls. Melee continues, re-rolling the Combat Die for each unit until one side inflicts 1 or more Unit Integrity loss, forcing the opponent to fall back out of contact or rout, depending on the UI loss. Hits carry over from round to round until one side is forced to fall back or rout. Note that the Melee Combat modifiers will likely change from round to round in a melee. The Combat Die modifiers must be determined anew for each melee round. • Fall Back o If the winner of the competitive die rolls causes 1 Unit Integrity loss in a single melee roll, the loser falls back. o If the winner of the competitive die rolls causes 1 or more Unit Integrity loss over multiple melee rolls, the loser falls back. o See Fall Back below. • Rout o If the winner of the competitive die roll causes 2 or more Unit Integrity losses in a single melee roll, the loser will rout. o See Routs below. Example: A French unit is in melee with a British unit. In the first combat roll, the French roll a 7 to the British 5. The British have 2 hits. As the winning French roll did not cause a Unit Integrity loss, the melee continues. In the second combat roll, the French roll a 3 to the British 4. The French have 1 hit, and the British still have 2 hits. No Unit Integrity have yet been lost, so the melee continues. The French roll a 2 and the British roll a 1. The British suffer 1 more hit, and now have 3 hits. The 3 hits result in a 1 Unit Integrity loss for the British. The British fall back 3" (the fall back distance in inches being equal to the total number of hits). Example: A Union regiment is in melee vs. a Confederate regiment. The Union regiment rolls an 8 to the Confederate 2. The Confederates suffer 6 hits, which is a 2 UI loss. Since the winning Union Combat Die roll caused 2 or more Unit Integrity loss in a single roll, the Confederates rout. The rout move is 6" (the rout distance in inches being equal to the number of hits). Unit Integrity Losses: The losing unit loses 1 Unit Integrity for every 3 hits. Army Morale Point Losses: The losing side loses 1 Army Morale Point for every Unit Integrity lost from a non-routing unit. Routing units that suffer Unit Integrity losses do not cause Army Morale Point losses. Army Morale Point losses are limited by the amount of remaining Unit Integrity; the maximum amount of Army Morale Points that can be lost is the current Unit Integrity of the unit (a unit can't lose more than it has). Army Morale Points are only lost for those Unit Integrity that are lost due to hits. Following Up: Units that win a final melee round with an even Combat Die roll may follow up by moving up to 2" and take the position previously occupied by the enemy unit. Units that follow up may not end their move in contact with the enemy and may only move forward to the location previously held by the enemy. 57 Melee Combat Hits are defined as the difference in the Combat Die rolls. Units losing Unit Integrity and losing the melee will be pushed back, routed, or destroyed, depending on the total number of hits and the difference in the final melee round Combat Die rolls. The conditions that qualify for each result are shown below.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Fall Back: Units that lose 1 or more Unit Integrity and are not routed will usually fall back a distance (in inches) equal to the total number of hits. See 4.6 Movement Resulting from Fire or Melee Combat and 4.61 Fall Back Moves. Units that are falling back will pass through friendly units as they fall back to the rear. Units may not end movement intermixed with any other units. If fall back movement would force a unit that is falling back to end its move intermixed with any friendly unit, the unit will instead stop when it first contacts the friendly unit. Units that are falling back and contact enemy units will halt at that point. Ordered and Disordered Status: Units that win any melee round with an even Combat Die roll remain Ordered if they were Ordered prior to the roll. Units that lose a melee round or win a melee round with an odd die roll are Disordered. This includes losing the final melee round and falling back or routing. Pursuit (Optional): Players may elect to account for post melee pursuit for specific periods and units. For example, early English Civil War cavalry, other period cavalry by scenario, and native irregulars may be susceptible to pursuit. The specific units that may pursue after a won melee must be identified prior to play. In any melee where a winning pursuit susceptible unit ends the melee with an odd die roll, the unit pursues. • The pursuing unit loses the same number of UI as the beaten unit. • Army Morale Points are not lost for the UI lost pursuing. • If the pursuit UI loss reduces the unit to 0 UI, the unit is removed from play. The unit does not actually move towards the enemy but remains in place as the command location for the unit upon which the pursuing portion of the unit will attempt to be rallied. Unit integrity lost in pursuit can be rallied using the normal rally procedures on the Leadership card. Example: A British cavalry unit in a Peninsular Napoleonic game is in a melee with a French cavalry unit. The British cavalry roll a 7 on their melee die and the French roll a 1. The French lose 2 UI and 2 Army Morale Points and rout. Since the British cavalry rolled odd, they pursue. The British cavalry also lose 2 UI, but they British do not lose any Army Morale Points. Note that if the British cavalry had started the melee with only 1 or 2 UI, they would be eliminated since the pursuit loss of 2 UI would drop them to 0 UI. Example: An ECW Parliamentarian horse unit is in a melee with a Royalist dragoon unit. The dragoon unit has 1 UI remaining. In the melee, the Parliamentarian horse unit causes a 2UI loss while rolling odd, so they will pursue. The Royalist dragoons lose their 1 remaining UI. The Parliamentarian horse unit also loses 1 UI, as that is the amount of UI loss to the Royalist dragoons, regardless of the total UI lost. 58
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Designer’s Note: I struggled through numerous iterations of pursuit rules while working on the 3rd edition of Field of Battle. Some used actual on table pursuing unit movement, but that ran into all kinds of issues such as how long does a unit pursue, what happens with intervening units, etc. Other options were more abstract but didn’t achieve the effect I was seeking. The optional pursuit rule presented above represents a portion, sometimes a significant portion, of the winning unit taking off after the beaten foe. Note that there are no restrictions on what the pursuing unit can do – if you want to stay aggressive and continue to attack the enemy – that is your choice! Just remember that they’ve just suffered UI losses, even though they won the melee. I also went through many period specific lists defining which units could pursue, but inevitably that left some unit or unit type out and would doubtless be at odds with some player’s perceptions. So – define which units or unit types you want to have as pursuit susceptible for your specific scenarios based on your game requirements and historical research. See 4.5 Movement Resulting from Fire or Melee Combat and 4.52 Rout Moves. Routing units will pass through friendly units as they rout to the rear. Units may not end movement intermixed with any other units. If rout movement forced by fire or melee combat would force a routing unit to end its move intermixed with any friendly unit, the routing unit moves a greater distance until it is entirely clear of the intervening friendly unit. Example: A Russian infantry unit at 4 Unit Integrity loses 2 Unit Integrity in melee. The Russian infantry unit is routed. The Russians lose 2 Army Morale Points for the 2 Unit Integrity lost in the melee. Destroyed Units: • • • Artillery units that are routed in melee are destroyed. Any unit in that drops to 0 Unit Integrity is destroyed. Routed units contacted by an enemy unit that is not limbered or in March formation is destroyed. Destroyed units are immediately removed from the table. If a unit is destroyed, the Army Morale Points lost are calculated normally as explained above. Morale Points are only lost for Unit Integrity that is lost in the combat; not for the total Unit Integrity that is lost when the unit is destroyed. Army Morale Points are not lost for destroying a routing unit. Example: A French cavalry unit melees a British infantry unit (with 1 Unit Integrity). The French roll a 12, and the British roll a 4. 2 Unit Integrity are lost, and the British unit drops to -1 Unit Integrity, so the British are destroyed. The total Army Morale Points lost is 1 (The British unit started with only 1 Unit Integrity; even though the melee resulted in 2 Unit Integrity losses, the maximum number of Army Morale Points that can be lost is the number of Unit Integrity remaining on the unit). 59 Melee Combat Routs: Units that lose 2 or more Unit Integrity in a single melee roll will usually rout. Artillery is eliminated. Units routed in melee are immediately turned around and move a distance equal to the total number of hits.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.3 Unique Melee Situations Flank or Rear Melee: Follow normal melee procedures, modifiers and results. Flank melee modifiers only apply to the first round of the melee. Rear melees have the rear melee modifiers apply to the first round of the melee and flank modifiers to the second round of melee (if a second round is fought). After using the flank modifiers for 1 round (for flank melees) and rear and flank modifiers for a maximum of 2 rounds (1 for rear, 1 for flank), normal frontal modifiers apply. If the unit that is initially attacked in the flank or rear wins the final melee round, it may change facing to face the direction from which the attack was received. Melee and Defended Bridges/Defiles/Fords: If a defending unit is deployed as to prohibit a moving attacking unit to pass over or through a narrow area such as a bridge, defile, or ford and deploy on the other side, the attacking unit may attempt to force passage. Forcing passage is an attempt by an attacking cavalry or infantry unit to attack and clear a defending unit from the bridge, defile, or ford. The attacking unit must be in March formation to attempt to force passage. This is the only time that a unit deployed in March may initiate melee. Designer’s Note: While the attacking unit may appear on the tabletop to be in March formation, it is really in a combat ready configuration- a forlorn hope used to gain the terrain objective. The narrow frontage of the attacking unit is required to allow it to traverse the limited space available in or on the bridge, defile, or ford. The attacker may initiate melee on a Melee card or with an Immediate Melee on a won Even roll on a Move or Move 1 Command card. Follow the normal melee procedures. Normal melee modifiers apply with the following exceptions: • Neither side receives the Initiated Melee modifier. • Neither side receives modifiers for the formation in which they are deployed. If the attacking unit wins the melee and pushes back the defending unit, the attacking unit is allowed to take the defender’s location and also change formation. Any fire by the defending unit or other units at the attacking unit will receive an UP1 modifier due to the attacking unit being in a tight mass while on or crossing the narrow area. All other normal fire modifiers apply. Attacking units may not fire while in March formation to force passage. Designer’s Note: I view these types of melees as assaults that are rapid and messy scrums. I think these situations should come down to unit quality and relative losses rather than the defender jockeying for an advantage by deploying in X or Y formation to get a better melee modifier. In short – you probably want to use good or inspired troops (better Defense Die? Tactical Advantage?) to push your way to the objective and brush aside that pesky enemy unit. 60
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Melee in Town Sections: Only infantry or dismounted cavalry may be deployed and melee in Town Sections. Units deployed in Town Sections have no flanks or rear. All units from both sides that are involved in a Town Section melee apply the town’s terrain class modifier. Units involved in a Town Section melee do not receive any positive or negative formation modifiers for being in any other formation configuration. If a unit is touching a Town Section, it may resolve melee with an enemy unit deployed in the Town Section on a Melee card, or if its Command Group Leadership roll for movement was won and even. Refer to the period specific rules to identify which troop types qualify to immediate melee. If the unit deployed in the Town Section is defeated in melee and is forced to fall back but does not rout, it is moved per 4.61 Fall back Moves. The winning unit remains outside of the Town Section and does not immediately deploy into the Town Section unless it has rolled an even number during the melee which would allow it to follow up and take the defending unit's position. The winning unit may always move into the Town Section on a subsequent Move card per 4.23 Movement in Town Sections. Example: A French infantry unit in Attack Column is in contact with a Class III Town Section containing an Austrian infantry unit. The French turn a Melee card and decide to assault the Town Section. The French melee modifiers are Up 1 for Initiating Melee, No Change for the Town Melee circumstance (even though the unit is deployed in an Attack Column), and Down 2 for Opponent in Class III terrain. The final French melee modifier is Down 1(Down 2, No Change, Up 1 = Down 1). The Austrian melee modifiers are No Change for the Town Melee circumstance and Down 2 for Opponent in Class III terrain for a net modifier of Down 2. Note that even though on the tabletop one unit appears to be “in” the town section and one is “out” of the town section, they are both actually engaged in a town area and therefor both receive the terrain modifier. Melee vs. March and Limbered Units: Units that are Limbered or are in March formation are Disordered automatically prior to resolving the melee. Resolve the melee with a single round of melee, rerolling any ties. A unit in March or Limbered formation may not cause UI losses to the enemy unit, but the enemy unit may be Disordered if it rolls odd in the melee. The unit in March or Limbered formation will always Fall Back or Rout the difference in the melee die rolls. Regardless of the rolls, the March or Limbered unit will lose the melee, but will only lose Army Morale Points and UI as determined by the melee combat rolls. Artillery units that are routed in melee are destroyed. Example: In a Seven Years War game, a Prussian artillery unit is limbered when it is contacted by an Austrian infantry unit on a won Even movement, resulting in an immediate melee. Both units have a D10 Combat Die. The Austrians are UP 1 for Initiated Melee, taking them to a D12. The Prussian artillery is automatically Disordered for Down 1 and Down 2 for Limbered/Unlimbered. The Prussians have a net of D4. (D10 Down 3 to a D4). The melee is then resolved with a D12 vs. a D4. Consider two different roll combinations: 1. The Austrians roll a 7 and the Prussians roll a 3. The Prussians are Disordered, lose 1 UI and 1 Army Morale Point and fall back 4”. The Austrians are Disordered. 2. The Austrians roll a 1 and the Prussians roll a 4. The Prussians are Disordered, lose the melee but do not lose any UI and fall back 3”. The Austrians are Disordered. 61 Melee Combat If the unit deployed in the Town Section is routed in melee, the routing unit is moved per 4.62 Rout Moves, and the winning unit is deployed into the Town Section.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Squares in Melee: Squares are an immobile defensive formation. Refer to the period playsheet for the appropriate melee modifiers. English Civil War units in Hedgehog formation use the same “Squares in Melee” special rules. • Neither side receives the Up 1 for initiating melee. • Squares can never be flanked. • Squares that lose a melee with a Fall Back result remain in place, Disordered. Note that the only way to win a melee vs. a square is to cause a rout due to inflicting 2 Unit Integrity losses in a single round of melee, or to eliminate the square by reducing it to 0 UI. Two vs. One Unit Melees: An attacking unit and a supporting unit melee a single enemy unit on a Melee card or with an immediate melee on a Move card. •The attacker designates the melee unit and the supporting unit from his two melee units. •The attacking and supporting units must be in qualifying contact with the enemy unit. • In an immediate melee, both the attacking and supporting units must be allowed to immediate melee per the period specific rules. • Only the attacking unit's Combat Die and Defense Die is used in the melee. • The supporting unit forces the "Outnumbered" Down 1 modifier on the enemy unit. • All hits and Unit Integrity losses on the attacking and supporting units are applied only to the attacking unit. Support units do not suffer hits or Unit Integrity losses. If the attacking unit is defeated but not routed, apply fall back and disorder results to both the attacking and supporting unit. If the attacking unit is routed, apply rout movement results to it. The supporting unit will fall back, Disordered, the same distance as the routing melee unit. Note that Two vs. One melee situations are initiated only by an attacker that is initiating the melee. Example: 2 Prussian infantry units in Attack Column are in contact with a French infantry unit. The Melee card is turned. Assume that the modified Combat Die values for the Prussians are D12 and D10, and the French Combat Die is a D10. The Prussians decide to designate the D12 unit as the attacking unit and use the D10 unit as the supporting unit. The French suffer the Down 1 modifier for being "Outnumbered” and drop to a D8. The Prussian D12 roll is a 10 and the French D8 roll is a 4. The French unit is routed (2 UI lost to a single melee roll), loses 2 Unit Integrity and 2 Army Morale Points are lost. The French unit routs 6" (one inch per hit). Example: A Federal army turns a Melee card. 2 Federal infantry regiments in Attack Column elect to resolve a frontal melee with a single Confederate infantry regiment deployed in Line. All the units are in the open. One of the Federal regiments has 1 Unit Integrity loss and has a D10 Combat Die. The other Federal regiment has lost 2 Unit Integrity and has a D8 Combat Die. The Confederate regiment has a D12 Combat Die. At the start of the melee, all units are Ordered. The final modified Combat Die values are: 62
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Federal: The Federal commander evaluates the modifiers for each of his potential attacking units to determine which he prefers to use. Unit 1: Starts at D10. Initiating Melee Up 1. Attack Column Up 1. Down 1 for Unit Integrity loss. No other modifiers apply, so the final modified Combat Die is a D12. Unit 2: Starts at a D8. Initiating Melee Up 1. Attack Column Up 1, Down 2 for Unit Integrity losses. The final modified Combat Die is a D8 (D8, Up 2, Down 2) The Federal commander decides to use Unit 1 as the attacking unit since it has the higher modified Combat Die. Unit 2 is designated as the supporting unit. The Federals roll a 5, and the Confederates roll a 10 on their D10 Combat Die. The Federal regiment loses its melee. Since the Federal unit loses 1 UI, it falls back Disordered. The fall back distance is equal to the number of hits, or 5”. The support unit also falls back 5" Disordered. The Confederate regiment stays Ordered since their Combat Die roll was even. The Federals lose 1 Army Morale Point for the Unit Integrity loss. Example: Consider the same units and ratings as above, but now the Federals roll a 3 and the Confederates roll a 10 on their D10 Combat Die. The Federal regiment loses its melee, losing 2 UI and routs! The rout distance is equal to the number of hits, or 7”. The supporting unit doesn't rout but falls back 7" Disordered. The supporting unit does not suffer any UI losses. The Confederate regiment stays Ordered since their Combat Die roll was even. The Federals lose 2 Army Morale Points for the UI loss. 63 Melee Combat Confederate: Starts at a D12. Modified Down 1 for being Outnumbered. The final modified Combat Die is a D10 (D12, Down 1)
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 5.4 Ordered and Disordered Unit Status Summary Units will be Ordered, Disordered, or Routed. Unit status can change depending on combat results. The unit status, combat causes, and effects are summarized below. 5.41 Ordered Ordered units are under control and move at full speed, with no penalties for being Disordered or Routed. 5.42 Disordered Units become Disordered for any of the following reasons: • Units that fall back due to hits received in fire combat become Disordered. • Unlimbered artillery units, infantry squares, foot in hedgehog, units in Town Sections, and units in Defensive Works will not fall back, but still become Disordered. • Units that lose a melee round or win a melee round with an odd die roll, are Disordered. • All units in a Command Group are Disordered if the Command Group officer is removed as a casualty. • Disorder penalties: o Disordered units move at 1/2 the normal distance. o Disordered units move at the oblique 1/2 the normal distance. o Disordered units sidestep 1/2 the normal distance. o Disordered units are Down 1 in both fire and melee combat. Designer’s Note: I find that an easy method to mark units as being Disordered is to simply jumble the unit’s stands so they have a disordered appearance. 5.43 Routed Units become Routed for any of the following reasons: • Target unit suffers 2 or more Unit Integrity losses from a single fire Combat Die roll, and the firing unit’s Combat Die roll is even. • Units that lose 2 or more Unit Integrity in a single melee round will usually rout. • Rout penalties: o Routed units may only move toward friendly table edge at full speed plus a random die roll on every Move card. o Routed units do not cause casualties. 64
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 6.0 Leadership All Leadership actions occur on the Leadership card. Refer to the Leadership card definition for all the possible actions and effects that may occur. Command Group officer quality determines how effective and flexible units and Command Groups are. 6.1 Leadership Table Note that not all leadership modifiers apply to every period. As a result, some of the modifiers described below are not shown in the Napoleonic leadership table shown below. Use the period specific table for the specific era being played. Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Circumstance Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 Designer's Note: For Leadership tests, the leader will always roll his modified Leadership Die vs. a D8. This is different than for fire combat, as I felt it should more difficult to rally troops than it is to lose their Unit Integrity to casualties and morale situations. As can be seen from the modifiers, units will have a much better chance to rally the farther they are away from the enemy. Routing units will be very difficult to rally. Austrian officer leading an assault 65 Leadership Leadership
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 6.11 Leadership Modifiers Note that the modifiers below are shown for each period playsheet. Not all modifiers will apply to each period. Leadership Table: Circumstance Contact: An enemy unit is in contact with the unit for which the Leadership test is being made. 0 Remaining AMPs: The army is out of Army Morale Points. Routing: Unit is currently routing. Within 12": A non-routing enemy unit is within 12" and is in line of sight of the unit for which the Leadership test is being made. Over 12": The closest non-routing enemy unit is over 12" distant of the unit for which the Leadership test is being made. In Town Section: The unit is deployed in a Town Section. Per Daring Deed: Officers may perform a Daring Deed hoping to inspire their troops on a rally attempt. An officer may perform Daring Deeds for multiple units on a Leadership card, but only one Daring Deed per unit. Officers performing a Daring Deed can modify the Leadership Die Up 1, Up 2, or Up 3. Inspiration does come at a risk, as the enemy notices the officer’s presence and efforts. Each Up modifier increases the risk of the officer becoming a casualty. Once the rally attempt has been made, immediately make an officer casualty roll, rolling a D12. If the D12 roll is equal to or less than 1 plus the number of Up 1 modifiers (1, 2, or 3), the officer is lost. Designer’s Note: Daring Deeds allow leaders to take a risk to inspire their troops by making a grand gesture. Nothing better demonstrates this act than the action taken by Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnson at the battle of Shiloh – described by Timothy Smith in his book Shiloh: Conquer or Perish: “…this was a critical point in the critical gamble. (Albert Sidney) Johnson had to make a difference, and he had to do it himself…Johnston thus used his considerable personal charisma, riding the line and whipping he men into a frenzy. He “told us a few more charges and the day was ours”….Riding along the line of soldiers, Johnston tapped their bayonets with the little tin cup he had taken from the Wisconsin camp. “These must do the work,” he shouted….Johnston wheeled Fire Eater around and yelled, “I will lead you!”” Who wouldn’t haven’t been inspired by that action? It looks like an Up 3 to me! Tactical Advantage: A Tactical Advantage card is played to modify the Leadership Roll. Inf. w/Two Inf. <6”: Only used for English Civil War period games. All Foot unit types that have two or more friendly Foot units within 6” of any point of the testing unit receives an Up 1 modifier. This modifier reinforces the period tendency to keep Foot units in close support of each other. 66
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 6.2 Officer Loss Effects Effects of Losing a Command Group Officer Effects remain until a replacement Command Group officer is created. • • If a Command Group officer fails a Survival Test, all the units in his Command Group immediately become Disordered. Units in a Command Group without an officer may not move on a Move card. Effects of Losing the Army Commander (CiC) • If the Army CiC has been killed and has not been replaced: o Modify all Leadership Die sizes used for movement rolls Down 2. o Regardless of which side wins the initiative roll, the enemy CiC decides if he wishes to act first or second. o When a Lull card is turned in the army without a Commander, there is no dice off. The enemy immediately turns 1 card in their Sequence Deck and acts on it. o When a Lull card is turned by the enemy, the Lull card is ignored. o If Army Morale Points remain and an Army Morale card is turned, the army rolls a D6 vs. an enemy D12. ▪ If the D12 roll is less than or equal to the D6 roll, no Army Morale Points are lost. ▪ If the D12 roll is 1 or 2 greater than the D6 roll, 1 Army Morale Point is lost. ▪ If the D12 roll is 3, 4, or 5 greater than the D6 roll, 2 Army Morale Points are lost. ▪ If the D12 roll is 6, 7, or 8 greater than the D6 roll, 3 Army Morale Points are lost. ▪ If the D12 roll is 9, 10, or 11 greater than the D6 roll, 4 Army Morale Points are lost. o If the army has 0 Army Morale Points or drops to 0 Army Morale Points on this Army Morale card, the army quits the battle. Example: The Austrian CiC has been eliminated. The French and Austrians roll for Initiative. The French roll a 3 and the Austrians roll a 7. There are 4 Initiative Points. The French get to decide whether to act first or second, even though they lost the initiative roll. Example: The French CiC has used his Leadership Die to help Rally units since the last Infantry Fire card is turned. A new Army Morale card is turned, and the French CiC must now check for survival. He rolls a 1 on a D12. The French CiC is eliminated! 67 Leadership Effects remain until a replacement Army Commander is created.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 7.0 Sequence Card Definitions Each Sequence card allows certain specified actions. The full definitions of the actions allowed on each card are shown below. A brief summary of the actions allowed is shown on each card. Only one action can be performed per card per unit. Multiple units or Command Groups may act on a card, but no unit or Command Group may act twice with the same action on the same card. Sequence decks always include the standard cards. There are also special sequence cards that may be added to a Sequence Deck for specific scenario requirements. Each card will cost 0 Initiative Points, 1 Initiative Point, or either 0 or 1 Initiative (the Army Morale card). The Initiative Point cost for the card is shown on each card. 7.1 Standard Sequence Deck Cards Army Morale Tests are performed when an army’s Army Morale card is turned: • If an army is at 0 Army Morale Points, it must test to determine if it will continue the battle. • Survival tests are made for any qualifying CiC or Command Group officer. If the army has not lost any units and does not have any routing units currently on the table, the Army Morale card costs zero (0) Initiative Points. If the army has lost any units, or there are any routing units currently on the table, the Army Morale card costs 1 Initiative Point. If the Army Morale is at zero (0), the Army Morale card costs 1 Initiative Point. Army Morale Test: If the army is out of Army Morale Points, an Army Morale test must be taken when an Army Morale card is turned. If the army still has Army Morale Points remaining when an Army Morale card is turned, do not perform the Army Morale test. The army’s CiC rolls his Leadership Die vs. a D12 when the army is forced to test Army Morale. Example: A Prussian army is out of Army Morale Points. For the first time since the army ran out of Army Morale points, the Army Morale card is turned. The army must test morale. The Prussian CiC has a D12 Leadership Die. The test uses his unmodified Leadership Die. The Prussian CiC rolls his D12 vs. the competitive D12 and wins the roll. The game continues. The Prussian army remains at 0 Army Morale Points. If the army's CiC has been eliminated and has not been replaced when an Army Morale Test is required, no test is taken. The army simply quits the battle. Army Morale Test Results: If the Leadership Die roll is greater than the D12 die roll, the testing army may either continue with the battle, or decided to voluntarily quit the battlefield and end the battle. • If the Leadership Die roll is less than or equal to the D12 die roll, the army retires from the field and the game immediately ends. 68
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Example: A Prussian army is out of Army Morale Points. The Prussian turns his Army Morale card. The Prussian army is now subject to Army Morale tests, rolling their CiC Leadership Die vs. a D12. The Prussian CiC has a D10 Leadership Die. His roll is a 7, and the opposing D12 roll is a 4. The Prussian army has passed the Army Morale Test. The Prussian CiC may elect to continue with the game, or if the situation appears unwinnable in his judgment, he may voluntarily quit the battle. The Prussian CiC examines the table and decides that his army is sufficiently damaged, and the opponent is in such good shape that he will voluntarily quit the battle. Designer's Note: By the time an army drops to 0 Army Morale Points, it has suffered a significant amount of damage. Armies that fail the test are forced to immediately quit the battle, regardless of the margin of the die roll failure. The option of continuing or quitting the battle on a won Army Morale Test gives players the opportunity to decide for themselves if the game is still relatively even (both sides possibly having suffered significant losses - maybe the enemy is near 0 Army Morale Points themselves!), or if the situation appears to be bad enough that there is no point in continuing. Officer Survival Test: A Survival Test is taken for any Command Group officer who has had at least one unit in his Command Group involved in melee, targeted by fire, or contacted by an enemy since the last Army Morale Card was turned. A Survival Test is taken by the army CiC if he has been contacted by an enemy unit or has used his Leadership Die in a Move or Rally attempt since the previous Army Morale card was turned. To perform a Survival Test for an officer not contacted by an enemy unit, roll a D12. • If the D12 Die roll is a 1, the officer is eliminated. Artillery Fire Remove fire markers from artillery or machine gun units that have fired. Units with fire markers may not fire. Note that Limbered artillery units may use the Artillery Fire card to remove fire markers. Designer's Note: Since the Fire cards are a game mechanism that controls the frequency of fire, and does not represent any literal reloading process, even Limbered guns can have their fire markers removed. A unit that is moving may fire prior to movement and move normally. A unit that fires during the move will stop moving at the point that it fires. Units may fire at any time during their Active phase of the Initiative or with Opportunity Fire during their Reactive phase of the Initiative. Units that have fired must be marked in some manner to show that they have fired. One marker is placed for each individual artillery unit or machine gun unit. Cotton puffs or pompoms work well as fire markers. Note that units are not required to fire on the Artillery Fire card. 69 Card Definitions To perform a Survival Test for an officer contacted by an enemy unit, immediately roll a D12. • If the D12 Die roll is a 1 or 2, the officer is eliminated. • On any other D12 roll, the officer evades a distance equal to the number rolled on the D12.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Infantry Fire Remove fire markers from infantry and dismounted cavalry units that have fired. Units with fire markers may not fire. A unit that is moving may fire prior to movement and move normally. A unit that fires during the move will stop moving at the point that it fires. Units may fire at any time during their Active phase of the Initiative or with Opportunity Fire during their Reactive phase of the Initiative. Units that have fired must be marked in some manner to show that they have fired. One marker is placed for each unit. Cotton puffs or pompoms work well as fire markers. Routed units may not use the Infantry Fire card to remove fire markers. Designer's Note: Routed is a condition reflecting a unit's near destruction as an effective unit. The penalty of not allowing the use of an Infantry Fire card is used to emphasize the perilous condition of the unit. Note that units are not required to fire on the Infantry Fire card. Leadership A Leadership card may be used to: • Move officers • Replace lost officers • Rally losses (disorder, rout, UI) o If a Leadership Die roll is a 1 on a Rally attempt, no further rally attempts are made on the present Leadership card. o An officer may attempt to rally multiple units on a Leadership card but may make only one rally attempt per unit. • Change formation or facing o All rally attempts must be completed before changing any unit’s formation or facing o If a Leadership Die roll is a 1 on a Rally attempt, no facing or formation changes can be made on the present Leadership card. o Multiple units may change facing or formation on a Leadership card, but each unit may only perform one of either changing face or formation. • An officer may attempt to rally a unit and that unit may also change formation or facing on the same Leadership card. Daring Deed: Officers may perform a Daring Deed hoping to inspire their troops on a rally attempt. An officer may perform Daring Deeds for multiple units on a Leadership card, but only one Daring Deed per unit. Officers performing a Daring Deed can modify the Leadership Die Up 1, Up 2, or Up 3. Inspiration does come at a risk, as the enemy notices the officer’s presence and efforts. Each Up modifier increases the risk of the officer becoming a casualty. Once the rally attempt has been made, immediately make an officer casualty roll, rolling a D12. If the D12 roll is equal to or less than 1 plus the number of Up 1 modifiers (1, 2, or 3), the officer is lost. Example: Hiram T. Fandango, of the Philadelphia Fandangos, is going to attempt to rally the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteers. Hiram decides that it is crucial that the 48th rally, so he throws caution to the 70
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" wind and performs a Daring Deed, adding an Up 3 to the Leadership Die modifier. Hiram rolls the modified Leadership Die and…..Success! The 48th rallies! Hiram now must roll a D12 to determine if his courageous act will go unpunished. If he rolls a 1-4 (1 plus the number of Up modifiers, in this case 3), he will become a casualty. Hiram nervously rolls the D12 and rolls a 3! Hiram has evidently galloped directly into the line of fire of an enemy volley while performing his Daring Deed and is dropped like a bad habit. Officer Movement: While Command Group officers may always move at their full movement speed with their Command Groups on the Move card, they may also move on the Leadership card. All officer movement on a Leadership card is 16", ignoring any and all terrain penalties. Army CiCs may only move on the Leadership card. Maneuver: Units may change either facing or formation after all Rally attempts are done. Note that if a Leadership Die roll is a 1 on a Rally attempt, no facing or formation changes can be made on the present Leadership card. • Change Facing o All units may change facing by up to 180º. Facing changes are made by pivoting on a flank or center of the unit. Rally: Rally attempts are made on Leadership cards to rebuild Unit Integrity, rally routing units, and to Order units. The unit must be within the Command Group officer's Command Radius. A Command Group officer may attempt to Rally multiple units in his Command Group on a Leadership card. Only one rally attempt may be made per unit on a Leadership card. The army commander (CiC) may attempt to rally and/or maneuver any one unit within his Command Radius. Note that if the army commander (CiC) attempts to rally or maneuver a unit, he is at risk and must check for survival on the next Army Morale card. A Leadership Die roll is made vs. an opposing D8 roll, modifying the Leadership Die for any and all unit conditions that apply for the Rally attempt. Note that a Leader may be able to Order a unit without successfully rallying any Unit Integrity. The amount a Leadership Die roll beats the opposing D8 roll on a Leadership test will determine the success of the rally attempt. If the Leadership Die roll is a 1, the attempt fails, and no further Rally attempts may be made by the officer on the present Leadership card. 71 Card Definitions • Change Formation o Units may change formation. ▪ The front of the new formation remains at the same position and facing as the front of the old formation. ▪ The only exception is for units changing from March into Line or from Line into March. Units changing from March into Line or from Line into March may do so by simply turning stands to the right or left and facing 90º from the unit’s original facing. o Cavalry units may mount or dismount. o Artillery units may limber or unlimber.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" • Disorder o Units are Ordered if the LD roll is greater than the opposing D8 roll. • Rout o Routing units are rallied and Ordered if the LD roll is greater than the opposing D8 roll. o When a routing unit is rallied, it may face in any direction, and may be formed into any formation. • UI Loss o 1 UI is rallied for every increment of 3 that the LD roll is higher than the opposing D8 roll. Example: Officer A is attempting to rally an infantry unit that has lost 3 Unit Integrity. Officer A has a D10 Leadership Die. Assuming no modifiers apply, Officer A rolls a 6 on his D10, vs. a 3 on the enemy's D8. The unit has rallied 1 Unit Integrity (6 – 3 = 3) and now only has 2 Unit Integrity losses. Example: A routing unit is being tested to rally. The officer's Leadership Die roll is a 7 vs. a 4 on the enemy's D8. The unit has rallied and recovered 1 Unit Integrity (7 - 4 =3). The unit is rallied from routing to Ordered. Replacing Lost CiC: When the next Leadership card is drawn, roll a D20. • • • On a roll of 1 or 2, the CiC command position remains vacant until a future attempt is successfully made on a subsequent Leadership card. On any other roll, randomly select the replacement Army Commander from Command Group officers presently in play on the next Leadership card that is turned. o Assign numbers to the Command Group officers on the table and roll a die size that is equal to or greater than the number of Command Group officers. o The number rolled is the new army commander. Immediately rate a replacement Command Group officer as described below. Replacing Lost Officers: • A replacement officer is placed with the Command Group on the next Leadership card that is turned. • Rate the officer as described in 2.2 Leadership and 2.3 Leadership Ratings, using the rating table below. • A replacement officer may immediately make rally attempts on the current Leadership card. • On a D20 roll of 1 or 2, the command position remains vacant until a future attempt is successfully made on a subsequent Leadership card. Leadership Quality Abysmal Poor Average Skilled Exceptional No Replacement Leadership Leadership Leadership Leadership (Re-roll on next Die Die Die Die Leadership card) D8 D10 D12 D12+1 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 3-16 2-14 3-5 3 - 72 17-20 15-19 6-17 4-10 3-9 20 18-19 11-18 10-17 20 19-20 18-20
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Lull The Lull card represents periods of inactivity. No action is taken, and the army dawdles and wastes time. The Lull by the friendly army gives a chance for the enemy to seize the initiative and act on a single card. Each side rolls their CiC Leadership Die. If the enemy die roll is greater than the friendly die roll, the enemy may immediately turn 1 card in their Sequence Deck and act on it. After the card is turned and acted upon, play resumes with the friendly army's actions. Note: The chance to seize the initiative may pass back and forth between armies if Lull cards are played sequentially by each army. Melee The Melee card allows units to initiate melee. A Melee card may be acted on by all units that are in contact or that are within 1/2 of a single move segment of an enemy unit and move to contact Designer's Note: The ability to move 1/2 of a single move segment into contact on a Melee card is a new feature. This gives attacking units more opportunities to close to and resolve contact. Attacking (and supporting) units may move up to 1/2 of a single move segment into contact on a Melee card. The target unit must be in line of sight. The move must be without a change of face. Units may oblique per the normal movement rules. All terrain and Disordered movement penalties apply to the melee move to contact. If the unit does not have enough movement to contact the enemy, it remains in place and does not move. See 5.2 Melee Combat. Move Artillery, cavalry, and infantry units may move on a Move card. When a Move card is turned, all routing units in that army are required to move. See 4.0 General Movement Rules for specific movement rules. Move 1 Command A single Command Group may move on the Move 1 Command card. Artillery, cavalry, and infantry units may move on a Move 1 Command card. When a Move 1 Command card is turned, all routing units in that army are required to move. See 4.0 General Movement Rules. 73 Card Definitions Initiating a melee is voluntary. The unit acting on the Melee card receives an Up 1 Melee modifier in the first round of a melee. Note that units that initiate a melee vs. a Square, as well as the Square, do not receive the Up 1 modifier for initiating melee. Each unit may only initiate one melee per Melee Card, regardless of how many enemy units it is contacting.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Tactical Advantage A maximum of 2 Tactical Advantages may be in play for an army at any time. The Tactical Advantage cards may be held once turned and played when desired to receive an Up 1 modifier on ANY die roll other than an Army Morale test. Only 1 Tactical Advantage card may be played per side per roll. Once played, the Tactical Advantage card is discarded until it is returned to the Sequence Deck at the end of the turn. All Tactical Advantage cards (used or unused) are returned to the Sequence deck and shuffled at the end of a turn. Designer's Note: Players will want to judge when it is best to apply the Up 1 modifier to their Combat Die, Defense Die, or Leadership Die. The Tactical Advantage card is useful in combat situations and also represents all the low level tactical situations and environments that are below the scale of representation of the game. Did the Command Group's skirmishers clear out the enemy to allow for more efficient movement and deployment? Maybe - make up your own reason why the Up 1 modifier that was used for the Leadership Die roll resulted in three move segments! This is the narrative component of the game. Enjoy creating the storyline - it's certainly more interesting than simply thinking "I used the Up 1 to modify General 3 to a D12 and he rolled for three move segments". Maybe the slope on that hill was less than suspected? Maybe the Command Group's junior officers were on their game and handled their troops well? Don’t feel limited to my definition of the Tactical Advantage card. Redefine it as you feel is necessary for your games or scenarios. Maybe it allows a one segment move by light troops (on anything but a roll of 1 on their Defense Die), or maybe it allows removal of a fire marker for a single unit, or maybe it can be held and played as a change of face or formation for one unit. Use your imagination! 7.2 Special Sequence Deck Cards Frenzied Charge The Frenzied Charge card allows units as defined by scenario (for example – Jacobite Highlander infantry, Mahdist, Zulu, and irregular natives) to initiate melee. A Frenzied Charge card may be acted on by all units that are in contact or that are within a single move segment of an enemy unit and move to contact. The Frenzied Charge card costs 0 Initiative Points to turn and play. Designer's Note: The ability to move a single move segment into contact on a Frenzied Charge card makes units able to use the card a threatening proposition! Initiating a melee is voluntary. The unit acting on the Frenzied Melee card receives an Up 1 Melee modifier in the first round of a melee. Each unit may only initiate one melee per Frenzied Melee Card, regardless of how many enemy units it is contacting. Attacking (and supporting) units may move up to a full single move segment into contact on a Frenzied Charge card. The target unit must be in line of sight. The move must be without a change of face. Units may oblique per the normal movement rules. All terrain and Disordered movement penalties apply to the melee move to contact. If the unit does not have enough movement to contact the enemy, it remains in place and does not move. 74
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Incident (Optional) The Incident card is an optional use card and is used to add scenario specific events to a game. The Incident card can be removed after its first appearance or it can remain in the deck for the duration of the game. The choice is up to the scenario designer. Incidents occur after the Incident card is turned when the die rolls meet the incident criteria. Incidents are specific to a single unit at a time. The Incident card costs 0 Initiative Points to turn and play. The incident is defined by scenario or player agreement prior to start of play. Examples of incidents are shown below. Ammunition: • After the Incident card is turned, on any fire for the remainder of the turn where the firing unit’s Combat Die roll is odd and less than the target unit’s odd Defense Die roll, the firing unit is out of ammunition. • It may not fire until it is replenished, which occurs at the end of the turn. Ragged Fire: • After the Incident card is turned, on any fire for the remainder of the turn where the firing unit’s Combat Die roll is odd and less than the target unit’s odd Defense Die roll, the firing unit is firing out of control. • Place two fire markers on the unit instead of one. Both fire markers must be removed before the unit can fire again by removing one marker per Fire card. Rash Advance: • Prior to the start of the game, determine if any Leader is characterized as Rash. • Roll a D20. If the roll is 16-20, that Leader is Rash. • After the Incident card is turned, on any movement roll for the remainder of the turn where the Leader’s Leadership Die roll is odd (including a roll of 1) and less than the opposing side’s odd D6 roll, the command will advance directly forward a distance in inches equal to the sum of the die rolls. • The Command Group Leader must immediately check for survival. • Roll a D12. On a roll of 1 the Leader is removed. • Any contacts caused by the rash advance will result in immediate melees. Timid Advance: • Prior to the start of the game, determine if any Leader is characterized as Timid. • Roll a D20. If the roll is 1-5, that Leader is Timid. • After the Incident card is turned, on any movement roll for the remainder of the turn where the Leader’s Leadership Die roll is odd (including a roll of 1) and less than the opposing side’s odd D6 roll, the command will advance at half speed. 75 Special Card Definitions Stand Off: • After the Incident card is turned, for any melee for the remainder of the turn if both unit’s Combat Die rolls are odd and no UI losses are caused, the melee ends. • Both units fall back out of contact a distance equal to the difference in the die rolls.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Cowardly Retreat: • Prior to the start of the game, determine if any Leader is characterized as a Coward. • Roll a D20. If the roll is 6-7, that Leader is Cowardly. • After the Incident card is turned, on any movement roll for the remainder of the turn where the Leader’s Leadership Die roll is odd (including a roll of 1) and less than the opposing side’s odd D6 roll, the command will fall back at full speed. Special Event (Optional) The Special Event card is an optional use card and is used to add scenario specific events to a game. The Special Event card can be removed after its first appearance or it can remain in the deck for the duration of the game. The choice is up to the scenario designer. The Special Event card costs 0 Initiative Points to turn and play. Card activated special events occur when the Special Event card is turned and if event conditions exist. The special event is defined by scenario or player agreement prior to start of play. Examples of special events are shown below. Advance: • For each Command Group not in Town Sections or in defensive works, roll the Command Group Officer's Leadership Die vs. a D6. • If the Leadership Die roll is greater than the D6 roll, the Command Group does not advance. • If the Leadership Die roll is less than or equal to the D6 roll, the Command Group advances one move segment. • Command Groups made up of only artillery units ignore the Advance! card. Fanatic Action: • Any Native units with line of sight to an enemy unit will advance directly towards the closest enemy unit. • Units moving on a Fanatic Action card will roll for movement individually, unit by unit. o Instead of using the Command Group Leadership Die, units moving on a Fanatic Action card will modify their Defense Die Up 3 and using that die to roll vs. the enemy D6. Reinforcements Arrive: • Per scenario requirements, any off table reinforcements arrive at the pre-arranged table edge location. Resolve: • Any unit that is within a distance in inches equal to the enemy's Defense Die must roll its Defense Die vs. the enemy's Defense Die. • If the unit rolls equal to or greater than the enemy's Defense Die roll, it passes the test without any adverse effect. • If the unit rolls less than the enemy's Defense Die roll, it fails the test, goes Disordered, and immediately moves directly away from the enemy unit a distance equal to the difference in the Defense Die rolls. 76
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Sneaky Heathens: • Added only to a colonial power’s Sequence Deck. • When turned in the colonial power’s deck, the Native opponent may immediately move. • Follow normal procedures for movement as described in the Move card definition. • The colonial power resumes play during their Initiative after the Natives have moved. Sniper: • Designate any non-CiC leader in the opposing army as a target for a sniper. • The turning side rolls a D12. If they roll a 1, the target leader is eliminated. Uncontrolled Charge: • Any cavalry or infantry unit that has a direct line of sight to an enemy unit will charge towards that enemy unit. • If any move results in contact, melee must be immediately resolved following normal procedures. • Follow normal movement procedures but roll each unit's Combat Die vs. a D6 to determine how many movement segments are allowed. • Units will continue to charge towards enemy units until contact is made or they pass a Rally test. Wildcard: • Designate as any card presently in the army’s sequence deck. • Resolve actions as per the designated sequence card. Special Card Definitions Withdraw: • Each Command Group rolls their Command Group officer's LD vs. a D6. • If the Leadership Die roll is greater than the D6 die roll, the Command Group holds in place. • If the Leadership Die roll is less than or equal to the D6 die roll, the Command immediately retreats one full move segment rearward (at full speed, without penalty for moving backwards). • Withdrawing units remain in the same formation and with the same facing as they had at the start of the move. 77
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Rapid Fire Add the Rapid Fire card to the Sequence Deck of any army with units that are armed with breechloading weapons, repeating weapons, or machine guns. The Rapid Fire card remains in the Sequence Deck for the duration of the game. Remove fire markers from infantry, dismounted cavalry, and artillery units armed with breechloading, repeating, or machine guns. Units may fire at any time during their Active phase of the Initiative or with Opportunity Fire during their Reactive phase of the Initiative. Units that have fired must be marked in some manner to show that they have fired. One marker is placed for each unit. Units with fire markers may not fire. Cotton puffs or pompoms work well as fire markers. Note that units are not required to fire on the Rapid Fire card. Routing units may not use the Rapid Fire card to remove fire markers. Rapid Fire cards cost 0 Initiative Points to turn and play. Rolling Fire Add the Rolling Fire card to the Sequence Deck of any army with units that are armed with repeating weapons or late machine guns. The Rolling Fire card remains in the Sequence Deck for the duration of the game. Remove fire markers from infantry and dismounted cavalry armed with repeating weapons, and late machine gun units. Units may fire at any time during their Active phase of the Initiative or with Opportunity Fire during their Reactive phase of the Initiative. Units that have fired must be marked in some manner to show that they have fired. One marker is placed for each unit. Units with fire markers may not fire. Cotton puffs or pompoms work well as fire markers. Note that units are not required to fire on the Rolling Fire card. Routing units may not use the Rolling Fire card to remove fire markers. The Rolling Fire card costs 0 Initiative Points to turn and play. 78
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 8.0 Winning the Game A Field of Battle game will have a definite end, with the winner clearly defined. The winner of the battle will be determined by the Army Morale card procedure. An army that is reduced to zero Army Morale Points that fails an Army Morale test is forced to quit the field and loses the battle. 8.1 Margin of Victory When an army fails an Army Morale test that forces the end of the game, the margin of victory can be determined. Count the number of Army Morale Points remaining for the winning army. Minor Victory: < = ½ of starting Army Morale Points remaining when opponent fails Army Morale test. Major Victory: > ½ of starting Army Morale Points remaining when opponent fails Army Morale test. Crushing Victory: > starting Army Morale Point total 9.0 Glossary of Terms Army Morale Points: An abstract measure of the cumulative will and morale of the tabletop army. Army Morale Points are established prior to play and are lost in fire and melee combat. See 2.5 Army Morale Points. CiC: Commander in Chief. The tabletop army’s overall commanding officer. Combat Die: A single die size that represents the combat ability of a unit. The Combat Die size is modified in fire and melee combat. See 2.1 Unit Ratings and 2.11 How To Rate Units. Command Group: Command Groups are groupings of units under one officer. Each Command Group must have a commanding officer. Independent officers are not allowed. Only the army commander may act independently of any Command Group. Command Groups may consist entirely of one type of unit, or of multiple types of unit. See 2.6 Command Groups. Command Radius: Command radius is the range measured from a leader that is the limit of his command influence. To rally a unit, the unit being rallied must be within the leader’s command radius. For the English Civil War, a leader’s command radius is a distance in inches equal to his Leadership Die size. For other periods, a leader’s command radius is a distance in inches equal to two times his Leadership Die size. See 2.2 Leadership. Defense Die: A die size that represents the class of a unit. The Defense Die captures the morale quality of a unit. The Defense Die is rolled by a target unit when it is fired at by the enemy. See 2.1 Unit Ratings and 2.11 How To Rate Units. 79
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Disordered: Unit status as a result of combat. Units that are Disordered are less effective in fire and melee combat. They also move at 1/2 the normal distance. Hits: The difference between Combat Die rolls in fire or melee combat. Immediate Melee: A unit may Immediate Melee if its Command Group Leadership roll for movement was won and Even. Refer to the period specific rules to identify which troop types qualify to immediate melee. Leadership Die: A single die size that abstractly captures the abilities of a commanding officer (CiC) or Command Group officer. The Leadership Die is used for Rally tests and for movement actions. Ordered: A state of being in control and combat effective. Supporting Unit: A supporting unit is used with an attacking unit to melee a single enemy unit on a Melee card or with an immediate melee on a Move card. The use of a supporting unit forces the “Outnumbered” Down 1 modifier on the enemy. The supporting unit does not roll its Combat Die in the melee. 80
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 10.0 Period Rules Rules, army lists, and playsheets are provided for the following periods: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • English Civil War 1642-1651 War of Spanish Succession 1701-1714 Great Northern War 1700-1721 Jacobite Rebellion 1745-1746 Seven Years War 1756-1763 American War of Independence 1775-1783 Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 Mexican-American War 1846-1848 Anglo-Sikh Wars 1845-1846/1848-1849 Crimean War 1853-1856 Austro-Franco War 1859 American Civil War 1861-1865 Austro-Prussian War 1866 Franco-Prussian War 1870-71 Russo-Turkish War 1877 Anglo-Zulu War 1879 Sudan Wars 1881-1899 The army lists are guidelines to help in the creation and rating of armies. The modifiers and ratings listed should be considered as suggestions and not requirements. They should be used along with independent research and opinion to rate armies for play. Players may elect to design specific scenarios and assign Leadership Die, Combat Die, and Defense Die sizes to best fit their scenario requirements. The suggested Leadership and troop Qualities can vary by up or down one level. Period Rules Example: An army has a suggested Leadership Quality for the CiC of Average, and a suggested Leadership Quality for the Command Group officers of Skilled. The CiC's Leadership Quality for the game could be Poor, Average, or Skilled. The Command Group officer's Leadership Quality could be Average, Skilled, or Exceptional. 81
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" English Civil War 1642-1651 English Civil War 1642-1651 Royalist 1642-44 Royalist 1645-51 Parliamentarian 1642-44 Parliamentarian 1645-51 (New Model) Montrose Scots Scots Covenenters CiC LQ Av erage Poor Poor Av erage Skilled Poor Cmd. Group LQ Av erage Av erage Av erage Skilled Av erage Av erage Hedgehog Hedgehog Hedgehog Hedgehog Hedgehog Hedgehog Pike Forw ard Pike Forw ard Pike Forw ard Pike Forw ard Shot Forw ard Shot Forw ard Shot Forw ard Shot Forw ard Infantry Pike Forw ard Pike Forw ard Formations Shot Forw ard Shot Forw ard Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Line Line Line Line Line Line None None None None None None No No No No No No Rabble Dragoons Raw Foot Foot Dragoons Foot Foot Guns Guns Guns Guns Horse Horse Horse Dragoons Regular Crack Foot Horse Dragoons Foot Foot Foot Foot Horse Guns Guns Guns Horse Horse Horse Cuirassier Dragoons Foot Foot Horse Horse Foot Elite Playsheet: English Civil War 1642-1651 82 Highlanders Foot Highlanders Horse Foot Foot Highlanders Highlanders Irish Foot Guns Guns Horse Horse Lancers Dragoons Foot Foot Irish Foot Horse Horse
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Basing English Civil War Basing Troop Type Guns Horse Foot - Pike Commanded Pike Foot - Shot Commanded Shot Officers Stand Size Figures per Stand Stands per Unit 2 1 1/2" wide x 3" deep 1 Gun, 3 crew 2 1/2" wide x 2 1/4" deep 3 2 2" wide x 2" deep 6 1 per foot unit 2" wide x 2" deep 6 2 1 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" deep 3 2 per foot unit 2 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" deep 6 2 1 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" deep for 1 or 2 for Command Group Command Group Officers; Officers; NA 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" for Army 2 or more for Army Commander (CiC) Commander (CiC) Note that the basing shown is a suggestion and represents the author’s collection. Any basing will work with the rules. Unit Types The following troop types are used in the ECW game. Infantry Types: • Foot units are combined pike and shot units that have 3 stands: 2 flank stands of Shot and 1 center stand of Pike. • Commanded Shot units are units armed only with firearms and have 2 stands of Shot. • Commanded Pike units are units armed only with pike and have 2 stands of Pike. Mounted Types: Horse units represent the bulk of cavalry, armed with sword and pistol and wearing some combination of buff coats and partial armor. Horse are further segmented into Gallopers or Trotters. Horse units have 2 stands of figures. Dragoon units are typically unarmored and armed with muskets. Dragoon units are of limited use as a mounted melee unit and are primarily useful as a dismounted force. Dragoon units have 2 stands of figures. 83 Period Rules Cuirassier units have completely armored riders and are extremely limited in number. Cuirassier units are armed with sword and pistol. Cuirassier are further segmented into Gallopers or Trotters but will typically be Gallopers. Cuirassier units have 2 stands of figures.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Lancer units are lightly armored and armed with a lance (surprisingly). Lancer units have 2 stands of figures. Artillery Types: All artillery is referred to as Guns in the ECW rules. Guns can be of weights from Extra Light through Heavy. Gun units have 2 stands of guns. Unit Formations Infantry Formations: • Commanded Pike: Commanded Pike units consist solely of pike armed foot. The two pike stands are in edge to edge contact in a line formation. Commanded Pike counts as Pike Forward in melee. Commanded Pike has no fire capacity. Commanded Pike • Commanded Shot: Commanded Shot units consist solely of shot armed foot. Dismounted dragoons and Highlander infantry armed with muskets are treated as Commanded Shot. The two shot stands are in edge to edge contact in a line formation. Commanded Shot counts as Shot Forward for fire combat. Commanded Shot is poor in melee. Commanded Shot 84
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Foot: Foot units have 2 stands of Shot and 1 stand of Pike. Foot units may be in the following formations: o Hedgehog: Shot stands are placed with the back of their bases on any two sides of the center pike stand. This formation has no flanks in melee and is defensive in nature. Units in Hedgehog may not move. Hedgehog o Pike Forward: All stands are aligned along their rear edge. This formation is better for melee, but worse for fire. Note that Commanded Pike are always considered to be in Pike Forward formation. Pike Shot Shot Pike Forward o Shot Forward: All stands are aligned along their front edge. This formation is better for fire, but worse for melee. Units must be in Shot Forward to use Salvo fire. Note that Commanded Shot are always considered to be in Shot Forward formation. Shot Pike Shot Shot Forward Period Rules • 85
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" o March: All infantry units (Foot, Commanded Shot, Commanded Pike) may be in March formation. March is a very poor combat formation, but a maneuverable one. Units in March formation may move with unlimited facing changes during movement. Units may not fire while deployed in March. Units in March formation never initiate melee. March Mounted Formations: Mounted units may only be in Line or March formation. • Line: Stands are in edge to edge contact. This formation represents both a 3 rank formation based on the Swedish style as well as the 6 rank Dutch style deployment. Line 86
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" • March: All mounted units may be in March formation. March is a very poor combat formation, but a maneuverable one. Units in March formation may move with unlimited facing changes during movement. Units may not fire while deployed in March. Units in March formation never initiate melee. March Guns: Guns may be limbered or unlimbered. • Limbered: Limbered gun units are a movement formation. Units that are Limbered are very maneuverable. Units in Limbered formation may move with unlimited facing changes during movement. Unlimbered • Unlimbered: Guns are deployed unlimbered in base to base contact. Designer’s Note: March formation is included for completeness, but it should be used sparingly in set piece battles. Scenario designers should limit its use in battle scenarios as it would provide a degree of flexibility and maneuverability that wasn’t present in a typical ECW battle. For small scale or encounter games, or games with an opportunity to force passage of a bridge, defile, or for, March formation might be used. 87 Period Rules Unlimbered
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Unit Integrity Units have the following Unit Integrity (UI): • Infantry (Foot, Commanded Pike, Commanded Shot) 4 UI • Mounted (Horse, Cuirassier, Lancer, Mounted and unmounted Dragoons) 3 UI • Artillery 2 UI 88
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Unit Combat Die Rating Table English Civil War Unit Combat Die Ratings RABBLE D8 1-18 1-15 Extra Light Gun (Falconet) Light Gun (Saker) Medium Gun (Demi-Culverin) Heavy Gun (Culverin) Dragoon Horse Cuirassier Foot 1-7 1-7 Unit Type RAW D8 1-17 1-14 1-6 1-6 Extra Light Gun (Falconet) Light Gun (Saker) Medium Gun (Demi-Culverin) Heavy Gun (Culverin) Dragoon Horse Cuirassier Foot Unit Type REGULAR D8 1-16 1-13 1-5 1-5 Extra Light Gun (Falconet) Light Gun (Saker) Medium Gun (Demi-Culverin) Heavy Gun (Culverin) Dragoon Horse Cuirassier Foot Unit Type CRACK D8 1-15 1-12 1-4 1-4 Extra Light Gun (Falconet) Light Gun (Saker) Medium Gun (Demi-Culverin) Heavy Gun (Culverin) Dragoon Horse Cuirassier Foot Unit Type ELITE D8 1-14 1-11 1-3 1-3 Extra Light Gun (Falconet) Light Gun (Saker) Medium Gun (Demi-Culverin) Heavy Gun (Culverin) Dragoon Horse Cuirassier Foot 89 Combat Die D10 D12 19-20 16-20 1-18 19-20 1-13 14-20 8-17 18-20 1-7 8-17 1-5 6-14 8-17 18-20 Combat Die D10 D12 18-20 15-20 1-17 18-20 1-12 13-20 7-16 17-19 1-6 7-16 1-4 5-13 7-16 17-19 Combat Die D10 D12 17-20 14-20 1-16 17-20 1-11 12-20 6-15 16-18 1-5 6-15 1-3 4-12 6-15 16-18 Combat Die D10 D12 16-20 13-20 1-15 16-20 1-10 11-20 5-14 15-17 1-4 5-14 1-2 3-11 5-14 15-17 Combat Die D10 D12 15-20 12-20 1-14 15-20 1-9 10-20 4-13 14-16 1-3 4-13 1 2-10 4-13 14-16 D12+1 18-20 15-20 D12+1 20 17-20 14-20 20 D12+1 19-20 16-20 13-20 19-20 D12+1 18-20 15-20 12-20 18-20 D12+1 17-20 14-20 11-20 17-20 Period Rules Unit Type
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Movement Guns: Once unlimbered, guns cannot be limbered and repositioned. Immediate Melee: Commanded Pike, Foot units and Galloper Horse units may immediate melee on a won Even movement die roll. Interpenetration: Horse and foot may not interpenetrate each other or their own type. However, either may interpenetrate artillery. Maneuver: Change of facing is unlimited for all types on a won Even movement roll or on a Leadership card. Foot (Pike and Shot, Commanded Pike, Commanded Shot), dismounted dragoons, and guns must test to determine if they change face effectively or end their change in Disorder. After the unit has maneuvered, roll the unit’s Defense Die vs. a D6. If the unit’s roll does not beat the D6 roll, a Maneuver Disorder marker is placed on the unit. Note that changing formation (to or from any formation) does not require a maneuver test. Maneuver Disorder: A foot, dismounted dragoon, or gun unit failing a Maneuver Disorder test becomes Maneuver Disordered. • A Maneuver Disorder marker is automatically removed on a Leadership card after all rally attempts are completed. o Maneuver Disorder is not rallied if the Command Group’s Leadership Die roll is a 1 on any rally attempt. The next opportunity to remove a Maneuver Disorder would be on the next Leadership card.. Movement in Terrain: Guns and Horse treat Class II terrain as Class III and Class III as impassable Class IV. Foot and Commanded Pike units treat Class II Woods as Class III and Class III Woods as impassable Class IV woods. Move Distance for Foot Units: Foot and Commanded Pike move slower in this period due to organization by ranks rather than file. Foot and Commanded Pike units move 6” per move segment. Commanded Shot move 8” per move segment. Fire Combat Arc of Fire: Foot fire directly ahead. Guns have 45 degree arc of fire to either flank. If any part of an enemy unit is in the arc of fire they may be fired at. Disorder Fire and Melee Modifiers: A unit may have a maximum of 1 combat caused Disorder and 1 Maneuver Disorder. The maximum penalty is Down 2 if the unit has both combat and Maneuver Disorder. Formation Modifiers: Note that the Foot Formation modifier line is only for the formation of the firing unit. There are no modifiers for the formation of the target unit as all units in this period are relatively deep and dense, thus presenting little differentiation as targets. Salvo Fire: Represents the doubling of ranks and firing all or nearly all a unit. Salvo Fire is only available at the shortest 0-4” range band by units in Shot Forward formation. 90
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Melee Combat Disorder Fire and Melee Modifiers: A unit may have a maximum of 1 combat-caused Disorder, and 1 Maneuver Disorder. The maximum penalty is Down 2, if the unit has both combat and Maneuver Disorder. Gallopers and Trotters: Horse will be either Gallopers or Trotters. Gallopers rely on the mass impact of rapid movement and closing to overthrow the enemy. Trotters rely on the discharge of firearms immediately prior to contact to disrupt their enemy to gain an initial advantage. • Gallopers o Receive the Up 1 initiating melee modifier when they initiate a melee. o May immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. • Trotters • Both units in the melee roll their Defense Die. If the Trotters roll higher, they receive the Up 1 initiating melee modifier (their pre-melee point blank fire impacted their enemy). o Note that if Trotters roll higher than Gallopers, and the Gallopers initiated the melee, then both would receive the Up 1 modifier. Highlanders: If an army has Highland infantry, add the Frenzied Charge card. The Frenzied Charge card costs 0 Initiative Points. Royalist Cuirassier: Early Royalist armies may include a maximum of 1 Cuirassier unit. Cuirassier units act as Gallopers, and other Mounted units that are in melee vs. Cuirassier units suffer a Down 1 melee modifier. Scottish Lancers: Only receive the Up 1 initiating melee modifier when they initiate a melee in Class I terrain. May immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Leadership Foot Rally Modifier: To reward keeping Command Groups relatively compact, foot units receive an Up 1 Leadership modifier if there are two friendly foot units within 6”. Leadership Radius: An officer’s leadership range in inches is equal to his Leadership Die size. Period Rules Rallying Maneuver Disorder: Rallied automatically on a Leadership card after all other Rally attempts have been completed. Note that if a 1 is rolled on any previous rally attempt, the Maneuver Disorder may not be rallied. 91
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" War of Spanish Succession 1701-1714 War of the Spanish Succession 1704-1714 CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Rabble Raw Regular Austrian Bavarian British Denmark Dutch French Palatinate Piedmont Savoy Prussian Spanish Skilled Poor Skilled Poor Poor Poor Poor Poor Poor Poor Average Poor Skilled Poor Average Poor Poor Poor Poor Poor Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line None None None None None None None None None None No No No No No No No No No No Hussars Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Dragoons Infantry Hussars Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Hussars Artillery Cavalry Infantry Dragoons Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Grenadier Grenadier Guards Garde Gendarme Maison Du Roi Infantry Grenadier Leibregt. zu Pferd Guard Horse Guard Non-German or Walloon Inf. Dragoons Hussars Non-German or Walloon Inf. Artillery Cavalry Infantry Cuirassier Dragoons Crack Cuirassier Grenadier Elite Grenadier Fusiliers Hussars Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Grenadier Grenadier Guards Foot Guards Horse Guards Foot Guard Leibgarde Horse Guard Cuirassier Grenadier Artillery Cavalry Infantry Cuirassier Artillery Cavalry Infantry Foot Guard Foot Guard Grenadier Grenadier Gendarmes Guard du Corps Cuirassier Guard du Corps Playsheet: War of the Spanish Succession 1701-1714 Arc of Fire: Infantry fire directly ahead. Artillery have 45 degree arc of fire to either flank. If any part of an enemy unit is in the arc of fire they may be fired at. Artillery Units: After being unlimbered, artillery cannot be limbered and repositioned, but may maneuver to change facing. Formations: Both cavalry and infantry use Line formation. Immediate Melee: Grenadiers and shock cavalry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. Interpenetration: Cavalry and infantry may not interpenetrate other cavalry and infantry units. Cavalry and infantry may interpenetrate artillery without any penalty. 92
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Pistol Cavalry: Austrian, Bavarian, Dane, French, Palatinate, Piedmont Savoy, Prussian and Spanish cavalry are considered Pistol cavalry. Pistol cavalry may only initiate melees on a Melee card. Period Rules Shock Cavalry: British and Dutch cavalry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. 93
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Great Northern War 1700-1721 Great Northern War 1700-1721 CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Russian 1700-1708 Russian 1708-1721 Aby smal Poor Aby smal Poor Poor Poor Skilled Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line None None None None None No No No No No Infantry Rabble Cossacks Dragoons Militia Raw Saxon Aby smal Poor Dragoons Cossacks Cossacks Dragoons Infantry Guard Crack Grenadier Guard Dragoon Skilled Ex ceptional Infantry Militia Infantry Artillery Poor Sweden Cossacks Infantry Cav alry Dragoons Regular Polish Artillery Artillery Infantry Cav alry Dragoons Infantry Guard Artillery Infantry Dragoons Cav alry Artillery Cav alry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Infantry Grenadier Guard Guard Dragoon Grenadier Horse Grenadier Cav alry Dragoons Grenadiers Life Guards Horse Elite Guards Drabants Playsheet: Great Northern War 1700-1721 Arc of Fire: Infantry fire directly ahead. Artillery have 45 degree arc of fire to either flank. If any part of an enemy unit is in the arc of fire they may be fired at. Formations: Both cavalry and infantry use Line formation. Immediate Melee: Swedish units (infantry and shock cavalry) may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. Interpenetration: Cavalry and infantry may not interpenetrate other cavalry and infantry units. Cavalry and infantry may interpenetrate artillery without any penalty. Cavalry and infantry may interpenetrate artillery without any penalty. 94
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Pistol Cavalry: Russian and Saxon cavalry are considered Pistol cavalry and may only initiate melees on a Melee card. Period Rules Shock Cavalry: Swedish and Polish cavalry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. 95
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Jacobite Rebellion 1745-1746 Jacobite Rebellion 1745-1746 British CiC LQ Aby smal Poor Jacobite Poor Av erage Poor Line Line Line Line Skirmish Units None None Grand Battery No No Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Cav alry Rabble Artillery Raw Infantry Cav alry Infantry Artillery Regular Cav alry Infantry Infantry Crack Infantry Infantry Elite Playsheet: Jacobite Rebellion 1745-1746 Formations: Both cavalry and infantry use Line formation. Immediate Melee: Cavalry and Highlanders may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. Interpenetration: Cavalry and non-Highlander infantry may interpenetrate their own type. Units that are interpenetrating move through the interpenetrated unit and halt their movement at that point, with the back of their unit’s stands in contact with the front of the interpenetrated unit’s stands. Cavalry and infantry may interpenetrate artillery without any penalty. Highlander infantry may not interpenetrate or be interpenetrated. Jacobite Sequence Deck: Add the Frenzied Charge card. The Frenzied Charge card costs 0 Initiative Points. Highland Fire: Highland infantry is modified Down 1 for all fire. 96
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Seven Years War 1756-1763 Seven Years War 1756-1763 Austrian British Av erage Av erage French Prussian 1760-63 Prussian Western Russian 1756-59 Theatre 1756-60 Aby smal CiC LQ Poor Ex cept. Skilled Av erage Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skilled Av erage Av erage Poor Line Line Line Line Attack Attack Line Line Line Column Column Line Line Jaeger Jaeger No No Ex cept. Russian 1761-63 Reichsarmee Aby smal Poor Poor Av erage Poor Saxon Swedish Aby smal Poor Av erage Aby smal Poor Av erage Av erage Poor Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line FreiCorps None No No Av erage Chasseur Skirmish Units Grenze American American Croats Indians Indians Pandouts Rangers Courier du No No Cossacks Cossacks FreiCorps Jaeger Bois Grand Battery No American Rabble American Indians Indians Courier du Regular Infantry American Garrison Indians Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Grenze Highlanders Cuirassier Crack Grenadier Grenadier Fusiliers Fusiliers Dragoons Infantry Cossacks Hussars Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Artillery Artillery Infantry Infantry Infantry Cav alry Cav alry Dragoons Jaeger Fusiliers Infantry Infantry Hussars Cuirassier Hussars Grenadier Grenadier Gendarmerie Cuirassier Guard Hussars Grenadier Cuirassier Grenadier Infantry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Grenadier No Indelta FreiCorps Infantry Cav alry Carbineer Elite Cossacks Cossacks Infantry Infantry Chasseur No FrieCorps Bois Raw No Indelta Infantry Hussars Dragoons Artillery Cav alry Infantry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Dragoons Grenadier Grenadier Horse Grenadier Grenadier Liv garde Grenadier Guard du Corps Immediate Melee: Cavalry and grenadier infantry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. 97 Period Rules Playsheet: Seven Years War 1756-1763
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Interpenetration: Cavalry and infantry may interpenetrate their own type. Units that are interpenetrating move through the interpenetrated unit and halt their movement at that point, with the back of their unit’s stands in contact with the front of the interpenetrated unit’s stands. Cavalry and infantry may interpenetrate artillery without any penalty. Skirmish Units: Croats/Pandours and Jaegers may use Skirmish formation. 98
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" American War of Independence 1775-1783 American War of Independence 1775-1783 American American 1775-76 1777 CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Poor Av erage Av erage Av erage Av erage Av erage Av erage Skilled Skilled Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Rifles Rifles Rifles American American American American Indians Jaeger Indians No Indians No Indians No Lt. Infantry No No Infantry American Militia Artillery Cav alry Infantry American Indians Militia Cav alry Infantry American Indians Militia Indians American Cav alry Loy alist Infantry Militia Indians Artillery Militia Cav alry Loy alist Infantry Regulars Militia Artillery Artillery Cav alry Rifles Infantry Infantry Militia Rifles Cossacks Indians Militia American No Loy alist American Artillery Crack French Av erage Indians Regular German Poor Cav alry Raw Av erage British Av erage Av erage Poor Artillery Rabble Poor American 1778-83 Lt. Infantry Rifles Artillery Cav alry Infantry Grenadier Lt. Infantry Highlander Artillery Infantry Grenadier Jaeger Grenadier Elite Playsheet: American War of Independence 1775-1783 Cavalry Type: All cavalry is rated as Light Cavalry. Rifles and Militia in Melee: Rifles and Militia never receive the Up 1 modifier for Initiating Melee. Skirmish Units: American rifle units, Jaegers, and Native American units are may use Skirmish formation. 99 Period Rules Immediate Melee: Cavalry, and British, German, Hessian and French infantry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Unit Size (optional): All units were typically smaller during the American War of Independence. Game play is unaffected, but gamers may want to use the following unit sizes for reference when creating scenarios. 1 Infantry Unit = 240 to 360 men 1 Cavalry Unit = 200 to 300 men 1 Artillery Unit = 3 to 4 guns and crew 100
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 1792-1808 Austria 1809-15 Bavaria Austria 1798-1807 Britain 1808-11 Britain Britain Brunswick 1812-15 Denmark Dutch Beltian CiC LQ Abysmal Poor Poor Abysmal Skilled Except. Average Abysmal Poor Cmd. Group LQ Abysmal Poor Poor Poor Average Skilled Average Poor Poor Infantry Formations Line Square Attack Col. Line Square Attack Col. Line Square Line Square Line Square Line Square Line Square Attack Col. Line Square Attack Col. Line Square Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line Jaeger Jaeger Rifles Rifles Rifles Jaeger Jaegers Lt. Infantry Yes No No Yes Yes No No Cavalry Attack Col. Line Formations Skirmish Jaeger Units Grand Battery No Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Grenze Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry KGL Artillery Cavalry Infantry KGL Artillery Cavalry Infantry Lt. Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Regular Crack Elite Grenze Cuirassier Grenadier Jaeger Artillery Cuirassier Grenadier Cuirassier Chevauleger Chevauleger Grenadier Grenadier Jaeger Jaeger Cavalry Cavalry Infantry Artillery Artillery Artillery Hussars Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Gren. Guard Lt. Infantry Uhlans Highlanders Highlanders Highlanders Lt. Infantry KGL KGL Leib-Regmt. Horse Art. Rifles Liv Regiments Kings Livguard Livjager Corps Jutland Lt. Dragoons Horse Art. Horse Art. Highlanders Rifles Rifles Period Rules Rabble Raw No Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry 101
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 France 1792-1804 France 1805-1806 France 1807-1812 France 1813 France 1814 France 1815 CiC LQ Av erage Ex ceptional Skilled Av erage Skilled Av erage Cmd. Group LQ Av erage Ex ceptional Skilled Poor Av erage Poor Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Rabble Raw Regular Crack Elite Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Square Square Square Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Yes Yes Yes Infantry Att. Att. Att. Column Column Column Line Line Line Square Square Square Att. Att. Att. Column Column Column Line Line Line Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Yes Yes Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Yes Infantry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Artillery Infantry Artillery Infantry Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Horse Art. Horse Art. Horse Art. Cuirassier Cuirassier Artillery Carbinier Carbinier Cuirassier Hussars Hussars Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Horse Art. Lt. Infantry Horse Art. Infantry Horse Art. Guard Guard Young Horse Art. Horse Art. Horse Art. Cuirassier Cuirassier Cuirassier Cuirassier Cuirassier Cuirassier Carabinier Carabinier Guard Old Guard Old Guard Old Guard 102 Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Horse Art. Horse Art. Horse Art. Artillery Artillery Artillery Cuirassier Cuirassier Cuirassier Young Young Infantry
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 German States Baden HesseCiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Rabble Raw Neopolitan Ottoman Portugal Portugal Darmstadt Italy Mameluk 1806-14 Turk Poland 1800-11 1812-15 Poor Aby smal Aby smal Aby smal Skilled Skilled Aby smal Av erage Poor Aby smal Aby smal Aby smal Av erage Av erage Aby smal Av erage Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Square Square Att. Column Att. Column Line Att. Column Line Line Line Mass Line Mass Jaeger Lt. Infantry None Lt. Infantry No Yes No No Att. Column Mass Line Square Att. Line Column Mass Line Square Att. Column Line Irregulars Lt. Infantry No No Att. Column Line Square Line Square Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Cacadores Cacadores No No Prov incial Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Artillery Cav alry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Infantry Sekhans Infantry Cav alry Yoruks Prov incial Artillery Janissaries Sekhans Derbants Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Cav alry Infantry Yoruks Artillery Regular Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Lt. Infantry Janissaries Nizam-IJedid Artillery Cav alry Artillery Artillery Suv arileri Infantry Infantry Infantry Sipahi Lt. Infantry Cacadores Cacadores Djelli Janissary Guard Arnout Regina Crack Drag. Cav alry Guard Guard Sekhans Uhlans Albanian Hussars Sekhans Greek Sekhans Guard Cav alry Cav alry Period Rules Elite 103
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 Prussia 1792-1807 Prussia 1808-15 Aby smal Av erage Russia 1792-1811 Russia 1812-15 1792-1809 Saxony 1810-15 Spain 1800-10 Spain 1811-15 Sweden Av erage Aby smal Av erage Aby smal Av erage Poor Av erage Aby smal Poor Aby smal Poor Poor Line Line Line Line Line Square Square Square Square Square Att. Att. Column Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Line Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry Jaeger No Saxony Aby smal CiC LQ Poor Av erage Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Aby smal Line Square Att. Column Line Jaeger No Rabble Raw Regular Crack Elite Av erage Att. Column Line Square Line Square Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Jaeger Jaeger Schutzen Cossacks Yes Yes Landw ehr Cav alry Aby smal Landw ehr Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cossacks Cossacks Artillery Cav alry Att. Column Line Square Att. Column Line Lt. Infantry Schutzen Yes No Infantry Cav alry Artillery Artillery Infantry Infantry Infantry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Infantry Fusiliers Cuirassier Lt. Infantry Cuirassier Grenadiers Jaegers Hussars Hussars Jaegers Schutzen Grenadiers Grenadiers Infantry Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Guard 104 No No Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Cav alry Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Guards Cav alry Hussars Infantry Infantry Cav alry Cuirassier Cuirassier Grenadiers Leib Guard Jaegers Jaegers Guard Gren. Guard Gren. Guard No Cav alry Fusiliers Infantry Schutzen Lt. Infantry Leib Guard Cuirassier Guards Carabinier Jaeger
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 United States United States Britain Wesphalia 1812-13 1814-15 War of 1812 Wurttemburg CiC LQ Aby smal Av erage Av erage Poor Poor Cmd. Group LQ Poor Av erage Poor Poor Poor Line Line Line Att. Column Att. Column Square Square Square Line Line Square Square Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Line Rifles Rifles Rifles Lt. Infantry Lt. Infantry No No No No No Artillery Artillery Rabble Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Formations Infantry Raw Regular Infantry Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Rifles Rifles Lt. Infantry Hussars Cav alry Guard Guard Cav alry Canadian Inf. Artillery Crack Highlanders Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Rifles Elite Playsheet: Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 Period Rules British Rifles in Close Order: If a Rifle battalion is used on the battlefield in close order formation (most likely line formation), they will fire using the smoothbore musket ranges. 105
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Congreve Rockets: Rockets use Smoothbore artillery ranges but cannot fire at targets closer than 12". Use the ratings for Smoothbore artillery, and rate according to the weight of the rocket ordinance (Light, Medium, Heavy). Rocket units reload on the Artillery Fire card. Place two fire markers on a rocket unit when it fires. Modify the Combat Die using normal modifiers and resolve the fire using normal procedures. Remove 1 fire marker per Artillery Fire card. Rockets are very inaccurate and will have a lower Combat Die than most other artillery. Subtract 5 from the D20 roll when rating rocket batteries. The path of the rocket flight may affect both friendly and enemy units. Roll a D6 when a rocket battery fires to determine the path of the rocket. • On a roll of 1, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to a point D12” to the firer’s left of the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. • On a roll of 2, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to a point D6” to the firer’s left of the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. • On a roll of 3 or 4, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. o Follow normal fire combat resolution rules to determine the effectiveness of the fire on the target unit. • On a roll of 5, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to a point D6” to the firer’s right of the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. • On a roll of 6, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to a point D12” to the firer’s right of the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. Immediate Melee: All cavalry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. All infantry in Attack Column may immediate melee. British infantry in Line may immediate melee. All other infantry may only melee on a Melee card. 106
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Mexican-American War 1846-1848 Mexican American War 1846-1848 CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Mexico United States Aby smal Skilled Aby smal Skilled Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Square Square Att. Column Att. Column Line Lt. Infantry Skirmish Units Grand Battery Line Rifles Tex as Rangers No No Artillery Rabble Infantry Artillery Raw Cav alry Infantry Cav alry Regular Crack Infantry San Patricio Battalion Lt. Infantry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Artillery , Rifles, Tex as Rangers Elite Playsheet: Mexican-American War 1846-1848 Immediate Melee: All cavalry and US infantry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. Mexican Artillery: May not move except to maneuver once deployed. Mexican Powder: Mexican gunpowder was very low quality, which affected the range and impact of both artillery and infantry weapons. Mexican artillery and infantry range bands as shown on the period playsheet are shorter than comparable US weapons. Period Rules US Artillery: Add 6 to the d20 roll when rating US artillery batteries. 107
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Anglo-Sikh Wars 1845-1846/1848-1849 Anglo-Sikh Wars 1845-1846/1848-1849 British East India Company Sikh CiC LQ Skilled Abysmal Cmd. Group LQ Skilled Infantry Formations Att. Column Line Square Cavalry Formations Att. Column Line Skirmish Units Rifles Grand Battery No Raw Crack Elite None No Cavalry Native Irregular Cavalry Native Irregular Infantry Cavalry Native Irregular Cavalry Native Irregular Infantry Rabble Regular Abysmal Att. Column Line Mass Square Att. Column Line Mass Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Infantry Artillery Infantry Artillery Rifles Playsheet: Anglo-Sikh Wars 1845-1846/1848-1849 Immediate Melee: British cavalry and infantry, Sikh cavalry and infantry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Sepoy cavalry and infantry and native irregular cavalry and infantry may only initiate melee on a Melee card. 108
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Crimean War 1853-1856 Crimean War 1853-1856 Britain France Russia Turkey CiC LQ Aby smal Av erage Poor Poor Cmd. Group LQ Poor Skilled Poor Poor Att. Column Column Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Line Square Att. Column Line Att. Column Line Square Rifles Grand Battery Yes Line a Pied Zouav es Yes Raw Artillery Infantry Line Square Line Cossacks Jaeger Yes Cossacks Rabble Regular Square Att. Column Att. Column Chasseurs Skirmish Units Att. Att. Column Line Albanians Yes Cav alry Infantry Cossacks Cav alry Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Cav alry Crack Highlanders Rifles Elite Zouav es Chasseurs a Pied Zouav es Playsheet: Crimean War 1853-1856 Period Rules Immediate Melee: Cavalry and French, Russian Infantry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. 109
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Franco-Austrian War 1859 Franco-Austrian War 1859 Austria France Piedmont Poor Skilled Average Average Skilled Skilled Line Att. Column Line Att. Column Line Att. Column Line Att. Column Line Att. Column Line Skirmish Units Jaegers Chasseurs a Pied Zouaves Lt. Infantry Grand Battery Yes Yes Yes CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Rabble Raw Infantry Regular Artillery Cavalry Infantry Crack Artillery Cavalry Elite Jaegers Artillery Cavalry Infantry Chasseurs a Pied Zouaves Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Guard Playsheet: Franco-Austrian War 1859 Formations: French infantry may be deployed in either attack column or line. Austrian infantry may be deployed only in line. Austrian Jaegers and French Chasseurs may also deploy in Skirmish formation. Weapons: Austrian artillery is armed with smoothbore cannons. French artillery is armed with rifled cannons. Both Austrian and French infantry are armed with rifles. Immediate Melee: All cavalry as well as French infantry may initiate immediate melee on a won Even move roll. Others may initiate melee only on a Melee card. 110
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" American Civil War 1861-1865 American Civil War 1861-1865 Confederate Federal Confederate Federal 1861-62 East 1861-62 East 1861-62 West 1861-62 West CiC LQ Exceptional Exceptional Poor Average Cmd. Group Skilled Exceptional Poor Poor LQ Infantry Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Formations Cavalry Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Formations Skirmish Dismounted Cav. Dismounted Cav. Dismounted Cav. Dismounted Cav. Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Units Grand Battery Yes Rabble Raw Regular Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Crack Infantry Elite Infantry Yes Yes Yes Cavalry Artillery Infantry Infantry Cavalry Infantry Artillery Infantry Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Cavalry Artillery Artillery American Civil War 1861-1865 CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Confederate 1863 East Federal 1863 East Confederate 1863 West Federal 1863 West Ex ceptional Skilled Poor Skilled Skilled Skilled Av erage Skilled Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Dismounted Dismounted Dismounted Dismounted Cav . Cav . Cav . Cav . Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Yes Yes Yes Yes Artillery Cav alry Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Rabble Regular Crack Elite Cav alry Infantry Infantry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Artillery 111 Artillery Infantry Cav alry Infantry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Period Rules Raw
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" American Civil War 1861-1865 Confederate Federal Confederate Federal 1864-65 East 1864-65 East 1864-65 West 1864-65 West CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Skilled Ex ceptional Poor Skilled Av erage Skilled Poor Skilled Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Dismounted Dismounted Dismounted Dismounted Cav . Cav . Cav . Cav . Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Grand Battery Yes Yes Yes Yes Rabble Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Raw Regular Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Cav alry Artillery Crack Elite Infantry Infantry Cav alry Artillery Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Infantry Infantry Playsheet: American Civil War 1861-1865 Cavalry: All cavalry is rated as Light Cavalry. Dismounted Cavalry: Dismounted cavalry are Skirmish units. Mounted and dismounted cavalry have 3 Unit Integrity. Dismounted cavalry may fire. Dismounted cavalry will typically use the carbine ranges. Mounted infantry will use smoothbore or rifle ranges. Mounting or dismounting takes a move segment on a Move card and can be performed on an even die roll for movement. Mounting or dismounting can also be performed by maneuvering on a Leadership card. Place a horseholder marker at the point that the cavalry unit dismounts. Horseholders are not a game unit but are merely a marker to indicate where the cavalry unit dismounted and must return to mount. Horseholders may not be attacked. If a dismounted unit routs, it is on foot until rallied. If a routing dismounted unit is rallied, the rallied unit may either be mounted or dismounted at the player's discretion. Breechloading Weapons: If any units are armed with breechloading weapons (artillery, cavalry, or infantry), add the Rapid Fire card to their sequence deck. Repeating Weapons: If any cavalry or infantry units are armed with repeating weapons add the Rapid Fire and Rolling Fire card to their sequence deck. 112
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Gunboats: Gunboats move on Move and Move 1 Command Group cards. Gunboats move 12” with the river current and 6” against the river current. Any gunboat movement that is not directly up or down river is reduced by 3”. Artillery may be deployed in full (2 stands) or half battery (1 stand) units on gunboats. Single stand artillery units are Down 1 when firing. Measure all fire from the center of the artillery unit’s frontage onboard the gunboat. Gunboats receiving fire will not fall back, regardless of the fire combat. Gunboats never become Disordered. Immediate Melee: All cavalry and infantry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Period Rules Skirmish Units: All infantry units may be deployed in Skirmish formation. Dismounted cavalry is deployed in Skirmish formation. 113
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Austro-Prussian War 1866 Austro-Prussian War 1866 Austria Bavaria Italy Saxony Prussia CiC LQ Aby smal Aby smal Poor Poor Ex ceptional Cmd. Group LQ Poor Aby smal Poor Poor Skilled Infantry Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Formations Line (no mov e) Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Att. Column Grand Battery Att. Column Att. Column Line Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Line Jaegers Jaegers Bersaglieri Jaegers Jaegers Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Artillery Rabble Infantry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Raw Regular Infantry Artillery Infantry Artillery Cav alry Infantry Artillery Artillery Infantry Cav alry Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Jaegers Bersaglieri Jaegers Infantry Artillery Crack Cuirassier Hussars Elite Jaegers Jaegers Playsheet: Austro-Prussian War 1866 Austrian Infantry: The Austrian army had been suitably impressed by the French success using shock tactics in 1859 that they focused their tactics on shock prior to and in the 1866 war. Austrian infantry may only move when in Attack Column formation. Austrians may be deployed in Line but may not move in Line. Units in Line may still maneuver. Immediate Melee: Cavalry and Austrian infantry in Attack Column may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. Prussian Artillery: Prussians in this war were very sensitive to losses of their prized rifled Krupp artillery. When a Prussian Krupp artillery battery is eliminated, an additional AMP is lost. Prussian Infantry: Prussian infantry may only be deployed in Line. Prussian infantry only melees on a Melee card and may not immediate melee. Prussian Sequence Deck: Add 1 Rapid Fire card to the Prussian sequence deck. All Prussian infantry and Krupp artillery may use the Rapid Fire card. This represents the superior firepower of the breechloading Needlegun rifle and the breechloading Krupp guns. 114
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 Imperial Republican France France Av erage Aby smal Poor Bavaria CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Co. Column Line Att. Column Prussia Wurttemburg Poor Ex ceptional Av erage Av erage Av erage Skilled Poor Line Line Co. Column Co. Column Att. Column Att. Column Regular Crack Elite Line Att. Column Att. Column Line Line Line Line Line Jaegers Chasseurs Chasseurs Jaegers Jaegers Yes Yes Yes Yes Rabble Raw Line Yes Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Cav alry Artillery Infantry Infantry Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Artillery Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Infantry Turcos Jaegers Zouav es Cav alry Cav alry Infantry Cav alry Infantry Artillery Chasseurs Infantry Jaegers Jaegers Chasseurs Artillery Guard Guard Playsheet: Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 • French artillery is muzzleloading and suffered from poor fuses. o French artillery only uses the Artillery Fire cards and may not use the Rapid Fire card . o Use the shorter French artillery fire ranges shown on the playsheet. o Subtract 4 from the D20 roll when rating French artillery. • Prussian artillery is armed with rapid firing and longer ranged breechloading Krupp guns. o Add the Rapid Fire card to the Prussian sequence deck. All Prussian artillery may use the Rapid Fire card. o Use the longer Prussian artillery fire ranges shown on the playsheet. o Add 4 to the D20 roll when rating Krupp guns. Ground Scale: Since all units are in looser order and weapon ranges have grown, as well as to keep a good game ratio of movement to firing ranges, the ground scale is approximately 1”=80 yards. 115 Period Rules Artillery Guns: All artillery pieces are rifled. The French artillery is muzzleloading while the Prussian artillery is breechloading. To reflect the different capabilities of the guns, use the following rules:
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Immediate Melee: Cavalry, Prussian infantry in Company Column, and Turcos/Zouaves may immediate melee. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. Infantry Formations: French infantry may only use Line Formation. Prussian and German states infantry may use Company Column or Line. Company Column is represented on the table as a closed formation appearing as an Attack Column. This tabletop formation portrays the actual Company Column which was an extended order combination of a skirmish screen fronting open companies in platoon columns, spaced linearly behind the skirmish screen. Infantry Rifles: Infantry are armed with rapid firing breechloading rifles. To reflect the different capabilities of the rifles, use the following rules: • French infantry is armed with the most advanced rifle of the time, the Chassepot rifle. o Add the Rapid Fire card to the French sequence deck. All French infantry may use the Rapid Fire card. o Use the longer French infantry fire ranges shown on the playsheet • Prussian infantry is armed with the Needlegun breechloading rifle. o Add the Rapid Fire card to the Prussian sequence deck. All Prussian infantry may use the Rapid Fire card. o Use the shorter Prussian infantry fire ranges shown on the playsheet. • Bavarian infantry is armed with the Podewils breechloading rifle. o Bavarian infantry only uses the Infantry Fire cards and may not use the Rapid Fire card. o Use the longer Bavarian infantry fire ranges shown on the playsheet. Mitrailleuse: The French Mitrailleuse is rated as an Early MG. Mitrailleuse units use the Artillery Fire and Rapid Fire cards. Sequence Deck: Add the Rapid Fire card to both the French and Prussian sequence decks. Unit use is as defined above. 116
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Russo-Turkish War 1877 Russo-Turkish War 1877 Romania Russia Turkey Poor Average Poor Poor Average Average Line Att. Column Line Line Att. Column Line Att. Column Line Att. Column Line Skirmish Units Rifles Rifles Bashi Bazouks Circassians Kurds Grand Battery Yes Yes Yes Reserve/Militia Infantry Bashi Bazouks Artillery Circassians Dragoons Infantry Kurds Reserve Infantry Artillery Dragoons Infantry CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Rabble Raw Artillery Cavalry Infantry Bulgarian Legion Cossacks Regular Artillery Cavalry Infantry Artillery Cavalry Infantry Crack Grenadiers Rifles Elite Guard Playsheet: Russo-Turkish War 1877 Artillery Guns: All artillery pieces are breechloading rifled guns. o Add the Rapid Fire card to all sequence decks. All artillery may use the Rapid Fire card. Immediate Melee: Infantry may immediate melee. Others may only initiate melee on a Melee card. Period Rules Infantry Formations: All infantry may use line or attack column formations. Only units capable of skirmishing may use skirmish formation. See the army list for suggested troop types that may be in skirmish formation. 117
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Infantry Rifles: All infantry is armed with rapid firing breechloading rifles. To reflect the different capabilities of the rifles, use the following rules: • Russian infantry is armed with breechloading (BL) rifles or muzzleloading rifles (ML). o Add the Rapid Fire card to the Russian sequence deck. All Russian infantry armed with BL rifles may use the Rapid Fire card. o Guard and Grenadier units are armed with BL rifles. o 80% of Rifle units are armed with BL rifles, 20% with ML rifles o 50% of regular infantry units are armed with BL rifles, 50% with ML rifles. o 20% of regular cavalry is armed with repeating carbines. All other cavalry is armed with carbines. • Turkish infantry is armed with breechloading (BL) rifles or muzzleloading rifles (ML). o Add the Rapid Fire card to the Turkish sequence deck. All Turkish infantry armed with BL rifles may use the Rapid Fire card. o 60% of Reserve infantry units are armed with BL rifles, 40% with ML rifles. o 20% of militia units are armed with BL rifles, 50% with ML rifles, 30% with muskets (M) . o 70% of regular cavalry is armed with repeating carbines. All other cavalry is armed with carbines. • Romanian infantry is armed with breechloading (BL) rifles or muzzleloading rifles (ML). o Add the Rapid Fire card to the Romanian sequence deck. All Romanian infantry armed with BL rifles may use the Rapid Fire card. o 20% of regular infantry units are armed with BL rifles, 80% with ML rifles. o 40% of Rifle units are armed with BL rifles, 60% with ML rifles. o All cavalry is armed with carbines. Sequence Deck: Add the Rapid Fire card to all sequence decks. Unit use is as defined above. If any units are armed with repeating weapons add the Rolling Fire card to their sequence deck. 118
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Anglo-Zulu War 1879 Anglo-Zulu War 1879 British CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery Natal Native Contingent Av erage Colonial Horse Zulu Av erage Skilled Poor Poor Av erage Skilled Line Line Line Mass Att. Column Line Line All No Att. Column Line All No No No Cav alry Rifles Cav alry Infantry NNC Rabble NNH NNC Raw NNH Artillery Regular Cav alry Infantry Highlanders KRRC Crack Dragoon Infantry Guards Lancers Elite Playsheet: Anglo-Zulu War 1879 Army Morale Points (Optional): As the Imperial army may most likely be significantly outnumbered, scenario designers may wish to add 25-50% additional Army Morale Points to the Imperial army. When determining the total number of units in the Imperial army to use when rolling for Army Morale Points, add an extra 25 to 50% to the unit total and then roll for Army Morale. Note that his rule is optional and can be used at the scenario designer's discretion. Immediate Melee: British lancers and Zulu infantry (non-firearm armed) may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a melee card. Interpenetration: Units in Mass formation may not interpenetrate other units in Mass formation. Multiple Unit Squares: Infantry, dismounted cavalry, and artillery or machine gun units may form multiple unit squares. All units must be in contact with another friendly unit, and the total formation must be in a roughly square (rectangle) shape. Units in a multiple unit square use the special rules for squares in melee while the units constitute a "square". A square is formed of units in flank contact with other friendly units 119 Period Rules Machine Guns: British machine guns are rated as an Early MG and use the Artillery Fire and Rapid Fire cards.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" that are arranged in a square or rectangular formation. A multiple unit square remains a square until the unit is voluntarily broken up, or a component unit is routed or eliminated. Once a multiple unit square is broken up, normal melee modifiers and procedures are followed. Fire at units that are in a multiple unit square is modified based on the individual target unit’s formation. Multiple unit squares consisting entirely of infantry or dismounted cavalry may move at the 1/4 infantry sidestep/backwards move rate (2"). Non-imperialist armies may not use multiple unit squares. Rockets: Rockets use Smoothbore artillery ranges but cannot fire at targets closer than 12". Use the ratings for Smoothbore artillery, and rate according to the weight of the rocket ordinance (Light, Medium, Heavy). Rocket units reload on the Artillery Fire card. Place two fire markers on a rocket unit when it fires. Modify the Combat Die using normal modifiers and resolve the fire using normal procedures. Remove 1 fire marker per Artillery Fire card. Rockets are very inaccurate and will have a lower Combat Die than most other artillery. Subtract 5 from the D20 roll when rating rocket batteries. The path of the rocket flight may affect both friendly and enemy units. Roll a D6 when a rocket battery fires to determine the path of the rocket. • On a roll of 1, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to a point D12” to the firer’s left of the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. • On a roll of 2, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to a point D6” to the firer’s left of the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. • On a roll of 3 or 4, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. o Follow normal fire combat resolution rules to determine the effectiveness of the fire on the target unit. • On a roll of 5, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to a point D6” to the firer’s right of the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. • On a roll of 6, the rocket’s path is along a line traced from the center of the rocket battery unit to a point D12” to the firer’s right of the center of the target unit. o Any unit that is under the path of the rocket must roll their Defense Die vs a D8. If the Defense Die roll is less than the D8, the unit becomes Disordered. Sequence Deck: Add 3 Frenzied Charge cards to the Zulu sequence deck. Zulus (without firearms) may use the Frenzied Charge card. If there are any Zulu units with firearms, the Zulu sequence deck has one Infantry Fire card. If there are no Zulu units with firearms, remove all Infantry Fire cards. Remove all Artillery Fire cards from the Zulu sequence deck. Add the Rapid Fire card to the British sequence deck. All British units use the Rapid Fire card. Unit Formations: All Zulu units are in Mass. British are in Line or Skirmish. Colonial Horse are in Line or Skirmish (if dismounted). Natal Native Contingent and Natal Native Horse are in Line. 120
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Unit Size (optional): It is possible to play scenarios where companies are the tactical units represented without any adverse effect on play. 1 Infantry Unit = 80 to 120 men 1 Cavalry Unit = 60 to 100 men 1 Artillery Unit = 1 to 2 guns and crew Zulu Movement: Zulus move at 10” per segment. Modify Zulu Command Group leaders Leadership die sizes Up 1 for all movement rolls. Zulu Throwing Spears: Zulus could be armed with 1 or 2 throwing spears in addition to their primary stabbing assegai. If throwing spears are to be used in a scenario, allow Zulu units a one-time Up 1 melee modifier (for throwing their spears). Period Rules Zulus With Firearms: A very limited number of Zulu units may have firearms. These units are still deployed in Mass. Subtract 4 from the D20 roll when rolling for the unit’s Combat Die size prior to the game. 121
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Anglo-Sudan War 1881-1899 Anglo-Sudan War 1881-1899 Mahdists Mahdists 1881-89 1881-89 West. Sudan East. Sudan CiC LQ Cmd. Group LQ Infantry Formations Cavalry Formations Skirmish Units Grand Battery British 1884-85 British 1885-99 Poor Poor Abysmal Abysmal Average Skilled Poor Poor Poor Abysmal Average Skilled Mass Mass Mass Line Square Line Square Line Square Mass Mass Mass Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line Attack Col. Line None None None None No No No No Rabble Artillery Infantry Non-Jihadya Riflemen Raw Cavalry Infantry Jihadya Riflemen Regular Mahdists 1890-99 Egypt 1881-85 Unreformed Army Infantry Artillery Riflemen Cavalry Infantry Dismounted Cav. Dismounted Cav. Infantry Infantry No No Bashi Bazouks Bazingers Artillery Gendarmes Infantry Infantry Irregulars Cavalry Artillery Infantry Cavalry Bengal Infantry NonInfantry Egyptian Infantry Muluazimayya Sudanese Riflemen Infantry Cavalry Infantry Muluazimayya Riflemen Artillery Artillery Cavalry Infantry Egyptian Camel Corps Guards Highlanders KRRC Naval Brigade Crack Artillery Cavalry Infantry Egyptian Regulars Sudanese Regulars Guards Highlanders Elite Playsheet: Anglo-Sudan War 1881-1899 Army Morale Points: As the Imperial army may most likely be significantly outnumbered, scenario designers may wish to add 25-50% additional Army Morale Points to the Imperial army. When determining the total number of units in the Imperial army to use when rolling for Army Morale Points, add an extra 25 to 50% to the unit total and then roll for Army Morale. Note that his rule is optional and can be used at the scenario designer's discretion. 122
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Gunboats: Gunboats move on Move and Move 1 Command Group cards. Gunboats move 12” with the river current and 6” against the river current. Any gunboat movement that is not directly up or down river is reduced by 3”. Artillery may be deployed in full (2 stands) or half battery (1 stand) units on gunboats. Single stand artillery units are Down 1 when firing. Measure all fire from the center of the artillery unit’s frontage onboard the gunboat. Gunboats receiving fire will not fall back, regardless of the fire combat. Gunboats never become Disordered. Interpenetration: Units in Mass formation may not interpenetrate other units in Mass formation. Immediate Melee: British cavalry and Mahdist infantry may immediate melee on a won Even movement roll. Others may only initiate melee on a melee card. Machine Guns: Prior to the 1899 campaign, British machine guns are rated as an Early MG and use the Artillery Fire and Rapid Fire cards. For the 1899 campaign, British machine guns are Maxim machine guns which are rated as Late MG. Armies with Maxim machine guns add both the Rapid Fire and Rolling Fire to their sequence decks. Mahdist Movement: Modify Mahdist Command Group leaders Leadership die sizes Up 1 for all movement rolls. Mahdists With Firearms: Mahdist units with firearms are deployed in Line. Subtract 2 from the D20 roll when rolling for the unit’s Combat Die size prior to the game. Multiple Unit Squares: Infantry, dismounted cavalry, and artillery or machine gun units may form multiple unit squares. All units must be in contact with another friendly unit, and the total formation must be in a roughly square (rectangle) shape. Units in a multiple unit square use the special rules for squares in melee if the units constitute a "square". A square is formed of units in flank contact with other friendly units that are arranged in a square or rectangular formation. A multiple unit square remains a square until the unit is voluntarily broken up, or a component unit is routed or eliminated. Once a multiple unit square is broken up, normal melee modifiers and procedures are followed. Fire at units that are in a multiple unit square is modified based on the individual target unit’s formation. Multiple unit squares consisting entirely of infantry or dismounted cavalry may move at the 1/4 infantry sidestep/backwards move rate (2"). Non-imperialist armies may not use multiple unit squares. For the 1881 and early war period, add one Rapid Fire card to the British sequence deck. For the 1899 war, add one Rapid Fire and one Rolling Fire card to the British sequence deck. All British and allied Egyptian and Sudanese artillery, dismounted cavalry, and infantry units use their appropriate fire cards plus the Rapid Fire card. Machine guns use the Artillery Fire, Rapid Fire, and Rolling Fire card. 123 Period Rules Sequence Deck: Add 3 Frenzied Charge cards to the Mahdist sequence deck. Mahdist units (without firearms) may use the Frenzied Charge card. If there are any Mahdist units with firearms, the Mahdist sequence deck has two Infantry Fire cards. If there are no Mahdist units with firearms, remove all Infantry Fire cards. If there are no artillery units in the Mahdist army, remove all Artillery Fire cards from the Mahdist sequence deck. If there are artillery units in the Mahdist army, the Mahdist Sequence deck will have two Artillery Fire cards.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Unit Size (optional): It is possible to play scenarios where companies are the tactical units represented without any adverse effect on play. Use the Tactical game firing ranges. 1 Infantry Unit = 80 to 120 men 1 Cavalry Unit = 60 to 100 men 1 Artillery Unit =1 to 2 guns and crew 124
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.0 Season of Battle Season of Battle is a campaign system that focuses on a single operational command group from opposing armies in a defined combat theatre. Players maneuver the forces on the theatre map, resolve battles on the tabletop, and adjust the characteristics and strength of the operational forces between battles. Campaigns can last anywhere from a single season or less to multiple seasons, depending on the outcome of the tabletop battles. Season of Battle is a linked battle and battle generation campaign system. While it is aimed at tabletop games played with Field of Battle, it can be adapted to be used with most game systems. Season of Battle requires a minimum of record keeping and allows for player decisions to form the context and situation for each battle in the campaign. Season of Battle was designed so that it doesn't take much time to set up and administer, comes to a definite conclusion, and allows you to follow an army's progression through a series of battles. The system is designed to provide the tactical situation, with operational maneuvering that provides context for the battle. The system is designed so that it gives each side a reasonable chance at victory. After all, while many gamers may say that they like to play in an unbalanced scenario, those tend to not be much fun if gaming opportunities are limited. SoB uses a single deck of cards to create the campaign actions and battlefield selection. The campaign map consists of a home area for each side, a central starting area for the campaign, and regions in each side’s home territory. A campaign consists of one to multiple campaign seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). Each side begins the campaign with a randomly determined number of National Morale Points that are lost throughout the campaign. Victory for a campaign season is achieved when an army’s National Morale Point total drops to 0. Victory for the campaign is achieved when an army is defeated in their home area. Each area is defined as Open, Moderate, or Dense. These titles characterize the general density and type of terrain in that area. Each density of area has tactical battlefield maps assigned to it, which are used to select the battlefield for the tactical tabletop game. A single campaign deck is used by both sides to run the campaign. One pass through the campaign deck is defined as a Season. The Seasons are further defined as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. The campaign deck is used to create both army’s status and the tactical situation for the upcoming battle. An army roster is created for each army at the start of the campaign. The roster lists each unit and officer along with their Combat/Defense/Leadership Die values, and the beginning National Morale Point total. The roster is used to track any increase/decrease in the unit and leader capability after a battle, as well as tracking the National Morale Points. That's pretty much it. It's fast, smooth, and doesn't take the focus away from the tactical game which is why we're playing with miniatures! 125
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.1 Campaign Outline and Elements A campaign consists of one to multiple years. A year has four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. A battle is fought in each season. The campaign is won if one side wins a battle in the opponent’s home area. A season is won if either side’s National Morale Point total has dropped to zero or less than zero after a battle. If a shorter campaign time frame is desired, simply change the campaign turn to be a month and the “season” then becomes a week. So, a campaign would consist of one to multiple months. A month has four weeks (“seasons”). A battle is fought in each week. If using this method, still check for weather in each week, but the weather roll would change only when moving to a month in a different season (of weather) ~ 126 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.11 Campaign Process The steps needed to play a campaign are explained individually in detail in their own unique sections in the rules. The summary of steps involved in playing a campaign are: 1) Create campaign map. a) Name areas. b) Assign area victory points. c) Assign area terrain densities. 2) Separate battlefield maps into Open, Moderate, Dense card decks. 3) Create army rosters. a) Rate armies. b) Rate leaders. 4) Determine National Morale Points. 5) Create campaign card deck a) Add 7 campaign cards of each army color. b) Add 2 Weather cards. 6) Place engagement marker at starting area in the center area on campaign map. 7) Roll each army’s CiC Leadership Die. a) High roll selects starting campaign season. b) High roll elects to draw first or second from campaign deck c) The side drawing and revealing the card is the Active side. 8) Proceed through campaign deck play. a) Alternate play, 1 card draw per side, taking turns as the Active side. b) Note campaign results with markers on the campaign map perimeter tracking log, or on a separate campaign log. 9) Battle is forced by play of Battle card, or by end of Season. 10) Roll each army’s CiC Leadership Die to determine battle set up. 11) Resolve battle. 12) If an army loses a battle in their home area, they lose the campaign. 13) Resolve post battle effects. a) Adjust National Morale Points. b) Adjust unit and leader ratings per post battle process results. 14) If the enemy’s National Morale Point total drops to 0 after a battle that is not in the enemy’s home area, the winning army may move the Engagement Area one space following allowable routes in any direction. 15) If the campaign year ends and the campaign is not complete, both sides may carry over a portion of their remaining National Morale Points. a) Roll a D10 for each increment of 10 National Morale Points remaining, ignoring any remainder less than 10. b) The number rolled is the amount of National Morale Points that are carried over to the next year. Example: A side has 26 NMPs remaining. The army would roll a D10 twice (ignoring the 6 point remainder). If they rolled a 3 and a 9, they would carry over 12 NMPs to the next year in the campaign. 16) If the campaign continues into the next year, roll for the new year’s National Morale Point totals for each army, add any National Morale Points rolled over, and return to step 8. ~ 127 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.12 Battlefield Deck The Battlefield deck is a deck of 54 cards that are used to create the tabletop game terrain. Each battlefield map shows the terrain and the map number (in this example, Map 2). Each building shown on the maps is a Town Section. Town Sections Road River Woods Hill contour The map is broken into 1’x1’ square zones on the tabletop. These zones are also used to identify set up areas as the game scenario is generated. An army can deploy in any of the 9 squares along their edge of the table, as well as in any of the additional squares gained in the pre-battle campaign process. If the game table is of a different size than the 5’x9’ shown on the battlefield map, the zones and table size can be scaled to fit the available table size. Example: If the game table is 5’ x 9’, a 1’x1’ grid can be used, giving 5 zones x 9 zones, or 45 zones for the table. If the table is 4’x6’, an 8” x 8” grid could be used, giving a 6 zone by 9 zone table area (54 zones). The key is to set up the grid system that is used to identify terrain placement and set up areas. The zones don’t need to be marked on the tabletop. My terrain is based on 12” square tiles, so they naturally provide the grid on the table. ~ 128 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Designer’s Note: The terrain shown on each map can be treated as a guideline. The terrain on the maps matches my terrain collection. I realize that no one will have exactly what I have, nor will there be any consistency from gamer to gamer. There is no requirement to match the hill contours or other details exactly. For example, if multiple individual hills can be used to create the hilly area on the bottom corner of Map 2. Players will need to be aware that the actual tabletop terrain may vary from the map depending on the available terrain resources in the group’s collection. Likewise, there is nothing magical about these battle maps. Users are encouraged to create their own library of battle maps that match their available terrain and use those for the campaign. My original maps were sketches that I photocopied onto card stock. Create maps (remembering that you need to create 52 maps!) that fit your available terrain and the layouts you prefer. It’s your campaign – make it the way you enjoy it! Each battlefield is further defined as either Open, Moderate, or Dense. The maps in each category are: • Open o Map Numbers 1 to 18 • Moderate o Map Numbers 19 to 36 • Dense o Map Numbers 37 to 54 Terrain classes for each terrain area or item are randomly assigned by rolling a D10 and referring to the table below. OPEN Hills Rivers Towns Woods Hills Rivers Moderate Towns Woods Dense Hills Rivers Towns Woods I 1-5 1-6 NA 1 I 1-3 1-4 NA 1 I 1-2 1-4 NA NA ~ 129 ~ II 6-9 7-10 1-6 2-9 II 4-7 5-9 1-6 2-7 II 3-5 5-7 1-6 1-5 III 10 NA 7-10 10 III 8-10 10 7-10 8-10 III 6-10 8-10 7-10 6-10
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Designer’s Note: Period or geography adjustments can easily be made for any campaign map. The campaign maps show the typical “wargamer green” map with representative town areas and terrain. Users should feel free to declare changes to the maps based on the area or era of the campaign they are playing. For example, if playing a campaign in an arid location, simply rule that any river is in fact a dry riverbed or wadi. If playing an ACW campaign, replace town areas with wooded areas. The only limit is the imagination. Players should feel free to create a terrain table that represents the period in which the campaign is set, as well as their personal preferences. I find that Class III rivers inevitably create “traffic jam at the bridge” games, so I rarely use Class III rivers. 11.13 Campaign Deck The campaign deck consists of 7 action cards of an identifying color for each side, plus two yellow Weather cards. Each side is assigned a color for their campaign deck. The deck colors are dark blue, light blue, red, green, gray, and white. An easy way to select the color is to assign a color that matches the primary uniform color recognized for that army. Example: An American Civil War Federal army would use the dark blue cards, and the Confederate army would use the gray cards. The color-coded campaign cards for each side are: • • • • • Battle Move (3 each) Plan & Prepare Supply Operational Initiative Each army’s 7 colored cards plus the two yellow Weather cards are gathered into a single 16 card campaign deck and shuffled. 11.2 Setting Up the Campaign Players select the period for the campaign and select armies for the campaign season. Each army’s composition (the number and type of units) remains the same throughout a campaign system. While the quality of units in a game can vary from game to game depending on postgame adjustments, the basic army remains unchanged. Depending on the period and player preferences, armies can be of equal size and composition or can be historically uneven in size. For most similarly armed and organized armies, numerically similar forces work well. ~ 130 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.21 Create Army Rosters Prior to campaign or tabletop play, a roster is completed for each army. The roster lists the army’s units and leaders. The initial ratings (Combat Die/Defense Die for units; Leadership Die for leaders) are shown on the roster. Any changes resulting from the post battle adjustment phase are noted on the roster, and the adjusted unit or Leadership values are used in the next battle. All changes are permanent unless changed (either up or down) in a subsequent post battle adjustment phase. All units and leaders are organized into Command Groups in the roster listing. Command Groups can only be changed or reorganized on the Plan & Prepare card. A roster sheet is provided in the Appendix. 11.22 Determining National Morale Points Per Campaign Year National Morale Points (NMPs) are an abstraction of the resources available to each Campaign Army. NMPs are randomly determined prior to the Campaign year and are adjusted after each battle. NMP’s are determined for each campaign year by rolling three times on the Morale Point table shown below by cross referencing the Campaign Army size (in number of units) with a D12 die roll. The results of the three rolls are added together to arrive at the total number of NMPs for the campaign year. Example: A French campaign army from 1870 has 21 units. The French player rolls the D12 three times. The D12 rolls are 4, 9, and 5. The rolls result in 19, 23, and 20 National Morale Points. These are added together, giving the French a total of 62 National Morale Points for the campaign year (19+23+20=62 NMPs). A battle ends one of two ways. An army will lose by failing an Army Morale test, or an army may voluntarily forfeit the game at any point when they have zero morale points and an Army Morale card is turned. ~ 131 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Number of Units National Morale Points D12 Die Roll 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 1 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 29 30 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 32 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 31 31 32 33 34 4 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 32 33 34 35 36 5 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 ~ 132 ~ 6,7 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 8 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 9 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 10 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 43 44 45 46 11 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44 46 47 48 12 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 33 34 35 36 38 39 40 41 43 44 45 46 48 49 50
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.3 Creating the Campaign Map The map shown below is from an American Civil War campaign. A map without names, victory points, and terrain densities is included in the appendix for creating campaign maps. Move Modifiers: UP 1 if Moving to a Lower Terrain Density Area Down 1 if Moving to a Higher Terrain Density Area Spring Summer 1-3 Good; 4+ Bad Bad: DN1 on Move ` Bad: DN1 on Supply 1 Bad; 2+ Good Bad: DN1 on Supply Supply: Friendly UP2 Enemy Down 2 Supply: Friendly UP1 Enemy Down 1 Season of Battle Supply: Friendly Win Ties Supply: Friendly Win Ties 5 5 5 O Winter 1-8 Bad; 9+ Good Bad: DN1 on Move Bad: DN1 on Supply Supply: Friendly UP1 Enemy Down 1 6 Strasburg Amelia CH Fall 1-5 Bad; 6+ Good Bad: DN1 on Move Bad: DN1 on Supply 7 Harpers Ferry M Sharpsburg M M Warrenton 6 8 9 O 4 10 Ma na ssa s Fred.burg Hanover Junct. O Washington O O D Chanc'ville 8 4 M Fairfax CH Petersburg D D 8 4 M 7 Alexandria Falmouth Spotsylvania Cold Harbor M O 4 D Occoquan O UP1 Modifier: Home D4/Enemy D4+5 6 7 Charles City UP1 Modifier: Home D4+1/Enemy D4+4 Tac Init. Supply Effect on Strength Orient Map +5% 1,2 squares Gettysburg 7 10 M 6 O New Market D Richmond Supply: Friendly UP2 Enemy Down 2 +10% -5% O UP1 Modifier: Home D4+2/Enemy D4+3 UP1 Modifier: Home D4+2/Enemy D4+3 UP1 Mod: Home D4+1 Enemy D4+4 Supply Effect on Strength -10% Strengths and Advantages -10% -5% 10% 5% 3+D6 Init. UP1 Mod: Home D4 Enemy D4+5 Tac Init. Orient Map 1,2 squares 3+D6 Init. The campaign map is an area movement map. Movement between areas is only allowed via lines connecting the areas. Designer’s Note: The map can be modified as desired or ignored entirely if you wish to create your own map. I suggest that any new map keep roughly the same dimensions (number of areas, regions) to maintain the campaign deck size and map in relative proportion. Note that the map has a minimum of 5 area pathways between the center area and either home area. I find that a 5 area pathway/distance from the center location and the home areas strikes a good balance between being able to get to the opponent’s home area too quickly and helps avoid being mired in a campaign where movement doesn’t seem to result in any appreciable change. It is possible to create a map that mimics historical geographies and transport routes. The map provided is a general map that can have area names added for flavor. As it is not possible for me to correctly guess which eras and theatres would be best fits for everyone’s preferences, I’ve elected to provide a generic map that can be used as a basis for virtually any campaign era or location. The map is broken into regions. The regions are separated by dotted lines. The starting area for the campaign is the center area. Each army has a home area located in the region closest to their edge of the map. ~ 133 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Each area has a Victory Point value that is randomly assigned to it prior to the start of the campaign. Each area has the terrain density (Open, Moderate, Dense) randomly assigned to it prior to the start of the campaign. The terrain density is used to identify the battlefields that are available in that area, as well as the terrain class on the battlefield maps. The top and bottom of the campaign map shows comments that apply to game situations in each region. • The top of the map shows Leadership Die roll modifiers that apply in those regions when the Supply card is turned. • The bottom of the map shows the randomly determined number of National Morale Points that can be spent to modify the Leadership Die roll Up 1 for ANY die roll. Designer’s Note: The modifiers make it easier to pass supply tests when in your own regions, and more difficult to pass supply tests when in the enemy’s regions. Players can elect to use National Morale Points to further modify any die roll. This can be a risky enterprise – how much of a chance should be taken to modify a Supply roll? What if you really want to get to a specific area for a battle? Is it worth spending National Morale Points? While not necessary, it adds color to the campaign to name each area. Names can be assigned based on the actual names in the area of an historical campaign, or fictional names can be created. The area names do not materially impact the campaign, but there is more satisfaction knowing that you just moved out of Frederick and into the Shenandoah Valley, rather than moving from Area 4 to Area 6. A good source of names can be found in historical reference works, grand tactical or operational level board games, or even by using modern online maps and noting modern names of major towns that could be used for area names (adjusted as necessary to fit the era being represented). 11.31 Assigning Area Victory Points Each home area is worth 10 Victory Points (VPs). All other areas have their VP total randomly assigned. Take a standard deck of playing cards and separate all 4 of the 4’s, 5’s, 6’s, 7’s, 8’s. Add a single 9 to the pile of cards. The resulting deck has 21 cards. Shuffle the 21 cards. Select an area in which to begin and draw the top card. Note the value of the card in that area on the map as the area’s VP total. Discard that card. Move on to the next area, draw the next card and note the value of the card in that area on the map as the area’s VP total. Discard that card. Repeat this process until all areas have had a VP value assigned. ~ 134 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.32 Assigning Area Terrain Densities All areas have their terrain density (Open, Moderate, Dense) randomly assigned. Use the same 21 card deck that was used to assign VPs (see 11.31 above). The density of terrain in an area is determined by the value of the card turned for that area. • Open: 4’s and 5’s • Moderate: 6’s and 7’s • Dense: 8’s and 9 Shuffle the 21 cards. Select and area in which to begin and draw the top card. Note the value of the card and the density it represents. Record the density in that area on the map. Discard that card. Repeat this process until all areas have had a terrain density assigned. 11.4 Playing the Campaign A campaign turn is a season (Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter). • A turn of play through the campaign deck is a season, which will always result in one battle. A campaign year consists of four campaign seasons. Campaign actions are controlled by a single deck (See 11.13 Campaign Deck) that has action cards of each player’s army’s colors, plus two Weather cards. A marker is placed in the center location of the campaign map to begin the campaign. The marker is moved from area to area via the lines linking adjacent areas on the campaign map as a result of either side electing to move on Move cards. Designer’s Note: The marker represents the general area in which both sides’ armies are currently located. Both side’s armies are assumed to be in general contact with each other through outpost and reconnaissance efforts. The movement of the marker from area to area represents the grand tactical maneuvering of the two armies as they stay in proximity of each other on the campaign map. Note that the engagement marker can be any marker as chosen by the players, for example a coin or a die. Its function is only to indicate the area currently in play. To begin the turn, each side rolls their Leadership Die. • The side rolling higher may elect to act first or second drawing a card. This order remains for the remainder of the card draws in the campaign season. • The campaign turn begins with the Spring season. Designer’s Note: Campaigns will typically begin in the Spring to allow more seasons in the campaign turn. However, if players wish to introduce a twist, the player rolling higher to begin the turn can elect to begin the campaign in any season they wish. Maybe the enemy is close to their home area as a result of previous season’s play and they want “General Winter” to help slow the enemy movement, so they elect to begin the campaign year in the Winter. Who knows? Each side alternates drawing and acting on action cards from the campaign deck until either battle is forced, or the campaign deck is exhausted at which time battle is forced. There will always be a battle in each season. ~ 135 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Players act on an action card by rolling their modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. the opponent’s Opposition Die. If they are acting on a card that is the color of their deck, their Leadership Die is unmodified. If they are acting on a card that is the color of the opponent’s deck, their Leadership Die is modified Down 1. An LD roll higher than the Opposition Die roll is a success. Check each card’s definition to determine the range of results for success. 11.41 Opposition Dice Opposition Dice represent the allocation of the army’s resources to resist and impede enemy actions in the campaign theatre. Opposition Dice are an abstraction of cavalry screens, cavalry raids, light forces delaying enemy actions, raids on supply trains, etc. An Opposition Die is the die that is rolled against the enemy Leadership Die on a campaign card. Each side begins the campaign season with seven Opposition Dice. The mix of Opposition Dice available to an army depends on the Leadership Die size for that army. Leadership Die D12+1 D12 D10 D8 Opposition Dice D6, D8, D10,D10, D12, D12 D6, D6, D8, D8 D10, D12, D12 D4, D6, D8, D8, D10, D10, D12 D4, D4, D6, D8, D8, D8, D10 Players will need to determine which enemy action they want to act against the most aggressively and play larger Opposition Dice accordingly. During campaign card play each season, each side selects an Opposition Die to roll against the Active enemy’s LD roll. Once an Opposition Die has been rolled, it is removed from play until the total pool of Opposition Dice is replenished at the start of the next turn, or by replenishing all Opposition Dice on a Plan and Prepare card. 11.42 Winning the Campaign A campaign is won if: • One side still has National Morale Points after a battle and: o The opposing side’s National Morale Point total has dropped to zero or less than zero after a battle. Any other combination of National Morale Point totals after a battle results in a continuation of the campaign. Designer’s Note: Campaigns have the potential to reach a tipping point where one side loses more than its share of battles and the campaign outcome is obvious. Players can lose interest at that point. Some players may not want the competitive nature of scoring with National Morale Point totals. Feel free to not declare a “winner” if one side runs out of National Morale Points and instead just continue the campaign but move it to a different theatre, with different troop qualities and rosters. A campaign is all about the narrative that is created. Some gamers will be perfectly satisfied using Season of Battles to provide a framework for a “never ending” campaign. ~ 136 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.5 Campaign Card Definitions Campaign Card Definitions A summary of actions and effects of each campaign card is printed on the card. A full description of each card follows below. Battle Battle When the Battle card is turned, the active player may roll to determine if they can activate the card. Note that they are not required to make the attempt. The active player rolls their modified LD vs. the Opposition Die. • • • If the card is the army’s color, there is no modification to the LD. If the card is the enemy’s color, the LD is modified Down 1. The LD is modified Up 1 if National Morale Points are expended. The number of NMPS spent varies depending on the region of the map in which the engagement area is located. If the modified LD roll is larger than the Opposition Die roll, the active player may act with the Battle card and immediately force a battle. If the active player won the roll with an Even roll, he may hold the card and play at any time at his discretion. See 11.6 Campaign Card and Battle Set Up Result to set up the table top battle situation. ~ 137 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Move Move When the Move card is turned, the active player may roll to determine if they can activate the card. Note that they are not required to make the attempt. • • • • • If the card is the army’s color, there is no modification to the LD. If the card is the enemy’s color, the LD is modified Down 1. If moving to a more dense area from a less dense area, the LD is modified Down 1. If moving to a less dense area from a more dense area, the LD is modified Up 1. The LD is modified Up 1 if National Morale Points are expended. The number of NMPs spent varies depending on the region of the map in which the engagement area is located. The active player rolls their modified LD vs. the Opposition Die. If the modified LD roll is larger than the Opposition Die roll, the active player may act on the Move card and move one area to an adjacent linked area. ~ 138 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Operational Initiative Operational Initiative When the Operational Initiative card is turned, the active player rolls to determine if they can activate the card and hold it for use when battle is forced. • If the card is the army’s color, there is no modification to the LD. • If the card is the enemy’s color, the LD is modified Down 1. • The LD is modified Up 1 if National Morale Points are expended. The number of NMPS spent varies depending on the region of the map in which the engagement area is located. The Active player rolls their modified LD vs. the Opposition Die. If the modified LD roll is larger than the Opposition Die roll, the Active player may hold the Operational Initiative card and act on it when battle is forced. Any one of three actions may be selected: • • • Choose the battlefield map orientation, and select which map edge each army will use for set up. Note that if this option is selected, the army playing the Operational Initiative card will select the battlefield map orientation regardless of which army wins the battle set up LD roll. Receive additional set up squares. o If the winning die roll is odd, receive 1 additional set up square. The square must have edge to edge contact with any other set up square for that army. o If the winning die roll is even, receive 2 additional set up squares. The square must have edge to edge contact with any other set up square for that army. Receive an additional 3+D6 initiative points to be added to any single initiative during the game. Roll a D6 and add 3 to the roll to determinine the bonus points available. This option can be declared at any time during the game, and does not need to be declared prior to an initiative roll. The maximum number of initiative points (original plus the 3+D6 roll) is 11, regardless of the D6 roll. ~ 139 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Plan & Prepare Plan & Prepare When the Plan & Prepare card is turned, the active player may roll to determine if they can activate the card. Note that they are not required to make the attempt. • • • If the card is the army’s color, there is no modification to the LD. If the card is the enemy’s color, the LD is modified Down 1. The LD is modified Up 1 if National Morale Points are expended. The number of NMPS spent varies depending on the region of the map in which the engagement area is located. The active player rolls their modified LD vs. the Opposition Die. If the modified LD roll is larger than the Opposition Die roll, the active player may select any one of the three items as the action. Promote New Officer: The army can elect to remove and replace any Command Group officer with a new officer. Roll for the new officer’s Leadership Die rating per the standard Field of Battle process. Re-roll rolls of 1 or 2. The new result applies regardless of the new officer’s rating. Replenish all Opposition Dice: Return all used Opposition Dice to bring the Opposition Dice pool to full size. Reconfigure Command Groups: This is the only time that Command Groups can be reformed and reconfigured. Units can be shifted from one Command Group to another. Officers can be reassigned. Note all Command Group changes on the army roster. ~ 140 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Supply Supply When the Supply card is turned, the active player must roll to determine if they can activate the card. • • • • If the card is the army’s color, there is no modification to the LD. If the card is the enemy’s color, the LD is modified Down 1. The LD roll is modified depending on the region of the map in which the engagement area is located. See 11.3 Creating the Campaign Map. o The closer an army is to its home area, the easier it is to be supplied, and the resulting modifier is Up 1 or Up 2. o The further an army is from its home area, the harder it is to be supplied, and the resulting modifier is Down 1 or Down 2. o Armies testing for supply in the area adjacent to the starting area on their side of the campaign map win any tie rolls. The LD is modified Up 1 if National Morale Points are expended. The number of NMPs spent varies depending on the region of the map in which the engagement area is located. The active player rolls their modified LD vs. the Opposition Die. • If the modified LD roll is larger than the Opposition Die roll, the active player’s army strength (for Army Morale Point count) increases 5%. • If the modified LD roll is equal to or smaller than the Opposition Die roll, the active player’s army strength (for Army Morale Point count) decreases 5%. ~ 141 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Weather Weather The player who turns the Weather card rolls a D10 and checks if the weather changes based on the die roll and the Season. Apply any new weather effects for the remainder of the turn. If two Weather cards are turned in succession, a battle is resolved immediately. The battle is set up per Battle Set Up in the Battle card definition. Upon completion of the battle, the campaign season ends. ~ 142 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.6 Campaign Card and Battle Set Up Results Once battle has been forced by a successful play of a Battle card, the unique on-table circumstances for the battle are determined. 11.61 Battle Set Up Once battle has been declared, each side rolls their LD and consults the table below. The winner cross references the difference in the die rolls on the left side of the table (Leadership Die Roll Winner) and the loser references the difference in the die rolls on the right side of the table (Leadership Die Roll Loser). The LD die roll difference will specify the amount of benefit each side receives for the Battlefield Selection, Strength, Extra Areas, and Terrain & Works categories. Leadership Die Roll Winner ("Attacker") Roll Difference 1 Battlefield Selection Strength 2 Battlefields Roll Difference 3 3 Battlefields 4 Battlefields 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 5 Battlefields Roll Difference 1 Add 15% To Unit Count Add 20% to Unit Count Add 30% to Unit Count Extra Areas Roll Difference Terrain & Works 1 Choose ONE of: Place 1 Earthwork Remove 2 Terrain Features Define 2 Terrain Features 5 Extra Squares 2 Extra Squares 2 Add 25% to Unit Count 6 Battlefields Extra Areas 1 No Effect 2 Leadership Die Roll Loser ("Defender") 2 2 4 Extra Squares 3 3 Extra Squares 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 3 3 4 4 Extra Squares 5 Extra Squares 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4 3 Extra Squares 2 Extra Squares 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Choose ONE of: Place 1 Earthwork Remove 1 Terrain Feature Define 1 Terrain Feature Choose ONE of: Remove 1 Terrain Feature Define 1 Terrain Feature Define 1 Terrain Feature If the LD rolls are equal, one randomly determined Command Group from one or both armies will begin the game offboard. After noting the tied die roll value, re-roll the LD’s until a non-tie result is obtained and then consult the Battlefield Selection, Strength, Extra Areas, and Terrain & Works table above. The side with a lower LD roll is the “defender”, and the side with a higher LD roll is the “attacker”. The tied LD die roll indicates which armies have a Command Group initially offboard. Tied LD Roll Results • 1,2,3 o Defender begins the game with a Command Group offboard. • 4,5,6,7 o Both armies begin the game with a Command Group offboard. • 8,9,10,11,12 o Attacker begins the game with a Command Group offboard ~ 143 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" The offboard Command Group begins the game off the table edge a number of move segments equal to a D10 die roll. To randomly determine the offboard Command Group, number off the Command Groups from 1 to a number equal to the number of Command Groups in the army. Roll a die size equal to or larger than the number of Command Groups. The number rolled is the number of the Command Group that begins offboard. If a die roll is larger than the number of Command Groups, reroll until a number in the range of available Command Groups is rolled. Example: A Confederate army has 7 Command Groups. The Confederate commander numbers his Command Groups 1 through 7. He selects a D8 to roll (equal to or larger than the number of Command Groups). The roll is an 8. There are only 7 Command Groups so the D8 is rerolled. The reroll is a 3. The Command Group numbered “3” will begin the game offboard. Prior to the start of the game, the arrival location for the offboard Command Group must either be indicated to the game umpire, or noted in secret. The arrival location must be in any table edge area eligible for initial setup, which includes any additional squares that may have been located on a table end. Command Groups will be at the table edge upon receiving the number of move segments specified. The next move segments will allow the Command Group to move onto the table. Example: The Prussians turn a Battle card. They elect to attempt to play the card and force battle. The Prussian CiC LD is a D10. The French have a D8 Opposition Die assigned for Battle that they elect to roll. The Battle card that was turned is the Prussian’s card, so they do not modify their Leadership Die size. The Prussians roll a 7 and the French roll a 2. The Prussians are successful in getting the card and forcing battle. Since they rolled odd, they may not hold the card. Both sides roll their LD. The Prussians roll their D10. The French LD is also a D10. The die rolls are both 5. Since the LD rolls tied, someone will begin with a Command Group off the table. In this example, the tie die roll is a 5, so both armies begin with a Command Group offboard. The Prussians secretly roll a D10 to determine how many move segments their Command Group will be offboard and roll a 4, meaning that the Command Group will take 4 move segments to reach the table edge. The French roll a 10 on their roll, meaning that their offboard Command Group will take 10 move segments to reach the table edge. ~ 144 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.62 Additional Squares The map is broken into 1’x1’ square zones on the tabletop. An army can deploy in any of the 9 squares along their edge of the table, as well as in any of the additional squares gained in the pre-battle campaign process. Additional squares must have a side adjacent to any friendly square, either a baseline square or another additional square. Additional squares may be placed adjacent to an enemy square. Additional squares are identified and marked in an alternating fashion until all squares have been noted. To determine which army acts first or second to identify squares, roll each army’s LD. Total the number of all mounted units, light infantry, and native units in each army. The side with a larger total receives an Up 1 modifier to their LD roll. Re-roll any ties. The army with the higher LD roll has the option to declare to mark one additional square first or second. Alternate between the sides, one square at a time, until all additional squares have been identified. 11.63 Command Group Set Up When placing the armies on the table, the army rolling higher for placing additional squares also has the option to place Command Groups first or second. Each army places a Command Group (in an allowed square, in the formation and facing desired to start the game), alternating placement until all Command Groups have been placed on the table. Command Groups cannot be placed in a square adjacent to or in a square with corner to corner contact with another square that contains an enemy Command Group. Note that the order in which Command Groups are placed can “seize the high ground” and keep the enemy out of areas, and even areas they had selected as additional areas since opposing army’s units cannot be deployed within an adjacent square. Tricky! 11.64 Strength For the army with the higher Strength, refer to the following strength table and cross reference the additional strength percentage and the army’s number of units. The number shown is now the number of units to be used when rolling for Army Morale Points. For any decimal value, roll a D10. If the D10 roll is less than or equal to the decimal value, the army strength value is rounded up to the next integer value. Remember to add both the battle set up roll and supply roll strength modifiers together to arrive at the final total modifier. Example: An Austrian has a +20% Strength advantage. The Austrian army has 27 units in their army. Checking the table below, 27 units +20% shows a value of 32.4. The Austrians will end up rolling on the Army Morale Points table on either the 32 or 33 # Units column depending on the D10 roll for the fraction. In this case, that fraction is 4. On a roll of 1 to 4, the Austrians get to round up to 33 units. On a roll of 5 to 10 (0), they would remain at 32 units. The Austrians roll a 2 on a D10. They will check for Army Morale Points on the 33 unit line. ~ 145 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Army Strength # Units % Strength Change -10% -5% +5% +10% +15% +20% +25% +30% 12 10.8 11.4 12.6 13.2 13.8 14.4 15.0 15.6 13 11.7 12.4 13.7 14.3 15.0 15.6 16.3 16.9 14 12.6 13.3 14.7 15.4 16.1 16.8 17.5 18.2 15 13.5 14.3 15.8 16.5 17.3 18.0 18.8 19.5 16 14.4 15.2 16.8 17.6 18.4 19.2 20.0 20.8 17 15.3 16.2 17.9 18.7 19.6 20.4 21.3 22.1 18 16.2 17.1 18.9 19.8 20.7 21.6 22.5 23.4 19 17.1 18.1 20.0 20.9 21.9 22.8 23.8 24.7 20 18.0 19.0 21.0 22 23.0 24.0 25.0 26.0 21 18.9 20.0 22.1 23.1 24.2 25.2 26.3 27.3 22 19.8 20.9 23.1 24.2 25.3 26.4 27.5 28.6 23 20.7 21.9 24.2 25.3 26.5 27.6 28.8 29.9 24 21.6 22.8 25.2 26.4 27.6 28.8 30.0 31.2 25 22.5 23.8 26.3 27.5 28.8 30.0 31.3 32.5 26 23.4 24.7 27.3 28.6 29.9 31.2 32.5 33.8 27 24.3 25.7 28.4 29.7 31.1 32.4 33.8 35.1 28 25.2 26.6 29.4 30.8 32.2 33.6 35.0 36.4 29 26.1 27.6 30.5 31.9 33.4 34.8 36.3 37.7 30 27.0 28.5 31.5 33 34.5 36.0 37.5 39.0 31 27.9 29.5 32.6 34.1 35.7 37.2 38.8 40.3 32 28.8 30.4 33.6 35.2 36.8 38.4 40.0 41.6 33 29.7 31.4 34.7 36.3 38.0 39.6 41.3 42.9 34 30.6 32.3 35.7 37.4 39.1 40.8 42.5 44.2 35 31.5 33.3 36.8 38.5 40.3 42.0 43.8 45.5 36 32.4 34.2 37.8 39.6 41.4 43.2 45.0 46.8 What? Strength doesn’t change the number of units on the table? Exactly. We played through many iterations to arrive at the current strength rules. Early versions had units or Command Groups being removed from an army. The resulting games tended to be one sided with limited tactical options for the physically outnumbered army. Changing to adjusting the Army Morale Points based on strength advantages or disadvantages, allows armies to still have enough units to be fun to play, but the resilience or brittleness of an army either high or low in morale is well reflected. ~ 146 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.7 Post Battle Adjustments: National Morale Points and CiC Fate After each battle, National Morale Points are adjusted. Based on the margin of victory, the losing army’s CiC is at risk of being replaced. 11.71 National Morale Point Adjustments NMPs are adjusted after each Battle. At the end of the battle, one Campaign Army will lose by failing an Army Morale test and end the game at 0 Army Morale Points, or by conceding on an Army Morale test. The winning Campaign Army will typically still have Army Morale Points remaining. To adjust the NMPs, subtract the net loss in Army Morale Points for each army in the battle from the pre-battle NMP. Losing Army: New NMP Total = Previous NMP Total – AMPs lost in Battle Winning Army: New NMP Total = Previous NMP Total – AMPs lost in Battle+ AMPs Awarded from Enemy + Area VP Example: An Austrian army begins a battle with 27 NMPs. The French army begins the battle with 31 NMPs. The Austrian army begins the battle with 22 Army Morale Points, and the French army begins the battle with 17 Army Morale Points. The Austrians win the battle in a 5 VP area, losing 13 of their own Army Morale Points, but are awarded 4 French Army Morale Points during the battle. The French army ends the battle with 0 Army Morale Points. The NMP total is adjusted: Austrians: 27-13+4+5 = 23 National Morale Points Remaining French: 31-17=14 National Morale Points Remaining 11.72 Margin of Victory The decisiveness of a victory will determine the fate of the losing army’s CiC. Generals that lose must answer to the home government or higher command. The worse the loss, the more likely the losing General will be sacked and replaced. The margin of victory depends on the number of Army Morale Points the winning army has at the end of the battle compared to their Army Morale Point total at the start of the battle. • • • Marginal Victory: The winning army has less than or equal to half of their starting Army Morale Points Decisive Victory: The winning army has more than half of their starting Army Morale Points. Crushing Victory: The winning army has equal to or more than their starting Army Morale Points. ~ 147 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.73 Losing Army CiC’s Fate The losing army’s CiC can be sacked and removed from his post if his army suffers a sufficiently bad or embarrassing defeat. • • • Marginal Victory: The losing army’s CiC remains in command of the army. Decisive Victory: The losing army’s CiC may be sacked. o Roll the CiC’s Leadership, modified Down 1, vs. a D12 ▪ If the Leadership Die roll is less than or equal to the D12 die roll, the CiC is sacked. • Randomly select the new CiC from the officers listed on the army roster. Replace the promoted officer with a new officer. Crushing Victory: The losing army’s CiC may be sacked. o Roll the CiC’s Leadership, modified Down 2, vs. a D12 ▪ If the Leadership Die roll is less than or equal to the D12 die roll, the CiC is sacked. • Randomly select the new CiC from the officers listed on the army roster. Replace the promoted officer with a new officer. If an army’s CiC is of a royal family, or owes the position to royal patronage, it is highly unlikely that they would be sacked. If this is the instance in the campaign, sack a junior officer by following the normal CiC replacement procedure. I recommend that the replacement CiC just be randomly selected from the list of officers on the army roster. This is as easy as assigning a number to each officer and rolling a corresponding die size with the number rolled designating the next CiC. For example, the army has 6 officers. Number them 1 to 6 and roll a D6. If a 3 is rolled, officer number 3 is the new CiC. If there were 7 officers, roll a D8 and reroll a roll of 8, etc. This takes the selection out of the player’s hands, so that he doesn’t conveniently promote his D12 subcommander to be the new CiC! Besides – history is full of examples of Generals being promoted based more on political reasons than on competence. ~ 148 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.8 Post Battle Adjustments for Units and Leaders Each army will roll a D12 for each unit and leader that participated in the Battle. The D12 die roll will determine if the unit’s quality is adjusted up or down for the next battle in the campaign. Check all units and leaders in this order: • First: Check for units eliminated in the battle as described below. • Second: Check for units routed off the table in the battle as described below. • Third: Check for units remaining on the battlefield as described below. o Modify any rolls for pursuit or recognition. • Fourth: Check for all leaders as described below. Designer’s Note: Hey wait a minute! This seems too random! Rolling a D12 to determine if a unit quality changes over the course of the campaign? All I can say is “yes”. I’ve tried all manner of methods to track and elevate or degrade unit quality over the course of a campaign. All resulted in much more paperwork than I wanted, with no additional flavor or detail added. Regardless of whether an army wins or loses, I believe that individual units in that army perceive their OWN state much better than the army’s state. So, while an army might have won, a unit may have had heavy losses or have suffered a substantial number of casualties to their junior officers or senior command staff which would greatly affect the performance of the unit moving forward. Similarly, even in a losing army a unit could perceive that it had done its part and carried itself proudly in the battle. I find it fascinating to watch the battle by battle change of an army’s personality as unit quality changes – up or down. It is thrilling to see some units continually climb the quality ladder and become fearsome and deadly. On the other hand, it is equally stunning to watch some units spiral downward and become obviously untrustworthy on the “Field of Battle”. Obviously, you can modify as you wish to reflect your personal preferences. One suggestion has been to modify winner’s rolls with a +1 modifier, and loser’s rolls with a -1 modifier. This certainly would give more weight to the odds of winners getting better. However, be careful that you don’t create situations where army’s become unstoppable steamrollers as the campaign progresses. 11.81 Checking for Units Eliminated Roll a D12 for each unit. • • On a roll of 1 or 2, that unit is eliminated from the campaign roster for the duration of the campaign. On a roll of 3 or 4, it is not present for the next battle, and its Defense Die is modified Down 1 when it returns. The new Defense Die is noted on the roster. If the Defense Die is already a D4, the Combat Die is modified Down 1 and is noted on the roster. ~ 149 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 11.82 Checking for Units Routed Off of Table Roll a D12 for each unit. • • On a roll of 1 that unit is eliminated from the campaign roster for the next battle, and its Defense Die is modified Down 1 when it returns. On a roll of 2 or 3, the unit is present for the next battle, but its Defense Die is modified Down 1. The new Defense Die is noted on the roster. If the Defense Die is already a D4, the Combat Die is modified Down 1 and is noted on the roster. 11.83 Checking for Units Remaining on the Battlefield Each side rolls a D12 for each unit remaining on the table. Apply any modifiers for Pursuit or Recognition: • • On a roll of 1, the unit Defense Die is modified Down 1 and is noted on the roster. If the Defense Die is already a D4, the Combat Die is modified Down 1 and is noted on the roster. On a roll of 12, the unit Defense Die is modified Up 1, and is noted on the roster. If the Defense Die is already a D10, the Combat Die is modified Up 1 and is noted on the roster. 11.84 Checking for Leaders Each side rolls a D12 for each leader. • • On a roll of 1, the Leadership Die is modified Down 1 and is noted on the roster. The minimum Leadership Die is a D8. On a roll of 12, the Leadership Die is modified Up 1 and is noted on the roster. The maximum Leadership Die is a D12+1. If a unit’s quality goes up or down, consult the roster and write down the new higher or lower Defense Die for the unit. After the battle, and prior to the next battle, go through the roster and roll for each unit’s new Combat Die, using the Field of Battle 3 Unit Quality table with the unit’s new Defense Die category. See 2.11 How To Rate Units. Example: A line infantry battalion, with a D10 Combat Die, and a D6 Defense Die, has gone up in quality in the post battle adjustment. The Defense Die is increased to a D8 and noted on the roster. The FoB3 Unit Quality table is consulted on the D8, Crack, category, and a D20 is rolled to determine the unit’s new rating. The result of the die roll gives the unit a D10 Combat Die. If a unit is already at the maximum Defense Die (D10) or minimum Defense Die (D4) and a post battle adjustment would require it to go higher than the maximum, or lower than the minimum, the Defense Die remains unchanged and the Combat Die is instead adjusted up or down from its current value. In this case, the new Combat Die is not rolled for, but is simply modified up or down from its pre-adjustment value. If the unit already has the minimum or maximum Combat Die rating, no further adjustment of the Combat Die is possible. In this case, add or subtract 1 Unit Integrity from the unit and mark on the roster. ~ 150 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Example: An elite light infantry battalion, with a D12 Combat Die, and a D10 Defense Die, has gone up in quality in the post battle adjustment. The maximum Defense Die is a D10, so it cannot increase. In this case, the Defense Die stays at a D10, and the Combat Die is increased Up 1 from a D12 to a D12+1. In the next battle, the same light infantry battalion, is recognized for its performance and is adjusted upwards again. Its Defense Die cannot increase beyond a D10, and the Combat Die is already at the maximum D12+1. In this case, a Unit Integrity is added to the unit and it is now a 5 unit integrity, D12+1 Combat Die, D10 Defense Die, unit. Ouch! Example: A raw militia battalion, with a D8 Combat Die, and a D4 Defense Die, has gone down in quality in the post battle adjustment. The minimum Defense Die is a D4, so it cannot decrease. In this case, the Defense Die stays at a D4, and the Combat Die is decreased down 1 from a D4. However, its Defense Die cannot decrease below a D4, and the Combat Die is already at the minimum D8. In this case, a Unit Integrity is subtracted from the unit and it is now a 3 unit integrity, D8 Combat Die, D4 Defense Die, unit. Vegetables with muskets! Each army starts by rolling for the units that were eliminated, routed off the table, or routing and still on the table. 11.9 Pursuit and Recognition The army that wins the battle will have several Army Morale Points remaining. Those points are called Discretionary Points. Discretionary Points are used to determine the number of Pursuit Points and Recognition Points available to the winning side. The winning army splits this pool of points up and assigns them to either pursuit or recognition. 11.91 Pursuit Points Pursuit Points can be assigned from the Discretionary Point sum to “pursue” enemy units attempting to degrade their capability for the next battle. The winning army can declare “Pursuit” on any enemy unit remaining on the table at the end of the game and assigning 1 to 3 Pursuit Points per unit. The winning army does this until all the Pursuit Points have been assigned. The winning army selects the units to be pursued based on their best knowledge of the enemy unit’s performance in the game. The enemy does not need to reveal the quality of any of the units in his army. Any unit that has Pursuit Points assigned to it by the enemy will modify their Defense Die Down 1 on the army roster if the D12 roll is less than or equal to 1 plus the number of Pursuit Points assigned to it. Example: A French army has 9 Army Morale Points remaining after defeating an Austrian army in an 1809 campaign. The French army therefore has 9 Discretionary Points. The French elect to use all 9 Discretionary Points as Pursuit Points. The French decide to assign 3 PPs to an Austrian Grenadier unit, 2 PPs to a particularly good artillery unit, 2 PPs to a line infantry unit, 2 PPs to a Cuirassier unit. The Grenadiers will therefore go down 1 level on a D12 roll of 1 to 4 (1 plus the 3 PPs assigned). The artillery will go down 1 level on a D12 roll of 1 to 3 (1 plus the 2 PPs assigned). The line infantry unit will go down 1 level on a D12 roll of 1 to 3 (1 plus the 2 PPs assigned). The cuirassier unit will go down 1 level on a D12 roll of 1 to 4 (1 plus the 3 PPs assigned). The Austrian CiC takes a deep breath and rolls his D12s. The roll for the Grenadiers is a 5. They pass and do not have their quality adjusted. The roll for the artillery is a ~ 151 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 3, and the artillery unit will then have its quality adjusted down by 1 level. The line infantry rolls a 7 and do not have their quality adjusted. The roll for the Cuirassier unit is a 1 and its quality is adjusted down by 1 level. 11.92 Recognition Points Recognition Points can be assigned from the Discretionary Point sum to “recognize” friendly units remaining on the battlefield with the intent of upgrading their rating for the next battle. The winning army can assign a maximum of 3 Recognition Points per unit. The winning army selects the units that they want to recognize. A D12 is rolled, and the number of Recognition Points assigned is added to the D12 roll. If the modified D12 roll is 12 or higher, the unit Defense Die size is modified Up 1 and is changed on the army roster. If the quality level is already a maximum of 12, the Combat Die size is modified Up 1. Example: An English SYW army won the battle and has 11 AMP’s remaining, giving 11 Discretionary Points. They decide to use 8 of those Discretionary Points for Pursuit, leaving 3 for Recognition. The English resolve their Pursuit Points and now assign their 3 remaining Discretionary Points as Recognition points. They decide to try to give themselves the best chance at an increased quality for 1 unit and place all 3 recognition points on one infantry unit with a D6 Defense Die. The English player will roll a D12 and add 3 to the die roll, looking for a sum of 12 or higher. The D12 roll is a 9, giving a total of 12, so the foot unit goes up from a D6 to a D8 Defense Die. ~ 152 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 12.0 Designer Commentary My Designer’s Notes are scattered throughout the rules, addressing specific rules instances, so I’m using this section as a commentary on why things are the way they are and what items are new. One of the most obvious is that there are period specific playsheets for each period, instead of the previous “one size fits all” approach in the first and second editions of the rules. As I played more and more (and more) Field of Battle games across multiple eras, I found myself tweaking the playsheets to better reflect my perception of that period. Along with the period specific playsheets, there are greatly expanded period specific rules. The combination of these allows each period to have its own unique feel while using the same basic mechanics and processes. While the second edition rules played fast, I kept striving for faster play and reducing wasted time in procedure. The reduced sequence deck size allows turns to proceed more rapidly. The Maneuver card was eliminated and its function of regulating facing and formation changes was added to the Leadership card. During play, I observed that the Maneuver card rarely seemed to be used. I’d watch games and see the players reaction when they turned a Maneuver card – and that reaction was generally a “who cares – I don’t need it now”. So – whack. The Maneuver card went away. With that simple change, each card now carries more weight and value. Opportunity evasion was added, after seeing it work so well in Pulse of Battle. This allows for more tactical flexibility and risk taking which always enhances a game. Rather than a generic UP1 modifier for all fire vs. deep formations (attack columns), in general artillery is now UP1 vs. attack columns and low muzzle velocity small arms are no change firing vs. attack columns. This had the desired effect of allowing players more opportunity to use attack columns when attacking infantry without being butchered. Units in attack column are already at a disadvantage (DOWN1 when firing), and I wanted to get away from double penalties (UP for one side and DOWN for the other side). This modifier tweak brings tactical balance back to the game. One of the major changes was adding a limit of one interpenetration per unit per move card. I’d seen a “rolling wave” attack tactic develop over the life of Field of Battle. While very effective in game turns, the multiple unit interpenetration ability to always feed a fresh unit to the front was very “gamey”, and not historically supportable. This simple limit still allows free interpenetration…..just not unlimited interpenetration! The movement rules for terrain were expanded, and some terrain types were added. The fire frequency card names were changed from Infantry Firepower and Artillery Firepower to Infantry Fire and Artillery Fire. I felt that the new names, while simple, had a better period feel. The name change to Fire cards required changing the names of the Fire cards for faster firing/higher firepower weapon armed units (breechloaders, repeaters). The new optional cards for their use became Rapid Fire and Rolling Fire. Again, a simple change, but much more evocative card titles than before. Rather than add a specially named card for a large number of special events and incidents, the rules use Special Event and Incident cards. The players can choose from a menu of events and incidents for their particular scenario and have those triggered by the appropriate card type. This also helps save card ~ 153 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" costs– not only for me as the publisher, but for you as the gamer. You get more variety with lower cost. That’s always a great trade-off! To prevent the unrealistic ability of units to zoom to a flank, then face and charge into melee, the immediate melee rules now require that any change of face by the charging unit is made on the first move segment. This still allows movement flexibility for the charging unit, but it eliminates the gamey tactic of questionable moves just to get a positive melee modifier. A major change was the addition of the English Civil Wars period rules and playsheet. I’d originally intended to publish the ECW rules as a separate set (titled “Give Fire”), but ultimately I wanted to add it to the rules to expand the eras covered in the third edition, as well as giving customers more bang for their purchasing buck. I think the ECW rules work really well and focus on the big picture of battle and command. Foot units (battalia, or small regiments) are treated as a single unit, not individual units of pike and shot that fight and react independently. You won’t find rules for the ratio of pikes or shot in a foot unit, as I find those to be an oddly specific wargame rules fixation. Personally, I don’t think it made a whit of difference, so that’s why it isn’t in the rules. At some point I will turn to the Thirty Years War and release those period rules. The TYW isn’t included in FoB3 because it has more tactical and troop variety than the ECW to include in the rules and I want to make sure it “feels right”. At some point, I just had to say, “enough is enough” and get FoB3 published. The rules also include a complete campaign system, Season of Battles. I’d originally planned on the campaign system being a stand alone product, but eventually I decided that I wanted to include it in the main rules to make them a complete package. Season of Battles is an abstract system that plays very fast and with minimal paperwork required. I can’t even remember how many tweaks the system went through until it reached the final version included in the rules. One of the key concepts is the use of area movement, with the movement being the movement of the engaged position of the two field armies rather than the independent movement of opposing armies. I did this because it became tiresome to write rules limiting a player’s ability to evade or chase an opposing army in an attempt to gang up and get a numerical advantage. True – every real army prefers to have a numerical advantage. However, this is a game and the primary goal of every game should be to have fun! No one enjoys a campaign generated game that gives them little hope of winning and the prospect of just being a punching bag for their opponent. Season of Battles avoids that by using the engagement area movement as well as adjusting army morale points for numerical advantage rather than removing an army’s units. The main thing to remember when playing Season of Battles is that it is a set of governing rules that creates a structure to play a campaign. A campaign will give you an output of fun and memories that is directly proportional to the effort you put into it. The Season of Battle procedures are very fast and easy. Add your own color and character to your campaign! Create a campaign newsletter or journal. Add colorful reasons why units have increased or decreased in their ratings. Allow the campaign to build the uniqueness and character in your armies that we all love to see. One of the key components in Season of Battles is the deck of tabletop battlefield maps. The map features are based on the terrain I have and the tile system I use to create terrain. After all, I had to create maps from something, so since I wrote the rules – they use my terrain! That being said, interpret the maps to use the terrain you have on hand. Don’t worry about exactly duplicating the maps. Maps were notoriously inaccurate and lacking in detail in these eras. And lastly, I’d like to present an alternative basing system that I’ve remounted all of my armies to use. I love the feel of big stands with multiple figures – a nice, substantial heft. I also enjoy creating the mini~ 154 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" diorama effect that larger stands allow. Some of the photos included in the rules show units mounted with this alternative system. The alternative basing system uses 2 stands per unit for all unit types. The stand width for cavalry and infantry is increased to 2 ¼” per stand. This mounting system provides several advantages: • The figures are more protected, as fewer stands are being moved. • The time to move units is reduced since fewer stands are being moved. • Figure stands are mini dioramas rather than more sparsely populated stands. • Fewer cavalry castings required, making it easier and faster to collect large numbers of cavalry units. The number of infantry figures per stand is adjusted to reflect decreasing unit densities through the eras. Use 6 infantry figures per stand for everything before 1859, and 5 infantry figures per stand for everything from 1859 onwards. Skirmish units (rifles, light infantry used primarily/exclusively as skirmishing units, skirmishing natives) use 4 infantry figures per stand. Troop Type Artillery; Machine Guns Cavalry Infantry Officers Alternative Basing System Stand Size Stands per Unit /Figures per Stand 1 1/2" wide x 3" deep 2 stands/1 Gun, 3 crew 2 1/4" wide x 2 1/2" deep 2 1/4" wide x 1 1/2" deep 1 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" deep for Command Group Officers; 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" for Army Commander (CiC) 2 stands/ 3 figures 2 stands/6 figures prior to 1859,5 figures 1859 and later,4 figures for skirmishing units 1 or 2 for Command Group Officers; 2 or more for Army Commander (CiC) Field of Battle 3rd Edition is refined and expanded, yet faster playing than FoB2. I’ve enjoyed every second of the journey from 2nd edition to the completion of the 3rd edition. I’m certain that there will be new periods added with period specific rules and playsheets, but there won’t be a 4th edition. Third edition should stand the test of time for a very long time. Have fun and enjoy your games! Brent Oman February 2020 ~ 155 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" 13.0 Appendix The reference material for playing Field of Battle 3rd Edition and Season of battles includes: Field of Battle Sequence Deck Card Sheets Field of Battle Playsheets Season of Battle Sequence Deck Card Sheets Season of Battle Battlefield Card Sheets Season of Battle Campaign Map Season of Battle Army Roster Sheet Permission is granted to photocopy any of the above reference material for personal use. “Are you sure you want to do that?” ~ 156 ~
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Army Morale Army Morale Army Morale Leader Survival Test • Roll D12 Per Leader Leader Eliminated on a 1 ▪ Leader Survival Test • Roll D12 Per Leader Leader Eliminated on a 1 ▪ Army Morale Test • CiC LD vs. D12 ▪ ▪ If CiC LD > D12 Game Continues If CiC LD <= D12 Game Over ▪ ▪ • Roll D12 Per Leader Leader Eliminated on a 1 ▪ Army Morale Test • CiC LD vs. D12 ▪ ▪ If CiC LD > D12 Game Continues If CiC LD <= D12 Game Over Army Morale Test • CiC LD vs. D12 ▪ ▪ If CiC LD > D12 Game Continues If CiC LD <= D12 Game Over 0/1 IP 0/1 IP 0/1 IP Artillery Fire Artillery Fire Artillery Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Unmarked Units ▪ Leader Survival Test Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit Fire Unmarked Units ▪ ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit Fire Unmarked Units ▪ ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit Remove Fire Markers Remove Fire Markers Remove Fire Markers Remove Existing Markers Remove Existing Markers Remove Existing Markers ▪ Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit ▪ Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit 1 IP 1 IP 1 IP Infantry Fire Infantry Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Unmarked Units ▪ ▪ ▪ Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit Infantry Fire Fire Unmarked Units ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit Fire Unmarked Units ▪ ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit Remove Fire Markers Remove Fire Markers Remove Fire Markers Remove Existing Markers Remove Existing Markers ▪ ▪ Remove Existing Markers Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit 1 IP Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit 1 IP ▪ Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit 1 IP
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Leadership Leadership Leadership Move Leaders Move Leaders Move Leaders Rally Rally Rally • LD vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 higher Rally if higher If LD roll = 1 All Rally and Maneuver ends ▪ ▪ ▪ • LD vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 higher Rally if higher If LD roll = 1 All Rally and Maneuver ends ▪ ▪ ▪ Maneuver • LD vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 higher Rally if higher If LD roll = 1 All Rally and Maneuver ends ▪ ▪ ▪ Maneuver Maneuver 1 IP 1 IP 1 IP Leadership Lull Lull Move Leaders LD vs. LD LD vs. LD Rally • LD vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 higher Rally if higher If LD roll = 1 All Rally and Maneuver ends ▪ ▪ ▪ • Initiative Side Wins No effect ▪ • Non-Initiative Side Wins Draw card and act ▪ • Initiative Side Wins No effect ▪ • Non-Initiative Side Wins Draw card and act ▪ Maneuver • • 1 IP 1 IP 1 IP Lull Tactical Advantage Tactical Advantage LD vs. LD Hold And Modify Roll UP1 Hold And Modify Roll UP1 Initiative Side Wins ▪ No effect Non-Initiative Side Wins ▪ Draw card and act • • • • 1 IP Initiative Roll Leadership Roll • • Combat Roll • Movement Roll • a) b) a) b) a) b) Own LD Roll Own D8 Opposing Roll Combat Die Defense Die Own Roll Own D6 Opposing Roll 1 IP Initiative Roll Leadership Roll a) b) Own LD Roll Own D8 Opposing Roll Combat Roll a) b) Combat Die Defense Die Movement Roll a) b) Own Roll Own D6 Opposing Roll 1 IP
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Melee Melee Melee Resolve Melee Resolve Melee Resolve Melee CD vs. CD • • May Move ½ Segment To Contact No Maneuver or Oblique Move Win Even • • Remain In Command May Follow Up CD vs. CD CD vs. CD Win Even Win Even • • • • May Move ½ Segment To Contact No Maneuver or Oblique Move Remain In Command May Follow Up 1 IP • • May Move ½ Segment To Contact No Maneuver or Oblique Move • • Remain In Command May Follow Up 1 IP 1 IP Move Move Move Move All Units Move All Units Move All Units LD vs. D6 LD vs. D6 LD vs. D6 • • • LD roll = 1: No move • • Lose/Tie/Win by 1,2 ▪ 1 move segment Win by 3 to 5 ▪ 2 move segments Win by 6 to 11 ▪ 3 move segments Win Even • Melee (per period rules) • Maneuver LD roll = 1: No move • • ▪ 1 move segment ▪ 2 move segments • Win by 6 to 11 ▪ 3 move segments Win Even • Melee (per period rules) • Maneuver Lose/Tie/Win by 1,2 ▪ 1 move segment Win by 3 to 5 ▪ 2 move segments Win by 6 to 11 ▪ 3 move segments Win Even • Melee (per period rules) • Maneuver 1 IP 1 IP Move 1 Command Move Melee Move Units Move All Units Resolve Melee LD vs. D6 LD vs. D6 • • LD roll = 1: No move • • Win by 3 to 5 1 IP • LD roll = 1: No move Lose/Tie/Win by 1,2 Lose/Tie/Win by 1,2 ▪ 1 move segment Win by 3 to 5 ▪ 2 move segments Win by 6 to 11 ▪ 3 move segments Win Even • Melee (per period rules) • Maneuver 1 IP LD roll = 1: No move • • Lose/Tie/Win by 1,2 ▪ 1 move segment Win by 3 to 5 ▪ 2 move segments Win by 6 to 11 ▪ 3 move segments CD vs. CD • • May Move ½ Segment To Contact No Maneuver or Oblique Move Win Even • • Remain In Command May Follow Up Win Even • Melee (per period rules) • Maneuver 1 IP 1 IP
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Frenzied Charge Frenzied Charge Incident Resolve Melee Resolve Melee Resolve Incident CD vs. CD CD vs. CD Win Even Win Even • • • • May Move Full Segment To Contact No Maneuver Remain In Command May Follow Up • • • • May Move Full Segment To Contact No Maneuver Remain In Command May Follow Up 0 IP 0 IP 0 IP Special Event Special Event Rapid Fire Resolve Event Resolve Event Fire Fire Unmarked Units ▪ ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit Remove Fire Markers Remove Existing Markers ▪ 0 IP 0 IP Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit 0 IP Rapid Fire Rolling Fire Rolling Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Unmarked Units Fire Unmarked Units Fire Unmarked Units ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit ▪ ▪ Unit remains unmarked after fire Unit may fire again and marker is placed on unit Hits are not additive from first and second fire from the same unit Remove Fire Markers Remove Fire Markers Remove Fire Markers Remove Existing Markers Remove Existing Markers Remove Existing Markers ▪ ▪ ▪ Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit 0 IP Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit 0 IP Unit may fire and marker is placed on unit 0 IP
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" English Civil War 1642-1651 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Counterbattery Foot Formation Firing from Town Target Uphill Disordered; Maneuver Disorder; Per UI Loss Pike Forward Shot Forward Foot Ranges 8 - 4" 4 - 0" 24 - 12" Class II 12 - 0" Class I Circumstance Orientation Losses Artillery Ranges Target Cover Melee Combat Circumstance 36 - 24" Class III Down 2 Down 1 Guns in Melee; Mounted frontal vs. Pike Forward/Pike; Mounted vs. Hedgehog Dragoons; Outnumbered; Horse/Dragoons/Lancer vs. Cuirassier Disordered; Maneuver Disorder; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Orientation Formation March; Shot Shot Forward Terrain Opp. In Class III Opp. In Class II Down 2 Move Distance Up 2 Frontal vs. Rear Salvo: 4 - 0" (Shot Forward) No Change Up 1 Up 2 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Mounted vs. Shot; Any vs. Gun vs. Flank vs. Rear Frontal Pike Forward/Pike; Hedgehog Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Horse failing by 3 or more lose 1 UI (No AMP loss) Leadership Move Up 1 Tactical Advantage vs. Flank Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Guns Eliminated Losses Circumstance No Change In Contact w/Enemy Down 1 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage; Inf. w/Two Inf. < 6" Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+, = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll: Horse and Guns may Maneuver; Commanded Pike, Foot and Gallopers may Melee Cavalry: 12" Foot/Pike: 6" Shot: 8" Guns: 4" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" War of the Spanish Succession 1701-1714 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank vs. Rear 12 - 6" 6 - 0" Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Frontal 6 - 4" 4 - 0" 24 - 18" 18 - 12" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges 36 - 24" Firer's Formation Infantry Firing At Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Unlimbered Unlimbered Class III Class II Line; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line Line; Limbered Class I Any Column Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Circumstance Down 1 Outnumbered No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Cavalry vs. Infantry Line vs. Cav. Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Losses Orientation Formation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March Opp. In Class III Move Frontal vs. Flank vs. Rear Line Opp. In Class II Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 2 Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won Even LD roll; all may Maneuver, Shock Cavalry/Grenadiers may Melee Artillery: 6" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Great Northern War 1700-1721 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank vs. Rear 12 - 6" 6 - 0" Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Frontal 6 - 4" 4 - 0" 24 - 18" 18 - 12" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges 36 - 24" Firer's Formation Line; Unlimbered Infantry Firing At Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Unlimbered Unlimbered Class III Class II Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I Any Column Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Circumstance Down 1 Outnumbered No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Cavalry vs. Infantry Line vs. Cav. Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Losses Orientation Formation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March Opp. In Class III Frontal vs. Flank vs. Rear Line Opp. In Class II Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 2 Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won Even LD roll; all may Maneuver, Swedish may Melee Move Artillery: 6" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Jacobite Rebellion 1745-1746 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Circumstance Orientation Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges 36 - 24" No Change Up 1 Up 2 Firing from Town; Highland infantry Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Down 1 Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank vs. Rear 6 - 4" 4 - 2" 2 - 0" 24 - 18" 18 - 12" 12 - 6" Firer's Formation Line; Unlimbered Infantry Firing At Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Unlimbered Unlimbered Class III Class II Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I Any Column Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Circumstance Down 1 Outnumbered No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Cavalry vs. Infantry Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March Opp. In Class III Move Frontal vs. Flank vs. Rear Line Opp. In Class II Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 2 Line vs. Cav. Losses Formation 6 - 0" Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won Even LD roll; all may Maneuver, Cavalry and Highlanders may Melee Artillery: 8" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Seven Years War 1756-1763 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 vs. Rear Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank 6 - 4" 4 - 2" 2 - 0" 24 - 18" 18 - 12" 12 - 6" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges 36 - 24" Firer's Formation Skirmish in I Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I Any Column Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Outnumbered No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Cavalry vs. Infantry Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March;Skirmish Opp. In Class III Frontal vs. Flank vs. Rear Line Opp. In Class II Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 2 Line vs. Cav. Losses Formation 6 - 0" Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won Even LD roll; all may Maneuver, Cavalry/Grenadiers may Melee Move Artillery: 8" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" American War of Independence 1775-1783 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank vs. Rear Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Musket: 6 - 4" Rifle: 12 - 8" Musket: 4 - 2" Rifle: 8 - 0" Musket: 2 - 0" SB: 24 - 18" SB: 18 - 12" SB: 12 - 6" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges SB: 36 - 24" Firer's Formation Skirmish in I Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I Any Column Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Down 1 Outnumbered; Rifles Circumstance No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Cavalry vs. Infantry Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March;Skirmish Opp. In Class III Frontal vs. Flank vs. Rear Line Opp. In Class II Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 2 Line vs. Cav. Losses Formation SB: 6 - 0" Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won Even LD roll; all may Maneuver, Cavalry, British, German, Hessian, French Infantry may Melee Move Artillery: 8" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank vs. Rear Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Musket: 6 - 4" Rifle: 12 - 8" Musket: 4 - 2" Rifle: 8 - 0" Musket: 2 - 0" 24 - 18" 18 - 12" 12 - 6" Firer's Formation Attack Column; Skirmish in I; Square Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line; Square Limbered; Line Class I Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat 36 - 24" Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Circumstance Line/Att. Column vs. Cavalry Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Losses Orientation Limbered/Unlimb; March;Skirmish Opp. In Class III Move Opp. In Class II No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Up 2 Sq. vs. Cav. Frontal Line; Square Both in Class I vs. Rear vs. Flank Attack Column Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Down 1 Outnumbered Cavalry vs. Infantry Terrain Any Column; Square Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Formation 6 - 0" Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Cavalry/Att. Col/British in Line may Melee Foot Artillery: 8" Horse Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Mexican-American War 1846-1848 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Mex. Musket: 6 - 3" Rifle: 12 - 8" US Musket: 6 - 4" Mex.: 20 - 10" US: 24 - 18" Attack Column; Skirmish in I; Square Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges Mex.: 30 - 20" US: 36 - 24" Firer's Formation Infantry Firing At Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish; Unlimbered Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Down 1 Circumstance Outnumbered Line/Att. Column vs. Cavalry Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Cavalry vs. Infantry Losses Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March;Skirmish Opp. In Class III Move Up 2 Frontal vs. Rear Mex. Musket: 3 - 1" Rifle: 8 - 0" US Musket: 4 - 2" Mex.: 10 - 6" US: 18 - 12" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line; Square Limbered; Line Class I Mex. Musket: 1 - 0" US Musket: 2 - 0" Mex.: 6 - 3" US: 12 - 6" Mex.: 3 - 0" US: 6 - 0" Any Column; Square Opp. In Class II No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Up 2 Sq. vs. Cav. Frontal Line; Square Both in Class I vs. Flank vs. Rear Attack Column Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 1 Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Formation No Change Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Cavalry and US Infantry may Melee Foot Artillery: 8" Horse Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Anglo-Sikh Wars 1845-1846/1848-1849 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss 6 - 4" 24 - 18" Losses Inf. Ranges Art. Ranges 36 - 24" Firer's Formation Mass Infantry Firing At Attack Column; Skirmish in I; Square Skirmish; Unlimbered No Change Up 1 Up 2 Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank vs. Rear 2 - 0" 12 - 6" 6 - 0" 4 - 2" 18 - 12" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line; Mass; Square Artillery Firing At Skirmish Unlimbered Limbered ; Line Target Cover Class III Class II Class I Melee Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Circumstance Line/Att. Column vs. Cavalry Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Losses Orientation Formation Limbered/Unlimb; March;Skirmish Terrain Opp. In Class III Opp. In Class II No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Up 2 Sq. vs. Cav. Frontal Line; Mass; Square Both in Class I vs. Flank vs. Rear Attack Column Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Move Down 1 Outnumbered Cavalry vs. Infantry Circumstance Any Column; Mass; Square Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, British, Sikh Cavalry and Infantry may Melee Foot Artillery: 8" Horse Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Crimean War 1853-1856 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Rifle: 12 - 8" Smoothbore: 6-4" 24 - 18" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges 36 - 24" Firer's Formation Attack Column; Skirmish in I Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Circumstance Losses Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb.; March; Skirmish Opp. In Class III Move Up 2 Frontal vs. Rear Rifle: 4 - 0" Smoothbore: 2-0" 12 - 6" 6 - 0" Rifle: 8 - 4" Smoothbore: 4-2" 18 - 12" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line; Square Line; Limbered Class I Any Column; Square Down 1 No Change Up 1 Outnumbered Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Frontal vs. Flank Line Attack Column Opp. In Class II Up 2 vs. Rear Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 1 Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Formation No Change Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Cavalry and French/Russian Infantry may Melee Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Franco-Austrian War 1859 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss 12 - 8" Austrian: 12-6" French: 16 - 8" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges Austrian: 24- 12" French: 32 - 16" Firer's Formation Attack Column; Skirmish in I Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II No Change Up 1 Up 2 Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank vs. Rear 8- 4" Austrian: 6 - 3" French: 8 - 4" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I 4 - 0" Austrian: 3 - 0" French: 4 - 0" Any Column Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Circumstance Down 1 No Change Up 1 Outnumbered Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Frontal vs. Flank Line Attack Column Up 2 Tactical Situation Losses Orientation Formation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb.; March Opp. In Class III Move Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Command Circumstance Opp. In Class II vs. Rear Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Cavalry and French Infantry may Melee Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" American Civil War 1861-1865 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Carbine: 8-6" Rifle: 12 - 8" Smoothbore: 6-4" Rifled: 24 - 18" Smoothbore: 20 - 14" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges Rifled: 36-24" Smoothbore: 28-20" Firer's Formation Attack Column; Skirmish in I Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Circumstance Losses Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb.; March; Skirmish Opp. In Class III Up 2 Frontal vs. Rear Carbine: 2 - 0" Rifle: 4 - 0" Smoothbore: 2-0" Rifled: 8 - 0" Smoothbore: 8 - 4" Smoothbore: 4 - 0" Carbine: 6 - 2" Rifle: 8 - 4" Smoothbore: 4-2" Rifled: 18 - 8" Smoothbore: 14 - 8" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I Any Column Down 1 No Change Up 1 Outnumbered Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Frontal vs. Flank Line Attack Column Opp. In Class II Up 2 vs. Rear Both in Class I Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 1 Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Formation No Change Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver and Melee Move Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Austro-Prussian War 1866 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Austrian: 12-8" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges Austrian: 32 - 16" Prussian BL: 32-16" Prussian SB: 24- 12" Austrian: 16-8" Prussian BL: 16-8" Prussian SB: 12-6" Firer's Formation Attack Column; Skirmish in I Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Circumstance Losses Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb.; March Opp. In Class III Move Up 2 Frontal vs. Rear Austrian: 8-2" Prussian: 8-4" Austrian: 8-4" Prussian BL: 8-4" Prussian SB: 6-3" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I Austrian: 2-0" Prussian: 4-0" Austrian: 4-0" Prussian BL: 4-0" Prussian SB: 3-0" Any Column Down 1 No Change Up 1 Outnumbered Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Advantage; Uphill from Enemy Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Frontal vs. Flank Skirmish Line Attack Column Opp. In Class II Both in Class I Up 2 vs. Rear Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 1 Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Formation No Change Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Cavalry and Austrian Infantry (Att. Col.) may Melee Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss French: 12 - 8" Losses Infantry Ranges French: 28- 12" Artillery Ranges Prussian: 36 - 24" French: 14-8" Mitrailleuse: 12 - 8" Prussian: 24 - 18" Firer's Formation Skirmish in I Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Circumstance Losses Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March Opp. In Class III Up 2 Frontal vs. Rear French: 8- 4" Prussian: 8- 4" French: 8 - 4" Mitrailleuse: 8 - 4" Prussian: 18 - 6" Company Column; Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I French: 4 - 0" Prussian: 4 - 0" French: 4 - 0" Mitrailleuse: 4 - 0" Prussian: 6 - 0" Any Column Down 1 No Change Up 1 Outnumbered Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Adv.; Uphill from Enemy Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Frontal vs. Flank Skirmish Line Company Column Opp. In Class II Both in Class I Up 2 vs. Rear Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 1 Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Formation No Change Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Cavalry,Prussian Infantry (Co. Col.), Turcos, Zouaves may Melee Move Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Russo-Turkish War 1877 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss BL: 12-8" ML: 10-8" Musket: 6-4" 24 - 18" Losses Infantry Ranges Artillery Ranges 36 - 24" Firer's Formation Attack Column; Skirmish in I Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Circumstance Losses Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March Opp. In Class III Up 2 Frontal vs. Rear BL: 8-4" ML: 8-4" Musket: 4-2" 18 - 6" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Any Column; Limbered; Line Limbered; Line Class I BL: 4-0" ML: 4-0" Musket: 2-0" 6 - 0" Any Column Down 1 No Change Up 1 Outnumbered Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Adv.; Uphill from Enemy Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Frontal vs. Flank Skirmish Line Attack Column Opp. In Class II Both in Class I Up 2 vs. Rear Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Up 1 Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Formation No Change Down 2 Down 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" No Change Up 1 Over 12" In Town Section; Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Infantry may Melee Move Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Anglo-Zulu War 1879 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 vs. Rear Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank 16 - 12" 12- 8" 8 - 0" 30 - 20" Mass; Skirmish in I; Square 20- 10" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Limbered; Line; March; Mass Limbered; Line Class I 10 - 0" Losses Infantry & MG Ranges Artillery Ranges 40 - 30" Firer's Formation Infantry Firing At Artillery Firing At Target Cover Melee Combat Skirmish; Unlimbered Skirmish Unlimbered Class III Class II Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Circumstance Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March Opp. In Class III Down 2 Move Skirmish Opp. In Class II No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Adv.; Throwing Spears; Uphill from Enemy Frontal Line; Mass Both in Class I vs. Flank Up 2 vs. Rear Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Down 1 Outnumbered Losses Formation March; Mass Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 0 Remaining AMPs; Per Daring Deed; Contact Routing; Over 12" Tactical Advantage Within 12" LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Lancers and Zulu infantry (non-firearm) may Melee Infantry: 8" Routers: Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Officers: 16" Zulu: 10" Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Anglo-Sudan War 1881-1899 Fire Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Opponent's Defense Die (DD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits Lose 0 or 1 UI vs. Enemy Even Roll = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Even Roll= Rout Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Up 2 vs. Rear Circumstance Firing from Town Orientation Target Uphill Disordered; Per UI Loss Frontal Infantry 1st Fire; Tactical Advantage vs. Flank 16 - 12" 12- 8" 8 - 0" 30 - 20" Mass; Skirmish in I; Square 20- 10" Line; Skirmish in II, III, IV; Unlimbered Limbered; Line; March; Mass; Square 10 - 0" Losses Infantry & MG Ranges Artillery Ranges 40 - 30" Firer's Formation Infantry Firing At Skirmish; Unlimbered Artillery Firing At Skirmish Unlimbered Limbered; Line Target Cover Class III Class II Class I Melee Combat Roll Modified Combat Die (CD) vs. Modified Combat Die (CD) Lose 1 UI & 1 Army Morale Point per 3 Hits; Lose 1+ UI = Fall Back; Lose 2+ UI vs. Single Enemy Roll = Rout/Artillery Eliminated Down 2 Circumstance Disordered; Per UI Loss Flanked/Rear Orientation Terrain Limbered/Unlimb; March Opp. In Class III Move Skirmish Opp. In Class II No Change Up 1 Town Melee Higher DD; Initiated Melee; Tactical Adv.; Uphill from Enemy Frontal Line; Mass Both in Class I vs. Flank Up 2 vs. Rear Roll Modified Leadership Die (LD) vs. D8 Rally 1 UI per 3 > D8; Rally Disorder, Routers if >D8 Leadership Circumstance Down 1 Outnumbered Losses Formation March; Mass; Square Down 2 Down 1 No Change Up 1 Contact 0 Remaining AMPs; Routing; Within 12" Over 12" Per Daring Deed; Tactical Advantage Up 2 LD vs. D6: Win By 6+ = 3 Moves; Win By 3-5 = 2 Moves; Lose/Tie/Win by 1 or 2 = 1 Move; If LD Roll =1, No Move On a won even LD roll; may Maneuver, Cavalry and Mahdist infantry may Melee Artillery: 10" Cavalry: 12" Infantry: 8" Mahdist: 10" Officers: 16" Routers: Move + D6"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Battle Move Move Roll LD vs. Opposition Die ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ LD Modifiers: LD Down 1 if Opponent’s card LD Modified by Seasonal Modifier LD Down 1 moving to higher density area LD Up 1 moving to lower density area ▪ ▪ ▪ Results: Move 1 area if higher No move if equal or lower Move Operational Initiative Plan & Prepare Supply Weather
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Battle Move Move Move Operational Initiative Battle Supply Operational Initiative Plan & Prepare
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Battle Move Move Move Operational Initiative Move Plan & Prepare Supply Move
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Battle Move Move Move Operational Initiative Weather Plan & Prepare Supply Move
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Battle Move Move Move Operational Initiative Supply Plan & Prepare Supply Plan & Prepare
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11"
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Move Modifiers: UP 1 if Moving to a Lower Terrain Density Area Down 1 if Moving to a Higher Terrain Density Area 1-3 Good; 4+ Bad Bad: DN1 on Move Spring 1 Bad; 2+ Good Bad: DN1 on Supply Summer Supply: Friendly UP1 Enemy Down 1 ` Bad: DN1 on Supply Supply: Friendly UP2 Enemy Down 2 UP1 Modifier: Home D4+1/Enemy D4+4 Supply: Friendly Win Ties UP1 Modifier: Home D4+2/Enemy D4+3 Supply: Friendly Win Ties Strengths and Advantages -10% Fall 1-8 Bad; 9+ Good Bad: DN1 on Move Bad: DN1 on Supply Winter UP1 Mod: Home D4 Enemy D4+5 Supply: Friendly UP2 Enemy Down 2 1-5 Bad; 6+ Good Bad: DN1 on Move Bad: DN1 on Supply Supply: Friendly UP1 Enemy Down 1 UP1 Mod: Home D4+1 Enemy D4+4 Tac Init. 1,2 squares Supply Effect on Strength 10% Orient Map -5% 5% UP1 Modifier: Home D4+2/Enemy D4+3 Season of Battle -10% 3+D6 Init. Move Modifiers: UP 1 if Moving to a Lower Terrain Density Area Down 1 if Moving to a Higher Terrain Density Area Supply Effect on Strength UP1 Modifier: Home D4/Enemy D4+5 Tac Init. -5% +5% +10% Orient Map 1,2 squares 3+D6 Init.
cuts 9", 8.75", 8.5", 11.5", 11" Battle of Unit ID Deck Army Morale Points National Morale Points Season of Battle Army Roster Finish Start Start Finish Finish Start Start Finish Finish Battle # Start Finish Battle # Finish Start Battle # Start Finish Battle # Start CiC LD1 LD2 LD3 LD4 LD5 LD6