As promised, I have finished drafting my wargames rules for fighting small battles during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They use a gridded tabletop and are designed to be used with 15mm figures and equipment.
I will make a PDF version of the rules available in due course. It will be an A5 four-page booklet that can be printed back-to-back on most inkjet or laser printers.
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LATE 19th AND EARLY 20th CENTURY BATTLES
PLAYING EQUIPMENT:
The following equipment is needed to fight battles using these rules:
Battles are fought out on a gridded tabletop. The grid is marked in 50mm squares. The battlefield must be no less than 12 squares wide and 12 squares deep (iii).No more than two stands may be placed in a square at any one time, and then only if there is sufficient space within the square for this to happen. They must be placed one behind the other and face in the same direction.
Terrain (e.g. a group of trees) must, wherever possible, fit within one square on the battlefield. Where pieces of terrain are larger than an individual square (e.g. a hill) they must be sized in multiples of squares (e.g. 2 squares, 3 squares, or 6 squares) and be marked in 50mm squares in the same way as the battlefield.
STANDS:
Figures and artillery are mounted on stands. All stands are 40mm wide.
STAND VALUES:
The value for each type of stand is as follows:
Before the battle begins both sides must decide how many stands their armies will have. For campaigns this will be determined by the events leading up to the battle; in the case of one-off battles this can be decided by either mutual agreement between the players (iv) or by the throw of dice (v).
Each side’s army must have a Command stand (i.e. the stand with the General on it). The value of this stand is not included in the cost of an army.
GENERALS:
Before the battle begins both sides must decide how good their respective Generals are. For campaigns this will be determined by the events leading up to the battle; in the case of one-off battles this is decided by the throw of dice (vi).
TURN SEQUENCE:
The battle lasts a maximum of twelve turns. At the beginning of each turn both sides throw a D12; the side with the highest score has the initiative for that turn (vii).
The side with the initiative throws a D12; the score determines the number of stands – or pairs of stands that are sharing the same square – they may activate this turn. Once they have activated all their eligible stands, the other side throws a D12 and follows the same procedure.
ACTIVATION:
When a stand is activated it can move and then engage in combat or engage the enemy in combat and then move.
MOVEMENT:
All movement distances are expressed in squares.
Stands cannot move diagonally between enemy stands or between an enemy stand and an obstacle (viii).
Artillery stands may not be moved into a square that is adjacent to a square occupied by an enemy stand.
Only Infantry may move off-road through woods or can cross vertical obstacles (e.g. walls, hedges, fences etc.)
Stands making their entire move along a road may increase their movement distance by 1 square.
Stands crossing a hill contour reduce their movement distance by 1 square per contour crossed.
Stands that are forced to withdraw as a result of combat must withdraw until they are one square away from the nearest enemy stand. This movement must be within a 90° arc to the rear of the withdrawing stand. If the stand has to withdraw more than four squares to comply with this rule or it is prevented from doing so because of an obstacle or enemy stand, the withdrawing stand is deemed to have been destroyed and is removed from the tabletop.
COMBAT:
Combat is stand vs. stand. If there are two stands in the same square, only the front stand may initiate a combat with an enemy stand during a turn (ix). A stand may only initiate combat once per turn although it can be engaged by enemy stands many times.
Fire Combat – General Rules:
A stand may only fire at enemy stands they can see. The enemy stand must be within range and within a 90° arc to the front of the firing stand. Both the firing and the enemy stand throw a D12. Additions and subtractions are made, and the scores are compared.
Fire Combat – Ranges:
All ranges are expressed in squares.
Add the stand’s value.
Add the value of any friendly Command stand that is in an adjacent square.
Add 1 to the firing stand’s score if the firing stand is Artillery firing at an enemy stand that is in an adjacent square.
Deduct 2 from the firing stand’s score if the enemy stand is behind a wall, in entrenchments, or inside a wood.
Close Combat – General Rules:
A stand may only engage an enemy stand that is in adjacent square. Both the stand initiating the close combat and the enemy stand throw a D12. Additions and subtractions are made, and the scores are compared.
Close Combat – Additions and Subtractions to the D12 score:
Add the stand’s value.
Add the value of any friendly Command stand that is in an adjacent square.
Add 1 for each friendly stand of the same type that is in an adjacent square.
Add 2 for each friendly stand of the same type that is in the same square.
Add 2 to the score of the stand initiating the close combat if the stand initiating the close combat is on the enemy stand’s flank or rear.
Add 3 to the score of the stand initiating the close combat if the stand initiating the close combat is Cavalry attacking Infantry or Artillery in flat, open country.
Deduct 2 from the score of the stand initiating the close combat if the stand initiating the close combat is in a square that is downhill from the enemy stand’s square.
Deduct 2 from the score of the stand initiating the close combat if the enemy stand is behind a wall or in entrenchments.
Combat Results:
If the final score of the stand that initiated the combat is lower, the combat has been ineffective.
If both stands’ final scores are equal, each stand throws a D12 and the stand with the lowest score must withdraw until it is one square away from the nearest enemy stand.
If enemy stand’s final score is less than final score of the stand that initiated the combat but more than half the final score of the stand that initiated the combat, the enemy stand must withdraw until it is one square away from the nearest stand on the same side as the stand that initiated the combat.
If enemy stand’s final score is less than half the final score of the stand that initiated the combat, the enemy stand is destroyed and removed from the battlefield.
NOTES:
(i) Dice marked 1 to 12.
(ii) For one-off battles where dice are used to determine the value of each side’s armies, at least eight D6s – marked 1 to 6 – will be required.
(iii) A battlefield that is 18 squares wide and 12 squares deep (or vice versa) is recommended.
(iv) A total of 36 points per army is recommended, with no more than 12 points in total being spent on stands worth 4 points.
(v) It is recommended that each side throw eight D6s to determine the value of their army. It is recommended that no more than 33% of the total value should be spent on stands worth 4 points.
(vi) A D6 is thrown. If the score is 6, the General is rated as ‘Exceptional’; if the score is 3, 4, or 5, the General is rated as ‘Average’; if the score is 1, the General is rated as ‘Poor’.
(vii) In the event of a tie, both sides throw again until one side gains the initiative.
(viii) An obstacle is any vertical or horizontal obstruction that requires a degree of physical effort to cross. This includes walls, hedges, fences, fordable rivers, streams, and trenches.
(ix) The stand that is the second row of the pair of stands in the same square supports the front stand in any Close Combat.
I will make a PDF version of the rules available in due course. It will be an A5 four-page booklet that can be printed back-to-back on most inkjet or laser printers.
PLAYING EQUIPMENT:
The following equipment is needed to fight battles using these rules:
- A battlefield and suitable terrain
- Two armies
- A scenario
- Two D12s (i) – one for each side (ii)
Battles are fought out on a gridded tabletop. The grid is marked in 50mm squares. The battlefield must be no less than 12 squares wide and 12 squares deep (iii).No more than two stands may be placed in a square at any one time, and then only if there is sufficient space within the square for this to happen. They must be placed one behind the other and face in the same direction.
Terrain (e.g. a group of trees) must, wherever possible, fit within one square on the battlefield. Where pieces of terrain are larger than an individual square (e.g. a hill) they must be sized in multiples of squares (e.g. 2 squares, 3 squares, or 6 squares) and be marked in 50mm squares in the same way as the battlefield.
STANDS:
Figures and artillery are mounted on stands. All stands are 40mm wide.
- Infantry stand: 20mm deep
Cavalry stand: 30mm deep
Artillery and Machine Gun stand: 40mm deep
Transport stand: 40mm deep
Command stand (on foot): 20mm deep
Command stand (mounted): 30mm deep
STAND VALUES:
The value for each type of stand is as follows:
- Guard Infantry: 4 points
Regular Infantry, Regular Cavalry, and Heavy Artillery: 3 points
Irregular Infantry, Native Infantry, Irregular Cavalry, Native Cavalry, Field Artillery, Mountain Artillery, and Machine Guns: 2 points
‘Exceptional’ General: 3 points
‘Average’ General: 2 points
‘Poor’ General: 1 point
Transport: 1 point
50mm of entrenchments: ½ point
Before the battle begins both sides must decide how many stands their armies will have. For campaigns this will be determined by the events leading up to the battle; in the case of one-off battles this can be decided by either mutual agreement between the players (iv) or by the throw of dice (v).
Each side’s army must have a Command stand (i.e. the stand with the General on it). The value of this stand is not included in the cost of an army.
GENERALS:
Before the battle begins both sides must decide how good their respective Generals are. For campaigns this will be determined by the events leading up to the battle; in the case of one-off battles this is decided by the throw of dice (vi).
TURN SEQUENCE:
The battle lasts a maximum of twelve turns. At the beginning of each turn both sides throw a D12; the side with the highest score has the initiative for that turn (vii).
The side with the initiative throws a D12; the score determines the number of stands – or pairs of stands that are sharing the same square – they may activate this turn. Once they have activated all their eligible stands, the other side throws a D12 and follows the same procedure.
ACTIVATION:
When a stand is activated it can move and then engage in combat or engage the enemy in combat and then move.
MOVEMENT:
All movement distances are expressed in squares.
- Irregular Cavalry and Native Cavalry: 5 squares
Regular Cavalry and Command (mounted): 4 squares
Irregular Infantry and Native Infantry: 3 squares
Guard Infantry, Regular Infantry, Dismounted Cavalry, Artillery, Machine Guns, Transport, and Command (on foot): 2 squares
Stands cannot move diagonally between enemy stands or between an enemy stand and an obstacle (viii).
Artillery stands may not be moved into a square that is adjacent to a square occupied by an enemy stand.
Only Infantry may move off-road through woods or can cross vertical obstacles (e.g. walls, hedges, fences etc.)
Stands making their entire move along a road may increase their movement distance by 1 square.
Stands crossing a hill contour reduce their movement distance by 1 square per contour crossed.
Stands that are forced to withdraw as a result of combat must withdraw until they are one square away from the nearest enemy stand. This movement must be within a 90° arc to the rear of the withdrawing stand. If the stand has to withdraw more than four squares to comply with this rule or it is prevented from doing so because of an obstacle or enemy stand, the withdrawing stand is deemed to have been destroyed and is removed from the tabletop.
COMBAT:
Combat is stand vs. stand. If there are two stands in the same square, only the front stand may initiate a combat with an enemy stand during a turn (ix). A stand may only initiate combat once per turn although it can be engaged by enemy stands many times.
Fire Combat – General Rules:
A stand may only fire at enemy stands they can see. The enemy stand must be within range and within a 90° arc to the front of the firing stand. Both the firing and the enemy stand throw a D12. Additions and subtractions are made, and the scores are compared.
Fire Combat – Ranges:
All ranges are expressed in squares.
- Hand-held Weapons and Muskets: 1 square
Single-shot Rifles: 2 squares
Magazine Rifles: 3 squares
Smooth-bore Mountain Artillery, and Machine Guns: 4 squares
Rifled Mountain Artillery and Smooth-bore Field Artillery: 5 squares
Rifled Field Artillery and Smooth-bore Heavy Artillery: 6 squares
Rifled Heavy Artillery: 8 squares
Add the stand’s value.
Add the value of any friendly Command stand that is in an adjacent square.
Add 1 to the firing stand’s score if the firing stand is Artillery firing at an enemy stand that is in an adjacent square.
Deduct 2 from the firing stand’s score if the enemy stand is behind a wall, in entrenchments, or inside a wood.
Close Combat – General Rules:
A stand may only engage an enemy stand that is in adjacent square. Both the stand initiating the close combat and the enemy stand throw a D12. Additions and subtractions are made, and the scores are compared.
Close Combat – Additions and Subtractions to the D12 score:
Add the stand’s value.
Add the value of any friendly Command stand that is in an adjacent square.
Add 1 for each friendly stand of the same type that is in an adjacent square.
Add 2 for each friendly stand of the same type that is in the same square.
Add 2 to the score of the stand initiating the close combat if the stand initiating the close combat is on the enemy stand’s flank or rear.
Add 3 to the score of the stand initiating the close combat if the stand initiating the close combat is Cavalry attacking Infantry or Artillery in flat, open country.
Deduct 2 from the score of the stand initiating the close combat if the stand initiating the close combat is in a square that is downhill from the enemy stand’s square.
Deduct 2 from the score of the stand initiating the close combat if the enemy stand is behind a wall or in entrenchments.
Combat Results:
If the final score of the stand that initiated the combat is lower, the combat has been ineffective.
If both stands’ final scores are equal, each stand throws a D12 and the stand with the lowest score must withdraw until it is one square away from the nearest enemy stand.
If enemy stand’s final score is less than final score of the stand that initiated the combat but more than half the final score of the stand that initiated the combat, the enemy stand must withdraw until it is one square away from the nearest stand on the same side as the stand that initiated the combat.
If enemy stand’s final score is less than half the final score of the stand that initiated the combat, the enemy stand is destroyed and removed from the battlefield.
NOTES:
(i) Dice marked 1 to 12.
(ii) For one-off battles where dice are used to determine the value of each side’s armies, at least eight D6s – marked 1 to 6 – will be required.
(iii) A battlefield that is 18 squares wide and 12 squares deep (or vice versa) is recommended.
(iv) A total of 36 points per army is recommended, with no more than 12 points in total being spent on stands worth 4 points.
(v) It is recommended that each side throw eight D6s to determine the value of their army. It is recommended that no more than 33% of the total value should be spent on stands worth 4 points.
(vi) A D6 is thrown. If the score is 6, the General is rated as ‘Exceptional’; if the score is 3, 4, or 5, the General is rated as ‘Average’; if the score is 1, the General is rated as ‘Poor’.
(vii) In the event of a tie, both sides throw again until one side gains the initiative.
(viii) An obstacle is any vertical or horizontal obstruction that requires a degree of physical effort to cross. This includes walls, hedges, fences, fordable rivers, streams, and trenches.
(ix) The stand that is the second row of the pair of stands in the same square supports the front stand in any Close Combat.
