The following rules are roughly intended to fulfill the original intent of this blog. These rules can be used for "Horse and Musket" operational level games. The basic infantry units are intended to represent battalions. They are designed to be grid based using a relatively small grid, perhaps 8x9 up to 9x12. They are abstract enough for non-historians to play, but I think provide some historic feel.
There are some admitted shortcomings that I hope to address after playtesting a few times. My first edit will be to get the defender to have a roll/role (Pun Intended) in the combat process. Currently the attacker is the only player to roll during combat. The defender's bonuses simply count as negative modifiers to the attacker. This mechanism makes it easier to play solo, but could leave a defending player feeling helpless.
I also need to devise some way of locking units into melee. In many games (and in history), low quality infantry can be used to prevent the movement of higher value troops while cavalry swings around from the flank/rear, delivering a massive blow. In my rules, melee ends at the end of the player's turn with a successful attack or a repelled charge. This prevents combined attacks from multiple sides.
Please consider playtesting these for me and let me know what you think. Also if you read through the rules and have questions or don't understand what I've intended to write let me know and I'll gladly clarify. My end-goal is to have a set of rules that I can play with my friends who prefer board-games due to their simplicity and unambiguousness.
Board and Scale:
The
board should be gridded in either a hexagonal or square pattern. Units should be able to fit entirely in a
single grid. If using a hexagonal grid,
units face corners, not sides. All
ranges and movement is measured through sides. If using a square grid, units
face sides and never corners. All ranges
and movement is measured through the sides.
Regardless
of cell shape, all terrain impacts the entire cell. Terrain should be movable so that units may
establish any facing they choose.
Turn Sequence
Determine
Iniative Points
Artillery
Phase
Player
A Turn
Player
B Turn
Determine Iniative
Points
Roll
2D6.
Add
or subtract relevant modifiers.
The
modified result determines the number of IPs the player may expend this turn.
The player who has a higher modified result chooses which player will be player
A for this turn.
Artillery Phase
Player
A performs their artillery phase first, but because artillery fire is
simultaneous, no effects will be felt until after the artillery phase. If player A’s artillery fires on player B’s
battery and destroys it, player B may still fire that battery this artillery
phase. Firing artillery consumes one IP. Players fire as many artillery units as they
wish. Artillery which has fired may not
move in the player’s turn.
Artillery Attack
Process
Follow
Combat Procedure to determine the outcome of shooting combat.
Modifiers
+1: Shooting into Flank/Rear
Target within ½ of max range
-1: Target in cover
Attacking while disordered
Enemy Commander adjacent to target
Player’s Turn
After
the artillery phase Player A completes their turn. Once all of Player A’s IPs
have been expended or forfeited, Player B activates their units. Once both players have completed their player
turn, a new game turn begins with an artillery phase.
Expending IP
IP
are expended by activating or attempting to rally units. Players may never
expend more IP than they were awarded. Attempting
to rally a unit costs one IP. Activating
a unit within two tiles of a commander costs one IP. Activating a unit further than two tiles from
a commander costs two IP. Once activated
a unit may; move, or move and then engage in combat. Units may not engage in combat and then move
unless they are moving to occupy a tile vacated as a result of melee combat.
Rally Units
Only
commanders may attempt to rally troops. Commanders
must be within two tiles of the unit they are attempting to rally. If successful, a disorganized unit regains
its composure and returns to normal status.
Attempting to rally consumes one IP, but does not prevent that unit from
being activated.
Movement
Units
may move up to their maximum movement, but may not exceed it.
Certain
terrain features negatively impact movement.
See the terrain section for details about each type of terrain.
Movement
for specific units is listed on the Unit Data Table.
Units
may change facing as many times as desired in the process of moving, but must
end their move facing a side of a tile.
Units
who only change facing, expend the number of movement points required to move
into that tile.
Shooting
Activated
units which have one movement point or more remaining may fire.
Units
must fire forward of their facing and may fire up to a 60 degree angle from
directly forward.
Units
in built-up-areas have 360 degree firing arc.
Units must have unobstructed LOS to the target
Range
for specific units is listed on the Unit Data Table.
Follow
Combat Procedure to determine the outcome of shooting combat.
Modifiers
+1: Shooting into Flank/Rear
Shooting from cover
-1: Target in cover
Attacking while disordered
Enemy Commander adjacent to target
Melee
Melee
occurs when a unit attempts to occupy a tile currently occupied by an enemy
unit. The attacking unit follows the combat procedure. If the defending unit is eliminated or forced
to retreat, the attacking unit may occupy the tile. Although it may choose not to occupy the
vacated tile, it must have enough movement to do so. If the attacking unit is not successful in
eliminating or forcing a retreat, it ends its turn adjacent to the defending
unit. An ordered attacker whose modified
combat roll is less than six becomes disordered. A disordered attacker whose modified combat
score is less than six must retreat one tile, ignoring movement cost.
Modifiers
+1:
Attacking into Flank/Rear
Attacking from hill/forest to open
Attacking artillery
Commander adjacent to unit
-1: Attacking from open to hill/forest
Attacking while disordered
Enemy commander adjacent to unit
Combat Procedure:
Determine
that the attack is valid.
Attacker
rolls 2 D6, adds modifiers and unit stats.
Consult
the outcome of attack table below to determine how the defending unit must
react.
A
failure is defined as a roll where the sum of the 2D6 and modifiers is less
than 6. A partial success has a modified
sum between 7 and 9. A total success has
a modified sum of 10+.
If
the defender is unable to retreat into an unoccupied tile, it is
eliminated.
Terrain
Terrain is assumed to occupy the entirety of a cell. This means that if any part of the LOS from one cell passes through closed terrain; forest, hill, or built-up-area, the entire LOS is blocked. LOS is always measured from the center of the attacker's cell to the center of the target's cell. If a LOS passes along the side of two closed cells, then LOS is blocked. If LOS passes along the side of two cells and one is open, then LOS is not blocked.
Open
– Passable to all, no movement detriment, no cover
Forest
– Passable only to infantry, costs additional movement point, provides cover, and
obstructs LOS behind.
Hill
– Passable to all, costs additional movement point, and obstructs LOS behind.
Built-Up-Area
– Only infantry may end turn in BUA, provides cover, and obstructs LOS behind.
When in BUA no flank/rear exists
Unit
Data Table
Regular – Professional
soldiers, organized into drilled battalions.
Two battalions can be organized together to form a regiment. If the two battalions are adjacent, the
regimental officer can issue a command to the other battalion, provided it is
identical to the command given to him by the field general.
Irregular – Professional or
militia soldiers who fight in dispersed or skirmisher nature. Irregular forces move through all terrain
with a movement cost of 1.
Militia –
Non-professional soldiers, organized into battalions. They have some minimal training, but are not
as proficient as regular battalions.
They have the same movement restrictions as regular infantry, but are
never permitted to be organized into a regiment.
Dragoons – Professional
soldiers, functioning as light cavalry or highly mobile infantry. Although they have roughly the same number of
riders, they are less efficient than regular cavalry but can still deliver
serious blows to irregular and militia infantry. The smaller number of soldiers
makes them less efficient infantry units than battalions of regulars. Mounting
or dismounting costs 1 movement point. When mounted, dragoons have the same
movement restrictions as cavalry. When
dismounted, dragoons have the same movement restrictions as regular
infantry.
Cavalry – Noble sons,
with substantial training. Cavalry
troopers are not armored knights, but can generally be trusted to disperse
enemy formations, especially if they can charge from the flank/rear.
Artillery – Batteries of
professional gunners. Although the guns
are generally assigned to the regiments they serve, they are often grouped
together and separated from their regiments to form combined batteries.
Commanders – Appointed leaders
of the army. Commanders move as cavalry, but do not have any combat ability on
their own. If attacked, the Commander
may choose to retreat away from the attacking unit. If the defending commander voluntarily
retreats, the attacking unit may choose another target and roll with a +1 modifier
for that turn. Units adjacent to their
commander experience a morale boost, making them more resistant to attack and
more deadly in melee.
Army Composition
Army
composition varied widely based on time and location. This set of rules could likely encompass the
War of Spanish Succession through the Napoleonic Era. Players should take into consideration the
historical or unhistorical setting and playing space to build their armies
accordingly.
Eight
units per player should play well on a 8x9 size grid.
