Shako and Bayonet[1]

Wanting to shoot people with muskets on a large scale I mused on the form that the future Shako and Bayonet, as one of the companion rules set to HFG, might take.

Rather than idle speculation I decided to write up the following by way as a suggestion for the rulesgiver.

I have based this upon the scraps of information we have about S&B, ie virtually nothing but the idea that it will show units in formations and that battalions will be depicted by two elements.

In writing these up I have tried to translate HFG to the new scale and second guess how the particular problems of this translation might be solved. In parts this has involved creation of whole sections of rules, such as formations, but I have tried not to change just for the sake of change. Guidance was sought from DBr and DBMM when a new mechanism was needed. New or altered sections are in red. Mostly. I have moved about a few sections, necessitated by removal or increasing detail to suit the new scale.

Stripping out the 12 HFG troop types not appropriate for the S&B era did reduce complexity and word count, but not by much. I have taken the liberty of creating only a few extra troop types; that of Revolutionaries which are poor quality but enthusiastic foot emblematic of the era, Elephants and Skirmishers Ahead. Elephants are treated as broadly analogous to Cuirassiers but with some special strengths and weaknesses. Skirmishers Ahead are those assumed for Bayonets and Light Infantry in HFG but not depicted separately. They are linked to such types in S&B and must remain in close association with them. Artillery can be Howitzers or fluky Rockets in addition to their other grades. Pioneers are included as a train variant to build or destroy field structures.

The class of Dismountables has been removed as only Dragoons would be members of it. Those few mounted formations that dismounted in battles, rather than for the occasional special task, have this capacity noted in their army list and an appropriate foot type is nominated for them. Rules for mounting and dismounting are included.

Firelocks have been retained to cater for non-Europeans that may fit the type. Laager has also been included even if its prime users are not significant in the era. Strong Points have been altered to match the new game scales.

Formations of Line, Square and Assault Column are included for those infantry types using them, some other foot or mounted types may benefit from Assault Column.

Most but not all foot types must be depicted in units of two elements that never separate. Such a unit represents a battalion or similar formation of roughly 500-800 men and officers (so 250-400 per element). Some types, such as supporting artillery not in concentrated batteries must be single elements while the remaining types have a choice of being in units or as single elements depending on their historical organisation. Mounted having a choice to be depicted as singles or units recognises that there was great variation in nations organisation of their cavalry squadrons into larger regiments or similar groups. If nothing else it allows a small number of cavalry to pose a threat to foot.

Ground scale is set by the troop scale at 40mm, one element width for 15mm troops, equalling 100 paces. This has had several consequences for translating HFG. Firstly the move rates of all troops has been scaled back; a) to keep playing table size manageable and troops making outcomes from exiting the table too easily and b) the more tactical feel of S&B does not always suit wide sweeping semi-strategic marching.

A consequence of changing these scales is that the time scale should probably be condensed slightly, although none is here suggested as move rates represent initiatives not theoretical marching speeds.

A more profound change triggered by altering the ground scale and reducing move distances is that the HFG requirement for some advancing troops to formally stop and compute shooting before close conflict is not needed. But these moves may cost more PIPS. Players must use their tactical skill to avoid or maximise shooting. The option to press forward after shooting may be too generous at the new scale, any feedback on this is most welcome.

Combat outcomes have likewise been altered to cater for the changed troop scale and the new formations. I have not altered troops basic combat factors for consistency with HFG but have altered other charts. The combat charts themselves have been separated into close combat and distant shooting combat sections for ease of use.

Play should be on a table of at least 1200mm x 900 (6x4 foot), expect your troops to be hotly engaged early in a game. Terrain size and number of pieces has been altered to suit the ground scale.

Scale Issues Unresolved at this stage

Any need to separate out Lancers as a sub-type of LCav LHorse???

It looks like horse and portable artillery are separate things but I think Zamburak wasps camel gunners whose name and what can be gleaned about their role suggests an emphasis on mobility could be both Portable and Horse. The effect would give them a reduced range compared with other horse artillery. The Persian Shah had 400 of them described by one European source as part of his guard, at least two provincial rulers had 200 man formations.

Larger battles may need the troop scale altered to 1 inch = 100p, I have not tested this and there may be unforeseen consequences.

Army size.

I surveyed 180 European Napoleonic armies in battles but not sieges to gauge their size characteristics. Where accounts of numbers differed I averaged them. The numbers are presented with some rounding up of the lower percentages.

0-10K men 7%, 11-15K men 13%, 16-20K men 12%, 21-25K men 10%

26-30K men 7%, 31-35k men 10%, 36-40K men 10%, 41-45K men 5%



86-90K men 2%, 110-120K men 3%, 121K+ men 6%

I suspect there is a bias against the smaller end at say fewer than 15K men as these tend to be reported (in generalist publications) only when they are particularly interesting or important for some reason.

Next I took pairs of combatants (but excluding those conflicts where a victor mops up an enemy that has recently lost as major conflict and often has a massive numerical disparity) and averaged the numbers of the two armies. The idea here is to take out variability for position, troop quality and similar.

Using this method armies tend to group at the following six numbers;

16K men, 23K men, a 35-43K clump, 55K, 75K, giant 120K battles.

At the S&B scale of one manoeuvre item of two elements per 1000ish men, the first four groups up to 55K should be manageable under the rules. The 75K group lends itself either to a large S&B game or HFG. Clearly HFG comes into its own for the titanic 120K men per side battles.

The above sizes might be a useful guide to the various AP totals for play.

David Brown

HORSE, FOOT AND GUNS / Shako and bayonet"

INTRODUCTION

You should not assume that the differences between my perception of the realities of warfare during the era and received opinion are due to ignorance. Some formerly respected secondary sources have recently been discredited by modern research. "The Anatomy of Victory" and "Battle Tactics of Napoleon and his Enemies", both by Brent Nosworthy and "Forward into Battle" and "Rally Once Again" by Paddy Griffith provide good analysis, and many useful books by 18th and 19th century soldiers or theoreticians exist.

Copyright (c) Phil Barker 1991, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005.

CONTENTS

GAME PHILOSOPHY Page 2

PLAYING EQUIPMENT AND REPRESENTATIONAL SCALES. 3

TROOP DEFINITIONS. 4

ORGANISING AN ARMY. 8

SETTING UP A BATTLE. 11

FIGHTING THE BATTLE.16

DEFINITIONS27

ADVICE FROM THE MASTERS28

OPTIONAL PRELIMINARY MAP MOVEMENT.30

COMMENTS.31

EXPLANATORY DIAGRAMS 32GAME PHILOSOPHY

These rules are based on detailed analysis of a number of key battles for which a good sequence of events is available. This shows that, except for approach marches while out of contact, events are discrete initiatives and responses. This version is the result of testing against participants accounts of very many more battles

The forward edge of an element base does not represent the position of the front rank. Instead, the combined base depth between figures of opposing elements in base contact represents point blank range.

Shooting ranges are those at which substantial casualties could be expected. Shooting is assumed to also occur at up to double that range, but to only put a brake on enemy movement by forbidding march moves in non-tactical formations such as column of route. Artillery ranges are those considered practical by contemporaries and were often limited by considerations of visibility and long range shot dispersion.

Combat results are matched to the range or those recorded during confrontations between troops of those types in similar situations in real battles. Combat factors have been set to produce historical effects in conjunction with the combat outcome table and should not be judged in isolation. One innovation is a Spent result for cavalry that used up their mounts strength and the riders dash and cohesion but mostly survive, so that they are removed but do not count as lost. This encourages use rather than hoarding. At the other extreme, another innovation for the first time provides an adequate reason to reserve elite troops for the decisive moment of the battle.

Conventional rule sets give the player far too much information. A real general does not know that a unit has just lost a certain number of men, or even its total losses until next day, if then. However, he will usually be in a position to see if a body is moving forward cheering, edging back looking over its collective shoulders, or has disintegrated. We provide players with that information and that only.

Our command and movement system is arbitrary, but its results are very similar to those from elaborate systems incorporating written orders, transmission by a limited number of messengers or signals, and then testing interpretation by the recipient. In any case, as Clausewitz points out, confusion is the normal state in battle, good staff work merely reducing it to a barely acceptable level. The function of the command system in a wargame differs from that in a real battle in that it is not used to enable the general to manoeuvre his troops at all, but to prevent him doing so too freely! This we achieve.

Some features of related rule sets are not applicable in this era and others were less or more important. For example, night marches were plentiful, but night attacks were rare and usually restricted to localised assaults on strong points, which is surprising considering the need to overcome the defensive power of longer ranged firearms. Successful attacks taking advantage of morning mist were less rare, but invariably due to coincidence rather than planning. Indeed, on one occasion, the attacker actually waited for an hour in the hope that the mist that was to give him victory would clear!

Naval co-operation was more common than previously, especially in America on coasts, great lakes and large rivers. Off-table flank marches and decentralisation into semi-independent Corps were increasingly important from the Napoleonic Wars on. While treachery resulting in allies changing side in mid-battle did not occur, misunderstanding and lack of co-operation between allies was rife.

PLAYING EQUIPMENT AND REPRESENTATIONAL SCALES

CHOICE OF FIGURE AND MODEL SCALE

These rules are primarily intended for 15mm or smaller figures. 25mm can also be used if the ground scale is increased by 50% and its easier visibility may be helpful in public demonstration games.

TROOP REPRESENTATION AND ARMY SIZE

Figures are combined into elements, each of which consists of several figures or figure blocks fixed to a rectangular base of card or some similar material. All bases used by both sides must have the same frontage. Each element type has a cost in Army Points (AP) ranging from 1 to 50, intended to render opposed armies approximately equal in ability and encourage realistic proportions of elite troops, cavalry and artillery.

Elements are often paired to form Units, especially for infantry, although many types of mounted and some foot can operate as single elements. Elements paired as Units will always be in contact with each other and positioned to show formations of Line, Assault Column and Square.

Opposing sides must be historical contemporaries, or if fictional, of the same putative year. Each side consists of an agreed total of AP and each army (a side may have more than one army) must include one or more staff elements and up to one logistics element. One staff element represents the sides Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) and others his subordinate or allied army, wing or corps commanders. A defending player can also use AP to add garrisoned strong points, provide field defences or conceal troops.

A staff element represents a senior general together with his staff and escorts.

A pair of foot elements forming a Unit represent a battalion or similar formation of roughly 500-800 men, each element therefore represents roughly 250-400 men and officers. Elements of Marksmen not paired into units can represent 200 or so men, and may take an Inferior grade if fewer men are represented.

Mounted elements represent roughly 200-400 men per element and 400-600 total for two if paired into a Unit. The organisation of cavalry into squadrons and regiments or similar higher formal organisations varied widely between nations such that mounted can be either depicted as single elements or units.

Artillery deployed as a single element represents a small group of up to a few guns detailed to add supporting fire for battalions and regiments. Units of artillery represent a company or battery with a few howitzers and other guns to a typical 7-16 (review?) total guns or 50 rocket men or camel or jingal gunners.

A naval element represents 1-3 vessels.

Units and single Elements

Type

Form

Staff, Train,

Singles

Naval, Artillery, Mounted, Marksmen, Spearmen, Revolutionaries

Singles or Units

Other foot

Units

PLAYING AREA AND GROUND SCALE

A playing area 6 foot by 4 foot, 1200mm x 900mm is suggested as a minimum. All distances are given in paces (p) of 0.75 metres or 30 inches. An element's frontage represents 100 paces in real life, which sets the standard ground scale at 40mm = 100p, in 15mm scale, and 960mm = 1 mile.

Measure distances on the table with a card strip or similar marked at 200p intervals up to 800p, then at 400p pace intervals. Element base dimensions are significant multiples of 100p and this will often make use of a measure unnecessary. A pair of 400p x 200p bases with handles instead of figures can be very useful for measuring gaps. Play is smoother and pleasanter if players do not try to position elements "just outside" a

critical distance and specify intended separation distance on completing moves.

TIME SCALE

Play is in alternate bounds. These do not represent fixed arbitrary divisions of time, but initiatives and responses by the two sides. However, dividing known battle durations by the number of discrete phases that can be identified produces consistent enough results to define a bound as equivalent to an average of 10 minutes in real life. Except for march movement out of contact, which is assumed to be continuous and to have been during the previous enemy bound as well as your current bound, move distances are not a function of time available and theoretical speeds, but are based on typical moves in real battles.

DICE

One differently coloured ordinary 1 to 6 dice is required for each staff element used.

TROOP DEFINITIONS

Troops are defined by battlefield behaviour as well as by their weapons. We distinguish only those troops thought by contemporaries to differ sufficiently to need different handling by their commanders or the enemy. Each type is identified by a name descriptive of its armament and fighting methods. However, be warned that these necessarily arbitrary names may contradict regimental titles, which were often deceptive and/or obsolete. For example, not all regiments with dragoon titles still practised dismounted fighting and many light infantry regiments came to differ from line regiments only in dress distinctions.

Staff elements can be a large Army HQ, a small Command Party, AG or a Native Potentate.

Mounted elements can be Cuirassiers, Elephants, Heavy Cavalry, Dragoons, Light Cavalry, Light Horse or Sipahis.

Foot elements can be Firelocks, Muskets, Bayonets, Light Infantry, Stoic Foot, Marksmen, Spearmen, Revolutionaries or Skirmishers Ahead.

Artillery elements can be Smoothbore or Portable.

Naval elements can be Flotilla or Sail, one can be an admirals Flagship.

Train elements can be Pontooneers, Pioneers, Supply Base, Laager or Aeronauts.

A few elements can be additionally graded as BRILLIANT or INERT if staff, as ELITE if mounted or foot, as HORSE, HEAVY, Howitzers or Rockets if artillery. Any number of mounted, foot or naval can be graded as INFERIOR.

ARMY HEADQUARTERS (HQ), representing the person, advisers, aides, staff, gallopers, escort, and sometimes table and chair, tent, travelling carriage or even kibitzing royalty, of an army commander who prefers to change position infrequently and relies on ample messengers to exert authority, such as Napoleon at Waterloo, Schwartzenburg at Leipzig or more rarely, the similar entourage of an ally general.

COMMAND PARTY (CP), representing the person and small entourage of an army commander who prefers seeing for himself and personal communication to total reliance on messengers, such as Wellington or of a subordinate general or ally general (AG) commanding a wing of the army or a corps.

NATIVE POTENTATE (NP), representing the ruler, vizier or other commander of an African or Asiatic native army, often mounted on an elephant, horse or camel or sitting on a portable throne or litter, together with his advisors, lackeys, fan bearers and bodyguard.

CUIRASSIERS, representing cavalry in steel plate armour corselet or half-corselet on big horses who charged sword in hand in close formation, such as French Napoleonic cuirassiers or later Prussian cuirassiers even if brigaded with uhlans. 19th century experts disagreed as to whether the protection offered by a cuirass justified its extra weight and fatigue, though most agreed it made the wearer braver, especially when attacking foot.

ELEPHANTS, representing those war elephants found in Asiatic armies with crews astride or in howdah perhaps as the status riding animal for minor nobility. Crews may have bows, firearms or a light gun.

HEAVY CAVALRY, representing other cavalry mounted on big horses intended almost exclusively for the mounted charge and inefficient at other duties, such as 19th century British dragoon guards and heavy dragoons, French carabineers and horse grenadiers, or cuirassier regiments that had abandoned armour.

DRAGOONS, representing plainer, cheaper and/or worse mounted cavalry who could not only charge or carry out outpost duties mounted, but retained some ability to fight on foot. Not all troops with a dragoon title qualify.

LIGHT CAVALRY representing regular cavalry with theoretically smaller men mounted on light fast horses trained to charge in line, but also expected to perform the bulk of the army's mounted outpost, escort, scouting, screening and skirmishing duties, such as dashing romantic regiments of hussars, light dragoons, chasseurs or lancers, sometimes supported by duller and less fashionable dragoons.

LIGHT HORSE, representing those undisciplined irregular skirmishing horsemen or camel men who dominated the war of outposts, sought to engulf unwary enemy cavalry, but more often hovered in swarms around formed enemy than charged desperately to disaster, such as Russian Cossacks, Tartars, Maratha pindaris or marauding Bedouin.

SIPAHIS, representing fiercer native cavalry charging wildly in loose swarms and superior to Europeans in a confused melee; such as Mamluks, Turkish Sipahis, Indian silhadars or Tuareg.

FIRELOCKS, representing some non-European infantry with matchlock or flintlock muskets who fired a volley or two, then charged with swords, such as Turkish Janissaries.

MUSKETS representing infantry armed with muzzle-loaded smoothbore musket and bayonet, but using the new Dutch drill and firings, such as the Dutch themselves (to 1794), French (to 1791), Prussians and Austrians (to 1807). They usually formed in three ranks with small intervals and marched in step and drilled in cadence, these greatly improving their ability to change formation or direction. Whether in attack or defence, they fought erect in rigid shoulder-to-shoulder lines, the ranks "locked on" by moving half a man width sideways so that all could fire simultaneously. Combat started with platoon fire, with each platoon volleying in its succession, but tended to degenerate into independent fire. At short range, their fire was often more deadly than the skirmishing fire or single volley and charge of the following type, though less decisive than the latter. Their bayonets were chiefly valuable for defence against charging cavalry, against whom there was only time for a single close range volley.

BAYONETS representing infantry armed and drilled like those we class as Firelocks or Muskets, but chiefly relying on the moral effect of a bayonet or sabre charge in line after a single volley amid ringing cheers or of a rapid advance in column, such as brigaded grenadiers, British, French (after 1792), Prussian or Austrian (after 1808). Those like Muskets after 1791 preferred to form battalion squares when attacked by cavalry and relied for distant or more continuous fire against infantry on skirmishers thrown out in front, which are depicted as Skirmishers Ahead. Successful bayonet charges killed and wounded few enemy compared with more continuous shooting but were more decisive, since they left fleeing opponents in no doubt that they had lost.

LIGHT INFANTRY representing infantry similar to those classed above as Bayonets, but entirely of men trained to move exceptionally fast and act independently, such as those of the Anglo-Portuguese Light Division of the Peninsular War.

STOIC FOOT representing infantry with muzzle-loaded smoothbore musket and bayonet and drilled as any of the types above, but still relying on dense formations and volley fire, more remarkable for endurance than for marksmanship but fond of the bayonet and whom "it is 6 times easier to kill than to defeat", such as regulars of the Sikh khalsa until 1849 and Russian line infantry.

Skirmishers Ahead, representing those men thrown forward from Bayonets and Light Infantry above, to harass snipe at and delay enemy. But not necessarily those specialist separate Marksmen companies which can instead be depicted as their own elements.

REVOLUTIONARIES, representing swarms of Europeans inspired by political, national or religious fervour to take up arms. Often with improvised weapons but including many individuals firing with dubious weapons or proficiency. Can include rump government units bolstered by masses of temporarily enthusiastic volunteers such as Spanish immediately following their switching alliance against the French in 1808(??? check). Also non-Europeans with some firearms deployed in mass but lacking the ferocity of Spearmen.

Those with bitter experience at losing to regulars or with traditional rural skills many may adopt guerrilla tactics to become Marksmen, those volunteering in government armies may in time become proficient enough to deserve a Musket or Bayonet type. Examples include Republican Levee En Mass and Vendee French, Portuguese, Polish, Tyrolean, Russian, Haitian and Mameluk foot.

MARKSMEN, representing both the occasional specialist jagers employed by European armies and the larger numbers of irregulars such as Austrian pandours, Indian najibs or jezailachis, wily Pathans and Afghan irregulars; but not the Skirmishers Ahead of regulars.

SPEARMEN, representing undrilled foot mainly relying on a charge with spear and/or sword, such as Irish rebel pikemen, Russian Opolchenie militia or Dervish.

SMOOTHBORE ARTILLERY representing entirely smoothbore artillery batteries. Single elements of artillery represent smaller clumps of guns organised to support battalions or regiments. Some armies can also have elements entirely of horse artillery or heavy guns.

PORTABLE ARTILLERY, representing man or pony-carried Chinese jingals, camel-mounted zamburaks and/or swarms of Indian rocketeers launching rockets by hand and their pack camels. Some Indian rockets were kept in support of infantry while some were mounted five or six to a launcher contraption that may be analogous to European artillery units.

ROCKETS, some portable or other artillery classed as rockets are considered unpredictable, they have special rules to simulate this extra randomness, they are useful to set BUA afire.

HOWITZERS, for units only, representing complete formations of howitzers.

PONTOONEERS, representing troops able to move to a river and construct a temporary bridge.

SUPPLY BASE, representing the army's supplies, hospitals, stores and transport depots, and positioned contiguous to a built-up area (BUA) or battlefield edge and also on a waterway, navigable river, road or railway. It cannot be moved during a battle and is only feebly defended by its own personnel. Its function is to increase endurance, require protection and offer a target for raids.

PIONEERS, count as Pontooneers in all respects excepting where noted and, they dont build bridges but destroy temporary ones they remain in contact with at the end of a second bound and permanent ones after three. They can repair in one complete bound 100p of obstacles destroyed by Artillery or crossed by troops. They add the Staff bolstering factor for foot attacking a BUA or SP.

LAAGER, representing circled supply wagons. It differs from a Supply Base in being heavily defended and able to move freely, if slowly.

AERONAUTS, representing an observation balloon tethered at 1,000 feet and able to see 4 miles plus its detachment and wagon. It can be moved, but can only operate if stationary for the whole of this bound and that preceding, in good going, in good weather, in daylight and within the C-in-Cs easy command distance. It can be attacked, but cannot fight back.

FLOTILLA, representing small craft effective only in close combat including both groups of boarding craft such as galleys, cutting-out expeditions in ships boats, canoe fleets or war junks and also unarmoured rams and fire ships.

SAIL, representing substantial wooden broadside warships dependent entirely upon sail and unable to move closer than 45 degrees to directly upwind.

Troops graded as ELITE include guard cavalry, guard infantry or grenadiers, regular marksmen entirely armed with good rifles and fanatic spearmen. Elite cavalry were used for decisive attacks, foot guards and grenadiers to press difficult assaults on villages or as a final reserve to tip a battle hanging in the balance. Not only is the cost increased, but also each element counts as two element equivalents.

Troops graded as INFERIOR include all those cavalry or foot significantly deficient in some of the battle skills expected of their type, such as recently recruited volunteers, militia, landwehr, badly-trained reservists, badly-officered and neglected regulars or cavalry on bad or half-starved horses. This grading does not reflect on the mens individual courage or mean that they will not fight well on occasion or be good value. Naval elements similarly graded are those too weakly armed or unseaworthy to lie in line of battle in open sea, such as sailing frigates, corvettes or brigs.

Artillery is graded as HEAVY if heavy 12pdr or larger smoothbores.

Artillery is graded as HORSE if either smoothbores up to 6pdr with gun crews carried on the limbers or riding the teams off-side horses, or smoothbores up to light 12pdr with crew riding separate mounts.

DISMOUNTING

Those Dragoons and any other mounted that can fight either mounted or dismounted have this capacity noted in their army lists which will also describe their dismounted type. Dismounting or remounting takes a tactical or march move. Each dismounted element must provide an element of horse/camel holders and rider-less mounts to be placed behind them when dismounting. Such a mounts element counts as Pontooneers (but obviously not with bride building capacity) for anything not mentioned elsewhere in the rules. A Units mounts themselves form a Unit. Troops must be in contact with their mounts to re-mount. Mounts can be separately moved, attacked and lost from their parents.

NAVAL LANDING FORCES

Naval elements can but need not carry one element of crew, perhaps specialist marines, to embark or disembark as a suitable type. Crew Units must be carried by a naval Unit.

Crew can be dis/embark only from a WW or River edge at good going or a BUA/SP. Dis/embarking can be done as a Tactical or March move. Foot or Staff cost 2PIPs to dis/embark, Mounted 3PIPS, Artillery or Train 4PIPs.

Disembarked crew can be transferred to/from a command or stay with their original. Crew currently shipboard suffer the fate of their naval element, they count as addition original elements and losses.

ORGANISING AN ARMY

ELEMENT BASING

An element consists of several figures fixed to a thin rectangular base of card or similar material. The size of this base and even the scale of the figures are not critical provided that all land elements have the same frontage. However, some standardisation is needed if you are to play against other peoples armies, and the conventions specified below are the best that can be done to represent the true space occupied.

Standard basing mounts 25mm figures on 60mm wide bases and smaller figures on 40mm wide bases. If figures were previously on 30mm wide bases, fix these to the centre of a 40mm base. The standard basing for 25mm and 15mm figures is the same as in the other sets of the series. Figures smaller than 25mm can alternatively be mounted on 80mm bases, allowing formations to be depicted more realistically and WRG 1685-1845 elements to be combined into a HFG / S&B element. If so, use the 10mm number of figures per base for 15mm figures and double the number in each rank for all smaller scale elements except staff.

BASE SIZES

60mm x:40mm x: 80mm x:

120mm.80mm.160mm. Army HQ, Pontooneers, Supply Base, Laager and Aeronauts.

60mm.40mm.80mm. Native Potentate, Elephants and Artillery.

40mm.30mm.60mm. Mounted.

40mm.30mm.30mm. Command Party.

30mm.20mm.40mm. Other foot, Pioneers.

RECOMMENDED NUMBER OF FIGURES OR MODELS PER BASE

G = General, R = Rider on horse, H = Led horse, A = Artillery piece and crew, Sk = in Skirmisher block, L= in Loose order block, (? d) is the number of ranks a figure block is cast in if greater than 1. Spacing codes are:

Front to rear: o = No gap between ranks, + = Small (1/2 figure depth) gap between ranks, ++ = largest possible gap between ranks. * = Singly, between and beside columns front ranks.

Side to side:No code = shoulder-to-shoulder in centre of base, s = spaced equally across base, r = spaced randomly, s/r = s if soldiers and r if irregulars, ?x = in that number of separate groups.

25mm & 15mm:10mm: 6mm:2mm:

HQ.G+1-2+1-3R G+2+2-3R G+2-3 +2-3RG>

Command Party.G1RG1-2R G=2RG2R

Native Potentate.G2RG2R Go4-6R?

Light Horse.2Rs/r3Rs/r 3Rs/r10Rs

Sipahis.3Rs/r4Rs/r 5Rs/r?

Others if mounted.35R 6R12-16R++0-6R

Firelocks.46s+6s 6s+6s+6s40(4d)

Muskets.48 8o848(3d)

Stoic Foot.46o6 8o8o848(6d)

Marksmen or

Skirmishers Ahead.2s4r 4r10Sk

Bayonets (linear).42s++8 2s++8o8 5Sk++26(2d)

Bayonets (columns).43s*2x2o2 3s*2x3o3o310Sk ++2x16(4d)

Light Infantry.44s++6 4s++6o610Sk++20(2d)

Spearmen or

Revolutionaries.3-4ro2-4r3-4ro4-6ro3-5r 3-7ro7-8ro5-6r?

Portable artillery.2As3As 4As?

Other artillery.1A1A 2A3A

A strong point garrison can be temporarily represented by un-based figures or block to fit in among model buildings.

Most foot figures should be positioned at the rear of their base so that muzzles do not protrude beyond its front edge. Those with an o spacing code can be locked, i.e. covering the intervals of the front rank with muzzles between the front rank heads. Figures further forward represent skirmishers or 18c grenade throwers. HQ can be embellished with tents, tables, led horses or travelling coach as desired. Supply bases can be represented by tents, field bakeries, transport animals, or anything else your artistic mind desires. Ground scale considerations make it inconvenient to represent draft teams under these rule unless using 6mm or 2mm, so they are otherwise assumed to have been withdrawn out of sight into dead ground.

Spearmen or Revolutionaries can alternately use mounted base depth to permit substitution of a DBR or DBMM Horde element.

Although 6mm and 2mm blocks are intended for use without bases, our experience shows bases ARE needed and that using the same base sizes as 15mm figures is most realistic.

2mm blocks are in a variety of widths that can be selected or combined. 2mm cavalry are cast in blocks of 6 light or 8 heavy. My basing allows a single line of heavy or 2 lines of light, or even a mixed brigade of cuirassiers and uhlans. Horse artillery are best represented by 6 horse teams with guns hooked up, field artillery by guns in action with 4 horse teams behind, and heavy artillery by guns in action with 6 horse teams behind.

Irregular Miniatures cast 6mm British Napoleonic infantry blocks as loose order, so substitute their Crimean blocks. When 6mm manufacturers do not distinguish heavy guns, try substituting Renaissance sakers, but with contemporary horse teams and crew. Those 6mm cavalry or infantry blocks cast with slight gaps between figures can be easily cut and combined to fit base frontages.

Naval and Aeronaut elements are represented by smaller models than other land elements, this being rationalised as the element being viewed from a greater distance. There are excellent 1/2400, 1/3000 and 1/6000 ships for the wars of our era.

1/1200 naval elements have a frontage of 30mm and depth of 150mm.

1/2400 or 1/3000 naval elements have a frontage of 20mm and depth of 100mm.

1/6000 naval elements have a frontage of 20mm and depth of 50mm.

UNITS

Units are a group of two elements that permanently keep company. Both obey any combat outcome inflicted on either of them except potentially a Halt which will be overridden by a subsequent outcome in the same bound on the other element of the group. Both will be lost if one is and both will be of the same troop type

The elements of a unit must be in edge and corner contact and thus form a line two-wide or column two deep. Firelocks; Muskets, Bayonets, Light Infantry and Stoic Foot can also form a Square, which is depicted by elements placed back to back. There is no objection to smaller figures positioned in a square facing all directions on a substitute base of the right size, indeed it will look great.

Some sections of the rules have the form of words element or unit for clarity in those parts. However the elements of the unit are still elements in every other sense and must obey the rules where this is specified, rather than endlessly repeating elements or units.

Individual elements of the unit have their combats calculated separately, thus one element of the group may provide overlap or shooting help for the other. Each will obey a shooting target priority separately.

Where both elements of a unit are in close combat with enemy elements not of the same unit (because the enemy is some combination of different units or singles), one element of it suffering an adverse outcome allows other enemy yet to compute combat to count as also scoring like the first to determine its outcome options. Thus one of two enemies fighting your unit in line, and victorious, allows the other enemy to perhaps pursue or press forward and perhaps renew contact and be in a position to now compute its own combat.

A unit in line that itself fights two different enemies may defeat one of them, which then makes its outcome immediately, but the victor stays in place until the last enemy is fought and then it obeys any outcome of this last combat only.

Likewise if one element of a unit in line scores a halt outcome, the second element fighting may trigger an adverse result for the whole unit if losing but will not if victorious permit a pursuit or press forward as the original element is locked by the halt.

Squares

Firelocks; Muskets, Bayonets, Light Infantry and Stoic Foot can form squares when not in Difficult Going, fortifications, gully, steam, river, BUA or SP. They can fight in close combat from each of its four edges and count each as a front edge. Squares give close combat factor bonuses when fighting mounted dont count as overlapped by any enemy. Squares can suffer negatives when being fired upon by artillery.

At the end of all movement a square contacted by enemy stays in square if any of the enemy in contact are mounted. Mounted fighting a square must have their combat calculated before any foot. If only foot contact the square, or remain in contact after their mounted friends computed combat, the square immediately degenerates to a column behind that face first contacted by foot. A square routing in close combat will run in the direction faced by of enemy causing the rout.

A square routing, recoiling or being repulsed for any other reason will remember its facing when formed, degenerate to a column and respond as usual.

Forming or disbanding a square is a tactical or march move, it can include a move of 100p in a different formation. Troops in square may move 50p but may not move if there is any enemy within 100p and can not initiate contact with enemy or move to an overlap position. A square can be disbanded by advancing in column off any of its faces. No unit may disband or reform a square in the same bound.

Where Staff wish to join a square they can shelter inside and their element temporarily be removed from the table (counting as within the square and not lost) until it leaves the square. Such a staff element bolters the unit and shares the fate of the square unless noted elsewhere.

Squares can fire off any two faces, and nearest two targets take priority.

Assault Column

Some troops two deep can count their column as an Assault Column to gain close combat bonuses or special outcomes. To claim Assault Column status foot must be of the same unit, while mounted must be single elements or of the same unit. The second element of an Assault Column shares the same combat outcome as the first. No bonus can be claimed by a column with any part in Difficult Going, fortification, BUA/SP, river or stream.

Bayonets, Light Infantry and Stoic Foot can claim Assault Column status in close combat against all foot. Spearmen and Revolutionaries can claim Assault Column status in close combat against both these types.

Cuirassiers, Heavy Cavalry, Dragoons and Sipahis can claim Assault Column status only if the second element is of the same type and in close combat against one of these four types.

Line

Troops in line can change to or from column as a tactical or march move. Such a formation change reduces the move by 100p if going to Line but not if going into a Column. In either case one element holds position as the other is placed (ie for simplicity units dont grow/ reduce equally off either side of the original element).

Where a unit in line presses forward or pursues it can and must form a column if this helps it clear friends it cant interpenetrate.

Skirmishers Ahead

Elements of Bayonets, Light Infantry (and maybe some Stoics ?) can pay for Skirmishers Ahead that are sometimes a separate element and sometimes contained, absorbed, within their parent element. Skirmishers Ahead count for anything not mentioned as Inferior Marksmen.

Skirmishers Ahead can be sent forward from their parents as a move, which can be made in the same bound as the parent makes a tactical or march move. Skirmishers Ahead can operate only in a corridor exactly straight forward from their parent with their edges both exactly lined up, and facing the same direction. They can advance no further than having their front edge 200p from their parent. If the Skirmisher Ahead changes direction in response to enemy contact they must restore base alignment with their parent before making any other move.

The separation between parent and Skirmishers Ahead can be varied by either making a move, otherwise a move by the parent drags or pushes the Skirmishers along at the same separation.

Skirmishers Ahead can be absorbed within their parent and the element temporarily removed by either moving to join the other or if the parent forms square. If the parent is destroyed, routs is repulsed or recoiled or for any other reason the separation between them exceeds the 200p mentioned above they are absorbed.

If the Skirmishers Ahead are recoiled, repulsed, routed or destroyed in distant or close combat they are absorbed, but can be sent forward again in later bounds.

A parent in fortifications or a BUA / SP or of a defeated command cant send forward Skirmishers Ahead and a column will send forward only one element from the first. Skirmishers Ahead do not count as original elements or losses.

Units and ZOC / ZODs

There is no objection to units expanding into line within a ZOC provided the moving element didnt leave a different one to achieve this. However an element may not leave a ZOC as a result of a formation change. An element of a unit can contract out of a ZOC as it forms a column to contact enemy, provided the ZOC just left is from an element which is part of a unit now contacted by the column.

ARMY SIZE

Unless the battle is a campaign or scenario game, each side consists of troop elements up to an agreed total of army points (AP), normally between 100 and 4-5-6-7-800 AP (*what AP is good?*) . In all games each side is controlled by one or more staff elements, which must include a Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C). Other staff elements can be subordinate or allied generals, sometimes grouped under an intermediate army commander. Each subordinate or allied staff element controls a command of at least seven elements including it self. Each element must be part of one of these commands and, unless naval crew, in a C-in-Cs or other army commanders command, cannot be transferred to another. Logistic (Train?) elements must be part of a C-in-Cs or other army commanders own command.

NAVAL CONTINGENTS

Naval forces in the army lists reflect the relative strength and ship types of opposed nations, but not usually overall numbers, since only small portions of fleets were likely to be involved in supporting land forces. Any naval element other than a Flotilla can be nominated as a flagship equivalent to an allied general controlling all naval elements; otherwise all naval elements are controlled by the C-in-C

ELEMENT COST

Cost in AP if: Basic. Brilliant. Inert. Cost in AP if: Basic. Heavy. Horse. Inferior.

Army HQ. 204010 Smoothbore Arty. 812 16 -

Command Party. 15 3010

Native Potentate. 1020 5

Admiral in Flagship. 1020 5 Portable Artillery. 5 - 8 -

Pontooneers

Pioneers. 5

Supply Base. 8

Laager. 4

Aeronauts. 25

Cost in AP if: Basic. Elite. Inferior.

Cuirassiers.684Flotilla. 3 - - -

Heavy Cavalry.573Sail. 6 - - 4

Dragoons.452

Light Cavalry.563Flagships add the admirals cost.

Light Horse.231

Sipahis.352Troops that can dismount pay the cost of the most

Elephants.684expensive type +1AP.

Firelocks.241

Muskets.352

Bayonets.453

Light Infantry.564

Stoic Foot.352

Marksmen.231

Spearmen.13-

Revolutionaries.12-

Skirmishers Ahead.111

SETTING UP A BATTLE

SETTING UP SEQUENCE

(1)Decide which army is the attacker and which is the defender.

(2)Choose and place battlefield terrain.

(3)Decide battlefield base edges.

(4)Record command structure.

(5)Record deployment plans.

(6)Players deploy.

DECIDING ATTACKER AND DEFENDER

The army commanders each dice and add their armys aggression factor (which is based on its historical preference for tactical attack or defence and not on which nation is invading the other), plus or minus 1 for a Brilliant C-in-C. The high scorer is the attacker and the low scorer the defender. Equal scorers dice again.

BATTLEFIELD TERRAIN

Players must be able to provide a battlefield in case they become the defender. As generalship is definable as the skill with which generals adapt their troops movements to those of the enemy and to the battlefield, varied and realistic terrain is essential for interesting battles. We hope players will spend time and ingenuity on making their terrain as visually attractive as their troops.

The battlefield is normally produced by placing separate terrain features of a type appropriate to the theatre of war on a flat board or cloth representing flat or slightly rolling good going. The types of terrain that are significant at army scale during this era often differ from those familiar from other scales and eras. Those selected appear on published maps of major historical battles. Features can be Linear or Area.

Linear features can be Waterways, Streams or Gullies, Rivers, Roads.

Area features can be BUA (Built Up Area), Hills, Woods, Marsh or Slow Going. All except BUA must have curved edges.

An element in more than 1 type of terrain is treated:

For visibility and as a shooting target as in that hindering visibility least

For movement, its own shooting and close combat as in that reducing mounted movement most.

The features chosen may be restricted by army lists, otherwise must include a minimum of one Road; and maxima of one each of Waterway, River and four of any single type of feature. The total battlefield must include 4-7 features, at least one of which must be area features (only one of which can be more than 500p across in any direction). All features that cannot be placed where positioning dice require are discarded.

Each short edge of the battlefield and each half of each long edge are numbered clockwise from 1 to 6 by the defender. Features are now diced for and placed in the order they are listed in below. The attacker can provide and place up to two features if he chooses. The remainder to make up the minima and maxima are provided and placed by the defender. If both defender and attacker wish to place features of the same type, the defender dices and places first. If there is a gap between area features, it must be at least 100p wide.

WATERWAYS represent the sea or a large un-fordable and navigable river such as the Mississippi, lower Danube or Yiangtse/Hwangshi. A Waterway requires one positioning dice and extends 200-400p inward from a side edge running to, from or along the edge section corresponding to its score.

STREAMS represent minor rivers, creeks or brooks, which, although easily fordable, are a significant obstacle due to steep or muddy banks or rocky bed. They are depicted as half an element base width across and flowing in (often reversing) gentle curves. A Stream requires two positioning dice and runs from one of the indicated edge sections to the other unless it meets a previously placed Waterway, Stream or River, which it joins instead. Its length cannot exceed 1 times the straight-line distance between its ends.

RIVERS represent a single wider and mostly unfordable river, created by optionally upgrading one Stream that runs between the long battlefield edges by increasing its width to up to two element widths across. A River at least an element base width wide is navigable, but only by Flotilla elements.

GULLIES represent a sunken dry or almost dry sunken streambed, gully, wadi, jhil, khor or nullah. In dry climates, such as in India during the fighting season or the Crimea in summer, they are substituted for all Streams not already replaced with a River. They have the same effect as Streams, except that they can conceal foot within them and cannot run through or contact a Marsh.

MARSHES can be up to 1000p long but no more than 300p wide. A Marsh requires one positioning dice and must be placed both nearer to the indicated edge section than to any other and also either at the edge of a Waterway or under a Stream so that it protrudes on both sides of this. Marshes are impassable to Army HQ, artillery unless Portable and Laager, difficult going to all other troops.

HILLS must be between 3001000p across in every direction. A Hill requires one positioning dice and must be placed nearer to the indicated edge section than to any other. It can be difficult or gentle. Difficult Hills are steep and rocky or heavily vegetated and are difficult going. Gentle Hills are smooth bare or lightly treed or brushed good going. Gentle Hills whose minimum width is less than 500p and all Difficult Hills slope up to a central crest line. Other Gentle Hills slope up to a flat plateau starting 500p in, the edge of which counts as a crest.

All hills give a close combat advantage if all an elements front edge started the bound higher than all of its opponent, even if the hills crest then separated them or the initially higher element moved down or off the hill to contact its opponents nearest edge, but not if it contacted any other edge. An element with such an advantage is said to be uphill.

Troops within 400p of the far side of the crest of a Gentle Hill can be fired on by artillery, though at much reduced effect, being reached only by ricochets, rolling round shot and shell, as were the British squares in nominally dead ground at Waterloo.

ROADS are the most important terrain features. They must form a connected net. Some were now metalled, so a single turnpike or similar maintained good road can be depicted as a roughly 10-25mm wide strip coloured as paving, cobbles, gravel, pale brown packed dry earth. Others are bad roads and should instead be depicted as earth with deep ruts, potholes and/or stretches of dark wet mud.

Roads can be superimposed on any area feature. Elements on a road are treated for combat as in the terrain it is passing through.

Each road requires two positioning dice and must run from one indicated edge section towards the other, except that if both scores are the same, it runs to the orthagonally opposite edge section. If the terminal edge is a waterway the road must end at a BUA touching that waterway. A good road that reaches a bad road continues across it. A bad road that reaches another road can either end there or continue on the far side.

A road that intersects a river, stream or gully is assumed to cross it at a ford if no bridge is provided. A permanent bridge can be destroyed by an element which declares that intention and remains in contact with it for two entire friendly bounds even if in combat. A permanent or temporary bridge can be destroyed with difficulty by artillery or naval shooting or in close combat by naval, foot or dismounted.

BUILT-UP-AREAS (BUA) must be 300p-500p square. They are usually small villages or hamlets but can occasionally be sections of a larger village or town perhaps separated by roads. All BUAs are divided into 2-4 roughly equal sized Sections. Sections must each have at least 100p of perimeter to the outside and straight internal boundaries of at least 100p with any contiguous Sections.

They require one positioning dice. They must be closer to the indicated edge than any other. They must be astride a road or road junction if it is possible to be so placed. March movement completely through a BUA is in good going. Other movement out from a BUA other than into an adjacent BUA section is at slow going rate even if by road.

A BUA section can be garrisoned and defended by a single foot or dismounted element or unit. This does not prevent other friendly elements passing through it to end on the far side. Defenders have a substantial advantage over attackers until these succeed in entering, but (except for specialist skirmishers, who tended to get cut-off inside buildings) are then bundled out quickly in disorder. Some BUA derive their defensive strength from stone or brick perimeter walls, substantial stone buildings or mud brick houses with flat roofs and blind walls, but most from gardens, fences, enclosures, winding alleys, general irregularity and especially from orchards. Although distant shooting from more than one source can be combined against a BUA, only one element or unit can assault each section edge. Close combats against assaults are separate and consecutive, the section garrison facing each in turn until one succeeds. The enemy that defeated the garrison pursues into the section interior. It then needs a tactical move to garrison the BUA section for defence. A BUA section set afire by artillery has smoke and flame markers placed. It is not untenable, but is difficult going and its defensive value reduced.

WOODS represent areas thickly covered with mature trees. They must be between 300-1000p across in every direction and are difficult going. They require one positioning dice and must be placed nearer to the indicated edge section than to any other. They give a substantial combat advantage to foot and dismounted defending them against enemy outside. Foot and dismounted getting the worst of a combat while within them can be driven back only slowly. Shooting in distant combat at or by troops in a Wood is possible only if they are within 100p inside its edge and their opponents are outside it.

SLOW GOING is a catch-all term for terrain cover that offers concealment and hinders movement but not shooting, such as bush or jungle of low brush with occasional trees, sand hills or boulders, elephant grass, hazel or juniper shrub, gorse, vineyards, hop gardens, olive groves, orchards, tall kaoliang millet or areas divided into small fields by substantial hedges, walls, sunken lanes, irrigation channels or paddy bunds. An area of slow going must be between 300p and 1,000p across in every direction. It requires one positioning dice and must be closer to the indicated edge section than to any other.

Troops that end an off-road move in a stream or gully and any crossing an entrenchment except foot are in slow going until moved clear.

FLAT GOOD GOING is the remainder of the playing area surface still exposed after all terrain features have been placed. It should be depicted as a reasonably uniform approximation of flat or slightly rolling pasture, large cultivated fields or desert, but is still assumed to provide some cover for skirmishing foot.

EFFECT OF TERRAIN ON VISIBILITY

We distinguish the terms KNOWN (to all elements of a command) and VISIBLE (to a specific element).

Elements visible to any element are known to all elements of its command. Features and elements visible to Aeronauts in good weather are known to all commands with the same entry edge except allied commands, but not until the C-in-C has had an unadjusted PIP score in any previous bound of at least 4.

Terrain features beyond the crest of any intervening hill are visible only to Aeronauts.

Troops beyond an intervening BUA or wood are visible only from the upper half of a hill or to Aeronauts. Troops beyond the crest of a difficult hill or 400p> beyond that of a gentle hill, are visible only to Aeronauts.

Troops more than 100p inside a wood edge or in the interior of a BUA are not visible from outside and cannot see out or see other such troops until they contact these.

CHOICE OF BATTLEFIELD EDGE

After all terrain has been positioned, the players commanding each side dice for choice of battlefield edge, the attacking side adding two to its score. The side with the higher total chooses which long side will be its base edge. The other side takes the opposite long edge as its base edge.

ARMY COMMAND STRUCTURE

Troops must now be allocated to commands. It will obviously save playing time if this has been done in advance and this will normally be the case if the army is permanently organised in Corps. However, some adjustment of resource allocation once the terrain has been seen and a plan formulated is reasonable, but do appreciate that the time available for victory can easily be frittered away by micro-management.

We allow generals to be graded according to their historical performance. Brilliant generals are capable of a sudden stroke throwing the opposing army off balance. However, only good players will have the necessary situational awareness and sense of timing to benefit and even then opponents may deny them opportunities. Inert generals may handicap their troops by lethargy, indecision, timidity, over-confident neglect of elementary precautions, failure to take firm control of subordinates, innate incapacity, dementia, jealousy, extreme pig-headedness, reluctance to beat the enemy badly or even wanting to lose, but are cheap.

A small army may be commanded in its entirety directly by the Army Commander. The extra PIPs provided by additional generals may not justify those generals cost. Most armies, especially those that intend to manoeuvre are best divided into commands for extra PIPs.

If the Army Commander is using an HQ element, he will usually only retain a reserve of elite troops or artillery under his personal command and dole these out to the other commands when needful. If he is using a CP element, he may sometimes command a large proportion of the army directly, but this may hinder him moving to crucial points using his extra mobility.

BATTLEFIELD PREPARATION

The defender can use AP he has allocated to prepare the battlefield as permitted by his army list by garrisoning strong points, constructing fieldworks, mining waterways or concealing troops. The attacker can use AP only for concealment, all AP allocated to other preparations being wasted. Types of preparation are:

STRONG POINT (SP), 100p to 200p square, consisting of a strong stone building, such as a seminary, walled farm, chateau or other large house, or in India a walled garden/orchard such as a bagh or mango tope, but not earthworks. It is treated in all respects except where noted as a single-section BUA.

It can be garrisoned by a single foot element or unit. Cost 10 AP. Up to two can be used, placed anywhere in the defenders deployment zone except within 1,000p of a previously placed SP or redoubt.

REDOUBT, representing open-backed earthwork redoubt/s protecting an artillery or foot element or unit from enemy not directly to their rear. It cannot be enfiladed or overlapped, but can be contacted in flank. Prevents occupants turning, or moving other than directly to its rear. Cost 5 AP. Up to two can be used, placed anywhere in the defenders deployment zone except within 200p of a previously placed redoubt or within 1,000p of a previously placed SP. Each model redoubt represents one large real life redoubt or up to four smaller.

ENTRENCHMENT, representing 200p of siege trench or 600p of field entrenchments such as a shallow trench, breastwork or rough line of fleches or sangars to protect foot from enemy not enfilading them or in front edge contact with their flank or rear. Occupiers cannot turn, but can slide a base width sideways. Costs 15 AP. Up to three can be used, placed in good going in the defenders deployment zone.

EXPLOITABLE LINEAR FEATURE (ELF), up to 600p long, such as a hedge-banked or sunken road, or a high riverbank on the enemy side of the river. If it is a riverbank, the river is fordable along the ELFs length, but can be crossed only to retire to the other side or by the enemy. An ELF provides the same protection as an entrenchment. Cost 0. Need not be specified in army list, but only one can be used and then only if diced for at deployment and 5 or 6 scored and along an existing road or river in the defenders deployment zone. Cannot be used if the C-in-C is inert.

OBSTACLE, up to 100p long, such as improvised barricades of wagons or furniture, abatis of felled trees or thorn bush zariba. Placed as if an entrenchment but protects troops manning it only in close combat. If undefended, counts as difficult going. Removed when crossed by either side. Cost 2AP

CONCEALED POSITION, representing a hidden position in a BUA, wood, gully or slow going, on a difficult hill, or behind a BUA, wood or hill for up to 10 total elements, either singles or units all in a group. The troops position and direction is recorded, and they are deployed only when they first move, shoot, or become known to enemy. It also hides entrenchments, a redoubt or an ELF occupied by the concealed troops. Cost 10 AP. Only two concealed positions can be used by the defender, placed in any such position within his deployment zone. The attacker must convert any concealed position paid for into a Surprise.

DEPLOYMENT PLANNING AND INITIAL DEPLOYMENT

Players use the following steps to deploy their armies.

a) Players secretly write down the type and position of his battlefield preparations, the position of any bridges pre-constructed by Pontooneers. They now place these in accordance with their instructions.

b) Players secretly write down the order of his initially present commands from left to right and front to rear, the position of his extreme element on each flank, and the arrival position of commands not initially present. Elements may not be initially deployed within 300p of the centreline, or within 200p of a side edge unless either naval or in a BUA or SP.

c) The defender now deploys his largest command initially present, then the invader. Players now alternately deploy any remaining initially present commands starting with the defender.

d) Players must initially deploy at least half of their commands.

DELAYED DEPLOYMENTS

The Army Commanders own command must always arrive from the sides base edge. An Allied Generals command or after 1795 a Subordinate Generals command can either be deployed then or be retained for later arrival along an edge specified in deployment planning. Such a command arrives in their own sides next bound in which the commands unadjusted PIP score is 4, 5 or 6 if all move on via on a road on its sides own base edge, 5 or 6 if from a battlefield side edge or elsewhere on its own sides edge.

Elements arrive on a side edge but nearer to their sides base edge than the enemys. All arrivers measure their move from the edge. Any enemy element blocking arrival is repulsed 400p.

No more than a total of eight elements, either as single or in units, can arrive on each side in each bound. A command that cannot arrive completely in its initial bound continues to arrive in subsequent bounds without needing a further arrival score.

DILATORY ALLIES

If an Allied Generals command has a lower aggression factor than that of the Army Commander, it throws no PIP dice until the number of friendly bounds completed exceeds the difference.

SURPRISE

An attacker that has a Brilliant C-in-C or that has used AP for Concealed Positions throws 1 dice after his 1st bound. Add 1 to the score if its C-in-C is Brilliant and 1 for each Concealed Position, 1 if the enemy C-in-C is Inert and 2 if the weather is misty. Deduct 5 if the enemy has Aeronauts and the weather is good. Half the total rounded up is the number of further bounds the attacker can make before the defender can throw PIP dice, shoot or move any element. Surprise ceases early if any of the attackers troops shoot, enter close combat or become visible within 800p.

FIGHTING THE BATTLE

SEQUENCE OF PLAY

The attacker takes 1st bound, and then the two sides alternate bounds. During each side's bound:

(1) It dices for player initiative points (PIP), and then uses these first to search for fords, then for march movement, tactical moves and rallying routers. Routers not rallied make a rout move toward their base of arrival.

(2)All elements of both sides that are able to shoot in distant combat and have a valid target can shoot once each and make or inflict outcome moves, in an order decided by the side whose bound it is.

(3)All elements of both sides that are now in suitable contact with enemy fight in close combat and make or inflict outcome moves, in an order decided by the side whose bound it is. Elements whose pursuit move contacts their original or fresh enemy immediately fight these and make or inflict outcome moves. Routers with no chance left to be rallied are Destroyed.

PLAYER INITIATIVE POINT DICING

The army commander simultaneously throws a differently coloured dice for each command that has any element on the battlefield or yet to arrive.

A Brilliant general or admiral can double his raw score in two bounds of his choice, unless within his Inert C-in-Cs easy command distance.

An Inert general or admiral always deducts 1 from his raw score.

If a C-in-C or army commander so wishes, he can exchange his final score with that of a single directly subordinate (but not an allied) general whose element is now within the seniors easy command distance (2,400p if an HQ and 800p if a CP or NP) and whose score was lower. An army commander or commander of naval landing forces can transfer one element, unit or group of his own command per bound to that of a subordinate general within easy command distance of it. Any general can move or rally a non-staff friendly element in front or rear edge contact with him of a different or even allied command. Unused PIPs are lost.

No PIP is used by:The 1st march move this bound of an element or column if entirely by road.

1 PIP is used by: Any other move by, or transfer between commands of, a single element, unit or group. Changing formation with or without any remaining move counts as a move as does Mounting or dismounting or dis/embarking.

2 PIPs are used by: Searching for a ford.

3 PIPs are used by:Rallying a routing element or unit.

1 extra PIP is used for each of::

(a) If land using PIPs to move, rally or search is beyond its general's easy command distance, or its general is in difficult going off-road, in close combat, routing, disabled or has been lost.

(b) The move is off-road and includes Artillery unless singles, Stoic Foot, troops starting in an entrenchment or redoubt, Elephants, an Army HQ, a Laager or Aeronauts.

(c) Marching that has already made three march moves this bound if entirely along good roads and/or bad roads in dry weather, or two if at least partially along bad roads in wet weather or off-road or if naval.

(d) Retiring an element or unit now within one base width distance (100p) of any enemy.

(e) Rallying a routing element or unit that is Elephants or has neither passed through friends facing in the opposite direction who do not rout, nor is in full front edge to front edge contact with any friendly staff element.

(f) If it includes dis/embarking foot or staff. While dis/embarking Mounted is +2PIPS, Artillery or train is +3 PIPS.

(g) A move to contact enemy that moves more than 600p if land, 200p if naval.

WEATHER

Wind direction is chosen by the attacking C-in-C, weather decided by his 1st bound unadjusted PIP score.

If this is 6, it is misty (or dust storm in desert) and continues so until the attacking C-in-C has an unadjusted PIP score of 6. Until then, maximum visibility and shooting range is 200p, Aeronauts cannot function, Naval other than Flotilla cannot move and off-road land movement cannot exceed slow going distance.

If it is 1, the weather is wet and rain continues so until the defending C-in-C has an unadjusted PIP score of 1. Until then, maximum visibility is 1,200p and Aeronauts cannot function. Until he has a 2nd such score, Artillery and Laager cannot move more than slow going distance off-road. Until the end of the battle, movement on bad roads is hindered by mud and gullies are changed into streams.

TACTICAL, MARCH AND OUTCOME MOVES

Tactical and March moves are voluntary moves by a single element, unit or a group of elements or units in their own side's bound before combat and expend PIPs. A March move cannot start or go closer than 600p to known enemy. If in difficult going, it must be by road or column unless by Spearmen or Marksmen. An element can take part in either one or more March moves or one Tactical move. A legal move cannot be taken back once made.

Outcome moves are compulsory or optional Press Forward, Charge, Recoil, Repulse, Rout and Pursuit moves made by single elements in both sides' bounds as result of combat and do not require PIPs.

MOVING SINGLE ELEMENTS

A tactical or march move by a single element or unit can be in any directions, even diagonal or oblique, can pass through any gap as wide as its leading edge, and can end facing any way. It can therefore be used not only to advance, but also to retire, to expand a group's frontage, to pivot an Artillery element to face in another direction, or to rally and turn a routed element. It cannot be used to break-off from close combat.

MOVING ELEMENTS TOGETHER AS A GROUP

Elements are a group if each is in edge and corner contact, and either facing the same direction or in column.

A column is a group only one element wide with each element following that in front. This represents bodies larger than an element with parts all moving in succession along a road or on a constricted frontage.

Groups are temporary: if the whole of a group cannot move, some of its elements or units will probably be able to move as a smaller group or as individual elements or units. Conversely, a group or single element or single unit can move to join other friends and make its next move as a group with these.

To move as a group, each element must remain in its relative position within the move in the group and not exceed its permitted move distance.

A group moves only in the direction it is facing. It can change direction by one or more wheels, each pivoting on the inner front corner of the group and measuring move distance along the outer arc of the wheel. If the group is a column, each element wheels in succession as it reaches the pivot point. If it is not, all elements wheel simultaneously.

A column with no bend in it can use a group move to turn 90 degrees into a 1 or 2 element deep block representing a single line of battle or pair of successive lines. The leading elements open flank ends in the former position of its front edge. Conversely, such a group can turn 90 degrees into column. No more than a total of 9 elements, either singles or in units can be involved in either type of 90 degree turns.

A group move can end in a column, and must do so if either; leaving a BUA/SP, or moving along a road, or following the bank of a river, or crossing a river, stream, gully or (unless Spearmen or Marksmen) difficult going. The future front element of the column moves forward the full move of its slowest element. Other elements move without measuring, the nearest falling in behind the column, others to close up any resulting gaps. No element can end further to the rear than its previous position. All elements count as moving along a road if the head of the column does. It may take more than one move before the whole group is in column.

A group can move less than a base width sideways to line up directly opposite enemy within 100p. This is the only sideways or oblique movement permitted to an entire group and is not deducted from the move.

TACTICAL AND MARCH MOVE DISTANCES ON LAND

A single element or unit that overlapped an enemy last bound can always move into close combat against its flank. Otherwise, moves are measured between the starting point of the front base corner moving furthest of a single element or group and that corners final position, and cannot exceed:

If entirely along road or in good going.If at least partly off-road in:

Slow going.Difficult going.

Army HQ, NP, Elephants or Cuirassiers. 400p 200p 100p

Heavy Cavalry or Sipahis. 600p 200p 100p

Dragoons. 600p 200p 200p

Light Cavalry 800p 200p 150p

CP or Light Horse. 1000p 200p 150p

Muskets or Stoic Foot unless marching, or Firelocks. 200p 200p 100p

Light Infantry, Spearmen if Elite, or Marksmen. 400p 400p 300p

Other foot, Pioneers. 300p 200p 200p

Horse artillery. 600p 300p 100p

Portable Artillery. 400p 200p 200p

Heavy artillery. 200p 100p 0p

Other artillery 300p 200p 100p

Pontooneers, Laager or Aeronauts. 200p 100p 0p

Reduction for some formation changes -100p -100p -100p

Maximum move if in Square 50p..0p 0/ na

CROSSING OR MOVING BY WATER

Water features include Waterways, Rivers, and Streams and also Gullies, even if currently dry.

A Waterway is unfordable and is always navigable by naval elements. If it is a giant river rather than a sea or lake, the army list will specify which end is upstream.

A River, Stream or Gully can always be crossed at a road ford or road or temporary bridge by a single element or column, it being assumed that if there is no bridge there is a reliable ford or easy gully crossing. Crossers move normal distance. Pontooneers intended to construct a temporary bridge are moved to the riverbank, then exchanged for a bridge at the end of their 3rd consecutive full bound there unless repulsed. Such bridges can also be pre-constructed at deployment by the defender in his deployment area.

A River cannot be crossed where there is no ford or bridge unless an ELF (see P.14). It may have unknown fords, but these must be searched for. To search for a ford, move troops up to the river edge using up 2 extra PIPs, and dice. Add 1 to the score if there is a BUA within 400p on the near side of the river or within 400p plus the width of the river on the far side, or 4 if both. If the total score is now:

Less than 5: No unknown ford exists within 600p, even if searched for again.

At least 5:A one-element wide ford is marked and the searcher is moved until its front edge touches the far bank.

A Stream or Gully can be crossed off-road anywhere, but the initial move (whether March, Tactical or Outcome) must end when the rear base edge of a single element or of the leading element of a column is half way across. Elements crossing or moving in or astride it are treated as in slow going until clear.

A River at least one land element base width wide is navigable, but only by Flotilla elements. Movement on it counts as upstream if moving away from its juncture with a Waterway, moving in the direction from which most streams join it, or failing that, moving away from the end specified by the player who placed it.

The maximum distance between the starting point of any front corner of a naval element moving on a navigable water feature and that corners final position is:

Unless partly upstream. If partly upstream.

Sail or Flotilla . 600p 400p

MOVING THROUGH OTHER TROOPS OR GAPS

Friendly naval elements can always interpenetrate if they have a clear space to end in within move distance. Land making a tactical or march move can move through friendly Artillery or friends occupying a BUA section or SP, in any direction.

Staff can move through friends facing in any direction. Marksmen can pass through any friends, and be passed through by friendly mounted, facing the same or opposite direction. A Supply Base can be passed through by any friends but only as single element or single unit moves.

Light Horse or Light Cavalry making tactical or march moves can pass through or be passed through by any mounted.

A repulsed or routed element can pass through friends facing in any direction.

If there is insufficient move to clear the first element or unit met, the interpenetrating troops are inserted immediately beyond it, subsequent elements being moved back to make room.

Mounted move through enemy Artillery, Bayonets, Light Infantry or Stoic Foot after scoring equal to these in close combat or if subsequently repulsed or routed back into these. This simulates flowing around unbroken squares or failing to take possession of batteries.

An element cannot enter a space between elements or terrain features insufficient for its own frontage. This does not prevent it moving sideways out of a column. A gap less than one element wide between the flanks of friendly or enemy redoubts or entrenchments (including elements in them), or between these and a terrain feature, can be moved through, the move ending when clear of the gap.

MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS DUE TO ENEMY PROXIMITY

Marksmen can contact only Train. HQ, Artillery or Train can contact enemy only by an outcome move, and:

(a)No element can move into frontal contact with a known enemy element's flank or rear unless the contacting element starts entirely behind a line prolonging that base edge of the enemy element or partly behind both flank and rear edges

(b) No element may move while within 100p of the front of a visible enemy element or enemy-occupied BUA section or SP to its front (see p.27); except to move directly towards, line up opposite or into close combat with this, or directly to its own rear.

(c)No element can disembark and contact enemy.

RESPONDING TO CONTACT WITH ENEMY

An element, unit or group moving, pressing forward or pursuing, or a CP not in a group, must conform to enemy in contact. It can pivot and/or shift sideways an extra distance of up to one base width if necessary to do so.

A staff, mounted or foot element contacted by enemy only on its flank or rear edges turns after all movement to conform to whichever opponent the contacting player prefers. Such an element contacted by an enemy pursuing after a close combat turns immediately.

If two elements are contacted by one, both turn, the 2nd moving behind the 1st.. Only the 1st fights, but both obey the outcome. If a unit (not in Square) is contacted only to flank or rear both turn to face the enemy, the second closing any space created between them.

TYPES OF COMBAT

Combat is either distant or close.

Distant combat consists entirely of shooting and is limited to those troop types that shot effectively at long range and their targets.

Close combat includes not only hand-to-hand combat with sword, lance, bayonet or pistol, but also musketry and canister at decisive range or at charging enemy and bridge destruction by foot or dismounted.

DISTANT COMBAT

Shooters

Each element of a type that can shoot and is neither in close combat nor prevented from shooting by its own movement, combat outcome or situation can shoot at one enemy element that is a valid target, either as a primary or aiding shooter.

The base edge shot from is the "shooting edge". This is any edge of a garrisoned BUA section, an SP, a Laager or any naval elements except Flotilla, the front or side edge of an element in a redoubt, but the front edge only of any other element. Squares and units in BUA or SP can shoot from any two edges and must choose the two closest targets.

An overlapping element which is part of a unit that has its other element in contact with enemy may not shoot.

Foot, Elephants and singles of Artillery must shoot if they can. Other shooting is voluntary. If more than one valid target is available, Artillery with no valid target within 400p and naval can choose which to shoot at. Other elements must shoot at that closest to the centre of the shooting edge, or if equidistant, most directly in front. All mutual shooting is simultaneous.

Artillery or Naval with no valid target within 400p and in contact with friendly staff can be ordered to shoot at bridges.

No element can shoot that made a march move this bound. Artillery cannot shoot while crossing a river, stream or gully, even if by a bridge, or while even partly in a marsh, wood or BUA, or from any part of a difficult hill except its crest, or from there to less than 400p beyond its foot.

Artillery units also cannot shoot if they made a tactical move this bound. Artillery as singles can make a tactical move and shoot but with some negative modifiers.

A naval elements target is in arc if any part of the target element is between lines extending beyond the shooting edge through diagonally opposite corners of the naval elements, BUA sections or SPs base. Other shooters' targets are in arc if any part of the target is within an element base width (100p) of straight ahead of any part of the shooting edge or SP or BUA sections garrison edge and no part is behind a line extending that edge.

Other troops in woods or BUA can only shoot outward from the edge.

Overhead Shooting or Shooting Through Troops

The only shooting allowed over intervening hillcrests or unconcealed troops is:

(a)Smoothbore Artillery units but not singles can shoot at enemy more than 400p from them and up to 400p beyond a gentle hills crest. This simulates ricochet fire with round shot and shells from the one or two howitzers included in each smoothbore battery.

(b)Intervening troops more than 400p from both shooter and target can be shot over by Artillery on a hill, or by Artillery or naval shooting at a hill.

(c)Artillery can always shoot over enemy Marksmen more than 400p from the shooters, or over friendly Marksmen.

(d)Artillery singles, but not units, can shoot over one element of friendly foot or mounted they are in contact with and facing the same direction.

(e)Skirmishers Ahead whose target edge is within 100p of their parent can be shot over / through and the parent be the target.

Targets

An element is a valid target if it is visible to the shooting element, in arc and range, it is not in frontal edge contact with enemy other than routers, nor in a BUA, SP or field work in such contact; and (unless overhead shooting is permitted) no part of any element is between imaginary lines connecting one shooting edge corner to any visible corner of the target edge and the other to its other corner without the lines crossing.

The edge shot at is the target edge. An overlapping element which is part of a unit that has its other element in contact with enemy may not be shot at.

When artillery or naval shoot at a BUA, SP or bridge, this is at an Other target, but occupiers also have separate combat outcomes.

Other elements shoot at the occupiers unless these are now in the interior of a BUA section. Troops in a wood can be shot at only from outside and then only if within 100p of the near edge. Targets beyond a wood or BUA / SP cannot be shot at unless shooting between upper halves of two hills.

If more than one element shoots at a single enemy element, the additional elements aid the primary shooter instead of their shooting being resolved separately. If Artillery or naval shoot at the same target as foot and are not shot back at, the latter are the primary shooters. Otherwise, the primary shooter is that which the target element will shoot back at or if it will not shoot back, the closest to the target.

A target element that will be shot at without shooting back at any of the shooters can shoot at a third party (or aid friends shooting at this) immediately after, provided it can still shoot and has a legal target after combat outcomes. It then uses the same dice score, but not the previous combat and tactical factors.

Ranges

Maximum ranges from the nearest point of the shooting edge to the nearest point of the target are:

Artillery: 800p if Portable, 1,200 if howitzer, 1,600p if smoothbore, Add 400p if Heavy Artillery.

Naval:Flotilla 400p, Others 800p

Others:200p if Firelocks, Muskets, Bayonets, Stoic Foot, Skirmishers Ahead.

400p if Marksmen or Laager.

100p if Revolutionaries or Elephants.

CLOSE COMBAT

Close combat occurs when an element's front edge is in both edge and front corner-to-any enemy corner base contact lined up with an enemy element, or in contact with (assaulting) an enemy-held BUA section or SP.

An element in close combat with the flank or rear of an enemy element or unit which is also fighting to its front, or which overlaps it, acts as a tactical factor instead of fighting itself. It acts as an overlap if either:

(a)Both right or both left front base corners touch and at least the nearest part of the overlapping elements front edge is not in contact with an enemy element.

(b)Both elements flank edges are in contact, neither element is Artillery, and the elements are facing in opposite directions, even if the overlapping element is in contact with a friendly or enemy element to its front. Each then mutually overlaps the other.

Mounted take no negative factor from the first overlap by foot, excepting where the mounted fight Artillery. Tactical factors and more dangerous outcomes for an enemy front edge in contact with an elements side or rear edge apply in all circumstances. Squares never count as overlapped but can themselves overlap in the same circumstances as other foot.

An element can overlap two enemy elements on opposite flanks or enemy elements exposed by its own frontal opponent having recoiled or been repulsed, routed or destroyed that bound. An element can only be overlapped once on each flank and cannot be both overlapped and contacted on the same edge.

A SP/ BUA section, Supply Base or Laager can overlap but not be overlapped. Each element in close combat with its edges fights it separately and consecutively. A redoubt cannot be overlapped, but can overlap or be contacted in flank. A staff element that would fight as such cannot provide overlap or flank or rear contact tactical factors other than bolstering friends.

RESOLVING COMBATS

The order of Combats is chosen by the moving side.

Whether in close combat, shooting in distant combat or only shot at, both sides dice for each fighting element and add the combat factor below and any tactical or grading factors that apply to its score.

Staff can bolster an element or unit contiguous to its front when shot at in distant combat or close combat. Staff not bolstering friends use their own factor.

When troops occupying a SP or BUA section or Bridge are in combat only against Artillery that are all beyond 400p, one dices score is used for both, even though the troops and the SP-BUA/Bridge will have different outcomes.

Shako and Bayonet[1]

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