The Wargamer's Corner

Basic War Game Rules for a fast, hard-hitting musket period game with no bookkeeping!

Almost every mail delivery brings letters asking us what rules we use for fighting our n-gauge war games. Mike Frank and I have developed a swift moving set of rules, simplified to the extreme. These can be used for any Musket Period war game merely be extending or shortening the range of musket and artillery fire. Thus for Civil War you would extend the range; for Napoleonic you would shorten it.

Originally this set of rules was designed for use with our war game club when we staged large battles with five or six players per side. These rules eliminate any "bookkeeping" and no roster sheets are kept or used. We recommend war game clubs try these rules once if they are looking for a fast-moving battle without complications or arguments.

Specifically one must remember also that n-gauge scale war games are really "strategy-tactical" games, not just tacti­cal. The simplified rules then are designed only for this type of game. More complicated rules can be used for a straight tactical game using larger scale model soldiers.

Movement

All movement and ranges are devised to use on a standard six-foot wide war game table. Length of the table does not matter. If tabletop is smaller, cut movement and ranges to ratio.

A column consists of two or more stands of troops in column (one behind the other).

Infantry formed in square may move at column speed if formed from four stands (plus one in center as support). Larger squares move at "open" speeds.

Moving Stands

1. Infantry are mounted four model soldiers per stand.

2. Light Cavalry are mounted two models per stand

3. Heavy Cavalry are mounted three models per stand.

   1. The above stands can represent one company of men.

4. An Infantry battalion (as described in these rules) consists of four Fusilier companies, one Light Infantry Company and one Grenadier Company.

5. The Light Infantry Company is the elite and fast moving company of the battalion. Moves as per Light Infantry movement and fires at full firepower into defensive zones. (No other Infantry unit does this. see defensive factors)

6. The Grenadier Company is a double-value stand. Its firepower is counted as two times that of other company soldiers. Its melee power is doubled. Thus, in any fire fight, melee or morale count, a Grenadier stand is counted as "two".

7. Light Infantry battalions and organized the same way. And Grenadier Companies, are elite however, move twice as fast chart). These are like line battalions only their Light Infantry Company and use rules 5 and 6. They do, as a line battalion (see Movement Chart)

8. Guard Infantry - all guard company stands are same as a Grenadier Company Stand. Double power in everything except movement. (Light Guard Company has double movement also)

9. Light Cavalry - may fire carbines and melee. (See Fire Table for stand of 2 models)

10. Heavy Cavalry are the melee troops and do not fire guns.

11. Grenadier companies and guards may melee against houses, forests, or other defensive positions at full combat ab­ility. All other troops are at half-power against enemy troops in such a defensive position.

The organization of our N-gauge models on their moving stands are of importance since the number of models on a stand give us the “count” required for killing-power and morale power. The reader of course can use different organization than we do, but in order to use these rules would have to set up his organization in a ratio to ours.

Sequence of Action

1. Both players move all their soldiers.

2. Artillery fires and results obtained. Casualties removed.

3. Musket fire is judged. Casualties removed.

   1. "Fire and Charge" moves made and judged.

4. Post-volley morale determined.

5. Melees are fought out. Casualties removed.

6. Post-melee morale is determined.

7. Any special moves (cavalry charges) are made and fought

8. Players dice to see who gets the next "game move". The winner picks the flank we wishes to move first, and his opponent starts at the other flank. The winner has choice of move or counter-move of troops in his center.

We will take each sequence of action in order and explain our rules for them as we go along.

Artillery

1. Cannons can move 2" and fire that move. If they move over this cannot fire.

2. Artillery range 18"; add 2" to this range for each level of hill gun might be emplaced on.

3. Counter-battery fire is limited to destroying enemy guns. Throwing 1-3 or 6 on dice rolls does this. Must make four such 'hits' to destroy an enemy gun. Other rolls are misses (2-4-5)

4. Destroying terrain objects (houses, walls, etc.) use method in 3 above and before the game set up destruction rate for each object that could be destroyed. (Example: a large stone house requires 8 'hits' to destroy)

5. All artillery fire is by 'direct line'. i.e. you must see the target to hit it. However, howitzers can fire blind at unseen targets.

6. Cannons in squares; cannons stationed outside an Infantry Square could fire, and its crew 'run' inside the square for protection against melee or musket fire.

7. Cannister - is the length of musket fire (6"), double the kill power of each gun.

8. Artillery casualties are always removed immediately and except against cannister, do not count in any subsequent combat action, as they are considered "dead". Against cannister they can fire their muskets and then be re­moved.

9. If cannons are meleed they kill as per the combat tables. (cannister is not allowed)

Musket Fire

1. Musket range is 6 inches. Add one inch to this range for each level of a hill the troops fire from.

2. 2-Light Cavalry carbine range is 4 inches.

3. Defensive positions - except for the battalion Light Infantry Company, all fire of troops attacking defensive posit­ions are cut in half. (Woods, houses, stone walls, etc.)

4. The fire tables (at end of these rules) show the "kills" made by musket fire.

5. Musket volleys are considered simultaneous and casualties are removed only after both sides have fired.

6. The battalion Light Infantry company stand has full firepower at all times against troops in defensive positions.

7. Two ranks of Infantry or Light Cavalry are counted for musket fire.

Fire and Charge Rule

1. This rule applies to all Infantry and Light Cavalry.

2. Before a volley occurs either player can call for the 'fire and charge' move. Once this order is issued, it cannot be altered and the charge must be made immediately after the normal exchange of musket fire.

3. The opposing forces fire, and remove their casualties.

4. The attacker now advances his troops into melee with the enemy fire line. The attacker may use all troops who fired. No other troops can be used. Troops that did not fire, but were in a column formation, may be used in the attack however.

5. The defensive player may now add to the melee any troops he has in 'close support' (close support are troops not over one "open" move away from the melee).

6. The melee is now fought out under normal rules and morale is judged from the results of the melee.

Judging the Morale

In the "Sequence of Action" of our war game, morale must be judged after a firefight, and after a melee. Morale is judged in the same way for both types of combat. So the foll­owing rules will apply to morale for both firefights and melees. (Numbered 4 and 6 under Sequence of Action section).

Explanation: no roster sheet is used or kept using these rules; therefore all "killing" power is based on one side having enough stands of troops involved to kill a full stand of enemy soldiers. If you don't have enough stands to make "kills" there are no casualties.

Our basic "kill" is based on 5 to 8 four-man Infantry stands will kill one four-man enemy stand. 13 to 16 four­ man stands would kill two enemy four-man stands, etc. Thus, "killing" is done by "stands" only, not by actual count of model soldiers on a stand. Thus, "killing" is simplified in this game, and as a result, so is the judgment of moral, for it is based on the number of casualties in­flicted in most cases. Keep this in mind in studying the next rules.

1. Each player counts up the loss he has sustained.

2. Whoever had the greatest loss must retire two regular moves to the rear, or behind the nearest supporting troops.

   1. These troops may take no forward movement or offensive action for one game move. They may fight if attacked, and may be reformed.

3. The winner of the morale, may reform as desired, and if bonus moves are allowed, may now take any such moves.

4. If both sides lose the same number of casualties; the following rule applies:

   1. Each player counts the number of model soldiers in­volved (counting Grenadiers or guards as double).

   2. Each player rolls one die, and uses it as a multiplier:
      1-a roll of 1-2-3 = 2 as a multiplier
      2-a roll of 4-5-6 = 3 as a multiplier

   3. Multiply the dice multiplier times the number of model soldiers. The highest such total wins the morale and the other side is the loser and retires.

5. No morale judging is required when soldiers are attacking defensive positions by fire fighting. (Morale is re­quired if position is stormed by melee). It is assumed that both sides have determined to fight until one side or the other retires by its own decision.

6. Defensive position morale.

   1. If morale must be determined by troops in a defensive position, then use rule 4 above and add 50% more value to the defenders. (Example: if 8 model soldiers on defense, add 4 more points = 12 points of value)

The Melee

1. Infantry and cavalry in two ranks count in melee.

2. Attack columns may be three ranks deep and count in melee. Can only count if used for attack purposes.

3. Infantry squares - may not be attacked by cavalry unless Lancers lead the assault.

   1. In melee all stands count in the melee.

   2. Squares can be formed 'at the double' i.e. troops may 'run' at double speed to form up. (Can use two regulation moves to form a square)

4. Houses - attacker may use double the number of troops in melee, that the house officially has been designated in holding. (Thus if a house can use 4 stands in defense, it could be attacked in melee by 8 stands)

   1. With exception of Grenadier or guard company stand, all other troops melee at half-value, while defense is allowed 50% extra value. (Thus two stands in defense are counted as three stands)

5. Walls, Woods & Hedges - no defense factor given defenders in melee in these positions. However, Cavalry can never attack Infantry in melee in such positions.

6. Infantry formed in two ranks kill at normal power in melee.

7. Infantry caught in single rank kill only at half power in melee.

8. Infantry or cavalry caught in flank have no kill value and attackers kill value is doubled. (Same if caught in rear)

Special Moves

1. Bonus Moves for Winning Melees

   1. Cavalry are allowed a 'pursuit' move after winning a melee.

      1. They may follow the troops they defeated and melee them again after they have retreated. The melee is fought on the next game move with the defeated troops at half-value. Reinforcements may be added to this melee by either side.

      2. The Cavalry may attack other enemy troops within their movement range. The melee is fought out on the next game move.

   2. All winning troops can be reformed, or may retire in order as a bonus.

2. The special Cavalry Charge Move

   1. This move can be made at anytime by any type of Cavalry.

   2. The Cavalry (and all other soldiers) are moved by the player on the move sequence of the game. Then, by verbal order (and the opponent must know of it) the player calls for a special charge to be made after the regulation combat has been fought. This order is made before combat is fought, and must be carried out no matter what the result of combat.

   3. 0nce the combat has been judged, the cavalry then makes their charge (at regulation distances only) into melee. The melee and resulting morale is judged as per normal rules.

   4. As with the “Fire and Charge” move, the defending player may support his troops with anyone within a regulation move distance from the melee.

      1. He is also allowed to withhold artillery or musket fire he might use during the regular combat, so that he can use it on the charging enemy cavalry as they charge over the ground into combat. Any casualties suffered by the attacker will be re­moved before the melee is decided.

The rules thus far cover the normal rules of a war game, but adapted by us for use with n-gauge tactical actions. There are other special rules, which follow that are set up for the strategy part of any N-gauge war game.

Strategic Rules

1. All war games of large scale (with multiple players and a large tabletop) should contain three headquarters. Each side has one HQ for left, center and right flanks.

   1. These must be held under control at all times, and loss of an HQ means trouble. The outcome of a game is determined by how many HQs a player holds at the end of the game.

2. Supply - as long as you hold your HQ and the roads that lead from your troops fighting in the field to it, then you have no supply worry.

   1. If, however, your HQ is captured, on the second game move thereafter, you must remove from the table one stand of soldiers each game move until the HQ is re­captured.

   2. If enemy troops cut the road leading from your HQ to your troops in the field, after 4 game moves you must remove one stand of troops from the field until the road is reopened. (Removal of troops should be one Infantry stand on one move and one cavalry stand on the next, etc.)

3. Forced marches - for three successive game moves, any troops can make a forced march.

   1. For every 10 (or less) stands making the march, you remove one stand on each game move the forced march is made.

   2. Troops making three successive forced marches must stop and 'rest' one game move thereafter (no movement).

   3. A forced march = 3 regulation moves on one game move.

   4. A player may not use a forced march move for offensive or attack purposes. However, if at the end of a forced march move, his troops come under attack by the enemy this is a different matter.

4. Concealment

   1. Instead of putting troops on the table, the players can use markers to represent troops. These markers can be screened by Light Cavalry or Light Infantry company stands, and can be exposed by enemy soldiers by combat and morale rules (if no casualties are made, then use rule 4 under 'judging the morale' to determine if marker is still screened or exposed.)

   2. "Sight range" is 18 inches (or longer if from hills­ rule 2 under 'artillery')

   3. Player concealing troops must show written disposition of these troops when exposed. (Whether in "line", "column”, etc.)

Combat Table

This table shows casualty rates made by number and types of model soldier moving stands. It is used for musket fire, melee and artillery fire.

At the bottom, we include a casualty table for a 3-man Infantry stand, which we use for British battalions only. (We mount 3 British soldiers on a one-inch long stand, and a battalion is 10 of these stands (10 companies equals a historic British battalion of Napoleonic times).

Example: the first line shows that one Heavy Cavalry stand will kill one stand that has two model soldiers on it (a Light Cavalry stand actually). Second line shows that it takes two Heavy Cavalry stands to kill one stand with 3 model soldiers on it, etc.

Note: One stand over one-half required to kill is counted as full amount. (Example: six stands are required to kill one stand. if you have only 3 stands, no kills are made. if you have four stands, then one kill is made)

If you have 3-man Infantry stands (rather than the 4 we use) then use the following table:

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Last modified: 05/30/05