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THE KING'S WAR

Wargaming the Middle and Late 17th Century I - STAND SIZES


All stands measure 1 1/8" wide. Mounted stands are 3/4" deep. Foot stands are 1/2" deep. Artillery stands are as deep as necessary. Regular Horse, Mounted Dragoons, and Infantry should have 3 castings per stand. Dismounted Dragoons and Irregular Horse should have 2 castings per stand. Guns have 1 model gun and 2-4 gunners per stand. For looks gabions and other impedimenta should be placed with the gun, though these do not count as either cover, or as linear obstacles. Limber stands (recommended but not required) should have 1-2 horse castings and preferably 1 figure leading the horse. Subordinate Generals are mounted on stands 3/4" by 3/4". Army commanders should have one or two aides-de-camp mounted on the stand with them (recommended but not required) to denote their exalted status. These aides serve no other purpose than to mark the important personage of the army commander. Buildings should be put on cards that can be left on the table to accommodate troops, and should be a multiple of the basic stand width.

II - ORGANIZATION OF UNITS
Infantry - 6 stands per battalion Regular Horse - 2 to 5 stands per regiment Dragoons - 2 to 4 stands per regiment Irregular Horse - 2 to ?? stands per regiment Guns - 2 to 4 gunners per piece representing various guns Units are collected into brigades of 2 to 5 units each. Each brigade has two 3x5 cards listing the units as well as the brigade commander. The Commander-in-Chief goes on a separate card with no other units. There is also one card for each side that says Move One Friendly Brigade .

III - TURN SEQUENCE


1. Shuffle all the brigade cards together along with the "Reshuffle" card. 2. The units on the card drawn, and their brigade general, move, conduct close tests, and conduct combat (but not melee) - this may cause other units to conduct combat. After combat is resolved, draw the next card. 3. Proceed with turning cards until the "Reshuffle" card is drawn. 4. Conduct all the melees in the order in which they occurred. 5. After Melee has been resolved, count the number of cards actually turned over (do not count the "Reshuffle" card), 6. Clear any disorders that are self-cleared by units. 7. Reshuffle the deck and begin a new turn. The Army Commander moves when his card is drawn. The Army Commander can go to a unit and move them on his card, without waiting for their card to turn up. To do so, move the Army commander to the unit and declare him to be attached. To activate the unit, the Army Commander spends 3 of movement. He may first perform other movement, but he must remain attached to the unit until the end of the turn. He may go to a brigade commander, spend 3 and have that brigade move as , if it card had been drawn. s Units that have pursued off the table attempt to return when their card is drawn. The Move One Friendly Brigade card can only be used three times in a game at the owning player choice . When it comes up a player can say s passand not use it.

IV - MOVEMENT
ALL units move 6" per move (when their card turns up) in good going, generals move 12" per move. Brigade Generals move when their unit's card is drawn. The Commander in Chief has his own card. Terrain Effects: In bad going and at linear obstacles units throw 1d6: die throw 1 or 2 3 or 4 5 or 6 movement lost lose 1" lose 3" lose 5"

Examples of bad going are woods, brushy, swampy, and boggy areas, rough ground, walls, and so on, any place where the unit has to move slowly to maintain their formation. If a unit doesn't have enough distance left to move across the obstacle or through the rough ground that phase, they don't move through or across the obstacle and any remaining movement is lost. The unit checks again when its movement comes up again (assuming they still want to move across the linear obstacle). Troops who are forced to retreat into or through difficult going pay no movement penalty, but take 1 disorder for doing so. Terrain effects apply to generals. Dismounted dragoons, "forlorn hopes", troops in march column, and various kinds of irregular foot can always move at least 3" regardless of the going, unless ground has been defined as impassable. Roads add 6" to movement, but the unit must be in march column in order to use the road movement rate. All units except artillery may back up 1". Example: two units come to a patch of woods. The player throws a 5 for the first unit, it can move 1". He throws a 3 for the second unit, it can move 3". The next time these units move the player throws a 1 and a 6. It costs the first unit 1" to move in the woods this phase, it costs the second 5" to move this phase. Squares: Squares may not move. Charges: Cavalry may use a charge bonus of 6" as well as regular movement. But this charge movement must be in a straight line, and the unit must have moved at least 3" of normal movement before it can use the charge bonus. A unit must use at least 3" of regular movement to count the bonus for charging in melee. Infantry units and dismounted dragoon units charge in a straight line. Units may not use their charge bonus while in march column. During a charge a general decides if he wants to attach himself to the unit. Counter-Charging. Cavalry that are charged and not contacted in the first 3" of the charger's movement may counter charge. This is movement that does not require a card to come up. However, the owning player may elect not to have his unit counter-charge. Measure the distance between the charging cavalry and the counter-charging cavalry; they meet halfway in between. Wheeling: All troops wheel at normal speed. Exposing a Flank: Units that voluntarily expose themselves to enfilade fire from an infantry unit at 3 or less take a Disorder (see Disorder), not applicable to units retreating due to Reaction or Melee Formation Changes: All formation changes take one full move (i.e. one card) with the unit standing in place. When Dragoons mount or dismount they get a free formation change. Mounting and

dismounting take an entire phase (card). Artillery takes a full phase to unlimber. Artillery may not unlimber within 6" of an enemy unit. Artillery may not limber unless no enemy is within sight within 12", or no enemy is within sight within 6" and an infantry unit or linear obstacle is between the artillery and the enemy. All troops except artillery may about face in place once on a card at no cost. Artillerists may always flee their guns. If they do so they cannot re-man them and fire them. They can re-man them and limber up (if the enemy is far enough away) and move them. When they flee they move 1d6" away from their attacker. This must be announced at the time of the charge. Move and Fire: Foot and dismounted dragoon units may move up to 1" and fire; this can be either forward or backwards; foot units must be in 2-rank formation to move and fire. Note that a foot or dismounted unit can move full and fire first fire without penalty. Cavalry may fire. This is known as caracole. To do this they must be in 2 ranks of figures. They move 1" and issue pistol fire. They must spend a whole phase doing this. Artillery can pivot up to 45 degrees and still fire. They may not pivot more than 45 degrees in a phase and fire. Interpenetration: Interpenetration is not allowed. A unit will push back and cause a disorder on someone rather than interpenetrate them. Retreating units: Units forced to retreat due to a reaction roll may change formation into line if they were in line or square. If they were in march column they remain in march column. They end their retreat facing their opponent. Fleeing units: Some units such as Irregular Cavalry may choose to flee regular troops who attempt to melee them. They retreat 18 and take 3 Disorders when they do so (see Disorder and Doctrine).

V - FORMATIONS
Formations allowed to foot - 1 or 2 stand deep line, square, march column. Formations allowed to horse - 1 or 2-deep line, march column. Formations allowed to dragoons - 1 or 2 deep line mounted, 1 or 2 deep line dismounted, march column (only when mounted). Formations allowed to artillery - limbered, unlimbered.

VI - FIRING
Fire is conducted when a unit's card is drawn or as reaction to being hit by fire. Fire is always conducted closest point to closest point. Players may measure before firing. Only figures in the front rank may fire. Firing arc is 45 degrees off the front of each side of a stand. Resolve fire one unit at a time with all reaction from each fire worked out before the next unit fires. Ranges Muskets Pistols Carbines 6" 2" 4" Artillery: Close Medium Long 0-6" 6+-12" 12+-30"

To Hit (all but artillery) (# figs firing - distance in inches) x 10 = % chance To Hit (artillery): (# figs firing - range factor) x 10 = % chance

Range Long Medium Close Point-Blank

Factor 4 2 1 0

notes

(only if charged)

Firing Modifiers (these are cumulative) Under 2" for small arms Firing at more than 2 ranks Firing at troops in works/barricades First fire Firing at square Firing at limbered artillery Firing into woods Enfilading target Foot firing while in works Artillery firing from works For each disorder on unit +30 +10 -20 +50 +20 +30 -20 +20 +20 +30 -10 (does not incl. pistols) (per additional rank) (does not incl. pistols)

Notes: an enfilade of cover removes modifier for cover Greater than 100% means 2nd shot at remaining % Musketeers and Regular Horse must be in 2 ranks to fire every turn Troops who are in a melee lose their first fire Examples: A unit of shot fires at a unit 3" away. 6 castings -3" = 3x10 = 30% chance of hitting. If it had been a first fire, they would have had a +50% for first fire, thus an 80% chance of hitting. Another unit firing first fire at a unit 1" away: 6 castings -1" = 5x10=50% + 50% first fire, + 30% for under 2" = 130% chance for a hit. Medium artillery firing at a unit 6" away: 3 gunners - 2 (range factor) = 1 x 10 = 10% chance to hit. Visibility: Visibility in woods (which is bad going) is subject to a die throw. Units wishing to shoot at someone in woods or village, and are themselves in woods or village, throw 1d6. That is how far in inches they can see into or through the woods. If they can see the target, they may fire at it. If they can't see the target, they can't shoot at it. It may happen that a unit gets shot at by someone they can't see and therefore can't shoot back at. Units wishing to fire at someone in woods or village and are themselves not in woods or village, may only fire at that unit if the target is within 1" of the edge of that woods or village. Split Fire: There is no split fire except from a square, which may fire shot stands at different targets. When they do so they use only one die throw. Enfilade Fire: Enfilade fire is from a unit who's front cuts a prolongation of the front edge of the target unit. Firing on the rear is considered enfilade fire. Works/Villages: Foot firing from within works/village may fire every turn if they are in a single rank, but they do not count the works/village bonus if they do so. Foot firing from within works/villages that are in two ranks may count the works/village bonus and fire every turn. If units within a village engage each other by fire, both may count the works/village bonuses. Cavalry Firing: Cavalry may only fire when in at least two ranks.

Firing at a Charge: Only for Foot, and is part of the Close Test.

VII - MELEE
Perform all close tests during movement, and then resolve the melees in the order in which they occurred in the turn after the Reshuffle card is drawn. Units that wish to engage in melee must pass a Close Test to close to contact. Throw 1d6 and score a modified 4 or higher. There is no Close Test when a unit is attacking in enfilade (or rear, which is an enfilade attack), it is automatic. The following modifiers are cumulative: Situation General with unit Cavalry Cavalry use Charge Move Each Disorder Closing on works/village Troops in works/barricades Infantry trying to charge cavalry Infantry standing against cavalry Infantry standing against infantry Cavalry against infantry w/pikes Mod +1 +1 +1 -1 -2 +1 -2 +2 +1 -2 Notes not applicable against foot

not applicable to mounted troops only counts if infantry has pikes

Cavalry Charging Foot: The infantry takes a Close Test first. If they fail, the infantry take 2 disorders and stays where they are, the cavalry will still take a Close Test. If the infantry pass, they may fire at the cavalry (if they are in two or more ranks), who take a Close Test after the infantry fires. If the Cavalry passes, there is a melee. If the cavalry fail, they stop at 1" (they may not issue fire that phase), and take 1 disorder. Foot Charging Foot: The defender takes a Close Test first. If they fail they take a Disorder and stand. If the they pass, the defender may issue fire if loaded. Then the attacker takes a Close Test. If they pass, there is a melee. If they fail, they halt at 1", take a disorder, and may issue fire that phase. Foot Charging Cavalry: This only allowed to pure melee infantry and infantry armed only with pikes, no others will get closer than 1 The cavalry takes a Close Test. If they fail and they are in 2-rank . formation they may fire their pistols at the infantry at 1" range and then ride away 6" facing the attacking foot. If not in 2-rank formation they ride away 6" facing the attacking foot. Cavalry Charging Cavalry: Both sides take a Close Test, but the side that was charged tests first. If either side fails they take a Disorder right away. If both the attacker and defender fail their close tests then both units stop 1" apart, and no melee is fought. If either side were mounted dragoons, the mounted dragoons take the Close Test at -2. The side being attacked may choose to use pistol fire to try to put Disorder's on their opponent. To do so they may advance no more than 2", and do their own Close Test with a -1 modifier. If they pass they may fire at 0" range before the attacker makes their close test. Anyone Charging Artillery: The charging unit moves to contact the artillery stand (point-blank range). Gun crew decides to either flee, or fire and melee. If they shoot, the gun shoots at point-blank range. Charging unit checks morale, and on anything less than a modified 61 they close, otherwise they follow the morale results.

Examples of Close Tests: Cavalry charges foot with pikes. The Cavalry charges from 10" away. They are moved up to 1" from the Foot. The Foot checks to Close. They throw a 3. Modifies to a 5 due to having pikes present. So they stand. They are loaded, so they fire at the Cavalry at 1" range. No hits (threw a 95). The Cavalry then takes a Close Test. They throw a 3. +1 for the Charge Move, -2 for fighting infantry with pikes = 2. They do not close. They stop 1" away and take a Disorder. Infantry charges infantry. The defender has 3 disorders on them. The charging infantry are placed 1" away. The defender checks. They throw a 4. -1 for each disorder, +1 for infantry standing against other infantry. Net is a 2, so they stand and may not fire. The attacker takes a Close Test. They throw a 5. They pass, so there will be a melee. Charging into Someone's Rear: If someone is charged from the rear, they take no Close Test. Troops charging someone in the rear take no Close Test. Charge Bonus Considerations: In second and subsequent rounds of melee cavalry do not count their charge bonus. Melee caused by Pursuit (see below): This is fought after all other melees have been fought, and is fought in the order in which they occurred. To fight the melee: Only the stands in contact melee. A pike stand behind another pike stand that is in contact counts as meleeing at half value if they were standing on the defensive. In 2nd and subsequent rounds of a melee, infantry can count the non-pike stands in their 2nd rank as meleeing. A square automatically counts a full 2nd rank. Add the melee value of all the stands involved in the melee regardless of the unit of origin, then add the modifiers. Add the throw of 1d6. Have to win by more than 1. Both sides take a Disorder for being in the melee. If the difference is more than 5, the loser routs and is removed from the table. If not, neither win, the fight is done again after resolving the other melees of the turn and before pursuit moves. The Loser of a melee retreats 1d6 inches facing and takes an additional Disorder, while the winner checks pursuit. If a unit wins a melee, and they would take a Disorder that would remove them from the battle, they don't take the Disorder. Melee Values Unit Type Musketeers Pike Regular Horse Cuirassier Mtd Dragoons Dsmtd Dragoons Irregular Horse Pure Melee foot Artillerists Peasants Value 1 2 3 3.5 1 0.5 1 2 0.5 0.5 notes add bayonet to shot +2 in 1680 and 1690 s s

pikeunits are not all pure melee foot

Melee Modifiers Situation Cavalry using charge move Defender in works/bldg Enfilading Each stand frontage greater Each disorder on unit Each complete rank behind 1st rank Cavalry vs Cavalry who fail the Close Test Uphill of opponent General with unit Notes: All troops who are attacked from the rear or flank melee at 1 point per stand regardless of weapon, and cannot count overlaps or second rank. Cavalry fighting squares do not count either overlapping figures in the melee, or the second rank. A unit consisting only of pikes may only count the stands in the second rank if the unit is defending in the melee. If a unit consisting only of pikes attacks another unit, the attacking unit counts only the front rank stands for the melee, but it may count the presence of the complete second rank. Examples: A battalion in 2-deep line is attacked by another battalion in 2-deep line. The defending infantry takes a close test, throw a 6, so they stand. The attacker throws a 3, fails to close, and there is no melee. 4 squadrons of cavalry in 1-deep line vs. 4 squadrons of cavalry in 2-deep line. Only 2 squadrons are in contact on each side. The cavalry in 2 ranks failed their close test. The cavalry in 1rank used a charge move. The cavalry in 1-rank count: 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 10. That's 3 points for melee value, +1 for fighting cavalry who failed the close test. Plus 1 for each overlap. Plus 2 for a charge move. The cavalry in 2 ranks count: 3 + 3 + 1 = 7. The cavalry in order throw a 2 for a total of 12. The cavalry in 2 ranks throw a 6 for a total of 13. So the cavalry in 2 ranks managed to win, but not by enough. Both sides take a Disorder and will continue the melee the next turn. A battalion of infantry in 2-deep line is attacked by a cavalry regiment of 4 squadrons in 2-deep line. The infantry take a Close Test, throw a 5, and pass. The cavalry takes their Close Test, and throw a 6 -2 = 4. A melee results. The cavalry counts 3+3+1 (2nd ranks) +0 for charge bonus (cavalry don't get a charge bonus against steady pikes) = 7. The foot counts 1 (shot) +2 (pike) +1 (2nd rank pike) +1 (complete 2nd rank) + 1 (overlap) = 6. The cavalry die roll is a 2, for a total of 9. The foot's die roll is a 3, for a 9, the melee is a draw, both sides take a disorder, and fight again when the foot will get to add 1 more stand to the melee, and both sides have a disorder on them The cavalry counts 3+3+1 (2nd rank) 2 (Disorder) = 5. The foot counts 1 (shot) +2 (pike) +1 (2nd rank pike) +1 (complete 2nd rank) +1 (stand in the 2nd rank) + 1 (overlap) -2 (Disorder) = 5. The foot throws a 6 = 11, the Horse throws a 4 = 9. The Horse loses (they lost by 2). Both sides take a Disorder for being in a melee, and the Horse takes an additional Disorder for losing the melee. The Horse throws a 2 for their retreat die, and retreats 2". The foot do not check for pursuit. A battalion of infantry in 2-deep line is attacked by a cavalry regiment of 4 squadrons in 1 rank. The infantry take a Close Test, throw a 1 + 2 (pikes charged by cavalry) = 3, and fail. They take a disorder. The cavalry takes their Close Test and throw a 2 + 1 (charge bonus) + 1 (foot failed Close Test) = 4. A melee results. The cavalry counts 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 (overlap) + 2 (charge bonus - these pikes are unsteady as they failed the Close Test) = 12. The infantry counts 1 (shot) + 2 (pike) + 1 (2nd rank pike) +1 (shot)+ 1 ( complete 2nd rank) - 2 (disorder) = 4. The cavalry throw a 2, total of 14. The infantry throw a 6, total 10. The cavalry wins. They take a disorder for being in the melee, as do the infantry. The infantry takes a disorder for losing the fight, and throws 1d6 for retreating, throwing a 3, so they retreat 3". The cavalry checks for pursuit. They throw a 3 +2 (charge bonus) + 2 (disorder) = 7, so they Mod +2 +2 +3 +1 -2 +1 +1 +1 +1 notes

(limit 1 on each flank) (must be of same unit as front rank) (infantry only)

pursue, and take a Disorder for doing so. That melee is figured and fought after the other melees are fought. The cavalry counts 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 (overlap) + 2 (charge bonus) -4 (2 Disorders) = 8. The foot counts 1 (shot) + 2 (pike) + 1 (2nd rank pike) + 1 (shot) + 1 (shot) + 1 (2nd rank) - 6 (3 disorders) = 1. The cavalry throws a 6 = 14. The foot throws a 5 = 6. The foot routs, and is removed from the table. The cavalry takes a Disorder. There is no check for pursuit as this was a pursuit melee. A 3-squadron cuirassier regiment in 1-deep line attacks a 4 squadron regiment in 2-deep line. The attacker would have to go 8" to contact their opponent, so their opponent counter-charge automatically after 3". The defender only moves 2" so they do not get the charge bonus, but the attacker does because they moved more than 3 The defender draws a card for a neighboring brigade, . and throws one regiment of 2 squadrons in 1-deep line into the fight against the un-engaged cavalry squadron of the attacker. This unit moved 12" to make contact, but because their opponent is already pinned in a melee the opponent may not counter-charge. The melee is figured as two melees. In the first melee the Attacker counts 3.5 + 3.5 + 3.5 + 2 (charge bonus) = 12.5. The defender counts 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 (overlap) + 1 (complete 2nd rank = 11. The attacker throws a 4 = 16.5. The defender throws a 6 = 17. Melee is a draw, both sides take a disorder. The second melee is figured: attacker (2-squadron regiment) 3 + 1 (overlap) + 2 (charge bonus) = 6. The defender is 3.5 + 1 (2nd rank) = 4.5. The attacker throws a 5 = 11. The defender throws a 2 = 6.5. The defender loses and retreats 1d6 (he throws a 4 so he retreats 4 The attacker checks for flags and pursuit. Everyone now takes a disorder for being in a ). melee, and the loser takes a disorder for losing a melee.

Capturing Colors: After the melee the winner can try to capture the flag of the loser. They do so on a roll of 5 or 6 on 1d6. If the enemy routed they capture it on a roll of 2 through 6. Units have plenty of flags. You can capture only one per melee, but a unit consistently unlucky can lose flags to several opponents in the course of a game. Pursuit: Cavalry will attempt to pursue after winning a melee. Throw 1d6. On a modified score greater than 5 the cavalry will pursue. They move 6" in a straight line straight ahead. If a melee lasts into a 2nd turn, the winner does not pursue. Units that pursue off the table may try to return starting two full turns (not phases) after they left. They must throw a 6 to do so. If a Cavalry Pursuit takes a unit into a village or river, the cavalry will stop on the edge instead. Pursuit Modifiers: Situation Each disorder taken after the 1st Unit used charge bonus Irregular horse Green unit Kuirassier Elite unit General with unit Mod +2 +2 +2 +1 -1 -1 -3

Neither Infantry, nor Artillery, nor dismounted dragoons pursue. Troops in buildings/works/behind barricades do not check for pursuit. Multiple Unit Melees: All melees are fought in the order in which they occur. If more than one unit is meleeing an opposing unit, conduct the melee one unit at a time, starting with the unit that got there first. All disorders accumulated during preceding melees apply at the moment of the next melee.

VIII - DISORDER
Units with Disorder markers may not voluntarily engage in combat, nor may they get closer to an enemy unit until all Disorder markers have been removed. Units with a Disorder can always retreat in their current formation. A Disorder can be removed one of two ways: a general in the chain of command of a unit comes up to the unit and spends 3" of movement; a unit standing still and not being hit by enemy fire or meleed for one complete turn. If a unit accumulates 6 or more Disorders it is removed. Elite units may accumulate 8 disorders before being removed. Militia units may accumulate 4 disorders before they are removed.. Units in a melee cannot have Disorder markers removed. Causes of Disorder: Hit by fire Being in a melee Bad morale result Losing a melee Cavalry failing to Close Unit being pushed back by a retreating unit Irregular Cavalry fleeing Voluntarily exposing a flank to small arms fire at 3or less Units retreating through bad-going.

IX - MORALE
When a unit is fired at and hit, they check morale. This is done by throwing 2d10 (modified) and comparing it to the following tables. die 01-25 26-60 61-80 81-95 96-00 Modifiers: Situation Mod Unit in works/bldg -10 Unit enfiladed +30 General with unit -10 Each Disorder on unit +10 A friendly undisordered unit within 3 -10 Green -10 Elite +10 notes Result Unit stands bravely, will follow their combat doctrine if they can Unit stands bravely Unit takes a Disorder and retreats 2" Unit takes a Disorder and retreats 6" Unit routs and is removed from the table

(after the first) (only 1 counts)

Examples: A foot unit is in line with no friends within 3". An opponent fires at and hits them. This causes a disorder. They check morale right away. They throw a 40. Unit stands bravely. A foot unit is in line with a friendly undisordered unit within 3". An opponent fires at and hits them. This causes a disorder. They check morale right away. They throw a 26. They only have one disorder, and the friend modifies their total to 16. Their doctrine is to stand and fire, so they fire at an enemy in front of them. If there is no enemy there, they don't have to fire. But there is, so they fire at that unit, hitting them. That unit checks morale, throws a 05, which modifies to a -5 because of a friend, which allows them to shoot back. They do so, hitting their opponent again. That unit throws morale right away, throwing a 55. This modifies to a 55 (-10 for 2nd disorder, +10 for friend) which is a "stands bravely". This shooting back and forth is a fun part of the rules. A foot unit is in line with a friendly undisordered unit within 3". They have 3 disorders on them. An opponent fires at and hits them, causing another disorder. They check morale, throwing a 50. The modifiers are: -10 for the friend, +10 for each disorder (total is 4, but discount the first one, so three

count). The net is 50-10+30 = 70. The unit takes another disorder and retreats 2". Life is not good for them today. A unit does not have to fire at someone they cannot reach, i.e. infantry do not have to fire back at artillery that shoot them from beyond musketry range, or at someone who shot them in the flank or from the rear. Cavalry never have to return fire. If cavalry are hit by fire and roll a 01-25, that means they stand bravely, but if they are within 3" of the unit, they may caracole back if the player so wishes, and they are in the proper formation to do so. If a unit takes two or more hits at a time (for instance, someone has a 120% chance to hit and throws a 15, thus scoring two hits), they only have to check once. A unit that responds to fire and shoots back may advance or retreat and fire. A foot unit with no firearms that gets a result of 01-25 will charge up to 3 at the people who shot at them, if they can reach them. If they cannot reach them, then they stand bravely. "Friendly Undisordered Unit" on a morale check must be of the same type (i.e. Foot supports Foot, Horse supports Horse). Artillery never counts as a "Friendly Undisordered Unit" except to other artillery.

XI - COMBAT DOCTRINE
A unit that is reacting to an attack may reply violently. For instance, a shot armed foot unit may fire back, or a claymore armed unit may charge. In order for a unit to follow its doctrine as a result of a morale test, it must be facing an enemy unit within 3 inches. If the unit is not facing an enemy it may choose to use this result to face its attacker. The unit it attacks need not be the one that cause the morale test. Consult the table below to determine doctrine: Unit Type shot armed foot Pure pike or melee armed foot Caracole trained horse other regular horse irregular horse Artillery Reaction Doctrine Fire back. Counts as reload for unloaded 1 rank foot. Charge into melee if the enemy is straight ahead Perform a caracole Charge into melee Charge if they can, otherwise flee 6facing Fire back if facing

XII - GENERALS
Generals, contrary to some authors, serve several purposes: They can beneficially effect morale by -10 to the die throw; They can clear a single disorder at a cost of 3" of movement; They carry large amounts of baggage around for looting after the battle; And they look heroic on their horses (at no cost). Generals can also be shot off their horses by base born varlets (they peculate the big bucks, they take their chances). If a general's stand is touching a unit that is in a melee, or his stand is touching a unit that takes a hit from enemy fire (including artillery fire), the general has a straight 50% chance of becoming a casualty per hit. If a General is in a melee, and the unit they are with is routed, the general has a 100% chance of being a casualty.

10

If a general is a casualty, throw 1d10 on the table below: die 1 2 Result General killed instantly. General mortally wounded. Faithful aides gently lower him from his horse, take down last minute messages for a grateful posterity, and collect trinkets for his relatives. If the general was a casualty in a melee his body is also looted by nearby common soldiers. Players are required to come up with the general's last words. General is badly wounded and may not recover. If in a melee he is captured. After the battle throw 1d6, the general dying on the throw of a 4 through 6. General is gravely wounded. If in a melee he is captured. After the battle he dies on a throw of 6 on 1d6. General is moderately wounded. If in a melee he is captured on the throw of 4 through 6 on 1d6. General must leave the battlefield for the rest of the battle where he can rest in camp and write to the Court explaining how things would have been better if he had been in command of the army. General is lightly wounded. On the throw of 4 through 6 he has to leave the battlefield. General gets colorful scar to show off at court and is seduced by all the right ladies. General is unhorsed. General must remain where he is for one turn while a new horse is brought up. If in a melee General is captured on a throw of 6. General is not hurt, but an aide is killed or wounded. Otherwise no effect. General's coat or hat is pierced, but the general is untouched. General ignores the danger as bullets whistle perilously close (but just miss).

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 0

Example: The CIC is attached to a unit he wanted to move. They are hit by artillery fire and it causes a disorder. The general checks to see if he is hit. The 1d6 is thrown, the player saying that low numbers means the general is hit. Bummer, a 3. The player throws 1d10 and consults the table above. A 6, lightly wouded and check to see if he has to leave. The player throws 1d6 again, a 5. This general leaves the battlefield. Six weeks later he is at court showing off his scar, and is seduced by the Comtessa d' . Generals who are casualties are not replaced. If a general is not with a friendly unit and is contacted by an enemy unit, the general politely gets out of the way of the enemy unit. Both sides doff their hats and offer expressions of mutual esteem. Commander-in-Chief Moving Units The Army Commander can go to a unit and move them on his card, without waiting for their card to turn up. But to do so, he has to stay with the unit for the entire turn. See above.

XIII - ARMY WITHDRAWAL


No battle lasts until everyone is a casualty on both sides (with the exception of WWI battles). To determine the length of a battle, total the number of cards created for each side (remember there are two cards per brigade). Multiply that by 4 (thus if there are 12 cards made up, the total will be 48). At the end of every turn (after all melees are done) count total the number of cards that were actually turned up before the "Reshuffle" card was turned. Only count the "Move one friendly brigade" if the card was actually used during this turn. When, at the end of a turn the total number of cards turned exceeds the number determined above, night has fallen and the battle has ended, and the winner is now determined. To determine the winner, total the following pluses and minuses for each side and add the throw of 1d6. The side with the lower number is the winner. The winner may preen themselves with a win, the loser may console themselves that they had a drawn battle, and that people who were not present would not understand how clever they were in holding their opponent to a draw despite overwhelming numbers.

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If a player's CIC was killed or captured, he may point out that losing the battle was not his fault as he had very little to do with it. Modifiers Situation Each friendly unit destroyed or routed Each enemy unit destroyed or routed Each flag captured Each flag lost Each gun captured Each gun lost Each friendly general killed, wounded, or captured Each friendly unit passed over enemy's rear line Predetermined terrain objectives Notes Certain terrain objectives may be fixed beforehand as having victory point values. Examples would include certain crossroads, certain villages, and certain hills. These must be established before the battle starts, and known to both sides. Conceding One side may always concede defeat. This might be a good idea especially in a campaign game. The battle ends at that point. However the side that concedes defeat must surrender any unlimbered artillery. Mod +2 -1 -2 +1 -2 +2 +2 -4 ?? Notes n/a to Irr. Cav n/a to Irr. Cav

XII VILLAGES:
Even though a "building model" represents a group of buildings and the area around them, pike units found it very difficult to fight in built-up areas. To reflect this only 1 rank of pikes melees in a builtup area, troops attacking a built-up area do not count as closing on pikes (even if present), and pikes melee as a 1. Barricades: One very common way to defend a village was to erect barricades in the streets. These are treated as buildings for cover purposes from small arms fire only. These give a +1 on the close test to any troops standing behind them. These automatically cost 3" of movement for any troops who move over them, and no troops may charge over them. Pikes standing behind a barricade get to count both ranks for melee purposes, just as in the open field.

XIII MISCELLANEOUS RULES:


Captured artillery may not be used by its captors in that battle.

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APPENDIX I- Variations
English Civil War (1642-1651): Everyone counts as Green in 1643 except Royalist Horse and the London Trained Bands. In 1642 and 1643 Parliamentarian Horse will deploy in 2 ranks of figures, and may not use a charge bonus Royalist Horse take a +4 Pursuit modifier. Pursuit when an enemy routs is 12". Some units in the English Civil War practiced salvee or volley fire. Three ranks would blaze away together, improving both the chances of hitting and the results of those hits. There would then follow an embarrassing period when everyone frantically reloaded. This reloading period is what kept this from being more widely practiced in this period. Units firing salvee put all their shot stands in one rank. Some units have no firepower, being armed with clubs. They are pure melee infantry. 9 Years War (1689-1697): This is just about at the end of the period. Some infantry units have plug bayonets, a lot have flintlocks instead of matchlocks. Dragoons are beginning to appear regularly in the cavalry melee. Irregular horse makes an appearance. Platoon fire, company salvo, and other means of controlling fire were now possible owing to improved drill - this generally applies only to flintlock armed units. Foot units with plug bayonets may insert them for a cost of 3" of movement. If they put them in they may not fire for the rest of the game (they were well nigh impossible to get out without reheating the barrel). See above for the effects of bayonets. Note it is possible for a unit to have both plug bayonets and pikes, or neither. Foot units with flintlocks count an extra 50% of their figures firing (do not round off). Dragoons melee value rises from 0.5 to 2. Irregular horse has a melee value of 1.

Highlanders
If you don't count the English Civil Wars, the Highlanders of this period staged only one rebellion, Dundee's rising during the Glorious Revolution. That rising petered out after the Battle of Killiecrankie where Dundee was killed. The Highlanders were armed with a variety of weapons, but their principle tactic was to charge and melee. Highlanders can charge 3" once in a game, with the same limitations as cavalry. If they do so they fight as pure melee foot. As the Highlanders preferred glorious melee combat to being shot down by musketry or artillery at a distance, their doctrine is to Charge! If their opponent is armed with flintlock muskets, the Highlanders do not get the +2 modifier for being Pure Melee Infantry on the Close Test. Troops who are being charged by Highlanders subtract 1 on their Close Test. Highlanders should only have 1 general. Highlanders will not charge cavalry. However, Highlanders will pursue defeated cavalry. The Turks The Turks of this period were a major power. Their last attack on Vienna, in 1683, proceeded as far as open trenches and breaches in the walls. Turkish units are 4 stands of infantry, not 6. They didn't really have pikes, and they did not have bayonets. The Turkish irregular infantry is pure melee infantry for the most part. The pure melee infantry charges 3". Turkish heavy cavalry, the Sipahis, are cuirassier. Turkish light cavalry is irregular cavalry. This irregular cavalry has a melee value of 1.5. It charges 18" rather than 12". Turkish artillery was both numerous and good. They should add +10 to their chance to hit to reflect their skilled gunners. The Poles Poland and Lithuania were a combined crown. This vast country extended from the Baltic all the way into modern day Ukraine. Poland was a major power in the East, against whom Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden made his reputation. The Poles fought almost constantly in this period, against the Swedes, Moscovites, and primarily the Turks. Poland had both a Polish autorament (half of the army) and the Foreign autorament The . foreign was very similar to western armies, and consisted of mostly Germans. The Polish autorament

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consisted of the famous winged hussars, Tartars, Wallachian horse, Cossacks, and Haiduk infantry. The Haiduk foot would be regular foot, organized similarly to western armies, but perhaps with halberds instead of pikes. A Polish army would be about 60% horse, most of which would be light and irregular. Winged Hussars are cuirassier. Horse of the Polish Autorament is not caracole trained. Better and Worse Generals To reflect that some generals were better than others, and some demonstrably worse, change the number of inches of movement a general gets. The better ones get more than 12" of movement, the worse ones less than 12" of movement. Players should not use this until they have several battles under their belts.

APPENDIX II - Terrain
Hills: Hills will provide all sorts of problems. These are not gentle rises. Those are already factored into the game, and were not very noticeable in this period due to their very nature (and that both sides tried to find nice open battlefields). Steep hills, or rough hills, on the other hand, cause difficulties. They cause hindrances, they have obstacles, and they make the proper use and movement of troops very difficult. These are some of what is known as bad-going. Note there is no overhead fire in these rules because artillery was a line of sight weapon that gained its best effects from the ball skimming 1 to 4 feet off the ground. When fired from a steep hill or into a hill, cannon balls do not skip and roll along the ground, but more often bury themselves in the dirt harmlessly. This is not reflected in the rules by conscious choice. Woods: Woods will cause as many problems as a hill, with one exception: on a hill you don't have to dice to see if your troops can see someone, in the woods you do. This represents the confused nature of woods fighting, with units appearing and disappearing in the changing light, vegetation, and smoke. However armies in this period did fight in the woods, so feel free, plunge in, and have at it. Works: There are three kinds of "works", villages, field works, and formal fortifications (such as a fortress). Each has a different effect on combat. Villages are just that, buildings that have had holes knocked into their walls for fire purposes, some barricades thrown up in the streets, and so on. It is represented on the tabletop by outlining the area of the village, and placing a few buildings in that area for cosmetic purposes. The whole village is considered bad-going for movement, with visibility restrictions the same as woods. Troops attacking a village suffer no movement penalties when they are moving up to the edge of the village proper. Field works are redoubts and similar piles of dirt that have been built in a few hours. Most of them will have a prepared floor for artillery, and a ditch in front. Field works provide the same cover as a village. Troops attacking field works must stop 1" from the fortification. They can only move that last inch in a separate phase, treating it as a linear obstacle, and if they do so, they may not fire. Formal fortifications are fortress walls with all their accompanying works. They have a ditch fronting a masonry wall (often done in revetment or demi-revetment). Formal fortifications have a glacis on the other side of the ditch from the wall. Troops hit while on the glacis automatically take three hits. Troops may not attack those inside formal fortifications unless there is a breach established by regular siege battery fire, and they assault through the breach (however, if players wish to develop rules for an escalade, they can - but that is outside the scope of these rules). Artillery and foot firing from within formal fortifications add an additional +30 to their chance to hit. A breach is bad-going.

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APPENDIX III - Tactical Tips


Infantry Deployment: The role of infantry was to provide pressure all along the front. They were not expected to win the battle on their own. That said, they sometimes won battles on their own. Partly that was because cavalry had a very difficult time breaking steady foot, but more importantly, battles some times occurred in places where there was no good ground for cavalry. The deployment of the foot was governed by this view of the role of infantry. In almost all battles they are found in the center of the army, serving as the pivot around which the cavalry maneuvered. Infantry battalions were seldom deployed shoulder to shoulder, rather a space of about a full unit's frontage was left between a unit and its neighbor. Units in the second line were deployed to cover these gaps. This did two things: it allowed units room to maneuver so they could take advantage of local tactical situations, and it allowed gaps for retreating or routing units to go through so they didn't interpenetrate friends. Unfortunately it also allowed gaps in the line that the enemy could (and did) take advantage. Players with a knowledge of the drill will recognize this as the Dutch method rather than the Swedish method of fighting. Cavalry deployment: Cavalry was considered the arm of decision, and was expected to win the battle. As the foot was usually placed in the center, and was very tough to break head-on, everyone adopted the tactic of enveloping the enemy. This mean the cavalry was placed on the flanks. A second reason for doing this was to best utilize the mobility of the cavalry. In the confined areas of the infantry fight the ability to wheel and turn was limited by fire and pikes. On the flanks this was not a problem. This wasn't a hard and fast rule, at Landen the French quite successfully placed their cavalry in the center, while at Naseby in 1645 a Royalist cavalry attack carved through the middle of the New Model Army and came within inches of winning the battle. A second line of cavalry was a necessity. The second line would fill in the gaps, and counterattack enemy cavalry that had gotten past the first units. They could also exploit success if the enemy cavalry was driven off. At the start of the period the cavalry deployed in deeper formations than later. These deeper formations are represented by having two ranks of figures instead of one. Cavalry deployed in two ranks was expected to engage the enemy with fire combat. Given the right situation this could work. However, given the other 97.35% of the time, it was a waste of good horseflesh. Dragoons would almost never appear in the cavalry battle as they were really just mounted foot. If they were anywhere near the cavalry fighting they might assist by firing at nearby enemy units. Often, though, the Dragoons were put on the flank out of the way. Their real role was in the petty war that took place before and after a battle. Still, having some around can prove useful, they are, after all, mounted infantry. Artillery deployment: Artillery was not the weapon wielded by Frederick of Prussia (and his armament wasn't anything to shatter the world with), but rather a collection of guns. Standardization of calibers alone was some 60100 years in the future in the most advanced armies, much longer in the rest. The advance of batteries to point-blank fire to create a hole was impossible. First, guns did not have that kind of mobility, they were incredibly heavy by later standards. Second, the rate of fire was very low as this was before prepackaged cartridges by about 100 years. And, third, the civilian contractors hired to haul the guns around showed a startling lack of desire to try it. In some armies the guns might be scattered along the front, but most generals preferred to concentrate their guns in one or two positions where they could contribute their firepower to the defense. Careful generals would site their guns so any enemy advance could be brought under a crossfire from two or more positions. It was customary to assign at least one infantry battalion to each of these positions as protection. Hopefully this would give some cover to the limber teams, allowing the guns to be saved in case of a defeat. It also provided protection if the enemy got annoyingly close. In spite of this precaution, the losing side in a battle usually lost most, if not all, of their guns, and the winning side advanced past where their guns could support them.

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COMMENT
About the Period
Gamers who have a hard time placing the wars that these rules cover shouldn't worry, these are some of the more obscure of the wars that plagued Europe. The period proper can be considered to start during the English Civil War (about 1642), proceed through the Fronde, the War of the Devolution, Louis' Dutch War, and finally end with the Nine Years War in 1697. This period has a fascination that is out of all scope to its alleged minimal historical impact. Small armies were the norm, armies well within the casual purchasing of most gamers. Battles tended to be short, sharp, decisive, and very confusing, resembling nothing so much as a giant brawl spiced with gunpowder. Uniforms varied from unit to unit, even within the same army (sometimes within the same regiment), allowing considerable scope for the painter. The modern era of warfare had survived its birth under Maurice of Nassau, and was given definitive shape in this period. This was the end of the pike and shot era and the beginning of the linear period. The tactical units were finally getting away from the unwieldy tercios and "battles" of earlier ages, and developing into what later generations would recognize: the "battalion" of infantry and the "squadron" of cavalry (though this isn't necessarily what they were called by the soldiers of this period). Dragoons were not battle cavalry, but were the all-purpose troops that were used for a variety of raids, outpost work, and advanced guard work, functions that light troops of various exotic flavors and dress would replace in the mid-18th century. Artillery, though useful in battles ("...don't leave home without it.") still had not become a battle weapon like it did as early as 1703. But it was good to have around, and was even useful once in a while (most importantly in sieges). The English Civil Wars were the best known wars of this period in the English speaking world. But they were by no means the only wars of this time. The Thirty Years War was still going on, and Conde and Turenne were earning their reputations in the dying embers of that war. And for the diehards, the Dutch Revolt (AKA the 80 Years War) finally petered out in 1660, while the last serious fighting ended in 1657. The Fronde was the last real Civil War in France. It started right after the Thirty Years War. It saw various coalitions of nobility ranged against the nascent monarchy of Louis XIV. This featured campaigns pitting Turenne against Conde, Turenne and Conde both against the Spanish in northern France, Turenne beating portions of the New Model Army at the Dunes in 1659, and so on. Every year seemed to see a different combination. The War of Devolution came about because of Louis XIV's claim that the Spanish Crown devolved to him due to his marriage to a Princess of the Spanish Royal Family, and ended fairly quietly. King Louis' Dutch War started with a French invasion of the Low Countries, only to have the French stopped as the Dutch opened their dikes. This war was that rarity, France and England on the same side. They were fighting the Dutch and a miscellany of Austrians and assorted Germans. This war saw some of the most interesting campaigning of the period. Turenne, for instance, was opposed by Frederick William, the Great Elector of Brandenburg. After a shaky start Turenne out-generaled the Elector, bringing off a winter campaign that drove the Elector's troops out of Alsace at one blow. It also saw the final campaigns between Turenne and Montecucolli, and Conde and Montecucolli after Turenne was killed at Sasbach. John Churchill, later the Duke of Marlborough, was a regimental commander under Turenne (and a favorite at Turenne's headquarters) in some of this campaigning, as was a friend of his, Claude Hector, duc d'Villars, future opponent of Marlborough. The Turks attacked Austria in 1681, and got as far as Vienna this time. They had battered breaches in the walls and were preparing to assault the city when a Polish army under John Sobieski hit them from behind. This was the high-water mark in the Austro-Turkish wars, from here it was a slow decline for the Turks. Monmouth's Rebellion in 1685 was the start of the last bit of armed trouble in England, and was followed by the Glorious Revolution of 1688 - 1691. There was fighting in Scotland (Killiecrankie), and in Ireland (Boyne and numerous sieges) before things quieted down. And finally to prove the rest of Europe didn't want to be left out, the War of the League of Augsburg broke out in 1689, and continued with varying fortunes for everyone for nine years.

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A Note on Rules Mechanics:


The mechanics used in these rules may seem a bit unusual at first. There is very little new in wargames rules mechanics, most, if not all, of these ideas have appeared elsewhere. But I feel it necessary to show my thinking on these rules to the people who might play them. And there are several rules that need explaining. Horse and foot move at the same speed unless cavalry charges. This was because the usage of the period did not envision cavalry careening all around the landscape in the Hollywood manner. Generals made a conscious effort to have everyone move together through most of the battle, it simplified their maneuvers. Using two cards for each brigade sometimes allows a unit to move twice in a row. This, and the Reshuffle card, are to make things move along faster and add a bit (various gamers said a lot ) of uncertainty to the movement and combat ("...when will the turn end?"). Interestingly enough it also encourages a slightly more conservative style of play, players hesitate to go all-out early in the turn just in case the enemy gets two moves suddenly, or the turn ends before a supporting unit can move up. Rosters and such aren't in the rules for two reasons: first, so players won't know how badly hurt a unit is (information denied to generals of the period); and second, paperwork cluttered up the game (I got tired of marking things on paper). Unlike other rules, Generals are very important. They hold your army together. Losing a general can be a near disaster, but you have to risk them if you want to retain any control in your army when things get critical. Combat has many differences from other rules. The chance that units can shoot at each other repeatedly seems pointless, except somewhere in the firing someone may get unlucky, and a unit will suddenly back off with several Disorders. This represents how units could get locked into their own fight and ignore what was going on around them. The melee system is a compromise between having something automatic and having something too chancy (see the melee examples). While the dice can make or break a melee, quality will tell in the long run. The best way to win a melee is pile up the modifiers in your favor before hand. Don't rely upon the quality of your troops, rely upon getting as many tactical modifiers in your favor as possible. Disorder is applied freely to a melee because a prolonged melee was a terribly disorganizing event that took a while to sort out afterwards. If there is a secret in the game (i.e. something I wanted to emphasize), it's in the morale section. And the secret in the morale section is supporting units. Units in a checkerboard fashion, with 2 in front and 1 behind but able to fire through a gap, will be very hard to break head-on as the front ones will have support, and the rear one will be out of most trouble. The only real way to break that formation (the Dutch System) is to outflank the formation. And that, of course, is up to the gamers. Every rules writer is indebted to the developers who off offered feedback, support, comments, advice, and opponents. The skills of a developer are complimentary to those of a rules writer, and without them very few rules would ever get played. For these rules thanks go to a handful of people who were invaluable, Jeff Cox, Mike Lonie, Colin Keizer, and Greg Rose.

Bruce Bretthauer Lynnwood Washington 1997

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