Fighting in Built Up Areas

fighting in built up area and woods (buildings and some trees removed)

Our house rules work quite well for this type of combat, particularly if it is one brigade to one brigade.   But we have always had a problem with more than one brigade attacking at the same time.

We had different rules for fighting at the edge, or inside.   Inside is always one brigade on one brigade.  So no problems.   But at the edge there can be multiple brigades attacking a single defending brigade.

There are two options for the attacker, depending on his corps orders.   If he is on “attack” he fights hand to hand.   If he is on “engage” he can only skirmish.

Skirmish is no problem.   The defenders can fire once, and dice for which brigade suffers casualties by rolling a dice.   The attackers can fire once per brigade within 4”.    Each brigade rolls 1D6, and needs a 6 or more to hit. 

Elite skirmishers add 3

Normal skirmishers add 2

Poor skirmishers add 1

Each casualty minus 1

Attackers delete 1 (for firing at hard cover)

Defenders delete 1 (for being spread throughout the building)

Hand to hand is the problem.   We want to give the defenders a good chance of holding for a long time, such as at Hougoumont at Waterloo or the Granary at Essling.   But we also want to give the attackers a chance to win.

We have tried various options, but found them all wanting.   This week I think we found the answer.  

Instead of trying to calculate all brigades as one combat, we have decided to calculate each attacking brigade as one combat.  So if there are five brigades attacking we calculate five combats.  

In hand to hand combat it is the morale, or class, that counts.  

Elite troops plus 1

Poor troops minus 1

Each casualty minus 1

Outnumber enemy two to one plus 1

Garrison plus 2

The interesting part comes next.   Having calculated the plus and minus the higher rolls 2D6.   

2-3       winner routs with 30% casualties

4-5       winner retires shaken with 20% casualties

6-7       draw both disordered with 10% casualties

8-9       loser retired shaken with 20% casualties

10+      loser routs with 30% casualties

So the player attacking a build up area has to decide whether to go for the low risk choice of skirmishing, or the high risk hand to hand fighting.  

We particularly like the risk of the stronger side risking a defeat due to poor dice.   But now that each brigade is a single combat, even if unlucky the attacker will only lose one brigade at a time.