Review of Wargame Rules

I have just updated our “house” wargame rules.

We have been using them for about six years.   They were written to allow us to fight wargames of battles produced by our 1813 campaign. 

The campaign itself was designed to allow us to use all of our model soldiers and scenery.   Each army has 128 infantry, 16 cavalry and 4 guns.   We had twelve such armies, representing most of the nations which took part in the Napoleonic Wars.   Our 6x6 foot wargame table was designed to comfortably hold that number of 28mm wargame figures per side.   And our wargame rules were designed to allow us to fight multi corps battles using that number of figures to represent four army corps per side.

Our 1813 campaign was designed to be solo.   So it did not matter whether the wargame rules were acceptable to anyone else, as only Jan and I would be using them.  We have played a lot of wargames using these rules, on average about 30 per year for the past six years.

We have adjusted the rules over the years, as a result of this comprehensive play testing.   But we have never done a complete update.

For some time I have been aware that anyone reading the rules, and following the campaign, would find some rules which did not make a lot of sense.   For example when I wrote the rules I referred to casualties as “1 hit”.   But when I wrote the battle report I would translate this as “10% casualties”.   So when I did this update I have amended all of the rules to use the latter.

In addition I have changed a number of particular rules

Rule 1 – Movement on Blinds

A complete rewrite to reflect the new, campaign friendly, procedure

Rule 8 – Combat Quick Results

The addition of rules for troops behind the crest of a hill

Rule 09 – Combat at Edge of Woods or BUA

When more than one brigade attacks, each one is decided by a separate combat

Rule 18 – Morale

I have removed automatic routs.  

I hope that this rewrite, and the individual amendments, have made the rules a little easier to understand and follow.  

You will find the complete rules here

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com/

Hidden movement

Start of game using cards for hidden movement

In the past we have used card to provide hidden movement.

Each side would one card per corps, plus one or two extra

When the cards approached each other each side would dice to “see” the other side

If successful the other side would replace the card with figures

Or alternatively disclose that there they were a “blank”

This method allowed us to hide the early stages of a wargame from each other

It also speeded up the early deployment

When we started the PBEM campaign we stopped using this hidden movement

We wanted to make it easier for the players to follow the battle report

However we found that having figures on the table from the start had disadvantages

It allowed us to react to what the other was doing.

We tried to make this difficult by having deployment orders

But it was still possible to ensure that cavalry were placed to counter the enemy cavalry

Artillery was positioned in answer to the approaching infantry formations

So we have decided to introduce a simplified system of hidden movement.

French cavalry have advanced from the blind and spotted four of the six Austrian blinds

Two were corps, which are now on the table, two more were “blinds”  now removed

At the start of the wargame both armies will always be at least 24” apart.

Each player will have one blank card for each corps, plus two spares

The two spares, called “blanks”, will be used to hide actual deployment and create fog of war

Each card will be 1.5” by 12”

1.5” is the width of a road, and will represent corps moving in column of march

12” will represent corps deployed.

Each player will place their cards on the table

Those cards representing a corps will have to be placed on the appropriate square

Those cards representing a “blank” may be placed anywhere on the table

When corps arrive as reinforcements, and are not on the table at the start of the game, the player may either use his two “blanks” at the start of the game, or when the reinforcements arrive.

Cavalry may be detached from the card to recce the enemy

Such cavalry can of course be countered by the enemy cavalry

Infantry may be detached to form garrisons of BUA or woods

Apart from that all other brigades must remain on the card

No artillery is allowed to fire at, or from, the card

At any time a player can opt to replace the card with figures

They can then move as normal within the existing rules.

Wargame Building Project

The latest addition is this northern Europe style farm complex.   It is not modelled on any particular farm from any particular battle.   We spent a few years in Germany many years ago, and travelled around Holland, Belguim and France.   And we saw lots of this style of farm complex in all four countries.

The aim of making our own wargame buildings is so that they all fit on our standard 8”x8” felt scenery bases.   I also wanted to be able to use each of the buildings in as many combinations as possible, so both buildings and walls are free standing.   Finally we remove buildings to allow measurement of troops moving into towns or farms, and also to calculate fire fights and hand to hand fighting.  

Our next project is a church for northern Europe.