Just about every gamer has their own favourite set of rules for a given period which suit their personal view of what a wargame is, how it should interpret the period and what exactly they want to achieve from the game.
"Fog of War" introduction and thoughts
These are thoughts in a state of flux rather than rules at the moment, and are meant for setting out scenarios for table-top games by allowing teams of players to manoeuvre their forces and attempt to bring as much force to bear on their opponents as possible, much as would happen in the real wars of the period. They are not meant to be a set of rules to play in an evening but as a “real-time” simulation. As such, they require the writing of orders, organisation of forces and lines of supply and communication with other members of the command structure.
They are best played with the assistance of an umpire/dungeon-master (yes, a role-playing term. Any good campaign game deserves a level of story-telling to help it along and provide entertainment for the players.)
The rules reflect the varied qualities of the armies of the period with their plethora of drill systems, organisational quirks and command indecisions. They are not a “historical” set per se, but reflect my own view of the period and the necessities of the game. They will stretch players in ways that a set of simple table-top rules will not as death or glory battles are no longer possible if the campaign is to be won. Players need to think about protecting lines of supply, depots etc. whilst conserving their forces which will get both fewer and worse as the game continues.
FORCES.
Many campaign rules intend for the initial forces to be just a start, with continual growth as new recruits are raised and reinforcements sent to the front. These campaign rules are unusual in that I've taken the opposite view -that the forces involved are assumed to represent the maximum force a nation can commit to a specific theatre. Unless all sides agree, this maximum cannot be exceeded.
This assumption leads to a situation where, instead of increasing, each players armies and resources are growing ever smaller and more precious and is intended to get players really thinking about their forces and trying to keep them intact rather than squandering them on what they think are heroic actions. Lines of communication and supply suddenly become very important as they maximise the chances of receiving reinforcements and minimizing desertion/losses.
Maps
ANY maps can be used for a campaign game so long as all sides use the same ones and are agreed on the meanings of the symbols on the maps they are using. Having said that, a map specific to the period or an approximation of one, is far better, even if it is purely imaginary and bears absolutely no resemblance to any region fought over during the Napoleonic Wars. Such maps can, actually, make for a better game as they don't allow players to fall into the traps of following their historical counterparts.
Counters (or templates to draw around if using maps which may be drawn on) represent each infantry divisions, cavalry brigades, artillery batteries and various HQs and trains and are used to mark the position of each unit in the game including its position in a line of march. The counters may be printed onto coloured card.
MOVEMENT
Each movement phase of a campaign normally equates to 1 week though daily movements can be used as opposing corps/armies get closer to each other.
If teams are playing, the CinC of each team should write general orders for each of their subordinates giving them their objectives, time scale, general route and response to friendly/enemy actions.
Each player then writes out orders for those units under their direct control, specifying exact (expected) route, order of march, speed of march, the direction, distances and strengths from the column of any piquets/vedettes and the routes, responses and strengths of any scouting forces. As you can see, this is no quick game, but once the orders are written, it's mostly a question of sticking with the same set of instructions.
Teams can consist of players controlling forces from CinC down through Army, Corps, division, to brigade and regiment with each level higher giving increasingly general orders and each lower level having increasingly detailed information about the units in their control. e.g. A CinC will know how many corps he has of how many divisions/brigades but not the state of each. A corps commander will know how many divisions/regiments he has and a fair idea of the condition/strength of each and a divisional commander will have full details of each unit in his command but not of those in other divisions than his own.
Movement rates depend on Nationality and troop type as follows.
Spanish/Neapolitan troops move as Austria, Portuguese, Brunswick and KGL as British.
Normally an army will move at the rate of its' slowest elements except for units being rushed to particular locations where time is of the essence, such as light cavalry hurrying to destroy a supply column. These simply travel at their normal speed with no penalties for stragglers etc. but are considered to be “out of supply.”
A days march is considered to be of 8 hours duration and a week's march of 5 days with 2 days rest. The rest periods were vital to the well-being and cohesion of an army and should be ignored at the commander's peril.
There are 3 ways in which march distances can be increased over a short period:-
By increasing the weeks march by 1 day for a maximum period of 4 weeks.
By increasing the weeks march by 2 days for a maximum period of 3 weeks.
By increasing the days march by 2 hours a day for 7 days for a maximum period of 2 weeks, giving 20% extra movement per day.
Each of these incurs penalties in that rest periods need to be increased at the end of forced marches and desertion/ loss through straggling increases each week
Troops may continue their normal marches straight after any of these forced march methods but do so at a reduced rate i.e.:- tired for the first week, exhausted for the second for the first method,
exhausted for the first week for methods 2 and 3.
Troops must rest after 1 week (5 days) marching whilst exhausted. Their only movement can be rout. They may fight, but will do so as exhausted at the start of the battle. It should be obvious that whilst force marches are useful over short periods, it will slow down armies in the long run due to tiredness etc. An army can fight at the end of a forced march at full effect but each unit that has force marched must roll for stragglers. 1 or 2 = no stragglers, 3 = 1, 4 = 2, 5 = 3 and 6 = 4 (in figures).
80% of stragglers will return to their units at the end of the rest period but the remaining 20% will desert. Stragglers are added together for all affected units to work out the number of deserters. As desertion is deemed most likely to occur in poorly trained units, the lowest class troops are diced for first and elites last, i.e., raw infantry, raw cavalry, trained infantry, trained cavalry, veteran infantry, veteran cavalry then finally elite infantry and cavalry. Any left over (unlikely) comes from the artillery.
Use the dice rolls above for each unit until the total number of deserters is accounted for.
Armies marching whilst tired at lose stragglers at 1.5 times the normal rate (with a corresponding increase in desertion) and those marching whilst exhausted at 2x the normal rate.
Armies fighting after moving tired or exhausted do so at a disadvantage. (see scouting and combat.)
A forced march will always end when a battle (not scouting skirmish) occurs as this tires them if fresh, exhausts them if tired and renders them incapable of further movement other than rout if tired.
Exhaustion takes precedence over victory conditions which indicate pursuit but tiredness does not. i.e. Tired troops may pursue but exhausted troops may not.
COLUMN LENGTHS
Troop formations have different column lengths whilst on the march. These are:-
Infantry Division 3.5 miles Divisional baggage 1.5 miles
Cavalry Brigade 1 mile Brigade baggage 1 mile
Artillery Battery 1 mile Bridging Train 2-4miles
Army HQ 2 miles Corps HQ 1 mile
These are approximate lengths for French forces, of roughly 18 battns. to a division, 2 or 3 cavalry regts. to a brigade and 6 or 8 guns to a battery (plus caissons, wagons etc.) A British division was more like a French Brigade -about a third of the size
A Prussian Brigade was a small division consisting of something like 2 line regiments (6 bttns) plus attached reservists, landwehr, an artillery battery and a couple of light cavalry regiments and so should be treated as a Division.
Under normal circumstances a division/brigade column's baggage is added to it's length, ie 5 miles for a division and 2 miles for a cavalry brigade.
Column lengths are important as they affect the time at which units appear on the battlefield.
These lengths are not constant but are affected by many factors.
(*)This does not affect infantry or cavalry brigades travelling alone, only larger formations.
(**) -5 and -10% for Austrian, Bavarian or Wurtemburg artillery as they were designed for this sort of terrain
Choke points are towns, river crossings, defiles etc. where it takes time to funnel troops through. Even a track through dense woodland could cause a choke point.
See the WEATHER tables for changes
A = Average, R = Rain, W = Wind, B = Blizzard, M = Mist, H = Hot, ST = Storm, C= Cold, F = Fog
“Average” is for the time of year and indicates days when no movement/firing penalties etc. are incurred.
Starting at the 8,8 position roll 2x d6 counting one as left and one as right. Move the marker the difference between the two in the direction of the highest dice. If both dice are the same there is no change. Repeat using one dice as up and one as down. This point becomes the starter for the next days rolls and indicates the current weather.
SIEGE WARFARE
Sieges played an important part in Napoleonic (or any horse and musket) warfare as a strongly defended town in an armies rear was a threat to its' supply lines and could act as a base for attacks on the army itself. Such towns were either isolated or captured to prevent this.
18th century sieges usually followed a pattern and were normally resolved fairly quickly. The siege would begin with the encirclement and isolation of the town to cut off supplies and reinforcements. Once this was achieved, the governor of the town/fortress would be given the chance to surrender before a formal siege began.
In a town/fortress that was poorly defended or in poor repair, the first move would normally be an attempt at escalade -storming using ladders or perhaps explosive charges/battering of gates. If this was unsuccessful, the construction of siege works would begin. A careful commander would normally also build defensive works facing outwards to prevent relieving forces breaking the siege.
The first works would be a “parallel” of trenches and embankments around the town followed by “saps” -trenches moving towards the walls. A further parallel and batteries would be built within range of the heavy siege artillery for bombardment of the walls.
From this position further saps and a final parallel would be dug to act as transit and gathering points for the storming parties and the start points for mines under the walls which could be packed with explosives to destroy them.
Most poorly defended towns would surrender once it was isolated and even those with good defences would surrender once the walls had been breached, considering they had done their duty. Storming tended to be very bloody indeed and tended to rather annoy the attackers to such a degree that the garrison and civilian population would be severely treated or put to the sword and the town looted and destroyed.
Of course, the siege could always be lifted by the attackers, broken by relieving forces and occasionally would not end once the outer defences were breached as at Saragossa where the assault was the prelude to bitter house to house fighting that went on for months and the defenders' courage made such an impression on the French that they were allowed to leave the city unharmed.
TASK
DISTANCE/NUMBER 0F FIGS
TIME (hours)
MOVES
Digging trenches/piling earth *
½ unit frontage
6
12
Filling and placing gabions
½ unit frontage
6
12
Planting stakes**
½ unit frontage
4
8
Building/laying chevaux de frise
½ unit frontage
4
8
Cutting trees***
2 per figure (33 men)
1
2
Cutting brush#
Unit frontage x 10 yds.
1
2
Constructing 6-8 gun battery
Crews +1 battalion
12
24
Digging tunnels$
6 figs/10yds
5
10
Setting charges
1 per fig
1
2
Making ladders
1 per 2 figs
4
8
Pontoon bridge building
Each 10yds (4 figs, 132 men)
2
4
Trestle bridge building
Each 10yds (4 figs, 132 men)
6
12
Barricading
¼ Figure frontage
1
2
Building palisade##
¼ unit frontage
6
12
TYPE
DEFENCE VALUE
THICKNESS
A
10-15
5-15FT
B
15-20
10-15
C
20-25
10-15
D
30-40
25-35
E
45-55
35-40
Towns are also categorised by the optimum size of garrison required to defend it adequately, Each town is food considered to possess supplies etc., to withstand a 12 week siege. The garrison can be increased but this reduces the time their supplies will last in proportion to the size of the garrison.
TYPE /SIZE
OPTIMUM GARRISON
EXAMPLE
Castle/walled farm/hamlet
2 battalions
Hougoumont/Colditz
Large village/small town
3-6 bttns
Jena, Aspern,
Medium sized town
1 division
Halle, Gottingen, Dessau
Large town
2 Divns.
Dresden, Leipzig, Prague
Capital city
1 Corp
Vienna, Berlin, Paris
NB. These numbers only apply for sieges. They do not affect the number of troops that can be placed in them in pitched battles.
REDUCTION OF DEFENCES
4,1) In addition to the normal artillery, siege trains consist of I8, 24 36 and 48pdr, guns, these fire every 2,3,4 and 6 moves respectively, Each of these fires individually rather than as a battery,
4,2) In order to create a breach , the same stretch of wall must be hit repeatedly, however, Napoleonic artillery was notoriously difficult to aim accurately, each gun must therefore roll to see if it hits its target,
Roll Ix D10 for each gun or battery (if field guns),
1 shot falls short 5 x d10 no damage to defence but may be to closer objects
2 shot falls short 2x d10no damage to defence but may be to closer objects
3 5 x dx6 left
4 2 x dx6 left
5 On target ~ dx6 either side
6 On target ~ dx6 either side
7 2 x dx6 right
8 5 x dx6 right
9 long shot by 2x d10
10 Long shot by 5 x d10
Shots that go over may cause damage to buildings etc., beyond the walls,
4,3) Method. Roll for deviation. Roll ave Die and add to fire factor (see national tables) add range modifier and multiply by guns firing (if more than one)
ARTILLERY DAMAGE TABLE
GUN (Pdr)
Range/Damage
0-50
50-100
100-150
150-250
250-350
350-450
450-550
550-700
700-900
900-1000
1000-1500
1150-1250
1250-1350
3-4
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
6
8
7
6
5
4
3
1
0
8-9
10
9
8
7
6
5
3
1
0
12
12
11
10
9
8
7
5
3
1
0
18
16
15
14
13
12
11
9
5
3
1
24
22
21
20
19
18
15
11
9
5
3
1
0
32-36
32
31
31
29
28
23
17
11
9
5
3
1
0
48
44
43
42
41
37
32
25
14
11
9
5
3
1
Howitzers don't do damage to defences but can cause fires within them. Siege mortars may cause blast damage to light defences and casualties on troops defending them as well as destroying/firing buildings.
4,5) MINES AND CHARGES
These are charges laid in tunnels under walls/buildings, A successful mine will do the equivalent damage to 4x 48pdrs at minimum range under a wall or destroy buildings 40yds in diameter plus 10 for each subsequent barrel of powder used,
4,6) Mines go off successfully on a die roll of 4,5 or 6 on a Dx6, On a roll of 3 they have been improperly set and do ½ damage, ¼ on a roll of 2, A roll of 1 indicates that the charge goes off prematurely injuring all troops in 40yds and killing all within 10, Other charges and ammunition waggons within 40yds, must be diced for, They also blow up on a roll of 1 or 2 if within l0yds , or 1 if within 40,
4,7) Charges are placed against walls, gates etc. , and their size is considered to be calculated to perform a specific task, hence a charge will blow down a gate/door, destroy a 'soft' building (see main rules) 4x6 ems, a 'hard' building 3x4 (for larger buildings increased numbers of charges are required) or destroy a section of wall 2yds wide by 1 deep, Charges go off successfully as for mines but with an additional hazzard against buildings and gates:- on a roll of 2 the charge has been miscalculated and will be too powerful. i.e. instead of blowing down a door or gate it will bring down the house or block the gateway with rubble,
5) DAMAGE T0 DEFENCES
A plan should be made of each area to be breached showing the wall to 50yds on either side of the point of aim , squared paper is ideal as the depth of the wall can be shown and damage marked as it occurs, Intact areas which are isolated by the wall on either side (i.e., one square wide unsupported) being penetrated are considered to fall of their own accord.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
5
/
/
10
/
/
15
/
/
20
/
/
25
/
/
/
30
/
/
/
/
35
/
/
/
/
40
/
/
/
/
45
/
/
/
/
This wall is breached at I and K therefore J is unsupported and collapses, and M45 to 25 are also destroyed therefore L45 to L25, also collapses, N45 to 25 are only unsupported on only one side and so do not collapse,
Walls and buildings that collapse fall into obstacles ¼ the original height with a medium slope to either side which is passable to infantry but not cavalry of artillery
CASUALTIES TO TROOPS IN OR BEHIND DEFENCES
When a breach is made or a charge set off, there is a chance of casualties to troops within the immediate area being killed or injured i.e., when a wall is breached and collapses or a charge blows down a wall, gate or building
6,1) Each figure within a building, on a section of falling wall or behind them (within 20yds to either side) or within 10yds either side of a blown down gate must roll a dx6 to survive,
1,2.3 dead, 4, injured. cannot fight for I week, 5, stunned for 2 moves, 6 unharmed ,
6,2) Figures within 40yds of a section of falling wall (or 20 if on the wall) are killed on die throw of 1 injured as above on 2, 3 stunned. 4,5 knocked down, 6 unharmed,
6,3) Stunned figures are knocked down for 1 move, and may rise but not fight on the second they· fight at half effect on the third, knocked down
figures take 1 move to rise but then fight normally,
If, as at Fuentes d'Onoro in Portugal or York in Canada in 1812 a magazine is blown up, the blast follows the line of least resistance, i.e., upwards and towards the door. At York, the US attackers were severely harmed by the blast as one of their shells ignited a powder store outside the fort and with the door facing them. British and Canadian troops far closer to the blast but behind the fort's wall were practically unscathed.
Encirclement and Isolation
This is carried out in exactly the same manner as map campaign rules. Maps are drawn up showing the town/fortress and its' surroundings. (These can be re-used for other campaigns and gradually build up a detailed view of the campaign world so use an acetate sheet over them.) Seige works are drawn in as they are completed with dotted lines showing works in progress.
Troops engaged in isolating a town remain their until they are relieved or the siege lifted.
Siege Works
The construction of siege works is carried out by the troops of the units involved. Units do not count in two or three ranks but as single lines or· groups, At any time, 1/4 of a given unit will be on guard or foraging, 1/4 resting and 1/2 working on siege lines, therefore tasks such as digging trenches, piling earth , planting stakes, filling gabions etc. , will cover 1/2 the units normal frontage in line in the given time.
Siege works halt if the defenders sortie, the game can be played as either a map game or skirmish, Only completed siege works count as defences as the times given are those required to finish the task along the entire frontage i.e., work proceeds at an equal rate along the units frontage.
Times taken for tasks
These are given both in hours for' map movement) and moves (for on-table movement) One hour of map movement is equivalent to two table-top moves,
and can be removed in the same time it takes to erect them. They class as linear obstacles, Work on specific tasks can be speeded up by doubling the number of t r-oops working on them with the exception of digging tunnels (limited by the number of men able to work at the face) setting charges or those expressed in figures, No more than double the number of troops can be used to finish a given task,
Most of these tasks involve the use of wood etc. therefore bridging/supply train must be present to transport timber from the nearest source. this is done at normal move rates.
Trenches and batteries can be started without timber but not completed, with 1/4 of the allocated time being required to reinforce with timber,
Only Engineers or Sappers can lay charges, These are only available if bridging/artillery/engineering trains are present (They must otherwise travel at normal speed to the siege sight leaving the artillery without engineer)
* To man height
** single row 2ft apart
*** 1 tree will make 8 stakes
$ Maximum length of a tunnel for destroying walls is 200ft due to problems with getting enough oxygen to the fire/charges beneath the wall.
# Sufficient to make 1 gabion or fascine
## Close set stakes up to 10ft tall
All times are cumulative. i.e. The making of gabions/stakes cannot be started until enough material has been cut, nor can palisades be planted on a rampart until the earth has been piled, so a defensive work with a ditch and rampart 1 unit long would take 12 hours for the earthworks then 12 for the palisades.
Barricades are temporary affairs and can be removed in the same time it took to build them. They class as linear obstructions.
Times for specific tasks can be halved by doubling the number of troops involved with them except for tunnelling (limited by width of face) setting charges or those expressed as per figure.
No more than double the numbers may be used to complete tasks.
Most of these tasks involve the use of wood, therefore bridging/engineering/supply train etc. must be present to transport timber from the nearest source. This is done at normal move rates.
Trenches and batteries can be started without timber but not completed, with 1/4 of the allocated time being required to reinforce with timber,
Only Engineers or Sappers can lay charges, These are only available if bridging/artillery/engineering trains are present (They must otherwise travel at normal speed to the siege site, however, this leaves the artillery without engineers,)
TYPES AND STRENGTHS OF DEFENCES
Defences fall into five categories:-
A) Fieldworks around otherwise undefended towns,
B) Medieval walls in poor condition
C) Medieval walls in good repair
D) Old Vauban defences
E)”Modern” Vauban fortifications
Each of these categories of defences has a basic defence value per yard of wall based on type and state of repair this is multiplied by their thickness.
The lower figure is for wall sections, the higher for towers, gates and bastions etc.
Vauban fortifications will have several "layers" of defences which may be around medieval walls, As you can see, reduction by bombardment may be a lengthy process!
Towns are also categorised by the optimum size of garrison required to defend it adequately, Each town is food considered to possess supplies etc., to withstand a 12 week siege. The garrison can be increased but this reduces the time their supplies will last in proportion to the size of the garrison.
TYPE /SIZE
OPTIMUM GARRISON
EXAMPLE
Castle/walled farm/hamlet
2 battalions
Hougoumont/Colditz
Large village/small town
3-6 bttns
Jena, Aspern,
Medium sized town
1 division
Halle, Gottingen, Dessau
Large town
2 Divns.
Dresden, Leipzig, Prague
Capital city
1 Corp
Vienna, Berlin, Paris
TASK
DISTANCE/NUMBER 0F FIGS
TIME (hours)
MOVES
Digging trenches/piling earth *
½ unit frontage
6
12
Filling and placing gabions
½ unit frontage
6
12
Planting stakes**
½ unit frontage
4
8
Building/laying chevaux de frise
½ unit frontage
4
8
Cutting trees***
2 per figure (33 men)
1
2
Cutting brush#
Unit frontage x 10 yds.
1
2
Constructing 6-8 gun battery
Crews +1 battalion
12
24
Digging tunnels$
6 figs/10yds
5
10
Setting charges
1 per fig
1
2
Making ladders
1 per 2 figs
4
8
Pontoon bridge building
Each 10yds (4 figs, 132 men)
2
4
Trestle bridge building
Each 10yds (4 figs, 132 men)
6
12
Barricading
¼ Figure frontage
1
2
Building palisade##
¼ unit frontage
6
12
TYPE
DEFENCE VALUE
THICKNESS
A
10-15
5-15FT
B
15-20
10-15
C
20-25
10-15
D
30-40
25-35
E
45-55
35-40
Towns are also categorised by the optimum size of garrison required to defend it adequately, Each town is food considered to possess supplies etc., to withstand a 12 week siege. The garrison can be increased but this reduces the time their supplies will last in proportion to the size of the garrison.
TYPE /SIZE
OPTIMUM GARRISON
EXAMPLE
Castle/walled farm/hamlet
2 battalions
Hougoumont/Colditz
Large village/small town
3-6 bttns
Jena, Aspern,
Medium sized town
1 division
Halle, Gottingen, Dessau
Large town
2 Divns.
Dresden, Leipzig, Prague
Capital city
1 Corp
Vienna, Berlin, Paris
NB. These numbers only apply for sieges. They do not affect the number of troops that can be placed in them in pitched battles.
REDUCTION OF DEFENCES
4,1) In addition to the normal artillery, siege trains consist of I8, 24 36 and 48pdr, guns, these fire every 2,3,4 and 6 moves respectively, Each of these fires individually rather than as a battery,
4,2) In order to create a breach , the same stretch of wall must be hit repeatedly, however, Napoleonic artillery was notoriously difficult to aim accurately, each gun must therefore roll to see if it hits its target,
Roll Ix D10 for each gun or battery (if field guns),
1 shot falls short 5 x d10 no damage to defence but may be to closer objects
2 shot falls short 2x d10no damage to defence but may be to closer objects
3 5 x dx6 left
4 2 x dx6 left
5 On target ~ dx6 either side
6 On target ~ dx6 either side
7 2 x dx6 right
8 5 x dx6 right
9 long shot by 2x d10
10 Long shot by 5 x d10
Shots that go over may cause damage to buildings etc., beyond the walls,
4,3) Method. Roll for deviation. Roll ave Die and add to fire factor (see national tables) add range modifier and multiply by guns firing (if more than one)
ARTILLERY DAMAGE TABLE
GUN (Pdr)
Range/Damage
0-50
50-100
100-150
150-250
250-350
350-450
450-550
550-700
700-900
900-1000
1000-1500
1150-1250
1250-1350
3-4
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
6
8
7
6
5
4
3
1
0
8-9
10
9
8
7
6
5
3
1
0
12
12
11
10
9
8
7
5
3
1
0
18
16
15
14
13
12
11
9
5
3
1
24
22
21
20
19
18
15
11
9
5
3
1
0
32-36
32
31
31
29
28
23
17
11
9
5
3
1
0
48
44
43
42
41
37
32
25
14
11
9
5
3
1
Howitzers don't do damage to defences but can cause fires within them. Siege mortars may cause blast damage to light defences and casualties on troops defending them as well as destroying/firing buildings.
4,5) MINES AND CHARGES
These are charges laid in tunnels under walls/buildings, A successful mine will do the equivalent damage to 4x 48pdrs at minimum range under a wall or destroy buildings 40yds in diameter plus 10 for each subsequent barrel of powder used,
4,6) Mines go off successfully on a die roll of 4,5 or 6 on a Dx6, On a roll of 3 they have been improperly set and do ½ damage, ¼ on a roll of 2, A roll of 1 indicates that the charge goes off prematurely injuring all troops in 40yds and killing all within 10, Other charges and ammunition waggons within 40yds, must be diced for, They also blow up on a roll of 1 or 2 if within l0yds , or 1 if within 40,
4,7) Charges are placed against walls, gates etc. , and their size is considered to be calculated to perform a specific task, hence a charge will blow down a gate/door, destroy a 'soft' building (see main rules) 4x6 ems, a 'hard' building 3x4 (for larger buildings increased numbers of charges are required) or destroy a section of wall 2yds wide by 1 deep, Charges go off successfully as for mines but with an additional hazzard against buildings and gates:- on a roll of 2 the charge has been miscalculated and will be too powerful. i.e. instead of blowing down a door or gate it will bring down the house or block the gateway with rubble,
5) DAMAGE T0 DEFENCES
A plan should be made of each area to be breached showing the wall to 50yds on either side of the point of aim , squared paper is ideal as the depth of the wall can be shown and damage marked as it occurs, Intact areas which are isolated by the wall on either side (i.e., one square wide unsupported) being penetrated are considered to fall of their own accord.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
5
/
/
10
/
/
15
/
/
20
/
/
25
/
/
/
30
/
/
/
/
35
/
/
/
/
40
/
/
/
/
45
/
/
/
/
This wall is breached at I and K therefore J is unsupported and collapses, and M45 to 25 are also destroyed therefore L45 to L25, also collapses, N45 to 25 are only unsupported on only one side and so do not collapse,
Walls and buildings that collapse fall into obstacles ¼ the original height with a medium slope to either side which is passable to infantry but not cavalry of artillery
CASUALTIES TO TROOPS IN OR BEHIND DEFENCES
When a breach is made or a charge set off, there is a chance of casualties to troops within the immediate area being killed or injured i.e., when a wall is breached and collapses or a charge blows down a wall, gate or building
6,1) Each figure within a building, on a section of falling wall or behind them (within 20yds to either side) or within 10yds either side of a blown down gate must roll a dx6 to survive,
1,2.3 dead, 4, injured. cannot fight for I week, 5, stunned for 2 moves, 6 unharmed ,
6,2) Figures within 40yds of a section of falling wall (or 20 if on the wall) are killed on die throw of 1 injured as above on 2, 3 stunned. 4,5 knocked down, 6 unharmed,
6,3) Stunned figures are knocked down for 1 move, and may rise but not fight on the second they· fight at half effect on the third, knocked down
figures take 1 move to rise but then fight normally,
If, as at Fuentes d'Onoro in Portugal or York in Canada in 1812 a magazine is blown up, the blast follows the line of least resistance, i.e., upwards and towards the door. At York, the US attackers were severely harmed by the blast as one of their shells ignited a powder store outside the fort and with the door facing them. British and Canadian troops far closer to the blast but behind the fort's wall were practically unscathed.
TYPE /SIZE
OPTIMUM GARRISON
EXAMPLE
Castle/walled farm/hamlet
2 battalions
Hougoumont/Colditz
Large village/small town
3-6 bttns
Jena, Aspern,
Medium sized town
1 division
Halle, Gottingen, Dessau
Large town
2 Divns.
Dresden, Leipzig, Prague
Capital city
1 Corp
Vienna, Berlin, Paris
NB. These numbers only apply for sieges. They do not affect the number of troops that can be placed in them in pitched battles.
REDUCTION OF DEFENCES
4,1) In addition to the normal artillery, siege trains consist of I8, 24 36 and 48pdr, guns, these fire every 2,3,4 and 6 moves respectively, Each of these fires individually rather than as a battery,
4,2) In order to create a breach , the same stretch of wall must be hit repeatedly, however, Napoleonic artillery was notoriously difficult to aim accurately, each gun must therefore roll to see if it hits its target,
Roll Ix D10 for each gun or battery (if field guns),
1 shot falls short 5 x d10 no damage to defence but may be to closer objects
2 shot falls short 2x d10no damage to defence but may be to closer objects
3 5 x dx6 left
4 2 x dx6 left
5 On target ~ dx6 either side
6 On target ~ dx6 either side
7 2 x dx6 right
8 5 x dx6 right
9 long shot by 2x d10
10 Long shot by 5 x d10
Shots that go over may cause damage to buildings etc., beyond the walls,
4,3) Method. Roll for deviation. Roll ave Die and add to fire factor (see national tables) add range modifier and multiply by guns firing (if more than one)
ARTILLERY DAMAGE TABLE
GUN (Pdr) | Range/Damage | ||||||||||||
0-50 | 50-100 | 100-150 | 150-250 | 250-350 | 350-450 | 450-550 | 550-700 | 700-900 | 900-1000 | 1000-1500 | 1150-1250 | 1250-1350 | |
3-4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |||||
8-9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||||
12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |||
18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | |||
24 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
32-36 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 23 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
48 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 37 | 32 | 25 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
Howitzers don't do damage to defences but can cause fires within them. Siege mortars may cause blast damage to light defences and casualties on troops defending them as well as destroying/firing buildings.
4,5) MINES AND CHARGES
These are charges laid in tunnels under walls/buildings, A successful mine will do the equivalent damage to 4x 48pdrs at minimum range under a wall or destroy buildings 40yds in diameter plus 10 for each subsequent barrel of powder used,
4,6) Mines go off successfully on a die roll of 4,5 or 6 on a Dx6, On a roll of 3 they have been improperly set and do ½ damage, ¼ on a roll of 2, A roll of 1 indicates that the charge goes off prematurely injuring all troops in 40yds and killing all within 10, Other charges and ammunition waggons within 40yds, must be diced for, They also blow up on a roll of 1 or 2 if within l0yds , or 1 if within 40,
4,7) Charges are placed against walls, gates etc. , and their size is considered to be calculated to perform a specific task, hence a charge will blow down a gate/door, destroy a 'soft' building (see main rules) 4x6 ems, a 'hard' building 3x4 (for larger buildings increased numbers of charges are required) or destroy a section of wall 2yds wide by 1 deep, Charges go off successfully as for mines but with an additional hazzard against buildings and gates:- on a roll of 2 the charge has been miscalculated and will be too powerful. i.e. instead of blowing down a door or gate it will bring down the house or block the gateway with rubble,
5) DAMAGE T0 DEFENCES
A plan should be made of each area to be breached showing the wall to 50yds on either side of the point of aim , squared paper is ideal as the depth of the wall can be shown and damage marked as it occurs, Intact areas which are isolated by the wall on either side (i.e., one square wide unsupported) being penetrated are considered to fall of their own accord.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | |
5 | / | / | |||||||||||||||||
10 | / | / | |||||||||||||||||
15 | / | / | |||||||||||||||||
20 | / | / | |||||||||||||||||
25 | / | / | / | ||||||||||||||||
30 | / | / | / | / | |||||||||||||||
35 | / | / | / | / | |||||||||||||||
40 | / | / | / | / | |||||||||||||||
45 | / | / | / | / |
This wall is breached at I and K therefore J is unsupported and collapses, and M45 to 25 are also destroyed therefore L45 to L25, also collapses, N45 to 25 are only unsupported on only one side and so do not collapse,
Walls and buildings that collapse fall into obstacles ¼ the original height with a medium slope to either side which is passable to infantry but not cavalry of artillery
CASUALTIES TO TROOPS IN OR BEHIND DEFENCES
When a breach is made or a charge set off, there is a chance of casualties to troops within the immediate area being killed or injured i.e., when a wall is breached and collapses or a charge blows down a wall, gate or building
6,1) Each figure within a building, on a section of falling wall or behind them (within 20yds to either side) or within 10yds either side of a blown down gate must roll a dx6 to survive,
1,2.3 dead, 4, injured. cannot fight for I week, 5, stunned for 2 moves, 6 unharmed ,
6,2) Figures within 40yds of a section of falling wall (or 20 if on the wall) are killed on die throw of 1 injured as above on 2, 3 stunned. 4,5 knocked down, 6 unharmed,
6,3) Stunned figures are knocked down for 1 move, and may rise but not fight on the second they· fight at half effect on the third, knocked down figures take 1 move to rise but then fight normally,
If, as at Fuentes d'Onoro in Portugal or York in Canada in 1812 a magazine is blown up, the blast follows the line of least resistance, i.e., upwards and towards the door. At York, the US attackers were severely harmed by the blast as one of their shells ignited a powder store outside the fort and with the door facing them. British and Canadian troops far closer to the blast but behind the fort's wall were practically unscathed.
