Volley And Bayonet The Age of Frederick

2000, Frank A. Chadwick, all rights reserved.

CREDITS

Game Design: Frank Chadwick & Greg Novak Playtesting: The Volley & Bayonet Mailing List (Thanks, Guys!) Useful Advice:

Rich Bliss, Jeff Glasco, Tom Harris, John Holtz, Glenn Kidd, Keith McNelly, Jim Nevling Research Assistance: Giorgio Baratto, Fabrizio Dav, Bob Kalinowski, Mike Kirby, Diego Lena, John Morgan, Mark Sieber, Martin Soilleux-Cardwell, Michael Welker

Warfare In The Age of Frederick The Great

For the wargamer, history is a painted trollop, and an irresistible one at that. It seduces us with promises we cannot ignore. Lead the legions against the Gaulic rebels, it croons. Break Wellingtons lines at Waterloo. Face down Rommel at Tobruk. Come on, Big Boy, you can do it!

Sadly, those promises often prove empty. Reading about a battle is one thing; recreating it on the gaming table is something else entirely. And yet, we continue to try, and our attempts are not without merit. But wargaming is a formal, deliberate sort of pastime, and war usually isnt. So we capture a part of the thing, but we have to let another part of it go.

The Seven Years War is a subject wargamers have long been drawn to, and for excellent reasons. Battle was a more formal, deliberate affair in the Age of Frederick, and so seems somehow ideally suited to that formal, deliberate pastime we love so well. There was something stately about battles in the Age of Enlightenment (or at least, from the safe distance of two and a half centuries, we can imagine that there was), and if wargames can do anything, they can do stately.

Here, then, is a game which we sincerely hope does an elegant justice to an elegant age.

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Detailed Table of Contents

Basics Scale .......................................................4 Sequence of Play ....................................4 Roster Sheets ..........................................4

Basing Troops Base Sizes...............................................5 Figures per Base (etc.)............................6

Visibility ................................................8

Command Subordination .........................................10 Placement of Command Stands..............10 Effects of Command Control .................11

Movement General Procedure ..................................12 Movement Allowances12 Movement and Facing............................12 Formed Troops .......................................12 Poorly Trained and Militia Units............12 Unlimbered Artillery ..............................13 Other Stands ...........................................13 Movement of Artillery............................13 Manhandling Guns .................................13 Movement Through Friendly Units........13 Stationary................................................13 Recovery and Disorder ...........................14

Detaching Skirmishers .........................14

Terrain and Movement (Intro) ...........14

Charge Movement Charges...................................................16 Charge Restrictions ................................16 Cavalry Charging Skirmishers ...............17 Pursuit in Woods ....................................17 Fugitives .................................................17

March Column Movement...............................................18 Forming / Reforming March Columns...18 Column Length.......................................18 Combat ...................................................19 Table Entry.............................................19

Morale and Disorder Morale Tests........................................... 20 Testing Morale ....................................... 20 Morale Modifiers ................................... 20 Army Commanders ................................ 21 Effects of Failure.................................... 21

Disorder and Rout Becoming Disordered ............................ 21 Types of Disorder................................... 22 Effects of Disorder ................................. 22 Rout........................................................ 22 Effects of Rout ....................................... 22

Recovery from Disorder and Rout Disorder.................................................. 23 Rout........................................................ 23 Monarchs................................................ 23

Retreats Retreat Path............................................ 23 Blocking Terrain .................................... 24 Disordering Other Stands....................... 24 Retreating Skirmishers........................... 24 Blocking Cavalry ................................... 24 Advance ................................................. 25

Militia .................................................... 25

Combat Combat Procedure.................................. 26 Order of Attacks..26 Multiple Defenders ................................ 26 Defensive Fire ........................................ 26 Number of Dice Rolled .......................... 27 Allocation of Combat Dice to Targets ... 27 Hit Numbers........................................... 27 Inf / Cav / Arty / March Col Hit #s27-28 Casualties ............................................... 28

Ranged Fire Combat............................ 29

Melee Combat Melee and Ranged Fire .......................... 30 Winning Melees ..................................... 30 Advances................................................ 30 Retreats .................................................. 30

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Skirmishers in Melee..............................31 Artillery in Melee ...................................31

Facing and Combat Front Arc ................................................32 Flank Attacks..........................................32 Protected Flanks .....................................34

Saving Throws Causes of Saving Throws Buildings ................................................35 Forest ......................................................35 Broken Ground.......................................35 Works .....................................................35 Counterbattery........................................35 Skirmishers.............................................35 Cavalry ...................................................36 Cavalry Skirmishers ...............................36 Disorder..................................................36 Multiple Saves........................................36

Specialized Artillery (incl. Battalion Guns) Battalion Guns........................................37 Artillery Batteries ...................................37 Siege Artillery ........................................37 High Angle Fire......................................37

Cavalry Breakthrough Breakthrough Options ............................39 Permanently Disordered Cavalry............39 Impetuous Cavalry..................................39 Breakthrough Charge Resolution ...........39 Breakthrough Morale Test......................39 Breakthrough Disorder ...........................40 Breakthrough in the Morale Phase .........40 Breakthrough in the Combat Phase ........40 Multiple Attacks.....................................40

Combat Example ............................. 41-44

Exhaustion and Collapse Exhaustion..............................................45 Collapse..................................................45

Special Units Corps Troops ..........................................46 Small Divisions and Corps.....................46

Buildings Towns and Villages 47 Movement .............................................. 47 Morale .................................................... 48 Combat................................................... 48 Skirmishers in Buildings........................ 48 Wooden Buildings and Catching Fire.... 48

Vegetation (visibility / movement / combat) Orchard................................................... 50 Forest...................................................... 50 Standing Crops....................................... 51

Rivers / Streams (visibility / movement / combat) Rivers ..................................................... 52 Streams................................................... 52 Marshy Streams...................................... 52 Bridges and Fords .................................. 53

Ground Features (visibility / movement / combat) Marsh ..................................................... 54 Broken Ground....................................... 54 Hills........................................................ 55 Roads (incl. Sunken Roads) ................... 55

Works (visibility / movement / combat) Hasty Works........................................... 56 Field Works............................................ 56 Fortresses ............................................... 56

Night57

Alternate Scales ............................... 58-63

Scale Units........................................ ..64

Battles............................................... 65-67

Pt II Historic Battles Introduction.68-70

Battle of Krefeld..71-78

Battle of Prauge79-87

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BASICS

SCALE

The rules adopt a scale which allows almost any battle from the period to be played on a single moderately sized gaming table.

Each inch on the playing surface represents 100 yards of actual ground. Each game turn represents one hour of elapsed time. Each strength point of infantry or cavalry represents 500 troops. Each strength point of artillery represents 6 guns

The Alternate Scale rules (page 58) allow for fighting battles at smaller scales, either smaller battles or interesting details of important large historic actions.

SEQUENCE OF PLAY

Each game turn consists of two identical player turns. In the first player turn, one side is the attacker and the other is the defender, and in the second player turn these roles are reversed.

Each player turn consists of the following phases:

Command Determination: The attacker determines which of his units are in command and which are not.

Movement: The attacker moves any or all of his un-routed units, as desired.

Rally: The attacker rallies any routed units in contact with corps or army commanders.

Morale Tests: Both sides test morale for units in contact with the enemy or within short range of enemy firing units.

Combat: All combat is resolved in the order determined by the attacker.

Exhaustion: Both players check to see if any divisions have become exhausted during the turn. If so remove any stationary markers from all stands of the division. Test for morale collapse on all exhausted divisions.

ROSTER SHEETS

Each player will have a roster sheet which shows the morale and the number of hits each stand can suffer before it is removed from play. Each strength point in the game at the largest scale represents 500 men or 6 guns, but a game "hit" represents the loss of about half that number. In other words a stand is removed from play when its casualties have reduced it to about 50% of its original strength.

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In general, massed cavalry stands and formed infantry stands take 2 or 3 hits, and artillery stands take 1, 2 or 3 hits. Skirmish stands and linear cavalry stands always take only a single hit. Command stands are never hit and remain in play so long as at least one of its subordinate stands remains.

BASING TROOPS

All armies in the Age of Frederick (1745-1776) consisted of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Infantry habitually deployed and fought in line, and so is called Linear infantry in Volley and Bayonet, and is mounted on linear bases (twice as wide as they are deep). Cavalry , on the other hand, is usually mounted on massed bases (as deep and they are wide).

Base Sizes There are seven types of stands in the game. These are linear infantry, linear cavalry, massed cavalry, infantry skirmishers, cavalry skirmishers, artillery, and command stands. The standard sizes for these bases are listed below, with the first number being the frontage and the second number the depth.

Standard Base Sizes Linear Infantry & Cavalry Stand 3" x 1.5" Massed Cavalry Stand 3" x 3" Skirmish Infantry Stand 1.5" x 1.5" Skirmish Cavalry Stand 3" x 3" Artillery Stand 1.5" x 3" Command Stand 1.5" x 1.5"

In all cases the depth of the base can be increased as necessary to allow for the size of castings. 28 mm cavalry, for example, may need a 2 deep linear base.

Specialized light infantry stands may detach one or more skirmishers or break down completely into skirmishers. Detached skirmishers do not represent the skirmishers thrown out to screen the immediate front of a battalion, but rather are large detached bodies of light infantry, usually about a battalion, sent to occupy particular features or stretches of ground. These detached bodies could operate in extended or close formation and within the rules can be assumed to be in either formation as appropriate to their task on the gaming table.

Cavalry is almost always deployed on massed stands, but its best to always model light cavalry on linear bases and use a sabot to represent the massed base. Separate linear stands are used for cavalry habitually deployed in small detachments or the occasional detached regiment. Also, light cavalry can break down into separate skirmish stands, and its best to use linear stands on sabots for this (as noted below).

Skirmish cavalry bases (sabots) have no figures on them, but instead are simply an easy way to show that a linear cavalry base is in skirmish formation. Landscape the front and rear 3/4" strips of the skirmish base but leave a space in the middle for a linear cavalry base. When the linear cavalry stand goes into skirmish order, place it on the skirmish-size base.

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Note that a massed cavalry stand that may skirmish is broken down into 2 or 3 skirmish stands. Gamers may choose to have skirmisher stands made up for these units, or have linear stands on skirmish bases to replace them.

Figures Per Base The number of figures mounted on a stand is irrelevant, and so the rules may be used with any scale figures desired without modification. The first playtest/demonstration of the rules was with 54 mm figures mounted four infantry or two cavalry to the massed formation base and single figure skirmishers. It has been played extensively with figures ranging in scale from 54 mm (2-3 infantry and 1-2 cavalry per base) through 28 mm, 15 mm, 10 mm, 6 mm, and even to 2 mm. The smaller scales allow players to turn the base into a virtual diorama.

Smaller Scale Figures I prefer to use nice big figures, and when smaller figures are used I prefer to see them mounted on standard bases, and I like the look of lots of soldiers in big massed formations. But some folks have limited gaming space, and so may find it more convenient to used half scale or 2/3 scale bases and reduce the number of figures accordingly. This is particularly useful for the 6 mm figures now finding favor. Just remember to reduce all movement distances and ranges accordingly. When playing with smaller scale figures, the depth of artillery bases may be reduced to the same as their width.

Avoiding Remounting Remounting figures for a new rules set is the bane of wargamers. You will want to try the rules out without remounting your figures, and the easiest way to do it is with sabots. A sabot is a piece of wood, card or plastic cut to the correct base size but without troops. As all other rules use smaller bases, it is easy to arrange several stands of infantry or cavalry on the Volley and Bayonet sabot and still leave room on the back for a unit identification label. Eventually, after you fall completely in love with these rules (as you certainly will!), you can remount your troops at your leisure, but in the meantime this is a very workable expedient, and one which was used in playtesting of some of the larger battles.

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A WORD FROM THE MANAGEMENT: FOUNDRY BASING

The Foundry Companys armies are based in two ranks on 40 mm square stands. We gain great tactile enjoyment from the chunky feel of a square stand with three or four models on it (two for cavalry) and think they look great on the tabletop, as do many gamers who have seen Foundry armies. The basics of the basing system are as follows:

We base individual infantry figures on 20 mm bases, with cavalry on 20 mm x 40 mm (or deeper, as needed) bases. Once you have a fair number of figures on single figure bases, move up to the larger 40 mm multi-figure bases.

Trained close order infantry: Based 4 to a stand, neatly ordered.

Irregular close order infantry: Mostly based 4 to a stand, with some 3s mixed in, and some 5s if theres room. We position them a little unevenly. (In the Seven Years Wars this would include provincial militia.)

Trained loose order infantry: Based 4 to a stand unevenly ordered. (In the Seven Years Wars this could include jaegers and other regular skirmishers.)

Irregular loose order infantry: Based as a mixture of 2, 3, and 4 to a stand, quite unevenly ordered. (In the Seven Years Wars this would be Free Corps, Croats, etc.)

Close order & trained loose order cavalry: Based 2 to a stand. (Most Seven Years cavalry)

Irregular loose order cavalry: Based as a mixture of 1 and 2 to a stand. (Cossacks and other banditi.)

Foundry Basing with Volley and Bayonet If you initially build up your army on 20 mm stands, then once you have enough stands to fight a small battle, treat each figure as a stand and just quarter the movement and firing ranges in the book. This will give you a quick feel of the rules, although youll have to fudge the artillery rules a bit (as the guns will be far too wide). You can also then begin building your army of standard 40 mm square bases. Hang onto the 20 mm stands, as you can easily combine them into 4-figure massed bases or 2-figure linear bases. When you have a good supply of 40 mm bases, you can play the rules using half scale measurements.

From that point on, and assuming you stay with Foundry basing, you will need to make sabots, as described above. Massed base sabots should be 80 mm x 80 mm, linear base sabots should be 80 mm wide and 40 mm deep, and artillery sabots should be 40 mm wide and 80 mm deep. Massed bases are made up with four 40 mm bases (or an equivalent number of 20 mm stands) and linear bases are made up with two 40 mm bases. Individual 40 mm bases are used as detached skirmishers as well as command stands. Use the movement distances and ranges as written in the game.

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VISIBILITY

A stand is only visible to another stand if an unblocked line of sight can be traced between the two stands. A line of sight is a straight line between the two stands, traced from any point on the stands as chosen by the player determining visibility. It is blocked if it passes through an obstacle. Obstacles include woods, towns, and hills. In addition, depending on the scenario, stone walls, embankments and other terrain may act as obstacles to line of sight (at the discretion of the referee or by previous agreement among the players).

Stands which are not visible to an opponent may not be attacked. The referee may decide to hold non-visible stands off the table at the start of a game and not place them on until enemy troops can actually see them.

Towns and Villages Stands in a town are visible from stands outside the area and can see outside the town, but line of

Woods There are two types of woods in the game: orchards and forests. They have different movement and combat effects, but their visibility effects are nearly the same. Whenever the term Woods is used below, it applies equally to orchards and forests.

Stands outside woods may not trace line of sight through woods.

Stands in woods are visible from units outside the woods and can see outside the woods only if they are on the edge of it. Otherwise they are invisible to units outside the woods and may not see out themselves.

A line of sight between stands in the same orchards is not blocked if the stands are within 3 inches of each other. A line of sight between stands in the same forest is not blocked if the stands are within 1 inch of each other .

Standing Crops A unit cannot see through standing crops unless it is on a higher elevation than the crops. If the unit is on a higher elevation than the crops, the crops are no longer a block to visibility. Whenever an artillery unit, cavalry unit, or formed infantry unit passes through a field containing standing crops, they are knocked down and have no further effect on visibility.

Broken Ground Broken ground usually has no effect on visibility, but may at the umpires discretion. Some nineteenth century vineyards relied on stands of trees with vines growing from and between them, which would certainly block line of sight, as would taller hedgerows. Lower terraced vineyards, low hedges, and simple uneven ground, on the other hand, would usually not do so.

Hills Each hill is assumed to have a crest line, which runs down the center of the hill perpendicular to the line of sight of a unit.

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The elevation of the target, the observer, and any intervening obstacles determines whether the line of sight is obstructed. Woods and buildings are each one elevation high. Hills are one elevation per contour. If the target and observer are on the same level, an obstacle which rises higher than that level blocks line of sight. If the observer and target are on different levels, the following applies.

If the height of the obstacle is lower than or equals the height of both stands, the line of sight is unblocked.

If the obstacle is higher than one of the stands, then the following applies: The minimum requirement for passage of line of sight over an obstacle is that the stand on the higher elevation must be at least one level higher than the obstacle, and that the obstacle be closer to the higher stand than to the lower stand.

If the higher stand is at least two levels higher than the obstacle, the obstacle can be at any point along the line of sight, as long as it is not within two inches of the lower stand.

For purposes of determining an obstacle, hills have a cumulative effect in that they are added to any other obstacle found on top of them. Thus, if woods are found on top of a hill one contour high, the obstacle would be treated as if it were two levels high.

Finally, crests of hills block line of sight when looking to or from a lower elevation, but not to the same or higher elevation.

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COMMAND

Command determination takes place at the beginning of a player's turn. All command stands and all units entering the table for the first time are automatically in command. All other units which are within six inches (6") of a command stand to which they are subordinated are in command.

In addition, any unit of a division is in command if it is touching another unit of the division which is itself in command. In this case, which is called command by contact, the unit in command by contact must also end its turn in command by contact to the same commander.

Example In the following diagram, the two stands of cavalry on the flanks are out of command control. All other stands are in command. All stands are within the six-inch command radius of the commander except for the infantry stand on the far left. As this stand is touching another stand which is in command control, however, it also is in command.

Subordination A stand is subordinate to its own division commander, its own corps commander, and its army commander. It is not subordinate to a different division or corps commander.

Any troops listed in a scenario as army troops may be commanded by the army commander or any corps commander in the army.

Any troops listed in a scenario as corps troops may be commanded by the army commander, the commander of the corps in which the troops are listed, and any division commander of that corps.

Placement of Command Stands Although command stands are usually marked with the identity of the actual unit commander, command stands represent the units center of gravity for command control purposes rather than the actual physical presence of a particular officer.

Command stands should be placed wherever is convenient for the player, provided the new location is within the movement allowance of the command stand. If the presence of a command stand would block the movement of either friendly or hostile troops, the owning player may displace the command stand the minimum amount necessary to allow the movement to proceed unhindered.

If a division commander is present with or near (within 3 inches of) one unit of a division when it is destroyed, he may be moved immediately to the location of any surviving element of the division, the same holding true for corps commanders. This movement is not limited by the movement allowance of the commander.

If a division commander is present with or near (within 3 inches of) one unit of a division when it is routed or forced to retreat from melee, he may move back with the stand or remain in place, at the owning players option.

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EFFECTS OF COMMAND CONTROL

Only units in command may move toward visible enemy units or become stationary.

Units out of command may not move closer to visible enemy units.

Units out of command may only move half their movement allowance, may not recover from disorder, may never become stationary for purposes of morale or combat, and if they move at all are disordered at the end of their movement. (Units out of command which do not move, however, are not disordered). Units once stationary do not lose their stationary status due to a loss of command. Troops out of command may make a free facing change (if normally allowed to do so) and it does not count as movement.

Artillery out of command may neither limber nor unlimber during the movement phase of the turn.

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MOVEMENT

In the movement phase any and/or all units of the attacking player may move.

GENERAL PROCEDURE

Each unit may move up to its full movement allowance, unless limited by terrain or the effects of command (described above).

Movement Allowances Movement rates are as follows:

Type

Movement

Formed Infantry 12 inches Skirmish Infantry 16 inches Heavy Cavalry (& all Cavalry with Battalion Guns) 20 inches Medium and Light Cavalry 24 inches Siege Artillery 12 inches Other Foot Artillery 16 inches Horse Artillery 24 inches Commanders 24 inches

Movement and Facing Facing has an important effect on movement, and it was difficult for large bodies of formed troops to perform complex maneuvers on the battlefield. A unit must maintain its facing while moving and move in the direction it is faced. It may move obliquely at up to a 45 degree angle from directly ahead, so long as its facing is maintained.

Formed Troops: Formed troops refers to non-skirmish infantry and cavalry. A formed infantry or cavalry stand may make one free facing change at any time during its movement, changing its facing to any direction desired. An additional facing change costs either half of its total movement allowance for the turn (slow infantry pays 6 inches, other infantry pays 8 inches, heavy cavalry 10, other cavalry 12, etc.) or a disorder result, at the players option.

Note that stands with no movement left may change facing by becoming disordered. However, only non-disordered stands may change facing by accepting a disorder result; already disordered stands may not.

Poorly Trained Troops and Militia: In some scenarios some troops will either be classified as Poorly Trained (PT) or Militia (Mil). Although militia has an additional effect on morale, the effects on movement of both of these troop classifications are identical. Poorly trained formed troops and militia do not receive a free facing change during movement. All facing changes cost either half of the unit's movement or a disorder result. Again, only non-disordered stands may change facing by accepting a disorder result; already disordered stands may not. (Note that since militia are always disordered - as explained later in the Morale and Disorder rule - they may never change facing except by paying half of their movement.)

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Unlimbered Artillery: Unlimbered artillery is not allowed a free facing change, but may pivot in place. See artillery movement and facing below.

Other Stands: Skirmishers, commanders, and limbered artillery may make as many facing changes as desired during movement, all at no cost. Note, however, that poorly trained skirmishers and militia skirmishers do not receive any free facing changes during movement.

Movement of Artillery In general, artillery may only move while limbered, but may only fire while unlimbered. (But see Manhandling Guns below.) Limbering and unlimbering each count as a facing change, and while limbered artillery does not pay any penalty for facing changes while actually moving, it does pay the facing change costs for limbering and unlimbering.

Normally this would allow an artillery unit to limber (its free facing change), move half, and then unlimber (paying a half move to do so), or alternatively limber for free, move its full movement allowance, and unlimber by becoming disordered. However, foot artillery may never limber and unlimber in the same turn, even if it has sufficient movement to do so. Horse artillery may limber and unlimber in the same turn (by paying whatever movement cost is required).

Note that artillery which does not move but which uses a free facing change to unlimber becomes stationary, as it has not expended any movement.

Unlike infantry and cavalry, unlimbered artillery may not pivot in place as a free facing change. Unlimbered artillery may change facing but doing so counts as movement and so loses (or prevents) stationary status.

Manhandling Guns: A gun may be manhandled (or moved by prolong) 2 inches without limbering. This consumes its entire movement. Guns may not be manhandled through any terrain which requires a movement cost penalty, such as into broken ground, up a hill, or across a stream.

Movement Through Friendly Units All units may move freely through friendly units during movement without adverse effect. Formed units which move through other friendly formed units during a retreat or a rout (see the Morale rule later) may disorder the unit moved through. See the Morale and Disorder rule, for a detailed explanation.

Stationary An infantry or artillery unit which is not disordered or routed, is in command, and does not move during a turn may be declared stationary at the end of movement. Stationary status is marked by placing a "stationary" marker (usually a length of green pipe cleaner) behind the unit. The effects of being stationary are covered in the combat rules below.

Once a stationary unit moves, remove the stationary status marker.

Note that a free facing change does not cost any movement and so may be made by a stationary unit without removing its stationary status marker. Likewise a unit which makes no other movement in a turn may make a free facing change and become stationary.

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Recovery and Disorder Any disordered unit (see the Morale and Disorder rule) which begins the turn in command may reform (recover from disorder), but expends half of its movement allowance doing so. Disordered units may reform at either the beginning of movement or at the end of movement, but may not make a partial move, reform, and then complete their move.

DETACHING SKIRMISHERS Many stands may detach a single strength point of skirmishers, as detailed either by the army notes or the scenario notes. This happens at the very beginning of movement, does not cost any movement, and the skirmisher may later be reabsorbed at no movement cost. Stands may not detach a skirmisher if this would reduce them to less than 2 strength points.

Some stands may break down entirely into skirmishers. This includes all light cavalry and specially trained light infantry of some armies. Each strength point in the stand produces one skirmisher. The original stand is removed from the table and replaced by the appropriate number of skirmisher stands at the beginning of the movement phase and at no movement cost.

In the case of light cavalry stands, replace the massed stand with the appropriate number of linear cavalry stands on skirmish bases (sabots). Linear cavalry is usually one strength point per stand to begin with. In this case the linear cavalry stand is placed on a larger skirmish base (sabot) to show that it is skirmishing or left on its regular base to show that it is formed.

Linear cavalry pays half of its movement to reform and may only do so at the end of its movement.

Two or more skirmish stands from a larger stand broken into skirmishers may recombine by moving together and then paying half of their movement allowance. The skirmish stands must be from the same original unit. Cavalry stands broken into skirmishers may be reformed by any one or more surviving skirmish stand of the unit by paying half of its movement. The skirmish stands are removed and replaced with a formed stand at the end of the movement phase. Skirmishers may not move into contact with the enemy the turn they reform.

TERRAIN AND MOVEMENT Terrain affects movement as detailed in the various terrain rules. In general, terrain types will either disorder the unit when it moves through the terrain, cause a penalty of half a units movement to cross a barrier, cause the unit to pay double cost while moving through a specific type of terrain, or some combination of the above. All of these terrain penalties are cumulative.

By way of example, forest causes infantry to pay double for movement while a stream costs half of a units total movement allowance to cross. The infantry stand below wishes to move forward through the forest and across the stream. It moves one inch in clear terrain and then three more inches in forest. The three inches in forest count double, and so at the edge of the forest the stand has expended seven of its total of sixteen inches of movement. Crossing the stream costs half of the stands total movement allowance, or eight more inches, which leaves the stand with only one inch of movement on the far side of the stream. Even though part of the stand is still in the stream, the stand has paid the penalty for crossing and so in the next move would continue moving without further penalty.

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CHARGE MOVEMENT

CHARGES

Stands which move into contact with enemy stands (called charging) may not move obliquely during their movement, may only make one facing change, and must make that facing change only at the very start of their movement. A stand in march column (p. 18) must leave march column before making any other movement if it is to move to contact.

Example: Allowed and prohibited charge moves are illustrated in the diagram below.

CHARGE RESTRICTIONS

Some stands are prohibited from moving into contact with enemy stands under some circumstances. In general, a stand which is prohibited from moving into contact with an enemy stand may not move closer than 1 inch to such a stand. Infantry skirmishers, for example, may not move closer than 1 inch to any enemy stand.

No stand may move into contact with an enemy stand which it could not see at the start of its movement. (However see Pursuit in Woods below) Stands which discover previously hidden enemy stands during movement by moving into or over their position must stop one inch away from them or at the point of visibility, whichever is closer, and halt movement at that point. See the visibility and terrain rules above.

No stand may move into contact with an enemy stand occupying terrain which the moving stand cannot enter. Cavalry, for example, may not move into contact with infantry occupying a town.

Some unit types are prohibited from moving into contact with specific types of enemy stands, as detailed below.

Artillery: Artillery stands may never move into contact with any enemy troops.

Formed Infantry: Formed infantry may not move into contact with formed cavalry stands (but may move into contact with cavalry skirmishers).

Infantry Skirmishers: Infantry skirmishers may never move into contact with any enemy troops.

Formed Cavalry: Formed cavalry may move into contact with all enemy stands.

Cavalry Skirmishers: Cavalry skirmishers may move into contact with enemy skirmishers, routed troops, and troops in march column, and may contact artillery in the flank or rear, but may not move into contact with any other types of troops.

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CAVALRY CHARGING SKIRMISHERS

Whenever skirmishers are charged by formed cavalry, the cavalry passes completely through their position and continues on to contact another enemy unit or to the limit of its movement.

Cavalry skirmishers withdraw 6 inches ahead of the attacking cavalry until it (the attacking cavalry) contacts a formed enemy unit and stops (at which point the cavalry skirmishers will be behind the intervening friendly unit) or until the attacking cavalry exhausts its movement, in which case both stands stop with the skirmishers 6 inches ahead of the charging cavalry. If the retreating cavalry skirmisher would have to contact an enemy unit or blocking terrain it stops movement and is contacted by the charging enemy cavalry.

Infantry skirmishers attacked by formed cavalry are moved to the closest cover (town, village, forest, or friendly formed unit), provided the distance to the cover is equal to or less than half the distance from the skirmisher to the attacking cavalry at the start of its move. If the distance is greater than that, the skirmisher is instead eliminated.

PURSUIT IN WOODS

If two opposing stands are in the same woods (orchard or forest), can see each other, and one of them moves out of visibility, the opposing stand may pursue to maintain contact.

When a stand in the woods withdraws from visibility the opposing player may immediately declare a pursuit. He does so by placing a pursuit marker at the point where the opposing stand left visibility. (Use a single charging figure individually mounted or some other easily identifiable marker.)

In the pursuing players next movement phase the pursuing stand (the stand which could see the enemy stand in the preceding player turn) may make a single facing change and charge directly through the follow-up marker. This charge continues either until the charging stand contacts the pursued stand, the charging stand exhausts its movement, or the charging stand encounters another enemy stand.

The charging stand may contact an enemy stand other than the pursued stand only if it could see that stand at the start of its movement. If it encounters an enemy stand which it could not see at the start of its movement then it must stop at either 1 inch or the closest point of visibility, whichever is closer.

Pursuit is never mandatory; even if a player declared pursuit during his opponents turn he is not required to actually conduct the charge when it is his turn to move. If he elects not to do so, he simply removes the pursuit marker and is free to move the stand normally.

FUGITIVES

If a charging unit contacts an enemy routed stand during the movement phase the routed stand immediately routs again (and loses another casualty) and the charging stand may then continue its charge movement and contact another enemy stand (provided it is in its movement path and meets the other requirements listed above).

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MARCH COLUMN

Units in march column move considerably faster, but at a penalty in combat.

MOVEMENT

Units in march column move at twice their normal speed across open country and three times their normal speed on roads. (Each inch of movement expended allows the unit to move two inches cross-country or three inches along a road.)

A unit which begins its move on a road and in march column may then turn as many times as it wishes so long as it is on a road and facing down it. This unlimited ability to change direction while moving along the road does not use up the stands free facing change. Note that units using march column to move cross country must pay for facing changes normally.

Units in march column may not move obliquely.

FORMING AND REFORMING FROM MARCH COLUMN

It costs half of a unit's movement allowance to form march column and half of its movement allowance to reform from march column into field formation. Troops which reform from march column to field formation may face in any direction. Poorly trained troops which reform from march column are faced in the direction of the march column.

COLUMN LENGTH

Units in march column are considerably longer than their base depth. This is shown by placing 3 long (and any desired width) march column markers behind the unit. These can be simple squares of wood or tile, but if cotton is glued to the base and it is spray painted brown it gives a good impression of road dust.

The number of road column markers added to each unit is shown below.

Units

Markers

Skirmish Infantry 1 Linear Infantry and Cavalry, Skirmish Cavalry 2 Massed Cavalry 3 Artillery Battalions 3 Artillery Batteries * 1 * An artillery battery is an artillery unit which begins the game with a single strength point.

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COMBAT

Units in march column may not conduct ranged fire and may not move into contact with the enemy. Artillery units in march column which are meleed are automatically eliminated (at the beginning of the combat phase). Infantry and cavalry stands in march column may conduct defensive combat if meleed, but only with 1 die per stand (and with each march column marker counting as a stand). However, a stand and its march column markers may never defend with more dice than the stand itself has.

For example, a linear infantry stand normally has 2 melee dice. The stand itself and each of the two march column markers may defend with a single die, but the total of melee dice rolled may never exceed two, even if all three stands are attacked.

Any unit in march column which loses a melee and is forced back is no longer in march column.

TABLE ENTRY

Most units which enter the game during play are assumed to enter in march column. The scenario notes will specify whether a unit enters in field formation or march column.

If several units enter the table on the same turn in march column and along the same road, the owning player must specify their order of march. The first unit enters with its full movement allowance available. The second unit enters having spent road movement equal to the length of the first units road column. The third unit enters having spent road movement equal to the length of the first two units road columns, etc.

For example, three massed infantry stands enter along the same road. Each massed stand has a column length of 12 inches (the stand itself and three additional road column markers). The first stand enters with all 16 inches of movement remaining. The second stand enters having spent 12 inches of road movement (the length of the first stands column), which would cost 4 inches of its movement allowance, and so it has 12 inches of movement remaining. The third stand enters having spent 24 inches of road movement (the length of the first two stands columns), which costs 8 inches of its movement allowance, and so it has 8 inches of movement remaining.

Although these numbers may sound confusing, it is easy to understand if you simply visualize the units stacked up in road column off of the board and beginning their movement from those positions.

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MORALE AND DISORDER

Morale is the most important measure of a units combat effectiveness, and influences almost all aspects of the game.

MORALE TESTS

Morale tests take place in the morale phase of the player turn. All units of both sides within an enemy stands close range or in contact with an enemy stand (except for command stands) must test morale. Only units in the arc of fire of an enemy unit are considered to be in close range for morale purposes. Stands in contact must always check morale, even if hitting an enemy stand from the flank or rear and thus not in its firing arc.

Testing Morale All morale tests occur, for game purposes, simultaneously. Morale tests are made by rolling a D6 for each unit and comparing the result to the unit's modified morale. If the result is equal to or less than the unit's modified morale, it passes the test; otherwise it fails.

Morale Modifiers Morale is modified by the status and location of the unit testing morale, as summarized below.

Status Modifier Defending high ground[1] +1 Defending building or works +1 Meleeing enemy unit in flank +1 Army commander attached to unit +1 Meleeing skirmishers +1 Disordered 1 Any unit meleeing unlimbered artillery from front[2] 1 Any artillery meleed by cavalry[3] 1 Infantry meleed by cavalry[4] 1 Cavalry versus heavier cavalry 1 Formed Infantry or March Column meleed from flank[5, 6] 2 Any other unit attacked from flank[5] 1

NOTES 1. Cavalry units do not receive this bonus. Infantry and artillery stationary on a hill receive a +1 morale bonus if meleed by units which began their move on lower ground. If the morale test is triggered only by close-range fire they receive a +1 morale bonus if stationary and the firing unit is on lower ground.

2. This penalty is paid only when meleeing artillery stands, not when meleeing infantry or cavalry stands which contain battalion guns.

3. This penalty is not paid by artillery which is both stationary and supported.

4. This penalty is not paid by infantry with secured flanks. For formed infantry, a stand has secured flanks if there is a friendly infantry or cavalry stand in physical contact with the flank, the flank abuts terrain impassable to cavalry, or the flank is protected according to the Facing

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and Combat Rule. Any stand attacked from the rear is treated as not having secured flanks, even if both flanks are secured as defined above.

5. Attacked from flank includes both melee and close range fire. In order for a unit to suffer the morale modifier for close range fire to flank, the unit must also be in the firing arc of the enemy unit.

6. A formed infantry stand or any stand in march column meleed from flank suffers the 2 morale modifier in place of, not in addition to, the normal 1 modifier for being attacked from flank.

Army Commanders An army commander (except monarchs) may be attached to any one unit of the army for purposes of giving the unit a +1 morale bonus. If the unit suffers any casualties, though, roll a die at the end of the combat phase. On a die roll of 6 the army commander has become a casualty. Remove the army command stand from play for the rest of the game.

Effects of Failure An undisordered unit which fails its morale test remains in contact and may still participate in combat, but is disordered. Mark a disordered unit by placing a yellow temporary disorder marker on it. For additional effects of disorder, see below. An already disordered unit which fails its morale test routs. Place a red permanent disorder marker on it in addition to its yellow temporary disorder marker.

Results of morale tests are all applied at the end of the morale phase. First place all disorder and rout markers on units, then move all routing units in the order desired by the owning player. Note that movement of the routing units may trigger additional routs.

DISORDER AND ROUT

Disorder is one of the central concepts of Volley & Bayonet. Disorder represents the loss of cohesion a unit suffers as a result of difficult terrain, faltering morale, or defeat in combat.

Becoming Disordered Stands may become disordered as a result of movement, morale, or combat.

A stand which moves through disordering terrain immediately becomes disordered. See the terrain rules for a complete explanation of which terrain types disorder which troops. If a stand contacts an enemy that is in towns or behind forts, the attacker is only disordered once it enters that terrain after combat. It is not disordered while conducting combat.

A stand which fails a morale test suffers a disorder result. In addition, a unit which routs or is forced to retreat through a friendly stand disorders that stand. (See below.)

A stand which loses a melee combat retreats and is disordered. In addition, a unit which retreats from a lost melee and is forced to retreat through a friendly unit may disorder that unit. See the Retreat rule later.

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Types Of Disorder There are two types of disorder - temporary and permanent. Temporary disorder is marked with a yellow disorder marker while permanent disorder is marked with a red marker. In general any un-disordered unit which suffers a disorder result receives a temporary (yellow) disorder marker. If a unit which already has a temporary (yellow) disorder marker suffers an additional disorder result it receives a permanent (red) disorder marker (and is routed, see below).

The simplest disorder markers are red and yellow pipe cleaners. More esthetically pleasing markers are individual casualty stands with the stand edges painted red or yellow.

Effects of Disorder All disordered units suffer a -1 modifier to their morale. All units receive a saving throw on all casualties caused by a disordered unit.

In addition, any unit which is disordered and which receives an additional disorder result due to morale or combat immediately routs.

A disordered unit which receives an additional disorder result due to voluntary movement through disordering terrain does not rout and suffers no additional adverse effects. However, it may not recover from disorder at the end of its movement that turn. (Note that a mandated retreat or rout through such terrain does have adverse effects described below.) If the terrain would not have caused an additional disorder the unit may recover at the end of the turn.

For example, an infantry stand which begins the turn disordered in a town and which moves out into the open may not recover from disorder since the act of leaving the town causes an additional disorder result.

Rout Any disorder result due to a failed morale test or a lost melee suffered by a unit which was already disordered causes the unit to rout. Routed artillery, linear cavalry, and skirmish units are immediately eliminated. All other routed units immediately take one casualty, and move one full move to the rear. If this additional casualty would eliminate the unit it is still moved to the rear and is removed from play after completing its movement.

Units in march column which rout are no longer in march column, and move to the rear at their normal movement rate, measuring from the former head of the column. Routed units are marked by placing a red disorder marker on the unit in addition to the yellow disorder marker.

Effects of Rout Routed units remain routed until rallied. Routed units may not fire or move. If contacted by an enemy stand while routed, they automatically rout again (suffering another casualty and moving an additional move to the rear).

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RECOVERY FROM DISORDER AND ROUT Only temporary (yellow) disorder markers may be removed. Red disorder markers remain in place for the balance of the game.

Disorder Unrouted units (those with only a yellow disorder marker) which begin the turn in command may recover from disorder during the movement phase. They do so by expending half of their movement allowance. They may recover from disorder at the beginning of their movement or at the end, but may not (for example) move a quarter of their movement allowance, recover from disorder, and then move the remaining quarter of their movement allowance. Note that since recovery from disorder requires the expenditure of movement, no stand may recover from disorder and go stationary in the same turn.

Rout A routed unit may be rallied during the rally phase by its corps or army commander if he is in contact with the stand. Rallied units may not move or participate in combat the player turn they are rallied. (They may make a single facing change.)

Once a unit recovers from rout, it is permanently disordered. To mark permanent disorder, remove the yellow disorder marker but leave the red disorder marker. If the unit routs again later, mark it by putting a yellow marker on the unit.

In other words, units with one disorder marker (red or yellow) are disordered, while units with one marker of each color are routed. Units may remove yellow disorder markers but not red ones.

Monarchs In some cases the army commander is also a monarch, and in these cases two special rules apply.

First, the Monarch does not have to be in contact with a stand to rally a unit. Instead, all friendly units within 6 inches of the monarch rally during the rally phase.

Second, the Monarch cannot be attached to a unit to give it a morale bonus. (Soldiers become nervous when the monarch is too close to the fighting, and sometimes will forcefully escort the monarch to the rear.)

The most obvious monarch in the period covered is Frederick II.

RETREATS A unit which loses a melee must retire, retreating half of its movement away from the unit or units it was in contact with (see the Combat rule). It ends the retreat facing the enemy from which it retreated. A unit which routs must first turn around to face away from the enemy and then retreat its full movement allowance away from the unit or units which caused it to rout. In both cases, this retreat movement may disorder friendly units.

Retreat Path A retreating stand must move directly away from the stand or stands which meleed it or caused it to test morale. If several enemy stands were involved the retreating stand must move directly away from the middle of the mass of the enemy stands. A stand may only vary its movement to

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avoid contact with enemy stands; it may not vary it to avoid contact with difficult terrain or friendly stands.

A retreating stand varies its movement by the minimum amount necessary to avoid contact with enemy stands. A retreating stand may move directly across the ground occupied by enemy infantry skirmishers by simply moving the skirmisher to one side or the other (as determined by the player owning the skirmisher). A stand may make any detours necessary to avoid enemy formed stands and cavalry skirmishers so long as there is at least a 4 inch gap between the enemy stands. If there is less gap than this, the retreating stand is eliminated.

Blocking Terrain Stands which are forced to rout or retreat through disordering terrain lose one additional strength point. However stands may pass across bridges, out of towns, and up or down slopes without penalty. Movement across a stream or ford does not cause a casualty; movement across a marshy-banked stream does.

Stands never pay higher movement costs when retreating through difficult terrain; they retreat the entire distance of their normal movement allowance.

Stands may not retreat across or through impassable terrain (such as an unfordable river). If there is no other alternative to so doing the stand loses an additional strength point and stops upon first contact with the impassable terrain.

Disordering Other Stands Stands which retreat back through a formed friendly unit disorder the stand only if some part of the retreating unit's base passes through two opposite sides of the other unit's base and if the first point of contact between the stands is within the first half of the retreating unit's required retreat distance.

A routing or disordered stand passing through a non-disordered stand will pass completely through it and leave it disordered. A disordered stand retreating back through an already disordered stand will carry the other stand back to the rear with it but will not rout it. A routing stand passing back through an already disordered stand will rout it.

Troops either routed by a routing stand or carried back in disorder by a retiring stand move back with the routing or retiring stand ahead of it and in a body. Stands farther to the rear through which the retreating or routing stands pass are considered to be passed through by a single stand, not multiple stands.

Retreating Skirmishers Skirmishers forced to retreat through other friendly units, either friendly skirmishers or formed troops, do not disorder them.

Blocking Cavalry Retiring and routing infantry will retreat through and disorder friendly formed cavalry if the cavalry is encountered in the first half of the infantrys retreat. Retiring and routing infantry in the second half of its retreat stop as soon as they come in contact with friendly formed cavalry and move no further to the rear, unless the friendly cavalry is in march column. If the friendly cavalry is in march column, the retreating or routing infantry will pass through the cavalry and continue moving to the rear.

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Advance If a defending stand routs due to a failed morale test, any attacking stands contacting the routed stand may advance into the vacated ground and/or make a facing change. (Only one stand may advance and hold the ground but all that were in contact with the routing stand may make facing changes.)

MILITIA Some stands are noted as being militia. All militia begins the game with a red permanent disorder marker (and retains it throughout the game). This means that targets fired at by militia always receive a saving throw for being fired at by disordered troops, and that any failed morale test results in the militia stand routing. It also means that militia, since it is permanently disordered, may never go stationary, and that it always receives the -1 morale penalty for disorder.

Militia are also treated as poorly trained (PT), as explained on page 12 Poorly Trained Troops and Militia, and are always treated as having No Elites (NE) for purposes of melee tie resolution, as explained on page 30 Winning Melees.

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COMBAT

There are two types of combat, ranged fire and melees. Melees consist of combat between two or more hostile stands in physical contact, while ranged fire consists of combat between hostile stands not in contact. All units (except command stands) may participate in melees, while only infantry and artillery may normally conduct ranged fire. A few cavalry stands have ranged fire capability as well: those with regimental artillery, termed battalion guns under the rules.

COMBAT PROCEDURE

Both types of combat are conducted in similar manners, with the exceptions noted later. In general, the attacker decides which stands of the defender will be attacked during a turn and in which order the attacks will be made.

Order Of Attacks The attacker begins the combat phase by declaring which specific defending stands will be attacked. He then announces the first enemy stand to be attacked, indicates all of his own units which will attack it, and then resolves the combat. When all combat rolls (both melee and ranged fire and the defensive fire from all attacking and defending stands), retreats, and advances from that combat are done, he chooses another enemy stand to attack (from those designated at the start of the phase), announces all of his own units which will attack it, and resolves the combat. This continues until all designated defending stands have been attacked.

Each stand (of both the attacker and defender) attacks or fires defensively by rolling one or more 6-sided dice. Each die roll which is the correct hit number causes a casualty on the target unit.

Multiple Defenders Usually a battle consists of one or more attackers firing and/or meleeing a single defending stand. Occasionally it will consist of one attacker firing at or meleeing several defenders. For example, a stand moves forward and contacts two enemy stands. In this case both defenders must be attacked as a single melee battle, both may melee defensively, and the attacker must split his melee dice as evenly as possible between the two defending stands.

Defensive Fire All stands of the defender are allowed to fire at any enemy unit which attacked them, provided it is within range and firing arc. A defending non-artillery unit may fire defensively against a melee attacking unit from any direction. A defending artillery unit may only fire defensively in melee against an attacking unit which is meleeing its front.

In addition, defending units not attacked may fire defensively at any enemy units which are within their firing arc and which are in close range (but not long range) of the firing defending unit. If this fire is directed at attackers which are participating in a melee it is resolved as part of that battle. Otherwise this fire is conducted after all battles initiated by the attacking player have been resolved.

Note that the term defensive fire includes defensive melee combat as well as ranged fire. The term melees defensively is sometimes used for clarity, but in general all references to firing defensively should be understood to include defensive melee combat as well.

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Regardless of the result of the attack, the defending unit is allowed to conduct its defensive fire (unless unable to due to range or firing arc limitations).

Each defending stand may only fire once in the player turn. Stands which are in melee contact may only use their melee dice for defensive fire and the dice must be directed at the enemy stands in contact (either all at one stand or divided among several).

Number of Dice Rolled The number of dice rolled by a stand in attack and counterattack is determined by the stand type, whether or not it is stationary, and whether it is engaged in ranged fire or melee combat. These are summarized in the table below.

Normal

Stationary

Unit Fire Melee Fire Melee Infantry Skirmisher 1 1 NA NA Linear Infantry (early firelock drill) 2 2 3 3 Linear Infantry 2 2 4 4 Skirmish Cavalry NA 2 NA NA Linear Cavalry NA 2 NA NA Massed Cavalry NA 4 NA NA Artillery Battalion 1 1 2 2 Artillery Battery 1* 1* 1 1

* Target receives saving throw.

Early Firelock Drill refers to certain armies armed with primitive weapons or very poorly trained. See the army lists.

Allocation of Combat Dice to Targets Units involved in a melee may only allocate their combat dice to the units they are meleeing or which are meleeing them. If a stand is being meleed by two or more stands it must divide its dice as evenly as possible between them.

When conducting ranged fire, artillery may direct its fire at any units within range, and artillery may divide its dice between two targets. Defending artillery fired on by enemy artillery or infantry may return fire at the stand or stands which fired on it, or it may fire at any other enemy stand or stands within close range, or divide its fire between any of the above.

Infantry and cavalry with battalion guns must always fire at the closest enemy unit in its arc of fire. If two enemy units are equally close, the infantry unit must divide its dice between them equally.

HIT NUMBERS Each die roll which rolls the correct hit number produces a hit.

Infantry Hit Numbers: Infantry stands (including dismounted cavalry) hit on a 6 in most cases. An infantry stand specifically identified by the rules or a scenario as Shock Infantry hits on 5 or 6 when conducting melee attacks. When conducting any fire combat and when defending against melee attacks its hit number is 6.

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Skirmishers specifically designated as sharpshooters hit on a 5 or 6 in ranged fire, but a 6 in melee.(Sharpshooters must be in skirmish order and must have a full base width between stands to receive the sharpshooter advantage.)

Cavalry Hit Numbers: Mounted cavalry units hit on a 6 in most cases. If a formed cavalry stand (not a skirmisher) is not disordered and its opponent is disordered, add 1 to the cavalry hit dice (i.e. each die hits on a 5 or 6). This is called cavalry shock. If the cavalry stand is splitting its dice between two opponents, only one of which is disordered, the addition is made only on the hit dice directed at the disordered opponent.

Artillery Hit Numbers: Artillery hits on a 6 at long range and on a 4, 5, or 6 at close range, including melee contact.

March Column Units in march column may not conduct ranged fire, either offensively or defensively. Artillery in march column which is meleed is automatically eliminated.

Infantry and cavalry stands in march column may melee and be meleed, but when involved in a melee each of the bases representing the unit (the unit base itself and the march column bases behind it) attacks or melees defensively with only 1 die. Only the lead base in the unit may melee (since only it has a front face capable of contacting the enemy). The other three bases may only melee defensively if they are meleed. All bases are still considered a single unit for all other purposes.

CASUALTIES

Each side has a roster sheet, and for larger actions will probably have one roster sheet per corps or large division. As a stand takes casualties they are recorded by marking off boxes on the roster sheet. A blank roster sheet is provided which may be photocopied for use by the owner of this rules book for use in Volley and Bayonet games. Fill in the unit name, blacken out unneeded exhaustion and casualty boxes, and fill in any needed unit information (such as morale, weight, etc.)

Whenever a unit loses its final strength point it is eliminated. If it loses its final strength point due to fire combat only (that is, while not involved in melee) it is simply removed from play. If it loses its final strength point while involved in melee (even if the loss is inflicted by ranged fire), it is retreated first as if it had lost the melee and then removed. If it loses its final strength point while involved in melee (even if the loss is inflicted by ranged fire) and it is already disordered, it is routed first (as if it had lost the melee) and then removed.

An infantry or cavalry strength point in Volley and Bayonet represents 500 men present in the ranks, but a roster casualty suffered in battle represents only about 250 actual casualties. Thus a six strength point unit (3,000 men) which suffered five casualties would be reduced to 1,750 men still in the ranks, not 500. The assumption of the game system is that once a unit is reduced to half strength it becomes combat ineffective for the rest of that day due to shock, fatigue, and disorder.

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RANGED FIRE COMBAT

Units may conduct ranged fire, provided the target of the fire is within visibility, within range, within the firing unit's arc of fire, and there is an unblocked fire lane to the target. Units have the following ranges. Note that infantry and battalion guns only have a long range, not a close range.

Unit

Close Long

Infantry 2" Battalion Guns (part of infantry stand) 4 Very Light Guns (1-2 pdrs) 3 6" Light Guns (3-4 pdrs) 4" 8" Field Guns (6-9 pdrs) 4" 10" Heavy & Siege Guns (12 pdrs +) 4" 12"

In general, enemy units which are visible to firing units (see the Visibility rule on p. 8) may be fired at. Some units which are visible, however, may not be in a units line of fire. Line of fire is blocked by any friendly units and by any formed enemy units. Enemy commanders and enemy skirmishers do not block line of fire.

Fire requires that a fire lane is open which is sufficiently wide to allow fire. A fire lane is sufficiently wide if it is equal to the base frontage of the firing unit. In other words, a 1.5-inch fire lane allows artillery and skirmishers to fire while a 3-inch fire lane allows all other units to fire.

If a potential fire lane is blocked by standing crops (only), a unit may still fire provided only half or less of the fire lane is so blocked.

A single firing lane can be used by multiple units to fire on the same target. (See illustration)

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MELEE COMBAT

A melee takes place when two or more opposing stands are in contact.

Melee and Ranged Fire Melees may be combined with ranged fire, provided all of the normal requirements of ranged fire (firing arc, range, line of fire) are met. Both sides in a melee may add in supporting fire. Attacking support fire is simply ranged fire directed at the defending unit being meleed. For the defender supporting fire consists of fire at any unit conducting a melee attack on the defending unit. Only defending units in close range of an attacking unit may fire defensively in support of the melee defender. Attacking units at any range may fire in support.

Winning Melees When both sides have fired all units involved in a melee (including any ranged fire units firing in support of the melee) and conducted all saving throws, add up the actual total casualties suffered by each side. Only casualties suffered by stands actually in contact count for this calculation. The side which took the most casualties loses the melee while the side which took the least casualties wins the melee.

When the same number of casualties are suffered by each side in a melee, the tie is always broken with a die roll. Both sides roll a die and add their modified morale. If more than one unit is involved in the melee add the highest modified morale for that side. In addition, add the following to the die roll:

Status Modifier Infantry with elites versus infantry with no elites +2 Flank-secured infantry versus non-lancer cavalry +2 Non-flank-secured infantry versus cavalry 2 Artillery versus cavalry 2 Supported Artillery versus infantry** +1

**Supported artillery is any artillery which has a stand of friendly formed non-disordered infantry touching the back or either side of its base and facing the same direction as the artillery.

The high die roll wins. (Reroll in the event of a tie, and continue to reroll until a result is achieved.)

The preceding notwithstanding, a side which is completely eliminated during the melee cannot win the melee, even if its opponent took more casualties.

Advances If the attacker wins, any and/or all attacking units involved in the melee (but not firing in support of it) may advance to occupy the abandoned ground and/or make a free facing change. Defending cavalry which wins a melee may exercise the same options. A victorious unit may not advance to contact an enemy unit, and must stop a quarter inch away from it.

Retreats The stand (or stands) of the losing side involved in the melee (but not those which simply conducted ranged fire in support of the melee) are disordered and retreat half of their normal full

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movement directly away from the closest enemy unit. Each stand ends its retreat facing the enemy from which it retreated.

If already disordered, the unit routs and moves its full move away.

For a detailed description of retreats and their effects on other units see page 23.

Skirmishers In Melee Whenever infantry skirmishers are meleed by formed infantry or cavalry skirmishers, the melee is fought as with any other melee, but the final result (after casualties have been removed) is handled slightly differently. If the infantry skirmisher is not eliminated, it falls back a half move and does not suffer a disordered result, while the attacker is allowed to occupy the vacated ground, make a free facing change, and is not disordered (even if it suffered more casualties than it inflicted).

Infantry skirmishers which occupy a village, town, broken ground, or work melee normally. That is to say it is possible for them to win the melee and hold their ground, forcing the attacking troops back in disorder.

Whenever cavalry skirmishers fight other cavalry skirmishers or infantry skirmishers the melee is resolved normally.

Artillery in Melee Limbered artillery is automatically eliminated by melee contact (at the beginning of the phase).

Unsupported unlimbered artillery which loses a melee is eliminated if the attacker occupies the ground originally held by the artillery unit by advancing at least one inch. If the attacker is unable or unwilling to do so, the artillery unit may retreat (provided it still has remaining strength points and is Unrouted).

Supported unlimbered artillery which loses a melee may retreat. Supported artillery is any artillery which has a stand of friendly formed non-disordered infantry touching the back or side of its base and facing in the same direction as the artillery.

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FACING AND COMBAT

Facing limits the ability of a unit to attack and may impose penalties on defenders for being attacked from the flank.

FRONT ARC

A unit (of either the attacker or defender) may conduct ranged fire at an enemy unit which is within range, visible, and inside of the unit's 90-degree arc of fire (see illustration below).

A unit may only melee attack an enemy unit if it is in contact at some point along the front face of its base (including the front corners). A defending non-artillery unit may fire all of its dice defensively against a melee attacking unit from any direction. A defending artillery unit may only fire defensively in melee against an attacking unit which is meleeing its front.

A unit in a building has an all-around arc of fire but may only fire up to 1/4 of its fire dice (rounding fractions up) from each face of the building. If firing from several faces of the building it may never fire more than its total allowed number of fire dice. A unit in a building still fires defensively with all allowed dice when meleed, even if meleed from only one direction.)

FLANK ATTACKS

A unit suffers a morale penalty for being attacked in flank (by either melee or close range fire) and a unit meleeing an enemy unit in flank enjoys a morale benefit. A unit is not flanked if taking long range fire through its flank, but is flanked (and suffers the morale penalty) if taking short range fire through its flank or when being meleed in flank. For purposes of this rule attacks from the rear are considered flank attacks.

Note that although skirmishers and limbered artillery normally do not pay to make facing changes, they still have flanks and so may suffer the penalties for being flanked.

In order for a unit to flank an enemy unit when meleeing, the center point of the front of the attacking stand must be behind the front of the defending stand, and the front of the attacking stand must be at a 45-degree angle or less with respect to the side of the defending stand. Since a charging unit may not move obliquely or make any facing changes after it starts its movement, there is an easy rule of thumb to determine whether a unit may conduct a melee flank attack. If the center point of the attackers stand begins inside the 90 degree arc of fire of the defender, the attacker cannot get to a flank attack position. If the center point of the attackers stand begins outside the firing arc it can achieve a flank attack.

In order to conduct flanking fire any part of the front of the firing stand must be behind an imaginary line drawn extending the target unit's front to each side. (See illustrations below)

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PROTECTED FLANKS

A formed (i.e. non-skirmish) infantry unit may protect its flank by closing up with another friendly formed infantry unit. If a formed infantry unit is adjacent to another friendly formed infantry unit and at right angles to it, the side of the base which forms an extension of the neighboring unit's front is a protected flank. Attacks against this side of the base do not count as flank attacks. Furthermore, an infantry stand may fire up to half of its dice (rounding fractions up) through its protected flank.

Two isolated formed infantry units may protect each others flanks by forming back-to-back. In this case neither unit has any flanks, and each unit may fire up to 1/4 of its dice (rounded up) from each side of its base and 1/2 (rounded up) from its front.

An infantry stand with a protected flank still fires defensively with all dice when involved in a melee, even if meleed from only one direction.

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SAVING THROWS

Not all hits necessarily cause a casualty. In some cases the target unit is entitled to make saving throws to reduce the chance of an actual casualty being suffered. Whenever a saving throw is made a roll of 1-3 fails (the hit does produce a casualty) while a 4-6 succeeds (the hit does not produce a casualty).

CAUSES OF SAVING THROWS

The following conditions allow a unit to take a saving throw.

Buildings All troops in wooden and stone buildings make a saving throw on each casualty from fire (except from heavy or siege artillery) and from melee. (All troops defending in stone buildings have additional advantages as explained in the Building rule.)

Forest All infantry in forest make a saving throw on each casualty inflicted by fire (not melee).

Broken Ground All infantry skirmishers in broken ground make a saving throw on each casualty inflicted by fire (not melee).

Works All troops in hasty works make a saving throw on each casualty inflicted by infantry and skirmish fire (but not melee or artillery fire).

All troops in field works make a saving throw on all casualties from fire (unless inflicted by siege artillery) and melee (if defending).

All troops in forts make a saving throw on all casualties from fire and melee (if defending).

Counterbattery All artillery makes a saving throw on each casualty inflicted by enemy artillery (unless the casualty was inflicted by heavy artillery, siege artillery, or by flanking fire). The fire from the single die of battalion guns from some infantry and cavalry units does not count as artillery fire for purposes of this rule.

Skirmishers All skirmishers (except militia and poorly trained) make a saving throw on each casualty inflicted by enemy fire (not melee). Skirmishers must have a full base width between them and any friendly stand (other than command stands) to each flank to receive the saving throw.

Militia skirmishers and poorly trained (PT) skirmishers do not receive this saving throw.

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Cavalry All cavalry stands may make a saving throw on each casualty inflicted by enemy fire (not melee). Whenever cavalry uses this saving throw, however, it must withdraw six inches directly away from the firing enemy unit, whether or not the saving throw is successful. A separate six inch withdrawal is made for each saving throw attempted.

If more than one enemy unit is firing the cavalry must withdraw in the direction which comes closest to taking it farthest away from all of them. Cavalry skirmishers do not receive two saving throws under this rule.

Cavalry Skirmishers Defending cavalry skirmishers may trade attack dice for saving throw dice in melees. That is, the skirmisher may counterattack with 2 dice (no saves), counterattack with 1 and save with 1, or save with 2 dice and make no counterattacks. The cavalry skirmisher must withdraw 6 inches per saving throw die used, and are disordered at the end of the combat (counting as having lost the melee). If the skirmishers withdraw in this manner, their opponents automatically win the melee, regardless of the ratio of casualties inflicted.

Disorder All troops make a saving throw on any casualty inflicted by a disordered unit.

MULTIPLE SAVING THROWS

If a unit qualifies for more than one saving throw, multiple throws are made for each casualty. For example, a skirmisher in dense woods is attacked by a disordered infantry stand using ranged fire and 1 hit is scored on the skirmisher. The player who owns the skirmisher may make three saving throws (one for skirmishing, one for dense woods, one for disordered attacker) and if any one of the throws is a 4, 5, or 6 the hit does not produce a casualty.

Skirmishers in buildings sacrifice their skirmisher saving throw in exchange for the building saving throw.

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BATTALION GUNS AND OTHER SPECIALIZED ARTILLERY

Battalion Guns Stands in the game with battalion guns will be identified by the scenario or army list.

Stands with battalion guns receive one additional die for combat with a long range of 4 inches and no close range. Infantry battalion guns may conduct ranged fire and melee combat; cavalry battalion guns may only conduct ranged fire.

A stand which routs, immediately and permanently loses its battalion guns capability. A stand which moves across a marshy banked stream (except at a ford), immediately and permanently loses its battalion guns capability.

A formed infantry stand may enter and remain in forest, buildings, and works without effect on its battalion guns and may use its battalion guns capability normally. The one die for battalion guns may be fired from any face of a town and is not considered part of the 1/4 dice limit of the unit.

Artillery hit by the fire of battalion guns does not receive a saving throw for being fired on by artillery.

Artillery Batteries Any artillery unit which begins the scenario with a single strength point is a battery. Batteries receive only a single die for fire and melee. If the battery is not stationary then the target of the fire receives a saving throw on hits caused by the battery. If the battery is stationary then the target units do not receive a saving throw (aside from any normally due them because of terrain, etc.)

Siege Artillery Siege artillery may only fire when stationary.

High Angle Fire Howitzers and mortars are sometimes used to deliver high angle fire. In most games, particularly at the large scale covered by Volley, Bayonet, and Glory, high angle fire is below the grain of the game. That is, most (if not all) conventional artillery units represented in the game are assumed to contain some howitzers and the fire effects of such small numbers of high trajectory pieces is ignored. If playing reduced scale battles (see Reduced Scale) they become more important. Also these rules may be used, if desired, to cover the very rare pure howitzer units.

Howitzers are used exactly like conventional artillery and have the same ranges as conventional artillery of the same weight. Thus when playing using the standard scale a heavy howitzer has a close range of 4 inches and a long range of 12 inches. Howitzers may deliver conventional low trajectory fire at any time. However, instead of delivering conventional fire, howitzers may choose to employ high angle fire at any range. Mortars always use high angle fire.

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High angle fire may be conducted over the heads of intervening units which would normally block line of fire. The firing artillery unit must be able to see its target, however, and so high angle fire may not be delivered over intervening terrain features, only intervening troops.

Troops behind simple linear works (walls, field works, etc.) receive no saving throws versus high angle fire. Troops in woods, towns, villages, and forts still receive saving throws.

All high angle fire is conducted as if at long range (i.e. the hit number is always 6), regardless of the actual range. As mortars may only conduct high angle fire they will only have a long range listing.

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CAVALRY BREAKTHROUGH

If a unit meleed by a formed cavalry unit routs, the victorious cavalry has achieved a breakthrough. Note that a cavalry breakthrough may occur during the morale phase (if an already disordered opponent fails its morale test and routs) or during the combat phase (if an already disordered opponent loses the melee and thus routs). If a disordered stand loses its final strength point in melee, it is routed (see the Casualties section of the Combat rule, p. 29) and the cavalry achieves a breakthrough.

BREAKTHROUGH OPTIONS

Cavalry which has achieved a breakthrough may do one of three things: it may either occupy the vacated ground and make a facing change, retire up to six inches toward the closest friendly troops and make a facing change, or continue the charge.

Permanently Disordered cavalry Permanently disordered cavalry may not continue the charge or fall back; it may only choose to occupy the ground and make a facing change.

Impetuous Cavalry Cavalry specifically identified in the Army Lists or scenario rules as Impetuous Cavalry does not have a choice in conducting breakthrough movement. It must charge forward every time that it has an opportunity to do so (unless it is already permanently disordered).

BREAKTHROUGH CHARGE RESOLUTION

If the unit continues the charge, the charging unit moves directly ahead toward the routing opponent and ends the charge move in contact with the router, unless it encounters another enemy stand first, in which case it ends its move at that point.

The charging unit may never move further from the point of breakthrough than its normal movement allowance, so routing light and medium cavalry will be able to outdistance pursuing heavy cavalry.

If the router was eliminated by combat, the charging unit moves up to half of its normal movement forward and contacts any enemy unit directly ahead of it in that area.

Breakthrough Morale Test Once the breakthrough cavalry encounters another enemy stand it must make an immediate morale test, just as if encountering an enemy unit for the first time. If the stand encountered is already routed, the cavalry does not have to test morale again.

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Breakthrough Disorder If the option to charge is taken, the charging cavalry automatically suffers a permanent disorder result due to continuing the charge. If the cavalry already has a temporary disorder, it is removed and replaced with a permanent disorder (it does not rout the cavalry).

This permanent disorder is suffered after all additional morale tests have been made but before charge combat is resolved.

Breakthrough in The Morale Phase If the breakthrough charge takes place in the morale phase, the unit contacted must then test morale preparatory to a melee. If the stand contacted is already routed then it automatically routs again. In any case if the opposing stand routs then the breakthrough process is repeated again.

Breakthrough in The Combat Phase If the breakthrough charge takes place in the combat phase, the player owning the cavalry stand must fight out all battles associated with the breakthrough cavalry before going on to the next combat. If it contacts a stand already contacted by another friendly stand then the attacks of both the charging cavalry and the other friendly stand (and any stands supporting the attack by fire) are conducted at th