Don Featherstone Colonial Rules from Battles With Model Soldiers The rules in BWMS are not presented as such but rather as various suggestions. I have stitched them together as follows. Basic Horse & Musket (ACW) Rules 1. Organisation: (suggestion only) a. Infantry: 20 men + 2 officers b. Cavalry: officer, standard and 9 troopers c. Artilery: gun, limber, 4 crew 2. Sequence of play. 3 are demonstrated with gamers left to choose the one they prefer: a. Dice each turn, high score chooses to move 1st or 2nd. The player who moves 2nd may fire 1st. b. Simultaneous in order from 1 flank to the other, no orders, dice each turn to determine if each player starts on his left or his right. If 2 units fire upon each other, dice to see who fires 1st c. Simultaneous using written turn orders. (this is noted as the most common method by experienced gamers) eg 1st unit wheel half left, advance 12”, 2nd unit Fire! 3. Movement: a. Infantry: 12” No fire if moved if using muzzle loaders b. Cavalry 18” c. Artillery 18” -3” to limber and to unlimber d. Terrain: i. ½ speed on hills, in woods etc, ii. Roads. (movement should be increased) iii. Rivers: either uncrossable except by bridge or ford or else takes a whole move to cross iv. Streams take 1/3 move to cross v. Walls and hedges: Deduct a portion of a move (!?) Presumably 1/3rd as well. 4. Combat a. Small Arms. 1 die for each 5 men. Score = casualties. (round off ie 7 roll 1 die, 8 roll 2 dice) at 24” -3 from @die, at 12” -2 from @die, at 6” -1 from @die -1 from @die if target has cover cavalry suffer ½ casualties b.
Artillery. 1 die to hit @36”: 6 hits, @18” 5,6 hits, @9” 4,5,6 hits If target is hit roll again and the score is the casualties. (or place a curtain ring and all men in the circle are casualties) ½ casualties if cavalry or in cover.
c. Melee. Infantry count 1 point, cavalry count 2 points. Throw 1 die per 5 points, ½ the score are casualties in points
+1 to each die if cavalry charging (or in other circumstances when one side has ‘shock’ such as attacking from the rear. 5. Morale After a melee, each side rolls 1 die and multiplies by remaining men. The low total must retreat a full move. That’s it! SUGGESTED COLONIAL MODIFICATIONS 1. The natives should move faster and outnumber the Brits. I suggest a movement of 15 with no terrain penalties. Brits as basic rules but able to move ½ and shoot. 2. The natives should have a chance of surprising the Brits so that the latter don’t get their full firepower. If using written order simultaneous orders and the ½ and move and shoot rule and allowing native units in cover or deadground to be written on a map until they shoot or charge then this is covered. If the Brits move fast they might get surprised. 3. Melee. Native spearmen count as 1 ½ pts each and get +2 @die Shock bonus. If the natives inflict more than they lose then they have broken into the British formation and the melee continues next turn with all men in a given distance from the center (6” or 9” as you wish) count for the next round. If Brits stand 2 turns and number 1/3 of natives then natives are repulsed and retreat a full move and cannot attack again next turn. This is a little vague but I take it to mean that if the natives win the 1st round then there is no morale check and likewise if the Brits meet the conditions on round 2 they can force a native retreat without a morale check. o/w morale checks as per basic rules. If Brits retreat then natives pursue 6” unless they roll 4,5,6 or have a chief. 4. Morale. British add +1 to all morale dice. If natives suffer 25% casualties from shooting then roll 4,5,6 to charge home o/w retreat to start point and need to roll 4,5,6 next turn to attack again. Natives attacked by regulars must throw 4,5,6 to stand. (Automatic break if attacked by lancers but I think that’s too steep just look at Omdurman) 5. Leadership. If sepoys are used, they get the +1 morale bonus unless they lose their European officers (no suggestion as to how this happens, as opposed to Wargame where saving throws are made ) A unit led by a chief in melee may not roll less than 3 in melee. His loss should be demoralizing (again no mention of how he gets killed or what the effect is) Based on rules in other sections, roll 1 die 1,2 flee, 3,4 no advance, 5,6 flee. After looking at the saving throw rules, I suggest that for each 5 full casualties that a unit suffers each turn, roll 1 die on a 1,2,3 then one casualty is an officer.
