With our recent deep freeze, I found myself with a little extra free time – ok, not really free time, as I’ll have to work like crazy now that we are warming up again so that I can get caught up again. Anyhow, back to my recent free time activities…
I think I mentioned, not too long ago, that I wanted to play out a few more of the Tactical Problems from War Game Digest and Table Top Talk, but that I hadn’t decided how I wanted to do it. Well, that is one of the things that has been occupying my free time. I’ve decided to use my old N-Gauge Napoleonic armies. Many of these figures date back to the late 70’s and some have been re-based numerous times. I have: French, British, Austrian, Spanish and some Portuguese. Given the vintage of the figures, the armies were based single rank. So, 3, 4 or 6 figures per stand. Pretty much the norm for the time. I can’t for the life of me remember which rules we played and the basing doesn’t help (especially since some have been re-based several times). The figures need some cleanup – very dusty – and some basing/re-basing, but I have enough to push some stands around as they sit. So I’m good int he short term.
As for rules. This is where Short Rules come in. Short Rules by Leon Tucker (1973) is one of the rules sets that I will use for playing out some of the Tactical Problems. I’ll be using others as well, but this will be the first set that I try out.
Short Rules is a set of very basic Napoleonic rules by Leon Tucker (Fast Rules and Tractics are more well known rules by same author). The rules were written with plastic Airfix figures in mind (so 20/25mm miniatures). The recommended basing is three (3) or four (4) figures, in a single rank, per stand with four (4) or six (6) stands per unit/Battalion. Nothing fancy, just some figures to represent troops. I’ll be using my N-gauge figures, so I will have to adjust measurements to some degree, but not to much.
The rules are intended to be an introduction to war games and do not claim to be complete or detailed in any way. The rules earn the name Short Rules, as the actual rules are only six(6) pages long!
Movement is the usual; a base movement rate with modifiers for formation, terrain, maneuver and the like.
Musket Fire is by the stand with targets being a unit. Procedure is a simple die roll with modifiers for target type, cover and range. Casualties based n result after application of modifiers.
Artillery Fire is much the same as Musket Fire, with the addition of the type of shot used. Howitzers are accounted for as well.
Melee is again, a simple affair. A die roll with the expected modifier types – units surviving if their modified die roll is a three (3) or better.
The morale rules are simple, but effective. A unit will be: Unimpaired, Disorganized or Routed.
There is plenty of room for additions, but for a very basic game the rules have things covered.
The remainder of the rules book is various Appendix sections covering such topics as: Using & Interpreting the rules, Designation of orders, Unit Quality and the design and conduct of miniature battles.
All-in-all a very nice short set of basic Napoleonic war game rules.