Larry Reeves' rules for 15mm Napololeonic Battles

Updated 02/17/06

Sequence of action

1. Bombardment phase (artillery units only)
2. Test initiative to see who may move first. Roll D6 - winner may decide to move first or second.
3. Command Response phase for side moving first.
4. Movement phase for side moving first.
5. Command Response phase for side moving last.
6. Movement phase for side moving last.
7. Fire phase (all units fire simultaneously - moving or not)
8. Morale & Rally phase
9. Melee Phase
10. Breakthrough Melee Phase

Formations

• Line - Each stand side by side
• Battalions Mass - Austrians and French only. Multiple Battalions (up to a brigade's worth) together on a 2 or 3 stand frontage. Only the front rank of stands can fire. All stands fight in melee. If two stands frontage, mass moves as column. If three stands frontage, mass moves as line.
• March column- Each stand behind each other in one line
• Field Column- Column two stands in width (also known as attack column).
• Square - Infantry stands arranged in square or rectangle.

Command Response and Movement

1. Command Radius is 15".
2. Artillery needs no command response but needs to be within command radius of an officer in order to unlimber.
3. Roll a D-6 and add the modifiers below to the result.

Modifiers
A. Napoleon (Automatic pass)
B. Army Commander +4
C. Corps Commander +3
D. Divisional Commander +2 (Prussian Brigadier)
E. Brigade Commander +1 (Prussian Colonel)
F. Flanks secured +1
G. Rear Support +1
H. Unit in charge distance to rear -2
I. Unit in charge distance to flank - 1
J. Officers can be accumulative
K. British +1
L. Disordered -1

Units need the following total on command response to be able to move

• Militia: 7 or greater
• Line: 6 or greater
• Elites 5 or greater
• Guard 4 or greater

Movement rates & Terrain Effects for Artillery
	Limbered	Prolong	Road	Hills	Woods	Water	Linear Obstacle
Light Guns	10"	3"	x2	1/2	1/2	-1D6	Cannot Cross
Medium Guns	8"	2"	x2	1/2	Cannot Enter	-2D6	Cannot Cross
Heavy Guns	6"	1"	x2	1/2	Cannot Enter	-2D6	Cannot Cross

Notes on Artillery

1. Artillery does not test morale when gunners are lost due to enemy fire. Instead, it tests "effectiveness" for the next turn (bombardment phase and fire phase). Line artillery will roll a D8, and elite artillery (such as French guard artillery) will roll a D10 to test.
   

   Die roll	Result
   1-2	1/4 of guns may fire
   3-4	1/2 of guns may fire
   5-6	3/4 of guns may fire
   7+	All guns may fire

   For purposes of guns being able to fire, round fractions UP
2. Horse guns may add 4" to the Limbered move.

3. Foot Artillery can perform two functions per turn and Horse artillery can perform three functions.
   These Functions are:
   • Limber
   • Unlimber
   • Fire
   • Move
   • Prolong Move
4. Note that the fire functions may be only used twice per turn and the move function only once.
5. When the fire function is used twice, the first fire is in the "Bombardment" phase and takes place before any movement.

As an example, a horse gun can fire in the bombardment phase, then limber and then move (three functions). A foot battery could fire in the Bombardment phase, then fire again in the normal fire phase.

Extra Rules

1. You can move through your own units but at a minus of one inch per rank. This will disordered Both units. You can move through your skirmishers or rounted units at no penalty.
2. Line and militia class unit loses half of it's movement if it changes formation.
3. Elites change formation at one quarter movement lost.
4. Guards change formation freely.
5. Square moves at 5"
6. Flank companies must stay within 3" of thier parent battalion.
7. A unit must form square in place (cannot move).
8. Formed units are disordered in woods.
9. Infantry can refuse its flank by 45 degrees
10. Infantry can move by the flank at one half movement.
11. Routed units cannot move unless it passes morale. When it misses morale it become disordered.
12. Disordered can always move but in order to reorder it must stay in place one full turn.
13. Any unit can fall back at any time if it has not moved.
14. Cavalry may fall back if charged by Infantry
15. When a unit falls back it will become disordered and face the enemy.
16. Units change formation at the end of its movement.
17. Units in line can Wheel oblique 45 degrees, move by the flank up to half its movement.
18. Skirmishers may not approach closer than 1" to the front of formed troops.
19. Infantry which takes any fire casualty is disordered, does not matter if morale is tested or not.
20. Cossacks fight in looser order than formed cavalry but are not true skirmishers. They may charge enemy formed troops (true skirmishers may not) but not frontally. Cossacks are never disordered. They may be arranged on the table in any manner, not needing to keep any special formations.

Morale - When to check:

Note that Infantry and Cavalry use this morale system for casualties due to fire, to close into combat, to stand after combat and to determine if the loser in a melee routs or merely falls back. Artillery does not use this morale system for casuaties due to fire, but it does for all other possible checks.

1. Once 25% of the unit has been lost, then test each time the unit receives a fire casualty.
2. When trying to close into melee
3. When trying to stand in melee
4. After losing a melee.

How to check Roll a D-6 add Modifiers + or 1 to the die.

Modifiers:

• Rear support +2
• Flank secured +1
• Behind stone wall +2
• Unit is less than half strength remaining -1
• Being charged in flank by enemy -1
• Being charged in rear by enemy -2
• For each attached officer:
• Infantry attempting to form emergency square -1
• Napoleon or Wellington - automatic pass
• Army commander +4
• Corps commander +3
• Divisional commander +2 (Prussian Brigadier)
• Brigade commander +1 (Prussian Colonel)
• If you just lost a melee you are -1for the remaining of the turn.

Morale scores needed to pass:

• Militia must score 7 or better
• Line must score 6 or better
• Elite units must score 4 or better
• Guards must score 2 or better

Note that Artillery does not test normally for fire casualties. See Notes on Artillery above.

Fire

• Infantry use one D-6 per stand, (Stands which have taken casualties cannot fire)
• Artillery use one D-6 per gunner figure on the battery.

Ranges for Small Arms Fire
Musket Fire	Rifle Fire
Up to 4" hits with 5 or 6 on the D6	Up to 6" hits with 5 or 6 on the D6
4"to 8" hits with 6 on the D6	6"to 12" hits with 6 on the D6

Ranges for Artillery Fire
Light Artillery	Medium Artillery	Heavy Artillery
Up to 4" Cannister hits with 5 or 6 on the D6	Up to 6" Cannister hits with 5 or 6 on the D6	Up to 8" Cannister hits with 5 or 6 on the D6
4"to 8" hits with 5 or 6 on the D6	6"to 13" hits with 5 or 6 on the D6	8"to 16" hits with 5 or 6 on the D6
8"to 16" hits with 6 on the D6	13"to 26" hits with 6 on the D6	16"to 32" hits with 6 on the D6

Notes on Fire

1. When firing canister add two dice per battery
2. Artillery batteries firing at a column, square, or enfiladed line add one dice per rank
3. Artillery batteries firing cannister, and all other units, firing at a column, square, or enviladed line add two dice.
4. Elite units firing add one dice
5. Units firing on skirmishers on hit on a result of "6" no matter what the range.
6. Russian infantry will always minus one dice
7. Militia will always minus one dice
8. firing on cossacks will always add one dice (desertions)
9. (No matter the situation you will always received one dice.)
10. If an officer is attached to a unit and it takes any casualties by fire roll a D10. If the D10 result is "10" then the officer has been struck. Test again on the "Leader Struck" chart..
11. When firing into towns, woods, earth works, walls you only a result of "6" is a hit no matter what the Range.
12. Minus one dice when firing unit is disordered,
13. Infantry units which loose one or more figures due to fire are go disordered.
14. When firing at skirmisher with canister all shots will hit on them. When firing ball some shots may continue on and hit the next unit. When this occurs roll your dice. All sixes will hit the skirmisher. All ones and twos will be misfires and balls that bury themselves in the dirt. Roll remaining dice again for the next unit behind the skirmishers that is in range and all sixes will be a hit on that unit.

LEADER STRUCK Chart - Roll a D10
1,2,3,4 = Dead!
5 = Seriously Wounded! - May take no part in the action for three turns.
6 = Wounded! - May take no part in the action for two turns.
7 = A flesh wound! - May take no part in the action for the next turn.
8,9,10 = NO EFFECT

MELEE

Each class of unit starts with a basic number of D-6 dice for morale which may then be modified:

• Starting basic numbers
• Militia - one dice
• Line - two dice
• Elites and guards (except French Old guard) - three dice
• French Old Guard- four dice

Modifiers which add or subtract D6s to the base

• Charging into the enemy's flank +1 die
• Charging in field column +1 die
• Charging into the enemy's rear + 2 dice
• Russian infantry defending in column +1die
• French infantry charging +1 die
• British infantry defending in line +1 die
• Cavalry attacking or defending in line +1 die
• Breakthrough +1 die
• British Highlanders attacking +1 die
• Lance armed cavalry +2 dice (impact only)
• Square defending against cavalry +2 dice
• Defending superior ground +2 dice
• Defending in a town +3 dice
• Defending behind stone walls +3 dice
• Attacking a unit which is disordered +1 die
• Attacking a routed unit + 2 dice
• Armored cavalry +1 die
• Cavalry which did not pass command response and are unable to move -1 die, or have halted due to morale failure.
• Cavalry charging infantry not in square +1 die
• Infantry in Mass defending against cavalry +2 die
• Attached Officers
• Napoleon +3 dice
• Army commander +2 dice
• All other officers +1 die
• You outnumber your opponent by 3 to 2 in figures fighting, +1 die
• You outnumber your opponent by 2 to 1 in figures fighting, +2 die
• You outnumber your opponent by 3 to 1 in figures fighting, +3 dice

NOTES ON MODIFIERS:
Only one officer may be attached (giving his dice bonus) to any one unit.

SEQUENCE OF MELEE

1. Declare charges and move up to one inch of the unit being charged
2. Attacking units test morale to close. If they do not pass these units stop one inch away and become disordered.
3. Defenders test morale to stand. If they do not pass they rout one full move to the rear.
4. Determine the number of D6 dice each side may roll by adding all appropriate modifiers to the base number for that type of unit.
5. Each side rolls the dice. Each die result of 1 or 2 causes the opposing side to remove one figure as a casualty. Remove all the dice that had a result of 1 or 2 and sum the remaining D6s for each player.
6. The side with the higher total of the remaining dice has won the melee.
7. Subtract the loser's die score from the winner's die score. Divide the result by 4 (discard fractions) This number are additional casualties inflicted on the loser.
8. The loser must now test morale. If he passes, he falls back half of a normal move, disordered. He may face the enemy. If the loser fails morale, he routs a full move to the rear.
9. The winner becomes disordered and if he had charged, he must test to see if he pursues. If the pursuit check is passed, the winner may remain in place and reorder (no longer being disordered). If the pursuit check is failed, the winner must pursue the defeated unit (remaining disordered) with remaining movement distance. If the attacker reaches the defeated unit or reaches an interposing enemy unit, another melee is fought immediately.

Additional rules for melee

1. You can always charge through your own skirmishers.
2. Units cannot change formation when charging.
3. SPECIAL CAVALRY MOVE: Cavalry may use the first half of the move to change formation into line and then charge with the remaining half of their move. (Elites use first 1/4 of move to do this).
4. CAVALRY OPPORTUNITY CHARGE: Cavalry that have not moved may charge enemy cavalry if they appear to their front. Cavalry that have already moved may do the same, but may only use any remaining movement that they rolled on the move dice, but did not actually use. Must have line of sight to enemy to use this.
5. CAVALRY REACTION: Cavalry that are charged while moving by an enemy using CAVALRY OPPORTUNITY CHARGE, above, may automatically turn to face and counter-charge. Must have line of sight to enemy to use this.
6. Units that charge cannot fire but units being charged can.
7. If a unit is being charged, the unit can fire, change formation and fire, change formation, or evade, only if the unit has not moved and passes command response to move. Units which had the opportunity to move and did not are considered to have "Reserved movement" and may now react.
8. EMERGENCY SQUARES: Infantry which has moved, or is moving and is charged by cavalry, either in the cavarly's regular move, or in CAVALRY OPPORTUNITY CHARGE, above, may attempt to form emergency square. They must test morale with a -1 penalty. If they pass this test, they may form square. If they fail, they remain in their present formation and facing and are disordered.
9. Any unit with in one inch of the rear of the defending unit can support. The front rank only.
10. Infantry can never charge cavalry,
11. Must have line of sight and charge directly at the defender. Charging units may wheel to get the front lined up with the defender before beginning the charge. Charging units may go around obstacles provided the target is always in sight of the attacking unit.
12. Skirmishers will always fall back from a charge but do not become disordered and will face the enemy.
13. No matter what the modifiers, a unit melee may always roll at least one D6.
14. Cossacks may only attempt to close into melee to the rear or flank of a formed enemy unit. They may never attempt to close into melee frontally with a formed enemy unit.
15. Cossacks will not stand for a charge by formed enemy cavalry, will always evade.

PURSUIT
When a unit wins a melee, or if the charged unit fails morale and routs routs, the charging unit may pursue if it wishes. To see if it MUST pursue roll a D-10 and add modifiers below. If the modified die total is greater than 10, pursuit is mandatory. If less than 10, pursuit is optional.

MODIFIERS:

• Militia +1
• Cavalry +4
• Guard unit -3
• Napoleon or Wellington Attached to unit -4
• Army or Corps commander Attached to unit -2
• Each casualty inflicted on the enemy unit in the melee just completed +1

• Pursuit uses the remainder of the move (what is "left over" after reaching the first unit's position).
• Units that did NOT charge, but win the melee do not get a pursuit move.

ORGANIZATION

I want to clear some things up just a bit. Everyone thinks that one stand equals a certain number of men like Fire and Fury. For example: if a Battalion had 400 men you give them 4 stand since one stand equals 100 or what ever number you used. This is not true.

One Stand of Infantry is equivalent to one company of infantry or one squadron of Cavalry. For example: The French had six center companies and two flank companies per battalion. A French Battalion would have four stands of fusiliers and one stand of grenadiers and one stand of Voltigeurs. This would give the French infantry 6 stands.

The British would have 8 stands for the center companies and one stand for the lights and one stand for the grenadiers. This would be 10 stands of infantry in a British battalion.

Austrians had six companies with no flank and the Prussian and Russian had four companies with no flank per battalion. The latter would then each have four stands of infantry and the Austrians would have six stands of infantry per battalion.

I am in the process of reorganizing all my troops to this use organization.

The number of figures per stand works like this: Most of the Nations except Britain and their trained allies had between 120 to 150 men per company. The British has 85 to a 100 per company. But this number was seldom maintained.

I let one man of infantry equal 45 real men. So the British and their train allies are based on .25" by 1" stands with two figures per stand and all other nations are based on .25"by 1.125" stands with three figures per stand. The French and their allies who organized like them, I based their flank companies two to a stand on a .24"by .75 stand.

Although the British only have two men to a stand like the French flank companies, I use the 1" stands for the British because their line was typically longer then the other nations.

I mount all of the cavalry stands equally for all nations, two to a 1" x 1.5" stand Remember that one stand equals one squadron. I figure that with the shortage of horses the squadron strengths would average out to be the same. Four or six squadrons make a regiment, depending on how strong you think a regiment should be.

Artillery is mounted in two different ways depending on battery size. In the following examples, note that 6-gun and 8-gun batteries each have two bases, and a 12-gun battery has three. Each artillerist figure represents a gun:
Six gun battery Two 1" x 1" bases, one gun per base along with three gunners per base.
Eight gun battery Two bases, each 1-1/2" wide and 1" deep. Each base contains one gun and four gunners.
Twelve gun battery Three bases, each 1-1/2" wide and 1" deep. Each base contains one gun and four gunners.

The size of the guns in the battery is marked on the back to show the size of the guns: 4-lb, 8-lb etc.

Officers are mounted on single stands for brigadiers, and two-man stands for divisional generals, and three-man stands for corps commanders. The multiple-figure stands will consist of the great man and one or two aides or lackeys.

Larry uses Infantry brigades of 3 to 5 battalions, with two brigades per division and two divisions, plus some cavalry per corps. He adds one, two or three batteries per division and throws in a few more at corps level.

Note that the Prussian "Brigades" in 1812-15 are really of divisional size. Larry Reeves allows one mounted officer counting as a brigadier for each three battalions in the brigade. The brigade commander will be a divisional commander (2-man stand) and will count in all respects as a divisional grade officer.

Larry is not a sticker for historical orders of battle, preferring to balance the game "by eye". These formations are at an approximated 1 to 45 ratio, "real men" to "tiny men".

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