Sharp Practice: Wargame Rules for Large Skirmishes in the Era of Black Powder, 1700 to 1865

Sharp Practice: Wargame Rules for Large Skirmishes in the Era of Black Powder, 1700 to 1865 Rulebook

Table of Contents

I. Characters
- 1. Heroes and Men
II. Sequence of Play
III. Types of Troops and Their Organisation
IV. Random Events and the Bonus Deck
V. Movement
VI. Spotting
- 6.1. Automatic Spotting
VII. Shooting
VIII. Melee
IX. Tasks
X. Desperate Step
- 10.1. Falls
XI. Affairs of the Heart
XII. Ahoy, Sailor!
XIII. Bashi-Bazouks
- 13.1. Native Weapons
XIV. The Honest Indian
XV. Creating Heroes
XVI. Optional Rules
XVII. Creating an Army
- 17.1. Eye for Distance Cards
- 17.2. Larger Armies?
Worked Example of Play

I. Characters

1. Heroes and Men

There are two kinds of beings in the game: Heroes and ordinary Men. Heroes are the leaders on the battlefield, and the Men are their passive followers. Men are grouped into Groups, each of which may contain no more than 12 Men, or into larger Formations. Without proper leadership they will simply stand still and fight, using suitable cover, but they will never take active actions that require initiative in order to harm the enemy. Only Heroes, by their actions, can make the Men advance on the enemy. They do this, as we shall see below, by using their Initiative.

II. Sequence of Play

The sequence of play is determined by the cards in the Game Deck, which contains a card for each Hero and several additional cards reflecting the initiative of the troops taking part in the battle.

2. Cards

One for each Hero
"Hidden Troops", one for each nation
"Eye for Distance" cards marked with a nation and a Hero Status
"Five Shots a Minute"
"Sentries"
"Dummy"
"Smoke Break"

2.1. What the Cards Mean

2.1.1. Hero Cards

There is one card in the Game Deck for each Hero. When this card is turned up, he may act, using his Initiative to command Groups within his Command Radius, or for his own purposes.

2.1.2. "Hidden Troops"

One Hidden Troops card for each nationality or faction taking part in the game. When this card is turned up, all hidden troops to which the card relates may take a turn, moving or making spotting attempts. Hidden troops may fire, but if they do so they are immediately placed on the gaming table and remain there until the end of the game. Troops act on the Hidden Troops card if they are not spotted, or in the turn in which they were spotted, after which they can act only through a Hero.

2.1.3. "Eye for Distance"

Eye for Distance cards change the level of a Hero's initiative. These cards are marked to show which faction they belong to and to Heroes of which Status they may be applied. After these cards are turned up they remain in the players' hands and may afterwards be used by any Hero of the corresponding or a higher Status when his card is turned up. Eye for Distance cards increase a Hero's Initiative by one point for each Eye for Distance card used for that purpose. Used Eye for Distance cards are placed among the other cards already used in this turn and are shuffled into the game deck at the start of the next turn.

2.1.4. "Sentries"

Sentries act when this card is turned up.

2.1.5. "Five Shots a Minute"

This card is put into the deck for troops who are extremely skilled at shooting. When this card is turned up, a Group or Formation may immediately fire or reload its muskets. This is the only National card in the Game Deck; all other such cards are in the Additional Deck.

2.1.6. "Dummy"

This is an optional card, but we recommend including it in the deck to determine when reinforcements arrive or to trigger scheduled events.

2.1.7. "Smoke Break"

This card ends the turn. All Heroes whose cards have not yet been turned up lose their turn. All Groups that have not yet been activated in this turn may be activated now, using 2 Action Dice to attempt spotting, firing or changing position, but not for movement (except for charging cavalry). Hidden troops may choose to appear on the gaming table and take a turn on the Smoke Break card. We recommend that you use one Smoke Break card, but some players prefer chance to play a smaller role in the game and add a second such card to the deck, ending the turn after both Smoke Break cards have been turned up.

2.2. Heroes and Initiative

For anything to happen on the battlefield we need Heroes and their Initiative. A Hero's level of Initiative equals his Status, as shown below:

STATUS	DESCRIPTION	INITIATIVE	COMMAND RADIUS
IV	Hero of the Day	4	18"
III	Big Man (literally "No Small Fry")	3	14"
II	Good Fellow	2	10"
I	Greenhorn	1	6"

When their card is turned up, they may add to their Initiative any Eye for Distance cards the player holds, and then use it to command the Men subordinate to them who are within their Command Radius.

For one point of Initiative, Heroes may take the following actions:

He or the Group he is with may immediately attempt to spot the enemy, move, charge, fire or attempt to carry out a task.
He may activate a subordinate Group that is within his Command Radius and in line of sight, so that it can take actions. He may activate several Groups or Formations if he has enough Initiative.
He may order an attached musician to play a signal for the Formation the Hero commands. When a signal is given by a musical instrument or a whistle it is not necessary to see the troops to whom the order is passed; however, the order is given to all troops of that unit, not to some of them.
He may combine two adjacent Groups or Formations into one Formation.
He may remove one Shock marker from a Group in which he is physically present.
He may lead a charge.
He may prompt any Group within his Command Radius to enter Melee.
He may add fury to a charge.
He may attempt to carry out a task or take a desperate step.
He may combine two adjacent Groups of no more than six men each and without Shock markers.
He may assign a Man with special skills to carry out a task.
He may give the order "Make ready" to a Group or Formation (if he has enough Initiative) so that they fire later in this turn.

2.3. Commanding Formations

2.3.1. When Groups are combined into a Formation, it may be commanded by a Hero with enough Initiative to control that number of Groups. So, for example, a captain who is a Big Man and has three Initiative may command a Formation of up to three Groups.

2.3.2. In a Formation the senior Hero in rank commands, giving the orders for movement and fire that the Formation will carry out using his Initiative. Junior Heroes in the Formation are responsible only for the Formation's combat effectiveness, removing Shock markers as the enemy inflicts them. For this a Hero may be attached to each Group in the Formation.

2.3.3. With the help of musicians a Hero may command a very large Formation. In that case, however, he can give only those orders that correspond to existing sound signals, and all members of the Formation will obey these orders unless otherwise ordered by Initiative.

2.4. Tootle-oo and Rat-a-tat

2.4.1. Heroes may use musical instruments such as trumpets, drums or whistles to extend their Command Radius. For this the Hero must be accompanied by a musician or must have a whistle. As a rule light infantry have trumpets and horns and, like naval officers, whistles; line infantry use drums and cavalry trumpets. For one Initiative a musician can be ordered to play a signal, or a whistle can be blown.

2.4.2. Each musician must be attached to the most senior officer of the unit. If that officer is killed, the musician moves to the Command Radius of the next most senior officer. If all officers are killed, the musician is commanded by a non-commissioned officer.

Whistles

The range of a whistle is 18". The following orders may be given with whistles:

Halt - Stand still
Advance - Move forward, facing front
Rally - Gather round the whistling officer
Retire - Fall back, rear to the front
Fire - Fire
Cease fire - Stop firing

Light Infantry Horns

The range of a horn is 24". The following orders may be given with horns:

Halt - Stand still
Extend - Form skirmish line
Close - Form close order
Advance - Move forward, facing front
Rally - Gather round the trumpeter
Retire - Fall back, rear to the front
Fire - Fire
Cease fire - Stop firing

Cavalry Trumpets

The range of a trumpet is 24". The following orders may be given with trumpets:

Advance - Move forward, facing front
Right - Move right
Left - Move left
Charge - CHARGE!
Walk - Move at a walk
Trot - Move at a trot
Gallop - Move at a gallop
Halt - Stand still
Mount - Mount horses
Dismount - Dismount
Retire - Fall back two turns at a trot or gallop, rally round the trumpeter
Fire - Fire

Infantry Drums

The range of a drum is 18". The following orders may be given with drums:

Halt - Stand still
Advance - Move forward, facing front
Retire - Fall back, rear to the front
Line - Form line
Column - Form column
Fire - Fire
Cease fire - Stop firing

2.4.3. Subordination

Heroes must observe subordination. Ordinarily, Heroes may give orders only to soldiers of their own regiment and cannot give orders to troops directly under the command of an officer senior in rank. However, a Hero may give orders to troops subordinate to a junior officer.

In some cases Heroes may ignore subordination. A Hero who enters Melee or takes part in it may draw into it all Men within his Command Radius. Troops whose commander has been killed or seriously wounded may receive orders from a Hero of another unit.

2.5. Group Turn

2.5.1. A Group or Formation is activated (that is, may take its turn) when it acts on a Hero's Initiative or, if it has not yet received Initiative in this turn, when the Smoke Break card is turned up. Its actions are limited by the number of Action Dice it has and by the accompanying circumstances.

2.5.2. When a Hero spends Initiative to activate a Group, it may immediately use all the Action Dice available to it in this turn. Using them, it may Spot the enemy, Move, Fire, Reload, or take a combination of these five actions.

2.5.3. If a Group is activated by the Smoke Break card, it may Spot the enemy, Fire, Reload, or continue doing what it was doing before (but not begin a new action), but may not move (except cavalry charging the enemy). It may, however, move a distance equal to 1D6 without spending Action Dice in order to move within a fold of ground / building / fortification etc. that it occupies, or to enter such terrain if at least one member of the Group is in contact with it.

2.5.4. A Group or Formation may also "Make Ready", standing still and preparing to fire, on the order of the senior-ranking Hero (such an order may be given only by a Hero of Status 2 or higher, spending on it all his Initiative in this turn, however much he has). Once a Group or Formation has received the order "Make ready!", it may fire at any moment during that turn.

2.5.5. Action Dice

All Groups have two Action Dice which they may use in their turn. Each action taken costs the following number of Action Dice:

ACTION	COST
Move 1D6 inches	1 die
Cross a low obstacle	1 die
Cross a high obstacle	2 dice
Enter an unlocked building	1 die
Dismount	1 die
Fire	1 die
Reload a rifle	2 dice
Quick-reload a rifle	1 die
Reload a musket	1 die
Spot a target	1 die
Extend (skirmish order)	1 die
Attempt a task	1 die

2.5.6. A Group may perform the same action several times, for example attempting twice to spot the enemy, or attempting it once but with a +1 modifier to the roll. To mark Groups with unloaded weapons we use a smoke marker.

2.6. Types of Troops

2.6.1. Troops are usually divided into four classes: Elite, Veterans, Regulars, Recruits.

2.6.2. In addition, troops may receive an additional characteristic depending on their type, for example Light, Grenadiers, Guards etc., or on some quality of theirs, for example Inspired or Cowardly. Cavalry may have excellent horses and, naturally, are designated according to their type: Lancers, Dragoons, etc.

III. Types of Troops and Their Organisation

3.1. Formations

3.1.1. A Formation is several Groups under one Hero that correspond to one of the basic formations used in the period.

3.1.2. If a Hero removes Shock markers from one of the Groups in a Formation, he need not be in contact with that Group; it is enough if he is in contact with any part of the Formation.

3.1.3. A single Group can never use Formations.

3.1.4. A Formation rolls one die to determine the movement speed of all Groups composing it. However, the Formation moves at the speed of its slowest Group. So if four Groups are combined into a Formation and three of them have one Shock marker each and the fourth has two Shock markers, the whole Formation will move with a -2" speed modifier.

3.1.5. Disordering a Formation

A Formation may be disordered by a number of events. Formations whose numbers fall below the necessary minimum automatically cease to be Formations. If one of the Groups making up a Formation retires, the integrity of the Formation is broken. Cavalry or infantry entering melee with the flank or rear of a Formation automatically disorder it. A Formation may be disordered if it is split by enemy actions or by a random event, such as a herd of pigs mad with fear running across its path; some types of terrain also disorder a Formation. Losing a melee disorders a Formation.

3.2. Line Infantry

Line

A Line may be two or three ranks deep. A Line adds +1 to each die when it fires. A Formation may act as one Group if its commander has enough Initiative to control that number of Men, or if he uses musical commands.

Troops formed in line are obliged to fire straight ahead. The first two ranks may fire under the normal rules, while the third rank fires with only half of its shooters. If several enemy Groups are in the beat zone, they must share all casualties equally between them. In melee all figures of the Group/Groups in contact may fight. Those figures that are beyond the flanks of the enemy line may wrap round it and also enter melee, only if ordered to by a Hero.

Column

To form a column, two or more Groups must be combined under a Hero with sufficient Status to command them. A column fires both to the front and to the flanks, but with the same restrictions as a line. As soon as the number of soldiers in a column falls below twelve, it automatically ceases to be a Formation.

A column distributes all casualties and Shock points equally among the Groups composing it, rather than concentrating them in the Group nearest the enemy. Casualties are removed from the rear ranks of the column. This lets it move faster and also raises its chances of winning a Melee. In Melee, in the first turn the first four ranks fight, while the rear ranks support and after the first round may move forward to take part in the fight.

Square

To form a square, two or more Groups must be combined under a Hero with sufficient Status to command them. A square fires in all directions, but with the same restrictions as a line. As soon as the number of soldiers in a square falls below twelve, it automatically ceases to be a Formation. If the first two ranks of the square have not yet fired in this turn, the square receives a bonus in melee.

3.3. Light Infantry

Light infantry can never be combined into formations larger than one Group. Skirmishers usually acted in pairs in which the soldiers fired in turn, so a player may, if he wishes, choose to fire with half the soldiers of a Group. Skirmishers may fire at a target in the forward 180° zone of their pair.

3.4. Sentries

These are men who have been detached from their Group to guard something. They are activated by the Sentries card.

Sentries may act using two Action Dice to spot the enemy, fire, or retire towards their Group.

Spotting is done under the normal rules; fire is made with one die at a target in open terrain, or as a signal to warn comrades.

If a sentry has left his post, he may only move to rejoin his Group, activating on the Smoke Break card and rolling 2D6. Cavalry pickets may move at a greater speed.

IV. Random Events and the Bonus Deck

A random event may occur whenever a Group or Formation (except Hidden ones) moves or fires. Note the number of results of "1" and "6" rolled. If more 1s than 6s are rolled, a random event occurs. Roll two dice: one gives the result in the leftmost column of the table, and the other shows the result in its top row. Cross-reference the results to obtain the random event for Firing or Movement.

Die	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	10	10	10	10	10	10
2	10	10	10	10	10	10
3	10	1	2	3	4	10
4	10	5	6

4.1. Random Events When Firing

The Group is low on cartridges and will fire only at short range until it receives more.
The powder is damp. The Group cannot fire until it receives new cartridges.
Broken flint. One member of the Group has a broken flint. To replace it, roll a die each turn until a "5" or "6" comes up.
Smoke. A cloud of smoke forms in front of the shooters, reducing visibility to 6". Firing through this cloud loses 1/3 of the dice. The smoke disperses on the third Smoke Break card turned up.
Fouled barrels. The Group's fire is made with a -1 modifier until it cleans its guns with water. For this the Group must withdraw from the fight.
Looting. 2 or 3 men (roll a die to determine which) who are within 12" of a building go off to loot. They immediately move into the building and remain there until a Hero comes into contact with them.
Fire. The building nearest to the firing unit (within 12" of the shooters or the target) catches fire. Smoke appears the next turn. Troops in the building must put out the fire within three turns or leave the building. To put out the fire a Water card is required.
Fear. One Hero with the target is struck by fear. He immediately runs to the rear, taking with him as many Men as he can command. In the next turn he must stay in place or continue to retreat.
Animal panic. Cattle frightened by the firing try to run off the battlefield. They move 2D6. Each turn roll the deviation die to determine the direction in which the animals run. Any Formation with which the animals come into contact becomes disordered. The animals stop when they are 9" or more from the people.
Bonus card. Draw one additional card immediately.

4.2. Random Events When Moving

The Hero trips over his sword and falls 1D6 inches forward.
Damned dog! - The Hero falls into something smelly. He cannot charm women until he has washed.
The Hero is knocked off his feet. Roll the deviation die and 1D6 to find out where he landed.
One of the soldiers is drunk and passes out.
The Hero's hat is shot through. It cost 10 gold pieces! Roll dice to determine where it landed - use 2D6 and the deviation die. The Hero must pick it up on the next turn, taking no other actions except ordering the Men to rescue the hat.
The Group needs water. All movement receives a -1 modifier until it obtains some.
A Hero with the Group has sprained his ankle and for the rest of the game receives -1 to the result of each movement die.
1D6-2 men are sure that there is a woman in the nearest house and decide to introduce themselves. They will remain in that house until a Hero comes into contact with them.
The Formation must spend its next turn dressing its ranks or reforming into another Formation. Does not affect single Groups.
Bonus card. Draw an additional card immediately.

4.3. The Bonus Deck

The Bonus deck differs from the Game deck and is made up of bonus cards that add colour to the game. Which cards go into the Bonus deck depends on the nationality and quality of the troops taking part in the game. All Bonus cards must be kept in a separate Bonus deck.

4.3.1. When a player gets a Bonus card result, he turns up the top card of the Bonus deck without showing it to his opponent. He then has three options:

He may play the card immediately. Cards that are needed at the moment, for example Water, may be played. Cards whose description contains such a requirement, for example "Curse", must also be played.
He may keep the card in his hand for later use. A player may hold no more than three cards in hand at one time.
He may discard it. If a player already has three cards in hand and wants to add another, he must discard one of those he has. Discarded cards are placed at the bottom of the Bonus deck.

4.3.2. Some cards, especially national characteristic cards, can be played by the player only later, when a Group or Formation will benefit from them. Other cards may be played in the opponent's turn, affecting enemy troops. Some cards relate to specific circumstances, for example Water or Ammunition, and may be played at any suitable moment in the game. In some cases it may be useful to keep the opponent's cards in your own hand.

4.3.3. If one side in the game is controlled by several players, the player whose Hero is currently activated may play any card at that side's disposal, regardless of the other player's objections.

4.3.4. Some players prefer each player on a side to have his own hand of Bonus cards. If this option is chosen, each player may hold no more than two Bonus cards in hand. If the Bonus deck runs out because all the cards are in players' hands, the player who is due to receive a Bonus card may draw one from any other player. The following cards may be included in the Bonus deck:

4.4. Bonus Cards

Card	Description	Total in Deck
Water	Used for fire-fighting, drinking, cleaning weapons or washing.	3
Stand Fast!	A Hero may remove 1D6 Shock points from a Group/Formation.	3
Ammunition	Resupply of ammunition.	3
Forced March	A Group/Formation on a road may make an additional move, if it is a column or a hidden unit.	2
The Trumpet Calls	A cavalry Group/Formation may charge with impetus.	1
Siesta	Heat! Cancels a card with additional movement.	2
Long live the Emperor!	The player of the smallest stature in the room gets a bonus move for his Hero.	1
Curse!

N.B. Include in the deck only events appropriate to the scenario. For example, in daytime do not use the card Dark as a Barrel.

V. Movement

There are two kinds of movement in the game: Hidden, for troops not yet spotted, and Ordinary, for troops already placed on the gaming table.

5.1. Hidden Movement

5.1.1. Hidden movement is carried out with special Hidden cards, 6" long and 4" wide. Such a card represents up to two Groups given the same task. If, for example, you have two Groups ordered to occupy and hold a church, they may begin the game on one Hidden card. However, if one of these Groups is ordered to occupy the church and the other the wood next to the church, the player must use two Hidden cards to reflect the different objectives and orders of these Groups.

5.1.2. All troops on one Hidden card act together until spotted by the enemy. Hidden cards have 3 Action Dice, which they may use to move, attempt to spot the enemy, or place their Groups on the table to fire, in any desired order. Hidden cards cannot be fired upon. Hidden troops are not affected by Random Events, but they must follow the movement rules for the terrain they pass through. Taking troops off a Hidden card is free.

5.1.3. Troops leaving a Hidden card must do so at the start of the turn, before any other actions are made with the Hidden card's Action Dice. If they leave the card in order to fire, they add the initiative of the most senior Hero who is with them.

5.1.4. Troops that end up on the gaming table because the enemy spotted them or because they chose to leave the Hidden card thereafter act on a Hero's Initiative or on the Smoke Break card.

5.1.5. It is important to bear in mind that any area of terrain that can conceal men is treated as a Hidden card. Thus soldiers in a church or partisans hiding in a ditch are not replaced by a Hidden card, since that terrain is itself hidden. The player must understand that the enemy may be lurking behind every bush.

5.1.6. In addition to Hidden cards a player may receive several Dummy cards to deceive the opponent. These cards move and spot the enemy like ordinary Hidden cards, but if they themselves are spotted they are removed from the table.

5.2. Movement

5.2.1. Ordinarily, each Action Die gives 1D6 of movement. At the start of a Group's turn the player must declare how many Action Dice he is spending on movement and may not change this number afterwards. The Group must move the full distance rolled on the dice, except when the Group is moving to some designated point, for example "up to the wall" or "to line up with the 3rd company".

FORMATION	EFFECT
Infantry column	+1 to each die
Infantry line	(blank in source)
Infantry skirmish line	+1 to each die. May retire quickly with 1 additional die
Cavalry at a walk	(blank in source)
Cavalry at a trot	+3 to each die
Cavalry at a gallop	+1 die and +3 to each die
Foot artillery limbered	Moves as cavalry at a walk. Every 3rd turn may move at a trot
Horse artillery limbered	Moves as cavalry at a walk or trot

5.2.2. Heroes move with the troops they are with, or separately at skirmish line speed, using two dice and adding +1 to each die if the Hero is on foot, or moving as cavalry if the Hero is mounted.

5.2.3. Shock points that a Group has received reduce its movement by 1" for each point. Formations roll the dice for movement speed only once, but move at the speed of the slowest Group composing them.

5.2.4. Cavalry that is standing, or that is halting, must move at a walk for one turn.

5.2.5. A cavalry Formation can move without any difficulty when moving at a walk or trot. A Formation that moves at a gallop for more than one turn in a row breaks up into individual Groups, which, starting from the second turn of galloping, move individually.

5.2.6. Unlimbering a gun takes one full turn and is done standing still. The gun must be placed within 4" of the team. After unlimbering, the gun must be loaded before it can fire.

5.2.7. Pack and draught animals. Horses, donkeys, mules and oxen may be used to carry packs or pull carts. They move 2D6 inches per turn if loaded. If donkeys, horses or mules are not carrying a load, they may be ridden, reducing speed by 1" per die when moving at a walk or increasing speed by 1" per die when moving at a gallop.

5.3. Terrain and Obstacles

5.3.1. Broken terrain may reduce movement speed by 1" or by 2" for each die rolled, depending on how broken it is.

For example, a Group of French infantry moving through a marsh spends 2 dice on movement. It rolls 6 and 1. Subtracting 2" from each result the player gets 4 and 0 (ignore negative results), and the Group moves 4".

5.3.2. When a Group or Formation meets a linear obstacle, such as a wall, hedge or fence, it may cross it by paying one or two Action Dice depending on its height. Naturally, some obstacles can be crossed only with ladders.

5.3.3. Cavalry Groups may cross small linear obstacles without any difficulty. In some cases a Formation may become disordered, or for large obstacles a Desperate Step and a die roll may be required. Cavalry Groups cannot move through very broken terrain and cannot keep Formation in it.

5.4. Movement Through Different Types of Terrain

Troops moving through two or more types of terrain are considered to be moving through the most broken of them.

5.5. Forming Up

5.5.1. Groups belonging to the same regiment that wish to form a Formation move as usual to their places in that Formation. When they are in the right place, the Hero must spend one Initiative to combine these Groups or to attach them to an existing Formation.

5.5.2. If a Formation becomes disordered, the procedure for combining Groups must be repeated.

5.6. Changing Facing and Formation

5.6.1. Groups may change facing for free in their turn. Formations reduce their movement by 1" when turning up to 90°, or by 2" when turning 180°.

5.6.2. When reforming or changing facing, the Formation does so at the speed of the slowest of the soldiers moving. Thus a Formation that is deploying into line moves at the speed of the soldier who is farthest from the point to which the troops are moving.

5.7. Passing Through Friendly Troops

Troops may pass through other Groups or Formations for free, but Formations then become disordered. However, a Formation may open its ranks in advance to let friendly troops pass through, and in that case does not become disordered. Such reforming requires spending 1 Action Die.

VI. Spotting

6.0.1. If a figure is on the gaming table, it is considered visible to all other figures. Spotting is therefore used only against Hidden troops.

6.0.2. Spotting may be attempted by a Group, a Hidden card or a sentry using an Action Die, or by a Hero using Initiative.

6.0.3. To make a Spotting attempt, roll 2D6 and look up the result in the Table. The roll may be modified if the player, before rolling the dice, decides to spend additional Action Dice of the unit or Hero's Initiative points. For each die/point added the result of the roll is increased by +1.

TARGET LOCATION / DISTANCE	0-9"	9-27"	27"+
In open terrain	Auto	Auto	5
Lightly concealed	6	(blank in source)	8
Concealed	7	(blank in source)	11
Heavily concealed	10	(blank in source)	14

+1 to the difficulty of spotting for:

Observer under fire
Stationary target
Smoke-covered target
Natives

-1 from the difficulty of spotting for:

Observer above the target
Each die of movement by the target in this turn
Each additional Observation die
Observer is a Hero
Target is mounted
Observer is a native
Target is a Formation

(The source's table lays these two lists out in two columns without pairing; the pairing of the individual entries to rows is not meaningful.)

6.1. Automatic Spotting

6.1.1. All Hidden cards that find themselves in open terrain within 9" of the enemy are spotted automatically, after which their figures are immediately placed on the gaming table. If a Hidden card is concealed, it may approach to within 6" of the enemy, after which its figures are placed on the gaming table on the Smoke Break card.

VII. Shooting

7.1. Who May Shoot

7.1.1. Any Group may fire in its turn by paying 1 Action Die. Infantry formed in line may fire only straight ahead of its front. Separate Groups and Light troops may fire in a 180° zone in front of their front. No more than 2 men may fire through each window or door of a building.

7.1.2. Friendly troops between the shooters and the target may interfere with fire; use common sense to determine this.

7.1.3. Heroes and musicians belonging to a Group or Formation do not fire; they perform command functions.

7.2. How to Shoot

7.2.1. A Group (Formations always fire as individual Groups) rolls 1D6 for each firing figure, using the following modifiers for class (rounding up):

TROOPS	MODIFIER
Elite	+1 die for every 4 shooters
Veterans	+1 die for every 5 shooters
Regulars	None
Recruits	-1 die for every 5 shooters

For artillery fire:

Falconet = 6 dice
Light gun = 10 dice
Heavy gun = 12 dice
Carronade = 18 dice

The number of dice is also modified according to the following list:

Condition	Modifier
Firing on a Hero's Initiative	+1D6 for each point of the Hero's status
For every 2 Shock markers on the shooters	-1D6
First volley	+2D6
Line firing	+1 to each die
Target is a line	+1 to each die
Column or Line fired on in the flank	+1D6 and +1 to each die
Target is a square	+2D6 and +1 to each die
Target behind light cover	-half the dice (rounding up)
Target behind heavy cover	-three quarters of the dice (rounding up)

To score a hit, a die must show a result not less than the number indicated:

Line troops

	0-9"	9-18"	18-27"	27-36"	36"+
Musket	5	6	-	-	-
Rifle	5	5	6	-	-
Minie rifle	5	5	6	6	-
Carbine	6	-	-	-	-

Light troops formed in line fire in the same way as line troops. If they are extended in skirmish line, they fire according to the table below:

Light troops in skirmish line

	0-12"	12-24"	24-36"	36-48"
Musket	4	5	-	-
Rifle	4	4	5	-
Minie rifle	4	4	5	6

Artillery pieces

	0-9"	9-18"	18-27"	27-36"	36"+
Falconet	4	5	6	-	-
Light gun	4	4	5	6	6
Heavy gun	3	4	5	5	6
Carronade	2	4	-	-	-

7.3. Hits

The player checks the effect of each hit by rolling a die.

Roll	Result
1-2	Miss
3-5	Shock
6	Death

Miss means that the shooter missed, but the enemy troops now know that they are being fired at.

Shock means a negative effect on the Group's morale. As Shock points accumulate the Group will move ever more slowly and shoot worse. In the end troops that have accumulated enough Shock points may fall back or flee.

Death means that one soldier is out of action. Many of the "dead" may in fact be wounded.

7.3.1. Hits on Formations

Casualties in the form of deaths or Shock points suffered by a Formation in this turn are distributed equally among the Groups of the line if the Groups forming the line are in the same range column, the first hit being inflicted on the nearest group. If the line includes groups in different range columns, casualties are distributed among the Groups in the nearest column.

7.4. Hits on Heroes

A Hero attached to a Group that has suffered killed casualties must roll 1D10 (or 1D6 if the fire was from a light infantry skirmish line). If the Hero rolls a number equal to or less than the number of Men of the Group killed by this fire, then the Hero takes the hit in place of one of the dead. However, this does not necessarily mean he is killed. Roll 1D6 to determine what happened to the Hero:

Die	Result
1-3	Light wound
4-5	Serious wound
6	Dulce et Decorum est pro Patria Mori

7.4.1. What Does This Mean?

A lightly wounded Hero reduces his Strength by one. For the rest of the game he may use only those Eye for Distance cards with a rating lower than his Status. If his physical condition falls below Weakling (as written in the source), he is considered seriously wounded.

A seriously wounded Hero takes no further part in the game, but his men may save him by carrying him from the field. A doctor can also help the seriously wounded and increases the Hero's chances of survival in a campaign. If a seriously wounded Hero receives another wound, he dies.

Dulce et Decorum est... He is dead. Replace him.

7.4.2. Replacing Heroes

The loss of Heroes, whether wounded or dead, has a significant effect on the troops' effectiveness. However, another may take the place of a killed Hero. This may happen by chance, but if the Hero put out of action was the last one in your force, the replacement happens automatically without a die roll.

Leave the fallen Hero's card in the deck, and the next time it is turned up, roll 1D6 against the table to determine whether this Hero will be replaced:

Quality of troops	Roll
Elite	3-6
Veterans	4-6
Regulars	5-6
Recruits	6

If the roll succeeds, you get a new Hero who has a rank and Status one step lower than the Hero he replaced. If the check fails, remove the card from the game.

7.5. Confusion

7.5.1. Troops that have many Shock points may fall into confusion and retire.

7.5.2. If an infantry group has more Shock points than men remaining, it can no longer advance and will quite possibly begin to fall back. On the Smoke Break card this Group, whatever it did in that turn, falls back 1" for each Shock point it has in excess of the number of soldiers in it if the Group is Elite, or 2" if the Group is Veterans, or 3" if the Group is Regular, 4" if the Group is Recruits. Such a Group may still fire.

7.5.3. If a cavalry group has more Shock points than men remaining, it must withdraw from the zone of enemy fire on the Smoke Break card. Before the withdrawn cavalry can take any aggressive action, it must reduce its Shock points to a number lower than the number of men remaining in it.

7.5.4. If a Group has been dealt twice as many Shock points as the number of men in it, the Group takes flight, moving on the Smoke Break card 12" regardless of the type of terrain. This Group cannot take any other actions. Any Hero in contact with the Group may attempt to rally it by removing Shock points.

7.5.5. Artillery crews that have a number of Shock points exceeding the number of men in them do not fall back until the number of Shock points exceeds the number of men twice over. At that moment the crew abandons the gun and runs to the nearest safe place, until the enemy is more than 18" from it.

7.5.6. Retiring troops stop if they have reached cover or are rallied by a Hero. Fleeing troops stop only if rallied by a Hero.

7.6. Fire on Riders

7.6.0.1. If a "death" result is scored when firing at a rider, roll a die to determine who is killed, the rider or his animal. On 1-3 the animal dies, and on 4-6 the rider dies. If the rider is killed, follow the usual rules, but if the animal is killed, roll a die on the following table:

DIE	RESULT
1-4	The animal is dead.
5	The animal ignores the wound.
6	Roll again: 1-3 - The animal is enraged and the rider loses control of it. In the next turn the animal moves at maximum speed in its current direction, avoiding contact with any obstacle in its path (living or not). 4-6 - The animal dies after moving 1D6+1 inches forward. The rider dismounts and rolls 1D6. 1-2 = he is pinned by the animal, 3 = thrown from the saddle 1D6 inches in a random direction, is knocked unconscious for the next turn but is unhurt, 4-5 = thrown from the saddle 1D6 inches in a random direction but is unhurt, 6 = thrown from the saddle 1D6 inches in a random direction but remains on his feet.

7.6.0.2. Dismounted Men simply pick up their saddles and head for the rear. Heroes may act at the player's discretion. It is not necessary to show this on the table if players do not have enough figures.

7.6.1. Mounted Heroes

Heroes may be skilled riders, ordinary riders or novices in the saddle. If a Hero is a skilled rider, he may add 1 to his die roll when falling from a horse; a novice, conversely, subtracts 1 from that roll.

7.7. Fire on Gunners

Reducing the number of men in a crew naturally reduces the effectiveness of the gun's fire. Guns are usually served by a crew of five figures. For every two gunners killed, the crew must spend one extra Action Die on loading the gun. For every two Shock points on the crew, the artillery fire is reduced by 1 die, except when firing at the shortest range.

7.8. Ambushes

7.8.1. Troops who by the scenario's conditions are in ambush may begin the game with one or two Ambush cards from the bonus deck, at the scenario designer's discretion.

7.8.2. A Group or Formation may make an attack from ambush only if it began the turn on a Hidden card. The player places them on the table and they fire or move into melee in that turn, using the Ambush card. If this card is played, the player may move his Hidden card 6" in any direction, after which he places his figures on the table and makes an attack from that spot.

7.8.3. Troops that have successfully made an attack from ambush using the Ambush card inflict double the number of Shock points with their fire in that turn.

7.9. Marksman

7.9.1. This Man is a member of a light infantry Group armed with rifles. If he is present, a Hero may call on him, paying a point of Initiative, to make an aimed shot (for example, to hit another Hero).

7.9.2. The Marksman has a higher chance of hitting the target. He rolls 1D6, not modifying it by any circumstances, but using in the firing table the column one step further than usual. For example, an ordinary rifleman firing at a range of 24" to 36" hits on a result of 5+. The Marksman has the same chance to hit at ranges from 36" to 48", ignoring cover. The other members of the Group can do nothing in this turn, as they watch their comrade's masterly shooting with admiration.

7.9.3. A Marksman who rolls a "1" on the die runs out of his special high-quality powder, and cannot make the shot described above for the rest of the game.

7.10. Quick Loading

Troops armed with rifles usually loaded them more slowly than smoothbore weapons, and also took longer to choose targets. However, they may load their weapons in a quick manner. This method damaged the rifling, but in an emergency could prove useful. When using quick loading, riflemen load and fire at the same speed as soldiers with muskets, but after that they are considered armed with ordinary muskets for the rest of the game.

7.11. Loading Guns

If not all shooters in a Group can see the target, they may load guns for their comrades. In that case any shooter who has a loader may fire, paying 1 Action Die less than usual.

7.12. Fire on Heroes

7.12.1. Naturally, a Hero may decide to move separately from any Group. In that case only Marksmen may fire at him, but the enemy may also try to take him prisoner.

7.12.2. To capture a Hero, a Group must come into contact with him. The Hero may fight them in melee, but if he loses, or the attackers' dice relate to the Hero's dice as 4 to 1, he is captured.

7.12.3. Another Hero may also challenge him to a duel, to defeat him in one-on-one combat.

VIII. Melee

8.1. Hand-to-Hand Combat

Melee occurs when a Group or Formation comes into contact with the enemy. Usually this happens when a Hero leads a charge, using his Initiative. However, it is quite possible that one Group simply runs into another, in which case initiative bonuses are not counted.

8.1.1. Melees are conducted as a series of fights between individual Groups, not whole Formations. All members of a Group take part in the fight, even if they are not in direct contact with the enemy. If the forces in a fight are unequal, the player with the numerical advantage chooses how to distribute the fights among the Groups.

8.1.2. Formations taking part in melees distribute all casualties equally among the Groups composing them.

8.1.3. Roll 1D6 for each participant in the fight, including Heroes and musicians, and modify the result according to the following factors:

+1D6 for each point of Status of the Hero who led the charge using his Initiative.
+1D6 for each point of fury added by a Hero's Initiative.
+1D6 for every 2 points of Status of other Heroes taking part in the fight (rounding down).
+2D6 to each Group for each level of quality superiority over the enemy.
-1D6 for each Shock point on the Group.
+2D6 for each aggressive Group.
+2D6 for each Group of grenadiers or guards.
-2D6 for each Group of weaklings.
+1D6 for each supporting rank in a column.
+33% for defending in light cover.
+66% for defending in heavy cover.
-50% for those attacked in the flank or rear.
-50% for those caught in an ambush.
+10% (rounding down) for lancers against non-lancers in the first round.
-10% (rounding up) for lancers against non-lancers in the second and following rounds.
-33% for infantry with unloaded guns repelling a cavalry charge.
+25% for cavalry charging with spirit.
+100% for cavalry charging unformed infantry on level ground.
-66% for cavalry charging a square that has made ready.
-33% for cavalry charging a square that has not made ready.
+50% for an infantry square against cavalry.
+25% for cavalry against a line.
+25% for cavalry against lighter cavalry.

8.1.4. If one side's number of dice exceeds the enemy's number of dice 4 times (3 times for recruits), then the side with fewer dice automatically retires, back to the enemy, 3D6 inches and receives 6 Shock points on each Group. If the troops are surrounded, they surrender. Otherwise both players roll dice: each result of "6" kills one enemy, and a "5" inflicts 1 Shock point on the enemy.

8.2. Melee Results

Compare the casualties of both sides in killed (not Shock points) and check the result on the list:

Draw: Fight again. The fight may continue for no more than three rounds, after which both sides fall back 2".
Difference 1: The losers fall back 6" (12" for riders) facing the enemy.
Difference 2: The losers fall back 9" (18" for riders) facing the enemy and receive 2 Shock points. In the next turn they may only fire.
Difference 3: The losers fall back 12" (24" for riders) facing the enemy and each of their Groups receives 2 Shock points. In the next turn they may only fire.
Difference 4+: The losers fall back 18" (24" for riders) facing the enemy and double the Shock points they received. If there is nowhere to retreat, the survivors surrender. The winner detaches guards at a rate of 1 to 5. In the next turn the losers can neither move nor fire.

Elite troops ignore defeats with a Difference of 1 and continue the fight. Losing recruits always increase the Difference by which they lost by one level, for example "Difference 2" becomes "Difference 3".

Troops attacked from ambush double the Shock points they receive in the first round of melee.

European troops never surrender to bashi-bazouks, since they know that they torture prisoners.

8.3. Cavalry Charges

8.3.1. A cavalry Group or Formation moving towards the enemy at a trot or gallop may, if it has not yet been activated in this turn, move on the Smoke Break card. In that case, however, the Formation becomes disordered and its Groups move separately.

8.3.2. Any infantry Group or Formation that loses a fight to cavalry with a Difference of 2 or more automatically flees 12". If the cavalry's killed casualties are at least half the infantry's, the cavalry remains under the player's control. Otherwise the cavalry begins to pursue the infantry, staying in contact with the fleeing men until it has killed them all, driven them off the playing area, or is intercepted by another enemy unit attacking it in melee. The fleeing men continue to flee at 12" per turn.

8.4. Melee in Buildings and on Ships

8.4.1. Buildings and large multi-deck ships must be captured floor by floor. Any troops on the attacked floor may take part in the melee. If they are beaten, they may, if the building allows, fall back to the next floor. However, no more than three men per turn may retire by a gangway or ladder if the building has no wide permanent staircase. If retreat is impossible, the losers surrender, and Heroes may try to escape by taking a desperate step, if they have access to windows etc.

8.4.2. Troops defending a floor of a building against an enemy attacking from the floor below or above are considered to be in light cover if the enemy attacks by a wide staircase, or in heavy cover if the enemy attacks by a ladder or narrow staircase.

8.5. Attack by Ladders

8.5.1. Ladders may be used to break into a building, to pass from floor to floor or to cross an obstacle. A Group storming a wall with a ladder spends 1 Action Die to place the ladder. Climbing the ladder takes a whole turn, during which the soldiers on it can neither fire nor spot the enemy. Up to three men may climb a ladder in one turn, and the first of them may attack the enemy above in melee. If a Group on a ladder is defeated, casualties are inflicted on it starting from the top of the ladder.

8.5.2. If the attacker uses several ladders, the player may combine all the soldiers at their tops and within 6" of one another for one melee attack. There is no limit on how many of the defender's soldiers may take part in the fight, so long as they can physically engage the enemy.

8.5.3. Descending ladders is done at a rate of 1 Action Die per floor. No more than three men may descend a ladder in one turn.

8.6. To Arms!

8.6.1. During a melee a gentleman may challenge another gentleman to a duel if their social status is the same. All officers are considered gentlemen, regardless of origin. Civilians are considered gentlemen only if they were born so. A duel is always fought with cold steel.

8.6.2. To begin a duel, a Hero must challenge his opponent. The opponent may decline the challenge, but in that case his Status is lowered by one level until the end of the game or campaign.

8.6.3. The duel is held immediately and may last up to 4 rounds, after which the opponents separate to rest. The duel may resume on the next card of one of its participants, or be broken off if one of the duellists decides to run away. The runaway loses one level of Status until the end of the game or campaign.

8.6.4. For each level of the Hero's Strength roll 1D6. Add 1D6 if the Hero is a Skilled Fencer, or subtract 1D6 if the Hero is a Bruiser. Compare the results. Each "6" reduces the opponent's Strength by 1. When his Strength is reduced to one, the gentleman may admit defeat and surrender his sword, becoming a prisoner. A Hero whose Strength has fallen to 0 dies.

8.6.5. The Status of a Hero who wins a duel is immediately raised by one level (maximum 4).

8.6.6. Cads and scoundrels can, without any pangs of conscience, challenge an opponent to a duel and then order henchmen to seize him. In that case the henchmen enter a round of ordinary melee and capture the opponent if they win the fight or score four times as many dice as the Hero. Noble, chivalrous or pious Heroes would usually not commit such an act, but a hypocrite will usually find a justification for his actions.

8.6.7. Sometimes a gentleman has no choice but to fight a duel with a low-born opponent. In that case, naturally, neither side is obliged to adhere to the rules of noble conduct.

8.6.8. If the fight is between a gentleman and a low-born fighter, the noble Hero fights with dice for his Strength and fencing skill, while the commoner receives only one die if he is not also a Hero, in which case his Strength is considered to be 2 unless the scenario rules say otherwise.

IX. Tasks

9.1. Carrying Out Tasks

9.1.1. Each time a Group or Hero attempts a Task, they roll 2D6. The sum is recorded and, when the cumulative total reaches the number needed to carry out the Task, it is considered completed. A Hero or Group cannot begin a new Task without completing or abandoning the old one.

Plant a mine: 11
Douse with flammable liquid and set alight: 10
Set alight without flammable liquid: 26
Set a beacon: 18
Crack a safe: 30
Pick a lock: 10
Open a window: 6
Open a window quietly: 12
Take a corset off a lady: 7
Take a corset off oneself: 10
Break down a small door: 8 (+1 for each man over 3 in the Group)
Break down a large door: 12 (+1 for each man over 5 in the Group)
Break down a huge door: 24 (+1 for each man over 8 in the Group)

Naturally, this is only an indication; the scenario designer may set any difficulty for these or other tasks.

9.1.2. Some Tasks must be completed with a single roll of the dice, and for them the sum is not recorded. For example, to lift a gun barrel off a comrade's legs, a soldier must roll "11" or "12" on 2D6 in one throw or try again in the next turn, not counting the previous roll. Another example is an attempt to pick something out of someone's pocket.

9.2. Carrying Heavy Loads

As a rule, a soldier carrying a large load moves subtracting 2" from the result of each die. If two soldiers carry the load, they each subtract 1" from each die result.

9.3. Silent Death

Both Heroes and ordinary Men may attempt to carry out a Task silently, in which case their officer must spend a point of Initiative to give them the appropriate order. The following skills help in carrying out Tasks silently:

Silent Death. The character may act within 9" of the Group or Hidden card, sneak up on a target unnoticed and finish it off with a knife. Roll 2D6 on the table below.
Cosh. The same as above, but instead of killing, the character knocks the enemy out. Roll 2D6 on the table below.

Silent actions

Day	Night	Result
2-6	2-4	Spotted. Alarm raised. Takes 1 hit if the target is armed.
6-7	5-6	Task completed, but the alarm is raised.
8-12	7-12	Task completed silently.

Add +1 if the target is half asleep from the Siesta card.

Burglar. Cracks safes and locks. Reduces the total needed to complete a Task by his skill level (to determine the level, roll 1D6+4).
Pickpocket. Increases the chances of picking something out of someone's pocket. To do this, roll 2D6 once and look up the result in the table.

Pickpocket	Ordinary fellow	Result
2-4	2-5	Damn! I was nearly caught! Try again next turn.
5	6-8	Let me go, mister! Caught by a target with an iron grip.
6-12	9-12	Got it! Pockets cleaned out.

Add +1 if the target is half asleep from the Siesta card.

X. Desperate Step

10.0.1. It is impossible to foresee all the situations in which a Hero will want, or have, to do some desperate deed. Below is a table of the probability of success, depending on the difficulty of the deed, on a roll of 1D6.

CHANCES	ROLL
Good chances	2-6
Fair chances	3-6
Even chances	4-6
Poor chances	5-6
Slim chances	6

10.1. Falls

A Hero who falls may get to his feet as if nothing had happened, or may break his neck. Use the tables below to determine what happened to the Hero.

Falls onto a hard surface:

HEIGHT	HARD SURFACE	SOFT SURFACE
First floor	1D6	Unhurt
Second floor	2D6	1D6
Third floor	4D6	2D6
Fourth floor	6D6	4D6
5th floor+	Dead	6D6

ROLL RESULT	DAMAGE
1-2	None
3-4	Light wound
5	Serious wound
6	Killed by the fall

10.1.1. Falls into water do no harm if the body of water is deep enough. Shallow bodies of water, such as streams, may be considered a soft or hard surface, depending on the scenario's conditions.

XI. Affairs of the Heart

11.1. The ladies of literary works seem to divide into two categories: those who merely represent a "love interest" for the hero, and those powerful women who may threaten him. A Hero may use his attractive appearance, charm and, God forbid, money to use these ladies for his own ends. With the former it may be simply amusement, while with the latter a single smile may save his life.

11.2. In any case, his success will depend on several circumstances, first of all his appearance. How they show their interest will undoubtedly be determined by the scenario and the moral character of the lady. Suffice it to say that a lady will not kill, or let be killed, a Hero in whom she has become interested. Roll 2D6 and modify the roll to determine whether the lady has become interested:

Hero is an ugly lunatic: -4
Hero's face resembles the back end of a pig: -2
Hero is unattractive: -1
Hero has a handsome face: +1
Hero is devilishly good-looking: +3
Hero is charismatic: +1
Hero is a giant or very strong: +1
Lady is happily married/engaged: -2
Lady is not at all a "lady": +3
Hero is rich: +2
Hero is VERY rich: +4

ROLL	RESULT
2-3	You loathsome toad! - You disgust her
4-6	Certainly not! - She hates you
7-8	No - Damn your impudence
9-10	Hmm... - At least she did not kill you
11	Perhaps! This lady is surely interested
12	Wow! Perhaps you should retire to a more secluded corner...

XII. Ahoy, Sailor!

12.1. As a rule, sailors, marines and pirates move, fight and spot the enemy in exactly the same way as their land comrades. Marines may be considered analogous to light infantrymen, since they are often required to act relying only on their own initiative. However, unlike sailors, they may use Formations.

12.1.1. Boats

There are two kinds of boats in the game: small and large. The former can hold a small number of men, some of whom must row to make the boat move. A small boat cannot carry guns, must have from 2 to 6 rowers and in addition to them carries 4 more men. Very small boats may be operated by 2 rowers and carry 2 passengers. The Strength of small boats is 8.

Large boats can carry up to 2 groups: one of 12 rowers who move the boat, and one of 12 passengers. In addition, the boat may carry 2 more Heroes. Large boats may be armed with a gun (usually a six-pounder or lighter, a light gun, usually an eighteen-pounder, a carronade or a falconet). The Strength of large boats is 12.

12.1.2. Boat Movement

Boats moving by human effort may move 3D6 inches if they have a full complement of rowers. If they move with the tide or current, they add +2 to each movement die. If they move against the tide or current, they subtract -1 from each movement die. If they move across the tide, they are carried 1" in the corresponding direction on each Smoke Break card. If they move across the current of a fast river, they are carried 2" in the corresponding direction on each Smoke Break card.

To climb out of a boat sailors must spend 1 Action Die, and landlubbers such as soldiers 2 dice.

Oars may be wrapped in cloth to reduce noise, but this reduces speed by 1 die per turn.

Sailing vessels are not covered by these rules.

12.1.3. Spotting the Enemy

By day boats are very easy to spot, while at night, conversely, they are very hard to spot. In both cases the boats begin the game as Hidden cards. Good-quality sailors receive one Dummy card for every three boats, while bad sailors receive just one such card for all their boats. These Dummies move like normal Hidden cards, but are removed from the game if spotted.

12.1.4. Firing at Boats

12.1.4.1. Infantry firing at boats hit the crew, and boats are considered light cover.

12.1.4.2. Artillery firing at boats fires as usual, but hits the target only if it rolls more "6"s than "1"s; otherwise the shot hits the water. If the shot hit a boat, casualties are calculated as usual, and in addition 1D6 is rolled to determine the damage done to the boat. The result is subtracted from the boat's Strength. If the boat's Strength falls to zero, it sinks.

12.1.4.3. It should be noted that since guns will often be higher than boats, there must be a dead zone, on entering which a boat can no longer be fired upon. This must be specified in the scenario rules.

12.1.5. Firing From Boats

Men in boats fire at 1/2 normal effectiveness. Simply halve the number of firing dice. Guns are less accurate when firing from boats and hit the target only if they roll more "6"s than "1"s on the firing dice. Reloading a gun on a boat takes three full turns.

12.1.6. Repairing Boats

A Hero in a damaged boat may spend his Initiative points on organising its repair. For each point spent he may roll 1D6, restoring 1 point of damage for each result of "5" or "6" rolled.

12.1.7. Collisions and Sinking

If a boat runs into an obstacle in the water (such as a rock or breakwater), the obstacle inflicts 1D6 damage on the boat each time the boat ends its move on it when the Smoke Break card is turned up. If the boat's Strength is reduced to 0, all passengers and crew drown unless rescued within 3 turns. Heroes may try to save themselves with a Desperate Step.

12.1.8. Sailors in Melee

Sailors use the most varied weapons: pistols, axes, muskets, boarding sabres, half-pikes etc. In melee, sailors armed in this way receive a bonus, having 3 dice for every two men taking part in the fight (rounding up), before other modifiers are applied. If they win, the enemy's reaction is 1 level worse than usual. For example, "Difference 2" becomes "Difference 3".

12.1.9. Grapnels

The player trying to hook his vessel to an enemy one, and the defending player, each roll 2D6 and modify the result:

Larger vessel: +2
Higher-quality crew: +1

The results are compared, and the player with the higher total decides whether the attempt to grapple the vessel succeeded. If the totals are equal, the attempt is automatically considered to have failed, regardless of the players' wishes.

XIII. Bashi-Bazouks

13.0.1. The term bashi-bazouks denotes representatives of warlike eastern peoples. They act in groups of up to 12 men or, if combined by a Hero, in Mobs.

13.0.2. The number of Groups in a Mob is limited by the status of the Hero commanding it; so a second-level Hero may combine two Groups into a Mob, a third-level Hero three, and so on.

13.0.3. Mobs cannot be controlled by musical instruments.

13.0.4. Often bashi-bazouks have no firearms, or only primitive specimens. In that case they throw stones, furniture, kettles and whatever comes to hand, up to a range of 9". This weapon hits on a roll of "6" on a D6.

13.0.5. Bashi-bazouks prefer melee, in which they fight with a bonus for aggressiveness. Some bashi-bazouks may have native weapons (see the corresponding section).

13.0.6. If the Hero commanding bashi-bazouks is killed, the bashi-bazouks remain in the game for that turn and for a full next turn in the hope that a new Hero will appear. If no Hero has appeared, they run off to the nearest bazaar. If the arriving Hero has a status lower than is needed to command a Mob of that size, the surplus bashi-bazouks are removed from the game.

13.0.7. Bashi-bazouks are never gentlemen.

13.1. Native Weapons

Some bashi-bazouks may have unusual native weapons. Warriors armed in this way act either in separate teams or as "Marksmen" whom a Hero may call out of the ranks to carry out a task connected with their speciality.

Jezail: a long-range gun. The shooter rolls 1 die, using the characteristics of the Minie rifle. Light cover is ignored, and for heavy cover subtract -1 from the die roll.

Bows and arrows: Bows are used by teams of no more than 4 men. They fire once for each Action Die spent, using the characteristics of muskets. For each hit scored, roll a die on the following table.

Roll	Result
1-3	Miss
4-5	Shock point
6	Death

Blowpipes: They fire darts, which may often be poisoned. They may be used by a man known for his skill as a marksman who is part of a bashi-bazouk group. A Hero may call him out, paying 1 point of Initiative, to display his art. Blowpipes fire to a range of 12" and hit on a result of "4" to "6". Men hit by poisoned darts roll on the damage table with a +1 modifier. Heroes struck by such a dart do the same on their own table.

Cold steel: Scimitars, halberds, clubs etc. cannot fire but are well suited to close combat. Groups armed with them receive 1 additional die for every 3 (rounding up) warriors fighting in them, before other modifiers are applied.

XIV. The Honest Indian

There are two varieties of Indians in the game: the War Party and the Hunting Party.

14.1. War Party

A War Party consists of one or more Groups of Indians who have set out to count coup and deal with the enemy. A War Party receives 3 Action Dice per Group. A War Party may set an Ambush, and the player begins the game with one Ambush card from the bonus deck in hand. A War Party does not begin looting until the end of the battle.

14.2. Hunting Party

A Hunting Party represents allies of the whites acting in their interests, or a Group that wishes to plunder rather than fight. These Indians receive 2 Action Dice per Group, but add one extra die if they have achieved their objectives and are heading home or are under the influence of the Bad Medicine card. A Hunting Party may set ambushes only against smaller enemy forces. A Hunting Party is very prone to looting.

14.3. Indian Movement

Indians always add 1 point to the result of each movement die.

14.4. Indian Bonus Cards

If Indians take part in the game, add the following cards to the Bonus deck:

Bad Medicine: Add 1 card to the Bonus deck. When the Indian player draws this card or his opponent plays it, an Indian Group most of whose warriors have been killed must retreat from the battle in its next moves. It can stop only if the chief of its tribe, deserving of respect, comes into contact with it.

Camouflage: Add 3 cards to the Bonus deck. When played, one Indian Group that is out of the enemy's sight may become a Hidden card. Two Hidden cards are used, the real one and a Dummy.

War Cry: Add 2 cards to the Bonus deck. When this card is played, one enemy Group within 18" of an Indian Group receives 1D6 wounds.

14.5. Restrictions

Indians cannot use formations. Indians fired upon by artillery receive double the number of Shock points. Indians are very prone to looting.

XV. Creating Heroes

Status

To begin with, roll a die to determine the Hero's Status.

RANK	1D6	STATUS
Major or higher	1, 2, 3	Big Man
	4, 5, 6	Hero of the Day
Captain	1, 2, 3	Good Fellow
	4, 5	Big Man
	6	Hero of the Day
Lieutenant	1, 2, 3	Greenhorn
	4, 5	Good Fellow
	6	Big Man
Non-commissioned officer

(The source lists each rank's rolls and Statuses as stacked lines in one cell; the pairing above follows the order of the lines.)

Physical Condition

1D6	STRENGTH	DESCRIPTION
1	3	Weakling
2, 3	4	Ordinary man
4, 5	5	Sturdy fellow
6	6	Giant

Appearance

2D6	APPEARANCE
2	Pretty boy - does he use cosmetics?
3, 4	Devilishly good-looking
5, 6	Handsome face
7	Ordinary fellow
8, 9	Unattractive
10, 11	Face resembles the back end of a pig
12	Ugly lunatic - his mother sold him to a circus

Popularity

1D6	RESULT
1	Despised by all. No decent person will help him.
2	Disliked, but if he helps someone at risk to himself, he may get help in return.
3	A harmless creature. People will help him if it does not involve great risk.
4-5	A popular fellow. People will help him even in fairly dangerous situations.
6	Everyone's favourite. People are ready to risk their lives to help him.

Origin and Upbringing

2D6	RESULT
2	Orphan from a workhouse, a private who rose through the ranks. No money, no connections, avoids visits to the officers' club since he cannot use cutlery.
3-4	New money. Son of a factory owner. Rich as Croesus, but has neither connections nor breeding. A gentleman only thanks to the uniform.
5-6	Nabob. A fortune not older than a hundred years, gained from the slave trade. Receives a not very large allowance from his father.
7-8	Born on an estate. Old money. His family came with William the Conqueror, has connections in the Horse Guards or the Admiralty. 33% chance of great wealth, 33% chance of great poverty.
9-10	A general's son, and grandson. Serious connections in the Horse Guards or the Admiralty, but not too much money, though enough for a comfortable life.
11-12	A distant relative of the king. Twenty-something in line to the throne. Enormous connections, shovels in money.

Fencing

Only gentlemen have fencing training.

1D6	SKILL
1	Bruiser
2-5	Trained
6	Skilled Fencer

Horsemanship

Cavalrymen add +2 to the roll.

1D6	SKILL
1	Novice in the saddle
2-5	Ordinary rider
6	Skilled rider

Personality Type

2D6	PERSONALITY TYPE	VIRTUES	VICES
12	Cad	33% chance of 1	Lecherous + 1 more
11	Scoundrel	33% chance of 1	2
10	Noble	1	None
9	Man of honour	1	1
8	Man of honour	1	None
7	Man of honour	None	None
6

(Reproduced as it appears in the Russian source. The descriptions below also name a "Pious" type, which does not appear in the table as translated.)

Descriptions of Personality Types

Cad: May accept the sword of a defeated enemy, unless it is a matter of Affairs of the Heart. May defend his honour and country if it is to his advantage. Defends a lady's honour only if he intends afterwards to deprive her of it himself. Tries to seduce all women regardless of their social standing.

Scoundrel: A scoundrel has no honour. He will never accept the sword of a defeated enemy. He may defend his honour, or the honour of a lady and his country, if it is to his advantage.

Noble: Always accepts the sword of a defeated enemy. Always defends his country and honour, and the honour of any woman regardless of her social standing.

Man of honour: Usually free of faults. If he has any, they are as yet unknown to his comrades. He always accepts the sword of a defeated enemy, defends his country and his honour and that of any lady... unless this contradicts his hidden vice.

Pious: Always accepts the sword of a defeated enemy, unless he is a godless heathen. Always defends his honour and country, and the honour of any lady.

Hypocrite: Accepts the sword of a defeated enemy, unless he is a godless heathen or a terrible sinner. In public always defends his country, his honour and the honour of any lady, but in private life his vice makes him act differently.

Vices

For each vice roll 1D6 to choose one of six options.

Lecherous: A lecherous animal who will try to satisfy his carnal desires at every opportunity. Roll 2D6, adding +1 if the Hero is a naval officer.

2D6	PREFERENCES
2-9	Ladies' man
10-11	Prefers male company
12+	Never leave him unattended in a farmyard

Miser: Constantly seeks to increase his wealth. He should not be trusted with money and will readily sacrifice honour for gain.

Glutton: Who ate all the pies? This man will leave his post for a steak and a pudding. He receives a -1 modifier to all rolls for Desperate Steps and +1 to damage rolls for falls.

Envious: His envy may lead to his downfall. Or theirs! In every game he will envy at least one fellow-countryman Hero. Which one is determined by the scenario or by random choice. He will not sacrifice his honour for it, but if both face a terrible end, so much the better.

Proud: This man will let no one give orders to the men he commands. His men cannot use another Hero's Initiative.

Drunkard: Too fond of drink and therefore his actions are not always rational. In a duel he fights with one die fewer than usual. If lightly wounded, he immediately falls asleep and can be woken only by a senior officer of his army. In fall tests he receives a -1 modifier.

Virtues

For each virtue roll 1D6 to choose one of six options.

Charismatic: This fellow is liked by both sexes. He is a born leader and a witty storyteller. During the game he may use Eye for Distance cards of any level.

Bravest of the Brave: Has the heart of a lion and never flinches in the face of danger. The men in the Group in which he is personally present will not waver until they receive a number of Shock points twice the number of men in the Group. He receives +1 to rolls for Desperate Steps.

Polyglot: Has a gift for foreign languages. Speaks many European languages and is able to communicate with bashi-bazouks.

Athlete: Strong and agile (sometimes despite appearances). +1 to rolls for Desperate Steps in general and +2 to actions requiring strength and agility.

Paper Soul: Incredible ability with words and numbers. His abilities are invaluable for reconnaissance, engineering work and other fields connected with mental activity.

Child of Nature: This fellow loves outdoor pursuits. He is happy to hunt with greyhounds (if a gentleman) or to watch God's creatures and shoot them. He has an excellent eye for distance and receives +1 to spotting the enemy. He is always considered a skilled rider and knows all about setting traps and tracking.

XVI. Optional Rules

16.1. Incredible Luck

The luck of some of the most famous Heroes is represented by an "Incredible Luck" card, which the player holds in hand and may play once per game, after which he puts it at the bottom of the bonus deck. This card is played only if the Hero is killed, to resurrect him immediately - the bullet lodged in a Bible or glanced off a pocket watch.

16.2. Absurd Weapons

In the pages of novels we often meet, to put it mildly, absurd examples of weaponry. Such, for example, is Nock's seven-barrelled Volley Gun, which, rejected by the Royal Navy because its recoil broke the shooters' shoulders, nevertheless made its way into the world of literary heroes. Blunderbusses and shotguns, usually used by civilians, are more ordinary examples of such weapons.

Nock's Volley Gun

To use this weapon the shooter must be at least a sturdy fellow. This weapon takes very long to load; loading each barrel costs 1 Action Die (although a partially loaded weapon may be fired). When firing, the result is determined for each barrel separately, as if each barrel were a musket in the hands of a line infantryman.

For example, a sergeant firing a Nock with seven loaded barrels rolls seven dice, hitting on a "5" or "6" at ranges up to 9" and on a "6" at ranges from 9" to 18".

Blunderbuss

A blunderbuss shot covers a wide area at once. The shooter must choose an aiming point 9" from himself and roll 2D6. On a result of "2" to "5" the aiming point shifts 2" to the left, on "6" to "8" it stays where it was, on "9" to "12" it shifts 2" to the right. After that the shot forms a cone of damage 9" long and 4" wide at the point farthest from the weapon (2" to right and left of the aiming point). All figures within the cone of damage receive one hit each, and check the results of the hits with a -1 modifier to the die.

Shotguns and Hunting Guns

This ordinary weapon of peasants or hunters is considered an ordinary musket with a maximum range of 12". A gentleman receives +1 to the die when firing.

Rockets

There are three varieties of rockets: Heavy, Standard and Light. Heavy ones include Congreve rockets and the like, while light and standard ones represent rockets used in China and India.

Rockets are launched from stands, requiring 1 turn to set up and another turn to load. Light rockets are effective at ranges up to 36", while Heavy and Standard ones may be used at distances up to 60".

When launching a rocket, the player first declares its target. He then rolls 1D6 for every 12" the rocket must fly, applying the result after the rocket has covered each such stretch of distance, unless a "4" is rolled, in which case the distance to the burst point is measured either from the shooter, if it was the first stretch of distance covered by the rocket, or from the point where the last previous twelve-inch stretch of the rocket's flight ended.

1D6	RESULT
1	The rocket turns 90° to the left
2	The rocket veers 6" to the left
3	The rocket continues towards the target
4	The rocket moves 1D10+2" and explodes
5	The rocket veers 6" to the right
6	The rocket turns 90° to the right

The rocket continues to fly until it explodes or ends its flight at maximum range, exploding.

The blast radius of a Heavy rocket is 4", of a Standard one 3" and of a Light one 2". For a Heavy rocket roll 12 dice, for a Standard one 8 dice, and for a Light one 6 dice. Hits occur on a "4", "5" or "6", and Shock points are doubled, while Formations become disordered.

16.3. Foreigners

If you need to create a villainous Hero, use the following generation system.

Origin and Upbringing

Villains have no upbringing and not even the rudiments of morality.

Personal Qualities

2D6	Personal qualities	Skills	Vices
12	Noble	1	None
11	Man of honour	1	None
10	Man of honour	1	1
9	Scoundrel	1	2
8	Scoundrel	1	2
7	Cad	None	Lecherous + 2 others
6	Cad

(Personality types are given here in the same naming as the earlier table, as rendered from the Russian: "Каналья" = Scoundrel and "Подлец" = Cad, following that table's pairing.)

Vices

Villains openly display their vices and indulge them with all possible zeal. The exception is a Hypocrite Hero, who hides his faults.

16.4. Looting

16.4.1. Any troops are subject to the temptation to loot if the opportunity presents itself. Regular troops in ordinary circumstances will not loot until the end of hostilities. However, if the enemy is retreating, they may well begin to collect abandoned things. Gentlemen do not loot openly, but even they may "liberate" valuable items if these come to hand.

16.4.2. A Group that loots immediately receives 1D6 Shock points, reflecting the disorder that seizes it, which the officers and NCOs must put a stop to.

16.4.3. Groups of irregular troops such as bashi-bazouks and Indians receive 2D6 Shock points if they loot an object that is their main objective in the game. For example, a mob of bashi-bazouks bursting into the mission building in Lootistan after the retreating British will receive 2D6 Shock points, since capturing the mission is their main objective in the game. If the bashi-bazouks simply happen to stumble upon a chest of money that is not their main objective, they receive only 1D6 Shock points.

16.5. Night Fighting

16.5.1. To reflect the conditions of night fighting we suggest making spotting much harder at ranges up to 18" and forbidding spotting altogether at greater ranges unless the target is lit by something.

16.5.2. A great variety of things can be used for illumination, from small lanterns to burning houses. A lantern lights the area within a 4" radius, and a large bonfire lights everything within a 12" radius. Troops moving through an illuminated area are spotted automatically, while stationary troops are spotted under the normal rules with an additional -1 modifier to the die roll.

16.5.3. Troops firing at night are immediately placed on the gaming table.

16.5.4. Two "Dark as a Barrel" cards are added to the bonus deck.

16.5.5. When firing at the enemy at night, reduce the number of dice rolled by 1/3 after all other factors have been taken into account.

XVII. Creating an Army

For a full game you need to balance your troops so that the battle is not dominated by powerful high-status Heroes. To achieve this balance, use the table below for creating an army of 1 to 6 Groups.

Type of troops	Number of Groups	Level of 1st Hero	Level of 2nd Hero	Level of 3rd Hero	Level of 4th Hero	Level of 5th Hero	Level of 6th Hero	Eye for Distance cards
Elite	1	3 or 4	-	-	-	-	-	1
	2	3 or 4	2 or 3	-	-	-	-	1
	3	3 or 4	2 or 3

17.1. Eye for Distance Cards

As you have seen, the number of Eye for Distance cards in the deck depends on the quality of the troops. The deck must contain one such card corresponding to the lowest Hero level in the army. A second such card must correspond to the level of the most senior Hero in the army, or of the second most senior Hero in elite troops or veterans. After that you may add cards for the other levels.

17.2. Larger Armies?

You can, of course, field an army larger than 6 Groups. Indeed, we see no reason why, if space allows, you should not double that number. In that case we recommend always attaching a musician to your commander-in-chief so that he can control such a large force. Increase the number of Heroes proportionally.

Worked Example of Play

Sequence of Play

One of the players shuffles the cards for a new turn. First to be turned up is the British Level 2 Eye for Distance card. It is set aside and may be used later by any British Hero of Status 2 or higher.

The next card is Sergeant Nobby Clark, who, having Status 1, cannot use an Eye for Distance card and so can activate a Group only with his Initiative of 1. The Group fires at the French in a barn, using its first Action Die, and reloads its muskets, spending the second Action Die.

Next to be turned up is the card of Captain Roger Boyes, Royal Navy. Boyes's Status is 3, so he gets 3 points of Initiative. He can, however, use the Eye for Distance card that is in play, which raises his Initiative to 4. He orders the two Groups nearest him to attack the French in the barn and adds 2 points of fury, spending his remaining 2 points of Initiative. The British enter close combat and drive the Crapauds out of the barn, inflicting terrible casualties on them.

The next card is Smoke Break. This means that all units not yet activated in this turn can be activated now. Two Groups of French in the orchard fire at Sergeant Clark's Group. The turn ends and the cards are shuffled for a new turn.

Heroes

Captain Hugh Jars wants to combine 5 Groups of British soldiers into a Formation so that they act together and get the bonus for massed line fire. In the previous turn he and several other Heroes moved these Groups so that they formed a line. In this turn he uses 3 of his Initiative points (his Status is 3) to combine 3 Groups, and Lieutenant Combs uses 2 of his Initiative points to add the remaining 2 Groups to the Formation.

In the next turn Captain Jars, as the senior officer present, will command the Formation. However, having only 3 points of Initiative, he cannot command such a large unit. Fortunately a drummer is with him who, using one point of Jars's Initiative, can give an order that is on the list of drum signals. Jars chooses the signal Advance and the whole Formation rolls 2 Action Dice and moves as a single whole.

While this Formation is maintained, Lieutenant Combs and all the other Heroes attached to it may use their Initiative only to remove Shock points from the Formation.

Disordering a Formation

Jars's Formation meets a French line and engages it in a firefight. The French first volley kills several of Jars's soldiers and inflicts 6 Shock points on his Formation. Casualties are distributed equally, so four Groups receive 1 Shock point each, and the fifth Group receives 2 Shock points. Until the Shock points are removed by Heroes, the Formation's speed is reduced by 2", that is, it moves at the speed of the slowest Group.

The firefight continues and Jars's Groups are reduced to 7 men each. The second Group from the right ends the turn with 8 Shock points, which means it is broken and must fall back on the Smoke Break card. Since this Group consists of veterans, it falls back just 2", but that is enough to disorder the Formation. The three Groups on the left will remain in the Formation, while the Group that fell back and the isolated Group on the far right will act as separate units.

Of course they can be rallied and attached to the Formation again, but for this the Heroes' Initiative must be used. Since the Formation was disordered, Lieutenant Combs or other Heroes may move to rally these Groups and attach them to the line, but while they do this they cannot exert any influence on the Formation.

Movement

Sergeant Petain commands a Group of 10 voltigeurs. When his card is turned up, he decides to move the voltigeurs across a ploughed field by a wall behind which they can take cover to fire at the British line. He uses his Initiative to activate the Group. The Group uses 2 Action Dice for movement and gets rolls of "3" and "5". The Group consists of skirmishers and may add +1 to the result of each die, which gives a total of 10", but a ploughed field is broken terrain and crossing it costs -1 from the result of each die, reducing the movement distance to 8". In addition, the voltigeurs have 1 Shock point received earlier from enemy fire, and their total movement is reduced to 7".

Spotting the Enemy

Alferez Salazar commands two Groups of Cazadores in an olive grove near a Spanish village. His men have taken cover behind a half-ruined stone wall. Meanwhile, in the village, Lieutenant Chirac (intending, as usual, to enslave Europe) looks out of a top-floor window of the tavern. He is sure he has seen movement in the olive grove, which is 23" from him, and is about to use his Initiative to spot the enemy. Normally the enemy would be considered to be in light cover and a roll of "7+" on 2D6 would be needed to spot them, but Salazar's soldiers are using a Formation and are easier to spot, lowering the roll needed to "6+". In addition, Chirac, whose Status is 2, uses both of his Initiative points for spotting, which gives him a +1 roll modifier, and he is also on high ground, which gives another +1 modifier. So he needs to roll "4+" on 2D6. He spots Salazar and his soldiers, but unfortunately has spent all his Initiative and cannot activate a Group to fire. To fire they will have to wait until another Hero activates them or until the Smoke Break card is turned up.

Shooting

A Group of 8 Prussian infantrymen under Feldwebel Helmut Raske moves across open ground, intending to attack a Group of 10 French line infantrymen. The French, naturally, do not like this idea and decide to open fire in the hope of forcing the Prussians to retreat. 10 men fire, which gives 10 dice; these soldiers are veterans, so they get 1 extra die for every five shooters, giving a total of 12 dice. This is not their first volley, but they act on the initiative of Corporal Mitterand, who has Status 1, which gives them one more die. Total 13 dice.

The Prussians are not using a Formation, since they are a single Group, and single Groups cannot use Formations. They also have no cover, and at a range of 9" the French hit on results of "5" or "6" on each die. They roll 6 hits.

Now the Prussian player must roll dice to check what effect the French hits had. He rolls "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6" (incredible), which means 3 Shock points and 1 death. This reduces the Group's movement by 3" and its fire by 1 die (had there been 4 Shock points, fire would have been reduced by 2 dice), until the Shock points are removed. Next time Feldwebel Raske may try to avoid open ground.

Melee

Pleased with the results of the shooting, Corporal Mitterand decides to attack the Prussians and finish them off. On his initiative the 10 French infantrymen rush forward with bayonets fixed. The French get 12 dice - one for each soldier, one for the Hero and one more for Mitterand's Status 1. Since the corporal has no Initiative points left, he cannot add fury to the attack.

Raske has 7 soldiers left, as one was killed by the French volley. So the Prussians get 8 dice, counting the Feldwebel. His Status is insufficient to add extra dice, but 3 Shock points reduce the number of dice by 1 and his soldiers have no cover, so they roll just 7 dice.

The French roll two "6"s and two "5"s. The Prussians roll one "6" and two "5"s.

The Prussians lose two men, lose the fight by one "6" and, being beaten with a Difference of one, fall back 6", and their number of Shock points rises to 5. They roll a D10 to check whether Feldwebel Raske has been killed (on a "1" he would have to check on the Heroes' wound table) and find that he is unhurt. The French lose one man and receive two Shock points.