English Civil War Wargame Rules

A copy of or knowledge of DBA rules by Phil Barker is need to use these rules

These are a simple, fast play yet I feel realistic set of rules for fighting English Civil War battles.

I unashamedly admit they are adapted from DBA-RRR by Tony Aquilia and ideas taken from DBN.

Ranges and movement distances are for my 25mm ECW collection but can of course be adapted for other scales. I have used these rules for my 2mm collection!

ARMY SIZE

An army consists of 10 elements, plus a Commanding general figure and two wing comanders.

VICTORY

The first army to lose 4 elements loses the battle. Command elements do no count toward that total.

BASING

The size of figure bases is not important as long as they are uniform. Number of figures to a base are your preference, depending on space and figure availability.

ARMY COMPOSITION

I have not done "Army Lists and composition is your choice. However here is my make up.

Royalist: 4 x Foot Regiments/Brigades. 3 x Mounted Regiments (one of which may be Galloper the rest Cavalry). 1 x Dragoon Regiment. 1 x Forlone Hope (Skirmisher) detachment OR 1 x Commanded Shot unit. 1 x Artillery Unit. 1 x Commanding General. 2 x Wing Commanders.

Parliament: 4 x Foot Regiments/Brigades. 3 x Mounted Regiments (One of which may be Pistols OR Lobsters). 1 x Dragoon Regiment. 1 x Forlorne Hope (Skirmisher) detachment OR 1 x Commanded shot unit. 1 x Artillery unit. 1 x Commanding General. 2 x Wing Commanders.

DISTANCES

Move and range distances are in inches

RANGES

Infantry Brigades, Dragoons and Skirmishers range = 4"

Artillery range = 16"

Mounted arms used their pistols in close quarter combat so are factored into mele combat

GENERAL AND WING COMMANDERS

General and Wing Commanders cannot initiate combat or shoot

They can join any unit except artillery

They exert a 12" command radius

One commander can be moved in a turn free of CP. Any other commanders moved cost 1 CP

Any commander can join any unit except Artillery in the players turn. Upon joining he can remove 1 hit marker if desired, as long as the unit is left with 1 hit marker.

If a unit a commander is attached to recieves a hit marker the commander may choose to prevent it. Roll a D10 1 to 7 Commander is succesfull, 8 he fails 9 & 0 He fails and commander is removed as a casualty. 

At the start of a Turn a commander can use a CP to remove 1 hit marker from a unit he is attached to. Once a unit has recieved hit markers it will always have 1 hit marker for the rest of the battle. Commander/General can only remove 1 Hit marker at a time.

If a unit a commander is attached to is destroyed the comander rolls a D6. 1,2,3 he is a casualty. 4,5,6 He escapes and flees full move distance to his immediate rear.

TYPE                                       MOVE                                      COMBAT

                                 Good Going   Bad going               V    Foot      V Mounted

Inf Brigade                       4"                   2"                           4                    3

Dragoons                         8"                   4"                           3                    2 

Skirmishers                     6"                    6"                          2                    2

Commanded Shot            4"                    2"                          3                    3 

Cavalry                            8"                   4"                           3                    3

Gallopers                         6"                   3"                           3                    4

Pistols                             6"                    3"                          4                    4

Lobsters                          5"                    3"                          4                    5

Artillery                           2"                     -                           4                    4

                                                                    Close Combat   2                    2

Generals/Comanders        10"                  5"                          2                    2

SHOOTING FACTORS

Target behind linear cover Walls/Hedges - 1

Target defending Built Up Area -3

Target situated at the edge of a wood -1

Shooting or shot at with General/commander attached + 1

2 Hit Markers - 1

Veteran Unit + 1

Raw Unit - 1

MELEE FACTORS

All except skirmishers and dragoons in close combat in bad going -2

Defending up hill  + 1

Defending hedge/wall +1

Defending BUA + 2

Each unit overlapping -1

Each unit flanking - 1

Unit attacking rear - 2

Inf Brigade in stand of pikes versus Mounted + 1

Unit with general/commander attached + 1

2 Hit markers - 1

Veteran unit + 1

Raw unit - 1

COMBAT OUT COMES

Total is less then that of enemy but more than half

Inf Brigade recoil take 1 hit marker

Commanded Shot If contacted by mounted 2 hit markers and recoil otherwise 1 hit marker and recoil

Pistol 2 hit markers and recoil if facing gallopers, otherwise 1 hit marker and recoil

Cavalry 1 hit marker and flee in bad going otherwise  recoil take 1 hit marker and recoil

Dragoons take 2 hit markers and flee if in contact with Gallopers or pistols otherwise recoil take 1 hit marker

Skirmisher versus mounted flee take 2 hit markers all others recoil take 1 hit marker

Artillery take 1 hit marker if in close combat take 2 hit markers

Commanders versus mounted flee take 2 hit markers all others recoil take 1 hit marker

If total is half or less than that of the enemy

Skirmishers take 2 hit markers and flee

Dragoons take 2 hit markers and Flee

All others take 2 hit markers and recoild

INFANTRY BRIGADE FORMING STAND OF PIKES

If attacked by any mounted unit an Infantry brigade can try to form a Stand of Pikes. Roll D6 1,2,3, = Fails to do so 4,5,6, = Success

+1 if Veteran unit and or has a general or commander attached

- 1 if a Raw unit.

Infantry Brigades must remain in stand of pikes whilst in combat with mounted. To come out of a stand of pikes the brigade can do so for the expenditure of 1 CP. Unit can then move normally for half its move distance.

CP or Command Points

At the start of his turn the player rolls a D6. This indicates the number of CP he has that turn. It takes 1 CP to move a unit. 2 CP to move if the unit is out side the command distance of 12" the general or commanders. Command distance is 12" reduced to 6" if line of sight is blocked.

CP can also be spent by a commander if he is in contact with a unit and wishes to remove 1 hit marker. 

HIT MARKERS

Hit markers are attached to a unit through combat results. When a unit accumulates 3 hit markers it is considered to no longer be an effective unit and is removed from the game. Hit markers can be shown by using counters or ideally casualty figures.

Commanders/General can remove hit markers as described earlier. However once a unit has been awarded hit markers it can never drop below 1 Hit marker. 

The Hit marker rule is designed to reflect the wearing down of units in combat until they become ineffective and rout or slip away.

VETERAN AND RAW UNITS

Before each battle each player rolls a D6 1,2, = 1 unit is Raw 3,4 = 1 unit is veteran 5,6 = 1 unit is Raw and 1 unit is Veteran. Which units are affected is deceided randomly. Artillery are never Raw or Veteran.