Simple Napoleonic Rules
Napoleonic One Hour Wargame by H C Bannister
Based (Heavily) on Alan Saunders English Civil War One Hour Rules V1.0
Unit Types and Scale
This game features the unit types Infantry, Light Infantry, Skirmishers, Heavy Cavalry, Light Cavalry Horse Artillery and Foot Artillery. All except Artillery are based in units 4-6” wide. Artillery is based in units 2-4” wide. The rules assume 3-8 units on a 3’ x 3’ play area. Scale accordingly for smaller or larger base sizes or playing areas.
Sequence of Play
Each complete turn comprises two player turns. Each general follows the sequence listed below in his or her player turn:
1. Movement 3. Shooting 4. Hand to Hand Combat 5. Eliminating Units
Movement
Units may move up to the following distances in a turn:
Unit Type Movement Infantry 6” Light Infantry & Skirmisher 8” Heavy Cavalry 10” Light Cavalry 12” Artillery 6” Horse Artillery 10”
Turning
Units turn by pivoting on their central point. They may do so at both the start and at the end of their move.
Terrain
Units are affected by terrain as follows:
Woods – Only Light Infantry and Skirmishers may enter. Villages - Cavalry may not end their moves in a town. Artillery cannot enter a town. Infantry are assumed to spread out and occupy the whole town area which is then counted as their base for measurement and interpenetration purposes. Marshland and Lakes - Impassable to all. Rivers - These may only be crossed via bridges or fords. Roads - Units moving by road increase their movement distance by 3” if their entire move is spent on the road. This bonus may not be received if charging and the unit may not fire if it uses this bonus.
Skirmishers
Skirmishers which do not move or pivot, and are entirely in open ground, receive a hedge marker along the front of their base. This provides cover under certain circumstances see below).
Moving and Shooting
All Infantry may shoot after movement. Artillery cannot shoot if it moves and/or pivots.
Interpenetration
Units may never pass through each other.
Charge Moves
Charges are resolved by moving the attacking unit into contact with an enemy unit. Changes are subject to the following restrictions:
Turning - A charging unit may turn once, at the start of its move. This evolution may not exceed 45 degrees. Limited Engagement - Only one attacking unit may contact a target unit Flank and rear attacks - A unit can only make a flank or rear attack if the front-centre point of the unit is within the targets flank or rear arc at both the start and the end of the charge. This is the arc that extends out 45° from each face. Fighting - Combat is resolved during the Hand-to-Hand Combat phase.
Shooting
Cavalry cannot fire. The procedure for all Infantry and all Artillery is as follows:
Adjudge Field of Fire.
Units may only shoot at a single target within 45 degrees of their front facing. Measure range from the centre of the front edge of firing unit to any part of the target unit. Units cannot fire into combat or fire through a gap of less than half an Infantry unit base width. They may not fire through friendly or enemy units.
Units may fire into but not through woods or a town. They may fire onto, but not over, a hill.
Units in Towns
These have a field of fire of 360 degrees and may target a unit in any direction.
Assess Casualties
Units roll a number of dice when shooting:
TYPE RANGE Number of Die
Inf 12” 2 If in Square 1
L/Inf 12” 2*
Skirmisher 14” 1
F/Artillery 36” 2
H/Artillery 24” 2*
Units which fire ‘2 Dice*’ cannot score more than 1 hit.
Each die which scored 4 or more indicates a hit on the target unit.
Cover
Units in towns, or in terrain which a scenario designates as cover, or Skirmishers with a hedge marker, roll 1D6 for each hit scored on them. On a 4 or more the hit is ignored.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
The procedure for Hand-to-Hand Combat is as follows:
One Sided Combat
Units only inflict casualties during their own player turn.
Assess Casualties
Units get a number of dice depending on their type:
TYPE DICE
Inf 2
L/Inf 2*
Skirmisher 1
H/Cavalry 2 plus 1 impetus
L/Cav 2
All Artillery 1
Heavy Cavalry who roll a ‘1’ on either of their normal dice lose the Impetus dice in all combats for the rest of the game.
Infantry and Light Infantry may form Square if attacked by Cavalry to form Square roll a dice. Score of 3 or above they are in square. They may leave square during their next move if they defeat the cavalry
Each dice which scored a 4 or more indicates a hit on the target unit.
Terrain Advantage
Each of the following conditions allow a unit to save hits scored against them:
Uphill In woods or a town Defending a bridge or ford Skirmishers with a hedge marker attacked to the front by attacked by Cavalry
Infantry or Light Infantry who form Square.
On a 4 or more the hit is ignored. This is improved to 3 or more if more than one condition applies.
Flank or Rear Attacks No rear or flank attacks on Infantry in Square
Units engaging the enemy flank or rear, or all hand to hand attacks against Artillery, double the number of dice rolled.
Hand to Hand Combat and Movement
A unit engaged in hand to hand combat cannot voluntarily move (see Retreat below), except that a unit engaged to its flank or rear but not to its front may turn to face one enemy unit during its own turn.
Retreat
If a unit fails to inflict any hits on the enemy in a round of hand-to-hand combat it retreats 3” to its own rear without changing facing. If it cannot complete this move because of the presence of terrain or other units then it is moved back as far as possible. Infantry in Square cannot move back.
Eliminating Units
Units are eliminated upon the acquisition of 5 hits.
Optional Rules
Troop quality
They can be Elite (Guards units)
Trained (Line Troops)
Conscript (Poor Quality)
Artillery are always trained only
Forming Square
Elite + 1 to die roll
Trained as before
Conscript -1 to die roll
Shooting
Brtish Inf +1 to one of the die rolled
Fighting
French Inf +1 to one of the die rolled
Eliminating Units
Elite eliminated of 6 hits
Trained eliminated on 5 hits
Conscript eliminated of 4 hits
