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Official Rule Modifications for Volley and Bayonet These are the all-new revised and final (we hope) revisions to the general rules which will appear in both the 1815 and 1809 books. The battalion gun rule is refined a bit more (due to the need to cover "skirmish" battalions with battalion guns in 1809) and there is an important change to the morale rule. Infantry now only receives the -1 to morale for facing cavalry if it is not stationary. If stationary it no longer suffers this penalty. Jim Nevling argued for this at a recent game convention. He started off with some propositions which I found so objectionable I was forced to duel him in the parking lot with untipped rapiers (ran the bugger through), but later thought about his core argument and some situations which come up frequently in the game and was forced to agree. This means cavalry is still very good against advance or retreating infantry but has a hard time once the infantry plants itself and has time to prepare. Frank Chadwick. Note: - The Battalion Gun rules here have been replaced by a later revision General Rules Modifications: These rules can be used in any Volley and Bayonet battle from any era and should be considered an update and elaboration on the basic game rules. Optional Centimeter Scale: Players who use 15mm scale or smaller troops may wish to use a centimeter scale instead of an inche scale. Doing so will allow players to play even very large battles on a space as small as a kitchen table and can allow entire campaigns to be set up on a large gaming table. Most of the battles in this book can be fought on a single table using the conventional scale. Wagram, however, was the largest battle in history up to that time and can only be played on a very large irregularly shaped table or broken into separate parts. However, use of the centimeter scale allows even this action to be refought on a single table. Command Control: The following modifications and elaborations are made to the basic game's command control rules. Army and Corps Troops: Any troops listed in a scenario as army troops may be commanded by the army commander or any corps commander in the army. Any troops listed in a scenario as corps troops may be commanded by the army commander, the commander of the corps in which thr troops are listed, and any division commander of that corps. Skirmishers: All skirmishers are subject to the same command control restrictions as are formed troops. Morale: The following modifications have been made to the morale modifiers. Lancers: In a cavalry melee lancers enjoyed a slight shock advantage at first but were generally at a disadvantage when it came to the actual melee, and so had no real net advantage versus other cavalry. The principal advantage lancers enjoyed was against enemy infantry. Their lance gave them better reach than the infantryman's bayonet and the ability to impale prone infantry. As a result the -1 morale modifier for facing lancers now applies only to infantry. Stationary Infantry versus Cavalry: Infantry which was well-positioned and prepared to receive cavalry enjoyed a considerable advantage in this period. To reflect this stationary infantry does not suffer the -1 morale effect for being meleed by cavalry. Artillery and non-stationary infantry still does, however. Unsupported: Playing has shown that this rule is often forgotten and adds little to the game when it is remembered, as the facing and command rules provide ample reason not to push solitary units out. Therefore ignore this rule and modifier. Line Meleed From Flank: This should (for greater clarity) have read Regimental Infantry Stand Meleed From Flank. It refers to infantry mounted on 3"x1.5" regimental stands, not large regiments (such as the Prussians in this campaign) mounted on brigade stands. Skirmishers: Command Control: All skirmishers are subject to the same command control restrictions as are formed troops (as noted above as well in the Command Control rule). Cavalry Skirmishers: Any light cavalry brigade can be broken into cavalry skirmishers. Each strength point in the brigade produces one skirmisher. The brigade stand is removed from the table and replaced by two skirmish stands at the beginning of the movement phase and at no movement cost. Any two or more cavalry skirmishers may combine to reform a brigade by moving together and paying half of their movement allowance. The skirmish stands must be of the same morale grade and type as the broken down brigade. The skirmish stands are removed and replaced with a brigade stand at the end of the movement phase. Infantry Skirmishers: Infantry skirmishers which occupy a village, town, or work melee normally. That is to say it is possible for them to win the melee and hold their ground, forcing the attacking troops back in disorder. Terrain and Movement: Bridges: Units may cross at bridges without panalty if in march column. Units not in march column may cross a bridge without movement penalty but are disordered. Towns: Units may move through towns without panalty if in march column. Units not in march column may move through towns without movement penalty but are disordered. Units not in march column which spend any part of their move in a town are disordered, but do not receive additional disorder results for passing through additional town blocks. Cavalry and artillery not in march column may pass through a town block (and be disordered). They may stop in the town but remain disordered and have no combat dice, either fire or melee, so long as they are in the town. A unit is never disordered more than once in a turn for passing through town blocks, no matter how many town blocks are entered, left, or passed through. Villages: Villages (and substantial farmsteads, which are also represented by village blocks) are small enough that they do not block line of sight or the movement of artillery or formed troops. Cavalry, artillery, and infantry may move through unoccupied villages without being disordered (in fact they open ranks slightly and move around them) and may end their move with part of the base on the village. They simply receive no benefit from the village terrain. Units may not move through a village which is occupied by an infantry skirmisher, however. Artillery Batteries: Any artillery unit which begins the scenario with a single strength point is a battery. Batteries receive only a single die. Foot batteries may only fire when stationary. Horse batteries may fire at any time when they are unlimbered. Battalion Guns: This rule replaces the current rule on battalion guns. The altered or added portions of the rule are shown in underlined. In addition to the rule below, reduce the close range hit number of all light artillery to 5 or 6 (not 4, 5, or 6). Stands in the game with battalion guns will be identified by the scenario or period rules. Infantry stands with battalion guns roll the same number of dice as similar stands without battalion guns, but one of the dice rolled is treated as a light artillery die. Cavalry stands with battalion guns receive one fire die. In both cases this die has a short range of 2 inches and a long range of 4 inches. Cavalry battalion guns may not fire in melee. Enemy units within close range of a stand's battalion guns are not required to check morale. Battalion Guns and Movement: Infantry brigade stands which include battalion guns have their movement reduced to that of a regiment stand (12 inches). Cavalry brigade stands which include battalion guns have their movement reduced to that of heavy cavalry (20 inches). If a stand with battalions guns moves through terrain normally prohibited to artillery it immediately and permanently loses its battalion guns capability. A stand may enter and remain in villages, towns, and works without effect on its battalion guns and may use its battalion guns capability normally. Skirmish Battalion Guns: On occasion skirmishers have battalion guns. Since skirmishers receive only a single die, the fire of the battalion gun will substitute for this die in most cases. Skirmisher battalion guns have a long range of 4 inches, a short range of contact (i.e. melee only), hit on a 6 at long range and on a 5 or 6 at close range (in melee). Note that in the case of sharpshooter skirmishers with battalion guns this means that the stand will hit on a 6 at ranges between 2 and 4 inches, will hit on a 5 or 6 at ranges out to 2 inches (due to the sharpshooter capability), and will hit on a 5 or 6 in melee (due to the battalion gun). Terrain and Combat: Sunken Roads: Sunken roads are treated as works for purposes of morale and saving throws versus fire. They also provide a saving throw versus melee by cavalry, but not from infantry. Villages: Villages (and substantial farmsteads, which are also represented by village blocks) are small enough that they do not block line of sight. Towns: The troops occupying a town may fire one quarter of their total fire dice (rounding fractions up) out of each face of the town (but may never fire more than their total number of allowed dice in any turn). When multiple skirmish stands occupy a single town block they no longer receive a saving throw from fire for being in open order. When multiple stands (either skirmishers or regimental bases) occupy the same town block, each stand checks morale separately but are all considered to be a single unit for melee. That is, all units in the town may fire at any units attacking any unit in the town and the all losses on both sides are compared to determine the winner. If the attacker wins all surviving defending stands are ejected from the town. If the defender wins all attacking stands are driven back in disorder. Woods: Infantry in woods receive a saving throw from fire (but not melee). This is noted in the original rules but was omitted from the reference chart. It has been added to the reference chart included in this book. Melee: Melee Ties: When the same number of casualties are suffered by each side in a melee, the tie is always broken with a die roll. (All automatic tie-breakers are aboloished) Both sides roll a die and add their modified morale. If more than one unit is involved in the melee add the highest modified morale. In addition, add the following to the die roll:
*Supported artillery is any artillery which has a stand of formed non-disordered infantry touching the back of its base. Comments: Note that this retains the grenadier advantage, although in something less than an all-or-nothing form. Cavalry is now at a severe disadvantage against stationary infantry, however, reflecting the advantage infantry enjoyed in square. There is now a substantial benefit for providing infantry supports for artillery. Artillery in Melee: Artillery which loses a melee is eliminated. Retreats, Routes, and Disorder: Retreat Path: A retreating or routed unit must move directly away from the stand or stands which caused it to retreat or test morale. If several stands were involved the retreating stand must move directly away from the middle of the mass of the enemy stands. A unit may only vary its movement to avoid contact with enemy units; it may not vary it to avoid contact with difficult terrain or friendly units. Blocking Terrain: Units which are forced to retreat or route through disordering terrain lose one additional strength point. However units may pass across bridges and through towns without penalty. Disordering Other Stands: Stands which retreat or route back through a formed friendly unit disorder the stand only if some part of the retiring unit's base passes through two opposite sides of the other unit's base and if the first point of contact between the stands is within the first half of the retiring unit's movement. A routing or disordered stand passing through a non-disordered stand will pass completely through it and leave it disordered. A disordered unit passing back through an already disordered unit will carry the other unit back to the rear with it but will not route it. A routing unit passing back through an already disordered unit will route it. Troops either routed by a routing unit or carried back in disorder by a retiring unit move back with the routing or retiring unit ahead of it and in a body. Units farther to the rear through which the retreating or routing units pass are considered to be passed through by a single unit, not multiple units. Retreating Skirmishers: Skirmishers forced to retreat through other friendly units, either friendly skirmishers or formed troops, do not disorder them. Blocking Cavalry: Retreating and routing infantry will not retreat through friendly cavalry, nor will they disorder them. Retreating and routing infantry stop as soon as they come in contact with friendly cavalry and move no further to the rear. Multiple Day Battles: Many of the battles of the Napoleonic Wars lasted for more than one day. As a general rule, the decision as to whether to continue fighting for a second (or even a third) day is made by the opposing generals. Daylight: Fighting stops for the day at the end of the last turn of daylight. This varies with the time of year, as shown on the daylight table. The first turn of the second (and subsequent) days of a battle is also based partially on sunrise but also on random factors. The attacker rolls a six-sided die at the start of the second day and adds the number rolled to the first turn of daylight shown on the table. If there is inclement weather, add two to the die. The result is the actual first turn of combat. For example, in June if the attacker rolls a 5, the battle begins on the 9 a.m. turn. If there is inclement weather the battle begins on the 11 a.m. turn. The first turn of the third day of fighting is determined in the same manner but add 1 to the die roll. Add 2 to the die roll on the fourth day, etc. Daylight:
Casualties: At the end of each day both sides recover half of all casualties suffered during that day (but not in previous days of the same battle). The only exceptions to this are units which were wiped out while surrounded and artillery battalions which were wiped out in melee. Wiped out means that the unit's last casualty was suffered in the circumstances listed above. Since artillery is eliminated if it routs, an artillery unit which routs while in contact with the enemy is completely wiped out and does not recover half of its casualties at night. When recovering half of all casualties, each unit (stand) recovers half of its casualties individually. If a unit has suffered an off number of casualties, half of them are recovered (rounding down) and the remaining odd casualty is combined with any other odd casualty from a similar type and morale unit and then either one of the casualties is recovered at the player's option. For example, one infantry brigade has lost 3 strength points and another has lost 1.The first brigade automatically recovers 1 strength point and then one other strength point is recovered and added to either brigade. To the extent possible odd strength points must be taken in units of similar nationality (if different nationalities are present in an army), and then by units of similar morale and training status, and then the same division, and then the same corps. If two units of different morale combine odd points to recover one, the point must be recovered by the unit with the lower morale or training status. The minimum starting strength for an infantry brigade is 3 strength points. The minimum starting strength for a cavalry brigade or an infantry regimental stand is 2 points. If after recovering casualties a stand is still weaker than its minimum starting strength its points must be added to those of another stand in the same division of similar or lower morale and training status. If no such brigade is available, points may be taken from another stand in the division to bring this stand up to its minimum strength or the stand may be disbanded and its points lost, at the player's option. Exhaustion: A division which was not exhausted at the end of a day starts the new day fresh (i.e. not exhausted). All recovered non-artillery casualties are subtratced from the unit's exhaustion record. All disorder markers (red and yellow) are removed from the units of the division. A division which ended the day exhausted but whose morale was not broken starts the new day fresh (i.e. no longer exhausted). All recovered casualties are subtracted from the unit's exhaustion record. If this is not sufficient to leave at least one box empty of the unit's disorder track then enough additional marks are removed from the track to leave one box empty. All yellow disorder markers are removed from the units of the division and all red disorder markers are converted to yellow. A unit which ended the day broken starts the new day exhausted (but no longer broken). All yellow markers are removed from the units of the division and all red markers are converted to yellow. Night Movement: All units of both sides may make a single full move during the night. This move may not take the unit closer to an enemy unit unless it also takes it closer to a friendly unit which is between it and the enemy unit it is moving toward. In other words a unit can move toward its own front lines but not beyond them. Reallocation of Commands: Divisions may freely be shifted between corps at night by the commander of an army. Campaign Casualty Recovery: The above rules on casualty recovery are meant to deal with multiple day battles on the same battlefield. When gaming a campaign casualty recovery takes place after the conclusion of a battle but is done differently. If both sides are in posession of the battlefield at the end of the battle, then both sides recover two thirds of their total losses. If one side is in posession of the battlefield and the other side was in retreat but covered by a rearguard when the battle ended, then the retreating side recovers one half of its casualties and the side in posession of the field recovers two thirds of its infantry and cavalry losses and all of its artillery losses. A rearguard is defined as an intact body of formed troops neither routed nor exhausted equal to at least one quarter of the total number of stands of formed troops present with the army at the start of the battle. If one side is in posession of the battlefield and the other side was in retreat but not covered by a rearguard when the battle ended, then the retreating side recovers one third of its infantry and cavalry casualties and none of its artillery casualties. The side in posession of the field recovers two thirds of its infantry and cavalry losses and all of its artillery losses. A Note On Casualties: An infantry or cavalry strength point in Volley and Bayonet represents 500 men present in the ranks, but a roster casualty suffered in battle represents only about 250 actual casualties. Thus a six strength point unit (3,000 men) which suffered five casualties would be reduced to 1,750 men, not 500. The assumption of the game system is that once a unit is reduced to half strength it becomes combat ineffective for the rest of that day due to shock, fatigue, and disorder. In a multiple day battle this unit can function again after a night of rest and reorganization, and so appears the next day with its remaining personnel (half of those with which it started the battle). If the battle ends after the first day (as most did) it will instead recover two thirds of its strength because some of the "casualties" suffered were actually just stragglers who left the ranks and a number of lightly wounded men will return to ranks within two or three days. (A number of British and French soldiers wounded at Quatre Bras, for example, were back in the ranks by Waterloo, only two days later.) A retreating army, however, often will lose its stragglers and lightly wounded during the retreat, and a retreating army without a rearguard will lose even more men to pursuit as demoralized units surrender en masse. As a result casualty recovery is lower for those armies. |