Blood and Blades

Wargaming ruleset for the heroic chariotry era

Jean-Pierre Rivière

<, jn.pierre.riviere@gmail.com>

Blood and Blades is published under free license Creative Common 4.0 or later of type CC BY SA. This work is also copyright 2013-2014 Jean-Pierre Rivière.

2014/09/26

Partie I. ruleset

Blood and Blades

Wargaming ruleset for the heroic chariotry era

Blood and Blades is a simple wargame ruleset for little soldiers generals who want entertaining battles without using markers. It owes a lot to Phil Barker who invented DBA and to Phil Barker and Richard Bodley-Scott for their famous rulesets HOTT and DBM and to Phil Barker again for DBMM. It aims to be different from each one. It is more alike HOTT but for historicals. It does pick up good ideas from other rulesets and have a few mechanisms of its own.

Blood and Blades is played with armies from 3000BC to 705BC. Extending to more recent periods will come later with version 2.

License

Blood and Blades is published under free license Creative Common 4.0 or later of type CC BY SA. This work is also copyright 2013-2014 Jean-Pierre Rivière.

Authors

Jean-Pierre Rivière, jn.pierre.riviere (at) gmail.com

Chapitre 1. version

Tableau 1.1. historic of versions

version | date | comment
0.5.0 | 2014/09/26 | mostly some reorganization and some bugfixes. The editing system has been extended to support mobi format and png graphics because svg is often problematic, but there are still problems with Kindle 4.
0.4.0 | 2014/07/09 | insertion of graphics now mature and on the way to completion.
0.3.0 | 2013/08/24 | Special tags to help build docbook added in the master wiki. Edit system described.
0.2.1 | 2013/08/13 | further clearings of inconsistencies
0.2.0 | 2013/05/14 | sequential reading sections added and major revision
0.1.3 | 2013/04/15 | combat clarifications
0.1.2 | 2013/04/14 | notion of tactical move. mounted infantry
0.1.1 | 2013/04/13 | halving numbers when translating DBM(M) army lists
0.1 | 2013/04/10 | first public release

Chapitre 2. interoperability

Getting new army books for each new rules is not a bless. Knowing your army lists is time consuming and they are taking a valuable places on the shelves. So it would be best to be able to use common books.

This is what we are aiming for with our interoperability with DBMM army list books. You have to get them to play Blood and Blades.

Also, figures are put on a base in the exact manner of DBM and DBMM. Your lead assets are safe!

Chapitre 3. system

This ruleset has a complete authoring and publishing system. At fist we only wanted to write the rules with a wiki. But players wanted a printed pdf or an ebook version, as they are used to. Yet, there is no complete way to do all of this as of 2013. So we have decided to make our own system, because we also enjoy digging the web and programming this kind of stuff. This led to the elaboration of TiddlyBook, which is free software. released under the GNU GPL license version 3.0 or later. The software all runs under linux. It could surely be made run on MacOS. You must have installed TiddlyBook and got it running in order to make docbook, ebooks and pdf out of this wiki.

The rules are written on a master wiki, which is a tiddlywiki. It is helpful in being a wiki you have in a single html file. It has a timeline feature which helps in knowing what you were doing recently. It has a tag system. But it does not have recovery.

We use the tag system to attain two goals:

help the reader and the writer by categorizing the articles (called tiddlers within a tiddlywiki);

describe what kind of article we have with special tag beginning by a colon:

:part which is only use for the first tiddler, that which contains every other tiddler, directly or indirectly (it must contains chapters);

:chapter for a docbook chapter (a chapter cannot include a chapter; it must be in the part);

:section for a docbook section (beginning on a new page, can contain any number of section or simplesect but not both; it must be in a chapter or in a section);

:simplesect for a docbook simplesect (the flow is continuating in the current page; any section containing a simplesect can only contains simplesects; simplesects are never seen in the table of contents (TOC) and must be in a section);

:note, :tip, :caution, :important, :warning and :appendice are also possible, they are used for what their names mean (the flow is continuating in the current page; they are compatible with any number of sections being at the same level; they do not appear in the TOC and must be in a section).

:section is the default choice. Keeping it implicit does lighten the tiddlers tags.

To produce a book, the wiki should be linearized. We does this within tiddlers with a last part called sequential reading introduced with a level 2 header of that name. It is followed by a list (normally an ordered list, but a non ordered list is also possible) of wiki links to the tiddlers to be included after the text of the current tiddler, in the order of introduction.

This wiki is then processed to produce a reader tiddlywiki, which is the same wiki without the colon tag and without the sequential reading indication:

In order to produce either pdf or epub, we first translate to docbook 5.0 and check tags and sequential reading indications. We check the validity of the docbook too. All of this help debugging the rules after a period of intense activity.

To produce your book, you just have to adapt the sample makefile provided. Then just type make and that's it.

To clean up your setup, just do make clean. To only produce and test the docbook, just type make project.xml (project.xml is the name of the docbook in the sample makefile).

You will need other tools and some modules for Perl. They will be asked for by the system when thay are not yet available. All what is used is free open source software (FOSS).

Chapitre 4. troops

Troops are categorized by troop types, grades and being regular or irregular.

regular

Some troops are qualified as regular. They are being trained on a regular basis and are better at manoeuvre than others, which are called irregular.

Regular is abbreviated as Reg and irregular as Irr.

grade

grade

one of Superior, Ordinary, Inferior, Fast or eXceptional.

To indicate a grade we note its abbreviation between round parenthesis, like (O) for Ordinary.

To indicate that a grade can be either I or X (for instance) we shall note it (I/X). Grades in those cases must always be given in the order SOIFX.

troop type

A troop type is the generic name of the troops like Ps or HCh.

Here are all the troop types: Ax, Bd, Bg, Bw, Cm, Cv, El, HCh, Hd, LCh, LH, Pk, Ps, Sp, Wb.

infantry

infantry

either heavy infantry or light infantry or Bg.

There is also mounted infantry.

light infantry

Light infantry is either Ax or Ps.

heavy infantry

heavy infantry

any of the following troop types: Bd, Bw, Hd, Pk, Sp, Wb.

mounted infantry

Mounted infantry is infantry that is at first mounted on vehicles and as such moves as LCh. They loose theirs vehicles as soon as any one of the following events happens:

they make a tactical move ;

they shoot;

they are shot at and lose the combat;

theirs vehicles would hinder the move of friendly or enemy bases.

Mounted infantry must be represented as such.

Ax

Ax

Auxillia

Bd

Bd

Blade

Bg

Bg

Bagages

They are all irregular and (O). They are all immobile.

Bagages have no ZoC but they are always considered as being contacted to their front (even if contacted by several foes) and can never be overlapped either.

Bw

Bw

Bow

These include troops equipped with either bows or crossbows.

Hd

Hd

Horde

Pk

Pk

Pike

Pk(F) are shieldless or mostly shieldless troops that are quite effective in rough or bad going but are unable to fight in as deep formation as other pikes do.

Ps

Ps

Psiloi

Sp

Sp

Spear

Wb

Wb

Warband

mounted

mounted

any of the following troop types: Cm, Cv, El, HCh, LCh, LH.

Cm

Cm

Camels

Camels used as scouts or skirmishers are classified as LH(X).

Cv

Cv

Cavalry

El

El

Elephants

HCh

HCh

Heavy chariot;

in DBM or DBMM speak, these are chariots Kn.

LCh

LCh

Light chariot;

in DBM or DBMM speak, these are chariots Cv.

LH

LH

Light Horse

These include all kinds of scouts. They also include camel based ones, which are classified as (X) instead of (I).

LH(X)

Camel based scouts or skirmishers. They consider terrain as Cm do. They fight as (I) except against LH(X) and Cm that they fight as (O).

skirmishers

Skirmishers are Ps and LH.

All skirmishers are light troops.

light troops

Light troops are skirmishers and Ax.

Chapitre 5. setup

Battles are fought between two armies on a table whose dimensions are best as 80x120 cm. But it is possible to play on a table as little as 60x90 cm.

For standard competition games or casual games, it is common place to have each army set at 150 AP. Each army has only one general on table, who is the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C). There is only a single command per army. See budget and army list for all the relevant details.

There are some simple rules for weather and time of day, to make for interesting variations and bring diversity to the games. However, those rules are optional.

The game is played with common dice that we call D6. We also use average dice that we call AD.

Each player throws a D6 and add its army aggression factor to its score. The player with the higher result is the invader. Rethrow the die in case of equality until this is no more the case.

The next thing is to create the battlefield.

Afterwards, it is time to optionally determine the time of day the weather.

Then each player throws 1D6. If the sum of the scores is 11 or 12 the attacking player may choose to deploy first and move second. Otherwise he will deploy second and move first. Whatever be his choice, this player remains the attacking player and his opponent, the defending player.

The defending player now deploys its baggage. The attacking player then does so. Each player then proceed to writing down if he has an ambush and if so does note with precision what it is made of, where it is made and how each base of the ambush is situated.

The defending player then places all the bases of its army which are not in ambush. It is good manners to tell its opponent what he sees precisely at this moment and how to distinguish what looks similar but is different. The attacking player then deploys and shows off its army in the same way. Players don't have to tell how many points are seen on table or if they have made an ambush.

The first bound of the first turn of the game is made by the attacking player.

Further information can be read in playing a game.

D6

D6 is is the common 6 faces die, with numbers or spots from 1 to 6. Spotted dice are best used as they roll better because of their rounded corners. You can use a dice cup or a dice tower.

AD

AD is an average die, whose faces are numeroted 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5.

If you don't own one, use a D6 where you will consider 1 as 3 and 6 as 4.

terrain

The battlefield is mostly soft and plane, and is GGo. There is some linear or area features of terrain that lay upon it, put there according to the rules about creating the battlefield.

A terrain feature can be:

water feature;

road;

other bits of landscape feature.

Terrain are classified as either GGo, RGo, DGo or unpassable terrain.

create the battlefield

terrain size and shape

Terrain must be irregular and soft shapes like potatoes, except for field and BUA that may be rectilign.

There are three size of terrain: small, medium and large. Linear terrain (road and river]]) count as medium, with the exception of large rivers which count as large.

For an area terrain:

small means a length of up to 640p and a width at least 320p;

medium means a length of up to 960p and a width at least 480p;

large means a length of up to 1280p and a width at least 640p;

a length longer than its depth.

selecting terrain

laying terrain

water feature

A water feature can be a river Rv, a sea WW or a lake La.

Rv

Rv

river

river

A river (noted Rv) can only be crossed from +45° to -45° from the orthogonal direction to its stream. fig:terrain: river crossing. This limitation also apply for any base attempting a close combat a recoil, both of which may then be impossible moves. A road may only cross a river perpendiculary to its flow, be it on a bridge or at a ford. fig:terrain: road across a river.

A Rv is RGo if it is at most 120p wide, DGo if not. A Rv can nowhere be more than 240p wide and less than 40p wide.

Unless on a bridge, roops going across a river are called waders. Both waders and troops across a bridge cannot change direction: they can only go straight forward or straight backward. Also, they never conform when contacted for close combat. Waders that must flee are instead spent.

Contacting a base to get into close combat cannot be done if it would break the restriction on directions for crossing a river. fig:close combat: river and impossible contact.

La

La

Lake (big!)

WW

WW

waterway

lake and waterway

A waterway (noted WW)) or a lake (noted La) are unpassable terrain. No bagage may deploy or ambush in them or move into them.

If an island is at 240p or less from the shore of a WW, the channel beween the coast and the island is considered as à Rv. As such, and only if there is a BUA on the island, a road may go across this channel to join the BUA.

road

Roads are either rectilign paved roads PR or more subjects to turns unpaved roads UR. DBM Rd are UR.

PR and UR have the same effect on move distances.

Only a single road may cross a river on the whole battlefield. It may cross it only once. fig:terrain: road across a river. A bridge is unpassable terrain except for troops following the road on it and for which it is GGo. fig:terrain: following a road

Road are no type of going of their own but count as the going they are above, except that after it has been raining for 4 completed rounds, unpaved roads are muddy and counts as RGo, or DGo if they are above, and on bridge, which are unaffected.

GGo

GGo

Good going

This is the major kind of terrain on any battlefield.

Is GGo for every troop type: H(G) and any battlefield area not covered by terrain feature.

Cm and LH(X) count D as GGo.

H(G)

H(G)

Gentle Hill

bare hill with gentle slopes.

RGo

RGo

Rough going

RGo are brushes, rocky terrain, marshy areas.

There is a special case for Cm and LH(X): see DGo.

DGo

DGo

Difficult going

Are DGo for every troop type: BUA, O, V, Wd. Are DGo for Cm and LH(X) only: all RGo except brushes.

H(S) are a special case.

Wd

Wd

Woods

O

O

Orchad

V

V

Vines

D

D

Dunes

Dunes have neither top nor slope.

BUA

BUA

Built-Up Area

H(S)

H(S)

Steep Hill

They are a mixed bag of possibilities:

bare hill with all slopes as steep: DGo;

wholly covered by V or Wd (only one kind): DGo;

wholy covered either by brushes or rocky areas with all slopes as either gentle (counts as RGo) or steep (counts then as DGo).

The eventual cover of a hill can only be selected if the terrain feature of the cover is available in the army list of the invaded player.

weather

The weather rules are optional.

The weather score is used to determine the weather on the battlefield. There is also a rule to cover the risk of dazzle that exists before dusk but it depends of the time of day rules.

weather score

Both players throw a D6, the sum of which is the weather score. There is a risk of rain if it is 2 or 3, and there is a strong wind if is 11 or 12.

rain

If there is a risk of rain, each player throws a D6 at the beginning of his bound. On a score of 6, the rain starts. It will be raining until another 6 is so scored. Then there will ne more be rain (give up throwing the D6 for rain).

Raining is a tactical factor.

wind

If there is wind, each player throws a D6 at the beginning of his bound. On a score of 6, the wind direction shift by 45° clockwise and on a score of 1, the wind direction shift by 45° anti-clockwise. fig:wind: wind shifting. Determine the original direction of the wind by throwing a D6 immediatly after the wind has been established. On a score of 4, 5 or 6, the wind is blowing from right to left for the invading player. Otherwise, the wind is blowing from left to right for the invading player. fig:wind: initial wind setup.

Shooting against the wind is a combat advantage for the target.

time of day

The time of day rules are optional.

Both player throw a D6. This is the number of rounds they will be able to play before dusk then night. The battle shall begin when the sun is already high in the sky.

dusk

Dusk is the period beween day and night.

In the two rounds before dusk there is a risk of dazzle.

While in dusk, there can't be any dazzle. On the contrary, the visibility is reduced to 720p.

night

The battles ends immediatly as the night is set. The battle is a draw.

dazzle

Just before the very first roll of dice for PIGs in the first bound, the active player throws an AD to determine where the sun will be if and when there will be dazzle:

2: in the long side of the defending player,

3: in the short side on the left of the defending player,

4: in the short side on the right of the defending player,

5: in the long side of the attacking player.

If there is a risk of dazzle, in each bound with risk of dazzle, and just before rolling dice for PIGs, the active players throws a D6 to check for it. If he scores 1 or 6, there is dazzle for this bound.

When there is dazzle, a base in close combat or aBw which is shooting is victim of dazzle if it facing the sun plus or minus 45°. This is a combat advantage for its opponents.

fig:close combat: fighting with dazzle

fig:shooting: shooting with dazzle

army

Each player plays his own army. He is the C-in-C of his army, which he has computed within a budget from its army list given in the DBM or DBMM army list book 1. That precise army is descripted in an order of battle.

an army made of figurines

Each army is made of bases on which are glued several figurines. This ruleset follows the ways of DBM in this regard. You can now have a look at the graphical conventions used in the figures.

C-in-C

The C-in-C is the Commander-in-Chief of the army, the one who has a plan and put it into action (hopefully).

And you, as a player, are C-in-C of your army.

On the table, the C-in-C is represented by a base figuring men of his guard or his houseold, with some particularities covered by the rules. The C-in-C is determined by the official anmy list. Some army lists offer a choice of C-in-C.

budget

Add 10AP for the base of the C-in-C. The price in AP of each kind of base is given below.

Tableau 5.1. troops costs in AP

Troop | Reg | Irr
S | O | I | F | X | S | O | I | F | X
Ax | 7 | 5 | 4 | -- | -- | 6 | 4 | 3 | -- | --
Bd | -- | 10 | 8 | 9 | -- | -- | 8 | 6 | 7 | --
Bg | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0 | -- | -- | --
Bw | 16 | 12 | 10 | -- | -- | 12 | 9 | 7 | -- | --
Cv | 13 | 11 | 9 | -- | -- | 12 | 10 | 8 | -- | --
Cm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 7 | -- | -- | --
El | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 28 | 24 | 21 | -- | --
HCh | 17 | 14 | 12 | 15 | -- | 16 | 13 | 11 | 14 | --
Hd | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 2 | -- | 3 | --
LCh | 12 | 10 | 8 | -- | -- | 11 | 9 | 7 | -- | --
LH | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6
Pk | -- | -- | 7 | 8 | 8 | -- | -- | 5 | 7 | --
Ps | 4 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | 4 | 3 | 2 | -- | --
Sp | -- | 12 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | 10 | 7 | -- | --
Wb | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 13 | 8 | -- | 10 | --

Extra modificators:

add 1 for mounted infantry;

add 0.5 not 1 for mounted Ps;

add 1 for Ps providing a special support listed by the army list;

add 1 not 2 for mounted Ps providing a special support.

AP

Army points are used to budget armies.

army list

An army list is a listing of all available options for a given set of armies. They also indicate other data like the aggression factor and the kind of terrain available when invaded.

They are found in either DBM or DBMM army lists book 1.

translation

Both DBM and DBMM lists must be converted for use.

Translate some troop types:

Kn chariots becomes HCh,

Cv chariots become LCh,

camels LH(I) becomes LH(X),

DBM Ax(X) become Pk(F),

Cm(X) are not used,

all mounted scouts must be either LH(I) or LH(X).

Now get rid of any general but the C-in-C. Ignore any ally contingent.

Change the AP costs according to the budget.

The effectives at Blood and Blades are half those of DBM or DBMM (to get smaller armies and speed up games as well). So you first have to halve all effectives, rounding up. Get rid of all generals except C-in-C. Do not consider any ally.

Halve the number of Bw, Pk, Sp and Wb you previously found, rounding up. This is because these are now computed as if two standard DBM bases within a single base, to reflect their most common use and avoid too profound units.

Compute your army and record in your order of battle complete with every options.

examples of translation

Thes are given only to show you how to proceed. These lists have been selected for two reasons:

they show you how the translation of some not so obvious options if you have the DBM army list volume 1 book;

they give an idea of /Blood and Blades// lists which are rather popular among players.

In order to avoid copyright infringement, they are just excerpts from the official DBM lists:

they just cover a small time frame of their timespan;

they do not indicate aggression factor;

they do not lists available terrain features;

they lack any historical background and especially the rules relatives to the asteriks markers that some have.

1.1 Early Sumerian 3000 BC - 2234 BC and c. 2250 BC

only Kish after 2500 BC

C-in-C Reg Bd(F) or in 4-wheeled battle car Reg HCh(I) or straddle-car Reg LCh(I) or on foot Reg Pk(I) or Reg Pk(X) : 1

Household Spearmen Reg Pk(I) or Reg Pk(X) : 9 - 24

Archers levy skirmishers Irr Ps(O) : 0 - 6

Javelinmen levy skirmishers Irr Ps(I) : 2 - 6

Slingers levy skirmishers Irr Ps(O) : 2 - 12

4-wheeled battle car Reg HCh(I) : 2 - 4

Straddle car Reg LCh(I) : 0 - 1

Scout riding equids Irr LH(I) : 0 - 1

Re-arm household spearmen as axemen Reg Bd(F) : 2 - 5

Household and milicia archers Reg Ps(O) : 2 - 3

Upgrade household and milicia archers 2 Ps to 1 Reg Bw (I) : any

1.6 Early Bedouin 3000 BC to 312 BC

only from 1500 BC to 1000 BC

C-in-C Irr Ax(O5 or Irr Wb(F) or Irr Cm(O) : 1

Javeliniers Irr Ax(I) or Irr Ax(O) (half - all) : 20 - 75

Skirmishers Irr Ps(I) : 2 - 20. upgrade 0-2 to Irr Ps (S)

Slingers Irr Ps (O) : 2 -10

Archers Irr Ps (O) : 2 - 10.

Upgrade any 2 Ps Archers to 1 Irr Bw(I) : any

Upgrade Irr Bw (I) to Irr Bw (O) : any

Retainers Irr Wb (F) : 0-2

1.7 Early Lybian 3000 BC to 70 AD

only from 1250 BC to 1209 BC

C-in-C Irr LCh (O) : 1

Bodyguard Irr Wb (F) : 0-1

Javelinmen Irr Ps (I) or Irr Ax (I) : 54 - 210

Archers Irr Ps (O) : 0 - 10

2-horse chariots Irr LCh (O) : 1 - 3

Replace Javelinmen with swordmen Irr Wb (F) : 0 - 1/3 (2 javelinmen for 1 swordmen)

Replace avelinmen with Archers Irr Ps (O) : 0 - 1/3.

Upgrade 2 Archers Ps (ex Javelinmen only) as 1 Irr Bw (I) : any

Upgrade Irr Bw (I) with swords to Irr Bw (O) : 0 - 1/3

1.45 Neo-Assyrian Empire 745 BC - 681 BC

only from 719 BC to 705 BC

C-in-C in 4-horse, 3-crew chariot Reg HCh(O) : 1

Chariots 4-horse, 3-crew Reg HCh(O) : 3 - 7

Elite cavalry Reg Cv(O) : 1

Other cavalry Reg Cv(O) : 2 - 5

Mounted scouts Reg LH(I) : 1

Arab levies Irr Cm(O) or Irr LH(I) : 0 - 2

Kallapani, half Reg mtd Ax(S), half supporting Reg mtd Ps(O) : 2

Footguards Reg Bd(F) or Reg Ax(O) : 0 - 2

Footguard archers (support footguards) Reg Ps(O) : 0 - 1

Infantry of the battle array, half Reg Ax(O), half supporting Reg Ps(O) : 4 - 6

Upgrade above Ax(O) to elite units Reg Ax(S) : 0 - 2

King's man infantry of the battle-array Irr Ax(O), half supporting Reg mtd Ps(O) : 4 - 8

Reserves of the battle array, half Reg Ax(I), half supporting Reg Ps(O), or any/all of either type : *4 - 6

Levied troops of the battle array Irr Hd(O) : **10-25

King's man tribal levy with bow or sling Irr Ps(O) : 2 - 10

King's man tribal levy with javelin and shield Irr Ps(S) : 0 - 2

Elamaya, Elamite regiment Reg Bw(I) : 0 - 2

order of battle

An order of battle is a document precising the quality and number of troops, including the C-in-C, that has been computed from the army list to which it refers.

It must include the level of demoralization of the army and its aggression factor, and what kind of terrain if offers if defending.

aggression factor

Each army has an aggression factor listed on its army list (and, conveniently, on its order of battle). It is expressing how much the historical armies were ordered to invade neighbours (the higher the factor, the most aggressive they were). It is a number between 0 and 4.

base

A base is a socle on which figurines are put. Its dimensions and the number of figurines are the same as for DBM or DBMM. See below.

A base width is 160p, which is 40mm for 15mm figurine scale.

Tableau 5.2. Number of figurines per base

Troop types | Figurines
El, HCh, LCh | 1
LH, Ps | 2
Irr Ax, Bd(F), Irr Bw, Cm, Cv, Irr Pk(F), Wb(F) | 3
Reg Ax, Bd(O/I), Reg Bw, Pk(I/X), Reg Pk(F), Sp, Wb(S/O) | 4
Irr Hd(O) | 5 to 8, rather 8
Hd(S/I/F) | 5 to 8, rather 5 or 6
Bg | It's up to the model(s).

Tableau 5.3. Width of a base for 15mm figurine scale

Troop types | Width | Base kind
Bg, El, HCh, LCh | 40 | very deep
Cm, Cv, LH, Hd | 30 | deep
Ax, Bd(F), Bw, Pk(F), Ps,Wb(F) | 20 | shallow
Bd(O/I), Pk(I/X), Sp, Wb(S/O) | 15 | very shallow

A base might have 3 instead of the required 4 figurines if those are too bulky to fit by 4. It can also have 3 in case the Reg or Irr version differ and you wish to make both options available in your army (this allowance is relevant if your army list offers to field the Reg and Irr versions, or if the same troops are available either as Reg or Irr in two different army list).

A base might be a little deeper than prescribed if the models it carries are too long for the official depth.

A synonym for base is stand.

ambush

Any troops except Bg may ambush.

Tableau 5.4. amushes

ambush site | visibility from outside | allowed troops
within a BUA | 80 | any
within a Wd | 80 | any
within an O | 240 | any
within D | 160 | any
within brush (RGo) | 240 | Ps
within a gully (RGo) | edge of the gully | any
behind Wd or hills or hill crests | line of sight | any

Troops in ambush are immediately revealed and placed on table if they move or shoot or are being otherwise seen (only those actually seen need to be placed but, for simplicity's sake, the whole ambush may be revealed at once).

An ambush must be precisely recorded (see setup to see when this drawing takes place).

A few examples :

fig:ambush: ambush within a wood

fig:ambush: ambush within a gully

fig:ambush: ambush behind hill

fig:ambush: ambush on a hill behind crest

Chapitre 6. playing a game

The game is played bound after bound until the victory of one of the player or they reach a draw.

It is possible to compute each player's score after the battle.

round

The game is played with sucessive rounds.

round

A round is made of two successive bounds.

A tournament organizer may impose a minimum number of rounds before allowing a draw which is neither due to the night nor to a mutual defeat.

bound

A player's bound is the phase of the round where this player is the active player. At the next bound, his opponent will be the active player, and so on.

For each bound, the following steps must be done, in that order:

throw die for weather;

check for time of day conditions (eventual end of the battle as a draw here);

PIGs scoring;

expenditure of PIGs for voluntary moves;

impetuous move;

shooting;

close combat;

moral checkup (PoC computation) to see wether and how the battle is finished.

turn

turn

two successives bounds, played by alternating players on each bound.

PIG

PIG

Point of Initiative and Generalship

The PIGs are earned by the throw of a die:

an AD if the C-in-C is regular;

a D6 otherwise.

PIGs are expended to do actions with one or several bases:

voluntary move;

halt.

The PIGs costs are described in the PIGs expense list.

halt

Some troops are impetuous and, as such, subject to impetuous move. In order to prevent this they may be halted. This is not a move but it costs PIGs likewise, and halting troops happen in the move phase of a bound.

A troop cannot halt if has moved before that bound.

A troop cannot move that bound once it has been halted.

PIGs expense list

All the PIG costs are cumulative. There is a one PIG rebate for the first order given by the C-in-C which apply to its self base or to a group or flock to which it belongs.

one PIG

to give an order to a sub-group.

to order a voluntary move to single base or to a group.

to halt a single base or a group.

to halt a single base of Irr status unless infantry entirely in RGo or DGo.

to halt a group comprising at least one base of Irr status unless all the Irr bases are infantry entirely in RGo or DGo.

to perform a move other than moving straight forward at full move distance to an Irr base other than Ps, Ax, LH, Cv if the move does not finish at the contact of an enemy base in a position of either close combat, support or overlap.

to perform a move other than moving straight forward at full move distance to a group with at leat an Irr base other than Ps, Ax, LH, Cv, if the move does not finish at the contact of an enemy base in a position of either close combat, support or overlap.

for each far move fron the fourth on.

for the third far move of a single base off Irr status except if it is Ps or LH.

for the third far move of a group if it include any base of Irr status other than Ps or LH.

to give an order if the C-in-C :

is in ambush.

is not in ambush but is not visible by the subject of the order and is beyond 400p of it.

is visible by the subject of the order but is beyond 800p of it and the subject of the order is not entirely LH.

is visible by the subject of the order but is beyond 1600p of it and the subject of the order is entirely LH.

two PIGs

to command a flock to go full speed ahead.

four PIGs

for ordering a flock into a group.

move

There are three types of moves:

voluntary moves, that you can perform by spending PIGs;

impetuous moves;

outcome moves, that you perform after an engagement has been resolved.

There are move restrictions with gaps and others with ZoC.

ZoC

ZoC

abbreviation for zone of control

Every base except base of Bg exerts a zone of control in front of itself. This is a square as wide as the base and just ahead of the base. fig:zoc: zoc

An element being within the ZoC of an ennemy is zocced.

An enemy ZoC is not interrupted by friendly troops, but is by an intervening enemy base (but the latter have its own ZoC). fig:zoc: zocced.

Within an enemy ZoC, one base can only:

make an impetuous move if it follows the other restrictions written below;

make a halt;

move straigh backward;

get into close combat against an enemy base. If possible, this enemy base must be one that is zoccing it. If there is a choice between several moves, the move to be done is that which is firstly the most straightforward and secondly the shortest. fig:zoc: from zoc to close combat.

If no move can be made because some friendly troops are preventing it, then if two simultaneous moves would solve the conundrum, they shall be done, if enough PIGs are available. This can be extended to three simultaneous moves. Each of these simultaneous moves is evaluated and done as if the other bases involved in it were not here. fig:zoc:getting out of zoc simultaneously.

gap

A gap is the space beween two bases when this space is less than or equal to a base width. fig:gap: gap.

Moves within a gap are constrained: they can only be moving straight forward (or backward) or turning around. fig:gap: moving within a gap.

There is shooting restrictions within gaps.

Caution: the base doing the move or the shooting does not count for the existence of a gap! fig:gap: absence of gap. See also the special case of column extension.

move distance

Move distances are given in multiples of 120p (paces). 120p is 30mm if 15mm figurines are used (45mm for 25/28mm figurines).

They depend of the troop type (as given in the army list) of the base and of the terrain. They are stated below:

Tableau 6.1. Speeds of troop types in terrains (in p)

Troop Types | GGo | RGo | DGo | road
LH | 600 | 480 | 240 | 480
Cv, Cm, LCh | 480 | 360 | 240 | 480
HCh | 360 | 360 | 240 | 480
Ax, Ps | 360 | 360 | 360 | 480
Bw, Bd, Sp, Pk, Wb | 240 | 240 | 240 | 480

Troops graded as Fast (F) get a further 120p on GGo. Infantry graded as Fast also get that 120p bonus on RGo and on DGo. Such a bonus never apply while in a river or if following a road.

The above road column is for following a road but only if the road is not muddy (see RGo column in that case) and only if it concerns the whole move.

The kind of going to consider to compute the move distance of the movement is:

difficult going if any base is getting even partially in difficult going during the move,

otherwise rough going if any base is getting even partially in rough going during the move,

otherwise good going.

A move must halt short if going any further meant enter a going that would reduce the move distance so that it would be too small to even be able to enter into that very going. fig:move: moving into terrain.

visibility

Tableau 6.2. visiblity and terrain features

ambush site | visibility from inside | visibility from outside | concealed troops
BUA | 80 | 80 | any
Wd | 80 | 80 | any
O | 240 | 240 | any
D | 160 | 160 | any
brush (RGo), V | 240 | 240 | Ps
gully (RGo) | no limit | only troops touching the edge of the gully | any
H(G), H(S) with gentle slopes | no limit but 80p if beyond crest | not beyond crest | any
H(S) with steep slopes | 160p or 80p if beyond crest | not beyond crest | any

pass through

Some troop types are able to pass through others:

Ps may interpenetrate any troop types except Pk(I/X) while advancing or while recoiling;

LH may interpenetrate any light troops while advancing;

all mounted may interpenetrate Ps, while advancing or while recoiling as long as all their move is totally in good going;

every troop type except El may interpenetrate Bg in any direction while advancing or while recoiling.

All the bases involved must be of the same army. Except where stated otherwise, they must be in the same or opposite direction. The interpenetrating base place itself beyond the interpenetrated base provided that:

its remaining capacity of movement is enough to warrant this;

there is enough place to do it. It may displace friends of just the required distance to do it provided that these friends are in the same or opposite direction, are neither Bg nor El and have the place to do so or can themselves displace friends in the same conditions. fig:move: pass through and fig:move: unable to pass through.

voluntary move

A voluntary move can be performed by a single base or by a group or by a flock. It requires the expenditure of PIGs.

A group move is done with the move distance of its slowest base, by consideration of the terrain which is really taken by each base.

A voluntary move can be:

forming into a column;

extending from a column;

turning around in place;

moving straight forward;

pivoting (forward against a fixed front corner);

a combination of the above as stated below only:

pivoting then moving straight forward;

only for light troops: first, pivoting (eventually) then moving straight forward then pivoting;

only for skirmishers: first, turning around then moving straight forward.javascript:;

only for a single base move, anything is possible (as a move, except that the move can only be straight ahead if within a gap). The move length for a single base move is measured for each front corner only (the longest measure applies).

A voluntary move is also either a tactical move or a far move.

group

A group is a set of at least two bases, all of which look in the same direction with the same orientation, and each of them is connected with at least an other base of the group with both a corner-to-corner contact and an edge-to-edge contact. fig:group: group.

A column is a special case of group.

A sub-group is a group within a larger group. fig:group: sub-group. A group move cannot excess the move distance of its slowest element. fig:group: short halted group.

direction

In this ruleset, direction is meant with the common meaning everyone shares.

Thus, in a group, all the troops are facing in the same direction (there is a special case of group which is a bent column though).

column

A column is the group constituted by:

a lead element called the head of the column,

all the element directly behind it and in group connection with it. As such, a column must be one base wide over all its length. fig:column: straight column.

The head of a column may pivot as it wants any time it wants to. The base behind it follows behind, in the old direction until they reach the point where the head of the column had pivoted, and follows in the new direction after. Please notice that the column must henceforth be set on the table as a collection of rectilinear segments rather than like an undulating snake. fig:column: bent column in move.

This leads to an extended definition for a colum. A column is either:

a column along the standard definition of a group (see first definition);

such a column after it has moved and got one or several bending points (see second paragraph) which is called a bent column.

It is forbidden to put a bent column in the setup phase or in ambush. This mean that a column may be bent only as a result of a voluntary move.

All the bases in a column are considered to be in the same group even if they have different directions. They are, rules-wise, considered to have the same direction when one of them must recoil.

Thus, the head of a bent column can recoil. fig:column: recoiling a bent column. And every base of a bent column can push back the base after it in the column, even if several bendings are involved. fig:column: bent column.

going into a column

Going into a column is a group move for which there is free distance bonus of 200p.

A group may goi into a column that is facing in the same direction thus:

the base that will be leading the column move forwards.

the other base try to follow directly behind provided they do not recoil in so doing;

otherwise they shift sideways, provided they do not advance beyond the original front of the now head of the columns;

otherwise they cannot take part to the move (and must be excluded from the group so ordered as far as PIGss are concerned).

A group may go into a column that is facing orthogonally to its former direction thus:

the head of the column is on one end of the group and in the front line, and it is pivoting on one of its front corner and then eventually advancing as long as its move distance is allowing (taking the pivot into account);

the other bases follow on directly behind, in the order decided by the player, with a move distance that can be four time that of the group move;

otherwise they cannot take part to the move (and must be excluded from the group so ordered as far as PIGss are concerned).

A column cannot change direction while it is being constructed.

column extension

column extension

the group move of expanding from a column into a line

Again, there are two ways to get from a column into a line. Each one is a group move for which there is free distance bonus of 200p.

A column may get into line without moving the front base of the column:

the front base of the column must not move at all;

the bases behind it can go to the right or to the left of the head of column, without going any further than it;

each base must either come in line with the front base or in column with it or a base that has already moved;

if a base cannot join the previous base into a group, the move must not include it and any base behind it (and so must be excluded from the group so ordered as far as PIGss are concerned).

A column may get into line by pivoting the front base of the column:

the front base must pivot 90° to its right or to its left;

the other base must either move into line with it or into a column with it or a base that has already moved;

if a base cannot join the previous base into a group, the move must not include it and any base behind it (and so must be excluded from the group so ordered as far as PIGss are concerned).

If a column is bent, it can only attempt an extension on the side of the bend. fig:column: bent column extension.

While they are moving, bases involved in a column extension are not restricted by any gap involving at least one of the other bases of the column. fig:column: ignoring gap as extending column.

turning around

Turning around for a single base is simply permutating its front and rear egdges. The base keeps its place in so doing. fig:move: turning around a base.

Turning around for a group is simply turning around individually all its bases. fig:move: turning around a group.

moving straight forward

Moing straight forward is just that, really.

Following a river side is counted as going straight forward PIG-wise if the move is only compound of following a river. To follow a river side, all the bases inside the group doind the move must be at a distance of the river side less than a quarter of a base width at any time during the move. fig:terrain: following a river side.

pivoting

In order to pivot on its left, a single base or a group must immobilize its front left corner and advance its front right corner of the distance intended. Advance the bases between them to recreate the front line. Recreate the group by moving the bases on the rear to recreate the geometry of the group. That's it! fig:move: pivoting a group.

Note that :

no base may be on the left on the base of the pivot on the left;

no base may be on the right of the one used to measure the distance on the right;

this very base and the one of the pivot must both be on the front line of the group !

group unable to pivot].

Act similarly for pivoting a single base on right.

If a group other than a column does move straight forward before or after a pivot, that pivot can only be of 120p maximum.

tactical move

A tactical move is a voluntary move that may begin at 720p or less from an enemy base. fig:move: tactical move.

A base can only make a single tactical move per bound.

A base cannot make a far move and a tactical move in the same bound.

far move

A far move is a voluntary move that must begin at a distance greater than 720p from any enemy base. fig:move: far move.

A base can make several far move in the same bound.

A far move cannot end in contact with enemy except if this enemy was hidden in an ambush and has just been discovered in contact. If discovered at a distance, the move must end short immediatly. There is no PIG penalty associated with this stopping short. fig:move: far move discovering an ambush.

flock

A flock is a set of at least two bases which all look in the same direction with the same orientation, and in which every base is at least connected with an other base of the flock in one of the following ways:

a front edge to rear edge contact, with both sides in full contact;

a right side touching a left side.

A flock is only a temporary thing, and is of use only for doing the moves a flock can do. fig:move: flock. A flock can only perform a single move during a bound.

Also, a flock is always uniting as any bases as it can (one cannot consider sub-flock).

A group may always be considered as a flock, at the initiative of its general.

flock moves

They are all voluntary moves.

full speed ahead

The aim is for every base in the flock to go straight ahead to its own maximum move distance. However, this move would immediately stop once its front met an other base (foe or friend). The flock may dislocate itself with such a move. Please note that for each column of the flock, the base should only be move from fist to last! fig:move: flock at full speed ahead.

ordering the flock into a group

A base is shown as the leader. It will not move.

All bases directly behind the leader move up to its full move distance to collapse into a column.

On its right (and left), the leading base can have its full move to align itself with the leader (or with a base already aligned with the leader) if it is behind. It does not move if is beyond the leader.

All the bases directly behind it (whether or not it has moved) now try to form a column behind it (exactly as the base behind the leader).

Now process with the next row on the right (on the left) until there is none.

fig:move: flock getting in group

fig:move: flock just trying to be a group

engagement

We call engagement the action of getting into contact with an enemy base so that a close combat occurs.

Once in frontal contact with an enemy base, a base does not need to align itself with the enemy but it can provided that:

it was single base move or a group move only;

it was one's front edge that contacted the enemy base front;

there are no obstacle to allow to shift to the right or to the left until the front corners meet;

the direction in which to shift is that of the shortest move to be thus made

by so doing you do not cease contact with an enemy base you were initially engaged in close combat with

by so doing no any other enemy base is engaged in close combat;

if a group move, all the bases of the group must shift identically;

not a single base get even partially out of the battle field (yet it may be unable to recoil).

fig:alignment: impossible alignment.

An isolated base contacted on its front edge by an enemy base participating in a group move, must conform to this group if there is no obstacle to that conformation. fig:alignment: group contacting an isolated base.

A base within a group entirely composed of skirmishers, if contacted on its front edge by the front of two enemy bases participating in a group move, must conform to that group if there is no obstacle to this conformation, even if that group is composed entirely of skirmishers. fig:alignment: group contacting a group of skirmishers. Yet, if the moving group is also composed entirely of skirmishers, the conformation of the enemy is not done if either apply:

it is a group containing at least a Ps which is contacting a group composed only of LH;

the contacting group has a front with fewer bases than the contacted group;

the contacting group has less bases than the contacted group.

fig:alignment: contact between skirmishers groups

If it is not yet aligned, a base contacted on its front by the front of two ennemy bases align itself with the ennemy base with which it presently has the greatest length of contact. fig:alignment: enemy auto-alignment. All the group to which it belongs must then follow in order that it keep being the same group. The alignment is cancelled, but not the contact, if there is not enough room to do so. fig:alignment: enemy group that cannot align.

If a single base must get into close combat with an enmy base (because it was within its ZoC), and it cannot do so by moving straight forward, then it must make the contact with a full alignment of front to front if it has room to do so. If it has not such possibility, it has to make the contact which is geometricaly the closest approximation of such a contact. fig:alignment: geometrically challenged single base engagement

align

to align oneself

We say that a base A align itself with enemy base Z when the front of A is in linear contact with the side of Z it is touching and one of its front corner at least is in contact with a corner of Z. If is not otherwise meant, the side of Z which is involved is its front.

outcome move

An outcome move is a move done just as a shooting or a close combat has been resolved.

An outcome move is either:

a recoil;

a withdrawal;

a fleeing;

a pursuit.

recoil

A base is performing a recoil when it moves directly backward of its own base depth, as an outcome move after a close combat or being shot at.

If a recoiling base goes even partially off table by one of the long table edge, it is removed and considered as destroyed. This is not considered an incomplete recoil for computing tactical factors.

A base that does suffer from a flank attack or of a rear attack cannot recoil and is instead destroyed.

Otherwise, if, before the recoils is complete, the recoiling base meets the following, the recoil is incomplete and stops immediately:

a water feature than it can not, in the direction is is having, going into;

the front edge of an enemy base;

an enemy base that geometrically blocks its way;

friendly base it cannot pass through or push back;

a terrain it cannot go into (unless it is already at least partially in that terrain);

one of the short table edges.

fig:recoil: incomplete recoil

A recoiling base that may pass through a friendly base and chooses to do so will recoil more than the distance given in the tables given before. It will stop its move just after the passed through base. fig:recoil: recoil and pass through.

A base recoiling into a friendly base may be allowed to pass through it or topush back it.

If a pushed back base cannot recoil as much as it should, the original recoiling base is stopped and its recoil is considered as incomplete. The original recoiling base may also recoil beyond a table edge at the same time. fig:recoil: recoil and push back out of table.

A friendly base in close combat cannot be passed through or pushed back.

If a base cannot or would not be able to recoil at all then that is called an impossible recoil. fig:recoil: impossible recoil.

If an El recoils, any base that would be pushed back is instead destroyed. If an El recoils into an enemy base, this base is destroyed and if it was also an El then both El are destroyed. This destruction can not qualify the recoil as incomplete or impossible: it is only stampeding!

The impossibility to complete a recoil is a combat advantage for one's opponent.

push back

A friendly base is pushed back if it is in the same direction than the recoiling base. It is pushed back for as much as the recoiling base has still to recoil. From now on, it is itself considered as a recoiling base (for the distance it is pushed back) for any purpose except that:

it is recoiling only for the distance it is pushed back;

it cannot pass through any friend;

it cannot push back a base unless it is in group with it at the beginning of the move causing the pushing back. fig:recoil: recoil and push back.

An El cannot be pushed back. A base that would require a El to be pushed back is destroyed and if this was also an El, both El are destroyed. This destruction can not qualify a recoil as incomplete or impossible: it is only stampeding!

withdrawal

A withdrawal is an outcome move which is a recoil immediatly followed by a move directly backward of a distance equal to that of its full move distance, computed as that of a normal move.

After the initial recoil, a in base cannot push back friends but it can pass through them as for a normal move.

flee

An flee is an outcome move that is done so:

a recoil;

a turning around;

a moving straight forward of a full move distance. fig:flight: simple flight. If there are any friendly bases acting as obstacles on their way (ie, they cannot be passed through, those troops are taken away behind the fleeing base, in the order in which they are met. If there are any enemy bases acting as obstacles on their way then:

they should be avoided by making a pivot of up to 90 degrees that shall be done more than 160p away from that enemy base, so that this angle is minimal and there is no other enemy obstacle in the new direction for the remaining of the move. fig:flight: flee and avoid enemy;

if the enemy cannot be thus avoided, the fleeing move is not made and the would-be-fleeing base is instead immediatly removed as destroyed and the consequences of the destruction immediatly and normally apply for both players;

as an exception to the above are enemy Ps which, if they cannot be avoided, would effectively imply the destruction of the base attempting to flee, but would also be removed as destroyed themselves; if several enemy Ps were contacted at the same time they are all destroyed. fig:flight: fleeing among enemy Ps;

friendly base in close combat shall be treated as enemy for the purpose of an fleeing move, including an eventual destruction as stated by the previous point. fig:flight: fleeing among friends in close combat.

In addition to the above rules, mounted can choose to avoid DGo when they flee if they are not in DGo at the beginning of the outcome move. In this case, they treat DGo as if it was enemy bases. fig:flight: flee and avoid terrain.

pursuit

After its opponmtent in a close combat has been destroyed or has recoiled, withdrawn or fled, some bases can and others must pursue of their own depth and up up to a base width if mounted or half a base width otherwise (Hd would pursue of their own depth).

Those bases that must pursue are:

HCh except against Ps;

Irr Sp, Irr Bd against any infantry but Ps;

Pk or Wb against any but Ps and LH;

those other than Ps that fought uphill and whose raw dice score is odd and whose downhill opponent was not Ps;

Ps that fought uphill and whose raw die score is odd;

waders.

Those bases that may pursue are:

those other than Bw that fought against an uphil enemy;

Reg Bd ;

any infantry, except Bw, that fought against Ps or LH.

If a base is in a situation where at the same time it must pursue and it may pursue, then it must pursue.

As an exception to all of these rules, a base defending a river edge never pursue;

The pursuit will stop as soon as either:

its front edge meets an other base that blocks its way;

it front edge meets a battlefield edge;

it is mounted, not initially in DGo and it reaches DGo.

impetuous move

An impetuous move is a spontaneous move made by impetuous troops.

target

Troops that are impetuous only because they would contact Bg have those as their only target. The other must first choose their target.

Elligible targets can be :

a base of Ps but only if it can be contacted into close combat by a straigth ahead move ;

any other troop type if its base is beyond one's front and within 1200p.

fig:impetuous: elligible targets of impetuous

Mounted will ignore targets in terrain which they do not consider themselves as GGo.

If there is no elligible target, impetuous troops will move straight ahead at full move distance, except that mounted can deviate of up to 90° to avoid DGo they are not yet within.

If there is an elligible target, impetuous must move toward it, trying to reach it. Reaching its target is either:

getting into close combat with it;

going in position of support or overlap but only if the target is already in close combat.

If more than one target is elligible then they shall select the one that they can reach this turn. If they can reach several targets this turn, the target will be that which is the most directly facing them. We call it the easy target. If there is still a choice, the player of the impetuous base can freely choose. fig:impetuous: impetuous choice of target.

If there is several targets but only one that can be reached, then this target is selected.

If the is several targets but none can be reached, then the target will be that which is the most directly facing them. If there is still a choice, the player of the impetuous base can freely choose.

playing the impetuous move

Once the target is choosen, the active player must move its impetuous base. This is a normal move except that:

the impetuous base ignores the zone of control of any enemy Ps if it is not itself a Ps;

mounted can avoid DGo they have not yet entered into by an initial deviation of up to 90&deg; fig:impetuous: mounted impetuous deviating.

if it reach a friend that blocks its way, then apply the first bullet that apply below:

if that friend is an El or is in close combat or in overlap or support for a close combat, then the move ends immediatly;

if that friend is impetuous, and has not moved this bound, the latter must immediately make an impetuous move (even if halted) and then only will you finish the first move;

if that friend is impetuous and has moved this bound, then the move ends immediatly;

otherwise the friend must recoil to make way and if he cannot recoil or the impetuous is mounted it must flee (after an eventual recoil).

If it cannot reach its target, an impetuous base can always begin its move by a move straight ahead if its target is evin partially straight ahead of it. See the move of Wb D in fig:zoc: from zoc to close combat.

After an impetuous move, a base that is neither in close combat nor in overlap nor support for a close combat cannot finish in a group. So if that would be the case, it must be moved of about five millimeters to the right or to the left or, if that would be impossible or connect it to a group, moveb back by about 5mm, so that it finishes as an isolated base. fig:impetuous: not finishing in group.

Impetuous obey the gap rules. fig:impetuous: impetuous and gap.

Have a look at this example of à group of Wb going bersek: fig:impetuous: group going impetuous.

impetuous

impetuous

troop required to do an impetuous move this bound.

They are:

Irr HCh, Irr Bd[F), Wb who have not moved or been halted this bound;

any troops that could contact Bg into close combat.

However, if a base that would be impetuous is currently in close combat or acting as an overlap against an enemy base which is itself in close combat, then this would-be-impetuous base is not impetuous.

most directly facing

A base Z is the most directly facing base A if it has the shortest direct move to get in full contact of Z, this contact being between the front of Z and the edge of A that Z is actually in contact with. fig:facing: most directly facing simple case.

With such a definition, it is for instance meaningfull to tell about the most directly facing base for base A among bases Y and Z where Z touches the right side of A and Y the left side of A. fig:facing: most directly facing neighbour.

This definition is extended to the case where Z does not touch A. The edge that Z has to touch is the edge of A which has the shortest of shortest direct move as previously described. fig:facing: most directly facing when not in contact.

shooting

A base of Bw which has fled or done a far move or moved more than 120p that bound cannot shoot or shoot back.

Shooting is made after the impetuous moves and before proceding to close combats. First, you need to determine the target of a shot, determine which is the primary shooter and compute shooting advantages. You can then resolve shots.

target

determining the target

Bw are the only troop type eligible to shooting at distance. Other troop types that historically shot did so at very short range and this is taken care of by their combat factor in close combat.

Bw can shoot to any troop type whcih has two corners in a region before them, called the zone of shooting, such as:

it is exactly 480p wide, centered on the center of the front of the shooting base;

it is exactly 360p deep.

For 15mm figurine scale, this is a rectangle large of 120mm and 90mm deep. fig:shooting: shooting zone.

Also, on must be able to draw a quadrilatere joining the two front corners of the shooting base and two of the corners of the target base that are in the zone of shooting, and that shape must not cross or include any eneny or friendly base. It must not go through two bases less than a gap away. fig:shooting: geometry of shooting.

An enemy base in close combat cannot shoot or be shot at. An enemy base acting only as an overlap in a close combat can be shot at.

A target cannot be shot if it is not visible by the shooting base. If lying across several terrain features, a target is counted as if being wholly in the terrain giving the best protection against shooting.

The shooter must shoot at the enemy base which is the most directly facing it. In case of equality, the closest base must be the target. That is measured with the point of the target which is the closest to any point of the front of the shooter. In case of egality again, the shooter can choose its target. fig:shooting: determining shooting target.

Ps may be ignored as a target if an other target is elligible.

If a shooter is being shot at and one of the bases that shoot at it is a valid target, then it must shoot at it, even if its shooting would not be the main shooting and even if it would not be useful (in gameplay terms).

A shooter may give up his shoot against an enemy El that would recoil into a friendly base. If the combat dice has been rolled, it is too late for canceling the shooting.

primary shooter

A shot can be given by an umlimited number of shooting bases. One of the shooter is called the primary shooter. It is up to the shooting player to indicate the primary shooter, with the exception that, if one of the shooters is shot at by the target, then this one must be the primary shooter.

shooting advantage

The eventual second and third shooters give both a shooting advantage to the primary shooter. Other additional shooters do not have an effect on the shooting.

If a least one shooter is shooting to the rear edge of the target (that is, it can draw a valid shooting quadrilater with the target rear edge as seen before to determine if a would-be target is legal) and is also completely behind the rear edge of the target, then an other shoting advantage is given. fig:shooting: shooting from the rear.

A shooting advantage is a combat advantage.

resolving shots

The orders in which the shot are done is determinated by the player whose bound it is.

The handle of a shooting is explained in resolving a combat.

If a target has been already shot at this bound, it cannot be shot at a second time. It may however block a shooting by its sole presence (as the result of an outcome move consecutive to the first shot) if it is contrary to the realisation of the conditions to get an other valid target. fig:shooting: not twice a target.

shooting against the wind

A shot is against the wind if the direction from the center of the front of the base of the primary shooter to the center of the base of the target is within plus or minus 45 degrees of the direction of the wind. fig:shooting: shooting against the wind.

close combat

A close combat occurs when one base A is in frontal contact with an enemy base Z. Base A is in close combat with base Z and symetrically base Z is also in close combat with base A, even if Z is not in frontal contact with A.

The handle of a close combat is explained in resolving a combat.

frontal contact

A base A is in frontal contact with enemy base Z when either of the following apply:

A's front is in contact with an edge of Z;

A's front is in contact with a corner of Z;

one of A's front corner is in contact with an edge of Z.

If A is in frontal contact with enemy base Z, then A is in close combat with Z.

fig:close combat: close combat

If A is in frontal contact with only one enemy base Z, then Z is the main opponent of A.

If A is in frontal contact with more than one enemy base, then A is in close combat with each of them, but only one of them is its main opponent.

The outcome of the close combat only apply to its main opponent. If base Z is the main opponent of base A and A is destroyed or has to make a recoil then

each enemy base of A in frontal contact with A has to make a recoil;

however, of all the enemies of A in frontal contact with A, only Z may pursue.

main opponent

The main opponent is that which has the most dangerous position vs oneself in a close combat.

If one is in close combat with only one enemy base, then this base is its main opponent.

If one is in close combat with several enemy bases, then its main opponent is that with the most dangerous position. From most dangerous to least dangerous, these positions are:

enemy front edge in contact with one's rear edge;

enemy front edge in contact with one of one's rear corner;

enemy front corner in contact with one's rear edge;

enemy front edge in contact with one of one's right or left side;

enemy front corner in contact with one of one's right or left side;

enemy front edge in contacr with one of one's front corner;

enemy front edge in contact with one's front edge;

enemy front corner in contact with one's front edge.

fig:combat: main opponent

If two or more enemies are contacting your base with same level of priority, then this is the enemy which is the most directly facing the edge it is contacting that is the main opponent. In the case they are contacting a base only by one of its corners, the edge to consider is the front edge if that corner is a front corner or otherwise the rear edge. If the most directly facing criterium does not sort out the main opponent (for instance, a base has two flank contact on each flank, each on a front corner to front corner contact), the choice of which is the main opponent is up to the enemy player.

defending a river edge

In a close combat, a base A is defending a river edge against enemy base Z if the three following conditions are all met:

A is in close combat with Z by its own front edge or one of its own front corners;

Z is currently a wader;

A is closer to the river side than its own base depth.

fig:terrain: defending a river edge.

A river edge cannot be defended at a bridge or at a road ford.

fighting from upper ground

A base A is fighting from upper ground against an enemy base Z if any point of the rear edge of A is higher than any point of base Z with which it is in close combat. Z is not necessarily A's main opponent. fig:tactical factors: upper ground.

overlap

Both the right and left side edge of a base can be overlapped.

To act as an overlap against base A, an enemy base Z must fully satisfy one of the following cases:

one of Z's front corners is is contact with a front corner of base A and Z is not in close combat with any enemy base;

one side edge of Z is in contact of a side edge of A.

fig:close combat: overlap.

flank attack

A base A is being flank attacked on its right by an enemy base Z if both:

Z's front edge touches A's side edge;

one of Z's front corners touches either one of A's front corners or A's side edge.

fig:close combat: flank attack.

Z can go into such a positions only if before its move it is both:

completely on the right (or left) of the flank of A;

completely behind the front edge of A.

fig:close combat: conditions for a flank attack.

rear attack

A base A is being rear attacked by an enemy base Z if all the following apply:

Z began the bound completely behind the rear edge of A;

Z is either:

touching the right side of A with its front edge or one of its front corner;

touching the right front corner or the right rear corner of A with its front corner;

A is the main opponent of Z.

fig:close combat: rear attack

Z can go into such a positions only if before its move it is completely behind the rear edge of A. fig:close combat: conditions for a rear attack.

moral

Moral for a base has three states: normal, destroyed and spent.

Army moral has only two states: fighting and routed, although being victorious could be seen as a third one.

destroyed

Destroyed bases are removed from the table. This represent that they got enough killed and wounded to have all their will of warfare haing dissipated. To sum up, they are totally out of action and have fled or been caught and slaugthered later on.

It is good behaviour to have the destroyed troops clearly differentiable from the spent troops. We suggest the following convention: if the troops out of table are kept alont the big (respectively small) border of the table, the destroyed troops are looking to the right (respectively to the up side). The spent one are looking in the opposite direction.

spent

Spent troops are skirmishers that have not been destroyed but have lost theirs missile in battle and can no more skirmish and would leave battle at once. Thus they are removed from table and their loss is less important than if they were destroyed.

army moral

At the beginning of the battle, an army is at its maximum PoC score, that we call its reference moral level and which is written on its order of battle. It is computed by adding the PoC of every base in the army .

The routing level is a third of the reference moral level without rounding, and it is also written on the order of battle.

At the end of each bound, each army losses are taken into account and a new losses moral level is computed and checked against the routing level. An army is routed if its losses moral moral is equal to or greater than its routing level.

Losses are accounted thusly:

for each base being destroyed, add its full PoC value;

for each base being spent, add half its PoC value.

For instance if an army reference moral level is 124, its routing level is 41.333 and it is routed as soon as its losses moral level reaches 42.

PoC

PoC are Points of Confidence used to measure the army moral.

Every base has a PoC value as noted in the following scale:

16 for the Bg;

16 for the C-in-C (whatever kind of troop type it is);

8 for Cv(S), LCh(S), HCh, Bw, Pk, Sp, Wb;

4 for Cv(I/O), LCh(I/O), Cm, LH(O/F), Ax, Bd,

2 for LH(I/X), Hd, Ps.

Note: this scale takes into account that Bw, Pk, Sp and Wb represent twice as many men as Bd or Ax.

victory

An army is victorious when its opponent is routed when it is not itself.

draw

A draw occur when either:

both armies are routed;

it is night;

players run out of time and neither is victorious.

player's score

A player score is computed thusly:

If a player is victorious, award him 5 points and give 1 point for his opponent.

If there is a draw because of night or because of mutual defeat, award 3 points to each player.

otherwise, each player get 2 points.

Tournaments organizers may alter this scoring or ad a secondary score to attain their goals of having a reasonable overall winner.

Chapitre 7. combat

combat

either close combat or shooting.

The consequences of a combat are given in the combat outcome tables.

combat advantage

In close combat and in shooting, a combat advantage is a point added to your combat factor to help you win against your (main) opponent. See tactical factors for their listing.

There are several kinds of combat advantages:

those provided by terrain features;

those provided by friendly bases;

those caused by the weather;

those provided by yourself.

A base engaged in close combat may help the main opponent of its own main opponent, which is most often itself but can also be an other friendly base. The corollary of this is that a base in close combat cannot help a friendly base whose main opponent is different.

support

To give a support to a friendly base B, a base A must have its front edge in full contact with the rear edge of B (which requires that A be in corner-to-corner contact with B) and neither A nor B may be in even partially in DGo). fig:combat: support.

resolving a combat

The procedure described here apply both for close combat and for shooting.

Each player add its combat factor and a D6 and any relevant combat advantage as deduced from the tactical factors to get their first total scores.

Now they compare them and eventually proceed to grade adjustments to get their second total score.

They finally check for cohesion effect and get their third total score, which is their final scores.

They now compare their final scores and apply the results in the relevant table of the combat outcome.

combat factor

Each troop type has a combination of combat factors which is given in the grid below.

Tableau 7.1. combat factors for close combat and shooting

Subject troop type | Against infantry | Against mounted
El | 4 | 4
HCh | 3 | 4
LCh, Cv | 3 | 3
Cm | 3 | 2
LH | 2 | 2
Bd, Sp | 4 | 4
Pk | 3 | 4
Bw | 2 | 4
Ax, Wb | 3 | 2
Ps, Hd | 2 | 2

The factors for being shot at are the same as against infantry in close combat with the exception of HCh whose factor is 4. The shooting factor for Bw are the same as those for close combat.

See also tactical factors and resolving a combat for combat computations and then refer to the combat outcome tables.

tactical factors

Apply one (or more if specified) combat advantage for each of the folowing item:

if fighting from upper ground in its own bound;

if defending a river edge;

if shot at and at least one of the following is true:

it is raining

the primary shooter is shooting against the wind;

if victim of dazzle;

if your ennemy would be unable to complete a recoil, even if that is not a result that could apply as a combat outcome, but not if that is only because your enemy would recoil even partially out of table;

for each side of your main enemy that is overlapped;

+2 if your main enemy is flank attacked;

+3 if your main enemy is rear attacked;

Bw in GGo or RGo in close combat against any or shooting;

for each shooting advantage;

for being shot at by Bw in Wd or BUA, or being in Wd or BUA while being shot at;

Wb in GGo or RGo in close combat against any but skirmishers;

Ps in close combat against skirmishers if supported by a second rank of Ps(O) and neither is in DGo;

Bd against Ax, Wb, Sp or Pk;

mounted against Bd;

Sp in GGo in close combat against any but skirmishers;

Pk(I/X) in GGo in close combat against any but skirmishers;

+2 for Pk(I/X) in close combat against any but skirmishers and supported by a second rank of Pk(I) in close combat against any but skirmishers if all ranks are in GGo;

Pk(F) in GGo or RGo in close combat against any but skirmishers;

Pk(F) in close combat against any but skirmishers for a second rank of Pk(F) and both Pk(F) are in GGo;

If the army list explicitely allow Ps(O) support as stated below, apply one combat advantage for:

a front rank of Ax or Bd or Sp, supported by a second rank of Ps(O), in close combat against mounted or Wb, if neither the Ps and the supported base are in DGo.

grade adjustments

grade adjustments

after having added one's combat factor, a D6 and every combat advantage you have your first total score. Grade adustments are taking grades into account to compute the second total score.

grade adjusments for close combat

Troops scoring more than their enemy add one to their score for any of the following that apply:

they fight against (I) troop;

they fight in their own bound against (F) troop;

their are (S) troop in their own bound.

(S) troops scoring less than their opponent in their opponent's bound also add one to their score.

grade adjusments for shooting

Bw(S) that score more than their opponent add one to their score.

grade adjusments for being shot at

Troops scoring more than their enemy add one to their score if they fight against (I) or (F) troop.

(S) troops scoring less than their opponent add one to their score.

cohesion effect

If your second total score is less than that of your opponent, add one to this score if you are in group with in front-corner-to-front-corner contact on both your left and your right edge with either :

the C-in-C;

a base which is strictly identical to you.

fig:close combat: cohesion effect

combat outcome

In the following table are recorded the outcomes of a combat between a base A and an enemy base Z. Nothing happens if A and Z score equal. We suppose that Z scores more than A and the tables refer to the consequence for A. The combat factor of A is cfA, its final score is fsA and that of Z is fsZ (see resolving a combat for calculation).

These tables are sorted by how many times there is cfA in the difference beween fsZ and fsA.

Apply the first item that is compatible with the situation being examined.

Tableau 7.2. outcome table if fsA < fsZ < fsA + cfA

Troop A | Consequences for troop A
any | For any situation not explicitely stated below: recoil
Hd | destroyed by El, HCh and Wb. Otherwise no effect.
Bd, Pk, Sp | destroyed by El, HCh and Wb.
Bw | destroyed by mounted if in terrain these count as GGo.
Ax | destroyed by HCh.
Ps | destroyed by Cv, LCh, LH and HCh in GGo. flee in GGo against any but Ps and El.
El | destroyed by Ax and Ps.
Cv | recoil against Cm in dunes. flee in close combat in DGo.
LH | recoil against Cm in dunes. flee in close combat in DGo. flee in GGo except against skirmishers.
LCh | destroyed in close combat in DGo.
HCh | destroyed in close combat in DGo or against El.

Tableau 7.3. outcome table if fsA + cfA <= fsZ < fsA + 2 cfA

Troop A | Consequences for troop A
any | For any situation not explicitely stated below: destroyed
Ps | spent by heavy infantry except Bw. recoil against El. flee in DGo in close combat against mounted.
Cv, LCh | spent in GGo against Pk or Sp.
LH | flee in close combat in DGo. spent in close combat against infantry except Bw and Ps armed with bows, crossbows or slings.

Tableau 7.4. outcome table if cfA + 2 cfA <= fsZ

Troop A | Consequences for troop A
any | For any situation not explicitely stated below: destroyed
Ps | flee against El.

Note: if A is a troop of Bw which is shooting without being shot at, it disregards any effect in the above tables.

Chapitre 8. figures

Here are the figures that illustrates the rules. They are not creating new rules of their own! They are merely illustrating and clarifying the actual rules.

All figures belong to a category whose name begins by figs: and where you can find other schemas relative to the purpose. For instance, figs:shooting illustrates shooting rules.

The first things to read are the conventions.

figs:conventions

The figures of this category explain how to read the schemas (pictures) of bases.

naming onventions

figures are named with a fig: prefix, followed by a secondary prefix like terrain: for instance, which indicate the figs: category to which belong the graphic. For instance fig:zoc: moving in zoc would belong to category figs:zoc.

the category (or tag) is named with a figs: prefix and correspond to a sub-directory of the figs directory where all the graphics of the category are kept. The name of that sud-directory is directly derived from that of the category. For instance, here the category is figs:conventions and the sub-directory is figs/conventions. A dash in the directory name is replaced with a space ad so we have figs:close combat for sub-directory close-combat.

there shall not be camelcase names in fig: or figs: names. Thus, we have figs:zoc instead of figs:ZoC.

Only minuscule US ASCII letters, digits and minus sign are allowed in directory and filenames. So convert any majuscule of fig: name or into minuscule and never use majuscule in figs: name. You keep any space in the figs: name but replace it with a dash in the directory name.

graphics in the wikis are svg graphics and this why the documents/figs link relates to ../schemas/figs-svg. The build system is able to generate either svg or png graphics for ebooks out of original svg file. Svg files are resized by the build system. This allows you to keep your svg file all at the same scale and thus ease your work when you edit a drawing and have to import a basegraphics from the graphics library, which is located in schemas/library.

if a figure (which is a fig: tiddler) needs several schemas for clarity's sake, then each schema should be numbered with a suffix in -XY before the .svg, beginning with -01. The leading zero is mandatory. So that figure figs:zoc: moving in zoc could have two schemas: moving-in-zoc-01.svg and moving-in-zoc-02.svg for instance.

fig:conventions: look of a friendly base

fig:conventions: look of an enemy base

fig:conventions: look of a base depending of its orientation

fig:conventions: bases shapes

fig:conventions: look of a friendly base

Figure 8.1. how to decipher a friendly base

A figure of a base give you 5 important pieces of information:

their dimensions (acurate),

the troop type (but neither their grade nor their Irr/Reg category),

to whom they belong (friend or enemy),

the letter identifying the base,

their front.

The dimensions are given by the geometrical shape itself. There are only 4 shapes: 40x40, 30x40, 20x40 and 15x40.

The troop type is written in the midst of the base.

The identifying letter begins with A for friends, and goes up. It is beginning at Z for foes and goes down. The order is from front to rear within columns then from left to right. The identifying letter is always in the front left corner of the base.

Identifying letter are encapsulated in a glyph indicating if the base is friendly or enemy: a circle for a friend, a diamond for an enemy (this diamond is also a square). Also, friends and enemy are drawn in a different color scheme. Bases in shades of blue are foes. Bases in shades of brown are friends.

There is a big pentagon in the upper middle of the base. It is pointing to the front of the base and its own basement is at the rear of the base. The shades are dark at the back of the base and clear at the front of the base.

These conventions were made in order to be readable in black and white medium while being comfortable in full colours.

Now you can look at an enemy base to see the differences. Then you can see them in all 4 major orientations.

fig:conventions: look of an enemy base

Figure 8.2. how to read the picture of an enemy base

This is an enemy base looking up. See how to read the picture of a base to help decipher the figure.

The differences with a friendly base are:

the background colour is blue instead of ochre,

the identifying letter is within a diamond instead of a circle.

You can see them in all 4 major orientations.

fig:conventions: look of a base depending of its orientation

Figure 8.3. the same base drawn in all 4 directions

See how to read the picture of a base and look at an enemy base if need be.

Looking down bases have their troop type written as if looking up. The pentagon and the position of the identifying letter make it clear they are looking down. Note that this identifying letter is always written normally (ie top is upside).

Base lookind on right or left have the troop type label pivoted accordingly, thus making it clear what orientation they have : the base on the right of the picture is looking to the left while the base on the left is looking to the right.

Of course, the colour gradient, the pentagon and the position of the identifying letter are hints to where is the front of each base.

As for the two bases in the middle, the upper one is looking up and the lower one is looking down. This is all true both for friends and enemy bases.

fig:conventions: bases shapes

Figure 8.4. the 4 kind of bases

There are four shapes of bases as here illstrated for 15mm figurines:

15x40mm, here with a base of Sp;

20x40mm, here with a base of Bw;

30x40mm, here with a base of Cv;

40x40mm, here with a base of HCh.

You may look at the graphical conventions.

figs:terrain

The following drawings are about roads and water features, especially rivers :

fig:terrain: river crossing

fig:terrain: road across a river

fig:terrain: following a road

fig:terrain: following a river side

fig:terrain: defending a river edge

fig:terrain: river crossing

Figure 8.5. geometrical rules for crossing a river

Crossing a river is only at from -45° to +45° with a perpendicular line to its stream direction. Here the contact point of Bw E with Rv is A and the intention was to cross the river at an angle α ≤ 45°. E must already have this α angle with the river stream direction when it hits the river. It then go straightforward and its (here) left front corner will exit the river at point B with a β angle with its stream direction at this point B. If the river is straight, α = β and all is fine.

But here the river is curved and β < α and if β is too much greater than 45° then the initial angle must be less than α. Here we have shown that the exit point can be no more away of D than C which have an α angle with the stream of 45°. Note than the initial angle is now δ and that δ < α. This rule is to avoid abuses and must not itself be abused!

The base E is now crossing the river at a δ angle (it shall now touch the river with a δ angle instead of an α angle). Base F is an example of a position that E will get while going across the river.

fig:terrain: road across a river

Figure 8.6. geometrical limits on river crossing

Road R cross the river correctly: it is orthogonal to it. Road S is not legally crossing the river. Remember a road can only cross once the same river.

fig:terrain: following a road

Figure 8.7. showing what following a road is

Troops follow a road by having the center of their bases contered on the middle of the road. They have to change direction when the road does, see fig:column: bent column in move for details on how to do it with a column.

Note that the road which is in GGo could not have be nearer of the wood otherwise troops like F here would have been both in GGo and in DGo while on a road, which must be avoided as much as can be when one create the battlefield.

fig:terrain: following a river side

Figure 8.8. showing how bases can follow a river

Bases A, B and C are following a road next to the river, so that one of their side touch the river side. If they follow this road while it is so close to the river, they follow the river side. We then say that this road is also following the river side between points P and Q.

Now, the same elements can follow the river side without this road: they will just take the very same path. Hence, following a river side is the same than following a road which follows the river side.

fig:terrain: defending a river edge

Figure 8.9. defending a river edge is examined while in close combat

A is not defending the river edge because it has no oponent.

B is not defending the river edge against W because W is not a wader.

C is defending the river edge against X.

D is not defending the river edge against Y because althugh Y is a wader, it is also positionned onto a river ford where a road crosses the river.

E is not defending the river edge against Z because although Z is a wader, E is more than its own base depth away from the river edge.

See defending a river edge.

figs:zoc

A collection of precious illustrations about how to deal with ZoC :

fig:zoc: zoc

fig:zoc: zocced

fig:zoc: from zoc to close combat

fig:zoc:getting out of zoc simultaneously

fig:zoc: zoc

Figure 8.10. the ZOC area is a square in front of the base as wide as its front

The ZoC area of the base E is a square, one side of which is the front of E.

fig:zoc: zocced

Figure 8.11. zoccing and unzoccing enemy

Two bases of Sp A and B and a Ps C have a ZoC. The ZoC of A and C are represented in pink with a red border.

The enemy are 3 Wb X, Y and Z and also a Ps W. Z is exactly at base width of A. X is directly zocced by A and B. Y is also zocced by A and B because X does not prevent zoccing.

Z is zocced by A because it is not beyond its ZoC. Z is also zocced by B because it is not beyond the ZoC and neither X nor Y does negate the ZoC of B.

Ps W is not zocced by A because Bw C which is a friend of A is intervening. The portion of A's ZoC which is neutralized by C is represented in green. Of course, W is zocced by C.

The right rear corner of Z is exacly aligned with the right border of B. Only that corner of Z is within the ZoC of C and so C is not zoccing Z.

fig:zoc: from zoc to close combat

Figure 8.12. How to get in close combat when initially zocced in non obvious situations.

Pk A and B are in the ZoC of enemy Sp Y and Z.

Wb D which a base width away of Sp Y is in its ZoC.

Enemy Bw X is zoccing Wb C.

Bw X is not zoccing anyone.

Each pink area materializes a ZoC. The green area is the portion of the ZoC of Sp Y which has ben neutralised by Bw X. Thus, we see that Wb D is not zocced by Sp Y, but it is zocced by Bw X.

It is now your turn to move.

Figure 8.13. How the Pk moved and where the Wb went impetuously.

Pk A does a voluntary move: it goes straight forward to contact the front of its zoccer, followed by Pk B. The main opponent of A is Sp Z.

Both Wb have made an impetuous move. Wb C moves first. Its target must be Bw X because it is the only enemy that is zoccing it (it would be the same if C had to make a voluntary move). It could not pivot on its front left angle to achieve that because it would then enter W's ZoC and then the target priorities rules would have mandated that W be its target. But this is not allowed because W was not zoccing C at the beginning of the move. So C must instead go directly at X and align itself with X.

Wb D has Bw X for target because it cannot hit any of the Sp. It can reach X by going as straight forward as it can (with a lateral shift when it is blocked by friendly Pk B which cannot be displaced because it is giving support to Pk A which is already in close combat with Sp Z. Note that Bw X was not initially zoccing Wb D.

Now, Wb D will make its own impetuous move. It is unable to contact any target so its target which is Sp Y because it is the only enemy base zoccing it. As D is unable to get into close combat against Y or to overlap it, the active player chooses that its impetuous move is to move straight forward. D stops as soon as it contacts Pk B and ends here because B provide a support to Pk A in its close combat with Sp Z.

fig:zoc:getting out of zoc simultaneously

Getting a pair of bases out of enemy ZoC can be tricky (and expensive).

figs:alignment

figures to explain the rules of alignment

fig:alignment: impossible alignment

what can prevent amoving group alignment.

See engagement.

fig:alignment: group contacting an isolated base

showing the isolated base conforming or not.

See engagement.

fig:alignment: group contacting a group of skirmishers

showing a group of skirmishers being separated after contact.

See engagement.

fig:alignment: contact between skirmishers groups

showing when there is alignment or not (the effect of alignment is not shown here).

See engagement.

fig:alignment: enemy auto-alignment

showing an enemy group finally aligning itself.

See engagement.

fig:alignment: enemy group that cannot align

showing what can prevent an enemy group to conform, including the edge of the world effect.

See engagement.

fig:alignment: geometrically challenged single base engagement

Figure 8.14. A base is zocced but lacks space to get easily into close combat.

A group of Pk is approached by two enemy bases:

on the left, Ax Y is zoccing Pk B;

on the right, Bd Z is zoccing [Pk]] C, D and E.

Figure 8.15. A lack of room cannot preclude a close combat.

Pk B cannot contact Ax Y by going straight forward. And as it has no problem of room, it must align with Ax Y if it want to get into close combat with it.

Pk C cannot contact Bd Z by going straight forward, but it has not the room to get into close combat with Z and align itself with Z. So instead it has to go into close combat with a partial frontal contact, its right flank touching the front of friendly Pk D, because that is as close as being aligned with Bd Z as it can perform.

See also fig:zoc:getting out of zoc simultaneously to see what can be done for Pk D, E and F.

figs:ambush

This is a collection of schemas claryfying how ambushes can be done and recorded.

fig:ambush: ambush within a wood

typcal case.notice distances from edge, orientation an troopidentification.

fig:ambush: ambush within a gully

troop can touch the edge of the gully. Notice the talweg and how troops are positionned in relation to it.

fig:ambush: ambush behind hill

drawing enemy lines of sight to delimit the cone of conceiveent.

fig:ambush: ambush on a hill behind crest

be precise with crest lines that do the hidding. Note that the hiding can be expanded behind the hill. Note that a RGo cover in front of the hill may be used to lay an other ambush of Ps.

figs:close combat

close combat explanation. not including tactical factors.

fig:close combat: fighting with dazzle

example to illustrate who suffers from dazzle in close combat.

fig:close combat: cohesion effect

illustration of cohesion effect

fig:close combat: close combat

expliciting close combat positions

fig:close combat: overlap

example of overlaps and associated tactical factors. includes two overlaps on the same side counting only for one.

fig:close combat: flank attack

illustrating a flank attack

fig:close combat: conditions for a flank attack

initial positions required to perform a flank attack

fig:close combat: rear attack

what is a rear attack?

fig:close combat: conditions for a rear attack

initial position before a rear attack

fig:close combat: river and impossible contact

being near a river may forbid some contact.

figs:column

How to deal with column.

fig:column: straight column

a simple column within a larger group and odds out of it.

fig:column: bent column

a simple static bent column. with a larger group to show the head of the column is not within the larger group.

fig:column: bent column in move

showing the move of a bent column compound of bases of different dimension, showing how to solve the turning point representation.

fig:column: recoiling a bent column

showing a recoil of a composite bent column

fig:column: ignoring gap as extending column

the gap rules is ignored if getting out of a column to extend it.

See column extension.

fig:column: bent column extension

lateral restriction for a bent column extension.

figs:combat

figures for the notion involved in close combatType the text for 'figs:combat'

fig:combat: main opponent

an example of each level of priority for being the main opponent

fig:combat: support

no rear support because of DGo or bad alignment

figs:recoil

all about recoil.

fig:recoil: incomplete recoil

what are the causes for an incomplete recoil ? include terrain, friend, enemy, table edge.

fig:recoil: impossible recoil

just showing an impossible recoil is an incomplete recoil with zero distance of effective recoil. several cause of blocking are illustrated: friends, enemies, table edge.

fig:recoil: recoil and pass through

recoiling with a passing through a friend

fig:recoil: recoil and push back

recoiling and pushing back a friend

fig:recoil: recoil and push back out of table

a deep base recoils and pushes back a narrow freind and both get out of table.

figs:flight

explications about fleeing rules.

fig:flight: simple flight

typical flight

fig:flight: flee and avoid enemy

how one can try to avoid anemy when fleeing. No enemy Ps involved.

fig:flight: fleeing among enemy Ps

special case of enemy Ps. showing one surviving enemy Ps. the fleeing base is not a Ps.

fig:flight: fleeing among friends in close combat

some friends in close combat as you are fleeing. illustrations of an avoidance and of a destruction.

fig:flight: flee and avoid terrain

how mounted can try to avoid terrain while fleeing. show a case where initial DGo forbids that.

figs:facing

figures to make clear of what most directly facing is, really.

fig:facing: most directly facing simple case

what do we measure ? an example.

fig:facing: most directly facing neighbour

showing when B and C are parallel and when they are not.

fig:facing: most directly facing when not in contact

general case B and touching C: which is the MDF?

figs:gap

This is a vademecum for gap rules.

fig:gap: gap

simple illustration of whet isa gap. Shows that there is nogap between a base and the border of the table.

fig:gap: absence of gap

Some gaps are not gaps.

fig:gap: moving within a gap

restricted moves withina gap

figs:group

Illustration about some group rules

fig:group: group

consitution of a group by example.

fig:group: sub-group

examples of sub-group.

fig:group: short halted group

a group that cannot enter DGo.

figs:impetuous

figures to help with impetuous move.

fig:impetuous: elligible targets of impetuous

what can be or not a target for a HCh.

fig:impetuous: impetuous choice of target

some geometry for choce. not explaining MDF again.

fig:impetuous: mounted impetuous deviating

HCh that deviate and how and some that don't for 2 different reasons.

fig:impetuous: impetuous and gap

an example of gap with target choce and an other with move.

fig:impetuous: group going impetuous

a rather real life example showing a big group with several target toring it apart.

fig:impetuous: not finishing in group

tweaking the move to avoid being in a group.

figs:move

figures about how to move bases in various conditions.

fig:move: moving into terrain

A move in RGo shorted by RGo and a move into DGo that is impossible because of an insufficient move distance in DGo.

fig:move: turning around a base

really simple. just to be 100% clear.

fig:move: turning around a group

showing a double rank of Pk with some odd Ps doing it. with the general to really show how it is done.

fig:move: pivoting a group

pivoting on the left a group of at least 3 deep somewhere and in particular to the right.

fig:move: group unable to pivot

showing an example of a group with a base on the left or on the rear that prevents it to be able to pivot (see pivoting)

fig:move: pass through

pass through simple example

fig:move: unable to pass through

examples of impossible pass through (because of geometrical obstacle)

fig:move: tactical move

showing a close and a far away 'tactical move'

fig:move: far move

showing the zone of no far move and an example of far move going into the tactical move zone.

fig:move: far move discovering an ambush

a single base discover an ambush in a Wd. a line discover and hit an ambush on the border of a gully. all the move are shortened.

fig:move: flock

example of flock, with some bases out of it and yet in contact.

fig:move: flock at full speed ahead

a flock of foot and mounted go full speed and get distorted and even broken in two or more.

fig:move: flock getting in group

an example of a flock getting in group and succeeding at it

fig:move: flock just trying to be a group

a flock that keeps being a fock but get more ordered, closer to being a group.

figs:shooting

help about shooting situation.

fig:shooting: shooting zone

showing the shooting zone of a Bw

fig:shooting: geometry of shooting

what to measure to select target.

fig:shooting: determining shooting target

what to measure to select target.

fig:shooting: not twice a target

a target is shot once and flees. it is then the target of an other Bw. it can't shoot at it.

fig:shooting: shooting from the rear

several shooters. one secondary shooter is shooting from behind tho target and add +1.

fig:shooting: shooting against the wind

illustrating shooting against the wind in simple case and one where the premary and secondary are not in the same situation with th wind.

fig:shooting: shooting with dazzle

example to illustrate whena shooter suffers from dazzle in close combat. Clarify the rules re Bw position and that direction of shooting does not intervene.

figs:tactical factors

explanation of tactical facors.

fig:tactical factors: upper ground

what is upper ground exactly ? what is not (except corollary)

fig:tactical factors: no upper ground

showing when no upper ground claim is valid.

figs:wind

Illustration to help deal with wind direction.

fig:wind: initial wind setup

Example illustrating how to determine from where the wind first blows.

fig:wind: wind shifting

example showing how the wind direction change.