FORWARD COMRADES

This rules set is a variant of my earlier set "Red and White." This one differs from that set mainly in the sequence of action. Most of the ranges, fire effects etc. are the same.

Jay Stribling - Last updated 9/21/07

HISTORICAL TERMS USED

GAMING TERMS USED

• Saving Throw = Roll a D6, the hit was really a miss on 1,2,3, hit takes effect on 4,5,6
• Complete cover Units may not be seen nor fired at when in Complete cover

• Cover Units in Cover may be fired at, but at reduced effect.

• Supression Units which lost a stand due to fire in phase 1 of that turn are suppressed and may not move in phase 3 or 4 or fire in phase 5. Suppression ends when the turn does.
• Game Master also known as the Umpire. The person who sets up the game, determines the victory conditions, and confuses the players with his rules interpretations during the game. During the game, his word is ironclad!

SEQUENCE OF ACTION

• Phase 1 - Artillery Bombardment phase. Both sides simultaneously fire off-board or on-board artillery. Units or "areas" may be targeted. Remove casualties.
• Phase 2 - Dice for initiative. Side with high die may move first or second.
• Phase 3 - Side with initiative tests leadership for all units which will attempt to move. Units which pass this leadership test may move. Units attempting to charge into close combat must stop 1' from target of their charges. This side now surrenders initiative to second side.
• Phase 4 - Second side now has initiative and moves any or all units as in 3 above.
• Phase 5 - Both sides may now simultaneously fire all infantry or Machine gun units at any target in range.
• Phase 6 - Both sides now simultaneously resolve all close combats.
• Phase 7 - Both sides now simultaneously test morale of any units which lost a stand or which lost a close combat.
• Phase 8 - Check to see if either (or both) sides have fulfilled victory conditions. If not, return to phase 1 above.

SEQUENCE OF ACTION

DETERMINING LEADERSHIP: There should be a leader figure for each player. There may be more leaders than there are players. Each unit on the table is assigned to a leader. In phase 1 of each turn, roll A D6 for each unit under a leader's command. If a unit receives a leadership point it may move or fire. Units whose leaders have been killed or whose leader has defected to the enemy roll on the "Over 36" line as below. Units which are being "led heroically" by their officer need not test for command. Other units unider the command of an officer who is "leading heroically" must roll on the "Over 36" line.

Distance from leader	Chance of move on D10
12" or less	Will move
24" to 12"	Move on 1-9
36" to 24"	Move on 1-8
Over 36" or no leader	Move on 1-6

Leaders may only influence their own troops except for the commander in chief who may influence any of his units. Example: The 1st Siberian Rifles are under the command of General Pavlov who unfortunately is over 36" away on the other end of the battlefield. Although Colonel Strelski, a brave officer, is within 12", he is not their leader so they must check for leadership on the "Over 36" line of the table above.

NOTES ON LEADERSHIP

• Officers may influence one unit of their own troops by leading heroically. This will help the unit to fire and melee better, at the expense of less chance for leadership for the rest of their units.
• Efficient officers (see OFFICERS below) have a larger command radius. Add 6" to each band in the table above.
• A unit must have Leadership to move a unit in phase 3.

MOVEMENT

Some gamers do not like the idea of variable movement that is as random as above. Below is a movement table with a standard distance to which is added a D6 for some variability. Players should decide before the game as to which movement system will be used.

ALTERNATE MOVEMENT TABLE

Infantry or Machine guns in open 4"+D6, half in rough

Cavalry in open 11"+D6, half in rough +2 additional D6 if charging

Tchanka moves as cavalry, cannot use charge movement.

Officers, mounted or on foot 18"+D6 (they have some form of transport!)

Tanks 4"+D6 in open or rough

Armored car on road 15"+D6, off road 4"+D6, cannot go into rough

Guns; limbered 7"+D6, ˝ move in rough, unlimbered 2” (pushed by hand)

Trains; 15"+D6 if they fire or not

Ships 11"+D6 or 8"+D6 if towing barges.

Supply wagons or Droshkies 4"+D6, half in rough

Units on road or trail in column add one D6

Tanks get no road bonus, nor do armored cars

No units except Tanks, armored trains, or ships can move through a Bombardment without testing morale. Any morale failure and the unit must stop at edge of bombardment area. If morale test passed, unit’s move is cut in half. Tanks & armored trains may move through without testing morale but do so at half rate. Ships are not affected by bombardment.

SMALL ARMS FIRING

Modifiers to die rolls

+ 1 Point blank range

+1 Interventionist (British/Canadian/U.S./French/Serbian/Czech)

+1 officer figure attached to unit, leading heroically

+1 Commissar (see special rule below) with red unit

+1 Religious leader (see special rule below) with white unit

-1 long range

Ranges

• Rifles: Point blank range = 4", Normal range=10", long range=20"
• Machine guns: Point blank range=7", 15"= Normal range=15", 25"=long range =25"

NOTES ON FIRING:

• · Whenever hits or fire dice are being halved, and a fractional number such as 1/2 hit or 1/2 die results, roll a D6 to confirm the hit or die. On a 1,2,3 the hit did not occur or the die need not be rolled. On a 4-6 the hit will occur or the die will be rolled.
• Infantry or dismounted cavalry stands that have taken losses may fire small arms at full effect until eliminated by said losses.

SUPRESSION

CLAIMING COVER

Units at the edge of such cover, but able to fire out and be seen, are referred to as being in cover. Note the difference between cover and complete cover. Being in defilade behind hills or woods usually gives complete cover.

Due to the irregularities of the ground, there will be folds and depressions, that may provide cover but are too subtle to be represented with the usual miniature hills. To attempt to recreate this, any unit that moves only 1/2 or less of the movement to which it is entiled by the dice may claim to be in cover. Place a "Cover Marker" or otherwise designate the unit as being in cover.

Note that units that claim cover by virtue of taking only 1/2 move, may only do so against units which they could see or had knowledge of during their move.

Note that units that claim cover by virtue of taking only 1/2 move, may NOT do so against units which are firing on them from Point Blank range.

BANNERS

Normally elite units might be Officer units, cadet units, Cossacks, Czech legion, foreign intervention units, for the Whites, and Fanatical Bolsheviks, Sailors, and possibly Red guards for the Reds.

The game-master will decide which units are elite, at the start of the game.

COMMISSARS

Any time that the unit to which the commissar is attached takes a casualty, roll a D10. It the result is "0" he is killed and is removed from the game.

The game-master will decide which units have commissars, at the start of the game.

RELIGIOUS INSPIRATION

• 1,2 = Priest must attend to wounded, no +1 for rest of turn.
  
• 3,4 = Priest leaves with convoy of wounded for rear, Put him at HQ for reassignment.
  
• 5 = Priest must go to hospital with wounded, out of the battle for the remainder of the game.
  
• 6 = Priest gives up life while attending wounded, This scrifice inspires the unit for the remainder of the game. Place a banner on the unit.

The game-master will decide which units have religeous leaders attached, at the start of the game.

MELEE

1. Attacker moves his units into contact.
2. Defender gets defensive fire from any units in range that could have fired at attacking units at any part of the path they took during movement to attack. Measure range at nearest point to unit.
3. The attacker & defender each roll a D6 and add/subtract appropriate modifiers. Note that additional units on either side earns a modifier, not extra dice.

NOTE: Units that are "falling back" and are attacked in melee are always considered to be "Attacked in flank/rear."

Highest roll wins. Attacker loses ties unless attacking on flank/rear then wins ties.
Loser takes 1 casualty for every number he is beaten by and falls back to starting position if attacker or one move to rear if defender.(tank takes no loss).
If the defender is in trenches or other defenses, the attacker must win by 3 or more to force enemy out of defenses. If he does not, he falls back to starting position. In this case, any casualties called for must be on the attacker, even if his die roll exceeded the defender's roll (but not by 3 or more).

Cavalry, Armored cars, and Armored trains may withdraw before melee by making a normal move away.

Infantry units attacked by tanks may attempt to destroy them with petrol bombs if the infantry win the melee. Must pass morale, then each infantry stand may roll a D10 and scores a hit with petrol bomb on a result orf "0". See below under TANK if infantry hits a tank with a petrol bomb.

EXAMPLE OF MELEE

EXAMPLE #1 A red infantry battalion with attached commissar attacks a white battalion defending behind barbed wire, in trenches, with a section of heavy machine guns attached.
Red fire in Phase 2 kills 2 of the white figures. White defensive fire in phase 3 kills 3 of the reds.
Both sides have lost 3 men but no complete stands.
Modifiers are:
WHITE: 0 (no stands lost), +1 machine gun section attached, +1 entrenched, Net = +2 to D6
RED: 0 (no stands lost), -2 attacking through barbed wire, +1 commissar attached. Net = -1 to D6.
The die rolls were (WHITE) 4 and (RED) 6. Net rolls including modifiers are (W) 6 (R) 5.
The whites win the melee since their modified die roll was one more than the Reds. (6 to 5)
The Reds take one casualty and fall back to their starting position.

EXAMPLE #2 Two white infantry battalions (one with a banner and one led by a heroic officer) attack a red battalion in cover (but not trenches) supported by a machine gun. The whites have the fire of 3 guns firing in phase 2 while the reds have the fire of two more battalions of infantry (at long range) in phase 3.
The white artillery kills 3 reds a so a stand is Not lost. The defensive fire of the red unit under attack kills 4 men, and defensive fire from other two red units each kill one more white so 6 men are lost to the attackers but not a complete stand. (It would probably be worth being very careful here as to which of the attacking units take which casualties.
Modifiers are: WHITE -1 for casualties (1 stand lost), +1 for banner, +1 for heroic leader (tested for leader casualty but none occurred). Net = +1 to die.
RED -2 attacked by more than one unit, +1 for machine gun attached. Net = -1 to die.
The die rolls were (WHITE) 5 and (RED) 5. Net rolls after modifiers are (W) 6, (R) 5. The whites win the melee since their modified die roll was one more than the Reds (6 to 5). The Reds are not in trenches or buildings, so they take one casualty and fall back.

NOTE: If the reds had been in trenches or buildings the whites would have had to fall back because they did not win by 3, and the casualty would be on the white forces even though their modified die roll was higher..

MORALE

Die Modifiers

• -1 in trenches or buildings or behind breastworks or any type of cover
• -1 elite unit with banner
• -1 heroically led
• -1 Commissar or religigous leader (see special rule) with unit.

Attached machine guns or tchankas are not counted for morale purposes, but they act according to morale of the unit to which they are attached.
Units, that fail morale, move one move to rear and mark as falling back. A unit that is already marked "falling back" and fails morale again merely moves to the rear one move and remains marked falling back.
A unit that tests morale because it is falling back and passes the morale test, is no longer considered falling back.

Supression Units which lost a stand due to fire in phase 1 of that turn are suppressed and may not move in phase 3 or in phase 4

Fright Morale This is a special morale for infantry or artillery attacked by tanks. The unit testing Fright Morale must roll 1 or 2 on a D6 to pass, otherwise it Falls Back. Normal morale modifiers apply. Mounted cavalry units automatically fail Fright Morale

Petrol Bombs vs. Tank Infantry unit must pass morale, then each infantry stand within 1" of the tank may roll a D10 to see if they can hit the tank with petrol bomb. Hits on die results of "0", see TANK section for results.

Morale is also tested in other phases as called for by the rules and with specific results which may differ from above.

INFANTRY

CAVALRY

Cavalry may withdraw before melee.

• A cavalry unit that is charged may withdraw a normal move before the enemy unit reaches it.
• If charged by enemy infantry this is a normal move to the rear.
• If charged by enemy cavalry the withdrawing cavalry must test morale.
  • If the morale test is passed, the charged cavalry unit makes a normal move to the rear and is not in "falling back" status.
  • If the morale test is failed, the charged cavalry unit falls back a normal move the rear and is in "falling back" status, remaining in this status until the unit's morale is tested and passed in the morale phase.
• The attacking enemy unit which arrives at the location of the withdrawn cavalry, unit has three choices:
  1. It may occupy the position of the withdrawn enemy and be in any formation and any facing direction.
  2. It may move the remainder of it's movement distance in an attempt to reach the withdrawn enemy cavalry. If it does so, the cavalry may not attempt another withdrawal in that same turn.
  3. It may move the remainder of it's movement distance in an attempt to reach another enemy unit to it's front."
• There are no counter-charges - they are assumed to be taking place when cavalry fight cavalry

Dismounted cavalry stands have three men on each base. A 4-stand cavalry unit when dismounted would have three stands each with three figures on foot, and one stand with three mounted figures to represent the horse holders and the unit's horse. Dismounted stands are treated as infantry in all respects for fire or movement. In close combat, the horse holder stand is allowed to fight so that the unit is not penalized for "missing a stand".

ARTILLERY

A stand with an artillery piece and a certain number of gunners (see artillery chart below) represents a section of 2 guns in these low-level battles.A battery is 3 of these gun sections and a 2-man command stand.
Guns may fire directly, indirectly, or may Bombard an area. Guns firing in phase 1 (preparatory fire) may fire any type of fire. Guns firing in phase 3 (defensive fire) may fire only directly (except for interventionist guns, which may fire directly or indirectly in phase 3 as well as in phase 1)

Procedure: Place a square impact area for each gun section. See chart below for size of impact area. The impact areas for each battery should abut each other or they may be superimposed on each other. Roll a D10 per "shell" fired.

Example: A white battery of 76mm guns fires at a Red battalion in cover. The battery can see the target so it is direct fire, and the distance is 32" so it is long range. The firing battery has 3 gun stands so 3 impact areas each 2" square - making a rectangle 2" x 6" - are laid over the target unit. All four stands of the target unit fall under some part of this rectangle. Now twelve D10 dice are rolled (One "shell" fired per each of the four gunners per section) with -1 (because it is long range) subtracted from each die.

The die results - after the "-1" modifier are 9,8,8,6,6,5,5,4,2,2,1,1. That category of gun "Medium" inflicts hits on a D10 roll of 8-10 so three hits are scored. Each "hit" removes 1 man so if the target was in the open, three men would be ringed as dead. BUT the target unit was in cover.

So one man is ringed as dead and a saving throw is taken (Roll a D6 - on 1-3 the hit did not occur - on 4-6 the hit did occur). The D6 saving throw result is 4 so a second poor Red infantryman is ringed as dead.

Artillerists work in open order and have some protection from the gun shield, and so are a poor target! There is a saving throw for each casualty taken by artillerists as well as for each casualty due to small arms.

SAVING THROW = Saved on D6 roll of 1,2,3, Killed on D6 roll of 4,5,6.

Artillery fire is -1 vs tanks (moving targets are harder to hit) except at point blank range.

Indirect fire was not practiced too much in Russia. The game master must allow it before the start of the game. An officer must have a line of communications back to the firing battery. One officer may only "Spot" for one battery

INDIRECT FIRE
Distance from leader to battery	Able to fire? Roll D6
12" or less	Fire on 3-6
24" or less	Fire on 4-6
Above 24"	Fire on 5-6
Interventionist Guns	+1 to above die roll

BOMBARDMENT is an area that artillery is firing into, in an attempt to keep enemy units from moving through or into the area.

Place a square impact area for each gun section. See above charge for size for gun sections. The impact area for sections of the same battery should abut.

If a unit attempts to enter or move throuh, an area that is being bombarded, it may not move any farther that turn without passing a morale test. If it does not pass morale it is Pinned. Even if it passes morale, it may move only ˝ normal move. If the testing unit rolls a "6" on morale, it takes one casualty due to the bombardment. Pinned units may not fire or move further in the turn. Note that trains tanks and armored cars must test to enter bombardment areas, but if they fail morale, they may fall back instead of being pinned.

Larger guns are more effective at bombardment. Light guns may not bombard.

Gun Size	Die roll Modifier
Light guns	May not Bombard
Field guns	No modifier
Medium guns	+1 to morale roll
Heavy guns	+2 to morale roll

MACHINE GUNS

Light machine guns represent light aircooled machine guns such as the Colt, Lewis, or Chamond. They are represented by one figure with the LMG. They may only be attached to infantry units. They fire with 2 D6 effect. Only one light machine gun may be attached to an infantry unit. They may fire with full effect in the attacking fire phase. Machine guns attached to infantry or cavalry units (tchanka) may be hit if the unit takes hits due to fire. Roll a D10 and if the result is 0, the MG stand takes 1 hit.

ARMORED VEHICLE FRIGHT

ARMOURED CARS

TANKS

ARMORED TRAINS

OFFICERS & LEADERS

Officers are moved in phase 1 right after leadership is determined for each unit. An officer may move to join a unit and lead it heroically if the unit was determined to have no leadership in phase 1. Officers move at the rate of 6 D6 per turn.

Other units who's officer is leading heroically at the start of the turn check for leadership on the "Over 36" line of the table. This represents the fact that the leader is obsessed with the small unit action and is neglecting the "big picture". The unit being led heroically need not test for leadership.

If the unit which the officer is leading heroically takes casualties, there is a small chance that the officer will be hit; If hit, roll another D10 to determine his fate:

1,2 = Merely a scratch, out of action this turn. Returns to same unit start next turn

3-6 = Serious wound carried to rear, out for rest of game

7-10 = Died for the Czar/Martyred for the revolution. DEAD!

Since any second in command is new to the men, he is not given the chance to lead heroically and his men always test leadership on the "Over 36" line.

Officers may lead heroically if a commissar or religious leader is with the unit, however if the unit takes a casualty, every special figure attached to the unit (officer, priest, commissar) all must test to see if they were hit. If leading heroically a unit with a banner both the officer's +1 and the Banner's +1 may apply.

FORCE HQ.

MAJOR MORALE.

Test by rolling a D6.

Losses are:

30% = Chance of breaking is 1-3 on D10

40% = Chance of breaking is 1-4 on D10

50% = Chance of breaking is 1-5 on D10

Modifiers: An armored train lost counts as 3 other units lost.
If the supply line to the rear is cut, this counts as 3 units lost.
An enemy armored train captured or forced to retreat from the table reduces your losses by 2 units
If the enemy’s supply line to the rear is cut this reduces your losses by 2 units.

CONSEQUENCES OF MAJOR MORALE FAILURE:

• All falling back units on the "failing" side are removed from the game.
• All units on the "failing" side which are less than 50% strength fall back.
• Each unit within small arms fire range (rifle or MG range) of the enemy must test morale and fall back if this test is failed.

OFFICERS' CHARACTER

These die results listed are for subordinate commanders

1	He is a Fanatic - MUST lead heroically each turn
2,3,4	Committed Bolshevik or Loyal Czarist - Adds +2 instead of +1 if leading heroically.
5,6,7,8	Normal, nothing special about this guy
9	Efficient officer - A "military specialist" if Bolshevik or "Higher military college graduate" if Czarist. May add 6" to the leadership distances on the leadership table above.
10	A Coward Never leads heroically.

CONSEQUENCES OF OFFICER'S FAILURE: A test of character: If the officer is involved in a melee that is lost, OR if he tries to halt by leading heroically a unit that falls back off the table, OR if the army fails its major morale roll: roll a D6. If the result is 6 (5 or 6 if coward), his character fails. To determine what this failure of character means, roll yet another D6:

• 1,2 - Traitor. He is a closet Bolshevik or a revisionist backslider. Roll still another D6 to see what he does.
  • 1-3 He puts the army’s payroll money and his mistress into his staff car, disappears into the chaos. Years later he turns up as a waiter in Paris.
    
  • 4-6 Take the secret papers, denounces his mistress, and joins the opposition. Roll a final D6 for his reception:
    • 1-4 he is welcomed but always watched closely.
    • 5-6 He is shot out of hand.
• 3,4 - Breaks down The officer is unable to function for the remainder of the game. Roll still another D6 for his fate:
  • 1-4, He is evacuated to a sanitarium for recuperation.
  • 5-6 He leaves the army, writes bitter memoirs in the 1930s
• 5,6 - Does the honorable thing. A single pistol bullet ends it all!

ORGANIZATION

Cavalry units are 4 stands of three men each, 12 total. These cam be thought of as a Squadron or a regiment. As above, often the terms were synonomous.

Most machine guns in this game are heavy water-cooled guns and are two men per gun. This represents a grouping of 2-4 guns. They may be attached to infantry units. They may form separate companies in units of 3 mg stands plus a two-man command stand, if the game master allows. If attached as an individual stand to infantry unit, the machine gun stand is not counted for morale purposes as part of the unit.

A tchanka is a machine gun w/2-man crew on wagon or cart. Always attached to a cavalry unit. Not counted for morale purposes as part of the unit.

Guns: Tactical Scale: 1 gun and 4 gunners represent a 2-gun section. A battery is 3 stands plus a 2-man command stand.

A section of light guns may be attached to an infantry unit. It moves with the unit but does not count for morale purposes.

Tanks and armored cars are individual units as are trains. The tanks represent a single vehicle, while the armored cars represent 1 or 2 cars. Trains represent one train.

NOTES by the original author
"These rules are not all inclusive and are certainly not 100% accurate. You can, however, start with very few figures. Units will get whittled away and you will find that the harder they are used, the harder it will be to get them to do what you want. The RCW was a bloody episode and these rules reflect that. You can always allow casualty recovery, say 2/3 figures for the winner and 1/3 for the loser. You can use Chekists or Commissars to stiffen the morale of dodgy troops (or even generals), but more of that anon; I have an armored train to catch. More much more to follow so watch this space . . . ."
From : Issue No.11 The Gauntlet

NOTE by Jay Stribling
When I first saw these rules, I was attracted by their simplicity. Since I have “improved them” they no longer are simple! You can view the original version on the Gauntlet web page.