by Fr. Aelred Glidden - modified by Jay Stribling
18th Century "Tricorne Era" Rules
Last updated 09/11/07
Scales
There is really no scale. These rules are set for our 15mm troops. Our infantry battalions are 4.5" long when in line.
Items needed to play the game Organization The Jackson gamers use the following organization for their 15 mm armies. Infantry units are 12 figures (4 stands' of 3), Cavalry units are 8 figures (4 stands of 2) and artillery batteries are 1 gun & 4 crew (all on one stand).
The guns used in this game represent "position" or "reserve" artillery batteries. The small "battalion guns" are not represented on the field, they are assumed to be adding their firepower to the infantry battalions.
If your organization is different, it won't matter.
Sequence of Play Staying Power Units that have lost a stand in the previous turn must roll a die to see if they will remain or flee the battlefield. NOTE: Units locked in Melee do not test staying power till melee is over.
Modifiers: -1 for each stand lost after the first one lost, -1 Brigadier killed , +1 no enemy units within 24" +1 effective Brigadier with unit.
Movement Infantry: deployed into line 5", column of movement 10"
Notes on movement:
Fire Overhead Artillery Fire Artillery units on elevated positions may fire over friendly units or villages as long as the target is 10" or more past the friendly units or villages.
Artillery units on the flat may fire over friendly units or villages, at targets on elevated positions, as long as the firing unit is 10" or more behind any friendly units or villages.
Infantry may not fire overhead.
Arc of Fire Charges and results The result of any charge is a melee which is resolved with one or more morale checks. All melees are resolved after all movement is completed.
Terrain Effects Through WOODS, through ROUGH, across MAJOR obstacle is:
Across MINOR obstacle is:
Effect of Morale Checks Player who's unit is being charged or fired upon rolls a die testing morale of target units:
Results of morale test:
MODIFIERS to morale test due to FIRE:
MODIFIERS to morale test due to MELEE:
Please note that a die result of "1" always is a failure, and a die result of "6" always is a pass, no matter how many modifiers accumulate.
Effect of Brigadiers or Higher officers Brigadiers not "attached" to units cannot be harmed. Just move out of way of enemy troop movements.
If a brigadier is "attached" TO the unit testing morale, toss 1 die BEFORE making the morale test:
Brigadier with unit can remove disorder;
Brigadiers may only be attached to and influence units of their own brigades. The army commander, wing commanders, aides-de-camp or such other officers as you may see fit to commission may influence any units. Armies of this period did not usually have Divisional or Corps organizations. The French army was the first to organize brigades into divisions, later in the 18th century.
Misc. Rules about Disorder Elite units may self-rally without an officer attached, if they roll a 6. Remain disordered on 1-5.
Units that do not rally from disorder, remain disordered, may attempt to rally from disorder on later turns. Disordered units that move may not attempt to rally.
Disordered units attacked by enemy troops:
The Game-Master The Jackson gamers almost always have an "umpire" or "Game-master" who runs the game but is not a player. He makes final rules interpretations, and these interpretations stand during the course of the game even if patently wrong. He decides what terrain is major or minor obstacles. He adjudicates any hidden movement or hidden deployment. His word is law during the game.
Optional Rules Elite & Militia The game-master decides what proportion of units may be elite, or must be militia. The players may then decide which of their units actually ARE elite or militia. Both sides must know which units are elite, but there is no need to inform your enemy which of your units are miliita. This may be left as a pleasant surprise.
Hidden Units & Off-table units The Game-Master may allow either or both sides to have hidden units or off-board units. He may allow movement around flanks and may construct special rules for this as needed. Hidden units or off-table movment should not be used without a Game-Master.
Aides de Camp Players may allow the army commander one or two "Aides de Camp." These are extra officers that may assist by rallying units when no brigadier is available. They should stay next to the Commander-in-Chief and be sent to specific units for specific tasks, returning to the C-in-C when the task is complete.
Charge Movement Many people have asked if charging units would not move more quickly. This is a question of philosphy and can be debated endlessly. If you wise you may allow charging units 50% additional movment.
Blown Horses At the start of the turn, each player rolls a die for each of his mounted units involved in a melee or a charge (even if for some reason a melee did not result). If the die result is 6 the that unit's horses are "blown" and it will move at half-rate for the remainder of the game. If attacked, it tests morale at -1. Some would say that this would apply more to the French in this period, whose cavalry suffered from a variety of ills making it less effective.
Notes on unit formations Infantry fights in line (except elite infantry may charge in column) and moves in column.
Notes by authors By Fr. Aelred Glidden This rules set is based on concepts of Donald Featherstone & Stephen Simpson
The (above) concepts are developed from Wally Simon's account of Stephen Simpson's rules for the ARW which appeared in "Wargames Illustrated" #75. They are similar to Featherstone's, but SIMPLER, since no roster is required.
By Jay Stribling I have added a good bit to this rules set, mainly to codify how things work - to make it more clear when things may happen during the turn.
We have played the morale tests for this game in two ways. The first way is to allow the player firing the guns or charging the enemy to roll the morale test dice to determine the result of fire or charging. The second way is to allow the "owning" player to roll the die to see what happens to his units as a result of being fired upon or being charged. While the first way "feels better" if you are shooting or charging, I now favor the second way. It is quicker.
If you feed that the firing or charging player must roll the die you may play the game that way. It will not change the outcome in the slightest.
Cavalry: deployed into line 10", column of movement 20"
Field/Position Artillery: limbered 10", Hand push 1" (after unlimbering)
Horse Artillery Limbered 15"
Brigadiers: 25"
Infantry 1-2 no movement, 3-6 movement halved
Cavalry 1-3 no movement, 4-6 movement halved.
Artillery - no movement across rough terrain, woods or Major obstacle.
Infantry and cavalry 1 no movement, 2-4 movement halved, 5-6 no penalty
Artillery - 1-2 no movement, 3-5 movement halved, 6 no penalty
-1 The target unit is in column (or limbered Artillery)
-1 The target unit is already disordered
-1 Unit causing test is full strength infantry unit (has not yet lost a stand.)
-1 Target is cavalry under fire (not melee)
-1 for each additional fire marker, after the first, firing on the target unit.
-1 Officer killed during morale test (see Below).
+1 Target unit is behind hedge, wall, or in woods.
+1 Firing unit is disordered infantry or artillery.
+1 Officer attached to target unit (see Below).
+1 Target unit is unlimbered Artillery
+1 Firing unit is Artillery over 18 inches away. Heavy or reserve guns do not take this modifier.
-1 The target unit is in infantry or cavalry in column (or limbered Artillery)
-1 The target unit is already disordered
-1 Target unit is Infantry in melee with Cavalry. Infantry in square or other specialized anti-cavalry formation or infantry or artillery protected behind wall or hedge does not take this penalty.
-1 for each additional unit after the first charging the target unit.
-1 Lighter cavalry testing, in melee with heavier cavalry.
-1 Cavalry with blown horses. (optional rule)
-1 Officer killed during morale test (see Below).
-1 The target unit is not in melee but disordered on previous turn or half-turn.
-1 Unit is in melee, disordered as a result of continuing melee which began on earlier turn or half-turn. Note that Disordered units take either this modifier or the previous, not both.
-2 Target unit is charged from flank/rear
+2 Target unit is behind field works - Cavalry may not charge units in field works.
+1 charging unit is disordered cavalry - infantry cannot charge disordered. Cavalry may do so, IF it has an officer attached to inspire the disordered men.
+1 Officer attached to unit (see Below).
+1 Target unit is unlimbered Artillery charged frontally.
1-2 = brigadier disturbed, 3-6 Brigadier not affected in any way, adds +1 as bonus to unit's morale test die roll.
If result was 1 or 2, roll again:
If result of second die roll is 1 or 2, Officer has been killed, testing unit is -1 to morale test.
If result of second die roll is 3 or 4, Officer has been unhorsed, or his digestion was disturbed, he is of no value in morale test for this turn.
If result of second die roll is 5 or 6, Happily the officer is unaffected, and adds +1 to morale test.
Infantry Column O O O O O O O O O O O O
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