Flint & Steel

Rules focusing on combat operations during the American Revolution, designed to emphasize the differences between infantry units and the effects of leadership. The basic tabletop unit is the battalion/regiment, which are organized into brigades, which in turn form columns (divisions). The rules cover formations, charges, musketry and melee combat, artillery, and morale.

Target Priority rules limit which units can fire on which targets. After melee, or upon being charges, units may involuntarily retrograde - which in turn may lead to an enemy advance (sometimes involuntarily). Artillery (guns, howitzers, and mortars) can fire roundshot, grapeshot, caseshot, or shell, and ammunition is kept track of.

Orders (Attack, Defend, Maneuver, Withdraw, Reserve, Support) are issued to brigades and columns by commanders one turn in advance, but actual orders may differ from the issued orders (especially if the leader is of poor quality). Units are represented by blank stands until "spotted"; dummy stands are also used to simulate the fog of war. The battle concludes when only one player has units remaining on the tabletop.

The Compendium contains ratings for all units and leaders from the Revolutionary War, a random scenario generator, optional rules (reinforcements, infantry ammunition, fatigue, surprise, night fighting, weather, friendly fire, supplies, communications, flank security, double facing, random events, "large" units, and an alternate basing scheme for 5mm figures), rules and tables covering European Wars, and three scenarios (Bunker's Hill and Cowpens from the Revolutionary War, and Kolin from the Seven Years War).

Designer

Richard J. Kane

Publisher

Clash of Arms

Year Published

1997

Status

Out of Print

Contents

36-page rules booklet
64-page Compendium (tables, optional rules, scenarios)
6 full-size cards
- 3 reference cards
- 3 marker tracks
140 die-cut markers

Scale

One figure			33 infantry or cavalry 4 cannon or 1 leader
One game turn			30 minutes
Using 30mm figures	2 inches	51mm	33 yards
Using 25mm figures	1⅔ inches	42mm
Using 20mm figures	1⅓ inches	34mm
Using 15mm figures	1 inch	25.4mm
Using 10mm figures	⅔ inch	17mm
Using 5mm figures	⅓ inch	8mm

Basing

Scale	Infantry		Cavalry		Artillery
Scale	frontage per figure X depth		frontage (depth as required)		frontage (base is square)
30mm	¾" x 1"	19mm x 25mm	1½"	38mm	3"	76mm
25mm	⅝" x ⅚"	16mm x 21mm	1¼"	32mm	2½"	64mm
20mm	½" x ⅔"	13mm x 17mm	1"	25mm	2"	51mm
15mm	⅜" x ½"	10mm x 13mm	¾"	19mm	1½"	38mm
10mm	¼" x ⅓"	6mm x 8mm	½"	13mm	1"	25mm
5mm	⅛" x ⅙"	3mm x 4mm	¼"	6mm	½"	13mm
# of figures	usually 3 (sometimes 1 or 2)		2		1 gun plus crew