on 10 October 2024. Last revised by 
Wargame Rules in the Age of Scruby
Description
Players build armies using point costs. A unit's cost depends on its type, quality and size. Unit types are:
- Infantry
- Grenadier, light, rifles, line
- Cavalry
- Cuirassier, heavy dragoon, carabinier/light grenadier, lancer, dragoon, light dragoon
- Artillery
- 12#, 8/9#, 6#/howitzer, 3/4#
Qualities are incomparable, extraordinary, outstanding, excellent, superior, fair, poor and unreliable.
Each player maintains a roster of his units and their strength, and records changes in size and quality during play.
Troops are organized into formations: column, line and square. Some types may form screens or deploy in a skirmish line. Troops may also become disordered.
The turn sequence is:
- Initiative
- Movement
- Artillery fire
- Small-arms fire
- Charges
- Melee
- Morale
Before play, the Umpire decides if the entire line will be able to move, or only the center plus one flank.
During the initiative phase, the high-rolling side selects to either move or countermove, and (if required) which flank will move.
During the movement phase, one side moves and declares charges and firefights (close-range combat), followed by the other side's countermove and charge declarations. If flank movement is being limited, the countermove is by the opposite flank only (i.e., center and right flank move, opposing left flank countermoves). A unit's movement rate depends on its type and formation, modified by terrain. Units move forward or obliquely, with limited ability to change facing. Units may change formation during movement. Cavalry may mount/dismount. Artillery may limber/unlimber. Units may force march. Units which have been declared the target of a firefight are locked in place and cannot move or change facing.
During the fire phases, one side declares attacks (without premeasuring) and resolves firing, then the other side declares attacks and resolves firing, and then losses are removed. Priority rules limit most unit types to declaring fire on the enemy directly in front of them; units may only attack within their arc of fire.
Artillery type determines ranges (long, inter, short, or point blank). At long or inter ranges, a die is rolled to determine a result; short or point-blank ranges always score. If a hit is scored, the attacker's quality determines the target's losses (tripled if point-blank range). At inter range, artillery may also cause a 'throwback', forcing the stand to retreat unless in cover or of high quality. Special rules apply for round shot (which may bounce), grapeshot and canister.
Example: A superior 8# artillery stand is firing on a target 12" away. This is inter range, so a die is rolled. A result of 3 is a hit, which because the artillery is superior quality, results in 2 losses.
Small arms combat follows the same general procedure. Range depends on the weapon (carbine, musket or rifle). Carbines can only fire at short range; other weapons fire at short or inter ranges; no weapons fire at long or point-blank ranges. The target receives losses depending on attacker's quality and range; there is no dieroll.
Example: A fair-quality unit armed with muskets fires at a range of 5". This is short range, which doubles the damage. Since the attacker is fair quality, the target takes 2 losses, doubled to 4.
A special form of small-arms fire is the firefight, which is resolved in the small-arms fire phase after losses have been removed. A dieroll is compared to the strength ratio of attacker and defender to determine who wins, what the losses are, and any changes in quality for the units involved. Losing units must roll to see if they become disordered. Winning units may advance to take the place of the losing unit, or roll to make a bonus move.
An infantry unit and an artillery unit have declared a firefight against an enemy infantry unit. After artillery and small-arms fire have been resolved, strengths are calculated and compared. The attackers have a 3:1 advantage, and roll a 4. This is an A-2 result. The attacker wins, and the loser takes 2 losses multiplied by the number of attacking units (so, 4 losses) and must retreat 9". The losing player rolls a 6, and retreats in good order. The winning player attempts a bonus move, rolls a 3, and fails.
Melee combat is initiated when a unit moves into base-to-base contact with an enemy unit, and is resolved in the melee phase. Some units have a 'shock kill' ability, which is resolved first. Then each side's strength is calculated, and the enemy takes losses equal to 10% of the opposing side's strength (losses are simultaneous). On the close combat chart, the ratio of losses and a dieroll determines who wins, what the losses are, and any changes in quality for the units involved.
Example: A large unit of light dragoons initiates melee against a smaller unit of heavy dragoons by moving into base-to-base contact during movement. During the melee phase, the light cavalry take 2 losses from 'shock kill' from the heavy cavalry. Strengths are then calculated, resulting in each side losing 3 more losses. This is a loss ratio of 3:5 for the attacking light dragons, and a roll of 4 indicates a 'D-1' result. The defender loses, takes another loss, retreats 9", but rolls a 6 and retreats in good order. The heavy dragoons advance to take their place (no roll needed).
During the morale phase, units may have to check morale if they have become disordered or are at half-strength or less, depending on their quality. Very low quality units may need to check morale for other reasons. Units which fail a morale check will rout until they rally or exit the game.
After the game, victory maybe claimed by the side which took losses of 45% or less, while inflicting at least 50% losses on the other side. Otherwise, the game results in a draw.
Other rules cover infantry squares and rockets.
Optional rules allow the option of written orders and simultaneous movement (used in the game's original version), general officers, caissons, howitzer drift, and weather.
Editions
Originally a variation (1961) of Classic Blue & Gray, became its own ruleset in 1972, first published as a commercial edition in 2011.
Available on Amazon.