PIQUET:
A Detailed Description of the Core Rules

• Building an Army
• The Sequence of Play
• Movement
• Combat
• Command Groups and Leaders
• Morale
• Opportunities
• Unusual Events

What Piquet is all about is a revolution in game design. Designer Bob Jones simply believes that existing rules allow players to have too much control over the battle.

These rules are designed to minimize predictability and to maximize the chaotic developments which characterize battle.

Two methods are provided for creating armies (in addition to doing your own research, or using pre-designed scenarios) - a point system and a percentage system. The point system uses a formula to determine the value of any unit. Alternately, the percentage system allows players to decide the total number of units in the army, then determine the makeup of those units using historical percentages.

Each army also has one Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), plus a number of sub-commanders (a maximum of between 2 to 8, depending on the historical period).

A dieroll is made for each leader, to determine his leadership quality: abyssmal, poor, average, skilled, or superior. The rating determines the leader's command radius. Better commanders-in-chief add "wild cards" to their Sequence Decks, while poor C-I-C's get cards which cause them to lose initiative.

This is followed by rolls for each unit, to discover their Battle Quality: vacillating, battle weary, ready, eager, or determined. The rating determines the unit's Base Die Value (a 4-, 6-, 8-, or 10-sided die). This value is modified based on the unit's type and weaponry, to determine three dice values - Fire, Melee, and Morale.

Depending on the size of the army, a number of Army Characterization cards are drawn. These cards award Morale Chips to an army, and may grant stratagems or unique characteristics. A Stratagem card allows a player to roll on the Stratagem Table to determine a pre-battle event (such as discovery of a hidden ford) or an in-battle event (such as a stirring speech which allows special cards to be added to the Sequence Deck). Unique Characteristics improve an army's fighting or maneuvering qualities (by inserting cards in the Sequence Deck), or grant modifiers for certain types of dierolls.

The army is then broken into Command Groups, with the maximum number of groups depending on the historical period.

Lastly, the Sequence Deck - including the standard cards, plus any cards added during army construction - is shuffled and readied for play. (Each army has its own deck.)

The game is played in a series of turns. Each Turn is composed of a number of Phases, which in turn are composed of one or more Initiatives.

At the start of each phase, a pool of 20 Impetus Points (or pips) becomes available. Both players roll 20-sided dice. The high roller will get to play an Initiative, using a number of impetus points (won from the pool) equal to the difference in the dierolls.

Each pip can be spent to allow one unit or command group to perform one action. However, the only action allowed is that declared on the current Sequence Card. A given unit can only perform one action per card. A pip can also be spent to draw the next card in the Sequence Deck, thus allowing a new action type.

The initiative is over when the pips have been spent, or when a Command Indecision card comes into play (inferior C-in-C's only).

The phase is over when the impetus pool is drained, and the last initiative is complete.

The turn ends when:

• one player uses all of his cards, or
• the players roll a tie when dicing for initiative

The cards are then shuffled, and a new Turn commences.

If any army has any destroyed units, or any units which are currently routed, it must discard cards from its sequence deck after the shuffle. These cards are returned to the deck for the next shuffle, after which new cards will be discarded. This has a progressive dibilitating effect on an army.

The cards which allow movement are:

• Infantry in Open or Light Terrain
• Cavalry in Open or Light Terrain
• Cavalry/Infantry Move in Difficult Terrain
• Artillery Move

  These cards allow the specified unit type to move, sometimes only in a specified terrain type. Generally speaking, these cards allow a unit to advance or retire, but not to make major changes in facing, direction of movement, or formation. Moving in very difficult terrain may require a Difficulty Check. Artillery can limber/unlimber.

• Maneuver

  Allows a unit to wheel in place.

• Deployment

  Allows a unit to change formation, or to deploy to/from buildings. Cavalry can mount/dismount. Artillery can use this card to limber or unlimber.

• Native Mobility

  An optional card that allows a "bonus" move for a particular troop type.

• Uncontrolled Charge

  An optional card. Forces units that have been fired upon to move towards and melee with the enemy.

• Naval Movement Phase

  Allows naval, riverine, or amphibious movement.

Movement rate is determined by the unit type, its current formation, and the terrain. The standard rules recognize several types of formation: line, attack column, column of companies, column of route, skirmish order, deep formation, warband formation, and square/circle. Historical supplements may limit the use of certain formations.

Troops that come into base-to-base contact with enemy troops are considered Engaged, and are marked with tan cotton puffs ("dust"). Engaged troops are limited to certain actions: combat, rallying, and retiring.

The act of firing is an interesting exception to the rule that every action requires the proper sequence card. Any unit can fire, spending one pip to do so, regardless of what sequence card is active. However, once a unit has fired, it is marked (usually with white cotton puffs) as "unloaded," and cannot fire again until reloaded.

In the design notes for the second edition core rules, Bob Jones explains that the fire/reload process is not meant literally, but is actually a way to regulate the firing rate of the units:

The possible combat cards in the standard sequence deck are:

• Missile Reload
• Artillery Reload

  These cards allow units to spend pips and reload, thus giving them the ability to fire again at some time in the future.

• Elites Reload
• Regulars Reload
• Militia Reload
• Natives Reload

  These cards can be used to establish different rates of fire for different qualities of troops.

• Crushing Volley

  Optional card which creates a bonus for fire by superior units (i.e., elites, guards). Lasts until the cards are reshuffled.

• Ragged Volley

  Opposite of Crushing Volley - creates a penalty to fire for inferior units (militia, natives, etc.). Also an optional card.

• Undisciplined Fire

  Forces inferior troops to fire on the enemy, regardless of range. Optional.

• Melee Resolution

  Allows Engaged troops to fight a round of melee combat. Once this happens, the troops involved are considered to be in melee until one side or the other loses a melee round. Unlike Engaged units, troops in melee cannot fire or retire. In certain instances, units can melee without a Melee Resolution card - when attacking units in the flank, for instance, or cavalry units engaged with infantry in skirmish formation.

When resolving combat, the attacker first determines what the unit's die type is. (Each unit is rated with a size of dice - from 4- to 12-sided - used for missile combat, and another size for melee combat.) The die type is then modified up or down, according to the modifiers listed on the Key Adjustments Table.

To resolve missile combat, the attacker then rolls the modified die type, while the defender rolls a 6-sided die. If the attacker rolls high, the difference in the results is the number of hits scored.

To resolve melee combat, both players roll their modified die type - the higher result wins, with the difference in the results being the number of hits scored. Depending on the margin of victory, the loser may suffer a morale penalty and be forced to retreat. A victorious cavalry unit must succeed at a prevention roll, or it will impulsively pursue the losing unit.

As a general rule, a stand can take as many hits as it has figures. When the stand has taken its allowed number of hits, it is removed - or, optionally, eliminated stands can be left on the table until their entire unit is eliminated, thus showing that hits represent more than simple manpower reductions. Hits accumulate throughout the initiative.  At the end of the initiative, any remaining hits (i.e., not enough to kill a stand) are disregarded.

Artillery rules allow for high-angle fire, counter-battery attacks, smoothbore penetration (that is, damage applying to multiple target rows), and fire against structures.

The most efficient way to spend impetus pips is to spend one pip to allow an entire command group to perform an action, rather than to pay pips for individual units. (Important exception: Firing and reloading is always done on a per unit basis, never as a command group.)

A command group is a flexible concept which may represent a wing, brigade or command, depending on the period. An army can have as many command groups as its maximum number of sub-commanders (varies by historical period).

Units may be organized into command groups at the start of play. If a unit performs an independent action (other than firing and reloading), it no longer belongs to its command group. Difficult terrain may also prevent a command group from operating as a group. If a unit is farther from another unit in its group that it can travel in one move, it is no longer part of the command group.

The sequence cards which pertain to command and control are:

• Officer Check

  When this card is activated, it is essentially the same as saying, "perform all command functions now." First, all leaders whose units have been exposed to fire must check for survival. Surviving leaders can then spend impetus pips to perform (or attempt) one or more voluntary actions - move, rally, assert command (this is how "out of command" units can be reattached to a command group), or attach to a specific unit. The C-in-C may take direct control of a sub-commander's command group.

• Brilliant Leader

  This card is added to the sequence deck due to the leadership of a superior C-in-C. It functions as a wild card, duplicating any existing card in the deck.

• Command Indecision

  The penalty for having an inferior C-in-C, this card immediately ends the current initiative.

• Dress Line
• Milling Around

  A "do nothing" card, wasting an impetus point. The more inefficient an army is, the more of these cards it will have in its sequence deck.

Each army starts play with a random number of Morale Chips. Certain actions require the expenditure of a Morale Chip, and once an army is out of chips, it can no longer perform these actions:

• Rallying - Requires both a chip and an impetus pip.
• Re-Roll a Morale Check - Allows player to "buy" one re-roll of certain morale tests.
• Issue a Morale Challenge - Allows player to force a morale check for an enemy unit which has taken recent losses, or an enemy unit which is faced by friendly cavalry.
• Initiative Buy Down - For each chip spent, reduces opponent's initiative by one pip.

Chips are also lost involuntarily for these reasons:

• losing in melee
• routing
• disordering
• loss of a stand
• resisting a Major Morale Check

If a player is out of chips and cannot pay an involuntary charge, the opposing player instead gains chips equal to the unpaid amount.

Units may need to test their morale under two circumstances. The first is a Tactical Morale Check, which is brought on when the opposing player pays a chip to issue a Morale Challenge. The second is when a Major Morale Check sequence card is activated.

The Major Morale Check card does not begin play in the sequence deck, but is added once an army has its first routed or destroyed unit. If the player's army is in better shape than the opposing army, the card has no effect when played. Otherwise, the C-in-C must pay a chip and make a dieroll to protect his army - if he succeeds, nothing happens. If the C-in-C fails, then all of the sub-commanders must attempt the dieroll (and pay chips). If any sub-commander fails, all units in his command group must take morale tests.

As a result of a morale test, a unit may be disordered or routed, and a routed unit may or may not be capable of being rallied. A routed unit must move when any sequence card allows, using any available impetus points to do so.

A player wins bonus impetus pips for causing an enemy unit to rout, but only if this occurs during that player's initiative.

At the start of play, each player begins with a full pool of opportunity pips. The maximum size of the pool varies depending on the era and the army.

Opportunity pips are spent during the other player's initiative, and allow friendly units to:

• fire
• charge (only against vulnerable targets, and only by cavalry)
• issue a Morale Challenge (due to presence of friendly cavalry only)

Once a player has spent an opportunity pip, he can replace it during his initiative by transfering an impetus pip to the opportunity pool.

Piquet has an unusual approach to handling unique events. Rather than complicating the rules by adding special cases for those rare happenings, this game system allows a unique event to occur by slipping a special one-use-only card into the sequence deck. Players are encouraged to come up with their own cards for their own scenarios. A few "unique" cards are mentioned in the core rules:

• Confused Withdrawal

  This optional card allows the opposing player to select one of your command groups that is near the enemy, force it back a move, and put it out of command and in disorder.

• Stratagem

  During the army design procedures, an army may receive one or more Stratagems. While some of these are pre-battle events, such as discovering hidden fords or placing a hidden command, the majority of these Stratagems relate to in-battle events. The Stratagem card is placed in the sequence deck, and the event occurs when the card is played: a flank march, reinforcements, or a heroic episode, for instance.

In addition to the one-use-only cards, there is also a recurring card with a random effect:

• Heroic Moment

  Doubles the effect of the next sequence card.