Unfortunately, the simplest rules I could find - Simplicity in Practice by Neil Thomas - are for the Horse & Musket period well before Napoleon. Undeterred, I set out to see if I could "complicate" the rules just enough to reflect the Peninsular War without losing the essence of simplicity which makes SIP such a good set.
The Simplicity in Practice rules were published in Battlegames & a good review of them plus some ideas for making the maths work out a bit better can be found at
https://johnswargames.wordpress.com/2010/12/26/simplicity-in-practice/
which I only discovered today & was pleased to realise that I had already thought about & adopted some of the ideas put forward there.
COMPLICATING SIMPLICITY
Using Neil Thomas’ Simplicity in Practice Horse & Musket rules & his article “Keeping it simple” as a guide, I have attempted to add on what I feel is necessary for Napoleonic wargaming in the Peninsular War
The original rules are VERY simple
They are intended for a 90cm x 120cm (3’ x 4’) table
All units are in Line, INF/CAV 4 bases wide, ART 2
Minimal troop types: INF; Light INF (Skirmishers); HC; DRG; LC; ART
Units are Eliminated upon reaching 4 Demoralisation Points
IGO/UGO Turns 1. Move 2. Fire. 3. Melee
MOVE Standardised at 10cm (4”) & 20cm (8’) for mounted, with differences being in the deductions for Turning, difficult terrain & Road moves
No unit can Move & Fire in the same Turn
Only one unit can be engaged by a single unit in Melee
Even with the changes I have made, it’s possible to make up an A5 Rule booklet of 3 pages & a large print A4 Quick Play Sheet of 2 pages fixed back to back for ease of reference so these rules really are simple to use but deceptively so as I think they are quite nuanced while still being somewhat brutal. I think rules of this type benefit from larger games in multiple lines – more like real warfare than most wargames, in my opinion. They are certainly quick to pick up & quicker to play.
THE CHANGES
I’m sure everyone will have differing opinions on what I’ve changed & why. I’m pleased with the results so far & will continue to tinker all the while keeping the KISS principle in mind.
Here we go:
I added COLUMN for infantry & cavalry
Columns can Wheel 45o& Move ½ or Wheel 90ono further move in a single Turn
They can Fire with the front 2 bases
They claim +1d6 for Impetus when Charging but suffer when being Fired upon
This makes them more mobile & harder hitting than Line but more vulnerable to Fire
Units in Column of Route (only allowed on Roads) cannot Fire & are Enfiladed if Shot at (they are particularly packed in) & Flanked if contacted
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I added Napoleonic LIGHT INFANTRY, trained specifically as such & capable of fighting in CO the same as Line Infantry but able to deploy the whole unit in Skirmish Order when they can move 6” & are not subject to any restrictions in manouevre.
Skirmishers can Move & Fire in the same Turn (unless they are Rifle-armed)
I do have several units of Voltiguers Réunis based only as Skirmishers as they were the batallion light companies deployed specifically to skirmish, as are my British Rifle units.
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I added RIFLES giving them a longer range of 8” & gave them +2d6 when firing up to 6” when skirmishing
+1d6 when in Close Order or up to 8”. Should make up for the fact that they cannot Move & Fire in the same Turn (too slow to reload)
Also, British RIFLES tend to be Elite so, if using the RALLY rule sugggested below, they stand a better chance of losing DP so staying on the field longer
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With the extra move rates, I had to increase Musketry range from 4” to 6” so advancing infantry in Column will still have to take at least 1 shot before contact
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LANCERS needed to be different from other LC so have an Impetus in the Charge to reflect their weapon
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I kept the maximum range for Artillery as 16” seeing this as effective range & any fire from beyond not deemed to be enough to cause Demoralisation. ART still have 3 x Musketry range & seem to work well
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HORSE ARTILLERY needed to be catered for with its faster move/manouevre & ability to spring into action & fire so I gave them the same move rate as HC/DRG in Column & allow them to UL & Fire in the same Turn
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There should be some differentiation in Terrain types
WOODS: INF ½; CAV/ART n/a
STEEP HILLS & LINEAR OBSTACLES: INF -1”; HC/DRG & ALL ART ½
STREAMS: All except SK ½
RIVERS: Only crossed via bridges or fords
MARSH: Impassable to all
TOWNS garrison 1 INF/SK unit who spread out to occupy the whole area which is counted as the unit’s base for measurement & Interpenetration purposes.
They have Cover & can Fire out of any side with all bases
CAV/ART can not end a move in a BUA but may move along 1BW Roads between BUAs
Like Squares, Units defending a Town that lose a Melee take only 1DP & do not Retreat 4”
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MEASUREMENT
While I still refer to all moves in inches, I actually use a measuring Stick graded in 20mm segments which means my 3’ x 4’ table is really 45” x 62” near as dammit 4’ x 5’
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MOVE
INF LINE & ART 4” HC/DRG LINE 8”
INF COLUMN 6” HC/DRG COLUMN & HORSE ART 10”
SK 6” LC 12”
FORMING SQUARE A must for Napoleonic Warfare.
Takes a full Move to form a Square in its own Active Phase but if Charged by Cavalry roll 1d6
+1 per 2” moved by CAV -1 per INF DP
+1 if testing unit is Elite -2 if testing unit is Green/Militia
-2 if Charged from Flank -4 if Charged from Rear
Need 6+ to form Square
Squares cannot move or fire (at least not enough to cause Demoralisation Points)
If a Square loses a Melee it takes only 1DP & does not Retreat
Victorious CAV wraps around the Square, Column becoming Line
CAV rolling 4+ can “flow around” a Square instead of Meleeing for 0DP
SKIRMISHERS EVADE
Instead of standing to receive an attack by close order troops, Skirmishers may attempt to Evade
Roll 1d6 (Elite+1: Flank or Rear Attack -1)
If attacker moves ½ move or less to contact 3+ to EVADE 1d6+3”
If attacker moves >½ move to contact 2+ to EVADE 1d6+2”
Because I don’t want to rebase my DFII armies & my Skirmishers are bases on 20mm round bases, 2 per base & because I just like the look of them, SK units fire & fight with 1d6 per PAIR of bases
MANOUEVRE
PIVOTING vs WHEELING Initially, I just didn’t like the “pivot on the centre of the unit” thing so changed it to a more conventional Wheel as above. While researching Napoleonic tactics I came across the very manouevre I had dismissed so now allow it for Line but the Wheel still looks & feels right for Columns
CHANGE OF FORMATION was not needed in the original rules. With different formations allowed it takes a full move to Change Formation – 2 to Reform back to CO for a unit deployed as Skirmishers
RETIRE I allow units to Retire ½ speed facing
ABOUT FACE is also allowed. Costs ½ move & Column can wheel 45obefore or after the About Face
INTERPENETRATION Skirmishers remain the only formation that can move through/be moved through by friends. Any Retreat that would cause Interpenetration of CO troops results in the unit being Destroyed
FIRE
Units may either Move OR Fire EXCEPT non-RIFLE SK who can do both in any order & Horse ART who can UL & Fire
Each unit rolls 4d6 to score Hits (only 2d6 in Column for reduced frontage)
There is a Saving Roll of 4+ for units in Cover & the more Hits the greater chance of inflicting a single (possibly 2) DP
INF front rank only, SK 2 ranks
Units always Fire at a single Target (except when being Charged frontally by 2 units when they will split their Fire equally between them)
Range/Arc of Fire (45o) is always measured from the front centre of the Firing unit to the nearest part of an enemy. If ANY of the Target unit is within Range & Arc of Fire, the whole Firing unit shoots with ALL d6
Overhead Fire is allowed only by ART & only to or from different elevations & then only if the friendly unit is >3” from the guns & >3" from the Target
ADVANTAGES
+1d6
per Battery of 12pdrs
RIFLES in Close Order
SK RIFLES @>6”
+2d6
SK RIFLES up to 6”
Dense Target = Column, Square or Enfiladed
ROLL TO HIT INF 3+ SK 4+ ART 4+
Depends on the Firing unit & takes no account of Target Order. This may seem strange but remember, DP reflact “Demoralisation” not Disruption or Casualties as such. Units in looser order tend to get demoralised easier as they are not subject to the same amount of control as those in close packed ranks
When the #Hits is known, roll 1d6 to Inflict DP
1 Hit = 5+; 2 Hits = 4+; 3 Hits = 3+; 4 Hits = 2+
Anything >4 Hits = automatic Hit, roll for remainder (so 7 Hits would inflict 1 Hit & roll for 2 Hits = 4+)
MELEE
Kept the rules that SK/ART can never Charge into Melee; INF cannot Charge CAV
TO CONTACT an enemy, the front centre of the Charging unit must be able to reach & touch some part of the Target & in a Flank Attack the front centre of the Charging unit must start & finish from a point behind the Target’s 90ofront arc; in a Rear Attack the front centre of the Charging unit must start & finish from a point behind the Target’s 45orear arc
MULTIPLE UNIT MELEES. Now that the smaller frontages of Columns make it more likely 2 units could contact a single enemy in Melee, I borrowed the idea from Maurice making ALL units involved in a Mell roll their dice & compare totals to each other. In this way, it is possible for the outnumbered unit to beat one enemy (causing it to lose 2DP & Retreat 4”) whilst losing to another enemy (& having to take 2DP & Retreat 4” itself)
It is not possible for a unit to get >2DP in a single Turn
TO FIGHT each side rolls 4d6 but gains d6 for Modifiers. I have changed this in a few ways
1. Reduced the #d6 for advantages fron 2d6 to 1d6 EXCEPT for Flank/Rear contacts
2. Added advantage of +1d6 for Column Impetus when Charging
3. Added advantage of +2d6 for Close Order troops contacting Skirmishers/Deployed Artillery in the open
4. Added advantage of +2d6 for Infantry in Square vs Cavalry
5. Added advantage of +2d6 for Cavalry contacting Infantry that failed to form a Square
6. In SYW Infantry often stood in Line to Fire on Charging Cavalry so the original rules give the advantage to the Infantry but in the Napoleonic Wars Infantry was at a disadvantage when Charged by Cavalry & usually tried to form Square to defend, so the advantage goes to the Cavalry vs Infantry in the open & not in Square
So now we have:
ADVANTAGES
+2d6
SQUARE vs Mounted
Mounted vs INF not in Square
Mounted vs INF not in Square
Charging Flank/Rear/Column of Route
+1d6
IMPETUS
INF/CAV vs SK/UL ART in Open
HC/DRG vs LC
DRG vs LC
Defender’s Terrain Advantage
>Friends within 4”
Fewer DP than eney
INF vs INF Defending with SAME #DP
COMPARE TOTALS & Loser takes 2DP & Retreats 4”
Rather than “toss a coin” for the rare DRAW in a Melee, both sides will take 1DP & remain in contact with Column shaking out into a Line
UNITS DEFENDING TOWNS & SQUARES that lose a Melee take only 1DP & do not Retreat 4”
DEMORALISATION POINTS
Once again, these are not Disruption or Disorder points & they do not represent Casualties in a direct way but reflect the deteriorating state of Morale endured as a result of all these & more
The orginal rules are brutal (I like brutal) but as I wanted to depict different troop status such as Elite, Green/Militia, I wanted units to have the opportunity to RALLY
This is a Move/Manouevre & costs a whole Turn & may not result in any reduction of DP
Roll 1d6 for each DP +1 for Elite; -1 for Green/Militia RALLY on 5+
UPDATE FOR 2020 See my post Ultimate Napoleonic Rules
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