Bravado Napoleonic Battles Grande!
Scale 4cm is 200 yards
Each turn is about 30 minutes
Before the Game
Determine Scenario
Set up terrain
Determine Forces
Deploy Forces
Determine Pluck roll 1d6 per General
1,2,3 1 Pluck
4 or 5 2 Pluck
6 3 Pluck
Each pluck may be used to re-roll one Bravado Test Result.
Playing the Game
May MOVE.
Units may MOVE up to their total allowance, pivoting and wheeling at no cost.
Units that begin the turn outside 20cm of enemy units may move at double rate, as long as they do not come within 20cm of enemy units at any time.
Units may pass through friendly units at no movement cost.
Units that begin and complete all movement on a road may move at +50%
Units that do not move may recover from Disorder to Fine if there are no enemy units within 10cm.
The General may then move.
UNITS
Units have four attributes: TYPE, QUALITY, STATUS, and POSITION
TYPE: Line Infantry, Light Infantry, Light Cavalry, Heavy Cavalry, Field Artillery, Horse Artillery
QUALITY: Poor, Regular, Elite (Militia and Guard optional)
STATUS: Fine (no marker), Disordered (yellow marker), Permanently Disordered (red marker), Routed (yellow and red markers), Destroyed (unit is removed).
POSITION: Good, Bad, or Indifferent.
A unit is in a Good position if it is Defending a Town or Works, Melees enemy on the Flank, the Army Commander is attached, or is being fired on by Artillery at Long Range.
A unit in a Good position may always roll 3d6 for Morale Tests and choose the 2 highest results.
A unit is in a Bad position if it is Fired on by Close Range Artillery, is being Meleed from the Flank, or if being Meleed and there are no friendly infantry or Cavalry units within 5cm.
A unit in a Bad position must always roll 3d6 for Morale Tests and choose the 2 lowest results.
In any other position, a unit is said to be in neither a Good nor a Bad position.
A unit that is both in a Good and a Bad position is said to be in an indifferent position, and rolls 2d6 for all morale test.
FIRE
A unit may fire only once per turn, and is then marked with smoke (cotton wool).
A unit may fire at a single target that is within range and arc.
Infantry units may fire directly to the front - Artillery may fire at an unit inside a line traced diagonally from back corner to front corner.
The Target unit must test Morale once for each unit firing.
If the Morale Test fails, the unit moves down one Status Grade (fine to disordered, disordered or permanently disordered to routed, routed to destroyed) and fall back as necessary.
For Example:
An Artillery unit fires at Long Range at a Cavalry unit. The Cavalry unit must test morale. If it passes, there is no change. If it fails, it moves down one Status. A Fine unit would become Disordered. A Disordered or Permanently Disordered unit would Rout, and immediately fall back 1 full move away from the firing unit. A Routed unit would be destroyed, and taken fro the field.
MELEE
Melee results when units move into contact due to a Charge. Both sides test Morale until both sides fail a test, or one sides routs or is destroyed.
A |
B |
Result |
Fails test - Disordered |
Fails test - Disordered |
Both units fall back half move and are disordered. |
Fails test - Routed |
Fails test - Routed |
Both units fall back full move and are Routed. |
Fails test - Disordered |
Fails test - Routed |
A remains in place disordered. B falls back full move and is routed. |
Pass test Fine or Disordered |
Pass Test Fine or Disordered |
Test again. |
Pass test - Fine |
Fails test - Disordered |
Test again. |
Pass test - Fine |
Fails test - Routed |
B falls back full move. A may pursue up to full move B destroyed if caught any enemy unit contacted results in immediate Melee (Each unit may only pursue once per turn) |
Pass test - Disordered |
Fails test - Routed |
B falls back full move. A may not pursue. |
MORALE TEST
Units testing Morale as a result of fire or Melee hope to score 7 or more on 2d6. A score of 6 or less is a fail, and the unit moves down one status grade.
A unit in a Good position may always roll 3d6 for Morale Tests and choose the 2 highest results.
A unit in a Bad position must always roll 3d6 for Morale Tests and choose the 2 lowest results.
The d6 results may be modified by Tactical Advantages/Disadvantages:
Heavy Cavalry melees Light Cavalry +1
Non-Disordered Infantry vs. Cavalry +1
Any unit Charging +1
Artillery being Meleed -1
Artillery fired on by Artillery +1
Poor Units -1
Elite Units +1
For Example:
An Elite Artillery unit is fired upon by Artillery at Long Range.
The Artillery is in a Good Position (fired on at Long Range), and so may roll 3d6 and choose the highest two.
The Artillery has the Advantage of being Elite, and may add +1 to the roll. In addition, the Artillery is being fired upon by other Artillery, so may add another +1 to the roll.
The player rolls 3d6 and scores a 2, a 2, and a 3. The two highest results (2 & 3) total to 5, which is less than the required Morale Test score of 7.
The player adds +2 for their advantages, bringing the score to 7.
The Test is passed.
A Second Example:
A Poor Cavalry Unit in Disorder is fired upon by Infantry from the Flank.
The Cavalry is in a Bad Position (fired on from flank), and so must roll 3d6 and choose the lowest two. The Cavalry has a -1 Disadvantage for being poor.
The Player rolls 3d6 and scores a 6, a 1, and a 4. The two lowest results are chosen, for a total of 5. 1 for being poor produces a result of 4. The result is less than the Morale test score of 7, so the unit fails.
The unit was already Disordered, and now becomes Routed and moves away from the firing unit a full move.
A Third Example:
A Regular Infantry Unit (Red) CHARGES another Regular Infantry unit (Blue). Neither unit is in a Good or Bad Position.
Both sides test morale simultaneously with 2d6.
Red scores 7 (Pass)
Blue scores 10 (Pass)
Both sides passed, so another round is fought
Red scores 2 (Fail)
Blue scores 9 (Pass)
The Red unit becomes Disordered, but the Blue unit passed, so another round of combat is fought
Red scores 5 (Fail)
Blue scores 10 (Pass)
The Red unit ROUTS, and falls back a full move. The Blue Unit may Pursue a full move, destroying the Red Unit if it is caught, or contacting a fresh unit to melee, OR remain in place.
Terrain
Only Light Infantry may enter woods. Move at half speed. Woods block all line of sight.
Only Infantry may end the turn in Towns.
Any unit may pass through a town or ford a stream at half speed. The unit is immediately disordered.
Hills and Towns block line of sight. Units below the hill may only see to the ridgeline (a line perpendicular to the line of observation, half way across the hill)
Alternative Simple Command Rules
Ignore everything after Deploy Forces and before Units.
Instead, roll 1d6. The highest score moves first, the lower score moves second.
Follow this procedure:
Repeat procedure for opposing player.
This is a liquid set of rules under constant revision and development.
Comments and Suggestions welcome via www.bsg.org.au rules development forum.
The End.