Huzzah! Glorious Empires
Version 6.3
Fast-play grand tactical rules for Napoleonic wargames.
By Ian Marsh. With thanks to Mike Lewis, Andy Finkel and Nigel Davie.
Eagle-eyed error spotters: John Mumby.
Huzzah! Glorious Empires is copyright Ian Marsh, Mike Lewis and Oozlum Games 2004,
2013
First draft: 27 August 2004, Update 6.2 (11 April 2006), Update 6.3 (18 January 2013)
Huzzah! Glorious Empires is still a work in progress. It is a playtest version of a commercial,
not a free, game. Some of the extras required to make it a commercial game are not yet
complete.
INTRODUCTION
Basis
Huzzah! Glorious Empires is inspired by a variant of Huzzah!, Martian Empires, created by
Mike Lewis. Huzzah! Glorious Empires was formerly known as Huzzah! GTx (grand tactical
express).
Huzzah! Glorious Empires is a game, not a simulation. It is intended to produce a result
within three or four hours of play, making it more suitable for club night games or for players
who prefer a faster-paced wargame.
Huzzah! Glorious Empires uses the regiment or brigade as the base unit.
Measurements
All measurements in Huzzah! Glorious Empires are in centimetres.
Dice
Huzzah! Glorious Empires uses two six-sided dice (2D6) throughout for all rolls. This is a
game that rewards the player who rolls a double-one – rolling low is always good.
Rolling an 11 or a 12 is always a failure.
Rolling a 2 (double one) is always a success. A roll of double one is a Huzzah! result.
Figure scale
Huzzah! Glorious Empires is intended for 15mm, 10mm, 6mm and 3mm figures, which give
the best visual effect: 28mm figures can also be used because Huzzah! Glorious Empires’
bases are large enough.
Time scale
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Turns in Huzzah! Glorious Empires allow multiple actions and viewed strictly could only be
of variable duration. A turn, therefore, merely is a period in which players can try to
influence the outcome of a battle.
Ground scale
There is no fixed ground scale because units occupy areas of influence. However, if using
5cm by 5cm bases, 1cm equals 20 metres for determining the size of battlefields and a
standard ping pong table therefore presents a battlefront of about 5.5km or 3.5 miles. If using
4cm by 4cm bases, 1cm equals 25 metres for determining the size of battlefields.
Recording information
Huzzah! Glorious Empires is written to reduce the need to record any information or to use
counters to mark units. All casualties are in whole bases of figures, and a unit can be arranged
with staggered bases to show that it is disordered. Players need record only unit quality and
leader quality.
Bases
Huzzah! Glorious Empires mounts figures on bases. All bases are square and measure the
same regardless of the troop types mounted on them. The recommended base size for 15mm
figures is 4cm by 4cm, but larger or smaller square bases can be used. Smaller base sizes
make the game more suitable for small tables. Bases can have any number of figures on them
that players desire. Figures that are based differently can be mounted or placed on temporary
square bases (sabots).
Bases are have strengths in hits. Hits are the amount of damage (physical and morale) that a
unit can take in one turn before a base is removed.
Bases may be referred to as stands; the terms are interchangeable.
Troop type
Infantry
Irregular infantry
Battle cavalry
Other cavalry
Artillery
Divisional artillery
Hits per base
3
2
3
2
4
3
Units
A unit is a formation of one or more bases in strength. A unit is typically either a historical
regiment, a historical brigade or a brigade of organisational convenience for the game. For
nations whose infantry regiments comprise three or more battalions, the unit is usually the
regiment unless the battalions are under strength. For nations whose infantry regiments
comprise only one or two battalions, the unit is the brigade. All cavalry formations are
brigades. All artillery bases are the equivalent of batteries.
Huzzah! Glorious Empires assumes that units will commonly be four bases strong,
representing a brigade or regiment of 1,750 to 2,249 infantry or 875 to 1,124 cavalry.
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Whether a unit is a regiment or brigade, it is treated as a brigade in the hierarchy of
command. It is under the control of a division officer. Glorious Empires uses the terms unit
and brigade interchangeably.
Artillery can be either divisional artillery or reserve artillery. Divisional artillery is the
artillery allocated to infantry brigades; reserve artillery is the corps’ reserve pool of artillery
and the corps’ horse artillery. A corps’ reserve artillery must be under the control of a
divisional officer, usually the officer controlling an infantry division to which the artillery is
assigned, but also potentially to a separate officer who controls only the corps reserve
artillery. Corps horse artillery is under the control of the divisional officer in charge of the
corps’ cavalry. Note that corps reserve artillery can also include horse artillery: such artillery
is under the control of the divisional officer who controls the corps reserve artillery.
A unit can comprise all infantry bases, infantry and artillery bases, all cavalry bases or all
artillery bases. Infantry and cavalry cannot be brigaded together in the same unit, nor can
cavalry and artillery. Historic formations comprising infantry and cavalry must be split into
separate infantry and cavalry units.
Infantry units that include divisional artillery are treated as if they were infantry. They can
both fire and move, but use ranges appropriate to the infantry. The effect of the artillery is to
increase the strength of the unit by one base, improving its ability to fire and fight.
Divisional artillery must always be attached to a unit of infantry in its associated division;
where more than one unit exists in a division, the owning player can choose to which unit the
artillery is attached. A unit can include a maximum of one base of divisional artillery.
Divisional artillery therefore strengthens infantry units; it also improves their fire factor.
Infantry with divisional artillery attached is otherwise treated as if it were infantry. If all units
in a division have artillery attached, any remaining unattached artillery in that division is
treated as reserve artillery, even if it is neither horse artillery nor heavy artillery.
Reserve artillery is the only artillery that can form grand batteries. A single reserve artillery
base is simply known as reserve artillery; a group of reserve artillery bases formed as one unit
is also known as a grand battery. A single artillery base is not a grand battery. Reserve
artillery can attach only to other reserve artillery bases.
Reserve artillery is the only artillery that can fire. Reserve artillery, whether as individual
bases or brigaded with other artillery, can either fire or move, but not both; if it fires it cannot
move. Bases of reserve artillery can attach to other reserve artillery in the same division to
form a grand battery: a grand battery is two or more bases of reserve artillery attached to each
other to form a brigade. A single base of reserve artillery is not a grand battery. Reserve
artillery does not limber or unlimber in Huzzah! Glorious Empires – it either fires and cannot
move, or withholds its fire and moves.
Once a grand battery is formed, it can only attach extra bases; it cannot detach bases. Some
nations cannot form grand batteries.
Unit size
To calculate the strength of a unit in bases, divide the historical infantry strength by 500 to
get the number of infantry bases, and the cavalry strength by 250 to get the number of cavalry
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bases. To determine the number of artillery bases for each corps, divide the number of pieces
by 8. Round down fractions less than one half. If accurate strengths are not known, a rough
guide is one base for each infantry battalion, two bases for each cavalry regiment and one
base for each artillery battery.
The aim is to produce a force where most of the infantry units on the side with the smallest
units are four bases strong. Small historical battles and battles involving mainly understrength units may be better represented using different divisors, for example, 400 for
infantry, 200 for cavalry and 6 for artillery, or even 250 for infantry, 125 for cavalry and 4 for
artillery. The examples in the Army Lists all use the standard divisors of 500, 250 and 8.
Unit qualities and ratings
Huzzah! Glorious Empires uses variable ratings for unit quality to reflect the differing
performance of troops on campaign, plus the effects of incorporating new recruits into
experienced units. Variable and unknown ratings add uncertainty and therefore excitement to
the game.
Unit quality is defined first by the Army Lists (currently available in beta form on the Yahoo!
group), which give the expected quality of troops of each type. Expected quality is defined by
three grades – Elites, Regulars and Militia – and four classes, from A to D, within each grade.
From best to worst, the classes and grades are: Elites A, Elites B, Elites C, Elites D, Regulars
A, Regulars B, Regulars C, Regulars D, Militia A, Militia B, Militia C, Militia D.
(Note: The Army Lists replace the former system of calculating quality based on ratings in
Huzzah!, and are in the process of being created.)
For example, the Army Lists define French infantry for 1805–06 as Regulars A, for 1813–14
as Regulars C, and for 1815 as Regulars B.
The actual quality of a unit is only determined when necessary during the game, for example,
if the unit fires or takes a morale test. Until then its potential is only known in broad terms
from its expected quality. Once its quality is determined, it is fixed for the duration of the
game.
To determine the actual quality of a unit, determine its expected quality from the Army Lists,
roll 2D6 and refer to the Unit Quality Table. This will give the rating of a unit in one of six
grades, from best to worst: Veterans, Experienced, Trained, Green, Raw and Unreliable.
These six grades drive the mechanics of the game.
For example, French infantry rated as Regulars B becomes Trained on a roll of 6, 7 or 8.
The Unit Quality Table is weighted so that the most common result for Regulars B troops is
Trained. A player knows that the most common result for Regulars B is Trained, and can at
worst be Green, and make decisions accordingly. Unit Quality has greatest effect on morale.
If Huzzah! (double one) is rolled for a unit, that unit gains the Grognards ability if it does not
already have it. Roll again to determine the actual unit quality, treating any Raw or
Unreliable results as Green, and any subsequent Huzzah! as a result of 2.
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If Huzzah! (double one) is rolled for a unit that already has the Grognards ability, that unit
gains the Disciplined ability if it does not already have it. Roll again to determine the actual
unit quality, treating any Raw or Unreliable results as Trained, and any subsequent Huzzah!
as a result of 2.
UNIT QUALITY TABLE (roll 2D6)
Troops
Expected
quality
Elites – A
Class
Elites – B
Class
Elites – C
Class
Elites – D
Class
Regulars –
A Class
Regulars –
B Class
Regulars –
C Class
Regulars –
D Class
Militia – A
Class
Militia – B
Class
Militia – C
Class
Militia – D
Class
Veteran
Experienced Trained
Green
Raw
Unreliable
2-7
8-12
–
–
–
–
2-6
7-10
11-12
–
–
–
2-5
6-9
10-12
–
–
–
2-4
5-7
8–10
11-12
–
–
2-4
5-6
7-9
10-12
–
–
2-3
4-5
6-8
9-12
–
–
2
3-4
5-7
8–10
11-12
–
–
2-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
–
–
2-3
4-5
6-8
9-12
–
–
2
3-4
5-7
8-10
11-12
–
–
2-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
–
–
–
2-5
6-8
9-12
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Determining the quality of grand batteries
In some armies it is possible for reserve artillery of different qualities to be combined into
one grand battery. The lowest rated unit within a grand battery determines its quality.
For example, a base of Elites D with a base of Regulars B is treated as a grand battery of two
bases rated at Regulars B. Two bases of Elites D reserve artillery with one base of Regular B
is also treated as Regulars B.
If the quality of any bases in a grand battery is known (i.e. the quality has been determined as
Veterans, Experienced, Trained and so on) the quality is determined by the lowest known
rating.
For example, one base of Experienced reserve artillery with one base of Trained reserve
artillery is regarded as a Trained grand battery of two bases.
If bases of unrolled quality join a grand battery of rolled quality, immediately roll the quality
of the unknown bases. The lowest rating decides the new rating of the grand battery.
For example, a Regulars B reserve artillery base forms a grand battery with reserve artillery
rated as Experienced. The quality of the Regulars B battery is rolled: if the result is Green,
the whole grand battery becomes Green. Because of the way that Fire Factors work, this will
not materially affect the battery’s firepower; it will have most effect in morale tests.
Troop types
Unless indicated otherwise in the Army Lists, all troops are close order troops. Exceptions
include irregular troops, such as Ottoman infantry and Russian Cossacks, both of which are
open order troops. In addition, some troops may be designated Skirmish infantry – these are
typically light troops that can fight in open order and which are suited to fighting in dense
terrain.
A unit must consist entirely of Irregular troops or of Skirmish troops to gain any benefits due
to that troop type. Troops with Irregular or Skirmish abilities are identified as such in the
Army Lists.
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SETUP AND TURN SEQUENCE
A scenario should specify which side, and therefore which player, places units first and acts
first. If not, the designated attacker acts first or players can roll the dice to determine who
goes first (lowest wins). A scenario will also specify the number and types of units on both
sides in the form of an order of battle (orbat). Scenarios will also have specific objectives.
Pick-up games use armies based on points, preferably organized in advance by players, and
for speed are fought over set terrain. See rules, page xx.
For an encounter game, set up no closer than 80cm apart; for a battle with a designated
defender, set up no closer than 60cm apart. Roll 2D6 each: the player who rolls highest starts
placing units first.
Each player takes it in turn to roll 2D6. The result shows the spread of units they can place:
the lowest die gives the minimum number of units that must be placed; the highest, the
greatest number of units that can be placed.
For example, a player who rolls 3 and 5 must place from three to five units.
A player who rolls 1 and 3 must place from one to three units.
The player to finish placing units first becomes Player 2; the player to finish placing units last
becomes Player 1.
Each turn consists of two common phases, then six phases for the first player’s turn and six
for the second player’s turn, as follows:
1. Skirmisher superiority
2. Artillery effectiveness
Player 1 is the phasing player:
3. Firing
4. Orders and movement
5. Fire at chargers (Player 2)
6. Combat
7. Move officers
8. Rally
Player 2 is the phasing player:
9. Firing
10. Orders and movement
11. Fire at chargers (Player 1)
12. Combat
13. Move officers
14. Rally
15. Turn ends
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Pick-up games (Notes, to be expanded. Rules under test)
To do: draw pick-up maps
A pick-up game is game organized quickly for the fun of playing. In Huzzah! Glorious
Empires, a pick-up game is fought with two armies each composed using an identical number
of points over terrain decided by one of the pick-up game maps.
Players should agree a set number of points for the game. For a short game pick 3,000 points
with the aim of having no more than 12 units per side: 12 is about the maximum number of
units that one player can handle without spending too long deciding their moves. The players
agree which armies can be used from the Army Lists, typically using a range of years, for
example, 1805 to 1807. Each player chooses an army, one of which must be French or a
French allied nation, and using the unit types and points per base given in the Army Lists
builds that army up to but no greater than the points limit. The following restrictions apply:
1. Infantry units of any type must be at least three bases strong, including bases for
attached divisional artillery;
2. Cavalry units of any type must be at least two bases strong;
3. Units cannot exceed the maximum size for their type given in the Army Lists;
4. An army must have a CinC;
5. An army must comprise at least one division, and that division must have a divisional
general.
Ideally, to save time, each player’s army should be worked out in advance.
Battlefield terrain is decided using the pick-up game maps. Certain maps are available only in
particular theatres of war. Each map contains objectives that score points, and shows which
side of the map is used for each player.
Each player picks a map and rolls 2D6. The lowest wins and the winner’s map is used for the
game.
The loser can then add one item of terrain to the map of a type that is already present, or take
one item of terrain away.
In the event of a tie, each player gets the opposing half of the other player’s map as their half
of the board.
All pick-up games are fought as encounters: the armies set up no closer than 80cm apart.
Roll 2D6 to determine who starts placing units first: highest loses and places first. Roll 2D6
to determine the minimum and maximum number of units as usual. The player who finishes
placing units first becomes Player 2.
After all units are placed, Player 2 and then Player 1 place officers. An officer cannot start the
game attached to a unit.
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SKIRMISHER SUPERIORITY
The Skirmisher Superiority phase simulates the "little war" – the conflict between opposing
forces' skirmishers. An army whose skirmishers are outperforming those of the enemy has an
advantage when shot at because its skirmisher screen defends its units.
At the beginning of each turn, both players roll to determine whose skirmishers have the
upper hand.
Each army has a Skirmish Factor ranging from 6 to 10 (see Army Lists). A scenario designer
can specify each side's initial Skirmish Factor in advance, or each player can roll to determine
it on the Army Lists before battle commences. For mixed forces, use the factor for the largest
infantry contingent of the army.
Modify each army's Skirmish Factor as follows:
–1
–1
+1
+1
if foul weather
if failed previous superiority test
if won previous superiority test
if skirmish line is reinforced
Each player rolls 2D6: if the result is less than or equal to the modified Skirmish Factor then
the army's skirmish line is being effective. A roll of 11 or 12 is always a failure.
Whichever side succeeds by the greatest amount wins the skirmisher war: all firing against
that side’s units during the rest of the turn is at –1. Infantry, cavalry and artillery units all gain
from the protection of skirmisher superiority.
Huzzah! results
A player who rolls Huzzah! (double one) permanently reduces the other side's Skirmish
Factor by one for the rest of the battle. Subsequent Huzzah! results cause further reductions.
Reinforced skirmish line
A player can reinforce the skirmish line by deploying bases of infantry from units that have
the Skirmish ability. If one side has deployed at least twice as many bases as the enemy into
the skirmish line, then that side’s skirmish line is reinforced.
Some units consist entirely of Skirmish infantry, such as entire regiments of light infantry.
The whole unit can, if required, be deployed into the skirmish line. Other units may have one
base of light infantry; only that base can be deployed into the skirmish line. Such units are
defined as having the ability of Skirmish (Limited). Bases that are deployed into the skirmish
line cannot rejoin their units. Units that are disordered, routing of off-table cannot deploy
skirmishers.
Players can mark units that have the Skirmish Limited ability by using one base of
skirmishers in place of a base of formed infantry. Units with the Skirmish ability should
usually be apparent by the type of infantry used to represent them, or can be marked by
placing a skirmisher figure on each base or by only using bases of skirmishers.
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ARTILLERY EFFECTIVENESS
The artillery effectiveness phase determines whether an army’s gunners are serving their
pieces well, gauging the distances to targets accurately, and making every shot count.
Artillery effectiveness is affected by ground conditions and by poor weather.
At the beginning of each turn, both players roll to determine whether their armies are using
their artillery effectively.
Each army has an Artillery Factor ranging from 6 to 10. A scenario designer can specify an
army’s Artillery Factor in advance, or each player can roll to determine it on the Army Lists
before battle commences. For mixed forces, use the factor for the largest artillery contingent
in the army (i.e. the contingent with most artillery bases). Each side rolls only once each turn
for artillery effectiveness.
Artillery effectiveness affects:
• Firing by units that have divisional artillery attached; and
• Firing by reserve artillery batteries and grand batteries.
Modify each army’s Artillery Factor as follows:
–1
–1
–1
–1
+1
+1
if failed previous test
if enemy has skirmisher superiority
if soft ground
if foul weather
hard ground
if passed previous test
Each player rolls 2D6: if the result is less than or equal to the modified Artillery Factor then
the army’s guns are being effective. It is possible for both sides to have artillery
effectiveness.
Huzzah! results
A player who rolls Huzzah! (double one) permanently reduces the artillery effectiveness of
the enemy by one. A side that rolls Huzzah! is assumed to engage in effective counter-battery
fire. Huzzah! results are cumulative; only one Huzzah! result counts against an enemy in one
turn.
Ground conditions/Foul weather
These conditions are currently defined only by scenario. Soft ground can be mud or heavy
snow; hard ground is sun-baked earth. Foul weather can be dense fog, heavy snow or heavy
rain.
Scenarios may specify that weather conditions change after a certain number of turns, for
example, fog (foul weather) lifting on turn four, or soft ground becoming firm on turn six.
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FIRING
Fire Factor
Each unit has a Fire Factor, which is a measure of its fire effectiveness. Fire Factors are based
on a unit’s experience (determined using its quality in the Army Lists) and its arm as follows:
Veterans
Experienced
Trained
Green
Raw
Unreliable
Infantry
7
6
6
6
5
5
Artillery
8
7
7
7
6
6
Infantry units with divisional artillery fire using the infantry’s Fire Factor (they receive
bonuses because artillery potentially increases their strength and gives bonuses if it is
effective) and the infantry’s ranges. Infantry brigades with divisional artillery can fire and
move. Chargers, routers, and cavalry units cannot fire.
Grand batteries and single reserve artillery bases can either fire or move, but not both in the
same turn.
Weapon Ranges
The following ranges apply for weapons:
Unit
Infantry
Reserve foot and reserve horse artillery
Reserve heavy artillery
Range (cm)
20
60
80
Artillery bases in infantry units (divisional artillery) cannot fire individually: the infantry’s
range and Fire Factor are used. All infantry units are assumed to benefit from artillery
support; attached divisional artillery bases represent concentrated artillery support.
A grand battery uses the shortest range appropriate to its constituent batteries.
Procedure
Any of the phasing army’s units or grand batteries that can see an enemy unit can fire at it. A
unit can choose its target from any that are within the arc of fire and which are neither fully
nor partly blocked by another unit. If possible targets exist both at short range and beyond
short range, the firer must shoot at one of the targets at short range. Only bases that can draw
a clear line of sight to a target can fire – that may mean that not every base in a unit can fire.
Bases in a firing unit can only shoot at the same target. All bases that fire must fire together.
All targets must be declared before resolving any firing. Arc of fire is 45 degrees to either
side of the unit. Measure ranges from the centre of the firing unit to the centre of the closest
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visible face of the target unit. A unit can fire with fewer bases to bring a target into range or
into close range.
Routing units cannot fire. Units in road column cannot fire.
To fire, take the unit's Fire Factor and modify by the net result of the following:
–1
–1
–1
–1
–1
–1
–2
if firer is disordered
if firer is in square
if target has skirmisher superiority
if target is Irregular troops (Cossacks, Ottoman infantry)
if foul weather
if target is in soft cover (hedges, orchards, woods)
if target is in hard cover (walls, buildings)
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
for every two bases in the firer’s front line if the firer is in the open
for every three bases in firing unit if the firer is in dense terrain
if target is at short range (under half range)
if firing on a target’s flank or rear
if target is in square
The following modifiers apply only if the firer has artillery effectiveness:
+1
+1
+1
+1
if firer has divisional artillery attached
if grand battery firing at a target more than one base deep
if grand battery contains heavy artillery
if grand battery firing at square
Then roll 2D6. To hit, the unit must roll less than or equal to the modified Fire Factor. A unit
can have a maximum modified Fire Factor of 10; any higher result is treated as 10. A unit can
have a minimum modified Fire Factor of 2; any lower result is treated as 2. A roll of 11 or 12
is always a failure; a roll of 2 (Huzzah!) is always a success. The difference between the
required and actual rolls is the number of hits on the enemy unit. If a Huzzah! (double one) is
rolled, an extra hit is caused. A unit that rolls equal to its modified Fire Factor causes 0 hits
but this still counts as a success and forces a morale test.
Mark each unit that fires with a puff of smoke (cotton wool) to show that it has fired this turn.
Bases are removed from the target according to the number of hits inflicted and the number
of hits per base. Odd hits remain on a unit until the end of the Rally phase. Bases are removed
only after resolving all firing against a unit. Because all bases in a unit are equal, it does not
matter which bases are removed, although marker bases indicating the presence of divisional
artillery or skirmish ability should remain if possible. A unit cannot comprise only marker
bases; marker bases must be removed first if the only other base that can be removed
indicates the unit’s type. If a marker base is removed the unit loses that marker’s ability. The
owning player chooses which bases are removed and can remove them from a support rank.
For example, a trained British infantry unit of three bases and one base of attached divisional
artillery (with artillery effectiveness), all in one line, fires at short range at a French brigade:
its base fire factor is 6, modified +2 for the number of bases, +1 for divisional artillery and +1
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for short range, a total of 10 (the maximum possible). The player rolls 6 on 2D6: the unit
succeeds with a difference of 4, thus causing four hits on the target. The French unit is three
hits per base, so one base is removed with one hit left over. If any other casualties were
inflicted on the French unit in that turn, then the hits would be added to that remaining one,
with the result that another base might be removed. Otherwise, at the end of the turn in the
rally phase, that one remaining hit is ignored and removed.
Firing at chargers
An infantry or artillery unit that is charged must fire at the unit charging it (it cannot choose
not to fire). This is an exception to the general firing rule because the unit being charged fires
in the enemy turn and because firing is compulsory. Firing is calculated at short range and
takes place during the Firing at Chargers phase. Units charged by multiple units must fire at
one, and only one, of the charging units (firer’s choice of target). Units that begin the turn in
combat cannot fire at each other. Mark units that successfully fire at chargers with a puff of
smoke (cotton wool).
Force backs and morale tests
A unit that is hit, even if it takes 0 hits from an opponent’s successful firing, must take a
morale test as soon as all firing against it has finished and after any rolls have been made for
the survival of attached officers. Any unit that is hit and which fails a morale test is
disordered; a non-charging unit may even be forced back by the volume of fire.
Any unit that fires at chargers and whose firing roll fails must also take a morale test: it can
only be disorganised if it fails the test, although a disorganised unit that is disorganised a
second time will immediately rout (the charging unit can automatically advance to occupy the
ground or deploy into terrain previously occupied by the routers).
Force backs do not affect chargers (i.e. units that advance into contact) or units that fire at
chargers. Charging units that take a morale test only become disordered if they fail; a unit
that charges while already in disorder, however, will rout if it fails a morale test. Any
casualties caused by firing count for any force back if the chargers lose the melee. Casualties
caused by firing do not affect who wins the combat; they affect only the distance that the
charger retreats or routs if it loses the combat.
The ability of a unit to pass the test depends on its Morale Factor.
Quality
Veteran
Experienced
Trained
Green
Raw
Unreliable
Morale Factor
10
9
8
7
6
5
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Adjust the unit’s Morale Factor as follows:
–1
–1
–1
–1
–2
+1
+1
+1
for each base lost that turn
if facing a renowned unit
if friendly routing unit within 20cm
if an attached officer was killed this turn
if an attached inspirational officer was killed this turn
for each complete support rank (before removing losses) in good order
if an officer is attached
if an inspirational officer is attached
Roll 2D6 and if the roll is less than or equal to the adjusted score then the unit is unaffected.
A unit can have a maximum modified Morale Factor of 10, and a minimum modified Morale
Factor of 2. A roll of 11 or 12 is always a failure; a Huzzah! (double one) is always a success.
A unit that rolls Huzzah! receives the Grognards ability if it does not already have it; if it
already has the Grognards ability, its acquires the ability Disciplined; if it already has the
Disciplined ability, its quality improves by one (Trained troops become Experienced, and so
on).
If the unit fails its morale test it is disordered. A non-charging unit also falls back 5cm for
each base it loses; it falls back directly to its rear, facing its original direction. A unit that
receives insufficient hits to remove a base can only be disordered; it cannot be forced back
(hence a unit that takes 0 hits is disordered if it fails its morale test).
Reduce the force back distance by 5cm if the target is in soft cover, 10cm if it is in hard
cover, and 15cm if the target is in a strongpoint; terrain has no other effect on force backs. If
a unit deployed in dense terrain is forced back after reductions for cover, it is forced out of
that terrain and deployed the force-back distance (less reductions for cover) away from that
terrain.
A non-routing unit that is forced out of dense terrain into another sector of unoccupied dense
terrain automatically deploys into that new sector.
A disordered unit, even if it charged into contact, immediately routs if it fails a morale test. A
unit also routs if it falls back more than 15cm after reductions for soft or hard cover.
A routing unit moves the greater of either its full road column movement or its force back
distance directly to its rear, facing away from the enemy.
If forced back through a friendly unit, a unit that falls back or routs takes an additional hit and
the unit that it passes through is disordered. The unit that falls back or routs is positioned the
other side of the unit that it passes through. A unit that has several units fall back or rout
through it in the same phase is disordered only once.
A routing unit that routs into an unoccupied sector of dense terrain takes an additional hit. It
cannot deploy into that terrain. A routing unit that routs into an occupied sector of dense
terrain takes an additional hit and is positioned its remaining rout distance beyond the
occupied sector. A routing unit that routs into an enemy-occupied sector of dense terrain is
captured and removed from play.
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A unit that falls back or routs off the battlefield is moved to the Rout Table (see Rallying,
page 26), and is treated as if it had routed. Units moved to the Rout Table can re-enter play if
they rally.
For example, the French unit in the previous example took 4 hits and lost one base. If it is
trained, its quality is 8 and its adjusted quality (for the lost base) is 7. If it rolls an 8 or more it
is disordered and must retire 5cm.
Note that force backs caused by firing depend on the number of bases lost; force backs
caused by combat depend on the number of hits inflicted.
Explanations
Every two bases
For every two whole bases in the front line of a unit in open terrain, it receives a +1 in firing.
Hence a unit only one base strong receives no modifier, a unit of two or three bases is +1, a
unit of four or five bases is +2 and so on, provided they are all in one line. A brigade
arranged two bases by two has only two bases in the firing line (although it has one support
rank for morale tests and rallying). Only bases that can draw line of sight to the target can
fire; range is measured from the centre of the firer to nearest base of the target.
Every three bases
For every three whole bases in a unit in dense terrain, it receives a +1 in firing. Hence a unit
only one base or two bases strong receives no modifier, a unit of three to five bases is +1, a
unit of six bases is +2 and so on.
Within 20cm
The routing unit is in or partly within 20cm of all or part of the testing unit..
Officers and hits
If a unit takes hits, then any attached officer is killed immediately if he fails his saving throw.
If a unit is destroyed, then any attached officer is killed immediately; he gets no saving throw.
The saving throw is equal to 12 minus the number of hits taken by the unit. If the player rolls
higher than this number, the officer is killed. Hence an officer attached to a unit that has
taken 3 hits must roll 9 or less to survive. An 11 or a 12 is always a failure; a Huzzah! result
always succeeds. On a Huzzah! (double one), the officer leads a charmed life and his next
saving throw also automatically succeeds.
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ORDERS AND MOVEMENT
Command Factor
Each officer has a Command Factor, which is a measure of his and his staff’s ability and
activity. Command Factors are based on the historical performance of a nation’s officers, and
are determined before battle commences using the Command Factor table in the Army Lists.
An officer’s quality affects his Command Factor and command radius as follows:
Officer quality
Excellent
Skilful
Average
Poor
Abysmal
Command Factor
10
9
8
7
6
Command radius
60cm
50cm
40cm
30cm
20cm
Units and groups of units require orders to move, and their ability to act on their orders
depends on the command rating of their leaders. Well-led troops are more likely to move as
desired than badly led troops.
An officer is required for each division, and a CinC is required for the army. If the army
comprises two or more corps, then each corps has a corps officer. If the army consists of a
single corps, then the CinC is in effect the corps officer; a separate corps officer is not used.
Orders are issued by officers and can be issued either to individual units or to a command
group. A command group is a division or, in a multi-corps army, a corps. Sub-commands are
the constituents of a command group: the brigade or unit is the sub-command of the division;
the division is the sub-command of the corps. Reserve artillery bases are treated as brigades
belonging to their appropriate division (either the corps reserve artillery division or the corps
cavalry division).
An officer who fails when issuing an order can give no further orders that turn. In addition,
the player’s Orders phase ends immediately if the CinC fails an order. Once a player issues
orders with an officer, that player cannot return to other officers that have already given
orders. Once an officer issues orders to a command or an individual unit he cannot order
other commands or individual units to which he gave orders in the same turn.
Officers can issue orders to any command group or unit in their command groups provided
that the group or unit has not been given orders by another officer, whether those orders
succeed or fail.
The CinC can:
• issue orders to any unit, division or corps.
• appoint a new officer to a command group that lost its officer in a previous turn (see
Officer Movement, page xx)
A side's Orders phase ends immediately if the CinC fails a command roll. If other players on
the same side are still issuing orders, they must stop issuing orders and all movement of units
must cease immediately, regardless of the success of those officers’ orders.
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A corps officer can:
• issue orders to his corps or to any unit or division in his corps.
A division officer can:
• issue orders to his division or to any unit in his division.
An officer who is attached to a single unit:
• cannot issue orders to any other unit or to any command group.
Units that have officers attached can only receive and act on orders given by the attached
officer. They take orders from no other officer.
All officers can issue orders to:
• advance;
• retire;
• deploy; or
• manoeuvre.
Grand batteries and single bases of reserve artillery cannot move (i.e. advance, manoeuvre,
deploy or retire) if they fire. Infantry units can still move if they fire, whether or not they
have divisional artillery attached. Units that fire should be marked with a puff of smoke
(cotton wool) in the Firing phase.
Routing units cannot be given orders and never act on orders given to their division or corps.
Disordered units can act on orders; if they act on orders or fire, it reduces their ability to
reform later in the same turn.
Only officers that are attached to units move in this phase. All other officers move during the
Officer Movement phase.
Procedure
A player who wishes an officer to give an order must state whether he wants his command or
a sub-command in that command to advance, retire, manoeuvre or deploy.
The ability to issue an order depends on the officer's Command Factor, modified by the net
result of the following:
–1
–1
–1
–1
–1
–1
–1
–2
for each successive order issued to the same command group or sub-command
if any unit ordered fired at the enemy
if any unit ordered is in disorder
if any unit ordered is in dense terrain
if any units ordered are within one move of a formed enemy
if hesitant troops within one move of any enemy
if any unit is ordered to advance on a renowned unit
if infantry ordered to advance on cavalry within one move
+1
+1
+1
+1
if all units ordered are completely within the officer’s command radius
if out of range of the enemy
if an officer is attached
if both the officer is inspirational and the order is to advance
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The net result of all modifiers is applied to obtain the officer's modified Command Factor. An
officer can have a maximum modified Command Factor of 10 and a minimum modified
Command Factor of 2.
The phasing player rolls two six-sided dice (2D6). The order succeeds if the result is less than
or equal to the officer’s effective Command Factor. An order always fails on a roll of 11 or
12. An order also fails if the player does not state the type of order before rolling the dice.
Orders always succeed on a Huzzah! (double one) and the player then has the option of
taking a second automatically successful order of any type for the command group or unit
ordered. Doing so will end the orders for that group or unit for this turn.
If an order succeeds, the units ordered can act according to the order given. Units that have
been given an order to advance, therefore, cannot deploy, manoeuvre or retire – they can only
advance.
If an order succeeds, an officer can issue another order to the units using the cumulative
penalty for issuing successive orders.
Effects of officers on movement
Units move straight through friendly officers. Units that end up on top of a friendly officer
displace the officer. Officers are displaced so they are just out of contact with and behind the
centre of the unit that displaced them. A unit that contacts an enemy officer captures him (the
figure is removed) unless there is a non-routing friendly unit within his command radius, in
which case he attaches to the nearest such unit: his figure is moved and placed in contact with
the unit.
Explanations
Unit in disorder
A unit that is in disorder is hard to control until it is reformed. A unit may be in disorder after
failing a morale test, losing a combat, or being penetrated by routers.
Within one move
A unit is within one move of the enemy if the unit is within one move’s distance, i.e. the unit
could reach it on a successful advance order. A unit is also within one move of the enemy if
the enemy unit could reach it in one move on a successful advance order. Terrain and facing
both affect whether a unit is within one move.
Formed enemy
A formed enemy unit is one that is neither disordered nor routing.
Fired at enemy
A unit has fired at the enemy if it fired during the Firing phase, whether or not it inflicted
hits. Units that fire are marked with a puff of smoke (cotton wool) as a reminder. Such units
are harder to order to because of the likelihood that they will get locked into a firefight.
Command group
A command group is either a division or a corps.
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Sub-command
Sub-commands are the constituent parts of a command group. Divisions are sub-commands
of the corps; units or brigades are sub-commands of the division.
Command radius
Command radius is defined by the officer’s command rating and is measured from the centre
of the officer’s base. All bases of a unit must be completely within the command radius for a
bonus to apply.
Dense terrain
Woods and buildings are dense terrain. Woods are soft cover; buildings are hard cover. See
Terrain, page 26.
Renowned unit
Renowned units are defined in the Army Lists. The renowned unit must be within one move
for a penalty to apply.
Out of range
The enemy is out of range if the units being ordered are outside heavy artillery range (80cm)
of the nearest enemy unit, regardless of line of sight and regardless of whether the enemy
includes artillery in its strength.
ORDERS
Advance
A unit that receives an individual advance order can move forwards up to its full movement
allowance. Units in a command group can move forwards only up to the maximum move
allowance of the slowest arm in that group. Cavalry ordered as part of the same group as
infantry can therefore move at the maximum rate of the infantry (20cm). Advance moves are
measured from the front face of the unit to the new position of the front face.
Moves must be made straight ahead, but a unit is allowed a sideways drift of up to 5cm to the
left or to the right. A unit that drifts must keep the same facing; it cannot pivot or manoeuvre.
The drift is performed at the end of the advance move; a unit cannot advance after drifting
without receiving another advance order. A unit cannot drift into contact with an enemy unit.
An advance move can never be used to break contact with an enemy. An advance order is the
only order than can be used to make contact with an enemy in open terrain.
An advance order cannot be used to occupy or leave dense terrain unless the advancing unit is
in road column and is passing through, not deploying into, the terrain. Such actions require a
deploy order.
Infantry, infantry with divisional artillery, or Irregular cavalry that is deployed in a sector of
dense terrain can advance into an adjacent sector of dense terrain (see Terrain, page 28). If
that sector is contested by the enemy, the advancing unit can engage the enemy unit in
combat. A unit cannot deploy out of dense terrain into contact with an enemy: it must first
deploy out of the terrain and then advance into contact.
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A unit that advances into contact with an enemy (so the units are touching) cannot act on any
further orders that phase. An advance move made to contact the enemy is a charge and is
always made straight ahead with no drifting allowed. A unit that advances into contact is
referred to as a “charger”. A charger that makes contact, or would make contact, with any
part of its formation other than its front face is disordered and moved backwards 5cm from
the point of contact.
Units are squared up on contact. If most of a charger would contact the front of an enemy
unit, then the charger is squared up with the front face of the enemy. Otherwise, chargers are
squared up with the closest visible face of the enemy: if one corner of a charging unit is
closer than the other corner to the enemy, it is the closest corner that determines which face
of the enemy is charged. When squaring up, the advancing unit must touch as much of the
enemy’s frontage as possible with its own frontage; the positioning of any overlap is at the
discretion of the owning player, however, all of the advancing bases remain in their existing
formation and cannot be rearranged.
Impulsive units that are within one advance move of the enemy at the start of their Orders
and Movement phase must always charge that enemy. They do not require orders to do so;
they are simply moved into contact.
Friendly units that overlap each other, unless executing a passage of lines, each become
disordered because parts of the formations become intermingled.
Movement in cm:
Troops
Infantry
Cavalry
Reserve artillery
Reserve heavy artillery
Reserve horse artillery
Officers
Line of battle
15
25
15
15
25
60
Open order
20
30
Road column
20
30
15
15
25
Formations are explained on page 33. Squares cannot move. Irregular troops (Cossacks and
Ottoman infantry) are always in open order.
Retire
A unit that receives an individual retire order can move backwards up to half its full
movement allowance. Units in a command group can move backwards only up to half the full
move allowance of the slowest unit in that group. Moves must be made straight backwards
without turning, inclining or drifting any unit. All units keep the same facing. Retire moves
are measured from the rear face of the unit to the new position of the rear face.
A retire move can never be used to bring a unit into contact with the enemy. A retire move
can never be used to engage or to break an engagement with an enemy: such an action is only
decided by resolving the engagement.
Friendly units that overlap each other, unless executing a passage of lines, are both
disordered.
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20
A unit that is within one move of an enemy and which obeys an order to retire must take a
Waver Test immediately after it moves (Note: new rule undergoing playtesting). The ability
of a unit to pass the test depends on its Morale Factor.
Quality
Veteran
Experienced
Trained
Green
Raw
Unreliable
Morale Factor
10
9
8
7
6
5
Adjust the unit’s Morale Factor as follows:
–1
–1
–1
–1
+1
+1
+1
if disordered
if friendly routing unit within one move
if Hesitant
if Impulsive
if leader attached
if inspirational leader attached
if Disciplined
Roll 2D6 and if the roll is less than or equal to the adjusted score then the unit is unaffected.
A unit can have a maximum modified Morale Factor of 10, and a minimum modified Morale
Factor of 2. A roll of 11 or 12 is always a failure; a Huzzah! (double one) is always a success.
A unit that rolls Huzzah! receives the Grognards ability if it does not already have it; if it
already has the Grognards ability, its acquires the ability Disciplined; if it already has the
Disciplined ability, its quality improves by one (Trained troops become Experienced, and so
on).
If a unit fails a waver test it is disordered. A disordered unit that fails a waver test therefore
routs, moving its road column movement rate directly to its rear.
Deploy
Units can change from any allowable formation into another allowable formation. Infantry
can therefore form line of battle, road column or square. Cavalry can form line of battle or
road column; Irregular troops (Cossacks and Ottoman infantry) are always in open order
whether they are in line or road column. No change of facing is permitted for infantry or
cavalry – this requires a manoeuvre order.
One base of an infantry or cavalry unit must remain stationary during deployment to anchor
the position of the new formation.
A unit can rearrange its bases on a deploy order. All bases must keep the same facing. Bases
are typically rearranged to create or remove support ranks. A support rank is an additional
rank of bases within the unit that is at least equal to the front rank in number of bases. A unit
must additionally have at least two bases in the front rank to qualify for support (road
columns can never, therefore, benefit from support ranks).
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Infantry with the Skirmish ability can be deployed into the skirmish line to reinforce it. On a
deploy order, a unit with the Skirmish ability can deploy bases into the skirmish line to
reinforce it (see Skirmisher Superiority). A unit with the Skirmish ability can deploy from
one to all of its bases into the Skirmish line. If a unit deploys all of its bases into the Skirmish
line and it is the only unit in the division, that division officer is removed from play.
Units with the Skirmish (Limited) ability can deploy one base to reinforce the skirmish line;
they then lose the Skirmish (Limited) ability.
Units cannot deploy skirmishers if they are disordered. Bases deployed into the skirmish line
cannot rejoin their parent units.
Deployed skirmish bases are removed from play. They do not count as lost points. Skirmish
ability can be indicated by a skirmisher figure used as a marker or by a base of infantry in
skirmish formation.
Reserve artillery can attach to another reserve artillery base in the same command group on a
deploy order provided that the distance between the bases is one advance move or less for
each type of artillery. Reserve artillery cannot detach from a grand battery (grand batteries
must remain as grand batteries once created).
A deploy order can never be used to engage the enemy in open terrain or to break off an
engagement.
Units can change formation in any order the player wishes, but each is moved one at a time.
Friendly units that end up touching or that touch while changing formation are disordered.
Infantry or infantry with divisional artillery can form square on a deploy order. Mark a square
by alternating bases of the unit to face the rear. Squares cannot move. A unit in square has no
flank or rear and suffers no penalties in combat against attacks made from those directions by
any troop types.
Infantry, infantry with divisional artillery, or Irregular cavalry that is touching an unoccupied
sector of dense terrain can deploy into and occupy that sector (see Terrain, page 33). A sector
of dense terrain can contain only one unit. A deploy order can be used to enter an unoccupied
sector of contested dense terrain and therefore to engage the enemy that contests the terrain.
Infantry, infantry with divisional artillery, or Irregular cavalry that is deployed in a sector of
dense terrain can deploy out of that sector (see Terrain, page 33). A unit cannot deploy out of
dense terrain into contact with an enemy: it must first deploy out of the terrain and then be
given an advance order to make contact.
A deploy order can be used to execute a passage of lines: a unit of infantry or cavalry can
exchange places with another unit of the same arm provided that the units are both in line of
battle, that they have no support ranks, that they face exactly the same direction, and that the
front faces of both units are no more than one advance move apart. Both units maintain their
arrangement of bases. Units executing a passage of lines are not disordered. Units that are in
disorder cannot execute a passage of lines nor have a passage of lines executed on them.
Brigades that are in different divisions will need a high level officer (corps or CinC) to issue
Huzzah! GTx
22
an order to execute a passage of lines. All units that execute a passage of lines within one
move of an enemy unit must take a waver test (see Retire, rule undergoing playtesting). All
affected units must pass the waver test for the passage of lines to succeed: units that fail the
waver test are disordered.
Manoeuvre
Infantry units can wheel on an anchored flank through up to 45 degrees if in line of battle or
open order. Reserve artillery can wheel through up to 45 degrees. Cavalry units can wheel
through 90 degrees in line of battle or open order. No base in a unit, however, can move
further than its movement allowance, even if this means a unit cannot manoeuvre through its
full allowed angle. Units in road column cannot wheel.
A unit in any formation can about face through exactly 180 degrees instead of wheeling. A
unit can forgo the ability to wheel or about face and instead side-step up to 10cm to the left or
to the right while maintaining the same facing. Alternatively, every base in the formation can
turn through 90 degrees to the left or to the right (a unit at full extension forms a road column
if its bases turn through 90 degrees).
A manoeuvre order can never be used to engage or to break an engagement with an enemy.
Units can manoeuvre in any order that the player wishes, but each unit manoeuvres one at a
time. Any friendly units that end up overlapping are disordered.
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COMBAT
Enemy units that are in physical contact on the battlefield are engaged. Such units must
resolve the engagement during this phase. Their ability to fight depends on their Combat
Factor and their situation.
Procedure
Pair off engaged units into one-on-one combats wherever possible. Each engaged unit has a
quality rating according to its experience.
Quality
Veteran
Experienced
Trained
Green
Raw
Unreliable
Combat Factor
8
7
6
5
4
3
Modify each unit's rating as follows:
–1
–1
–1
–1
–1
–2
if disordered or routing
if charging uphill
if opponent is in or defending hard cover
if engaged to flank or rear
if engaged with renowned opponent
if cavalry vs square
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+2
+1
+1
if charged into combat against opponent in the open
for every two bases in the unit
if multiple combat and more units than enemy (applies to each unit)
if Skirmish or Irregular troops in dense terrain
if in or defending a strongpoint (a fortified stone building)
if battle cavalry
if undisordered cavalry vs disordered or routing opponent
if cavalry vs flanks or rear
if attacking opponent in flank, unless against square
if attacking opponent in the rear, unless against square
if leader attached
if inspirational leader attached
Players roll 2D6 for each of their own units involved in an engagement. A unit can have a
maximum modified Combat Factor of 10 and a minimum modified Combat Factor of 2. A
roll of 11 or 12 is always a failure; a Huzzah! (double one) is always a success. A unit that
rolls a Huzzah! inflicts one extra hit if that unit wins the combat.
Each unit potentially inflicts hits on its opponent equal to the difference between its die roll
and its modified quality.
The winner of the combat is the individual unit that causes the largest number of hits.
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24
If each side’s best result is equal, or if all combatants fail their rolls, the defender wins
(defending units belong to the non-phasing player).
The winner of the combat takes no damage.
The loser of the combat takes the number of hits that the winning unit caused and is
disordered. If the loser was disordered at the start of the combat, it routs. If the losing side
consists of more than one unit, hits are divided equally between them, with the owning player
deciding which unit takes any odd hits.
The loser takes no hits if the winning unit is a routing unit, but is still disordered for losing
the combat.
A routing unit that loses is immediately removed from the battlefield and placed on the Rout
Table (see Rallying, p31).
The loser is forced back according to the number of hits inflicted. For each hit it receives, the
unit falls back 5cm. The number of hits used for force backs includes any inflicted on
chargers by firing if the chargers lose the combat (hits inflicted by firing do not affect who
wins the combat). Losing units move directly to their rear (units that have no flank or rear,
such as troops deployed in buildings or infantry in square move towards their army’s
baseline).
Reduce the force back distance by 5cm if the loser is in or behind soft cover, 10cm if the loser
is in or behind hard cover, and 15cm if the loser is in a strongpoint; terrain has no other effect
on force backs. If a unit is not forced back out of contact, then the combat continues and must
be resolved next combat phase. Units can join the combat but cannot charge into combat (no
unit in or joining a continuing combat applies any charging modifier); existing combatants
cannot fire at them.
If a unit deployed in dense terrain is forced back after reductions for terrain, it is forced out of
that cover and deployed the force-back distance (less reductions for cover) away from that
terrain.
A unit that is forced back through constricting terrain (such as a bridge or ford) is compelled
to form road column and is then forced back the appropriate distance. It cannot deploy into
either the near bank or far bank sectors.
If the loser is forced back more than 15cm after reductions for cover, then it routs instead,
moving the greater of either its road column rate or the force back distance away from the
enemy.
If the loser was disordered at the start of the combat, it about faces and routs, moving the
greater of either its road column rate or the force back distance away from the enemy.
Measure routs from the rear edge of a unit to the new position of the rear edge of the unit. A
routing unit keeps its current formation (i.e. arrangement of bases), but the bases are slightly
staggered to show its status. Squares lose their square status if they rout. Routing units face
away from the enemy.
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A unit that retires or routs off the table is moved to the Rout Table (see Rallying, page 31),
and is treated as if it had routed. Units moved to the Rout Table can re-enter play after they
rally.
After the loser has retired or routed, the winner can follow up, advancing up to its movement
allowance directly ahead (it can neither manoeuvre nor deploy, unless it has the Disciplined
ability). Routing units and reserve artillery can never follow up. If winning infantry dislodges
defenders from a buildings sector it can instead deploy into that sector.
Combat is simultaneous. The outcome of all combats should be determined before moving
the losers. All force backs and routs must be completed before winners follow up. In practice,
however, it is easier to resolve force backs, routs and follow-ups for each combat in turn.
Direction of force backs and routs
A unit that falls back moves directly to its rear, or towards its army’s baseline if this is not
possible, and retains its current facing and arrangement of bases.
Routers always move directly backwards from their position and keep their current
arrangement of bases.
A unit that falls back or that routs through an enemy unit is captured and removed from play.
Therefore a unit that loses a combat to an enemy at its rear and that is forced back or routs as
a result of losing is automatically removed.
A non-routing infantry unit whose force back move takes it into but not beyond unoccupied
dense terrain automatically deploys into that terrain. It remains disordered. Routing units
whose force back would leave them in a dense terrain sector, taking one additional hit.
If forced back through a friendly unit, the moving unit takes an additional hit and the unit it
passes through is disordered. Any number of units can fall back or rout through a friendly
unit and the result is only one disorder. If the unit is already disordered it routs, completing
its rout move before completing the movement of the unit that routed it.
Following up
Impulsive units must always follow up. Hesitant units cannot follow up unless either they win
a combat with a Huzzah! result or the enemy routs. Routing units and reserve artillery can
never follow up. If winning infantry dislodges defenders from a buildings sector it can
instead deploy into that sector.
A unit that follows up advances up to its movement allowance directly ahead. It can neither
manoeuvre nor deploy unless it has the Disciplined ability. A unit that has the Disciplined
ability and which follows up can either manoeuvre or deploy (not both) and then advance up
to its movement allowance directly ahead.
If the winner contacts an enemy unit, the combat is resolved in the next combat phase; neither
side has the opportunity to fire. A unit that follows up cannot join a combat that has yet to be
Huzzah! GTx
26
resolved: it must remain out of contact with this combat. It can, however, join a combat that
has already been resolved in the same phase but which is still continuing.
Cavalry that follows up and which contacts a disordered or routing enemy unit can
immediately resolve the combat, but is disordered after resolving the combat if it wins or ties
(it is automatically disordered if it loses). A victorious cavalry unit can make only one
follow-up move. The disordered or routing unit cannot fire.
For example, an Experienced British infantry unit (7) and a Green French infantry unit (5),
both four bases strong, are fighting with the British attacking in the flank.
The modified qualities are British, 10 (+2 for bases, +1 for attacking in flank); French, 6 (+2
for bases, -1 for attacked in flank).
The British roll 5 on 2D6 scoring 5 (10 minus 5); the French roll 5 on 2D6 scoring 1 (6 minus
5). The British win and therefore cause 5 hits on the French unit. The French unit is
disordered, loses one base (with two hits remaining) and is forced back 25cm. This is more
than 15cm, so it instead routs 25cm facing away from the enemy. The British can follow up,
advancing up to 15cm, although they cannot catch the defeated unit.
For example, a Green Spanish infantry unit is in combat with and uphill of two Trained
French infantry units that charged into contact.
In firing at chargers, the Spanish inflict three hits on one French unit, removing a base.
In the combat, the Spanish get a Huzzah!, potentially inflicting 7 hits against the French, who
for this example we assume will lose. The 7 hits are divided 4 onto one unit and 3 onto the
other (both must lose a base).
If the French player chooses to take the 4 hits on the unit that lost a base to firing, that unit
takes 7 hits for force backs and routs 35cm; its companion retires 15cm and is disordered. If
the French player takes the 4 hits on the unit that was not fired at, it routs 20cm and its
companion routs 30cm. It is up to the French player to decide which result is worst given the
dire circumstances (the Spanish can, after all, follow up afterwards, moving 15cm). And if
this result hadn’t happened in playtesting, no one would have believed it!
Explanations
Disordered or routing
Unit statuses caused by failed morale tests or lost combats. Road columns are disordered by
contact with an enemy unit before combat is resolved.
Charging
A unit is regarded as charging if it advanced into contact with an enemy unit in the open,
thereby initiating a new combat. Defenders cannot charge. Units that are in, or which join, a
continuing combat cannot charge. The charging bonus and the penalty for charging uphill do
not, therefore, apply in a continuing combat. A unit that advances into contact with an enemy
unit that is in dense terrain does not receive a bonus for charging.
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Every two bases
For every two whole bases comprising the unit, it receives a +1 in combat. Hence a unit only
one base strong receives no modifier, a unit of two or three bases is +1, a unit of four or five
bases is +2 and so on.
Strongpoint
Certain buildings sectors may be designated a strongpoint by a scenario. Strongpoints are
fortified buildings that have been prepared by the defenders. Historical examples include the
granary at Aspern-Essling, and Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte at Waterloo. Strongpoints
are also by definition both dense terrain and hard cover.
Officers and hits
If a unit takes hits then any attached officer is killed immediately if he fails his saving throw.
If a unit is destroyed then any attached officer is killed immediately; he gets no saving throw.
The saving throw is equal to 12 minus the number of hits taken by the unit. If the player rolls
higher than this number, the officer is killed. Hence an officer attached to a unit that has
taken 3 hits must roll 9 or less to survive. An 11 or a 12 is always a failure; a Huzzah! always
succeeds.
On a Huzzah! (double one), the officer leads a charmed life and his next saving throw
automatically succeeds.
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OFFICER MOVEMENT
Movement of officer figures allows players to optimise the position of officers for the next
Orders phase by keeping their formations entirely in command. Officers can also attach
themselves to units to enhance the unit's chances of rallying, to spur it on in engagements, or
to prepare for the next turn to give a boost during the Orders phase.
In this phase an army's officers can, in any order desired:
• Move up to 60cm; or
• Attach to or detach from a brigade under their command.
An officer cannot:
• Detach from one unit and then attach to another.
Movement
Officers can move up to 60cm regardless of intervening terrain or the presence of friendly
units. Officers cannot move through enemy troops or through gaps that would bring the
figures representing them into contact with enemy troops.
Attach/detach
An officer attaches himself by placing the figure that represents him in contact with a friendly
unit that is within his movement allowance. Attached officers subsequently move with their
unit, not during this phase.
Attached officers can issue orders only to the unit to which they are attached. A unit with an
officer attached can only receive and act on orders from the attached officer. It cannot receive
or act on orders issued by other officers (even the CinC).
An officer detaches from a unit by placing the figure that represents him so that it is just out
of contact with and behind the centre of the unit. The officer can then move up to his
movement allowance. He cannot attach to another unit until next turn.
Officers cannot begin the game attached to a unit.
Officer casualties
An enemy unit that contacts a officer in the Orders phase captures him (the figure is
removed) unless there is a non-routing unit in his command within his command radius, in
which case he immediately attaches himself to the nearest such unit.
An attached officer is killed and the figure removed immediately if the unit he is attached to
takes hits and he fails his saving throw (see Firing and Combat).
Officers attached to routing units are moved to the Rout Table with the unit when it is
removed from the battlefield (see Rallying). Officers on the Rout Table cannot re-enter play
until the unit they are attached to rallies.
Appoint replacement officer (new rule)
The CinC can appoint a replacement officer to replace one killed or captured in a previous
turn. Only the CinC can appoint officers: no new officers can be appointed if the CinC has
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been killed or captured. The ability to appoint a replacement officer works like an order and
is issued during Orders & Movement like any other order.
Roll 2D6: the appointment succeeds if the result is equal to or less than the Command Factor
of the CinC. The replacement officer figure is placed next to the CinC. The new officer can
move in this turn’s Officer Movement phase and can issue orders from next turn; if the CinC
rolls Huzzah! on his appointment order, the new officer can issue orders starting this turn,
assuming that the CinC doesn’t fail an order and therefore end all orders and movement. If
the CinC gets a Huzzah! result he can also elect to appoint another officer automatically,
although doing so ends the Orders & Movement phase.
Roll to determine the quality of the officer as usual using the Army Lists.
The CinC can make as many appointments as his luck holds good for, with each appointment
counting as a successive order. The CinC cannot appoint officers while attached to a unit.
The opposing player immediately gains victory points equal to the value of the replacement
officer. If a replacement officer is killed or captured, the opposing player will again score
points equal to the value of that officer.
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RALLYING & REFORMING
All routing units on the phasing player's side must attempt to restore order by rallying. All
disordered units on the phasing player's side must attempt to restore order by reforming.
All routing units must try to rally before any disordered units can try to reform.
Note: Disordered units no longer have the ability to reform automatically by spending a turn
doing nothing.
Procedure
The ability of a unit to rally or reform depends on its Morale Factor.
Quality
Veteran
Experienced
Trained
Green
Raw
Unreliable
Morale Factor
10
9
8
7
6
5
Modify each unit's Morale Factor as follows:
–1
–1
+1
+1
+1
+1
for each base lost from original strength
if within one move of an enemy unit
if disordered but not routing, unless moved or fired
if out of range of the enemy
if an officer is attached
if an inspirational officer is attached
Roll 2D6 for each unit: it succeeds if the result is less than or equal to the modified score. It
fails if the result is higher. A unit can have a maximum modified Morale Factor of 10 and a
minimum modified Morale Factor of 2. A roll of 11 or 12 always fails. A Huzzah! (double
one) always succeeds, and the unit gains the Grognards ability if it does not already have it; if
it already has the Grognards ability, it gains the Disciplined ability.
Routing units
Routing troops that rally immediately halt facing the enemy and assume whichever allowable
formation they wish.
A routing unit that fails to rally and which is surrounded by enemy units, or by enemy units
and impassable terrain, is broken and permanently removed from play.
Any other routing unit that fails to rally is removed from the battlefield (attached officers are
removed with them, remaining attached to the routers). Place them to one side on a tray or
table (the Rout Table). In subsequent rally phases, units on the Rout Table can try to rally as
usual. They are treated as being out of range of the enemy. Mark how many turns each unit
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spends on the Rout Table before it rallies. After it rallies, for each turn it has spent on the
Rout Table it takes one hit, removing bases as appropriate.
A unit can re-enter play from the Rout Table only if it rallies, using the rules for
Reinforcements. Units whose officers are still on the battlefield can re-enter in the Orders and
Movement phase at the edge of the table appropriate to their army at a point directly in line
with an appropriate officer or within that officer’s command radius. An appropriate officer is
one that has some command over the unit, i.e. its division or corps officer, or the CinC.
Officers who left the battlefield with a routing unit must first re-enter on the Officer
Movement phase. Units re-enter play by being ordered onto the battlefield: if no officer exists
that can order a unit, it cannot re-enter play.
For example, a routing unit of four bases of cavalry fails to rally and is removed to the Rout
Table. It rallies at the fourth attempt and therefore takes four hits, losing two bases. The
remaining two bases can re-enter on the player’s next Orders and Movement phase, provided
it can be ordered to advance by its division or corps officer, or the CinC.
Disordered units
Disordered units can reform only after all attempts have been made to rally routing units.
Represent disordered units by staggering the brigade’s bases.
Disordered units reform into their previous formation. They cannot change formation or
rearrange their bases within their current formation.
Hits
Remove any remaining hits on units on both sides. Hits do not carry over between turns.
Fire markers
Remove all puffs of smoke from all units on both sides.
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OTHER RULES
TERRAIN
General effects of terrain
Units that encounter a change in terrain move at a rate appropriate to that terrain for the
remaining proportion of their move.
Open ground
Open terrain or open ground is flat, lightly sloping or rolling land with few features, such as
pastures and fields of crops. Open terrain has no effect on movement.
Hills
Hills are either gentle or steep. Represent gentle slopes with a single-contour hill and steep
slopes using a two-contour hill. Steep slopes are not common on battlefields, although are
typical of Wellingtonian positions in the Peninsula.
Gentle slopes halve the movement of all troops
Steep slopes quarter the movement of all troops.
Hill ridges of isolated hills are assumed to run midway along the hill hot-cross-bun style from
front to back and from one side to the other. Long hills, however, may have only a single
ridge running along their entire length.
Hill ridges block fire from reserve artillery at targets positioned beyond the ridge. Hill ridges
block line of sight for the purposes of firing. Hill ridges are treated as a contour for the
purposes of dead ground.
Units cannot fire on troops in dead ground, but can fire on troops in front of and beyond dead
ground (including the back of formations if their front bases are in dead ground). Dead
ground is defined as a 10cm band beneath and round each contour to which a unit is not
adjacent. A unit on a ridge therefore has dead ground on each contour below it; on a steep hill
with contours less than 10cm apart its field of effect will be somewhat restricted. A unit
adjacent to the lowest contour (that is, on the edge of the hill) does not suffer from dead
ground. Note that dead ground works uphill as well as down: units in dead ground cannot fire
uphill to targets on the next contour.
Broken ground
Broken ground is rocky, irregular terrain. It is impassable to all troops except Skirmish and
Irregular infantry. Broken ground blocks line of sight to units that are beyond it and that are
on the same elevation.
Woods
Woodland is either light woodland, such as orchards or open copses, or heavy woodland,
with densely packed trees or heavy undergrowth. Both light and heavy woodland are dense
terrain and count as soft cover. The recommended area for a woodland sector is about 15cm
by 15cm. Form large woods by using adjacent sectors of woodland, and form dense
woodland in a large wood by using smaller sectors.
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Units can enter woodland only by deploying into it. See rules on dense terrain. Units that are
deployed in woodland can advance from sector to sector, yet remain deployed within the new
sector.
Rivers and streams
Rivers and streams are either fordable or impassable. Designated fords and bridges allow
units to cross impassable rivers at specific points, see Bridges and Fords. A designated ford is
not the same as a river that is fordable along its length (think of a designated ford as a narrow,
wet bridge).
All units must stop on contacting a river or stream and can cross a fordable river or stream on
a subsequent order, moving at half rate.
Hedges
Hedges are soft cover. All units must stop on contacting a hedge and can cross only on a
subsequent order, moving at half rate. Cavalry cannot initiate engagements across hedges
unless such obstacles are designated otherwise.
Walls and redoubts
Walls and redoubts are hard cover. All units must stop on contacting a wall or redoubt and
can cross only on a subsequent order, moving at half rate.
Cavalry cannot initiate combats across walls or redoubts unless such obstacles are designated
otherwise.
Sunken roads
Sunken roads are linear obstacles. All units must stop on contacting a sunken road and can
cross only on a subsequent advance order, moving at half rate.
Units moving along, not across, a sunken road can do so freely provided they are in road
column.
Cavalry cannot initiate combats across sunken roads unless such obstacles are designated
otherwise.
Difficult terrain
Cliff faces, lakes, marshes, wolf pits, and rivers in flood are difficult terrain. They are usually
impassable. Marshes or terrain with wolf pits may be designated as passable by a scenario,
with units moving through them at half rate. Wolf pits are small pits with sharpened stakes in
them, typically positioned in front of redoubts.
Bridges and fords (to illustrate with example)
Bridges and fords (as opposed to a river that is fordable along its length) are narrow
obstacles. They are treated as two-area terrain features, one area on each side of the river or
stream, meeting at the middle of the bridge: depending on the initial point on the view of the
unit, these sectors are called the near-bank and far-bank sectors.
A unit that is adjacent to a bridge or ford sector (near-bank) can deploy into and occupy that
sector, similar to the rules for dense terrain. On a subsequent advance order it can move into
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the far-bank sector, counting as if it is deployed within it. On a subsequent deploy order it can
leave the far-bank sector in line of battle formation, provided it remains adjacent to the terrain
sector. It can form road column on leaving the sector only if a road forms part of the terrain
adjacent to the bridge or ford. A unit that deploys out of a far bank sector after crossing the
bridge cannot make contact with the enemy: it can only do so on a subsequent advance order.
Bridge or ford sectors are not dense terrain, unless they also form part of buildings or woods.
Bridges and fords are simply handled like dense terrain for the passage of units across them.
A bridge or ford sector is contested if an enemy unit is adjacent to it. For example, a nearbank sector is contested if the enemy holds the far-bank sector. A unit that is adjacent to a
contested near-bank sector can deploy into that sector and engage in combat against the unit
in the far-bank sector.
Bridges and fords are constricted, not open, terrain. Attackers receive no bonus for charging
across them.
Units with the Pioneers ability can lay temporary bridges to cross rivers and streams. Once
laid they remain in place.
Roads
Roads offer a movement advantage only to units in road column that follow their route. Units
in road column or units that are one base strong can move along a road, following its twists
and turns without the need for a manoeuvre order.
Buildings
Buildings represent groups of buildings, such as villages, towns, and walled manors and
farmhouses. All buildings provide hard cover and are dense terrain. Buildings are best
represented on the battlefield by square sectors. A sector represents one large building and
outhouses or a group of many smaller buildings. The recommended area for a buildings
sector is about 15cm by 15cm.
Units can occupy buildings only by deploying into them. See rules on dense terrain.
Some buildings may be defined by scenario as a strongpoint. A strongpoint is a building or
group of buildings that have been specially prepared by the defender. Strongpoints are by
definition both hard cover and dense terrain. Historical strongpoints include the Granary at
Aspern-Essling, and Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte at Waterloo.
Terrain notes
Woods and buildings are best represented by a terrain base on which removable model trees
or buildings are placed. Models can be added or removed as necessary to accommodate units,
with the base defining the size of the woods or buildings sector. The easiest way to represent
sectors of dense terrain is to use a single model tree or building at each corner of the sector,
leaving the centre of the sector clear for troops.
Although they are out of scale compared with the size of the figures, 6mm buildings are more
suited to 10mm and 15mm figures: they can occupy the central square of a terrain base,
allowing up to eight bases of figures to fit around them, or be used to mark the corners of
terrain sectors.
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Dense terrain
Dense terrain is either woodland or buildings. It can also represent areas of mixed woodland
and buildings, such as farms and orchards. A sector of dense terrain that includes buildings is
always treated as hard cover; a sector that consists only of woodland is treated as soft cover.
Buildings and woodlands alike are treated as sectors that are either occupied or unoccupied:
the best size for sectors is about 15cm by 15cm, although they can be irregular shapes.
A unit that moves into contact with dense terrain immediately stops in contact with but
outside the terrain.
Units of infantry or of infantry with attached divisional artillery can occupy dense terrain –
woods and buildings – on a Deploy order provided that the unit is touching the sector and
that the sector is unoccupied. For convenience, mark the sector as occupied by leaving one
base within it and keep the others off table.
Units are assumed to deploy part of their strength in the sector, with the rest in reserve or in
support. Attached divisional artillery is assumed to be outside the sector acting in support of
its unit. Units with divisional artillery do not get the firing bonus for attached artillery while
firing at targets in adjacent sectors of dense terrain.
A unit that is deployed in dense terrain can fire out of any side of that sector using its full
strength in bases, but receives modifiers for every three full bases, not every two. Occupants
of sectors attacked on more than one side can fire at only one charging unit.
A unit that is deployed in dense terrain is engaged if the front of any enemy unit touches any
face of that sector. A unit deployed in a sector of dense terrain has no flank or rear.
Cavalry and reserve artillery cannot deploy into buildings or sectors that contain buildings,
nor can they charge into contact with enemy units in buildings. Reserve artillery and close
order cavalry cannot deploy into woodland, nor can they charge into contact with enemy
units in woodland. Irregular cavalry (Cossacks) can deploy into and occupy woodland, and
can charge (advance) into contact with enemy units deployed in woodland.
Units deployed in dense terrain can move into and occupy an adjacent sector of dense terrain
on a successful Advance order. The sector only has to be adjacent: a unit that is in dense
terrain can move in any direction on an Advance order because it has no flank or rear.
An infantry unit in the open can deploy into a contested sector of dense terrain (one to which
an enemy unit is adjacent). This is the one exception to the rule that only Advance orders can
be used to make contact with the enemy. A unit that deploys into contested dense terrain does
not count as charging in combat.
Units that are deployed in dense terrain need a Deploy order to exit the terrain into open
ground. A unit that tries to move into open ground from any side of the terrain other than the
one by which it entered receives a –1 to the order. A unit that deploys out of dense terrain
into the open cannot make contact with an enemy unit except on a subsequent Advance order.
If insufficient space exists because of the presence of enemy units, an exiting unit can still
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move out of the dense terrain. Temporarily move the terrain (or reduce it in size by moving
the corner markers) so there is slightly more than a base depth between the enemy and the
terrain (i.e. about 5cm for units on 4cm deep bases). The exiting unit is arranged in the gap
between the terrain and the enemy, and remains in contact with the terrain but out of contact
with the enemy. It can have no greater frontage than the terrain it left – temporarily place any
spare bases off board (they do not count as support ranks, but still count as part of the
strength of the unit). No part of the exiting unit can remain within the dense terrain. After the
exiting unit is clear of the terrain, restore the terrain to its former shape and size and restore
any bases that were temporarily removed from the unit.
A non-routing infantry unit whose force back move takes it into but not beyond unoccupied
dense terrain automatically deploys into that terrain. It remains disordered and cannot reform
until next turn. Routing units that enter unoccupied dense terrain sector take one additional
hit, and do not count as deployed within that sector. Routing units that enter a sector of dense
terrain that is occupied by a friendly unit take one additional hit and disorder the friendly
unit: the routers are positioned adjacent to and beyond the sector if their rout movement
would leave them in the sector. Routing units that enter a sector of dense terrain that is
occupied by an enemy unit are captured and immediately removed.
In short, units need a Deploy order to enter dense terrain from open ground, and a Deploy
order to enter open ground from dense terrain. While in dense terrain, units can move
between sectors in any direction on an Advance order and still count as deployed in dense
terrain.
(Note: This change allows commands whose units are split between dense terrain and open
ground to advance on the same order.)
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REINFORCEMENTS
The turn before reinforcements are due, the officers of the appropriate commands enter the
battlefield on the Officer Movement phase, moving up to their full movement allowance. The
next turn, they can try to order their commands onto the battlefield by issuing an advance
order. Officers whose troops are due to arrive on the first turn are placed on the battlefield at
the start of the game. A player who forgets to place officers during the Officer Movement
phase cannot, therefore, issue orders to the reinforcements they control: the officer can enter
on a following Officer Movement phase.
Troops ordered onto the battlefield are in the command radius of their officer provided that
their designated entry point is within the command radius of their officer.
Unless specified otherwise in a scenario, reinforcements can enter a battlefield on a broad
front. This front is defined as any part of the edge of the table that is within the command
radius of the ordering officer. Hence officers close to the point of entry are able to order
reinforcements onto the table on a broad front; officers at the limit of their command radius
can order troops onto the table on only a narrow front.
Officers who place the entry point of their troops beyond their command radius are able to
order units onto the battlefield only at the exact, designated point of entry – they must
therefore arrive one unit behind another in road column.
A player can choose to delay the arrival of reinforcements. Each turn that reinforcements are
voluntarily delayed gives a +1 to the orders roll to advance onto the battlefield.
If more than one command is due to arrive on the same turn at the same point, the player
must choose which command to order first. If that command fails to arrive, it blocks the
arrival point for any other commands due to enter there. A player's choice of which command
to bring on first cannot be changed on subsequent turns. A command that fails to enter the
battlefield can therefore block not only other reinforcements due to arrive that turn, but also
reinforcements that are due to arrive on subsequent turns.
Reinforcements that are blocked do not get any orders bonus for their delayed entry – their
delay is not voluntary. Reinforcements that are delayed because a player forgot to place
officers during a preceding turn also gain no bonus for their delayed entry.
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TERMINOLOGY AND EXPLANATIONS
Huzzah! Glorious Empires uses a number of terms common to wargames. They are explained
in this section rather than have them intrude on the bulk of the rules. Once their definitions
are known and understood, the need to refer to them will diminish.
Unit formations
Line/line of battle
Line (or, in full, line of battle) is the usual formation for a unit. All bases of a unit are
typically arranged in one line with their flanks touching each other and all facing the same
direction. Only bases in the front line can fire. Players can arrange bases to form secondary
lines in the same unit. Each full line of bases that matches the front rank in size counts as one
support rank (hence, a unit arranged two by two has one support rank). A unit in line of battle
must have a width of at least two bases if it comprises two or more bases.
The positioning within a unit of marker bases, such as divisional artillery, is irrelevant. They
are markers that indicate abilities, not actual positions of, for example, the guns.
A unit of only one base is treated as if it were in line. Such a unit, however, can move freely
along roads as if it were in road column: it does not have to change formation.
Road column
A thin, long formation used to march along roads. Road columns are always one base wide
and as many bases as the brigade contains deep. Road columns on a road can follow its route
without requiring manoeuvre orders. Road column in any terrain other than roads use the line
of battle movement rate, not the road column rate.
A unit in road column that engages the enemy in combat is immediately disordered. Apply
the disorder before resolving combat. A disordered road column will therefore rout if an
enemy unit engages it in combat.
Square
Only infantry or mixed infantry and divisional artillery units can form square. A unit in
square forms in line of battle, with alternate bases facing backwards. Irregular infantry cannot
form square. Squares cannot move.
Unit situations
Contact
Units that physically touch are in contact. A unit can advance to engage an enemy unit and
make contact using its entire front, part of its front or one of its front corners. Units are
squared up on contact.
Line of sight
Line of sight is simply having a clear field of view to a target, unobstructed by any other unit
or terrain feature. Line of sight must exist along the whole front of a firing unit to its target,
but the firer need see only one whole base edge of a target to be able to fire. Only a number
of bases equal to those that can be seen can be removed as casualties.
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Terrain features at the same elevation block line of sight to targets that are both beyond and
below them. Terrain features at a higher elevation block line of sight to all targets that are
beyond them. Note that troops on the forward slope of hills are clearly not beyond the terrain
feature (the ridge line determines which troops are beyond the feature).
Hill ridges are treated as contours for the purposes of dead ground. Hill ridges block the line
of sight of reserve artillery to units positioned behind the ridge. Ridge lines do not block line
of sight of infantry or infantry with divisional artillery, unless dead ground is also involved.
Short range
A unit is at short range if the distance between it and the firer is at or under half range.
Orders
Successive orders
The more a group or unit is ordered to do, the more fatigue and battlefield confusion increase,
hampering the ability of officers to control it, hence this penalty. It is not unusual to issue two
or even three orders successfully to a unit or command each turn. The penalty for
successively issued orders applies only to orders given in the same turn.
Dense terrain
It is hard to deliver comprehensible orders to commands in terrain such as woods, buildings,
ruins and marshes. If any unit in a group being ordered has one or more bases in dense
terrain, then the whole group suffers this penalty. By ordering units individually, it is possible
to avoid terrain penalties that may apply to the command group, although extra rolls may be
required.
Inspirational officer
Certain officers, particularly in certain scenarios, may be rated as inspirational. Such officers
have an ability to motivate men, and therefore whenever such an officer gives an order to
advance (not retire, deploy or manoeuvre) then he receives a +1 to his command rating.
Command radius
The command radius is simply the distance over which orders are delivered most efficiently
by an officer and his staff. Better officers have better staff: well-mounted, active and
courageous ADCs, who will ride through a hail of shot to deliver an order. Not everyone has
a Marbot, though.
Command radius reflects the speed at which staff act on orders once received. In effect,
reducing processing time at divisional or corps HQs gives ADCs more time to ride and
allows them to cover greater distances in a set time. So an excellent officer has a bigger
command radius than an average officer to reflect that orders are handled promptly and
ADCs dispatched as soon as possible. Poor officers are slow to understand and process
orders, and in a set time their ADCs will travel shorter distances.
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Combat
Engaged to flank or rear
A unit is engaged to its flank or rear if the front of an enemy is in contact with that unit's
flank or rear. Units are squared up on contact. Chargers are squared up with the closest
visible face of the enemy.
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Abilities
Disciplined
Units that are disciplined are exceptionally well drilled. A disciplined unit can either
manoeuvre or deploy, as if receiving a manoeuvre or deploy order, after winning a combat
before following up.
Grognards
Units that have or acquire the grognards ability ignore the first –1 of any modifiers in morale
tests, waver tests or combat. They lose the grognards ability if they rout.
Hesitant
A command group that contains or consists of hesitant units receives a –1 to advance orders if
the hesitant units are within one move of the enemy (either the hesitant unit’s move or the
enemy unit’s move). Hesitant units cannot follow up after a combat unless they win the
combat with a Huzzah! result (double one) or the enemy routs.
Impulsive
Impulsive units that are within one advance move of the enemy at the start of their Orders
and Movement phase must charge that enemy. They do not require orders to do so, but cannot
change formation and will charge even if disordered. Impulsive units in square cannot move
and therefore cannot charge the enemy. Impulsive units that win a combat must always
follow up.
Irregular
The Irregular ability denotes troops that operated in loose formations or open order. No
matter how their bases are arranged, such troops are always treated as if they were Irregulars.
They receive bonuses when fired at and when engaged in dense terrain.
Open Order
Open Order troops are units that are not in close order. The term has a special meaning in the
first edition of Huzzah!, but is replaced in this edition by Skirmish or Irregular.
Pioneers
Pioneeers include companies of pioneers, engineers or sappers. A base of pioneers can be
bought as part of an army using the points system and attached to an infantry unit, to which
it confers the pioneers ability.
A unit with pioneers can cross unfordable rivers and streams, treating them as if they had a
bridge (see Bridges & Fords, page xx).
A unit with pioneers can cross impassable walls and hedges by creating a breach. A breach is
treated like a bridge, (see Bridges & Fords) with near-side and far-side sector.
A bridge or breach, as appropriate, is placed where the unit crosses the obstacle. A bridge
created by a unit with Pioneers can be removed by a unit with Pioneers on a Deploy order.
Breaches cannot be removed!
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In combat, a unit that has the Pioneers ability ignores the –1 for fighting an opponent in hard
cover. If a unit with the Pioneers ability loses a combat against an opponent in hard cover,
however, it loses the Pioneers ability.
Indicate the Pioneers ability by replacing one base of infantry in a brigade with a base of
sapper figures. The Pioneers base is a marker base: its position within the brigade has no
relevance.
Renown
Units with the Renown ability are particularly fearsome in some way. Renowned artillery
counts as renowned only at short range. Renown counts against enemies in an engagement and
in morale tests.
Resilient
Resilient units are tough to destroy. They have 1 extra hit per base. For example, resilient
cavalry has 3 hits per base, rather than 2 hits per base.
Skirmish
Some units have the ability Skirmish. If they are not disordered, they can deploy one or more
bases to reinforce the skirmish line. A unit with the Skirmish ability can deploy all of its
bases to reinforce the skirmish line. Bases deployed into the skirmish line cannot rejoin their
parent brigades. Deployed skirmish bases are removed from play – they do not count as
losses. A unit that is deployed in its entirety to the skirmish line cannot be reformed; if it is
the only unit in a division, its divisional officer is removed from play (the opposing player
does not get victory points).
Units with the Skirmish ability receive a bonus in combat when engaged in dense terrain.
Units with the Skirmish ability can comprise only bases of light infantry or skirmishers to
indicate this ability.
Skirmish Limited
Some brigades have the ability Skirmish Limited. If they are not disordered, they can deploy
one base to reinforce the skirmish line, provided that doing so does not reduce them to one
base. Bases deployed into the skirmish line cannot rejoin their parent brigades. Deployed
skirmish bases are removed from play – they do not count as losses.
Indicate the Skirmish Limited ability by replacing a base of infantry with a marker base of
skirmishers within the brigade. The position of the skirmishers within the brigade has no
relevance.
Units with the Skirmish Limited ability do not get a bonus when in combat in dense terrain.
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WINNING THE GAME
A scenario may specify the number of turns that a battle lasts, or a set time for play (such as
three or four hours after set-up), otherwise the battle lasts a random number of turns. Roll 2d6
to determine the battle length: add 3 to any result of 7 or less, and subtract 3 from any result
of 11 or more. If a Huzzah! is rolled, reroll and add 1. The result is the maximum number of
turns, from 6 to 12, that a battle lasts.
After the last turn, each player scores points for each of the opponent’s bases that have been
eliminated, captured or are routing or on the rout table, and for objectives held at the end of
the game. A player also scores points for replacement officers appointed by an opponent
during the game (see Officer Movement, page xx).
All captured, eliminated or routing bases cost the full points value according to the Army
Lists. Guns and officers are therefore very expensive losses.
The side that scores the most points is the winner. If a side scores up to half as much again as
its opponent, it is a marginal victory. If a side scores twice as many points as its opponent, it
wins a decisive victory.
For example, an Imperial French army for 1805-1806 loses the following:
Losses
12 x bases of infantry @ 80 points per base
1 x base of divisional artillery @ 170 points
per base
4 x bases of cavalry @ 90 points per base
1 x divisional general @ 120 points (not
replaced)
Points
960
170
Total:
1,610
360
120
Its opponent, a Prussian army for 1806 loses the following:
Losses
8 x bases of infantry @ 55 points per base
4 x bases of grenadiers @ 80 points
2 x bases of fusiliers @ 75 points
2 x bases battle cavalry @ 125 points
Points
440
360
150
250
Total:
1,200
The Prussian player scores 1,610 and the French player scores 1,200, and the Prussian
therefore wins a marginal victory.
If the battle involved objectives, however, for example, a town worth 500 points, and the
Prussian player held the town on the last turn, the scores would be 2,110 to the Prussians and
1,200 to the French. The Prussians would have needed to score 2,400 points to win a decisive
victory.
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If the French held the town, the scores would be 1,700 to the French and 1,610 to the
Prussians – a French marginal victory.
If the French player appointed an officer to replace the lost divisional officer during the
game, the Prussians would score an extra 120 points.
Objectives (notes)
Setting the right objectives for a battle gives players the incentive to achieve them.
Objectives are most easily quantified by assigning points values to terrain, and awarding
those points to the player whose units hold that terrain at the end of the game, or on particular
turns during the game.
A major settlement should be equivalent in points to one or two infantry units – around 400
to 600 points. An objective has to be worth the loss of troops required to achieve it.
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