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SMLE FREE STATE

Brigade level rules for wargaming 1938 a very British civil war

With particular emphasis on the siege of Liverpool

These rules are designed to be used to wargame brigade and divisional size action in the Abdication Crisis British Civil War. They emphasis troop quality rather than equipment and are designed to enable such actions to be played out in a single evening.

They are also designed to have very little paperwork with the majority of information being recorded on the table through counters and markers or off table through a casualty tray.

SCALE

1 Stand (2-3 figures) = a platoon of around 30-50 men

1 Vehicle = 2-4 vehicles

1 Artillery piece = 2-4 artillery pieces.

General stand = Officer staff and bodyguards c50 men.

Infantry or Cavalry Units are typically made up of 4-12 stands they may have more if organic transport is attached. 1 stand will be denoted as the command stand this should be identifiable by a banner, obvious officers, radios etc; as appropriate for the unit. These would typically represent battalions.

Vehicle and Artillery units are typically made up of 3-6 models. These would tend to represent Companies/Squadrons or Batteries. Again a Command vehicle should be clearly identifiable by the presence of an officer or a banner.

Turn order

1. Order Units including moving Generals each side ordering units in turn

2. Move ordered units each side moving a unit each in turn

3. Check disordered units that haven’t be checked

4. Shooting and close combat resolution

5. Morale – check for units becoming disordered

6. Check for reinforcements

Order units

Generals give orders to units whose CO is within there Command Radius. They can move and give orders to any friendly CO within their Command Radius at any point in their move. If a CO and General have radios they can ignore command radius.

Each side place order chits in turn. The order chits (arrow chits) are given out indicating the direction of the intended move. If there is an objective (i.e. occupy a building) that should be marked by a chit.

Orders can be given in advance i.e. a general can order a stand to occupy a building several turns move away once the order is given and the objective marked he does not have to keep giving an order to the unit 9unless his priorities change)

TROOP QUALITY

A unit can by one of six qualities represented by the colour of the units command marker.

.

RAW effectively an untrained mob with weapons. YELLOW

GREEN Very basically trained or old ex-soldiers, GREEN

Trained Trained soldiery, serving regulars, efficient militia BLUE

VETEREN Seasoned veterans ORANGE

ELITE Crack troops – the Brigade of Guards and the like. BLACK

Troops quality effects moving, command range, shooting and morale.

Command radius effects how far from the CO individual stands in the unit can be. Command Radius is also the distance at which a General can order a unit – based on the General’s troop quality.

|Troop Quality |Command Radius |

|Raw |4” |

|Green |8” |

|Regular |12” |

|Veteran |18” |

|Elite |24” |

Command Radius is doubled if all Stands have radios (normally vehicles)

A Field Telephone line extends command Radius if both CO and stands in question are on the line. The line can be cut by artillery fire ‘kill’ on it or but enemy action (if occupy line for one turn can cut it if undertake no shooting or close combat.)

CO QUALITY

Commanding Officer quality is shown through a number on the Command Marker rated 1 to 3. A ‘1’ rated Co is poor, ‘2’ average and ‘3’ the best. These affect movement and morale. They also affect the CO spotting for indirect or air support when that is available.

MOVES

Each side moves a unit in turn this consists of rolling on the movement table and applying the effect.

A unit can move in a marching Column – indicate this with a musician or similar and the forces in column (line ahead). If on a road this means they have double move. However they cannot shoot and are vulnerable to attack and they cannot return fire until taken out of column (which takes a move)

Units move as follows.

|Stand |Max move |

|Infantry |6” |

|Bicycle |8” |

|Cavalry |10” |

|Wheeled Vehicle (inc trains) |16” |

|Tracked Vehicle |12” |

|Aircraft |60” |

| |Move modifiers |

|Debus/ Unlimber |-3” Infantry |

|Bus/Limber up |-3” vehicle |

|Raw |-2” |

|Green |-1” |

|Veteran |+2” |

|Elite |+4” |

|Enter building |-3” Infantry only |

|Rubble |Infantry/tracked only half move |

Movement table

|Roll |Good Order |Disorder |

|1 or less |Full move retreat |Rout – remove table |

|2 |Half move retreat | Full move retreat plus 1 stand routs |

|3 |Static | Full move retreat |

|4 |Half Move |Half Move retreat |

|5 |Full Move |Static |

|6+ |Full move |Recover Good order move normally next |

| | |turn |

Any retreats are away from the nearest enemy stand but must not take the unit closer to any other enemy stand. If a unit is surrounded it most make an immediate morale check and if fails it surrenders (removed from board.)

Movement table modifiers

-2 CO Dead -1 per unit outside the command radius

+CO rating -1 per pinned stand

-2 Raw +1 Veteran

-1 Militia +2 Elite

DISORDERED UNIT CHECK.

Any unmoved disordered units are subject to the disordered movement table.

SHOOTING AND CLOSE COMBAT

Units each shoot in turn. Each stand in the unit if firing must fire at the nearest enemy stand to it. Unit sin close combat do not shoot but close combat uses the same mechanics.

Shooters roll 2d6 applying modifiers

Defenders rolls 1d6

Take the Defenders roll away from Shooters roll:

If 6 or more = Death, remove unit and replace with death marker.

If 5 = Pin, place pin marker next to the affected stand.

Dead and Pin units do get to return fire in the same turn as there demise or pinning as shooting is effectively simultaneous.

Pinned units are pinned unit after the following turns firing phase. Pinned units cannot shoot, fire or take or give orders in while pinned.

Other stands in a unit can but if outside the command radius if will affect the morale roll.

Most units shoot at units in line of sight or on edge of cover (if someone can shoot at you, you can shoot at them.) Artillery/mortars may be spotted for by any friendly CO stand in its command radius (or radio/field telephone range) which has line of site on the target within 30”.

HMG or heavier weapons on foot cannot move and fire.

All modifiers are applied to the attackers die

| |Dice Mod |

|Attacker moved |-1 |

|Target template area |-1 |

|Target in marching Column |+2 |

|Target Light armoured vehicle |-1 |

|Target armoured vehicle |-2 |

|Target Aircraft |-2 |

|Long Range (over half) |-1 |

|Raw |-2 |

|Green |-1 |

|Veteran |+1 |

|Elite |+2 |

|Attacker moved (range shooting only) |-1 |

|Charge (advanced into close combat 1st turn only) |+1 |

| | |

There are also modifiers for weaponry

Weaponry

Infantry weapons can be one of 8 basic categories. These are shown by the detail on the stand. They affect the range of combat and the modifiers for close (less than 1” range) and ranged combat (over 1”)

|Figures on stand |Range |Range Shooting Dice Mod |Close |

| | | |Combat Dice Mod |

|Melee Weapons |Contact |NA |-1 |

|Pistols |Close (1”) |NA |+0 |

|Shotguns |Close (1”) |NA |+1 |

|SMG |Close (1”) |NA |+2 |

|Sporting Rifle |12” |-1 |-1 |

|Military Rifle |12” |-1 |+0 |

|Rifle + LMG |12” |+0 |+1 |

|HMG |18” |+1 |+1 |

SMGs and Shotguns may appear on other stands in which case the stand is judged to have sufficient Close assault weapons (grenades etc) to get an additional +1 in close assault.

No positive infantry modifiers apply against Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs.)

Vehicles, artillery and airstrikes can have the following weapons the modifier applies to both range shooting and close combat.

|Weapons |Range |Dice Mod |

|HMG |18” |+1 (not vs tank) |

|Old/light tank/anti-tank |18” |+1 |

|Modern tank/AT |26” |+2 |

|Artillery |Range |Dice Mod |

|Heavy Mortars |30” (min 8”) |+0 |

|Light Artillery |50” |+1 |

|Medium Artillery |70” |+2 |

|Heavy Artillery |90” |+1d6 – CO rating |

|Aircraft |Range |Dice Mod |

|Fighter |18” |+1 |

|Bomber |Drop |+2 |

Close combat range is 1” for all troop categories no matter what their quality.

Troop quality effects combat as follows affecting dice rolls and range.

|Troop Quality |Range Modifier |Dice Mod |

|Raw |-2” |-2 |

|Green |-1” |-1 |

|Regular |0 |0 |

|Veteran |+1” |+1 |

|Elite |+2” |+2 |

MORALE CHECK

Each unit which has been shot at or in close combat must make a morale check. Each units rolls 1 D6 and most get higher than the morale factor as follows:

+1 for each dead, deserted or pinned unit that turn

+1 for each 3 friendly dead markers within 3” of stands (if not opposing faction)

+1 disordered

+1 Artillery/tank shot/airstrike/Gas has attacked unit

+1 Flanked or surrounded (flanked an enemy units shooting or in close combat with unit on opposite sides of the unit.

+1 CO killed this turn

+1 Commanding General killed this turn in Line of sight.

+1 suffered friendly fire

+1 each stand in close combat

+2 Raw

+1 Green

+0 Regular

-1Veteran

-2 Elite

- COs rating.

-1 CO in generals Command Radius

-2 General in contact with stand of the unit

A unit that fails the morale check is disordered and will remain so till the next morale check unless Movement table says otherwise,.

After morale check If a CO is killed make a roll for his replacement roll 1d6 divided by 2 round up and that’s new co quality.

Generals check morale as a 1 stand unit.

Disordered stands cannot do range shooting but will retaliate in close combat.

FORCES ON TABLE

To determine which units are on the table are follows

|UNIT |Attacker |Defender |

|1ST |2,3,4,5,6 |3,4,5,6 |

|2ND |3,4,5,6 |4,5,6 |

|3RD |4,5,6, |,5,6, |

|4TH+ |5,6, |6 |

REINFORCMENTS

At the end of each turn after the 3rd roll for reinforcements coming on.

Attackers units come on a 5-6 at the Attackers table edge.

Defenders units come on a 6 at the Defenders table edge.

Rather than rolling per unit forces can be ‘brigaded’ under a general and either all come on or not (roll for the brigade)

FLANKING

Up to a quarter of a force’s units can be put to one side as flanking forces. They need to be ‘brigaded’ under a General.

They can be rolled for on the table for reinforcements but come in together and at a side table edge as a flanking force.

Roll as normal for reinforcements and if successful then roll of the flanking table below.

Raw units cannot be part of a flanking force.

+ Generals Quality

+ 1 Cavalry or armoured fighting vehicles unit.

-1 per green unit.

|Roll | |

|1-2 |Forces fail to come on |

|3-4 |Forces come on but disordered |

|5-6 |Forces come on half units disordered |

|7-8 |Forces come on – can shoot no close assault 1s turn on table |

|9-10 |Forces come on – can close assault |

If forces fail to come on then they remain as reinforcements.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Double throws in shooting effect the unit concerned as follows:

|Double |Effect |

|1 |Ammunition problem -2 next turn shooting |

|2 |LFS: Friendly Fire |

| |Govt: Atrocity |

|3 |1 stand Vehicle Breakdown. Veteran/Elite can fix if no shooting from stand 3-6 on |

| |1d6 |

|4 |Airstrike (spot as artillery 1-4 Fighter, 5-6 bomber) |

|5 |Off table artillery strike (1-4 medium, 5-6 Heavy) |

|6 |Extra Determination +2 in shooting/close combat rolls next turn. |

Friendly fire

Friendly fire – on a double 2 a Liverpool Free state must next turn shoot at a an LFS unit of a rival faction if in range. If not they save it until one is. This reflects the factionalisms of the LFS militias. If more than one are in range then they will fire at the one they are most opposed to. Some examples of likely friendly fire scenarios.

Likely friendly fire incidents include (all naturally vies versa):

Irish forces vs ex-regular Army or Police units

Navy vs Army units

Communists vs Anarchists (left vs left would be quite common)

Police/Ex-Regular Army vs Left

Anglican/Protestant forces vs Irish Forces

Majority population forces vs Ethnic minority forces

Liverpool proper vs Woolyback/Wirral forces

East European/Russian forces vs Jewish Militias

atrocity

On a double 2 a government force loses the next turn and a stand. This reflects the unit being involved in some form of ‘drumhead justice’ against civilians or LFS prisoners. The lost stand will be continuing the with the atrocity while the rest of the unit carries on. It does not count as a desertion or death.

END GAME

At the end of the game and routs and deserted units make be recovered on a morale roll based on the total deaths taken in the battle and the CO at the end of the battle. If so they can feature in future games.

OPTIONAL RULE: AMMUNITION

Each unit has next to it’s CO a dice. This dice represents how many turns shooting/close combat ammunition the unit has. It is reduced 1 unit all used up. At that point the unit is reduced to a melee weapon stand.unit resupplied. This may mean calling at a depot or getting a truck (or train) to the unit.

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