De Bellis Americanus Civilis
Introduction.
This is an attempt to expand upon the DBA rules and make them applicable to the American Civil War.
The most signal difference between these rules and DBA is in the organisation and number of elements. Regiments of both infantry and cavalry have a number of elements. This allows the deployment, movement and use of the regiments in a way that reflects the formations and tactics common in that war. As a result the number of potential command points available for use is doubled. Also the standard DBA rules for the movement of groups of elements is replaced by the rules for regimental formation and movement.
This makes this game fall between the small tabletop engagements that DBA provides and the much larger ones you can have in DBM. In play it is almost as simple as DBA, thereby not going into the excess complexity of DBM. In game terms these rules are useful for representing conflicts between small, all-arms divisions, rather than full field armies. Ideas for expanding this game to Corps level are explained in the General Design Notes at the end.
Overall this game is as much about effective deployment and manoeuvre as it is about firepower. There will be a few turns of movement before the forces proper come into firing range. The correct use of formations and roads will be critical to this.
As with all rule sets the following should be applied :
1. Rules are for the blind obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.
2. The point of this game is to enjoy refighting the Civil War, not each other.
3. Amend, bend and ignore these rules as you see fit to meet your own, agreed, objectives.
Organisation.
Infantry.
Infantry is organised into regiments of four elements. These can be deployed in a line four elements wide and one deep, or in a column one element wide by four deep. All elements must be in base-to-base contact with the others in the regiment at all times. It is encouraged that each regiment should deploy one element with the appropriate standards etc. (the Colour Party).
Cavalry.
Cavalry is also organised into regiments of four elements. As with infantry these can be deployed in a line a single element deep or in a column a single element wide. All elements must be in base-to-base contact with the others in the regiment at all times.
Dismounted Cavalry is represented by three fighting elements deployed in line formation and an element of horse holders in base contact at the rear. All elements must be in base-to-base contact with the others in the regiment at all times.
Artillery.
Artillery is organised into batteries of one gun/crew element and one limber element. This is either deployed as unlimbered, in which case the gun element precedes the limber, or limbered when the reverse occurs. Both elements must be in base-to-base contact with the others in the battery at all times.
Army organisation.
Each army may have a total of twelve regiments and batteries. The equivalent of a small division.
Confederate armies may have up to three regiments of cavalry, and up to two batteries, the remainder being infantry.
Union armies may have up to two regiments of cavalry, and up to three batteries, the remainder being infantry.
Each army must also deploy an additional element, representing the General and his staff, this is considered mounted.
By agreement both sides may designate three of their regiments or batteries as Veterans. These should be marked in some way to show their status.
One veteran infantry regiment may be designated as Zouaves (but only if suitable figures are provided).
Alternative army organisations can be agreed between the players to represent historical forces or the strictures of particular theatres or periods of the war. An example of this might be to reduce the firing range of half the Confederate's and one third of the Union's early war infantry to just 3" to represent the lack of rifled muskets.
Terrain & Deployment
Terrain.
The first rule of placing terrain is common sense. The result should be a pleasing and, wheresoever possible, realistic representation of that found in the theatre of war chosen by the players. It is recommended that the players avail themselves of some of the actual maps of the smaller battles in the Civil War and replicate the layout shown there. This gives the game a feeling of authenticity and adds to the tactical enjoyment of the players.
However, if the players just wish to create a more random field of battle try the system below.
At the beginning of the game both sides roll a die (rerolling ties).
The highest scorer places between six and twelve pieces of terrain on the table, at least half of which must be Bad Going. A river counts as two pieces of terrain and must flow between two edges of the board. A player can only place two rivers with the agreement of his opponent.
In general, and given the recommended table size, no piece of terrain should be more than 8" in any dimension with the exception of roads, rivers and fence lines/walls.
A single terrain choice of a fence line or wall can be up to 24" long. This can turn as the player wishes, and/or enclose and follow the boundaries of other terrain. The key is to make their deployment seem realistic. Running alongside a road or enclosing fields for instance.
At least one and as many as three roads may be placed on the field in addition to the standard ration of terrain pieces. Very few Civil War engagements happened away from any road. These were vital for the army's supply route. Even the Wilderness had some roads. In general these should run from one edge to an opposite one.
Bad Going consists of; Woods & Forests; Built-up Areas (towns, farmsteads etc.); Fields of Tall Crops (in season); Swamps or Bayou (in the deep south); arroyos or sand dunes (in the far west); and, Steep or Rocky Hills. Other terrain can include rivers and steams, fence lines and walls.
Deployment.
Once terrain is placed the lowest scorer chooses which edge to deploy on and places his forces within 4" of that edge. The highest scorer then deploys their forces within 4" of the opposite edge.
The system above may be ignored if the players have agreed on a specific historical or made-up scenario with a preset map - perhaps as part of a scenario.
Each regiment may be initially deployed either in column, line or even in skirmish formation. Batteries begin play limbered up unless the agreed scenario says differently.
Game Sequence
Players take turns to:
1. Determine Command Points.
2. Move regiments and batteries.
3. Firing.
4. Resolve melees.
Determining Command Points.
The player whose turn it is rolls two six-sided dice to determine how many command points he has available. These represent not only the General's abilities to make decisions but also such factors as; incoming intelligence; the ability and availability of couriers; the competence of his staff; and whether regimental Colonels feel able to carry out the orders when they arrive based on their own perception of the situation.
Those wishing to represent historical commanders may choose to amend the number of command points a specific General may use. This should be agreed in advance, and should not only consider the given commander's skills, but the period and theatre of war being represented. Grant, for instance was not half as keen to take casualties in his early Western campaigns as he was later in his war of attrition against Lee in the East.
The best mechanic for this is to still roll 2d6 but not to allow a poor general to score any more than say 10 or even 9 (if you like playing Burnside or McClellan). Note that even bold commanders could fall foul of this as they rashly advance with their men and ride the battle lines providing inspiration rather than standing back and controlling events from a commanding tactical position. This sort of behaviour cost the otherwise brilliant Stonewall Jackson his life.
A General may use his Command Points as follows:
1. Move a regiment or limbered battery that is within 12" and is in line of sight of the General. This costs one Command Point. The 12" range represents the distance a commander can clearly see and that a fast courier can cover in a turn.
2. Move a regiment or limbered battery that is beyond 12" or the line of sight of the General. This costs two Command Points. Note that intervening units do not block line of sight, only hills, woods and built up areas.
3. Limber up or unlimber a battery of guns. This costs one Command Point.
4. To move a regiment or battery forwards that fell back or fled last turn. This costs two Command Points (or three if they are beyond 12" or out of sight).
5. Change a regiment's formation from column to line or vice versa. The regiment forms either side of its colour party when changing from column to line, and behind the colour party when changing from line to column. This costs one Command Point.
6. To dismount or mount up a cavalry regiment. This costs one Command Point. The regiment will dismount into line, but can mount up into line or column.
7. To deploy an infantry regiment, or dismounted cavalry regiment as skirmishers, or reform them. Skirmishers can only be deployed in line formation. Each element in a skirmish line will be set up to one inch from its neighbours. This costs one Command Point.
8. Move a regiment or battery across a river, except at a ford or bridge. This costs two Command Points.
9. Where a regiment or battery are already in column or limbered on a road, they can make a double move at the cost of two Command Points. This can only be done where the regiment or battery do not come closer to any visible enemy unit than 12". Movement along the road stops as soon as such an enemy unit becomes visible within 12".
A regiment or battery can only be ordered to do a single one of the above actions in a turn. A General can move his own element (as Cavalry) for free (again only once). Note that even if the General moves his command radius of 12" is counted from the position he occupied at the beginning of the turn. For simplicity's sake it is convention to move the General last.
An alternative rule, and one that may tickle the tactically minded, would be to have the General roll his command dice and then issue order chits to each regiment or battery he wishes to act. Those within 12" act immediately (i.e. in the same turn). Those beyond this magic radius act on these orders on the subsequent turn. That is unless the General moves to within 12" and then changes them on the next turn before they can act upon the previous orders.
Order chits would be placed face down next to the units so that the opponent is left guessing what their orders are. Suggested orders could include Advance, Fall Back and Change Formation. Any more than that and things could get confusing. Units can always fire at anyone in range no matter the orders.
The fun bit comes when the circumstances change in front of a regiment, such as the arrival of unexpected enemies or the loss of friends, and the General's orders become stupid or even dangerous. This brings on the fog and confusion of war quite nicely. You might allow regiments designated as 'veterans' to refuse orders that place them in great peril (such as exposing their flank or rear to an enemy that could reasonably be expected to attack them.
Movement.
When ordered to do so a regiment may move up to the distances listed below dependent in no small part upon the terrain. Note that infantry regiments may only turn by wheeling their line or the head of their column. They may about turn (that is turn 180 degrees on the spot) once in a movement turn.
All elements of a regiment must remain in base-to-base contact and in formation at all times. Skirmishers must maintain formation but their elements are spaced apart by 1".
Unit type On road In open country In bad going.
Infantry in column 6" 4" 2"
Infantry in line - 4" 2"
Skirmishers - 4" 4"
Mounted Cavalry in column 10" 8" (2" - see below)
Mounted Cavalry in line - 10" (2" - see below)
Limbered Artillery 8" 6" (2" - see below)
Unlimbered Artillery 2" 2" -
Dismounted Cavalry follow movement rates for infantry.
A General's element counts as mounted Cavalry.
Zouaves may add 1" to movement in open country if moving towards visible enemy.
Rivers may be crossed at bridges and fords by infantry or cavalry in column or limbered artillery. By prior agreement between the players rivers can be declared impassable except at bridges or fords.
Rivers and steep hills are the only bad going that is passable to mounted cavalry and limbered artillery.
Moving across a fence line or wall or sunken road reduces an regiment or battery's movement by 1". This represents the formation changes and redressing of lines that must be gone through rather than the obstacle the fence or wall presents. Skirmishers are unaffected by this.
Columns of infantry and cavalry, and limbered batteries, that are following a road that passes through bad going can move at the full road movement rate.
By prior agreement the players may further modify these movement rules to represent the effects of the weather. Heavy rain, dust storms and deep snow all regularly hampered Civil War armies.
Firing and Melee.
A regiment or battery can engage with fire, any enemy that is within range and that is straight ahead of at least one of its elements, and is in line of sight. It may not fire if any of its elements are engaged in melee, or at a regiment that is itself being engaged in melee. Apply common sense to lines of sight for individual elements.
A regiment cannot fire through friends at an enemy beyond them. Not even if the player imagines the intervening friendly regiment is lying down. Civil War commanders did not recognise the term 'friendly fire' and might press for a court martial for incompetence (which could result in a hanging).
However an artillery battery can fire shell or ball at enemy that are beyond a friendly regiment. The battery must be at least 3" from the nearest element of the friendly regiment, and the enemy target at least 3" beyond the closest element of the friendly element. Obviously they cannot fire canister in such circumstances. This especially covers batteries place upon hills or ridges.
If a regiment or battery is fired upon by a unit it cannot fire back at due to range or angle, still roll dice for both the firer and the unit being fired upon. If the firer loses the exchange there is no effect upon them, except the frustration of watching the enemy ignore their fire..
If more than one regiment or battery are firing upon the same target designate one unit as the 'primary firer' and the others as supporting. Only the primary firer's combat factors and relevant modifiers are taken into account. The supporters each add +1 to the primary firer's die roll.
When two regiments move into contact and begin melee, line up all the front rank elements. A regiment in column thus only presents a single element width, whereas one in line can be up to four elements wide (depending upon its remaining strength). On the second turn of melee a column becomes a line.
In any case roll 1D6 per regiment or battery and modify as follows:
Unit Type Combat Factors Firing Range
Skirmishers +1 vs. Infantry & Cavalry, +2 vs. Artillery 6"
Infantry +2 vs. Infantry, +3 vs. Cavalry, +4 vs. Artillery 6"
Cavalry +1 vs. Infantry, +2 vs. Cavalry, +4 vs. Artillery 4"
Artillery Ball/shell +2 vs. all 18"
Artillery Canister +4 vs. all 6"
General +2 vs. all, but cannot cause casualties etc.
Dismounted Cavalry use Infantry combat factors but retain their normal range.
Artillery must guess the range to any target over 6". If they are wrong they miss. If they are firing over a friendly unit and their guess places the shot within that friendly unit you have a friendly fire incident. Work it out as if the battery was targeting the friendly unit. You can always court martial and hang the gunnery officers later.
Other modifiers:
+1 if enfilading a line (firing into its exposed flank) or firing into the head of a column.
+2 if a column charging into contact with a line, on the first turn of combat.
+1 if veteran.
+1 if General is in support (melee only).
+1 for each supporting unit (firing only).
+1 if the last element remaining from a regiment (called 'defending the colours'). This bonus is only applied for one turn.
-1 if firing at a unit that is in bad going or immediately behind a fence line or wall or in a sunken road.
-1 if firing at skirmishers.
-1 per element lost by the regiment or battery.
-2 if firing at a regiment or battery in fortifications.
Combat Results.
Compare the total combat scores. If they are equal there is no effect. If they are not equal apply the following to the regiment or battery with the lower score:
If it scored half or less If it scored less than but
Unit Type than its opponent's score not half of its opponent's score
Infantry Loses an element and falls back Loses an element or falls back
Cavalry Loses an element and flees Loses an element and falls back
Skirmishers Loses an element and flees Loses an element and falls back
Artillery Destroyed Loses an element
Units that fall back move directly backwards 3". Those that fall back remain in their previous formation and facing their enemy. They can move or change formation on their player's next turn. If their fall back move would take them off the table stop them at the edge. If they subsequently have to fall back again they are lost for the rest of the battle.
Units that flee make a full move backwards. Units that flee reform in line facing the enemy and cannot move or change formation on the player's next turn. If their flee move takes them off the table then they are lost for the rest of the battle.
If they are blocked while falling back or fleeing by an enemy unit, or the flank of a friendly one, they stop and lose an element. If blocked by the front or rear of a friendly unit they push it back as well.
Falling back and fleeing is involuntary and does not cost command points.
Artillery batteries first lose their limber element, reducing them to a manhandling move only, and then the gun and crew element. Artillery cannot fire in the same turn that they moved. They can fire if all they did was unlimber.
Regiments that have enemy in contact to front and rear, or that have impassable terrain to their immediate rear, and who then lose a melee lose two elements and cannot choose to fall back or flee.
Units that start a turn with enemy in contact with their flank or rear, but not to their front, turn to face that enemy. This is automatic and doesn't cost a command point.
A regiment that has lost half its elements will not advance to contact with an enemy, though it may hold out valiantly if attacked.
A General may support a unit in melee by being in base-to-base contact wth the unit's rear. This is risky and for each element the unit loses there is a 1 in 6 chance of the General being killed. If the unit is wiped out, so is the General.
When a General is lost all friendly regiments with an element within 3" lose an element to desertion. On the next turn a new General turns up in the player's deployment zone, sent by the Corps or Army Commander.
It should be noted that an element of infantry represents between 100 and 250 men. When an element is lost about 25% are actually dead or dying, and another 25% are wounded. Of the remainder another 25% have chosen to escort the wounded off the table and the rest have fled never to return. It is because of this that there is no 'rout' result in these rules. When an entire regiment's elements are lost, most of them are not dead they are just physically, geographically or morally incapable of continuing the fight this day.
Victory.
This normally comes when over 50% of one side's regiments and batteries have been eliminated. Elimination means all elements lost, or if the only remaining element is the Colour Party. Players may agree other conditions, such as when specific tactical or strategic objectives have been achieved.
Civil War battles were frequently very bloody, with regiment after regiment marching bravely or blithely into the meat grinder.
Scenarios.
These are suggestions only, to spice up the game once you have tired of set piece battles.
1. Fixed length.
This is particularly useful when you want to encourage both sides to take an objective such as a vital bridge, road crossing or town. When the agreed number of turns is up the side that holds the objective wins. It is considered that the winning side will then be massively reinforced and the loser must retreat.
Another fixed length game could be where one side garrisons a hill, a town or other feature with a reduced strength force . For each regiment not deployed the defenders can place up to six inches of barricades, trenches, abatis, gun emplacements and other light fortifications immediately in front of their remaining regiments. The enemy must turn them out before the agreed time limit or reinforcements will come marching down to relieve them.
2. Meeting Engagement.
A very common occurrence in the Civil War as the armies groped around looking for each other.
Both armies begin off table. Upon their turn each Commander then brings on regiments or batteries anywhere along their base edge using command points. All regiments appear in column, and batteries limbered.
This is a useful scenario for those playing on relatively small tables.
3. Meat Grinder.
In some battles the Corps Commanders, often miles behind the action, keep sending troops into an engagement without intelligence of their fate.
At the beginning of every third turn, two more regiments or batteries each march on from the armies' base edges. All regiments appear in column, and batteries limbered. This carries on until one army is defeated.
Note that this can lead to very long games.
General Design Notes.
Scales and frontages.
Utilising a standard 40mm frontage for elements, the recommended battlefield size is 4' square. A 3'x4' rectangle is also acceptable as long as deployment is along the long edges. Technically, twelve regiments of infantry (the maximum covered by these rules) deployed in a single line, could cover a frontage of 6'.
In reality though an all arms division would include two brigades of infantry each having about four regiments of infantry. These deployed in a single line could cover a frontage of a little over 4'. Wise commanders will tend to deploy in depth, keeping reserves available to exploit their successes and reinforce their failures.
Movement and manoeuvre.
Since most Infantry moves at 4" it could technically take a regiment 12 turns to cross the entire battlefield. Allowing them to deploy 4" in and taking into account the range of their muskets, many could find themselves under fire in as little as four turns from fellow infantrymen. Thus the control and use of roads will prove decisive in the early turns of manoeuvring.
Cavalry will prove vital in securing important road junctions, river crossings and other objectives. Long range artillery fire may be decisive in denying such objectives to the enemy. Counter battery fire will begin long before the infantry finally close.
Larger games.
Where you have the players and the figures it is quite possible to deploy more than one division. Each player commands a division of twelve elements. The width of the battlefield should be expanded by between two and four feet for each extra division.
For each two or three divisions deployed on a side an extra Corps Commander element is introduced. This element normally deploys with his own regiment of bodyguard cavalry.
At his discretion he can hold up to two regiments or batteries back from each division as a Corps reserve. At the beginning of any turn after the first he can release some or all of these to one or more of his divisional commanders. They appear in column (or limbered) on the base edge of that divisional commander's area of the battlefield.
Due to the primitive command and control mechanisms employed in the period each division should be given a set battlefield area to deploy into. The width of this is often set by the terrain and the Corps Commander's overall objectives Although you may get individual regiments from the allied divisions cooperating where their areas meet, generally they will not move across each others battle areas unless directly ordered to do so by the Corps Commander.
When a divisional commander is killed his replacement rides from the Corps Commander's position on the next turn. This may affect what orders he can give and how much they cost. Where the alternative order system is being used regimental colonels or battery captains will follow the last order given, until changed or rescinded by the new divisional commander.
Figures.
These rules are primarily aimed at 6mm/10mm figures. This allows a visually pleasing number of figures to be placed on each base. Infantry figures are best applied to the base in two ranks, cavalry in a single rank. One element of each regiment should bear the regiment's colours. This represents the colour party and officers.
Note that, given the limited drill training most regiments received, these lines may be quite ragged with a few men and officers both in front and behind the general line.
Generally when regimental elements are removed as a result of fire or melee the last to be so taken is the element bearing the regiment's colours. This represents men stepping forward and picking up the colours as the colour bearers are mown down and junior officers and senior NCO's replacing their dead or wounded superiors.
Weapons and technology and other period gubbins.
In keeping with the KISS principle underlying in the DBA concept no difference has been made between smoothbore muskets and rifles, or between muzzle loaders and carbines. Similarly the difference between breech loading and muzzle loading artillery, or between 12pdr Napoleons and Rifled Parrotts or Whitworths. Gatling guns, though murderous at close quarters were mostly deployed piecemeal and as such are not covered in these rules.
If you want to fight a specific period of the Civil War in which these technological differences were significant then feel free to adjust ranges and attack bonuses appropriately. Make sure though that everyone who is to play understands and agrees to these adjustments.
A note of caution on making adjustments - start small and work up. The DBA rules are finely balanced and it doesn't take a large tweak to send it spiralling out of control. Despite the mythology of the time, the breech loading carbine is not an AK47. They were primitive, prone to jamming, frequently operated by men without adequate training in their care and use, and always short of ammunition.
Similarly you will also note that Confederate Cavalry do not get a bonus for their proven elan in the early war years in comparison to their sorry Northern cousins. The application of the optional Veteran rules may help you here.
Indeed the use of the Veteran troop classification will allow you to field regiments that represent the better trained or seasoned units from the Civil War. Hood's Texans, The Iron Brigade, Stonewall Jackson's Brigade in The Valley Campaign (the Foot cavalry), and the 21st Michigan on Little Round Top, all displayed a courage and coolness under fire that earned them deserved reputations.
At Divisional level the use of telegraph and semaphore was of limited use in transmitting orders on the actual battlefield. These were really the tools of the Corps or Army Commander looking at a battlefield that might be several miles wide and as many deep. In actuality, however delivered, orders did not have the precision of those given by staff-trained, professional European officers (indeed one European Military Observer noted that the war was "prosecuted by armed mobs pursuing each other across the countryside").
The main pre-War American military academy (West Point) focused more on training young officers as Engineers than on command and control structures. Most of the senior officer military experience (if they had any at all) was as junior officers in the war against Mexico some twenty years before.
As a result such orders were frequently incorrect in terms of geography, perceived troop capability and attitude. Many gave considerable latitude to the regimental colonel or brigade commander, often to prevent repercussions for the ambitious divisional or corps general should it all go to hell as a result of following them. Couriers were often lost to enemy fire, lost due to lack of useful directions or maps, delivered orders to the wrong regiments or brigades, or delivered them woefully late. All this is covered by the random system for the allocation of Command Points.
You will also find no rules for snipers, racial animosity towards coloured troops (by both sides), the common malaise of drunkenness amongst inferior commanders, the tendency of raw German or Dutch regiments to melt away, politically-appointed state regiment colonels, desertion of bounty men, mud, poor intelligence (especially by the Pinkerton Agency), the distrust felt between many brother officers, ammunition supply failures, political interference from Washington or Richmond, more mud, over-enthusiastic provosts, yet more mud, looting (especially by Cavalry who reached the enemy's rear areas), did I mention mud?, and the fog of war.
Some of these could be covered by random event cards in a campaign game, but are not within the purview of these rules.
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