Redcoats & Rebels
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Redcoats & Rebels Élan wargame rules for the American W ar of Independence © By Phillip A. Jones, M ark Hum e, Greg M acPherson & Chris Johnson 2004 Cover: photo of re-enactment of the battle of Saratoga, courtesy of the First Foot Guards regiment association –for more information visit http://footguards.tripod.com/ ISBN 0-9750058-2-0 Published by Phillip A. Jones Redcoats and Rebels: Élan wargame rules for the American W ar of Independence ©Copyright Phillip A. Jones, Mark Hume, Greg MacPherson & Chris Johnson Canberra, Australia 2004 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the authors CONTENTS SECTION 1 Basic Concepts SECTION 5 Engineers & Sappers 1.1 Scales 2 5.1 General Notes 22 1.2 Basing Stands 3 5.2 Creating Explosive Devices 22 1.3 Sequence of Play 3 5.3 Mines and Countermines 23 1.4 Turn Phases Description 4 5.4 Field W orks 23 SECTION 2 Form ations SECTION 6 Skirm ishers 2.1 General Notes 4 6.1 Deploying Skirmish Screens 24 2.2 Flanks and Rears of Units 5 6.2 Skirmish Screens and Firing 24 2.3 Open Column 5 6.3 Skirmishers Charging & Evading 24 2.4 Closed Column 5 6.4 Skirmishers in Close Assault 25 2.5 Line 6 6.5 Independent Light Units 25 2.6 Reinforced Line 6 6.6 Dismounted Cavalry & infantry 26 2.7 Skirmish Screen 6 2.8 Troops Lying Down 7 SECTION 7 Terrain 2.9 Dismounted Cavalry 7 7.1 General Notes 26 2.10 Artillery 7 7.2 Hills and Rises 26 2.11 Staff 8 7.3 Roads 27 2.12 Special / Combined Formations 8 7.4 Rivers and Streams 27 2.13 Legal Formation Changes 8 7.5 Bridges and Fords 27 7.6 Pontoon Bridges 27 SECTION 3 Points & Troop Classes 7.7 Marsh, Swamp, Snow 28 3.1 Troop Point Values 8 7.8 Difficult Ground 28 3.2 Class Ratings & Troop Quality 9 7.9 Urban Areas 28 3.3 Cost of Stands 9 7.10 Fires in Urban Area and W oods 29 3.4 Class 5 10 7.11 Damaging Cover, with Artillery 29 3.5 Class 4 10 7.12 W oods 30 3.6 Class 3 10 7.13 Preparing Defences and Obstacles 30 3.7 Class 2 10 3.8 Class 1 11 SECTION 8 Staff, Com m and & Control 8.1 General Notes 31 SECTION 4 Troop Types & their Capabilities 8.2 Determining Staff Quality 31 4.1 British Army 11 8.3 Staff Ratings Table 31 4.2 German Army 12 8.4 Definitions & General ratings 31 4.3 Spanish Army 13 8.5 British General Ratings 32 4.4 French Army 13 8.6 American General Ratings 33 4.5 American Army 14 8.7 French General Ratings 34 4.6 Line Infantry 15 8.8 Spanish General Ratings 34 4.7 Light Infantry 15 8.9 German General Ratings 34 4.8 Irregular Infantry 15 8.10 Staff and Command 35 4.9 Cavalry 16 8.11 Brigade Morale 36 4.10 Light Cavalry 16 8.12 Staff Being Attached to Units 36 4.11 Irregular Cavalry 16 8.13 Staff & Engineers Being Charged 36 4.12 Artillery General Notes 17 8.14 Artillery Generals 36 4.13 Artillery Calibres 18 8.15 Replacing Generals 36 4.14 Foot Artillery 18 8.16 Units out of Command 37 4.15 Battalion Guns 18 4.16 Moving Artillery Batteries 19 SECTION 9 Scouting & Deploym ent 4.17 Evading and Routing Artillery 19 9.1 Scouting General Notes 37 4.18 Artillery Firing General notes 19 9.2 Scouting Points Values 37 4.19 Dead Ground for High Hills 19 9.3 Deployment 38 4.20 Artillery Overhead Fire 20 9.4 Out-scouting Table 38 4.21 Spiking or Capturing Gun Stands 20 9.5 Hidden Deployment 38 4.22 Bombardment Procedure 20 9.6 Deployment Procedure 39 4.23 Tactical Artillery Fire Procedure 21 4.24 Howitzer Shell Fire Procedure 21 SECTION 10 Visibility 10.1 Visibility and Surprise 39 15.19 Infantry Pursuers & Compulsory 10.2 Visibility Ranges 40 Advances 51 15.20 Cavalry Pursuers 52 SECTION 11 Initiative 15.21 Rallying Pursuers 52 11.1 Initiative General Notes 40 15.22 Routing Units 52 15.23 Routers Bursting through Units 52 SECTION 12 Grand Tactical M ovem ent 15.24 Routing Units leaving the Board 52 12.1 Grand Tactical Movement 41 15.25 Attacking Routing Units 52 12.2 Grand Tactical Procedure 41 15.26 Rallying from Rout 53 12.3 Off-Board Units 41 15.27 Rallying in other Circumstances 53 15.28 Evades 53 SECTION 13 M orale Tests 13.1 Morale Tests General Notes 42 SECTION 16 Close Assault 13.2 Shaken and Unsteady Units 42 16.1 Close Assault General Notes 54 13.3 Being Charged Test 43 16.2 Close Assault Procedure 54 13.4 To Charge Test 43 16.3 Command Tactical Factors 55 13.5 Shooting Casualties Test 43 16.4 Reinforcing Close Assault 55 13.6 Closing with Enemy Test 43 16.5 Automatic Victories & Supporting Units 55 SECTION 14 Tactical Fire 16.6 Compulsory Movement 55 14.1 Tactical Fire General Notes 44 16.7 Break-Through Attacks 56 14.2 Target Class Definitions Notes 44 16.8 Push-Back Melee Results 56 14.3 Firing Arc 44 16.9 Fighting in Urban Areas 56 14.4 Firing Priority 44 16.10 Fighting in W ooded Areas 57 14.5 Target Class Definitions 44 16.11 Capturing Staff 57 14.6 Tactical Shooting Procedure 44 14.7 Shooting at Targets visible in Previous SECTION 17 Surrenders & Concluding the Gam e Turn 45 17.1 Surrendering and Destroyed units 58 14.8 Steady and Unsteady Fire 45 17.2 Massacres 58 14.9 Firing and Visibility 45 17.3 Capturing Colours & Objectives 58 14.10 Firing into a Close Assault & 17.4 Concluding the Game 58 Friendly Fire 46 17.5 Determining the W inner 58 14.11 Defensive Fire in the Tactical Movement Phase 46 SECTION 18 Unit Ratings 59 14.12 Endangering Friendly Stands & Enfilade Fire 46 SECTION 19 Optional Rules ideas 61 14.13 Firing on Artillery, Staff & Engineers 46 SECTION 20 Cam paign Rules 62 SECTION 15 Tactical M ovem ent SECTION 21 Battle Tim eline 75 15.1 Movement General Notes 47 15.2 Command Stands & Facing 47 SECTION 22 Battle Scenarios 76 15.3 W heeling 47 15.4 Passing through Units & Terrain 47 15.5 Passage of Lines Manoeuvre 47 PART II - PLAY CHARTS 15.6 Passage of Lines Procedure 48 Sequence of Play- Morale Test 15.7 Charges-General Notes 48 Charts for Small Arms- Artillery & Damage Table 15.8 Restrictions on Charging Units 48 Movement and Scouting- Close Assault 15.9 Sub-Unit Charges 49 Counter Chart 15.10 Declared Charges 49 15.11 Declared Charge Sequence 49 15.12 Declared Charge First Impulse 50 15.13 Declared Charge Second Impulse 50 15.14 Opportunity Charges 50 15.15 Opportunity Charge Sequence 50 15.16 Feint charges 50 15.17 Counter-Charges 51 15.18 Pursuit 51 INTRODUCTION TO REDCOATS & REBELS .hese wargame rules are the synthesis of the Élan Deluxe Napoleonic wargame rules written by myself and a supplement developed by Mark Hume to adapt that game to the particulars of the American W ar of Independence. These rules also include orders of battle written by Mr Chris Johnson who has kindly agreed to allow his work to be adapted for this game along with campaign rules, Etat-M ajor, co- authored by myself and Greg MacPherson which have been tailored for this edition. For current players of Élan Deluxe, they will find all the core mechanisms are mostly the same, although due to the small size of many of the units in the AW I- the default ratio for figures is now 1:25 (one figure= 25 men) and some of the results in areas of close assault or in the various units available are by necessity different from the parent game to better reflect the unique features of the conflict. In several instances, such as the fire charts, further simplification has been made and greater provision for the role irregular and auxiliary troops played in this conflict. In addition, in the game are notes on the various types of units and nations involved, along with army lists, general ratings and battle scenarios based on actual actions, providing players with useful material to develop their armies and starting points for some actions. The game is designed for any basing system or figure ratio and players can use 10mm, 15mm or 25mm figures. There are also several Optional Rules both in the text and in a later section which presents some ideas that players may like to explore. The game could also be used for the earlier French Indian war with little or no modification, though players would have to determine new unit ratings where they think appropriate. The charts in Part II are an indispensable part of the game and players must ensure they read them thoroughly to ensure they understand the details of the mechanics and unit capabilities and their responses. The game may seem at face value complex but most of the time players will not require all the rules and the clauses are there for particular tactical situations that may arise. I recommend new players learn the mechanics with a few units first before attempting larger battles, but once learnt the game provides for a flowing game.