0.0 Grey Areas. Define in “either/or” terms and resolve with a friendly roll off in the winner’s favor.
0.1 Pre-measuring. Allowed any time. Scale. 1” is 50y. A turn is about 15-30 minutes of In/Action.
0.2 Units. There are four types of Units, representing typical formations.
Infantry. A brigade of about 3-4,000 close-order Foot with muskets/bayonets using firepower to confront the enemy; bayonets mostly defensive. Attached Guns are included, adding firepower at all ranges. Light foot screen the brigade at a distance from the enemy, inflicting casualties and confusion.
Lights. A battalion of about 400 light Foot in a dispersed formation for rapid movement even through rough terrain. Their small size and open formation makes their musketry less effective.
Cavalry. A brigade of about 1500 close-order horse who rely upon movement and mêlée to affect the battle. Flank charges are a potent threat. Attached horse guns provide firepower along with screening light Horse that inflict casualties and confusion.
Guns. A massed battalion of 10-15 heavy foot guns with longer Range but less firepower than an infantry brigade. They are screened by attached infantry and baggage guards.
The General. This is a suitably mounted fellow with his staff – but he functions as a marker, not a Unit. Generals are very important in ECtB, as they can attach to a Unit: that Unit always counts as Ordered [regardless of the cost to Order that Unit] and it gets a +1 to Rally. There should be about 1 General for every 6 Units on a side.
0.3 Strength Points. Infantry 7SP, Cavalry 5SP, Artillery or Skirmish Battalion 5SP. Whenever a Unit takes a Hit, mark the loss of a Strength Point. When all SP are gone, the Unit is removed from the game.
0.4 Figures & Basing. Sabots or stands totaling 4x1-2” lines or 3x3” squares, containing stands of Infantry, Cavalry or Guns as appropriate. Units of multiple small bases fight with front edges and corners aligned.
0.5 Base Widths. These will be 4” or 3”, and should be consistent with all Units.
0.6 Unit Sides. The Front is measured 45° off the Unit’s two Front corners; this is its Field of Fire and Charge Arc. The Rear, Left and Right Sides are similarly measured: enemy Contacting them get bonus assault dice.
½BW+ of the Target Unit’s closest Side needs to be in the Front Arc to be Fired upon or Assaulted.
0.7 Line of Sight. LoS is measured from a Firing or Charging Unit's front center point to the center of the closest visible side of the Target Unit Base; Front, Left, Right or Rear. It is blocked by anything intervening and apparently taller than figure height e.g. hills, woods, towns, and Units [cavalry are the tallest Unit].
A gap ½BW+ wide is needed to trace LoS through.
½BW+ of a Targeted Unit’s side must be visible and in Firing / Charging Unit’s Front Arc.
Units trace LoS a BW in/out of woods, town, and across hill crest or plateau.
Units lining the edge of Woods have mutual LoS to/from enemy Units outside the Woods.
Guns on a Hill may trace LoS over intervening Obstacles of notionally lower height that are closer to the guns than the Target Unit; however, they may not fire over friendly Units.
Units must have LoS to Fire or charge enemy Units at the time of the shot or charge.
0.8 TURN SEQUENCE The game begins per the OHW scenario instructions. The side said to “go first each turn” has the Initiative Turn 1 – but it can change from Turn 2 on. A full turn has four phases:
1. Orders Phase. Each side rolls a d6; this is the number of Orders the General has. Units within a BW of an enemy Unit cost 2 Orders to be given an Order. Place a d6 next to each Unit to order it for this Turn, showing the Order’s cost, 1 or 2. Place the General with a Unit – it counts as ordered. Units with Orders will be able to select and execute an Action during the Actions Phase, below.
2. Initiative Phase [not Turn 1]. Players roll off a d6; high roll wins and has Initiative; it acts first in Phases 3-4. However, Initiative only switches sides if the Reacting side wins the roll by 2 or more.
3.a. Initiative Actions Phase. The Side with Initiative performs Actions with all Ordered Units.
3.b. Reacting Actions Phase. The Side without Initiative does the same. When performing Actions, each player sequentially selects an Ordered Unit, chooses and resolves an Action for it, then repeats this with another Unit until all desired Units with Orders have Acted. Units do not have to perform an Action. Action choices are: Bombardment, Rally, Move, March, Maneuver and Assault.
4.a Initiative Fire Phase. The Side with Initiative Fires with all Units in Range.
4.b Reacting Fire Phase. The Side without Initiative does the same.
5. Remove Units and Orders. Units that have lost all their Hits are removed, including any attached Generals. Return any Generals that were removed last turn. Remove unused Orders.
3. ACTIONS
3.i. Bombardment. This Action is performed by Guns only and allows them to Fire [4].
3.ii Rally. Units remove Hits by rolling a d6 and regaining: 1 Hit on a 4+ or 2 Hits on a 6+. Add 1 to the die roll if in Cover or General is attached. Units may not rally to less than 1 Hit, i.e. the first Hit is permanent.
3.iii. Movement. Units may use an Order to perform a Move, March, Maneuver or Assault Action. Move and March are a straight line forward on the table up to the rolled distance listed below during their turn:
Unit Type Move March1 Notes
Infantry, Guns, BW +1D6” +1D6 Foot. Guns may not Fire if they Move.
Lights BW +1D6” +1D6 Foot
Cavalry BW +2D6” +1D6 Horse
General 12” during the Orders Phase.
1 Units may neither Fire nor move within 1BW of enemy Units while using a March Action.
3.iv. Maneuver is a straight BW move in any direction, ending facing any direction.
a. Turns. A free 180° Turn is permitted at the start of a Move or March for Infantry and Guns. Lights and Cavalry may Turn at the start or end of the Move. Pivot the unit on its center point. Make the Turn before you roll movement dice!
b. Interpenetration. Only Skirmish Units may pass thru; the moving Skirmish Unit must clear the other.
c. Terrain affects Unit movements follows:
Towns. Gives Cover. Only Infantry and Lights may end their move in a Town.
Woods. Gives Cover. Lights move thru w’no Penalty – others move at half speed OR Turn.
Lakes, Marsh, and the Board Edge are impassible to all Units.
Rivers are impassible, but may be crossed at a Ford or Bridge.
Roads grant unlimited turns and a BW move bonus if a unit spends its entire move on the road.
3.iv. Assault Moves occur when one Phasing Unit uses a Move Action to Base Contact one Target Unit. The Assaulter stops upon contact without further alignment moves. Assault movement restrictions:
The Defender’s Side Arc in which the Assaulter begins the Action is the only one it may contact.
One Turn up to 45° may be made at the Assault’s start; it must align center-center on the Target’s Side under attack.
Guns and Lights may not Assault.
d. Assaulted Guns are Removed immediately.
e. Ordered Guns Assaulted from their Front Arc Fire once at Close Range before Removal.
f. Resolve Assaults immediately, before going on to the next Action. Both Units inflict Hits during the Assault by rolling d6 equal to their remaining Strength Points, modified as Follows:
Cover. Defenders in Towns, Hills, at River Crossings etc. cause Attacker to lose 1d6
Charging gives Cavalry bonus 1d6
Orders. A Unit with an unused Order may spend the Order to Defend and either Fire at 1BW Range before the Assault is resolved, OR get a bonus 1d6 during the Assault resolution
Flank or Rear give Assaulter a bonus 1d6 when touching those sides.
Hits are inflicted by rolling the final modified number of d6 for the Following Target Numbers:
Winner is the side inflicting the most Hits. Defender wins Ties.
Assaults end with the loser retreating straight back from the enemy the Hit difference in BW measured from the Point of Contact – Assaulter loses Ties and retreats 1BW.
If the retreating Unit’s path crosses other Units, terrain etc, it takes a Hit for each one.
If it retreats into impassible terrain it is eliminated.
If it ends its move on any Unit, move it to the closest open space in which it fits.
Winning Assaulters may either move one BW straight ahead or Turn up to 180.
4. FIRE
4.i. Skirmish Fire. All Units have the ability to Skirmish Fire. It has a 360° Arc, 2BW Range, and gets one unmodified d6 for a 4+. It must use the Priority Target rule, below. Marching Units may not Skirmish Fire.
4.ii. Fire is permitted for Guns with Bombardment Orders and all other Units unless they Marched.
a. Fire Arc is 45° Arc off the Front corners.
b. Priority Targets are those within the Front Arc and must be chosen over Targets in any other Side’s Arc. Units may freely choose between Targets that are at the same Range, however.
c. Infantry Fire is 1BW Range with 3d6.
d. Artillery Fire is 2 BW Range - 3D6, 4 BW Range - 2d6, 8 BW Range - 1d6.
e. Fire dice modifiers. The firing Unit may get more or less dice on the shot:
Cover. Firing at Units in cover is -1d6 penalty
Flank or Rear. Firing at these Sides gives bonus 1d6
Order. An order dice may be used as a bonus 1d6.
f. Hits are inflicted by rolling the final modified number of d6 for the following Target Numbers:
Artillery 3+
Infantry 4+
Lights 5+
g. Withdraw! Units that take 3+ Hits from one Fire Action immediately retreat 1BW, as in Assaults.
Hills are considered to be relatively gentle slopes, so provide an advantage defending from Assaults but not from shooting, especially when considering the plunging arcs of the incoming missiles.
5. REMOVALS
Units that took Hits equal to their Strength Points are removed from the table at this point. Remove unused Orders. Attach any Generals that were removed last turn to a Unit [they’ve lost a Turn].
Units receive Hits through combat in the game without reduction in firing ability until they have lost all their Hits and are removed. This reflects a model of fighting whereby casualties are actually relatively low as a percent of personnel, but morale and fatigue are acquired until the Unit routs.
OPTIONAL RULES
Resupply Guns. Guns no longer need an order to Bombard. Instead, roll a d6 and on a ‘1’ they need to choose this Order before they can Fire again.
Defend! Units may spend an Order to Fire in opposing Actions Phase of this Turn, at the end of any Unit’s Action.
Forts/Works. These are Towns in which Guns may also end a Move.
Limbers. Place these or a dust cloud next to Guns that have Moved to show they cannot Fire.
Horse Gun Batteries may Maneuver and Fire.
Limited Skirmishers. The Unit may only Skirmish Fire at 1BW Range.
Light Rifles. The Unit may re-roll a miss with its Skirmish Dice.
Militia. The Brigade may only Turn by Maneuvering.
Impetuous. The Unit Always advances a BW if it wins an Assault instead of Turning.
Medium Battery. These Guns hit on a 4+ instead of a 3+.
Low Supplies. The Unit Fires with a Target Number one worse.
Resolute Steady. The Unit receives a Bonus 1d6 during Assault Resolution when Assaulted.
Stubborn. The Unit receives a +1 to the Rally d6 even if not in Cover or having a General attached.
Division General. The Division General acts as a Bonus General, guaranteeing a simultaneous advance of three units.
Cuirassiers. Unit gets a bonus d6 against other Cavalry Units.
Guard. The Unit gets a +1 to Rally. This may be in addition to the +1 for Cover or the General attached.
Excellent Staff. General can save one Order on an orders roll of 5, two on a 6. They may be used any Orders Phase.
Sluggish. This Unit may only Turn on a Move at the end of the Move, not at the beginning.
Veterans. This Unit may be assigned a second Order but must use both this Turn as usual.
