Napoleonic Wargame Rules

Since I first saw them, I wanted one of these little spiral bound books from England. Now I have one. The rules look vague but I am ready to try them out.

Since I first saw them, I wanted one of these little spiral bound books from England. The Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society shown on the book’s cover was a wargaming group started by George Gush who wrote quite a bit on wargames and wargame rules.

The rules specify no scale for time or distance and no figure ratio.  However, unit sizes are provided with specific British and Austrian infantry regiment numbers and all other nationalities under a generic category.  These are combined in battalions of 30 men and 3 officers.  Cavalry regiments consist of 20 men and 2 officers.  A gun detachment has a single gun and 5 men.

Play appears to be simultaneous though this is not stated.  Sequence proceeds with order writing, retreats, charges, additional movement, firing, and morale tests.

Movement allows a half move and fire or stationary and fire twice.  Terrain includes roads, linear obstacles,breastworks, woods, hills, and buildings all of which have varying effects on movement.  Breastworks and buildings deduct from musketry rolls, woods can block fire after 3 inches.   Line of sight is required for a hit.  An artillery template is provided covering canister, ball, and shell.

Morale tests occur as a result of a variety of events and require the roll of a single die which is modified by additional factors.  The rules also include the use of saving throws which tend to benefit officers and infantry under cover.  Generals are immune to fire but can be captured.

The rules suggest that men can be mounted on bases.  Formations offered are column, line, square, or open order.  Column has a frontage of 8 men or less, line more than 8 men for movement.  Open order 1″ between individual figures, 2″ between movement trays.  For melee, line is 2 ranks or less, column more than 2 ranks.

In other words, much that one would expect from dedicated British hobbyists before more formalized rules conventions.  There is no date on the rules, they do not appear to have a copyright.  The booklet is 32 pages in length.

4 thoughts on “Napoleonic Wargame Rules”

  1. Looking for a copy of napoleonic wargame rules by tunbridge wells via bayonet publication

    Any help would be appreciated

    1. No tables that I can see. The canister rule is written:
      A profile is used….It is placed at gun muzzle. Each round fired hits 1/3 of the men within the profile.
      Units either are not impacted by morale rolls or rout, moving away from the enemy and inflicting no casualties. Morale and firing outcomes are determined by die rolls with a range of modifiers adding or subtracting drom the result. Artillery uses odd little matrices to determine if the firing profile is moved.

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