These rules are based upon Steve’s “Eagles Cheaper than Brain Cells” over at the Sound Officer’s Call blog, which are them selves descending from Neil Thomas’ One Hour Wargames. I have also borrowed some ideas from Martin Rapier’s OHW variant that I used at Historicon last July.
I used them for a solo game and then a FTF game in the past month. Here they are with a few minor modifications based upon those games, which will appear as write ups on the blog soon.
“Square
Eagles”
UNITS
AND BOXES:
There
are four types of Units, representing typical formations. Each unit
occupies one 4” to 6”square box. It must face one of the four
sides of the box; no diagonal facings! Shooting and moving is +/- 45
degrees. Count diagonals as 1.5 boxes for moving or shooting.
Diagonal
moves cannot be made if both boxes to either side are occupied by
troops or terrain the unit cannot enter. All units except Light
Infantry and units in Towns/SP exert a Zone of Control into the box
directly to their front. Any unit that enters an enemy ZOC must
either assault that unit, or stop there and face into a box
containing at least one such unit. Units that start in an enemy ZOC
must either remain stationary and face into at least one such unit,
assault one such unit if able, or withdraw from the zone of
control without charging.
Line
of sight is measured from the center of the unit’s box to the center
of the target. Intervening woods, hills, towns, and units block line
of sight. One box is about 150 yards. A turn is about 15-30 minutes
of In/Action.
-
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.
NO
flanks/rear for fire or melee combat. -
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. -
Heavy
Cavalry.
As above, but big men on large horses, they have an advantage over
lighter cavalry in mêlée. -
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
Square Eagles, 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. Can share a box with a unit.
Strength
Points:
Infantry 7 SP, Cavalry 5 SP, Artillery or Skirmishers 5 SP. Can
adjust up or down 1 SP for relative numbers, troop quality, etc.
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 five phases:
1.
Orders Phase: All
generals roll one D6; this is the number of Order the General. Units
within l box of an enemy unit cost two pips to be given an Order.
Place a marker next to each unit to Order it for this turn, showing
the Order’s cost – 1 or 2. Place the General with any unit under
his command (within 4 boxes); it counts as Ordered. Units with Orders
will be able to select and execute an Action during the Actions
phase.
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.
3a.
Initiative Actions Phase:
The
Side with Initiative performs Actions with all Ordered Units.
3b.
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.
4a.
Initiative
Fire Phase:
The
Side with Initiative Fires with all Units in Range.
4b.
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
straight ahead on the table up to the maximum allowed distance
listed below during their turn, except that Infantry in Column,
Skirmishers, and all Cavalry may include 1 box on the diagonal (costs
1.5) as part of their move.
Unit
Type
Move
or
March
Infantry,
Foot Artillery: 2 Boxes; Foot Artillery
may not Fire if they Move; +1 Box if Marching (Infantry only in
Column)
Lights:
3 Boxes
+1 Box if Marching
Cavalry
and Horse Artillery:
3 Boxes; +1
Box if Marching
General
4 Boxes
during
the Orders Phase
Units
may neither Fire
nor
move within 1 Box of enemy Units while using a March
Action.
3.iv.
Maneuver:
is
a single 1 to 1.5 Box move in any direction, ending in any formation
and 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.
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 with 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 1 Box move bonus if a unit spends its entire
move on the road (Infantry must be in column to use Road and/or
March movement).
3.iv.
Assault Moves
occur
when one Phasing Unit uses an Assault Action to enter a Box
containing one Target Unit.
The
Assaulter stops upon contact. 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 90 degrees may be made at the Assault’s start. -
Artillery
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
(potential) 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, in Woods, etc. cause Attacker
to lose 1d6 -
Charging
gives
Cavalry bonus 1d6.
Cavalry
charging Lights gives an additional 1 d6 bonus. Cavalry fighting
Heavy cavalry lose 1d6 in melee. -
Orders
A
Unit with an unused Order may spend the Order to Defend and either
Fire at 1 Box 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. -
Formations:
Infantry
in Column get a a bonus 1d6 when assaulting infantry not themselves
in Column; Squares have no flanks & get +2d6 when assaulted by
Cavalry,
but can only move by Maneuver and may not assault. -
Hits
are
inflicted by rolling the final modified number of d6 for the
Following Target Numbers:
Cavalry
3+
Infantry
4+
Lights
5+
-
Assaults
end with
the loser retreating straight back from the enemy the Hit difference
in Boxes; – Assaulter
loses Ties and retreats 1 Box.
-
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 in the same box as a friendly Unit, move it to the
closest open Box in which it fits.
Winning
Assaulters
may
either move one Box straight ahead or Turn up to 180.
4.
FIRE
4.i.
Skirmish Fire:
All
Infantry and Artillery Units have the ability to Skirmish Fire. It
has a 360° Arc, 2 Box 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.
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
1 Box Range with 3d6.
d.
Artillery Fire
is:
2 Box Range 3D6, 4
Box
Range 2d6, 8 Box Range 1d6. Horse Artillery limited to 4 box
range, BUT may Move and Fire in the same turn!
e.
Fire dice modifiers:
The
firing Unit may get more or less dice on the shot:
-
Cover:
Firing
at Units in Cover or at Lights is -1d6 penalty; Lights shooting
ignore this penalty. -
Flank
or Rear:
Firing
at these Sides gives bonus 1d6 -
Formation:
Infantry in Column or Square shooting at 1 Box range 2d6. Artillery
shooting at Column or Square +1 d6 -
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 1 Box, 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. Remove any Generals who
were with a unit that was removed. 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.
Count as Medium Artillery, maximum range 4 boxes.
Limited
Skirmishers.
The
Unit may only Skirmish Fire at 1 Box Range.
Light
Rifles.
3 Box range; the
Unit may re-roll a miss with its Skirmish Dice.
Militia.
The
Brigade may only Turn by Maneuvering.
Impetuous.
The
Unit Always advances one Box if it wins an Assault instead of
Turning.
Medium
Battery.
These
Guns hit on a 4+ instead of a 3+; includes all Horse Artillery.
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.
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.
Square Eagles – Summary Sheet
Unit |
Move |
March |
Shoot |
Skirmish |
Melee |
Special |
Infantry |
2 Boxes |
3 Boxes (Column only) |
1 Box – 3d6* Hit 4, 5, 6 |
1d6 all directions |
SP d6 Hit 4, 5, 6 |
Formations: Line, Column, Square |
Lights |
3 Boxes |
4 Boxes |
1 Box 3d6 Hit 5, 6 |
1d6 all directions |
SP d6 Hit 5,6 |
May enter woods, -1 d6 as target No flank/rear |
Cavalry |
3 Boxes |
4 Boxes |
N/A |
N/A |
SP d6 Hit 3, 4, 5, 6 |
+1 d6 Charging -1 d6 vs Heavy Cav |
Heavy Cavalry |
3 Boxes |
4 Boxes |
N/A |
N/A |
SP d6 Hit 3, 4, 5, 6 |
+1 d6 Charging |
Artillery |
2 Boxes |
3 Boxes |
1 – 2 Boxes 3d6 2.5 – 4 boxes 2d6 4.5 – 8 boxes 1d6 Hit 3, 4, 5, 6 |
1d6 all directions |
Eliminated |
Only Horse Artillery may Maneuver and Fire, HA/Medium Artillery hit on 4,5,6. Horse Artillery max range = 4. |
General |
4 Boxes |
4 Boxes |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Bonus to Rally, 1 Free Order |
Effects of Infantry Formations:
Column: Allows March Move, 1 box diagonal, +1 d6 for Assaults, only 2 d6 firing at 1 bow range, +1 d6 as target for Artillery
Line: Standard effects
Square: No movement except Maneuver, no flanks, +2 d6 vs Cavalry, negate Cavalry charge bonus, +1 d6 as target for Artillery, 2 d6 for fire at 1 box range
Fire Modifiers:
-1 d6 shooting at Cover (Lights ignore)
-1 d6 shooting at Lights
+1 d6 shooting at flank or rear
+1 d6 for unused Order marker
Melee Modifiers:
-1 d6 Defender in cover or uphill
-1 d6 Cavalry assaulting Heavy Cavalry
+1 d6 Cavalry/Heavy Cavalry assaulting (except vs square)
+1 d6 Cavalry assaulting Lights
+1 d6 Assaulting flank or rear (except Lights defending)
+1 d6 Infantry in column assaulting Infantry in Line or Square