Based upon Martin Rapier’s variant of Neil Thomas’ One Hour Wargames:

One Hour Napoleonic (MR 02.01.24) 

from https://tgamesweplay.blogspot.com/p/one-hour-wargames-rules-and-scenarios.html

Turn sequence. 1) Draw Chance Card 2) Shoot 3) Move, Resolve cavalry charges 

Shooting requires LOS, may fire overhead from a higher elevation. Arc of fire +/- 45 degrees, 360 from an occupied

SP/Town. Artillery may not fire from town. Units move OR shoot. Roll specified number of dice.

3+ to hit. Half effect 5+. Quarter effect 6. Reduce morale 1 for each hit. Cavalry do NOT shoot!

Targets that suffer 3 (or more) hits from shooting from a single source = retreat 1 box directly away from source. Steadfast troops ignore this effect.  Conscripts retreat one box as above when suffering 2 (or more) hits from a single shooter.

Rout Units rout when their morale is reduced to 0. Attached Leader +1. If a unit is routed by Line Infantry musketry

(1 box range), the firer may advance into the empty hex. 

MovementUnits face a box side; no diagonals!. May pivot at the start and end of their move only, otherwise move forward,

plus or minus 45 degrees; moves on the diagonal cost 1.5. Standard move rates are for units deployed for combat. 

Reluctant units- must roll a D6 and score less than their remaining remaining hits to advance or charge,

Interpenetration Light Infantry may pass through and be passed through by any troops from any angle. Other troops may

temporarily overstack if they are facing in the same direction at the start of the turn, but must end the turn

unstacked, (so units may swap places or pass through). 

Cavalry ChargesCavalry must have LOS to target to charge (so no charging over ridges or through friendly units). Cavalry

may not pivot before charging and must have enough movement to enter the target box. Cavalry can charge

over bridges or into towns or a wood via a road but at half effect due to narrow frontage. This is in addition

to any cover bonuses the target may have. If the charge routs the enemy, occupy the target box, otherwise cavalry

remains next to the target unit. Units with Shock charging units without same gain an extra D6 in melee.

Only the unit that charges inflicts casualties! Note that Infantry and Artillery may NOT engage in melee!

Impetuous units that charge MUST continue to charge on subsequent turns as long as there are any valid targets!

Square Infantry units may go into or out of square at the beginning of their movement phase. Unit in Square

may not move or shoot, but also may NOT be charged by cavalry while in Square.

Bayonet ChargeIf a Line Infantry unit routs an enemy with massed (1 box) musketry, it may advance into the vacant hex. 

Column of Route.Line Infantry/Guns +1 box cross country, +2 boxes entirely on road. Cavalry, Light Infantry +1 box entirely on

road (no bonus x-country). Treat units as flanked for all combat, may not fight in column of route apart from

cavalry. Cavalry may charge in CoR at half effect. To exit formation, move a normal move next turn.

Roads. Roads may only be used in Column of Route, they allow units to enter/cross otherwise impassable terrain

and impart a movement bonus. 

Infantry charge response vs Cavalry Line Infantry may pivot to face cavalry if charged. 

Terrain 

Towns and Strongpoints (SP): Towns fill a whole box, SPs are isolated farm complexes etc. All unit types can end their move inside towns

and SPs; but only infantry can occupy them. Occupied towns and SPs count all their sides as “front”; they can

thus shoot 360° and cannot be charged/shot “in the flank/rear”. Line and Light infantry attacked at half effect

by Line Infantry. Artillery cannot fire while in a town, but fires at units in them as normal. Cavalry can only

charge units inside towns/SP at half effect vs cavalry/guns (5+) and quarter effect vs Infantry(6). 

Morale Hits reduce morale. When a unit has lost all its hits, it routs and may not be recovered in the timeframe of the

game.

 Leaders

An Army may have one or more leaders allocated to it. Leaders move with units or as cavalry although they may

enter woods. A leader stacked with a unit under their command allows it to take one extra hit before routing and

adds a bonus to its morale roll. 

Leader RiskIf a leader is in a box which takes a hit, leader is removed on a 2D6 roll of ‘2’. If the leader is in a box where

the unit routs, or if they are overrun by an enemy unit, they are lost on a 1D6 roll of ‘1’. If they are overrun and

survive, the leader retires 1 box. 

Unit types

Leaders

Army and Corps commanders of notable repute 

Line Infantry Conventional infantry formations operating mainly in close order. They are assumed to have skirmishers screens

and attached artillery, accounting for their long range. Represent 6-8000 men, but the size may be adjusted for

different battles, but keep the 2:1 ratio with cavalry. 

Light Infantry Infantry with a much thicker skirmish screen, and a limited number of formed supports. The optimum units

for operating in broken or close terrain. They also have attached artillery. Represent 6-8000 men.

Cavalry

Close order cavalry, very effective against infantry in the flank or against guns and light infantry. 

Heavy Cavalry

More effective against other types of cavalry. Have attached horse batteries. Represent 3-4000 men 

Artillery Corps/Army reserve artillery grand batteries. Most artillery is assumed to be attached directly to units.

Represent 50-60 guns. Units assumed to have around 20-30 guns each. 

Troop quality Excellent units with high morale and cohesion or possibly very strong units – 7 hits. Good Units with good morale and cohesion – 6 hits. Poor Units with poor training, leadership, morale, tactics or possibly just weak – 5 hits. French Old Guard Units – 8 hits

 With the theme for 2024 being “Historicon goes to the Movies”, part of the idea for the game is to use quotes from the film to make chance cards. I thought of all sorts of creative ideas, but in the end decided to just go with the ideas Neil Thomas set forth himself in One Hour Wargames, slightly modified. The result was one deck of 15 chance cards for each side.