COMBAT MECHANISM

Voltiguers annoy Horse Artillery

To use many card units requires concise rules. I am working on an idea I had years ago to do with the RISK dice combat mechanism.

In Napoleonic confrontations there seem to be a series of events as the two units confronted each other:

1. Approach with intent to fight. As opposed to manoeuvre or skirmishing.
2. If one side was less aggressive it would commence firing at a distance.
3. Even under distant fire a column could deploy to line in order to press an attack home.
4. After closing to reliable death-dealing distance volleys are exchanged.
5. A short rush with the bayonet is then enought to set the enemy flying or lead to melee.

At each of these stages one side could be overawed or panicked and turn tail.

I rationalise these stages into 3:

1. Approach to combat
2. Musketry exchange
3. Rush to contact and melee.

Mounted troops could technically also shoot but would tend to omit phase 2.

With this model on a ground scale of 1mm to the yard units can be halted at 100mm for the approach check, 50mm for the musketry exchange and contact for the melee.

So now to the dice...

Each unit uses an appropriate dice for its quality rating. d10 for Guard, 8 for vets, 6 for 'spirited' and 4 for 'dispirited' or irregular.

A column of Imperial Guard aproach a line of Spanish regulars. At 100mm both roll a dice. The Guard get d10 Dons get d4. IG roll 6 Spanske roll 2. This means the Spanish take to their heels before shooting or melee. And so on....

Now if we test for each phase it could get long-winded. Instead, throw 3 dice at the same time and pair them off in order of decreasing score. If the Guard win the first pair they proceed to musketry dice - still winning then the last 2 dice show the outcome of the melee.

This way we know who won, at what stage of the engagement they were victorious and what the margin of victory was if we compare the two scores. All from throwing 3 dice simultaneously and with no tables consulted.

More details to be worked out. What if the IG lose, do they rout, stop etc ?