CHAOS OF BATTLE: AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

INTRODUCTION & GLOSSARY

Overall goal is to provide 15mm miniatures gameplay that models higher level command and maneuver up to and following battles some lasting several days. Grand Tactical. Elements that it should include are stress, casualties, supplies, fog of war, subordinate commander personalities, and the push of the pike rather than unit removals.

Scale

Terminology

Force Selection

Deployment

Turns

Engagement

Fighting

Unengaged Movement

Supply

Combat Tokens

SCALE

An 4 stand unit of 15mm figures will represent a full strength regiment. 3-5 of these would be a Brigade which would be the unit of maneuver. It should be fought on a large table, at least 5 x 9. There are 5 day turns and 2 night turns. Infantry units could march a maximum of 12" per turn (average 7") . Figure scale, time scale, and ground scale are not consistent and units do not wholly occupy the space that miniatures mark them as being.  Engagement will occur at 4", for example, for infantry.

The only battlefield formation at this scale is line. All regiments are deployed in line all the time. The formations that matter will be those of the regiments within the brigades,

TERMINOLOGY

ENGAGEMENT RANGE: 4"-8". If  any part of a regiment is within engagement range then the regiment and even the whole of the brigade is 'engaged'.

ENGAGED: Units that are engaged have limited options: Advance Regiments, Dress Lines, or Withdraw. While engaged, no part of the brigade may be within 4" of an enemy unit unless it is fighting and there must be at least one regiment within 5".

 FIGHTING RANGE: Less than 4". If any part of a regiment is within fighting range then it is fighting. If any part of a regiment is within fighting range then the remainder of the brigade is considered engaged (no matter how far it is from the regiment. The command staff must respond to the fighting).

FIGHTING; Units that are fighting are seeking to heavily damage or strain opposing units. Units that are fighting must remain fighting until a combat result for either or both sides results in them no longer being within 4" of any enemy.

LOS - The general rule for LOS for artillery is that a straight line must be able to be drawn from the artillery to the target that it at least as wide as the artillery base. The gun may be rotated on its center to fire.

COMBAT TOKENS: Combat Tokens are markers that may be played into fights to possibly affect the outcome of a fight when it is finally resolved. Players will have a limited supply and they are drawn from a tin at the game's beginning.

CHECK! - During the simultaneous unengaged movement phase, there will be times when the action must be halted to potentially change the status of opponent's markers or even deployed units. When a player intends to move to within 8" of an opposing marker he calls out CHECK and all movement is stopped except for any brigade already rolled for completes its movement. Then the results of the movement attempt are resolved. Note that this is also used in the case of simply bringing any unengaged unit into engagement range since at this time it will be noted to your opponent that the unit in question is no longer unengaged and so cannot move in the Unengaged Movement phase if it had not already done so.

CHAOS OF BATTLE ROLL: If there are two markers on the table for the same brigade, this represents neither side being exactly sure where they are. When either marker is challenged to make a Chaos of Battle roll, roll a D6 to determine the results based on the characteristic of the Brigade Commander. Prior to rolling the owning player chooses which is the preferred marker. He does not need to indicate where the other marker is but states if the marker in question is preferred or non-preferred. If the preferred marker is revealed to be within 6" of its player commander 1 may be added to the roll (selected after rolling)

OTHER: Remove the preferred marker. Resolve for no duplicate marker as required.

PREFERRED: Remove the other marker. Resolve for no duplicate marker as required.

STRESS TEST:  A Stress test for a Brigade is a 1D6 roll. If they get over the stress number of the brigade then it is a success. Equal to or less is a failure.

Regimental stress tests are 2D6 rolls that are against the regimental stress + brigade stress level. Rolling higher than the combined stress numbers is a success.

STARTING THE GAME

FORCE BUILDING

General ideas:

Forces start with equal numbers of brigades as agreed upon. The default is a Reliable infantry Brigade with 4 regiments and 1 Combat Token per Brigade for your opponent.

STEP ONE: Each player may replace 1 infantry brigade with a cavalry brigade. Additional cavalry brigades require removal of two (2) infantry brigades..

STEP TWO:

Downgrade any units to Unreliable for 1 Combat tokens drawn from a bucket for both you and your opponent..

Downgrade any units instead to Untested for two (2) Combat Tokens plus one (1) combat token for your opponent.

Summary: After you have your brigades chosen, count up combat tokens:

Your Opponent gets: 1 per brigade of yours +1 per Unreliable or Untested brigade of yours.

You will get 1 combat token for each unreliable brigade of yours and 2 per untested brigade.

STEP THREE:

For each brigade of the same type that is lowered to 3 regiments in strength, you can up one brigade to 5 regiments.

Any infantry or cavalry brigade with 4 regiments may replace one with artillery. Any Infantry brigade with 5 regiments may replace two regiments with artillery batteries.

NOTE: The force built at game start is the force that will be starting on table. Reinforcements will be bough in the same way when they are allowed.

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TERRAIN

Use whichever system you desire for setting up terrain

Once terrain is set up, players should agree on landmarks. Each battle should have at least two prominent landmarks and these will be places that troops will gravitate toward and fight over. There may be up to 4 landmarks per game.

- the highest/largest hill

-the largest village/town

-Crossroads or bridge

-Train depot or intersection

Units will get movement bonuses when moving directly toward landmarks.

DEPLOYMENT

Units are initially deployed as 3' X 3" card markers for brigades. On the exposed side would be simply flags of their side and on the hidden side would be their brigade name. There must be a sheet maintained for each side, which lists each brigade, its component regiments, and their current stress levels and strength. Each player should have two markers for each brigade as at deployment time they may place 1 or 2 for each brigade. Player commanders are represented on the table as miniature command teams.

Players will compile all of their brigade markers at start and may have 1 or 2 (their free choice) for each in the pile.

Without a specific scenario, players should dice off to see who places first. The side that does not place first decides which narrow end is the north end of the table. The south end is opposite it. Players will take turns placing brigades and commanders.

The first unit placed can be anywhere on the table but must be 12" or more from their opposing table side. When placing a marker it must be 4" away from any friendly markers or units and cannot be within 12" of an enemy marker or unit. Friendly command teams do not count for this.

When it comes time to place a brigade they may reveal that the second brigade marker for the marker they are placing is not in the play deck and may instead opt to deploy the miniatures on the table and may give them a line of breastworks. The brigade commander is placed within the deployment area and all regiments must be deployed within 4" of the commander and not within 12" of enemy units.

Once all units are placed, Supply Wagons and player commanders may be placed but must be closed to friendly units than enemy units.

PLAYING THE GAME

TURNS

There are five daylight turns and 2 night turns.

Movement in NIGHT and DAWN turns requires Stress Tests

TURN SEQUENCE OVERVIEW

SHAKE OUT:

Commanders with unengaged units may choose to deploy them. If they cannot reveal the off-table marker for the brigade then they must make a chaos of battle roll. Whichever marker is determined by the roll to be selected must deploy. 

ENGAGEMENT PHASE

Roll a die. The High die will go first in each of the Engagement Phases for this turn.

In this phase, engaged units will fire artillery, redeploy, withdraw or advance to fight.

Units at Engagement range may do one of the following and both players do all withdrawing before any start to do engagements etc.

Reminder that Engaged units are ones which are within 8" of an enemy and that engaged units must always be deployed. Units locked in fighting are also engaged.

1. Withdraw to Unengaged status

Players will alternate withdrawing Engaged Brigades to Unengaged status.Engaged units that have any units fighting may not withdraw.

To withdraw, move Brigade commander so that it is 10" back from the closest enemy unit. Move all units such that they are all out of engagement range from any enemy forces and within 4" of the brigade commander. Dismounted Cavalry may choose to mount. Artillery must limber. Increase the Brigade stress by 1 unless it was all mounted cavalry or had no unlimbered artillery.

2. Form up Phase.

Mark all engaged brigades that you wish to prepare to go into fighting in the fighting phase. These brigades will be unable to rest. A pile of dice that will be used to mark the fighting regiments should do as a marker.

3. Maneuver: 

Players will alternate maneuvering brigades that are Engaged. Pick one of their engaged Brigades and conducts engagement activities for it. Sides will then alternate until all engaged brigades have performed their actions.

Move the brigade commander up to 4" but it must remain within engagement range of at least one enemy brigade that it is currently engaged with.  Also, if the engaged brigade is fighting, the Brigade commander cannot move further than 4" from any fighting regiment in his brigade. You may then move all the units of the brigade that are not fighting so that they remain within 4" of the brigade commander and within engagement range of some enemy units. Artillery may become limbered or unlimbered. Cavalry can mount or dismount.

Fire Artillery. Unlimbered artillery that did not move may fire. Roll a die for each gun model firing. 3-6 result causes one stress in an engaged enemy regiment with LOS to the battery. +1 to the roll if the target is in woods, +1 if it is on a hillside, +1 if it is behind breastworks or a building. Brigades under artillery fire or firing artillery cannot rest. Engaged units that are fighting are eligible targets only if they are not in melee contact. If a natural 1 is rolled when shooting, add 1 stress to the firing artillery regiment.

4. Resting:

If not receiving artillery fire, forming up, has any unit fighting, is maneuvering or firing artillery you may rest an engaged brigade. Remove 1 stress from the resting brigade.

Note that resting Engaged Brigades does not remove any regimental stress.

FIGHT PHASE

Fights are all the same fight if they are within 4" of one another fight. Place cotton in between units that are engaged in fighting. In a given turn, two fights may not be joined into one if one of the fights has already been resolved.  Joining up fights is otherwise an ongoing process that should be done whenever it is noticed that the situation has changed.

At the start of the fight phase, players dice off to determine which side may first conduct fighting. The fighting player must do one of the following:

-Attempt to initiate a new fight. Move an engaged regiment forward until it is within 4" of the closest enemy regiment but not into contact. Mark all fighting Brigades on each side with dice (and or smoke) indicating their current regimental stress level. Note that there is a minimum of 1.

-Select an already occurring fight that has not been resolved yet this turn and do one of the following Once a fight has been selected both sides can only deal with that fight until it is resolved for this turn.

FIGHT ACTIONS

RESOLVING A FIGHT

Each turn, all fights must be resolved for the turn. When a fight is tested, it should be resolved before hand.

Roll a D6 for all fighting regiments. Add one stress to all fighting regiments on a roll of 4-6 but subtract 1 if they are on higher ground and 1 if they are in woods or behind breastworks.  Mounted cavalry cannot claim breastworks. If they are in contact then they gain one stress besides the die roll. For each artillery battery in fight range, the owner of the artillery may appoint one regiment in front of that battery with at least one full stand visible to receive 2 stress. A Regiment in melee range cannot be targeted unless it is in melee with the artillery battery. Roll a D6 for all artillery in the fight and on a 1 it receives 1 additional stress. Each time a regiment's stress is changed, alter the die marker accordingly. Every time a regiment would receive a stress that would take it above 6, rolls a D6. On a 4-6 it loses a stand. Every brigade that has a unit fighting in this fight gains 1 stress.

TESTING A FIGHT

When a fight is tested, beginning with the side that first called it, either reveal a combat token or select an enemy regiment to take a stress test or a friendly unit to take a stress test and gets a + to the dice roll as follows:

Untested +1

Unreliable +2

Reliable +3

 Before rolling the stress test on a fight, the owner selects Bend or 'Hold the Line'. If he selects 'Hold the Line' then he adds 2 to the dice roll of all tests but if the stress test is failed then the unit losses a stand and flees back to 7- 8" away from its closest enemy unit. It gains 2 more stress. If he selected Bend then failure results in withdrawing the regiment to engagement range (5-8") and no further stress is gained. If you pass the stress test then you maintain your position.

When a unit is tested, it cannot be tested again this turn. Remove the regimental stress die marker and note the stress level on the unit sheet.

Players will alternate back and forth until all combat chits are revealed or all units are tested. If no unit fails a stress test then the fight is considered resolved. Remove all Combat Tokens.

If a unit fails its Stress Test then that side has lost the fight. Withdraw all units to engagement range and add 1 stress to each brigade and each regiment falling back that has not yet tested. The victors may remove 1 stress from all units not yet tested, from each fighting brigade, and draw a Combat Token.

Limbered artillery moves back normally. Unlimbered artillery makes a stress test. If they succeed then they limber and withdraw. If they fail then they are destroyed.

Dismounted cavalry makes a stress test. Success mounts and withdraws. Failure withdraws dismounted.

Write down all the new regimental morale levels and remove the dice markers since they are no longer fighting.

NEITHER TESTED SIDE WITHDREW

If, all units have been tested and none have failed their stress test then the side that called it first withdraws his brigade commanders 5" such that none are within 6" of any enemy regiments and then moves all of its units back so that they are within 4" of their brigade commander and not in fighting range of any enemy. The opponent then readjusts his units to confirm that none are within fighting range of any enemies. All involved brigades gain 1 stress.
 

UNENGAGED MOVEMENT:

Players simultaneously move unengaged units, commanders, and markers.

Note: DAWN, EARLY NIGHT and LATE NIGHT turns all require that brigades make stress tests in order to conduct unengaged movement. If not deployed, such rolls are made per marker, not per brigade.

All unengaged movement must start and end as unengaged movement except in the following cases (each of which must be CHECKed):

CHECK CIRCUMSTANCES 

Ordering a Marker to Engage a Deployed Brigade:.

You may order a marker that is within 12" of an enemy to move to within engagement range of that enemy force. In order for this to be successful you must make a stress test against the highest stress level in that brigade. If successful, you must confirm that this Brigade does not have another marker on the table and a Chaos of Battle resolution is required if so. If the other marker is removed, deploy your brigade at engagement range with one regiment being 5" from the enemy and all others no closer. Otherwise remove this marker.

Ordering a Marker to Engage a Marker:

You may order a Marker to Engage another Marker within 12" of it. Announce a CHECK. Once checked, the one announcing the CHECK makes Chaos of Battle, not necessarily selecting this marker as his preferred. Remove the false marker and if the engaging marker remains, make a chaos of battle roll for the defending Marker. Only if BOTH markers are representing actual brigade positions will any brigade be deployed and in which case, both will be deployed with the defender deploying first around his marker location. The engaging unit then deploys with one regiment being 5" from the enemy and all others no closer.

Ordering a Deployed Brigade to Engage a Marker.

 You may order a deployed unengaged Brigade to move to within engagement range (8") of a marker if it started moving within 12" of that marker. There is no stress test required. Announce CHECK and then your opponent will make a Chaos of Battle roll as required. If they deploy then once they are finished deployment, resolve this movement such that at least one regiment of the engaging brigade is 5" from the enemy brigade. All other regiments may move up to 6" forward.

MOVING UNENGAGED UNITS: In all other cases, unengaged units will start their turns outside of 8" of the enemy and may not move to within 8" of any enemy markers or regiments. Markers may not be closer than 4" of another marker but deployed units and markers have no limitations on distance between them. There are two ways that a unit will move in the Unengaged movement step: either as deployed brigades or as Markers.

MARKER MOVEMENT: Markers have a movement rate based on the best terrain that they are touching at the start of their movement (so if they are half in the woods and half out, they move as though in the open).

ROAD. 1D6 +6 inches

CLEAR 1D6 +3 inches

FOREST 1D6 +1 inches

+3" if starting their movement within 6" of a player commander.

+1D6" if the brigade is moving directly toward a landmark.

Player Commanders always move up to 8" and cannot fight or move to within 4" of enemy units. They must move out of range of enemy units if they can. Markers cannot end their movement within 4" of another marker.

Note that cavalry markers do not end up moving any faster than infantry markers. For cavalry to get movement benefits they must deploy.

Any brigade that moves and was on a hill for any part of its movement receives a stress point. If it started and ended its movement on hills (and moved) it receives 2 stress points. If they had to cross water (creeks) then add 1 stress

DEPLOYED MOVEMENT: Deployed regiments move based on the worst terrain that any of their regiments are touching. Determine their movement rate and then move the brigade commander up to that distance while not getting closer than 8" of the enemy. Move all units to within 4" of the commander but keep in mind that none can be within 8" of the enemy. The distances are the same as for marker movement but Cavalry brigades roll a second D6 and add it. Any brigade that moves and was on a hill for any part of its movement receives a stress point. If it started and ended its movement on hills (and moved) it receives 2 stress points. If they had to cross water (creeks) then add 1 stress

Player Commanders are moved after all other Unengaged Units have been moved on both sides.

RESTING:

After all unengaged brigades have moved on both sides, currently unengaged units that did not move may rest. Resting in the day removes 1 stress from all regiments in the brigade and 1 stress from a brigade. Resting by night removes 2 from a regiment and 2 from a  brigade.. If you are resting an undeployed brigade, you can do so with certainty by revealing the unused brigade marker. If you cannot reveal it (or choose not to) regimental resting is successful on a roll of 4-6 on a D6.You cannot have two successful rests for the same brigade in the same turn.

At the end of the Unengaged Resting Phase, deployed unengaged units may be replaced by 1 or 2 brigade markers. Put one down centered on the brigade commander and the other can be anywhere 4" away from the first and not within 12" of an enemy.

SUPPLY WAGONS

Supply Wagons are never represented by markers but are always deployed and do not count as units for engagement and fight purposes.  If an enemy unit gets to within 4" of a supply wagon it is destroyed.

If within 6" of a resting infantry or cavalry regiment, that unit  recovers an extra stress.  If within 6" of a resting artillery battery, that battery recovers 1D3 stress in addition to normal resting amounts. Supply Wagons do not benefit Brigade stress levels.

COMBAT TOKENS

OUTFLANK - If you have a fighting unit that is extending wider than an enemy unit to its front, it may outflank and add 2 stress to the opposing unit.

REFUSE FLANK - The next 'outflank' token revealed in this fight has no effect. Adjust the alignment of a brigade so that outflank criteria is not met.

HEROIC INSPIRATION - Select a brigade commander in the fight. Decrease Brigade stress by 2.

REINFORCE THE LINE - Each infantry or cavalry regiment in this fight with another regiment of the same type behind it and within 2" may remove 2 stress and transfer it to a supporting unit.

SNIPER - The opposing side in this fight may not hereafter benefit from HEROIC INSPIRATION or TACTICAL BRILLIANCE.

TACTICAL BRILLIANCE - Add 1 stress to all enemy brigades. For determination of WEIGHT OF NUMBERS (if revealed later in this fight), double the number of forces on this side.

CAVALRY SUPPORT -  If there is a deployed, mounted cavalry regiment within 8" of an opposing regiment in this fight that is not currently fighting, then it may immediately be added to this fight by moving the shortest route possible to contact that enemy regiment. Add 2 stress to the closest two enemy regiments and 1 stress to the brigades of those two regiments.. Add 2 stress to the cavalry regiment also.  

COUNTER CHARGE -  When this token is revealed, the owner may advance any and all fighting units into melee contact (space permitting). Add 1 stress to all units on each side that are newly in melee.

REBEL YELL - Union players may throw this back and draw two tokens as replacement. If one of those is a REBEL YELL then they cannot return it until the next day at DAWN. Add 1 stress to all contacted Union units and remove 1 stress from all contacting confederate units.

SEIZE THE STANDARD - Select a regiment that is in contact. Remove 1 stress from it and add 1 stress to the opposing contacted regiment. 'RALLY TO THE STANDARD' cannot modify the opposing regiment in this fight.

BREAK THROUGH - Select a regiment that you have in contact with an opposing regiment that DOES NOT have a supporting regiment behind it and within 2".  That regiment must take a stress test and if it succeeds then the opposing regiment must take a stress test. If either fails it gains 3 stress.

DOUBLE SHOT - All of this player's artillery in the fight does an extra 1 stress of damage but receive 1 stress if they roll a 1 or 2 instead of just a 1.

HOT PURSUIT - Whichever side wins this fight has the option to move all their fighting brigades forward to within 8" of an enemy brigade that they were fighting so long as this does not bring them into fighting range of any brigades. The victor may then make a stress test on one of the pursuing units of their choice. If it succeeds it can move to fighting range of a single pursued unit.

TOOTH AND NAIL - Select one infantry regiment in contact with another. Each loses 1 stand and gains 2 stress. If either unit is reduced to less than 2 stands it is removed.

LIKE A STONE WALL - All of your brigades in this fight must select  'Hold the Line' for their stress test but add 3 to the die rolls rather than two. If they break, add 2 stress to each defeated brigade rather than 1.

RALLY TO THE STANDARD - Remove 2 stress from one regiment

WEIGHT OF NUMBERS - The side with the most units adds 1 stress to one enemy unit for each unit it has more than the enemy. Multiple stress additions must be spread evenly among the enemy regiments. Also add 1 stress to all brigades on the outnumbered side.

UNION

CONFEDERATE