Ligny 1815 - umpires notes

Drawing on several sources of inspiration for the game here's what I used.

Surprise events 18 cards (one drawn per move at the beginning of the French phase)
First set
six cards all blank
Second set
shuffle the following
three blank cards - no effect
Three test army morale cards
First card = French test morale - We are betrayed - unknown enemy on their flank (any unit within 48" of the western table edge make an additional morale test on the start of their turn)
Second card = Prussian test morale - Wellington has deserted us (any unit within 48" of the western table edge make an additional morale test on the start of their turn)
Third Card = Unknown units arrive at the table edge roll D6 for what happens
1 = one unit of British Hussars (self order on 7, fail will result in one move back towards table edge)
2-4 two units of French Infantry (self order on 7, fail will result in one move back towards table edge)
5/6 Division (brigade) of French Infantry (commander = 7, fail will result in one move back towards table edge)
Final set
shuffle the following
four blank cards - no effect
Rainstorm – effects this and next move – no musketry and only short range artillery fire
Lobau arrives card - Old Guard infantry can be committed from the reserve (otherwise the Old Guard can only be committed on a D6 roll of 6, plus an order)

Command values
All commanders have value 8 unless specified otherwise
The Presence of Napoleon within 24" boost French command value up to 9
Blucher/Gneisenau = combined value of 8, however Blucher is aggressive and automatically applies a command value of 9 to any unit attempting to charge within 8". Blucher will accompany the charge. Until he returns Gneisenau acts as CinC with a value of 7.

Divisional (brigade) commanders act normally as per the rules, but must act within the constraints of their orders

As well as giving orders to individual units, senior commanders at Army/Corps level have to give orders to their Divisions and take a test to change their orders. If they blunder then their opponent can decide what the Divisional order will be!

Division orders
Hold/Defend - no more then half the command may move and only one unit can charge
March/Manoeuvre - No charges allowed, at least half the units in the command must move, +1 on command rolls. Movement must be towards the nearest enemy or in the direction defined by their commander,
Reserve - no movement allowed, but +1 on command roll to change orders.
Attack - At least half the units must move towards the enemy and at least one unit must charge if in reach of the enemy

Limits on Artillery firing
If a firing battery rolls two or more 6s then it is low on ammunition and uses one less dice when firing a second roll means it is out of ammunition. To recover the battery must retire to a ammunition caisson in the rear areas (out of artillery range).

Objectives

Prussian
Overall objective is to resist the French along the line of the Ligny brook until Wellington comes to your aid.
Per French brigade broken +2
Ligny held (no Prussians with 6") +5
St Armand held +4
Per charge made by Blucher +1
Blucher killed/captured -4

French
Overall objective is the overall destruction of the Prussian army, the Prussian reserves are to be drawn into combat around the villages so that D'Erlon's Corps can attack their rear and trap the lot.
per Prussian brigade broken +2
Ligny taken (no Prussians with 6") +5
St Armand taken +3
Napoleon killed /captured -5

Leipzig refight - scenario specific rules

Although Black Powder will be used there are a number of extra rules will be applied for this scenario.

• 2/3 scaling will be applied
• Each game turn (combination of French and Allied phases) is assumed to be 30 minutes and the game starts at 8:00am.
• All commanders will have a command rating of 8 with the exception of Klenau, who will be 7 and Napoleon rated as 9
• Napoleon is present for the French 9:00 am move. At the start of any subsequent French move roll a dice on a score of 1 Napoleon leaves the table to sort issues on other fronts.  If absent there is a 50/50 chance he will return that move.  Position Napoleon before rolling any command dice.
• Any commander within 16" of Napoleon will have a command rating of 9
• Units of the Guard cannot be committed unless Napoleon is present
• Units off table have either a designated time of arrival or a specified location in the reinforcement zone.  During the command phase units in the reinforcement zone that are not committed onto the table may be swapped between adjacent locations - roll a d6 and on a roll of 4 or more the swap is successful.  This can be repeated multiple times until a swap fails.
• Broken brigades are removed from the table.

Black Powder - Napoleonic variations

Some extra variations for playing Black Powder in the the Napoleonic period, The other variations, such as move sequence also apply.

A) Cavalry v’s Infantry melee

Formed cavalry fighting infantry in the open get double dice if they are not disorganised

B) Forming Square

Close order infantry units in the open must form square, if charged by formed cavalry, unless they have secure flanks.  Units attempting to form square roll 2d6 as per the rules, but fail on a 10 if the cavalry are within 1 move, 11 is within 2 moves and 12 as normal if more than 3 moves away.  This can be varied by training, but 12 always fails.  Ignore the double 1 effect.

C) Skirmishers charged by cavalry

Infantry skirmishers charged by cavalry can evade a full move if the move takes them into rough terrain (such as a wood or an unoccupied building), or safely behind friendly troops. Test for this in the same way as infantry forming square.  Any unit that fails is eliminated.  Skirmishers are disordered after evading.

D) Low ammunition (optional)

Artillery that rolls more 1s than 6s is assumed to be low on ammunition and its firepower is reduced by 1d6 until it makes a full limbered move to the rear. Obviously this means that the gun cannot fire at long range

E) Multiple combats

A unit may only be contacted by one enemy unit per face. This gets around various problems of massed columns.  Two small or tiny units may contact the same side of an enemy line.

F) Only shaken units break

When fighting melees against defended obstacles/buildings an attacking may lose the melee because of the building bonus, then by an unfortunate break test they rout.  In Hail Caesar the units only break if shaken, so apply the same rule, if unshaken they retire disorganised.

Black Powder variations

Variations to the Black Powder rules based on local playing experience and ideas from the Black Powder Yahoo group.

1) Move Sequence (all moving player unless mentioned otherwise)

· Initiative moves

· Normal command moves

· Move generals (who have not issued rally or follow me orders)

· Remove disorder from stationary units

· Defensive fire (non moving player) and break tests

· Hand to hand combat and break tests

· Follow up moves and any resulting hand to hand combat resolution.

· Check brigade morale

2) Disordered units

Cannot take orders, but may retire into their rear quarter as part of initiative

3) Movement

All movement into flank or rear quarters is done at half pace

Close order can move through woods, but at half speed and for each 6” or part moved though the wood roll a d6. If the result is 1-3 the unit is disorganised and movement ceases.

4) Interpenetration

Any close unit passing though a gap between close order units narrower than half its frontage rolls a d6. If the result is 1-3 the unit is disordered and movement ends. Passing through skirmishers and artillery has no effect. Distance moved is measured via the gap between units.

5) Brigade morale

As per Hail Caesar, more than half units broken, or all shaken for the brigade to be broken. Ignore tiny units, small or artillery count ½; large count 1½ if needed. Rallies still possible.