Portable Napoleonic Wargames: Combat Mechanics

A small play test of mechanics.  Both sides rolling '6's'
wasn't much help!

My recent Portable Quatre Bras game, along with the earlier Army (Corps) games (Wavre and Grand Rosiere) have led me to think about ways to obviate combats that (a) guaranteed immunity from harm, and (b) guaranteed susceptibility to harm.  During the course of the Quatre Bras action, the British Guards Division, in column, ran into Foy's Division. 

Foy had the deeper column (3 stands against 2); both could claim a general officer present.  As the combat mechanics stand, there was no way the French could sustain a hit.  As it transpired, the Guards rolled '2' to determined what happened to them; and the French rolled a '1'.

Incident in Quatre Bras action.  French roll of '1' was
still not low enough to register a hit on them.

This seemed to me not an especially desirable outcome.  Why shouldn't the French at least have had some chance of taking a hit?  In the write-ups of those battles, I made certain proposals, but have since decided that they aren't quite satisfactory.  I want to stick as close to the 'spirit' of the original rule set as may be, and felt that my suggestions did that.  But they also seemed rather hard to remember.  So I have had a considerable rethink.

First of all, a reminder of the Portable Napoleonic Wargame Combat Rules.  I'll rearrange the text slightly, but otherwise the meaning is the same.  Close combat is between opposing stands (figure bases) in adjacent grid areas.  Whose turn it is 'initiates the combat' (I infer even if it is an ongoing one).   IThe original rules are in italics, and I have added amendments to these in roman.


Both sides roll a D6 die for their (own) figure base involved in combat and add or subtract any relevant modifiers.

Add 1 to the D6 die roll score for:

• Each friendly supporting stand in the same grid area as the stand initiating the combat;
• Each friendly supporting stand in the same grid area as the stand being attacked;
• If the stand initiating the combat is cavalry attacking infantry or artillery;
• If a friendly commander or subordinate commander is present in the same grid area as the stand for which the D6 is being rolled;
• If the stand being rolled for is in contact with the flank or rear of the enemy stand or formation of stands.

Add 2 to the D6 die roll score for:

• For friendly flanking support stand in the same grid area as the stand initiating combat OR being attack or in contact.

Reduce by 1 the D6 die roll for:

• Unit is being attacked (or has been contacted) in flank or rear by enemy;
• Enemy unit or stand is uphill(1) or in cover;
• For each enemy supporting stand in the same grid area as enemy initiating combat;
• For each enemy supporting stand in same grid area as enemy being attacked (contacted).

Reduce by 2 the the D6 roll for:

• Enemy unit is in fortifications (or strongpoints);
• For enemy flanking supporting stand in same grid area as the stand initiating combat OR being attacked or in contact.

BLUE column vs RED line.  The dark numbers represent
'unsafe' unmodified D6 rolls; the lighter numbers, the 'safe'.

Note 1:  I am disinclined to offer a bonus for being uphill or a penalty for being downhill, whether shooting or in combat.  My own reading seems to indicate that, owing to a tendency, especially among unpractised troops, to firing high, being downhill might actually have been the favourable position, even though at the time it might not have been perceived as such.   That the perception and reality might have been at odds sounds plausible to me, and for that reason am inclined to leave the matter open.

But now we come to the substance of my proposed amendment.  It is this.  When rolling their respective D6s, the players also determine their bonuses (pluses) and penalties (minuses).  The side with the higher 'plus' count adds 1 to his D6 roll, and the player with the higher 'minus' count reduces his D6 roll by 1.  The effect of this is that in no combat is the risk of a hit less than 16%, nor greater than 50% (2).

Note 2: I did consider that the higher minus count reduce his D6 roll by the difference, but for now, prefer the 'gradualist' approach.

Examples:

1. A single French (BLUE)  stand (figure base) advances 

into contact with a British (RED) stand accompanied by its Division commander (denoted by the flag).  The numbers indicate the D6 scores that will result in a hit being received.

BLUE: D6 score: 2 + 0 (no modifiers) = 2 Hit
RED: D6 score: 1 +1 (GoC Div) = 2 Hit
RED: D6 score: 2 +1 (GoC Div) = 3 Not hit.

 2.  A BLUE column of 2 stands, led by a Division commander, advances into contact with a RED brigade stand also accompanied by its divisional commander.

BLUE: D6 score: 1
Pluses: Goc Div + supporting stand = 2
Minuses: none

RED: D6 score 3
Pluses: GoC Div = 1
Minuses: Enemy supporting stand

BLUE has more 'pluses' so adds 1 to his D6 roll.
RED has more 'minuses' so reduces his D6 roll by 1.

BLUE final score = 1+1=2 Takes a hit (A D6 roll of 2 would have been safe)
RED final score = 3-1=2 Takes a hit (A D6 roll of 4 would have been safe)

3.  A BLUE column of 2 stands, led by a Division commander, advances into contact with a RED Division column also accompanied by a general. 

BLUE: D6 score: 3
RED: D6 score: 1

BLUE pluses: GoC Div + 1 support stand = 2
RED pluses: GoC Div + 2 support stands = 3
RED adds 1 to his D6 score.

BLUE minuses: 3 enemy support stands = 3
RED minuses: 2 enemy support stands = 2
BLUE reduces his D6 score by 1

BLUE final score = 3 - 1 = 2 Takes a hit (A D6 score of 4 would have been safe)
RED final score = 1 + 1 = 2 Takes a hit (A D6 score of 2 would have been safe) 

4.  A BLUE column of 3 stands, led by a Division Commander, advances into contact with a RED line of 2 brigade stands.

BLUE: D6 score: 1
RED: D6 score: 2

BLUE pluses: GoC Div + 2 support stands = 3
RED pluses: 1 flank support stand in hex = 2
BLUE adds 1 to D6 score.

BLUE minuses: 1 enemy flank support = 2
RED minuses: 2 enemy rear support = 2
NO modification to either D6 roll.

BLUE final score: 2 Takes a hit (A D6 roll of 2 would have been safe)
RED final score: 2 Takes a hit (A D6 roll of 3 would have been safe).

Here I'll pause, and add more examples next time.
To be continued...