This is part of a wider review of rules for the WSS, WAS & SYW.
Overview
The rules play quite quickly and allow each player to have several brigades each containing a number of battalions/regiments. Each brigade commander is assigned a level of competence appropriate to his nationality and the period of the war. The rules reflect the performance and manoeuvre speed of historical armies and therefore all armies are not the same. e.g. Prussians are well lead and quick to manoeuvre and the Reichsarmeey are the reverse.
These rules contain a number of elements to the rules which I like and several worth comment. The key points are:
- Friction of command: Most of the time brigades can be relied on to follow orders however about 1 in 6 (2 in 6 if poorly lead) commands may fail to advance. Conversely some brigaded may advance double moves especially when well lead.
- Turn sequence: Players alternate moving brigades and then alternate shooting. This adds an interesting choice of which brigade to fire realising that this will allow your opponent to fire first in a separate encounter elsewhere in the battle.
- Combat: All firing and melee uses an average die (2,3,3,4,4,5) modified by troop quality and situational parameters. The score is then cross referenced on a casualties table.
- Artillery: A battery has roughly the same firepower as an infantry battalion.
- No of units: I played a sole game with 13 units on each side in 2hrs including time to check on rules.
- Special equipment: The HoW rules use average dice (beloved by WRG ancients players but not used very much these days). It is quite easy to use D6 and score 1 as 3 and 6 as 4.
- Casualties: Players need to be able to record casualty hits on units until the unit is removed. There are no figures removed as casualties. Five hits destroy a unit, 4 force it to retire and 3 give it a disadvantage in combat. I like the way units on 4 or 5 casualties fall back a move, causing casualties to units behind them as they fall back.
- Scale: The rules work with all bases sized and the author suggests scaling your moves and firing to the same as a unit's width as both were roughly the same; i.e. about 80yds.
- Availability: Osprey (and therefore available from Amazon and most book stores)
- Cost: £9.99
Battle
Time Period: WSS 1701 (pre-creation of Britain)
Although this game as played solo, I fought it from the side of the British with the French taking minimal steps to repulse my attack, which makes my defeat even more embarising.
The Battlefield: The battlefield was set up to allow for the various tests in the scenario. Review of WSS (WAS & SYW) rules.
English
- 4 English Infantry (2 superior and 2 standard) with Dashing General
- 4 British standard Horse with Dependable General
- 4 German allies standard Infantry plus medium gun with Dependable General
French
- 4 French standard Infantry with Dependable General
- 4 French standard Infantry with Dependable General
- 4 Horse (2 superior, 2 standard) with Dashing General
Stream Crossing: The English left wing commander smartly advanced a double move and crossed the steam. As infantry are not slowed by crossing hedges only the stream impacted their speed, 1/2 move penalty to cross.
The cavalry melee was bloody with both engaged regiments being supported by regiments to their real/flank. I encountered an interesting result when both sides managed to take their opponents to 5 casualties forcing them to rout back a turn before dispersing (other supporting regiment took moral hits from being routed through).
Cavalry Frontally changing Formed Infantry: The superior French horse charge the formed Germans who had artillery support. The cavalry took four hits from closing fire and retired back unable to reach the infantry line.
In the centre a French infantry battalion fired a volley into the British horse where were already carrying casualties from being routed through by friends. This forced the British to fall back across the stream.
Artillery: The artillery had a significant impact on the fire fights by bringing the firepower equivalent to a battalion to the combats.
Infantry vs buildings: Infantry in building receives a -2 defensive modifier which gives a considerable edge in combat.
Infantry vs Infantry: Choosing which brigade to fire first became important. I chose to fire my Germans on the right flank fire but that allowed the French right flank to fire at my (British) left flank first. This allowed the French to give 3 casualties to the British imposing a -1 modifier on their return fire. This contributed to the eventual loss of the British left after a couple more rounds.
Army Moral: The French won this battle as the British army reached its breaking point.
Summary: A popular and well supported set of rules which gave me a quick result. I found the firing and melee results a little too variable for me but I had a good game.
