Added Rules ( Instructions) for Science Fiction Gaming.

Below are some extra rules to add to to those listed in the Table Top Battles 2nd Edition.

VEHICLE STATS                  DEFENSE POINTS.                                  

Deployed Towed Artillery;                3pts.                         

Deployed Towed Heavy Artillery;    3pts.                         

Limbered Towed Artillery;                4pts.                  

Light Armoured Personnel Carrier.   4pts.

Heavy Armoured Personnel Carrier.  5pts.

Vehicle-Mounted Small-Arms;        ————.                  

VEHICLE STATS:                     ATTACK POINTS,

Deployed Towed Artillery             5pts.

Deployed Towed Heavy Artillery: 6pts.

Vehicle-Mounted Small-Arms:       3pts.

* RULE CHANGE: Small Arms and Rifles have no effect on Vehicles of 4 DEFENSE POINTS OR ABOVE.

*During a Game-Turn, both sides will roll a 12 sided die to see who fires first, prior to the Firing Phase.

MACHINE GUNS AND  MINIE GUN AGAINST INFANTRY:   If the target infantry stand is caught in the open by Machine gun fire, the target infantry stand is automatically removed on any lower score.

 NOTE: Players will still throw a 12 sided to decide who moves first, gains the Initiative Point and decides Combats.

* The side with the Initiative Point also decides any tied results. 

* Vehicles do not have to “ move-back” as a result of Firing. If not moving back,  a vehicle will have 2 Points deducted from any Firing die roll on return fire within the same Game-Turn.

* vehicles cannot move over or through a square containing another vehicle, wether they be friendly or otherwise.

* Vehicles CAN move through /over a square containing friendly Infantry but cannot actually stop within the square containing the friendly infantry.

* Vehicles and Artillery As Targets : If within 2 squares the target will be destroyed on any lower score, HOWEVER, if the TARGET STAND SCORES HIGHER, IT IS THE FIRING STAND THAT IS DESTROYED.   Infantry targets are classed as a miss, should the Infantry score higher and still have the option to “move-back”.

* If two opposed Vehicles/guns are in adjacent squares during the combat phase and neither wishes to “avoid”, then both vehicles/guns are destroyed in a collision. When the situation is a vehicle versus enemy infantry, then if the infantry fail to avoid, the infantry stand is removed from play.

* Opposed forces will have their Morale calculated by adding the combined Defense and Attack Points of each stand into a grand total. This total is divided by 2 and the end result is the Morale of the Force. This is reduced as stands are destroyed.

* Destroyed vehicle stands are left on the playing area and Both Sides CANNOT move vehicles or figures over or through that square, or diagonally between that square and any obstacle.

* Destroyed vehicles do block line of sight for Firing.

* The Infantry within an APC can leave the APC when the APC stops moving. The Infantry are positioned alongside the APC on that Game-Turn. The infantry can fire. When infantry are adjacent to an APC they can mount up and the APC can move.

* If an APC is hit, it’s points total,plus the points total of the stand or stands it was carrying are removed from the morale total of that army.

BASING FIGURES: 

This is just a suggestion. On my stands I have used this system. 5 figures for Regular armed “Riflemen”. 4 figures for a “Heavy Weapons” group and 3 figures for a Command Group which includes a “Heavy Weapon”. I’ll use 6 figures for a Militia group.

The Kra’vak, I’ve based as 5 “rifles” and 4 to a Heavy Weapons Team. There is no Command. These Aliens just come together for an attack or Campaign!.

This picture shows the “ Orbital Knights Vehicles” from ETSY which are six to a pack. Two I have converted to tanks. The other four are APC,s which each carry two squads. The figures are from Ground Zero Games Kra’vak range.

This picture shows the small “Blower” APC,s. Each one carries  a squad of figures. Each “Company” is of two squads of Rifles. 1 Heavy Weapon squad and one Command Squad that also has a heavy weapon.( This is part of the force that is listed as a Mercenary Company by Brigade Models).

* Towed Artillery can limber up and move OR move and unlimber. The Towed Artillery cannot perform both functions in the same Game-Turn.

* Towed Artillery cannot fire while limbered, and cannot fire in the same turn as unlimbering.

* Towed Artillery do not use the “Move-Back rule but do deduct 2points if firing back within the same Game-Turn.

This picture shows the same artillery piece limbered and unlimbered. ( artillery crew from Brigade Miniatures, Gun and Tractor from Alternative Armies Bradly Fighting Vehicles.)

The above instructions have come about since playing the game shown in the previous blog.

I used the basic rules given in the Table Top Battles 2nd edition and I thought to add a little more detail.

The map of the imaginary world of Esper is in the rulebook.

Battle of Abukkin 2260AD. Swabia. Esper. [ Sci~Fi ]

 Extract from the diary of  Lieutenant George Smith;

Well, the day started ok. Orders came from The Colonel. Arrange for one battery of Artillery to travel out to Abukkin for some practise firing. The local Heta [ the Town Council ] had given permission for the firing.

Captain Rawlinson decided to take a Security Detail with him, four platoons with four Blower APC,s. a small Detail as trouble wasn,t expected. Captain Rawlinson had the camp set up and the firing line established. Just as the fire order was about to be given, the men were stunned to see strange vehicles approaching their position.

At first, the men were wondering what was happening. The Esperans were known not to have any sort of advanced armoured vehicles. As soon as the "Alien" vehicles opened fire, that decided the issue. Captain Rawlinson didnt know what or where they came from, but they were firing on his position so "they" were the enemy. He ordered the guns to target the vehicles. The infantry piled into the Blowers.

The Artillery tried to return fire but our men took heavy casualties. We have managed to get some drone photographs.

The Artillery engaged the Alien vehicles at long range but failed to stop them. The blowers moved out but the weaponry was not powerful enough to penetrate the armour. The survivors made it back to Fort Wellington in the remaining vehicles. The “ Aliens” did not pursue the survivors. The people of Abukkin scattered into the woods.

An enquiry has been ordered to find out why the Orbital Guardships never gave any warning of incoming hostiles!. In the meantime we now have to find out who these attackers were and where these hostiles have gone!———.

PLAYING NOTES:

HUMAN DETACHMENT;

4 stands of  Towed Artillery: Defence 3/ Attack 5  total 8 x 4 = 32.

2 stands of  Lorry Transports: Defense 3 / Attack 3 = 6 x 2 = 12.

4 stands of Blower Armoured Personnel Carriers: Defense 4 / Attack 5 = 9 x 4 = 36.

2 stands of Infantry with Flak Armour and Heavy Weapons: Defense 3 / Attack 4.= 2 x 7 = 14.

2 stands of Infantry with Flak Armour and Rifles:  Defense 3 / Attack 3 = 2 x 6 = 12.

TOTAL: 106 = Morale total = 53.

ALIEN FORCE;

2 stands of Tanks: Defense 5 / Attack 5. = 2 x 10 = 20.

4 Armoured Personnel Carriers ( each carrying two stands) Defense 5 / Attack 4 = 4 x 9 =36.

6 stands of Infantry with Rifle: Defense 3 /Attack 3 = 6 x 6 = 36 points.

2 stands of Infantry with Heavy Weapons: Defense 3 / Attack 4 = 2 x 7 = 14 points

TOTAL: 106 points = Morale total = 53.

THE BATTLE,

* The battle is played for 8 Game-Turns.

* The side losing the battle will have either have lost more stands than the opposition and/or suffered a collapse in Morale.

* The river can only be crossed via the bridge.

* The battle is played out on a 3 foot x 2 foot ( 90 cm x 60cm ) table.

CREDITS:

The figures and vehicles are all 6mm. The Human Infantry, Blower APC,s and Artillery Crew are from Brigade Models (listed as “ A Mercenary Company” ). The Human Vehicles are from Alternative Armies Bradley Fighting Vehicles range.

The Alien Infantry are from the Kra’vak range from Ground Zero Games. The vehicles are entitled “ Orbital Knight Vehicles” which were obtained from the Etsy website online. Two of the vehicles have scratch built turrets made from buttons, plasticard, and plastic tubing.

The bases are 40mm x 40mm and cut from 1mm picture framing cardboard. The trees are by various manufacturers.. The hills are a mix of those made by Brian of Essex Miniatures and some scratch built from cork tiles. The village buildings are scratch built from picture framing cardboard as is the bridge. The roads and river are made of thin card. The fields are made from pan scrubbers.

The above is a section of the map of Esper. The “x” marks Abukkin. Circled is Destioa, the town where Fort Wellington has been established.

Battle of Rocoux. Austrian Netherlands. 11th October 1746.

 This is my personal interpretation of this battle. Any mistakes are my own.

Following on from the battle of Fontenoy, Marshal De Saxe and his Generals made short work of taking over various fortresses within the Austrian Netherlands. The French army was aided in this by the garrisons giving up as soon as the French army appeared.The Netherlands ( modern Belgium) is situated on France,s northern border and considered by Saxe as a good campaign area.

However all was not well within the French Government. The war had been an enormous financial burden on the French Treasury. Louis the 15th and his Ministers were desperate for peace but not from a weak position. Peace talks were already taking place at Breda.

Meanwhile, Marshal Saxe had capped a successful campaign by taking Namur, and thought that the fighting was done for the present, but he was wrong. The Empress of Austria, Maria Theresa, did not want to loose yet more territory to the Franco-Prussian alliance.

Prince Charles of Lorraine was Brother-in- Law to the Empress and commanded the Pragmatic army. The Netherlands were not to be given up. Late September found the Allied army marching south down the western side of the Meuse from the United Provinces ( Holland ) toward Liege.

De Saxe could not believe that the Allied army wanted yet another battle, but when the Allied army crossed the Jeker ( the Jaar) Maurice was determined to win. The Allied column reached Liège, then faced right to bring the army into position facing the direction of the French encampment to the west. 

The Dutch were positioned on the left nearest to Liege with their right flank in Rocoux. Next to them were the British and Hessians. Further right were the Hanoverians covering the village of Varoux. Finally, anchoring the right flank were the Austrians, positioned on higher ground with broken ground to their front.

De Saxe could not not believe what he was seeing. The Allied line was thin and positioned with a major river behind them. However, if battle was what they wanted that was what they would get. 

Because Prince Charles was present, the  British Duke of Cumberland stepped back from the command of the Army. Command of the British contingent and Deputy command of the army was taken up by Sir John Ligonier. A no-nonsense Officer with increasing stature amongst his peers.

Marshal Saxe was determined to stamp his authority on the battle. To that end he sent one of his “ Brigades” under General Clermont through Liège to outflank the allied position. Exactly how this was accomplished is not known. The gates may have been opened by pro-French sympathisers within the city. Once through the city, Clermont,s division attacked the left flank of the Dutch, forcing the Prince of Waldeck to realine his forces

General Clermont-Gallerande on the French left, was told to demonstrate against the Austrians but not to attack. The main effort was to be against the Dutch, British and Hanoverians.—————-

THE FRENCH ARMY: 102,000 = 102 points.

THE “ BRIGADE” OF GENERAL CLERMONT..28,000 = 28 pts.

1 General ( Clermont ).                 @ 2 pts.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry.       @ 4pts.

6 stands of Line Infantry @ 3pts = 18 pts

2 stands of Light Infantry @ 2 pts = 4pts.

THE “BRIGADE” OF MARSHAL SAXE. 26,000 = 26pts.

1 General ( and C-in-C ) Maurice De Saxe @ 3pts.

3 stands of Line Infantry @ 3pts = 9pts.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry.   @ 4pts.

2 stands of Heavy Artillery @ 2pts = 4pts

3 stands of Cavalry. @ 2 pts = 6 pts.

THE “ BRIGADE” OF GENERAL CONTADES. 24,000 = 24 pts

1 General ( Contades )  @ 2 pts.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry.   @ 4 pts.

4 stands of Line Infantry. @ 3pts = 12 pts.

2 stands of Light Artillery. @ 1pt = 2pts

2 stands of Cavalry. @ 2pts. = 4pts.

THE “ BRIGADE” OF GENERAL CLERMONT- GALLERANDE. 24,000 =24pts.

1 General ( Gallerande ).  @ 2 pts.

1 stand of Grenadiers. @ 4 pts.

4 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 pts. = 12 pts.

2 stands of Cavalry. @  2pts = 4 pts.

2 stands of Light Artillery  @ 1 pt. = 2 pts.

THE PRAGMATIC ARMY: 89,000 = 89 pts.

THE DUTCH “BRIGADE” OF THE PRINCE OF WALDECK: 26,000 = 26 pts.

1 General ( Waldeck )  @ 1 pt.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry. @ 4pts.

5 stands of Line Infantry  @ 3pts =. 15 pts.

2 stands of Light Artillery. @ 1 pt. = 2 pts.

2 stands of Cavalry. @ 2pts.= 4pts.

THE BRITISH “ BRIGADE” of SIR JOHN LIGONIER. 19,000 = 19pts.

1 General (. Ligonier ). @ 2 pts.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry  @. 2pts.

3 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry. @. 2pts.= 6pts.

2 stands of 2nd class Hessian Line Infantry. @ 2pts = 4 pts.

1 stand of Cavalry @ 2pts.

1 stand of Light Artillery @ 1pt.

THE HANOVARIAN “ BRIGADE” OF GENERAL VON ZASTROW. 17,000 = 17pts.

1 General  (Zastrow ) @ 1pt.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry. @ 4 pts.

3 stands of Line Infantry. @ 3pts = 9pts.

1 stand of Cavalry @ 2 pts.

1 stand of Light Artillery @ 1 pt.

Note: At this time British troops were auxiliary to the Hanoverians on the continent. A number of histories combine the two as “ The British Army”.  However King George was Elector of Hanover and in The Kings eyes it was Hanover first.

 The situation is not helped by the fact that the British and Hanovarian Infantry uniform was very similar. The British fielded approximately 16,000 on most occasions with the bulk of the army being Hanovarian with some from Hesse..

THE AUSTRIAN “ BRIGADE” OF PRINCE CHARLES OF LORRAINE: 27;000 = 27pts.

1 General and C-in-C  ( Prince Charles ). @ 1 pt.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry. @ 4pts.

4 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 pts. = 12pts

2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 pt = 2 pts.

4 stands of Cavalry. @. 2pts. =. 8pts

THE BATTLE;

* The French retain the Initiative Point for the entire battle.

* The rivers Jeker and Meuse can only be crossed via the bridges or the pontoon bridges. Any stand being forced into one of the rivers is lost.

* The French army is moved first on the first Game-Turn,  BUT NOT Clermont,s Brigade within Liège. Clermont,s Brigade can be moved as normal from the second  to the eighth Game-Turn.

* Although the French retain the Initiative point for the entire battle, both sides still have dice thrown to determine which side moves first, fires first and wins any tied results.

* If any stands suffer a “ move back” as a result of firing or combat, and cannot be moved back, that stand is removed from play.

* There are two patches of Broken Ground in front of the Austrian position. Stands cannot be moved into those particular squares.

* The game is played for Eight Game-Turns. The French win if they can cause more casualties than they suffer in points. If the points are equal, the French  also win if they can take the villages of Rocoux and Varoux.

HISTORICAL NOTES:

Maurice De Saxe ( Maurice of Saxony ) was one of the pre-eminent Commanders of his time. Unfortunately there was nobody on the Allied side to match him. The Austrian commander Prince Charles did have combat experience is did Waldeck and Zastrow, but they were all basically pedestrian, as was the Duke of Cumberland.

 Sir John Ligonier was a rare Officer who could take in the “big picture”. There is no evidence for it, but seeing the situation the Allied army was in, I am sure it was Ligonier who had the pontoon bridges constructed and arranged for the army baggage to be sent over the Meuse. 

The battle was a victory for the French but did not cause the complete destruction of the Allied Army as Saxe had planned. On the morning of the battle, there was fog and drizzle, which delayed the French attack. Eventually as the Allied centre gave way. De Saxe sent orders to Clermont-Gallerande to attack the Austrian position.

This was meant to impede any Austrian support to the centre. But Gallerande waited two hours before commencing the advance, allowing the Austrians to cover the retreat of the army over the Meuse.

There were political consequences to this battle. Maurice was a Saxon and although he had the full backing of Louis the 15th (XV ) none the less, the French Officer Corp resented taking orders from an outsider. In the wider Political world, major Alliances were starting to fray.

At the eventual Peace talks France was forced to hand back all its conquests. Through British connivence Austria was forced to underwrite Prussia’s conquest of Silesia. Although the War of the Austrian Succession had a few more years to run, both the French ( allied to Prussia) and Austria ( allied to Britain) felt that they had been hoodwinked.

Thus the stage was set for the next great conflict as France and Austria, enemies for at least the previous 300 years themselves became allies. The “ Diplomatic Revolution “ as it was later termed was to set Europe on its head and pre-empt the Seven Years War.

CREDITS:

The figures are mostly Miniature Figurines, with Peter Pig and some Essex Miniatures. The flags are hand painted on masking tape. The bases are 1mm picture-framing cardboard.

The two-storey buildings were bought from Total Battle Miniatures. The two villages were scratchbuilt from the picture framing cardboard, as were the pontoon bridges. The hill was made by Brian at Essex Miniatures ( recently resprayed.).

The trees were made by various manufacturers. The roads and river were cut from thin card, the field sections are cut from pan scrubbers as is the broken ground.

My Mums ancestors, the Lane Family, were part of the group that helped King Charles 2nd escape after the battle of Worcester in 1651. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2nd has passed away today. May Her Majesty Rest In Peace.