Dave’s 1859-1871 Black Powder Specific Rules

Currently on trial at the club and may receive some adjustments

	Effective Range	BP Range (4cm=100yds)	Notes
Smoothbore Musket (SML)	200yds	8cm	More effective than its flintlock predecessor.
Rifled Musket (RML)	400yds	16cm	Covers the majority of all RMLs in the period.
Lorenz RML	1000yds	40cm	The Austrian weapon of the period, perhaps one of the best RMLs ever.
Dreyse (RBLD)	600yds	24cm	The Prussian weapon for the period.
Chassepot (RBLC)	1000yds	40cm	The devastating FPW weapon.
Smoothbore Medium Arty	1200yds	48cm
Smoothbore Heavy Arty	1800yds	72cm
RML Arty	2400yds	96cm
Krupp Arty	3600yds	144cm	The German breech loading artillery.
Mitrailleuse	800yds	32cm	French FPW secret weapon m/c gun.

1.                   Numbers in [square] brackets indicate battalions of infantry, regiments of cavalry or batteries of artillery; one stand each on the table top. Units will fight either as separate stands in the case of light infantry, cavalry regiments or batteries; or will fight in formations of three stands representing a regiment or brigade – this is the standard default for the majority of line infantry.

2.                   Single cavalry units were vulnerable to modern firepower but potentially useful if they were able to catch infantry and arty in the flanks, thus they are given marauder status to allow this. When cavalry units are combined into “brigades” of three units they will no longer be classed as marauders (they will need good leadership to keep them under control and hence can no longer roam around the battlefield). H-to-H and Stamina adjusted as per ORBATS.

3.                   Cavalry were not expected to frontally charge breach loading infantry (Dreyse or Chassepot). If they did they usually got slaughtered. However, on a few occasions the shear surprise was worth a last ditch effort. Roll a d6, if 6 then charge can be declared and conditions are good (order still needs to be given by the commander, so it may not go ahead) – infantry are caught “surprised” and cannot issued closing fire.

4.                   All Dreyse and Chassepot troops are consider Sharpshooters allowing them to roll one missed shot. This represents high fire rate of the breach loading weapons.

5.                   All Dreyse and Chassepot troops can go prone. They need an order to change formation to/from prone.
a.        -1 to save from shooting
b.       If charged frontally then can attempt to stand, needs successful command roll
c.        If charged & contacted when prone then no closing fire
d.       If charged & contacted when prone then -1 to hit enemy troops in H-to-H

6.                   1859 French (Elan) and 1866 Austrians (Stosstaktik) Infantry tactics meant that they favoured the bayonet over firepower. Thus for line troops, if they are in attack column in each of their respective periods they have +1 command and +2 when charging (as opposed to the usual +1).

7.                   1870/1 Mitrailleuse must deploy next to artillery and cannot be attached directly to infantry formations. Although best used as an infantry support weapon the French did not fully understand its capability and because it looked like and arty piece it was given to the gunners – duh!