Ed's marvellous rules

News Flash! Ed, of Ed M's Wargames Meanderings, one of my blogging e-friends, has produced and published (via his blog) a wonderful looking set of rules called ‘Chocolate Box Wars’.

The cover of 'Chocolate Box Wars', demonstrates Ed's excellent desktop publishing skills and professional presentation.

The rules are intended for "post-Napoleonic continental armies", but are readily adaptable and adapted for non-European or non-European-style armies and conflicts. In fact, Ed has already done this for you and provides sample army lists and characteristics for them (more on that later).

So, we are talking about "...elegant officers and steady soldiers in all their post-Napoleonic finery..." that were idealised on boxes of confectionary*. Hence the name for the rules. Pretty uniforms, pre-maxim guns.

(*Not to mention cigarette cards, of which I have many, thanks to collections of my paternal and maternal grandfathers and the valuing of the cards by my parents, transporting them across the world and around various parts of Oz.)

This hyperlink takes you to his post about 'releasing' the rules.

As Ed states in his introduction, the rules are a bit of a ‘doffing’ to the "Floor Wars" and "Little Wars" heritage of the modern hobby of wargaming, but (pleasingly to me) they have more detail for command, formation, ranges, unit characteristics and such. He has drawn inspiration and adapted mechanics from two set of rules called "Iron Cross" and "1914" (neither known to me).

From his posted play tests, they look and sound beaut, but I wanted to provide more of an assessment, so read the rules prior to writing this post.

The time and attention dedicated to the development and play-testing of the rules over seven years is evident in the quality and clarity of the rules and player aids.

He has divided the rule 'book' (pdf) into two parts: the rules (15 pages) and the background, optional rules, rationale/explanations, references, acknowledgements and biography (17 pages). Separate documents provide a two-page quick reference sheet, army lists, worksheet to construct your own armies/units (pdf and excel), examples of unit labels and a 'player card' with an explanation of the abbreviations that are used on unit labels on the obverse and diagrams of firing zones on the reverse.

The rules are designed for games using relatively small numbers of figures to represent units. They are not specific to a ground scale nor scale of figures and have no scale for figure to actual combatant. Distances and ranges in the rules are with 28 mm figures in mind, but they can apply to any scale, or be scaled, as desired. Units are defined by bases of two for an infantry battalion or cavalry regiment, one for an artillery battery or for commanders.

Units are characterised by type (infantry, cavalry or artillery) and class (line, guard, reserve or auxiliary). They may have one or more 'attributes', such as formation (heavy or light, field or horse), size, special weapons (infantry with rapid fire rifles or doctrine/training) or advanced weapons (infantry such as sharp-shooters). Lastly, they have a morale class from élite (A) to low (D), or variable (V).

Command and control is done via activation points, but in one of the most clever ways that I have seen. An army has a 'pool' of activation points (APs) which is the sum of the APs for the units and commanders (see copied graphic below). At the beginning of the turn APs from the pool are allocated, one per unit and one per sub-command, then additional APs may be allocated to units, subject to command range. Adding APs increases the likelihood of activation. The AP pool is reduced by one for each eliminated stand, but cannot be reduced below one AP per unit.

The types of units and their contribution to the pool of activation points.

So, the pool of activation points is finite, but not so limited as to result in inactive units. More points can be used if you really want to get something done. Furthermore, the game turn is brilliantly devised. The active player (determined by a roll# for initiative at the beginning of the turn) tests to activate a unit first, but the non-active player may attempt to react (which is not as easy as 'action' is for the active player). Successful reaction allows the 'non-initiative' player to move his unit first and to resolve any fire. The active player then moves his unit. The active player may also elect to pass. "Players may activate and pass, switching roles several times in a turn." The turn continues until both players have expired their APs, which may not occur at the same time, of course. This is an inspired version of 'I go you go', combining the concept of initiative with 'snatching' initiative'. Brilliant Ed!

(# A twelve-sided die is used by each player throughout the rules.)

Another marvellous attribute of the command and activation is that guards are more difficult to activate and contribute fewer APs to the pool. This represents a "... battalion/regiment or brigade (maybe) of household or other special status guard. Although they may be spectacular combat units on their own, tactically agile (typically elite), and able to make units around them more steady, the guards establishment is a parallel force structure and not well integrated into larger formations. Furthermore, in the very status-conscious CBW era, aristocratic guards officers often did not play well with others, regardless of rank, and could be obstinate, even insubordinate, if given a task deemed beneath their dignity."

Once activated, a unit may do one of five 'actions': move, fire, move and fire, rally, or retire & reform. As expected, movement distances are determined by formation and adjusted for terrain. Units that move and fire do not move as far. The morale class of a unit affects activation, reaction and rallying (in the expected manner).

Combat, "...for simplicity, combat is referred to as “fire”" produces hits, which accumulate to cause removal of a stand once they reach the 'cohesion' level for the type of unit. Rallying is a test to attempt to remove hits, with modifiers for the morale of the unit and proximity to HQ (or a unit of guards—so they do 'care' really, hahaha).

The rules are 'packed' with clearly drawn diagrams for movement principles, changes of formation, relative position, determining range, fire zones and specific examples of combat.

In the second section of the 'book', Ed explains the origins of the rules, what and how he made adaptations to "Iron Cross" and "1914" and added new ideas. He also provides an explanation for particular mechanics, a host of optional rules, a bibliography of primary and secondary sources and other wargame rules that were his sources, acknowledgements to play testers and of fellow bloggers who provided feedback and/or encouragement, as well as an interesting bio. of the man himself!

Ed has given us everything that we need to begin using the rules 'out of the (chocolate) box'.

As mentioned above, separate documents comprise a quick reference sheet, army lists, 'army builder', unit labels and 'player card'. The army lists provide guides for "nationally or ethnically flavoured" armies; 'Catholic German, Austrian, and Austrian Influenced', 'French, French influenced', 'Prussian, Protestant German, Prussian Influenced', 'British, British Empire, British Influenced', 'Italian States, Mediterranean Basin', 'Tsarist and Balkan Clients', 'Danes, Norwegians, Swedes...Viking-folk', 'Hungarians, Eastern Europeans, Frontiers of Europe-Folk', 'American Civil War, Mexican American, Spanish American etc.', and 'Insurrectionists, Territorial Forces, Colonial Native Opposition'.

His two-page quick reference sheet is clear, colourful, not over-cluttered and looks to include everything that a player needs to refer to in the course of normal play. He puts the 'professional' wargames industry to shame with this, as well as the detail and clarity of the rules and additional background and references provided.

I am inspired

I have in mind to use Ed's rules for the Russo-Turkish War 1877–78, once I have figures painted. This is a way off. Mind you, reading the rules in some detail has me keen to make this happen sooner!

Prep'd figures: Romanian infantry left and Russian guard right.

Prep'd figures: Cossacks! Uniformed at left and older, more traditional dress at right.

Prep'd figures: Guard hussars left and Grodno hussars right.

Clearly, too many cavalry for a balanced army so, as well as painting these, I will require more infantry, some artillery and, of course, some Turks before I can give Ed's rules a whirl.