Avaiable in Digital Format also

The Gallant Grenadier

An Ultra-Fast Set of 7 Years War Rules

By Ben King

Introduction:  In the early years of miniature wargaming most 7 Years War rules were simple and easy to play. Sadly, many were watered down Napoleonic rules that ignored the realities of 18^th century warfare. Gallant Grenadier recaptures the spirit of that fun-filled era while providing accurate 18^th century rules. The figure ratio is 1:50, a model gun represents a battery and the Generals & staff individuals. After the rules are combat examples. The Combat Cards have all the tables needed to play Gallant Grenadier. As long as the figure scales and basing systems are consistent they’ll work with these rules. That’s it.

Preliminaries: You will need model soldiers, terrain, a tape measure and 2 differently colored 10 sided dice. One d10 has a range of 1-10. 2 d10s are d% and give a range of 1-100. Soldier classes are Guard, Elite, Veteran and Line.  Class differences are demonstrated by d10 modifiers for combat and morale, the Unit Reaction Time (URT) and fatigue points listed in the Class Mod Table on Combat Card A. 

The Game Turn: The game is divided into turns and each turn has 4 parts. Part 1 is movement and fire. Each side rolls  d% and the high scorer must move first. After the high scorer (player 1) moves, any eligible artillery piece or unit on either side may fire. Artillery always fires first. After player 2 moves, remaining eligible guns/units may fire. Guns and units can fire only once per turn. Part 2 is Melee (hand-to-hand combat). Part 3 is unit Morale and Part 4 is Army morale. Casualties are removed as they occur.

 Movement is in inches. The maximum movement rates are listed in the Movement Table. Players may move their units shorter distances if they wish or not at all. Formed infantry and cavalry are allowed to charge every 4^th move but only to engage the enemy. Light infantry and light cavalry in skirmish formation may run every 4^th move. A URT is the time it takes the unit to accomplish something. For example it takes 1 URT to change formation which means an elite unit takes 1/3 move while a line unit takes ½ move. A battalion in line may pivot 30⁰ with one end stationary in one URT.  It may not pivot on the center. Brigades in line may pivot only 15⁰ per URT. Some activities take more than 1 URT. All of the activities are listed in the URT Table on Combat Card A.

Formations are on Combat Card A. In the 18th century the proper formation was necessary for moving and fighting. Units that can pass through one another and the times they take in URT are in the Passage of Lines Table. Formations must be in good order to move and fight effectively. Pivots are made from either flank, not the center of a unit. The outside man takes a basic move. Formations that are slightly disorganized are “disordered.”  A unit that has just waded a stream; finished a melee; or has charged and not reached its objective is disordered and needs 1 URT without moving to reorganize. Disordered units can’t charge and have 2 subtracted from d10 rolls and 20 from d% rolls. Disordered units get no advantage in melee other than being in square or defending barriers and houses. Neither artillery nor infantry gets tactical advantages for firing. Units attacking a disordered enemy double their LF. A badly disorganized unit is “muddled” when it is forced into a friendly unit; runs into one by accident; or is forced into a melee while wading a stream or river. It takes 3 URTs of the lowest class to untangle a muddle and none of the units may fire. If attacked in melee, they fight as if taken in the rear. Units sort themselves out even during melee. A 2^nd rank must have at least 50% of the figures of the 1^st rank to count as such. Combat Card B has suggested unit organizations.

Attack Values (AV): Cavalry and infantry AV are based on the number of figures while artillery AV is based on points. The AV is combined with 1 or more situation factors and a d10 roll to get the Lethality Factor (LF). LF = (AV + modifiers + d10). If the LF equals or exceeds the target’s DF there is a hit. Target units lose figures while guns, horse teams and buildings lose points. If the LF is 2X the target’s DF the target loses 2 figures/points, 3X, 3 figures/points, etc. AVs are on Combat Card A. Only roundshot and shell damage buildings. With 0 points remaining, the building collapses and the building point value is used as an AV against the troops inside.

Defense Values (DV): Cavalry, infantry and artillery all have a DV of 10. DVs are in the Values Table on CC A. The DV is combined with cover and tactical modifiers to make the Defense Factor (DF). DF= (DV + modifiers). If the LF equals or exceeds the target’s DF there is a hit. Target units lose figures while guns, horse teams and buildings lose points. If the LF is 2X the target’s DF the target loses 2 figures/points, 3X, 3 figures/points, etc. AVs and DVs are on Combat Card A. Horse teams function fully until the points run out. When the d10 roll is a natural 1 the LF is halved. Building point values are in the Buildings Chart on CC B.

Modifiers: There are d10 modifiers for casualties, damage and morale. They are listed in the appropriate tables on the combat card. When the notation is a single digit with a “+” or “-” it means that number is added to or subtracted from the d10 roll. Modifiers are listed in the firepower and melee sections of the Combat Cards. All modifiers are added to/subtracted from the AV before they are multiplied by any factor. For example if the notation is LF=3(AV+3), it means the number of figures + the class modifier + 3 + the d10 roll multiplied by 3.  With 10 veteran infantry and a d10 roll of 6, the result is (10 +1 +6 +3) = 20 X 3= 60. Be sure to include all appropriate modifiers including the class modifier.

Firing Artillery: DVs, Ranges & AVs for Roundshot and Shell are in the Artillery Table. To fire, the gun must be unlimbered with a URT remaining and the target visible to the crew. Guns can engage targets 15⁰ right or left of the model’s barrel and will fire at the nearest target. A gun can traverse 30⁰ right or left with no penalty. Measure the range from the axle of the gun to the target and roll a d10. Add the d10 score, the class modifier, the range modifier and the gun’s AV. If the LF equals or exceeds the DF of the target, it loses a figure or a point. Howitzers have no short range. Canister is in a separate table and gets +2 to the d10 roll. Example: A 6pdr with a veteran crew fires shot at infantry in close order 24” away. The AV is 8 and there is a +1 class modifier. The d10 roll is 7 but there is a -1 range modifier. The score is 8+1+7-1=15. There is 1 casualty.

Crew Casualties and Counter Battery Fire: Artillery loses effectiveness by the loss of AV points the way infantry and cavalry units do when they lose figures. Unlimbered artillery is in skirmish formation while limbered artillery is “formed”. When artillery fires at other artillery it subtracts 5 from its d10 roll. If there is a hit roll d% (there is no class mod). If the score is 86+ guns have been hit and the artillery unit loses 1/3 of its points.  Otherwise the roll is against skirmishers if the gun is in the open or the DV is modified by the cover it has. 

Musketry: Formed Infantry fires by platoon or rank. Platoon fire was the most efficient.  In all cases only the first rank of figures fires. Units firing by rank get only 75% of their AV. When there are multiple units in a brigade, a player may fire them as a single unit or separately.  Skirmishers fire only the stands in range may fire but they may fire in any direction. They get no firepower bonuses such as enfilade. Rifle armed skirmishers get +3 to the d10 roll and the LF is doubled. Rifles take 3 URT unmoving to load.

Musketry Modifiers: Formed infantry units fire twice on their first volley of the game. If, for some reason they only fire a single volley, the double volley is still gone. When formed units fire at each other each rolls a d10, add its class modifier and situation modifier listed in the Firing First Table. The higher score fires first. Ties fire simultaneously. When a unit fires first it fires both volleys before the enemy can reply. Firing at short range, 3” or less, a unit adds +3 to its d10 roll. In the 18^th century, infantry preferred to receive advancing or charging cavalry in line. Line and higher class units get a +3 to the d10 roll and the AV is tripled against cavalry advancing against them or LF=3(AV+3). The LF of mounted firearms is halved. A unit may fire and charge. It fires only one volley at long range and may move only half the normal charge move. It gets no charge modifier.

Cover: There are 4 types of cover for artillery and musketry in the cover table. Add the appropriate modifier to the target’s DV. For example, infantry in a wooden building has a DV of 13 (10+3). Unless the cover protects the flanks and/or rear of a unit, the cover is linear and the flanks and rear are open.

Other Firepower modifiers: Formed infantry and artillery firing at the flank or rear of an enemy infantry or cavalry (enfilade) get +3 on the d10 roll and the LF is multiplied by 2 or LF=2 (AV+2).  Artillery on a hill firing at enemy below gets +1. Artillery firing uphill gets -1. Artillery or infantry a contour higher than friendly troops may fire over their heads but not with canister. Modifiers for woods are in the cover table. Visibility is 20” in Light Woods and 10” in Heavy woods. A unit must be 2” from the edge of a wood before it gets protection. Howitzers get full score against troops in buildings and behind fences. Trenches provide normal cover. When a unit is attacked in melee. Adjacent units within 4” of it may fire in support before the enemy closes. Muskets only fire 1 volley at long range and artillery only fires roundshot or shell, never canister.

Melee (Close Combat) occurs when the stand of a unit touches an enemy stand or position. Only a Steady unit can attack. Only a Steady or Shaken can accept melee. When a unit that hasn’t yet moved is attacked and the attacker has moved less than 1URT of the target unit, the target must fight as it stands. If the attacker takes more than a URT, roll a d10, add the unit’s class modifier and use the Melee Counter Rolls Table. If the score is equal to or higher than that in the table the unit may change to a more advantageous formation or counter-charge. Skirmishers may withdraw. Units on a side that has already moved have no options. Squares vs. cavalry and flank/rear attacks count 2 ranks and all others count 1. Artillery batteries count all their points. The relationships of most formations are in the melee matrix. Add the figures/points to the appropriate modifiers and the d10 roll to find the LF. Each side removes its casualties. Except for squares and buildings, all figures take part in the 2^nd move of a melee. Only those figures whose stands are touching a barrier or house may assault it the first move of the melee. On the second move and thereafter the first rank and ½ of the second take part. If an attacker forces a unit defending a barrier back, the attacker has entered the barrier and next move of melee is on equal terms. For melee, skirmishers behind barriers are formed troops. Flank and rear advantages last only 1 move. Units entering a melee in progress get their charge bonus but no flank or rear advantages. Modifiers for assaults on buildings and barriers are in the Melee Modifier Table. A unit that lost a melee rolls a d10 and adds its Class modifier. 6 or less means it lost its flag. 

Fatigue: Units get fatigue points (Class Mods table) for each move in melee. At the end of each move roll a d10 (don’t add the class mod). If the score doesn’t equal or exceed the total of fatigue points, the unit falls back 6”.  If the opponent of a withdrawing unit stands, it will pursue the withdrawing unit if it outnumbers the withdrawing unit, its morale is steady and rolls 6 or higher on a d10. A general/staff officer can prevent a unit from pursuing if his base is touching the unit’s. With no pursuit, the melee is over. A unit that falls below a level, also falls back 6”. If its opponent is steady it follows automatically and the melee continues next move. If both fall below a level, both fall back and the melee is over. Fatigue lasts only for the melee. Units that push the enemy into another unit muddle it and get a free d10 roll as if attacking the rear. Casualties are divided between the 2 units. A unit may fight a maximum of 3 melees in 1 turn. When formed units fight skirmishers, formed fatigue point is 1 and skirmishers 5. Fatigue is 1 for units defending walls or barriers and 0 for infantry in square vs. cavalry. Units may not charge the move after they engage in melee.    

Effectiveness and Morale: Infantry, cavalry and artillery units have 4 levels of effectiveness listed in the Effectiveness levels table. When a unit drops below a level, make a rally roll for the unit with a d10 at the end of the move. Add its Class mod and any appropriate rally modifiers to see if it gets figures back. These are lightly wounded returning and may bring the unit to its previous level. Rally rolls are even made for units fighting a melee.  Advancing/charging units that fall below “Steady” during an advance /charge may not close. They withdraw 6” from the point of contact. They make a rally roll at the end of the move. 

Leadership: A unit or gun has 3 leaders that are not part of the figure count. When a unit takes a casualty from fire or melee, roll d%. A score of 86+ means that the unit suffered a leader casualty in addition to a figure casualty. For single units, subtract 2 from rally rolls for each leader lost. For brigaded units there are 6 leaders worth 1 point each. General & Staff figures represent command and control. For every division of 8 units there is a general and a staff officer. Commanding two or more of these divisions is a Commanding General and 2 staff. A General or Staff Officer adds points to a unit’s rally roll if his stand is touching the unit’s. The points are in the Rally Roll Modifier Table. Only 1 officer at a time affects a unit. If a General/Staff officer is with the unit when it takes a leadership casualty, he is the casualty. When a commanding general is a casualty, all of his units within 18” that have to make rally rolls that move lose 4 points. For deputy generals it is 3 points. The unit a general was with when he became a casualty loses the points permanently.

Army Morale: A “unit” is any separate entity on the field such as and infantry battalion, cavalry regiment or artillery battery. Units are “lost” when they are broken, routed or destroyed. When an army loses more than 25% of its number, roll a d10 and add/subtract the appropriate modifiers. This will give you the broken units that return. They will be restored to “shaken” status and the army will assume the level dictated in the Army effectiveness table.

Victory Points: To avoid cases in which the outcome of a battle is not clear cut, assign 1-4 points to each critical objective before the game. If one army or the other is not obviously victorious, use the following point system: A side gets 5 points for each enemy unit routed or destroyed or gun captured; 3 points for each enemy unit broken and 1 point for each enemy unit shaken. To these add the points of objectives held or subtract the points of objectives lost. The higher score wins.

“With Rules This Easy I Might Have Captured Vienna!”

Frederick the Great

Have Fun!

All illustrations and graphics to include cover art are property of the author. I owe a debt of thanks to the following individuals who helped play test the rules: Wayne Gerdes, John Kaiser, Rich Kardos,  Mike McVeigh, Howard Meissel, Bill Melgaard, Brent Romanick, Colin Romanick, Paul Sullivan