Small War Presents

Pickelhaube & Kepi

An Ultra-Fast Set of Franco-Prussian War Rules

By Ben King

Introduction: In the early years of miniature wargaming most Franco-Prussian War rules were short, simple and easy to play. Unfortunately many of them were modified Napoleonic rules that failed to address the increased lethality of weapons that made the Franco-Prussian War so deadly. Pickehaube & Kepi recaptures the spirit of those short, fun-filled rules while maintaining the accuracies that today’s wargamers expect. On the next 3 pages is a set of rules for Franco-Prussian War tactical combat. After the rules are illustrated examples and the combat cards with the all the tables needed to play Pickehaube & Kepi. As long as the scales of the figures and the 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 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.

Terrain and Visibility: Hills are made of contours to ease movement and placement of figures and artillery. Woods are represented by colored mats with model trees; rough terrain by scrub and rocks and swamp by pools and scrub. Trees and rocks are ornamental and may be moved to facilitate movement. Visibility in clear weather is 60”. It increases 5” per contour for a maximum of 15”. Visibility is blocked by woods, hills, tall grasses, and building. For simplicity, the height of everything is measured in contours. Each story on a building is a contour. Light woods are 2 contours tall and heavy woods are 4 contours tall. Cornfields, wheat fields and scrub are 1 contour tall. Observers must be 2 contours above an intervening contour to see over it. Otherwise there is 4” of dead space behind it. Units behind a contour cannot be seen and take no casualties from enemy fire. Visibility in light woods is 20” and heavy woods 10”. However, an observer outside light woods can only see 4” into the woods or 2” into heavy woods.      

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.

Casualties and Damage are determined using a combination of the attacking unit’s Attack Value (AV) compared to the target unit’s Defense Value (DV). Cavalry and infantry AV is based on the number of figures plus the class modifier and a d10 roll. Artillery AV is based on points, the class modifier and a d10 roll. If the LF equals or exceeds the target’s DV 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. Basic AVs are on Combat Card A. Cavalry, infantry and artillery all have a DV of 10. DVs are in the Values Table on CC A. The class modifier is never added to the DV. 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.

AV and DV Modifiers: The AV may be modified to reflect a unique tactical situation by adding points to the AV and multiplying the result by the factor shown on the combat card. For example a veteran 10 man infantry unit charging an enemy unit in flank makes a d10 roll of 6. In the Melee Modifiers Table on Combat Card A, the notation for a flank attack is 4(AV+5). This means 10 (the number of figures) + 1 (veteran status) + 5 (the d10 roll) + 5 (flank modifier) = 21. This is multiplied by 4 for a result of 84. The target unit’s DV is 10 and the attacking unit causes 8 casualties.  Be sure to include all the right modifiers including the class modifier when finding the AV.

Formations: Suggested Infantry, cavalry and artillery organizations are on Combat Card B. Generals & staff are individual figures. In the Franco-Prussian War maintaining the proper formation was necessary for moving and fighting. The Formation Table on Combat Card A lists formations. The units that can pass through one another and the times they take are in the Passage of Lines Table. Formations must be in good order to move and fight effectively. Formations that are slightly disorganized are “disordered.”  A unit is disordered when it has just waded a stream; finished a melee; or when it has charged and not reached its objective. It needs 1 URT without moving to reorganize. Disordered units fight with 2 subtracted from their d10 rolls. Disordered infantry gets no tactical advantages for firing. Cavalry can’t charge. No disordered unit gets an advantage in melee other than being in square or defending barriers and houses. A units attacking a disordered enemy doubles its 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 will 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.

Artillery: There are 2 artillery tables, 1 for muzzle-loading rifles (MLR) and 1 for breech-loading rifles (BLR). The range for both is 60”. To fire artillery the gun must be unlimbered and the target visible to the crew. Measure the range to the target, roll a d10. Add the d10 score, and the class and range modifiers to the AV of the gun. If the LF equals or exceeds the DF of the target, it loses a figure or a point.  Canister AV is listed in the column on the right.  Canister get a +2 on the d10 roll. Howitzers have no short range. Guns can engage targets 15⁰ right or left of the barrel of the model. The Mitrailleuse was a volley gun with a separate table. When artillery fires at a building and the AV equals or exceeds the DV of the building it causes 5 points if damage to wooden buildings and 2 points to stone buildings 

Artillery Casualties and Counter Battery Fire: Artillery loses effectiveness by loss of points the same way other units lose figures. The AV declines the same way the AV of infantry and cavalry units do when they lose figures. Unlimbered artillery is 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. 

Rifles: There are 3 types of rifles. The French Chassepot, The Prussian Needle Gun, and the muzzle loading rifles used by the French gardes mobiles. There was a version of each in carbines form. When formed infantry fires, the target must be in range and within 45⁰ of the left or right corner of the unit. The AV is the number of figures firing. Roll a d10 then add the score to class modifier and the AV of the unit to get the LF.  If the LF equals or exceeds the DF of the target, it loses a figure or a point. When there are multiple units in a brigade, each fires separately. Units in skirmish formation fire individual fire which means that only the stands in range can fire. Skirmishers may fire in any direction. Skirmishers get no tactical advantages such as enfilade or short range bonuses. The LF of mounted firearms is halved. Firing First: When two units fire at each other each rolls a d10, add its class modifier and situation modifier. The higher score fires first. Ties fire simultaneously.

Infantry vs. Cavalry: In the Franco-Prussian War, infantry firepower was so deadly that infantry preferred to receive advancing or charging cavalry in line. Formed infantry units armed with the Chassepot or Needle Rifles get a +5 to the d10 roll and the LF is tripled against cavalry advancing against them. Muzzle-loading Rifles get a +3 and the LF is doubled. Skirmishers get no bonuses against cavalry. 

Cover: The Cover Table list 4 types of cover for artillery and musketry. Add the appropriate modifier to the target’s DV. For example, an infantry unit in a wooden building would have a DF of 10+3=13. Unless the model cover actually protects the flanks and/or rear of a unit, the cover is linear and the flanks and rear are open. 

Firepower modifiers: infantry and artillery units firing at the flank or rear of an enemy unit (enfilade) get +3 on the d10 roll and the LF is multiplied by 1.5 (LF=1.5(AV+3). 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. The effect of firepower in woods is addressed as cover. A unit must be 2” from the edge of a wood before it can get the cover mod. Howitzers get full score against troops in buildings and behind fences. Trenches provide normal cover.  Infantry and artillery may fire at enemy units attacking adjacent units if they are within 4” of the friendly unit. Infantry fires one volley at long range and artillery only fires shot or shell.

 Melee (Close Combat) occurs when the stand of an advancing unit touches an enemy stand or position. Only a Steady unit can initiate melee. Only a Steady or Shaken unit will 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 accept melee as it stands. If the attacker takes more than a URT, then roll a d10 and 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 position, formation or counter-charge. Skirmishers may withdraw. Units on a side that has already moved have no options. Squares vs. cavalry, moving columns, and flank/rear attacks count 2 ranks and all others count 1. Artillery batteries count all their points. The relationships of the various 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. On move 2 of a melee, all troops in the unit take part. Flank and rear advantages last only 1 move then the melee becomes general and all figures of each side take part. 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. A unit that just finished a melee can’t charge the following move.

Fatigue: A unit gets fatigue points (see 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 4”.  If an opponent stands, subtract the number of figures from the unit that withdraws from the unit that stood. Add that to the unit’s class mod and a d10 roll. If the score is 20+ the victorious unit advances and the melee continues. A general/staff officer can prevent a unit from moving forward. With no pursuit, the melee is over. A unit that falls below a level, also falls back 6”. If its opponent is steady it will automatically follow 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. Units entering a melee in progress get their charge bonuses and the advantages in the melee matrix but no flank or rear bonuses. Units may not charge the move after they engage in melee.

Effectiveness: All Infantry and cavalry units, however, have 4 levels of effectiveness listed in the effectiveness table. These levels affect pre-contact reaction, melee results and morale. At the end of a move in which a unit drops below a level, make a rally roll for the unit with a d10. Add its Class mod and any appropriate rally roll modifiers to see if it gets figures back. These are lightly wounded returning and may return the unit to its previous level. Rally rolls are even made for artillery batteries and units fighting a melee.  Advancing and charging units that fall below “Steady” can’t close and withdraw 6” from the point of contact. Their rally roll comes 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 for rally rolls. Generals  & Staff figures represent command and control. For every 5 - 8 units there is a general and a staff officer. Commanding two or more of these corps 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 general is a casualty, all of his units within 18” that have to make rally rolls that move lose 3 or 4 points. The unit he was with loses the points permanently.

Victory Points: Before the game assign 1-4 points to each critical objective. Units are “lost” when they are broken, routed or destroyed. When the strength falls below 25%, treat it as you would a single unit that lost figures. 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. No routed unit may be restored. 

Avaiable in Digital Form

“With Rules This Easy, Of Course We Beat The French!”

Generalfeldmarschal Graf Helmut von Moltke

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 and Paul Sullivan.