Ayton 2020 - Sunday 18th Century Game

[Essex Boy]

This is the place to come for all your Big 18thC Game needs. Well, it will be soon.

First up, I can tell you that we will be using Rank and File rules by Crusader Publishing. No purchase is necessary.

Unit Sizes:

This is what a wrote on 23 Jan....

All units will probably be deemed to have the same number of bases, most likely six but perhaps eight depending on the play test. A 'base' is therefore simply the nomenclature for referring to the fighting strength of a unit. Casualties are not removed but instead a running total of whole base casualties will be indicated using a dice or other appropriate marker. A 'base' is removed on every third hit – hits being caused by shooting and melee (you’ll have a supply of little discs to track the hits).

Units keep the same footprint regardless of the bases lost because loss of 'bases' indicates all manor of factors which would reduce a unit's ability to carry on. So it doesn't matter how you base your troops. Happy days.

We have between us quite a variety of base widths and unit sizes. Making them all effectively the same makes sense and I’m sure players will be able to make the necessary tweaks during the game. This has been play tested and no insurmountable issues were identified. It may be that the very largest of units will be asked to bring their frontage down a little, but it shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to cope with frontages ranging from 180mm to 250mm. Large cavalry units can be formed in double lines.......which looks very manly.

Calculation of melee and shooting will take into account any potential advantages/disadvantages.

Guns, troops deployed in skirmish or open order and 'specials' are not covered by the above.....because they have their own rules. More on that anon.

The best thing to do is to organise your troops how you want because we can accommodate anything. Probably.

I added this on 31 Jan:

I confess that troops mounted on wider frontages do present a challenge but, by treating all units as having the same strength (e.g. six 'bases' strong), by having upper and lower limits to a frontage and, by doing away with casualty removal, we should have it sorted.

It occurs to me now that a further 'test' should be made to differentiate between what we call 'close order foot' and what will be skirmishers or open order troops. How about this.......

Close order: Maximum frontage per figure of 20mm. There must be two ranks of figures of equal number in each rank and a total depth of both ranks not to exceed 50mm.

Open order and skirmish: Any unit which fails the above test.

Does anyone have any units which they wish to be classed as close order but which don't fall within the close order test?

I stress that this isn't set in stone, I'm just trying to establish a suitable compromise.

I added this on 29 February 2020......

Blooming battalion guns!

OK, this is the word..........

Most people don't have battalion guns so there is no need to rush out and buy then. But if you've already explained to your wives and girlfriends that you "simply must have battalion guns - it's the law", then each player has two options.

1) Deploy them for decorative purposes only. The guns add nothing to the strength of the unit (i.e. the unit will start with a strength of six 'bases' like all other close order units) and must stay in base contact with the unit at all times. And, the over all frontage of the unit when in line must not exceed 270mm. And you've got to make it clear to your long suffering opponent that the guns count for nothing.

2) Battalion guns deployed as light artillery. Each gun counts as a single base unit. It shoots as a foot base but with a slightly longer range and a slightly better chance of causing a casualty at close range. The trade off is that the gun must stay within 4" of the parent battalion or be lost. The gun is subject to the artillery ammunition rule but can't be resupplied. You can have two battalion guns in your army for free but thereafter your battalion guns will start to count towards your force allocation, i.e. 3-4 guns = one unit, 5 - 8 guns = two units etc. You must tell your disgruntled opponent that your guns count.

I should reassure those who have been blown away by artillery in the past that battalion and field guns are not the murderous gits you may have encountered in the past. Far from it.


Notes on Rank & File Rules for Ayton

1) Charges (simultaneous)
Not yet!

2) Rallying (simultaneous)
Any units which are routing or unsteady, except those being charged, can attempt to recover one morale step (the steps being Steady, Unsteady and Rout). Units take the morale test but failure to pass just means they carry on as they are….which admittedly isn’t good for routing units. Units can no longer rally once they reach half strength……unless the House Rule is being attempted. Artillery is a bit more robust but can’t take many hits before it is slaughtered to a man.

House Rule:
A Leader attached to a unit which rises from Unsteady to Steady can persuade men to “Return to the Colours”, i.e. the unit may recover 1 to 3 hits, but not without some personal risk. This does apply to an Unsteady unit, which can have one attempt to have sufficient men RttC to raise it above half strength.

3) Initiative (each turn, decide who will be side A or B)
Chuck dice to see who will be Side A this turn.

4) Movement (side A moves then side B)
Charging, evading (which the rules call fleeing) or routing units will have already moved. Now ‘A’ moves all his remaining stuff, followed by ‘B’.

March columns and skirmishers move a little faster than lines but there are no charge bonuses. Foot in line can wheel up to 45⁰, horse up to 90⁰. The rules say that units cannot move diagonally but, frankly, I can’t see how this can possibly be policed, so shall we say that up to 45⁰ is acceptable?

Troops move further if beyond the reach of the enemy (probably beyond 12”, maybe more than that), in which case, the movement allowed is doubled.

There is no voluntary ‘passing through’ of close order troops by close order troops or horse by foot or vice versa (although there is a house rule for doing this if falling back ‘Unsteady’ from shooting casualties – more on this later). Others can pass through if one unit neither moves nor shoots.

line, mass, skirmish or marching column are allowed (no double lines, which would normally be allowed by the rules). Generally, changing formation takes half a move – absolutely on the spot!

Terrain is either open, impassable to all or halves the movement of formed troops. I’m still undecided about built up areas.

House Rules:
“Keen as Mustard, Sir” – an attached Leader may add a free ½ move to the unit, either to the charge or normal move or as a breakthrough after melee. KaMS can be attempted in the Charge or Movement phases and isn’t without personal risk for the leader.

Field gun movement is completely different. Guns can move at foot line rate until they shoot. Thereafter they are unlimbered and can only be manhandled. Thank you Black Powder. I’ve still not decided on battalion guns.

5) Shooting (simultaneous)
Not yet!

6) Morale (simultaneous)
Generally, morale is only tested when a unit is required to remove a base due to casualties (a base is removed each time a unit accrues three hits (artillery is different and the optional rules for morale will apply). Units charged in the flank or rear also take a test as will, potentially, units passed through by routing or unsteady units.
Units start as ‘Steady’ and rise or fall a step at a time through ‘Unsteady’ and ‘Rout’.

7) Melees (Side A decides the order)
Not yet!

8) End Phase
Not yet !

[Paul]

Really...the rules will be "Wanky File"? Knowing EB i'm not sure if he is being ironic or predictable

[Jeremy]

I don’t mind if we play R&F. Every Ayton game I’ve played, we’ve made it up as we went along, so it doesn’t really matter

[Paul]

I don’t mind if we play R&F. Every Ayton game I’ve played, we’ve made it up as we went along, so it doesn’t really matter

So what you're saying is that as far as EB will know we're playing it, when in reality we'll be using a decent set of rules?

[Tim Hall]

I don’t mind if we play R&F. Every Ayton game I’ve played, we’ve made it up as we went along, so it doesn’t really matter

So what you're saying is that as far as EB will know we're playing it, when in reality we'll be using a decent set of rules?

You're playing with fire and tempting fate you know that don't you?

[Jeremy]

I don’t mind if we play R&F. Every Ayton game I’ve played, we’ve made it up as we went along, so it doesn’t really matter

So what you're saying is that as far as EB will know we're playing it, when in reality we'll be using a decent set of rules?

Everyone’s a winner

[valleyboy]

I really hope I can make this - I actually have 2 copies of these rules
Maybe I do have some significant genetic connection with my half-twin EB after all

Pssst -I've never read them...
Either of them

[Jeremy]

So does that mean your version is twice as shit Kerry?

[garyp]

Are we going to use the rules from the book, or the longer version contained in EB's QRS?

[Essex Boy]

Are we going to use the rules from the book, or the longer version contained in EB's QRS?

Morning Gary,
Good question, thank you.
Best to use the rules as published. Long before the game I'll let people know which of the published optional rules we'll use and I'll put out a single page A4 QRS. I'll also do an alphabetical list of the main rules.
As you know, various tweaks have been generally adopt, voluntary fall back when unsteady from shooting for instance, which we'll also use.
And we'll have a fix for the miriad of unit sizes and basing preferences.
Cheers
Iain