Rules Modifications for The Sword and The Flame Rules Britannia Being the New Simplified Rules for Victorian Colonial Combat

by Alan Welch When Alan moved away from Texas, he wrote his own more complex simplified variant of The Sword and the Flame, inspired by The Maxwellian Variant, in order better to suit the needs of his new group and his own deviant tastes. There are some who maintain that the whole project came about simply because Alan, maniacal punster that he is, needed something to justify the wondrous title he had come up with. Like the Maxwellian Variant, Rules Britannia uses the basic framework of Larry Brom's immortal colonial ruleset, The Sword and the Flame, Revision 1, but were adapted to speed play with large numbers of figures, to use mechanisms more familiar to the players in the group, and just because gamers love to fiddle with things. Because a number of people have asked what our modifications were, here is a rundown of the rules. Remember that any particular game scenario will usually include additions and changes to these modifications. Please do not write with "rules questions" about these modifications. Just make up your own solutions; that's what we did. You are just as qualified to micturate in Larry's chalice as we were.

2. Native Units can set up in concealed or hidden positions noted on the bottom of rocks in the setup . The owning player must roll for spotting on the Sighting Table when enemy units come into range (see H. below). Concealed units automatically reveal themselves if any figure in the unit fires at an enemy unit.

3. Unit makeup is as follows:

Infantry - 1 Officer, 1 NCO, 20 enlisted ranks (for Scottish units add 1 Piper)
Cavalry - 1 Officer, 12 troopers
Artillery - 4 gunners per gun,1 Officer for each battery (2 guns)

Native infantry - 1 chief, 1 Mullah, 5 Riflemen, 15 Hand Weapons
Native Cavalry - 1 Chief, 12 Riders
Native Artillery - 4 Gunners per gun, 1 Leader per battery (2 guns)

4. Dice - Rules Britannia uses two types of dice. Dice notation is: NUMBER OF DICE + "D" + SIDES ON EACH DIE. For example: 2D6 means two six-sided dice.

2. Check the MOVEMENT RATES Table for number of dice to use and roll dice for each unit moving.

3. Consult MOVEMENT COST Table for terrain costs of moving.

4. Move each unit up to the full total of numbers shown on dice allowed by the Movement tables.

5. CHARGING - If charging, roll 1D6 at the start of the move. Result of this roll equals the number of figures that become stragglers. These figures move at half of the Charge speed rolled. They cannot enter melee combat and will stop 1" from enemy figures even if they have movement left. For cavalry or half units, roll 1D6, halve the amount and round up for whole number. Units that straggle must move full movement at least once before they can straggle a second time. Up to two figures traveling by themselves can charge without suffering stragglers.

6. Special Movement Rules
-- a. Units that are concealed may charge or fire from a hidden position on the turn they are revealed.
-- b. Units entering the board may only enter at Normal speed, not Charge or Prone speed.
-- c. European infantry units can Quickstep for 4 turns in a row, after which they must rest and not Quickstep again for 4 turns. When Quickstepping, they move at Charge speed with no stragglers, but must be in column formation only, and on roads or clear terrain.

7. Movement Modifiers
If a European unit is a veteran unit (see the Experience rule), it gets a 10% bonus to its movement. Native units get veteran bonus only for firing..

MOVEMENT RATES

TYPE	1D6	2D6	3D6	4D6	5D6
Euro. & Colonial INFANTRY	Prone	Normal	Charge & Quickstep	--	--
Euro. & Colonial CAVALRY	--	Dismounted	Normal	--	Charge
Euro. & Colonial ARTILLERY	Move & Fire*	Limbered	Charge**	--	--
Euro. & Colonial MILITIA***	Prone	Normal	Charge**	--	--
All European and Colonials take 3" of movement to stand from Prone
Native INFANTRY	Prone	--	Normal	Charge	--
Native CAVALRY	--	Dismounted	Normal	--	Charge
Native ARTILLERY	Move & Fire*	Limbered	Charge**	--	--
All Natives take 1" of movement to stand from Prone	**** Cannot move uphill. **** If total is over 15, gun overturns and takes one full turn to right. **** -1 to all die rolls.

MOVEMENT COST

TYPE	OPEN	SOFT	HARD	UP 1 HILL LEVEL	WALL	BUILDING FLOOR	LIMBER/ UNLIMBER
Euro. & Colonial INFANTRY	1/1	2/1	4/1	4"	6"	4"	-
Euro. & Colonial CAVALRY	1/1	2/1	4/1	4"	8"	4"	-
Euro. & Colonial ARTILLERY	1/1	4/1	6/1	6"	-	-	1/D6
Euro. & Colonial MILITIA	1/1	3/1	6/1	5"	8"	5"	-
Native INFANTRY	1/1	2/1	3/1	4"	6"	4"	-
Native CAVALRY	1/1	2/1	3/1	4"	8"	-	-
Native ARTILLERY	1/1	4/1	6/1	6"	-	-	1/D6

VEHICULAR MOVEMENT

Steam Launch	2D6 per crewman
Steam Lorry	1D6 first move- 2/D6 thereafter
Horse Cart or Wagon	1D6 first move - 2/D6 thereafter
Ox Cart	1D6
Motorcar	1D6 to 4/D6 on successive moves

C) FIRING
1. Draw a card. The color indicates the player or group that fires.

2. Firer announces target group and cover status of target group. If target unit is in more than one cover class, fire may be divided between the various types ("I'll have 10 firing on the troops in the open, and 5 firing on the troops in hard cover, please').Roll separately for each target group. Only the first two ranks can fire and the bases of the second rank must be touching the bases of the first rank.

3. Firer determines how many figures can fire at target group.
-- a. Determine which figures are in range.
-- b. Determine if there is line of sight (head to head).
-- c. Charging troops cannot fire.

4. Roll 1D20 for each firing figure and consult the Firing - To Hit Table. There can never be more hits than there are targets - excess hits connot be accumulated; they are lost.

5. Draw a card for each hit. If a red card is turned up, the casualty is killed; a black card denotes a wound. In addition:
-- a. Ace drawn - Leader hit
-- b. Face Card drawn - Any other critical figure hit (firer's choice).

6. If target is in comver, make a saving throw and consult the Saving Throw Table. Note that Hard Cover is defined as behind a hill level, wall or building or against wall the shot is parallel to.

7. If the unit (Native or European) is a veteran (See Experience rule), that unit will get a firing bonus of 1D20 for every 5 soldiers firing (round fractions down).

8. Enfilade Fire - If the line of sight passes through 3 or more bases, then a condition of enfilading fire exists. Roll to hit as normal and take casualties, gthen scount the number of missed shots and divide by two (rounding up). Roll these dice again for missed shots passing through the rear ranks.

9. Consult the To Hit chart for effects of Prone position of target.

10. Special Confederate Shotgun Rule - [One of Alan's players had a colony founded by disgruntled Confederate emigres]. All cavalry can fire from the saddle at the cost of going up to the next range band (1/3 range increases to 2/3 range) except Confederate shotgun cavalry, who, at the end of a charge can unload both barrels of their shotguns into an enemy before closing to melee.

11. Special Artillery Rules
-- a. Determine target as in regular fire but roll 2D20 for each artilleryman in crew. Each gun, Gatling or Gardner, (all on field-piece type carriages) starts with a crew of 4. American Lewis guns start with a crew of 2.
-- b. When firing counterbattery fire, (with cannon only, not Gardner, Gatling or Lewis types) an Ace drawn indicates a damaging hit on the gun, putting it out of action.
-- c. When firing with cannon only, (not machine gun types) targets in soft cover have no savings throws and targets in hard cover save as if in soft cover. (Note the -2 bonus for prone targets still applies in any case) If you are firing against non-living targets, (bridges, houses, etc.) each hit does 1D6 points of structural damage
-- d. Whenever native artillery fires roll 1D6. On a roll of 1 the gun explodes and is destroyed, the crew suffering casualties as if a full shot had made a direct hit. (Roll 8D20 and take normal casualties)
-- e. Instead of firing, an artillery crew can elect to "spike" the gun, rendering it inoperable and unusable to the enemy and "destroyed" for victory points.
-- f. Because of the exposed position of an artillery piece, all guns and crews in hard cover, (except for Lewis guns) save as if they were in soft cover.

FIRING - TO HIT TABLE

TYPE	RANGE	TO HIT	POINT BLANK	CLOSE RANGE (0 - 1/3)	MEDIUM RANGE (1/3-2/3)	LONG RANGE (1/3-Full)	PRONE TARGET
Euro. & Colonial OFFICER	12"	14	+2	+1	0	-2	-2
European INFANTRY	24"	15	+2	+1	0	-1	-2
European CAVALRY	18"	16	+2	+1	0	-1	-2
European, Militia CAVALRY (Shotgun Armed)	12"	16	+3	+1	0	-3	-2
European MILITIA Colonial INFANTRY	18"	17	+2	+1	0	-2	-2
Euro. & Colonial ARTILLERY	48"	15	+3	+1	0	-1	-2
European MACHINEGUN	24"	15	+3	+1	0	-1	-2
Native INFANTRY (RIFLES)	18"	16	+2	+1	0	-1	-2
Native INFANTRY (SPEARS)	6"	17	+1	0	0	-1	+2
Native CAVALRY (RIFLES)	18"	16	+2	+1	0	-1	-2
Native CAVALRY (SPEARS)	6"	17	+1	0	0	-1	+2
Native ARTILLERY	48"	16	+2	+1	0	-2	-2

SAVING THROW TABLE

TYPE	SOFT COVER	HARD COVER
Euro. & Colonial INFANTRY	6	4 - 6
Euro. & Colonial CAVALRY	6	5 - 6
Euro. & Colonial ARTILLERY	6	XXX
European MILITIA	6	5 - 6
Native INFANTRY	5 - 6	4 - 6
Native CAVALRY	5 - 6	5 - 6
Native ARTILLERY	6	XXX

D) MELEE COMBAT
1. Attacker moves his figures next to the defending player's figures, and stops 1" (Point Blank range) away. Attackers can be "stacked up" against the defender. Since melee takes place after firing, the defender will get one last shot at point-blank range with casualties taken before attacker closes for melee.

2. After all firing is done, the defender can move all figures not engaged that are witin 3" of an attacking figure into the melee.

3. Each player rolls 1D6 for each figure in the melee. Roll individually and apply the modifiers from the Combat Modifiers Table.

4. High number wins. If the loser rolled a 1 or a 2, (unadjusted), the losing figure is killed. On a 3 to 6, he is Routed and runs 6" away from the combat and has to await an attempt to Rally. If no escape route is available, the figure is considered to have surrendered.

5. Melee combat continues until all the soldiers of one side have run away or become casualties. No reinforcement is possible for either side until next turn.

Combat Modifiers

Native Infantry vs European Infantry	+1
European Cavalry vs. Native Infantry	+1
Staff Officer or Mullah is within 3"	+1
Defender is in Square or Fort	+1
Unit is Veteran	+1
Europeans protecting European women	+1
Officer or Leader is a casualty	-1
Unit is at 50% - 26% strength	-1
Unit is at or below 25% strength	-2

E) MORALE
A morale check is required whenever the following conditions are met:

1. At the end of the turn a unit's strength falls below 50%

2. When a native infantry unit is attacked by European cavalry.

3. At the end of the turn any unit loses its leader. Roll 1D6 and consult the Morale Table, and apply applicable modifiers from the Morale Modifiers Table. The results take effect immediately.

MORALE

European INF., CAV., ARTY.	2 - 6
Colonial INF., CAV., ARTY.	5 - 6
European MILITIA	5 - 6
Native INFANTRY (RIFLES)	3 - 6
Native INFANTRY (SPEARS)	4 - 6
Native CAVALRY	3 - 6
Native ARTILLERY	4 - 6

Morale Modifiers

Native Infantry vs European Infantry	+1
European Cavalry vs. Native Infantry	+1
Staff Officer or Mullah is within 3"	+1
Defender is in Square or Fort	+1
Unit is Veteran	+1
Europeans protecting European women	+1
Officer or Leader is a casualty	-1
Unit is at 50% - 26% strength	-1
Unit is at or below 25% strength	-2

F) MORALE FAILURE AND ROUTS
1. A unit that fails a morale test must move 6" away from the nearest enemy figure.

2. Any routing figure that is contacted by an enemy figure in a subsequent movement phase is automatically a casualty or captured at the enemy player's option.

G) RALLY
1. All units that have failed a morale check can attempt to rally on the following turn, . There must be an officer or non-com within 3" of the groups making the attempt at which time the owning player rolls for each unit separately against the morale chart again. All modifiers apply and if the roll falls in the range called for by the table, the unit has rallied and is fully effective once more.

2. If the roll was unsuccessful, the owning player can try again the next turn and as many times as needed to rally the unit(s).

H) HIDDEN UNITS AND SIGHTING
Owning player of the hidden native troops cross-indexes the number of troops hidden with the range to the nearest enemy soldier and rolls 1D20 for each unit of enemy troops within spotting range. If a number higher than the number shown is rolled he must inform the opposing player and uncover his hidden forces

SIGHTING TABLE

RANGE	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20
10	16	15	14	13	12	10	8	6	4	2
20	16	15	14	13	12	11	9	7	5	3
30	16	16	14	13	12	11	10	8	6	4
40	16	16	14	14	12	11	10	9	8	7

I) EXPERIENCE
A unit can become "veteran" when it accumulates 10 experience points. Experience points are awarded on a basis of:

1 point per defeat
1.5 points per draw
2 points per victory
-1 point for every 5 casualties
-3 points for each officer casualty

J) MILITIA
The 13th Light Foot (Provisional) - Each colonial settlement can field a unit of European Militia should it want to, (i.e. every able-bodied man in town at that time.) Roll 1D20 and this will give the number of men answering the call to arms. The European player must detail an officer to command this rag-tag group and it then operates as any other unit subject to the inherent restrictions as given in the various charts.

K) THE DREADED RANDOM ANARCHIST RULE
1. Every turn, each side roles 1/D20. Should either side roll a one (1) they then becomes the target of the "Anarchist" figure. They must give it to one of the enemies they are currently fighting and that enemy can use it to make one (1) bomb attack on any of a number of targets. These cannot be military targets below officer rank, but could be, supply wagons, bridges, a "special" cannon holding up the advance, the commanding officer present, or targets not related to the battle such as steam launches in harbor, hospitals, railroad trains etc. (I have chosen not to put in rules determining the effects of attacks on these targets as it seems to be more in the spirit to have players argue them out themselves in true anarchistic fashion.)

2. The bomb he uses has a bursting capacity of 6D20. Treat the throwing of it as European Infantry firing at close range. The bomb can destroy anything it hits.

3. Before he can throw his bomb, the target, if it is armed, or any other figure within 6" has a chance to shoot him, all standard rules applying with the exception of bonus points for close range. (It has to be a surprise "snap-shot").

L) VICTORY
Each scenario will have its own special victory points, but these points are common to all scenarios and count in addition to the points detailed in the scenario.

Each civilian killed Each civilian captured Officer, Chief or Mullah killed Officer, Chief or Mullah captured Cannon destroyed Cannon taken Native unit wiped out European unit wiped out

1 pt 2 pts 3 pts 5 pts 1 pt 2 pts 1 pt 3 pts

CREDITS: Thanks to the inspiration provided me by the rules set of "The Sword and the Flame" as well as "The Maxwellian Variant" of these and the personal guidance of David Helber, Max Carr, Charles Christie and Steve Bisset.

A product of Handmade Games Ltd.
"Remembar Laddie, if it's nae Hondmade, it's joost Mess-pradooced."
All original work in this set, including the title and the name "Handmade Games Ltd." is copyright©1992 Alan Welch.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:
We'll wait for extra rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this an' Tommy that an' "Chuck him out the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this an' Tommy that an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool ­ you bet that Tommy sees!

- Rudyard Kipling

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