1.1 Scale: Game Scale: The game uses Volley and Bayonet units from the Ancient Regime period, but one scale lower than normally used. Infantry regimental stands are referred to as battalions. Cavalry brigade stands are referred to as regiments. Artillery battalion stands are referred to as batteries. Instead of division, corps, and army commanders, there are brigade, wing, and army commanders.

1.2 Map: We will be using the map from TSR’s Birthright game, because it’s a reasonably good map, it’s done, and we have a bunch of them. The map is divided into named provinces (they call them domains), each of which is further divided into several unnamed movement areas. There are also cities and what-not. The map key also lists temples and ruins; we will treat these simply as other cities.

1.3 Realms: Each player has a realm, consisting of several provinces. Each player gets to choose how many provinces will make up his or her realm, depending on how large a country they want to control. Not all of the provinces have to be contiguous, but the majority should be. The number of provinces also determines what the province is called.

2.1 Leaders and Nobility: Each province provides one major general (brigade commanders), who is generally the peacetime commander of the most important provincial regiment. In addition each province provides a governor who may act as a brigade commander of the Landwehr or the militia or act as a fortress commander. In addition, each city provides one noble family which contributes an officer and a single daughter. The daughters are important to the diplomacy rules listed later. Half the senior officers (rounded up) command wings and armies in the field (2"x2") stands, the other half command brigades.

2.1.1 Noble Rank: The noble family from the capital of one of the provinces of your realm (the province of your choice) is the family of your reigning sovereign. Players are given a sovereign figure over and above the leaders noted in 2.1. The sovereign follows the Volley & Bayonet rules for a monarch .

The monarch has a title appropriate to his or her realm (king, queen, archduke, duke, elector, archbishop, etc.). If the ruler is female (and not the type to show up on a battlefield), you may elect to have a consort for use on the field. Her husband would hold one lower noble title with the addition of the modifier "consort." For example, a queen has a prince consort, a Grand Duchess has a duke consort, etc. Note that a female monarch set up with a consort, would lose you the monarch bonus on the battlefield. The other nobles from a realm have lower titles, mostly dukes. A kingdom will have 1 prince and 1 grand duke, a principality will have 1 grand duke. These other titles have no real effect on the game and are purely for additional color. If desired, more exotic versions of the titles may be used. For example:

2.2 Provincial Advantages and Disadvantages: A number of special capabilities are available, termed advantages. Advantages are selected by province, and as many advantages may be taken as desired. However, for each advantage taken, the player must roll the die and take a randomly rolled disadvantage as well. Note that each advantage and disadvantage applies only to a single province.

2.2.1Capital: The capital province of a realm is allowed one free advantage. That is, one advantage is taken without any counter-balancing disadvantage. In addition the capital city gets a free fortress.

2.2.2 Advantages: The following advantages are available for selection:

2.2.2 Disadvantages: For each advantage taken, roll once on the disadvantage table below (except in the case of the free advantage for the realm’s capital). Roll a single d12 .

Poor Cavalry: All cavalry purchased in the province has a morale level one lower than what it is purchased at. (If the province has the Guards advantage, reroll.)

Poor Infantry: All infantry purchased in the province has a morale level one lower than what it is purchased at. (If the province has the Guards advantage, reroll.)

Low Population: Reduce the number of infantry and cavalry points from the province by 25%. (If the province has the Rich Province advantage, reroll.)

Disputed Territory: This territory may be ceded to another player if that player is victorious in a war against you. (But it then becomes a disputed territory for that player as well.)

Disloyal Minority: No militia may be raised in the province. In addition, the enemy will receive good scouting reports concerning your troops in the province.

Rebellious Peasantry: No militia may be raised in the province. In addition, each campaign turn of the war there is a 50/50 chance of a revolt. In the event of a revolt, 1D6 "battalions" of Morale-4 peasant militia (with 1 brigade commander) turn out and attack any of your troops in the province. If they are victorious they are joined by an additional 1D6 battalions, another brigade commander, and an army commander. If you lose the war while the revolt is in effect (i.e. before you have crushed the rebelling peasantry), the province becomes a separate duchy. However, you may gain the duchy back in a later war.

"Wild Geese": Whenever a country is at war with you, it may raise 2 battalions of 5 morale infantry (2 SP each) along with a brigade commander join their army (figures are provided by your enemy i.e. it gives anyone who fights you free troops). These are disaffected men from this province desiring a change of rulers or provincial independence. Wild Geese remain with your opponent until

your forces and his fight on the same side in a battle, or he is victorious against you in a war, or another player declares war on you and the country with the current wild geese does not. The Wild Geese disappear before the battle or after a treaty is signed. If a player has multiple Wild Geese disadvantages an extra 2 battalions are available to their opponents per disadvantage. At a given time the other players may not field more than approved amount of wild geese for a given country. For example player A has previously raised 4 battalions of wild geese and a general to fight against player X who has two wild geese disadvantages and then has lost the war. Player B declares war against player X but he may not raise wild geese unless player A refuses to enter the war on player Bs side (in which case player B would raise the wild geese and player A would loose the wild geese).

Corrupt Governor: Troops are raised in this province as usual, however when the time comes to fight a battle on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6 they temporarily lose a morale level due to shoddy equipment.

Brigandage: These provinces are required to have one regular light cavalry regiment stationed there to control the brigands. Unit may fight normally in that province or any adjacent province.

No Noble Issue: One city in the province has no noble family. You do not receive either the senior officer or the daughter for that city. (If the province is the Capital and has only one city, reroll.)

Small Horses: Cavalry from this province may not be rated as heavy.

Primitive Industry: Reduce the number of artillery points from this province by half. (If the province has the Foundry advantage, reroll.)

2.2.3 Military Border: Players may designate one or more of their provinces as a Military Border. These provinces may not have any other advantages or disadvantages. Military Borders have the following characteristics:

3.1 Provincial Army Points: Each province in the realm contributes points toward the army.

3.1.1 Normal Provinces: Each province contributes the following:

3.1.2 Cities: In addition, each city in the province adds the following to the province’s point totals:

3.1.3 Small Provinces: Some provinces have only one or two movement areas. These provinces, because of their very small size, have only the following points:

Of course, if a small province also has a city, the city’s points are still added to the above.

3.2 Spending Army Points: Provincial army points are spent to purchase army units. Cavalry, Infantry, and artillery points may only be spent to purchase units of that type. Special points may be used to purchase any of the above types, either alone or in conjunction with points of the correct type. Alternatively, special points may be used to purchase specialist troops.

3.2.1 Infantry Battalions: Infantry Battalions are purchased initially with either 2 or 3 strength points and at a morale level of 4 through 6. These values need not be uniform throughout the army or even the province. The point cost of an infantry battalion is its (Morale-2)x (SP+2). Infantry battalions or moral 5 or higher must purchase battalion guns.

3.2.1.1 High Morale Infantry: No more than 1/3 of a nation's infantry may be morale 6. Infantry of Morale 7 may only be purchased from a province having the guards advantage.

3.2.1.2 Shock Infantry: Infantry may be purchased as shock infantry by calculating the unit as though its morale were one higher than it really is. However, only infantry with morale 6 or higher may be purchased as shock infantry. (Note: Normally infantry may only be purchased at a morale of 6, but a morale of 7 is possible due to a provincial advantage, the rules for which were given earlier.)

3.2.1.3 Skirmishers: Skirmish infantry may only be purchased using special points or as a result of a provincial advantage. Skirmish infantry points are calculated using (Moral-1)x2

3.2.1.4 Poorly Trained: Poorly Trained infantry may subtract 1 point per skirmish stand and 2 points per liniear stand.

3.2.1.5 No Elites: Units without elites may subtract 1 point per skirmish stand and 2 points per liniear stand.

3.2.16 Deatachable Skimishers: Cost one per SP.

3.2.2.1 High Morale Cavalry: Cavalry may be purchased initially at morale level 6 by paying a point premium of 1 extra point per strength point, in the same manner as for infantry noted above.

3.2.2.2 Heavy Cavalry: Regular cavalry is considered to be medium cavalry. Heavy cavalry costs two additional points per strength point.

3.2.2.3 Light Cavalry: Light cavalry may only be purchased using special points or as a result of a provincial advantage. The point cost for light cavalry is (Morale-2) x 3. Cavalry that can only skirmish can be bought by subtracting 1 point from each strength point. Lances may be added by adding 1 to each SP.

3.2.2.4 Poorly Trained: Subtract 1 point per SP.

3.2.3.1 Siege artillery costs 5 additional artillery points per strength point.

3.2.3.2 Mortars subtract 2 points per SP.

3.2.3.3 Heavy artillery costs 3 additional point per strength point.

3.2.3.4 Field artillery costs 1 addtional point per strength point.

3.2.3.6 Very Light: Cost 1 less point per strenght point.

3.2.3.7 Horse Artillery: A battery of light or field (but not heavy or siege) artillery may be raised as horse artillery by paying a premium of 2 extra cavalry or special (not artillery) points per strength point.

3.2.3.8 Poorly Trained: Subtract 1 point per SP.

3.2.4 Special Points: Special points from a province may be used to fill out the needed points in an infantry, cavalry, or artillery unit, or may be used to raise special units.

3.2.4.1 Skirmishers: Skirmishers are considered special units see the sections in infantry and cavalry for costs.

3.2.4.2 Engineers: Special points may be used to purchase companies (skirmish stands) of either sappers or pioneers. Sappers assist in making entrenchment’s and siegeworks while pioneers assist in building bridges and clearing roads. Sappers and pioneers may be raised at morale levels 4 or 5, with the high morale premium being available to raise them to level 6.

3.2.5 Reserve Units: Certain units are not considered part of the regular forces of the realm and because of their limited uses may be purchased at a lower point cost than regular troops.

3.2.5.1 Fortress Artillery: Fortress artillery batteries man land fortresses and shore batteries. Each fortress battery is purchased at one quarter the normal cost of a battery but cannot move. Fortress batteries may be purchased at the same weight and morale classes of normal batteries. They are purchased using either regular artillery points or special points.

3.2.5.2 Garrison Infantry: Fortress Infantry battalions man fortresses and cities. Each garrison infantry battalion is purchased at one half the normal cost of an infantry battalion. Its movement speed is only 8 inches per turn.

3.2.5.3 Militia Infantry: Each player gets 2d6 of free militia battalions (2-4) when they are on the receiving end of an invasion and on home ground. These may be traded 2 for 1 to get Landwehr (i.e., 2-4 PT).

3.2.6 Ships: Each port (all blue circles except Magdagrad which is blue due to a typo) city provides a player with the ability to build 2 masts worth of warships. All of the "masts" from a single province may be combined in any combination of ships desired. Ships built with more than three masts still have only three masts and the extra masts worth of construction become extra gun decks. Thus a" four-mast" ship is instead called a two-decker and a "five-mast" is a three-decker. Three-deckers are the largest warships that may be built. Each "mast" comes with 1 naval battery worth of heavy guns, 1 naval battery worth of siege guns and 2 sailors/gunners (rated 2-4). For every 3 "masts" (round fractions up, so everyone with any navy receives at least 1 marine) the player receives 1 figure of morale-5 marine skirmishers.

3.2.6.1 Ship Capacity: Each "mast" may carry up to two naval batteries. For every naval battery not carried the ship may instead carry two strength points of marines or infantry or one strength point of cavalry or field artillery. (The cavalry and field artillery may not fight while being transported, however.) Infantry carried on shipboard may fight but has a morale one level lower than normal and loses any special abilities (sharpshooters, shock). Additional naval batteries may be built using provincial artillery or special points. Naval batteries may be any weight (including siege) but field and light guns are not particularly useful. Each naval battery built includes 2 sailors/gunners. Naval batteries may normally be raised at a morale level of 4 but may be raised as morale 5 if the 2-point premium is paid.

3.2.6.2 Riverene Fleets: All ports touching the sea and the first port up a river are considered deep water ports and may build three mast and extra deck ships. Riverene ports may only build one and two masters (extra guns are allowed). Aziev, Endier, Haes, Ghieste, and Ruimache are the only five river ports.

3.2.6.3 Brief Naval Rules: Naval action will be very similar to land actions except that ranges are quadrupled. This means naval actions and land actions must be resolved separately. Each naval battery carried gives the ship one artillery die to each broadside. One figure is needed to man each gun firing and one figure is needed to sail the ship. Ship will function like a division, with batteries checking morale individually and taking hits (each one knocking out a gunner or doing hull or rigging damage). Ships will have an exhaustion level and if their morale collapses they strike. They may also be sunk by hull damage. Crossing the "T" will be a morale minus, etc. Ships count as entrenchments for saving throws.

4.1 State Marriages: Each city in a realm has a noble daughter eligible for marriage. Each player should make up a first name for each noble woman from their realm eligible for marriage. The city and title will determine the rest of the name. All noble women are duchesses except that the noble woman from the capital of a principality or kingdom is a princess. For example, the city in the province Grevesmuhl is Daugren. The player names the noblewoman Ann. She is Duchess Ann of Daugren, unless Daugren is the capital of a kingdom or principality, in which case she is Princess Ann of Daugren.

4.1.1 Procedure: Whenever a player wishes to marry off a daughter he or she must paint a 54mm figure representing the noblewoman (no nudity, please). The other players then grade the figure’s paint job and conversion work (since there are virtually no appropriate figures in this scale) on a scale of 2 to 4. (Most figures should be 2s. very good figures should be 3s. Unbelievably well-done figures should be 4s.) No one player may have more than one 4 and no more than half the figures overall may be ranked higher than 2. Add 1 to the final ranking for princesses (the princess bonus does not affect the limitations above so for example a player could have two 4s if he had a 3 princess and a 4 figure from another city). Noble women may be married to the nobleman of any other city on the map. This may be the nobleman of a city in the realm of another player or in a province not owned by any player. Player characters may accept offers of marriage or not to their noblemen. If two players try to marry a daughter to the same nobleman of a non-player realm, both roll 1d6 and add the DM of the noble woman offered in marriage, with the high die roll being accepted.

4.2 Effects on Player Realms: When a player accepts a marriage to one of his noblemen he gets a free infantry or cavalry unit as her dowry (maximum moral of 5 and up to 3 strength points and battalion guns). The only limitations on this unit are that the "Colonel Proprietor" of the unit raised is the ruler of the country from which the noble woman came. The unit is a normal part of the other player's army but suffers a -2 morale penalty if used in a war against its colonel proprietor and gains a +1 morale bonus if used in a war allied to its colonel proprietor. In addition players are allowed to work out any additional treaties they might wish as part of the marriage. Note any such that treaties must be written out and signed. If a marriage treaty is broken their are the following effects:

5.1 SIEGES: I’ve whipped together some quick rules which I think will work fairly well. Siege turns are each a day. If one side wants to actually fight a battle or conduct a bombardment, roll 2D6 to see how many turns it lasts (before nightfall or ammunition is exhausted). At fall of night both sides fall back to their entrenchments.

The besieger digs entrenchments each day. He does it by assigning infantry battalions as work parties. In the event of a sortie by the defender infantry battalions assigned as work parties begin the battle routed (two disruptions) although they do not have a strength point removed for having routed. (This basically means that they must be rallied before they can fight and once rallied they spend the entire battle disordered.)

Each infantry strength point on work detail digs 1 point of works a day. If a sapper figure is present with the besieging army then each infantry strength point digs 2 points of works a day. One point of works will produce the following:

5.1.1 Trenches are treated as "hasty works" as described in the Battles of the American Civil War supplement. Field works are treated as field works in the basic game. Redoubts are treated as "forts" as described in the Battles of the American Civil War supplement. Artillery fire against all of these is treated as in BACW.

5.1.2 Repairing Breaches: Infantry defenders may work to repair breaches using the same construction rules as the attacker. If the attacker storms the fortress while some or all of the infantry is engaged as work parties they begin routed, just as the attacker.

5.1.3 Fortress Command: All troops in a fortress are automatically in command control each turn in which they begin in the fortress. If a major general is present commanding the fortress he may rally routed troops as if he were a senior officer.

5.1.4 The Fortress Ditch: All fortresses are surrounded by a ditch which counts the same as a stream in the game. Troops pay half their movement to cross it and are disordered if they charge across it.

5.1.5 Fortress Artillery: All fortress artillery is permanently stationary and so always fires with two dice per battery. Due to the ability of the defender to reposition guns to threatened sectors, the location of the gun models themselves is not important. Instead the defender may fire with one die per fortress embrasure which bears on the attacker, up to the total number of dice of fortress guns available. Embrasures are spaced at 1.5-inch intervals along the walls of the fortress.

Fortress artillery is never destroyed by the attacker’s fire. Instead hits on it produce breaches in the works as described in BACW. Fortress artillery may not fire from breached sections of the fort. Each breach is 3 inches wide and so eliminates two embrasures. Siege and field artillery bombarding from a redoubt may not be destroyed either but once the redoubt is breached the artillery must either cease-fire or continue firing from the protection of field works. If it continues firing the defending fortress artillery may cause actual hits on the artillery.

5.2 SAPPERS AND PIONEERS: Sappers are useful in sieges, as described in the siege rules above. In addition each sapper with an army which has been in place for a day or more may build 6 points of works. This is a one-time build; it is not 6 points of works per day.

Each pioneer with an army in place may also build 6 points of works. In addition Pioneers allow construction of bridges across rivers and ease passage through other difficult terrain. I am open to suggestions as to some specific rules.

5.3 BATTLEFIELDS: I think each battlefield when we get into campaigns should be a table-top representation of the actual movement area, with some minor modifications.

Instead of one whole movement area, it might be parts of two area (the one the defender was in and the one the attacker moved in from). This would especially be the case if the defender was defending a river line or mountain passes, but it would be up to the defender to decide where he wanted to deploy his army. If the battle is a meeting engagement it can be the one area both moved into.

5.3.1 Trees and Swamps: The density of trees and swamps should be cut roughly in half. An entirely forested province should be half forest, and the same for marsh.

5.3.2 Rivers: Anywhere where there is a river or forest there should be a stream. Areas with forest and adjacent to a river should have 2 streams. Marshes should have 2 streams and marshes adjacent to a river should have 3. There should be a stream flowing into the sea at every seacoast area except for desert areas.

5.3.3 Bridges: There should be one bridge across every river leading into any province which contains a marked city. There should be one ford across every river somewhere along each area boundary. We may want a rule for light troops to scout for and find an additional ford or two.

5.3.4 Cities: Any marked city on the map is two town blocks. Any capital city (all with a star) is three town blocks. All provinces should have a 1-block town and 1D6 villages in addition to anything else present.

5.3.5 Hills: Hills on the map are small 1-contour hills. Highlands are larger 2-contour hills. Mountains are 3+ contour impassable terrain except for passes delineated through them. There should be at least one pass per area boundary. Each pass is 3D6 inches wide.

5.3.6 Clear Terrain: Any area which is all clear terrain, has no marked cities, and is not adjacent to either a river or another province containing trees is desert. For example, most of the province of Aftane would be desert. The three areas containing cities (Shoufal, Aftane, and Adaba) would not be, nor would the two eastern-most areas adjacent to the Zhainge River, but the remaining 7 areas would be desert. With the exception of troops raised in provinces containing a desert area, troops suffer a -1 morale modifier when fighting in a desert area (due to lack of water and heat) and deserts have an adverse affect of additional area movement.

5.3.7 Roads: There should be a road leading to each connected non-desert movement area and they should form a reasonably simple road pattern converging on the towns and villages in the area.

5.3.7.1 For example, in the movement area containing the city of Aftane in the province of Aftane the city itself would be three town blocks. There would be a road following the river leading to the northeast and southeast from the city and there would be an additional road to the southwest leading to the area containing Adaba. There would be no road to the north or west as those areas are desert provinces. There would be a bridge across the Zhainge to the east and a road running across it into the adjacent area of the Black Spear Tribes province. There are no hills but there would be one more town block somewhere on one of the roads, 1D6 villages, and one stream feeding the Zhainge River.

6.1 TURN LENGTH: Each campaign turn is one week long. If a siege is under way both sides get to do six turns of building/bombardment/sorties, etc. (On the 7^th day, everyone rests.)

6.2 MOVEMENT: All armies move one movement area per turn and may attempt to move a second area by rolling a die. One D6 is rolled per field army with the result determining which (if any) of the troops in the army may move and additional area. A field army may be broken into two parts (a "van" and a "main body") as a result of this, but each part should have a senior officer present.

Any poorly trained unit is counted as one category worse. Desert areas cause all troops not raised in provinces with desert areas to be one level worse.

So if, for example, a 3 was rolled, all of the medium and light cavalry in the army, the light infantry, the horse artillery, and the pioneers could move an additional area (but would not have to). Poorly trained light infantry and poorly trained medium cavalry would not be able to move the second area, however.

6.3 SUPPLY A field army must have a supply line of friendly movement areas back to either a friendly or allied city. A friendly movement area is one which either that nation or the army of an allied nation moved through last. All of a country’s movement areas are considered friendly to it until an enemy unit moves through them. Likewise all of the movement areas of an allied state would be friendly until an enemy moved through them.

6.3.1 Rivers: A river is always a secure line of communication, provided it leads back to a friendly to allied city. Enemy ground units may not cut river supply; only an enemy naval vessel or an enemy port which is also a fortress cuts traffic along the river.

6.3.2 Lack of Supply: If a field army begins the week without a secure supply line it must move toward the nearest possible source of supply or suffer a -1 morale reduction to all units in the army. If the army moves toward a supply base there is no other adverse effect. The -1 morale is not cumulative over several turns; that is, an army never suffers more than a -1 morale for being out of supply.