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5
beWATERLOO
= YAR —————
sHISTORICAL® | JINTRODUCTION.
+ Getting Started.
Tue RULEs........
GAME OVERVIEW
+ Models & Units
+ A Typical Game
THE GAME TURN
CONTENTS
24
THE INITIATIVE PHASE.
THE ARTILLERY PHASE, 26
THE MOVEMENT PHASE 27
+ Movement Rates ms
+ charges, a 28
+ Manoeuvres 32
+ Formations 7 smn
“Terrain SIR 40
‘THE SHOOTING PHASE 42
= Line of Sight 7 |
# Range cornu “4
+ Weapons. 7 44
+ Removing Casualties... . 46
+ Cover 7
THE MELEE PHASE 7 48
+ Strike Order, ii 48
+ Attacks and
49
+ Melee Weapons. 7 49
+ Casualty Removal ensue 50
+ Combat Results. 7 50
COMMAND AND CONTROL. 54
+ Command Cheeks .. 54
+ Disordered, En
+ Routed ie : 56
+ Panic. 7 mn 56
UNITS AND OFFICERS.. 57
+ tnfantry, 57
* cavalry 5B
+ Anilery, 59
+ Command Companies nresuesoun 65
+ Officers 66
+ The Army General 67
SPECIAL RULES.DEFENSIBLE TERRAIN.
PRATEGIES
+ Spending Strategy Points.
+ special Orders.
+ Unit Orde
+ Grand Strategi
SCENARIOS
« "The Siege Scenario,
‘THE ARMIES
+ Army Lists
FRANCE,
+ French Peninsular War Allies
GREAT BRITA)
+ Peninsular War Coalition Allies.
+ Waterloo Campaign Coalition Allies
PRUSSIA (1815)
THE AGE OF NAPOLEON
* Napoleon Bonaparte
+ The Armies:
* Weaponry
hhe French Revolution (1789-99),
imeline of the Napoleonic Wars
NAPOLEONIC WARGAMING.
+ Collecting Armies..
+ Assembling Miniatures
+ Painting Miniatures
* Painting
NAPOLEONIC CAMPAIGNS...
FIGHTING A CAMPAIGN.
+ Common Campaign Rules
THE WATERLOO CAMPAIGN.
+ Campaign Seenarios..
+ Orders of Battle
LEGENDS OF WATERLOO,
LEGENDARY OFFICERS.
+ France,
Britain.
REFERENCEBaitles in the Napoleonic Wars were brutal and
bloody. Vast armies fought with musket and
bayonet on rain-soaked fields, half blinded by acrid
smoke and deafened by the ceaseless barrage of
Gistant artillery. Men fell in great swathes,
arching to death or glory to the chythmic beat off
Grums. Those who opposed Napoleon's campaign
of conquest stood and fought in many foreign
lands, Many were destined never to see their homes
| as they sold their lives against those
revolutionary veterans who marched beneath the
golden eagles of their Emperor.
PLAYING WATERLOO
This rulebook is focussed on the campaign and battle
of Waterloo, the climax of the Napoleonic Wars, but
the rules within allow you to recreate battles from
the entire period 1792-1815, and even beyond
with litle adaptation and ingenuity, From the War of
the Fisst Coalition against’ revolutionary. France,
through the Napoleonic Wars, and even the War of
112 hetween Britain and the United States, the tact
the day we y identical, and these rules are
ideal for representing those titanic struggles, However
the book takes its name from perhaps the most famous
and epic land bautle of the era, Waterloo, and the
Fighting « Campaign’ section of the book provides all
the details and scenarios you'll need to recreate that
battle and! the engagements that preceded it
YVetenans of Napoleonic wargaming will recognise this
bole as a set of ‘brigade-level' rules, This means that
typical army represents a reallife brigade or two.
Whilst the rules eater for larger (or indeed smaller)
uumies, this is the stanchid sized game, which can be
comfortably played in an aRemoon. Some guidance on
the quantities of miniatures involved, along. with
slotails of figure ratios, ground seale, and other things
that aficionados of the genre require appear shortly
Jowever, if you're new to tabletop gaming, don’t he
pt off: These rules are written in such a way as to be
aecessible to all, Newcomers and experienced gamers
like will find all the information they need 0 start
collecting, and playing within this one volume. In
sdaltion, this book treats historical wargaming. as an
silencompassing hobby rather then just a set of rules
mechanics. In this book you will also find guidelines
tod instructions for collecting and painting armies,
Ustomising battalions with scenic bases and. paper
jours (Mags), and even making your own scenery.
THINGS YOU’LL NEED
In addition to the rulebook, there are a few basic
things that you'll need before you can start playing this
game. Recause this is quite ‘a hefty volume to leaf
through constantly, the basics of the rules and the
‘most common charts are summarised at the back of the
ook in a handy reference sheet. This is also available
INTRODUCTION
as a pdf download from the Warhammer Historical
‘website (www,wachammer-historical.com) so that you
don't have to unduly bend. your rulebook to take a
photocopy. Telow, we've highlighted the essential
things you'll need to play.
AN OPPONENT
While this goes without saying, ifs worth noting that
Waterloo is primarily designed for «wo players, each
taking charge of one of the sides in a battle, How.
it's possible to have more than one player on each
side, with multiple players forming teams. This is
particularly useful for very large battles, or games that
feature multiple contingents of allied troops.
‘MINIATURES
‘The toops under your command are
miniature soldiers, and obviously the
you wish to play, the
miniatures will need to be.
fepresented by
inger the battle
arger your collection of
The game is designed with
25mm to 25mm miniatures in mind, but it is possible
below
to use miniatures of other sizes and Scales ~ 5
for some guidelines. Many miniatures com
produce models for Napoleonic gaming, and the
choice ean often be quite confusing. You can find the
details of some suppliers on page 288.
Make no mistake — rece
Napoleonic battles in miniature is 2 stunning
.ecomplishment. For many players, the art of
assembling and painting regiments of soldiers is real
labour of love, as the pageantry and distinctive
Uniforms of the period ‘make for colourful and
evocative battles, You will find guidelines for painting
and basing your miniatures later.
ating the grandeur of
FIGURE SIZES
Many Napoleonic gamers like to play with
miniatures smaller than 25mm. (some play with
miniatures that are larger, in fact, but these are
geared towards skirmishes and are_not really
Suitable for brigade-level actions), is. quite
possible to tweak the rules and basing
‘conventions so that the game can be played with
smaller figures. For 18mm or 15mm miniatures,
you could feasibly keep the rules exactly as they
are, but you may wish c use smaller bases for
your models, or increase the number of models
fon a base (lor purists, the latter option will
exaggerate the ground scale of a formed-up unit
‘you have been warned!). For 1mm or 6mm
miniatures, you could simply halve all
measurements in the rules — from weapon and
movement ranges 10 the size of the company
bases. This is quite an abstraction, but is a simple
rule of thumb to provide a fun gaming experience
with very little legwork.
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DICE
You will need a set of ordinary six-sided dice to play.
In addition, in. some special ‘situations you will he
required (0 roll Artillery dice and/or Scatter dice. An
Axtillery dice is a six-sided dice with five numbered
sides @2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) and one special “misfire
symbol.” A’ Scatter dice has four faces showing
dlicectional arrows and two faces showing a special ‘hit
symbol. These dice are available from Games
Workshop.
MEASURE
The movement of models and the measuring of
weapon ranges requires the use of a measure, marked
in inches (). A tape measure will be most use
although a ruler will do just Fin
NB. Some players will be more used to metric
‘measurements (centimetres and millimetres) than the
good old-fashioned Imperial measurements commonly
Used in wargaming. If you wish to play the game using,
centimetres (cm), then simply double the ranges and
distances given in the book, so that 1" = 2em. This isn't
a wholly accurate conversion, and may cause Some
diserepancies, but as long as both players use the same
system there Shouldn't be any problems
‘TEMPLATES AND COUNTERS
Some instances in the game require units to be marked
counter; for example, if battalion has failed a
Command check and become disordered, Additionally,
artillery batteries often require templates to represent
the area of effect of their shots. All of these counters
and templates are provided later in the book for you to
photocopy and cut out, and are also available asa
hhandy pa download from the Warhammer Historical
website, Additionally, the templates (sometimes called
‘blast_markers) can be purchased from Games
Workshop. See the Reference section at the end ofthis
book for all our website information.
ARMY ROSTER, NOTEPAD AND PENCIL
Also included in this book is an army roster sheet,
which you cin photocopy or download trom the
Website: This allows you to record the composition (or
Of your force, and make a note of
‘order of battle’
their statistics and special rules for ease of reference
In addition, you may find a notepad and pencil useful
for recording wounds taken by your battalions and
other special occurrences that may crop up.
GAMING AREA
Of course, you will need somewhere to play. To set up
the gaming area (often referred to as just ‘the
battlefield), you will need any reasonably sized at
face ot area of floor. The average gaming area is
6/180cm by 4'/120em, but can be larger or smaller
depending upon the size of the game you're playing
and the number of miniatures you want to use. The
simplest battlefields are made by covering a table with
8 green cloth or blanket, but many gamers prefer to
make purpose-built gaming boards for a. more
aesthetically pleasing setup ~ you can find several
examples throughout this book, as well as some great
pictures of inspirational battlefields and. gaming
set-ups beginning on page 206,
SCENERY
While the ideal battlefield was a fat, featureless plain,
historical generals were rarely able to bring thelt
‘opponents to battle ia ideal circumstances. Therefore
seenery plays a large part in this game. As a bare
minimum you will need some model hills and some
trees to provide objectives and block fields of fire. You
may also find some 18th century model buildings
rather useful, too, especially when representing some
of the iconic stages of the Battle of Waterloo, such as
Hougoumont or La Haie-Sainte, Many players go on to
build large scenery collections, with roads, fields,
walls, fences, hedgerows, ruins and even forts
Populating their gaming tables. Some examples are
shown later
MOVEMENT TRAYS
In Waterloo, models are or to large units,
representing an infantry battalion, cavalry squadron oF
anillery battery. These units comprise several smnaller
formations, called companies, each with six infantry,
‘Wo or three cavalry, oF one artillery picce. These are
placed onto small trays or bases, which are best made
out of card or styrene/plasticard, See page 195 for
‘more information about basing your models,GETTING STARTED
Before diving straight into the rules, it’s worth
Spending a moment establishing some of the basic
principles of the game. Presented here are some
Conventions and abstractions that secur throughout
this rulebook, so familiarising yourself with them is
fessential (0 gain a full understanding of the game.
THE GAME RULES
The miles section of the book may look daunting at
first, particularly if this is your first foray. into
historical wargaming, However, there's no need to
worry. the rules are organised in a logical order, so
that the Fest few sections contain everything you need
tw have an enjoyable game of Waterloo, allowing you
fo move, shoot and fight. Later in the book you'll find
rule Land uncommon situations, such as
siege € not necessary for an average game,
but add an extea level of realism and tactical options
to the game,
SCENARIOS
Bach game of Waterloo represents a conflict between
opposing, sides, and the aim is to complete one or
more objectives in order to determine a winner. For
this reason, games are structured around scenarios
(ee page #4), which provide a variety of battlefield
setups. army dispositions, special deployments and
vietory conditions to keep each battle fresh and
challenging. Scenarios usually pit armies of roughly
equal strength against each other, but some are
Aeliberately weighted to allow for mismatched sides
and historically accurate forces,
SCALE AND FIGURE RATIO
As mentioned earlier, these rules are primasily
designed for miniatures of 25mm-28mm, which ace
available from some sources as a ‘scale’ of 1/64 or 1/58
respectively (S0 Lmm of the model equates to 64mm or
58mm in the real world). Players may well be able to
Use 1/72 oF 1/76 scale Napoleonic models (common
scales for plastic soldiers) or 20mm figures, using
cexicily the same cules and measurements as For the
larger figures, but be aware that these sizes and scales
do not mix well together. Players wishing to use 18mm
oF 15mm miniatures to play Waterloo will find that
some work will be needed to convert the
measurements and ranges provided in the rulebook,
They will need shorter ranges for shooting, slightly
shorter movement distances, a smaller average gaming,
area, and smaller - movement trays, for example.
Samers wishing to play with smaller models shoulel
agree on these factors before beginning play.
A commion feature of all Napoleonic wargames is the
Figure ratio’, Because the constraints of scale and the
size of gaming areas generally mean that large battles
‘annot accurately be refought in miniature (well, not
without painting tens of thousands of models’ and
fsking serious back pain every time you try to move a
battalion), wargamers instead apply a simple ratio, so
that one ‘miniature in the game represents. several
Sciual soldiers historically. Waterloo uses just such a
figure ratio, albeit a faiely loose one. In this game, one
‘try model represents somewhere in the region of
20-30 real soldiers, a cavalry model represen
:pproximately 12-20 real cavalrymen, and an atillery
piece represents 3-5 guns and their crew, This means
that a six-man stand of infantry isa fair
‘of a complete historical company (about 120 men). A
full-strength French infantry battalion, for example,
‘comprises six such companies on average. The figure
ratio is really in elfect to save space and to create a
‘good-Jooking. game ~ 28min figures look superb on the
tabletop, but aren’t practical in real terms for battalion:
level gaming, unless you really do have tens of
thousands of figures, a crane to move them around,
and a gaming area the size of a car park to account for
xzenuine 1/58 scale measurements! This compromise
affords hobbyists the best of all possible words
However, figure ratio is an abstraction that confuses
some people, especially those who come from a
background of fantasy gaming or skirmish gaming,
where each model represents a single brave warrior,
and you build an emotional attachment to each one of
your beautifully painted soldiers. If you have trouble
getting your head around it, then the best advice is
just con't worry about itl 1f you want each soldier to
represent a single man, then you ean, and you'll have
just as much fun playing the game.
Prone Dani of the Line
Tse ev fairy standart infty companies bs Wath, wit each
Ina presen iri 20 men oi
INTRODUCTION@ TnrRopuction
f
GROUND SCALE
Another thing that many Napoleonic gamers look ati
4 set of game rules is the ground scale ~ that Is, wl
real world’ distance is represented by the size of
model battlefield. In Waterloo, I" represents
approximately 7-8 metres (or 8.9 yards). Using this
ground scale, an average company of six models, for
example, would have a frontage of around. 20-25
metres, which historically is about right
Ground scale is not absolute — some abstraction is
Fequired. For example, while most weapons ranges are
calculated at their ‘effective range rather
‘maximum range (60 a Baker rifle has an effective range
of 200 yards, or 24°), some weapons have had to be
adjusted artificially to make for a better gaming
experience. Muskets, for example, are the most
common weapons in’ the game, but using an exact
ground scale ratio would give them a range of just 12°
~ we have adjusted this (0 18" (closer to the maximum
range of the historical weapon), otherwise line infantry
‘would not be as effective as they should be on the
battlefield. Obviously, when you ty to fire a weapon
at long range in the game, you suffer some penalties to
hitting your target, so these abstractions balance out
Attllery have the most abstracted ranges in the game
~ realistically, even small cannons would have a tinge
longer than ‘most people's gaming. tables. ‘To. stop
cannons from having completely free tein on the
battlefield, we attribute them a nominal range.
Finally, the bit that makes many gamers’ heads ache is
the ‘ground scale’ and scenery. Using 28mm miniatures
means that most people will use 28mm-compatible
scenery, because it looks good, However, such scenery
is usually designed with @ 1:1 figure ratio in mind Cone
‘model = one man), and aot with ground scale in mind.
To be honest, the fact that 28mm figures look great on
28mm terrain overcomes most head-scratchings
objections ~ after all, it’s the aesthetic of the perio
that attracts most people to Napoleonic gaming in the
first place. However, purists sometimes use smaller
seale scenery, such as 15mm of even 10mm terrain, to
compensate ‘for the distorted ground scale. The
photographs in this book all use 28mm figures ‘on
2amm terrain, because we don’ like to let mechanics
get in the way of a greatlooking game
As with figure ratios, iF you don't want to worry about
such things as grand scales, then simply ignore the
Whole principle ~ it won't detract from the game at all
if you picture exch model as one man, and size your
scenery accordingly. Just be aware that you may meet
some opponents to whom it matters a great deal!
COMPANIES AND BATTALIONS
As mentioned earlier, models are grouped into units
fon the battlefield. “The basic units’ are infantry
battalions, artillery batteries or cavalry squadrons
which historically would comprise hundreds of men
These units are made up of groups of models, which
are called ‘companies’ throughout the game rules, So,
for example, an average French infantry unit — the
battalion ~"is made up of six companies, each
Fepresented by a tray or base of six models. More
detail on the exact composition of various types of unit
‘ean be found later,
MOVEMENT TRAYS
Companies are marked on the battlefield by arranging
‘models on rectangular movement trays or bases. By
placing models onto movement trays to. form
companies, you can move around large armies much
more quickly than if you were moving them ane model
at a time. Note that it doesn't matter whether or not
you glue the models to the movement trays — we dont
worry about removing individual models as casualties
in battles of Waterfoo, only removing models when an
centire company has been lost; so instead casualties are
marked with counters. Some gamers like to represent
their skirmishing, units with individual models, or
‘models based in twos or threes = this is fine, but is the
exception rather than the rule
A movement tray, and all the models on it, is treated
as a single entity for the purposes of the rules. They
‘move together, shoot together and fight together. The
actions of the whole company are worked! out eather
than that of each individual model, although ‘some
special troop types ~ represented by single models
do acd a bonus to the actions of their unit
What this all means is that you'll aced a number of
{ays or bases to play Waterloo — one for each company
in your army. Trays can he made from any kind of thin,
Aa, sturdy material, cut to the dimensions given below.
‘The amount of leeway given to base sizes is important,
5 many gamers picking up this rulebook for the first
Hime will already own a sizeable collection of
miniatures. We have tried £0 tale info account all of
the most common basing conventions when working
ut these recommended tray sizes,
Company Type Tray Width ‘Tray Depth
Min Max
Infantry 45mm 60mm — 30mm 40mm
Artillery 45mm 60mm — 40mm 8mm.
Independent
Officer (mtay®
20mm 50mm
BASING CONVENTIONS
If you already own a collection of models and find
that they don’t conform to the basing conventions
above, don't worry! With just a litle adaptation
you can use your models regardless. For example,
i you have smaller bases than the above, or even
use smaller models (down to about 15mm), then
there's no reason you can't just stick them 10
slightly larger company stands ‘when you play.
Likewise, some people prefer to play ‘with’ just
four infantry models to a stand instead of six. ot
three cavalry instead of two ~ as long as each
stand uses the same rules as presented fora sx oF
‘6vo-man stand, then i's perfectly acceptable,COMPANY TYPES
Artery haters
osficer
MEASURING
When gauging distances, the rules generally require
you (© make an estimate before actually measuring,
For example, you must declare the target for your
shooting before measuring the range, and if your
festimate is too generous then the shot will fall shor,
When measuring distances between companies, use
the closest point oF their movement trays as your
reference points. If you have special models that don't
have bases (uch as horse limbers for your artillery),
then measure to the closest part of the model instexd
So, for example, if any part of a company is 6" away
from anothers, then the whole company is said to be
Within 6” of the other. Equally if these companies are
Part of @ larger formation, then those formations are
Said (© be within 6* of each other ~ this is particularly
important when calculating the influence of the army
‘commanders, for example.
DICE
In a game of Waterloo, you will frequently need to roll
dice 10 see how the actions of your models turn out
how effective their musketry is, how much damage
they've done in their bayonet’ charge, or whether
they've routed in the face of the enemy, ete, During the
course of the rules, normal six-sided dice are often
referred 10 a5 D6 ($0, for example, if the rules ask you
Infontey Company
avery Company
to roll 2D6, you must roll two dice), Occasionally you
will also be asked to roll one or more ‘D3’. This is done
by rolling an ordinary dlice and counting a score of 1
or 2a al’, $or4as.a‘2, and 5 or 6 as a3
MODIFYING DICE ROLLS
Sometimes. you may have to ‘modify the result of a
ice roll. When this is necessary, itis usually denoted
in the rules as D6 plus or minus a number, Le. D6-1,
206-2, and so on, Roll the dice and add or subsract the
number to or from the score to get the final result. So,
rolling DG+ will give you a final score of berween 2
and 7, for example.
REROLLS.
fons, the rules allow you to ‘e-roll” some
dice. This is exactly how it sounds ~ pick
up the dice you wish to re-roll and roll them again. The
second score always counts, even if it is worse than the
fiest, and no die can ever be re-rolled more than once,
If you re-roll 2D6, 3D6 or some other multiple, you must
reroll all of the dice, not just the ones with the worst
scotes, unless the ules specify otherwise
ROLLOFFS
If the rules require the players to ‘oll off or ‘dice off,
this simply means that each player must roll a dice,
ind the player that scores highest wins the roll-off, 1
the scores are tied, then players must roll again uatil
‘winner is determined,
gh tnetry Company66 If they want peace, nations should avoid
the pin-pricks that precede cannon shots.9 9
- Napoleonambronne, afer a
ining by Herd
(at a.m
Sond.
GAME OVERVIEW
page summarises the sequence for playing a
game of Waterloo, and points you to the relevant
part (or parts) of the rulebook that explains how
each stage works,
1. MUSTER YOUR FORCES
mne of Waterloo is usually played betw
do is assemble
to pick theit forces (a
were present at a spes
Ceorps of troops f
the points values system and army lists to ensure that
their games are evenly balanced for a closely fought
battle. This particular system is explained on page 108.
2. PICK A SCENARIO
Most games are governed by a f
scenario ~ a loose se¢ of rules that h
the battlefield is set up, how you
oops deploy, and so on. ‘The sce
rules on how to determine which 0
presented on page 84. OF course,
make up their own scenarios, often based on histor
battles, andl there's more on this method of play lave
3. SET UP THE BATTLEFIELD
Next, you will need a battlefield to fight
large table, area of floor, or a fully-modelled
be ita
ming,
board, The players set up the terrain for their armies to
fight over ‘and around, representing open. fields,
Forests, villages and so on. You'll find some guidelines
fon page 85;
4. DEPLOY ARMIES
The two opposing armies are deployed facing exch
cther aeross the battlefield, ready to fight. Details on
how to deploy and who gets to go first are given in the
os section on page 87.
5. FIGH’
Fight the battle using the main rules from this book,
with players taking it in turns to move, shoot and fight
with their miniatures,
6. DETERMINE THE VICTOR
Battles usually end afier a set number of turns, or
when one player has claimed a key objective. At this
point it is often obvious who has won, but many
Scenarios offer alternative ways to win a battle to keep
nes fresh and extMOobDELs & UNITS
fn the rules that follow, the miniatures used to play
fumes of Waterloo are referred 10 as ‘models’,
Fepanies' or units’, AS described earlier, models are
grouped into companies, which are in turn banded
fogetner to form a larger unit. Models represent a huge
Mtkeyy of Napoleonic troops, and to reflect the
Ullfercnces between these troops, we give each
Company in the game a ‘characteristics profile
CHARACTERISTICS
In Waterloo, the strengths, weaknesses, fightin
‘csilience and leadership qualities of every
ire expressed through characteristics.
listed as a series of statistics on a
abilities,
company
hese are
characteristics profile.
There are six simple attributes that define a troop
Iype's battle prowess; Type, Fighting Skill (F), Attacks
(A), Resilience (R), Command Value (©) and Tactics
points (TAC). Officers replace the Tactics points
hharacteristic with Strategy points (STG).
TYPE
There are four broad categories for troop types
Waterloo: Infantey, Cavalry, Artillery and Officer
Officers come in two forms ~ those that join units, and
those that are deployed independently of other troops.
Officers that join units have @ reduced profile, as they
lend fo suugment their company's profile rather than
fight alone. Officers are discussed in-depth on page 66.
A company’s Type is used for a variety of things. It
determines the Order in which the models stike in
‘ombat, as well as the bonuses it receives, It can
also affect how the company interacts with terrain,
formation of benefits from various special
nally, it informs the number of models in the
company, this:
change
rules.
ec
fos ami eamny
6 intcry model
(te nant nie ee
SESE
Pe
1 officer, mounted oF on foot
igh Sey btalins had sina nubs oti
sly reeset tei iy ta wae persed formation,
FIGHTING SKILL @)
A company's Fighting Skill represents its
prowess ~ the ability of the soldiers to hold their own
in hanclo-hand combat, A Fighting Skill of 3 is about
Average, but the higher this number the better!
ATTACKS (A)
The Atacks value indicates how many blows the
company can strike in close combat. The average
{nfanury company thas 3 Attacks, while cavalry ca
have up to 6 When a company takes severe
isualties, its Attacks can decrease, In the case of
Officers that are part of a company, the Attacks value
is often displayed as a modifier, such as 41, #2, etc
‘This simply indicates that the Officer's presence adds a
‘number of Attacks to the company’s profile.
RESILIENCE (R)
‘The Resilience value represents how many hits each
‘company can suffer before i takes a dam
is a combination of toughness, hick and t
nost eases, the Resilience value i 1; @
sulficient (0 cause a single damage marker token to be
placed next to the unit. Cavalry are more resilient than
fantry, and usually have a Resilience of 2 or 3, though
they have fewer models in each company. Some
wlependent officers have more than a single point of
Resilience, a5 the model represents not just them but
also their staff and aide de camps ~ on top of that they
may just be very lucky, or difficult to target on the
battlefield compared to & large formation of men,
The removal of casualties will be discussed in more
detail later; suffice it to say that each company in a
battalion can take a certain umber of damage points
before the stancl is removed from play. The number of
points of damage that a company can sustain is called
the ‘Damage Threshold’. The following chart shows
the Damage Threshold values for various types of
troops in the game:
DAMAGE THRESHOLD CHART
ratty é
: EE
Ganley >
“Independent Offers Ps
n most of the photographs in this book, you will fin
hat the number of miniatures on a company stand is
representative of the company's Damage Threshold. OF
course, there is nothing to stop you from reducing or
even increasing the number of models on a stand if
you so desire. Such an adjustment will have no real
bearing on gameplay, and may better suit the
individual hobbyist’s resources or penchant for
spectacle respectively.
The Rus @
‘A assebled and
Datnted company
(plac et
{ine nga@ ter Ruts
polo exrses
tbe deployment of
be Ae of te
‘Nor pera
COMMAND VALUE (c)
‘The Command Value is a measure of the bravery and
determination of the company, the quality of its
officers, along with its ability to give, receive and
follow ‘orders. In the Napoleonic era, units, were
thought of as a coherent mass, with theit own morale,
rather than a group of individuals. An 1843 article in
Colburn’s United Service Magazine discussed. this
concept, saying ‘whenever two bodies of infantry mect,
W is the least daring mass which gies way... the
courage of the mass may exist without individual
courage... The private will do bis duty: bis arm may he
unnerved, indeed, by bis individwal terrors, bt still be
feeps bis place ~ the man is there at bis pest, forming
Part and parcel of a brave and formidable whole
The average Command Value of normal troops in the
game is 3, while Officers tend to have Command
Values in excess of this, up to a maximum of 9.
Sometimes, troops are called upon fo take a Command
check. Here, 2D6 are rolled and added together, and
the company’s Command Value is added to the total It
the final oral is 10 or more, the Command check has
been passed ~ the battalion's leaders have managed to
hold their troops together. If the Command check. is
failed, the battalion could become disordered, ot could
rout altogether in the face of the enemy. If there is
more than one Command Value in a battalion, always
luse the highest: You will find more information on
id checks, and the eigcumstances under which
ce them, in the section entitled Command and
Control, beginning on page 54
‘TACTICS (TAC) AND STRATEGY POINTS (STG)
Pethaps the most important rules concept in Waterloo is
that of Tactics. Every unit in the game has a nuinber of
Tactics points (abbreviated to TAC), which essentially
govem how many actions the unit gets to perform each
um. TAC points are spent when moving, ehanging
Formation, ‘shooting, charging, receiving ‘an enemy
charge, ete, and are replenished each tum. Generally
speaking, the more TAC points a unit has, the more it
can achieve during the game turn
Strategy points (or STG points) are a litle different —
these are only available to officers, and are a finite
avantity. Onee they're gone, they're gone. Officers have
4 more strategic overview of the battle, and so rather
than rely on TAG points, they instead use Strategy posts
to improve the morale of their men, motlfy dice tolls, oF
enact special orders such as rapid redeployment, More
(on Tacties and Strategies can be found later
SPECIAL RULES
‘Some companies also have special rules. These cover
unusual abilities that are outside the norm for the
‘company’s Type. Special rules are discussed later‘his is « simplified example of an army list entry for a British
[ne Battalion. The characieristies profile is ipical of infantry
tatapaies in the game. You can find complete army tists for
Gnltuin, France, Prussia and their allies on pages 107-155.
BRITISH LINE BATTALION (80 POINTS)
type F A R CTACSTG
Line Infantry (Reg) Infantry 3031 33
Engineer Special =e aw
Captain Officer - +l 14-1
Majo Officer =e a 2
Colonel Officer = 41-15 2
Companies: A Line Battalion comprises three companies of
Line Infantry. One of these is automatically designated as the
command company, and contains a drummer, regimental
colours and King’s colours (standard bearer). Additional
‘companies may be purchased for the battalion as follows:
*Up to 5 additional Line Battalion companies at
120 pts per company.
Armament: Musket and bayonet
Command: The Line Battalion is led by a Captain. If totals six
‘of more companies, the Captain may be replaced by a Major for
425 pts, or a Colonel for +40 pts,
Options:
+ I the battalion comprises at least five companies, one may be
‘upgraded to a Light Company for +25 points.
+ Ifthe batalion comprises at least five compan
‘upgraded to 2 Grenadiers for +30 points.
fone may be
+ ‘The command company may take an Engincers contingent
Gepresented by a single model for 25 points
+ The commander may be mounted for 45 points.
Special Rules: If the battalion includes a Light Company, it
szains the Skirmish Sereen special rule. IFit includes Grenadiers,
it gains the Hardened special rule,
‘THe Rutrs
FORMING UNITS
The companies of models that form larger units are
srranged! in orthogonal base contact with each other —
(edge-toredge and cornerto-cornen). Units can be
arranged! in a variety of shapes, called Formations, on.
the batllefield ~ see page 34 for more details squ
formation ~ which are detailed on pages 34-39.
UNIT FACING
Al models in a company must be facing the same way,
nel in most cases all of the companies ia a unit must
Iso be arranged to face in the same direction, There are
some very important exee}
ptions ~ such as the infantry ‘thd {xine
gone the iteA TYPICAL GAME
‘So what’ it like to play a game using the Waterloo
rules? If you're new t0 Napoleonic wargaming, or
‘even new to the wargaming hobby completely, then
the following pages will give you a general idea,
Here, we take a quick look at sciting up a battlefield,
deploying armies, fighting out the battle and, finally,
determining whether you have won of lost.
SETTING UP THE BATTLE
la’s assume that you and your opponent ty
ste aries ready for bate Prom there, you na
KenmantingeDrtish choose a scenario to play ~ essentially a scenario 1s
seche in ows”* framework for the game; a ‘mission’ of sorts, which
‘ney includes objectives and: setup. guldelins for” your
thes forces. You can read all about them on pi
onwards, Once this is done,
for the game.
While you will find some proper guidel
set up the battlefield later in the hook, esse
1d your opponent work together to place
ode hills, trees, buildings and the like ~ to create an | 4 erie tees plenty une or
in not only | jum an
Sec ora ateTHe Rus @
DEPLOYMENT
Pics the terrain has been set up, it's time to choose
hie sides to deploy the armies on. The usual method
Hilo cach player to roll a dice and whoever rolls
phuhest picks the side of the table he wishes to deploy
aaanne layer who lost the roll-off gets the opposite
Uible eeige. The two players then take it in tuens to set
bp theie force
Whilst a game cannot usually be won or Tost in the
Ueployment phase of the battle, you can give yourself
jet where the
an early advantage by trying to pr
tnemy will atack from and set up accordingly, or by
fing to claim tactically advantageous positions such
ings. Remember, you are
my, and it is your job to
the commander of the
Exploit the lay of the land to give your men the best
chance of vietory
Mark hcl ine of ight rm bi ley bate, be bope of
{nto fon’ runing uno Cet salt
ne detain sot
Mark has pid fora tnganonbeay force and
dfowive acc own trap, bower, aston a mx of
had Neroee eis oe ‘Dot is eta to bea tly contested obec —
Iifntrymadleinsie ung gan many adeaagen
‘and ae afc shen
‘oth playors baw found Bille om bic dp tht artery pices.
The bigher teu pasion sb greater tells of fe.
fanFIGHTING THE BATTLE,
Once the armics are deployed, it is time to fight the
battle. Players take it in tuens to act with the forces at
their disposal. During the course of a typical turn, a
player will rain down a barrage of artillery fire upon
his opponent, move his units — including, charging,
them into combat with the foe ~ unleash fusillades of
usket and rifle fie and, finally, fight out any close:
quarter combats. Once these things are done, itis the
‘opponent's turn to have a yo.
In your turn, you have the chance to enact your master
plan, attempting to manoeuvre into advantageous
Position, claim battlefield objectives, “shoot your
‘enemies to pieces and run them down after the cut and
thrust of melee.
During your opponent's turn, you will still be catled
'upon to do a few things ~ unfortunately for you,
however, this often involves rolling dice to see if your
{troops rout in blind panic, and then moving them as
they flee! However, there will also be opportunities to
use special rules and abilities to ‘counter. your
‘opponent's tactics,
‘These nods are mount base and ure tet a lif erin,
Mark got anne ths by moving bis Rife I Si Ca
ove for annoying eva wo nd ic ert ba going
As models are removed from play due to falling as
casualties, they should be taken away from’ the
battlefield! and kept somewhere safe. AS the battle
niges, armies are slowly but surely whittled down as
whole companies are lost to massed musketry, or
centire battalions flee the field in panic
WIN, LOSE OR DRAW
After a set number of turns, or once a particular
objective has been reached, the gume ends. Every
scenario has a set of rules allowing you to work out
who has won ~ in some eases, however, it will be
Preity obvious, as one side will have taken a mauling
at the hands of the enemy! Other times you will have
fo work it out by totalling up ‘victory points’ or
consulting the rules for battlefield objectives,
Regardless of the outcome, it’s time to shake your
‘opponent by the hand and count the cost of victory ot
cat. If you've played a particularly fiendish scenario,
perhaps one in which the armies are not of equal size
Or the battlefield objectives make it tricky for one
player, it only sportsmanlike to offer your opponent
4 rematch, swapping sides 10 see if he can do better,
‘he Arsh 240 Line made ito te lon badges ~ Mav
‘ep tbat this wou ge bin soma sl cau of
rowcionom ncomin ie.Tur Rutrs @
KEY TO THE BATTLE
Ajim’s anillery pieces have the best of the early exchanges
Focussing all their fie on one target at a time, until the 32nd Foot
are forced to fall back.
1B ‘The French infantry form column of march and head for the British
lines, hoping. that their cavalry support will have an impact before
the British musketry can do too much damage.
© ‘The 19th (Yorkshire) British Line Infantry battalion takes the inn,
determined to hold this vital objective against all comers.
D Realising that the French Cuirassiers are getting too clase for
comiort, Mark harasses them with his Riflemen (hiling in the
\voudls) to slow them down, and forms his end-most infantry unit
into a defensive square
lirects his imposing unit of Imperial Guard infantry co the inn
ese hardened toops represent the French army's best chance
to take the defended building,
A soon a tbo bate ons, the payers sae avd on a ard ought
‘pues before beng ef forte tseroed copes aed che bond
Set hed tt oe ei
F with hi
challenge the F
1 Jim's deployment zone to ride down the French art
can just weather the storm of grapeshot, he should be okay!
ly unit of cavalry ~ light dragoons - out of position to
enh Cuirassiers, Mark sends them towards the hill,
WheFrench cotonns of
‘tack each the
feos are for
tough ht
Ina real battle, opposing armies would manoeuvre,
open fire at each other and fight bloody handto.
‘hand combats all at the same time, all whilst halt.
blinded by smoke and deafened by the roar of
heavy cannons. In a game of Waterloo, these
actions are regulated by a turn sequence.
In a turn, players alternate between moving, firing ancl
fighting with their oops. Each turn is spit into several
‘phases’; when both players have completed @ phase,
the next one begins. The turn sequence is shown on
the right.
ENDING A BATTLE
Battles are recreated on the tabletop by means of
arios. ‘There are six standard scenarios presented
in this book, which are genetic enough to represent a
variety of historical engagements, ar even ones of your
own devising. In addition, there are some extra
scenarios specifically for the campaign of Waterloo,
Scenarios include rules for setting up the gaming area,
deploying your forces, and clear objectives that you
‘must meet in order to win,
‘TAKING SIDES
There are always two sides in a game of Waterloo ~
Usually the British and/or their allies ane! the French,
Fach side is represented by a number ‘of units,
controlled by one or more players - the Army Lists
section contains rules for choosing forves, There must
be at least one player on each side, If there are more
players present, then each controls a portion of the
Forces involved.
THE GAME TURN
THE TURN SEQUENCE
1. THE INITIATIVE PHASE
‘The two players determine who gets the
initiative, and therefore who gets to act first in
each phase,
2. THE ARTILLERY PHASE
The cannons, howitzers, mortars and rockets on
each side begin their bombardment. of the
enemy. Once one side's artillery has resolved its
shooting, the other side does the sane.
3. THE MOVEMENT PHASE
Both sides move their battalions, change
formations and charge the enemy if desited!
Once the side with the initiative has finished
moving, the other side may move.
4. THE SHOOTING PHASE
Both sides’ battalions may shoot. Once the side
with the initiative has finished shooting, the
other side shoots
5. THE MELEE PHASE
In this phase, battalions fight their opponents
hand-to-hand. Both sides fight at once in this
phase; the player with the initiative determines
the order in which combats are fought.
6. END OF TURN
Both players tidy up the gaming area and resolve
any effects rerTHE INITIATIVE PHASE
‘Ag the start of every turn, both generals dispatch
heir orders, and commanders across the battlefield
Nike « play to seize the initiative from thei
ypposite numbers. This phase is all about gaining
fg iactical advantage for the turn ahead.
ROLL FOR INITIATIVE
The result of a battle depends upon a whole host of
feasons. The stengihs of the opposing sides, the
{quality and experience of the troops, the lay of the
Datileicld ~ all ofthese things are important. However,
perhaps the single most important factor in
Getermining success oF failure isthe ability to seize the
fnititive. The side with the initiative atthe start of any’
turn has some distinct advantages, and this represents
a bold commancler dictating the flow of the battle
Initiative can be your closest ally or your deadliest
enemy. Sometimes you'll want your opponent to seize
the initiative and act firs, allowing you to react to his
plans or capitalise on his mistakes. Other times,
particularly late on ia the game, you'll find that acting,
first is crucial to your plans, although the fickle fi
fof fate may have other ideas for you.
The scenario you are playing may specify which side
ets the initiative in the first turn, If it does not,
players must roll-off to see who starts the battle with
the initiative
In the second and subsequent turns of the game, both
players roll a D6 at the start of each Initiative phase,
Whoever rolls the highest chooses who has the
initiative for that tur, Ifthe dice are equal, the players
continue to roll off until a clear winner is determined
‘The player who takes the initiative will act first in each
phase of that turn. It's important to remember who has
the initiative each tuen - you may find it useful t0 pass
a coin or other counter between you as a reminder of
‘who has the initiative in any given turn,
START OF TURN
Once initiative order has been determined, the game
turn proper begins, Any effects that require a check to
be made ‘atthe start of the next turn’ must be resolved
now, in order of Initiative Ge. battalions that begin the
tusn Routing or Disordered can take a Command check
now 0 restore order), and players resolve these effects
in order of initiative. ‘These situations will be detailed
in their appropriate sections later in the rules.
MOVING ROUTING TROOPS
Any troops that begin the turn routed, and fail to
‘must flee again towards their own deployment
now, before the next phase begins, Routing mov
is exactly the same as that described in the Melee
phase, on page 51
fend trundering
tage towards
ney lines.‘The sound of a battle beginning in the Napoleonic
era was an unmistakeable one. It was a thunderous
cacophony of field artillery, as each general
attempted to soften up the foe with cannon and
mortar fire before committing his troops to the fray.
In Waterioo, each tuon begins with the Artillery phase.
This is not only atmospheric of the period, but also
conveniently allows generals to get all of their range.
suessing and heavy ordnance effects out of the way
before moving and fising with the rest of their troops
Note that artillery batteries move in the normal
‘Movement phase (and in very rare situations may find
themselves fighting in the Melee phase, too) ~ the only
thing they do in this phase is shoot.
Artillery units in the game have a host of special rules
and firing options, so only the firing procedure andl
general principles are listed here, For the full rules for
anillery, turn to page 59.
THE FIRING SEQUENCE
1. PICK BATTERY AND TARGET
‘The player with the initiative chooses each of his
anillery batteries in turn, and declares its target. All the
guns in a battery must fire at the same target, No
Fanges are measured at this stage. ‘The target uit must
be within tine of sight of at least one stand in the
battery, and may not be engaged in melee. The player
‘must spend 1 Tactical point for every battery that fires
note that only 1 TAC point is required regardless of
the number of stands in the artillery unit.
2. DECLARE MODE OF FIRE
Some artillery cin choose t© fire either ‘direct or
‘indirect’. An artillery battery can only fire direct if
there is no scenery or troops, friend or foe, in the Wty
Of their shot (see the line of sight rules, on page 42).
IF there are obstacles in the way, artillery can only fire
Side seaton of a rsh tb jt gun,
pro813 pater,
THE ARTILLERY PHASE
indirectly, assuming they are allowed to do so at al
However, artillery in an elevated position may be able
to fire over the heads of troops, as described later
3. GUESS RANGE
Ranges are not measured straight:
but rather are guessed by the player. Guess the range
to the target, in inches, up to the maximum range
Permitted for the attllery type you are firing, Only
fone guess is made per bauery, rather thin per
individual gun. You must guess the range of exch
artillery battery in your army before taking any
Measurements (Chis is another reason why the
Artillery phase takes place before movement or
shooting). Note that artillery usually has 4 minimum
ange (0 guess, too, You may find it useful to note
down or otherwise mark the distanc
‘especially if you have a lot of guns to fire
for artillery,
You guess,
4. MEASURE RANGE AND ROLL DICE
Measure your estimates and mark those points on the
tabletop before working out the effects of the shots
The best way to do this is to extend a measuring tape
in a dead straight line from each of your cannons to
the target, marking the exact point of your estimate
along this line. The guess may fall short or long, but
it’s important that you complete the procedure,
other units may be hit, or your cannons inay misfire!
Next roll the required dice (usually an artillery and/or
scatter dice, as specified in the Artillery rules) for each
anillery piece in the battery — while the target and
inge is determined for the battery as a whole, each
piece resolves its shot separately,
5. WORK OUT THE DAMAGE
At this point, the various types of guns and
‘ammunition types have their own unique niles, If any
units or even buildings lie under the shot marker, you
must determine whether of not they are damaged,
Using the profile for the weapon you are using, and the
rules for damage in the Shooting phase section (sce
Page 49). Cannon shots may then bounce onwards,
possibly causing additional damage or hitting a new
arget altogether, while mortars ancl howitzers will
have templates that may cover multiple targets i lethal
canister, incendiary or shrapnel shot.
TYPES OF TARGET
At various points in the rules, you will find that targets
are referenced as ‘hard’ or ‘soft’, Hard targets include
terrain, artillery pieces and fortifications. Soft targets
are men and horses. Most axtilery pieces inflict varying,
damage and/or secondary effects depending on the
type of target,
DIFFICULT SHOTS
In the Shooting phase, you will read about ‘Difficult
Shots’, which makes certain targets harder to hit by
nan with a musket or rifle. Amillery batteries don't fre
in the same way as other missile weapons, and
therefore ignore Difficult Shots unless their rules
specifically state otherwiseTHE MOVEMENT PHASE
once the preliminary artillery bombardment has
Finished, che Movement phase begins. During this
phase of the game, each side gets to move its units,
Ruempting & outmanoeuvre the enemy and seize
ital battlefield objectives.
‘rhe Movement phase isa particularly important part of
hhe game, and i's the only phase where the player is
Completely in control of his soldiers’ actions. Unlike
hhe other phases of the game, there are few dice to
plane (or even to thank) for strategies gone awry, 30
the pliers’ own tactical acumen and. skilled
manoeuvring will prove decisive. Canny generals will
tise this phase to great effect, setting up ambushes,
reinforcing strategie positions or launching devastating
Charges that will help to dictate the shape of the battle
in the following turns,
The nature of tabletop wargaming, the varied terrain it
s fought over and the stability of the models
themselves mean that it is almost impossible to be
absolutely aecurate about the movement of units ~ the
fod fraction of an inch will inevitably disappear as
lines are neatened and models edged together. On the
whole, this need not cause concer luring gameplay,
ts it is fav better to keep the game flowing than worry
thout unavoidable imprecision. However, it is
recommended that where a move is especially
important, oF an exact measurement eritical, itis good
practice to agree what you are doing with your
‘opponent before moving any troops,
WHO MOVES FIRST?
The player who won the initiative and chose to go first
:oves his oops fist in this phase, in whatever order
he wishes.
There ave advantages to both moving first and moving
second. By moving first, a player can force his
‘opponent 10 react to his manoeuvres, of launch a vital
change against nearby enemy units. On the other hand,
by moving second a player can observe his opponent's
strategy and hopefully react to exploit weaknesses in
it, Once the fist side has moved all the units i wishes
{o, the second side moves its formations,
TACTICS POINTS IN THE
MOVEMENT PHASE
Like all actions in games of Waterloo, manoeuvring
costs «number of TAC points. It costs 1 TAC point to
do each of the following, and each may only be
performed once per turn:
+ Declare a charge
* Perform a Normal Move, up to the
Luni’s normal movement allowance
+ Change formation
ge precludes 2 unit
performing any other move or changing
n. However, a unit may perform a normal move
«l change formation in the sasne Movement phase.
from
form
MOVEMENT PHASE SUMMARY
‘As with the overall tum sequence, the things you can
do in this phase are performed in’a strict order:
1, Declare charges and determine charge reactions
2. Measure charge distances and move charging tnits|
3. Move and/or reform remaining units
MOVEMENT RATES
The normal speed or movement rate of a unit is
determined by its type. Obviously you would expect
‘cavalry to move faster than infantry, for example. All
woop types have three movement’ rates — one for
normal movement, one for charging (usually couble
the unit's normal movement) and a third rate used
when the unit flees from the enemy or pursues a
beaten enemy. Note that the flee/pursue value is a
random number, determined by rolling several dice
and adding the’ scores together. ‘The result is the
‘number of inches the unit moves.
Type
Infantry Gall types) 4” BY
Move Charge Flee/Pursue
206"
Cavalry, Light 8" 3
Artillery (limbered) 6"
Models do not have to move their full movement
allowance, and can even stay still if you prefer, but
they cannot move further than their movement rate
unless charging, pursuing or fleeing, or unless they
have received some form of movement bonus (for
‘moving ‘at the double’ or along a road, for example).
MINIMUM DISTANCE APART
Players will sometimes find that the movement of
troops results in the tabletop becoming quite
crowded, especially when several units are
engaged in close combat. IC is important to
establish which units are actually fighting and
which are close by but not engaged.
For this reason, units must always be kept at least
1 apart when they are not fighting. Models which
would otherwise approach to within 1" without
‘engaging them must simply halt 1" away instead,
Remember that in normal circumstances units
may only engage in close combat by means of a
charge. However, during charge moves a
charging unit may approach to within 1" of any
enemy, not just the one they are charging,
f
Liberts ak Sgalirs@ Te Rutes
Gib montsiting
Watrog, 15
(inne 8 Bowen
‘itary corn,
‘Brown tert
rary).
CHARGES
At the start of your Movement phase, the first thing you
must do is declare which, if any, of your units will
charge an enemy this turn.’ You will never normally be
forced to charge, although some unusual situations may
lead to unexpected charges ~ these are discussed later
Charging is the only way that units are normally
allowed to move into melee. If you want to attack an
enemy unit, then you must charge it.
CHARGE DECLARATIONS
Charges can be declared in any order that you wish,
but all charges must be declared before any movement
rringes are measured or any troops ate moved. To
declare a charge, simply nominate one of your units,
spend a TAC point, and nominate the enemy unit that
it is going to attack. Note that a unit’ must. be
reasonably considered to be in charge range for
charge to be declared ~ players must not declare an
unrealistic charge against an enemy unit just to Force a
reaction from it
only declare a charge if at least one
the unit can see the enemy = its not
‘company
necessary to draw at line of sight from every company
in the unit as long as at least one can see. For more on
line of sight see page 42,
Troops can only charge up 10 a predetermined
distance, as described in the Movement Rates section
earlier. When you declare a charge you must do s0
Without measuring the distance, You must also take
into account the affects of battlefield terrain on your
charge distance ~ as you can see, declaring an effective
charge requires a good judgement of distances,
CHARGE REACTIONS
After you have declared your charges, but before you
leastife 10 see whether or not the charging units are
in range, your opponent must declare how cach
charged “unit will respond, Note that this is an
exception to the usual sequence of play, as. the
charged units may be able to move or shoot ducing
your turn,
Most charged units have three charge reactions
available to them: Hold, Flee, or Stand and Shoot
In the unusual circumstance’ that infantey try sn
ladvised charge against cavalry, then the cavalry uni
being charged may choose any of the above reactions,
or it may choose to Evade or Counter-charge
may only declare a single charge
reaction, regardless of how many attackers charge
them inthe same turn,
Units that are already engaged
charged may only Hold. Units thy
charged may only Flee
combat when
ie fleeing when
Finally, some types of units have compulsory charge
reactions in certain siwations — for example when
artillery is charged by cavalry, the arillerymen must
flee. ‘This is covered in depth in the section on Units,
beginning on page 57.
HOLD
A unit can opt to stand fast and receive an en
charge, representing the individaal soldiers, bracing
themselves for the inevitable onslaught. This is the
usual, response of woops who are changed from
outside of their fie arc, oF too close to the enemy to
Stand and Shoot,STAND AND SHOOT
Ti the unit being charged has missile weapons (and
ost units do), they may be able to stand and shoot at
the advancing enemy. This reaction can only be chosen
if the chargers start their charge move from 6" away or
fore, giving the defending unit time to compose
themselves and crack off a volley. The defender takes a
‘Command check. If t passes it may make a regular shot
i the enemy unit, worked out just before the enemy
init measures the charge distance and moves. The
e counted as Difficult Shots (sex page 45). It is
Guite possible for a charging unit to be out of range of
the charge, and still get shot at ~ such is life!
IF the defending unit is being charged by multiple
wcuckers, it can only Stand and Shoot at one of the
ritackers (the controlling player may choose which unit
his brave defenders targed. In this instance the
\elenders automatically Hold against all other chargers.
Ii is possible that the Stand and Shoot reaction will
cause the enemy battalion to break or become
isordered before it can close (see page 55), in which
case the attackers may not complete the charge
An artillery battery may only Stand and Shoot if it did
not fire in the Artillery phase, and even then only with
canister shot (sce the Artillery rules on page 62).
Finally, if after measuring the charge distance the
autackers age found to be closer than 6" to the shooting
uunit, then the defenders may not shoot, and-must
change their charge reaction to Hold instead.
FLEE
Opting to Flee from an approaching enemy is often a
desperate option ~ the defenders see a unit bearing
down on them with hooves thundering or bayonets
wirling, and decide that its time to curn tail and run!
Just before the charging unit makes its charge move, the
‘iefender flees directly away from the charger, using its
random flee movement rite to determine the distance,
The unit must pivot on its centre point so that it is
facing disectly away from the chargers, before moving
in a dead straight line. If the fleeing unit is being
charged by multiple attackers, then it will flee from the
anit with the most companies in it IF the number of
companies in the attacking units is equal, use dice (0
randomly determine which unit the defenders flee from.
Duce the fleeing unit has moved, measure the charge
distance of the attackers in the usual manner. If the
charge distance is still sufficient to contact the
Uefenders, the chargers move and the defenders are
\wiped out. If not, the defenders are placed facing away
from the chargers, and count as Routed (see Command
and ControD. The chargers move their full charge
distance towards the fleeing enemy. In some instances
this may take the chargers into contact with another
enemy — rules for dealing with this situa
presented later.
Finally, fleeing tops may not always have an
unimpeded corridor of flight ~ there may well be other
Units or terrain in the way. Rules governing the
‘movement of fleeing troops in these situations c:
Found in the Melee phase section, under the Rou
Pursuit rules (page 51)
MEASURING
When measuring the movement of a unit of
models, it is inevitable that some inaccuracies
‘will occur. To ensure that units are moved as
accurately as possible, it is good gaming
etiquette to measure the distance from the
company that will have t© move the farthest, to
make sure that all the models in the unit are
within the required range.
You'll never be able to measure distances
‘completely accurately all of the time. Models fall
‘over at inopportune moments, companies slide
down hills, and stray hands can alter a unit's
ing accidentally. AS a result, you'll sometimes
lose the odd fraction of an inch here and there as
the game progresses, Don't fret about it ~ as long
as you don't seek to take advantage of such
things in an unsportsmanlike manner, it will
rarely affect the game too much,
SPEGIAL CAVALRY
CHARGE REACTIONS
‘The following charge reactions are available only
to cavalry units, and only then when they are
charged by infantry. Historical instances of
infanty charging cavalry are few and far
between, and the sparseness of historical
accounts’ is testament 0 just how reckless the
ploy was. However, desperate times call for
desperate measures, and there may well come a
time when players feel that they must resort 10
this risky tactic. Rather than disallow this course
Of action in the rules, we instead highlight just
how dangerous itis by allowing cavalry to use the
following, charge reactions:
COUNTER-CHARGE (CAVALRY ONLY)
cavalry unit is charged by infantry, the
cavalryman’s superior vantage point and speed
allows him to counter-charge instead. As long. as
the charging enemy is within the cavalry
squadron's front arc, it may counter-charge.
Resolve the infantry battalion's charge as
normal, bur the infantry loses any bonuses it may
hhave been entitled to for charging, while the
cavalry squadron counts as having charged in the
Melee pl
EVADE (CAVALRY ONLY)
When charged by infantry, cavalry squadrons
also opt to evade their attacker, This is treated
like a flee response except that, if the cavalry
squadron successfully outruns the charger, they
are placed back in their original formation, facing
whichever way the controlling player wishes, and
ie free 10 act normally from that point onwards
This is the ideal charge reaction for cavalry units
that find themselves charged from the sides or
rear by opportunistic infantry battalions
Tue Rues @I SISOOS'SS=SZi-
@ Tx Rus
Diagram 4,
‘above, clearly
Shows the 90" ares
ofa company
Diagram B, right,
shouts bow tbe
company’s are
‘affeets where tbe
enemy can charge
‘0. Toe Pronch
company on the
ight straddles too
‘arcs, but as the
majority ofthe
attaching models
‘are inthe target's
Side are, the
Charge i treated
48a flank charge.
MOVING CHARGERS
Once charge reactions have been declared and
resolved, the charging unit can finally be
Charges are resolved one at a time, in the order that
they were declared,
FLANK AND REAR CHARGES
Sometimes you will find that units are able to charge
the enemy in the flank or rear of their formation. ‘This
is particulaely good for the attacker, and potentially
catastrophic for the defender, A charging unit's relative
Position (o its target at the start of the Movement phase
FRONT, FLANK & REAR (A)
Front Zone
Flank Zone Flank Zone
|
determines whether it cages the enemy in the fon
Male or rear. Diagram A, below, ilstrstes the fro
Munk and wear zones of uit the zone i which
changing unit begins determines whete thy wil en
‘up when the charge is completed. I' chevuing
straddles two zones, then the unt is considered
in the zone where the majoriy of ls meets are ea
Giagram 1). 1f the situation Is 0 close that yon co
determine where nit should change, then rel as
to decide i
CHARGING
Measure the distance from the front of the charging
Unit fo the nearest edge of the enemy unit. Like
‘normal moves, discussed! shorily, charge distances can}
be affected by terrain (see page 40), If the enemy is
found to be in range, then the chargers will move is
4 straight line until the two units make contact Ifthe
‘enemy unit is not in range, then the change is failed
‘The charging unit simply remains stationary, as the
troops quickly realise that they aren't going to cover
the required distance.
MANOEUVRING DURING A CHARGE
‘Whe the player must
possible number of
from both sides into combat. Sometimes this
achieved simply by moving directly forwards,
more likely that a manoeuvee will be required
compan
‘can be
Dut itis
A charging unit may not perform any complex
manoeuvres or formation changes ducing its charge,
but it may wheel as described on page 32. Only one
wheel may be made during a charge, and it can be
Performed at any point during the move. The unit can,
and indeed must, wheel in order to maximise the
number of company bases able to fight. If chargers
need 10 wheel towards their target, execute the wheel
as described on page 32, measuring the distance
wheeled as you normally would. This distance counts
| own, FiANK & REAR @)
=u
$
Charge
Rear
Charge
Flank
FAILED CHARGE
9" = Too Fart
‘This British company
bas elected to charge
the French Infantry
Company, failing by
Just" Toe British
company must move
divecly forwards
(its normal
Mouement rate)
The French compan)
‘may still stand and
shoot atthe bapless
redeoats, estate!THE Rutes @
as part of the total charge distance, For example, ian
Peco unt with» change diss of & wi
Paina ore models into line with the e
gr move may not exceed GY'The only
rule isi the disance of the wel
thatthe chargers ave unable to complete
all inthis ease they should move into
the chang
contact with the enemy, doing the best they can to get
more companies into the fight,
Once « unit has moved and/or wheeled towards the
tenemy, it sf0pS as soon as their bases touch,
ALIGNING THE COMBATANTS
(Once: the charging unit isin contac,
count towards the charge distance
IF i¢ impossible to form a proper battle
interposing terrain or other model
sre eat ie dened ek . eS
cane:
—— ae
Tine ul contac Recryae
ad Caton
again until they are destroyed or flee
Unless something unusual occurs to pat
leoops, they will not act again until the
Dirt aks@ Tre Russ
NORMAL MOVES
‘Once any charges have been resolved, the rest of the
player's units may move. Units can be moved ia any
order, up to their maximum movement allowance,
described earlier
A normal move costs 1 TAC point to perform. This type
‘of move is simply one that does not invalve charging,
fleeing or changing formation, Units move one at a
time ~ you must complete the movement of all the
companies in a unit before moving another. To move
unit, simply measure its movement allowance from
the front of the foremost company stand, and place the
‘companies in their new location on the tabletop. Units
must start and finish each move in a legal formatio
and that formation may not change partway through
moving - this is explained fully in the rules for
Formations, ater
MANOEUVRES:
Obviously, you won't always want to move your troops
ina dead Siraight line, but umning a large battalion of
men in strict formation is not an easy exercise. During,
a move, a unit may perform one or more manoeuvres
Without expending any additional TAC points. ‘These
manoeuvres are wheeling, pivoting, retiting, snaking,
and turning ‘about face’. Note that the exact movement
distance of a battalion may be affected by its current
Formation and/or scenery (wheeling is more unwieldy
when in line than when in column of attack, for
example.
WHEELING
in the game, much as in real life, units most commonly.
manoeuvre ‘around the battlefield by wheeling, To
wheel, the front edge of the formation moves forward,
pivoting around one of the front comers. The unit
swings around like a spoke in a turning wheel, and
completes the manoeuvre facing ina new direction,
(Gee the Wheeling diagram, below),
When it wheels, the entire unit counts as having moved
as far as the outermost company. Once the wheel is
‘complete, you may use up any remaining movement,
For example, a unit of Young Guard might wheel 2" to
the left before moving 2" forward, Tor a total of 4,
A unit may wheel several times during its move, ay
long as it has enough movement to do so and isnot
charging. A charging unit may only ever wheel once,
as described earlier:
PIVOTING
A pivot manoeuvre can be very useful to change a
nits direction without actually moving too far ~ this
can be vital when trying to avoid closing with the
enemy, turning to face a new threat, or when terrain
‘means that space is tight.
‘The manoeuvre itself is very similar to wheeling,
except both the outermost companies move ~ one
forwards and one backwards, so that the entire
company pivots on the centre point, just like spokes
moving around the axle of a wheel, ‘The entire unit
PIVOTING=e
Tue Rutes @
counts as having moved as far as one of the outermost
(Smpanies, and all of the rules about wheeling apply
(eakhe pivoting diagram on the previous page).
.ETIRING :
This manocuvre may only be performed by Infantry,
dnd is the only time a unit may be moved in any
nection other than Forwards without first wheeling or
joing, The wait may Opt to move either backwards
Brsiicways in this Movement phase, but its movement
tilowance is halved (See the Retiring diagram, right)
SNAKING
Somictimes the battlefield terrain is particularly dense,
anu! units may be unable to manoeuvre through it. In
sich situations, the only recourse (other than staying
Sill, oF course) Is to ‘snake’ between the obstactes.
In onler to snake, the unit must first form a single file
column of march (See page 36). When moving, the
companies follow the path of the lead company,
‘wheeling individually around obstacles. Fach company
must remain in contact with those in front and behind
yy at least a corner of the base, and must form up,
properly into the column as soon as it is able (ee
Siagram, righ. If charged in the flank while snaking,
tay (0 align the combatants as best as possible ~ as this
{ype of movement is quite unusual and awkward, some
igreement between players will often be required to
‘ork out exactly which companies are fighting,
ABOUT FACE
By expending half its movement allow
tum to face another direction, The “About Face’
rnunoeuvre is designed to allow units to face a threat
quickly and efficiently. This manoeuvre may only be
employed by units in column of march or line
Formation (See pages 35 and 36).
To complete this manoeuvre, each company in the unit
must {urn On the spot either 90 degrees (left or righ)
for 180 degrees. All companies must move the same
way, s0 the unit comes to face in a new direction
Once the manoeuvre is complete, companies are
shutfled together to form a coherent unit as usual.
Left tw onder to form
‘an effective fring
line quick bis
British baitalion
fuses the “About Face’
fo face an enemy in
(Bete lank 7 they
new 10, wey can
false move bal thelr
normal movement
vate (29
&@ Tue Rurzs
®
What is special about this manoeuvre is that it can be
used to. change formation without expending an
additional TAG point. For example, if a unit is in
column of march (see page 36), and each company
tums 90 degrees clockwise, the unit will end up int line
formation, ready to fire. This is an emergency measure,
however, used (0 save on either space or TAC points
itis unlikely that the command companies will end up
in the correct place during this move, which means
that in either this or the following turn they: must
spend a TAG point anyway to change formation,
otherwise the emergency line or column will not count
asa valid formation,
INTERPENETRATION
‘The term ‘interpenetration’ simply refers to friendly
Woops passing through other units in the army,
Normally, units (friend or foe) may not move to within
1" of each other unless charging. However, some types
of troops may move through certain other types of
friendly troops, as long as their movement will tae the
entire unit at least 1° clear of the unit they are passing
through, The following restrictions apply.
* Any friendly unit may pass through a skirmishing
Unit. Likewise, skirmishing units may always pass
though any other friendly troops
Cavalry units may always pass through infantry
Artillery may not pass through any troops, nor be
passed through themselves,
Note that units may only make a normal move through’
8 friendly unit - they may not charge in the same turn
Also, these restrictions do not apply to routing troops,
Who may pass through any friendly unit with impunity,
as described on page 51,
‘TROOPS LYING DOWN
Desperate measures call for desperate actions, and
sometimes the only way for an infantry battalion
fo weather the storm of enemy fire is for them to lie
down flat on their bellies and hope for the hest! This
tactic was used to great effect by Wellington at the
Battle of Waterloo,
Troops may lie down as part of a normal move. 0)
fantry can lie down, and it costs half the ‘unity
‘movement allowance t0 lie down, and half to stand
‘up again,
Any enemy unit firing at a target that is Iying down,
counts all ofits shots as Difficult Shots (sce page 45),
Units lying down gain +1 to their cover save, and gain
8 special cover save of 6 when in open ground. See
age 47 for details of cover saves,
Models lying down may not move or shoot, nor may
they charge, and they may only hold or lee as a charge
reaction. In addition, a unit Iying dawn that is forced
to flee for any reason rolls one less D6 than Usual
when determining how far it flees (so it will usually
flee just D6"),
Battalions lying down that end up in combat fight at
reduced effectiveness ~ they always strike last, and
Companies locked in combat (see later) halve’ th
attacks (rounding up), while supporting companies
‘may not attack at all,
FORMATIONS
Formations were incredibly impostant in Napoleon
warfare. Each formation was developed for a specific
battlefield task ~ lines are great’ for maximising
firepower, for example, while squares provide an
almost impenetrable defensive block for infantry 10
fend off enemy cavalry. To represent this, every unit in
the game must always be in 4 valid formation, unless
itis routing,
As described earlier, changing a unit's Formation costs
LTA point, and may be done before or after a normal
move, The’ distance moved during the formation
change does not count towards the unit's movement
allowance, although companies can only move up (0
double their regular Movement rate when moving, into
formation ~ the lead company must remain stationary
if possible, and other companies must form around i
as shown in the examples later.
A.unit may not change formation in the same turn that
it declares a charge, nor if itis in combat
STARTING FORMATIONS
At the start of every battle, players may choose which
Formation each of their units adopts as they deploy
them on the tabletop, Sometimes a scenario. may’
restrict the formations’ available, in which case the
soenario-specific rules talce precedence,
‘THE FORMATIONS
There are five common formations available to units in
games of Waterloo: Line, Column of March, Column of
Attack, Square and Skirmish Order. Fach’ of these is
Presented over the following pages, along with any
special rules they confer, and some examples of how
to represent them on the tabletop.
Some formations are not available to every type of unit
(cavalry and artillery may not form” square, for
example) ~ after each heading, you will see the types
of unit that can adopt the formation in parenthesesLINE (tfantry, arsitiery ana cavatry)
‘he line formation is the most common, and is used
primarily 10 maximise the firepower of the unit,
Every company in line has the potential to fire
forwards, making a full fusillade particularly deadly.
To form a line, companies are arranged in a single
rank, facing, in the same direction, The command
company must be placed as close to the centre of
the formation as possible. Flank companies, if
present, are placed at either end of the line.
ue (0 the battlefield terrain and the proximity of
fother troops, it is not always possible to form a
ingle-xank line. For this reason, a line is defined as,
having the same number or more companies in the
front rank than in the rear rank. A line may never
mprise more than two ranks, Larger units may
uggle to form a perfect line in a single Movement
phase due to the distance each company will have
fo move. In this instance, units may need to move
in (wo stages to achieve the ideal single line,
staggering the formation change over two tumns
Gee the diagrams below),
Infantry in line gain advantages against artillery fire
(tillery must deduct 1 from the number of hits per
company when firing at lines ~ see the Artillery rules
fon page $9), but sulfers against cavalry. Ifa line is
charged by’ cavalry, the battalion must pass a
Command eheck at “1 to its Command value if it
\vishes to do anything other than flee ~ if the check
is failed, the unit is Routed (see page 51). Ifdefeated
in combat by cavalry, infantry in line will
automatically rout without the need for a Command
check. See page 54 for more information about
‘Command checks.
A cavalry line actually comprises two ranks, which
attack in two waves. This is usually organised as two
lines, with three companies in each (see the diagram
below). When a cavalry squadron has three of less
companies remaining, it must form a single line
rather than (wo ranks.
Line is also the most common formation for artillery,
but artillery units may not move when formed up in
line. Whenever artilery is unlimbere
fire, it counts as bei
one aillery model remaining in the unit,
SPLITTING FIRE WHEN IN LINE
‘As you'll see later, every company in a unit must
usually fire at the same target. However, when in
line the endmost companies (usuaily flank
companies such as Grenadiers or light infantry)
any line can choose t0 shoot 0 the left or right
respectively, even if the centre companies fire to the
Front, Only infantry units may split fire like this.
ABOUT FACE
Units in a single-rank line may tuen to form a rapid
ccolumn of march by using the ‘about face’ rule, as
described on page 33:
THE Rutes @@ Te Rus
COLUMN OF MARCH dian
‘column of march was simply a long, thin column of
‘men, and was a formation adopted © march quickly
from place to place. Whilst not commonplace on
battlefields, it was sometimes. necessary to move
‘oops quickly in this manner when they found
themselves woefully out of position
Companics are arranged in single file, following the
Jead company. tn an infantry battalion, Grenadiers or
nt i present, ae positioned at the front,
mmand companies behind them. Light
infantry are always placed at the back (iF you prefer
the aesthetics of having your command company at
the front of the column, it doesn't really matter),
No company in a column of march formation
fire in the Shooting phase, nor may the unit
in the Movement phase
Infantry in column of march may move ‘at the
Artillery and Cavalry)
double’ (8" per turn), as long as there a
‘enemies within 12" at the start of their move.
Axtillery may not form column of march unless they
are first limbered (see page 60)
This formation is quite unwieldy to manoeuvre. In
addition to the rules for normal movement, the
Imiay move by ‘snaking’ (see page 33).
ABOUT FACE
Units in column of march who wish to form line
during their movement may simply ‘about fa
rather than form up around the command company
~ see page 33,
ENFILADING FIRE,
When in column of march, the front and rear of the
column count the same as the files of a line formation
40)
for the purposes of enfilading (see pay
Arrangement of a standard
line formation (British)
1. First move ~ still
Grenadiers
hank
Company)
Command
Company:
‘lank
Light Company
ak Company)
Example of infantry forming line feom column (two stages):
company)
4 valid Hine at (b)
Ligh Company
‘rink conan
‘ommnand
‘Company
Light Company
ane Company)‘THe Rus @
'
COLUMN OF ATTACK dyin)
uring mytha about the
French ave into had
ive colonnes dattaqu
wat the Beth line, tans
volley. Historians never. seem to
Dik akhough the
joleonic Wars |
hand combat | | Typical French Column of Attack
1g steadfastly
es with every
ee on the
are certainly
‘Command,
column of attack was really a method of
sployment that was somewhat safer (although not
quick) than a column of march, It is thought that
ing the confusion of the battle and the ‘fog of war
attack columns found them:
nemy 10 safely change forma
‘ther effective, if unintentional
To form a column of attack, companies are arranged in
tovo files, with the command cor
flank companies positioned at the rear, as shown
site. A unit with only three or less companies
remaining no longer counts as a column of attack, but
Tine instead.
Companies directly behind the lead! companies (the
second rank) gain one more (+1) support attack than
when the battalion charges (so they get +2
in the tum that the battalion charges). See
rages 48-53 for more on melee combat,
Flank Flank@ Ti Rus
SQUARE anyon
When infantey are not formed up into squares, they
are ripe forthe taking by eavaly unite As sean,
whenever cavalry are neatby, the sensible option i
10 form square as quickly as possible becetce eo
foolhardy (or very, very good) cavalry sywacion
To form square, companies are placed in a rough
square or rectangle, all facing outwards, as shown
below. Officers, standard bearers and musician
‘models are removed from their stands if possible and
placed in the gap in the centre, otherwise they remain
{in their company. Units in square may not move or
charge, nor may they pursue a fleeing enemy.
Battalions comprising three companies or less
cannot form squares. If a battalion in square is
reduced to less than four companies during a turn,
then they must reform into another valid formation
in their next Movement phase (assuming that they
are not routing, of course). Ifa square is reduced to
three or less Companies while locked in combat,
then they must immediately switch to a line oF
column of attack formation, at no TAC points cost
This is the only circumstance under which a uit in
‘combat may change formation,
Squares offer protection from cavalry (see the
Cavalry rules on page 58), but are vulnerable to
atillery, especially those that use templates. Models
charging squares do not count as charging in the
Melee phase, so they do not automaticaly strike first
‘or gain any extra attacks that they may be entitled
‘Squares have no flanks or rear ~ every part of every
company in contact with an enemy counts as
fighting to its front. As a result, squares may not be
enfiladed in the Shooting phase (see page 46 for
more on enfilading fire),
Infantry battalions in sq
re are Stubborn (see page
70). 1a unit that is already Stubborn forms square,
then it gains +1 to its Command Value for as long as
it remains in squat,
Whilst artillery cannot form square themselves, they
can be protected by an infantey square. To do this,
the infantry unit must move into base contact with
the artillery battery and form square, The artillery
battery must be incorporated into the square as best
as possible (depending on the basing convention
used for your miniatures, some inevitable give and
take is required here) ~ the artillery pieces may not
while in this formation, but gain all the benefits
of being in square. Even if the artillery stands
protrude from the square (see the diagrams below)
and are subsequently charged, they are counted 2s
infantry stands of the same type as the rest of the
unit for the purposes of resolving the combat,
Casualties from melee and normal. shooting are
counted towards the line infantry battalion rather
than the artillery battery. Only artillery shots may
ireetly damage those artillery pieces. that are
protected by squares, as the shots can bounce
through the entire formation, oF
companies with templates. In this i
use the
Actual locations of the companies ~ both infantry
fo for charging (described fully later). Likewise, | and anillery ~ to see who is hit. See pages 59.64 fo
cavalry normally stike before infantry in melee, but | more information on aitilery Fre
‘squares negate this rule, so that all combatants
strike in order of their Fighting skill (see page 48),
Square Square
(with Gomm x 40mm bases) (with 45mm x 40mm bases)
oman
ompaay
Grenadiers ight company —]
Gank Company) Flank Company
Gropadiers
‘tink Company) lnk Gomuany
Lhe CompanySKIRMISH ORDER (soicct nfentry units and tight Cavalry)
Most armies engaged some light companies,
whether cavalry oF infantry, to act as advance scouts
Or to harry enemy troops on the battlefield, ‘The
fain advantage of these units was their ability to
pend out thinly, making use of the terrain to shield
themselves from incoming fire, whilst being free in
turn to pick their shots well. On the other hand, if
thiey were ever caught by heavy cavalry or even
riled infantry, the results were never pleasant!
nly units with the Skirmish special rule may use
this formation, To adopt skirmish order, the whole
Unit must be placed in a loose formation, as shown
below, with companies no more than 2° apart.
Skirmishers have a much easier time negotiating
terrain than other units ~ they ignore dificult terrain,
und creat very difficult terrain as difficult instead. See
page 40 for details of terrain types and their effects
Units in skirmish order may move at the double (8
per turn), as long as there are no enemies within 12
Every company in a skirmishing battalion can shoot,
With an unlimited G60-degree) arc of fire. They
must be able t0 draw a line of sight to their target
Cand line of sight can, of course, be blocked by
other companies in the same skirmishing unit)
Firing against skirmishing infantry is counted as
Difficult Shots (see page 45), and artillery is at -1 to
‘wound them, too. In addition, skirmishing infantry
units add +1 to any cover save they may be entitled
to ~ see page 47 for details of cover saves. Light
cavalry do not gain any of these bonuses, as they are
just too large a target
While skirmishing, light infantry may not charge
cavalry of any soft, nor line infantry who are in
column of attack, line, or square. These formations
are simply too ‘well-prepared for an assault by
skirmishers. If charged by infantry while
skirmishing, light infantry only ever count as having
single company locked in combat, plus one
supporting attack dice for every company remaining
in the unit (see the Melee Phase rules, page 48).
Skimishing infantry units do not fare well against
cavalry. If charged by cavalry while skirmishing, the
infantry unit must pass a Command check or
automatically flee. If they pass and choose to receive
the charge, they may only roll one attack dice for
each company in the battalion,
DEPLOY SKIRMISH SCREEN (mfantry)
Some line infantry battalions are able to inelude one
for more flank companies as part of their unit.
Sometimes this grants them the Skirmish Screen
special rule, which enables them to use this formation
where this is the case, it will be clearly marked in
‘our army list. Line battalions may deploy skirmish
screens when they are already in column of attack,
column of march of line formation, by spending 1
TTAC point as normal ~ deploying the skirmish screen
‘counts as a formation change. They may also deploy
in one of those formations with the skirmish screen
slready ‘activated’, at the start of the game.
Once the skirmish sereen is adopted, one or more
light companies are thrown out to the front of the
battalion. Remove the light company bases) from
the unit and position it to the front of the unit, or
replace it with six single or skirmish-based figures if
you prefer. Skirmishers are placed (and must remain)
within 2" of the foremost companies in a Formation,
Skiemish screens offer protection against enemy
shooting as they obscure the bull of their unit and
distract’ attackers. Any enemy unit shooting
through the skirmish screen (Le. firing from the
front of the unit) must count their shots as Difficult
Gee page 45),
Skimish screens are vulnerable to close combat
attacks, especially cavalry charges. If the unit is,
‘charged (from any side), take a Command check. If
itis passed, the skirmish sereen simply returns to its
regular place in the battalion. If failed, the whole
skirmishing company is removed, and the unit loses.
the Skirmish Screen special rule for the remainder of
the game,NORMAL TERRAIN
Th game terms, ‘normal terrain’ is anything that ean be
Gost, clambered over or pushed through by your
Ghits There are three ‘levels’ of normal terrain ~ the
hishce the level, the harder it isto traverse
1. Open Terrain: Open terrain covers any stretch of
Tana that can be easily crossed by a man ~ grassy
Fields, paved courtyards, beaches and so on, All of
the normal movement rules apply. Hills and road
flso courte as open terrain, although they have the
{wn additional special rules too ~ see below.
2. Difficult Terrain: Crops, thick ground foliage
churned, ploughed and muddy ground, loose rocks
unl seree, fords and shallow water, orchares and
Tight woodland, ete, all count as difficult terrain
Units ae reduced to half movement through these
seas, rounding up Go infantry is reduced to 2°
hornally). Barriers such as hedgerows and fences
count as difficult terrain to any unit wishing to
cross them, but they also have their own special
oe Ha
3, Very Difficult Terrain: Dense thicket, deep water
und Swampland, sheer slopes, etc: Units are reduced
fo @ quarter _movement through these areas,
sounding up (so infantry is reduced to 1" normaly)
BATTLEFIELD FEATURES
As mentioned above, roads, barriers and hills all fall
under existing terrain categories, but they have their
‘own additional rules:
+ Roads: As long as the majority of a unit is on a road
the start of the turn, it may add D6" to its
movement allowance. If also moving ‘at the double’,
Infantry units eannot move more than 12 in a single
Movement phase,
© Barriers: Fences, hedgerows and walls cin
traversed as if they were difficult terrain = the uni
ovement js halved as long as any company in the
nit is in contact with the terrain piece. Sometimes
1 batialion ean be split by a linear obstacle ~ this is
okay as long as companies that should be in touch,
use aligned, and remain in contact with the obstacle,
Barriers can also be defended by troops ~ see page
71 for details,
lls: Hills count as open terrain for the purposes
movement, but if a unit occupies the crest of the
ey gain an advantage to their shooting (due
‘o their improved line of sigh? and in melee (for the
high ground bonus, page 50). Bear in mind that
many gamers use ‘stepped hill’ (hilly with several
tiers), as sloping ones tend to be impractical for
ssaming purposes. In this instance, units that occupy.
iny level of the hill count as being on the ‘crest’ of,
the hill compared to any units beneath them, but,
not to those above,
OTHER TYPES OF TERRAIN
In adltion to the categories and features described
above, there are two other types of terrain that might
blay part in your games: impassable terrain and
elensible terrain
AMPASSABLE TERRAIN
Deep, fastflowing rivers, sheer cliff faces, and any
other’ scenery that you and your opponent deem
impassable’ may not be traversed at all, Be wary of
putting too much impassable terrain on the tabletop,
a it limits the gaming surface that can be used during
the battle,
DEFENSIBLE TERRAIN
As its name suggests, defensible terrain is an enclosed
area that can be occupied and defended by a unit. It is
represented by a scenery model with a defined
footprint, such as a based forest, building, ruin or
enclosed field, Defensible terrain has its own special
rules ~ see page 72.75
FORTIFICATIONS
‘Taken (0 iis extreme, defensible terrain also includes
fortresses — youll find rules for Napoleonic siege
battles later in this book, Essentially, when a building
d by defending soldiers, or
has been obviously for
Js a purpose-bu
‘counts as 2 fort
(see page 98).
THE RuLes @
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While many gamers thrill to the image of the close-
quarter clash of bayonets, heavy cavalry charges oF
the roar of artillery, in actual fact most Napoleonic
battles were won or lost by virtue of musketry and
the ability of the average line infantryman to stand
and fire in the face of the enemy.
Once the artillery batteries have spoken, and troops
have manoeuvred into position, it is time for the
battlefield to ring to the sound of muskets, rifles,
‘carbines and pistols. The Shooting phase is very
important in games of Waterioo. Whether you rely on
amassed musket fire in your army, or simply wish to
soften up the enemy before delivering 1 killer cavalry
charge, you'll find that there's a lot going on in th,
phase of the game,
‘The player who won the initiative fires with all of his
eligible units, one at a time, before the opposing
player does the 5
THE FIRING SEQUENCE
1. DECLARE TARGETS FOR ALL FIRING UNITS
Shooting costs 1 TAC point if the unit did not move or
‘change formation in the Movement phase, and 2 TAC
Doints if it did move,
2. MEASURE RANGE
Measure the range to the target and work out the
rhumber of shots
3. DAMAGE
Roll for damage.
THE SHOOTING PHASE
WHO CAN SHOOT?
Once you have selected the unit that you wish to open
fire with, you'll need to check that they are actually
eligible to do so. A unit that has no TAC points
remaining cannot shoot, ergo any unit that is
Disordered or is fleeing cannot shoot, as they have ne
TAC points at all (see Command and Control, page 34
onwards). In addition, you may never fire into.a melee
that involves any friendly model, as the risk of hitting
your own men is too great,
As mentioned above, if unit remained stationary in its
Movement phase, and is otherwise eligible to shoot,
then it must spendl just 1 TAC point in order to fire. If
it moved, then it may stil fire but at the greater cost of
2 TAC points,
If a unic is able to shoot, you'll need to choose a target
based on several other factors: line of sight, firing anc
and, finaly, range.
LINE OF SIGHT
Fist of all, you necd to make sure that the unit can see
their intended target ~ this is called ‘drawing line of
sight’. The game uses ‘tue line of sight”, meaning that
You can trace an unobstructed line between Firer and
target, you may shoot. Sometimes terrain may be in the
way of the shot, but if you get down to table level for
‘2 model’s eye view, the target is only partially obscured
mn this case you may stil fie, but you'll need to consult
the rules for cover. Models (friend or foe) always bloc
line of sight unless the firers are on the crest of hill or
occupying the upper levels or ramparts) battlements of
4 fortified position. You may not take a shot at anFAST DICE ROLLING
Gite often during the Shooting phase you'l find
Sourself rolling whole Kandfuls of dice to resolve
yee unis! atticks, This doeant take ae long a8
Yeur'd imagine, ae all the dice are rolled together
Tne moot practical way of apeeding up the dice
Polling proses is {o tke as many dice 48 you have
‘Nossa sol them ala once,
Example: As you'll see later, a musket armed line
hyfantry company usualy bas D6 shots. If there are
jour companies in a battalion, and all can fire,
that's 4D6 shots! Roll them all at once and total up
the scores - on average, for the example above, you'll
score about 12 shots. Next, you'd take 12 dice (one
for each shot), and roll these all at once to see which
Shots actually manaye to bit and wound the enemy.
Pick out the successful wounding rolls (the law of
‘averages will say about 4 this time), and calculate
the effects of the damage (see page 45).
Sometimes you'll have special attacks from within
the unit, ike extra shots from an opening volley, for
‘example. If any of the dice you roll aren't typical of
the unit as a whole, then roll them separately or use
different coloured dice
‘The same system of fast dice rolling is used for close
combat too. Not only does it speed up play, but
there's something very satisfying about rolling lots
(of dice all at once, andl watching the look of horror
‘on your opponent’s face as you inflict catastrophic
damage on his prized Hussars,
‘enemy if itis even partially obscured by other models.
I they're friendly, your unit wouldn't want to risk
hing them, and if they're the enemy they're probably
Joser, and thus a more pressing target!
HILLS AND ELEVATED POSITIONS
Lills offer hugely important tactical positions, allowing.
tunis to overlook the battlefield and pick their targets
more effectively. A unit on the erest or 2 level) of a hill
is assumed to be able to see over the heads of other
models, and can therefore attempt to shoot through
inteeposing units at enemy units beyond (as long as the
targets and the models in the way are on a lower level,
of course). ‘The firers can also be seen in return, so any
Units on ground level can retumn fire over the heads of
units in front of them. Units behind cover can still
claim the benefits of said cover (See page 47), and
units behind tall scenery features, such as buildings,
fovests and other hills, still cannot be seen,
IF both players agree, tall buildings can be treated as
elevated terrain in exactly the same manner, We
recommend that buildings must be at least two storeys,
SCENERY SCALES
If you're using 25mmm28mm scenery with your
25mm-28mm_ figures, as. illustrated by the
photographs in this book, then using the principle
ff true line of sight will not cuuse any problems
whatsoever. However, if you're using small-scale
scenery (see the notes on ground scale on page 10),
then you'll need some abstraction rather than use
true line of sight. This is simply because the men in
dels
your companies will not be as tall as the
suggest (veritable giants). Remember we mentioned
earlier that true ground scale can throw up
problems whea using 28mm figures? The
Fecommendation, should you really want to go for
itis to classify all the terrain on the board with a
theight level ~ so if you count a man as ‘Tevel 2°,
then a low wall would be level 1', a single-storey
house ‘level 3', and 50 on. Noone can see past a
terrain feature that is level higher than themselves,
fr the one that they're occupying. Simple (kind of),
FIRING ARCS
Unless a unit is in skiemish order, in which case each
company can see all around itself with impunity, they
will be subject toa firing are. The close press of men
a battalion or squadron means that exch soldier will b
limited in how far they can tum and shoot — it’s
important to set up your units carefully in the Movement
phase, therefore, 0 maximise your firing potential.
Firing ares are worked out on a company by company
basis rather than for the unit as a whole. All shots from
4 unit must he fired at the same enemy unit ~ you can't
split fire unless you're in line and using the special
flankc companies rule on page 35. As a result, you'll
want to pick a target that most of your companies can
see. All companies have a 90-degree firing are to their
front. The historians amongst you will realise that this
is quie generous when compared to real life,
especially for line infantry, but it is a nice abstraction
that is easy to calculate, allows one rule for every type
of unit in the game, and also allows a bit more of a
margin for error when positioning your units in the
Movement phase.
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RANGE,
The final stage in checking to see if your unit can fire
at its intended target is to see if it is in range. In
Waterioo, every weapon is given a range, which is
value in inches (see the chart opposite for 2 summary
cof weapon ranges and other special rules) Simply
measure the distance between your unit and. the
‘enemy, from closest base edge to closest hase edge.
Remember to check each of your companies
separately, just like when checking the firing arc, as
not every’ company in your unit may be in rage
Conversely, if you can reach just one company in the
target unit, then you can fire at the whole unie
FIRING OVER HALF RANGE.
The blackpowcler weapons of the 18th and early 19th
centuries were nowhere near as accurate as the
weapons of today, and as such had difficulty when
fining at targets at long range. Some weapons were, of
course, more accurate than others, “and this’ is
represented in the game by having a longer range value
‘The ‘effective range’ of any given weapon is half of or
less than its range value in inches. At this range all
shooting uses the normal rules. Shots fired at greater
than half range, up to the weapon's maximum range
are treated as Difficult Shots see page 45) For example,
@ musket has a maximum range of 18". Ifthe target uni
lies 9° or less avway, itis a normal shot. If it les more
than 9" away and sill within 18", it isa Difficult Shot, IF
it lies beyond 18', you may not fire at that target
HOW MANY SHOTS DO I GET?
So, you've established that your unit can shoot (don't
Worry, it seems like a lot of rules when you Titst read
them, ‘but after the first couple of runthroughs i'll
become intuitive), now it's time to work out how many
shots you get. As you'll see in the weapons summary
fon page 45, cach weapon type has a ‘Shots. Per
Company’ value, usually denoted by a dice type (D3 or
D6). This is titerally the random number of shots each
company gets if itis in range of the enemy. So, for
example, a musket gets D6 shots per company. If you
f€ six companies in your unit, all armed with
muskets and all eligible to fire, you roll 6D8 and add
the totals together ~ the result is the number of shots
you get at the enemy. This random number represents
how many men in the press of the battalion or
squadron are able to snap off an accurate. shot
Remember that during the confusion of battle, soldiers
could often fail to aim correctly, their weapons may’
mistire, or they may fire in a panic. IF you roll high,
simply represents the captains taking command of thei
companics and reminding them of their practice drills!
WEAPONS
Before we look at how to resolve the effects of all
those shots at the enemy, it's worth looking at weapon
{types in a litle more detail. When choosing your army,
you'll sometimes find that the types of weapons
«aetied by your troops is a deciding factor in choosing
them, as some weapons are better at certain battlefield
roles than others. We've included a useful rangcd
‘Weapons summary chart on the next pate
WEAPON SPECIAL RULES
Fire on the Move: Weapons with the Fire on the Move
Special rule can always shoot by spending just 1 TAC
Point, regardless of whether or not they moved.
Opening Volley: Muskets tend to become less effective
the more they are used, and in fact are more reliable
and at their most effective the first time they are fired
ina battle. ‘The first time a musket armed batalion fires
in a game, it gains an extra D3 shots — this is the same
regartiless of the number of companies in the unit. Put
@ coin or counter next to the musket-armed units at the
start of the battle, andi remove it when they open fire<_<
RANGED WEAPONS CHART
Weapon Range —_‘Shots per Company
Mu 18" D6
Musketoon a8" D3
Rifle 2" D3
cad aa DB
6 1
ED WEAPONS WITHIN UNITS
units contain exactly the same weapons
Most
thioughiout, but there are some exceptions ~ for
fecimple, Hanoverian Field Battalions are musketarmed
infantry, but they ean include Jaeger companies armed
with rls. IP a unit has a choice of weapons (such as
Cavalry with pistols and carbines) then it must choose
which weapon it 18 using before firing — all of the
Companies in the same unit must use the same weapon.
However, some units have the option for one or more
companies to be atmed differently from the rest of the
Unie (such as Hanoverian Field Jaegers, for example,
who have muskets, but may take a riflearmed
company). In these instances, simply resolve the
shooting, for those companies separately from the rest
Of the units shooting, All the unit's shooting must be
complete before moving onto the next firing unit in
your army = you cannot fire a unit's muskets and then
ove onto the shooting elsewhere efore returning to
shoot its rifles.
DAMAGI
Now you've calculated how many dice your shooting
attack has, is time to unleash a volley! This is the
really fun’ bit, as it can involve intimidating your
foppanent by rolling a bucketload of dice! Not all the
shots you fie will cause a significant hit on their
Base chance to wound Special Rules
5+ Opening Volley
5+
4+ Fire on the Move
3 ‘
Se Fire on the Move
target. Some will miss altogether, while others cause
only flesh wounds ~ injuries so minor that we discount
them for the purposes of the game. Each dice you roll
represents a variable number of shots, and you're
jing for each 10 cause a significant number of
‘easualties in the enemy unit
Roll all of your dice together, and consult the Ranged
‘Weapons summary chart. You're looking for the ‘Base
Chance to Wound! value. The number shown is the
number each dice needs to score in order to count as
p all of the successes. and
cessful roll to. wound
causes 1 point of resilience damage. Against infantry
this will be enough to place one casualty marker
‘THE RULE OF 1 AND 6
Regardless of any modifiers to the roll to wound, a 1
always fails to wound, and a 6 always succeeds,
DIFFICULT SHOTS
Some shots, such as those taken as part of a Stand and
Shoot charge reaction, are counted as ‘Diflicult Shots’
rhis means that the shots are at -1 on the roll to wound
0 if you have a base chance to wound of 4+, you
‘must roll a 5+ instead if the shot is Difficult), There are
many situations in the game that may make a shot
difficult, but the effects of a Difficult Shot ave only ever
‘counted once, and are not cumulative
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REMOVING CASUALTIES
Al units in the game have a ‘damage threshold, which
is the number of damage markers the company can
sustain before it is removed from play. ‘The damage
threshold is often equal to the number of models on
the company base, This represents the fact that
battalions ‘can suffer a large number of casualties
before losing fighting effectiveness ~ other men in the
ranks simply step up to fighting position to cover any
deficiencies. Therefore we don't need to worry about
Temoving models until the equivalent of an entire
company is wiped out ~ that's when a battalion really
starts to feel the ravages of battle,
‘When the aumber of casualty markers placed on a unit
equals its damage threshold, a whole company is
removed. Models with a higher — Resilience
characteristic must suffer a number of wounds equal to
that number before a casualty marker is placed. Excess
wounds that do not place a casualty marker are not
carried over for subsequent shooting at the same unit
Hits may not be split between companies ~ the owning,
player must endeavour to remove whole companies
before carrying excess wounds over to another
Ifa battalion loses one or more of its companies during,
@ single Shooting phase, it automatically becomes
Disordered. The battalion must also take a Command
check at the end of the phase — if they pass, there is
‘no effect. If they fail, they are Routed (see page 51).
For example, a unit of French infantry (D6 shots per
turn) fire at some British Life Guards (Resilience. 3,
Damage Threshold 2). They manage to inflict ? wounds
(on the unit, This causes the cavalry to lose a company
stand (ibe company can soak 1p 6 bits before. bet,
removed). The seventh wound 48 ignored as it is not
enough to cause a casualty marker on another company
in the unit. Asi bas lost a company stand, the entire unit
becomes Disordered, and must take a Command check at
‘the ened of the Shooting phase to avoid being routed.
ENFILADING FIRE
‘In this example, firing companies B & Care enftlading,
‘and each recoive +1 to their rolls to wowed
MIXED COMPANY TYPES WITHIN UNITS
If the target unit contains special companies, such ag
Grenadiers or Light Infantry, for example, these ate
Rot removed as casualties until the whole battalion
numbers three companies or less. As soon as the
battalion is reduced to three companies, these special
companies are removed (replacing them with regular
line companies if possible, carrying over any excess
wounds in the process). The benefit for having the
special companies is then lost, In ‘real! terms, this
represents the gradual thinning out of specialist
companies until there are so few of those men
remaining that they can no longer operate effectively,
A that point, the specialists are swallowed up into the
Unit asa whole, plugging the gaps in the line and
taking on regular duties,
Command companies are always the last to be removed,
and may not have wounds allocated against them unless
4 special circumstance specifically calls for it Guch as a
Called Shot being made against the officer ~ see late).
ENFILADING FIRE
In the Napoleonic era, one thing feared by units more
than anything else was being caught ‘in enfilade’. It'a
Unit is shot at from its flank, so that the shots are
travelling through the ranks of men, it is in enfilade,
While the firers are ‘enfilading’. Draw an imaginary
corridor extending from the flank of the target unit, 4%
shown in the diagram below. Note that this type of
shot only works when the target formation isin line oF
tack, of is shot at head-on or from behind
in column of march, Units in square formation
may not be enfiladed, as they have no flanks or reat
Companies that are enfilading get +1 to all oftheir rolls
{© wound, to represent the increased chance of
wounding an enemy when firing along the line. Roll
the number of shots and wounds for entfilading,
‘companies separately,
|
|
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COVER
Js discussed earlier, terrain is very important in games
of Waterloo, and in the Shooting phase it can mean the
fhifeccnce between a unit being wiped out and staying
fn the fight
If there is any cover in the way of shooting Ge. the
taruct is partially obscured by battlefield terrain), then
the target unit may get cover saves fo prevent any
successful wounds. IF only part of @ unit is behind
over, you must work out which firing companies get a
{lear shot, and which get an obscured shot, and resolve
thein separately. Ifa target is eligible for more than one
ve, they always take the best available,
‘TAKING COVER SAVES
Ifa unit is eligible for cover saves, then these saving
throws are taken before any casualties are removed oF
damage markers placed. For every successful
COVER SAVES
Type
Light Cover
Examples
Hedgerows, picket fence, 6
tall wheat field, ete
‘Dense Cover Stone wall, solid wooden” S#
fence, rocky outcrops,
abions, ete.
Fortification Fortress walls/battlements 4+
‘wounding hit you inflict, your opponent rolls one cover
saving throw. Each suecessful save negates one wound.
Gover saves are also conferred if the target unit
‘occupies a defensible terrain feature ~ these saves are
slightly different, and are summarised on page 72
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Tue Rus @THE MELEE
Once shooting has been resolved, itis time to deal
with the brutal cut and theust of close combat. Any
uunits that are engaged in combat now have their
chance to fight, attempting to hack down the foe
with bayonet and sabre,
Napoleonic battles were traditionally won with attillery
sand musket fire, and if you find most of your troops
committed to close combat during a battle, i's likely
that your situation is desperate. Of course, if you have
specialist melee troops at your disposal, such as heavy
cavalry, then you can stack the odds of a melee in your
favour, but otherwise itis rare for either side to come
out of combat unscathed.
For the purposes of the rules, a ‘combat’ is a group of
two or more enemy units in’ base contact ~ one side
having charged earlier in the game, Additional units
may join the same fight, in which case they become
part of the same ‘multiple combat. Each combat is
worked out separately, using the following, sequence:
THE COMBAT SEQUENCE
1, Player with initiative selects a combat,
2: Caleulate strike order.
3. Work out number of
unit striking first
4. Repeat for other units in the combat, in strike order.
5. Move onto next combat,
icks and damage for the
SELECT A COMBAT
The player who won the Initiative at the start of the
tum decides the order in which combats are resolved.
Choose the combat and run through the combat
sequence, before moving on to the next.
PHASE
STRIKE ORDER
Units in melee strike blows in a specific order, often
based on their troop type. The stslke order reflects the
tactics, fighting style and armament of the troops oF the
dlay, resulting in a sort of hierarchy of effectiveness ia
combat. The strike order, then, is as follows:
fantry and! artillery (except
when Infantry are in square ~ see page 38).
+ Infantry strike before artillery
If several units are eligible to strike first, then resolve
ties in the following order
* Units that charged in this turn strike first. I several
tunits charged this turn, making a multiple combat,
then the rest of the strike order nules, see below, are
Used fo work out which of them goes first.
+ In the case of a tie, the unit with the highest
Fighting Skill goes fist,
If there’s still a tie, units strike
imultaneously
(see below)
‘STRIKING SIMULTANEOUSLY
When units are required to strike simultaneously, this
simply means that any casualties inflicted on one side
ido not prevent the stricken enemy from fighting back
Ordinarily, 2 company that is removed due to combat
ualties ‘cannot strike blows. in return (as. you'd
expect), but simultaneous strikes make this. a moot
point. Players should roll their combat dice separately.
in order of initiative, but neither side removes any
models or places any damage counters until the other
has rolled all of his dice,
EXAMPLES OF STRIKE ORDER
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Once the order of the attacks is determined, it is time
lo calculate how many attacks each unit gets, and start
rolling those all-important dice,
NUMBER OF ATTACKS
a company has its entire base area (front, side or
reat) in contaet with one of more opposing companies,
itis locked in combat, Companies that are locked get
full allocation of attack dice (Attacks) if they're
stacking to the front, or half (rounding up) if they are
‘tacking t0 the side or rear,
Units that charged in this tum gain +1
company that is locked in combat.
tack for every
Companies that are partially in contact with an enemy
give 1 Attack dice t0 their unit ~ this is called a
Supporting attack. Companies directly behind. those
that are locked in combat (a second rank), also lend
supporting attack this second! type of supporting
aitack does not count ifthe unit is being attacked from
the side; the supporting attack may only be made to
he company’s front
THE DAMAGE ROLL
Roll all of the attack dice, using the base chance to
svound from the Melee Weapons chart (opposite), just
like in the Shooting phase, Each successful roll to
wound causes 1 point of resilience damage. Against
infantry this will be enough to place one casualty
marker, although tougher opponents such as cavalry
will require more than one hit to cause a wound.
COMMAND COMPANIES IN MELEE
\ company that is in base contact with an enemy
mmand company (usually the one containing the
colours and the captain, or his equivalent) may
specifically target that company
specified before any dice are rolled. When calculating
the company's number of attacks, any scores of 6 may
be traded for a single strike against the command
company ~ this represents the difficulty of pielcing out
« specific opponent in a whirling melee.
INDEPENDENT OFFICERS IN MELEE,
On page 66 you will find rules for using independent
officers in your battles. Independent officers have the
‘option during a game to join a friendly unit, bolstering
both their Command value and fighting ability to an
extent, However, in melee, they are as vulnerable as
any other command model. If they are locked in
combat, they may be attacked in exaetly the same way
aS a command company.
Ian independent officer remains locked in combat for
more than one turn, then he may use the Movement
phase fo change his position in the combat. He may
cither move from an unengaged position into a more
prominent role (shuffling the other companies arou
to do so), or move from a precarious central position
to an unengaged one ~ the choice is yours.
MELEE WEAPONS CHART
‘Weapon Base chance Spe
to wound
Bayonet 3
Pike* Se FL attacke per
company against
charging cavalry.
42.10 wound when
‘charging infantry
‘or anillery; +1 £0
swound when
‘charging cavalry.
Revol
se ules only apply when the ene company foamed
Single models in company ams with these weapon, sich
{as sergeans, nx benef from any speci rules or eased
Shunce to wound, ancl are jst cute 3 normal mene of
Ser comp.
Ifa compiny ic med with pil it my resol one fae
wound in each Melee pase. Hs sin adton to the nes fo
ny other mle weapon the company may Be using.
‘WHO GAN FIGHT
Tae Russ @@ Te Ruts
One afte tench
‘otis ee
‘managed charge
Ihe ith ve Te
‘tah barton
‘el bot pet
they face
ov matic
changeit seo?
CASUALTY REMOVAL
In combat, damage is inflicted in much the same way
in the Shooting phase. Once enoigh damayge has
been inflicted to wipe out a whole company, you just
need to work out which company. is removed
Companies are removed as damage is inflicted —
companies re wiped out before they've had a
‘chance to strike may not participate in the combat
inflicted against those con
that are actually involved in the fight first ofall
that are either locked in c
those
mbat or supporting. The
owning player chooses exactly where. to allocate
wounds first, bu
‘must endeavour to remove whole
i. As with shooting attacks, once all
ignored completely.
© fighting are destroyed,
a the unit, If enough
is quite possible to
that weren't in base conta
move onto th
fn to another company in the unit if
that are not directly involved in
the comisat. Th iat command companies can
always fight if they are locked in combat, unless the
entire unit is wiped out. It sometimes also means that
it’s harder to break down those last couple of
companies, as the command company can effeetively
soak up extra damage.
possible, ev
‘Throughout the combat, keep a note of how man
wound counters have been allocated to the enemy
Gincluding those allocated against companies that were
wiped out). This will be important when we come to
work out the winner of the co
eee 5
a
COMBAT RESULTS
Once both sides have fought and casualties have been
Femoved, it is time to work out who has won the
combat. ‘This isn't always as obvious as one might
think ~ while casualties go a long way to determining
the victor, other elements (such as the number of men
in a unit, defended positions and good command) also
come into play’
Once everyone in a combat has fought, total up the
number of wounds caused by each side (the actual
wound counters placed), plus any relevant combat
modifiers (see below). The side with the highest total
score is the winning side
Every battalion on the losing side must take a
‘Command check. ‘This checle m
modifiers, as detailed on page 54. If the Command)
check is failed, the unit becomes Disordered, If it was
eady Disordered, it will Rout.
y well incur some
MODIFIERS TO COMBAT RESULT
Attacking in the flank 42
Attacking in the tear 43
On higher ground 4
Unit is nfantry ia Square AL
General is within L 1
Won previous combat -H1
against same opponent
Outnumber foe +1
by 2:1 or more™
4, Qecupying the creat or a higher level of & hil, defending
feetifenion for cxcalaion te
© The eta aunver of companies tthe end of the combat is
te to eels whet the oumumbeing hom apien,ROUT AND PURSUIT
§ Routing battalion must flee directly away from the
Jaugest battalion on the winning side, Roll the snit’s
flee distance as detailed in the Movement phase.
Masse the elstance rolled from the rearmost edge of |
the unit, and move all of the remaining companies 10
that point, in a loose formation (like 2 skiemish
oration), facing directly away from the enemy.
The winning unit(s) can usually choose to hold or
pursive, unless some special rule dictates otherwise. If
s uit holds, it simply stays in place, choosing 10
‘consolidate its position after a hard-fought victory. Ift
pursues, roll the unit's flce/pursuit distance. I'the total
Scored Is equal 10 or higher than the loser’s flee
distance, the fleeing unit is wiped out and the victor
has captured their colours! This is the only way that
colours can be captured, and it can be quite important
in some scenarios, so make a note of any captured
tandards you may have.
IF neither side flees, simply tidy up the units but keep
them locked in combat ~ combat then resumes in the
next Melee phase.
MULTIPLE COMBATS.
While the rules for working out combats are written
with one-on-one fights in mind, in most cases it is
straightforward to apply them to multiple combats, A
multiple combat is simply a fight between three or more
units, and because this invariably means that units will
be engaged from several sides at once, or because more
than one unit has charged in the same turn, sometimes
it can be unclear exactly how to work out the results,
The most important thing to remember in a multiple
combat is that all units from the same army are on the
same side. It sounds obvious, but the combat rules
often refer to the ‘sides' in a fight, Things like stiking
order take care of themselves, as the fules are quite
strict, 50 the thing thar might cause confusion is the
combat result and the resulting flight and parswit
Combat Results
Ina multiple combat, take each unit in turn and total
up their combat score, then add up all of the combat
scores from units on the same side to get the score for
the whole side. Sometimes you'l find that a unit gets a
bonus for charging an enemy in the flank oF rear, whilst
being engaged in'the flank or rear itself by another
enemy. Imagine the confusing swirl of melee rather
than the ordered ranks posed by the neatly arranged
‘model soldiers and this all makes perfect sense
Compare the total scores of the 1wo sides to get the
overall result. All of the units on the losing side must
take a Command check to avoid becoming Disordered
or being Routed.
ROUT AND PURSUIT
Ina multiple fight, i's possible that one or more units
will flee from the enemy. It is a faiey common
‘occurrence that a unit will lee while its fellows hold
firm ~ this can sometimes throw up a situation where
the victors are unable to pursue the fleeing enemy
because they are still engaged, The general nile For this
situation is that a victorious unit may only choose to
pursue a fleeing enemy iit finds itself unengaged at the
end of the fight
In addition, if several enemies flee from combat, each
nit that is ‘eligible to pursue must choose just a single
enemy to chase after. Even if the pursuers roll higher
than every fleeing unit for the distance they move, they
‘will still only catch the unit they chose to pursue,
The Life Guards
arg the prio
Chane SK Boson
Sivan cation,
ows ete
rary).@ Tr: Rus
If a unit is being engaged from multiple sides, or
units are fleeing from several enemies, itis not
always clear which direction 10 flee in, In such
situations 4 unit will always flee from the largest
‘enemy unit (the one with the most companies in i). If
there is no unit clearly larger than another, then it will
fice from the one that caused the most damage
actually placed the most wound counters on the foe)
in the combat. IF there is still no clear winner, the
player in charge of the fleeing units simply chooses the
direction in which to flee, as long as itis not towards
SURROUNDED!
Sometimes a unit will find itself engaged on al sides by
‘enemies. If a surrounded unit flees at the end of the
combat (a fairly likely occurrence given. the
circumstances), then it will be eaught and wiped out
automatically ~ there's nowhere to go! ‘The opponent
chooses which of his units captures. the stricken
cenemy’s colours, and all of his units are considered to
hhave held their ground at the end of the fight. As there
is no direction of pursuit, the victorious units may not
take advantage of the Overrun rules (below) even if
they want to
Disordered
Sait mene mer
Grenadiers La) a} omer
a
tie ie ate
ons ir |
Command check and begins ‘this Melec |
a |
1. The French player has the initiative and |
charges units FI and F3 into combat with |
See
Soros
{In the Melee phase, tbe Dragoons strike frst |
(charging cavalry trump charging
infant), and inflict a whopping 7 wounds |
re woul FE, teiping ous company with 1
‘wound carrying over. Unit #1 goes ness, |
causing 1 wound on the Dragoons in
return, and 4 wounds on the Srtish
lafantry~ they would bave done beter, bit
because they're engaged in the flank they
lost their supporting attacks, Unit 3 alsa
charged, and inlets 5 wounds on ibe British |
Infantry. As unit F216. Disordered, the |
British infantry go next, causing 8 wows
{in total (none on FI, 6 on F2 and? on F3).
Finally, Preneb unite 42 causes 4 wounds
“wiping out another company witb soma
‘wounds carried over
2. The combat result is now totale up. The.
‘British side cased 15 resus foal, while
the Prench caused 14 wounds, Toe British
Ihave a flank attack (42). However, the |
French ‘how outnumber the British by 2:1, |
‘and gain +1 to ter resull~ bust the Boks
sll ein 17-15,
The Fronch units all take Command ebects. |
BI ts unlucky to. fail, and becomes |
Disonored. F2, already Disordered and tus
suffering a penalty to its cbeck, also fails. |
‘This time the lossee aro too much and the
unit routs ~ it rolls 206 and scores 8,0 #
Mees 8° directly ase fom the largest enemy |
‘unit (B2). The fina Preneh unit (83) passes
its checks and Bolds, ae both Brtish units |
‘are engaged, netibor cam pursue wit 12, |
‘and so the French colours are retained.
3, there are now some uy bole in the |
remaining combat. All of the units are
nudged a roughly equal ameunt wnt they |
fare back in their erainal formations avid
Ihave as many companies as possible locked.
‘combat, ready forthe next turn,
Janother enemy unit. When this happens, the
it move becomes an ‘overrun’, Work out whether
1 pursuit will become an overrun before moving
ny models.
An overrunning unit is subject to the same rules as a
charging unit, and counts as having charged in the very
hex! Melee phase. However, by this stage the pursing.
c suffering from fatigue ~ place an Overrun
it, When itis their turn to fight
id check. IF they pass, they may
we the counter). If they fail, they
we counter with a Blown counter,
of attacks is halved —
the duration of the combat,
The unit receiving the overrun may only choose 10
hold or flee (some units will be obliged to flee
epending on who is charging them, of their special
rules). The attack is so unexpected that they don't have
time to consider any other charge respons.
If the unit elects to flee, but the overrun move is still
‘enough to catch them, then they are wiped out. Their
colours are not captured, but are instead lost in the
confusion. Ifthe flecing unit escapes, it starts the next
turn Routed (See the Command & Control section on
page 54)
END OF THE TURN
Ifyou haven't already done so, tidy up the ranks of any
Units that have taken damage, maintaining the current
formation of each. So if a formation has gaps in it due
to unusual combats, for example, close them up, being
sure to cause the’ least disruption possible to the
positions of the troops. Once that's done, you're ready
to start the next tur,
With the basies of the game now covered, the sections
of the rules that follow deal with some important
concepts, such as Command checks, and special rules
for the various unit types in the game (including, of
course, « look at how artillery works), as well as some
more unusual situations such as defending buildings
and fortifications
Tue Rus @
|The importance of strong command and direc
and well-drilled troops with good morale, can
be overestimated. The ability of « unit to stand and
fight when all seems lost can be the turning point
of a battle, while the presence of an inspiring
officer can’ make blue heroes of even the: moc.
bedraggled regiment.
During protracted firefight, ceaseless _antillery
bombardments, bloody hand-to-hand. fighting anal
sweeping cavalry charges, the courage of the
individual soldier is sorely tested. The outcome of
battle often hung on several equally important factors
Z, bravery, good generalship, weight’ of mumbers,
tactics and, of course, luck. In games of Waterloo, you
will often find that these factors are condensed favo
single rules mechanic ~ the roll of two dice to make a
‘Command check’. If you've stacked the odds in your
favour with good troops, masterful tactics and: the
close proximity of your officers, then Lady Luck will
have to be a cruel mistress indeed to take your
moment of glory from you. Conversely, if things really
aren’ going your way, then you may have to pray fer
the fickle finger of fate to keep you in the game
COMMAND CHECKS
When you are called upon 10 take a Command check,
imply roll 26 and add the total score to the unit's
Command Value (or the highest value in the unit if
there are several to choose from). Some circumstances
«all for a modifier to this score (see a list of modifier,
et). A score of 10 or more is a success. A faled
Command check will usually result either in the wait
becoming Disordered or flecing, depending on the
situation
USING TAG POINTS
Units may spend an unused TAC point to add +1 t0
their Command value for a single check They may
boost the Command value by as many points as the,
have TAC points remaining, but the effect lasts only foe
4 single roll. The use of TAC points in this manner
‘must be declared before any dice arc rolled,
PROXIMITY TO OFFICERS
In many situations, having a senior officer nearby has
4 steadying factor on the common soldier, If not thee
then units often perform more reliably if they are
within shouting distance of a sergeant or have recently
COMMAND AND CONTROL
received orders from an aide de camp. As a result
idependent officers may lend their Command valu 4)
ny friendly unit within 6. This radius is extended to
12" ifthe officer is mounted. An officer within 4 une
Gither the battalion commander or an independent
officer who has joined a unit) may only lend Ine CV ce
the battalion he is with. Finally, tis important to nore
that the army general always has a Command radius of
412", whether he is mounted or not,
COMMAND CHECK PENALTIES
The rules for Command cheeks, above, assume that a
uunit has been previously unscathed ‘and is. at full
Fighting effectiveness. Unfortunately this is not often the
case ~ the rigours of battle and the confusion of wae
mean that men steed to have nerves of steel i they ve
to hold in the face of extreme odds. To this end, there
ate some circumstances in which @ unit's Commanel
Value (or that of its ncarest officer) must incur penalty,
making it increasingly difficult to pass the Commun
check, The modifiers o 2 unit's CV are listed here
Situation CV Modifier
Below balf strength. The unit has -1
less than half its original number of
companies ing. If the unit
began with only one company, the
Lost the Colours. ‘The unit has had its
colours captured earlier in the battle,
Outnumbered in combat by 2:1 or 1
‘more. As described in the Melee
phase section, outnumbering, is
culated by totalling up the number
of companies on each side of the
combat,
Gavatry wishing to charge square.
Unless armed with lances, all
cavalrymen will naturally resist any
order to charge a well-formed square
* Cumulative wit below hal strength penal.Tue Russ @
|
|
|
DISORDERED
During a battle, a unit may find itself px
ill sides or isolated from the chai
When the situation gets die, the of
Welngon athe be
wmelled from ‘ e ef Vino, fu 2, 1813.
of command c rinton ‘defeated the
‘oc ede sep
enemy. When a unit loses heart and wavers, it
wecomes Disordered.
there are several ways that a unit ean become
Disordered during Most commonly, & unit
»ecomes Disordered when it loses whole
Cone stand) in the Shooting phase or Artillery pl
iF it loses a fight and subsequently fails a Com
cheek in the Melee phase.
As soon as a unit becomes Disordered, it imme
loses all ofits remaining
(move or shoot, for exa
itself in close combat, The
cflectively reducing
le) other than to defend
will strike last in melee,
ghting Skill value to 0.
Wf charged while Disordered, a unit must take a
Command chi
choose to ei
this stage to s
lunit must flee,
‘o Routing. A Disordered formation must also rout i it
loses another whole company in 1 Shooting phase.
If a Disordered unit manages to win a combat, it
immediately regains its composure and is no longer
Disordered, However, it may not pursue the defeated
enemy, and does not regain its TAC points until the
start of the next turn.
A Disordered unit must pass a Command check at the
start of their next tun t0 see if they rally. If the test is
passed, the unit gains its full quota of TAC points for
the turn and may act lly. from th
Disordered units engs ‘ombat may not attempt
tau 7a fan Toe ogbecat ene ee a
point@ TH Rvs
ROUTED
AA unit that is Disordered is only a small step away from
breaking and fleeing in the face of the enemy. If order
is not restored by the army's officers, then the unit may
well Rout,
‘A unit that is Routed for any reason must automatically
flee directly away from the source of its panie (Le. if
an artillery battery inflicts enough casualties on the
unit to Rout i, then the unit should be tured directly
away from that battery before fleeing in a dead straight
line away from if). Place a Routing counter next to the
Routed battalions are arranged ina. rough
skitmish-type order, facing away from the enemy. All
the rules for terrain affect fleeing movement ~ s0 if a
unit flees through Difficult terrain, for example, it must
roll its flee clistance and then halve whatever portion is
travelled through the Difficult terrain feature. Fleeing
{oops contacting impassable terrain will attempt to
move around it by the shortest possible coute,
Routed troops have no TAC points, just as if they were
Disordered, and may do nothing else in a turn except
to flee,
Routing units must take a Command check at the start
Of their next tum to see if they rally. If the test is
passed, the unit stops fleeing and becomes Disordered
instead. Ithe testis failed, the unit flees again. If the
is an enemy unit within 6, they will turm and flee
dligectly away from the closest enemy. Otherwise, they
will flee directly towards the nearest table edge by the
shortest possible route
lroops may never pass within 1" of an enemy
unit If there is no other way t0 go, they will simply
Stop running and test again fo rally’ next carn if they
survive, If they contact a friendly unit they run through
them and end up on the other side. Move the unit ee
though the friendly formation was not there. Tt the
AAccing uni’s movement is not cnough to take i
completely clear of the friendly unit, it will sill fee
through them ~ simply place the Routed init 1" clear
Of the friendly formation. ‘The friendly unit does not
come through this encounter completely unaffected,
however ~ see the Panie rules that follow
PANIC
Being shot at or hacked at in combat are not the only
reasons for a unit to lose heart, Seeing one's friends
battered and bloodied, and watching trusted comrades
um tail and flee is often enough to send a ripple of
Panic through an army, causing nearby units to waver
A unit must
« for Panic as soon xs either of the
following crite
+ A routed friendly unit flees through them.
* A friendly unit within 6" is wiped out.
Take a Command check. Ifthe test is passed, there is
no effect and the unit continues to fight as normal, If
the test is failed, the unit becomes Disordered,
However, ifthe unit has no unit commander (pethaps
because he has been killed in combat), it Routs instead,
fleeing directly away from the nearest enemy unit,
ROUTING EXAMPLE A;
FLEEING THROUGH DIFFICULT TERRAIN
ROUTING EXAMPLE B:
FLEEING THROUGH FRIENDLY UNITS
“Move out of friendly unit by
1" to determine final positionThe key to victory in the Napoleonic Wars was
siviking a fine balance between each of the main
types of unit: Infantry, Cavalry and Actllery. AIL
acted differently on the battlefield, and all were a
vital part of any battle plan.
In Waterloo, each of these three types of unit has its
own special niles, and is also divided up into several
sub-classes. For example, infantry can be line or light
iojantry, cavalry can be light or heavy, and artillery can
of several types of gun, each with its own
specialities and effects. Amidst all of this variety ~ and
holding it all together ~ isa fourth unit type, officers,
voth the steadying hand of individual units and the
niaster tacticians who watch over the battle from afar.
This section, then, compiles all of the common rules
‘or units and officers,
Jn most cases itl be faicly obvious which unit type
category a model falls into, but as unit type is
essentially an extension of the characteristic profile,
you'll find thar information in the Army Lists section,
beginning on page 107.
DAMAGE THRESHOLD
As described catlier, a unit's Damage Threshold is the
number of wound markers it can sustain before one of
its companies is removed from play. For convenience,
the Damage Threshold for cach unit type is listed her
INFANTRY
Infantry units comprise men on foot, and form the
backbone of most Napoleonic armies, They are flexible
units and represent the only practical method of taking.
and holding key battlefield objectives, trom walled
fields to huge fortresses. In games of Waterloo they are
fielded in battalions ~ a fighting formation comprising
jable number of companies, The main game rules
in most cases, written from the point of view of
infantry, and as such you'll find that infantry have the
Fewest exceptions to the core rules than the other unit
types in the game,
Infantry may be versatile, but they struggle against
cavalry due to the extra manoeuvrability and strength
of mounted troops. Asa result, infantry may not charge
cavalry without first passing a Command check,
LINE INFANTRY BATTALION
Line infantry is the ‘standard! unit type in games of
Waterioo, with no special rules. However, most
battalions have the option of taking flank compan
their number (usually Light or Grenadier companies),
purchased as ‘upgrades’ from the army list, which
confer special rules upon the unit as described on
ages 68.70)
Damage Threshold: 6
UNITS AND OFFICERS
LIGHT INFANTRY BATTALIONS
Most Napoleonic forces
infantry battalions — entire units of troops who were
well trained in skirmishing tactics, scouting techniques
and, sometimes, advanced marksmanship. The British,
for example, employed both standard light infantry
battalions and elite riflemen battalions; the latter were
fewer in numbers but well armed, and every man was
a crack shot,
Light infantry battalions should not be confused with
light infantry flank companies, which were discussed
earlier. Regarclless of their particular armament and
battlefield prowess, all light infantry battalions have
the following special rule in. common:
Skirmishers: Light infantry may adopt the Skiemish
Order formation in addition to the usual infantry
formations (see the Movement phase rules),
Damage Threshold: 4
mployed some form of light
"he 330 Regiment
fot in eau
ofan,) THe Ruies
Ait i
hatte mat are
‘ose tnt —
ini a
‘ct single compen
CAVALRY
Cavalry units are, obviously, those formations made up
of horsemen, Heavy Cavalry specialise in performing
devastating charges, using the momentum of mount
and rider to smash enemy formations apart, whilst Light
Cavalry perform more of a scouting and harrying role
GENERAL CAVALRY RULES
Regardless of what type they are, heavy or light, all
cavalry units are subject to the following rules
Melee Specialists: Due to their vantage point and the
specialist combat training afforded the typical
cavalryman, cavalry squadrons strike before infantry
and artillery in combat, unl fantry are in
square, in which case strikes
order of Fighting Skill
Refused Charges: There are times when a cavalryman
knows that a heroic charge is pure folly, and even ihe
wanted to try it, his mount would shy away from the
danger. In battle, this most commonly oecurs when a
cavalry squadron is confronted by a unit of infantry in
‘square formation. AS a result, cavalry cannot charge
infantry in square unless they first pass a Command
check. Unless the squadron is armed with lances, this
check is made at -2 Command value (see page 54),
Formidable: Such is the imposing sight of a
cavalryman on the battlefield that some lightly armed
units would not dream of engaging with them in
melee. Arillery units must flee as @ charge reaction
when charged by cavalry, and automatically count as
routing. IF the artillery unit is in a defensible position,
they may choose to hold rather than flee, but
automatically becomes Disordered
Cavalry Charge: No other units on the Napoleonic
battlefield could charge with the force of heavy cavalry
= the impetus and weight of the steed added to the
skill at arms of the cavalryman. Cavalry companies
gain an extra supporting attack in the turn they charge
Go they gain 42 attacks when support
+1, unless the squadron has declared a walking
charge (see the heavy cavalry ules, below). This
bonus is lost against infantey in square.
Opportunity Charge: One of the henefits of the
cavalry squadron is its mobility. When combined with
e, opportunistic
nk before the
Ifa friendly
cavalrymen can spot an exposed
‘enemy even realises the danger they a
unit within the cavalry squadron's charge arc is charged
by an enemy, then the cavalry squadron may spend a
TAC point to mount a charge of opportunity on the
enemy. Declare the opportunity charge first, wait until
the enemy units original charge has been resolved,
then check that the unit is an eligible target and
range, From this point on, it counts as a regular charge.
Damage Threshold: 2
HEAVY CAVALRY SQUADRONS
In addition to the cavalry special rules above, heavy:
cavalry squadrons have somie additional rules. Heavy
cavalry were so called because they used heavy horses,
carrying men who were tained in shock tactics and
sabre fighting. This combination of strong, skilful men
and a mountain of horse-flesh was incredibly effective,
but if the horsemen found themselves out of position
they were susceptible to enemy counter charges.
Charge Impetus: Nothing hits harder than a heavy
horse carrying its sword-wielding rider, Heavy cavalry
‘compantes locked in combar receive +2 attacks in the
turn they charge instead of the usual +1, except against
infantry in square,
Break the Line: Heavy cavalry rely on shock tacties ~
a decisive charge to force the enemy to break, If heavy
‘cavalry defeat a unit in combat, then the defeated
‘enemy will always rout if it fails its command check,
rather than become Disordered. Enemy heavy cavalry
Units and infantry in square are immune to this effecthares
Heavy cavalry units
instead of Te
be before’
s not gain the b
ly afforded “cavalry, However,
charging is mach more intimidat
d by the si
ching towards them, cwirling,
«atillery units charged in this way are at
Command value from the moment the
harge is found to be in range, to the end of the turn,
CAVALRY SQUADRONS
alry units do not have the sheer force of
heavy cavalry, and thei batlefield role is, accordingly
their heavier, more aggressive cousins.
3 Th
that they may lescrihed,
rules
However, units. in
ed for their combat
and so light cavalry do not
ry Charge special rule
66 Without cavalry, batt
are without result.9 9
- Napoleon
One of the most terrifying images of a Napoleonic
battle is thar of artillery fire ripping through tightly-
packed ranks of men, Given the devastating effect th
artillery hac wonder that
so many men ed the ave
bombardment ~ a true testament to the bravery of th
common soldier, There were several types of artillery
available to Napol is well as a sel
(of ammunition types, Reg ‘of type
he following rule
rd As a result,
ver charge into melee. Finally,
on above, artillery
5 must flee as a charge reaction when charged by
alry, and automatically count as routing. If the
lery unit is in a defensible position, they may
choose to hold rather than flee, but automatically
becomes Disordered,
y batteries may
bed in the
n_by enemy troops,
na +1 modifier to their cover
and gain a cover save of G+ even when in the
open, to represent their cug-in positions and the
by their guns. In addition, v
fired upon by enemy artillery, roll a D6 for each
successful hit; on 2 1 o¢ 2, the shot is resolved against
the guns ¢hard ), while on a 3+ it is resolved
against the crew (soft targets).@ We Ruts
tes oct riery
tng tei ts canon
‘Targeting independent officers: There may be times
when players wish to snipe at unprotected “enemy
officers with their artillery, and it is certainly possible
0 do so. However, picking out independent officers
oon a large battlefield is very difficult. To represent this
the number of hits inflicted on independent officers by
artillery fire is halved, rounding. fractions dow
represent the decreased chance of hitting 2 lone fi
‘or small group on the battlefield
Damage Threshold: 4
FOOT ARTILLERY RULES
Batteries of foot artillery were intended to support the
rest of the army from fixed positions on a battlefield.
The guns were still drawn onto the Field by Horses, but
the men marched on foot, and the batteries often
A foot artillery batte
single, large company base, which includes the
antllery piece plus four erew models. One shot is
allowed for each artillery base in the battery, If the
is represented in the game by a
battery includes different types of artillery piece
these are represented by a single model of the
appropriate type. So, for example, when choosing 4
British Foot Anillery battery, your can choose up to
three 91b (medium) cannons, and one of these can be
swapped out for a Howitzer,
In addition to the rules given above, foot artillery
batteries have the following rules
Hefty: Foot artillery can be moved in the Movement
Phase up to 4", However, batteries moving on foot may
only move through open terrain ~ this represents the
difficulty of dragging a heavy gun around. the
battlefield! To turn, artillery must wheel in the same
way as other units,
Limbers: As an alternative method of manoeuvre, foot
anillery can be limbered to a team of horses,
then
lowing
(© move more quickly. Limbered artillery may not
fire. Limbering counts as a full move, although
unlimbering does not ~ therefore an artillery hattery
an be limbered in one Movement phase, and both
‘move and unlimber in the next.
Spike the Guns!: When a foot artillery battery flees oF
routs, the crew spike the guns and then flee on foot
‘The artillery pieces are renclered useless for the rest of
the game Gemove the models from play), while the
crew are replaced by a single company of light
infantry, with no weapons,
Gunnery Officers: If the battery includes a
commander, he can either be based with one of the
_gun crew oF separately, in which case he is positioned
behind one of the batteries as shown.
HORSE ARTILLERY RULES
Unlike foot artillery, batteries of horse artillery were
hot expected to stay in the same battlefield position for
Jong, and so the limber teams were kept close at hand
during the battle. All of the guns, wagons, gunners and
officers were mounted, allowing the battery to pack up
and move at moment's notice. The Russians were the
first to use horse artillery, and called it ‘lying arillery’
due to its great manoeuvrability. Batteries of horse
artillery use the following, rules in addition to those
presented earlier for general artillery:
Fast Limbers: Horse artillery picces are onganised in
the same way as foot. The difference is that their
limbers are usually nearer the front line, allowing for
rapid redeployment of the guns. Limbers are optional
models = guns in a horse artillery battery can be
limbered, ‘moved and unlimbered in the same
Movement phase, so the models arent. strictly
necessary; they're just eye candy! If you do include
limber models, they should be positioned behind the
‘auns, no further than 12" away.
When a horse artlles
caction of a a result of routing, the battery
automatically limbers the guns and takes them with it
battery flees asARTILLERY AND AMMUNITION TYPES
In games of Waterloo, you have a wide range of
choices 0 make about your artillery, Essentially, most
mies can purchase up to four main types of weapon:
cannon, howitzers, mortars and rockets. Each of these
has its own set of firing rules, and most have more
than one type of ammunition «0 fire
CANNON
‘The most common type of anillery piece on the
Napoleonic battlefield was the cannon ~ a smooth bore,
muzzle-loading gun mace of brass ar iron. They were
produced in a variety of sizes, from small wall-mounted
swivel guns to huge 36Ib' naval guns, and were
categorized by the weight of shot that they fired ~ the
heavier the shot, the more powerful the gun had be,
and the more damage it could inflict. Different types of
‘cannon (which in the game we call light, medium and
heavy) have different ranges and damage effects, but
the way they are fired is the same in any case
First, you must nominate a target and guess the range
When you measure, do so in a dead straight line from
the cannon barrel to the target point, and mark the spot
‘The entire battery makes « single guess and nominates
a single target, although each model in the battery then
‘goes on to resolve the effects of the shot separately.
Now roll an artillery dice for each gun in the battery. If
you roll a number, ade this figure (in inches) to you
original guess 10 determine the actual spot that the shot
strikes. A “MISFIRE' result on the dice means you must
immediately roll on the Cannon Misfire table, opposite.
Ifa unit (or artillery piece, terrain or fortification) is hit
by the shot, roll fa See how many hits are inflicted, and
then roll to wound for each hit (see the Artillery Tabl
page 64, for the statistics of artillery shots). Hits are
allocated against the whole unit, in the same way as
fother shooting attacks. The initial impact point of a
cannonball was historically called the ‘rst graze
All cannon are assumed 10 fre standard ‘round shor,
unless the player has the option to fire Shrapnel (see
below). Round shot does not just stop when it hits the
ground, but instead bounces through the enemy ranks
{fo cause even more carnage. Roll the Anillery dice again,
‘The number rolled is the distance, in inches, of what
‘was called the second and third "geazes’ ~ the distance
the shot bounces. Draw a dead straight line along the
original trajectory of the shot for the distance rolled ~
any company that falls wholly of partially under this line
also takes damage, as before, Ifthe original shot landed
‘within a company, the bounce will not affect that same
company again — in effect a single company will only
take one hit from a single cannon in a phase.
Damage for round shot is shown on the Artillery table
as two numbers, separated by a slash (e.g, 44/54). Any
‘company hit by the first graze, or point of impact, is
‘wounded on the first number indicated on a D6. Any
‘company uncler the line of the second geaze is wounded
fon the second number instead, representing the shot
losing impetus as it travels a considerable distance.
ca
ns_may also fire canister shot, which was
designed to tear through approaching soldiers at point
blank range. Canister shot does not follow the standard
rules for cannon, and is instead covered separately later.
Hard Targets and slopes: When cannon hit a hard
target (such 2s a building), oF the apward slope of a
hil, the shot will not bounce. IFa hard target is hit as
part of a bounce, then the cannonball stops at the
point of impact ~ work out the damage inflicted up to
tat point and do not continue the bounce effect. Soft
cover has no effect on cannonballs,
Shrapnel Ammunition: All British cannon have the
option of firing Shrapnel shot, sometimes. called
spherical case shor, instead of round shot. Shrapnel
was a special type of hollow ammunition designed to
burst in the air, or in the midst of the enemy, and
shower them with high-velocity musket balls
If you choose to fire Shrapnel, you must declare its use
when you choose your target, before any measurements
are taken. Shrapnel does not bounce. Instead, the point
of impact (usually the first graze) represents the centre
of the large round tempkte, Any company partially or
wholly under the template takes the number of hits
indicated by the Arillery table, and is wounded on the
number indicated. Shrapnel cannot harm hard targets,
CANNON MISFIRE TABLE
Result
Barrel fouled. The gun can't move or
fire this tum or next, while the crew
hastily try to clear the barrel
Missed.
The shot misses, and has no effect.
Falls short, Re-roll the antllery dice,
‘eating further misfires as a score of 0
the distance rolled is subtracted from the
‘guessed range rather than added to it
‘Tue Ruies |
ef French
‘one atilry
‘unmer, 1812,
‘Dy cate Vere,@ Te Rutzs
iter ery
it rte
HOWITZERS
Howitzers were short, stubby guns, the primary
Purpose of which was to lob shells at the enemy. ‘They
didnot fire round shot, and instead were used to
bombard enemy positions directly ~ the crew did not
need to see the target o lob an explosive shell at them,
Howitzers usually fire ‘common shell’ ammunition, and
you should assume that this is the case unless your
army list or the scenario you are playing states
otherwise. British howitzers also have the option of
firing Shrapnel shot, while in siege scenarios. any
howitzer can be equipped with careass shot. If you
have the option of several ammunition types, choose
Which you are firing when declaring your targets, anc
before measuring. They are all fired in the same way.
Howitzers can choose ( fire directly or indirectly. A
direct shot is taken when the target is visible, while an
indirect shot is more speculative, and is usually used 10
lob shells over the walls of a fortress or evest of a hill
for example,
Direct Fire: Nominate a target within line of sight.
Unlike a cannon, a mortar can always fire shells over
intervening troops, as long as the target is visible. Guess
the range to the target and measure the distance,
marking the spot just as if firing a cannon. Roll a seater
dice and artillery dice together. An arrow on the seatter
dice shows the direction in which the shot has deviated,
while a HIT shows that it has landed on target. ‘The
number on the amillery dice shows how far the shot has
deviated, in inches (a HIT on the scatter dice cancels out
this number). However, a Misfire result overrules all
other results, and the player must immed
the Howitzer & Mortar Misfire table instead.
ely roll on.
If the shot scatters (hecs
|n arrow on the dice), then simply mark the ne
Position on the tabletop and place the template so th
its centre is over the spot. It may stil hit the target, oF
a different one. Most howitzer shots use the small
round template to determine their area of effect, while
‘Shrapnel ammunition requires the large template
you rolled a number and
Indirect Fire: An indirect shot must be taken whey
Firing at a target unit that the artillery battery canny
see. The fring procedure is the same as for diet ft
above, except that no line of sight is required
However, any HIT rolls on the seatter dice never count
as being on target ~ instead, look closely at the scatter
dice ~ there's a tiny arrow above the "Tin "HIT
this for the direction of scatter instead.
Sheapnel: Just as with cannons, British howitzers may
‘opt to firé Shrapnel shells at the enemy instead ey
common shell or eateass shot. The procedure for using
Shrapnel with a howitzer is exactly the same ay fre
ther types of shot, as described previously, but the
shell uses the large round template instead ofthe sina
fone, The advantage of Shrapnel is that it covers 4
larger area, and is more likely to hit the enemy even i
it seatters. The downside is that itis not as powerful 4
shot as common shell
Carcass Shot: In certain scenarios, howitzers can be
Equipped with special ammunition called carcass shou
This explosive shell is designed to be an incendiasy,
id can quickly set light to fortifications and terrify
{roops. Any battalion that takes one or more wounde
from careass shot must pass a Command check. of
become Disordered. If they were already Disordered,
then a failed check will cause them to rout. Any
building or flammable terrain item that takes one oy
more point of damage is set alight — roll on the Fite!
table on page 75.
Canister Shot (Grapeshot): When the enemy
were close to an anillery battery, the crew would
load their weapons with canister shot and attempt
to tear the advancing foe to pieces with shore
ranged barrage,
Instead of firing normally, cannons and howitzers
ay fire short-ranged canister shot at approaching
enemies. Measure’ a dead straight line from the
barrel of the artillery piece, up to the maximum
ange of the canister shot (see the table, below),
Any company that lies under this line takes hits
Roll an artillery dice to see how many hits ace
inflicted —a MISFIRE result means that the shot has
jammed, and the artillery piece fire this
‘turn Rolls to wound are then made for each hit. At
point blank range (hall range oF under), add +1 to
the rolls to wound
CANISTER SHOT TABLE
Astillery Piece Canister Range To Wound
Swivel Gunt o 3
Cannon, svat) es 5
Cannon, Medium 10" 5+
Cannon, Large a ra
Howitzer, Small 10 34
Howitzer, Large 2 4nORTARS
Moraes Te 20 common in games of Watron, ax
hustoreally they were phased out and replaced by
Crpeuvals) maybe” caed see mane, t
weapons. Morar Fein the same wera ue
{Nl that ey aba he neue on ONES
cone soups
Hollowed Ammunition: Mortars may fire
siiot, which works in the same a
howitzers, above),
hollowed
Way as carcass shot (see
HOWITZER & MOI
| MISFIRE TABLE STAR
D6 Result
1 Jammed. The battery can't move or fre
this turn or next, while the crew hast
try (0 fix the problem, “y
Missed. ‘The shot mis
Ses its target, and
thas no effect. target, and
Off Target. The shot is fred anyway,
but sates wily oll the seater die
sing the stow above the an
and 3D6 to determine how fi ne
than al the orginal disses
the shor
Dutch ships at port. The advantages they” had.
however, were thit they were light, quick to fice
liam Congreve, this,
rockets, first nominate
4 target and guess the
as if you were firi 5 . i
14 cannon, Roll 2 a
tice and adhe nambor fled ene ny
Measure this distance ina dead stvigh han gine:
rocket company towards the target aa ie OM
Gn the tabletop. A MISMRE cane ak BE Rot
the Rockets Misfire table instead, ad
Assuming thatthe rocket hi
roll the antillery dice agin, along witha Lene ae
You olla HIT then the rocket sae a ie
You just marke ou allan aromy then ae
fom that point inthe direction indicated, Ang gna
result this stage must be sel sey IRE
‘shown, to calculate the distance of the deviation. i
Rockets may also be fired indirectly, just like
howitzers. In this instance any HITs on the scatter dice
are treated as arrows instead.
‘errify Cavalry: As rockets spiral through the air,
leaving a corkscrew cloud of white smoke in their
wake, they cause an almighty sereeching sound, which
is most disconcerting for horses on the battlefield (anc
some soldiers, too). If a cavalry squadron ts hit by a
rocket attack, even if i takes no wounds, it must take
a Command check. If tails, it becomes Disordered. If
already Disordered, it Routs. Ifthe squadron docs take
casualties, then it rust deduet -1 from the roll for the
Command check for every wound counter placed by
the rocket attack. Only one such test is made, for the
first hit ~ additional rocket hits in the same phase have
no futher effects,
ROCKETS MISFIRE TABLE
Result
Explodes! A freak explosion causes
chaos amidst the battery. The battery
takes D3. wound markers
automatically, distributed like normal
successful attacks upon the crew.
Needless to say, the rocket does
not fire.
[A Glose One! The crew ate panicked
and may not fire this turn or the next.
Missed. The shot misses its target,
‘and has no effec
Off Target. The shot is fired anyway,
but scatters wildly — Roll the scatter
dice (using the arrow above the HIT
result) and 3D6 to determine how far
the shot scatters. A shot may never
deviate more than half the original
distance guessed.
Shrapnel Rockets: As a very British invention, rocket
companies may opt to fire Shrapnel rockets at the
enemy instead of common shells. The procedure for
using Shrapnel with a rocket company is exactly the
same as for other types of shot, with the effects listed
in the Artillery table on page 64
Incendiary Rockets: Incendiary rockets were used to
Set fire 10 enemy fortifications and defended positions
‘These rockets are only available in the Siege seenatio
(see page 105). They are fired in the same way as any
other type of rocket. Any building or flammable terrain
item that takes one or more point of damage is set
alight ~ roll on the Fire! table, on page 75.
2,
fos)@ Tee Rus
MISTRUST OF ROCKETS
‘There was no particular fondness of Congreve rockets from
British officers. Captain Mercer described the use of Congreve
rockets on 17 June 1815 during the retreat from Quatre Bras
as follows:
“The rocketeers bad placed a litle iron triangle in the road with
@ rocket lying on it. The order to fire is given —port-fire applied
~ the fidgety missile begins to sputter out sparks and wriggle fis
tail for a second or so, and then darts forth straight up the
chaussée, A gun stands riybt in tis way, between the wheels of
which the sbell in the head of the rocket bursts, the gunners fall
Night and left... our rocketcers hept shooting off rockets, none
ARTILLERY TABLE
Range Guess)
Soft
Swivel Gun (siege weapon) 44/54
Gannon, Stall (-41b)
~ Round
Daft
+ Shrapnel
Se
Cannon, Medium (6-91b)
Round
2wyae
Shrapnel
5H
Cannon, Large (1215)
Shrapnel
Howitzer, Large
‘Common Shell
= Carcass,
+ Shrapnel
Congreve Rockets
‘Common Shell
Shrapnel
Incendiary
(Gribeawval) Mortar
= Bomb
~ Hollowed shell
Wound? numbers presented thas 4/6¢ repent the bounce of ern kinds
the second mimiber represent the chance to weal forthe path of the be
‘ourselves with coher shor and instal comin the effec wih ket Te
* Swivel guas ace seerospeciic weapons, used In sleges. They ate tite in exaely the sme way’ canon fing round
Base chance to wound
Of which ever followed the course of the frst; most of them, on
arriving about the middle of the ascent, took a vertical
direction, whilst some actually turned back upon ourselves —
and one of these, following me like a squib until its shell
exploded, actually put me in more danger than all the fire of
the enemy throughout the day.”
Wellington himself, when asked if he would deploy rockets in
his force, replied 'T do not wish to set fire to any town, and |
do not Know of any other use for rackets.” Despite these
misgivings, and against his better judgement, a small troop of
racketeers was deployed at Waterloo.
Hits per Co. Special
Hard
bey ba
Da
Se/6r
: D3
Large Template
Large Template
Small Template
Small Template;
Incendiary
Large Template
Small Template
Simall Template;
Incendiary
Large Template
Small Temp
srify Cavalry
Large Template,
Terrify Cavalry
Small Template;
Incencliary
Tervify Cavalry
Small ‘Template
Small Templates
Incendiary
of shot. The frst umber eepresents the point of impact, ove yee’,
cof peopiy we dont caCOMMAND COMPANIES
A common feature of most units in games of Waterloo
's the command company. This company cont
commander (most commonly a captain), and us
the colours and musicians. It is a focal point for the
snit upon the tabletop,
fof Waterloo as it would have been during the battle
itself Depending on how your model companies are
organised, command figures can spill out into other
‘ompanies in the batalion (usually adjacer but
the one that contains the unit's commander Is always,
nominated as the command company.
UNIT COMMANDERS
A unit commander is the senior officer in the unit, and
is purchased from the army list along with the unit
itself, rather than separately (ike a general, for
instance), The unit commander is usually 4 captain,
though the army lists often allow you to ‘upgrade’
your commander for a more experienced officer, such
a5 a colonel, For the sake of completeness, the miles
governing the unit commander are presented
Inter, under the Officers section.
SERGEANTS AND NCOs
‘These models have no effect on gameplay, but many:
people like to include them in their battalions
fone sergeant or NCO (non-commissioned officer) in
teach six-model infantry company looks very effective.
Note that you can have captain models in your other
companies, even if your unit commander is also a
‘captain = as long as one is in overall command, and,
you make it clear which is the command company,
thete's no reason why other captains could not be
present; they just have no effect in the game.
COLOURS
Many units begin a game with at least one standard
bearer, bearing the colours, and this model must be
placed in the command company. British line infantry
have two standard bearers ~ one bearing the King's
colours, which must be placed in the command
company, and one beating the regimental colours,
‘which can he placed in an adjacent company if you
wish (historically they would stand one either side of
the unit commander). Only the King’s colours count
for the purposes of these rules, and are referred 10 as
the primary set of colours,
If the primary set of colours is ever captured, as
described in the Melee phase section, the battalion is
at-1 Command! value for the rest of the battle, or until
they recapture their colours.
Colouss can only he removed from a battalion in close
combat ~ casualties inflicted by shooting do not count,
fas nearby comrades are always assumed to pick up
colours if they are dropped by a slain standard bearer,
MUSICIANS
All units (except artillery) begin the game with a
musieian — in line infantry battalions, this is usually
represented by a drummer model, while in other types
of battalions it is often a bugler. This model is Dest
positioned in, of as close as possible to, the command
company,
ENGINEERS/SAPPERS
Some units in the army lists are allowed to take a
contingent of Engineers or Sappers as. part of the
command company. The Engineer model is placed
within the command company, displacing a regular
soldier or NCO if possible. Engineers are experts at
siegecraft, and areideal if you plan to fight a siege
battle, or know that you'll be facing lots of defended
positions. Engineers bestow the following rules to the
‘unit thar they join:
Siege Attackers: A command comp
an Eh
any that contains
ngineer may attempt to weaken fortifications and.
nsible features in the Melee phase. Instead of
tacking an accupying unit, the command company's
Tue Rutes
Baan by@ Tr Rus
i Britis fne
Infantry eatin
ta ec ome hy
General Pron
attacks may be made against the structure instead, and
require 6s to damage it~ this is a fairly weak
Dut is useful for finishing off already we:
structures. In addition, when trying to set fire to
defensible features (see the Fire! table on page 75),
Engineers add +1 to the roll
Siege Defences: As well as being able to destroy
enemy fortifications, Engineers are adept at reinforcing,
their own. If occupying a building that suffers damage,
the Engineer adds +1 fo tolls on the Defensible Terrain
Damage table. In addition, when attempting to put
fire out in a building that they oceupy, they reduce the
roll on the Fite! table by a further -1
Fearsome: It was traditional for Engineers who went
to battle to be picked from among the toughest,
burliest_ men possible. "These men were often
encouraged to grow long beards to enhance their fierce
appearance, and went to battle bedecked in thick
leather aprons, bearskin hats and carrying an array of
axes, hatchets and other tools, As a result, Engineers
add ‘H attack to the command company in' melee
OFFICERS
While the bravery and training of the common soldier
‘most often made the difference between victory and
defeat, an army was only as good as its officers,
thout strategy and organisation, a force could often
beaten before a shot was fired
b
UNIT COMMANDERS
Every infantry and cavalry unit has a commander
‘model, which is placed in the command company as
described above. ‘This is usually a captain’ or
equivalent, but the army list usually allows for the
commander to be upgraded to a higher rank. Unit
commanders are subject to the following rules:
Unit commanders may not leave their unit under
any circumstances,
‘The commander's Strategy points may be spent as
extra Tactical points for his own unit only, or to
‘modify Command checks for his awn battalion, ‘They
can also be spent on Orders, which must be issued t9
his own unit. The use of Strategy points is discussed in
detail on pages 76-78,
A line infantry commander often has the option of
king a horse, in which case he takes up the space of
ro normal foot models in the command company. A
mounted commander within an infantry unit may re
roll the first failed Command check in the game on
behalf of his battalion, to represent his increased
influence. Despite being mounted, the commander
must_ move at the same speed as the rest of the
battalion, and does not confer any cavalry rules oF
bonuses to his unit,
Artillery Officers: Artillery batteries can also be led by
8 unit commander. Unusually, this model docs not
have to be part of the artillery: company it is with, a
auillery batteries don't have a command company to
speak of, Instead, place the officer model in base
ccontact with one of the artillery compan
of the battes
apply, despite his unusual positioning,
Damage Threshold: Counted as part of his unit's
command company.
INDEPENDENT OFFICERS
Armies often get the option to take independent officers
to battle. This is usually the general, but may sometimes
be trusted lieutenants who ride near to the battle lines
to lend their influence where it’s most needed.
Independent officers do not need to be based in the’
same way as normal troops (some pkayers like t0 base
them on small diorama bases, complete with aide-de
camps, ete), However, they can join units during a
game if required, so having them on a sensible base i
often preferableGetting Around: Independent officers don't have
Tretical points, but they can move around in the
Movement phase as if they had 1 TAC point.
Independent officers on foot are treated as a
ismishing company for the purposes of movement,
snd thus benefit from the +1 cover save like other
skirmishers. Independent officers can be mounted. If
tn horseback they gain +1 Resilience and can move
12%, eating terrain as if they were skirmishing, light
avalry. These rules do not suppose that officers are
-xpert skirmishers, but rather that they and their aides
ace few in number, and can thus traverse the battlefield
more easily than large formations of men,
Finally, because they are usually part of a very small
group, independent olficers who sire not within a unit
may never charge, and must always flee if charged or
overrun by an enemy unit, Officers are not heroes of |
myth and legend ~ they lead through their plans and
their inspirational presence, not by skill at arms.
Command Radius: The Command value of an
Independent officer can be used by any friendly unit
within 6, or 12" if mounted. This abstract game
mechanic is often referred to as the ‘command radius’,
and represents the ability of the officer to make his
presence known, perhaps by sending messengers off
with orders for nearby subordinates.
Strategies: An independent officer's STG points can be
spent ither on Orders, which affect any friendly’
battalion within 6", or on Grane! Strategies, which are
purchased! individually as unique ‘abilities’ for the
bifficer. See pages 76-78 for more information on
spending STG points,
Look Out, Sir!: Independent officers are small targets
ind can easily be overlooked in the confusion of
battle, of can escape to the safety of nearby ranks if
necessary. They eannot be targeted by shooting attacks
if they are within 6" of a friendly battalion, They can,
however, be hit by a lucky artillery shot ~ see page 60
for the rules governing this type of artillery fire,
Assume Command: An independent officer can join
any friendly unit by moving into contact with it in the
Movement phase. Place him next to the command
company, as iT he were a small company (though he
doesn’t count as one for formation purposes). You may
niced 0 ‘fudge’ the unit bit to make room. Obviously,
an officer must be mounted if he wishes to join a unit
Of cavalry or horse artillery
The officer adds his attacks to the command
company, and is assumed to be in command of the
unit Gee the rules on page 49 10 see how
independent officers can be attacked in melee ~ it's
quite a dangerous place to bel). From that point on
he is treated as the unit commander, although he may
siill use his Grand Strategies (see page 78), and may
leave the unit at any time,
To leave a unit that he has joined, the officer simply
needs to move away from it during his own Movement
phase ~ any movement used up while he was within
the unit must obviously be deducted from this turn’s
‘movement allowance. An officer may not leave a unit
that is Disordered, Routing or locked in melee ~ once
he’s committed in these ways he is stuck until his duty
is done!
Form Square!: Independent officers may shelter in
iendly infantry squares by moving into contact with
the square during their Movement phase, Simply place
the model in the hollow centre of the square. The
officer does not have (0 join the unit and assume
‘command if he does not wish to, and can simply move
through the unit and beyond in 4 subsequent turn. This
1 very good ploy if your olficer is caught out in the
‘open and is being threatened by nearby enemy cavalry!
Damage Threshold: 1 if on foot, 2 if mounted,
‘THE ARMY GENERAL
Every army is led by a general, and this model
represents you, the master strategh 1 game of
Waterloo. One independent officer in any army is in
overall command, and is referred to as the Army
General (hough he doesn't actually have to be a general
in terms of rank). Unless some special rule instructs
otherwise, the Army General is always the independent
officer in your force with the highest Command value,
The Army General is treated exactly like other
independent officers, with the following exceptions:
Inspiring Presence: The command radius of the Army
General is increased to 12', or 18" if mounted,
representing a greater number of aides and even the
steadying influence the commander's very presence
has on nearby troops.
Chain of Command: ‘The Army General may issue
orders just like independent officers, but with a 12°
radius instead of the usual 6". However, they may
extend the range of their orders by using nearby
officers as a chitin of command, Any independent
officer within 12° of the Atmy General may issue an
order using the general's STG points instead of his own.
Damage Threshold: 1 if on foot, 2 if mounted.
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SPECIAL RULES
When you move on to choosing your army for a
game of Waterloo, you will notice that many units
and weapons in the game have a special rule that is,
common across several armies. These ate called
‘universal’ special rules.
Universal special rules are rules that apply to several
units and weapons, These rules are grouped together
here for convenience. The other type of special rules
in the game is ‘unique’ special rules, which apply only
to one o two units. You will find those rules presented
along with the army list entry for the unit that
possesses the rule,
BAYONET DRILL
‘While all infantrymen are cilled in the use of bayonets,
this special rule represents a unit with advanced
training, intensive experience in hand-to-hand combat,
‘or simply a bloodthirsty preponderance for melee
fighting, Battalions with this rule get +1 to theie roll to
‘wound in the turn that they charge with bayonets,
BRIGADE
Some types of troops are able to band together to form
brigades (historically this is the equivalent of not just
brigade, but also a demi-brigade or even a regimen
depending on the nation and the time period in which
your game takes place) ~ the troops that make up a
brigade are specified by the army lists.
The command structure of a brigade is very
regimented. The highest-ranking officer in the brigade
Ghether unit commander or indepenclent offices) iy
nominally referred to as. ‘brigade commande
(historically this would be a Brigadier ina. British
army, or General de Brigade in a French army, for
example). Whenever the brigade commander issues an
order to a unit, every other unit in the brigade within
24" of the affected commander can adopt the same
order immediately, by spending a TAC point.
Units within a brigacle have D3 additional TAC points,
generated at the start of the game, These points are
shared between all the units inthe brigade as.
common ‘pool’ of points. In addition, units must
endeavour to remain within 6" of another member of
the brigade at all times. If they ever become separated,
they become ‘stragglers, Stragglers may not use the
brigade's pool of TAC points, nor benefit from the
bonus orders issued by the brigade commander until
they catch up with the group,
Ia scenario calls for a force to be split (i.e. half the
force deploys on the tabletop and the other half
enters in reserve), then the player must endeavour to
keep the brigade together. Units ina brigade may
only be split if there are not enough total units in the
army to do otherwise. The minority units, either on
the table or in reserve, count as stragglers until they
achieve the usual 6* coherency with another member
of the brigade,CALLED SHOT
Whilst not exactly conforming to the moral code of
baile, there was a real psychological benefit to taking,
cout the officers and NCOs ina unit before it could
fichieve its mission, This precision work was usually
only attempted by crack companies, such as riflemen.
Before determining how many shots it fires in the
Shooting phase, the unit may make a called shot
Declare this action ancl then roll the dice. Any scores of
1 6 are counted as a single hit, rather than six hits, but
tay be allocated digectly against the target unit's
command company. Place any wound! markers next 10
the command company. In this manner, i is possible for
i command company to be removed from play before
the rest of the unit is destroyed, and with it any unused
1G points of leadership benefits it may have bestowed.
CUIRASSES
While often shunned by heavy cavalrymen in favour of
increased mobility, the oltashioned polished
breastplate, was still effective at protecting a cavalryman
rom a pistol shot, long-+ange musket bal of sabre slash,
If a batalion is equipped with cuirasses, successful rolls
a 6 to wound made against them from shooting
uuticks must be re-olled by the opponent. The result of
he re-oll stands ~ you can never re-roll a re-oll
DRILLED
oops With this special rule have been subjected to
intensive musket drills, and can not only fire more than
three shots a minute, but ean do so in the face of the
oncoming enemy. When determining how many shots i
Fires in the Shooting phase, a Drilled! battalion can re-voll
nae of the dice. The result of the re-roll must be
sccepted.
FIERCE REPUTATION
These troops have built a reputation, whether justified
bo not, for being fearsome combatants. All enemy units
within 6" of this unit are at -1 Command value for as
long as they remain in proximity. Enemy units that also
rave a Fierce Reputation are immune to this effect.
GUERRILLAS
Guerrillas are undisciplined freedom fighters, used
er to taking orders nor to fighting among regular
Iways assume skirmish
formation, In addition, they never benefit from the
Command value of nearby officers, instead relying
solely on the orders of their own unit commander.
HARDENED
Some troops are embittered veterans of many conflicts,
have become inured to the rigours of close
Fighting. If unit has the Hardened special rule it may
spend 1 TAC point at the start of any Melee phase t0
add +1 to its Fighting Skill for the remainder of the turn
HATRED
Like any conflict throughout history, the Napoleonic
Wars produced a fiir number of national rivalries, and
saw a few too many atrocities on all sides, leading to
animosity and even hatred between one culture
towards another. A unit that hates its enemy will reroll
scores of 1 10 wound the enemy in melee, The te-roll
only applies for the first round of any combat ~ if the
two enemy units remain locked in combat for
subsequent turns, both fight normally, as the effects of
fatigue and combat stress get the better of anger and
vitriol. As always, the results of re-rolled dice must be
it has some other special rule
allow them to re-roll again.
IMPETUOUS
Some troops, particularly “green’, inexperienced ones,
become headstrong when in baitle, bolstered by the
rush of adrenaline and are too easily buoyed by the
‘most minor victory in the field. Whilst eagerness and
enthusiasm are often laudable, too often i€ turns to
impetuousness, and the unit can become
uncontrollable by the chain of command,
Impetuous units must always pursue an enemy who
flees from them in combat, unless they first pass
‘Command check. Impetuous cavalry units must always
declare an Opportunity Charge if they are able to do
0 (sce page 58),
INCENDIARY
‘ome artillery ammunition has the ‘Incendiary’ rule,
meaning that Is designed to set fire to enemy
fomtfications. Any building or flammable terrain item
that takes one or more point of damage from an
incendiary weapon is set alight ~ roll on the Fire! table,
fon page 75;
MARKSMEN
Crack marksmen were highly valued, especially by
coalition forces, which often rewarded. sharpshooters
with rifles and special privileges, Units with the
Marksmen rule may re-roll scores of 1 when rolling to
wound. The result of the re-roll must be accepted,
MILITIA
Militia are pressed men, often poorly trained and forced
to fight for their country, Good leadership keeps militia
units in check, but they are prone to devolve into a
rubble when placed in dangerous situations,
If a militia unit takes any wounds during the Shooting,
phase — not just the usual 25% casualties — it
automatically becomes Disordered. The unit must also
lake Command check at the end of the phase ~ if it
passes, there is no effect, If it fails, they’ are Routed
(see page 56). In addition, if Militia infantey are
‘charged by cavalry, they must always pass a Command
check or automatically flee from the chargers, in the
Ssume way as skimishing infantry
MISTRUST
‘There is an air of mistrust between units from this
ation oF regiment, which sullies the camaraderie
between them and their allies
Units with the Mistrust rule may not use the Command
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‘own nationality (0, for example, a
British colonel could not issue orders to nearby
Brunswicker unit). Likewise, officers with the Mistrust
rule may not issue orders to a unit that is not of the
‘own nationality. By the same token, only independent
officers of the same na as the Mistrusted unit
join it. However, any friendly officers. ot
nillery may shelter in their squares, as usual - they may
not like each other, but they're still on the same side!
SKIRMISH SCREEN
Most units of line infantry have access to a light
‘company, which allows them to ‘throw out skirmish
screen. This simply allows the unit to use the ‘deploy
skirmish screen’ formation,
DEPLOY SKIRMISH SCREEN (INFANTRY)
Some line infantry battalions are able to include one or
‘more flank companies as part of their unit. Sometimes
this grants them the Skirmish Sereen special cule,
which enables them to use this formation ~ where this
is the case, it will be clearly marked in your a
Line battalions may deploy skirmish sereens wh
are already in column of attack, column of march or
line formation, by spending 1 TAG point as norma
deploying the skirmish screen counts as a formation
change. ‘They may also deploy in one of those
formations with the skirmish screen already ‘activated,
at the start of the game,
ey
Once the skirmish sereen is adopted, ane or more light
companies are thrown out to the front of the battalion,
Remove the light company base(S) from the unit and
Position it to the front of the unit, or replace it with six
single or skirmish-based figures if you prefer,
Skimishers are placed (and must remain) within 2" of
the foremost companies in a formation
Skitmish screens offer protection against enemy
shooting as they obscure the bulk of their unit and
distract attackers. Any enemy unit shooting through
the skirmish screen (ie. firing from the front of the
Uni) must count their shots as Difficult (see page 45).
Skirmish screens are vulnerable to close combat
attacks, especially cavalry charges. If the unit is
charged (from any side), take a Command check ~ it
passed, the skirmish screen simply returns to. its
regular place in the batalion. If failed, the whole
skirmishing company is removed, and the unit loses
the Skimish Sereen special rule for the remainder of
the game.
STUBBORN
Some units have such high morale, of are so well
disciplined, that they will not move even when the
odds are stacked against them. A unit that is Stubborn
ever modifies its Command value. IF joined by
indepenclent officer, his Command value is modified as
usual, but if the unit's Stubborn Command value is
better than the officers, they may use the higher value
TWO-RANK LINE
Some infantry battalions were trained! to fire in a wo.
rank Tine rather than the conventional three, as it was
noted that the third rank of troops were’ not only
ineffective, but actually posed a hazard to their
‘comrades in the front ranks. Some battalions ~ notably
British Tine infantry ~ expanded their frontage andl thus
trained more muskets effectively at the enemy.
A unit eligible to fire in a two-rank line may only do
‘0 if its ina full Line ~ nota partial line ~ as explained
on page 35, Each of its companies gets +1 shot (30
usually D6+1 instead of the usual D6).
‘TEMPORARY SPECIAL RULES
Some special rules or abilities are conferred on a
‘unit because it contains special companies, such a
Grenadiers, Carabineers or Light Infantry. As soon
is reduced to three companies or less,
as the uni
these special companies are lost, and along with
them their special rules.n the book we looked at the array of terrain
over which you can fight tabletop battles. One of
the most desirable terrain features in battle,
however, is one that can be defended and held
‘against an enemy. These tactically advantageous
Positions are called ‘defensible terrain features”
At their most basic, defensible terrain features are
anything that can feasibly be held by a unit. ‘The
following types of terrain are defensible:
+ Buildings
+ Ruins
+ Bridges
+ Boundaried/Walled Fields
+ Forests
These features provide a consclrable tactical advantage
in battle Soldiers can dig into a defensible position and
prove tougher to rout, whilst providing a constant threat
{0 any enemy who try to move past them,
SIEGE WARFARE
‘The Napoleonic Wars saw troops occupying small forts,
lange fortresses, fortified towers and the like. Similarly,
if @ building or complex has obviously been heavily
fortified, then it may also be likened to a fort rather than
4 standard defensible feature. Players should decide at
the start of the game which terrain pieces ate ‘stand
defensible features, and which are ‘Tontified?, Fortified
terrain features do not use these rutes, but instead use
the Siege rules, beginning on page 98,
66 At war you must press upon an
obstacle in order to overcome itgg
- Napoleon
‘Type Res. Save
Bonus
“Fields cannot be destroyed, snl the ever save
DEFENSIBLE TERRAIN
DEFENSIBLE TERRAIN FEATURE SUMMARY CHART
alled Field* o 5+ Anyone
Forest 41 40 Infantry, Artillery
tples ont to shot ken directly atthe occupier,
nt not wo increct sts fom howizes and the ie which ae ohhod sae te ade
OCCUPYING A DEFENSIBLE FEATURE
A terrain feature can realistically only hold so many
men. All defensible terrain features on the table
‘must be allocated a Capacity value at the start of the
ame ~ this shows the numher of companies that cay
Secupy the feature at any one time, For example, 4
building with a capacity of 6 can be occupied by a unit
that comprises six companies, but not by a unit tay
comprises seven or more companies. Likewise, a unt
With five companies could occupy the building, along
with an independent officer. Some suggestions oe
pacity ratings are given below.
SUGGESTED CaPACrTY RATINGS
Walled Fields As many as
physically fie
bir tea |
‘A unit may occupy a defensible feature i, atthe end of
lis Movement phase, i satisfies all four ofthe following
criteria: (a) The feature is unoccupied. Occupied
Features may not be entered, although the units within
may be charged, (b) At least one company in the unit iy
in base contact with the feature, and every company in
the battalion is within at least 6° of the feature
(0 The feature’s available Capacity is equal to or greater
than the number of companies wishing to oceupy it (d)
‘The unit is of a type able to enter the Feature,
Once the criteria are met, you may move your unit into
the feature. Physically place the occupying unit in the
feature if possible. If not, remove the models from play
and simply mark the feature as occupied, In either
ease, the feature is considered to ‘be’ the hatialion for
the duration of the occupation — an attack made
Damage
‘Who Can Occupy?
‘Threshold
Light Cavalryagainst the feature is considered to be an attack on the
‘occupants. Oceupying troops gain a cover save against
shooting attacks, and a temporary Resilience bonus
inst any and all damage. This bonus remains in
lect for as long as the unit occupies the defensible
feature. This information is summarised on the chart on
page 72). In addition, the security offered by defensible
rerrain bolsters the’ morale of defending oops —
upying units gain the Stubborn special rule as long
vs they remain in control of the feature ~ see page 70,
LEAVING A DEFENSIBLE FEATURE
\ unit may us move to voluntarily leave a
cicfensible terrain feature as Jong as there are no
enemy Units within 6* of the exit point. Once the unit
lecides to leave, it must be placed back onto the
»uitlefield under the following conditions: (a) At least
one company from the unit must be in base contact
with the feature. (b) Every other company is placed
within 6* of the feature. (€) The unit must adopt and
maintain a legal Formation in the process.
\ unit may only leave a feature from a side with an
sbvious access point. For example, a building may only
have one door, a bridge always has two embarkation
points, while a forest is usually open all around.
\ unit that leaves a defensible feature may not move:
further that turn, ancl counts as having moved its Full
permitted distance for the purposes of shooting. In
uddition, a unit may never charge directly from a
defensible formation.
SHOOTING AT A
DEFENSIBLE FEATURE
The effects of shooting at a unit occupying a defensible
terrain feature is worked out as normal, but the ranges
of the shots must be measured to the centre point of the
Feature rather than the edge, as the target battalion is
issumed to be spread out throughout the feature (even
If the acwal positions of the models suggests
otherwise). The occupants get cover saves against these
shots ~ remember that if 2 target is eligible for more
than one cover save, they always take the best available
Most defensible features also have a Damage
Threshold, in the same way as troops, as summarised
fon the chart earlier. Whenever an artillery attack is
made against the feature, i is treated ay a hard target,
und damage markers ean be placed against it. Wt a
Feature takes 6 points of damage in a single phase, rll
‘on the Damage table opposite. When the feature takes
its last point of damage, it counts as having rolled a 1
on the table. If a feature has no damage threshold,
then it eannot be harmed by artillery
I an artillery shot is able to pass beyond the initial
impact and into the unit Gf it uses a blast template, for
example), then the shot not only does damage t0' the
building, ‘but also to any units within (which are
obviously soft targets). To save your sanity, use the
actual positions of the models to work out how many
companies are affected where possible, rather than
abstract the result, If you can't use the positions of the
models, because they are off the table, then half of the
‘occupying companies from each unit are hit, rounding
Fractions up,
DEFENSIBLE TERRAIN
DAMAGE TABLE
D6 Result
1 Catastrophic Damage. The feature
collapses prematurely. Any occupying
unit immediately loses its. Resilience
onus and cover sa
points of resilience damage, allocated
as if Irom shooting. The feature should
be replaced by an area of difficult
terrain of roughly the same footprint as
the original feature,
placed within this area of terrain, in a
legal formation (unless the damage
caused if t0 rout, of course).
Structural Damage. The feature is
badly damaged and becomes unstable
Occupying units lose any Resilience
bonus they may have received from the
defences, In addition, ia the following
turn any unit that moves into, out of oF
through the feature, charges the
occupants, or spends the entire
Movement phase within it, must roll a
1S. On the score of a 44 they are safe,
but on a 1, 2 or 3 they take D6 points
of resilience damage, distributed as if
from shooting, due 10 falling debeis or
treacherous conditions. Future rolls on
th
table are at -1 to the D6 score.
6 Stands Fast. The feature remains
standing against all odds, but is,
severely weakened ~ roll again on this
table at the end of every turn hereafter.
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SHOOTING FROM A
DEFENSIBLE FEATURE
Units within a defensible fe
When taking these shots, line of sight can be taken
from any point on the terrain feature, effectively
giving the occupants a 360-degree field of fire, This
represents the occupants taking up good positions
within their cover, scrabbling onto the roofs of
buildings and leaning out from behind trees ina
forest, for example,
ture may fire out of it
To keep things fi nge of
shot Is measured from the centre of the feature, just
they are when the enemy are firing at the defenders.
Unlike a normal round of shooting,
allocate shots from each company onto
target if the controlling player wishes, However, the
umber of shots generated for each company is
halved (rounding fractions up), a8 not all of the me
in a unit will be able to find ood firing position
ASSAULTING A
DEFENSIBLE FEATURE,
Sometimes the most effective method of distodg
it from its defended position is to assault i! Units
n declare a charge in the usual manner, treating the
entire feature as the enemy unit — the charge is
completed against the terrain feature as if I was sel
the target. A'combat fought against the occupiers of
a defensible feature uses the following rules;
The occupying unit ina defensible feature has
neither flanks nor rear, so the attackers receive no
bonuses for charging a particular quarter.
All of the attackers’ companies in bas
the feature are locked ia comb
sive supporting altacks as usu
© contact with
‘The remainder can
Half of the occupying companies are locked in combat
(rounding up), and all the others make supporting.
attacks, These supporting attacks can be allocated
igainst different opponents in a multiple fight as the
player wishes.
Strikes are always resolved in order of Fighting Skill,
regardless of who charged. The occupiers still get elt
bonus to Resilience during the fight, as they make use:
of cover (0 brace themselves against onrushing foes
Don’t forget that defenders are treated as Stubborn,
making them very difficule co break.
If an occupying unit is defeated and routs, it must
immediately exit the feature, following all the rules for
above (except that there
will be enemies within 6, of course). If there i
clear exit (because there are enemies all around, $0
that there isn't enough space t place the del
unit, for example), then the unit 48 destroyed and is
removed from the table.
DEFENDING A LINEAR BARRIER
‘While nor as tae
defensible postion, linear barriers such as low walls
and fences do offer some protection. A linear barrier
is defined by a length of wall, hedge or fence
anything that troops could feasibly defend — which
‘does not fully enclose a fied or paddock (remembe
an enclosed field counts as a defensible feature),
‘A unit behind a linear barrier gains a cover save
from shooting attacks, using the normal rules for
cover as described on page 47. They «lo not gain
1y of the bonuses for occ a defensible
ture, except that strikes in melee are always
solved in order of Fighting, Skill, regardless of
who charged,
fe By
oo vaMOVING THROUGH A.
DEFENSIBLE FEATURE
Rather than occupy a defensible feature, a unit may
simply choose to pass through yecupied feature
en route to another part of the batlefield. Ifa unit has,
too many companies to occupy a defensible Feature, it
still move through the terrain feature. When
lrough a defensible feat itas Difficult
I in some of the companies not
through the feature, but even if
ot gain any of the benef
jing the featuce. In this instance the
2in coherency in asi
‘split by a linear barrier.
way to
when a battalion
FIRES!
Certain pieces of defensible terrain can be razed to the
ground in order to remove the benefit of its defences
ff the other. The only features that
pieces are flammable, players should discuss these
before the game hegins.
In onder to set fire to a terrain piece, it must either be
hit by an artillery shoc with the Incendiary special rul
fr else a unit can attempt to burn it down with pit
and flame, In the latter case, a unit must spend one
entire Movement phase in contact with the feature,
doing nothing else, or must have begun their Movement
phase occupying the feature and have just moved out of
it (@o one would be ery enough to bum down a
building while they are inside i. Units attempting to
start a fire may not be engaged in melee - you cannot,
therefore, set fire to an occupied building, as the
defenders would doubtless try their hest to slop you!
‘complement as being in contact for
these purposes). Ifany of the dice score a 6, the fire has
been started ~ roll a dice on the Fite! Table below.
FIRE! TABLE
D6
1
Effect
Goes Out. he fire fails to spread ~ the
feature takes DG damage points before
the fire goes out with no further effect
The Fire Spreads. The feature takes
D6 damage points and rem
roll again on this
phase. Any units w
‘or through the feature while i is
can only do so by first passing a
‘Command check. Once inside, the unit
immediately suffers D6 points of
resilience damage, distributed as if
from shooting. A unit that occupies a
burning building is assumed to tackle
the blaze, and reduces all subsequent
rolls on this table by =1
lf in fam
ints, Roll
Inferno! The feature ise
and taki
fon this
addition, no units may enter or move
through the feature next turn. Any unit
‘caught inside the feature when this result
is rolled is automatically routed and must
flee from the building, taking DG points
of resilience damage in the process.
Siege ofthe rence
sci yf
March ~ 6th Apt
Poitipesens
(haere inaes,
Condon)July 1809"
Napoleon fg
(be artnet
STRATEGIES
This section details the things that make good
officers stand out from the rank and file (apart
from good breeding and a bought commission, of
course) ~ strategies! Strategy points are a key
element of games of Waterloo, and their timely use
‘can leave the foe reeling,
Strategy points are incredibly versatile, and represent
an officer's skill at commanding his men anc! following,
plans. While units are expected to carry out detailed,
tactical tasks on the battlefield by wit of their own
internat chain of command (hence the use of TAC
points), itis the strategies of senior officers tht really
etermine the flow of a battle
SPENDING STRATEGY POINTS
cd earlier in the book, Strategy Points (or
only available 10 officers, and. in a
Finite quantity, or ‘store’, Cross off each STG point as
You use it. Strategy points can be spent in a variety of
ways. The most basic use of a Strategy point is to
expend it in licw of a TAG point, which essentially
allows the unit accompanying an officer to do
something extra ina given phase, However, there are
some far more important (and exciting) things an
officer can do with STG points
Any officer can spend 1 Strategy point to issue a
Special Order. If a special Order is issued by
uunit commander, the order will only affect his own
unit. If issued by an independent officer, the order
affects a single friendly unit within his command
radius (usually 6° ~ see page 77 For details)
Unit commanders can spend 1 STG point to issue a
Unit Order to their own unit. These ate listed later
cl include an order for each specific troop type
infantry, Cavalry and Arillery), Obviously the
order issued must be of the appropriate type for
the unit
dent officers often have the option of
sing Grand Strategies from the army lis,
‘These represent cunning plans, masterful
stratagems and_ inspirational ‘acts, are
advance and may be
attle by spending an STG point
Special Orders, Unit Orders and Grand! Strategies
‘may not be used if the officer is in a unit that is
Disordered or Routing ~ i's difficult enough to
restore control of the unit, let alone remind the
men of the grand plan,SPECIAL ORDERS
‘hese types of orders are reactionary ~ the officer uses
his inspirational presence or superior overview of the
pattle to urge the men on to some feat of bravery oF
cunning ruse. There are four special orders, which any
officer ean issue in the manner detailed above.
HOLD!
This order may be issued when a. unit is about to take
Command check. If used by a unit commander, his
unit automatically passes the check, An independent
officer confers this benefit to any friendly battalion
within his command radius.
STEP To IT, LADS!
This order must be issued to a unit in the Movement
phase. Declare after charges have been resolved, but
before normal moves, The unit may move before all
other units, friend or foe. Dice off if several units use
this order, and use the dice scores to determine the
order in which the units move, highest to lowest. The
affected unit must choose to either make a normal
move or change formation ~ if making a normal move
the unit doubles its move this turn, but may not
charge, lie down or move at the double. This order
may not be issued to artillery
UP AND AT’EM!
Declare the use of this order at the start of the
Movement phase, The unit that receives the order may
declare an immediate charge, using all of the normal
rules and criteria for charging, even if it is not the
turn 10 do so. This order may not be issued to-arilery
FIRE AT WILL!
Declare the use of this order at the start of the
Shooting phase. The affected unit may shoot before
any other units. Dice off if several units use this order,
and use the dice scores to determine the order in
which the units shoot, highest to lowest
UNIT ORDERS
[As described above, unit commanders can use STG
points to issue a localised order to their own unit
Choose the type relevant to the unit in question:
INFANTRY: FIRE ON MY ORDER!
This order may be issued at the start of the tuen
Nominate a target for the unit ~ your unit holds its fire
and waits until the target becomes available. If that
target is still viable when the unit comes to shoot, it
gains +1 to the number of hits per firing company, up
to the usual maximum,
CAVALRY: ON TO VICTORY!
ue this order at the start of the Melee phase when
the unit is locked in. combat. This combat must be
resolved first. Dice off if several units use this order, IF
the cavalry squadron wins the fight and the enemy
lees, the squadron may immediately declare another
‘charge against any viable opponent. The fresh enemy
may deckite their charge reactions as usual ~ the Bight
is then resolved in the same Melee phase,
ARTILLERY: RANGING FIRE
This order may only be issued (0 an Artillery battery
with more than one company ~ declare its use at the
start of the Antillery phase, The battery trades in all of
shots for a single shot Gwhich may be taken by any.
anillery piece in the company if there are several
types), This shot does not need to have the range
guessed, and may be measured instead. If the final
ange of the shot is variable (as with cannons, for
example), then the Artillery dice that is used to
determine the initial range may be re-rolled
Jive commanders bn
the Bit ar
Ral Sots Gate
ap(Gane Brown
inary.
GRAND STRATEGIES
A Grand Strategy can be anything from a leadership
ait {0 a potentially game-winning tactic. These ate
purchased when you build your army using the army
lists on pages 107-155, and are used. only. hy
independent officers, An officer cannot purchase
duplicates of the same Grand Strategy. The strategies
are ‘activated! at the appropriate point in th by
spending a STG point, and they ean only be used once
While they represent significant outlay of points for
such an expendable ability, they allow players to
customise their officers in the manner of their favourite
historical heroes, or to bolster a force with fiendish
combinations of orders and strategies,
FOR KING AND COUNTRY!
(75PTS FOR OFFICERS, LOOPTS
FOR THE ARMY GENERAL)
The officer rides into the midst of his panicked men,
and by a combination of bis dashing figure, booming
voice and stirring rhetoric, sieadies tbe nerves of bis
brave tads, instilling them once more with a sense of
Patriotic duty
Play this strategy at the start of any turn. All fleeing,
units within the command radius of the office
automatically stop running and become Disordered
instead. All Disordered units within his command
radius automatically rally
NEVER DEFEATED! (75PTS)
en when ail seems lost, this officer bas the presence
10 inspire bis men on t0 glory. With one mighty pus,
they surge forwards, turning certain defeat into an
inspired victory,
Play this strategy when a friend
sight of the officer loses a fight. The result is
immediately reversed, and the unit counts as having
won the fight by a single point of combat resolution
instead,
unit within line of
LAY OF THE LAND (GoPTS)
Before the baitie, tbe officer bas studied countless
maps, and paid particular beed ta the reporis of bis
scouls, piquels and intelligencers,. His superior
knowledge of the field of baitle allows bim to pick the
berfect point for a daring ambusb or valiant last stand,
Play this strategy after both sides have deployed, but
before the game begins. One scenery piece may be
moved up to 24" from is original position. The piece
‘must not be occupied by troops nor be within wither
deployment zone, Furthermore the move must be
logical ~ you can't move a corner hill to a mote central
position, or move a section of a siver away from the
‘main body of water, for example
STEELJAWED DETERMINATION (50PTS)
This officer bas built a reputation on being a die-hard,
fough old veteran. Perbaps be has been wounded 1
times past and fights on regardless, or perbaps be bas
risen through the ranks where life was harder. In either
case, be appears lost in battle, be always finds a way
‘o drag himself to the safety of a friendly unit and carry
‘on the fight!
‘This strategy may only be played when there is @
friendly unit within 6" of the officer, Declare its use
when the officer reaches his damage tireshold ~
remove him from play as usual. However, next turn Nereturns as part of a unit within 6, with 1 point of
resilience and 0 STG points, He counts as an
independent officer who has joined a friendly unit, so
he tnit must also be of a type that he could usually
join, He may leave the unit and act normally from that
point on if you wish.
INSPIRATIONAL (SOPTS)
This officer has the foresight 10 see where bis presence
will do the most good, and rouses the soldiers around
bi to greater effort in the face of adversity
Play this strategy at the start of any phase. Choose one
‘endly unit within 12" ofthe officer ~ that unit regains
ul the TAC points it has spent so far this turn,
VALUED HORSEMANSHIP (50PTS)
This officer bas spent some time as a cavalrymen, oF
else was involved in horse breeding and/or riding in
bis former life as a civilian. He bandpicks the very best
sieeds for bis cavalry squadrons, believing the quality
of the borse to be paramount to a squadron's
performance on the battlefield.
Play this steategy before the game begins. Choose one
friendly cavalry squadron. That squadron adds +2" to
its movement, charge range, flee and pursuit rolls for
the whole butte.
FIELD COMMISSION
(ARMY GENERALS ONLY) (50PTS)
‘The general knoas that desperate times call for cesperate
‘measures, and that the bearts and minds of the men are
hey to victor. Singling out a brave sergeant or NCO from
« demoralised sunit, be promotes him on the spot, and
rallies the men bebind their new leader:
Play this strategy on a unit within 6' of the general that
= lost its commander. The unit's command company
now has an officer again ~ choose the lowest-ranking,
ype of unit commander from the unit's army list entry
and restore him to the unit, although he has no STG.
points. Ifthe unit had lost its entire command company,
the newly promoted officer's company now counts as a
new command company, albeit one with no colours.
HERO OF THE HOUR (50PTS)
This officer not only fights lke the devil, but be also
inspires those around him to do the same. Wher the
Dbiood is pumping in battle, the enemy do not want to
be facing this man and bis band of heroes!
‘This strategy may only be used by an officer who has
joined a unit and is locked in combat, Play it at the
start of any Melee phase. The officer adds an extra D6
attacks to his profile for the remainder of the phase,
FEARSOME REPUTATION (50PTS)
This officer has built himself @ reputation as master
strategist and formidable opponent, surrounded by the
ery best soldiers and officers in Europe. His very
presence fills the enemy with doubt, and buckles
confidence in their plans.
Play this strategy at the start of any turn, The strategy
affects all enemy officers within 12" of this officer. For
the remainder of the turn, whenever an enemy officer
within 12" expends a STG point he must also deduct
fa second point, Essentially, every action that would
rhormally cost 1 STG point now costs 2!
SOUND ADVICE (ARMY GENERALS ONLY) (5OPTS)
‘The general bas surrounded bimself by the very best
advisors and agents, and uses their tmlligence at
fexactly the right moment to catch the enemy on the
back foot.
Declare the use of this strategy at the start of any
Initiative phase. You may choose which side has dhe
initiative this tum. If an officer from both sides uses this
Strategy at the sume time, then the strategies
‘cancelled out and you must dice for initiative as normal,
Tue Ruves
Depot and
bia tc
‘piers sry tbe
ue pea
fold of Waterlo.Goione of te
‘oth Cutre
iment 1312,
Dy cate Vernet,
pM,
STIRRING ORATORY (50PTS)
‘The officer realises that bis men are about to embark
on a crucial and deadly stage of the battle, one in
which they must bold their nerve or else all could be
lost. With an impassioned speech, he fills their hearts
with pride and their minds with visions of glory
Play this strategy at any point during your own turn,
‘One unit within 6" of the officer adels +1 point to its
‘Command value for the remainder of the turn,
FRESH ORDERS (50PTS)
‘The officer uses fresh intelligence to change the flow of
the battle. He sends out his aides with new orders for
bis nearby compatriots, allowing them to bolster their
forces in the nick of time.
You
ry use this strategy at any time, in your own
turn or your opponent's. You may reduce your STG
points pool by as many points as you like, and use
them to replenish the STG points. pool of another
officer within 12%. The recipient may not gain more
STG points than he started with,
‘TACTICAL REDEPLOYMENT (50PTS)
Realising that intelligence reports may not have been
entirely accurate, this quickthinking officer sends
orders for bis men to redeploy, filling gaps in tbe line
or seizing an important tactical position,
Play this strategy after deployment but hefore the first
tum begins. One friendly unit may redeploy, following,
I the usual rules for deployment.
BARKED COMMANDS (45PTS)
Realising that a nearby formation is about to falter, the
lafficer issues the firmest of pre-emptive orders, putting
the fear (or battle frenzy) into the men to setile their
wavering nerves.
Use this strategy before a friendly unit within 12" of
the officer takes a Command check, The check is
automatically passed.
Linenté, BGALITE;
SHOWERED IN GLORY (45PTS)
This officer's bunger for battle and honour seems never
0 diminish, and be remains full of vim and vigour
when bis colleagues seem battle weary and beaten.
If the officer has only 1 STG point left, spend it to see:
if you can replenish his store. Roll a D6 for every point
he had at the start of the game, including this one. On
a 4 it is replenished,
CHARMED LIFE (40PTS)
There’s something about this officer. He bas a
reputation for being incredibly lucky, whether
escaping tricky situations in battle, or in bis ambitions
back at the barracks, Regardless of bis foibles, the men
ike having bim around, in the bope that some of his
good fortune rubs off on them.
Use this strategy immediately ater rolling dice on!
Dehalf of the officer or a friendly unit within his
command radius ~ you may alter the score of a single
dice up or down by 1
EAGER FOR BATTLE (30PTS)
Buoyed by the officer's presence and bis apparent
eagerness to close with the enemy, a unit of nearby
troops breaks forward 10 an advanced position, as
eager (0 get to grips with the foe as thetr brave officer!
Play this strategy after deployment but before the first
um begins, One friendly unit may make a normal
move immediately, with na TAC cost
FEINT @SPTS)
With bis superior knowledge of battlefield manoeuvres
and the psychology of the common soldier, the officer
orders bis men to make a feint, tempting the enemy
into a foolbardy charge
Play this strategy at the start of the Movement phase,
after any ‘Up and At Em’ moves have been declared,
but before normal charges. One enemy unit within 12"
Of the officer must attempt to charge the nearest valid
target in range, automatically passing any Command
check that may be required to do 50,
CARPE DIEM (ARMY GENERALS ONLY) (25PTS)
Toe general realises which way the battle is going, and
masterfully changes tack either to hold back or to
Strike swiftly,
Play this strategy after both players have rolled for
Initiative ~ you may add or subtract 1 from your
dice roll
‘THE DAY’s FOX (20PTS)
The officer bas the mindset of a buster, and ts ready
capitalise on the slightest mistake made by bis quay.
Play this strategy after your opponent makes a dice roll
(of any kind) for one of his units within 12" of the
officer ~ you may alter the score of one of his dice by’
1 (up or down).