Age of Eagles - Battalion Scale

I've developed a second scaled down version of Age of Eagles for use with the Programmed Wargame Scenarios (C.S Grant). This version uses a ground scale of 1 inch = 40 yards, 1 figure = 30 troops, and 10 minutes to a turn.

Differences to Age of Eagles are given below with a revised QRS.

Units

Infantry are all 6 stand units, representing 720 troops or 1 battalion.

Cavalry are all 4 stand units, representing 240 troops or 2 squadrons.

Batteries are 2 gun stands for 6 and 8 gun batteries. Russians use half batteries of 6 guns.

Formations

Formations at this scale are more representative of battalion-level rather than brigade-level formations:

• Line (equivalent to Line Of Battle)
• Field Column (equivalent to LoBS)
• Masse (equivalent to Masse)
• March Column (equivalent to March Column)
• Open Order (equivalent to Tirailleur but available to all Light Infantry)
• Square (all stands face out on 4 sides)

Forming Square

A defending Infantry unit may choose to roll on the March Table to change formation to Square prior to a Cavalry charge. A unit will successfully form square on a roll of at least Cautious or Rally.

March Table - Artillery

Artillery must now roll on the March table. A Rally roll will remove a silenced marker.

March Table - March Mode

Rather than using March Mode to define the movement rate and fire points for a unit, it represents the favoured formation when units move. A new DRM of -2 applies when units want to move more than half a move in a formation inconsistent with their March Mode. Field column and Masse are inconsistent formations for Linear Infantry. Line is an inconsistent formation for Columnar Infantry. Impulse Infantry have no inconsistent formations. 

This is a significant change that still allows any unit to adopt any formation but if this formation is inconsistent with their doctrine (March Mode) then they will have a hard time activating.

March Table - Secure Flanks

Secure Flanks only applies if there are friendly units within 3” of each flank.

Attaching Artillery

Attaching artillery has been simplified. Artillery are now automatically attached to any friendly infantry/cavalry unit they are in contact with.

Fire Points

At this scale only the front rank of stands fire for units engaged in Bayonet & Sabre combat.

All stands in a BUA fire at ½ effect and cannot skirmish fire.

A target in Field Column gets +1 DRM.

Hits

Unit losses in combat are ‘hits’. A hit marker is added to a unit when it receives a hit. There is no stand removal. When a unit takes 5 hits it is removed from play.

The number of hits is now a factor during March rolls and in Bayonet & Sabre.

Volley and Cannonade

Musket range is twice the AoE range.

A maximum of two batteries can fire on any one unit unless there are no other targets available.

The Volley & Cannonade table has been converted to the simpler Fire & Fury type table with the same effects as AoE.

There is now a Charge Checked for Telling Fire. This results in retreating the charging unit 4” from enemy. Cavalry may also recall up to a full move.

Bayonet & Sabre

Only 1 attacking unit can contact each face of the defending unit.

Cavalry may recall up to a full move depending on result.

A revised QRS is used with changes to Age of Eagles highlighted in yellow.