- Authors: Jorit Wintjes and Steffen Pielström
- Written: 2013
- Latest Edition: 2019
- Tested: 2013-2019
II.1. basic rules – map and scale.
[II.2. basic rules – units and unit tokens.](#ii.2.-basic-rules-–-units and-unit-tokens.)
II.3. basic rules – general organization.
II.4. basic rules – command elements.
II.5. basic rules – unit quality.
II.6. basic rules – unit orientation.
II.7. basic rules – combat readiness.
II.8. basic rules – formations.
II.9. basic rules – general sequence of action.
II.10. basic rules – activation.
II.11. basic rules – unit action.
II.12. basic rules – reactive action.
III.1. movement – general rules.
III.2. movement – special rules
III.3. movement – rules for artillery.
III.6. movement – marching columns.
IV.1. ranged combat – general mechanism.
IV.2. ranged combat – hit values and range bands.
IV.4. close combat – general mechanism.
IV.5. close combat – modifiers.
IV.7. combat – cavalry charge.
V.1. command and control – unit activation.
V.2. command and control – command range.
V.3. command and control – communication units.
V.4. command and control – ammunition supplies.
VI.1. special rules – combat engineering.
VI.2. special rules – engineers.
VI.3. special rules – indirect fire.
The French defeat in the War of 1870/71 initiated a series of reforms in armies across Europe. At the same time the military successes of Prussia and its allies, successes which had surprised contemporary observers, caused a new literary genre to appear in England – the so-called invasion novel. Between 1871 and 1900 more than 100 texts appeared which covered various different scenarios of future wars involving conflict with major European powers. Among the most common topics covered by invasion novels was a French invasion of southern England, a scenario also dominating the wargaming activity in the British Army in the 1870s and 1880s. invasion novels were often part of a wider political discussion either on the general course of defence policy or on specific aspects of it; they could be used, as for example in the years preceding the 1889 Naval Defence Act, to influence public opinion in order to pressure governments into funding new armament programms. They were characterized by a great variety in the background of their authors, literary form and in literary quality: invasion novels were written by both serving and retired officers, journalists, historians and writers of fiction; texts ranged from brief essays to long novel. Successful examples – like William William LeQueux’ „The Great War of 1896“ or Louis Tracy‘s „The Final War“ – could reach a large audience. The invasion novels of the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s based their depiction of war on the realities of a time in which industrialization had transformed the nature of combat on the battlefield, where the infantryman was met, in the words of the later Marshal Foch, by a rain of bullets („La Pluie des Balles“) – the inspiration for the title of the present set of rules. In their present form the rules are designed to simulate operations at division and corps level in southern England between 1880 and 1890; it is possible though to adapt the rules to earlier or later periods by expanding the tables.
The simulation ‚La Pluie des Balles’ (PdB) is based on a topographic map scaled to c. 1/3000. One turn takes two minutes and roughly represents two minutes real time.
Individual elements are represented in PdB by tokens of 15x15mm and 15x30mm size:
Table 1: token sizes
| unit | token size |
|---|---|
| company (infantry, ca. 80-100 men) | 15x30mm |
| half company | 15x15mm |
| cavalry troop (ca. 30-40 men) | 15x30mm |
| artillery piece | 15x15mm |
| artillery limber, ammunition wagon | 15x15mm |
| other special units | 15x15mm |
| armoured train | 15x15mm |
| transport train | 15x30mm |
Individual elements form larger units according to historical tables of organization. The present rules also employ historical terminology (batallions, squadrons, batteries etc). These in turn are grouped together in larger units (brigades) which form large formations (divisions, army corps).
Units and formations include not only their respective subordinate units, but also command elements which are represented by small pennants and flags:
Table 2: pennants and flags
| level of command | representation |
|---|---|
| batallion, battery, squadron etc. | pennant |
| brigade | flag |
| division | flag with national flagg in canton |
| army corps | national flag |
Most command elements move according to standard movement rules, but do not interact with enemy units; command elements of brigades and larger units can be attacked both by ranged fire and in close combat (see also VI. Special rules.).
Unit quality is an important mechanism in PdB, influencing both unit activation and unit performance in combat. There are six different unit qualities: elite – experienced – regular – militia – volunteer – irregular; See the data tables for the effect of unit quality on activation and performance.
Every unit has a specific orientation; changing the orientation of the unit requires one action during a turn (see II.13. action – general rules). It is assumed that a unit can cover a sector of 45° (measuring from the centre of the front of the token). Engaging enemy units is only possible within this sector, and it is possible to change the direction of movement without changing unit orientaton within it.
All units are either ready for combat, or they are not (tokens are marked accordingly on both sides). Readying a unit for combat takes up one of any unit’s two actions (see II.13. action – general rules). Note that artillery cannot move once it is ready for combat.
Individual units can be part of a formation, which can be advantageous in certain combat situations (see IV.8 close combat – modifiers). Some operations are only possible while units are in formation (see IV.9. cavalry charge). For a formation unit tokens have to be in physical contact. Units in a single line abreast represent a simple formation, units in two or more lines behind each other represent a deep formation.
PdB is a traditional, symmetric force-on-force simulation where two sides – A and B – oppose each other. For larger scenarios the addition of staff teams on both sides is advisable. Ideally, staff teams are physically separated from their subordinate units; written orders are the only means of communication allowed between the staff teams and their subordinate commanders. For larger scenarios the employment of a team of umpires is advisable, who serve to clarify rules and decide over line-of-sight disputes and other issues arising out of the necessity of interpreting a topographical map. The general sequence of action in PdB is as follows:
A acts – B acts
In this context it is important to bear in mind the rules covering reactive action (II.13., II.14. und II.15.).
Before a bataillon, battery or squadron can act in any way, it has to be activated; as a general rule, any unit which has a command element represented by a pennant requires activation. Activation is done by throwing 1D20, the result determining whether the unit in question is active for the present turn (for further details see V.1. unit activation). If activation fails, units can only react to enemy action (see II.13. reactive action).
Each unit can undertake two of the five actions listed below in each turn:
- movement
- change of orientation
- establishing combat readiness
- entering close combat
- open fire on enemy
Note that it is possible to undertake the same action twice. Heavy artillery can only undertake one action per turn, field artillery (foot) can only undertake one action per turn, but can fire two times; horse artillery can undertake two actions per turn.
If an enemy unit moves into the sector observed by a unit (see [II.7. unit orientation](#II.7. unit orientation)), the latter can react once. A unit reacting to an enemy loses one action during the next turn. There are three different types of reaction:
- reactive fire.
- reactive close combat if the enemy unit is closer than 15mm.
- reactive retreat – a unit retreating moves its average movement distance (see III.1. movement – general rules) either behind the nearest friendly unit or behind the nearest topographical feature offering cover or into the direction of such cover. A retreating unit loses its combat readiness; combat ready artillery cannot execute a reactive retreat
The primary requirement for active movement for any unit is activation (see [II.11. activation](# II.11. activation) and [V.1. unit activation](#V.1. unit activation)). In addition, it has to be within the command range of the command element to which it is assigned (see [V.3. command range](#V.3. command range)). For an activated batallion, battery or squadron a throw of one or more D6 (see the following table) determines its maximum range (throw result = range in cm); any subordinate company, gun or troop may move up to that maximum range along the axis of its orientation.
Table 3: distances of movement
| unit type | distance in cm |
|---|---|
| machine gun (combat ready) | 1 W6 |
| infantry | 2 W6 |
| cavalry (dismounted) | 2 W6 |
| heavy artillery (limbered) | 2 W6 |
| ammunition wagon | 2 W6 |
| field artillery (limbered) | 3 W6 |
| machine gun (limbered) | 3 W6 |
| staff unit | 3 W6 |
| heliograph team (foot) | 3 W6 |
| armoured train | 4 W6 |
| horse artillery (limbered) | 5 W6 |
| cavalry | 5 W6 |
| mobile infantry | 5 W6 |
| command element | 5 W6 |
| heliograph team (cavalry) | 5 W6 |
| Leichte Kavallerie | 6 W6 |
Units can move through friendly units but not through enemy units. Two units ready for combat may not end up in the same place as the result of a movement; the „stacking“ of units is only allowed in the case of marching columns (see III.6. marching columns).
Artillery can only be moved by using limbers. Moving artillery from one position to another takes several turns due to the limitations on actions (see II.12. unit action):
Table 4: artillery movement
| Turn | Situation |
|---|---|
| Turn x | gun ready for action. |
| Turn x+1 | gun limbers up. |
| Turn x+2 | gun moves. |
| Turn x+3 | gun unlimbers. |
| Turn x+4 | gun ready for action. |
Machine guns are exempt from this rule and can move while ready for combat.
Different types of terrain can have a significant impact on movement; in PdB, however, this impact is highly simplified. There are four different types of terrain, some of which result in deductions from the maximum range (as determined by throwing D6 according to the table in III.1.):
Table 5: range of movement on different terrains
| terrain | range |
|---|---|
| open terrain (open ground, fields etc.) | result of D6 |
| medium terrain (wood) | result of D6 – 1/3 |
| heavy terrain (built-up area, fortifications) | result of D6 – 2/3 |
| impassable terrain (cliffs, rivers, marshy ground for artillery etc.) | – |
Moving a unit in marching column on good roads add +1 W6 to a unit’s movement value. Engineers can block roads by using obstacles (see VI.2.).
The subordinate units of a batallion, a battery or a squadron can be „stacked“, forming a marching column; units in a marching column are classified as not ready for combat. Organizing a batallion, battery or squadron in marching column takes one action, as does leaving the column. While marching columns are an excellent option for rapidly moving units over good roads, columns are highly vulnerable to enemy action. For each unit inside the marching column an attacker (fire or close combat) gains a bonus of -1. If the first attack on the marching column results in a success, the attacker is allowed another attack until his attack fails; this rule also applies to reactive fire; it can result in a batallion, battery or squadron being wiped out rather rapidly – which is intentional!
In order to fire at an enemy unit, a D20 has to be thrown against the hit value of the unit’s main weapon system. If – after the application of relevant modifiers – the result of the throw equals or is greater than the hit value in the table, the fire causes an effect. Most units are only capable of direct fire, requiring a line of sight to the target; only heavy artillery; only heavy artillery is capable of indirect fire (see VI.3. special rules – indirect fire).
The data tables provide four different hit values for each weapon system, depending on the range at which an enemy is engaged; there are four different ranges (close range, medium range, long range and extreme range). Note that the range bands for small arms differ from those for artillery.
Table 6: ranges of fire
| infantry and machine guns | range band | artillery | range band |
|---|---|---|---|
| close | 0-3 cm | close | |
| medium | 3-8 cm | medium | 12-25 cm |
| long | 8-12 cm | long | 25-38 cm |
| extreme | 12-18 cm | extreme | 38-62 cm |
Heavy artillery cannot fire at close range. At extreme range, artillery can only fire at targets of at least company size; firing at smaller targets (individual artillery pieces, command elements, communication teams etc.) is not possible at extreme range.
Successful fire on an enemy unit has four main effects:
- The enemy unit loses its combat readiness.
- The enemy unit turns around, thereby losing its orientation.
- The enemy unit retreats behind cover or behind the nearest friendly unit, going back its average movement range.
- If hit by reactive fire, the unit loses any remaining action.
Note that artillery pieces and armoured trains only lose their combat readiness. A unit is eliminated only if it is hit while not combat ready (or if the attacker throws a 20, see below, or as a result of close combat). Throwing a 1 always results in a failure, even if after the application of all modifiers the hit value is 0 or even less. In the case of an artillery piece or a machine gun, a 1 represents a technical problem with the weapon system for a limited period of time; the gun loses combat readiness and its remaining action. Throwing a 20 results in the instant elemination of the target; for further possible effects see IV.10. combat – special rules..
Units can enter close combat if they are closer than 15mm to each other. Close combat can only be initiated by infantry and cavalry units. All other units have no defensive value against close combat, though an attacker still has avoid throwing a 1. All units have a basic close combat value of 10, to which various modifiers (troop quality etc.) can be applied, for which see the tables in IV.5. If a unit initiates close combat, a D20 has to be thrown against the close combat value of the unit. If – after the application of relevant modifiers – the result of the throw equals or is greater than the hit value in the table, the close combat is considered to be successful. Throwing a 1 always results in a failure, even if after the application of all modifiers the close combat value is 0 or even less. Throwing a 20 always results in a success, even if after the application of all modifiers the close combat value is greater than 20.
For close combat, add the following modifiers if applicable (modifiers can be added):
Table 7: close combat modifiers
|modifier |modification| |elite |-3| |experienced |-1| |regular |0| |militia |+1| |volunteer |+2| |irregular |+3| |half company |+5| |cavalry dismounted |+5| |cavalry attack to the flank/rear |-2| |cavalry attack by heavy cavalry/lancers|-2| |target not combat ready |-5| |target in cover |+2| |target in building (cavalry cannot attack)|+4| |target in field fortification (cavalry cannot attack)|+5|
Successful close combat results in the instant elimination of the enemy. If close combat fails, the attacking unit its combat readiness, turns around, thereby losing its orientation and retreats behind cover or behind the nearest friendly unit, going back its average movement range.
A cavalry charge is an organised attack by three or more troops. In the case of a cavalry charge the following modifiers to the close combat value of 10 apply:
Table 8: cavalry charge modifiers
| modifier | modification |
|---|---|
| for each unit taking part in the charge | -1 |
| depth of the target formation | +3 per depth beyond a single line |
A successful charde results in the instant elimination of the enemy; light cavalry loses its combat readiness after the assault, heavy cavalry remains combat ready.
In a firefight, the throw of a 20 not only results in the target being instantly eliminated, it also requires the enemy to throw 1D6.
Table 9: 1D6 roll after a critical hit on 20
| result of 1D6 roll | effect |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | no further effects |
| 4-5 | ammunition wagon/limber destroyed |
| 6 | command element destroyed |
Note that in order for the command element to affected by this rule, the unit hit by the 20 has to be within direct command range of its command element and within direct supply range of the ammunition wagon assigned to it.
If cavalry successfully attacks an enemy unit a second enemy unit is in direct physical contact with the attacked unit the cavalry unit can undertake a follow-up attack, as long as the cavalry unit does not have to change its orientation. The follow-up attack, if successful, can cause further follow-up attacks until the unit stops attacking or until an attack fails. For each attack beyond the initial one +2 have to be added to the close combat value.
If a unit is attacked successfully by cavalry, all units in direct physical contact with the attacked unit lose their combat readiness; this does not apply to units which are experienced or elite.
Command elements of brigades, divisions and army corps can be attacked directly.
Before a bataillon, battery or squadron can act in any way, it has to be activated; as a general rule, any unit which has a command element represented by a pennant requires activation. Activation is done by throwing 1D20 against the basic unit activation value of 5, the result determining whether the unit in question is active for the present turn (for further details see V.1. unit activation) after the application of the following modifiers:
Table 10: activation modifiers
| modifier | modification |
|---|---|
| elite | -4 |
| experienced | -2 |
| regular | 0 |
| militia | +1 |
| volunteer | +2 |
| irregular | +3 |
| losses >50% (batallion, battery, squadron) | +5 |
| (if elite) | 0 |
| (if experienced) | +3 |
| no contact to brigade, division, corps HQ | +6 |
| individual activation of single unit | +13 |
If activation fails, units can only react to enemy action (see II.13. reactive action). Individual companies, artillery pieces or troops outside their command element’s command range (see V.2. command and control – command range) can only be activated by individual activation.
Subordinate units have to remain within the command range of their command element; an individual company, artillery piece or troop outside the command range of its batallion, battery or squadron HQ is only allowed reactive action, even if the batallion or battery is activated. The command range for all command elements is 15cm.
Brigades, divisions and army corps have communication units assigned to them (heliograph teams, telegraph teams). They are used to establish lines of communication beyond the standard command range of 15cm. Heliograph teams work along lines of sight, requiring relay stations whereever line of sight is blocked. Telegraph teams can be used to tap into and use existing telepgraph networks along railway lines. In addition, existing telegraph stations can be used. Communication units in contact do not require activation before movement; communication units not in contact require activation as individual unit.
Infantry batallions have ammunition wagons assigned to them; ammunition wagons have a supply range of 15 cm. Any individual unit outside that range suffers a modifier of +5 during a firefight. Any artillery piece that has lost its limber cannot fire.
Infantry unity can effect changes to the topography, such as preparing field fortifications, clearing fields of fire, creating obstacles, destroying bridges etc. An individual infantry unit can only effect changes to an area no larger than the token by which it is represented. Effecting a change takes 20 turns, during which the unit is not ready for combat and cannot actively enter close combat or fire at an enemy, though a reactive retreat is possible.
Engineers take 6 turns to effect a change to the topography. They can also used to assist other units in the creation of field fortificatons or prepared positions; this is particulary necessary in the case of heavy artillery, which requires prepared firing positions.
For specific scenarios such as sieges, the employment of heavy artillery capable of indirect fire is possible. Indirect fire can only be directed at a topographical feature or a troop concentration visible to a unit in contact with the HQ to which the heavy artillery is assigned; indirect fire cannot be directed at an individual company, artillery piece or cavalry troop.
Indirect fire in the 1880s is fairly imprecise; in order to determine any deviation from the intended target the indirect fire template is used. The centre is placed onto the target, with the line dividing sectors 1 and 20 on the disk pointing towards the gun; a throw of 1D20 then determines to which section the ruler is rotated, while a throw of 1D6 determins where the shot lands. If the shot lands on an enemy or friendly unit, a throw of 1D20 determins the effect of the fire; in case of a hit the unit is eliminated. Note that the rules for indirect fire are intentionally complex, requiring participants to be specifically tasked with commanding heavy artillery support.
Table 11: general modifiers
| modifier | fire | close combat |
|---|---|---|
| elite | -1 | -3 |
| experienced | -1 | -1 |
| regulars | - | - |
| militia | - | +1 |
| volunteers | +1 | +2 |
| irregulars | 1 | +3 |
| kavalry (dismounted, basis: infantry rifle) | +4 | +5 |
| half company (basis: infantry rifle) | +4 | +5 |
| target in cover (not applicable to artillery) | +1 | +2 |
| target in building (not applicable to heavy artillery, field artillery +1; no cavalry attack) | +2 | +4 |
| target in field fortification (field artillery +2, heavy artillery +1; no cavalry attack) | +3 | +5 |
| target in regular fortification (field artillery +3, heavy artillery +2; no cavalry attack) | +4 | +6 |
Table 11: hit values of the British Army
| weapon | max range | close | medium | long | extreme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sidearm (HQ, wagon, gun crew, communication units) | 10 cm | 9 | 16 | 19 | x |
| Martini-Henry-Gewehr (infantry, dismounted cavalry) | 18 cm | 5 | 10 | 15 | 18 |
| Gardner MG (machine gun) | 18 cm | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Nordenfelt MG (machine gun) | 18 cm | 7 | 9 | 13 | 16 |
| Hale Rocket (artillery rocket) | 25 cm | 11 | 13 | x | x |
| RML 9pdr 6cwt (field gun) | 32 cm | 9 | 13 | 17 | x |
| RML 13pdr 8cwt (field gun) | 50 cm | 7 | 11 | 15 | 19 |
| BL 12pdr 7cwt (field gun) | 50 cm | 6 | 10 | 15 | 18 |
| 4.7in naval gun (heavy gun) | 62 cm | x | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| RBL 40pdr (heavy gun) | 40 cm | x | 6 | 8 | 11 |
| Armoured Train (front, gun) | 32 cm | 10 | 14 | 18 | x |
| Armoured Train (side, rifle) | 18 cm | 5 | 10 | 15 | 18 |
Table 12: hit values of the French Army
| weapon | max range | close | medium | long | extreme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sidearm (HQ, wagon, gun crew, communication units) | 10 cm | 9 | 16 | 19 | x |
| Lebel rifle (infantry, dismounted cavalry) | 18 cm | 6 | 11 | 16 | 19 |
| 37mm Hotchkiss revolver (light field artillery) | 36 cm | 4 | 7 | 16 | 19 |
| 95mm Lahitolle (field artillery) | 32 cm | 6 | 11 | 16 | 18 |
| 80mm de Bange (field artillery) | 54 cm | 6 | 10 | 15 | 18 |
| 90mm de Bange (field artillery) | 54 cm | 5 | 9 | 14 | 17 |
| 120mm de Bange (heavy artillery) | 60 cm | x | 6 | 7 | 10 |
Table 13: hit values of the Russian Army
| weapon | max range | close | medium | long | extreme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sidearm (HQ, wagon, gun crew, communication units) | 10 cm | 9 | 16 | 19 | x |
| Krnka rifle (infantry) | 18 cm | 9 | 16 | 19 | x |
| Berdana 2 rifle (infantry and dismounted cavalry) | 18 cm | 5 | 10 | 15 | 18 |
| 3pdr M1867 (field artillery) | 36 cm | 9 | 15 | 18 | x |
| 42-line M1877 (field artillery) | 50 cm | 6 | 10 | 15 | 18 |
| 42-line/siege M1877 (heavy artillery) | 50 cm | x | 8 | 11 | 14 |