Maurice: French Revolutionary and Early Napoleonic Wars

These notes were put together by Caesar Anderson

Aim: To play Napoleonics using the Maurice rules with minimum meddling to the core rules or resorting to house rules. Therefore, the proposed tweaks only restrict army composition and introduce a combination of existing advanced rules to achieve a more fluid battle and balance of arms, true to Napoleonic warfare.

To represent the greater mobility and dependence on dense formations for assault and counter-cavalry manoeuvres, all nationalities have the National Advantages of Cadence and En Masse. Specific nations have additional National Advantages as follows:

Austrian - Cavaliers

British – Lethal Volleys, Steady (only nation allowed over 30pts of National Advantages)

French – A la Baionnette, Skirmishers

Prussian – Lethal Volleys, Professional Train (horse artillery)

Russian – Artillery Academy, Rally

To reflect the greater shock impact of cavalry on the battlefield, infantry and cavalry quality is re-jigged such that there is no elite infantry and a maximum of two trained infantry per army (representing grenadiers or guards in this period). The attacking side is entitled to another trained infantry unit for free (see p.22 “Mercenaries” or in this case a battalion of grenadiers hastily brought up from reserve). All other infantry is conscript or irregular. There is no restriction on the quality of regular cavalry (the average is trained). All armies must contain more infantry than cavalry and the principle arm rule applies (infantry cannot exceed cavalry by more than 3 to 1).

A couple of advanced rules are adopted to provide armies with the more dynamic command and artillery appropriate to this era:

DYO Cards – Shuffle the three DYO cards into the deck. Each DYO card is played as a “Coordinated” event card, allowing two forces within 12BW of the CinC to march or rally in a single round.

Light Artillery – Artillery units may be included in an infantry force to march (including for the purpose of removing smoke from previous bombardments) or rally.

SAMPLE FRENCH ARMY

2 Trained Regular Infantry (Consular Guard) @ 12 pts

4 Conscript Regular Infantry (Line) @ 16 pts

3 Irregular Infantry (Legere) @ 9 pts

1 Elite Regular Cavalry (Cuirassiers) @ 8 pts

2 Trained Regular Cavalry (Dragoons) @ 12 pts

1 Irregular Cavalry (Chasseurs á Cheval) @ 3 pts

4 Artillery @ 10 pts

National Advantages: 30 pts

Total: 100 points     Army Morale: 13

SAMPLE AUSTRIAN ARMY

2 Trained Regular Infantry (Consolidated Grenadiers) @ 12 pts

4 Conscript Regular Infantry (Line) @ 16 pts

2 Irregular Infantry (Grenzer) @ 6 pts

2 Elite Regular Cavalry (Cuirassiers) @ 17 pts

2 Trained Regular Cavalry (Dragoons) @ 12 pts

2 Irregular Cavalry (Hussars) @ 6 pts

4 Artillery @ 10 pts

National Advantages: 21 pts

Total: 100 points     Army Morale: 14

  

SAMPLE BRITISH ARMY

2 Trained Regular Infantry (Foot Guard) @ 12 pts

5 Conscript Regular Infantry (Line) @ 20 pts

1 Irregular Infantry (Light Infantry) @ 3 pts

1 Elite Regular Cavalry (Horse Guard) @ 8 pts

2 Trained Regular Cavalry (Dragoons) @ 12 pts

2 Irregular Cavalry (Light Dragoons/Spanish Guerrillas) @ 6 pts

3 Artillery @ 6 pts

National Advantages: 33 pts

Total: 100 points     Army Morale: 13