Ground Units-Updated

[Ottoman]

New units


Manpower level: 3% For Regular, 3% for Reserve

When mobilization is in play, 10%

Beginning 1785 there are sufficient craft and quasi industrial centers so that tech level 3.5 units have become cheaper to equip and maintain as cloth is cheaper, metal working is very widespread, and even food storage is easier (and longer lasting).   Therefore units become cheaper and manpower easier to obtain.  

Field Armies are organized as follows below and designed to operate in agricultural land and urban areas of Europe and later the settled portions of North America which have sufficient road infrastructure to handle all of the wagons and horses required.   These powerful formations have names.  Give them one.   They also have commanders, in wartime assign one or one will be assigned upon request or referee fiat.  The standard field army of this era consists of 3 infantry corps, 1 cavalry corps, 1 supply column and 1 artillery brigade.    The supply column with these armies also includes specialists like hospital units, headquarters staff as well as pioneers to handle river crossings and repair bridges, signals units (couriers initially, later semaphore), and all kinds of other support units.  Field armies also have a depot brigade which is their supply base.  For game purposes around 8,500 people (which includes some of the civilians like sutlers, wives, children and mistresses, and other people who travel with the army).    Thus a field army has 65,000 people in all.   A field army takes up an entire World in Flames map hex and controls all hexes that surround that hex.   Attrition being what it is, and to simplify matters, assume during a campaign a field army is 60,000 men.  

Each infantry corps has 3 infantry divisions and 1 artillery battalion, each cavalry corps has 3 cavalry divisions, 1 artillery battalion, and the supply column is a division sized organization able to support a corps with all the ammunition it needs for a typical campaign.  Artillery consists of light field guns at the corps level and heavier medium field guns at the corps level.   At full strength an infantry division has 5,000 men, a cavalry division 2,500 men, and artillery battalions have 1,000 men (and 18 guns) and an artillery brigade has 2,500 men (48 guns).  Thus a corps has 16,000 men at full strength.  

Infantry Division – combat value 10 (5d6 attack, defense 10) cost 5, maintenance 1
breaks down to 2 infantry brigades, if destroyed, regroups as 1 infantry brigade,
Infantry brigade- combat value 5,  (2d6 attack, defense 5) cost 3, maintenance .25
breaks down to 3 infantry regiments, if destroyed, regroups as 1 infantry regiment, a regiment regroups into an infantry battalion
Infantry Regiment (1000 men), combat value 2 (1d6 attack, defense 3) cost 1, maintenance .1
Infantry battalion (300 men) combat value 1 (1d6 attack, defense 1) cost .25, maintenance .03

Rifle troops- Starting 1795, British and Americans can raise speciality unit called a Rifle Brigade, French can raise them in 1797, Spain by 1799 and everyone  else can build them starting 1800

light infantry get a +1 vs infantry and artillery , but cavalry gets a +1 against them and they function like cavalry in garrison duties (they patrol better), also they can make amphibious landings,  Rifle Brigades or Divisions, and they cost double that of regular infantry as as they are part of of divisions and corps later, add the difference of making one brigade or division in a division or corps as rifle troops.  Cannot have more then third of infantry units as Rifles.

Cost of raising/ upkeep

Rifle Division Cost 10 points, maintenance 2 points
Rifle brigade- Cost 6 points,  maintenance .5 points

Engineer Brigade- 2,500 men, Combat 0, Cost 2, Maintenance 1: A brigade sized unit equipped with sappers for siege work, bridging equipment, boats and other equipment. Allows field armies to cross rivers without penalty and attack across them with the penalty reduced by 50%. A country can only build 1 per 25,000 regular soldiers under arms, and can only have 1 attached to any army. Allows all Infantry and Light Infantry units in a field army to treat forts and fortresses as field units after 4 months of siege.

Artillery brigade- combat value 10 (10d6 attack, defense 5) cost 5, maintenance 2
Artillery battalion – combat value 5 (2d6 attack, defense 3) cost 3, maintenance .25, 500 men
breaks down to 2 artillery batteries (250 men) combat value 2, (1d6 attack, defense 1) cost 1, maintenance .1 or if a battalion is destroyed, regroups as 1 battery.  Batteries if destroyed do not regroup

Cavalry Division (2500 men) combat value 10 (6d6 attack, defense 8 ) cost 5, maintenance 1
Breaks down to 2 cavalry brigades or if destroyed becomes a cavalry brigade
Cavalry brigade (1000 men) combat value 3 (3d6 attack, defense 3) cost 2 maintenance .25
breaks down to 2 cavalry regiments (300 men) combat value 1 (1d6 attack, defense 1), cost 1, maintenance .1 or if destroyed a brigade becomes a regiment
Cavalry regiments if destroyed to do not regroup

Supply train- mobile supply consisting of lots of wagons, specialists, hangers on, and various support people (including some civilians).  In peacetime are garrison brigades, and become supply trains for free.  A division sized unit, costs the same as 2 garrison brigades.  
Army Depot (depot brigade) – fixed based for an army where most of its equipment is stored or organized and moved to at mobilization.  This is where a peacetime army assembles upon mobilization.  Treat as a garrison brigade for cost and maintenance and manpower.  
Depots and Supply trains are treated as militia infantry for combat value (militia division or militia brigade).  

Garrison brigades – 2500 men.  In peacetime consists of various army posts and barracks where troops are housed and their garrison troops.  In wartime, can be mobilized.
Cost: 1 point, maintenance .1, To mobilize, spend the difference between garrison brigade cost and cost of a combat brigade above
Garrison divisions- 5,000 men, as above just larger.  Cost 2 points, maintenance .25 points

So a peacetime field army would be 10 garrison divisions (9 infantry divisions, 1 supply column), 7 garrison brigades (3 cavalry divisions, 1 artillery brigade, 4 artillery battalions) and can be purchased for 27 points and maintained for 3.25 points.  It would cost 27 points to mobilize the infantry, 12 points to mobilize the cavalry, 9 points to mobilize the artillery so a total of 48 points to mobilize this field army for war and would take a season.  Maintenance is then 15 points a year (although mobilization costs covers that for the calendar year its mobilized).  

During peacetime all units are assumed to be in garrison, living in their barracks and homes.  During wartime an army is in encampment, or in the field.    Example Field Armies are the Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg, or the Prussian Army at Waterloo (with its cavalry organized into a corps).   A weaker field army is Wellingtons at Waterloo (with only 2 infantry corps instead of 3).    A field army that is foraging with strip an area 50 miles across of fodder and easily removed food (everything out of larder).  

To build a field army from scratch costs 75 points and takes 6 months and includes building the facilities including the depot and assembling the wagons and horses for the supply train as well as training the troops.  


Grand Army
As for field armies, these formations have names.   The Grand Army does work for this purpose but you can give them another name if desired.   They have commanders, the highest ranking general who is fit for field service will command this formation.  

These are more powerful forces than a field army and because of their size move more slowly but they have considerable depth and massive firepower.   Examples are the French Army at Waterloo, the Union Army of the Potomac and the Russian Army at Borodino.   These huge armies have 5 infantry corps (actually 7, but only 2 divisions per corps instead of 3 so for game purposes call 5 corps), an artillery division at the army level, and 3 cavalry corps.   Add a pair of extra supply columns, a pair of extra depot brigades,  plus an actual pioneer brigade (for bridging and rivers), and thus are at around 150,000 people including civilians that come with the army.  

In peacetime consists of 18 garrison divisions (becoming 15 infantry divisions, 3 supply columns), 17 garrison brigades (becoming 5 artillery battalions, 3 artillery brigades, 9 cavalry divisions) in peacetime for purchase price of 56 points, maintenance cost of 6.2 points but to mobilize will cost 87 points and takes 3 months and maintenance is 30 points (economies of scale adjustment).  Mobilization covers the maintenance cost for that calendar year.  

Expeditionary Armies are lighter, and instead of the infantry corps above, they are built around divisions and they have fewer and lighter guns, and generally use pack animals instead of wagons.  They can operate in wilderness areas, are easier to transport by sea, and have much lower supply needs.   However, they can inflict and take less damage.  These are smaller, leaner versions of an infantry corps with attached cavalry, which operate in wilderness areas where it is impossible to forage for sufficient fodder for the animals, and food for the troops is also hard to come by.   They also represent armies that are operating on a leaner economic base as well as lower tech armies in Africa and Asia that are still formidable in capability in spite of a technological disadvantage.  Examples of low tech armies are the Chinese Banner Armies, the Zulu and various Indian states.  Examples of lean industrial base armies in 1805 are the US and South American armies, while the British and French operate expeditionary armies in India which include troops raised locally.

An Expeditionary Army consists of 3 infantry divisions, 1 cavalry division, 1 artillery battalion, and 1 support train.   So 15,000 infantry, 2,500 cavalry, 1,000 artillery troops (with 18 medium caliber guns) and a brigade sized support unit.   Also a depot brigade of 2,500 men.   This works out to a total of 25,000 men.   Some armies (the Zulu for example) lack cavalry and artillery and have another infantry division instead.   A peacetime expeditionary army is thus 12 garrison brigades and costs 12 points to build, only 1.2 points in maintenance.  To mobilize however costs another 13 points and maintenance increases to 5.5 points a year and it takes 3 months to mobilize (or 25 points and 6 months to raise from scratch).  As above mobilization covers maintenance for that year.

Armies can include fortifications as well, which take the place of mobile brigades.   There are 3 standard types of fortifications.

A fortified area is a location defended by several major or numerous minor works, with interlocking trenches with obstacles such as moats and abatis (later barbed wire).   Historical examples are Washington DC during the Civil War, Limes of Torres Vedres during the Napoleonic War, and Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.   They are rare and require a garrison of 15,000 men.   They also include the fortifications defending New York City for most of American history and later on the entrance of Chesapeake Bay.   Manila Bay in World War II is another example.12 points, 2 years to build, 1 point upkeep

A fortress is a heavily fortified fort with large numbers of guns and solid defenses (which can be stone, brick or just a lot of dirt and wood) designed to defend a specific location.  Examples include Fortress Monroe.   They are relatively common compared to the fortified area,  and require 1,000 men- cost 4, maintenance .25, 2 years to build

A fort is a weak fortification useful in garrison work but doomed when facing artillery of the same tech level or better.  However they provide a useful base for troops dealing with unhappy natives. require 500 men, cost 2, maintenance .1, 1 year to build

All three are typically where a base is established for field forces.


Combat
The referee determines where armies meet in collision and games it out.  The referee lines up (on paper that is, although counters of some sort make life easier) one army and its brigades or divisions on one side vs the other army and its brigades or divisions on the other.  Assume both sides keep about 20% (or more) as a reserve.   Dice are rolled.  A competent commander provides no particular advantage, a great commander will be able to provide a +1 to die rolls to his force in combat.   It is possible for two great commanders to be present at the same battle (Waterloo for example), in which case things can get bloody.   Rounds of combat continue until one army or the other (or both) become SHAKEN.   It is rare in this era for an army to be destroyed in one battle (although not unheard of).  

An army that has suffered 30% casualties is usually considered damaged.  Morale will need to be rolled to see if the troops are willing to keep attacking.   Failure means the army refuses to attack any longer.  Pushing an attack anyway will lead to potential of panic.  At 30% casualties an army is SHAKEN.   It is entirely possible that two armies will beat each other into shaken status (lots of examples, Gettysburg come most readily to mind).

At 50% losses, an army has become subject to panic.  Morale will need to be rolled to see if the army will even keep defending or attacking.  The SHAKEN Army may very well become a PANICKED army.  

SHAKEN all units are minus one to morale and must pass a morale check to attack.  A failed morale check results in an army becoming PANICKED.  Unless specifically ordered, a commander will not order an attack if his army is SHAKEN.  

PANICKED all units retreat.  This army will not attack, and if attacked, any individual unit attack routes (disintegrates and is eliminated).  The commander will attempt to rally part of it, and can roll a morale check on 20% of his force.  This roll is at minus 2 to the die roll.  Units he rallies are used as a rear guard to protect the retreat of the rest of the army (in effect becomes a new smaller army).   Any units that were kept as a reserve can also be used as the rear guard (and do not require a morale check).  So potentially up to 40% of the army can cover the retreat of the rest.  A panicked army will retreat to its nearest base or fortress or fortified area or major city.   Once there it becomes SHAKEN instead of PANICKED.  

Fixing morale requires rest, resupply and if possible, reinforcements.  Although rest and resupply will do it.  A SHAKEN army will recover its morale after a month in a friendly base, city, fortress or fortified area.  

OVERWHELMING FORCE  if a force is outnumbered by 10:1, a morale check must be made.  Failure is automatic surrender.  Success will be retreat (if possible).   Note that fortresses and forts cannot retreat.  

MORALE
Elite up to 10% of an army can be elite, morale level 10, elite troops cost twice normal maintenance (prettier uniforms or more practice or both plus generally handpicked)

Regulars morale level 8
Militia morale level 6

modifiers
Green
Troops at the start of any war have a morale level equal to militia, except for elite troops, which have a morale level equal to regulars.  After the
first time a major battle has been fought, then the troops of that nation are no longer considered green.   This represents shaking off bad peace time habits that develop like form over function, and the lazy and well connected having all the good jobs versus the competent.  

Fortifications
Troops inside of fortifications, or simply dug in, have a +1 to their morale.  If forced to retreat however they have a -1 to their morale until they regroup.

Shaken
minus 1 to morale checks

Great Captain
Plus 1 to morale checks

Panicked
Automatic failure of morale checks

Terrain
For purposes of supply, all European hexes (WIF map) are considered agricultural land unless mountain or woods or swamp hexes.  Agricultural terrain has at least basic road structure.  

All North and South American hexes (WIF map) are considered Frontier hexes.   As of 1785, only hexes adjacent to a city hex on that map are agricultural hexes, and only if they are not desert, mountain, forest or swamp hexes.  An exception is made for hexes east of the Appalachian Mountains and north of Florida were any hex not a forest or mountain or swamp hex is considered agricultural.  

WIF maps
Europe  map is hex is 50 miles
All other maps, hex is 100 miles

Supply
Expeditionary armies, as they are made up of regiments and companies, and use pack animals and light artillery, have a supply range of 500 miles from a base.  Field armies, with their large numbers of wagons, heavier artillery, brigades instead of regiments, and civilians trailing along with them, have a range of 250 miles.

A mountain, swamp, forest or desert hex counts as 100 miles on the Europe map, 200 miles on other maps, for purposes of a field army drawing supply.  Expeditionary armies do not have this penalty.

Only agricultural hexes and cities can be used to forage and only once a year.   A hex will feed a field army for a week (2 weeks if not in Europe), an expeditionary army for a month (2 months if not in Europe).   Foraging does not make an army popular.   Too much foraging and populations start crashing and local people start raising militia partisan bands and attacking stray or small groups, inflicting a certain amount of attrition (varies).  

First fire
Units entrenched or in fortifications get a free attack before the other side can fire back.   Units that survive the first fire then can fire back.  

Beginning tech level 4, when minie balls, and later, breechloading rifles and artillery shows up, all defenders at that tech level get a first fire.  This will not change until tanks and combined arms warfare techniques are developed late tech level 5.  


Additional Rules

Nations at Arms
Beginning with the French Revolution historically and by the end of the Napoleonic Wars extending to all the European powers plus the United States (but not Britain until the 20th Century), the embrace of nationalism leads to huge numbers of volunteers and the ability to mobilize them into units quickly.  These volunteers are less effective than regulars but due to patriotism and a certain amount of fanaticism, are better than regulars.  

A Volunteer Grand, Field or Expeditionary Army can be fielded from scratch in 3 months.  Same cost as a regular army.  They do not exist in peacetime.
Volunteers have a morale of 9.   They are considered a Volunteer Army for the year that they are raised.  After that, the realities of army life bring them down to Regular status.   They also when on the attack are forced to fire second after the Regulars they are facing.  They defend at no disadvantage.  Two volunteer armies facing each other (such as at the historical Battle of Shiloh) have no first fire advantage vs each other.  

The ability to raise Volunteers is by referee decision but usually requires conditions similar at least to those of historical practice.   A nation can have regular units and volunteer units at the same time.  

Conscripts come along after the supply of fanatical volunteers dries up (or is used up).  Better trained than militia as they are full time soldiers, they are not as eager to die for country nearly as much but on the other hand the Army knows how to deal with that.   They are treated just as Volunteer Armies, except their morale is 7, suffer the same disadvantages as Volunteers (they are after all not as well trained as the Regulars) but after the year they are raised, the become just like Regulars.    Conscript Armies can also be built as quickly as Volunteer Armies.    

However, once the war is deemed to be hopeless, conscript armies may very well decide to go home.   In addition once conscription is instituted, after the second year, ALL troops are considered regulars but will behave as conscripts if the war is deemed to be lost.   The relative few volunteers that come in simply end up as officers and officer cadets.  

Technology bonuses
An army with a higher tech level than its opponent gets first fire automatically.  In addition, its units get a +1 to hit for every tech level difference.  So a tech level 4 army unit gets a first fire and +4 to hit against a Tech level 2 army unit.   Which is why relatively small Colonial Expeditionary Armies can beat up larger native armies in Asia and Africa.  Up to a point of course.  

Industrialism
Building costs are reduced by 10% if a nation has an industrial center, then an additional 5% of every industrial center after that.  So are maintenance costs.   It is much easier to mass produce uniforms, wagons, cannon, rifles, gunpowder and everything else once the Industrial Revolution begins.    

This advantage also applies to naval units regarding cost and maintenance, including naval shore infrastructure.

[Galveston Bay]

minor edit

These volunteers are less effective than regulars but due to patriotism and a certain amount of fanaticism, are better than MILITIA (instead of regulars as it currently reads)

[Ottoman]

Levee en Masse

one time bonus in terms of reduction of costs of raising ground units (not fortresses) by 50% and same reduction in maintenance for that year

Requires nation formerly calling for such and player actually using the language that was used historically as it happened in France, Prussia, Russia and Spain

[Ottoman]

Added rules for Rifle Brigades/ Divisions

[Galveston Bay]

a couple of notes: NO fortified area was attacked, much less taken, during the entire 19th Century while in the 20th Century it took very heavy artillery, engineers, tanks, flamethrowers and portable explosives for them to fall successfully and still at great cost to the attackers (Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Pelelieu, and Corregidor come to mind)

note that engineers DO NOT reduce a fortified area to a field fortification, they only effect forts and fortresses

In effect, a fortified area is a fort x 4, plus 15 times the troops so in effect its 5 times the strength of a fortress

(In response to referee query)

No professional military man or admiral would want to attack such a position, and would be pessimistic about a successful siege

[Sponsored content]