SMLE FREE STATE
Brigade level rules for wargaming 1938 a very British civil war
With particular emphasis on the siege of Liverpool
These rules are designed to be used to wargame brigade and divisional size
action in the Abdication Crisis British Civil War. They emphasis troop quality
rather than equipment and are designed to enable such actions to be played
out in a single evening.
They are also designed to have very little paperwork with the majority of
information being recorded on the table through counters and markers or off
table through a casualty tray.
SCALE
1 Stand (2-3 figures)
1 Vehicle
1 Artillery piece
General stand
=
=
=
=
a platoon of around 30-50 men
2-4 vehicles
2-4 artillery pieces.
Officer staff and bodyguards c50 men.
Infantry or Cavalry Units are typically made up of 4-12 stands they may have
more if organic transport is attached. 1 stand will be denoted as the command
stand this should be identifiable by a banner, obvious officers, radios etc; as
appropriate for the unit. These would typically represent battalions.
Vehicle and Artillery units are typically made up of 3-6 models. These would
tend to represent Companies/Squadrons or Batteries. Again a Command
vehicle should be clearly identifiable by the presence of an officer or a banner.
Turn order
1. Order Units including moving Generals each side ordering units in turn
2. Move ordered units each side moving a unit each in turn
3. Check disordered units that haven’t be checked
4. Shooting and close combat resolution
5. Morale – check for units becoming disordered
6. Check for reinforcements
Order units
Generals give orders to units whose CO is within there Command Radius.
They can move and give orders to any friendly CO within their Command
Radius at any point in their move. If a CO and General have radios they can
ignore command radius.
Each side place order chits in turn. The order chits (arrow chits) are given out
indicating the direction of the intended move. If there is an objective (i.e.
occupy a building) that should be marked by a chit.
Orders can be given in advance i.e. a general can order a stand to occupy a
building several turns move away once the order is given and the objective
marked he does not have to keep giving an order to the unit 9unless his
priorities change)
TROOP QUALITY
A unit can by one of six qualities represented by the colour of the units
command marker.
.
RAW
effectively an untrained mob with weapons.
YELLOW
GREEN
Very basically trained or old ex-soldiers,
GREEN
Trained
Trained soldiery, serving regulars, efficient militia
BLUE
VETEREN
Seasoned veterans
ORANGE
ELITE
Crack troops – the Brigade of Guards and the like.
BLACK
Troops quality effects moving, command range, shooting and morale.
Command radius effects how far from the CO individual stands in the unit can
be. Command Radius is also the distance at which a General can order a unit
– based on the General’s troop quality.
Troop Quality
Raw
Green
Regular
Veteran
Elite
Command
Radius
4”
8”
12”
18”
24”
Command Radius is doubled if all Stands have radios (normally vehicles)
A Field Telephone line extends command Radius if both CO and stands in
question are on the line. The line can be cut by artillery fire ‘kill’ on it or but
enemy action (if occupy line for one turn can cut it if undertake no shooting or
close combat.)
CO QUALITY
Commanding Officer quality is shown through a number on the Command
Marker rated 1 to 3. A ‘1’ rated Co is poor, ‘2’ average and ‘3’ the best. These
affect movement and morale. They also affect the CO spotting for indirect or
air support when that is available.
MOVES
Each side moves a unit in turn this consists of rolling on the movement table
and applying the effect.
A unit can move in a marching Column – indicate this with a musician or
similar and the forces in column (line ahead). If on a road this means they
have double move. However they cannot shoot and are vulnerable to attack
and they cannot return fire until taken out of column (which takes a move)
Units move as follows.
Stand
Infantry
Bicycle
Cavalry
Wheeled Vehicle (inc trains)
Tracked Vehicle
Aircraft
Debus/ Unlimber
Bus/Limber up
Raw
Green
Veteran
Elite
Enter building
Rubble
Max move
6”
8”
10”
16”
12”
60”
Move modifiers
-3” Infantry
-3” vehicle
-2”
-1”
+2”
+4”
-3” Infantry only
Infantry/tracked only half move
Movement table
Roll
1 or less
2
Good Order
Full move retreat
Half move retreat
3
4
5
6+
Static
Half Move
Full Move
Full move
Disorder
Rout – remove table
Full move retreat plus 1
stand routs
Full move retreat
Half Move retreat
Static
Recover Good order
move normally next turn
Any retreats are away from the nearest enemy stand but must not take the
unit closer to any other enemy stand. If a unit is surrounded it most make an
immediate morale check and if fails it surrenders (removed from board.)
Movement table modifiers
-2 CO Dead
-1 per unit outside the command radius
+CO rating
-1 per pinned stand
-2 Raw
+1 Veteran
-1 Militia
+2 Elite
DISORDERED UNIT CHECK.
Any unmoved disordered units are subject to the disordered movement table.
SHOOTING AND CLOSE COMBAT
Units each shoot in turn. Each stand in the unit if firing must fire at the nearest
enemy stand to it. Unit sin close combat do not shoot but close combat uses
the same mechanics.
Shooters roll
Defenders rolls
2d6 applying modifiers
1d6
Take the Defenders roll away from Shooters roll:
If 6 or more = Death, remove unit and replace with death marker.
If 5
= Pin, place pin marker next to the affected stand.
Dead and Pin units do get to return fire in the same turn as there demise or
pinning as shooting is effectively simultaneous.
Pinned units are pinned unit after the following turns firing phase. Pinned units
cannot shoot, fire or take or give orders in while pinned.
Other stands in a unit can but if outside the command radius if will affect the
morale roll.
Most units shoot at units in line of sight or on edge of cover (if someone can
shoot at you, you can shoot at them.) Artillery/mortars may be spotted for by
any friendly CO stand in its command radius (or radio/field telephone range)
which has line of site on the target within 30”.
HMG or heavier weapons on foot cannot move and fire.
All modifiers are applied to the attackers die
Attacker moved
Target template area
Target in marching Column
Target Light armoured vehicle
Target armoured vehicle
Target Aircraft
Long Range (over half)
Raw
Green
Veteran
Elite
Attacker moved (range shooting only)
Charge (advanced into close combat
1st turn only)
There are also modifiers for weaponry
Dice Mod
-1
-1
+2
-1
-2
-2
-1
-2
-1
+1
+2
-1
+1
Weaponry
Infantry weapons can be one of 8 basic categories. These are shown by the
detail on the stand. They affect the range of combat and the modifiers for
close (less than 1” range) and ranged combat (over 1”)
Figures on
Range
Range
Close
stand
Shooting
Combat Dice
Dice Mod
Mod
Melee
Contact
NA
-1
Weapons
Pistols
Close (1”)
NA
+0
Shotguns
Close (1”)
NA
+1
SMG
Close (1”)
NA
+2
Sporting Rifle 12”
-1
-1
Military Rifle
12”
-1
+0
Rifle + LMG
12”
+0
+1
HMG
18”
+1
+1
SMGs and Shotguns may appear on other stands in which case the stand is
judged to have sufficient Close assault weapons (grenades etc) to get an
additional +1 in close assault.
No positive infantry modifiers apply against Armoured Fighting Vehicles
(AFVs.)
Vehicles, artillery and airstrikes can have the following weapons the modifier
applies to both range shooting and close combat.
Weapons
Range
Dice Mod
HMG
18”
+1 (not vs tank)
Old/light tank/anti-tank
18”
+1
Modern tank/AT
26”
+2
Artillery
Heavy Mortars
Light Artillery
Medium Artillery
Heavy Artillery
Range
30” (min 8”)
50”
70”
90”
Dice Mod
+0
+1
+2
+1d6 – CO rating
Aircraft
Fighter
Bomber
Range
18”
Drop
Dice Mod
+1
+2
Close combat range is 1” for all troop categories no matter what their quality.
Troop quality effects combat as follows affecting dice rolls and range.
Troop Quality
Range Modifier
Dice Mod
Raw
-2”
-2
Green
-1”
-1
Regular
0
0
Veteran
+1”
+1
Elite
+2”
+2
MORALE CHECK
Each unit which has been shot at or in close combat must make a morale
check. Each units rolls 1 D6 and most get higher than the morale factor as
follows:
+1 for each dead, deserted or pinned unit that turn
+1 for each 3 friendly dead markers within 3” of stands (if not opposing
faction)
+1 disordered
+1 Artillery/tank shot/airstrike/Gas has attacked unit
+1 Flanked or surrounded (flanked an enemy units shooting or in close
combat with unit on opposite sides of the unit.
+1 CO killed this turn
+1 Commanding General killed this turn in Line of sight.
+1 suffered friendly fire
+1 each stand in close combat
+2 Raw
+1 Green
+0 Regular
-1Veteran
-2 Elite
- COs rating.
-1 CO in generals Command Radius
-2 General in contact with stand of the unit
A unit that fails the morale check is disordered and will remain so till the next
morale check unless Movement table says otherwise,.
After morale check If a CO is killed make a roll for his replacement roll 1d6
divided by 2 round up and that’s new co quality.
Generals check morale as a 1 stand unit.
Disordered stands cannot do range shooting but will retaliate in close combat.
FORCES ON TABLE
To determine which units are on the table are follows
UNIT
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH+
Attacker
2,3,4,5,6
3,4,5,6
4,5,6,
5,6,
Defender
3,4,5,6
4,5,6
,5,6,
6
REINFORCMENTS
At the end of each turn after the 3rd roll for reinforcements coming on.
Attackers units come on a 5-6 at the Attackers table edge.
Defenders units come on a 6 at the Defenders table edge.
Rather than rolling per unit forces can be ‘brigaded’ under a general and
either all come on or not (roll for the brigade)
FLANKING
Up to a quarter of a force’s units can be put to one side as flanking forces.
They need to be ‘brigaded’ under a General.
They can be rolled for on the table for reinforcements but come in together
and at a side table edge as a flanking force.
Roll as normal for reinforcements and if successful then roll of the flanking
table below.
Raw units cannot be part of a flanking force.
+ Generals Quality
+ 1 Cavalry or armoured fighting vehicles unit.
-1 per green unit.
Roll
1-2
Forces fail to come on
3-4
Forces come on but disordered
5-6
Forces come on half units disordered
7-8
Forces come on – can shoot no close
assault 1s turn on table
9-10
Forces come on – can close assault
If forces fail to come on then they remain as reinforcements.
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Double throws in shooting effect the unit concerned as follows:
Double
Effect
1
Ammunition problem -2 next turn shooting
2
LFS: Friendly Fire
Govt: Atrocity
3
1 stand Vehicle Breakdown. Veteran/Elite can fix if
no shooting from stand 3-6 on 1d6
4
Airstrike (spot as artillery 1-4 Fighter, 5-6 bomber)
5
Off table artillery strike (1-4 medium, 5-6 Heavy)
6
Extra Determination +2 in shooting/close combat
rolls next turn.
Friendly fire
Friendly fire – on a double 2 a Liverpool Free state must next turn shoot at a
an LFS unit of a rival faction if in range. If not they save it until one is. This
reflects the factionalisms of the LFS militias. If more than one are in range
then they will fire at the one they are most opposed to. Some examples of
likely friendly fire scenarios.
Likely friendly fire incidents include (all naturally vies versa):
Irish forces vs ex-regular Army or Police units
Navy vs Army units
Communists vs Anarchists (left vs left would be quite common)
Police/Ex-Regular Army vs Left
Anglican/Protestant forces vs Irish Forces
Majority population forces vs Ethnic minority forces
Liverpool proper vs Woolyback/Wirral forces
East European/Russian forces vs Jewish Militias
atrocity
On a double 2 a government force loses the next turn and a stand. This
reflects the unit being involved in some form of ‘drumhead justice’ against
civilians or LFS prisoners. The lost stand will be continuing the with the
atrocity while the rest of the unit carries on. It does not count as a desertion or
death.
END GAME
At the end of the game and routs and deserted units make be recovered on a
morale roll based on the total deaths taken in the battle and the CO at the end
of the battle. If so they can feature in future games.
OPTIONAL RULE: AMMUNITION
Each unit has next to it’s CO a dice. This dice represents how many turns
shooting/close combat ammunition the unit has. It is reduced 1 unit all used
up. At that point the unit is reduced to a melee weapon stand.unit resupplied.
This may mean calling at a depot or getting a truck (or train) to the unit.