Chaos, Confusion, and Casualties - Movement, Firing, Formations

Ranges, Movement, and Firing

This entry contains charts for firing and movement and illustrations of three basic formations. The details of how to conduct initial fire artillery and subsequent firing without ceasefires will be in the following blog.

The Measuring Stick 

The measuring stick is used for small arms and canister fire.

Each 3 inch section represents 150 feet.

When firing, the player places the “9” at the shooting piece and the opposite end at the target. The number at the target is the range to the target without deductions.

Take the deductions for smoke and intervening cover between the shooter and the target and subtract that number from the original range. The resulting number is the number or lower which each piece in the firing line must roll on D10s to score hits.

For instance: The target is at number “5”. The target is behind a rail fence which has a deduction of  “1”. The shooter deducts that”1” from the “5” and therefore must roll a “4” or lower to score a hit. The shooter has 5 pieces on line and rolls 5 D10s. Each die with a 4 or lower scores a hit.

10s are automatic misses.

Deductions on Measuring Stick

  -1 Trees, fences, tall grass, stumps, rocks, downhill/ uphill, smoke/side,

  skirmishers.dismounted cavalry/     

      -D3 prone target, stone wall, trenches, reaction fire (None for ordered  

      Firing).

      +D3 prone shooter, shooter behind cover (Only with ordered firing.)

      Deductions/additions are cumulative.

      First Fire/Artillery: SB D20 short:1 -2 Long: 19-20 On target: 3-18

      Rifle D20 short: 1  Long: 20 On target: 2-19

      Overshoot/Short: D6

      Burst D12  Union: 1-2 dud  Confederate: 1-3 dud

      Burst radius forward 2 in.

      Solid Shot/Bolt: D6: even bounces 2 in. 1D6 for non bounce/

      2 D6 for bounce     Odd # are hits   

      Shell 5 D10 Remove all “0” and the highest number. Remaining die are

      Hits.

      Case 7 D10 – same as above

      Canister Use Firing Stick (deductions for smoke and reaction fire apply

      After first fire. Roll 9 D10 for measured distance. Any number equal to or

      Less than the number on the stick is a hit.

Movement 

Infantry a. line of battle           9 in.     Charge: + 1 D6     + deductions

                b. in column of 4’s  12 in.     Charge: + 1 D10   + deductions

Skirmishers 12 in. (No deductions)

Dismounted Cavalry 12 in. (No deductions)

Artillerymen 9 in. (No deductions)

Mounted Cavalry/Officers a. in line 26 in. Charge + 1 D12  + deductions

                          b. in column/officer   36in.  Charge + D20     + deductions 

Limbered Artillery 26 in.  Charge + D12  + deductions

To Unlimber/Unlimber/Fix Prolonge 14 in. movement 

Into/From Battery 12 in. movement

Unlimbered Artillery – By Hand 1 in.  By Prolonge 7 in.

Deductions: Uphill – D3  Down hill +D3 Over Fence -2 D3 move balance of inches.  Over Works/Stonewalls  -D6 –D3 move balance of inches.

Woods, stumps, boulders -1 in.

Destroy rail fences/abatis  D10 roll off. Uses all movement.

Change of Facing – 1 in./90 degree

Quarter Wheel/Line to Column– entire movement (no deductions)

    Line of Battle

    Column of 4s

    Double Column of 4s