321 - Fast Play Napoleonic Rules

“The moral is to the physical as three to one” - Napoleon Bonaparte

(Artwork by Mitchell Nolte)

Leipzig 1/100th Scale Modified rules for March 2024

Slightly modified rules for a big Leipzig refight we are doing in a couple of days, posted here for my local wargaming mates:
Leipzig Quickref and force list

Leipzig Rules

Update March 2023

Over the past year, our group has tested and shifted to a variation of the below 321 rules, which makes use of a shoot-move-melee rather than move-shoot-melee turn sequence, plus a number of other changes to speed up play even further, reducing numbers of dice rolls required and only requiring the player whose turn it is to be doing anything (enabling use of timers or chess clocks). A copy of the rules can be found here, and a quickref here. The purpose of these rules is to allow completion of large club games in a reasonable timeframe, with several in the planning stages now we are out of the pandemic.

Otherwise, all the comments about design philosophy and many of the functions below still apply to this set of rules, despite the change to turn sequence and other tweaks. Therefore I will leave those comments below in addition to the previous ruleset for any who are still using this.

Download this new version here:

321 Fast Play Rules SM6

321 Fast Play Rules SM6 Quick Reference Sheet

321 Fast Play Rules SM6 Army Builder

(Note: When file opens, click "File" on top left,  then "Make a copy", and you will have a version you can edit)

Here is a quick primer and overview of the rules mechanics that you can watch on You Tube.
Please note this video was done very quickly for players before a big game recently, and I will endeavour to replace with a better quality one at some point!

Introduction to 321 Rules 2022

Perhaps the last thing the world needs is yet another set of Napoleonic wargame rules...  there are already hundreds out there after all! But many wargamers like to tinker and share ideas, hence this post.

I enjoy playing different rules, but I do place a high value on simplicity - meaning if a similar result can be achieved more simply I'm in favour of it. What is consciously left out of a ruleset can be just as important as what is included, and if something can be said or effected with less words then then that is preferable.  With this in mind, I put together the following brief ruleset.

The aim has been to reduce rule mechanisms and non-figure gaming materials (tokens etc which I find unsightly and a bother) to a minimum of complexity needed to create the character of Napoleonic Warfare. This is so very large scale battles can be completed in a day of play, while still using low level units like battalions. A goal is also that new players (and especially more casual players) can just have ALL the rules for free, and that these are as brief as the quick reference sheets from other rulesets at just four pages in length. Of course judgement about what counts as sufficient detail to 'create the character of Napoleonic Warfare' is very subjective, but the notes below should at least give an idea of the design philosophy and mechanics for any interested.

'321' in the title refers to the primacy of psychology highlighted by Napoleon's quote above and the relative worth of units in game (veteran versus regular versus raw). It also references the design principle that these rules should be as easy as 'A-B-C' or  '1-2-3'. It might also reference the mechanic whereby standard units can take three disorder hits but are removed if they take more...

Download the Rules here (as PDF):
321 - Fast Play Napoleonic Rules (v5.1 - PDF)

Download the Army List Creator here:
321 Army List Creator (v5 Google Sheet)
(Note: When file opens, click "File" on top left,  then "Make a copy", and you will have a version you can edit)

Version Updates:

September 2021 - Update from Version 5.0 to 5.1. See here for record of changes.

August 2020 - Update from Version 4.4 to 5.0. See here for record of changes.

Features of the rules include:

• Only 4 pages of rules, plus 2 optional pages of army lists, special rules, and scenarios.
• Key unit characteristic is morale - used for shooting, melee and resilience.
• Traditional I go you go system with four phase turn of Command, Move, Shoot, Melee. 
• Basic unit is campaign strength regiment, or battalion/squadrons,
• No counters or casualty markers needed on the table, nor off table record keeping. Position of unit bases and generals keeps track of unit and command status, though if desired tokens could be used to track hits instead.
• Whatever base size and unit size you have will work. For 28mm I use 1" = 25-50 yards. For 15mm I would probably halve distances for everything.
• Time scale - one turn assumed to be 30 minutes to an hour.
• Uses normal six sided dice, eight per side is a good number, though most rolls are 4-5 dice. 

Character of a Napoleonic Battle?

The rules aim to create the general character of Napoleonic battle as described by Clausewitz (On War, Book IV, Chapter II):

"What do we do now usually in a great battle? We place ourselves quietly in great masses arranged contiguous to and behind one another. We deploy relatively only a small portion of the whole, and let it wring itself out in a fire-combat which lasts for several hours, only interrupted now and again... by separate small shocks from charges with the bayonet and cavalry attacks. When this line has gradually exhausted part of its warlike ardour in this manner and there remains nothing more than the cinders, it is withdrawn and replaced by another."

I.e. a large Napoleonic battle should see massed multiple lines, engaging and then being withdrawn and replaced when they become too brittle (casualties, fatigue, stress and panic, fouled muskets, lack of ammunition etc). If attrition exceeded ability to replace the lines, then sometimes Napoleonic battles led to catastrophic routs, but also quite commonly:

"In this manner the battle... burns slowly away like wet powder, and if the veil of night commands it to stop... then an account is taken by each side... out of which there springs the resolution to quit the field or to renew the combat on the morrow."

In absence of otherwise specified victory conditions then breaking one third of the enemy force is taken to be an arbitrary but significant impact, likely to cause the enemy to retreat and allow proclamation of victory (i.e. suitable victory condition for a points based pickup game).

Design Notes

• Morale is the basic mechanic used for combat. Morale ranges from 2 being Raw, 3 Regular, 4 Veteran, and 5 Elite.  Each base rolls a six sided die to shoot or melee attack, and must roll EQUAL or LOWER than their own morale to hit the enemy. They must then usually roll a 4+ to disorder the enemy. These chances are modified according to circumstance as may be expected, e.g. a square is highly resistant to cavalry but more vulnerable to artillery, and so on. Units BREAK and are removed when the number of disorder hits equals their number of bases. Standard units have four bases.
• Movement is very unrestricted compared to many rules sets (though see rule options below), for simplicity and on the assumption that given time scale there is ample time for interpenetration by passage of lines or spaces between deployed formations, and any needed reforming. The two main exceptions are that units close to the front of an enemy cannot just sidestep however they want, and nor can units charge through close order friendly units as this would allow units to be used as 'bullet shields' in unhistorical fashion. 
• Shooting ranges are calculated to allow for a tactical threat zone,  given the high movement and charge ranges involved in the game. Restricting shooting to just one base width (similar to Lasalle) assumes most troops fired at whatever was in front of them in the fog of war, and restricts unhistorical gaminess and time consuming micromanagement of target selection. There is also no traversing fire (as exists in Blackpowder for example) because movement is more restricted than that ruleset and fire impact in a turn greater.
• Charge declarations, defender reactions and moves to contact are resolved one by one for simplicity, and so that movement of initial chargers may open passage for further charges and mass attack actions in the same turn. The one exception is cavalry opportunity charges, where some limited declaration of attacker charges in advance of the one by one sequence is required in order to prevent such opportunity charges.
• Infantry 'melee' in the open is assumed to usually involve close range fire and threat and one side breaking before actual hand to hand combat. Other melee is more likely to involve hand to hand combat.  
• Built up areas offer considerable protection from shooting, but limit effectiveness of fire from the garrison. They offer more limited protection from melee and are likely to change hands frequently if  contested in this way. Strongpoints like fortified manors are more resistant to assault.
• Cascading catastrophic routs can happen, especially as Brigades become increasingly disordered. Breaking units or lost Generals cause Break Tests for units in the same Brigade.
• Breaking can represent rout, excessive fatigue or casualties, weapon fouling, lack of ammunition or resupply, orderly withdrawal from the field, or any other circumstance in which a unit is rendered combat ineffective for the remainder of the battle.
• As is stated above, the basic unit is a regiment. The basic combat grouping under each general is called a Division. A 'Division' may instead be taken to represent a Brigade if each unit is taken to be representing a battalion. On campaign many units were understrength.
• Cavalry bases could be 50% larger than infantry bases, or break point can be less than the number of bases in the unit. I've been using standard cavalry units of six 5cm square bases because it looks better to have more figures, but treat them as if they have four bases, i.e. they still break when they receive more than three disorder hits.
• By way of game time comparison, I find these rules play faster than Blackpowder, Lasalle, or General d'Armee, but slower than for example Morale Napoleon (regiment is basic unit and very brutal combat resolution) and probably Blucher (Brigade is basic unit).  If playing some scenarios (e.g Michael Hopper Scenario books), then reducing turn number and reinforcement times to three quarters may be advisable.
• In terms of similarities to other rule sets - fire arcs and unit damage are similar to Lasalle. Rallying and freedom of movement (though not the multiple moves) are similar to Blackpowder. Command and skirmishers are similar to General d'Armee. 

Rule Options

• Interpenetration Disorder: The earliest versions of the rules had close formations passing through each other taking a disorder hit if they failed a morale test. I culled this rule for simplicity  and speed as I did with others I thought were unnecessary. This rule worked ok though so if you prefer more friction from such maneuvers this is an option.  
• Overhead Fire: My understanding is that firing artillery on hills over friends happened but was rare as troops understandably hated having inaccurate blackpowder fire blasting over their heads. I would suggest permitting it over enemy but not over friends, except in specific historical scenarios where it happened like the Siege of San Sebastián. If you do allow it over friends, I would suggest the enemy must be further from the friends than the friends are from the firing artillery (i.e. there enough dead ground). A chance for disordering your own friendly unit(s), e.g. make morale test at rating +2 or take a disorder hit if fired over, might also be a good idea to dissuade more casual use of such fire.
• Enfilade fire: Whether a bonus for enfilade (flanking) fire should be given or not is another point of variance among rule writers, depending on their reading of history. It's generally accepted that an ideal flanking shot could do a lot of damage (e.g. into a line), but it is also argued that this is counterbalanced by the greater challenge of targeting a narrow and traversing target, and the limited time this would be available as compared to the time of a turn of 30-60 minutes. There is no bonus for enfilade in these rules, but if you want to include it I would recommend that position of the  firer needs to be the same as that needed for a flank charge (page 3), and if so the target is treated as a massed target (i.e. disordered on 3+). 
• Support Factors: Many rules have 'support factors' that give bonuses for units that have friends to flank and rear. As for enfilade fire this is another point of variance among rule writers. I have been persuaded that they are largely unnecessary on the basis that a lack of flank support means you expose yourself to concentration of fire and/or devastating flank attack. Similarly a lack of reserves means that if your line is broken, you will have exposed the vulnerable flanks of units to either side of this breakthrough. 
• Uphill bonus: There is no combat bonus for being uphill, with the exception that enemies attacking up or down a steep slope towards defenders on the other side, should treat this as attacking across rough ground and an obstacle. Steep slopes should be defined as such before the game and are assumed to be gentle otherwise. 
• Early Austrian/Russian/Prussian Inflexibility:  Suggested options to represent the lack of tactical flexibility of these armies include (1) veteran units cannot change formation and move more than half distance, same as regular units, (2) all units in a brigade must be in the same formation. But more simply (or in addition), just giving lower command ratings for many commanders will help slow them down considerably, and this is what I tend to do for historical refights.
• Incompetent Army Commanders: Yes the intention of the rules is that they cannot help Brigade units or Generals in any way. They may still be quite busy, with a gourmet feast, their mistress, or having more brandy to steady their nerves...
• Army Lists and Scenarios: There are many army list and scenario ideas available on other websites, and commercially available rulesets and books. See the links on this page.  However the 321 rules also include optional army lists and scenarios for points based pick-up or tournament style games. The included army lists are  focused towards later Empire era organisations, but are largely flexible enough to account for earlier organisations also.

Concluding Comments...

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment and critique - I won't be offended. :)

Also feel free to share and modify non-commercially, provided source is acknowledged. 

321 - Fastplay Napoleonic Rules by Mark Ottley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.