De Bellis Horriblis - The GreatWar

By David Manley (david.manley@btinternet.com)

INTRODUCTION
Our club, the Trowbridge Irregulars had recently been through a DBA 'phase', which included a game based on the colonial DBA rules published in the May 1993 edition of Wargames Illustrated. In the after-game analysis I began to think about pushing the DBA envelope even further forward and modifying the rules to cover WW1. The following is the result. These rules are intended for use with the Irregular Miniatures range of 6mm WW1 figures. Stand frontages are 25mm, being the same frontage as a single strip of three figures or a battery. Stands have no set base depth, as retreat and flee distances are stated in set distances rather than base depths. A suitable base depth allowing the model to sit squarely within its confines should be chosen. TROOP TYPES Troop types should be self-explanatory with two exceptions. Irregular Infantry cover all poorly trained units such as militias, some Turkish and Russian units, etc. Warband covers fanatical fighters who favour hand-to-hand combat, such as Lawrence's Arabs and some Askari units. Indian units and Gurkhas may also be included in this category; if so their Ranged Combat factors wxll be the same as regular infantry. UNIT SIZES The basic manoeuvre unit is the Battalion. Each battalion consists of 3-4 infantry stands (companies) or 6 cavalry stands (squadrons) plus an HQ stand (one of the individual officer figures) attached to one of the stands (alternatively one stand may be designated as a command stand). LMG, HMG, etc., are added as supports. Artillery batteries may be grouped into 'battalions' of up to 3 batteries with OP stands. Tanks and armoured cars may be grouped into 'battalions' of up to 6 vehicles. Players take on the role of Divisional commanders with up to 6 battalion sized groups, typically 3 infantry, one cavalry, one battery and one additional, which may be aircraft, tanks, support stands, etc. Division HQ is denoted by a large command stand and appropriate transport. I have deliberately left this section vague as players are free to develop their own organisations dependent on the armies they wish to field. One PIP die is rolled per division. One PIP activates one battalion for movement, or all battalions in a column. Two PIPs are required to activate a tank battalion to simulate their lack of reliability. No PIPs are required to move an aircraft, but 1 PIP must be expended for the aircraft to engage in combat.

COMMAND RADIUS No stand within a battalion may voluntarily move more than 6' from its command stand, apart from aircraft and artillery observers. If a stand is forced to move out of the 6' radius it may not move other than to close the distance between itself and its command stand. An exception occurs if PIPs are expended to move such a stand. One PIP is required to move each individual stand. If a Command stand is destroyed all stands under its control halt for 1 turn until another stand takes over command duties. Similarly, all Command stands within a division must remain within 12" of the Division HQ, with the same restrictions on movement, replacement of destroyed HQs, etc. GUNBOATS Gunboats are 'self ordering' stands. They require no PIPs to move or engage in combat. Gunboat stands may carry up to 3 infantry stands or one battery. Gunboats take 1 turn alongside a river bank or jetty to unload. Gunboats maybe 'in contact' only with other vessels or enemy ground stands in contact with them on jetties or river banks. BATTERIES Heavy Batteries can engage targets at up to 12" over open sights. If their battalion has an OP it can be activated and may call fire on targets within 6", as long as the firing batteries are within 24" of the target. Batteries can also use air OPs or balloon OPs to do the same thing as long as 1 PIP is spent to activate the aircraft or balloon. Field batteries may not use OPs and can only fire at targets in their line of sight. Siege batteries, siege mortars and similar super-heavy batteries (such as railguns, 'Big Berthas', etc.) count as Heavy batteries, but attack all targets within a 4" by 4" area as individual attacks. Each of these batteries is limited to 4 rounds of firing during a game (due to limited ammunition), and points of aim must be plotted four turns in advance. Siege batteries are immobile once played at the start of a game. WIRE Wire stands represent barbed wire systems and other field obstacles. Normal rules concerning crossing a stand's front do not apply to wire, which only impedes movement through it. TRANSPORTS Transport stands may carry one infantry stand, two LMG, HMG or mortar stands or tow one battery. If they are destroyed any transported stands are dismounted, and are attacked by the same stands which destroyed the transport. Trains count as one transport stand per carriage. Trains are self-ordering as gunboats, but I PIP is required to load or unload troops.

PRE-GAME BOMBARDMENT Pre-game bombardments, such as the customary heavy barrage preceding the 'big push', is simulated by all enemy stands (including wire) being subjected to a round of fire as if from a Heavy battery. COVER Stands may find themselves in two forms of defensive cover. The first are field defences, which are basic defence arrangements, such as gun pits, hastily constructed trenches, etc. The second are Trenches which represent the more complex and defensible trench systems of the Western Front. MARCH MOVEMENT Stands may move up to five times their normal move distance if all of the following apply:

They do not spend any part of the move in broken terrain. They do not start or end the turn within twice the direct fire range of any enemy stand. They were not the subject of a bombardment by a Heavy or Siege battery last turn.

This allows for breakthrough movement in cases where troops can move in a less cautious manner.

ORDER OF PLAY
1. First player rolls PIP dice, activates battalions and moves. 2. Second player engages in Ranged Fire. 3. First Player engages in Ranged Fire and resolves stands in contact. 4. Second player rolls PIP dice, activates battalions and moves. 5. First player engages in Ranged Fire. 6. second Player engages in Ranged Fire and resolves stands in contact.

UNIT CHARACTERISTICS

Type Infantry Irregular Infantry Warband Mounted cavalry HMG LMG Light tank, Armoured car Heavy tank Field Battery Heavy battery Flame Sturmtruppe Transport Aircraft Gunboats Wire Notes:

Movement Open/Broken 3"/2" 3"/2" 4"/2" 4"/1" 3"/2" 3"/2" 4"/2" 3"/2" 4"/1" 3"/1" 3"/2" 2"/2" 6"/1" 24" 4" -

Combat factor Ranged/Contact +2/+2 +1/+1 +1/+1 +1/+1 +4/+1 +3/+1 +4/+5 +5/+6 +4/+1 +5/+1 0/+5 0/+4 0 0/+2 +5/+5 +2

Range 6" 5" 4" 3" 6" 6" 6" 8" 8" 12" 6" -

1) Cavalry stands including cavalry HMG stands must dismount to engage in Ranged Fire, taking one turn without movement unless Cossacks, who may move, dismount and fire. Wagon mounted machine guns may fire whilst mounted. 2) Aircraft can only be attacked by troops in contact if the aircraft moved into contact with them. COMBAT OUTCOMES When engaging in Ranged Fire the firing player announces which stands are firing at which target stands. Each side rolls one die. The defender adds the combat value of the stand, adds one if the stand is in field defences and adds two if the stand is in trenches. The attacker takes the highest combat factor of the stands firing, and adds 1 per supporting stand.

For combat each side rolls one die, adds the highest combat factor of their involved stands, adds one per supporting stand, adds one if in field defences, adds two if in trenches, and subtracts 1 per enemy stand in contact with their flank or rear. Score less than enemy, but more than half enemy score: All retreat 2" except as stated below. Type Infantry Irregular Infantry Warband Mounted cavalry HMG LMG Light tank, Armoured car Heavy tank Field Battery Heavy Battery Siege Battery Flame Sturmtruppe Transport Aircraft Gunboats Wire Effect Destroyed by HMG if in Broken, or by Tanks or Warband in contact Destroyed by HMG if in Broken, or by Tanks or Warband in contact Destroyed by HMG if in Broken, or by Tanks in contact Destroyed by HMG if in Broken, or by Tanks in contact Destroyed by any in contact Destroyed by any in contact Destroyed by HMG, Battery, Heavy Tank, or flame in contact Destroyed by HMG, Heavy Battery, or flame in contact Destroyed by any in contact Destroyed by any in contact Destroyed by any in contact, else no firing next turn Destroyed by tanks in contact Destroyed by tanks in contact Destroyed by any in contact, or by tanks or batteries using Ranged Fire Destroyed by aircraft in contact Ignore combat effects from ranged fire except withdraw 3" from Batteries and Heavy Tanks using Ranged Fire, or any in contact Destroyed by tanks or infantry in contact

Score equal or less than half enemy score: All KO'd except; Light tank, Armoured car Heavy Tank Gunboats Wire Destroyed by Heavy tanks, Gunboats or batteries using ranged Fire, by HMG, flame sturmtruppe or Light Tanks in contact. Flee 6" from infantry, cavalry, LMG and others Destroyed by Heavy tanks, Gunboats or batteries using ranged Fire, by HMG or flame in contact, else withdraw 2" Destroyed by Batteries or Heavy Tanks using Ranged Fire, or by any in Contact, otherwise damaged and forced to withdraw from the table. Destroyed by Infantry or tanks in contact, or by Heavy tanks, Gunboats and batteries using Ranged Fire, else ignore.

Notes: Stands in trenches which are forced to retreat may instead withdraw to bunkers. They may not move or fire next turn, but may still engage in close combat.