MUSKET WARS 1807-1842

TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE SAID HONGI HIKA (FOR A MUSKET)

25/28 MM FIGURES 1 Figure equal to 1 Figure otherwise 1 to 10 or 1 to 20

Foot 1” Diameter circle

ALTERNATIVE SEQUENCE. Each player in 1 Sequence has 1 turn each

THROW 1xd6 each, winner goes first AND BECOMES THE ATTACKER

THEN THE DEFENDER THROWS FOR TERRAIN

TO PICK SCENERY The DEFENDER throws 2x D6 .THIS NUMBER is the amount of

scenery to place on the battlefield. If you throw a 4 you get the first 4 pieces. Terrain pieces
not more than 30cm x 30cm Roads were very rare.

Terrain consist of in order 1 Broken ground 2 Small Hill 3 Bush 4 Forest 5 Village
consisting of 3 dwellings 6 Large Hill 7 Forest 8 Small Hill 9 Broken ground 10 River
with 1 ford from 1 table edge to another table edge 11 Bush 12 Large hill

ATTACKER starts from their base line Defender up to 12” (30cm) from base line

MAORI SIZE OF CLAN (taua = war party)

You start With 1 CHIEF Figure each (he has a Musket), then both throw etc

Throw 6 x average dice to see how many figures are in the war party. Example you throw
6 dice and score 4 3 2 5 2 2 so you have 18 maori figures in your war party.

Next pick 3 of the scores you have thrown for your Maoris figures to have muskets
.Example you would pick 5 4 3 so you would have 12 maoris figures with muskets.A
quarter of which can have Shotguns (1835)

Next pick 1 of the scores you have thrown for your Maoris figures to have long handled club
or long handled axe or sword Example you would pick 2

Next pick 1 of the scores you have thrown for your Maoris figures to have knife or axe
Example you would pick 2

Next pick 1 of the scores you have thrown for your Maoris figures to have short club
Example you would pick 2

SO your final war party total would be 12 maoris with muskets, 2 maoris with long handled
club 2 maoris with axe and 2 maoris with short club giving a total of 18 figures

In the later period increase the average dice to 7 or even 8 depending on how many figures
you have. The extra dice scores are always picked to be muskets
FIGURES CAN FIRE, MOVE THEN, MELEE IN THERE TURN OR MELEE MOVE THEN
FIRE

MOVEMENT You can March Attack for 3 moves but must have 3 moves of Foot March before
March Attack again.You do not have to move the full distance scored on your dice throw You can
block move all your maoris in groups of up to 5 figures until you are within 30cm of the enemy then
you must move them individually.Your Chief moves separately but always moves at March Attack.

Type Foot March March Attack

Maori figure throw 2xD6 throw 3xD6

You throw 1 and 3 on 2 xD6 so you move 4” (10cm) for 1 figure or for 5 figures (must be 5 figures)

All Foot Crawling throw 1xD6 ----------

Prone 0” Maoris can move half distance and go prone and visa versa.

Retreat All Troops throw 4x D6 at the March Attack

Movement is always in skirmish order. No movement deduction to move from crawling/prone to

Foot march.Cannot March Attack from crawling/prone.

Up to 5 figures are allowed in a building, an enemy needs to kill 1 figure in base to base with the
building door(in hard cover) before he can enter. Fighting in a building is classed as hard cover.

NO DEDUCTION FOR MOVING ACROSS SOFT/HARD COVER

Soft Cover broken ground, hill bush low fences of villages river bank

Hard Cover woods buildings barricade construction fieldworks Pa high fences Pa forest

FIRING Throw appropriate 1xD6 per figure firing per turn 2xD6 if firing Shotgun

FIRING (Attacker picks opponent)

Line of Sight only Pick your target 360 degrees Cannot fire while PRONE OR CRAWLING

RANGES:-Maori firing Musket up to 25cm(10”) muskets were poor quality

Knife/Axe up to 10cm (4”) Shotgun (tupara) from 1835 up to 20cm(8”)

A SCORE OF 4 IS NEEDED TO HIT IF ENEMY FIGURE IS IN THE OPEN

A SCORE OF 5 IS NEEDED TO HIT IF ENEMY FIGURE IS BEHND SOFT COVER

A SCORE OF 6 IS NEEDED TO HIT IF ENEMY FIGURE IS BEHIND HARD COVER

YOU CANNOT HIT ENEMY IF HE/SHE IS PRONE OR CRAWLING over 15CM 6”

TO SAVE A FIGURE A SCORE OF 5 or more on 1xD6 IS NEEDED TO SAVE if figure is in the

OPEN.
TO SAVE A FIGURE A SCORE OF 4 or more on 1xD6 IS NEEDED TO SAVE if figure is in SOFT
COVER

TO SAVE A FIGURE A SCORE OF 3 or more on 1xD6 IS NEEDED TO SAVE if figure is in HARD

COVER.( you cannot add scores together)

.Behind Soft/Hard Cover or Prone you can only fire if you can see figure.

Firing at CHIEF You can fire at a CHIEF if you can see him and is clearly 5cm away from another
maori. If he is a viable target the chief always saves from firing on a 3 4 5 6

MELEE
Base to base contact
A figure can turn to face opponent without penalty if attacked in flank or rear so long as he is not in
melee with another figure to his front
If a figure is ambushed he cannot turn to face opponent if attacked in flank or rear
.He can be attacked by up to 4 figures so long as they are in base to base contact with him.
A figure can only attack in melee in their own turn sequence(an opponent defends in your attack turn
sequence).
An attacking figure can only throw once in melee.
Must be in Base to Base contact ( the only exception is when a i.e low wall is in between figures ie
soft cover/hard cover)
The defender if not killed can continue in melee and becomes the attacker in his turn, or can move
away unless surrounded by 4 figures.
PROCEDURE
Each Attacking figure in melee throws 1xD6 dice. Each Attacking figure in melee throws 2xD6 if he
has moved over 8”(20cm) at March Attack. An automatic hit occurs if you attack a figure who is
crawling or prone.
ADD + 0 to score if using Short Club/Musket Butt
ADD +1 to score if using Knives/ short Axe
ADD +2 to score if using Long handled Club/Long handled Axe/sword

A HIT occurs on a score of 4 or more if figure is in the open

A HIT occurs on a score of 5 or more if figure is behind soft cover
A HIT occurs on a score of 6 or more if figure is behind hard cover

Each Defender throws 1xD6 dice each time he is hit.

A score of 5 or more to save, if not he/she is killed
A score of 6 to save , if attacked in flank or rear if not he/she is killed

MORALE (Taken at the beginning of your turn)

If the Chief is killed the game ends and victory goes to your opponent and all his war party become
slaves.

When your Clan is at Even or Less than its original strength. Lost 1 or more figures in melee or to
musket fire. Your opponent always asks you to take a morale test .

Procedure Each figure alive throws 1xD6 and adds together the scores. then each figure dead
throws 1xD6 and adds together the scores. The difference in the two scores if minus, unit
retreats for three moves .See example

CHIEF does not throw for Morale or used in deciding if clan is at even or less than its original
strength
Add 1 dice to clan if behind Soft Cover

Add 2 dice to clan if behind Hard Cover

If the score is plus or even carry on as normal , however if the score is minus retreat for 3 moves at
march attack . You can take morale again after 3 moves in retreat

A MAORI clan(taua) of 10 figures is fired at in soft cover by a Maori clan(taua), 4 figures are killed
Your Opponent ask you to take a Morale test.

Example of Morale :- 6xD6 for the Maori still alive and gets 2 3 6 1 2 4 (18) You then throw 1x
d6 because you are in soft cover and get a 3 so your final total is( 21 )next throw 4xD6 for the Maori
figures that are dead and get 6 4 3 3(16) The score of 21 beats 16 so your clan carries on as normal.
IF you would have failed morale you would have retreated for 3 moves , then taken another morale
test using the above procedure.

YOU CANNOT FIRE WHILST IN RETREAT

ADDITIONS

AMBUSH you can have up to a third of your war party in ambush and can be placed in any
square .You move or fire your figures in your turn.Your opponent cannot see your figures until you
move or fire. Only the defender can have an ambush.

WIND AND SMOKE

Throw 1xD6 12345 there is wind 6 no wind .Wind clears smoke in 1 sequence. If there is no wind
figures have to move past the smoke to fire if not they cannot fire till smoke clears after 2 sequences
of no firing.

RIVERS

If a river is part of the terrain up to a third of your war party can be in boats up to 5 figures per boat
Rowing will be classed as upriver Movement will be 1xD6 if the river is fast flowing 2xD6 if the
river is steady flowing 3xD6 if the river is slow flowing. Rivers flow upstream towards the
Defender

Throw 1xD6 1 fast flowing 23 steady flowing 456 slow flowing

Fast Flowing rivers can only be crossed at Fords

Steady Flowing :- Throw 1xD6 per figure foot per move whilst in or crossing river a score of 1 2 3
foot figure drowned

Slow Flowing:- All foot can cross without penalty

INFORMATION:-

Taiaha----Striking Spear Patu Pounamu—Green Stone Club Long hafted axe ----kakauroa
Short axe ----Patit iwi---Tribe Hapu ---sub Tribe

200-300 Maoris could build a Pa in 48hours

3000 battles and raids occurred between 1807-1842 it caused the loss of life between 20,000 to
40,000

This started mainly with the Ngapuhi Chief Hongi Hika when he acquired muskets in 1818 The
spiral of violence peaked in 1832 and 1833 because other iwi procured muskets.

Maoris traded flax pigs smoked heads of slain enemies potatoes for muskets

The potato was introduced to New Zealand in 1769

Unlike the Sweet Potato the Potato was easier to cultivate and store freeing up men for raiding
parties. From the 1820,s raids could last up to a year.

Maori warfare change with the musket bringing bodies of men moving together .By the 1830.s well
armed taua engaged each other equally on the battlefield. Some Maoris enlarged touchholes to
increase rate of fire. Some Maoris used double barrelled tupara which they could fire twice before
reloading.