Saturday, April 16, 2011

My Black Powder Variant

I am a big fan of the Black Powder rules. I like simplicity in a rules set. I like to play the game and not the rules. Having said that I like some granularity to rules, i like to feel like my unit is different etc and i have favourite units. Unit rules in BP are good for this. So here are my amendments. A note on the last three points. I play at a club where they like casualty removal and no markers on the field of play so this amendment is to make it more attractive to them. When playing others who dont mind the BP rules as is I remove the last three points and use the Stamina etc as normal.
Keep in mind this is a work in progress and i am well and truly open to ideas and changes!
The ranges are at 66% of normal BP ranges as we use this ratio to use a smaller table!
I give the generals quite low command ratings like 6 and 7 to reflect the fact that in this period there wasnt the command and control of later periods. I will post up my Papal army sheet later as an example.


Princes, Pope and pikes- a Black Powder Variant

All rules as per Black Powder with following exceptions.



  • The only formations are attack column, march column and skirmishers

  • pikes can form one more formation called the hedgehog which cannot move and they count as having no flanks or rear(therefore according to the following rule cavalry could not charge them at all in hedgehog). In hedgehog pike count as in square for all purposes (so while in hedehog cavalry cannot charge them unless they are disordered or shaken) except hand to hand where they still count in attack column.(Full attacks etc)

  • Pikes are treated as Infantry in square by cavalry to the front (so they cannot charge them if they are not disordered or shaken unless in hedgehog as above)

  • Pike always get the combat result bonus for square against cavalry even if cavalry are fighting them on a flank or the rear.

  • Pike always count as supported from the rear by the first 3 ranks after their first rank and if they are actually supported rear they can count extra support contrary to normal rules . In other words pikes can claim up to 6 supports- 3 physical units and their own support up to 3 ranks.

  • As commanders in this period were warriors and had fighting bodyguard their attack bonus for joining units is +3.
  • Arquebus only have 8” range.

  • Cannon cannot move after initial deployment except to pivot

  • Crossbows and longbows have a range of 12”

  • cannon have range of 36”

  • Brigades are called wards or divisions and still have the same break rules. Pike units count as 2 units for calculating the size of a brigade.

  • Casualty removal-units no longer have stamina. Casualties are removed instead. When the unit reaches half strength it is then shaken.

  • Rallying now only removes shaken and doesn’t recover casualties. A unit at or under half strength that has been rallied will again become shaken if they lose any more casualties. Once shaken, a unit must take break tests for all missile casualties.

  • In hand to hand combat the modifier to break test is excess casualties over half of the unit taken in total. Example: a unit that is under half strength by 3 models will take all break tests at -3 from now on until they gain new casualties and then the modifier increases to how many models they are now under half strength by.

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