MILITARY ABILITY

Military ability (MA) is the numerical quantification of a character’s ability to lead men in battle. MA is determined when a character is created by rolling one die, the result of which is that character’s military ability. Military ability is occasionally determined for non-player characters, such as the Commander of a Regiment in which a character serves, since the MA of the non-player character will have a tremendous effect on the character.

Regimental Table C: Brigades, Friends & Enemies and Weapons * Status points for positions as listed in the Status Points column are awarded to the Brigade commander and Brigade Major

Characters with the rank of Private must spend two weeks of each month on duty with their Regiment: cleaning stables, mounting guard, polishing equipment and so on. While on duty, they may undertake no other action. Subalterns must spend one week of every month on duty supervising the Privates, while officers above the rank of Subaltern need not spend any time on duty at all. Privates and Subalterns may be excused from duty by the permission of their Battalion Commanders. A non-player Battalion Commander will excuse a player from one week of duty on a roll of 5 or greater on one die. This may be modified by influence.

Each Regiment is a component of a specific Brigade. Brigades and their component Regiments are listed on Regiment Table C. Brigades are important in determining which Regiments go on campaign.

Regimental Organisation

All Regiments are organised identically. Each infantry Regiment has three Battalions, numbered 1 through 3. Each Battalion has two Companies, for a total of six per Regiment. Companies are lettered A through F. Cavalry Regiments are organised the same, except that the Battalions are called Squadrons and the Companies are called Troops.

There are ten officers above the rank of Subaltern in each Regiment; there are an unlimited number of Subalterns and Privates for the purposes of the game. Upon joining a Regiment, each player should make a chart showing the ten higher officers in the Regiment. Since promotion is possible only if there is an opening available, players will want to keep a record of the fate of the other officers in their Regiment, whether they are player characters or not. If more than one player is in a Regiment, only one record need be kept. The record should look like that shown below for a hypothetical Cavalry Regiment.

Sample Organisation I:
Colonel – Regimental Commander (MA 3)
Lieutenant-Colonel – 1st Squadron Commander
Major – 2nd Squadron Commander
Major – 3rd Squadron Commander
Captain – A Troop Commander
Captain – B Troop Commander
Captain – C Troop Commander
Captain – D Troop Commander
Captain – E Troop Commander
Captain x – F Troop Commander

Since the Colonel’s Military Ability (MA – see above) is important, determine it upon enlisting, and record it beside his position as shown.

Officers of the same rank in a Regiment are arranged on the basis of seniority. Therefore, the Captain commanding A Troop is the senior Captain of the Regiment.

Upon achieving the rank of Captain or above a player becomes the junior officer holding that rank in the Regiment. As officers above him are killed or promoted, he will advance in seniority, but not necessarily be promoted.

A player from each Brigade should roll once each game year to determine if one of the Majors is serving as Brigade Major (see Military Appointments Table and Appointment Rules). On a roll of 1 through 3, the Brigade Major is from the first named Regiment of the Brigade; on a 4 through 6, he is from the second named Regiment. In the Guards Brigade, the Brigade Major is from the Royal Foot Guards on a roll of 1 or 2, from the King’s Musketeers on a roll of 3 or 4 and from the Cardinal’s Guard on a roll of 5 or 6. Re-roll Brigade Major assignments at the end of the regular campaign season each year.

Below is a record of the same Cavalry Regiment illustrated earlier after several campaigns. It will serve to illustrate several points.

Sample Organisation II:
Colonel: brevet Brigadier-General – Brigade Commander (MA 3)
Lieutenant‑Colonel – acting Regimental Commander (MA 2)
Major – Brigade Major
Major – vacant
Captain – acting 1st Squadron Commander
Captain – acting 2nd Squadron Commander
Captain x – acting 3rd Squadron Commander
Captain – A Troop Commander
Captain – vacant
Captain – vacant

Assuming that in the first illustration the player keeping the record was the junior Captain of the Regiment (Captain x), he is now third in seniority due to the deaths and promotions above him. The Lieutenant-Colonel is now the acting Regimental Commander, since the Colonel has been promoted to Brigadier-General and serves elsewhere (see Brevet Rank, page 56). Notice that this does not open a position of Colonel in the Regiment, since his permanent rank is still Colonel and he will return to command the Regiment if he does not receive another promotion (making his brevet rank Lieutenant-General and his permanent rank Brigadier-General) or gain another appointment as a Brigadier-General, thus extending his brevet rank for another year. Only his death or permanent promotion will open the position.

The character has also rolled the military ability of the Lieutenant-Colonel, since, as acting Regimental Commander, his MA will determine the fate of the Regiment. One of the Majors has been detached from the Regiment as Brigade Major. His position is not open for the same reasons given for the Colonel. The other Major’s position is vacant, either due to the former occupant’s death or promotion. This leaves all Squadron commands in the hands of Captains. Since our character is the third of three surviving Captains, he commands the third Squadron. As such, he may volunteer it for service, and may roll on the Battle Resolution Table for outcomes.

Notice that all vacancies are shown at the bottom of the rank. When a vacancy occurs at the top, all others of that rank move up and the vacancy is shown at the bottom. At the conclusion of each battle where there is a Captain’s vacancy, roll two dice on the Personal Outcome Table to see if a Subaltern is promoted into that slot. Notice that in the example, a Subaltern has been promoted to Captain after the character’s promotion, and he is now the new junior Captain of the Regiment below the character.