SHOT, STEEL & STONE: 1660-1850

1-242140

Horse and musket era rules that first appeared in the author's book The Wargaming Compendium (Pen & Sword, 2013) but updated and expanded. Suitable for battles from approximately 1685 (when bayonets became common) through to about 1850, when rifled muskets started to dominate the battlefield.

Rules are scale-agnostic and system is IGO-UGO, with variation to enable the non-active player to react to enemy action, and there is no need to write orders. Key aspect is the command and control system, which places real emphasis on the abilities of local commanders on the spot controlling individual brigades. Combat system involves plenty of dice-rolling combined with the importance of being able to strike first in melee, such as when pikemen or lancers attack units who have shorter weapons. Games of around a dozen units per side can easily be played in an afternoon.