Belle Epoque

Aperitif Game for Gentlemen,

By Pierre Laporte
Belle Epoque
Aperitif Game for Miniature Battles in the Victorian Era and Early 20
th
Century
EQ!PEME"# "EE$E$
Small coloured counters, ordinary six sided dices, and a hexed board/terrain or similar system.
%CALE%
1 unit = 1 Brigade or 1 Division depending on the scenario.
1 UD (distance beteen the middles o! " ad#acent hexes$ 1%m
M%#E&!"G
&ny sector may contain only one unit at the same time. 'aximum number o! stands per unit(
)avalry/'ounted *n!antry( '
+ormed *n!antry( (
,ribesmen( )
$*C#&!"E
+ormed regular in!antry units can be in loose or close !ormation. ,his must be speci!ied
be!ore the game starts, and cannot be changed during the course o! the game.
&s a rule, tribesmen and cavalry are considered as in close !ormation.
GAME #&"
1 - .layers roll !or )ommand .oints
" - .layers activate their units one a!ter the other, the initiative sitching sides randomly.
C*MMA"$ P*!"#%
/oll 1 dice !or every 0 stands. Use d( i! mediocre 1eneral, d) i! average, or d+ i! superior.
,otal obtained = number o! )ommand .oints ().s$ available !or current turn only.
2ach player %eeps 1d"3 ithin reach to indicate his remaining number o! ).s.
AC#!VA#!*"
2ach player chooses a colour be!ore the game starts. &t the start o! each game turn, each
player puts in a bol as many to%ens matching his colour as units o! his on camp deployed
on the tabletop. ,o%ens are mixed and pic%ed up one a!ter the other( each triggers the
activation o! one unit o! the corresponding camp. 4nce played, place the to%en next to the
unit to help remember that it has been activated. ,urn ends hen the bol is empty.
*! a unit is eliminated be!ore having been activated, a to%en matching its colour is removed
!rom the bol and discarded.
&EAC#!V!#, #E%#%
5hen activated, a unit must test in order to per!orm a march, a fire, or an assault.
Basic Score (BS$ is(
&eacti-ity le-el.$octrine Loose *rder Close *rder
.oor 1 "
,rained " 6
2lite 6 7
,o the Basic Score, add as many ).s as ished8 then roll /d). *! the obtained score is loer
or e9uals the modi!ied Basic Score, the unit is success!ully activated. *! it !ails, the unit may
only per!orm a basic move (1 UD$, and eventually de!end itsel! i! assaulted.
M*VEME"#%
&ny activated unit must complete its possible movement be!ore !iring or initiating an assault.
#roop type Basic mo-e March (!iring not alloed$
*n!antry 1 UD " UD
:ative 5arriors 1 UD 6 UD
)avalry 1 UD 7 UD
'ounted *n!antry 1 UD 6 UD
Sectors can be 4pen, or )over (%op#e, oods, etc.$. Units must stop hen entering cover, hill
sector, or hen entering a sector ad#acent to a sector containing enemy troops (;o)$8
movement is impossible !rom an enemy ;o) toard another enemy ;o).
& unit cannot !ire nor initiate an assault during the same turn hen entering <rough= terrain
(samp, dense oods, etc.$.
2xcept !or special units, march movement is not alloed hen leaving rough terrain.
&ccording to scenarios, some sectors can be designed as impassable to all or some units.
!"#E&PE"E#&A#!*"
*! success!ully activated, a unit may cross throughout a sector containing !riendly troops i! the
movement begins in a sector ad#acent to the intervening unit.
#&**P #,PE%
<&= type unit( in!antry e9uipped ith maga>ine ri!les, and supported by machine?guns and
9uic%?!iring artillery.
<B= type unit( in!antry e9uipped ith maga>ine ri!les and supported by machine?guns and
breech?loading artillery.
<)= type unit( in!antry e9uipped ith breech?loading ri!les and supported by !irst generation
machine?guns and mu>>le?loading artillery.
<D= type unit( in!antry e9uipped ith breech?loading ri!les and supported by B@ artillery.
<2= type unit( in!antry e9uipped ith mu>>le?loading ri!les, and supported by '@ artillery.
<+= type unit( in!antry e9uipped ith smoothbore mus%ets and supported by '@ artillery, or
cavalry supported by horse artillery.
<1= type unit( !oot soldiers ith very limited !irepoer, or unsupported cavalry.
0!&!"G
#roop type.&an1e / $ 2 $ ' $ ( $
<&= unit A (6B$ 7 ("$ 6 (1$ "
<B= unit A (6$ 7 (1$ " 1
<)= unit 7 ("$ 6 1 ?
<D= unit 6 (1$ " " 1
<2= unit 6 " 1 ?
<+= unit " 1 1 ?
<1= unit 1 ? ? ?
B Between brackets: <To Hit number if firing unit is moving
.rocedure( roll 1dC per stand8 each score loer or e9ual to the <,o Dit= number is success!ul,
and the targeted unit losses directly one stand (there is no <,o Eill= test$. & unit per!orming a
basic movement can !ire only i! a <,o Dit= number is indicated beteen brac%ets.
*! the target is rated <conspicuous=, the <,o Dit= number increases by 1 (but a score o! <C= is
alays a miss$. *! the !iring unit is uphill !rom its target, an extra dice is rolled.
*! target is a loose order unit in the open or a close order in!antry unit at cover, a score o! 1 is
a miss. *! target is a loose order unit at cover or any in!antry unit in !orti!ications, 1 or " is a
miss. 2xample( at medium range (" UD$, a <B= unit must roll 6/7 to hit an entrenched target.
,he @ine o! +ire is dran beteen centre point o! the targeted unitFs sector and that o! the
!iring unit8 !iring is !orbidden i! the @o+ crosses throughout a sector containing troops or
terrain that bloc%s sight, except i! the !iring unit is uphill !rom both target and obstacle.
V!%!B!L!#,
Basic line o! sight (@oS$ range is ( $8 deduct 1 UD i!(
the targeted unit didnFt move nor !ired since the beginning o! the game, or i! the
targeted unit didnFt move and is e9uipped ith smo%eless poder ri!les,
the targeted unit is at cover,
the targeted unit is in loose !ormation.
:o modi!ier can apply i! the target is rated <conspicuous=.
A%%AL#
*! activated and not !iring, a unit may assault an enemy unit occupying an ad#acent sector.
.rocedure( each side rolls 1dC per stand and adds Success!ul Scores (SS$. ,hen players
compare their respective totals8 highest ins, and his opponent loses a number o! stands e9ual
to the di!!erence beteen both totals. *n case o! a tie, both sides lose one stand. SS chart(
'ilitia, or /egulars in loose order8 1/"
/egulars in )lose 4rder8 1/"/6
)hoc troops8 1/"/6/7
*! a unit recoils, evades or is eliminated !olloing an assault, the inning unit may carry the
position. & unit rated <bold= must ta%e an abandoned position.
2xample( a 7 stands ;ulu arriors unit attac%s a 6 stands British regulars unit. ,he
de!ending player rolls 7, " and 68 as his soldiers are close order regulars, the 7 is a miss and
player totali>es a score o! A. ,he attac%ing player rolls 1, 7, A and 68 as his soldiers are bold
choc troops, only the A is a miss and player totali>es a score o! 0. ,he di!!erence beteen
both totals is 68 thus the British unit sustains 6 losses.
#AC#!CAL M*$!0!E&%
*! an in!antry unit de!ends a sector providing tactical bene!ice (hill, %op#e, etc.$, its SS level
increases by 1, or by " i! de!ending !orti!ications. Doever, a score o! C is alays a miss.
5hen attac%ing, the SS level o! troops classi!ied as <dashing= is upgraded by 1.
5hen de!ending, the SS level o! troops classi!ied as <stubborn= is upgraded by 1.
/egardless o! other circumstances, cavalry unitFs SS is reduced to 1 i! !ighting !rom or against
cover or rough terrain.
ML#!PLE C*MBA#%
& unit may initiate only one assault per turn, but can o! course sustain several attac%s. ,hus, i!
a unit !ights several combats during a same game turn, its Success!ul Score level decreases by
1 per assault !ought beyond the !irst one. +or example, regulars in close order ill !ight a
second time ith a SS level o! 1/". Doever, a score o! 1 is alays success!ul, even i! the SS
level !alls belo 1 due to successive attac%s.
0ALL BAC2 M*VEME"#%
2xcept i! the unit is rated <stubborn=, or in!antry behind !orti!ications, <even= losses ("
nd
, 7
th
,
etc.$ sustained !olloing an assault are converted into 1 UD bac%ard movements.
+or example, a unit that loses an assault ith a di!!erence o! A points ill sustain 6 stands o!
casualties and must !all bac% " UD.
,his rule does not apply i! the bac%ard movement cannot be per!ormed (because o!
impassable terrain, etc.$, or i! the unit doesnFt move aay !rom every opponent in the process.
*n case o! <even= losses due to !ire !ight, the player in command o! the targeted unit may
choose to sustain casualties or convert it into !all bac% movements.
%ALV* A"$ %PP*&# 0!&!"G
*! assaulted and not yet activated, a unit may !ire once the attac%ing unit has completed its
possible movement, but be!ore resolving the assault. Doever, the de!ending unit must pass a
reactivity test and there!ore ill be considered as activated8 the player must remove one o! his
to%ens !rom the bol, even i! it !ails. ,his rule may apply not only to the assaulted unit, but
also to a neighbouring !riendly unit ithin 1 UD !rom the assaulting opponent.
EVA$E M*VEME"#%
*! assaulted by a sloer opponent and not yet activated, a unit may per!orm an evade move
similar to a march, in order to try to avoid !ighting. Doever, the evading unit must pass a
reactivity test and there!ore ill be considered as activated8 the player must remove one o! his
to%ens !rom the bol, even i! it !ails.
3E"C*"#E&4 %CE"A&!* %GGE%#!*"
"7 to 6C stands per side8 and 16 sectors (ide$ x G sectors (depth$ table/board.
Deploy units along their respective tabletop edge. /oll 1dC !or each sector ithin @oS o! a
unit( 1/"/6/78 open, A8 hill, C8 dense vegetation (cover/rough$. /ene the process !olloing
each unitFs movements during the course o! the game, until all the sectors are <discovered=.
Use red to%ens to indicate unexplored sectors, and green !or the <investigated= ones.
%AMPLE% *0 "!#% Q!C2 &E0E&E"CE CA&$%5
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