A set of skirmish wargames rules suitable for shooting your way across Darkest Africa, forcing drugs on the Chinese or some such jolly japes.

Those Victorians! A right bunch of rascals.

These rules are fast play and intended to maximise involvement of both players by giving roughly alternate 'goes' to them within a bound, opposed rolls and with the potential for luck to turn the tables on the unwary player.

All these factors seem to be popular with players and that's why they're there.

Scenario designers/referees/players are expected to be capable of making up special rules for odd things where required. So this is perhaps a bit easier there's some explanation of why things work and the intent behind the mechanics.

These rules are intended to represent combat between small irregular forces or one irregular and one small regular force. Up the jungle was an alternative name.

As you will see, these are fairly generic and hence with a bit of twisting you could persuade them to cover many other genres where there's a fair bit of cover about and at least one side who is fighting is fairly inexperienced and hence a bit unreliable.

Either it's the tinitus playing up again or I can hear those native drums now, so let's get stuck in with an overview.

Players roll action dice. Often these are known as pips - you get a lot of these in the jungle fruit. You may well wish to have something like pips available so that a player can position these in front of him to show how many points he has left. Go stones, pebbles or anything similar would do. Dice can be used, but players tend to pick the damn things up and this can be confusing.

So these pips/points, these give a number of action points.

Action Points are spent on doing stuff, Actions.

The player with the highest total goes first, if there's a draw the side which is on it's home turf (usually the natives) goes first. This also applies part way through the bound.

Actions are things like moving and shooting and by default they cost two points.

A player declares what will do an action, spends the points and resolves it.

Repeat the above actions until both players run out of points.

Resolve close combat

At this point the turn is over and end turn events or actions may occur. These would normally be things like reinforcements, lighting fires under big cooking pots, end of sacrificial offerings…

In combat many people tend to freeze up and hang about hoping someone else will do something useful. This is particularly true of irregular forces as they never even heard of small unit tactics and do not work together smoothly.

Standing out from these are certain individuals who get things done. In armies they are officers, in action films they're the guy who has a name.

The people who mooch about in a bunch and would be just as happy skiving off as shooting are referred to as extras. These do things as a Group which is usually about 6 but can be smaller for REALLY disorganised sides or will be bigger for soldiers or people who are well motivated or know what they're about.

The exceptional individuals are referred to as Characters.

Generally speaking, should a group of extras do something, it is because a character either told them to, inspired them by leading them, or maybe he just told them he'd shoot the first man who ran.

These represent the confusion of combat to people who are not really terribly organised at it or are fighting in circumstances they're not happy with.

At the start of a turn the players roll 3d6 and pick the best two. Added together, these represent their total action points.

If a side takes more than 10% casualties in a turn, they are considered to be checked.

If a side is attacked by an unseen and unexpected enemy which would surprise it, it is also considered to be checked.

A checked side rolls 2d6 instead of 3d6 for the next turn. Unless either this happens again in that turn, then the player returns to rolling 3d6 therafter.

Default point cost is 2, otherwise the number in brackets.

Groups may neither move toward enemy further than 4" away nor fire at enemy who are not an immediate threat unless a character is within 9" of them.

Each figure in a group must be within 2" (centre to centre) of the next to spread control to it. Figures outside this may not be grouped unless charging to contact. So if you have someone shot from the middle of a group and the remainder are further than 2" from centre to centre, you can only move two or three as one group move and you will want to finish closer to the rest of their group. People don't like taking fire and this splitting up groups is a deliberate feature to make them falter unless they're so close they will get their tormentors in one move. 

Motivate (1 or 2 )

Adds an extra inch move to a group (only) per point spent for the remainder of this turn. Up to a maximum of 2. 2 points may also be used to persuade some group to take an obviously doubtful action or to remove an under-fire marker. If a motivated group is shot at then they lose their motivation but don't get an under-fire marker.

Move ( 1 to 4 or more)

Moves Characters 6", Extras 4". Less an inch if encumbered.

Different terrain costs different points, in close terrain locals often have an advantage and this is represented by making their movement costs lower. See terrain.

Charge

Move up into close combat of an enemy. Figures within 1" centre to centre are considered in close combat. Should an extra 2" move get a figure "in" then he may move this ( ie 6" or 8"). Should a figure have to move further than this, then they do not get into close combat this turn.

A Character may charge with a group or 2d6 extras may charge into close combat.

A player may not measure prior to declaring a charge. It is recommended that once the charge is declared the referee or opposing player's attention is closely applied. The acting player should move the closest figure up to the closest enemy to him, the next similarly. Figures should not run over one another and may thus block each other out. A maximum of three figures may mob another. Try and move the figures up in some sort of sensible match and agree odd effects prior to picking up each figure. If a big rock is in the way, you need to think about how you get around it.

Shoot

Character or group shoots or throws a weapon. The weapon then becomes unloaded until either the end of turn or a load action. The end of turn automatically reloads all but slow loaders such as muzzle loaders. If you fire at a group, regardless of whether you have any effect at all you place an under-fire marker next to them ( or remove motivated markers).

Load

Shooting more than once in a turn is possible, but you must reload before each further shot. At the end of the turn most weapons are automatically considered reloaded. An example of an exception would be a matchlock.

Gather

A character forms extras together into an informal group with him for this turn. Roll 2d6 to see how many he can form up. The character and these extras may perform each action together this turn. Unfortunately, this is likely to split up groups and mean that acting with them can effectively cost more points in future turns. The character and the extras must all be within the 2" centre to centre limit.

At the start of your turn plan what you are going to do with your pips. Remember that your opponent will be trying to do something and bear this in mind. Optimise your use of pips so you don't end up with one over at the end.
The high point cost of moving through dense terrain is partly down to a morale effect. If you want your people to move faster then cheer them up with a pep talk and motivate them at the start of the turn. That extra one or two inches may not seem much but if you're spending 4 points to get 4 inches of movement then 2 points at the start of the turn is a rather fine investment should you move twice. Hand to hand types (usually natives) will find that prior to making that final dash to contact a bit of motivation could well make all the difference to their sprint distance.

Generally speaking, the man with the plan is going to get more efficient use out their points, luck should even things out over a number of turns and they'll most likely win. So long as it's a smart plan.

Most actions cost 2 points in order to balance the effects of luck. Think twice before you mess about with this mechanic.

As your opponent carries out his action, finalise what you're going to do next so that you can carry it out as soon as he's finished. This will speed the game up a lot.

It is recommend that figures are based on 20mm diameter circles. Ideal for this purpose are UK pennies. This is significant for several aspects of the rules but feel free to base to your own standards and twist the rules. Square bases could potentially cause some problems with the corners giving some odd effects.

The movement costs should be set by the scenario designer, who should bear in mind any unusual activities such as swinging from vines or escalading palisades. Alternatively, you can just make this up as you go.

Default jungle terrain is scrub. This is a variety of low stuff which just gets in the way, but you can see over it. There are patches of thick jungle which cover a fair bit of the table and maybe the odd line of rocks, maybe a large patch of rocks.

Winding along the table is a trail.

Sides are usually set up with the Europeans having more characters and a lot more shooting effective figures than the Natives. Here it is assumed that the Natives are in their own bit of the jungle. Either they grew up here or they know this sort of place well enough that they're not unsettled by the skulls on trees, know which snakes to avoid etc.

Besides this, bows and arrows versus rifles means they need some sort of an edge. Take the movement advantages off the natives only after you've thought about how the game will work.

Europeans should keep well out of any jungle. You'll probably have to move skirmish lines through scrub as any trail is likely to get crowded pretty quickly.

Having shot, a figure will have to reload to shoot again in a turn unless a machine gun or having a gun bearer attached. At the end of the turn most weapons are automatically considered to reload. Exceptions are slow loading weapons such as matchlocks and other muzzle loaders such as cannon which must take an explicit Load action. Magazine fed rifles would not need to reload, although for play balance designers may wish to say that any third shot in a turn requires an explicit load.

Anyone shooting must shoot at the clearest most obvious and appropriate threat. This concept can be extended to them 'saving' friendlies who are potentially a bit of a tricky threat but much more of a threat to them than to the person shooting. Use common sense.

Each figure shooting is resolved as an opposed roll. Usually a character will have a d8 attack. The target has a dice varying from a d4 to a d12 depending on how difficult the shot is. So a group of 6 shooting would mean six opposed rolls, potentially some may be at different range bands and hence indicate different dice. They will all shoot at the same group or character unless some may only see a different target.

Ranges of weapons are defined in inches per band:

Pistol 2"' Spear 3" Bow or Matchlock 4" Poor Rifle 5" Rifle 6"

Shotgun bands are special: 5", 9",12",14",15"

Characters add 2" to their band if Europeans with rifles, 1" if European or if Native with a weapon they are fully proficient with.

A target 6" away would be just within the first range band for a rifle shot, indicating a d4. A pistol shot would be three range bands distant, indicating a d8. If the range dice shifts over a d12 then the target is out of effective range and the shooter still fires but to no effect.

+1 Light cover, other than fired at by machine gun, shotgun or cannister

+1 Firing through the base of more than one friendly in own group

+1 Under fire marker against group

+1 Bunched, a line may be drawn from shooter through three enemy bases including the target (group) within 2" of each other measured edge to edge.

+2 Target in hard cover such as rocks or behind palisade

-1 Firing through or past friendly or into close combat ( only characters may do this )

-1 Not gun, firing at shielded target and not from right or rear

Where a target has just moved out of cover and most of the rest of it's group are still out of sight or in cover it is usually preferable to give the benefit of the doubt to a target and count them as in soft cover. Where someone is abusing this and attempting to just get into charge range or the like, then you shouldn't. I leave it to you how to detect this.

Any extra is shot and rendered ineffective if the shooters roll is greater than the target's.

Characters are made of sterner stuff - they are only rendered ineffective if their score is doubled.

Having decided that a casualty is inflicted, continue through the group until you know how many are hit. You may then need to randomise who is hit. Either count how many figures are in the target group (say 6) and allocate a number to each ( "count from left" ) and roll a dice per effect. If the same number comes up, the same guy was hit twice and only one casualty was actually inflicted by the two shots.

It is not unusual for a target group to be somewhat in file, and heading towards those shooting. In this instance the nearest man is most likely to be hit and you should allocate a higher chance to the shots hitting him.

For example: a d6, 1-3 the first man, 4-5 the second and on a 6 the third just coming out of the jungle.

You will always be able to fire at least once in a bound even if you get the worst possible roll. The reloading rule means that if you need to get up-close-and-personal then you're going to have a hard time of it unless very lucky or a lot of cover is available. On the other hand, closing on an enemy is not entirely impossible unless he has machine guns and barbed wire.

Or was that another period…

By the end of a turn you'll want to make sure nobody is hanging about in front of an enemy unit. If you leave someone out there in the open then you better hope you get a good score on your action points next time.

If you get a 6 and he gets 12, then you're going to take some fire before you get to go.

This is handled partly by the necessity to have characters hanging about directing people - they are assumed to do a certain amount of rallying and geeing people up.

Any unit taking a loss has an under fire marker placed next to it until it is motivated to remove it. Use a casualty figure, smoke, an explosion counter or something similar.

10% casualties inflicted in a given turn means that side is shaken and only rolls 2d6 as described under action points for the next turn.

Should a side take 25% casualties they are usually considered broken and have lost.

These percentages may be modified by scenario and indeed possibly should be in order to better simulate specifics.

As well or alternatively to this, particular figures may count as two or as a half towards total figures and if lost.

This is resolved at the end of the turn. These rules deliberately emphasise shooting over close combat, if you feel more should happen in close combat then you might be interested in look out for my "Deathville" rules which are similar but designed for (fantasy) medieval skirmish.

At the end of the turn opposing figures who are within an inch of one another are considered to be in close combat and they fight one another. Note that this can happen just by a group moving up to another, a charge is not necessary.

Figures are arranged in pair or multiples against each single outnumbered figure. If X has two figures facing Y who has 3 then there are two groups with one X facing one Y and one X facing two Y figures. Each figure gets a dice. A player rolling multiple dice needs to indicate which are who if this is somehow significant. A competitive dice roll is made with the best of multiple dice being counted. The highest wins and puts the lowest hors de combat. Let's say we're resolving that fight where there are two of Y's figures facing one of X. Player Y will roll two dice and player X one. If either of Y's dice is a higher number then figure X dies. If both of Y are lower, then the lower one dies. If all are equal then nobody dies and they're still hackin' and slashin'.

The dice rolled depends on whether a figure is a character, what weapons are being used and any positional advantage.

Characters start with a d8, extras a d6 and then the dice is shifted upwards or downwards.

+1 Spear, pistol, machete, sword

+1 Defending an obstacle such as wall

-1 Not a shooting close combat weapon, fighting shield armed opponent

-1 Opponent is above

-1 Unarmed or particularly poor weapon

-1 Charged unexpectedly or from side through rear

Where someone must get through a defended window or climb up onto a palisade or castle wall in order to meaningfully attack an opponent a greater roll indicates he has succeeded and pushed his opponent back but may not have killed anyone.

In this circumstance roll again, if successful then he has killed his opponent, otherwise ignore the outcome of this second roll.

After a round of combat has been complete the loser may try to break and run.

In any case a special "tidy up" movement is allowed.

Ideally a referee will move the figures about for players in order to give some benefit to the winner and include figures left out of the previous close combat in the next with sensibly even numbers. Many players can manage this sort of thing without a specific set of limits and guidelines.

If you can't, here's my try at a definition:

If there is a clear winner he may move figures involved in close combat and from their group(s) up to two inches or as far as is deemed reasonable in order to move victorious combatants into contact with others of the enemy. After this or at the same time if appropriate, the defender may move members of his groups which are involved in close combat into the fray if they would otherwise be left out.

Squads of well trained soldiers are trained to operate as a group with their NCO and should know enough about small unit tactics to move about efficiently. These factors are modelled by some of or all the following, depending on how well trained the designer feels the troops should be.

Note that the following give regulars pretty big advantages and you should be careful the first game you try these rules out. You may find you don't have enough native figures to take them on if you put a platoon of regular British infantry on table.

Regulars have larger groups of between 8 to 10 including an NCO.

The NCO counts as a character for all purposes where it benefits him, as part of the group where it benefits him. EG he may shoot as part of a shooting action performed by the group, rolls a d8 and gets an extra 2" addition to his range bands.

Troops well trained in rifle fire get an additional 1" on their range band, making 7".

Exceptionally well trained troops get an additional 2" instead.

Well motivated troops ignore any fire which does not cause a casualty for purposes of being "under-fire".

Troops will treat their NCO and any officer as being a character (only) unless in exceptional circumstances. IE civilians can't give soldiers orders.

In some circumstances it is pretty obvious that the rules for groups and action points are going to be inappropriate. If this is what your game is all about, either you'll need to chuck that (rather fundamental) part of the rules out the window, find another set of rules or invent a special case.

For the occasional suicidal charge of masses of Boxer rebels, Zulu etc I suggest the following:

Where several groups and characters start a turn with the enemy in clear sight then a massed charge can be claimed by their player. Their goal is clear and so it should be easier to move more people so long as they're all heading in the same direction.

Each character gets a "free" gather action for themself and 2d6 extras at the start of the turn. With a "follow me men" he charges forward.

The character and their group together may move 6" for their first Move action in the turn.