Volley & Bayonet

Wargame Rules for 18th and 19th Century Battles of the Black Powder Era

Volley & Bayonet became one of the most popular 18th and 19th century warfare simulation games shortly after it was published. A special feature of Volley & Bayonet is that the miniature figurines of a tactical formation are mounted on a single battalion, regimental, or brigade stand which remains in play until the entire unit is destroyed or dispersed, and removed from the field of battle. Infantry regiments are mounted on regimental stands 76 mm wide and 38 mm deep, infantry and cavalry brigades use 76 x 76 mm brigade stands. The strength of a regiment or brigade is expressed in terms of strength points, which are monitored on a roster sheet kept by the owning player.

The number of miniatures on a battalion, regimental, or brigade stand has no influence on the game. Players may chose any figure scale and turn their stands into miniature dioramas with as few or as many troops as they like. In 1:72 scale, ten to 15 infantry or five cavalry figures are enough to fill a brigade stand. Artillery battalions with 12 artillery pieces consist of one model gun and three or four gunners on a 38 mm wide and 76 mm deep artillery stand. Tactical elements of this type are attractive to look at, easy to maneuvre during game-play, they require little pick-up time after battle, and they protect the carefully painted miniatures against damage.

Bavarian infantry regiment Kurprinz based on a 76 x 38 mm regimental stand for Volley & Bayonet Bavarian Infanterie-Regiment Kurprinz of 13 figures in 1:100 scale, mounted on a 76 mm wide and 38 mm deep regimental stand. The regiment has a starting strength of 1000 to 1500 men, equivalent of two or three strength points (SP). Grenadiers are present, and the regiment has battalion guns attached. The 100 x 150 mm town block in the background may be occupied by two infantry regiments or one brigade. Narrow town houses are arranged around a 76 x 76 mm town square in the center of the block. The town square is filled with a fountain, trees, or additional houses, when it is not needed for the deployment of troops.

Infantry marches 4.5 km per hourly game turn on roads, or advances 1000 to 1500 m across country. Volley & Bayonet and Empire are among the few wargame rules with realistic march rates per hour.

Cavalry Saving Throws

While infantry was commited to the line of battle and ordered to hold its ground, cavalry was often permitted to redeploy to a more advantageous position and evade enemy fire in the process. Accordingly, Volley & Bayonet allows cavalry units hit by enemy fire to withdraw and attempt a saving throw to negate the hit effect.

Titel: Volley & Bayonet
Period: 1700 to 1890
Type: Grand-Tactical Miniature Wargame
Time Scale: 1 turn = 60 minutes
Ground Scale: 1:3600 (1 inch = 100 yards)
Troop Scale: 1 Strength Point = 500 Men or 12 Artillery Pieces
Basing: 76 x 38 mm Infantry Regimental Bases, 76 x 76 mm Brigade Bases
Author: Frank Chadwick, Greg Novak
Format: 94-page rule book
Language: English
Publisher: Game Designer's Workshop GDW, Bloomington, Illinois
Published: 1994

Chapters

Basic Rules
- Scale and Assumptions
- Units and Mounting Figures
- Roster Sheet
- Sequence of Play
- Game Markers
- Command Determination
- Movement
- Combat
- Melée Combat
- Fire Combat
- Saving Throws
- Division Exhaustion
- Terrain
- Combat Example
Scenarios
1. The Ancien Regimes
  - The Battle of Lobositz
  - The Battle of Minden
  - The Battle of Brandywine
2. The Napoleonic Wars
  - The Battle of Marengo
  - The Battle of Austerlitz
  - The Battle of Salamanca
3. Early Modern Wars
  - The Battle of the Alma
  - The First Battle of Manassas
  - The Battle of St. Privat
Designer's Notes
Questions and Answers
Game Reference Chart

Volley & Bayonet stand sizes may be adjusted to accomodate larger miniatures like 40 mm Prince August figures, which may be mounted on upscaled 100 x 50 mm infantry regimental stands, 100 x 100 mm brigade stands, or 50 x 100 mm artillery stands.

Opponent Finder

Please join our Miniatures Forum to find fellow wargamers in your area who share your interest in the Napoleonic period of warfare. The Miniatures Forum is a social network portal for modellers, wargamers, and miniature collectors.

Empire is the right choice for students of military history interested in a realistic simulation of Napoleonic warfare at the grand-tactical and tactical level. 176 pages do require a serious investment of time and thought, to read and understand the rules, let alone master them. However, anyone with a good understanding of Horse & Musket warfare should be able to command a maneuvre element without prior study of the rules, if the other players are prepared to teach as the engagement unfolds. Empire models the real world situation so closely, that an Empire novice may formulate his tactical moves in English while an experienced commander pulls the relevant chart and computes the results.

Frequently Asked Questions

For further information on the subject, please contact the editors of Military Miniatures Magazine in the Miniatures Forum.

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