Machine Age Wargames Rules (v9)

Neil Thomas

UNIT TYPES
This game features the unit types of Infantry (which has a sub-type of Militia),
Elite Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery. The first three occupy a frontage of 4–6
inches, whereas ordnance and armour is deployed over a width of 2–3 inches. Any
size or scale of figure may be used; wargamers should decide for themselves how
many figures constitute a given unit.

SEQUENCE OF PLAY
Each complete turn comprises two player turns. Each wargamer follows the
sequence listed below in his or her player turn:
1. Movement 2. Shooting 3. Eliminating Units

MOVEMENT
1. Draw an event card. It must be used this turn, discarded and the deck
shuffled.
2. Initiative. Before moving a unit roll a D20. If the score is equal to or less
than the number of hits the unit has taken it cannot move. It can still fire.
3. Movement allowances. Units may move up to the distances listed below
during their turn:
Infantry, Militia, Elite Infantry and Artillery 6”
Cavalry 12”
Tanks 9”
4. Turning. Units turn by pivoting on their central point. They may do so at the
start and/or the end of their move.
5. Terrain. Units are affected by terrain as follows:
Woods. Only Infantry, Militia and Elite Infantry may enter.
Towns. Only Infantry, Militia and Elite Infantry may end their move in a
town. Only one unit of each side may be in a town at any time.
Marshland and Lakes. These are impassable to all units.
Rivers. These may only be crossed via bridges or fords.
Roads. Units moving by road increase their movement distance by 3” if
their entire move is spent on the road.
6. Moving and Shooting. Units may not shoot if they have moved during the
same turn.
7. Interpenetration. Units may not pass through each other.
SHOOTING
The procedure for shooting is as follows:
1. Adjudge field of fire.
2. (a) Units may only shoot at a single target within 45º of their frontal facing,
except for units in Towns. These have a field of fire of 360º, and may
therefore engage any single target in any direction.
(b) Units in a town or wood can shoot and be shot at, but fire cannot be
directed at a unit beyond a wood, town or hill. That is, line of sight & fire
can pass through one edge of a terrain feature but not two.
(c) To fire at a target more than half of the firer's front edge must have a
clear line of sight to the target and a 'fire lane' of that half base width.
(d) The nearest eligible unit must be shot at.
3. Measure range. Militia, Infantry, Elite Infantry, Cavalry and Tanks have a
range of 12”. Artillery has a range of 48”.
4. Nominate targets. Indicate which unit is shooting at which target before
making any dice rolls. This target cannot be changed regardless of the
result of the firing.
5. Assess casualties. Units roll a die when shooting.
Infantry and Artillery use the unmodified score.
Elite Infantry and Tanks add 2 to the score.
Cavalry & Militia subtract 2 from the score.
Any unit except Artillery firing at Artillery add 2 to the score.
The final score gives the number of hits the target acquires, which is
modified by the following:
(a) Cover. Units in woods or towns only suffer half the registered number of
hits (fractions are rounded in favour of the unit shooting). To count as in
cover at least half of the unit must be in the wood or town.
(b) Armour. Tanks likewise only suffer half the number of hits.

ELIMINATING UNITS
Units are eliminated upon the acquisition of 15 hits.

ENTRENCHMENTS AND BARRAGES

The procedure for these is as follows:
Determine status. Both players roll a die, with the winner deciding whether to
attack or defend. In a campaign game the side on the strategic defensive is the
defender.
Defender entrenches. All defending units in the open are entrenched. These units
are treated as being under cover. If they move they lose that status and their
entrenchments are removed.
Attacker fires barrage. The attacker targets 1–3 units of their choice before the
start of the game (roll a die and halve the result, rounding up any fractions). Roll
a die for each unit targeted; the target unit immediately takes that number of
hits. Note that fire may not be concentrated on one unit but must be rolled
separately for the 1, 2 or 3 units.
Japanese
Six units: Three Elite Infantry plus three units as rolled below.
Four units: One Elite Infantry and roll as below, subtracting one from the roll.
Roll Militia Infantry Elite Cavalry Artillery Tanks
Infantry
0 or 1 0 3 0 0 0 0
2 0 2 1 0 0 0
3 0 1 2 0 0 0
4 0 1 1 0 1 0
5 0 0 2 0 1 0
6 0 0 1 0 1 1

Japanese client (Provisional Government, Reformed Government, Reorganised

National Government)
Six units: Three Infantry plus three units as rolled below.
Four units: One Infantry and roll as below, subtracting one from the roll.
Roll Militia Infantry Elite Cavalry Artillery Tanks
Infantry
0 or 1 2 1 0 0 0 0
2 1 1 0 1 0 0
3 1 2 0 0 0 0
4 0 1 1 1 0 0
5 0 1 1 0 1 0
6 0 0 2 0 1 0

Chinese nationalist & communist

Six units: Three Infantry, plus three units as rolled below.
Four units: One Infantry and roll as below, subtracting one from the roll.
Roll Militia Infantry Elite Cavalry Artillery Tanks
Infantry
0 or 1 2 1 0 0 0 0
2 1 2 0 0 0 0
3 0 2 0 1 0 0
4 0 1 1 1 0 0
5 0 1 2 0 0 0
6 0 0 2 0 1 0