GARYCON 2019 – notes on CHAINMAIL

CHAINMAIL GENERAL NOTES

 Premeasurement is not permitted, either before movement or missile fire.

Troops are divided into units.  Units must be kept together.

Types of troops may not be combined in one unit.  EXCEPTION:  Missile troops may be interspersed with the front line of a unit of melee foot troops … for example, Heavy Foot…Archer… Heavy Foot… Archer.  In case of melee the archers may pull back from melee and not engage.

Before the battle begins, smaller units may be combined with others of the same kind, or large units may be separated.  Units may not be smaller than 5 figures.  Any combining or splitting of units must be given to the referee in writing before the battle begins.  Large units have stronger morale but are less maneuverable, smaller units are more maneuverable but easier to break.

Fatigue rules will not be used for Battle on the Ice.

Morale check to stand up to a cavalry charge will not be used.

If a commander (Prince Bishop Hermann, Alexander Nevsky, Andrey Nevsky) is with a unit that unit gets +1 to all die rolls (two dice adds +2).  Any unit within 12” of a commander gets +1 to all die or dice rolls.

In post melee morale, for two equal units in melee the result is virtually always “melee continues,” so post melee morale will only be calculated in case of a noticeable disparity in either troop types or numbers.

Morale checks due to excess casualties will be used.

Flanking, that is, hitting a unit in the front and flank at the same time with multiple units, wins battles.

Units attacking from the flank are at the next higher class, i.e., Heavy Foot equals Armored Foot and Heavy Horse equals +1 on each die.  Units which attack from the rear deliver casualties without receiving any in return. In addition, such troops receive the bonus stated above for Flank Attack.

If a unit retreats or routs into a friendly unit, both units are disordered and cannot move next turn.  If they are attacked by either melee or missile the turn after contact they may both keep retreating.  This is great when it happens to the other guy and sucks when it happens to you.

A unit that charges will continue moving as long as it keeps killing.  This means that charging horse can very likely blow away the nearest foot unit and keep right on going.  A hill prevents charging, either up or down.

Both the Germans and the Russians know that Teutonic Knights are Heavy Horse and Russian Knights are Medium Horse.  This is not the first time these groups have fought.

We have endeavored to make the figures as accurate as possible, but we’ve had to make do with what’s actually available.  Check your troop sheets for the actual descriptions and capabilities of your units.

ADDITIONAL RULES – COMBAT OF THE THIRTY

  • All figures move 6” per turn. There is no bonus for charge move or road move.
  • The man to man combat tables will be used. We have endeavored to come as close as possible to the actual arms and weapons, but we had to use what we have.  Please take care to keep track of the armor and weapons your figures have on their tactical order sheets.
  • Knights take two hits before they are eliminated. After taking one hit a knight is -2 on all die rolls (-2 on two dice as well).  Squires are eliminated with one hit.
  • Fatigue rules will be used as follows (modifications to printed rules):Troops become fatigued at 5 fatigue points. Fatigued troops get a -1 on all die rolls, melee and morale, and all attackers at them get a +1 on their attack dice.

One turn of movement gives 1 fatigue point.
Charging gives 2 fatigue points.
One turn of melee gives 2 fatigue points.

One turn of complete rest, no movement, missile fire, or melee, removes all fatigue.

  • Since this is a “chivalrous” passage of arms, attacking from the rear is not allowed. Attacking from the flank is allowed, and gives the attacker a +1 on the dice.
  • Spears may attack from the second rank.
  • On the first round of melee, the longer weapon attacks first, including spears in the second rank. Second and subsequent rounds, the shorter weapon attacks first.  In case of equal weapon length, the winner of the “Move/Countermove” roll attacks first.

 

The weapon lengths, from shortest to longest, are:

Mace

Sword

Battle Axe

Morning Star

Spear

 

  • The To-Hit table is below:

 

Reinforced Mail    Plate Armor     Plate and Shield

Mace                                   8                      7                      8
Sword                                 9                      10                    11
Battle Axe                          7                      9                      10
Morning Star                      7                      8                      8
Spear                                   10                    11                    12

2 thoughts on “GARYCON 2019 – notes on CHAINMAIL”

  2. Lloyd says:

    Hi, Michael. I just stumbled across this 4 year old post, and as I’ve just become interested in Chainmail, it triggered a question re: the number of rounds of melee per turn.

    It seems implied in Chainmail and in some of your statements above (“On the first round of melee, the longer weapon attacks first… Second and subsequent rounds….”) that those second and subsequent rounds exist within the same turn and don’t carry over to the next turn. That, in fact, all melee that begins in a turn must be resolved in that same turn, until there are no units still engaged in melee. My reading further suggests units that survive melee in one turn must always re-establish melee engagement in the following turn if they want to “continue melee” from turn to turn.

    Am I understanding the rules correctly?

    Or can the same two opposing units that started melee in one turn remain engaged into the next turn and continue their melee in the new turn?

    Reply

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