Featherstone’s Chimera

I’ve been thinking Ghost Legions again, and in that regard something quick and easy. I still want to be able to grab a box of Italeri figures and have the rules to pitch it against any other box. Sort of like what Games Workshop do with their Combat Patrol and Spearhead games. For those not already aware, Ghost Legions is about the wars Ghosts fight in the underworld, so you can have any historical force fight any other, and paint them up as Ghosts, so you can get a lot of figures done very quickly and out of that pile or cupboard of shame/opportunity.

Being a fan of Donald Featherstone, of course I own the classic tome War Games:

Inside are several sets of rules that span different historical periods, and as the underlying engine driving these rule sets is similar… what if we mushed them together?

I’ve just got the basics for now, some balancing mechanics will be required, points and maybe respawning? But for now I give you Featherstone’s Chimera:

UNITS

Figures should be grouped into units. Figures in units do not have to be armed the same, however they should have the same level of armour (or lack thereof) and movement speed. For ease of play, when moving figures in a unit should stay 1/2” away from other units (unless fighting an enemy in melee) so you can easily distinguish between units, and the figures in the unit should stay closely grouped.

TURN ORDER

At the start of the game roll for A and B. Then for the entirety of the game:

1. Side A Moves
2. Side B Shoots
3. Side A Shoots
4. Side B Moves

Melee Combat and Morale Tests are resolved immediately as they crop up.

MOVEMENT

Distances are as follows:

Light Infantry 9”, Heavy Infantry 6”

Light Cavalry 15”, Heavy Cavalry 12”

Chariots 15”

Elephants 12”

Artillery 6”, Horse Drawn Artillery 12”

Tanks 12”, Heavy Tank 8”

Half Tracks 24”, Armoured Cars 18”, Scout Cars 30”

Rough ground halves moves. To cross a wall or hedge costs 3”.

If a unit has no ranged weapons it won’t take the time to aim and possibly shoot at enemies, so when units could shoot if they have no ranged weapons they can move an additional 3” instead.

SHOOTING

Total the FP of the unit firing. One die is thrown per 5 FP. Only weapons of the same AP value are combined in this way. The dice are the total number of hits scored, count any 6s rolled as 0. Any remaining FP that is not included in the roll, can score additional hits if you roll a single die equal to or below the remaining FP. So for 23FP you would roll 4 dice for 20FP with their total value being the number of hits scored (6s counting as 0s), and one additional adding the value rolled if it is a 3 or less (4-6 in this case would count as a 0). The target unit can make saving throws.

For example a unit of WW2 German Infantry contains 5 men armed with Modern Rifles, 1 man armed with a Machine Gun, 1 man armed with a Flamethrower and 1 man armed with a Panzershreck. Their target is within 6”.

The Rifles and Machine Gun generate 10FP with AP1

The Flamethrower and Panzershreck generate 7FP with AP3

SAVING THROWS

After hits have been calculated the target unit may make saving throws. If a unit has mixed saving throws, saves are always made by the figures with the worst saves first.

Unarmoured 6+

Armour or Shield 5+

Armour and Shield 4+

Chariots 3+

Elephants 2+

Armoured Car, Scout Car, Half Track 1+

Tank 0+

Heavy Tank -1+ (minus one plus)

Armoured Car, Scout Car, Half Track, Tank or Heavy Tank when fighting in melee have a  2+ save instead.

+1 if mounted and fighting in melee

+1 for soft cover

+2 for hard cover

-AP of the weapons being used

MELEE

When two units make base contact the melee is immediately resolved. Each infantryman counts as 1 Melee Point, each cavalryman 2MP, each chariot 5MP, elephant 10MP and each armoured car or tank 10MP. Warmachines such as stone throwers or guns do not fight, only their crew.  Total the points of each side, and for each 5 MP roll a die. Any remaining MP that is not included in the roll, can score additional hits if you roll a single die equal to or below the remaining MP. The side that moved into contact counts as charging and adds 1 to each die rolled. The total a side scores is the number of hits on the enemy unit. Saving throws are made as with shooting. Melee is considered simultaneous, so both sides fight at the same time, with casualties removed at the end.

The side that scored the lower number of casualties loses the fight and must take a morale test immediately. Unless that side completely eliminated the enemy in which case they do not lose and do not take a morale test.

MORALE

To take a morale test, roll a die for the unit, on a 3+ the unit passes. On a 1 or 2 the test is failed, roll the die again and resolve the result:

5+ the unit rallies, but cannot move at their next opportunity.

On a 4 25% of the unit retreats from the battle (controlling player determines which figures).

On a 3 50% of the unit retreats.

On a 2 75% of the unit retreats.

On a 1 100% of the unit retreats.

Round up any partial figures to whole figures.