Belle

Epoque
Aperitif Game for Gentlemen,
By Pierre Laporte
Belle Epoque
Aperitif Game for Miniature Battles in the Victorian Era and Early 20
th
Century
SE!"G #P $E GAME
Equipment needed: about 150 small coloured counters, and dices.
A small equilateral triangle is cut from
cardboard, and placed at the edge of the
playing surface. Place a counter at the top,
then shift the triangle and repeat the
process until the whole surface is coered.
!hus, each to"en indicates the centre of a
sector, whose radius e#tends halfway
towards a ne#t to"en$ simply deploy the
figures around a to"en to indicate that the
sector is occupied by a unit. %therwise, a
classic he# board may as well be used.
SCALES
1 unit & 1 'rigade()iision$
1 *) +distance between , to"ens, according to the aailable playing surface- 1"m.
M#SE%!"G
Any sector may contain one unit ma#imum.
.a#imum number of stands per unit
/aalry(.ounted 0nfantry: &
1ormed 0nfantry: '
!ribesmen: (
)*C%!"E
1ormed infantry units can be in loose or close formation. !his must be specified before the
game starts, and cannot be changed during the course of the game.
As a rule, tribesmen and caalry are always considered as in close formation.
GAME #%"
1 2 Players roll for /ommand Points
, 2 Players actiate their units one after the other, the initiatie switching sides randomly.
C*MMA") P*!"S
3oll 1 dice for eery 4 stands. *se d' if mediocre 5eneral, d( if aerage, or d+ if superior.
!otal obtained & number of /ommand Points +/Ps- aailable for current turn only.
AC!VA!*"
Each player chooses a colour before the game starts. At the start of each game turn, each
player puts in a bowl as many to"ens matching that colour as units of his own camp deployed
on the tabletop. !o"ens are mi#ed and pic"ed up one after the other: each allows the
actiation of one unit of the corresponding camp +e#cept if player chooses to pass-. %nce
played, place the to"en under a stand of the unit to help remember that it has been actiated.
%EAC!V!, ESS
6hen actiated, units need to test in order to perform a travel march, a firing, or an assault.
'asic 7core +'7- is:
%eacti-ity le-el.)octrine Loose *rder Close *rder
Poor 1 ,
!rained , 8
Elite 8 9
!o the 'asic 7core, add as many /Ps as wished$ then roll a d:. 0f the obtained score is lower
or equal to the modified 'asic 7core, the unit is successfully actiated. 1or e#ample, if a
player wishes a trained unit in loose order to obey toeing the line, he must spend 9 /Ps.
0n case of a miss, a unit may only perform a 1 *) basic moe, and defend if assaulted.
M*VEME"S
Any actiated unit must complete its possible moement before firing or initiating an assault.
roop type Basic mo-e ra-el March +firing not allowed-
0nfantry 1 *) , *)
;atie 6arriors 1 *) ,(8 *)
/aalry 1 *) ,(8(9 *)
.ounted 0nfantry 1 *) ,(8 *)
7ectors can be %pen, or /oer +"op<e, woods, etc.-. *nits must stop when entering coer, or
when entering a sector ad<acent to a sector containing enemy troops. *nits cannot fire nor
initiate an assault if entering a sector containing rough terrain +swamp, dense woods, etc.-.
E#cept special units, trael march is not allowed when leaing a rough terrain sector.
According to scenarios, some sectors can be designed as impassable to all or some units.
%**P ,PES
=A> type unit: infantry equipped with maga?ine rifles, and supported by machine@guns and
quic"@firing artillery.
='> type unit: infantry equipped with maga?ine rifles and supported by machine@guns and
breech@loading artillery.
=/> type unit: infantry equipped with breech@loading rifles and supported by first generation
machine@guns and mu??le@loading artillery.
=)> type unit: infantry equipped with breech@loading rifles and supported by 'A artillery.
=E> type unit: infantry equipped with mu??le@loading rifles, and supported by .A artillery.
=1> type unit: infantry equipped with smoothbore mus"ets and supported by .A artillery, or
caalry supported by horse artillery.
=5> type unit: foot soldiers with ery limited firepower, or unsupported caalry.
/!%!"G
roop type.%an0e 1 #) 2 #) & #) ' #)
=A> unit 5 +8B- 9 +,- 8 +1- , +1 Conly if uphillD-
='> unit 5 +8- 9 +1- , 1
=/> unit 9 +,- 8 1 @
=)> unit 8 +1- , , 1
=E> unit 8 , 1 @
=1> unit , 1 1 @
=5> unit 1 @ @ @
B Between brackets: =To Hit number if firing unit is moving
Procedure: roll 1d: per stand$ each score lower or equal to the =!o Eit> number is successful,
and the targeted unit losses one stand.
A moing unit can fire only if a =!o Eit> number is indicated between brac"ets.
0f the firing unit is uphill from its target or if its target is rated =conspicuous>, the =!o Eit>
numbers increase by 1 +but a score of =:> is always a miss-.
0f target is a loose order unit in the open or a close order infantry unit at coer, a score of 1 is
a miss. 0f target is a loose order unit at coer or any infantry unit in fortifications, 1 or , is a
miss. E#ample: at medium range +, *)-, a ='> unit must roll 8(9 to hit an entrenched target.
!he Aine of 1ire is drawn between centre point of the targeted unitFs sector and that of the
firing unit$ firing is forbidden if the Ao1 crosses throughout a sector containing troops or
terrain that bloc"s sight, e#cept if the firing unit is on higher ground.
V!S!B!L!,
!o be fired upon, a unit must be =seen> by its opponent. A unit is automatically seen at 8 *)$
Add 1 *) if the target is a /lose 1ormation unit, and(or if that unit fired at least once
with non@smo"eless powder +any unit before 14G4-,
)educt 1 *) if the targeted unit didnFt moe at all since the beginning of the game,
and(or if that unit is at coer.
ASSA#L
0f actiated and not firing, a unit may assault an enemy unit occupying an ad<acent sector.
Procedure: each side rolls 1d: per stand and adds 7uccessful 7cores +77-. !hen players
compare their respectie totals$ highest wins, and his opponent loses a number of stands equal
to the difference between both totals. 0n case of a tie, both sides lose one stand. 77 chart:
.ilitia, or 3egulars in loose order$ 1(,
3egulars in /lose %rder$ 1(,(8
/hoc troops$ 1(,(8(9
0f a unit recoils, eades or is eliminated following an assault, the winning unit may carry the
position. A unit rated =bold> must ta"e an abandoned position.
E#ample: a 9 stands Hulu warriors unit attac"s a 8 stands 'ritish regulars unit. !he defending
player rolls 9, , and 8$ as those soldiers are close order regulars, the 9 is a miss and player
totali?es a score of 5. !he attac"ing player rolls 1, 9, 5 and 8$ as his soldiers are bold choc
troops, only the 5 is a miss and player totali?es a score of 4. !he difference between both
totals is 8$ thus the 'ritish unit is destroyed and its position is oerrun.
M#L!PLE C*MBAS
A unit may initiate only one assault per turn, but can of course sustain seeral attac"s. !hus, if
a unit fights seeral combats during a same turn, player reduces by 1 its 7uccessful 7core
leel per assault fought beyond the first one. 1or e#ample, regulars in close order will fight a
second combat with a 77 leel of 1(,. Eoweer, a score of 1 is always successful, een if the
77 leel falls below 1 due to successie attac"s.
AC!CAL M*)!/!E%S
0f an infantry unit defends a sector proiding tactical benefice +hill, "op<e, etc.-, its 77 leel
increases by 1, or by , if defending fortifications. Eoweer, a score of : is always a miss.
6hen attac"ing, the 77 leel of troops classified as =dashing> is upgraded by 1.
6hen defending, the 77 leel of troops classified as =stubborn> is upgraded by 1.
3egardless of other circumstances, caalry unitFs 77 is reduced to 1 if assaulting built up
areas or fortifications, or if fighting from this terrain types or from rough terrain.
*P!*"AL %#LES
SALV* A") S#PP*% /!%!"G
0f assaulted and not yet actiated, a unit may fire once the attac"ing unit has completed its
possible moement, but before resoling the assault. Eoweer, the defending unit must pass a
reactiity test and therefore will be considered as actiated$ besides, the player must remoe
one of his to"ens from the bowl, een if it fails. !his rule may apply not only to the assaulted
unit, but also to a neighbouring friendly unit if the assaulting opponent is within 1 *) of it.
/ALL BAC2 M*VEME"S
E#cept for a unit rated =stubborn>, or for infantry behind fortifications, =een> losses +,
nd
, 9
th
,
etc.- sustained following a fire@fight or an assault are conerted into 1 *) bac"ward
moements. 1or e#ample, a unit that loses an assault with a difference of 5 points will sustain
8 stands of casualties and must fall bac" , *).
!his rule does not apply if the bac"ward moement cannot be performed +because of
impassable terrain, etc.-, or if the unit doesnFt moe away from eery opponent in the process.
EVA)E M*VEME"S
0f assaulted by a slower opponent and not yet actiated, a unit may perform an eade moe
similar to a trael march, in order to try to aoid fighting. Eoweer, the eading unit must
pass a reactiity test and therefore will be considered as actiated$ besides, the player must
remoe one of his to"ens from the bowl, een if it fails.
3E"C*#"E%4 SCE"A%!* S#GGES!*"
,9 to 8: stands per side$ and G sectors +wide- # 18 sectors +depth- table(board.
)eploy units along their respectie tabletop edge. 3oll 1d: for each sector within 9 *) of a
unit: 1(,(8(9$ open, 5$ hill, :$ dense egetation +coer(rough-. 3enew the process following
each unitFs moements during the course of the game, until all the sectors are =discoered>.
*se red to"ens to indicate une#plored sectors, and green for the =inestigated> ones.
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