Shardana (Sherden) Warbands

 

Also among the figures acquired from Bill McHugh were a number of these.

In fact, there were sufficient figures to make 3 full units!

The Shardana were another of the "Sea Peoples" who invaded Egypt and Palestine before, during, and after the reign of Ramses II. 

Once again, these figures are definitely by Old Glory.

Here's the second unit.

These are more or less as Bill painted them, with just minor touch ups and rebasing.

 

Once again, the models are familiar from my own Sherdens. 

In order to make the individual units distinctive, some minor paint conversion was done. 

For this 3rd unit, the shields were changed to green, as was the pattern on the tunics. 

The same was done with the first unit, using red instead. 

I am probably going to convert my existing 2 units of 16 Sherdens into 3 more units of 12, with the aid of a few Command figures acquired from Foundry last month. That way they can serve either with a Sea Peoples force or as mercenaries in the Egyptian army. 

Morschauser Horse and Musket Rules - sort of.

 These are the rules we used for our New Year's Eve remote game, based upon the rules in Joseph Morschauser's book, How to play Wargames in Miniature, including somr of the ideas he sets for in the later chapters of the book, and using a gridded tabletop (which he subsequently became a great advocate of). The grid speeds play and works especially well with a remote gaming set up. 

Following that is the same set updated a bit from the experience of playing the last game. 

Morschauser-style gridded Horse and Musket Rules, Mark 1

Unit Type	Move-inches	Move-boxes	Hits	Melee- Front	Melee- Other
Light Infantry	15”	5	4	2	1
Infantry	12”	4	5	3	1
Grenadiers	12”	4	6	4	1
Light Cavalry	18”	6	4	4	2
Heavy Cavalry	15”	5	6	5	2
Artillery	12”	4	3	1	1
Leaders	18”	6	2	1	1

For gridded game, costs 1.5 to move on the diagonal

Costs 3”/1 box for each turn of up to 90 degrees

Increase Move by 50% if the entire move is along a road. 

In melee roll as many dice as hits remaining to the unit, Each die scoring the melee value or less is a hit on the enemy.

Minus 1 to melee when attacking uphill, from stream, into woods, or units in buildings

Unit Type	Range-inches	Range-boxes	To Hit	Special
Light Infantry	18”	6	4, 5, 6	May enter Woods
Infantry	18”	6	5, 6
Grenadiers	18”	6	5, 6
Light Cavalry	12”	4	6
Heavy Cavalry	N/A	N/A	N/A	No shooting
Artillery-Shot	48”	16	4, 5 ,6
Artillery-Grape	12”	4	2, 3, 4 ,5, 6
Leaders	Must stay w/in 24”/8 boxes of his command; units farther away move ½ speed. May Rally once per turn 1,2 = fail, 3,4,5,8 = 1 hit,

Units may Fire at the beginning or end of their move, but not in between.

Each unit gets one shot, no matter how many hits it has taken, until eliminated.

Minus 1 to shooting into woods, behind walls, or in buildings.

Units in a stream or ford may not shoot.

If entering an enemy zone of control (within 3”/the 3 boxes to the front) must stop, and melee will result. Must face into the box of at least one enemy unit whose ZOC you enter.

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Morschauser-style gridded Horse and Musket Rules, Mark 2

Organize the Army into commands, each with a Leader. Leaders only affect their Command.

Players alternate turns. Dice for who goes first at the beginning of the game. 

Unit Type	Move-inches	Move-boxes	Hits	Melee- Front	Melee- Other
Militia Infantry	6”	2	2	2	1
Light Infantry	9”	3	4	2	1
Infantry	6”	2	5	3	1
Grenadiers	6”	2	6	4	1
Light Cavalry	15”	5	4	4	2
Heavy Cavalry	12”	4	6	5	2
Artillery	6”	2	3	1	1
Leaders	18”	6	2	1	1

For gridded game, counts as 1.5 boxes to move or measure range on the diagonal

Costs  1.5”/1/2 box for each turn of 45 degrees

Increase Move by 50% if the entire move is along a road. 

Only Light Infantry may enter woods. Cavalry and Artillery may not enter buildings.

If entering an enemy zone of control (within 3”/the 3 boxes to the front) must stop, and melee will result. Must face into the box of at least one enemy unit whose ZOC you enter.

All defending units who are attacked, or have an enemy in their ZOC may fight in melee. 

Minus 1 to melee when attacking uphill, from stream, into woods, or units in buildings

Minus 1 to melee if their Command is Shaken. 

Units losing a melee Fall Back 6” (2 boxes), facing the enemy.

Unit Type	Range-inches	Range-boxes	To Hit	Special
Militia Infantry	12”	4	5, 6
Light Infantry	12”	4	4, 5, 6	May enter Woods
Infantry	12”	4	5, 6
Grenadiers	12”	4	5, 6
Light Cavalry	9”	3	6
Heavy Cavalry	N/A	N/A	N/A	No shooting
Artillery-Shot	48”	16	4, 5 ,6
Artillery-Grape	12”	4	2, 3, 4 ,5, 6
Leaders	Must stay w/in 18”/6 boxes of his command; units farther away move ½ speed. May Rally one unit once per turn 1,2 = fail, 3,4,5,6 = 1 hit regained

Each unit gets one shot, no matter how many hits it has taken, until eliminated.

Units may Fire at the beginning or end of their move, but not in between

Minus 1 to shooting into woods, behind walls, or in buildings.

Minus 1 to shooting if their Command is Shaken. 

Units in a stream or ford may not shoot.

Units suffering 2 or more hits due to fire in a single turn Fall Back 6’/2 boxes, facing the enemy. 

Morale 

Command Morale: When ½ of the units in a Command have been removed it becomes Shaken and must immediately retreat 12”/4 boxes. Units which are part of a Shaken Command move at half speed, except to the rear (retreating), and suffer an additional minus 1 penalty to shooting and melee. 

Army Morale: When all the Commands in an army are Shaken the General must concede. 

Extras

Guard troops 

are treated as their type, but get two additional hit boxes. Should be very limited!

Poorly motivated troops and less than enthusiastic allied troops could also be handled like the Militia.

Leader Quality 

Roll a D6 for each Leader at the start of the game:

1,2= Poor (minus 1 to Rally rolls)

3,4 = Average (no change)

5,6 = Superior (plus 1 to rally rolls; a modified “7” = 2 hits regained!

The quality roll itself could be modified -1 for armies with overall poor leadership, and +1 for armies with excellent overall leadership.