10. OPTIONAL RULES & CAMPAIGNS

These mechanics add deep historical flavor, "friction," and narrative progression to your battles. They are completely optional and should only be used if both players agree before the game begins.

1.0 Pre-Game Command Bidding

[OPT-10-1.1] The Bidding Phase: Instead of rolling for standard Turn 1 initiative, both players receive a pool of 15 Pre-Battle Points. Before deployment, players secretly allocate these points across four categories using a piece of paper.
[OPT-10-1.2] Resolving Bids: Reveal the allocations simultaneously. The player who bid the most points in a category wins that specific advantage. (Ties result in neither player getting the advantage).
Scouting: Winner may move or remove one terrain piece (excluding rivers) up to 6.0" before deployment.
The March: Winner forces the enemy to deploy their entire army first.
Initiative: Winner automatically takes the first turn of the game.
Logistics: Winner selects one enemy artillery battery; it begins the game with a "Low Ammo" marker.

2.0 The Clean Barrels (First Volley)

[OPT-10-2.1] Pristine Muskets: Historically, the very first shot a regiment fired was meticulously loaded in camp. To represent this, place a small visual token (such as a white cotton puff or a brass percussion cap) next to every infantry regiment during deployment.
[OPT-10-2.2] The Bonus: When a regiment fires its muskets for the very first time in the game, it receives a flat +1 To-Hit modifier on its shooting dice.
[OPT-10-2.3] Fouled Barrels: Immediately after this first attack is resolved, remove the token. The regiment will never receive this bonus again during the battle, representing black powder fouling and combat stress.

3.0 The Friction of War Events

[OPT-10-3.1] Triggering Friction: At the start of the turn, if both players roll the exact same number when generating their Commander's Staff Pips, the Active Player must pause and roll 1D6 on the Friction Table below before issuing any orders.

1D6 Roll	Battlefield Event	Effect
1	Ammunition Wagon Delayed	The opponent selects one active battery or regiment. It immediately receives a Low Ammo marker.
2	Sudden Squall	A brief rain dampens powder. For this entire turn, all shooting dice pools for both sides are halved (rounded down).
3	Misinterpreted Orders	The opponent selects one active regiment. It must immediately move 6.0" straight forward.
4	"The General is at the Front!"	The Active Brigadier generates +2 Pips this turn. However, if any unit in his brigade takes a casualty, he is automatically wounded (removed from play).
5	Panic in the Ranks	A false rumor sweeps the line. Roll 1D6 for a random active regiment; on a 1-3, they receive a Disorder marker.
6	Heroic Momentum	The Active Player chooses one regiment. It may Assault this turn for 0 Pips and automatically passes its Discipline Check to close.

4.0 Hidden Deployment (Blinds)

[OPT-10-4.1] The Tokens: During deployment, instead of placing miniature regiments on the table, players deploy numbered wooden blocks or "Blind" tokens. Each player receives exactly 1 Blind for each of their real Brigades, plus 2 "Dummy" Blinds.
[OPT-10-4.2] Maneuvering Blinds: Blinds move exactly like troops during the Maneuver phase, at a flat speed of 9.0" across any terrain.
[OPT-10-4.3] Unmasking: A Blind is immediately revealed if an enemy unit or enemy Blind moves within 12.0" (visual range), or if the controlling player voluntarily unmasks it to shoot.
[OPT-10-4.4] The Trap: If a revealed Blind is a Dummy, it is instantly removed from the table. If it is a real Brigade, replace the token with the actual miniatures, facing any direction the controlling player wishes.

5.0 Campaign Progression (The Persistent Army)

[OPT-10-5.1] The Post-Game Sequence: For players wishing to link their battles into a persistent narrative campaign, regiments do not "reset" between games. After a battle concludes, execute the following steps:
[OPT-10-5.2] The Surgeon's Roll: Every stand lost in the battle is not necessarily dead. Roll 1D6 for every lost stand. On a 4+, stragglers return and the stand is restored. On a 1-3, the stand is permanently crossed off the roster for the rest of the campaign.
[OPT-10-5.3] Gaining Experience: If a Green or Standard regiment successfully wins a melee or survives heavy fire without breaking, they gain 1 Experience Point. At 2 Points, they permanently gain an Elite Trait (e.g., Steady or Iron Discipline).
[OPT-10-5.4] Promoting the General: If a Brigadier survives a battle and his brigade achieved its objective, his Command Rating permanently increases by one tier (e.g., Timid becomes Reliable).

6.0 Historical Army Traits

[RULE-07-5.1] Army Traits Overview: To capture the distinct doctrinal and historical character of famous units and theater characteristics without creating bloated rule exceptions, units may be assigned one or more standard Historical Traits during scenario design:

Trait	Effects
1. REBEL YELL (Confederate Assault Trait)	+1 to Opposed Melee Rolls when charging/counter-charging. Forces charging enemy to take Discipline Check if counter-charged.
2. SEEN THE ELEPHANT (Green / Inexperienced)	Must make 1D6 Discipline Check (5+) first time unit takes fire. Failure inflicts Disorder Marker and halts advance.
3. IRON DISCIPLINE (Elite Formations)	Immune to first natural 6 Disorder result in a game turn. Rallies naturally on a 3+ on 1D6.
4. STEADY (Disciplined Drill Regiments)	+1 on Discipline Checks caused by Closing Defensive Volleys. Re-roll 1 failed Morale/Cover Save per turn.
5. SHARPSHOOTERS / BUCKTAILS	May re-roll one missed shooting die at Medium Range (6"–14"). Detaches Skirmish Screen for free without movement penalty.
6. BUCK & BALL SPECIALISTS	Hits on 3+ at Short Range (0–6"); rolls +1 bonus die at <3.0". Incapable of fire beyond 14.0".

[RULE-07-5.2] The Rebel Yell Doctrine:
Application: Confederate infantry regiments with the Rebel Yell trait gain +1 to their Opposed Melee Roll when executing an Assault or declaring a Reaction 5: Counter-Charge .
Psychological Shock: When a Rebel Yell unit successfully closes into base contact against a Green or Regular Union unit that is not in heavy earthworks, the Union defender must pass an immediate Discipline Check (4+) before melee dice are rolled. Failure imposes a Disorder Marker on the defender prior to calculating the melee score.
[RULE-07-5.3] Seen the Elephant (Green Units Under Fire):
Application: Applies to newly recruited or unblooded units.
The Test: The very first time the regiment suffers an unsaved hit or a natural 6 from enemy musketry or artillery during the game, it must take an immediate Discipline Check (5+ on 1D6).
Failure: The unit immediately receives a Disorder Marker, halts in place, and cannot move forward for the remainder of that turn.
[RULE-07-5.4] Iron Discipline (Elite Formations):
Application: Represents crack shock formations (e.g., The Iron Brigade of the West, The Stonewall Brigade, Hood's Texas Brigade, The Orphan Brigade).
Suppression Immunity: The unit ignores the first natural 6 Disorder result inflicted on it during each game turn. It takes the casualty hit, but ignores the suppression disorder.
Elite Rally: Rallies naturally on a roll of 3+ on 1D6 in Phase 5.

7.0 The Horse Holder Rule (Detailed Dismounting)

Example: A 4-stand mounted cavalry regiment consumes a half-move to dismount, deploying 3 combat stands forward as a dismounted skirmish line and detaching 1 horse holder stand to the rear (held 2"-3" behind the line).

[RULE-08-2.1] The Decision to Dismount: American Civil War cavalry functioned primarily as mobile dragoon infantry. An unengaged mounted cavalry regiment in good order may dismount during Phase 2: Active Maneuver Phase by spending half of its movement allowance (4.5").
[RULE-08-2.2] The Horse Holder Deduction (The 1-in-4 Rule):
Historical cavalry drill regulations required one man in every four to remain in the rear holding the reins of four horses.
Stand Conversion: When a cavalry regiment dismounts, detach 1 stand to serve as the Horse Holder Stand. The remaining stands are placed forward as a Dismounted Skirmish Line.
Example: A 4-stand mounted regiment dismounts into 3 dismounted firing stands plus 1 Horse Holder stand.
Example: A 3-stand mounted regiment dismounts into 2 dismounted firing stands plus 1 Horse Holder stand.
[RULE-08-2.3] Deploying the Dismounted Skirmish Line:
Dismounted stands fight in Skirmish Order (spaced with up to 0.5" gaps between bases).
Defensive Benefit: Dismounted cavalry in open ground count as being in Light Cover (5+ Save) due to their dispersed, prone firing postures.
Terrain Exploitation: Dismounted cavalry may enter dense woods, rocky ridgelines, and structures without formation disorder penalties.
[RULE-08-2.4] The Horse Holder Stand (Vulnerability & Movement):
The Horse Holder stand is placed 2.0"–3.0" directly behind the center of the dismounted firing line, preferably in dead ground or behind cover.
Movement: Horse holders move at 4.0" in open ground or 8.0" on roads. They must maintain a distance of no more than 4.0" from their parent dismounted line.
Combat Vulnerability: Horse holders cannot shoot. If targeted by enemy fire, they receive no cover save. If contacted by an enemy charge, the horse holders are Captured / Destroyed: the stand is removed, and the parent dismounted regiment can never remount for the remainder of the battle.
[RULE-08-2.5] Remounting Procedure:
To remount, the dismounted firing stands must fall back into physical base contact with their Horse Holder stand.
Spending half of a turn's movement allowance (4.5") remounts the unit, restoring the full starting mounted stand count. The unit may move the remaining 4.5" as a mounted line or column.

8.0 Advanced Artillery Tactics

[RULE-05-8.1] Overhead Fire: Artillery batteries deployed on a higher elevation contour (e.g., a Level 1 Hill) may fire over the heads of friendly infantry on a lower contour (e.g., Level 0) without triggering Friendly Fire penalties. However, the friendly infantry must be at least 3.0" away from the artillery bases, and the target must be at least 3.0" behind the friendly infantry.
[RULE-05-8.2] Counter-Battery Fire: Artillery firing exclusively at enemy artillery stands executes Counter-Battery Fire. If a natural 6 is rolled to-hit on the shooting dice, it does not just cause a crew casualty; it scores a direct hit on a caisson, limber, or gun carriage, destroying the enemy gun stand outright and removing it from play.
[RULE-05-8.3] Bouncing Solid Shot (Enfilade): If an artillery battery fires spherical case or solid shot (Medium or Long Range) directly into the flank of an enemy line of battle, the shot bounces laterally down the ranks. The battery rolls +2 bonus dice on the attack, representing the devastating "bowling ball" effect of enfilading round shot.

7.0 Pre-Planned Written Orders (Token System)

[OPT-10-7.1] Design Intent: This optional module replaces the dynamic activation system. It forces players to pre-plan their entire brigade's actions before any movement occurs, perfectly simulating the rigid, un-cancelable nature of 19th-century orders.
[OPT-10-7.2] Phase 1 (Order Placement): After rolling for Staff Pips, the active player must place a face-down Order Token behind every single regiment and battery under their command.
Tokens Available: Move/Advance, Assault (Costs 1 Pip), Hold Position / Fire, Change Formation.
[OPT-10-7.3] Phase 2 (Execution): All tokens are flipped face-up simultaneously. The active player must execute the revealed orders exactly as written. If a unit reveals an Assault token but the target has moved out of range due to a reaction, the unit must still move its full 9.0" Double-Quick speed in a straight line toward where the target used to be. If a unit reveals a Hold / Fire token, it cannot move or pivot during Phase 2.

8.0 Elite Sharpshooter Regiments (Optional Trait)

In specific historical scenarios, an army may be permitted to field a dedicated sharpshooter regiment (e.g., Berdan's 1st US Sharpshooters). We strongly recommend limiting this to a maximum of 1 regiment per army.

Full Skirmish Deployment: Unlike standard infantry, this entire regiment may deploy in Skirmish Order. All physical stands in the regiment are spread apart with exactly 1.0" intervals between them. (Dispersing into or recalling from this formation costs half of the unit's movement allowance).
Movement: The regiment moves at the standard Skirmish speed (8.0"). They ignore all movement penalties and friction checks for crossing Difficult Terrain (woods, rough ground, fences).
Firing (Offensive): They fire with their normal weapon profile (usually Rifled Muskets or Breechloaders), rolling 1D6 per stand. Because they are dispersed, they do not block Line of Sight. Friendly units may fire "through" the gaps in the sharpshooter line at targets beyond them without penalty.
Receiving Fire (Defensive): Enemies suffer a -1 To-Hit penalty when firing at the sharpshooters due to their dispersed nature. Enemy units may also choose to fire "through" the sharpshooters to target formed friendly lines behind them.
Receiving Charges (Evasion): If charged by enemy formed infantry or cavalry, the sharpshooters may use the Skirmish Evade (Reaction 3) to fall back 4.0"-6.0" through friendly lines for free.
Melee Weakness: Because they are dispersed, they cannot declare an Assault against enemy formed lines. If they are charged and cannot (or choose not to) evade, they do not automatically die like a 1-stand screen, but they suffer a catastrophic -2 penalty to their Opposed Melee Roll.