Fife & Drum Miniatures is a range of 1/56 scale figures (approximately 30mm in height) sculpted by Richard Ansell, and is devoted to the American War of Independence. The figures may be purchased from Der Alte Fritz through this blog, using Paypal for payment. Click on the page tabs for Crown Forces, American forces and artillery equipment to see pictures of the individual figures.

Winner of the "Best Historical Miniatures Range of 2011" by The Miniatures Page.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Free Fife & Drum Rules for the AWI

A number of people on The Miniatures Page have been inquiring about my free one page rules called, Fife & Drum, and are wondering how they can get a copy.

Easy: just send me an e-mail at fife_drum_minis(at)yahoo(dot)com
 
With your request and I will zap a copy to you. I keep the file at my office so I can only email them to you on weekdays. Nevertheless , drop me an email and I will send you a copy ASAP.

The rules are not complicated: they fit one side of a regular sheet of paper and when I use them in my convention games, I find that players pick up on the mechanics within 1-2 game turns. They provide a good skeleton framework for almost any historical period, so feel free to tack on your own ideas and adaptations. For example, I am considering trying an idea out for American reaction to seeing the British advancing on them early in the war. It works like this:

Roll a D6 each time a British battalion moves to within 12" of an American militia or Continental regiment. A roll of 1-2 = Rout!; 3-4 = Fall back 6" in good order facing the enemy; and 5-6 = No Effect, stand your ground.

Once an American regiment takes and passes this test, it does not have to take a British Reaction test for the remainder of the game. Any unit that routs or retires will still have to take a reaction test the next time the British infantry get within 12" of them.

Give it a try and let me know how this works out. The idea arises from some readings that I'm doing about the New York 1776 campaign.