I originally began using a set of rules called "Sharp Practice" for this project. However, they were devised for the Napoleonic era which is sixty to seventy years prior to my timescale and they suffered a number of defects which required me to make quite a few "tweaks," which became increasingly major alterations. This was the case to such an extent that I began devising my own rules for the rather niche wargame. When my articles on this subject were published in Miniature Wargames issue 431 and Wargames Illustrated issue 372 I said that I would make my ideas available for anyone who was interested and so...here are my set of rules as they stand at the moment. As I continue to explore this conflict I may add to the rules or change them and I will make any changes available on here when time permits. The current date of these notes is February 2019, I'll flag up any major changes.
Machete!
Wargames
Rules for the
Ten
Years War in Cuba 1868-1878
(Also
for any jungle based skirmish actions in the late 19th century)
devised
by
Glenn
M. Clarke
December
2017
Contents
Introduction 3
General
Principles 4
Movement: General 5
Infantry 5
Cavalry 6
Artillery 6
Wagons and Pack Animals 7
Weapons
and Firing: General Information 8
Modifiers and Casualties 9
Ambush 10
Melee 11
Artillery 12
Morale 14
Buildings
and Plantations 15
Ships 17
Design
Notes 18
Play
Sheet 20
Introduction
The Ten Years War raged between 1868 and 1878; it was a
savage and extended conflict causing immense disruption to the country. The rebel
Cuban forces were confined to the Eastern end of the island and could not make
inroads to the prosperous West. One major problem they faced was the chronic
shortage of arms, munitions and supplies of all sorts; some expeditions reached
them from the United States and there was some small scale smuggling from Latin
America and throughout the Caribbean. Spain controlled all of the seaports, all
of the cities and most of the major towns; the Cubans held the mountains,
forests and jungles from where they sallied forth to burn sugar cane fields,
destroy plantations and free slaves who usually joined them even though they
were armed with little more than machetes. Spanish forces continually tried to
lure the Cubans out into open battle where they knew that they would prevail
because of their superiority in weapons. For their part the Cubans developed
guerrilla tactics and continued with their deliberate policy of economic
warfare with the aim of making the war financially unsustainable for the
Spanish treasury. The Cubans needed to invade the Western end of the island but
were simply unable to muster the necessary forces and munitions. There was a
very desultory incursion in 1874 but they were compelled to retreat back to the
East; a further attempt in 1875 saw them crossing “La Trocha” with a thousand
men. “La Trocha” was a heavily fortified line 95 kilometres long; it was built
between 1869 and 1872 with the aim of dividing the Island and isolating the
rebels in the Eastern provinces. Although they breached it on this occasion
they were again forced to retire and the line more or less served its purpose.
General
Principles
1 Disputes not covered by these rules are resolved by
throwing one D6. The decision lasts for the rest of the game - high being good
and low being poor.
2 Each unit has an action card bearing its name. Cards are
drawn individually; the named unit then acts according to the wishes of its
commander. When all of the cards have been drawn they are shuffled for the next
phase.
3 In scenarios where one unit is executing an ambush the
attacker has its card removed from the deck and executes its move first. The
defending unit then reacts to the attack when its card is drawn.
4 When a card is drawn the named unit completes all of its
actions; if the unit has moved into a melee this is resolved at the end of the
phase.
5 Casualties are marked and removed from both forces
simultaneously at the end of the phase.
6 There are no particular base or frontage sizes and one
figure equals one man. Command or officer figures are on slightly larger bases
to differentiate them for casualty purposes.
7 There is no off table artillery.
8 If a scenario includes the arrival of reserve units then
one or two D6 are thrown and the resulting number gives the phase during which reserves
arrive on the table. They may enter at an agreed location or at a random entry
point decided by throwing a D6. Designate one end of the table as 1 and then
proceed clockwise with the next edge being 2 or 3, the opposite end being 4 and
the last long edge being 5 or 6.
9 The game is played with some areas representing jungle on dense
stands of vegetation. Units may not move through these stands, they may cross
the stand at clear points but not through the actual jungle growth. Fabric tape measures are therefore used to
exactly gauge meandering movement in jungle terrain.
Movement
Movement:
General
1 Spanish troops always move at half rate in jungle terrain.
2 No unit may move through the vegetation of a jungle stand
unless there is a clearly marked path though it. They must measure round the
stand or across clear areas of the stand using a fabric tape measure.
3 Units may cross through swamps and bog only by following
the areas of dry land never through the water.
4 Fields of crops are passable along any obvious gaps which
have been left to allow the plants to be tended. Stands of sugar cane are the
exception to this rule, they are always impassable.
5 Rivers may be crossed only by bridges or at recognised
fords.
6 Units may turn to the flank or about face without
incurring a penalty.
7 Infantry and cavalry may declare a charge at the rates
shown; where a charge brings them into contact with an enemy unit the resulting
melee is dealt with following the details given in the melee section of these
rules.
Movement:
Infantry
1 Infantry basic move by road 30 Cms
2 Infantry cross country 20
Cms
3 Cuban infantry in jungle 20
Cms
4 Spanish infantry moving through jungle 10 Cms
5 Infantry fording a river 10
Cms
6 Infantry may declare a charge at a rate of 40 Cms
7 Charges uphill, across rivers and in jungle are not
permitted
Movement:
Cavalry
1 Cavalry basic move on road 40 Cms
2 Cuban cavalry cross country 30 Cms
3 Spanish cavalry cross country 20 Cms
4 Cavalry fording a river 10 Cms
5 Cuban cavalry in jungle 20
Cms
6 Spanish cavalry in jungle 10
Cms
7 Cavalry may declare a charge at a rate of 50 Cms
8 Charges uphill, across rivers and in jungle are not
permitted
Movement:
Artillery
1 Horse drawn artillery on road 40 Cms
2 Horse drawn artillery cross country 20 Cms
3 Horse drawn artillery fording a river 10 Cms
4 Manhandled artillery on road 20 Cms
5 Manhandled artillery cross country 10 Cms
6 Artillery on pack horse/mule by road 40 Cms
7 Artillery on pack horse/mule cross country or in jungle 20 Cms
8 Artillery on pack horse/mule fording a river 10 Cms
9 Artillery takes one move to unlimber, unpack and assemble.
10 Turning guns to bear on target is automatic through a
frontage of 180 degrees. Turning more than 180 degrees takes one whole move.
11 Manhandled artillery may not ford rivers.
12Horse drawn and manhandled artillery may not move through
jungle.
Movement:
Wagons and Pack Animals
1 Trains of pack animals on road 40
Cms
2 Trains of pack animals cross country or though jungle 20 Cms
3 Trains of pack animals fording rivers 10 Cms
4 Supply carts on road 40
Cms
5 Supply carts cross country 20
Cms
6 Supply carts fording rivers 10 Cms
7 Supply carts may not move though jungle
8 Supply carts and pack animals may not execute charges
Weapons
and Firing
Weapons
and Firing: General Information
A large variety of firearms were available to the opposing
armies as follows:
Pistol Cuban and
Spanish
Shotgun Cuban
Black
Powder Musket Cuban
Black
Powder Rifle Cuban and Spanish
Breech
Loading Rifle Cuban and Spanish
For ease of play all firearms are dealt with together, they
are not differentiated when the unit fires.
Other hand held weapons were also available to the opposing
troops and included:
Swords
and daggers Cuban and Spanish
Machete Cuban infantry
and cavalry
Lance Spanish
cavalry
All of these edged weapons and lances were used only in hand
to hand combat or as the result of a charge.
Weapons
and Firing: Modifiers and Casualties
Each regiment or unit of infantry, which should not exceed
12 figures, should fire in turn. For each unit firing throw one D6 and apply
the following modifiers before consulting the table to determine the number of
casualties:
Target is
at long range (40-60 Cms) -2
Target is
at medium range (20-40 Cms) -1
Target is
at short range (0-20 Cms) 0
Target is
assaulted in rear +1
Target is
massed (in column) +1
Infantry
firing on charging cavalry -1
Target is
in skirmish order -3
Target is
behind hard cover (wall or fence) -2
Target is
in hard cover (in a building) -3
Target is
in soft cover (woods, hedges, jungle) -1
Target is
fording a river +2
Target is
in first exchange of an ambush +1
Target
fires in first exchange of an ambush 50%
of D6 rounded down
Models Firing
|
Modified Dice Score
|
1-2
|
3-4
|
5-6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
1-2
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3-4
|
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
5-6
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
7-8
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
9-10
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
11-12
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
In any phase where casualties are inflicted each affected
unit must throw one D6 for their officers. A score of 1 indicates that the
officer is a casualty and the unit will then undergo whatever morale checks are
necessary.
Weapons
and Firing: Ambush
If the scenario being played includes one force setting and
executing an ambush for the opposing force then the ambushed force is not fully
effective for the move in which the ambush commences.
Therefore, when the ambushed force returns fire in the move
during which the ambush commences its score is reduced by 50%. Casualties
resulting from the initiation of the ambush are removed immediately and are not
included in the troops who later respond to the attack.
Artillery which is ambushed may not begin to respond until
the following move. This means that guns cannot fire during the ambushed move.
If a gun is being prepared for action then the crew may not be included in any
calculations made for melee purposes and guns may not be fired once the melee
has started.
Melee
1 For the purposes of melee each side is awarded a number of
points based upon the strength of their force; one point is awarded for each
infantryman and two points for each cavalryman.
2 Artillery pieces involved in melee may not be brought into
action; however, their crews may be included in melee calculations with each
crew member counting as one infantryman.
3 One D6 is thrown for every 5 points with any odd numbers
being ignored.
4 An impetus bonus is awarded to the attacking force for the
first round of melee only; the attackers therefore add one to each dice score.
5 No impetus bonus is awarded where the attacking troops are
attacking across a river ford, attacking uphill or attacking defences such as
houses, walls, fences, hedges or earthworks.
6 The total score is halved to give the number of damage
points inflicted. The casualty figures are chosen and removed at the discretion
of their commander.
7 When casualties are inflicted throw one D6 for each
officer involved in the melee; a score of 1 indicates an officer casualty and
an officer figure must be removed when the casualties are taken off the board.
8 Casualties are marked until the other force has responded;
figures are removed simultaneously at the end of the melee.
9 Both forces must undergo a morale test at the end of each
round of melee.
Example: An
attacker has 20 infantrymen, they therefore have four dice; the dice scores are
1,2,3 and 6; these add up to 12; this figure is halved to give 6 points. A
score of 6 Points will represent either 6 infantry casualties or 3 cavalry
casualties - at the discretion of the attacked forces commander. As the
attacked force has sustained casualties their commander checks to see if he has
any officers present; there is one officer and a D6 is thrown to determine his
fate; the score is 3 and the officer therefore survives. Six infantry figures
or three cavalry figures are then removed leaving the command figures/officers
on the table.
Artillery
1 Unlimbering a gun or setting up a mountain gun takes a
full move during which the gun may not fire
2 A gun may be manhandled through 180 degrees and still
fire; a complete about face or move through more than 180 degrees takes a full
move during which the gun cannot fire.
3 Cuban forces may have declared that they have placed in
position a tree trunk and rawhide cannon. This weapon may not be moved and is
useful for a single shot at short range only.
4 Ranges:
Long Medium Short
Tree trunk and rawhide gun n/a n/a 50 Cms
Mountain Gun 100Cms 75 Cms 50
Cms
All other Guns 150
Cms 100 Cms 50 Cms
5 Firing procedure for artillery: Throw one D6 for each gun:
5 or6 registers a hit at long range, 3,4,5,6 registers a hit at medium range,
2,3,4,5,6 registers a hit at short range, 1 is a miss. When a hit is registered
throw one D6 for each hit; the score represents the number of casualties. If
the target contained a command figure/officer then throw one D6; a score of 1
indicates that one figure is a casualty.
6 Guns must be crewed by a minimum of four; when crewed by
three the gun fires on alternate moves; when crewed by two it fires every third
move; if there is only one crewman the gun is out of action.
7 Guns may be re-crewed by allocating infantry to them but
they may not fire during the move in which they are re-crewed.
8 Guns may fire against other guns:
Throw one D6 to see if a hit is registered: 5 or6 registers
a hit at long range, 3,4,5,6 registers a hit at medium range, 2,3,4,5,6
registers a hit at short range, 1 is a miss.
If a hit is scored throw one D6:
6 Gun and crew destroyed
5 Gun and crew destroyed; gun under
cover, three crewmen lost
4 Three crewmen lost; gun under
cover two crewmen lost
3 Two crewmen lost; gun under
cover one crewman lost
2 One crewman lost; gun under
cover no effect
1 Miss
9 Guns may fire over the heads of friendly troops if the
guns are at least 20 Cms behind the troops in question and their target is a
further 10 Cms or more away from the friendly troops.
10 Guns may destroy houses, bridges, walls etc. Throw one D6
to register a hit: 5 or6 registers a hit at long range, 3,4,5,6 registers a hit
at medium range, 2,3,4,5,6 registers a hit at short range, 1 is a miss.
If a hit is registered throw: one D6 at long range, two D6
at medium range and three D6 at short range. A combined score of 5 or 6 is
needed to destroy the designated target.
11 In a melee gun crews fight as normal infantrymen and the
gun may not fire during the melee.
12 If a gun is overrun throw one D6: 4,5,6 and retreating
troops take the gun with them; 2 or 3 and the gun is captured; 1 and the gun is
spiked by the retreating troops and is useless for the rest of the game.
13 Troops capturing a gun must wait one move before they can
re-crew the piece; the gun can then be brought back into action.
14 Note that when a gun fires its target must be the first
enemy unit that the shell would logically hit.
15 Palm and rawhide gun fires once only and directly ahead
into the enemy. One D6 is thrown to determine a hit as usual; a second D6 gives
the number of casualties.
Morale
1 Morale tests are taken by affected units at the end of
each phase.
2 Morale tests must be taken when a unit suffers 25%
casualties, when all of a unit’s command figures/officers are lost, when a unit
is ambushed or attacked in the flank or rear, a second test is taken when 50%
casualties have been inflicted.
3 Throw one D6: score 1 or 2 and the unit is shaken; 3,4,5
or 6 and the unit is steady. Shaken units take no further action/firing during
that move they must remain in situ and take a second morale test on the next
move.
4 Second test is taken by throwing one D6:
5 or 6 =
Rallied and able to continue as normal
3 or 4 = The
unit runs back one move
1or 2 = The
unit runs back two moves
5 “Back” means directly away from the enemy unless this
would take the unit into an unmoveable obstacle. In this case throw one D6: 1,2
or 3 move to the right 4,5 or 6 move to the left; if there are unmoveable
obstacles to the left or right then no move is possible, the unit must
surrender and is out of action for the rest of the game.
6 Units which have become shaken and have been forced to
move back from the enemy remain shaken until they are rallied. Units are
rallied at the start of each phase by throwing one D6: 1 or 2 remain shaken,
3,4,5 or 6 rallied. Units which remain shaken as a result of this dice throw
repeat the throw on each subsequent move until such time as they are rallied.
If they are overrun by the enemy as a result of remaining static they are
deemed to have surrendered and take no further part in the game.
7 Surrendered Units are escorted to the rear at usual move
rates. One attacker has to be allocated to escort every six captives. These
escorts may be attacked by the enemy and if they become casualties the captives
are freed and may return to the game
Buildings
and Plantations
1 At the start of the game buildings are declared to be
either large or small. A large building will accommodate 12 troops and a small
one will accommodate 6 troops.
2 Troops in either category of building are counted as being
under cover when they are attacked.
3 Troops in buildings may not be fired upon unless they have
fired first thus giving away their location. This rule does not apply if the
scenario being played demands that one force is assaulting the building in
question e.g. attacking a blockhouse.
4 When a building is subjected to artillery fire use the
rules already given to determine if the building is hit.
Throw one D6 for each gun firing on the building:
5 or6 registers a hit at long
range
3,4,5,6 registers a hit at
medium range
2,3,4,5,6 registers a hit at
short range.
1 registers a miss
When a hit is registered throw:
one D6 at
long range
two D6 at medium range
three D6 at
short range
A combined score of 5 or 6 is needed to destroy the
designated target. If a building which contains troops has been hit the troops
will sustain casualties regardless of whether or not the building has been
destroyed. Throw one D6 for each person in the building; a score of 1 or 2
indicates a casualty.
5 Buildings involved in melee: fighting is assumed to take
place in the doorway with one man fighting one opponent as described below
until an overall result is reached. One D6 is thrown for each man with the
defender adding one to his score as he is under cover; the highest score wins.
If the defender is killed the attacker enters the building and another attacker
takes his place in the doorway. Fighting at the doorway continues as already
described and there is a further fight inside the building where an attacker
has entered. Inside the building the attacker is also assumed to be under cover
so a straight throw of one D6 for each man determines the outcome. Consequently
there may be several attackers inside an assaulted building but the above
procedure is followed through to a final conclusion; this may be the loss of
all defenders and capture of the building, or the loss of all attackers. The
usual rule relating to morale is ignored for assaults on buildings, the fight
is one to the bitter end!
6 Setting fire to a building or plantation: Three figures
are needed to set a fire. They must be unmolested for a whole move – not
receive fire etc. In the next move they throw one D6 any score except 1 and the
fire is set; if 1 is scored they may try again in the following move. One a
fire is set it should be indicated with a smoke marker. Buildings and crop
fields which have been ignited are then impassable and may not be entered.
Figures trapped inside a burning building throw one D6 each, any score except
one and the figure escapes; scores of 1 indicate a casualty.
Ships
1 As there is very little open sea on the table, ships
should commence the game at anchorage. When they are unloaded and wish to leave
their intention should be announced, they use a whole move to raise anchor and
make ready. They may then sail at a rate of 50 Cms per move until they have
left the table.
2 Decide at the start of the game the number of loads being
carried; each load is transferred to a rowing boat and rowed ashore at the rate
of 20 Cms per move.
3 One move is required to load the rowboat and one move is
used to unload it onto the beach.
4 The ship’s crew may be attacked using normal firing rules.
If 50% are lost the ship takes an extra move to get under way. Ships may be
re-crewed by infantry.
Design
Notes
1 These rules are intended primarily for my own game based
upon the Ten Years War in Cuba. The war raged between 1868 and 1878 in the
thick jungles and remote locations of the island as revolutionaries fought for
their independence from Spain. I prepared these rules because of the lack of
any suitable rules which took account of the following factors:
Thick jungle and remote locations
Irregular and guerrilla forces as well as a regular Colonial
army
Skirmish action as opposed to pitched battle
A mixture of black powder and more modern weapons
2 These rules were designed to be used for 28mm models but
they can easily be used for figures in other scales by reducing moves and
ranges of weapons. For 20mm models I would suggest reducing distances by 30%
and for 15mm models by 50%.
3 The rules are intended to work in areas of dense jungle
and rugged terrain. Jungle should be constructed on circular, rectangular or
irregularly shaped “stands” of whatever size takes your fancy. I would
recommend a mix of stands 3 inches in diameter or 3 inches square along with a
few other miscellaneous ones – I have found that these work equally well with figures
of different scales. The purpose of these stands is to present areas which are
impassable and thus force movement to be calculated and executed by using
flexible cloth measures which can be curved round the stands along the desired
path. I have found that forcing units to follow irregular paths in this manner
is far more realistic than using straight metal measures.
4 Given the fanaticism of the rebels and the Spanish lack of
familiarity with the terrain the Spanish forces have always been put at some
sort of disadvantage.
5 Whilst there are no particular base or frontage sizes
required I have based the rules upon Spanish regiments of twelve infantrymen or
six cavalrymen. Infantry regiments include two figures (an officer and a
standard bearer) which are designated as command figures and are referred to
throughout the above rules. Cavalry regiments include just one officer/command
figure. Organisation of the Cuban forces is more flexible but I have tried to
keep to infantry units of twelve and cavalry units of six.
Machete! Play Sheet
Troop Type
|
Road
|
Cross Country
|
Jungle
|
Ford
|
Charge
|
Cuban Infantry
|
30
|
20
|
20
|
10
|
40
|
Spanish
Infantry
|
30
|
20
|
10
|
10
|
40
|
Cuban
Cavalry
|
40
|
30
|
20
|
10
|
50
|
Spanish
Cavalry
|
40
|
20
|
10
|
10
|
50
|
Horse
Drawn Artillery
|
40
|
20
|
-
|
10
|
-
|
Pack
Horse/Mule Artillery
|
40
|
20
|
20
|
10
|
-
|
Manhandled
Artillery
|
20
|
10
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Supply
Cart
|
40
|
20
|
-
|
10
|
-
|
Unlimbering/assembling
a gun, one move Traversing
more than 180 degrees, one move Movement in Cms
Dice Modifiers for Infantry Firing: Morale
(Apply the
single highest value only) Test
at 25% casualties
Target is
at long range (40-60
Cms) -2 Test
at 50% casualties
Target is
at medium range (20-40 Cms) -1 Test
if all officers lost
Target is
at short range (0-20 Cms) 0 Test
if attacked in flank or rear
Target is
assaulted in rear +1 D6
score: 1,2 shaken 3,4,5,6 steady
Target is
massed (in column) +1
Infantry
firing on charging cavalry -1 Shaken:
no offensive action, retest at the end
Target is
in skirmish order -3 of
the following move: 5 or 6 rallied
Target is
behind hard cover (wall or fence) -2 3
or 4 back one move 1 or 2 back two
moves
Target is
in hard cover (in a building) -3 Units
forced back by morale check remain
Target is
in soft cover (woods, hedges, jungle) -1 static:
D6 at start of each phase 1,2 remain
Target is
fording a river +2 shaken
3,4,5,6 rallied and return to command
Target is
hit in first exchange of an ambush +1 Repeat
each phase with no offensive action
Target fires in first exchange of an ambush 50% of D6 until
rallied
Casualties
Models Firing
|
Modified Dice Score
|
1-2
|
3-4
|
5-6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12+
|
1-2
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3-4
|
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
5-6
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
7-8
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
9-10
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
11-12
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
Firing units may not be more than 12 figures;
subdivide larger units
Throw for
officer each time casualties are inflicted; score of 1, officer lost
Ambushed
force only 50% effective in first move of ambush
Melee
1 point per
infantryman 2 points per cavalryman
One D6 for
each 5 points, ignore odd numbers
Attacker
adds 1 to each D6 on first round of melee only
Halve the
total score to give casualties and throw for officers as usual
Artillery
Long
range Medium range Short range
Mountain
gun 75
– 100 Cms 50 - 75 Cms 0
– 50 Cms
Other guns 100
– 150 Cms 50 – 100 Cms 0 – 50 Cms
D6 score to
register hits 5,6 3,4,5,6, 2,3,4,5,6, 1 = Miss
Gun firing
on a gun, throw one D6 to register a hit as above; a further D6 to determine
casualties:
D6 score Target
in open Target
under cover
6 Gun
and crew destroyed Gun
and crew destroyed
5 Gun
and crew destroyed Three
crew lost
4 Three
crew lost Two
crew lost
3 Two
crew lost One
crew lost
2 One
crew lost no
effect
1 no
effect no
effect
