This blog will be updated from time to time as I find smoother and cleaner ways to play Pub Battles.
I am happy to play with the tried and true “official” rules. Pub Battles is quite a robust system and you can add all kinds of rules. These can be fun or satisfying, but most are unnecessary. I am very leery of adding any rules, other than those that smooth or speed play, as the system can quickly bog down. Remember, Pub Battles is first and foremost a command simulation, not a combat simulation.
I have these simplified rules, and an easy written orders system.
1) Single die combat
2) Multiple Unit Combats
3) A block that suffers one hit may either retreat, or flip to spent
4) Infantry that must retreat from cavalry is eliminated
5) Cuirassiers never rally from spent (except during a night turn).
6) Leaders in Combat.
Title in bold. Rule is normal font. Discussion/clarification in italics.
Single Die Combat
Each combatant rolls 1D6 and divides the result by 2 rounding down (1D6/2 round down) Giving a range from 0-3.
Die modifiers are now hit modifiers. 3 hits maximum, ignore the fourth hit if a flanking attacker rolls a 6!
This means that fresh units in cover cannot be killed in one round, they will always have a chance to retreat. This also means that flanked units will always suffer at least one hit. Flanked units can never suffer four hits, but they do triple the chance of sustaining 3 hits.
Multiple Unit Combats
Reduce all combats to two contacting units. Each pair of combatants resolve combat completely before proceeding to the next. Consult scenario rules to determine which side decides order of combat. If not specified: British for AWI, French for Napoleonic, Confederate for ACW.
A block that suffers one hit may either retreat, or flip to spent.
This allows some local commander control, have they been ordered to hold, or give ground.
Cavalry versus Infantry
Infantry that must retreat from cavalry as a result of combat, is eliminated.
Cuirassiers never rally from spent (except during a night turn).
This reduces the likelihood of Cuirassiers repeatedly attacking all day long. Heavy Cavalry was rather brittle, and almost a single use weapon. Lighter cavalry could fight repeatedly, but did not ordinarily fight sustained battles. With the above retreat/spent option, they will naturally fill their more historical role.
Cavalry was the armor of the black powder era. It was scary, but also brittle. This gives it a better feel.
Leaders in Combat. Place an HQ on top of a unit to represent a leader in combat. Add one Hit to the attack. If the block below it is eliminated, the HQ is also eliminated, and that Corps can no longer receive combat command from it. Remove the HQ. It still moves when its chit is drawn, and the Army HQ can still provide combat command and Alter Turn Order.
Almost Written Orders
In development, click here to see.
These written orders rules work well for solo games and two player games between non-contentious players. The fun of using these rules is the delay in transmission and the increased feel of maneuvering as a corps. This is in contradistinction to the “carefully choreographed bar fight” that some wargames feel like.
Pub Battles: Home Brew 
Hi Mike,
This variant for Single die combat seems interesting. Could you explain more how it works please with an example of combat?
And I like very much your proposal for Two Facings for Flanking Bonus.
I wanted to ask is it also necessary in order to flank to have at least one block facing the front? In a real combat it will be rare to see a battalion or regiment can be flank by both sides when there is nobody attacking from the front.
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To begin with your final question, If a block is contacted on two sides, but not the front, then it is either being attack initially from behind, or ultimately from behind as there is no way to face one attacker and not expose your rear to the other if you are attacked from both sides.
One die combat works like this:
If a unit is in cover, the attacker suffers -1 Hit, instead of -1 modifier. Instead of inflicting one hit on a 2, or 3, those results do no damage. a 4, or 5 do only one hit, and a 6 does 2 hits. This means that it is impossible to eliminate a fresh unit in cover in one round (unless militia).
There are folks who don’t like that a fresh unit can get wiped out in one round and there is nothing they can do about it. I don’t have a problem with it (just another thing one can’t control in the heat of battle), but I do get how that can bother some folks.
Regular combat with 3d6 gives you a 1:8 chance of three hits, whereas with a d6 it’s a 1:6, so it’s a little deadlier. This is balanced at the opposite end for a greater chance of 0 hits. In the end, I feel it’s too close too matter, but some are picky. Since it is a fairly simple combat system, it doesn’t really matter.
The biggest reason I do it is its much easier to read 2 dice than 6! I play solo a lot, so I find this a worthwhile endeavor.
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Thanks.
Very clever your dice variant. Needs to be tried.
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