Simple rules for skirmishes

In answer to a request regarding the Cowboys and Indians skirmish published last month, following are the rules used - these were based on Donald Featherstone's iconic Rules for Close Wars from his wonderful book War Games (published in 1962 and now back in print thanks to John Curry). My version was originally for a grid of 1 inch squares but were adapted to 3 inch squares once I made a bigger board!  
Over at the Man of Tin blog there is another fine variation on DF's rules https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/tag/close-little-wars/ being used, and doubtless many other wargamers are doing similar, demonstrating the durability of this simple but effective system.
A few pictures of a game that used these rules follows the text (unfortunately my camera broke in the middle of the game so the affair was never published). 


Mr Featherstone, I presume? (Rules for both 1 Inch grid board or 3 Inch grid board)

Roll dice for initiative – highest moves/fires first.

Troops may move OR fire once per turn.

Troops can move forward, back, left or right for as many squares as shown below but may NOT move diagonally.

Obstacles that can be moved over (streams, walls, fences, barricades) take one complete turn, so troops must be in an adjacent square on the proceeding turn.

Movement – 1 inch grid

Type	No. Squares in open flat	No. Squares Uphill
Native / Irregulars	3	2
Regular	2	1
Mounted	5	3

 
Firing – 1 inch grid

Range 5 Squares (straight line NOT diagonally from front of base).

Number of Squares	Roll to hit (1d6)	Roll to save (1d6)
5	6	4,5,6
4	6,5	4,5,6
3	6,5,4	5,6
2	6,5,4,3	6

 

Movement – 3 inch grid

Type	No. Squares in open flat	No. Squares Uphill
Native / Irregulars	2	1
Regular	1	1
Mounted	3	2

 

Firing – 3 inch grid

Range 3 Squares (straight line NOT diagonally from front of base).

Number of Squares	Roll to hit (1d6)	Roll to save (1d6)
3	6	4,5,6
2	6,5	5,6

 
 
Hand-to-hand combat

Hand-to-hand combat takes place when figures are in adjacent squares – these MAY be diagonally adjacent. Each figure involved in the combat rolls 1d6. Highest wins. Saving roll is 4,5,6. For 3 inch grid, front 3 figures in a square may fight the 3 (or less) opposing them.

Example: 2 Red Troops (both facing Blue) fight a Blue soldier. Red rolls 5 & 4 Blue rolls 5. Red figure that rolls a 4 must take a saving throw.

Attacking to flank or rear adds +1 to throw. Mounted figure +1.

Morale test – once a side has taken 50% casualties, each remaining figure rolls 1D6 and acts as follows:

5 or 6 – continue as ordered

4 – Halt for one turn.

2 or 3 – Retreat: turn 180^o, move one full turn (if movement takes the figure off the board it may not return)

1 – Rout: turn to rear, move full moves until off the board, do not take further morale checks.

If a Commander is within 3 grid squares in any direction, add 1 to the D6 score.

Pictures from a game entitled "Tin Lizzy Down"

An archaeologist and his daughter, guarded by some FFL break down in a village and are attacked by hostile natives (entering board in waves); the FFL must hold out against a larger enemy force until help (US Marines, who else?) arrives.

The village

 

Under attack

 

"Natives, sir! At least 8 of them..."

The Yanks are coming!
 

End of reel...  at this point the camera had had enough of my nonsense.