Skirmish wargame rules Basic rules, january 2011 This is an update and adaptation of the basic Argad !

d ! ruleset (first published in 1996 as a bilingual French-Breton booklet). These rules are not intended for any commercial use and we apologize for the poor english translation. As for any wargame rules, newcomers should not try to understand everything at first lecture: stage and play a small game, phase after phase, and everything will become easy. The rules will continue to be updated and expanded, developments will be accessible on our official website http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/ Comments, suggestions and ideas are welcome on our forum An argader : http://argad.forumculture.net/ (an English-language section could be added to our forum if need arises)

Conditions: These game rules are the property of their author and editor. Wargame players and groups of players may freely use these rules. Free distribution and reproduction is authorized but the name Argad ! and these conditions must be clearly mentioned. Any commercial use is strictly forbidden. Players may write and distribute their own non-official extensions, modifications, scenarios for these rules, or translation in any language, clearly mentioning "non-official Argad ! rules extension/modification/scenario/translation" and these conditions, and with no commercial use. This does not impair the rights of the author and editor of the official Argad ! rules to continue to develop and update the rules and to officially include any extensions or modifications in the rules. The rules remains the property of their author and editor.

1996, 2011 Patrice Mallier

I. INTRODUCTION This is a very simple system of skirmish rules that can be used for any period of history or fantasy. Each miniature represents a single character. Characters may be grouped in small troops complete with officers, etc, for more accuracy but it is not compulsory in the basic rules. Each player may be represented on the table by a miniature (often the army leader character, or "general"). Roleplay and negociations within players are encouraged. An umpire may move non-player characters (villagers, etc) to add flavour to the game. Texts in red colour are rather new suggestions and additions to the rules. II. MINIATURES AND BASES These rules are devised for 25 mm/28 mm miniatures fixed on round or square bases : Footmen: 2 cm or 2 x 2 cm +H footmen: 2,5 cm or 2,5 x 2,5 cm
"+H" characters are very strong individuals

class 4: experienced warriors; elite unit class 5: very good fighters; commandos Clothing/armour clothing 1: nude, almost nothing, thin shirt, T-shirt clothing 2: civilian clothes; pirates in shirt and leather baldric clothing/armour 3: very light armour which may at least give some confidence: medieval gambison; bark armour; leather baldrics on thick clothes; and/or shield armour 4: chainmail; breastplate armour 5: complete chainmail or complete metal armour
Late medieval knights can be classified as class 5, armour 5, when they wear their full metal armour, but class 4 without it.

Shields are only taken into account in specific situations (chapter XI). Cavalry and mounted infantry Characters may be "mounted" on animals (horses, camels, mules, wolves, etc). Characters well trained to fight on horseback are called "cavalry". Characters who can ride an animal but are uneasy to fight on its back are called "mounted infantry" or "mounted footmen" (all cavalry is "mounted", but not all mounted are "cavalry"). IV. WEAPONS Only take in consideration the weapons that appear on the miniatures (or in the scenario). Some weapons may add +1 or 1 to the die rolls (depending on the tactical situation). Weapons are also classified according to their length.
Exemples : a two-handed sword, a two-handed axe, a bayonet on a musket, are "semi-long weapons"; a thrusting spear or a hallberd are "long weapons", etc.

Mounted characters: 2,5 x 5 cm rectangle

(angles of the base may be round or square) Poneys, donkeys: 2 x 4 cm rectangle (angles of the base may be round or square)

III. CLASS, ARMOUR, CAVALRY Characters are classified according to their "class" and "clothing/armour". The "class" is the fighting ability and training of the character. The "clothing/armour" of the character gives him/her further protection (or, at least, self-confidence). Only take into account what the miniature looks like (and/or what has been clearly agreed between players and/or written in the scenario). For the Middle Ages period it is simple to consider that (with some exceptions) class is often equal to armour. Armour tends to disappear in later periods, and in modern times soldiers abilities can be very different even with the same equipment and clothing. Classes class 1: characters normally unable to fight; inoffensive animals class 2: villagers; young warriors with no experience; militia; draft troops class 3: trained warriors; regular line troops; welltrained auxiliaries

Weapons of casualties cannot be used again. V. GAME PHASES Each game turn is divided in three different phases. All players play simultaneously the movement phase; when this phase is over they play simultaneously the shooting phase; and then they play simultaneously the melee phase: 1) "mouvement phase" (chapter VI) 2) "shooting phase" (chapter VII) 3) "melee phase" (chapter VIII) Players may move as many of their characters as they wish in the movement phase. 2

All characters able to shoot may shoot in the shooting phase. Enemy characters in base contact may strike each other in the melee phase. The game is played with 6-sided dice. The term "natural die" means the result rolled on the die (before any modifier, bonus or malus). "2 paces" means the width of the miniatures base. Characters can speak, be heard, and shout orders, at 20 cm distance. Musicians can be heard at 40 cm. VI. MOVEMENT PHASE Each players moves as many of his/her character than he/her wishes. The maximum movement depends on class, armor, terrain, etc. (see the "movement table") All moves are simultaneous. At the beginning of the phase, players say to each other what they intend to do: "My little group here goes there, and these guys there would go there, and these people stay where they are", etc. Players can then change their mind: "Hmm, if these ones want to go there, then my troop there would rather stay where they are, and this man here will run away from you", etc. "Ah, but then, if he refuses to fight my group wont run after him, it will just advance a bit and stop there", etc. So the players must agree on all the movements. This "friendly simultaneous" system is unusual in wargames but goes very fast in practice. When players cannot agree on a situation (this does not happen often) "If you do that, I do this, but if you dont do that then I dont do this", "And me too", choose the less offensive solution: the involved characters do not move. Characters on foot may turn, and/or move "2 paces" (= the width of their base), without any penality. A mounted character also, if there is enough room to turn or move the miniature base.
A character who turns and/or who moves only "2 paces" is not considered "moving" if other points of the rules ask for him/her not to move.

"Speed dice" and "slowness dice" In some situations, such as crossing difficult terrain, players must roll one "slowness die" or two "slowness dice": one die if the character or group is on foot, two dice if mounted. The result of the die (or dice) is taken from the movement (in cm); and if the die (or at least one of the two dice) rolls a natural 6 the character or group is blocked, cannot move this turn and is in disorder (and in some cases fells on the ground, or is drowned, see chapter XIII). In some other situations, players must roll one "speed die" or two "speed dice"; same as above, but the result rolled on the die (or dice) is added to the movement (in cm); if the die (or at least one of the two dice) rolls a natural 6 the character or group moves as such but ends in disorder. Characters moving together as a group roll this die (or these dice) for the whole group, not separately. VII. SHOOTING PHASE All characters able to shoot may shoot if their players wants them to. All shooting are simultaneous (there are some exceptions). (see the "shooting table") Some weapons can shoot only if the shooter does not move; other have a malus if he/her has moved. Ammunition quantity is not taken into account, except for javelines and other hand-thrown weapons. Characters may shoot in any direction if there is no obstacle, and nobody, between him/her and the target (to be sure of this, draw a line from the base of the character and the base of the target). A character may shoot above the shoulder of a friend close to him, if this friend does not shoot and is not in contact with an enemy.
Some weapons (bows) can shoot at a distant target above the head of friends or above small buildings. Soldiers in close order with long muskets can fire above the shoulder of a first rank. (see the tables)

Enemy characters must stop moving as soon as their base are in contact.
If both of them has moved, take their movements into account to decide exactly where they meet.

A mounted character (including cavalrymen) may dismount, or climb on his/her saddle, in one game turn; he/her cannot shoot, strike, nor do anything else during the same game turn. 3

Characters who were in contact with an enemy at the beginning of the game turn cannot shoot. Characters who come to contact, or who are contacted, by an enemy during the movement phase may shoot in some cases (see below the rules "shoot before contact" and "shoot in contact"). Weapons can be thrown by hand (javeline, dagger, knife, tomahawk, shuriken, stone, etc) if the character faces his/her target (at a maximum 45 angle) during half the game turn at least. Characters close to each other (closer than 4 paces from each other) form one target as a group, they are

not separate targets. When a group suffers casualties, any of the characters closer to the shooter have an equal chance to have been hit (toss). Characters must shoot first at enemies menacing to contact them or shooting at them. It is forbidden to shoot at foes in contact with friends.
Exceptions: the army general may order to his/her soldiers (if they are close enough to hear his/her voice) to shoot at any target he/her wants; or to shoot at a melee including friends, in which cases some of these friends have a chance to be hit.

Modern weapons which could fire twice in a game turn may only fire once in this situation. The shooter cannot strike in melee in the same game turn.
Consider that the shooters wait for the attackers to be close enough to shoot at them. This rule prevents players to strangely stop their moves just before coming at close shooting range before attacking.

Shooting effect Roll a die for each projectile and look at the "shooting table" for the result. The die roll may be modified by armor, terrain, furtivity, some situations, etc. A natural die roll of 1 is always a missed shot.
SOME SPECIAL SITUATIONS :

Shooting in contact Some weapons (those with a letter "C" on the "shooting table") may shoot at an enemy in contact. This happens in the melee phase and it is treated as if striking just before the blows of the longer weapons. Use the closest range column of the "shooting table". Characters who "shoot at contact" can shoot only once during the game turn. The shooter has no penality if he/her has moved; but he/her cannot strike with another weapon. Characters may shoot at opponents on the other side of a linear obstacle (open door, window, etc) even if none of them wants to cross this obstacle; in this case, such an opponent can strike back with a hand weapon. Cavalry "caracole" From the 16th century onwards, cavalrymen with pistols may come near the enemy, shoot, and gallop away in the same game turn. This is treated as normal shooting in movement. Such shooting cannot aim at a "furtive target", except if the opponent players accepts it. VIII. MELEE PHASE A character in contact with foe(s), and who has not shooted during the game turn, may strike one enemy in contact. Characters can only strike once in the game turn, but can be struck by all enemies in contact with them. A character in contact with more than one foe must say clearly which one he/her strikes. The die is rolled for each blow. Modifiers are added to the die, and the total is compared to the class and to the clothing/armour of the enemy. An enemy is "killed" if the total is higher than his/her class AND his/her clothing/armour. If the total is smaller than his/her class AND his/her clothing/armour, he/she has no harm. If the die rolls a natural 1 the enemy has no harm 4

Furtivity A target which has appeared and disappeared during the movement phase may be shot at in the shooting phase, but only by shooters who have not moved. It is a "furtive target": 1 to the die roll. Whatever the result (killed, or missed) it does not modify the other moves of the movement phase. Modern weapons which may fire twice in a game turn only fire once if they aim at a furtive target. Volley fire Regular troops in close order armed with muskets or carbines, and obeying orders of an oficer or NCO, may shoot a "volley" if they do not move during the game turn and are not standing on difficult terrain. The effects of the volleys are calculated just before all other shootings of the shooting phase. Volleys cannot aim at a "furtive" target.
It does not mean that they shoot faster, but it gives them an advantage if facing a troop firing at will.

Firing before contact : "the white of their eyes" Shooters (with any weapon) who have not shot during the previous game turn and who do not move during the present game turn may shot at foes who come and contact them during the movement phase: "wait till you see the white of their eyes!" This happens in the shooting phase. Use the short range column of the weapon on the "shooting table".

and does not need to walk back, whatever the die modifiers. In any other result, he/she must walk 2 paces back.
Ex : a medieval franc-archer, class 2, armor 4, is killed on a total of 5 or 6; if the total is 2, 3, or 4 he must walk 2 paces back.

to strike him/her. A character who climbs (on a ladder, etc) to attack a platform, balcony, etc, has these two disavantadges: he strikes a defender with 1 and the defender strikes him/her with +1. He/she must kill this defender, or force this defender to walk back, to set foot on the building.
No more that one defender may strike the climbing attacker (give him a chance!).

However, two opponents should not kill each other, or be forced to walk back, simultaneously: If two opponents striking at each other roll simultaneously the result "kill", only the higher class one succeeds to kill his/her enemy. If they are of the same class, only the one who rolled the higher natural die kills the other one. Same rule when two opponents could simultaneously force the other to walk back. But if two opponents of the same class roll simultaneously the result to "kill" (or force 2 paces back) the other one with an equal natural die roll, they are both killed (or forced to walk 2 paces back). A character who kills his/her opponent does not need to walk back; but other characters who strike against the same opponent may kill him/her, or force him/her to walk 2 paces back, even if this opponent has just killed or forced back the first character. Weapons length All melees are simultaneous, but the length of the weapons makes a difference: a long weapon strikes "before" a semi-long, short, or very short weapon; a semi-long weapon strikes "before" a short or very short weapon; a short weapon strikes "before" a very short weapon. Any character killed, or forced to walk back, by a foe who strikes "before" him/her, has no time to strike (he/she does not even roll the die). A character forced to walk back by a foe who strikes "before" him/her can still be struck by other enemies who were in contact with him/her at the beginning of the melee phase, but he/she cannot strike anyone. Ground levels ; fighting to cross an obstacle A character standing on lower ground than an enemy is disavantadged to strike this enemy: 1 to the die roll. Two enemy characters standing on each side of some linear obstacle (fence, low wall, stakes, window, open door) can only strike each other if one of them says that he/she is trying to cross this onstacle. The other one then gains +1 to the die roll 5

some die modifiers for infantry

Footman with two-handed axe or two-handed sword: +1 to the die roll Footman striking with tool, musket butt: 1 to the die roll Any strike against a shield wall: 1 to the die roll

mounted and cavalry modifiers

Character on foot vs cavalryman : 1 to the die roll Bill or hallberd vs mounted and/or cavalry: +1 to the die roll Thrusting spear, bayonet on musket, not moving vs cavalry charging the bearer: +1 to the die roll Cavalryman vs footman, or vs mounted infantry: +1 to the die roll, except on difficult ground for the cavalryman Mounted (incl. cavalryman) vs footman not moving who strikes him with long spear, bill, hallberd, bayonet on musket: 1 to the die roll Cavalryman charging: +1 to the die roll Knight charging on horse with heavy couched lance: +1 to the die roll Cavalry charge is forbidden on difficult ground. All melee modifiers are added.

other die modifiers Other tactical factors may apply depending on the weapons. (see the "melee table" and the different historical extensions) Shooting in contact Some weapons (cavalry javelines, pistols, short muskets, submachineguns, etc) may shoot in contact in melee. (see previous chapter) IX. AFTER THE MELEE The results of the melee phase are done simultaneously at the end of this phase.

Dead characters quit the game (we dont want to know if they are dead of wounded) and are lost with their weapons, horse, etc. Surviving characters cannot take the weapons and mounts of the dead (except if the scenario says otherwise). A character who kills an enemy or who forces an enemy to walk back may walk 2 paces forward to take his/her place if he/she wants. In that case, a charging cavalryman has no choice and must advance 2 paces forward. Walk back in melee Characters who must "walk back" are moved 2 paces back. A character who cannot "walk back" (surrounded by enemies and/or by impassable obstacles) is killed or captured. A character in a group in "close order" or "loose order" does not need to walk back in melee if the number of enemy ranks just in front of him is not greater than the number of friendly ranks just behind him.

can be rolled again, another natural 6 would then be counted as 8, etc. Characters and groups in "disorder" do not benefit of this rule when they shoot or strike. XI. SHIELDS Shields and pavises All characters bearing a shield are considered "armor 3" if they wear a lighter "clothing". Small shields are not otherwise taken into account. Mounted and cavalry shields, and shields that can be considered to be a part of armor (such as a 14th C. knights shield) are not considered in the rules. However, large shields of footmen make a difference (Antiquity, Dark Ages, Late Middle Ages pavises, modern riot police shields). Footmen characters who bear such a large shield gain 1 protection from shooting if they are not moving and have no terrain protection. A late medieval "pavois" gives the same protection, even if the character moves no more than 16 cm. A crossbowman bearing such a "pavois" on his back loses this protection when he turns to shoot (but another "pavesier" character may protect him). Footmen characters in close order forming a "shield wall" (they need special training to do that) gain the same protection, which extends to a second rank of footmen just behind them. A shield wall can move 12 cm per turn without breaking. It cannot move on difficult ground and cannot exist on very difficult ground. "Disorder" breaks the shield wall. XII. BUDGET The 1996 original ruleset suggested a method to calculate the army budget: each character costs a number of points equal to its class (or an average between class and armour); add the cost of weapons; a horse costs the same cost as the cavalryman; a mounted footmans horse costs one point less. Technological differences could be included in the calculation (colonial wars, etc). However, we now prefer to concentrate on interesting and adventurous scenarios and not bother about equality of army budgets. XIII. TERRAIN Honestly, this ruleset has no much interest if you use a small table and no obstacle. Favour large tables, as long as possible, and lots of ground 6

A character with a longer weapon than his/her opponent, and who suffers a result to "walk back in melee", will not have advantage of weapon length in the following turn. The base of his/her advancing enemy may be placed in contact with his own to remember this in the following turn. This rule applies even if the character did not actually walk back for some reason. Quit a melee A character still in contact with foe(s) at the beginning of a new game turn may go away in the movement phase, but if the same enemy follows and contact him/her again in the same game turn and strikes, he/she could not strike him back. X. "RULE OF THE MANY SIXes" When characters shoot at the same target (whether a lone character or a group), or strike on the same enemy, two dice which roll a natural 6 are counted as a 6 and a 7. So four 6s would result in two 6s and two 7s, these two 7s are counted as a 7 and a 8. If two 8s are thus obtained, it results in a 8 and a 9; etc. If only one die rolls a natural 6 in shooting or melee against one target, it can be thrown again. Any new roll of a natural 6 is then counted as a 7, which

elements hills, forests, village that will give the players tactical choices to think about. Terrain effects appear on the "terrain table". Some terrain are "difficult", or "very difficult", to walk in. Terrain may affect view, shooting, and melee. Characters or groups who are in a difficult terrain at any moment of their move roll a "slowness die" (or two "slowness dice" if mounted). Characters or groups in very difficult terrain at any moment of their move have their movement halved and roll a "slowness die" (or two "slowness dice" if mounted). (see chapter VI for explanation) A road, or a path, is an easy terrain. Characters do not go faster on them, but vehicles do (except in bad weather). Risky terrain Some terrains are classified as "risky". Any character moving on "risky" terrain rolls a die. Characters class 1, or armour 5, or mounted infantry, or armour 4 footmen, add +1 to the die roll ; heroes add 1. total 6: blocked, stuck in the mud, etc: the character cannot move further during this game turn and cannot do anything else; he/she is in disorder. He/she will roll again the die next turn; if he/she rolls another 6 (including the die modifiers) it is then equal to 7 (see below). total 7: dead (bad fall, or drowned, etc) A character who is not blocked may try to help a blocked character; to do that he/she must come in contact, not doing anything else. The blocked character will add 1 to the next die roll and the helpful character +1. XIV. FORMATION AND HIERARCHY Characters may be grouped in different formations on the battelfield. Players may decide to take group formations and chain of command into account in the game, or to ignore it. Free individuals: This is the most simple game, the system of the first edition 1996 Argad ! rules. Characters move alone or in groups as their player wishes, it makes no difference except if they form a shield wall. Some miniatures may represent nobles, officers, or NCOs, but with no effect on the game. In that case you dont really need to read this chapter (but it can help to organize and to display your army with more accuracy). Free hierarchy: Characters may act alone or in 7

groups; nobles, officers, NCOs, and all their subordinate who can hear their voice (20 cm) act normally as their player wants. Isolated characters (those too far to hear the voice of a superior officer) may act alone but with some disavantadge. (optional rules) Strict hierarchy: Characters may act alone or in groups; the nobles, officers, NCOs, and their subordinate who can hear their voice (20 cm) must obey orders that their player secretly writes on an "order sheet". Isolated characters (those too far to hear the voice of a superior officer) may act alone but with some disavantadge. (optional rules) If hierarchy is taken into account in the game, the miniatures of officer characters must be easy to recognize. Nobles, officers, and NCOs (according to the historical or fantasy context) can give order to any groups of the same players army, if they have sufficient social status.
OFFICERS:

Exemple: the leader of a group of knights can give orders to friendly peasants of the same nation, but the peasant village chief cannot give orders to knights or to soldiers.
FORMATIONS:

Loose order Most people, whether on foot or mounted, would stand in "loose order": some kind of line or of crowd in a loose group. Characters who have not been seriously trained to do something else can only be in "loose order" (or in disorder!). Characters at work, artillerymen around their gun, idle characters, etc, are in "loose order" (or in disorder, or alone). Close order Close order formation needs special training and some officer to give orders. Miniatures stand in a close group (a nice colum, or straight or curved neat lines). Movement in close order is 16 cm on foot, 32 cm mounted. No character in the rank may go faster, so if the group needs to wheel it must wait for the characters on the far wing. There is no penality to change from column into line or from line to column, as each character may turn freely on its base. (we are talking about large skirmish groups here, no huge battalions) A group in close order can stand, but not move, on a "difficult" terrain. Close order is impossible on a very difficult terrain. "Shield wall", Roman "testudo", and modern riot

police shield wall, are done in close order but their maximum movement is 12 cm. A group which is not, or no more, in close order, cannot form a shield wall or testudo. Open order This is a skirmish formation that can only be done by characters who have been trained to do it. Miniature bases stand 4 paces from each other at least. Mouvement is normal. Characters not trained to do this cannot pretend to be in "open order", whatever reason their player finds: you could not prevent them to come closer to each other on their own, and that means "loose order" (or disorder). In some historical cases the rules accept a "twomen open order" that gives the same advantages than true open order: medieval pavise-bearer and crossbowman; medieval handgunner and aide; twomen modern LMG team. Disorder
This is a former optional rule which now begins to be included in the so-called basic rules: the fast-play 1996 basic rules are so carrying that Argad ! players have always been reluctant to slow the game with hardenforced rules about formations, hierarchy, and morale, so we are experimenting ways to slightly introduce these notions without changing the spirit of the game. Do as you wish when youll have fully understood the basic rules.

no call for compulsory disorder in the rules, the group finds itself in "loose order". (this is a difference with many wargame rules) Formation change A group can change formation if an officer gives them the order (and if they are well trained to the new formation). Formation change happens in the movement phase and can be done on the same place or in a normal movement (if the terrain allows). New formation is only effective after the end of the game turn. Characters who change formation cannot shoot, reload their weapon, strike, or do anything else in the game turn.

XV. EXCEPTIONAL CHARACTERS Difference between characters strength is not usually taken into account. However, in some cases the rules may accept it (very strong historical characters, Pulp rare characters, big orcs in fantasy, etc). Strength +H Very strong characters are called "+H", easy to recognize on their larger base: 2,5 cm on foot. When they fight on foot in melee they add a +1 modifier to their die roll, and their opponents 1 to strike at them. These modifiers not apply when they are mounted. Heroes and glory Some "heroes" and very renowned characters may appear in the game. They should remain very exceptional, and not dominate the game but add another dimension. The size of their base depends on their apparent physical strength (2 cm ou 2,5 cm). Another characteristic, "glory", is introduced for them; the most renowned heroes are "glory 6". Glory is taken into account in the melee results, as class and clothing/armour.
Example: if Robin Hood is, say, class 5, clothing 3, and glory 6, you must obtain 7 to kill him in melee; and if you obtain a result of 3, 4, 5, or 6 he will graciously do a nice display of swordmanship dance that consists in walking back 2 paces to avoid the blow.

Groups and characters in "disorder" have no formation and do not listen to their leaders. In that case the miniatures can stay in loose groups but with no apparent formation. Characters who are too far to hear the voice of a superior officer are always in disorder. However, new optional rules may permit them to act without disavantadge as an "exceptional action". Characters and groups in disorder do not add any of the positive modifiers to their die rolls to shoot or strike; but they still have the negative modifiers! And they do not benefit of the "many 6s rule". If an officer (or hero, etc) able to command the group (and/or the characters) is present and can be heard (at 20 cm or closer), disorder stops automatically at the end of the game turn; the group begins the next game turn in "loose order"; the officer may then order them to change formation or to do whatever he/she wants. A group which breaks its formation (ex: a broken shield wall) is not necessarily is disorder: if there is 8

Optional rules may give to "dead" heroes a good chance of being "only wounded": for exemple, a saving throw to recover health if any friendly character comes to help him/her; or/and an "only

wounded" status: half normal movement, 1 in shooting and melee. XVI. "Hmm... IT COULD TAKE SOME TIME!" This is a rule for situations where some characters want to do some work or simple action (destroy a small fence, or smash open a small bolted door, push away a cart which blocks the road, etc) that could take some ammount of time but is difficult to quantify. Characters at work cannot do anything else in the game turn. At the end of the game turn, roll a die. If the die rolls 1, it is a success. If not, workers continue to work and the players still do not know how long it will take. At the end of each game turn working, roll a die again: work is successful if the die roll is less or equal to the number of game turns that have been spent working: at the end of the 1st game turn the action succeeds if the dice rolls 1 at the end of the 2nd game turn the action succeeds if the dice rolls 1 or 2 at the end of the 3rd game turn the action succeeds if the dice rolls 1, 2 or 3; etc ; a natural 6 means a failure: work has to be done again from the beginning! Difficult work, or actions which should obviously take a lot of time (ex: repair a wheel) may take "a double ammount of time": roll two dice; failure only on a natural double 6. Some specialised characters (sappers, pioneers, mechanics, etc) may have a bonus 1 to the die.
This rule prevents players to know exactly how long some actions may take. It has been inspired by an old joke from French humorist Fernand Raynaud, in the role of a stubborn NCO asking to young soldiers: "How long takes a gun barrel to cool down ?... Anyone knows the answer ? No ? Its written in the manual ! You should know it by heart ! Youre all stupid ! Its so easy to remember !" etc, and eventually reading the correct answer from the manual : "The gun barrel cools down in a certain ammount of time".

cinematographic or Pulp flavour, and broaden the scope of 6-sided die rolls, without changing the fastness and flavour of the game.
Some "exceptional actions" that could be included in the rules: saving throw to cure a general or hero that has been killed; promoting a soldier to NCO in a group whose officers have been killed; additional move; surprise move by an hidden group or character; surprise shooting by an hidden group of character; try to detect hidden characters; a character or group aims well, +1 modifier; a group shoots a storm of arrows or fires a volley or a "mad minute"; a lone character may act without "disorder" disavantadge during the whole turn; a character may shoot and strike in the same game turn; a character with two hand weapons may strike twice; a character throws a knife; a character tries to throw back an unburst grenade; the player asks a morale test on a group or a character; etc.

An optional rule easy to include in the game is this one: Optional rule: "additional move" Just after the end of the movement phase, each player can give an "additional move" to one of his/her characters: on easy terrain: half a normal move + speed die/dice on difficult or very difficult ground: half a normal move (characters who have just been blocked by the terrain cannot do an additional move) If the character is a noble, officer or NCO, or a hero, subordinate characters/soldiers who can hear and obey his/her orders follow him/her if the players wants them to. If the character has no authority to give orders, he/her must move alone. Mounted infantry cannot do an additional move. A cavalryman who did one in the previous game turn cannot do it again in the present game turn. "Additional moves" of different players are all simultaneous and happen between the movement phase and the shooting phase. Characters who make an additional move cannot shoot in the same game turn, even if their weapon normally allows them to shoot while moving; but they still can "shoot in contact". Additional move is possible in any formation. If the "speed die" (or any of the "speed dice") rolls a natural 6, the character or groups still moves but ends in disorder.

XVII. A BIT MORE ABOUT THESE LONGAWAITED OPTIONAL RULES The basic Argad ! system is so simple that it is a difficult challenge to broaden it without bugs. A suggestion that has long been studied is to give each player the right to do one (and only one!) "exceptional action" of his/her choice at each game turn. This permits actions that are not normally done, focalize attention on some events on the table, add a 9

Immuable principles of the "Argad !" rules engraved in stone since 1996 ! ;-) - as much simultaneity as possible (no initiative dice, or they should be embedded in other dice rolls) - only one die/dice roll for an action; simulation of action on the gametable should not take more time than actual action (ex: shooting hits the target, or misses) - characters must not have long lists of different abilities; their characteristics must be as easy to recognize at first glance as possible

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