31 August 2013

Machine Gun and "Rapid Fire" Rules for Gilder Sudan




"Just remember Smithy...don't panic and she won't jam mate!"
 
Machine Gun Fire

The Gatling, Nordenfeld guns etc. have a special fire rule.

They fire off the normal small arms table however this type of gun can fire up to twenty (20) rounds per move, all shots being treated as instantaneous.

The firing player has to first decide how many rounds he will fire that turn.  He then throws a d20 and if he rolls over that number then that is the amount of equivalent “men” are firing. If he rolls under that number, then the gun jam has malfunctioned, has jammed on that number of rounds and after this round of fire (which is till calculated) must be cleared.

A jammed machine gun requires two unoccupied gunners to un-jam it.  On the first move after jamming, throw one d6.  A score of 1 indicates that it has been cleared.  On the second move a score of 1 or 2 is required.  Third move, a 1, 2 or 3 is required.  On the fourth turn a 1, 2, 3, or 4 is required and the fifth turn anything but a six will clear the piece.

If the gun is not cleared by the end of the fifth turn after it initially jammed then it is considered to be damaged beyond repair.



Young Halsey views the field for new enemy targets.
  
As an example a section of the Naval Brigade has decided to lay fire at an approaching horde of 30 Fuzzy Wuzzies some 18” away.  The Gardener Gun Commander, Lieutenant. Halsey decides that he will provide some support to the column and elects to fire 8 rounds this move. 

First he has to hit so he rolls on the Small Arms Fire table knowing that he needs a minimum of 5 on a d10 to hit.  He rolls a 7 – success!!

He now needs to determine how skilfully his crew have managed to work their deadly machine.  He picks up a d20 and rolls a 9.  His crew are very skilled and are able to fire off the equivalent of seven rounds and thankfully no jamming or other malfunction has occurred.

The Gardener Gun fires as the equivalent of nine men at 4” which is long range.  They roll a 3 on their Random Fire and Melee Table and have a modifier of   +1.  The end result is the infliction of 19 casualties on the Mahdi. 

Note that for example a roll of 18 would have resulted in 17 rounds being fired off but the gun jamming!  Mores casualties but correspondingly more worry for young Lt. Halsey!

Important not to run out of ammunition when doing the Queens work!

Rapid Fire – Special Fire Rule

All small arms and field guns of Imperial Troops may elect to rapid fire.  Machine guns do NOT have this option.

This enables your unit to double the casualties inflicted upon the enemy.

In order to be able to this the following criteria must be met:

a)                  The unit or gun must not have moved that period.
b)                  You may not “Rapid Fire” into an enemy that you will melee with this turn.
c)                  A unit which has lost its Officer may never order “Rapid Fire”.

Rapid Fire however costs three rounds of ammunition and this should be recorded on the appropriate unit chart.

Replenishing Ammunition

Every time a unit fires, an ammunition square is marked off the appropriate unit roster.

To prevent a Sudanese version of Islandwana (yes …I know this is all myth but it does make some great Hollywood style drama!), it is important to be able to re-supply the companies, batteries and battalions with extra ammunition as required.  This is done by representing pack animals with supplies such as ammunition in the game.

A single camel or mule is able to carry 120 rounds of small arms ammunition, twelve rounds of artillery ammunition and twelve magazines of machine gun rounds.  Furthermore for the animals to be under control, every two animals must have a dedicated native handler.

At the commencement of the game these handlers must be in addition to your own troops.  If for any reason these handlers may choose to “disappear” you may detail troops to lead the beasts.  These can be marked off with a “T” in your roster sheet and though they are technically not losses, they cannot fire or fight whilst with the beasts.

It takes two turns for units to have ammunition from a pack animal that is in base to base contact with them replenished.  Whilst being resupplied, the unit can take no further actions, including movement.


"No Rapid Fire for you boys...damned rules don't allow it!!"


However these boys from the Camel Corps certainly can..."Wait for it boys".

3 comments:

  1. Nice Carlo very nice...we will have to compare armies one day?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yep, we had the Gatling jam after firing just one round. No fun, with half the Mahdist army bearing down on you...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very interesting. It is a classic to have a Gatling jammed in the middle of a Mahdist charge...

    ReplyDelete