One figure represents one man or one mount. One turn represents a very short amount of time (approximately 5 to 10 seconds).

For 25mm figures, 1:72 (½ inch = 1 scale yard)

For 54mm figures, 1:36 (1 inch = 1 scale yard)

All measurements in these rules are given in inches for 25mm scale. For 54mm scale, double all measurements.

Players alternate taking turns. Unless the referee rules otherwise, the British always have the first turn in the scenario. Figures move and fire only during their own turn, never during the opposing player's turn. Figures in melee can fight every turn.

1. Perform all noncombat actions

2. Calculate and execute all firing

3. Calculate and execute all melee

4. Move all figures

5. Make observation checks

6. Record any reactions

Three six-sided dice are needed: two white, one colored. Usually, all three dice are rolled together. The two white dice determine whether the attack was on target. The colored die is a saving throw which determines whether some action of the target (or simple luck) prevented a hit.

All men are either novices, trained, veterans, heroes (British only), or fanatics (natives only). To determine this, roll one die for each figure. Record both the result (novice, trained, veteran, hero, or fanatic) and the die roll on a roster sheet for reference. The referee can impose a -1 penalty on these rolls for green units just arrived from the home country or for hastily-raised militia units.

All men also have two ability modifiers determined by their experience rating: one for firing and the other for melee. Firing ability includes knife and spear throwing for natives. Record each figure’s firing and melee ability on the roster also.

Each player selects one of his figures (usually the highest ranking figure under his control) to be his personal figure. This figure always does whatever the player wants, regardless of orders (though it is still subject to reactions, q.v.).

A fanatic will always charge the closest enemy he sees. Once he has started charging, the fanatic will not react to any other occurrence. Light wounds have no effect on fanatics or heroes, and serious wounds are treated as light wounds.

Each man's experience and ability ratings should be recorded on a roster, along with his name and rank. For ease of play, however, this information can be recorded directly on the figure by painting the edge of its base: green for novice, white (or neutral) for trained, blue for veteran, and red for heroes and fanatics.

At the end of each battle, roll one die for every man who survived. If the number rolled is higher than his current experience number, raise his experience number by one. For example, a novice with an experience number of one becomes trained (with an experience number of two) by rolling a two or higher. The next two times he advances (to experience numbers 3 and 4) he will still remain trained. He must advance three times to reach experience number 5 and become a veteran.

Assuming that there is some reasonable amount of time between scenarios, wounded figures can recover. Roll one die for each wounded figure. Add one to the roll if the figure is recovering in a military hospital or under a European doctor's care, or is a hero or fanatic.

At the start of the game, both sides should be given general orders concerning their objectives. The commander of each side then briefly draws up a plan of how he intends to carry out those orders and submits the plan to the referee. Throughout the game, soldiers must try to follow this plan (as adjudicated by the referee) until ordered to do otherwise.

Each player commands a group of soldiers (8-12 with firearms, or up to 20 without firearms). One of these figures is a leader, representing the player's presence on the table. The actions of the soldiers in the group depend on the orders issued by the leader. A leader can issue only one order per turn, so if he wants his men to split up and perform individual tasks, it will take some time to explain everything. Once a soldier has been given orders, however, he continues following them until they are changed.

Example: A British officer is leading a column of men into hostile territory when a group of Afghans is sighted. At the beginning of his turn, the British player announces "I'm ordering these men to form a skirmish line." The individual figures under his command now begin moving into a skirmish line. On the next turn, the British player announces "I'm ordering them to commence firing at will." Those figures in position begin firing while those figures still moving into the line continue moving until they reach their positions, then they begin firing.

A leader can issue orders three ways: by shouting, by hand signals, and via a musician.

Shouted Commands

A shouted command can be heard within 24 yards (12 inches). Only an officer, NCO, or tribal chief can deliver a shouted command. Only one command can be given per turn.

Hand signals can be given by officers, NCOs, and tribal chiefs. They are effective within 200 yards (100 inches) for every figure who could see the signaling figure. Men whose attention is fully occupied (i.e., they are shooting, aiming, in melee, or fanatics charging) do not see the signal. The following hand signals can be given.

Simple hand signals can be given by scouts. These consist of: no enemy in sight; enemy in sight in small numbers; enemy in sight in large numbers.

Trumpet, bugle, and drum calls can be sounded by a musician only on the command of an officer, NCO, or tribal chief. The musician sounds the order (and soldiers begin obeying it) on the turn after the leader gives the order to the musician. The following commands can be given (native musicians may use only those commands denoted with an asterisk):

All of the following actions can be accomplished in a single turn.

The following actions take no time at all. Where applicable, they can be combined with any other actions and with movement up to doubletiming:

Two movement rates are used: one for European troops and the other for natives. Measurements are in inches (double these numbers for scale yards).

The usual movement rate for all troops once a fight has begun is doubletime. Walking is usually an enforced condition at the beginning of a game when one force is unaware of the other. European troops cannot charge for more than five turns (total) during a game. Native figures can charge indefinitely, but only if they are closing with a seen enemy.

Mounts have four movement speeds: walk, trot, canter, and gallop. A mount can increase its speed by one level per turn (e.g., from trot to canter). It can decrease its speed by two levels per turn. A mount must move within the range allowed for its speed, unless it contacts an enemy figure. For example, a cantering horse must move at least 5 inches, but not more than 8 inches. This applies only to mounts, not dismounted figures.

A mount can turn as much as it wants at any speed up to a canter. At a gallop, a mount can turn 45 degrees after moving 5 inches.

Dismounted riders must either allocate one horseholder for every four mounts or spend one turn tying the reins to a tree, or spend four turns driving a peg and tying the reins to it.

Any terrain that impedes movement is rough: broken ground, dense scrub, jungle, mud, soft sand, fordable water, etc. Native movement is reduced by one-third in rough terrain, British movement is reduced by half. Also, a charging figure does not get the +1 bonus in melee if it charged through rough terrain that turn.

Obstacles like low walls or barricades force a figure to stop when it reaches the obstacle. The next turn, the figure crosses the obstacle; place it on the opposite side but still in contact. The turn after that, the figure can move away normally.

Throughout this section, the terms "firing" and "shot" encompass spear and knife throwing. There are two types of shots: snapshots and aimed fire.

Figures have very little choice about which enemy figures they fire at. Targets must be nominated according to the following priority.

1. An enemy already aimed at, a covered area, or a target that the figure has been specifically ordered to shoot.

2. The nearest enemy or enemy group that is a potential or actual danger;

3. The nearest enemy figure.

If there is more than one potential target in a group, choose one randomly. More than one firer may randomly select (and kill!) the same target.

Aimed fire is a carefully aimed shot fired while in a firing stance.

A breech-loading rifle can fire an aimed shot every other turn (load on first turn, shoulder rifle and fire on second turn).

A bolt-action rifle's rate of aimed fire is normally the same as with a breech-loading rifle. This is because the standard practice of the late 19th Century was to use the bolt-action rifle like a breechloader, manually placing a fresh round in the chamber after each shot. At critical moments, the cut-off cover was flicked open so rounds could be rapidly chambered from the magazine. In these situations, a bolt-action rifle using rapid fire (pulling rounds from the magazine) can fire an aimed shot once per turn.

A revolver or lever-action rifle can fire one aimed shot per turn.

Aiming: If the firer spends a turn aiming without firing, he gets a +1 dice modifier to hit. This bonus point can be added either to the figure's dice roll to hit his target or to the target's saving throw. (A leader, however, always saves on a roll of 1.) This bonus doesn't have to be allocated until after the dice are rolled--the player gets to see where he needs help before assigning the point. An aiming bonus is lost as soon as a shot is fired, even if it wasn't needed; it cannot be saved from shot to shot.

A soldier can also aim at a location. If anything appears there, he can immediately fire at it. He gets no aiming bonus for this shot, no matter how long he waited for the target to appear.

Snapshooting gives a high rate of fire with less regard for accuracy. A breechloading rifle can be loaded and snapfired in a single turn. A lever-action or bolt-action rifle using rapid fire (pulling rounds from the magazine) can fire two snapshots per turn. A revolver can fire three snapshots per turn.

All rifles use the ranges listed for revolvers when snapshooting. A revolver's ranges are halved when snapshooting.

Measure the range from the attacker to the target and determine whether it is short, medium, or long. Then roll three dice: two white and one colored. The sum of the white dice determines whether the shot was on target; add the figure's firing ability to this dice roll (subtract it if it's a penalty). If this total equals or exceeds the number needed to hit at that range, the shot is on target. Note that hit numbers are different for mounted firers than for dismounted firers.

The colored die is a saving roll which determines whether the target's movement or cover prevented a hit. A saving roll equal to or less than the listed number means the shot missed or hit cover instead. Soft cover and leaders' bonuses are cumulative with other save numbers, if more than one applies. Only the leader’s bonus combines with the hard cover save. Otherwise, use only the save number that is most advantageous to the defender.

Two-die throw required to hit:

1 If the shot was on target but missed because of the saving roll, doubles still cause a light wound (from rock or wood splinters or other debris hitting the target).

2 If the shot was on target but missed because of the saving roll, it hits another figure instead. That figure is chosen by the player who controls the original target. It must be a figure that is engaged in melee with the original target.

Soft cover is any obstruction which obscures the target but which won't stop a bullet (or a spear or arrow, if applicable). Hard cover obscures the target and will stop the projectile in question.

Damage depends on the unmodified roll of the white dice:

If a hit is scored against a mounted figure, roll one die:

If the mount, not the rider, was the intended target, flip the result of the dice roll. The effect of a hit against a mount is slightly different: doubles are fatal, an even number is a serious wound, and an odd number is a light wound.

Example: A dismounted British dragoon fires his breech-loading carbine at a charging fuzzy-wuzzy 18 inches away. That’s medium range, so the throw required to hit is 8+. The native’s saving roll is 2. The dice rolls are 10 (white dice) and 4 (colored die). The shot was on target and the saving roll failed, so the Hadendowa is hit. The even roll causes a light wound. Had the roll been double 5s, the native would be killed. If his saving roll had been 1 or 2, the shot would have missed because of his movement.

Whenever two figures are within one inch of each other, they are automatically engaged in melee and hand-to-hand attacks are possible. A figure gets an immediate hand-to-hand attack when it charges to within one inch of an enemy figure.

The procedure for resolving a hand-to-hand attack is different from firing. Both the attacker and the defender roll two dice, adding or subtracting appropriate modifiers. The figure that gets the higher roll has a chance to wound the other.

For melee, all weapons are divided into six categories, each with an attack modifier:

Both the attacker and the defender roll two dice. Each roll is modified as follows:

Note that negative ability or weapon modifiers lower the dice roll.

Compare the two dice rolls. If the two numbers are equal or there is only one point of difference, then neither figure is wounded. If one figure rolled a number at least two points higher than its opponent, then the figure with the lower roll is wounded.

An unmodified roll of 2 or 3 never has any affect, no matter how low the opponent’s roll is. An unmodified roll of 11 or 12 always inflicts a wound (severe or fatal, respectively). An evading figure never wounds its opponent unless it rolls an 11 or 12.

Casualties in hand-to-hand fighting are determined the same as in firing, by the unmodified number rolled on the attacker’s dice.

A figure that is outnumbered in melee uses its one roll to attack or defend against all opponents. It can injure or kill only the opposing figure with the worst adjusted dice roll. If several enemy figures tie for worst roll, they all suffer the same fate.

A figure that is within one inch of an enemy figure is considered engaged in melee. Engaged figures have restricted options. They can: attack hand-to-hand; draw a weapon; fire a loaded weapon; stand up; or evade. Evading is the only movement allowed.

Example: A dismounted U.S. cavalry trooper with drawn saber faces a charging Pawnee warrior armed with a spear and shield. Neither figure has a melee ability bonus. The Pawnee gets a +3 to hit (charging +spear +shield). He rolls 6, which is adjusted to a 9 (6+3). The trooper gets a +2 modifier for his saber. He needs to roll at least a 6 to avoid a serious wound (6+2=8, which is within 1 point of 9). If his roll is a 9, he will wound the pawnee (9+2=11, which is 2 points higher than the indian’s roll).

A figure's reaction to immediate danger is critical. The following enforced reactions apply to all figures. Three things cause a reaction: a close miss, the wounding of a comrade, and the first attack (novice leaders only).

When a novice leader reacts to the first attack on his force, roll two dice; on a roll of 9 or more, he immediately becomes trained (experience no. 3).

Close misses apply only to target figures which are prone or in hard or soft cover. If a shot was on target but missed because of a saving roll, the target experienced a close miss. The target figure must duck behind its cover, if possible, and do nothing on the following turn. Veterans, heroes, and fanatics ignore this reaction.

When a European figure is wounded, the nearest friendly figure might try to save him. Roll two dice:

Any result other than those listed means the figure does what the player wants (which could be rescuing his comrade). If the nearest figure does not attempt a rescue, roll again for the leader; if a rescue is indicated, the leader must order the nearest man to perform it.

A rescued figure can be dragged at the Evading movement rate. Figures which are being charged, are in melee, or are aiming ignore this reaction.

At the beginning of the game, the referee may allow certain figures (usually natives) to be concealed. These figures are kept off the board. They function like other figures in every respect, but they are not placed on the table until they are sighted.

A figure in the open or which has fired is automatically seen by every other figure with a clear line of sight. Other than this, a concealed figure must be spotted by a scout. A stationary or walking scout (whether riding or afoot) can observe an area with a 3-inch radius anywhere within his line of sight.

Roll two dice. If the result equals or exceeds the figure's spotting chance, the concealed figures are spotted. A figure's spotting chance depends on his experience level. The dice roll is modified according to the situation.

At the referee's option, groups of soldiers can be given a preservation limit. As a force suffers casualties, it also gains preservation points as listed below. If its preservation point total ever exceeds its preservation limit, that side's morale is broken. Orders to retreat must be issued. All affected figures must withdraw from the fight as quickly as possible, though they needn't be suicidal or leave comrades to die; this is retreat, not rout.

The preservation limit depends on what percentage of casualties the referee thinks is acceptable to the force. This yields a number which is multiplied by the number of men in the force to get the actual preservation limit.

A force that has exceeded its preservation limit can get rid of preservation points. All figures in that group must get out of the enemy’s line of fire and into a protected position (one where they can’t be shot or charged by the enemy, and all are within voice range of the leader). Each turn spent this way allows the force to shed 1d6 preservation points.

Artillery is really outside the scope of Stand To!, given the game’s scale and emphasis on desperate, man-to-man skirmishes. These rules are included for those rare occasions when a Nordenfeldt gun or an obsolete piece of native artillery is the focus for a scenario

Gun specifications—crew, reload times, ammo capacity—are listed on the Weapon table.

All guns have a cone of fire which covers a 15-degree arc straight ahead of the gun. The attacker makes a single roll to hit, looking for 6+ (British gunners) or 7+ (native gunners). If the shot is on target, then a saving roll is made for each figure in the cone, friend or foe. Saving rolls depend only on the firing weapon and the target figure’s cover or posture. Target movement has no effect. Leaders get their +1 saving roll bonus.