Paths of Glory, Division level battles for WW1.

By Martin Rapier (version 27.06.11)

1. Introduction

These rules are aimed at divisional level actions in the Great War covering both open and trench
warfare. The principal design objective is to produce a fast game with reasonable numbers of toy
soldiers but which still retains some period flavour and tactical detail at the expense of some abstraction
in other areas. In particular I was keen to have some representation of the friction which characterised
WW1 battles but without mounds of book-keeping and a complex C3 system. There is very little which is
original in them, most of the inspiration comes from Great War Spearhead and AK47 to which I am
indebted. All dice are D6 unless otherwise noted.

2. Scales.
Troop densities in WW1 were fairly high and a reasonable level of representation is to use
company/battery/squadron sized elements combined into units of battalion size and formations of
regiment/brigade size (ie 3-4 battalions). Formations are the main manoeuvre unit although it is possible
to use widely dispersed detachments at the expense of control.

1" = 80m, 1 turn = 30 mins, bases are 200-250 infantry or cavalry or around 6 AFVs or heavy weapons.
The notional turn length includes some delays for planning time etc, the ground scale means one foot is
around 1000m. This ground scale seems to work well with 6mm, 15mm and even 20mm troops. I
usually put these on bases 30mm wide, but you may wish to use 40mm based for 20mm figs.

Units are battalions/regiments or independant companies. Unit integrity is up to the players to manage,
WW1 units were quite capable of spreading out a fair bit but it is more realistic to keep the bases of a
single unit within a few inches of each other. The ‘unit’ is the minimum element to which a movement
dice roll can be applied to – in broken terrain like woods the units will all be moving independantly.
Independent units such as cavalry squadrons or stormtrooper platoons move separately but are still
subordinate to an appropriate formation HQ.

Formations are regiments/brigades. All units are assigned to a formation, usually a regiment or brigade.
Some divisional assets may be commanded directly by the division HQ or they may be attached out at
the start of the game. Once attached they cannot be reassigned during the normal course of the game.

Units need to remain within command range of their HQ or they are subject to a movement penalty. This
penalty does not apply if the unit wishes to pivot, only if it wishes to move. Regimental command zone
16", Divisional CZ and all recce units 24", Corps CZ 36”. Any base starting its move out of command
range has a move (not pivot) penalty of -3” and cannot call artillery fire. This applies to higher HQs as
well, so if a regimental HQ is out of CZ from its divisional HQ it is also subject to a penalty. This is
supposed to represent the problems & delays in maintaining mobile operations over long distances in
WW1. Ignore these restrictions for the highest level HQ on the table.

3. Turn Sequence.

I have found that by far and away the fastest turn sequence is alternate movement but with
simultaneous combat. The sequence is essentially that from Spearhead, but the sequence of firing is
critical, stationary units fire first and given the available firepower can massacre moving attackers unless
they are covered by artillery fire or their own stationary covering units.

1. Initiative test. Opposed D6 roll, winner chooses who moves first. Re-roll ties and in some cases you
may wish to apply a skill modifier if there is a big disparity in historical command ability, but no more
than +2.

2. Side A moves, then side B. Announce break off if required.

3. Fire in order, fire is resolved and the results applied simultaneously in the following order:
Indirect fire. Artillery and mortars firing indirect, not guns firing direct over open sights.
Air attacks. Strafing, bombing etc on the odd occasions when this is relevant.
Stationary infantry. This includes both infantry, MGs and dismounted cavalry. Mounted cavalry cannot
fire.
Guns. Mainly artillery firing direct but also specialist AT guns, minenwerfers firing direct.
Stationary vehicles. Tanks and armoured cars.
Moving infantry. Only infantry, not MGs. Pivoting counts as movement for firing purposes.
Moving Vehicles. Tanks, armoured cars, gunboats.
Resolve any formation level morale tests due to casualties.
4. Close combat. Resolve any close combats.

5. Morale. Resolve any formation morale tests due to losses in close combat.
Rally any suppressed units.

4. Recce
In open wargames recce actually don’t have much of a useful role, they are much more useful in hidden
movement games. Having said that they add some flavour and do have some special characteristics, in
particular their main task is scouting, not combat. Recce units cannot initiate close assault and retreat
double move if assaulted. All fire against them and all fire they generate is resolved as suppressive fire,
ie hit on 11+ on 2D6. They can see a bit further than normal units and can call artillery fire if within
formation CZ.

5. Movement
This is resolved by a single D6 roll for each formation or unit – in broken or close terrain a roll for each
unit is required, otherwise it is a matter of player choice.
Cavalry or wheeled motor vehicles D6+6”
Slow tanks (all except Whippet) D6”
Others including towed guns D6+2”

Road bonus +3” to tracked vehicles or cyclists, +6” to wheeled motor vehicles. Horse and foot don’t get
a road bonus.

Obstacle penalty, command penalty, pivot or mount/dismount -3”.

Basically there is a standard penalty for crossing difficult terrain, being out of command,
mounting/dismounting etc. The pivoting penalty is especially important – units move straight ahead and
have to pay the pivot cost to turn, if they’ve got the points they can make multiple pivots. These are quite
big units and they can’t turn on a sixpence, and hopefully it means that in some cases players will take
the time to formally align their troops for an assault and not have too many ridiculous flank attacks etc.
Mounted cavalry cannot fire and dismounted cavalry cannot move apart from pivoting.

Limber/unlimber takes a full move and guns cannot move without being limbered or fire without being
unlimbered. Some infantry guns may be manhandled at foot rate.

Difficult terrain has obstacle penalty or is impassable, rate terrain on a scenario basis. Open hills are not
difficult for tracked vehicles, woods and open hills are not difficult for infantry.

Wire takes one complete turn to cross. It takes one complete turn to remove wire if infantry or pioneers
are adjacent, unsuppressed and equipped with wire cutters. Infantry get wire cutters in 1916.

6. Spotting and firing

This is always one of the hardest aspects of modern era wargames rules, and location rules are always
a compromise between playability and realism. I have generally found that fixed spotting distances work
well. Spotting is resolved at the start of each phase, so if units unspotted fire in the stationary phase,
they are spotted for subsequent fire, however any return fire cannot occur until a later phase.

Spotting (open/cover): vehicles/tows 24"/8" mounted cavalry 16”/8” infantry/guns 12"/4" any
fired 24"/24". Basically if troops in cover choose to hold their fire, you need to get very close to see
them. Maximum visibility in woods etc is 4”.
+4" per higher level (hill contour not buildings) or if mounted Cavalry recon or dedicated FO team. Light
mortars firing from cover spotted at 4" (this is because they can fire from defilade).

FOs spotted as infantry, even if with vehicle, you may wish to treat HQs like this. Units stationary on hills
count as in cover for spotting purposes – this in abstraction of the use of crests etc.

Artillery.
Most artillery is likely to be pre-planned in WW1 (see notes) however regimental mortars and attached
artillery regiments can be called in, roll command rating for fire to arrive. Regimental Artillery or mortars
3+. Divisional artillery 4+, GS/Corps artillery 5+. –1 if bad comms or div/corps HQ moved. Observer
must be stationary to call fire, a formation can only make one artillery call per turn (not mortars). Any
base can call artillery fire, but it is subject to target priorities and must be in command. See the notes on
artillery for more details.

Fire Priority and arc. Many wargamers don’t like fire priority rules, however it is a simple mechanism to
prevent people cherry picking all the best targets and allows for some tactical cunning in deployment.
Units fire at the closest target within the chosen category of Armoured, Soft targets or Recon (so you
can’t use recon to hide behind!). HQs and FOs are always targeted last, even if they are closer. Close
assaults must obey the same priorities.

Firing arc for all units is 180deg from the rear base edge (ie they can shoot to the side), I’m assuming
some tactical redeployments, wedge formations etc here. Some fortifications allow 360deg fire.

Dense targets. The stands are supposed to be companies and ideally would occupy an area of approx
250m x250m which would require 3” bases! If players really want to jam their troops into a small area
they should suffer a penalty. For direct fire, if there is another stand within 2”, the fire gets (one) free
extra shot at the other stand. So dense targets double direct or non template indirect firepower. Players
need to keep their stands more than 2” apart.

Ranges
Engineers, stormtroops 4” MG, direct Minenwerfer 12”
Vehicle weapons 6” DF artillery 18”
Rifles, Male tanks 8” Indirect mortars 32”

Each stand fires once, but gets an extra shot against dense targets.

Combat effect: 1 = miss, 6 then 5+ always suppress ie roll 11+ always suppresses.
Suppressed units cannot move, call artillery or fire and two suppressions = kill.

D6 Score to Open Light Cover, amd Heavy Cover, Mark Other tanks,
Suppress/kill car, gunboat 1 tank, pillbox bunker
Infantry, field howitzer 4/6 5/7 6/8 7/9
Static infantry, cavalry, 5/7 6/8 7/9 8/10
field guns, mortars
MGs, stormtroops, 3/5 4/6 5/7 6/8
stationary BEF, Male
tanks, medium artillery
Hvy artillery, other tanks, 2/4 3/5 4/6 5/7
+1 vs infantry/cavalry moving in the open
+1 vs mounted cavalry or cyclists
+1 for any artillery or minenwerfer firing direct at soft targets
+2 for field guns firing direct at point targets (tanks, pillboxes, vehicles etc).

Note, the bonuses for firing against soft targets moving in the open and mounted cavalry make frontal
assaults, especially cavalry charges, very costly unless the defence is suppressed first. Field guns are
not very effective against targets in cover unless firing direct.

7. Close Combat
May only assault spotted enemy units according to target priority, defender may stand and fire or retreat
if not yet moved. Unsuppressed tanks in the open cannot be close assaulted.
Close Combat: Opposed D6, losers lose base and rest retreat one move. Trucks/tows auto killed.
+2 defending fort/redoubt
+2 tank overrun vs anything which isn’t in woods, towns or other restricted terrain.
+1 veterans
+1 HQ in rear base support
+1 specialist close combat troops e.g. stormtroops/engineers/trench raiders
+1 mtd cav
-1 Target entrenched, crew served weapon in combat
-2 Suppressed defender

8. Morale
This is very simplified, essentially formations go on fighting until they lose enough bases to reach a
critical break point, the proportion of casualties at which they test varies with formation rating. Test on
loss of 33% Green, 50% Green/Reg, 66% All i.e. if a unit loses 66% of its strength in one turn it would
have to take three break tests. Attached recce & artillery don’t count towards formation strength,
otherwise it is a simple count of initial unit bases.

6 = OK
3-5 = Go to ground (unit may not advance any closer to the enemy). On a second gtg disperse instead.
1-2 = disperse, the unit is not longer combat effective.

Suppressed units may be rallied on 5+ Green, 4+ Regular, 3+ Veteran. +1 if within 4" of higher HQ.

9.Notes on unit types etc

BEF infantry are only the old contemptibles, they have especially high firepower if stationary
(the ‘Mad Minute etc) but just count as normal infantry if they move.
‘Static’ infantry are low quality troops like German line holding divisions.
Stormtroops are normal rifle companies with attached stormtroops, this boosts their firepower
and close combat abilities. Dedicated stormtroop units are best represented as platoon sized
units, this makes e.g. a stormtroop battalion a rather scary prospect, but in fact they were
were rarely employed in units larger than company size.
For engineers to get a close combat bonus they have to be armed with nasty things like
flamethrowers, pioneers and the like are more likely to be rated as static infantry.
Gunboats are usually armed with a battery of machineguns and/or possibly field guns. They
may transport up to four infantry type stands.

Fortifications
What WW1 game doesn’t have fortifications? Shell scrapes, crater positions etc provide light
cover. Proper trenches provide heavy cover, they also count as an obstacle to movement.
Trenches reduced by artillery fire (see below) will still provide light cover and are still an
obstacle.
Pillboxes are concreted MG positions with a 360deg arc of fire, although they may contain
rifle troops instead. Maximum of one base.
Bunkers are essentially shelters which can accommodate troops but they can’t fire from them
and they are rather vulnerable to close assault. They can accommodate up to 3 bases but
only one base can defend it if assaulted.
Redoubts and forts are very nasty, they can accommodate a scenario specific number of
troops (1-4 bases typically), provide heavy cover and are heavily wired with a 360deg arc of
fire. The troops defending them get extra bonuses in close combat as well as the attackers
having minuses. It is safer to reduce these with heavy weapons fire, unless you haven’t got
any heavy weapons….
Wire is an obstacle as specified in the movement section, it takes a full turn to cross it and a
full stationary turn to remove it if the troops have wire cutters. Under defensive artillery and
MG fire this is hardly a survivable mission.

Chemical Warfare
Smoke: The simplest form of chemical warfare is smoke, this uses the same template as
artillery fire (ie 30mmx30mm for a battery, 3”x3” for a regiment), It is thick enough to block
LOS on a 3+ to represent the vagaries of wind etc. This may be delivered by artillery or
smoke generators. In WW1 this was mainly used for pre-planned fire.

Artillery delivered gas affects an area 4”x4” per firing regiment and would only be used for
pre-planned fire. Nasty weapons like Livens projectors could be represented by requiring
multiple rolls in the target area. Bunkers, forts, pillboxes gas proofed from 1916 onwards.
Persistent agents last the whole game, non persistent agents last D6+1 turns. Gas blocks
visibility unless at edge, halves movement and firing is at -1 (-2 for guns). Effect is similar to
normal fire:
D6: 4 suppressed, 5 retreat suppressed, 6 KO. +1 green, -1 veteran, +1 persistent

Cannister delivered gas and smoke is difficult to represent except on a scenario basis.
Perhaps the easiest method is to determine the wind strength an direction beforehand and
have the gas cloud advance a set rate or random rate with a possibility of dispersal e.g. per
template roll 1D6, 1 it doesn’t move, 2-5 it moves at the wind rate, 6 it disperses. Wind rate
could be dice score +3” or something.

Offtable Artillery
Most artillery fire in WW1 is going to be both offtable and pre-planned. Firing units are
‘regiments’ representing around three batteries, fire effect is a 3”x 3” template. May be ‘called
in’ by units it is attached to, this represents attached observer parties, aerial recce, pre-
registered fire etc. The spotting stand must be unsuppressed, stationary and must adhere to
target priorities. Max one call to offtable regiments may be made per regiment per turn – this
represents the limited flexibility of WW1 artillery. Once fire is falling it continues to fall until
cancelled, can specify length of fire if you like (3 turns or whatever).
Pre-planned fire is just allocated a target point, starting turn and duration. It lands
automatically as long as the batteries have not been destroyed by CB fire. One option may be
to allow a number of pre-registered target points which can be called in as for on call fire but
not subject to the normal target priority rules. Typically most divisional or corps artillery would
be allocated to the offensive or defensive barrage with very few field regiments available for
opportunity targets. A higher proportion of Corps heavy artillery would be retained for CB fire
or opportunity shoots, but even these would often be pre-registered.

Ontable artillery
May be attached as individual batteries for direct fire (only)ie vs targets the crews can see.
This is the most common mode for ontable artillery after 1914. If feeling very generous you
may let them fire indirect by battery, in which case the beaten zone is a single base.
Ontable artillery may be directed by specialist FO parties, even if the guns have moved. Both
observer and guns must remain stationary for two turns to fire. FOs call artillery as regimental
(3+) and this lands as a normal template unless the guns are spread out (ie more than 2”
between each base). This practice pretty well died out by 1915. FOs have to be fairly close to
the guns as they are using wire, signal flags etc 16” in 1914, 24” thereafter. Optionally you
may allow FOs to ignore normal target priorities, although this makes them a bit good!

Mortars may spot their own targets or be called in for fire regardless of whether they have
moved during the game. These will normally be regimental level weapons, heavier mortars
(e.g. 9” etc) should be treated as artillery. Minenwerfers are a bit odd as they can fire both as
mortars and as direct fire artillery!

Counter Battery Fire

Heavy & Super Heavy guns may target enemy offboard artillery regiments from 1915
onwards. They are allocated to CB for for the duration of the game.
Roll D6, +1 if British after 1916 or gas used, -1 if minor power or Russian. 3-4 drop -1 from
their firing this turn, 5 suppressed, 6+ destroyed.

Bombardments and Barrages

Pre-game preparatory bombardments are best treated on a per scenario basis to avoid the
game degenerating into a dull pile of bookkeeping. Rule of thumb is that field guns were only
really useful for wire cutting, destruction of fortifications etc was the task of heavier artillery. A
simple approach is to specify that targets (wire, pillboxes, trench sections and their
unfortunate occupants) are destroyed on a 6 and just give the attacker an appropriate number
of wire cutting and destructive shots. Some mechanism to keep the results of fire hidden may
be amusing, but again this is probably a scenario specific thing.

Barrages are essentially lengthy curtains of fire, either lifting, rolling or static (for defensive
barrages) and usually involve extremely uneconomic rates of fire so they aren’t initiated
lightly. Some mechanism to limit the number of turns fired would be a good idea. For
Defensive barrages I’d be inclined to allow a wider thinner template than normal, say 2”x6”
and make any unit trying to traverse the barrage roll to be hit along with some sort of dice
throw to see if it is called in time.
Rolling and lifting barrages are 3” deep as per normal and as wide as you like. Weight of fire
can be determined by artillery allocation but probably at least field howitzer if not medium
effect apart from e.g. Loos or Neuve Chapelle when there just weren’t any heavy guns,
especially heavy barrages may warrant two rolls per target. These sorts of barrages often
consisted primarily of field gun shrapnel fire thickened up with smoke & HE from medium and
heavy artillery, so they should block LOS. They just need a rate of advance pre-planning, for
lifting barrages these are actual lifts, for rolling barrages it hits the intervening ground as well,
so a maximum rate if advance of say 6” might be wise to prevent canny players sweeping the
whole battlefield clean several times.
 Paths of Glory Playsheet.
1. Scale.
1" = 80m, 1 turn = 30 mins, bases are 200-250 infantry or cavalry or around 6 AFVs or heavy weapons.
Units are battalions/regiments or independant companies, formations are regiments/brigades.
Regt command zone 16", Divisional & recce 24", Corps 36”. Any base starting its move out of C3 move
(not pivot) penalty of -3” and cannot call artillery fire.

2. Turn Sequence.
1. Initiative. Opposed D6, winner chooses. May be modified by skill of higher HQ.
2. Side A moves, then side B. Announce break off if required.
3. Fire in order: Indirect fire; air attacks; Stationary inf, guns, vehicles; Moving inf, vehicles; Morale tests.
4. Close combat; Morale tests, Rally
Recon
Recce units cannot initiate close assault, retreat double move if assaulted and fire/shot at by
suppressive fire only. They can see a bit further than normal units and can call artillery fire.

3. Movement
Cavalry or wheeled vehicles D6+6”
Slow tanks (all except Whippet) D6”
Others including towed guns D6+2”
Roads +3” to tracked vehicles or cyclists, +6” to wheeled vehicles
Obstacle penalty, command penalty, pivot or mount/dismount -3”. Limber/unlimber full move.
Difficult terrain has obstacle penalty or is impassable. Open hills are not difficult for tracked vehicles,
woods and open hills are not difficult for infantry. Wire takes one complete turn to cross and one
complete turn to remove (unsuppressed).

4. Spotting and firing

Spotting (open/cover): vehicles/tows 24"/8" mtd cav 16”/8” inf/guns 12"/4" any fired 24"/24".
+4" per higher level or if mtd Cav recon or FO. Light mortars firing from cover spotted at 4". FOs
spotted as infantry, even if with vehicle. Stationary on hills count as cover for spotting.
Artillery roll command rating. Regimental Art or mortars 3+. Div artillery 4+, GS artillery 5+. –1 if crap or
div/corps HQ moved. Must be stationary to call fire, a regiment can only make one artillery call per turn.
Fire Priority: Fire at closest of Amd, Soft, recon. FO exempt. HQs and FOs targeted last. Arc 180deg.
Ranges
Engineers, stormtroops 4” MG, direct Minenwerfer 12”
Vehicle weapons 6” DF artillery 18”
Rifles, Male tanks 8” Indirect mortars 32”
Extra shot vs dense targets (another base 2” or closer) for non template fire.

Combat effect: 1 = miss, 6 then 5+ always suppress, two suppress = kill. Smoke lands on 3+. (D6)
D6 Score to Open Light Cover, amd Heavy Cover, Mark Other tanks,
Suppress/kill car, gunboat 1 tank, pillbox bunker
Infantry, field howitzer 4/6 5/7 6/8 7/9
Static infantry, cavalry, 5/7 6/8 7/9 8/10
field guns, mortars
MGs, stormtroops, 3/5 4/6 5/7 6/8
stationary BEF, Male
tanks, medium artillery
Hvy artillery, other tanks, 2/4 3/5 4/6 5/7
+1 vs infantry/cavalry moving in the open; vs mounted cavalry or cyclists; any artillery or minenwerfer
firing direct; field guns firing direct at armoured point targets (tanks, bunkers etc).

5. Close Combat
May only assault spotted enemy units according to target priority, defender may stand and fire or retreat
if not yet moved. Unsuppressed tanks in the open cannot be close assaulted.
Close Combat: Opposed D6, losers lose base and rest retreat one move. Trucks/tows auto killed.
+2 defending fort/redoubt, tank overrun vs terrain which is not woods, bua etc
+1 veterans, HQ, stormtroops/engineers/trench raiders, mtd cav
-1 Target entrenched, crew served weapon
-2 Suppressed defender

6. Morale
Formations test on loss. 33% Green, 50% Green/Reg, 66% All. Attached recce & artillery don’t count
towards formation strength. 1-2 disperse, 3-5 go to ground or disperse if already gtg, 6 OK
Rally from suppression 5 Green, 4 Regular, 3 Veteran. +1 if 4" of higher HQ.
Suppressed units may not move, fire or call artillery.