Terrible Sharp Sword (TFL)

(Contents)
Page 3 Introduction
Page 5 Rules of War - Amendments to Sharp Practice
Page 5 Turn Sequence

Page 7 Troop Types and Organisation
Page 9 Organisation
Page 11 Random Events and the Bonus Deck
Page 14 Movement
Page 15 Spotting
Page 15 Firing
Page 18 Fisticuffs
Page 19 Tasks
Page 20 Manual of Arms - Representing your forces
Page 25 A Call to Arms - A Campaign System
Page 52 A Matter of Scale - Fighting larger battles
Page 53 The Playsheets - Quick Reference Sheets
Page 2
(Introduction)
It was not long after the publication of Sharp Practice that the first calls for a version to
cover the American Civil War were heard. The fact that it has taken me two years to
address those demands has not been through lack of desire to game the conflict, but
more through my almost constant submergence under a pile of various half-written rule
sets and part-finished projects that are both the bane of my life and on-going pleasure.
It took a sad event, the death of my friend Dr Paddy Griffith, to bring the project to the
top of the pile and the forefront of my mind. So, it is Paddy that we must thank for
providing the spur to move me on to this supplement, and it is to him that I dedicate
this attempt to model the small unit tactics of the Civil War on the tabletop.
To some this dedication will be a point of contention. Paddy’s writings on the Civil War
seemed to split the hobby on the subject like no other. This never pleased Paddy, we
discussed the matter on several occasions, but it was symptomatic of his style that such
brickbats would come his way. Paddy valiantly did what most historians studiously
avoid; throwing rocks at supposed articles of faith that, for some, stand as untouchable
truths.
For my part I found some of Paddy’s arguments on the Civil War to be enlightening and
inspiring, others less so. However his writings always obliged the open-minded reader
to re-examine supposed certainties, to not always accept the ‘facts’ that are presented as
gospel, but to consider them based upon evidence and form our own conclusions from
that point onwards. Interestingly Brent Nosworthy, whose magnum opus, Bloody
Crucible of Courage is undoubtedly the most impressive modern work on the subject of
warfare in that conflict, comes to very similar conclusions to Paddy on the key issue of
distance of engagement that caused such a furore when first mooted. What is more
Nosworthy, as he freely points out, enjoyed the benefit of computers to allow him to
analyse all 129 volumes of the Official Records in search of data, something that in 1987
was unthinkable for Paddy. Like his conclusions or loathe them, he at least made us
think.
The American Civil War was fought during a period of intense change. From the 1840’s
onwards the speed and regularity with which technological advances were occurring
seemed to herald a new era of industrialisation. These advances were just as notable in
the field of weapons of war as anywhere else, and it is in the American Civil War, and to
an extent Maximilian’s War in neighbouring Mexico, where the old and new
technologies come together on the same battlefields. The muskets of the Napoleonic
Wars were used side by side with repeating rifles fed by magazine, and because of this it
was here where the transition was most pronounced.
As a result of these new weaponries new means of conducting warfare were attempted.
The tactics of the Chasseur a Pied were imported from France, with the emphasis on
accurate fire, a rush and then the bayonet. Home-grown developments could be seen
such as the use of cavalry armed with rapid firing weapons to operate as fast-moving
forces capable of a coup de main ahead of the main army. The use of entrenchments and
works for protection becoming almost a matter of course as the war progressed. All were
illustrative of a different kind of warfare. Indeed much hot air has been wasted on
debating whether the American Civil War was the last of the old, or the first of the new
wars. In truth I feel that is a judgement that is redundant before it is made. The
Page 3
American Civil War was just that, it existed as a conflict unique in its own ways, old in
some modern in others, but unique in its overall nature.
What follows are a series of amendments for Sharp Practice for the American Civil War.
In some areas these are relatively extensive, with the original rules I wanted to give the
game the “up close and dirty” feel of the smooth-bore musket that typifies the
Napoleonic era, here I wanted to look at the potential for longer range fire and, equally
importantly, the decision of what range to open fire at to achieve the best effect. In
other areas the rules remain entirely true to the original, with possibly a few tweaks to
make them more appropriate for North America.
As well as rule amendments, Terrible Sharp Sword contains a campaign system “A Call
to Arms” that will allow the gamer to raise his own force and then follow their fortunes
in battle. We have utilised this aspect of the rules throughout the playtest stage, with
our forces gradually learning new skills, starting as greenhorns and then over time
becoming battle-hardened veterans. It has provided us with endless hours of fun and
amusement, and I hope it does the same for you.
Finally this supplement contains all the data you will need to field your forces, looking
at the characteristics of both Union and Confederates throughout the whole period of
the war.
As with Sharp Practice the rules have been designed to provide a fun game with thirty
to a hundred figures per side that can be completed in a couple of hours. However as
always with our rules I also hope that the gamer will enjoy the fact that efforts have
been made to ensure that the game that emerges is a credible model of warfare in this
age of transition. Indeed I hope that playing Terrible Sharp Sword will allow the gamer
to form a greater understanding of the conflict.
Richard Clarke
Lard Island
October 2010
Page 4
(The rules of war)
Whilst Sharp Practice as it stands can be used for most conflicts in the black powder
era, I was keen to expand and develop certain aspects of the rules to produce a game
that better reflected the American Civil War. In order to achieve that I have altered
certain aspects of the rules. Some of these are simple tweaks to reflect the advances in
technology and these need very little comment. Where I have made more substantial
changes I have attempted to explain my thoughts and reasons for doing so. Where some
sections have been ignored this is due to the fact that they remain intact as per the main
rule set with no changes.
2. Turn Sequence
The turn sequence remains exactly the same as in Sharp Practice, but with some very
minor changes in terminology. Grasp the Nettle cards become “Seize the Moment”,
“Picket” now replaces Sentry and Tiffin becomes Sarsaparilla. The Sharp Practice card
is gone, but two new cards are included. Smokin’ is included when breech loading
weapons are in play. “Repeater” is included when repeating weapons are present. The
list of cards now reads thus:
One for each Big Man

Blinds card, one for each nationality
Seize the Moment cards, marked by nation and Status level
Picket card
The Blank card
Sarsaparilla card
Smokin’ card when breech loading weapons in play
Repeater card at a rate of one per two Groups armed with repeating weapons.
All replacement cards work exactly as their predecessors with the exception that the
Sarsaparilla card is not added to the deck until the first unit fires or the first fisticuffs
begins.
The Repeater card or cards are added to the Game Deck when these weapons are
present. When dealt one Group or Formation may fire with one Action Dice.
The Smokin’ card is used when breech loading rifles of carbines are present. Due to the
black powder that they used these rapid fire weapons could just as rapidly throw up
clouds of black smoke that obscured vision.
If the Smokin’ card it is dealt immediately (i.e. the next card) after a unit armed with
single shot or repeating breech loaders these has fired twice in a turn then black smoke
is placed across the front of the unit, remaining there for as long as the unit continues to
fire. Once the unit ceases fire the cloud of smoke will be removed on the second
subsequent turn of the Sarsaparilla card. A unit firing through the smoke, in either
direction, will roll halve the number of dice that it normally uses.
With repeating rifles or carbines that have fired three times in a single turn then the
same effect occurs if the Smokin’ card is dealt at any subsequent point in that turn.
Breech loading weapons are very effective, and repeating weapons are even more so. It
is our intention that the player be aware that smoke can be a problem and moderate his
Page 5
fire accordingly. The umpire should declare each time that the Smokin’ card is dealt,
representing the players awareness of the current state of visibility.
2.2 Big Men and Initiative

The names of the Big Men are altered slightly to reflect the North American setting for
Terrible Sharp Sword, thus:
Status Description Initiative Level Influence Range

IV Big Big Man 4 18”
III Fightin’ Man 3 14”
II Fine Fellow 2 10”
I Young Buck 1 6”
Big Men work exactly as in the main rules with the exception being that when in
Formation a Big Man can command any size formation, he is not limited to one Group
per Status Level as is currently the case in section 2.3.
2.3 A Group’s Turn

There are two small changes in this section, both in the table for Action Dice, section
2.4.1. There is no longer an option to tap load a musket; the introduction of the Minié
bullet made this unnecessary. Troops may also Hunker Down using two Action Dice.
This increases the level of cover they are in by one level however it does mean that they
do nothing else during that turn. See cover defined in section 7.2 below.
Page 6
3. Troop types and organisation
All infantry Groups should now be eight men strong, this reflects well the four man
“buddy” system that existed within the armies. The troops involved in the American
Civil War were more homogenous in their nature than those of the Napoleonic era.
Whilst their drill was based upon what the mid-19thC military establishments
considered to be “best practice” ideas that emerged from the Napoleonic Wars, they were
also heavily influenced by military events in Europe, especially in the France of
Napoleon III. Yet, whilst this homogeneity existed there were significant issues within
what were initially civilian armies that emerged with little input from the remains of
the pre-secession United States Army, and these demand our attention in the way we
assess troops in Terrible Sharp Sword.
The number of classifications for troops increases in Terrible Sharp Sword. The ratings
of Elite, Good, Regular and Poor are dropped in favour of a dual layered system that
looks at Experience, Training, Musketry and Belief. These work as follows:
EXPERIENCE
Troops are categorised according to how much time they have spent in the field, being
Greenhorns, Tested, Veterans or Old hands.
Greenhorns have seen at most one action, they will tend to have lower quality Big Men,
lower standards of drill and musketry, but will be more ready to charge with the
bayonet than some more experienced troops. Ignoring the first point of Shock inflicted in
the first round of Fisticuffs. However they must always break formation and pursue an
enemy who they beat in fisticuffs. Greenhorns may never skirmish.
Tested troops are men who have seen between two and five actions. They are pretty
average all-round troops within the rules. Their flank companies may be able to
skirmish. They may pursue an enemy who they best in fisticuffs but will break
formation to do so.
Veterans have seen six or more actions. They may all potentially skirmish, they may
have achieved a +1 or even +2 in musketry. They are automatically drilled at worst (see
Training) and may be aggressive in fisticuffs. When pursuing a defeated enemy they
may retain their formation.
Old Hands are veterans who are really past their best. They are good troops, with many
benefits, but are more interested in self-preservation than heroism. Veterans can
become old hands at some point after their tenth action (see campaign system). All may
skirmish, all may achieve +1 or +2 with musketry, they will however never pursue a
defeated enemy, they need two Big Men Command Initiatives to get them to charge to
fisticuffs and may never do so with added fervour (except by use of the Bonus deck
cards).
TRAINING
Troops are categorised according to how well trained they are, especially with regards
drill.
A Rabble is pretty much untrained. They can march along a road, they can stand in a
line, but they are clueless about anything else. These may form a line or march column
Formations but Big Men may only rally the individual Group they are attached to. Any
roll of Double 1 or Double 6 for movement will see them break Formation.
Page 7
A Drilled force is competent at basic drill and the manual of arms. These are standard
Terrible Sharp Sword forces with few benefits but also few penalties. Drilled troops may
use extended order when in Formation; however this will be broken if they come under
fire.
A Polished force may utilise the “Gymnastic Pace” cards in the Bonus Deck, being
familiar with the techniques outlined in the writings of Hardee and Casey. Polished
troops may retain formation when in extended order even if under fire and may reform
existing Formations that have become disordered, possibly moving across or through
rough terrain, even when encumbered with Shock.
MUSKETRY
Troops are rated according to their ability with their weapons.
Poor Shots Any troops fired on by Poor shots may adjust their Hit Effect dice roll by one
pip (in total, not per dice). Big Men hit will roll with a -1 on the table in section 7.4
when hit by poor shots.
Acceptable shots are standard troops in Sharp Practice.
Fine Shots are well trained with their weapons. They may adjust one of the dice rolled
when firing by +1 pip. Big Men hit will roll with a +1 on the table in section 7.4 when
hit by Fine Shots.
Sharpshooters are superb shots with good weapons (think Bredan’s men). They may
adjust the dice rolled when firing by +2 pips (so +1 to two dice or +2 to one dice). Big
Men hit will roll with a +2 on the table in section 7.4 when hit by Sharpshooters.
BELIEF
Troops’ Belief levels represent their belief in their cause and its likelihood of success. As
such they are categorised according to how well they have fared in recent engagements.
Downcast troops have been defeated in their last two engagements. They are penalised
in fisticuffs and if they lose their Bottle they retire 4” per point of Shock.
Determined troops have either never fought before or who have won one of their last two
engagements. If they lose their Bottle they retire at 3” per point of excess Shock.
Triumphant troops have won their last two engagements. Triumphant troops get a
bonus in fisticuffs. If they lose their Bottle they retire 2” per point of exce4ss Shock.
Troops may be rated as Aggressive or Weedy Coves as normal.
2.5.1 Cavalry Horse Types

Cavalry troops are rated in the same way as infantry; however their horses are rated
individually, as follows:
Old Nags. These may not gallop. When moving they may only accelerate one speed
level per turn, Stationary-Walk-Trot. They may decelerate two levels per turn.
Well Bred. When moving Well Bred horses may only accelerate one speed level per
turn, Stationary-Walk-Trot-Gallop. They may decelerate two levels per turn.
Prime Horse Flesh. When moving they may only accelerate two speed levels per turn,
Stationary-Walk-Trot-Gallop. They may decelerate three levels per turn.
Page 8
(
(Orga
anisa
ation
n)
All of the rules regarding g Groups and Form mations sta and, howev ver the ra ange of
Formattions variess slightly. The basic Line forma ation remaiins the sam me, but the column
now beecomes a movement
m foormation ra
ather thann one of asssault. Thiss is not to say
s that
troops in the Ameerican Civiil War did not attack k in column n, however in truth what
w we
be as an assault colum
describ mn is actuaally a succession of liines, as su
uch the Lin ne is the
true formation off combat. In addition n we have e added thee Extended d Order forrmation
with oppen ranks. This form mation is more
m suited
d to fightinng in the ddifficult terrrain of
North America;
A h
however it does preseent comman nd and con ntrol probleems with the
t men
being extended
e ovver a greateer area.
In ordeer to formm any Form

mation twoo or more Groups m must be commbined un nder the
leadersship of a Big
B Man. If any Formmation fallss below eig
ght men th
han it is no
o longer
consideered a Form
mation.
Line
A line Formation is two ran nks deep, never
n less, never morre.
It will add
a +1 to each
e dice when
w firing.. A Formattion may act
as a sinngle Group p, so long as the commmander hass sufficient initiative to join the Groups
togetheer in the first instancce. With a large num mber of Grooups, or wiith low Staatus Big
Men th his can, theerefore, takke some timme to achieeve, howevver there iss no restricction on
the sizee of the Forrmation as there is in Sharp Praactice.
Troops in a line must

m fire im
mmediately y to their frront. If thee enemy haas multiple Groups
within their arc ofo fire they y must sha are the hitts equally between
b alll the Grou
ups, see
section 7.1. In fiisticuffs alll the figurees in a con
ntacted Grooup or Form mation ma ay fight.
Any addditional trroops overllapping ma ay break ra anks and join
j the scrrimmage but
b only
when innstructed to
t do so by a Big Man..
Troops in Line arre considereed to be in close fightting order which

w gives them a +1
+ when
firing, as well as benefitting
g from a Big
B Man’s additional
a d
dice when firing. Thhey may
also bee rallied by
y any atta ached Big Man and gain beneffits in Fistticuffs. Th hey are
howeveer a denserr target an nd they may not ado opt this forrmation when in wooded or
broken terrain off any kind. Troops in n Line Forrmation ad dd one dice per four when
w in
Fisticuffs.
Extendded Order
Troops in extendded formatiion are
represeented by deploying g in a
double rank with h (approxiimately) 1”
between each figu
ure. Troopss may operate in extended orderr Formation ns when no ot under
fire and Polished
d troops ma ay retain Formation
F when und der fire. Troops in ex xtended
order do
d not get +1
+ for firin
ng in formaation nor do
o their opp
ponents gett a +1 for firing
f at
them.
Skirmish Order
This iss only available to troops who are
sufficieently experrienced to have
h learn
nt to
fight ini this fashion. T
They may never
operatee in Formation when in skirmish h order, alw
ways fightiing as indiv
vidual Groups. In
skirmissh order trroops are deployed in i a double rank lin ne (approxiimately) 2”” apart.
Page 9
Skirmishers operaating from cover (not in the open
n) may firee on their own, improv ved, fire
table. When fireed upon th hey ignore the first man
m killed,, treating tthat as a point
p of
Shock instead. Skirmish troops
t in Fisticuffs
F lose
l 1 dicee in 2 (50% %) after all other
consideerations.
Column n
An AC CW column n is a form mation of manoeuvre, not
fightingg. There are two sorts s of collumn, open n and
closed (see below w), closed being ava ailable to units
whatev ver their drrill level, whereas opeen column isi only
availabble to troops who are Drilled
D or better.
b A co
olumn
in Terrrible Sha arp Sword d does NO OT spread d any
casualtties and Shock
S poinnts “equally over all the
Groupss within the Formatioon” as with h the main rules.
If fired
d at from thhe front alll of the hitts will be on
o the
lead Grroup, even when in Foormation.
A colum mn may firre out of the

t front or side face
es, but
with thhe same lim mitations ass a line. Iff a column enters
e
into fisticuffs all Formation
F is lost. Th
he individuaal Groups fight
f alone with no bo
onus for
any forrmation.
Squaree
Squarees were larrgely consid dered obsoolete by the e time of the
t Civil
War; hoowever theey were on occasion foormed. The e type of sq
quare we
are likeely to see in our gammes is a siimple, sma all rallying
g square.
This may
m be formmed with a minimum m of three e Groups and
a once
numberrs fall to leess than siixteen men n it is no lo onger consiidered to
be a Foormation. A square presents a dense tarrget and wiill suffer
more caasualties frrom infantrry or artilleery fire as a result.
3.1.1 Breaking Formations

F s
Formattions are broken
b by all
a of the usual
u evennts in the rules.
r To clarify specifically
movingg in orchard ds or wood
ds breaks Formations
F for all except Polisheed troops, crossing
c
fences, walls or an
n abatis breeaks forma
ations for alll troops.
3.5 Formationns on Blindss

Where multiple Groups
G aree in Formattion on one e or more Blind two Groups sh hould be
allocateed to each Blind. If any
a single Blind thatt is part of a Formation is spottted then
the enttire Formattion is deployed on thee table.
3.6 Lying Dowwn

This is an issue that
t deserv
ves a quickk clarificatio
on. There is no cost in Action Dice
D for
lying down for thee simple reeason that troops are assumed in n all situattions to be making
the most of what cover is av vailable. Iff they wish
h to really make the m most of covver they
may Hu unker Dowwn (see sectiion 2.4).
Page 10
4. Random Events and the Bonus deck
The Random event table and Bonus Deck works exactly the same way as in Sharp
Practice, however the tables reflect slightly different likelihood of results and different
events. We have also introduced a ruling that means that when a player draws a Bonus
Card he must keep that card. If he has too many cards and needs to return one to the
deck he must select another card to discard.
At the beginning of the game we deal both players a number of cards from the deck.
This is based on the experience level of the troops and represents the maximum number
of hands that they may hold at any point in the game. The number of cards is as
follows:
Confederate States of America

Year Greenhorns Drilled Veteran Old Hands
1861-63 2 3 4 2
1864-65 1 2 3 2
United States of America

Year Greenhorns Drilled Veteran Old Hands
1861-62 1 2 3 1
1863 2 3 3 2
1864-65 2 3 4 3
If more 1’s than 6’s are rolled when a Group of Formation is firing or moving then roll
2D6 on the following table to determine the outcome.
Random Events Table

DICE 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 1 1 1 1 1 1
3 1 2 3 4 5 1
4 1 6 7 8 9 1
5 1 1 1 1 1 1
6 1 1 1 1 1 1

Page 11
4.1 Firing Random Events
1 Draw a card from the Bonus Card Deck
2 The firing unit is low on ammunition. Fire at short range only until resupplied.
3 Out of ammunition? No firing by that Group until resupplied.
4 Broken Flint – One man has a broken flint. Each turn roll 5 or 6 to replace it.
5 Black powder – Cough! A pall of smoke hangs across the immediate front of the firers,
reducing visibility to 6”. Firing through this will be done with half the normal number of dice.
The smoke clears on the second subsequent Sarsaparilla card after the unit ceases fire.
6 Clogged barrels. On subsequent turns if the unit scores more 1’s than 6’s then that many
mens’ weapons cease to be operable. They may only fight with the bayonet.
7 Black powder – Cough! A pall of smoke hangs across the immediate front of the firers,
reducing visibility to 6”. Firing through this will be done with half the normal number of dice.
The smoke clears on the second subsequent Sarsaparilla card after the unit ceases fire.
8 Fire! A single building or 4” square area of dense woodland nearest to the firers has caught
alight (if within 12” of the firer or target). Smoke will start to emerge next turn. Any troops
within must put the fire out within three turns or abandon the area. It takes a water card to
douse a fire. On each turn without water roll a D6. On a 6 the fire spreads to any single
building within 4” or to an adjoining 4” square area of woodland (dice for which).
9 Pesky Varmints! Scared by the firing some local livestock have escaped. 2D6” movement.
Each turn roll a deviation dice to see which direction they head in. They will disrupt any
Formation that they contact, leaving it unformed. They will halt once 9” or more from any
humans.
4.2 Movement Random Events

1 Draw a card from the Bonus Card Deck!
2 Trips up – Big Man trips over his sword, falling 1D6 inches forward.
3 Durned Critters! Big Man slips in something unpleasant, falls over and smells a bit. Unable
to woo any female until he finds water to wash it off.
4 Tuckered Out – Your men are exhausted from constant marching. No movement on the
next activation.
5 Drunkard! – One man passes out drunk.
6 My Hat! - Big Man’s hat is shot through. It cost fifteen dollars! Dice to see where it lands,
2D6 inches distant in a random direction (use a deviation dice if you have one, if not
improvise) then the Big Man must retrieve it on his next turn, taking no other action unless to
lead men to rescue said hat.
7 Damn this heat. This Group needs water. Any movement is conducted with a -1 pip per
dice until they get it.
8 Dress the Ranks! Bad ground means that a Formation must dress their ranks or change
Formation on the next turn, not advancing. Single Groups ignore this.
9 Sufferin’ Succotash! The Colonel’s special recipe raccoon fricassee was sure tasty, but my
belly’s on fire. 1D3 men leave the Group to answer the call of nature. Head for nearest
woods.
Page 12
4.3 The Bonus Cards (the card drawn must be retained or played)
Card Effect Number
Water Used for dousing fires, drinking, and washing off unpleasant things. 2
Ammunition Replenishes stocks of ammunition and powder 2
Stonewall A Rebel Big Man may rally 1D6 Shock points from a Group/Formation 2
Old Glory A Yankee Big Man may rally 1D6 Shock points from a Group/Formation 2
Foot Cavalry Any number of Blinds, Groups or Formations that are within 6” or each
other on a road may take an additional move.
Gymnastic Pace Any Polished Group or Formation may surge forward with +3 pips per 2
movement dice
Bugle Call A cavalry number of Groups or Formation that are all within 6” of each 2
other may attack with élan.
Sam Colt’s Included for Rebel cavalry. One Group or Formation may fire 2
Equalizer immediately with one Action Dice.
The Good A Big Man who has been shot may play this card before he rolls to see the 1
Book effect of the hit. His Bible takes the bullet, saving him. Praise His name!
Dag Nabbit! Upon drawing this card the player must immediately surrender all his 1
bonus cards but one
One Group firing has a marksman with it. By playing this card after
Sharpshooter! shooting, any hits on a Big Man accompanying the target unit will see a 2
D10 replaced with a D6 or a D6 replaced with a D4. The Big Man
targeted will ignore his own card is dealt subsequently in the current turn.
Any troops deploying from a blind and firing at under 12” or entering
Ambuscade fisticuffs may, for this turn, count as ambushing their opponent, doubling 2
any Shock inflicted
Whiskey in the Plied with likker, your men will charge forward with a holler, and add 2
jar boys! 1D6 fervour to any charge
Rally to the Flag Any Group or Formation with a flag may remove 1D6 points of Shock 2
Your hollerin’ and a whoopin’ scares the Yankees. Any Rebel Group or 3
Rebel Yell Formation may fire immediately and then charge forward with 2D6 or
may not fire and charge forward with 3D6.
Crashin’ Volley A solid Line Formation (not extended or skirmish) may fire doubling any 2
Shock caused.
Jumpin’ This card must be played when the player’s next Big Man is drawn from
Jehossaphat! the deck. This Big Man receives an additional 1D3 initiative in this turn. 1
Yellowbelly When this card is played the next opponent’s Big Man card dealt is 1
ignored, that Big Man losing his turn.
Black as Pitch Included for night fighting games. One Group not firing or illuminated
may return to Blinds
The Real Deal You may deal three cards from the Bonus deck retaining any of these and
your currently held bonus cards you wish up to the maximum number of 1
cards allowed in your hand. The Bonus deck is then reshuffled.
We have found that the “more 1’s than 6’s” method of generating random events and the
drawing of Bonus cards works well with up to six Groups per side. Over and above that
we restrict the number of times this may happen to once in a turn, any subsequent roll
of more 1’s then 6’s in that turn being ignored. We have also used several other
methods, all variations on a theme which have been fun, as follows:
Page 13
USE IT OR LOSE IT
The players begin the game with no cards. During the game only random events are
tested for when more 1’s than 6’s are rolled, no cards are dealt from the Bonus Deck in
that situation. At the start of each turn the player takes the top card from the face
down Bonus Card Deck. He may now use that card during that turn. Once the
Sarsaparilla card is dealt any unused Bonus cards are added to the pile of discarded
cards. In this situation “The Real Deal” card is omitted from the Bonus Deck.
THE BIG DEAL

At the start of the game the cards are dealt equally to both sides. The players have
these cards to use during the duration of the game or until one player plays the “The
Real Deal” card, at which point all cards are returned to the deck, shuffled and dealt
again. “The Real Deal” card may only be played once by each side during the entire
game. During the game only random events are tested for when more 1’s than 6’s are
rolled, no cards are dealt from the Bonus Deck in that situation.
TOP UP
The Players are dealt their allowed number of cards at the start of the game. When
they play a card they are then dealt another card to replace that. If they are left with a
hand of cards which only apply to their opponent then they must play these to their
opponent’s advantage in order to get a replacement card. During the game only random
events are tested for when more 1’s than 6’s are rolled, no cards are dealt from the
Bonus Deck in that situation.
5. Movement
All movement rules remain exactly the same; however note the cavalry movement rules
covered above in section 2.5.1. (repeated here) and the following rules.
5.3 Terrain Effects & Obstacles

Troops attempting to cross an abatis will be halted by it until they can roll a 5 or
6 on one Action Dice. In a Formation each Group must dice independently once
the abatis is reached, all Formation is lost at this point.
5.8 Cavalry Movement.

Old Nags horses may not gallop. When moving they may only accelerate one speed level
per turn, Stationary-Walk-Trot. They may decelerate two levels per turn.
Well Mounted troops may only accelerate one speed level per turn, Stationary-Walk-
Trot-Gallop. They may decelerate two levels per turn.
Prime Horse Flesh mounted troops may only accelerate two speed levels per turn,
Stationary-Walk-Trot-Gallop. They may decelerate three levels per turn.
In woods and orchards cavalry may only move at the walk. Any Formation will be
broken
Cavalry turning more than 90 degree must be at the walk to do so.
Cavalry armed with firearms may only fire when moving at the walk or trot. If using
firearms in Fisticuffs they may not be moving at the gallop.
Page 14
6. Spotting
All the spotting rules stand exactly as the main rules but with two additions. Troops in
fields of high-standing crops that in reality would impede visibility may only be spotted
and fired on if they are within 12” of the edge or, if both parties are in the field, if they
are within 12” of each other.
If the Company commander has a set of field glasses he may use two Initiatives to spot,
in which case he adds +3 to any spotting roll.
7. Firing
All rules regarding who can fire and at what are exactly the same as in Sharp Practice,
with the exception that the variable number of dice rolled depending on troops quality,
such as Elite, Good etc., is now replaced by the Musketry rating as set out in section 2,5
above. There are also some changes to ranges and the way that skirmishers qualify for
their better fire table. Skirmishers in the American Civil War performed best when
firing with the benefit of cover. In order to use the advantageous Skirmishers fire table
they must be operating from cover.
7.2 Firing Dice

One dice is rolled for every man firing, with Big Men not counting to this total. This is
then adjusted as below:
Firing on a Big Man’s Initiative Add 1D6 for the Big Man’s Status level
Each two Shock Points on the Firer’s Group Remove one firing dice
Initial Volley: +50% dice (round up for odds)
Target in Light Cover: -33% of dice (round down for odds)
Target in Medium Cover: -50% of dice (round down for odds)
Target in Heavy Cover: -75% of dice (round down for odds)
Firing through Smoke: -50% of dice (round down for odds)
Firer is mounted -50% of dice (round down for odds)
Cover Defined
Cover Example
Light Brush, rocks, fence, light orchard, abatis
Medium Woods, breastworks, wall, wood house
Heavy Brick house, solid trench
Once the total number of dice to be rolled has been established check the following table
to check the number required to hit the target at the appropriate range.
Roll the dice adjusting each one as follows:
Firer is a Formation in Line +1 to each dice

Target is a Formation in Line +1 to each dice
Target is in open column +1 to each dice
Target is in closed column or square +2 to each dice
Page 15
Musketry
0-12” 12-24” 24-36” 36-48”
Musket 4-6 6 - -
Rifled Musket 5-6 5,6 6 6
Inferior Rifles 5-6 6 6 6
Superior Rifles 5-6 5,6 6 6
Carbines 5,6 5,6 6 -
Fowling Pieces 5,6 6 - -
Mounted Pistols
4-6 (0-6”) - - -
and Shotguns
Skirmishers Firing From Cover

0-12” 12-24” 24-36” 36-48”
Rifled Musket 5-6 4-6 5-6 6
Trusty Rifle 5-6 4-6 4-6 6
Superior Rifle 5-6 4-6 5-6 6
Carbines 4-6 4-6 5-6 -
DEFINITIONS
Musket: This covers smoothbore flintlock or percussion caps weapons of any make.
Both are presumed to fire buck and ball making them effective at short range. These
fire with one Action Dice and take one Action Dice to load.
Rifled Musket: Enfield, Springfield, Lorenz, Mississippi and numerous other marks.
These fire the expanding Minié round, loading with one Action Dice, firing with one
Action Dice.
Inferior Rifles. These could be poor quality weapons, such as the infamous Belgian rifle,
older weapons retained due to tradition or simple availability or possibly weapons that
are not functioning at full effectiveness such as the Lorenz when used with the wrong
ammunition. These take one Action Dice to fire and one to load.
Trusty Rifles. In the hands of some marksmen what are generally termed Inferior
Rifles can provide superior accuracy than the Enfield due to their higher muzzle
velocity, however to achieve this they are slow to load. A maximum of one Group per
company may field Trusty Rifles. When skirmishing from cover these take one Action
Dice to fire and three Action Dice to load and benefit from the Trusty Rifles improved
accuracy. When used in the open or as part of a Formation these will revert to being
Inferior Rifles.
Carbines. A catch-all term for the weapons typically used by cavalry. These could be
the older muzzle loading variety or the ultra-modern Henry. The difference between
them is represented not in their accuracy, but their rate of fire. Muzzle loading rifled
carbines take one Action to fire and one Action to load. Breech loading single shot
carbines, such as the Sharps Military Carbine load at no cost and fire with one Action
Dice, allowing them to fire two rounds of fire per turn.
Magazine fed rifles fire as Superior Rifles and should take one Action Dice to fire and
reload at no cost. They also have a Repeater card added to the Game Deck at the rate of
one for each two Repeater armed Groups present. On this being dealt any single Group
so armed may have one bonus round of fire (one Action Dice). Also see “Smokin’ in
Section 2 above.
Page 16
Fowling Pieces. These are the rag-tag collection of hunting weapons, from small bore
rifles to shotguns, that some units were armed with very early in the war, or partisans
and bushwhackers throughout the conflict. These weapons are for use on foot. For
exotically armed cavalry consult the Mounted pistols and Shotguns row. They fire with
one Action Dice and load with one Action Dice.
Mounted Pistols & Shotguns. Largely used for Confederate cavalry firing when
mounted. No distinction is made for the individual armament of figures; their
effectiveness is averaged out across the unit. These fire with one Action Dice and load
at no cost. Pistol armed cavalry will have two Sam Colt’s Equalizer cards added to the
Game Deck.
7.2.1 Artillery Fire

Artillery fire is handled slightly differently to the main Sharp Practice rules in that the
player must nominate the type of ammunition being used when firing. This should be
subject to limitations as at the ranges typical in a game of Terrible Sharp Sword we are
faced with the fact that the small amount of canister carried by the guns will not last
long. These limitations are not extended to other types of ammunition as these were
available in more plentiful supply. Canister ammunition should be limited as follows:
Force Gun Type Canister Rounds Available

Union Smoothbore 4
Union Rifles Cannon 5
Confederate Smoothbore 5
Confederate Rifled Cannon 6
In view of the number of rounds of canister available it is very simple to represent the
number of round remaining with small counters or dice.
The number of dice rolled by an artillery piece depends on its weight follows:
Weight Dice
Super Heavy, e.g. 20 pounder Parrott 16
Heavy, e.g. 12 pounder Napoleon, 10 pounder, 3 inch 12
Light, e.g. 6 pounder 8
The player may select to use a double round of canister, adding 50% more dice, but
using two rounds in doing so.
Once the number of dice is ascertained use the following table to see what dice score is
required for a hit. Use the adjustments to firing dice as listed in 7.2 above.
Weapon Ammunition 0-12” 12-36” 36-48” 48”+

Smoothbore Canister* 4-6 3-6 5-6 -
and Ball 5-6 5-6 5-6 6
Howitzer Shrapnel or Shell - 6 5-6 5-6
Rifled Canister# 5-6 4-6 6 -
Cannon Shell - 6 5-6 5-6
*Shock caused by Smoothbore canister is doubled.

#Shock caused by Rifled canister is increased by 50% (rounded up)
Page 17
7.3 Effect of Hits
The effect of hits is exactly the same as in Sharp Practice; however troops in skirmish
order or artillery crew ignore the first Kill, and take a point of Shock instead.
7.5 Bottle
Troops who lose their bottle and are obliged to retire due to an excess of Shock will now
do so as soon as they receive that Shock rather than waiting until the Sarsaparilla card
is dealt. Units that have fallen back due to loss of Bottle will not continue to withdraw
on subsequent Sarsaparilla cards unless they have double the amount of Shock, or more,
than men present. Groups that have not reached double the amount of Shock may not
advance, but they may undertake other actions with the relevant penalties.
Artillery crews that take double the amount of Shock as men present will limber up and
retire. If no limber is present then they will abandon the gun.
8. Fisticuffs
The Fisticuffs rules remain essentially the same, using one D6 per man on each side and
then adjusting the total to be rolled on the following list:
Roll 1D6 per man present, not counting musicians or Big Men.
Add 1D6 for each Status level of the Big Man who lead the charge using his Initiative
Add 1D6 for each point of fervour added with the Big Man’s initiative
Add 1D6 for every two Status levels of all other friendly Big Men in the charge
Each Experience level higher than the enemy Add 2D6 per Group
Each Belief level higher than the enemy Add 2D6 per Group
Aggressive troops Add 2D6 per Group
Weedy Coves Subtract 2D6 per Group
Attacking Light Cover Subtract one D6 in every four (25%)
Attacking Medium Cover Subtract one D6 in every three (33%)
Attacking Heavy Cover Subtract one D6 in every two (50%)
Attacked in the flank or rear Subtract one D6 in every two (50%)
Ambushed Subtract one D6 in every two (50%)
Cavalry charging with élan Add one D6 in four (25%)

Formed Cavalry at the gallop Add one D6 in four (25%)
Cavalry versus Unformed Infantry in the open Add one D6 in two (50%)
Cavalry versus Infantry in square Subtract one D6 in two (50%)
Cavalry versus a Line Formation Subtract one D6 in three (33%)
Cavalry against troops in Light Cover Subtract one D6 in three (33%)
Cavalry against troops in Medium Cover Subtract one D6 in two (50%)
Cavalry against troops in Heavy Cover Subtract two D6 in three (66%)
Sabre against pistol armed cavalry Add one 2D6 per Group
Superior Mount in a Cavalry fight Add 2D6 per level of superiority
In addition to changes to the above list, there is one very significant change to Fisticuffs.
Due to the increase in firepower since the Napoleonic period troops find it a little harder
to get in with the bayonet against a determined defender, with attacks often stalling and
firefights at close range ensuing.
To replicate this we roll the dice as normal in the first round of Fisticuffs, but then
consult the number of 5’s thrown to see if the charge goes in. Check the difference in
Shock caused by the two sides and consult the following table.
Page 18
Shock Effect
+1 or +2* The charge goes in to contact, 5’s count as Shock on the opponent, and 6’s as
dead, as normal in the main Sharp Practice rules.
+3* advantage If the attacker takes 3 points more Shock than the defender then he is
to the defender halted at a distance of 4” from the enemy’s position, all 6’s inflicted on him
count as men killed, those on his opponent are ignored.
+3* advantage If the defender takes 3 points more Shock than the attacker then the
to the attacker attacker is moved his full move distance and the defender falls back 4” from
that point. Both sides count 6’s as kills
+4* or more If the attacker takes 4 points more Shock than the defender then he is
advantage to halted at a distance of 8” from the enemy’s position, with any additional
the defender points of Shock pushing him back a further 4” per point. All 6’s inflicted on
him count as men killed; those on his opponent are ignored.
+4* or more If the defender takes 4 points more Shock than the attacker then the
advantage to attacker is moved his full move distance and the defender falls back 8” from
the attacker that point with any additional points of Shock pushing him back a further
4” per point. All 6’s inflicted on him count as men killed; those on his
opponent are ignored.
*If Greenhorn Infantry are being tested here they ignore the first point of Shock in
Fistifuffs.
8.3.1. Pistol and Shotgun Armed Cavalry

Some Southern cavalry were more confident in firepower in Fisticuffs than cold steel. If
they are involved in Fisticuffs the fight is broken down into two parts. First the
Confederate cavalry roll their dice, inflicting any kills and Shock as normal. After that
the Union cavalry will roll their dice, reducing their effectiveness to reflect losses from
the Confederate fire.
9. Tasks
The principles behind the tasks system are exactly the same as in Sharp Practice. It is
assumed that constructing fieldworks is really not appropriate during the timescale of
the game. However scenario specific tasks of this nature may be undertaken.
As a guide it can be considered that a Group of eight men digging will roll one D6 for
every two Action Dice that they expend, keeping track of the cumulative total. Their
labours will result in the following.
Cumulative
Task Points Result
12 A 6” stretch of ground has been taken from virgin soil to light cover
24 A 6” stretch of ground has been improved from light to medium cover
24 A 6” stretch of ground has been improved from medium to heavy cover

Felling a tree for an abatis will depend on the size of the tree, however presuming that it
will need to be relatively small in order for it to be moved manually we can assume that
to fell one tree will be a Task requiring a cumulative total of 24.
Clearing away fences to allow passage of troops can be as simple as removing rails, or
may require some serious earth moving as well. The former is viable within a game; a
task roll of 7 will remove one section of rails between two posts. The latter is more
questionable. As a guide a cumulative task roll by eight men of 24 will serve to clear 6”
of rocks and earth to make it passable without disordering troops.
Page 19
(manual)
( of arms)
In 1861 at the outset of the American Civil War there was no one standard manual of
drill used throughout the Armies of the Union and Confederacy, however there was
sufficient similarity between those used to produce a fairly uniform approach to
organisation and the means of fighting.
Winfield Scott wrote Infantry Tactics in 1835, a work that was largely a translation of
French manuals based on eighteenth century works. Scott’s work proposed a standard
three rank line, albeit with provision for utilising two ranks if desired. The 90 to 100
paces and three rounds of fire per minute would have been instantly recognisable to any
veteran of the Napoleonic Wars. This was still published as late as 1861 despite then
officially being superseded by William Hardee’s Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics which
in 1855 was produced at the behest of the US Secretary of State for War, Jefferson
Davis.
Hardee’s work picked up on tactical developments in France and the work of the
Chasseurs a Pied in developing long range marksmanship, a renewed emphasis on the
bayonet at close quarters and introducing the “gymnastic pace” to the battlefield. A two
rank line was now standard, with skirmishers breaking down into four man “comrades
in battle” groups. Upon publication Hardee’s work was instantly popular with the
volunteer Zouave companies that sprung up with the success of these French troops in
the Crimea and Italy. It took a significant level of training to attempt Hardee’s Double
Quick Time of 165 to 180 paces per minute whilst attempting the evolutions of drill, and
outside of the theatrical display that these groups provided when undertaking their
training manoeuvres, one must surely question how practical this was in action or when
attempted with men less well trained than peacetime enthusiasts.
With secession of Georgia from the Union in January 1861 Hardee resigned his
commission in the United States Army, and with the commencement of the war the
continued use of his work caused some embarrassment in the north, prompting
Brigadier General Silas Casey to pen his three volume System of Infantry Tactics which
due to its clarity was subsequently adopted by both North and South after it was
published in 1862. In truth it differed very little from Hardee’s work, the diagrams
illustrating manoeuvres are identical in every respect, but was more practical in its
style of presentation. It is also true to say that these manuals did not cover tactics in
the modern sense of the word, but were drill manuals that told men where to stand, how
to march and how to load and fire their weapons. The French drill system outlined in
Page 20
Appenddix One of Sharp Pracctice is the basic model used by all of the m
manuals ussed, and
should be used wh
hen utilisin
ng drill in Terrible
T Sharp Sword..
ms of structure both th
In term he Union an
nd Confede eracy utilised the sam
me standardd format
for theiir Regimennts, with teen companiies to the Regiment.
R The two fllank compa
anies, A
and B, were desig gnated as skirmishers
s s and in the early parrt of the wa ar when we
eaponry
was scaarce these would ofteen be betteer armed th han those ini the centtre compannies. In
theory the Regiment would be 1046 men m strong, with comp panies of 1001 men. This
T was
made upu of 36 officers,
o 566 Sergeantts, 80 Corp porals and d 874 Priva ates. In practice
p
Regimeents rarelyy achieved such num mbers, and service in the field llowered sttrengths
rapidly
y, with sick
kness thinn ning the ran
nks as effeectively as contact witth the enem
my. By
the endd of the warr some Reggiments werre literally reduced too a few dozeen men.
Lefft Wing comm manded by Right Winng commanded by

the Senior Major the Lieu
utenant Colo
onel
Divisiion of two
Colonel
Commpanies
and
Color
Guard
2nd Platoon 1st Platoo
on
C
Captain
Lieutenant
Serrgeant
In theoory a Comp pany was coommanded d by a Capttain who had two Lieeutenants to t assist
him. Alongside
A t
them weree four Serggeants. Th he Compan ny was sub b-divided in nto two
Platoon ns under th he Lieutena ant, which in turn ha
ad two sectiions each ccommanded d by the
Sergean nts. Eight Corporals then led eight squad ds, two to ea ach Platoonn. Two com mpanies
made up u one Division which h was commanded by y the most senior Cap ptain. In order
o of
senioritty the Cap ptains weree assigned to the com mpanies witth, from rig ght to left, the 1st,
6th, 4th, 9th, 3rd, 8thh, 5th, 10th, 7th and 2nd most senio
or officers in that ordeer. So K Co ompany
would be b comman nded by thee 7 most senior
th s Capttain in the Regiment,, whereas A and B
compan nies, the tw wo skirmissh compan nies most likely
l to be
b called u upon to un ndertake
indepen ndent actioon, would be led by thee two most senior Cap ptains.
Page 21
Cavalry, like their comrades on foot, were trained according to drill books that, for the
most part, were translations of French works. The 1841 Cavalry Tactics were
authorised by the then Secretary for War, Joel R Poinsett and subsequently were known
as “Poinsett’s Tactics” served as the standard manual, although a more up to date work
by Brigadier General Philip St George Cooke had been available to the War Department
since 1858 but was not published until 1862 due to controversial conclusions that it
drew and was never adopted officially. Consequently was almost unused. Poinsett’s
Tactics emphasise the use of the sabre and lance when mounted, and with the cavalry
adopting a two rank deep formation. Cooke’s work favoured a single rank line, based on
British experiences in the 1830’s, and an aggressive use of cavalry as a shock force, but
his authority and consequently his influence waned after he was humiliated by JEB
Stuart, his Confederate Son-in-Law, during the Peninsular Campaign and in the
Eastern theatre his ideas were never implemented.
In the western theatre cavalry tactics evolved in their own way, largely influenced by
the guerrilla type activities of the Confederate raiders who, due to their reliance on
firearms rather than the sabre adopted a single rank formation as a matter of course.
Union forces in the west apparently maintained their more traditional two rank
formations until 1864 when Cooke’s doctrines gained some momentum, but even here
this was isolated to certain units.
The organisation of a Union Cavalry Regiment prior to the war was five squadrons, each
of four platoons. The influx of volunteer cavalry in 1861 saw a rationalisation of this
structure with the wartime Regiment having twelve troops, lettered A to M with J
missed out, which could be split down into two battalions if required. In wartime
conditions a strength of 25 to 40 men was the norm, with a Lieutenant commanding and
supported by four or five sergeants. This contrasted with the official establishment
which allowed for a Captain, two Lieutenants, a First Sergeant, five Sergeants and eight
Corporals alongside a Commissary Sergeant and a Quartermaster Sergeant, however
Regiments never reached the 1,100 men strengths that such a generous structure was
based around.
Union Cavalry Regiments in the early war were packaged out in small sized bodies to
work with larger infantry formations, largely due to the high command’s mistrust of
volunteer units. In contrast the south deployed their cavalry in larger formations,
almost ensuring that, were all else equal, their numerical superiority would ensure
victory against any Union mounted force. However all else was not equal. The South
generally produced better horsemen and better horse flesh than the more industrialised
North. The southern cavalryman normally provided his own horse, a far superior
system, as it turned out, that in the North where in the early years profiteers saw to it
that many cavalry regiments were equipped with mounts more suited to the knacker’s
yard than a battlefield. This imbalance in modus operandi and in quality gave the
Confederacy a significant head start, and it was one upon which they capitalised.
Confederate Cavalry Regiments followed a similar structure, breaking their Regiments

down into ten Companies, although there was a clear division between proper mounted
impact cavalry and those who were nothing more than mounted infantry. The latter
were armed with rifles and would fight dismounted as a matter of course, generally with
small groups of men mounted and sabre armed to provide a force designed to provide
impact or pursuit when required. The better Confederate cavalry were, despite JEB
Stuart’s own belief in the sabre, inclined to rely on pistols and shotguns for close
quarters fighting, and were severely limited when out of the saddle by largely having
Page 22
muzzle loading carbines. Where they could they would acquire captured breech loading
weapons, and even produced copies, such the Richmond Sharps, although these were
largely unreliable when compared to the original models.
As the war progressed the Union were able to better equip and organise their cavalry
and were then to first match and then better the rebel horse. When the full potential of
the single shot breech loading weapon was recognised the effectiveness of the Union
cavalry rose sharply. The magazine fed multiple shot weapons that followed such as the
Henry increased that even further and allowed these units to elevate themselves from
almost incidental participants in the war to operate as fast moving, high firepower
spearheads for Union advances. Furthermore the issue of regulating the supply of
mounts, combined with the lack of replacement mounts in the South saw the sharp
increase in Union cavalry morale and self-belief. By 1863 they matched their southern
counterparts, as shown in the action at Brandy Station. By the following year they had
improved further, while a general breakdown in the system of supply and replacement
in the South saw the Confederacy struggle to maintain the quality of their units.
Fielding a cavalry force for Terrible Sharp Sword is an interesting option, however in
some phases of the war it may well be best to consider adding a cavalry element, say
three Groups of eight men plus a couple of Big Men, to support an infantry force rather
than fielding a cavalry force on its own. That said, Union cavalry armed with the
Burnside, Gallagher or Sharps breech loading carbines make for a force that punches
well above its numerical weight. Once you get to Henrys and Spencers you are really
talking about a very impressive unit indeed. Potentially just as interesting would be to
field a force of raiders or bushwhackers with a mix of armaments hitting against softer
targets behind the lines.
(Confederate Forces in Terrible Sharp Sword)

Confederate Infantry will generally be good quality, being Tested or Veteran in the
period 1861 to 1864 and Veteran or Old Hands after that. They will be Drilled as a rule,
in the early war Zouave and some of the better units may be Polished. By 1863 many
units may be Polished and by 1864 most will be so. From 1861 to 1863 Confederate
forces will normally be Triumphant, from Gettysburg onwards they are Determined.
Their musketry will be variable, but by 1863 there will be almost no poor shots and
plenty of fine shots.
Confederate cavalry will normally have Prime Horseflesh in 1861 and 1862. Some units
may retain this in 1863 and by 1864 they will generally be reduced to Well Mounted.
They will generally be Polished in drill and will be Triumphant until 1864 when they
become Determined. Confederate cavalry operating dismounted are never better than
Acceptable shots.
Confederate forces will always have the following cards in the Bonus Deck:
Card Number
Rebel Yell 3
Stonewall 3
If Confederate cavalry are present then add a “Sam Colt’s Equalizer” card to allow a
bonus round of fire for one mounted Group or Formation, and a Bugle Call card.
Page 23
(Union Forces in Terrible Sharp Sword)
Union infantry will generally be of reasonable quality up to 1863 and then of good
quality after that. Most Union troops will be Greenhorns or Tested in 1861 and 1862,
Tested in 1863 and Tested, Veteran or Old Hands in 1864 and 1865. Better quality
troops, such as Zouave units, may be Polished in their drill in 1861 and 1862, most units
however are Drilled until 1864 when the majority will be Polished. Union troops are
generally Determined in 1861, Downcast in 1862, determined in 1863 and 1864 and
Triumphant in 1865. Musketry is normally Acceptable for any Union force, with a few,
such as Berdan’s Sharpshooters, achieving Fine Shot or Sharpshooter status.
Union cavalry will have Old Nags or be Well Mounted in 1861 and 1862. From 1863
onwards they will be Well Mounted and in 1865 they may have Prime Horseflesh. They
will be Greenhorns in 1861 and 1862, Tested in 1863 and 1864 and Veteran in 1865. In
terms of training the regular cavalry units will be Polished throughout, with Volunteer
units being A Rabble in 1861, Drilled in 1862 and 1863 and Polished from 1864
onwards. In 1861 and 1862 Union cavalry are Downcast, in 1863 and 1864 they are
Determined, in 1865 they are Triumphant. Union cavalry are always Acceptable shots.
Union forces will always have the following cards in the Bonus Deck:
Card Number
Old Glory 2 up to 1863, 3 1864 onwards
If Union cavalry are present from 1864 onwards then add a “Flashing Saber” card to
allow a bonus in Fisticuffs.
(Big Men in Terrible Sharp Sword)

One of the key issues with getting the best from Sharp Practice and Terrible Sharp
Sword is to ensure that the ratio of Groups to Big Men is right. Too few Big Men and
your force becomes very brittle, too many and it shrugs off Shock and keeps fighting to
the last man. Now that’s fine if that’s the effect you’re looking for in a game, troops
have been known to behave in that fashion, however normally a bit more balance is
what we seek.
A simple, easy guide is that two Groups to each Big Man works well for an average
force, providing the total of all the Big Men’s status levels works out at just under the
number of Groups present. So, for example, eight Groups could have four Big Men,
status III, II, I and I, a total status level of 7 (or VII of you prefer...).
For a poorer quality force, maybe greenhorns of more brittle troops, dropping the total
status level to 6 or even 5 would work well, whereas for a better unit simply increase
that total to 8.
Page 24

When playing Terrible Sharp Sword we recommend using a simple campaign setting to
link your games together and to bring your forces to life. What follows is a system that
allows the gamer to recruit his own company of men (or indeed two or more if he has
megalomaniac tendencies) then lead them into the field and follow their progress
through a succession of battles as they move from being greenhorns to become veterans
and then, ultimately, old hands.
(Recruiting)
Raising your company is the first task for any player of Terrible Sharp Sword, so get
ready to fly the flag and bang the drum for States’ Rights or for the Preservation of the
Union. How successful your recruiting is will decide how many men you will be
commanding, what quality they will be, and what officers and NCOs are available to
lead them.
Men Available
The following two tables are for the Confederate and United States of America and are
used to see how many Private soldiers are available for your Company. Use the one that
is relevant for your force, rolling 1D6 and cross-referencing the number rolled with the
year in which your Company is being assembled. Add the first number shown to the
total of the number of D6 indicated and then round the total up to the next highest
number divisible by eight.

Dice/Year 1861 1862 1863 1864/5
1–2 50 + 5D6 40 + 5D6 30 + 5D6 30 + 4D6
3–4 50 + 4D6 40 + 4D6 30 + 4D6 30 + 3D6
5-6 60 + 4D6 50 + 4D6 40 + 4D6 40 + 3D6

Dice/Year 1861 1862 1863 1864/5
1–2 50 + 5D6 40 + 5D6 30 + 5D6 40 + 4D6
3–4 50 + 4D6 40 + 4D6 30 + 4D6 40 + 3D6
5-6 60 + 4D6 50 + 4D6 40 + 4D6 50 + 3D6
Page 25
So, for example, a player raising a Union Company in 1863 would roll 1D6. If he rolled
a 4 he’d have thirty men as a starting point and then he’d roll a further 4D6. Let us
assume that he rolled 1, 3, 4 and 6, a total of 14, this would give him 44 men. He would
then round that up to 48 to get a number divisible by eight, giving him a Company made
up of six Groups of eight men.
Troop quality
The quality of the men available varied throughout the war. In the first year the quality
tended to be high, with all-volunteer units and those that were built around existing
States’ Militias, indeed some men even showed the polished drill of the elite volunteer
Zouave units. The Confederates found that lack of manpower meant that quality and
numbers dropped for them earlier than the Union and they were obliged to introduce
the draft in April 1862. The Union followed suit a year later. As the war progressed the
basic quality of recruits improved slightly, with older men, including veterans of former
wars, called to the colours and a smattering of veterans from disbanded units being
available.
To establish whether your men have the rudiments of drill or are a completely untrained
rabble, you should roll a D6 on the following table to see if his new Company has any
basic military skills.

Dice/Year 1861 to June 1862 June 1862 – June 1863 June 1863 Onwards
1 Rabble Rabble Rabble
3 Drilled Rabble Drilled
5 Drilled Drilled Drilled
6 Polished Drilled Drilled

Dice/Year 1861 to June 1862 June 1862 – June 1863 June 1863 Onwards
6 Polished Drilled Drilled
Page 26
Armament
What armament a Company is issued with will depend on what is available at that
particular time. In 1861 some units formed up with nothing more than fowling pieces
and hunting rifles, and indeed some units of bushwhackers were still reliant upon such
weapons later in the war. Union forces were generally able to better equip their units,
particularly when it came to the more sophisticated breech loading and repeating
weapons as the war progressed. Confederate units were harder pressed to find modern
weaponry, utilising many smooth bore muskets initially and then relying on imports
from Europe to provide what were often seen by the troops as sub-standard alternatives.
Indeed the effectiveness of the Union naval blockade saw the South obliged in many
cases to rely on what they could capture on the field of battle to equip their forces.
To arm your Company roll a D6 on the following table.

Dice/Year 1861 1862 1863 Onwards
1 Fowling Pieces Smoothbores Inferior Rifled Muskets
2 Fowling Pieces Smoothbores Rifled Muskets
3 Smoothbores Inferior Rifled Muskets Rifled Muskets
4 Smoothbores Inferior Rifled Muskets Rifled Muskets
5 Rifled Muskets Rifled Muskets Rifled Muskets
6 Rifles Muskets Rifled Muskets Rifled Muskets

Dice/Year 1861 1862 1863 Onwards
1 Smoothbore Rifled Muskets Rifled Muskets
6 Rifled Muskets Rifled Muskets Breech Loading Rifle
musketry
So now you know what your men are armed with we need to find out how well they can
shoot. Roll a D6 on the following table.
Dice Result
1-4 Poor shots
5-6 Acceptable shots
Aggression
Roll a D6 and add +2 if the year is 1861, +1 if it is 1862. On a 6 or more your men are
Aggressive troops. Troops armed with Fowling Pieces are always Aggressive.
Page 27
Appointing Leaders
Now you need to appoint your officers and NCOs. In the early war the men may do this
for you with elections, which can sometimes lead to poor choices being made. First
check how many Big Men you have. This is simple; you get one Big Man per two Groups
in your company, rounding up for any odd numbers. Of course, with Big Men we are not
representing all of the officers and NCOs present, just the ones who are competent
enough to have a positive impact on the battlefield. To reflect the variability between
units you now roll 1D6. On a 1 o2 two you reduce the number of Big Men by one, on a 6
you add an extra one, other than that there is no change.
Now you need to see what Status they are, as follows:
Big Man Details

You first Big Man is always your Captain, he commands the Company.
First Give him a suitable name and the roll a D6. On 1-4 he is a Status II Big
Man, on a 5 or 6 he is Status III.
This is always a Lieutenant. Again, a suitable name will help, then roll a
Second
D6. On a 1 or 2 he is a Status I Big Man, on 3-6 he is Status II.
Third This is always a Sergeant. On a roll of 1-4 he has a Status of I, on a 5 or 6
his Status is II.
Roll a D6 to see what rank this man holds. On a 1-4 he is a Sergeant, roll
Fourth for his status as for the Third Big Man. One a 5 or 6 he is a Lieutenant,
roll as for the Second Big Man for his Status with a -1 on the dice.
If you already have two Lieutenants then this man is automatically a
Fifth
Sergeant. If you have two Sergeants already then roll a D6. On 1-3 he is a
and
Sergeant, on 4-6 a Lieutenant. Roll for Status as above depending on his
subsequent
rank with a -1 on the dice.
Page 28
Standing
In the original version of Sharp Practice this is known as ‘Breeding’, however in the
more egalitarian Americas a man’s birth is less important than his worth, so we now
consider where our officers have come from as follows. Roll a D6 for each of your Big
Men, adding +1 for NCOs and consult the relevant table below.


Dice Result
A true Southern Gentleman. A plantation in the South, business interests in
1 Richmond, this is a well bred man with nobility etched in every line of his face.
Honour is your watchword, when dealing with civilised folk of course.
A Soldier with experience of the hardships of war. Roll a D6. On a 1-2 You won
2 your laurels down Mexico way, 3 You taught at the Virginia Military Institute, 4
Injun’ fighter, you scalped more redskins than any man living. 5 or 6 a West
Point man. Add one Status Level
Born and raised down in Alabama, on a farm way back up in the woods. A
3 backwoodsman with little learnin’ but plenty of heart and a knowledge of the
land, shootin’ and a killin’. Add one level of horsemanship, always a
Countryman.
The path was deep and wide with footsteps leading to your cabin. Above the
4 door there hung a scarlet lamp. Late at night a hand would knock and there
would stand a stranger. Yes, you’re the son of Hickory Hollers Tramp.
5 A man of letters. School teacher, lawyer, Engineer. Your men respect your
learning and your quick wittedness. Add one popularity level
Son of the soil. A farmer more used to ploughing the fine Virginia soil than
6+ fighting, but a patriot who will fight well for his homeland and to keep his
family free.


Dice Result
Industry, the life blood of the nation, runs in your veins. Your family own a
1 number of factories, all of which are now dedicated to supplying the Union with
what they need. Naturally at very respectable margins of profit and with all
interest rates compounded.
A Soldier with experience of the hardships of war. Roll a D6. On a 1-2 You won
2 your laurels down Mexico way, 3-4 Injun’ fighter; you scalped more redskins
than any man living, 5 or 6 a West Point man. Add one Status Level
Son of the soil. A farmer more used to ploughing the fine New England soil than
3 fighting, but a patriot who will fight well for his homeland and to keep his
family free.
An office boy with a good head for numbers and keeping ledgers, but less of a
4 mind for drill and the manual of arms. Your abilities with the company books
make you invaluable to the Captain. Who knows, maybe an unexpected hero.
A boy from the backwoods, you have little in the way of book learnin’ but plenty
5 of heart and a knowledge of the land, shootin’ and a killin’. Add one level of
horsemanship, always a Countryman.
6+ The New York slums were your cradle, and you fought in every back-alley along
the entire waterfront. Nobody can out-swear, out-drink and out-fight you.
Page 29
History
To round off the Big Men you now need to see just how long they have been in this
beautiful land of freedom and democracy.

Dice Result
1 Your Great Great Great Granddaddy arrived in the Mayflower
2 Your Great Great Uncle was prominent in the Revolution
3 Your Granddaddy fought the redcoats in 1812
4 Your Pa saw the Halls of Montezuma down south of the border
5 You Ma and Pa arrived in north America a year before you were born
6 You arrived in America but a few years ago, fleeing the oppression of Kings.

Now you know a little more about your Big Men use the main rules to develop their
characters further. and your force will be ready to take the field and fight the good
fight for liberty and justice.

Page 30

(Fight the Good fight)

Now
that your force is assembled, equipped and its officers and NCOs are in place you
are
ready to take to the field. What follows is a campaign system that will allow you to
lead your men into battle over a number of games. Over the period that the campaign is
run your men will gain in experience, learn new skills and improve upon the ones they
already have. What are now Greenhorns will become tested in battle and eventually
achieve veteran status before, ultimately become old hands. That is if you are able to
lead them successfully whilst conserving their numbers and avoiding your company
becoming disbanded due to losses.
Before we look at the scenario generator that will allow us to fight our battles let us
first look at what the impact of these battles will be on our company.
Starting the Campaign

At the outset of a campaign our Company will begin as Greenhorns. As they accumulate
experience, winning or losing their battles, they will change in the way that they see
themselves, and this will gradually change the way that they behave on the tabletop.
The various stages of advancement are as follows.

Battles Fought Experience Effect

None or one Greenhorns These are troops who are just seeing the elephant. They will
tend to have lower Status Officers and NCOs, lower standards of
drill and musketry. Greenhorns may never skirmish.
That said, they are more likely to stand up to some punishment

better than veterans or old hands due to their inexperience.
Greenhorns ignore one point of Shock when testing to charge
into fisticuffs. If they win in Fisticuffs they must pursue a
defeated enemy, attempting to close to engage in Fisticuffs on
their next activation. This will break any Formation they are in.
Two to Five Tested Tested troops have seen some action and are more
knowledgeable in the ways of war. Their flank companies may
skirmish. They may choose to pursue an enemy defeated in
Fisticuffs, but if they do so any Formation they are in will be
broken.
Six or more Veterans Veterans are automatically Drilled, they may all skirmish.
When pursuing an enemy defeated in Fisticuffs they may retain
their Formation.
Variable after Old Hands These are veterans that are really past their best. They are good
nine battles troops, by now they should have good officers and NCOs and
have a number of benefits, however they are more interested in
self-preservation than heroics. Old Hands automatically get a +1
in musketry. It requires two Initiatives from a Big Man to get
them to charge into Fisticuffs. They will never add fervour in
Fisticuffs and will never pursue an enemy defeated in Fisticuffs.
After their ninth action a Veteran company will roll a D6. On a

6 they will become Old Hands a status that they will retain for
the rest of the campaign. After each subsequent action they will
roll the D6 adding +1 for each action fought above nine.
Page 31
Enhancing your Force
As your force fights its battles it will, you hope, gain some victories. With these come
Victory Points that may be used to enhance your force in several ways. How these
points are achieved is listed below.
Result Points
Your objectives are achieved and your enemy is obliged to withdraw 2
from the field
Your objective is achieved, but your enemy controls the field of battle 1
You failed to achieve your objective 0
The points are awarded to the force as a whole, not to the various elements within the
force. This serves as the basic model for Gaining Victory Points, some scenarios may
have variations on this theme. These points may be spent as follows:
Enhancement Points
Increase a Big Man’s Status by one level 4
Improve training by one level 3
Improve musketry by one level 3
Have a -1 on the next Old Hands roll 2
Acquire the Company Commander a set of Field Glasses 1
In addition to the above, a force that wins a 2 point Victory may also equip one Group
with his enemy’s weapons should they be of a better type.

Casualties
After each battle the player should dice for all of the men killed in that battle. In truth
to be “killed” in the rules actually represents a man becoming hors de combat due to
action. Some of these will only be wounded or temporarily unable to fight. Roll a D6 for
each man.
Dice Result
1-2 The man is dead, he is permanently removed from the force
3-4 The man is badly wounded. He will return to the company after the next
engagement. If you abandoned the battlefield to the enemy 50% of these men will
be taken prisoner and will not return.
5-6 The man is lightly wounded. He will return to the company in time for the next
engagement.
For each Big Man who is badly wounded (see section 7.4 of the main rules) roll a D6 at
the end of each subsequent game. On a 6 the Big Man will be returned to the Company
for the next game. Each subsequent time this is tested for add +1 to the roll for each
game played in the Big Man’s absence.
A Big Man who is lightly wounded will be available for the next game and be restored to
his normal Status level.
If a Big Man is killed a more junior ranking Big Man may be promoted to fill the vacant
role. In this case one of the Privates may be promoted to Sergeant with a Status I.
Page 32
If a Big Man is absent from the force due to wounds one Private may be promoted from
the ranks to become a Status I Sergeant after the next battle, however this man must
return to the ranks once the Big Man returns unless other vacancies appear in the
meanwhile.
Reinforcements
After every third game played the Company will receive eight reinforcements. These
are assumed to be dispersed among the force and will not alter its effectiveness in terms
of experience or enhancements that it has received. The reinforcements will be armed
in the same manner as the Group to which they are attached. No Group may exceed
eight men.
Once during the campaign the player may call for a period of rest and a respite from the
fighting. When this happens the campaign moves forward to the next arrival of
reinforcements and then resumes.

Frequency of Battles
The campaign has a simple system whereby each month is considered to have four
weeks. You may recruit your company at any point from April 1861 onwards. It is then
presumed that a month is taken to equip and train your men, with you taking to the
field in the following month. Before each battle roll a D6, discarding a roll of 5 or 6. The
result, from 1 to 4, will tell you which week of that particular month the battle is being
fought in.

Ending the campaign
In theory the campaign can run for as long as the player desires, however it is more
likely that the end will occur due to other circumstance. If the number of Privates in the
Company falls to less than twenty then the Company will be disbanded, thereby ending
the campaign. Alternatively the campaign may end due to the date reaching April 1865,
in which case you can honourably hang up your boots.

=
Page 33

(F

For
rwa
ard
d int
to bat
b ttle
e)
Now we know how w our camp paign will run, the next stage is to take too the table
etop and
let batttle commen
nce. It is enntirely possible for th
he gamer too generate his own sceenarios,
howeveer we have found that utilising the followiing six optiions allowss for a quicck game
set up and an interesting range
r of ga
ames that can be fou ught severaal times ovver with
minor terrain
t variations.
The sceenarios falll into six categories, all of wh

hich use th
he standard table forrmat as
follows:
We recoommend a “Lard Stan ndard” 6’ by 5’ table, but

b slightly y smaller oor larger wiill make
little reeal differen
nce. As can n be seen thhe table is split
s into tw
wo halves, A and B. The
T four
edges are
a numberred, and a 9” 9 wide strrip runs aroound the ed dge in whicch no objecctives or
major terrain
t feattures shoulld be placed
d. All of the scenarioss conform to this set up.
u
The Scenar
rios
The sceenarios hav
ve six basicc formats which
w are ass follows:
Scenarrio One: Forraging

Scenarrio Two: Marching
Scenarrio Three: Pattrol
Scenarrio Four: Attack
Scenarrio Five: Resscue
Scenarrio Six: Deffence
de which sccenario to play the gamer

In ordeer to decid g has the option n of rolling
g a D6,
playing
g the scena arios throuugh in ordder, or sim
mply selectiing at randdom the one that
appealss to him. Details
D of th
he six scena
ario types may
m be foun nd below.
Page 34

Scenario One

(Foraging)

General Situation
The table has two small farms, one each in areas A and B. This represents no-man’s-
land
between two armies that in the coming weeks will undoubtedly face each other in
battle.
For now the main objective of the forces is to survive by living off the land.

Side A Objectives
Side A has been ordered to move to this area with one supply wagon and search both
farms in order to seize any food that may be there. They begin the game on Blinds on
Edge 1. Searching each farm building is a Task with a value of 20. Each Group of eight
men searching rolls 1D6 for the cost of two Action Dice. Once their cumulative task roll
total reaches 20 they roll a D6 to see what they have discovered.
Dice Result
1 Nothing to be had.
2 A small amount of supplies. Loading these up requires one Group to
achieve a cumulative Task roll of 10
3 Not a bad haul. Loading these up requires one Group to achieve a
cumulative Task roll of 20
4 Abundant quantities of food. Loading these up requires one Group to
achieve a cumulative Task roll of 30
5 Bountiful supplies present. This is too much for your wagon. Send a
messenger to bring a second wagon. Roll a D6 on each Sarsaparilla
Card after his departure. A total of 30 will see the second wagon
arrive.
6 Enemy Bushwhackers are guarding the farm. 1D6+6 men (tested,
rabble, aggressive troops) will immediately enter Fisticuffs with the
troops searching.

Side B Objectives
Side B should roll a D6. On a roll of 1-3 their objectives are identical to Side A. On a
roll of 4-6 they do not have a wagon with them, but must guard any supplies found in
anticipation of a wagon arriving on the next day. They begin the game on Blinds on
Edge 3.

Winning the Game
Once contact is made the players should be left in no doubt that stopping the enemy
gaining supplies is as important as gaining some for themselves. A complete 2 point win
only occurs if one side controls both farms and their supplies at the end of the game. A 1
point victory can be had if supplies from one farm can be secured.

Page 35

Scenario Two

(Marching)

General Situation
The table has several roads or tracks that cross it from Edge 1 to Edge 3. The area

represents land that is potentially hostile to both sides with one side attempting to
simply march across the table from one side to the other.

Side

A Objectives
Side A has been ordered to march across the table. The reasons for this could be many

and varied, such as accompanying a VIP to simply moving from one area to another.
Side A begins the game on Blinds in column of march. Their lead Blind is on the road
that enters on Edge 1 with the other Blinds following on in contact as it advances along
the road. They must exit the table on Edge 3.

Side B Objectives
Side B Should Roll a D6. On 1-3 they have been ordered to patrol in this area and are
unaware of Side A’s objectives. On 4-6 they have received information of what Side A
are attempting (including details of any VIP) and are attempting to intercept this force.
They enter the table on either Edge 2 or Edge 4 on the second dealing of the relevant
Blinds card.

Winning the Game
To achieve a 2 point victory Side A must simply cross the table and exit on the far side.
The fact that their enemy is left holding the table is not relevant in this scenario. To
achieve a 2 point victory Side B must stop their enemy crossing the table. No 1 point
victory is achievable for either side in this scenario.

Page 36
Scenario Three

(patrol)

General Situation
The table represents the area between two Armies that are attempting to discover each
others’ dispositions. As a result patrols are being sent out to report on the lie of the land

and the enemy’s deployments.

Side

A Objectives
Side A has been ordered to patrol across the terrain, possibly to identify the state of the

ground but also to repel any enemy patrols that are undertaking similar intelligence

gathering work. Side A enters the table on the second turn of their Blinds card on Edge
4.

Side B Objectives
Side B should roll a D6. On a roll of 1-3 their orders are exactly the same as Side A.
One a roll of 4-6 they have been ordered to dig a prepared position in either area A or B
(dice for which). This must be 12” in length. In either case they begin the game on
Blinds on Edge 2.
Digging the position is a Task. A Group of eight men digging will roll one D6 for every
two Action Dice that they expend, keeping track of the cumulative total. Their labours
will result in the following.
Cumulative
Task Points Result
12 A 6” stretch of ground has been taken from virgin soil to light cover
24 A 6” stretch of ground has been improved from light to medium cover
24 A 6” stretch of ground has been improved from medium to heavy cover
At any point during the game digging may stop and the men may use the cover created
thus far to fire from. They may not work on the cover while it is being occupied by
troops.

Winning the Game
To achieve a 2 point victory both sides need to chase their enemy from the table. Side B
gains no points for creating the prepared position, however if this has not reached a
state of medium cover over the required 12” by the end of the game then the victory is
limited to 1 point.

Page 37
Scenario Four

(Attack)

General Situation
This game represents an attack on an enemy position as part of a larger battle. From
1863 onwards the defender may have entrenchments that provide medium cover.

Side

A Objectives
Side A has been ordered to attack a suspected enemy position. They must first identify

exactly where the enemy are and then attack and take the position. In order to do this

they reinforce their company by rolling a D6 on the following table and adding the
relevant force.
Dice Result
1 One Heavy artillery piece with five crew and unlimited ammunition
2 Two 8 man cavalry Groups with weapons appropriate to the year
3 One additional infantry Group with skirmish ability and a Status I Sergeant
4 Two additional infantry Groups with skirmish ability and a Status II
Lieutenant
5 Three additional infantry Groups with a Status II Lieutenant
6 A rousing speech, a mindful prayer, but nothing else.
Side A begins the game on Edge 3 on Blinds.

Side B Objectives
Side B begins the game on Blinds behind cover in Area A. In 1861 or ’62 they should be
behind a fence offering Light cover. From 1863 onwards they may be in prepared
positions offering medium cover. Their objective is to hold their ground and repel the
enemy attack.

Winning the Game
To achieve a 2 point victory Side A must drive the enemy from their positions and the
table. To achieve a 2 point victory Side B must repel the attack and then drive the
enemy from the table. If Side B repels the attack but Side A remain in control of some
areas of the table B wins a 1 point victory.

Page 38
Scenario Five

(rescue)

General Situation
This game represents a daring raid into enemy territory in order to rescue a very
important person or item. The table is set up with a cluster of buildings in Area B any
one of which may contain the subject of the rescue mission.

Side
A Objectives
Side
A has been ordered to mount a rescue attempt deep into enemy controlled
territory. They have information that this is the area where their objective is being held

but not precise details as to where it is. They begin the game on Edge 1 on Blinds. Roll a
D6 to see what they are rescuing.

Dice Result
1 The Company’s Captain has been captured. Remove the Captain from the force
2 The Colonel’s “niece” has been captured.
3 The Regiment’s colours have been captured
4 Secret papers have fallen into enemy hands. Hopefully as yet undiscovered
5 The Padre has been captured
6 The Colonel’s prize goat has been captured.

Side B Objectives
Side B has recently captured something of value to the enemy (see above). For the time
being they are keeping this under guard and have sent word of the prize to Army HQ.
They are awaiting orders as the game begins. Being in friendly territory the force
guarding the prize has been stood down and is mainly resting. One Group is acting as
guards and is with the prize. Two pickets may be placed anywhere on the table. All
other Groups are deployed within Area B, none may be within 6” or another Group. All
of the officers are in one of the buildings having a command meeting. All of the NCOs
are in another building off duty. The infantry Groups will only be activated by a Big Man
or when the enemy open fire on them or come within 18” of them. The Big Men can
only be activated once the pickets raise the alarm or once firing begins.

A blank card is added to the deck. Roll a D6 each time this is dealt. On a roll of a 6
orders will arrive to escort the prisoner off table Edge 1.

Winning the Game
To achieve a 2 point victory Side A needs to capture the prize and exit the table by Edge
1. Side B needs to retain the prize and, if orders have arrived, exit the table by Edge 1.
Any other result gains no points.

Page 39
Scenario Six

(Defence)

General Situation
This game represents the defence of a position in the face of an enemy attack as part of
a larger battle. From 1863 onwards the defender may have entrenchments that provide

medium cover.

Side

A Objectives
Side A begins the game on Blinds behind cover in Area A. In 1861 or ’62 they should be

behind a fence offering Light cover. From 1863 onwards they may be in prepared
positions offering medium cover. Their objective is to hold their ground and repel the
enemy attack.

Side B Objectives
Side B has been ordered to attack a suspected enemy position. They must first identify
exactly where the enemy are and then attack and take the position. In order to do this
they reinforce their company by rolling a D6 on the following table and adding the
relevant force.
Dice Result
1 One Heavy artillery piece with five crew and unlimited ammunition
2 Two 8 man cavalry Groups with weapons appropriate to the year
3 One additional infantry Group with skirmish ability and a Status I Sergeant
4 Two additional infantry Groups with skirmish ability and a Status II
Lieutenant
5 Three additional infantry Groups with a Status II Lieutenant
6 A rousing speech, a mindful prayer, but nothing else.
Side B begins the game on Edge 3 on Blinds.
Winning the Game

To achieve a 2 point victory Side B must drive the enemy from their positions and the
table. To achieve a 2 point victory Side A must repel the attack and then drive the
enemy from the table. If Side A repels the attack but Side B remain in control of some
areas of the table A wins a 1 point victory.

Page 40

(field of honor )
Having established which scenario he wishes to play, the gamer now needs to establish
what the tabletop will look like. The scenario outlines above give general and broad
guidelines as to the terrain, however there is much flexibility for the games to be
developed according to what terrain is available and, of course, depending on what
theatre of war the actions are occurring in.

To illustrate this it is worthwhile looking at several examples of suitable tabletop
arrangements, and considering the way that we build up the miniature landscape to suit
each specific scenario and the way that we present these to the gamer. To this end what
follows are illustrations of suitable terrain set-ups, along with some designer’s notes to
explain the reasons behind the placement of the terrain. Naturally the gamer can simply
use the maps provided for his own games, however once these have been played through
he will at least have an understanding of how we set up our own games to give what we
hope is maximum tactical options and, ultimately, sheer fun.
It should also be noted that when presenting the scenarios to the players we do not use the
basic scenario headings of ‘Foraging’, ‘Marching’ etc., but provide them with a more
evocative soubriquet and briefing to accompany this. How much the gamer does here is a
matter of personal preference, but with rules such as Sharp Practice the greater and more
interesting the briefing the more the players tend to get from the game.
Page 41
Scenario One
(In Search of Vittels)

Design Notes
In designing the above map we have been careful not to produce something that is
purely symmetrical, with both halves of the table mirroring each other. That said there
is a real balance to the game. In view of the fact that both sides may well be
accompanied by a wagon we have taken care to provide both with a natural entry point
on the road.
Effort has been made to create varied terrain features; a sunken road, a stone wall, rail
link fences, orchards and woods, but also to allow room for manoeuvre and obligations
for both parties to make tactical decisions. By using terrain that blocks visibility to
separate the two farms we are creating an opportunity for both sides to have some time
to deploy their forces before contact is made. This separation also creates an illusion of
the table covering a larger area than it actually does.
Page 42

The second Map for Scenario One approaches the same idea from a slightly different
direction. The straight, wide road that runs across the table does mean that it is likely
that both sides spot each other before too long. The walled orchard in the middle of the
table creates an interesting position, but also serves to break the table into separate
zones, with a centre and two distinct flanks, with the open fields on either side giving
more room for manoeuvre.
The woods and orchards on both maps, so important if we are to replicate realistically
the countryside of north America, serves to provide excellent long range fire
opportunities for skirmish trained troops.

Page 43
Scenario two
(the colonel’s lady)
Nothing gives a greater illustration of how a scenario’s name sets the scene for a game
better than this one. ‘Marching’ may well be a good description of what this scenario is
all about, but getting from A to B is far more interesting when one is accompanying The
Colonel’s Lady.
The first thing to note when examining the map above is that the route to be taken is
significantly extended by using a dogs-leg route rather than heading straight across the
table. What is more we have chosen here to make the scenario more interesting and
give more room for greater story-line potential by creating points of interest. The two
buildings to the bottom left are a Tavern, the large southern residence to the top right
has excellent potential in this area, whilst the small building at the junction of the main
road and the one that exits to the right is a toll house where money is collected. All
have room for adding colour to the scenario.
Page 44
The second map takes a totally different approach by placing an un-fordable river across
the centre, thereby creating a choke point with the single bridge. That said, troops
deployed on the east side of the river have an imperfect defensive position as the tree-
topped ridge stops short of the bridge itself. The ridge on the west side of the river is
also less than perfect as it is set back from the river, however it does allow Side A room
to deploy, presuming that Side B have opted to deploy their troops to the east of the
river.

Page 45
Scenario three
(No Man’s Land)
For the third scenario the terrain has been matched to the title, this is indeed no man’s
land, an entirely untamed piece of ground where both sides are patrolling, presumably
intent on checking the ground and the streams to see if it is passable.
The broken nature of the ground mixed with some dry areas of open terrain allows the
players a choice of formations. The use of the higher ground on the eastern side of the
table also served to mask the two forces from each other if they head in this direction,
whereas the boggy ground to the west will slow movement to a crawl and may even
break up Formations.
The low ground to the south is ideal for Side B to construct their defences, if such are
their orders, however the proximity of the trees across the southern spur of the stream
does mean that they will need to push troops forward to protect the construction works.
Page 46
The second map is much more open with almost nowhere to hide large bodies of men.
Side B has the ideal high ground position upon which to construct their defences,
however they are very exposed to enemy fire, as such their troops will have to move
forward aggressively to cover the construction party.
Side A has several avenues of attack open to him, including a flank. The stream is
insignificant, and may be crossed at a cost of -1 pip per movement dice in that turn,
however it does serve to break the table into two distinct halves, obliging both players to
decide where they will commit troops.

Page 47
Scenarios Four and Six
(give them the bayonet!)
Scenarios Four and Six are identical, with the two sides simply swapping their roles as
attacker and defender. The map above shows an intentionally strong defensive position
this is an action intended to be part of a larger battle rather than a skirmish. One key
point to note here is that the distance between the main fence-line and the woods on the
table’s eastern edge should exceed 48”. If your table is shorter than the 6’ Lard
Standard then you will need to adjust the features to maintain that distance. This is to
allow the attacker to emerge from the woods and, if he desires, form line outside his
enemy’s rifle range.
The layout of the cornfield and the central copse neatly divides the battlefield into two
zones, north and south, and both sides will need to choose what numbers of troops they
allocate to those area. The northern route for the attacker would suit a solid line,
whereas to the south a more open order may suit. The defender needs to decide whether
to push troops forward into the wheatfield, or to just focus on defending the main
position.
Page 48
The second map is entirely different, although fulfilling all of the criteria that the
scenario sets. Here the woods to the north are very dense and, frankly, well worth
avoiding. Troops moving therein suffer a -2 pip per dice penalty on movement and will
take one point of Shock for each turn they spend moving therein (they may stand still
and take no Shock in that turn) to represent the chaotic impact of such dense woodland.
The defender should begin the game defending the central fence-line which is just in
Area A. He then has, at some point, the option of retiring back to the farm and the
stone wall.
The eastern fence blocks the attacker’s line of advance and may be kicked down for the
cost of two Action Dice per Group, destroying their frontage of fence. Once broken down
the fence-line may be passed through by a Formation at no penalty.

Page 49
Scenario Five
(strike at the heart)
This map is, by the nature of the scenario somewhat lopsided, with nearly all of the
terrain in Area B. Again the terrain features have been used to require command
decisions from the players. The high ground in Area A provides an area where Side A
can form up prior to making contact and, with the small wood in its centre, give the
option of attacking through the open ground to the north or south, or indeed with looser
order troops through the woods themselves.
The array of fences and walls provide potential cover for both sides, whilst stone walls in
the centre again have been used to potentially funnel attacks in two directions. The
numerous houses mean that identifying the target is made harder for Side A.
There are three possible roads exiting the table near the western table edge, meaning
that if and when Side B get orders to exit the table their destination will not be obvious
to side A.
Page 50
The second map is entirely different, and shows again how a scenario can be entirely
changed by the introduction of a river. For both sides the exit point on Edge 1 means
that a battle for the bridge is unavoidable, ensuring some fierce fighting in that area.
The first building across the bridge is a Tavern, again offering options for developing a
story-line, as is the case with Area B, where a small town and a farm allow some very
different options.
Again the number of walls, fences and areas of woodland allow plenty of cover, but the
fields have been positioned to allow larger Formations to be used if desired. That said,
the built up nature of the town means that the fight is likely to break down into smaller
running fights. Expanding the number of buildings further could well end up with a
Wild West type shoot-out, which would be both different and fun.

Page 51
(a
a ma
att
ter of
o sca
s ale)
)
Sharp Practice
P an
nd Terriblee Sharp Sw word are intended for use with oone man eq qualling
one figuure; that said it is peerfectly posssible to ap
pply a high
her ratio off men to fig
gures in
order too allow larg
ger units too be represeented.
Typicallly an infanntry compa

any in the field would d range froom 40 to 60 0 men. Ussing the
standarrd eight fig
gure Group to represent a compa any would give
g u a rattion of betw
ween 1:5
and 1:88, making a Regimeent with th he full commplement of o companies eighty figures
strong, or one reduced to eight
e compa anies 64 fiigures in total. In th hat situatiion it is
suggestted that the following
g ratings bee used for Big
B Men.
Ra
ank Status
Colonel orr Lieutenan
nt Colonel III or IV
Sergeant Major or Major
M II
Captain I or II
Lieutenannt I
We woould recommmend tha at the Reg giment wa as comman nded by a Colonel, with a
Lieuten
nant Colonnel or Majoor supportinng him. The
T two Fla ank compa anies are allocated
Captain
ns, whilst only one or
o two otheer Big Men n are preseent. The k key is to noot over-
endow your forcee with Big Men as th his makes them to flexible and d able to sh hrug off
Shock all
a too readdily. The foollowing org
ganisation gives the right
r sort off balance.
Captains w
with two flaank compan
nies
Colon
nel and twoo subordinaate Big Men
n
with th
he main body
dual companies may not

Individ n assumee line forma ations, sing
gle compan nies detached from
the maain body would
w tend to operatee in loser formations
f anyway, lleaving the e centre
compannies able too form the main
m body and
a the flaank compan nies able to skirmish.
If the gamer
g weree to extend the scale fu
urther, with five Grou
ups represeenting a Reegiment,
then onnly one Grooup would function
f as skirmishers, operatinng from thee right flan
nk of the
force. With such h an arran ngement Brrigade actiions could be fought with arou und 130
figures a side.
Page 52
Movvement Linee Troops
FORRMATION ADJUSTMENT TS & LIMITATIO ONS 0--12” 12-224” 24-36” 36-48”
Infantry Column +1 pip per dicee Musket 4
4-6 6 - -
Infantry Line As per dice rolll Rifleed Musket 5
5-6 5-66 6 6
Exteended Line As per dice rolll Inferrior Rifles 5
5-6 6 6 6
Infantry Skirmish +1 pip per dicee. May also retiire at speed with
h one Carb bines 5
5-6 5-66 6 -
extra dice Fowlling Piece 5
5-6 6 - -
Cavaalry Walk As per dice Mou unted 4-6 (0-6”)
Cavaalry Trot +3 pips per dicce
Cavaalry Gallop Add one extra dice then add +3
3 pips per dice
Skirrmishing From Cover
C
Foott Artillery Move at cavalrry walk speed. May
M Trot for one turn
Limb bers in three if in da
anger 0-12” 12--24” 24-366” 36-48”
Horsse Artillery May move at cavalry Walk or Trot
T speed Rifleed Musket 5-6 4--6 5-6 6
Limb bers Trussty Rifle 5-6 4--6 4-6 6
Carb bines 4-6 4--6 5-6 -
Spottting Artiillery Pieces

TAR RGET 0-9” 9-27” 27” ANND WEA APON AM
MMO 0-12” 12-36” 336-48 48+
LOC CATION/DISTANC CE OVER R Smo oothbore Cannister 4-6 3-6 55-6 -
In thee Open Automaatic Automaatic 5 and Balll 5-6 5-6 55-6 6
How witzer Shrrap/Shell - 6 55-6 5-6
Slightly obscured 6 7 8
Obsccured 7 9 11 Rifleed Cannon Cannister 5-6 4-6 6 -
Badlyy Obscured 10 11 14 Shrrap/Shell - 6 55-6 5-6
Add one to the required
d score (Make Harder) Deduct one from
f the required score
for: (Make Easierr) for:
Firring on a Big Mann’s Initiative: Add 1D6 for SStatus level
Spottter under fire Spotter elevaated
Ea
ach two Shock poiints : Remove one ffiring dice
Targeet stationary Per dice target moved this turn
Firrst volley: Add 50% dicee
Targeet obscured by smoke Each additional dice used for
Firrer is a Formation
n in Line: +1 to each dicce.
spotting
Target is a Formatiion in line: +1 to each dicce
Targeet is Injuns Spotter is a Big
B Man
Target is an enfilad
ded line or column Add one extra a dice and add +1
+
Target Moun nted
to each dice
Spotter is an Injun
Target is a Formatiion in square Add two extra dice and add +1+
Target is a Foormation
to each dice
Target in Light cover: Remove onee third of dicce
Firin
ng (round down for odds)
MU
USKETRY ADJUSTMENT T Target in Medium cover:
c Remove half oof dice
1-2 Near
N miss, no efffect
Target in Heavy cov
ver Remove threee quarters of dice
e
Poor - pip on Hit Effeect
-1 3-5 Shock
S Firring through Smo
oke Remove half oof dice
Acceptable
A No adjustment 6 Kill
K Firrer is mounted Remove half oof dice
Fine
F Shots + pip on firing diice
+1
Sh
harpshoot’s + hits on firing diice
+2
Shock Effect
+1 or +2* The cha arge goes in to ccontact, 5’s countt as
Shock ono the opponent, and 6’s as dead d, as
Fistiicuffs normal in the main Sharrp Practice rules.
ROLLL 1D6 FOR EAC CH MAN PRESE ENT +3* advanttage to If the attacker
a takes 3 points more Sh hock
Add 1D6 for Status level
l of the Big M
Man who lead the e charge using hiss Initiative the defender than th he defender then n he is halted at a a
Add 1D6 for each poiint of fervour addded with the Big Man’s
M initiative distance e of 4” from the eenemy’s position,, all
6’s infliicted on him coount as men killed,
Add 1D6 for every twwo Status levels oof all other friend
dly Big Men in th he charge
those onn his opponent arre ignored.
Each
h Experience leve el higher than thhe enemy Add
d 2D6 per Group
+3* advanttage to If the defender
d takes 3 points more Sh hock
Each
h Belief level high
her than the enemy Add
d 2D6 per Group
the attacke
er than th he attacker theen the attackerr is
Aggrressive troops Add
d 2D6 per Group
moved his full move distance and the
Weedy Coves Sub
btract 2D6 per Grroup defende er falls back 4” froom that point. Both
B
Atta
acking Light Cove er Sub
btract one D6 in every
e four sides coount 6’s as kills
Atta
acking Medium Cover
C Sub
e three +4* or morre If the attacker
a takes 4 points more Sh hock
Atta
acking Heavy Cov ver Sub
e two advantage to the than th he defender then n he is halted at a a
Atta
acked in the flankk or rear Sub
e two defender distance e of 8” from the enemy’s positiion,
Ambbushed Sub
e two with anny additional poin nts of Shock push hing
him back a further 4” per point. All 6’s
inflicted
d on him count a as men killed; th hose
Cavaalry charging witth élan Add
d one D6 in four on his opponent
o are ignoored.
Form
med Cavalry at th he gallop Add
d one D6 in four +4* or morre If the defender
d takes 4 points more Sh hock
Cavaalry versus Unforrmed Infantry inn the open Add
d one D6 in two advantage to the than th he attacker theen the attackerr is
Cavaalry versus Infanntry in square Sub
btract one D6 in two
t attacker moved his full move distance and the
defende er falls back 8” frrom that point with
w
Cavaalry versus a Lin
ne Formation Sub
btract one D6 in three
t
any add ditional points off Shock pushing him h
Cavaalry against troopps in Light Coverr Sub
btract one D6 in three
t back a further
f 4” per pooint. All 6’s infliccted
Cavaalry against troopps in Medium Coover Sub
btract one D6 in two
t on him count as men k killed; those on his
Cavaalry against troopps in Heavy Coveer Sub
btract two D6 in three
t opponen nt are ignored.
Sabrre against pistol armed
a cavalry Add
d 2D6 per Group
Supeerior Mount in a Cavalry fight Add
d 2D6 per level of
sup
periority
Draw Fight agaain now. Max th hree rounds
Defeated by
y1 Retire 6”” (12” cavalry)
Defeated by
y2 Retire 9””(18”), +2 Shock, ffire only next turrn
Defeated by
y3 Retire 122” (24”) +2 Shock, fire only next tuurn
Defeated by
y 4+ Retire 18”
1 (24”), Doublee Shock. Possible
surrendeer

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Page 5 Rules of War - Amendments to Sharp Practice

Page 5 Turn Sequence

Page 20 Manual of Arms - Representing your forces

Page 25 A Call to Arms - A Campaign System

Page 52 A Matter of Scale - Fighting larger battles

Page 53 The Playsheets - Quick Reference Sheets

One for each Big Man

2.2 Big Men and Initiative

Status Description Initiative Level Influence Range

2.3 A Group’s Turn

Acceptable shots are standard troops in Sharp Practice.

Troops may be rated as Aggressive or Weedy Coves as normal.

2.5.1 Cavalry Horse Types

In ordeer to formm any Form

Troops in a line must

Troops in Line arre considereed to be in close fightting order which

A colum mn may firre out of the

3.1.1 Breaking Formations

3.5 Formationns on Blindss

3.6 Lying Dowwn

Confederate States of America

United States of America

Random Events Table

4.2 Movement Random Events

THE BIG DEAL

5.3 Terrain Effects & Obstacles

5.8 Cavalry Movement.

Cavalry turning more than 90 degree must be at the walk to do so.

7.2 Firing Dice

Firer is a Formation in Line +1 to each dice

Skirmishers Firing From Cover

7.2.1 Artillery Fire

Force Gun Type Canister Rounds Available

Weapon Ammunition 0-12” 12-36” 36-48” 48”+

*Shock caused by Smoothbore canister is doubled.

Cavalry charging with élan Add one D6 in four (25%)

8.3.1. Pistol and Shotgun Armed Cavalry

Lefft Wing comm manded by Right Winng commanded by

Confederate Cavalry Regiments followed a similar structure, breaking their Regiments

(Confederate Forces in Terrible Sharp Sword)

(Big Men in Terrible Sharp Sword)

Confederate States of America

United States of America

Confederate States of America

United States of America

To arm your Company roll a D6 on the following table.

Confederate States of America

United States of America

Now you need to see what Status they are, as follows:

Big Man Details

Confederate States of America

United States of America

(Fight the Good fight)

Starting the Campaign

Battles Fought Experience Effect

That said, they are more likely to stand up to some punishment

After their ninth action a Veteran company will roll a D6. On a

The sceenarios falll into six categories, all of wh

We recoommend a “Lard Stan ndard” 6’ by 5’ table, but