| |
Napoleonic Wars OnLine
Sinews of War
Rule Book
Last modified March 31, 2008
This document provides a basic overview to the rules of Sinews
of War
(SOW),
the land combat module of the Napoleonic Wars OnLine (NWOL). A player
who
has read and understood these rules should be able to serve as Treasury
Minister in SOW.
The basic rules are divided into six sections:
1.1. Money in NWOL is
denominated in
"crowns" (abbreviated Cr). Each state in
NWOL used its own currency, and the value of each currency fluctuated
dramatically
over the period 1792-1815, both in absolute value and relative to one
another.
Therefore it is not possible to give exact conversion rates between
crowns
and francs, pounds, marks, florins, rubles, pesos, etc. However, as a
rough
guide, a crown is equal to approximately 5000 French francs or 500
British
pounds.
2.1. Each state has a treasury.
It
receives income into the treasury for each
city and port that it holds. It pays expenditures from the treasury
for each unit and ship it possesses. The Treasury Minister, or the
Prime Minister or
monarch acting on
his behalf, can transfer money from the treasury into the treasury of
other states. See RAR rules 3.3 and 3.4 for details.
2.2.If there are no blockades or embargoes anywhere
in
the
game, then each inland city produces income equal to 15 Cr times the
level of the city on each campaign turn, or 225 times the level
of the city on each peace or truce turn. (Over 15 campaign
turns,
the city produces the same income it does in one peace or truce turn.)
Each on-map port city (not including
Corfu and Malta) produces 18 Cr times the level of the port per
campaign turn or 270 Cr times the level of the port per peace or truce
turn,
and each off-map port (includnig Corfu and Malta) produces 21 Cr times
the level of the port per
campaign
turn or 315 per peace or truce turn.
2.3. Occupied cities in Europe produce only half
their
normal
income. Occupied off-map ports produce 75% of their normal income.
2.4.
A
city's income is reduced by 5% for each hostile brigade within 4
squares of the city that has a line of contact to the city, up to four
brigades for a maximum
possible reduction of 20%. It is also reduced 5% for each city within 8
squares controlled by an embargoed foreign power (see rule 2.6 below),
up
to four cities for a maximum possible reduction of 20%.
2.5.
A state can declare a blockade against the trade of another state with
which it is at war. To declare a blockade, the Foreign Minister of the
state declaring the blockade sends an email notice of the blockade to
the Foreign Minister of the blockaded state, with a copy to the game
administrator. Blockades take effect immediately on receipt of the
declaration. Blockaded ports have their incomes reduced by
the blockade. A port is blockaded if another power has declared a
blockade against the nation controlling that port, and there are ships
of the
line of a blockading power in its coastal waters which are ignoring
commerce, or frigates of a
blockading power in the coastal waters which are ignoring commerce
and no ships of the line hostile to the blockading frigates in the
coastal waters. For on-map
ports, the fraction
of income lost depends on the percentage of the nation's ports that are
blockaded. If only one port is blockaded, the trade loss is very small,
but increases as more ports are blockaded, until if all of a nation's
ports are blockaded, half the income of those ports is lost. For
colonies, the blockade loss depends only on whether that particular
colony is blockaded, not on whether other colonies are blockaded. A
portion
of trade lost to blockades is displaced to other nations - see rule 2.8
below. Germany and
Italy are each treated as single nations for the purpose of this rule.
2.6. A state can declare an embargo against the
trade of
another state with which it is not allied (it may be neutral).
To declare an embargo, the Foreign Minister of the
state declaring the embargo sends an email notice of the embargo to
the Foreign Minister of the embargoed state, with a copy to the game
administrator. Embargoes take effect immediately on receipt of the
declaration. The
ports of both states will have their incomes reduced by the embargo. A
trade embargo affects all ports the embargoing state controls, whether
they are in the same nation or not. In Germany and Italy it also
depends on the fraction of the nation's ports controlled by the
embargoing state. The amount of income lost depends on the percentage
of each nation's total trade with the other nation, and Germany and
Italy are treated as a single nation for the purposes of this rule. A
portion of trade lost to embargoes is displaced to other nations - see
rule 2.8 below.
2.7.
A state can raid the
commerce of another state with which it is at war by ordering its
ships, particularly its frigates, to raid enemy commerce. The enemy
state can order its own ships, especially its frigates, to convoy its
commerce to defend it against raiding. Commerce raiding reduces the
income of port cities of the enemy state, including off-map
ports. The loss of income from raiding is calculated separately for
each port city. The total strength or commerce raiders off a given port
is 9 points for each
hostile raiding frigate in the coastal waters, 3 for each hostile
raiding frigate in the associated sea area, 3 points for each hostile
raiding SOL or hostile patrolling frigate in the port, and 1 point for
each hostile raiding SOL or hostile patrolling frigate in the sea area.
(Frigates in the sea area contribute their raiding strength to each
hostile-controlled port connected to that sea area.) Total convoying
strength is the
same scale for friendly ships on convoy duty. The income of the port
city is reduced by a fraction that depends on both total raiding
strength and total convoying strength; it rises as raiding strength
increases
and falls as convoying strength increases. The raiding ships gain 1
victory point for each 50 Cr of trade lost in the port (this will be
changed as
development continues, and is not yet implented). The raiding state
receives no money from raiding.
2.8.
Whenever one nation loses trade income to blockades or embargoes, a
fraction of that trade income shifts to other nations and to their
trading partners. The trade that shifts is reduced if the receiving
nation is itself blockaded or embargoed. Germany and Italy are treated
as a single nation for the purposes of this rule, and income increases
are divided among states in proportion to the number of ports they
control.
2.9.
Port cities in the Mediterranean and Caribbean may have their income
reduced by piracy. Warships in the sea areas to which those ports are
connected can suppress the piracy. (Not yet implemented.)
3. Manpower
3.1. Each state has a certain
amount
of manpower available for
military service. This limit is given on the Treasury Ministry
report. Purchase of regular units and ships also requires men
to be taken from the national manpower reserve. For land units,
the number of men required is equal to the number of men in
the unit (250 for AQ, 100 for CQ). For ships, the number is
750 for SL, 1000 for FL, 250 per frigate for frigate groups,
and capacity/10 for transport groups. That is, a TR with
5000 capacity requires 500 crew from the national manpower pool.
3.2. Each city has a certain militia manpower
available.
This
manpower is separate from the national limit on manpower.
Raising a militia unit requires manpower from the city's
militia pool, the manpower required is equal to the strength
of the militia unit. The normal limit is 7500 per city.
3.3. Each port has a certain transport capacity
available,
reflecting the amount of civilian shipping in the port that
can be chartered for military service. Raising a transport
requires capacity from that pool. The normal limit is 8000
per port. This implies that no TR can be built larger than
8000 capacity. TR groups of larger capacity must be formed
by combining several TR groups of size 8000 or less raised
in different ports.
3.4.
Each season, a nation has 1000 men added to its manpower pool for each
city of its own nation that it controls (for campaign seasons, this
happens at the end of the campaign). Each nation has removed from its
manpower pool a number of men equal to 4% of the size of the manpower
pool plus 4% of all men in units and ships. Example: Sardinia controls
4 cities, has a manpower pool of 40,000 men, an army of 25,000 men, and
10 ships with 5000 men. Sardinia gains 4000 men because she controls 4
cities, and loses 2800 men; 1600 are 4% of the manpower pool, 1000 are
4% of the army, and 200 are 4% of the navy. At the end of the season
her manpower pool contains 40,000 + 4000 - 2800 = 41,200 men.
3.5.
When a unit is destroyed in battle, its remaining manpower is returned
to the manpower pool at the end of the season in which the unit is
destroyed. When a militia unit is destroyed in battle, its remaining
manpower is returned to the militia pool of the city in which it was
raised. If a ship is destroyed in battle, a fraction of its manpower
returns to the manpower pool at the end of the season in which the unit
is destroyed. If a ship is sunk in a storm, all of its manpower is lost.
4.1. The Treasury Minister, or
Prime
Minister or monarch
acting on his behalf, can purchase units and ships. Units and ships can
always be built in a single peace or truce turn. The time required to
build
units and ships during war turns are:
| Type |
War turns to build |
| MI |
1 |
| TR |
2 |
| IN |
3 |
| LI, MA, HA, CQ |
4 |
| LC, MC, HC, LA |
6 |
| AQ, SA, FR |
8 |
| FL, SL |
16 |
4.2. If a unit or ship is in
the
process of being built when a campaign
ends, then if the next season is a peace or truce turn the unit will be
completed at the
end of that peace or truce turn. If the next season is a war season,
then the
build
will continue until the total number of war turns has been completed.
Example:
France starts building a MC in Paris on turn 8 of Spring 1796. After
turn
11, the Spring 1796 campaign ends. The MC has been underway for 4
turns.
If Summer 1796 is a war season, then the MC will be completed at the
end
of turn 2 of that campaign. If Summer 1796 is a peace season, then the
MC will be completed at the end of the peace turn.
4.3. Units must be raised in cities controlled by
the
state building them
and part of the nation of the state building them. (That is, you cannot
raise units in captured cities outside your own nation). Ships must be
built in on-map ports controlled by the state building them even if
they are
not
part of the home nation. Ships cannot be built in off-map ports (Malta,
Corfu, Carribbean ports) nor may transport groups be raised in of-map
ports. Example: Austria captures Venezia. It may
build
ships there but may not raise units there. Exception: Militia may be
built
in a city which is part of your home nation but controlled by a hostile
state if the city is ungarrisoned or insufficiently garrisoned. Only
one
order to raise militia in a hostile city may be sent per turn. If more
than one order is sent, the last one sent will be used. [More Details]
4.4. A state cannot buy a ship or unit unless the
state
has
sufficient funds to build it and to maintain it for 15 wartime
turns. (This is to prevent players from buying more armed forces than
they
can support.)
4.5.
A state cannot start a new build in a city that is under siege, but if
a city comes under siege during the build time, the build is not
cancelled. However, if the build causes the number of units to exceed
the limit of 12 allied units in one tac square, the units will be built
outside the city tac square. (Note: this may later be changed so that
the builds are cancelled if the 12-unit limit is exceeded.)
4.6.
The number of units that may be built in one city at one time depends
on the level of the city. For level 1 cities, the
limit is 6, for level 2 cities it is 8, level 3 it is 10, level 4 it is
12, level 5 it is 14. Militia builds are included in
these limits.
4.6. The number of dockyards
in a port limits the number of ships (but not transport groups) that
can be built and repaired
there. The number being built there, plus the number being repaired
there, may not exceed the number of dockyards available at that port.
Transport group builds are exempt from this limit.
4.7. Infantry and light infantry units can contain
no more than 4000 men and one battery. Cavalry units can contain
no more than 2000 men and one battery. Artillery units can contain
no more than 400 men and 4 batteries. Militia units can contain
up to 3000 men and cannot contain batteries. Army and corps HQs contain
250 and 100 men respectively, and no batteries.
Average quality of units and ships
4.8. States may buy new soldiers for
existing
units or
new crew for existing ships. Soldiers can be added to units only on
peace/truce turns, or on turn 1 of campaigns. Crew can be
added to ships any time they are located in a friendly port
(harbor or coastal waters). Ships may not move on the turn on which
they add crew (land units may). 500 men, or fraction thereof,
cost 20 Cr for IN and MI and 24 for LI. 250 men, or fraction,
cost 50 for HC, 35 for MC, and 30 for LC. 100 men and
1 battery cost 30 for HA, 25 for MA, and 20 for LA. Adding
batteries to infantry costs as MA, to cavalry counts as LA.
100 crew for FL, SL, or TR cost 5 Cr. Additions cannot raise
units above the maximum sizes given in rule 4.7.
4.9.
States may disband existing units. It
must be in a strategic square that is free of enemy units, except for
militia which may disband in the presence of enemy units
if they are in the strategic square of the city in which
they were raised. Batteries will be lost, as will supplies carried.
The manpower in a disbanded unit
will return to the manpower pool at the end of the season following the
season in which the unit is disbanded. If the unit is disbanded outside
its state's territory, then approximately 40% of its strength is
lost and not returned to the manpower pool, and the disbanding state
pays a penalty of 1 VP for every 250 men disbanded (as if they were
casualties). Units from fragmented states must disband in a strat
square strictly close to their own cities than any others to avoid this
penalty (that is, a unit that disbands in a square that is equidistant
from one of their cities and an allied city of a different fragmented
state of the same nation, and farther from all other cities, pays the
penalty). Manpower from disbanded
militia units returns to the militia pool of the city in which it was
raised. The unit will be disbanded during the supply phase.
4.10.
Ships and TRs may be removed from the game when not in the same
tactical location as enemy ships. Ships may not be removed if they are
in a sea area unless at least one friendly ship (not being removed) is
present, but TRs may be. In either case, the crew go back into the
manpower pool at the end of the season following the season of the
removal. Any units or supplies aboard TRs that are removed are lost.
5. Maintenance Costs
5.1. Each unit and ship a
state
owns require maintenance costs. For land units,
the cost depends on the size of the unit and whether it is active or
inactive;
inactive units cost less to maintain. Each wartime turn, maintenance
costs
of units are:
| Unit type |
Active cost |
Inactive cost |
| IN and LI |
3 per 500 men |
1 per 500 men |
| HC/MC and LC |
6/3 per 250 men |
2/1 per 250 men |
| HA/MA/LA/SA |
5/4/5/8 per battery or per 100 men
|
1 per battery or per 100 men
|
| Militia |
5 per 500 men |
None |
| AQ/CQ |
75/50 |
10/5 |
5.2.For purposes of calculating costs, unit
strengths
are rounded up to the nearest 500 men for infantry, nearest 250 men
for cavalry, and nearest 100 men for artillery. If an infantry or
cavalry unit has a battery attached, it pays a maintenance cost equal
to the cost of 1 battery of MA for infantry units and 1 battery of LA
for cavalry units. Example: a light
cavalry
brigade with 1100 men and a battery costs 20 per wartime turn to
maintain (same cost
as a 1250 man brigade, plus 5 for the artillery battery), not 12 (the
cost of a 1000 man brigade without artillery).
Maintenance costs are assessed each turn.
Artillery costs depend on either the number of batteries or 100s of men
in the unit, whichever is greater. Example: An HA unit with 200 men and
2 batteries costs 10 per turn (2 batteries, 2x100 men) but one with 300
men and 1 battery costs 15 per turn (3x100 men) and one with 100 men
and 3 batteries also costs 15 per turn (3 batteries).
5.3. In peace or truce turns, maintenance costs
are equal to 15
times the wartime inactive maintenance cost.
5.4. For active ships, the cost depends on whether
the
ship is
in its base harbor
or not; ships (but not transport groups) tied up in their base cost
less than their ordinary
maintenance
cost.
On each wartime turn, maintenance costs of active ships are:
| Ship type |
Sailing cost |
Base harbor cost |
| Flagship (FL) |
12 |
4 |
| Ship of the line (SL) |
8
|
3 |
| Frigate |
5
|
1 |
| Transports |
8 per 1000 capacity |
8 per 1000 capacity |
5.5. In peace and truce turns, the cost is 15
times the wartime cost, reduced if the ship (but not TR group) is in
its
base port.
5.6.
Inactive ships do not cost anything on either peace turns or campaign
turns.
6. Buying Supplies and Stores
6.1. States can buy supplies and stores in cities
they
control if
no hostile units are in the same strategic square as the city, or an
adjacent
strategic square. The Treasury minister can purchase supplies and
stores, or
the Prime Minister or Monarch on his behalf. The War Minister can buy
supplies and the Naval Minister can buy stores.
6.2. Supplies cost 5 Cr apiece; stores cost 2 Cr
apiece.
6.3. There is a limit on the number of supplies
that a
state can buy in
any one city. In wartime, a state can buy 40 stores per turn in a port
city, or 10 supplies per turn in the city, or any combination of stores
and supplies such that stores + 4*supplies = 40. (One supply is the
same "size" as four stores for this purpose.) In peace or truce turns,
the limit is 600 stores per turn or 150 supplies.
6.4. There is also a limit on the total number of
supplies
that a state can buy in total on any one turn. If a state buys only
stores in a campaign turn, the limit is 20 times the number of cities
it
controls. If
it buys only supplies, the limit is 5 times the number of cities
it controls. If it buys both, the number of stores it buys, plus the
number of supplies it buys times 4, must be less than 20 times the
number of cities it controls. Example: If Britain controls 20 cities
and 8 off-map ports, then it can raise 28*20 = 560 stores, or
28*5 = 140 supplies, or 100 supplies and 160 stores (100*4 + 160 =
560),
or other combinations such that stores + 4*supplies = 560. In a
peace or truce turn, the limits are 300 stores or 75 supplies per city
controlled.
6.5. States can establish a standing order in
wartime to
buy a
certain number of supplies in each city they control, or to forward a
certain number of supplies to another city, or both. Standing orders
are cancelled when a city or port is captured. They can also be
cancelled
by sending a standing order for 0 supplies purchased and leaving the
forwarding boxes on the order form blank.
6.6.
Stores cannot be bought in off-map ports.
7.1.
States can repair damaged or destroyed coastal
batteries
or forts. To do so, email the GA. Repairing a damaged coastal battery
costs 100 Cr, repairing a destroyed one costs 200 Cr. Repairing a fort
by one level costs 150 times the starting level (ie, repairing level 2
to level 3 costs 2x150 = 300, repairing level 4 to level 5 costs 4x150
= 600). Forts may not be raised to higher levels than they started, and
new coastal batteries may not be built. Repair of forts and coastal
batteries takes one season, and may be done on peace or truce turns, or
at the end of a campaign only if no enemy unit has been in the city
during the campaign.
Maintained by Stephen
Schmidt. |