WASHINGTON'S ARMY

My first game...

ABSOLUTE BEGINNER'S QRS — AWI

THE GOLDEN RULE

Motivate → Roll AP → Spend AP → Fight → Morale

1. YOUR TURN

1. Morale
Test units carrying casualty markers, then reform.

2. Commanders
Roll for new commanders and move commanders 3D6.

“Determination dice. 2D6 - brigade commander - general -1 per 3” for re rolls

3. Opportunity Fire
Short-range opportunity shooting applies from this point.

4. Automatic AP
Arriving units, cavalry and guns may act automatically.

5. MOTIVATE YOUR UNITS

A Brigade Commander attempts to motivate units until he fails.

6. FIGHT AS IT HAPPENS

Resolve shooting, assaults and morale immediately.

7. Reinforcements

8. Flanking rolls — attacker only.

9. Reset command bases.

2. MOTIVATION → ACTION POINTS

Troop	Motivation
Raw	3
Average	2
Veteran	1

Apply the modifiers from the playsheet.

Unit value+modifiers+commander value= minimum score needed.

Commander Value

Roll American French. British. Hessian. Result

1, 2	1	(Poor)
3, 4	2, 3	(Capable)
5, 6	4, 5, 6	(Excellent)
Event	Army Cmdr	Superlative

2,3 = Automatic fail 11,12= automatic success.

Mounted commander with= automatic success.

+1 per complete 3”

+1 Unit or commander in woods/buildings (max 1)

+1 Intervening enemy or own infantry/cavalry(max1)

+2 Unit and commander separated wood/building/river/ hill (max 1).

If motivation succeeds:

Unit Rolls 1D6 = AP

Everyone gets at least 1 AP.

+1 If unit is veteran quality or the brigade commander is with (in contact) the unit (not .both).

-1 If unit is raw quality.

-2 If the unit is disordered when the AP roll is made.

Field guns

-1 If a damaged field gun

Negative result gets 1 AP

Then spend AP on actions.

3. SPENDING AP

Action	AP
Move 1 increment	1
Infantry 1st shot	1
Infantry 2nd/final shot	1
Facing change	1
Remove Disorder attempt	1
Wheel 45°	2
Expand/contract frontage	1
Pass through another unit	1
Field gun shot	2
Limber/unlimber	1
Cavalry mount/dismount	1

Movement:
Infantry 3" per increment
Mounted cavalry 4" per increment
Field guns: maximum 2 increments

Plus 2" for road column.

4. SHOOTING

Infantry / Cavalry

1D6 per base in the FRONT RANK

5–6 = HIT

Range	Short	Long
Infantry	4"	10"
Riflemen	4"	14"
Cavalry	3"	6"

Re-rolls

Raw: re-roll 1
Average: re-roll 1–2
Veteran: re-roll 1–3

Saving Throw

Normal save:

3–6 = SAVE

Failed save:

½ base lost

5. DISORDER

A unit becomes DISORDERED for reasons including:

6 casualty markers
After a fight/morale test
Certain terrain movement
Passing through another unit
Other listed disorder causes

DISORDERED UNIT

−2 AP when AP are rolled.

Remove Disorder

Spend 1 AP, then:

4–6 = Disorder removed

6. "CHARGE!"

Before an assault reaches the enemy:

FALTER TEST

Both sides roll 2D6 + modifiers.

Attacker wins by 5+

TARGET ROUTS

Attacker scores higher

Charge succeeds → fight immediately

Equal or attacker scores lower

Infantry stops + becomes DISORDERED

Cavalry retires D6+1"

The playsheet contains the full list of Falter modifiers; the big things to remember are support, commanders, veterans, formation, disorder, terrain and flank/rear attacks.

7. THE FIGHT

Count all bases in the unit.

Start with:

+1D6 per base

Then add/subtract modifiers.

BIG BONUSES

+2D6 per supporting friendly unit within 6"
(max 2 units)

+2D6 if you passed the Falter Test

+2D6 mounted cavalry fighting in open

+2D6 Indians in woods/marsh

+2D6 line infantry

BIG PENALTIES

−2D6 disordered / battered / loose

−3D6 attacked from flank/rear

−2D6 militia or dismounted cavalry

−2D6 if only 1–2 base frontage

MINIMUM

Everyone gets at least 2D6.

8. AFTER THE FIGHT

Compare casualties.

Normally the side suffering more casualties loses.

WINNER

No morale test.

BUT becomes DISORDERED.

LOSER

Take a MORALE TEST.

Both sides become DISORDERED.

9. MORALE

Roll the appropriate number of D6.

Every 4, 5 or 6 = FAIL

Bad things add dice

casualty markers
Raw
Disorder
artillery casualties
battered
enemy in flank/rear
lost fight

Good things remove dice

− Veteran
− mounted commander nearby
− Brigade Commander with unit
− defending a linear obstacle

RESULT

Fails	Result
0	Hurrah! — unaffected
1	Steady — limited movement
2	Fall Back — D6+1"
3	Retreat — D6+1" + losses
4+	ROUT

If fighting:
3+ failures = ROUT

A routed unit is removed and causes 2 morale tests.

⭐ A 30-SECOND REMINDER

When actually playing, remember just this:

COMMANDER
↓
MOTIVATE
↓
D6 AP
↓
MOVE / SHOOT / MANOEUVRE
↓
CHARGE? → FALTER TEST
↓
FIGHT
↓
MORALE
↓
DISORDER

And the three numbers to remember:

3" infantry move
5–6 = shooting hit
4–6 = morale fail

That's enough to get my first game of Washington Army moving without constantly reading the full playsheet.

Scenario: The Road to the River

Setting: 1777-ish, somewhere in the American countryside.

A British column is moving along a country road towards a river crossing. American militia and Continental troops have occupied a position overlooking the road and are trying to delay the advance until their main force can arrive.

The British don't need to destroy the Americans. They need to get through.