Brother Against Brother (game)
Encyclopedia
Brother Against Brother is a popular set of rules for miniature wargaming
, recreating small skirmishes primarily of the American Civil War
, as well as the French and Indian War
and similar time periods. First written by Ivor M. Janci in 1996 for the Civil War, the rules were republished a year later by H.G. Walls, who expanded them to include F&I conflicts, artillery, and other enhancements.
The rules are for company-level fights, with each player commanding at least a squadron or similar small group of 9-10 soldiers. Each miniature figure represents 1 combatant within the squad, led by a Sergeant or similar noncomissioned officer. Multiple squads (usually 4 or 5 in number) are commanded by a Company Officer such as a lieutenant
or captain.
The 44-page rules cover infantry
, cavalry
, and artillery
. Play is based upon initiative, and standard playing cards randomly determine which groups are activated when during each game turn. Each figurine may take one individual action per turn—fire, load (certain weapons require loading before firing), move, charge. Being outside of a Sergeant's command radius limits a soldier's actions; and soldiers can charge only if directly ordered to do so by a Company Officer. Taking casualties or charging requires a group to draw one of 19 Morale Cards, often causing skeedaddling (stragglers), out of ammunition conditions, or other consequences. Optional rules cover troop quality, special event cards, types of fire, and allow leaders to be "personalized."
Each game typically lasts 3-4 hours. One infantry/cavalry figurine represents 1-2 men. The ground scale is 1" = 5 yards. One Action Phase represents 1-3 minutes.
Miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming that incorporates miniature figures, miniature armor and modeled terrain as the main components of play...
, recreating small skirmishes primarily of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, as well as the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
and similar time periods. First written by Ivor M. Janci in 1996 for the Civil War, the rules were republished a year later by H.G. Walls, who expanded them to include F&I conflicts, artillery, and other enhancements.
The rules are for company-level fights, with each player commanding at least a squadron or similar small group of 9-10 soldiers. Each miniature figure represents 1 combatant within the squad, led by a Sergeant or similar noncomissioned officer. Multiple squads (usually 4 or 5 in number) are commanded by a Company Officer such as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
or captain.
The 44-page rules cover infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. Play is based upon initiative, and standard playing cards randomly determine which groups are activated when during each game turn. Each figurine may take one individual action per turn—fire, load (certain weapons require loading before firing), move, charge. Being outside of a Sergeant's command radius limits a soldier's actions; and soldiers can charge only if directly ordered to do so by a Company Officer. Taking casualties or charging requires a group to draw one of 19 Morale Cards, often causing skeedaddling (stragglers), out of ammunition conditions, or other consequences. Optional rules cover troop quality, special event cards, types of fire, and allow leaders to be "personalized."
Each game typically lasts 3-4 hours. One infantry/cavalry figurine represents 1-2 men. The ground scale is 1" = 5 yards. One Action Phase represents 1-3 minutes.