Markers for the Liberators Quick Play Rules

The supplement to Liberators (Fletcher, 2006) includes a set of Quick Play Rules (QPR). The rules have a “disorder” status and use a casualty figure to indicate this. They use figure/base removal to indicate casualties. I’ve changed this a bit. Instead of figure/base removal I use a casualty marker with numbered sides (1 to 4) to indicate the casualties. Separately I use a small skull to represent disorder.

Unit Label

The Liberators Quick Play Rules use factors for shooting, melee and morale. Rather than have a unit roster I decided to give each unit a label. This has the name, the type of unit and number of men and, most importantly, the various QPR factors.

Cavalry unit markers

Cavalry unit labels

Casualty Markers

Each unit, whether infantry, cavalry or artillery, should have a casualty marker.

Casualty

You only need one casualty marker per unit as you can use the placement of the marker to indicate how many casualties have been taken. I place the marker with a flat side touching the associated unit – the touching side indicates the number of casualties. Basically the feet is side 1, and then it goes clockwise.

Casualty counting

So, for example, the battalion in the diagram following has suffered two casualties:

Example of casualties

You could use men for all of the casualty markers or you could, like in the photos below, use dead men for infantry, dead horses for cavalry and destroyed guns for artillery.

Cavalry casualty marker

Cavalry casualty marker
The Granaderos a Caballo have taken one casualty – you can just see the
white I on the face away from the unit

Artillery unit and casualty markers

Artillery unit and casualty markers
I borrowed some artillery from the First Carlist War but they are
standing in for Argentine artillery
The destroyed gun shows they’ve taken a casualty

Disorder Marker

As I use casualty markers for, well, casualties, I can’t use them for disorder. Instead I use a small skull to represent disorder. I got the skulls from Litko Aerosystems.

Infantry casualty and disorder markers
This infantry unit has taken two casualties and is disordered

Cavalry unit, casualty and disorder markers

Cavalry unit, casualty and disorder markers
In this case the Frontier Dragoons with 1 casualty and a disorder

After a few play tests we realised we actually needed two disorder markers. Put 2 disorder markers on a unit when it is disordered (red and white). Take off one disorder marker (white) in the next rally phase, but the unit cannot rally this turn and stays disordered. The unit can rally in the next rally phase and remove the remaining disorder marker (red).

Chillan Dragoons have just been disordered to have both red and white disorder markers

For example, if a unit is disordered in the Musket Fire Phase of Turn 1 and gains two disorder markers (red and white). In the Rally Phase of Turn 2 one of the disorder markers is removed (white). In the Rally phase of turn 3 the unit may rally to remove the remaining disorder marker (red).

During the first rally phase after Chillan becomes disordered they can remove he white disorder marker
the red disorder marker can be removed in a subsequent rally phase by successfully rallying

References

Fletcher, J. (2006). Liberators! Supplement 1: The War in the South. Grenadier Productions.

Includes a fast play set of rules, 6 new scenarios, and 125 uniform illustrations.

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