Commands & Colors: Napoleonics rules summary

Object: Be the first to capture a set number of Victory Banners (each gained for entirely eliminating a unit
or leader). Scenarios can specify additional ways to get Victory Banners.

Setup: The number of blocks per unit type varies by nation as per the Reference Cards.
Leaders are each represented by a single block. A leader is not a unit.
Each player takes a Square Track and four corresponding counters.

Phase 1 – Play a Command Card:

Phase 2 – Order Your Units and Leaders: Announce which units and leaders you will order.
You may not give more than one order to each unit or leader.
A leader in the same hex as a unit is considered attached and moves with that unit when the unit is ordered.
When a card with a Bicorn Hat symbol is played, a leader in a hex with a unit can detach and move alone at
the cost of one order [EXC: a leader attached to infantry in square may not detach unless the unit has been
ordered to come out of square]. An unattached leader may be ordered the same way.
A card allowing you to order a number of units or to roll a number of dice equal to your side’s “Command”
means the number of cards currently in your hand including the card that you just played (i.e., cards on
your Square Track do not count).
A unit on a hex with a dotted line running through it may be ordered from either section.

Phase 3 – Move Your Units and Leaders: Move ordered units and leaders, one at a time, in the sequence
of your choice. An ordered unit or leader doesn’t have to move and can move from one section to another.
Two units may not occupy the same hex nor may a unit move into or through a hex occupied by an enemy
unit, enemy leader, or friendly unit.
A unit can enter a hex occupied only by a friendly leader, but it must end its move in that hex.
A unit may only move off the map edges if allowed by the scenario.
Blocks may not split off from a unit nor combine with other units.
The Reference Cards show movement abilities and whether battle is possible after movement.
A lone leader may move through friendly units and leaders but may not end its move in a hex with another
friendly leader.
A lone leader may not move into a hex occupied by an enemy unit or leader [EXC: Leader Escape].
A lone leader that moves and attaches to a unit may not move again with the unit in the same turn.

Phase 4 – Combat: Made in the sequence of your choice, one ordered unit at a time.
A unit does not have to battle.
A unit can’t split its attack against multiple targets.
Hits are applied before resolving any retreat.

Phase 5 – Draw a new Command Card: Reshuffle the deck as needed.

Players alternate turns until the moment that one player reaches the required number of Victory Banners to
win.

Ranged Combat (Fire): An attack against a non-adjacent enemy in line of sight.

Ranged combat is not allowed if there is an enemy adjacent to the ordered unit.
Infantry – rolls a number of dice equal to the number of blocks in the ordered unit if it did not move. If the
unit moved one hex, the number of dice is halved, with fractions rounded up for French and British, and
rounded down for Portuguese. Some units get 1 additional ranged fire die. Infantry have a range of 2
hexes [EXC: Rifle Light Infantry have a range of 3 hexes].
Foot Artillery – rolls a number of dice based on the range to the target and whether the firing unit is down
to 1 block or not. May not battle if it moved.
Horse Artillery – rolls a number of dice based on the range to the target and whether the firing unit is down
to 1 block or not. If the unit moved one hex, it may fire but not at range 4 [EXC: a unit with only 1
block may not battle if it moves]. May not battle if it moved 2 or 3 hexes.
The Reference Cards show ranged fire dice (depending on whether the unit moved), whether an additional
die applies, and which results apply.
Ranged combat is not allowed against a lone leader.

Line of Sight: Drawn from hex center to hex center and is blocked by units or leaders (friend or foe) and
by certain terrain.
Line of sight traced along a hex side is blocked if obstructions stand somewhere along both sides of the line
of sight (with the edge of the map being an obstruction).

Melee Combat: An attack against an adjacent enemy.

Infantry – rolls a number of dice equal to the number of blocks in the ordered unit regardless of whether it
moved. Units may not engage in melee if they moved 2 hexes.
Cavalry – rolls a number of dice equal to the number of blocks in the ordered unit regardless of whether it
moved.
Foot Artillery – rolls 4 dice in melee combat (3 if the unit is down to 1 block). May not battle if it moved.
Horse Artillery – rolls 3 dice in melee combat (2 if the unit is down to 1 block). May battle if it moved 1
hex [EXC: not if it is down to 1 block]. May not battle if it moved 2 hexes.
Units that do not score hits on saber rolls will score them against a lone leader.
The Reference Cards show battle dice, whether sabers apply, and any bonus dice.
If a defending unit survived a melee attack and was not retreated out of its hex, it may Battle Back against
the attacking unit. Note that the use of a First Strike card by the defender counts as its Battle Back.

Leader Casualty Checks: Rolled by your opponent when your attached unit loses a block or is eliminated.
Roll two dice if a block is lost, with two sabers eliminating the leader.
Roll one die if the unit is eliminated, with one saber eliminating the leader.
Only one check is made in any combat sequence (e.g., if a unit loses a block in the attack and another for
lack of retreat, there is still only one leader casualty check rolled).
Flags rolled against a unit that is eliminated have no effect on the attached leader (although it still has to
retreat from the hex where the unit lost its last block).
A lone leader attacked by melee combat is eliminated on a saber. It must retreat if it survives.

Retreats: For each flag rolled against it, a unit will retreat one hex by its owner towards its owner’s side of
the board [EXC: Militia units retreat three hexes per flag].
Terrain has no effect on retreats [EXC: impassible terrain].
Units can’t retreat into or through a hex with another unit (friend or foe) or a lone enemy leader in it.
An attached leader must retreat with its unit if the unit is forced to retreat.
A unit retreating into a hex occupied only by a friendly leader ends its retreat in that hex.
If unable to retreat, the unit loses one block per hex that it was unable to retreat.

Bolster Morale: A unit may ignore one flag if a leader is attached to it and the leader survives any hits to
the unit.
A unit may ignore one flag if it is adjacent to two friendly units or lone leaders.
A unit in square may provide support to adjacent units but may not receive support from them.
Some units may ignore one or two flags (see the Reference Cards).
Leader Retreat: If a leader survives a Leader Casualty Check after the unit it was attached to has lost its
last block due to combat or failure to retreat, the leader must retreat. The same applies if a lone leader is
attacked by Melee Combat.
A leader retreat is a 1, 2, or 3 hex retreat. The leader may move through friendly units and leaders but can’t
end its retreat in a hex with another leader. If it ends its retreat with a friendly unit, it is considered
attached.
The leader may retreat off your side of the map without the loss of a Victory Banner.
Leader Escape – a leader can retreat through enemy-occupied hexes. In each hex, the enemy unit makes a
Melee Combat attack and the leader does not benefit from terrain. The leader is eliminated on a saber,
even from a unit that normally does not score saber hits.

Infantry Taking Ground: An infantry unit that attacks in Melee Combat and eliminates or forces the
enemy unit or leader to retreat may advance into the vacated hex.
Infantry in square may not Take Ground.
Artillery may not Take Ground.
Taking Ground is not allowed by a unit using Battle Back or the First Strike card.

Cavalry Breakthrough: A cavalry unit that attacks in Melee Combat and eliminates or forces the enemy
unit or leader to retreat may advance into the vacated hex and then may move one additional hex. The unit
may advance into the vacated hex and then move back to its original hex.
Normal terrain restrictions on movement apply.
Cavalry Breakthrough is not allowed by a unit using Battle Back or the First Strike card.

Cavalry Bonus Attack: A unit making a Cavalry Breakthrough may make a Bonus Attack (an advance
must be made in order to make the Bonus Attack).
The Bonus Attack does not have to be against the original target (if it retreated).
Infantry targeted by a Bonus Attack may form square.
If the Bonus Attack is successful, the cavalry unit may move into the vacated hex but does not get an
additional hex or another Bonus Attack.

Cavalry Retire and Reform: A cavalry unit being attacked in Melee Combat by an infantry unit
(including by a Combined Arms attack) may choose to Retire and Reform. The attacker must ask if the
defender will Retire and Reform before rolling his attack. The cavalry unit must be able to retreat 2 hexes.
Only cavalry symbols will score a hit – all other dice symbols are ignored.
The attacking infantry may Take Ground after the cavalry unit vacates the hex.
The cavalry unit may not Battle Back, even if it ends in a hex adjacent to the attacking infantry.
A cavalry unit may not Retire and Reform when an infantry unit Battles Back.

Infantry Square: An infantry unit being attacked by a cavalry unit may choose to form square. The
attacker must ask if the defender will form square before rolling his attack.
Your infantry unit may not form square if you hold 2 or fewer cards in your hand, if the infantry unit is in
certain terrain, or if the cavalry unit is using Battle Back or the First Strike card.
When you form square, your opponent chooses a random card from your hand which is then placed,
unseen, face down on your Square Track. The corresponding counter is placed in the infantry unit’s hex.
You may look at the card at any time but your opponent may not. Cards on the Square Track may not be
moved around.
When cavalry attack infantry in square (including after the initial charge), the infantry will battle first with
1 die.
The maximum that infantry in square may roll in melee or ranged combat is 1 die. Combat cards and unit
type will not increase this number. Terrain may reduce the 1 die to no die to roll.
If the infantry in square rolls a flag against attacking cavalry, it is called a Bounce Flag. The cavalry unit
may not ignore a Bounce Flag for any reason.
If the cavalry is not retreated or eliminated, it may attack with a maximum of 1 die. Combat cards and unit
type will not increase this number. Terrain may reduce the 1 die to no die to roll. A Combined Arms
melee attack may add battle dice from one or more ordered artillery units.
If cavalry being attacked by an infantry in square plays a First Strike card, it will roll 1 die.
Infantry and artillery conduct melee and ranged combat against infantry in square normally, but the infantry
in square will Battle Back with only 1 die as per above.
Infantry in square may not retreat and will lose 1 block per retreat hex that it cannot ignore.
Infantry in square may ignore one or more flags when a leader is attached or the unit’s type allows it to
ignore a flag.
Infantry in square may provide support to adjacent units but may not receive support from them.
A leader attached to an infantry in square cannot be issued an order to detach unless the unit is also being
ordered to come out of square.
Infantry in square may not be ordered out of square if an enemy cavalry unit is adjacent.
Otherwise, infantry in square may be ordered out of square in Phase 2 which returns the counter to the
Square Track and the corresponding card to your hand. The unit may move and attack normally. Coming
out of square is not considered movement.
If an infantry in square is eliminated, return the counter to the Square Track and the corresponding card to
your hand.

Combined Arms Combat: When an infantry or cavalry unit is about to attack in Melee Combat, one or
more ordered artillery units in range and line of sight of the target may be declared to combine their battle
dice with the attacking unit.
If the infantry or cavalry unit’s battle dice is 0, the artillery unit may still roll its battle dice.
If the unit does not hit on sabers in melee, the artillery dice added to the roll will also not hit on sabers.
If an artillery unit is adjacent to the target unit that is attacked with Combined Arms, any Battle Back must
be directed against the infantry or cavalry unit, not at the artillery.
If a target infantry in square eliminates or causes a bounce retreat on an attacking cavalry unit, the
Combined Arms attack from the artillery unit(s) is lost.
If the target unit plays First Strike and eliminates or forces a retreat on the attacking infantry or cavalry
unit, the Combined Arms attack from the artillery unit(s) is lost.

Terrain: See the Tile Effects Chart for terrain effects on movement and battle.
Artillery on a hill hex may fire over a friendly unit or leader that is on an adjacent lower hex, although this
is not possible if participating in Combined Arms Combat. Note that an artillery unit may not fire up a hill
through a blocking hex adjacent to the target hill hex.
Line of sight is not blocked between units on the same hill looking across connected hill hexes – the units
are considered to be on a plateau.
Line of sight is not blocked between units on hill hexes separated by one or more intervening hexes of
lower elevation unless those hexes contain a unit or a terrain that blocks line of sight.

Additional FAQ: Unless prohibited by the scenario, a leader may attach to a unit belonging to a different
nationality that you control.
La Grande Manoeuvre – normal movement rules and terrain effects apply.
Combat at Aire – two French leaders are missing from the map. Place Harispe on the French second row,
4th hex from the left. Place Villatte on the French second row, 4 th hex from the right.
Garcia Hernandez – in the special rules, “Eagles” should be “Victory Banners” instead.
Waterloo – for the “Impetuous British Cavalry” special rule, cavalry that is advancing an extra hex may not
return to the hex that it attacked from.