Been thinking about Don Featherstone's Horse & Musket rules and whilst dipping into his 'Advanced Wargames' came across the above device for adjudicating artillery casualties.
I've always liked wargaming devices - blast circles and the like which are to me the very essence of Old School gaming . The above is my Mark III S.C.A.D. ( Shell Casualties Adjudication Device ), a veil is best drawn over the Mark I and II ( my wife commented on my language not being very appropriate for a Sunday morning ! ), however on my third try I got it right !. Cut from thick plastic and mounted on cocktail sticks - high enough to fit over cavalry as well.
I would like to say that the blast circles are to a scale based on some 19th century gunnery book - but the happened to be the size of a jam jar lid I drew around (about 3"). How it works - the S.C.A.D. is placed over the target and a dice is thrown - at long range 18"- 36", the shell lands on the appropriated circle. At ranges 9"- 18", the on the inner 4 circles as per the dice thrown ( small numbers in brackets). Under 9" the shell lands on the inner 2 circles, dice 123 left circle, 456 right circle . Any figures under the circle are casualties and saving throws are taken . For a better explanation and more ideas I suggest Featherstone's 'Advanced War Games' . I am going to play another O.S. ACW game to try this device out and will report back with how it performs.
I managed to scan the photo from Don Featherstone's 'Advanced War Games' (not very well !) which illustrates how he used the blast circles - the arrow on '1' being I take it the direction of fire - hence on a roll of '2' on the dice figures under the circle 2 are casualties . I do take on board what people are commenting that shots under and over would be more common and after experiments I may end up doing it this way .