DBMM-1

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DE BELLIS MAGISTRORUM MILITUM

DBMM is a radical development of DBM, retaining the main structures and procedures and much of the basic data. The most major difference is in simulating command and control more realistically and in particular emphasizing the C-in-C’s plan. It is from this last aspect that it gets its title, which translates as “For the Wars of the Masters of Soldiers”.

The new command system requires regular C-in-Cs to have a plan. It also allows cunning stratagems taken from the compilations of ancient authors, and caters for the exceptional generals of antiquity in a way that can only be exploited adequately by players with a good sense of timing. It eliminates time consuming PIP trading.

Troop definitions have been adjusted. Terrain choosing has been changed to give more variety and less predictability. Deployment is quicker and less stereotyped, and “edge of the world” effects have been reduced. Combat places more stress on seizing tactical initiative and less on arranging advantageous match ups. Cavalry actions on the wings have been speeded up so that a wing command can gain a decision in time to intervene in the centre. Conversely, it is now possible for superior infantry to break through in the centre instead of slogging on unrewarded. The ability of light troops to hold up an advance without fighting is removed. However, a curbing of rear support gives missile-using cavalry and skirmishers a small chance previously lacking of occasionally destroying an element of heavy foot. The morale stiffening value of crowds of minimal quality troops in the rear has been greatly reduced. Micro-measurement has been reduced and geometrical constraints eased. A revised scoring system gives credit for narrow defeats and finer gradation in competitions.

Redundancies have been removed, procedures and wording simplified and layout improved. There are some unfamiliar rule mechanisms that work better than DBM once you are used to them. The process continues and substantive changes since the previous draft are in italics.

Rather than confine testing to a limited group, DBMM has been available both on my web page www.phil-barker.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk and on the [email protected] discussion group for play testing, suggestions and comments. The group currently has more than 800 members, who over 3 years have generated over 47,000 messages including several hundred game reports and organized several weekend competitions. When published in Spring 2007, DBMM will be the most thoroughly tested rule set ever.

Reports of test games are still welcome. Battles between historical opponents are especially useful for testing assumptions (since the historical result is available for comparison), but competition-type games are also valuable to examine the use that can be made of the terrain and command systems by players familiar with them. DBM lists can be used, but with modifications specified in the Appendices .

Be warned that some changes in tactics from those of DBM are necessary, in particular deeper formations and greater aggression.

The intention is that only one section need be used at a time, so for instance, once deployment is complete, only “Fighting the Battle” need be referred to.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY Page 2

REPRESENTATIONAL SCALES 3

TROOP DEFINITIONS 4

ORGANISING YOUR ARMY 12

COMMAND AND CONTROL 14

SETTING UP A BATTLE 18

FIGHTING THE BATTLE 26

DBMM 100/120 AND 200/240 44

APPENDIX I - BRILLIANT GENERALS 45

II - INERT GENERALS 46

III -TERRAIN CHANGES FOR DBM ARMY LISTS 47

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DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

This follows the general principles used in other rule sets of the DB series, but with improvements intended to increase historical realism, speed play and generally move the emphasis from micro-management of elements to planning and tactics.

The command system is simple and arbitrary; but more realistic than anachronistic systems involving written orders, transmission by messenger and interpretation by recipients, which cannot be justified from the history of warfare in this period. It instead assumes that a regular C-in-C allocates roles to specific commands in accordance with an initial plan, which they continue to attempt to implement unless he risks confusion by changing his initial orders or is in the immediate vicinity to temporarily override them. It also simulates the rare historical generals of erratic brilliance or exceptional incapacity and allows a variety of the cunning tricks included by ancient authors in books of collected stratagems. It substitutes visible battle lines for the “fireworks displays” of individual units in pre-DB rules, while speeding play by eliminating the dice swapping, indecision and horse trading of DBM. The new Morale Equivalent system recognizes that masses of poor quality troops in the army’s rear did not greatly bolster the morale of good troops fighting in front, but a reserve of top quality troops might.

Functional division into units is dispensed with. Movement and combat is by elements, each consisting of figures permanently fixed to a rectangular base. An element does not represent a unit, but the smallest sub-unit or body capable of operating independently. Units may still exist in that several regular elements may have the same dress or shield emblem and one of them include a standard and officers, but they have no function other than as a convenient group of elements. Elements always fight individually, but are supported by neighbors. Troops are primarily classified by their method of fighting instead of by arms and armour. Finer grading within each type reflects perceived efficiency rather than unit prestige or title. The primary concern has been to reflect relationships between historically opposed types, and not to speculate unduly on the relative effectiveness of anachronistic opponents.

Real battles were in pulses, each side’s initiatives being followed by the other’s responses and initiatives. This is simulated by splitting play into alternate bounds. This allows distinctions between an element’s own bound, in which it moves into combat and its impetus may improve its chance of instantly smashing through, and the enemy bound in which rear support may increase its ability to resist. Troops contacted in an enemy bound may be assumed to have countercharged. Whether they did so in good time must be judged by the combat’s result. Tactical moves are the aggregate of movement during the approximately 10 minutes represented by a bound. This may have been intermittent, at different speeds or even in opposite directions. Unlike march moves, they are not based on time multiplied by a fixed speed, but on typical moves in real battles.

The traditional separation of combat into shooting and melee has no place in ancient warfare, where individuals comprising an element can be either throwing or fighting while rear rank comrades shoot over them. Combat is instead either distant or close. Distant combat can be initiated only by troops who historically shot in mass at long range. Close combat is when the bases of opposed elements are in contact. This does not mean they are at hand strokes, though they may be, but that they are engaged at the distance preferred by the dominant troop type. The 4 ranks of men represented by an element of spearmen occupy only 4 paces of its 30 paces depth and the leading men of an opposed element of skirmishers may be 30 paces back from its front edge. There is plenty of room for shooting from beyond spear reach.

Too much attention has been paid in the past to maximum rather than normal ranges. A horse archer could shoot at a spear formation from 200 paces, but would not, since the results would not justify the expenditure of arrows. He closed to 30 paces or less, where he was still safe and his accuracy and penetration maximized. Combat is not evaluated in terms of casualties received and inflicted. A real general would not know these until after the battle. He could however see whether a body was forcing the enemy back, giving ground or scattering to the rear hysterical with fear, and this is the information the rules provide. The local effects of fatigue and morale are taken into account in combat results and their effects on elements to the rear and side. There will be a progressive loss of order as the battle progresses unless efforts are made to remedy this.

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REPRESENTATIONAL SCALES FIGURE AND MODEL SCALE

This is expressed as the height in millimetres of a figure representing man 1.83 metres or 6 feet tall. Naval elements use models of reduced scale. This can be rationalised as being seen at a distance by men on shore. 25mm, 15mm, 10mm, 6mm and 2mm figure scales are all fully compatible with these rules:

• 25mm is the oldest scale and offers most opportunity for detailed painting. It fell out of favour, but has been revived by new manufacturers’ figure ranges, though some of these are in fact 28mm or 30mm. Especially suitable for public demonstration games, where visibility can be a problem for spectators. • 15mm is the most popular scale and is still large enough for detailed painting and for players to easily

recognise the types comprising their opponent’s army.

• 6mm and 2mm provide the ultimate in visual realism, but reduce the opportunity for artistic detail. GROUND SCALE

This is the relationship between distances on the table and those on a real battlefield. Distances in the text are in paces (p), each of 0.75 metres or 2.5 feet. This is because the length of a man’s stride has remained constant throughout history, while such units as cubits, yards and metres come and go. 2,000 paces is 1 Roman mile. Distances specified in the rules are multiples of troop element widths (ie.60mm for 25mm, 40mm if 15mm, 10mm or 6mm, 30mm for 2mm) each representing 80p. Most players now measure with a selection of rods cut to length, not with a card strip or metal tape. A rectangle 80p x 40p with a handle is handy for measuring gaps. TROOP REPRESENTATION AND DEPICTION

Each element represents, not a unit, but the smallest sub-unit or body capable of independent action. It consists of a rectangular base, to which are fixed several figures according to its troop type and the model scale. Elements vary in cost, and represent the number of men who would occupy that frontage, typically a nominal strength of 128-200 riders or 200-256 foot (varying with the army), either 3-5 deep if close formed or in a loose swarm if detached skirmishers; or a lesser number of more specialised troops usually in a single rank, such as up to 16 elephants, 25 scythed or 50 other chariots together with any runners and/or escorting horsemen, 2-6 heavy artillery pieces, 30 light bolt-shooters, 25 war wagons, 2 to 5 galleys or ships or 8 to 20 boats. An element of Hordes represents up to 1,000 men in a deep mass. Note that the first elephant element of an army can represent as few as 4 elephants, reflecting the disproportionate effect of even a few on men or horses unused to them. Figures must accurately depict the troops they represent. The only exception to this is that generals, officers, standard bearers and musicians represent the majority type comprising their element.

TIME SCALE

Play is in alternate bounds. These do not represent fixed arbitrary divisions of time, but instead reflect initiatives and responses by the two sides. However, dividing known battle durations by the number of discrete phases that can be identified produces consistent enough results for us to define a pair of bounds as equivalent to 20 minutes in real life. Except in the case of march movement out of contact and routs (which are assumed to be continuous and to have been during the preceding enemy bound as well as your own current bound), move distances are not a function of time available and theoretical speeds, but are based on typical moves in real battles.

PLAYING AREA

The ideal playing area is 1.8m (72”) x 1.2m (48”). If this is used for 25mm games, armies should not exceed 400AP, all dimensions specified in paces (p) in Terrain Choosing are reduced to 2/3 normal (i.e. use 15mm scale terrain features) and distances quoted in Initial deployment are halved. Alternatively, 25mm games can use a standard table tennis table of 2.7m (108”) x 1.5m (60”) without these changes and armies up to 500 AP. DICE

All dice used are the normal 1 to 6 spot type (numbered dice often cannot be read by opponents). One dice is used for each general, with no substitution or selection during the game to arouse suspicion of malpractice. Dice for irregular, ally or dummy generals must each be a different colour. Dice for other regular generals of the same army must all be the same colour. The use of a dice cup at least 2 dice widths in diameter (such as a plastic medicine cup) prevents cocked or lost dice and gives more random scores.

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TROOP DEFINITIONS

Troops are defined by battlefield behaviour instead of by the formation, armour, weapon and morale classes usual in earlier rule sets. We distinguish only between troops whose fighting style differed sufficiently to need to be treated differently by either their general or their foe. Each troop type therefore includes all troops that fought in the same way, had a generally similar ethos and morale and had an equivalent effect on the other classes. Each type is identified by a name descriptive of its function.

Mounted troop types are Elephants, Expendables, Knights, Cavalry, Light Horse or Camelry. Foot troop types are Spears, Pikes, Blades, Warband, Bowmen, Shot, Auxilia, Psiloi or Hordes. Train troop types are Artillery, War Wagons or Baggage.

Naval troop types are Galleys, Ships or Boats.

Light Horse, Auxilia and Psiloi are referred to collectively as Light Troops.

Troops within each type are additionally graded for efficiency relative to the average for that type, taking into account lesser differences in morale, degree of training, equipment or mobility, but not in prestige alone. This is necessarily subjective, but follows thorough discussion, often with recognised authorities on individual armies. • Superior (S): Troops recognized by contemporaries as significantly superior in morale or efficiency. • Ordinary (O): Representing the most common or most typical troops of that type.

• Fast (F): Troops who move faster and further than average but are usually worse protected. • Inferior (I): Brittle troops historically identifiable as of significantly inferior morale or efficiency. • Exception (X): Troops treated as special cases.

All are also either Regular or Irregular. This somewhat arbitrary distinction chiefly reflects the ease with which they can be controlled by their general. Regulars are typically enlisted into units under officers appointed by the government and practised in manoeuvre and combat techniques. Irregulars typically join with acquaintances under local or tribal leaders, and are less accustomed to waiting for, listening to, or precisely and instantly obeying formal orders. However, those kept together for long periods as mercenaries or ruled with a rod of iron by a charismatic tyrant with no rivals (such as Attila, Timujin or Timur) can be upgraded to regular. Some mounted or foot elements include a General, who can be the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), a Subordinate General or an Ally General. A few are rated as Brilliant or Inert, and most can use Stratagems. ELEPHANTS, of either anciently-domesticated species and various crew complements. They are used to charge solid foot; to break through gateways, and to block mounted troops, whose frightened horses are reluctant to close with them. They can most easily be killed by artillery or by the continued showers of missiles of light troops. They suffer a weather disadvantage in close combat in a Cold climate in winter. They are all irregular, but some can be specified in their army list as the mount of a regular general.

Superior (S): Asian elephants with at least 6 crew and/or foot escort figures per model, such as escorted Seleucid elephants or heavily archer-crewed Burmese.

Ordinary (O): Asian elephants with up to 4 fighting crew, such as those of Indian armies and Sassanid Persia. Inferior (I): Smaller African forest elephants with maximum fighting crew of 2, such as those used by

Ptolemaic Egypt, Carthage, Numidia and Rome.

Exception (X): Bolt-shooting engines mounted on elephants, such as those of the Khmer and Cham. They shoot and inflict shooting outcomes as if Artillery (F), but suffer shooting outcomes as if Elephants (I). They are treated as Elephants (I) in all other circumstances. Opponents use their CF against mounted troops if in close combat, that against train if not.

EXPENDABLES, including scythed chariots fitted with scythe blades and spear points, usually with 4 horses and a single crewman, intended to be driven into enemy formations in a single suicidal charge early in the battle to break up or destroy them; and also all animals to be stampeded into enemy, such as cattle, buffalo or camel herds or wild elephants. They are most dangerous to troops offering a solid target that cannot dodge easily, so are often countered by Psiloi. Most scythed chariots are regular, but all other Expendables irregular. All Expendables are Ordinary (O).

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KNIGHTS, representing all those noble or heavy horsemen of high morale that charge at first instance without shooting, with the intention of breaking through and destroying enemy by sheer weight and impetus. The impetuous charge that enables them to sweep away lesser cavalry and all but the stoutest foot is also their Achilles’ heel, leading to dangerously rash pursuit. They can be regular or irregular.

Superior (S): French knights 1150-1350 AD, and other elite Europeans such as Royal or Ducal household gendarmes, Military Orders or the most powerful nobles, in full plate and/or mail, armed with heavy lances, riding with stirrups on heavy horses often protected by armour or textile caparisons, accompanied by lesser armoured and armed retainers such as coustilliers, squires, archers or pages, and charging fiercely at the gallop without regard to formation. Unscythed chariots with 4 horses and 4 or more crew including spearmen, such as later Assyrian or Indian. Ordinary (O): Other knights, gentry or men-at-arms, with similar followers and similarly equipped, mounted

and trained, charging at the gallop, but less impetuous and less skilled in individual jousting. Unscythed charging chariots with 2 horses and 3 or 4 crew, at least one with long weapon, such as Hittite or Shang chariots and some Minoan or early Mycenaean generals’ chariots, or 3 or 4 horses and 3 crew, at least one with long weapon, such as early Assyrian or Chinese chariots. Fast (F): Less heavily armoured riders on lighter horses charging fiercely at the gallop, and armed with

lance but no shield such as Macedonian or Seleucid companions or Sarmatians, with javelins or light spears capable of being thrown and shields such as Goths, Vandals or pre-conquest Normans, with lance and shield such as later Normans with armour limited to helmet and mail hauberk, or with fire lance such as some Chinese cavalry. Un-scythed charging chariots with 2 horses, driver and 1 fighting man with spear, such as Minoan or early Mycenaean chariots. Inferior (I): Unskilled with lance and relying mainly on sword or mace, such as some Germans; or usually

fighting dismounted, such as 100 Years War English; or forming the rear element of a deep (double-based) wedge formation and including a proportion of mounted archers or crossbowmen, such as Byzantine klibanophoroi or medieval Germans. Javelin cavalry on armoured horses. Sumerian four-wheeled battle-cars with 4 equids, armed driver and 1 runner with javelins. Indian bullock carts manned by archers to substitute for heavy chariots.

Exception (X): Completely armoured cataphracts in close formation on fully armoured horses, either wielding long kontos two-handed, shield-less and often carrying bows, such as elite Parthian or Sassanid warriors; or relying on heavy mace and shields, such as Byzantine klibanophoroi. They are treated as Knights (S) when shot at by Bows or naval, or in close combat against Cavalry, Light Horse, Spears, Pikes or Bows, as Knights (I) if in close combat against Elephants, Expendables, Knights except (X), Blades or Warband, otherwise as Knights (O).

CAVALRY, representing the majority of ancient horsemen, usually at least partially armoured, combining or following close combat shooting with controlled charges. Being less impetuous, cavalry can retire out of danger or to breathe their horses when knights would charge on to disaster. They can be regular or irregular.

Superior (S): Well-armoured and often on partially protected horses, formed in solid bodies and fighting primarily with bow. They can each be additionally armed with a lance, such as Avars or Belisarius’ boukellarioi; or be depicted with lance and in a regular formation combining ranks armed with lance and shield and other ranks with bow, [often double-based with Cavalry (O)], such as Maurikian or tagmatic Byzantine cavalry; or they may often lack lances but be trained in defensive halted “shower shooting”, such as the Sassanids described in Roman sources and Mamluks; or they may have handgun instead of bow. Skirmishing chariots with well-armoured driver and archer, and 2 horses, also often armoured, such as Egyptian or Canaanite.

Ordinary (O): More flexible and riding unprotected horses. Armed with javelins and shield and concentrating their missiles with circulating formations, such as the majority of ancient cavalry; or with bow and spear, such as early Achaemenid cavalry; or with bow and sword, such as most Belisarian Byzantine and medieval Persian cavalry; or making partial charges with lance, such as armoured Arab or the better Byzantine thematic horsemen; or with halberd or crossbow. Skirmishing chariots with 2 to 4 unarmoured horses or other equids, and crew comprising driver and one or more unarmoured archers, such as Elamite chariots, or armoured or unarmoured javelinmen, such as British chariots.

Inferior (I): Poorly trained or inexperienced such as early classical Greek cavalry, early Indian cavalry, some Byzantine thematic troops and Vikings or Saxons attempting incompetently to fight mounted. Sumerian platform or straddle cars with a single javelin-armed crewman.

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LIGHT HORSE, including all especially swift riders who scout or usually fight in a loose swarm with missiles rather than in formation. They can be regular, but most are irregulars, often nomads gaining extra mobility from multiple remounts, If living in a Cold climate, these are best attacked in early spring before the new grass has grown, when they may be at a weather disadvantage, but in winter their ponies can somewhat surprisingly dig up old grass turned to naturally cured hay from beneath deep snow. A nuisance in small numbers, they become a menace in dense swarms, especially to foot that must endure without effective reply.

Superior (S): Primarily armed with bow but ready to charge home behind a storm of arrows with sword, javelin or lasso (and if irregular exceptionally aggressive and persistent in close combat), such as Huns, Alans or Turkomans; or armed with lance and willing to charge but primarily tasked with scouting, such as Macedonian Prodromoi

Ordinary (O): Skirmishing with javelins, such as Early Thessalians, Numidians, Late Roman Equites Illyriciani or medieval Spanish Genitors, or skirmishing with lance, such as Arabs. Mostly employed to hang around and pester heavier troops, they were forced to close with bow-armed equivalents, their opponents’ sensible desire to open the range often then turning to flight. Fast (F): Fighting in a thick swarm of small parties closing in succession at the gallop for short range

shooting passes with bows and then using their speed to avoid contact, such as Parthians. Inferior (I): Dispersed scouts riding equids, camels or deer. Horsemen skirmishing with crossbows. CAMELRY, including all others who fight from camels. They are all irregular.

Superior (S): Exceptionally heavily armoured or exceptionally feared and fanatical camel riders fighting exclusively hand-to-hand, such as Parthian 3rd century A.D. cataphract camelry or Tuaregs. Ordinary (O): Camel riders of nations that used them as the poor man’s substitute for a horse or for raiding,

the riders fighting mounted or dismounting to fight with bows such as Midianites, or with javelins or swords such as most Bedouin. Also cameleers improvised by mounting troops on pack camels such as those used by Cyrus against the Lydians.

Exception (X): Camels disguised as elephants to frighten animals, and also Chinese paper lions; usually as an Unusual Troops stratagem. They move as if Baggage (I) except they can contact mounted. They fight as Elephants (I) against mounted and as Baggage (I) against other troops, except that they panic and destroy Elephants.

SPEARS, representing all foot that fight in a semi-rigid line thrusting one-handed with spears over a continuous wall of large shields. (S) are always regular, unless dismounted knights. Others can be regular or irregular. Superior (S): Unusually well trained and confident elite regular spearmen such as Spartan hoplites,

Hannibal’s veteran Africans or the Varangian guard if equipped as spearmen.

Ordinary (O): Regulars drilled to fight and perform simple manoeuvres in close formation such as mercenary hoplites or other Punic African foot; and also irregulars whose aggression and democratic leanings tend to submerge their training such as good citizen hoplites.

Inferior (I): Reluctant or sketchily drilled spearmen, including regulars such as citizen hoplites dragooned into reluctant obedience by a domestic or foreign tyrant, or of effete cities, medieval town militia, or determined irregular peasants practised only in keeping line such as Saxon fyrd. PIKES, representing all foot that advance inexorably straight ahead in ordered ranks and files with a dense level row of pikes or long spears held in both hands projecting ahead to bear down opposition. (S) and (O) except dismounted knights are always regular, while others can be regular or irregular.

Superior (S): Exceptionally effective elite pikemen such as argyraspids or Swiss.

Ordinary (O): Other pikemen drilled to fight effectively in close formation with true pikes such as other Hellenistic phalangites and German landsknechts.

Fast (F): Foot armed with long thrusting spears and fighting in dense formations in good terrain, but partly or entirely lacking effective shields and able to scamper quickly over hills, such as North Welsh spearmen or late 15th_{century Japanese ashigaru.}

Inferior (I): Peasant or militia troops with long spears or pikes grasped in both hands such as Flemings or lowland Scots, or drilled pikemen low in expertise or morale or hurriedly raised.

Exception (X): As (I), but with at least the front rank carrying large pavises, such as Sumerian, Minoan or early Mycenaean spearmen. They are treated as Pikes (S) when fighting Cavalry, Bows or light troops, otherwise as Pikes (I).

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BLADES, representing all foot primarily skilled in fencing individually with swords, axes or other bladed weapons, but moving their feet to dodge or strike but maintaining an approximate relative position with their fellows, sometimes supplementing this with hand-hurled missiles or bows. They typically fight in a series of pulses of heavy attrition to the leading edge of the opposing formation, as dense volleys of missiles are hurled or heavy cutting weapons wielded in a furious burst of energy, interspersed with comparative lulls of careful fencing before fresh fighters relieve them. They can be regular or irregular.

Superior (S): European knights or men-at-arms completely armoured in plate or mail who have dismounted to fight on foot such as English men-at-arms of the 100 Years War or Wars of the Roses. Also the best-trained veteran Marian or Early Imperial Roman legionaries, Anglo-Danish royal huscarles, or Wars of the Roses retinue billmen stiffened by dismounted men-at-arms.

Ordinary (O): Partially armoured well-trained close formation troops, with hand-hurled missiles as well as sword and shield such as other legionaries; or with two-handed cutting or cut-and-thrust weapons such as later samurai, halberdiers or English retinue billmen. Also gladiators or dismounted early samurai.

Fast (F): Looser formation troops, such as Bronze Age infantry depicted running with sickle-sword or similar and javelins, Celtiberian scutarii, Dacian falx-men, Roman lanciarii, Viking raiders, some early samurai or warrior monks, Aztec suit-wearers or Spanish sword-and-buckler men. Inferior (I): Foot generally equipped like (O), but less thoroughly trained, such as newly recruited or

imitation legionaries, Celtic ex-warband mercenaries imperfectly trained to obey orders, Arab swordsmen, Viking hird or English commission of array billmen.

Exception (X): Men with weapons unusually dangerous to heavily armoured knights, such as Aurelian’s (doubtful) Palestinian clubmen, Indian clubmen, Byzantine menavlatoi, Low Countries plancon-wielders or Swiss halberdiers. Treated as Blades (F), but destroy Knights scoring less. WARBAND, including all irregular foot that relies on an impetuous and ferocious collective charge to sweep away whole enemy formations, rather than on individual skill. They are all irregular.

Superior (S): Fighting densely packed by forward pressure, and having a strong belief, often shared by their contemporaries, in their own invincibility, such as early Galatians or Chieftain’s bodyguards. Ordinary (O): Others emphasizing mutual cohesion, but used to moving in woods or marsh, such as Germans

and most Gauls, also dismounted irregular cavalry.

Fast (F): Fighting in loose formation and emphasizing speed in the charge, such as Gaesati, Britons, Dacians, Galwegians or Aztec cuachics. Also war dogs, except these do not give rear support. BOWS, representing foot who fight in formed bodies by shooting collectively with missiles shot at longer range than psiloi, often in volleys at command, and who rely on dense shooting, hand-to-hand weapons, personally prepared obstacles or accompanying pavise bearers for survival at close quarters instead of skirmishing or evasion, or who are packed too tightly to skirmish effectively. They can be regular or irregular.

Superior (S): Exceptionally effective shooters with powerful bows and high skill, able to outshoot opponents and with sufficiently high morale to fight indefinitely hand-to-hand with sword and buckler, spear or long sword, maul or club such as English longbowmen, Ottoman janissaries or Tupi. Ordinary (O): Shooters with lesser bows or skill or with crossbows, able to maintain a prolonged shooting

exchange and fight for a short time hand-to-hand, by virtue of armour, spears, shields, pavises, side arms or high discipline or morale, such as some Egyptians, Palmyrans and Romans, and also civic or mercenary crossbow companies.

Inferior (I): Shooters lacking the protection or discipline to be able to prolong a losing exchange and unwilling to fight hand-to-hand, such as Elamites, Seleucid levy archers, Goths, Francs archers, and all bowmen who would be Psiloi (O) were they not too numerous to skirmish.

Exception (X): Foot in a formation with front ranks armed with pike or with spear and a large shield or pavise, but most with bow or crossbow, and tactically emphasizing shooting rather than close combat, such as Achaemenid Persian sparabara, Alexander’s experimental phalanx, 10th _century

Byzantine infantry, Italian civic infantry or Burgundian pike-and-longbow infantry. They can be double-based with an element of Bows (O) or (S) behind them, or on a single base alternating pike or spear-armed with shooting figures. They fight in distant combat as Bows (S) when enemy Bows or naval shoot or shoot back at them and score more, or if they are double-based with Bows (S), otherwise as Bows (O). They fight frontally as and have the outcomes in close combat of Spears (O) if regular and of Spears (I) if irregular. If double-based with Bows, these provide rear support. They are otherwise ineligible for rear support.

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SHOT, including all hand-gunners that fight in ranks, such as Ming Chinese. Inaccurate and unreliable, their bullets could penetrate even heavy armour and the novelty, unprecedented noise and smoke could frighten men as well as animals. They are always regular and (I).

AUXILIA, representing foot willing to fight hand-to-hand, but emphasizing mobility or fighting in difficult terrain or against Elephants or Expendables rather than cohesion or aggression. They can be regular or irregular. Superior (S): Foot able because of their training, weapons, armour or shields to fight in close formation when

necessary such as Hellenistic thureophoroi, Iberian scutati, Roman auxilia, Illyrians or Thracians. Also Arab Conquest or Saffarid elephant-killers.

Ordinary (O): Less well motivated and trained regulars such as Late Roman border auxiliarii. Irregulars relying only on javelins or short spear and light shield such as most mountain tribesmen.

Inferior (I): Other troops with javelins, but who are shield-less, lack confidence or would be Psiloi (I) if not too numerous to skirmish. Followers of early samurai cavalry with a mixture of naginata, bear claw poles, spears and weak bows.

PSILOI, including all dispersed skirmishers on foot shooting individually with javelin, sling, staff sling, bow, crossbow or hand gun, who fight in a loose swarm hanging around enemy foot, running away when charged. They are useful to delay or even damage unsupported heavy infantry, screen these against enemy psiloi, occupy difficult terrain or disrupt attacks and cover escalades with overhead shooting, but cannot survive unsupported in the open against cavalry. They are able to defeat elephants and scythed chariots by harassing them with missiles, using their agility to dodge them and avoid contact. They can be regular or irregular.

Superior (S): Well-regarded skilled specialists armed with javelins and small shield such as Spanish caetrati, Roman velites or Greek peltasts, or with handgun, potentially dangerous unless countered. Ordinary (O): Armed with bow, sling, crossbow or staff sling, useful to support other foot (often from

behind), or to counter horse archers.

Inferior (I): Young, poor or otherwise marginal combatants told-off to make themselves useful with hand-hurled missiles, usually to pester and possibly delay closer formed enemy foot.

Exception (X): Armed with incendiaries, corrosives or biologicals such as Greek Fire siphons, hand-hurled naphtha bombs, Chinese fire lances, quicklime or hornets’ nests. They are treated in all circumstances as Psiloi (I), except that they substitute Artillery distant combat factors and effect when in close combat to their front against any but Auxilia or Psiloi.

HORDES, including all unwilling or incompetent foot, brought to swell numbers and/or perform menial services, or attracted by desperation, religious or political fanaticism or greed, and too tightly huddled, scared, stupid or indoctrinated to run away. They are always irregular.

Superior (S): Impetuous armed mobs, such as Crusader pilgrims, French peasant jacquerie, plancon-wielding German heerban or Scottish ribaulds.

Ordinary (O): Peasants, unwilling levies or camp servants issued with cheap weapons, but with little confidence in their ability to use these and no stake in the battle except personal survival, such as Achaemenid or Sassanid levy infantry or Byzantine soldiers’ servants.

Fast (F): Unorganized enthusiastic rabble relying on numbers, ambush from difficult terrain and/or street fighting skills, such as light-footed mountain peasant freedom-fighters, Byzantine racing factions or Alexandrian rioters.

Inferior (I): Unarmed civilians driven ahead with whips by invaders such as Mongols.

ARTILLERY, whether gunpowder, torsion, tension, counterweight or powered by men pulling ropes. It is always regular.

Superior (S): Torsion, counterweight or large rope-pull stone-throwers. Bombards or heavy cannon.

Ordinary (O): Bolt-shooting tension or torsion engines. Late 15th_{century field guns on wheeled mountings.}

Crew-served rocket launchers.

Fast (F): Bolt-shooting engines mounted on fast light mule-drawn carts, but not those on wagons. Inferior (I): Small rope-pull or gunpowder artillery including organ guns/ribaudequins. Man-held rockets. Exception (X): One-time use self-propelled animal projectiles such as flaming pigs and Chinese thunder-bomb

oxen, usually used as an Unusual Troops stratagem These are treated as if rockets except that they cannot be used across water or enemy fortifications or from behind other troops, are moved into contact with their target when fired and destroyed by the combat, and use Expendables combat factors, combat outcomes and morale equivalents (ME).

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WAR WAGONS, including all slow wheeled vehicles intended to be fought from and to move on the battlefield, but not ordinary transport wagons or carts utilised to laager camps. They can be regular or irregular. Superior (S): Large wheeled towers manned by bowmen and either pulled by oxen or manhandled, such as

those attributed to the Achaemenid Persians by Xenophon in the Cyropaedia or used in sieges. Ordinary (O): Mantleted wagons filled with men shooting from behind cover with bow, crossbow, handgun or

very light artillery, such as those of the Hussites, Poles, Hungarians or Gulai Gorod. Inferior (I): Improvised from transport wagons, such as those of migrating Sea Peoples.

Exception (X): Republican Roman anti-elephant carts and similar blade-studded man-pushed wagons. These are available only as an Unusual Troops stratagem. They are treated as if (O), except they cannot shoot, can contact enemy, are not destroyed by elephants, but are destroyed by Psiloi. BAGGAGE, representing the army’s logistic support, including all personnel, supplies and equipment that increase the physical or mental welfare of troops or generals. Its function is to increase staying power (since ill-fed or dispirited troops rarely fight well). Each general has 0-2 elements. An ally’s must, and other general’s can, remain with him as Command Baggage. All other baggage is held in common as Army Baggage. Each non-allied command not having command baggage shares the effects of Army Baggage and it deploys in 1 of them. Superior (S): Litter carrying a general or inspirational sacred object (such as an Inca general or the Ark of the

Covenant) or a standard wagon, (such as the Khazar royal wagon, that of St. Peter and St. Cuthbert at Northallerton, or an Italian City State carroccio), each guarded by picked foot. Ordinary (O): Static, such as tented camps or draft animals tethered in the centre of a wagon lager. It can

include sutlers, soldiers’ wives, drabs, slatterns or doxies, sacrificial altars and officiating priests, bodies of praying monks, a portable minaret and muezzin, or even a traveling seraglio. Unlike other Baggage, it can start embarked on Ships (I), but cannot move except to disembark. It is partly prepared for defence and can be protected by TF. It can be on multiple element bases. Permanent buildings or monuments are more properly included in BUA.

Fast (F): Baggage loaded on mules, horses, camels, elephants, yaks, reindeer, llamas or similar fast-moving pack animals, and herds of cattle, spare horses, ponies or camels.

Inferior (I): Baggage loaded ready to move in wagons or carts or by porters or donkeys, and flocks of sheep and/or goats, or other animals that are difficult to hurry. It is difficult to defend.

GALLEYS, including all swift rowing vessels intended to ram or use fire projectors. They are always regular. Superior (S): Large galleys suited to reinforce or break a battle line, with exceptionally powerful marine

contingents and torsion or gunpowder artillery or fire siphons, such as hepteres, dekares, later Byzantine dromons or pamphyllia, or the heaviest-armed late medieval galleys.

Ordinary (O): Smaller galleys still with large marine contingents, resistant to ramming and large enough for the line of battle, such as quinquiremes/penteres, tetrares, or large medieval galleys lacking powerful bow cannon.

Fast (F): Fast lightly built galleys with small marine contingents backed by lightly armed rowers, such as triremes/trieres, trihemioli, early dromons, early galea and corsair galliots.

Inferior (I): Markedly smaller and slightly slower galleys, such as penteconters or Roman liburnians. Exception (X): Oared horse transport, such as Byzantine chelandion. Moves and fights as (O).

SHIPS, including all slow, unhandy or primarily sailing vessels intended to carry cargo, and also galleys converted to carry horses or as unmanoeuvrable siege towers for sieges. They are always irregular.

Superior (S): With stern and bow castles and large numbers of troops embarked, such as later cogs or uscieri. Ordinary (O): With large numbers of troops embarked, such as those of the Veneti and medieval navi or nefs. Inferior (I): Either acting as horse transports or transporting a Baggage (O) element.

Exception (X): Fastened together in pairs to carry siege towers. They are treated as Ships (S) if shooting or shot at or if in close combat against fortifications, otherwise as Ships (I).

BOATS, including all primarily rowing vessels without rams. (F) and (X) are regular, others irregular.

Superior (S): Large wooden boats with several men per oar and filled with warriors such as Viking longships. Ordinary (O): Smaller un-decked wooden boats filled with warriors such as triaconters or lembi.

Fast (F): Dispatch boats attached to galley fleets to carry messages or for scouting. Inferior (I): Hide and/or wicker boats filled with warriors such as Pictish or Irish curraghs.

Exception (X): Converted rowing vessels with penthouse for torsion artillery. Treated as Artillery (S) if shooting or shot at, otherwise as Boats (I).

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NAVAL LANDING FORCES

Except for Boats (F), which have insufficient capacity, and Ships (I) carrying Baggage, each naval element always carries one land element of an appropriate type for its nation, as specified in our army lists. Its cost is additional to that of the naval element. Land elements can embark on or disembark from:

• Boats in bow or Galleys or Ships in bow or stern edge contact with a beach or a BUA foreshore. • Boats in edge contact with the bank of a waterway, river or lake.

• Any naval element in edge contact with a quay, pier or jetty placed as part of a BUA. • Impressed shipping (not represented by models) over a beach.

Ships (I) can carry any land element. Galleys (X) can carry Knights, Cavalry, Light Horse or foot, Other naval only carry foot. Impressed shipping can carry Knights, Cavalry, Light Horse, foot, Artillery or Baggage (O), but cannot be used by the defender. Mounted elements can abandon their mounts and embark as foot. An unladen naval element cannot be moved and does not recoil. It has fewer fighting men, so has less ability to defend itself or shoot and is more vulnerable to shooting due to its immobility and lack of men to extinguish fires. If, and only if, a naval element’s battlefield entry edge lacks water access, its embarked troops deploy on land.

EXCHANGING MOUNTED AND FOOT ELEMENTS

Mounted troops must dismount to defend fortifications or embark. Knights, Cavalry or Light Horse can always dismount at deployment or later if specified in our army lists as able to do so. Elephants, Expendables and Camelry (X) cannot dismount. Other mounted troops can dismount only if in difficult going, to embark, or if less than 400p from enemy War Wagons or enemy fortifications, or if a general (plus any troops double-based with him) whose command is now otherwise entirely dismounted or foot. Dismounting by individuals when looting, attacking beached vessels, or in camel fighting or a cavalry melee is covered by mounted factors and outcomes. Unless specified otherwise by our army lists, dismounting troops are replaced by:

If armed with bow, crossbow or handgun:

• Knights with bow – if (X) as Bows (S), otherwise as Bows (O).

• Cavalry – if (I) as Bows (I), if with handgun as Shot (I), otherwise as Bows (O).

• Light Horse with bow or crossbow or Camelry with bow as Bows (O) if a general, (I) if not. Otherwise:

• Knights (S), (O) or (I) in full armour as Blades (S), other (I) or (F) as Blade (O), (X) as Spears (S). • Regular Cavalry – if (S) or (O) as Auxilia (S), if (I) as Auxilia (I).

• Irregular Cavalry or Camelry – if (S) as Warband (S), if (O) as Warband (O), if (I) as Auxilia (I). • Light Horse as Auxilia (O) if a general, (I) if not.

Dismounters exchange 1 mounted element for 1 foot element, except that a pair of double-based elements dismounts as 1 element of the front type. Except at deployment time, or to spontaneously advance against broken enemy, flee or rout, mounting or dismounting expends an entire single element tactical or march move for each element. If it is to remount, an appropriate cavalry-size base with mounts and holders must be provided to accompany each dismounted element adjacent to its rear, or that of the mounts of a dismounted element to its rear. This does not change a single element to a group. Rear rank dismounters close up to the front element. If so specified in their army list, foot can be provided with mounts as Mounted Infantry. They can be deployed with or without additional bases with mounts and holders as above. If without, they deploy as mounted but then act as ordinary foot. While they have their mounts, they deploy, march, interpenetrate, flee and rout as Camelry if on camels, as Cavalry (I) if not, but otherwise move as foot. They always count as foot when shooting, shot at or in close combat, and so do not need to dismount/remount. Duplicate mounted figures are optional.

Dismounters’ mounts are permanently removed when:

• They come into any contact (even corner) with enemy, or with friends who recoil or are pushed back. • Immediately they have been shot at.

• Their owners have been destroyed or spent.

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or (unless mounted infantry) a march move, or are in rough or difficult going off-road. • They pass through or are passed through by any but psiloi.

FORTIFICATIONS

These can be Temporary Fortifications [TF] defensible by any foot or train, such as a palisade and/or ditch and bank, wagon laager, plashed wood edge, or thorn boma, or Permanent Fortifications [PF] defensible only by foot or Artillery, such as a major earthwork or stone or turf wall with walkway, parapet and usually raised towers, comprising or part of a BUA. BUA more than 800p across must have PF, and smaller BUA can be left unfortified or have TF or PF. These must completely fortify its perimeter, except optionally where it abuts the battlefield edge or a water feature, and include 1-3 on-table fortified gateways to which internal roads connect. A fortification notionally consists of 80p sections (which are not elements). Except for isolated towers, or TF resting flanks on 2 terrain features to block passage between them, fortifications must be continuous with no gaps. If a BUA fortification intersects a battlefield edge, the off-battlefield part does not cost AP.

Towers must be at least 160p apart and can be occupied by only 1 element. Their external dimensions must be a little larger than 80p due to parapet thickness or sometimes non-rectangular tower shape. Artillery in a PF that are to shoot out [which cannot be (F)] must be deployed in and remain in a tower. Only exterior faces of a tower can be assaulted from outside and cost AP. Tower occupants can also be attacked from any entrances at wall walk or ground level. Corner pieces of no internal frontage used instead of corner towers are not paid for and cannot be assaulted, crossed or shot over. The internal angle enclosed by a fortification corner must be 90-270°. Troops can enter fortifications only unopposed at a gateway, or by assault. Troops that assault a gateway pursue through it. Foot can only leave a permanent fortification, and mounted or train any fortification, by a gateway. All tactical or march movement on to, upon or off PF is by single element moves. These are not measured and always expend only 1 PIP. A full tactical or march move is used to move between any of:

• An adjacent section of wall walk.

• Another wall walk section which is either adjacent or immediately beyond an adjacent tower. • The top of a tower.

• The interior face at ground level of a wall or the ground level entrance of a tower.

An element already on a PF wall walk can move sideways, treating the flank edge in the direction moved as its front edge and the other as its rear edge. An enemy flank edge it contacts is treated as a flank edge if also fighting to its front against escaladers or stair climbers, as a rear edge if its other flank is counting as its front edge, otherwise as a front edge. Mutual flank edge combat is not “across a PF parapet”. An element so contacted on both its flank edges is treated as contacted to both front (nominated by the side whose bound it is) and rear.

TF must be in the army’s own deployment area unless part of a BUA. TF paid for at reduced cost for BUA cannot be used for camps and vice versa. TF paid for at full cost can be used for BUA, camps or elsewhere. A TF section that has been crossed by enemy is removed and the space vacated treated as difficult going.

OBSTACLES

Some army lists permit stratagems involving artificial obstacles. These can be:

Portable Obstacles [PO] include the stakes of English longbowmen, chains used to protect Turkish artillery or fasten War Wagons together, and camels tethered in front of Moorish foot. They are placed immediately in front of the owning element and require PIPs to set up (replacing a move). They can be taken up once without PIPs and later set-up again elsewhere. They cause a tactical factor disadvantage in close combat to most enemy mounted. Enemy attacking the owners must have sufficient move to reach them, or else end the move just short of the PO without combat. The PO model cannot be more than 40p deep. They cannot be placed in an enemy TZ. They are permanently removed if friendly troops other than Psiloi cross them, or if their owners recoil from close combat, flee, rout or are destroyed, or if enemy cross them unopposed. Any pursuit by attackers is measured from the owners’ front edge. They are taken up when their owners move.

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caltrops used by Marian Roman legionaries, felled trees, ditches, stakes or barricades to block a road, and stakes, chain or a boom to block a river. They are prepared before the battle starts as a Hidden Obstacle stratagem and are a 40p deep strip of difficult going.

ORGANISING YOUR ARMY ARMY SIZE

Unless the battle is a campaign or scenario game, each side consists of troop elements, fortifications, obstacles and stratagems up to an agreed total of army points (AP), normally 300 to 500 AP, but games with up to 1,000 AP and 8 players or as small as 100 AP have been played. The accompanying army list books specify element types and numbers for all known historical armies of the era. All mentions of lists refer to these and not to a player’s Order of Battle. AP spent on BUA fortifications are wasted if the invader or if BUA are not allowed. ELEMENT COST

Basic cost in AP if: Regular Irregular

(S) (O) (F) (I) (X) (S) (O) (F) (I) (X)

Elephants - - - Knights 15 12 11 10 13 12 Cavalry 10 8 -Light Horse 7 -Camelry - Expendables - -Spears 7 -Pikes 5 Blades 9 Warband - - -Auxilia 5 Bows 6 5 Shot. - - - -Psiloi 3 Artillery 10 -War Wagons 14 10 Hordes - - Galleys 6 -Ships - - Boats - - -Baggage 6 3 -Adjustment - - 20 16 - 14 22 10 9 8 11 - 6 - 9 7 - 5 5 5 3 - 6 4 4 3 - - - - 8 6 - - 9 8 - - - - 7 5 - 4 - - 4 3 4 4 3 4 - - 3 3 3 7 6 5 8 7 5 5 4 6 - - - 5 3 3 4 - 3 - 4 3 - 2 - - 4 7 5 4 - 3 5 5 - 2 - 1 6 3 2 - 1 6 8 10 4 4 - - 7 10 8 - 4 6 - - - 2 1 1 ½ - 5 4 3 6 - - - 4 3 - 2 6 2 - 6 3 2 1 3 2 - 3 2 2 1 for all grades if: Regular Irregular

Mounted infantry. +1 +1

Rear element of double base if required by army list. - 2 - 1 If Knights or Cavalry on chariots. - 1 - 1 C-in-C’s or subordinate general’s element. +20 +10

Ally general’s element. +10 +5

Extra if a Brilliant general. +25 +25

Reduction if a C-in-C who is Inert. - 75 - 75 Reduction if an ally general who is Inert. -25 -25

Extra for each stratagem listed in ORDER OF BATTLE. As specified under STRATAGEMS. Fortification or Obstacle Sections:

Portable obstacle [PO] to cover the front of 1 element. 1

Temporary fortifications [TF] or fixed obstacle [FO] to cover the front of 1 element or 80p wide. 2 Adjustment if TF part of a BUA or specified in army list as defending camps or baggage. -1

Permanent fortifications (PF) to cover the front of 1 element. 2

Adjustment if a raised PF tower. +1

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Non-outward-facing walls of a tower are free, so for example: A square PF of four comer towers (4 x 6AP), 1 gate tower (1 x 5AP), 3 interval towers (3 x 3AP) and 8 wall sections (8 x 2AP) costs 54 AP.

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ELEMENT BASING

An element consists of several figures fixed to a rectangular card base. Naval elements often use models of reduced scale (most often 1:1200), which can be a different scale to those of opponents.

If figure scale is: 20-30mm 15-6mm 2mm

Frontage of all element bases = 60mm 40mm 30mm

Depth of element base if:

War Wagons, Baggage (S) or naval = 120mm 80mm 60mm Elephants, Expendables, all Chariots, Knights in wedge unless

double-based, all Artillery, Baggage except (S) = 60mm or 80mm 40mm 30mm Other Knights, Cavalry, Light Horse, Camelry, Hordes = 40mm 30mm 15mm Pikes (F), Blades (F), Warband (F), Auxilia, Bows, Shot, Psiloi = 30mm 20mm 10mm Spears, other Pikes, other Blades, other Warband = 20mm 15mm 10mm Figures per element (unless chariots) if: 28-30mm 15-25mm 10mm 6mm 2mm Light Horse (including (I) mounted on camels), Psiloi = 2 2 2 4 1 Knights (S), (O), (I) or (F), Cavalry, Camelry = 3 3 4 11-12 2 Pikes (F), Blades (F), Warband (F), irregular Auxilia,

irregular Bows = 3 3-4 5-8 11-12 2

Knights (X) = 3-4 4 5 15-16 2

Spears, other Pikes, other Blades, Warband (S) or (O),

regular Bows, Shot, regular Auxilia = 3-4 4 10-12 16 2 Hordes, cattle herds = 4-6 5-8 11-15 19-32 4 Models per element if:

Elephants, Chariots, Camelry (X), Artillery (S) or (F) = 1 1 1 2 2 Artillery (O) or (I) = 1 1-2 1-2 2 2 War Wagons (S) or (I), Galleys, Ships, Boats (S) or (F) = 1 1 1 2 2

Other War Wagons = 1 1 1 3 5

Other Boats or Artillery (X) = 1-4 1-4 1-4 1-4 3-4 Elephants (S) add extra crew or 2 or more escort figures and Artillery 2 or more crew figures per model.

15mm and larger figures should be in one row, those Knights in wedge with the centre figure further forward. Irregulars are best if figures of differing type, pose and/or colour scheme placed more randomly. Smaller figures should generally be in 2 equal level rows if regular, in a clump with an odd number of figures if irregular. Some deep formations of Knights, Cavalry or Bows (X) are required by army lists to be represented by basing 2 elements on a single 2 element depth base and are allowed special rear support factors. This is because they integrate specialized ranks of different troop types which cannot survive the loss of the front type. Double-based Knights, instead of 2 rows of 3 25mm or 15mm figures, have 1 each of 2 and 4, or interleaved rows of 1, 2 and 3. 28-30mm can have interleaved rows of 1 and 2, 10mm interleaved rows of 2, 3 and 4, and 6mm rows of 4, 6, 8 and 10. Other troops (most commonly Warband) can be double-based for convenience, or if Baggage multiply-based, but do not receive special factors and are replaced by single elements if 1 element is destroyed. A double element counts as 2 elements, except:

• It moves as if a single element with the maximum permitted move of its slower type.

• It normally expends PIPs as if a single element of whichever type would expend the most if alone. However, if it moves backwards (i.e. any part of it crosses the original line of its rear edge), it expends PIPs as if 2 single elements, unless both its elements are Cavalry or light troops.

• It contacts enemy or responds to enemy as if a single element. • It contacted in the rear, it fights as the rear type.

• It makes outcome moves as if a single element of the front type.

• A required double-element is destroyed if either of its elements is destroyed.

• It measures recoils, pursuits and the distance behind it at which friendly elements are destroyed from the rear of the front element, which is usually at half the depth of the double-base.

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COMMAND AND CONTROL GENERALS

An army is divided into 1-4 Commands, each of 4 or more elements, plus a General’s element which must be recognisable by his figure or standard. Train can form an extra 4-10 element command without a general. A command is Regular if its general’s element is regular or it is entirely regular train, and Irregular if not. There is one partial exception to this rule. An Elephant general who would otherwise be regular commands as if and costs the same additional AP as if regular, but has irregular element cost and movement.

The army’s senior general is the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C). Junior generals are Subordinate Generals if under the C-in-C’s direct command, but Ally Generals if not. A general of the C-in-C’s own nation is usually a subordinate general, but may be specified as an ally general if of doubtful loyalty or politically semi-detached or sharing command. A general commanding a contingent sent by another nation is always an ally general.

PLANNING PIP ALLOCATION

One dice will be thrown each bound per command, the score of which is its Player Initiative Points (PIPs). A regular C-in-C’s formal command structure allows him to make a plan and give his regular subordinate generals orders to implement it. This is simulated by recording at the end of initial deployment which of all his non-allied regular commands will always be allocated the highest PIP score, which the next highest, and which the lowest. He may instead wish to treat some or all equally, since dull generals could often think of no better plan than to line up and advance. If so, all or any command’s dice can be specified to use the rounded down average of their scores. The allocation of a flank marching or delayed command takes effect when its general arrives on the battlefield. A regular C-in-C with only irregular subordinates can choose each bound whether to exchange his score for that bound with that of a subordinate less than 400p away and closer than any other. Dice allocation can be changed during the battle if the generals concerned are within 2,000p of the C-in-C. If so, the new allocation takes effect in the side’s next bound, and in accordance with the principle “order, counter-order, disorder”, confusion increases their PIP expenditure in that bound.

An irregular C-in-C may also have a plan but cannot rely on obedience from irregular subordinates, so each dices independently. If an irregular C-in-C starts with a single regular subordinate general, his score is exchanged with that of the C-in-C if the C-in-C’s score is higher. If an irregular C-in-C has more than 1 regular subordinate general, their dice are allocated as if a regular army and he keeps his own dice.

Allied commands and commands whose general is lost or has not yet arrived from a flank or delayed march, or that are broken, dice independently and are not currently included in allocation or averaging.

UNRELIABLE ALLIES

An ally general is potentially unreliable. His reliability will not be established until his first PIP dice of the battle or he arrives from a flank march (An unreliable ally would not arrive!). If he is not flank marching, and his 1st_{unadjusted PIP score is 1, he will not commit his command until the end of a bound in which either:}

• Enemy were seen to be closer than 240p to, or shot at, any of his elements not concealed in ambush. • 4 more enemy than friendly elements were lost or became broken.

• His PIP dice is 5 or 6, in the bound following that in which the C-in-C expended 3 PIPs to activate him. This simulates delay while the situation becomes apparent, the sending of threats concerning the person of the general or hostages or promising bribes, temporizing, renewed appeals and so forth.

Until his reliability has been established or his command committed:

(a) His troops cannot shoot, make a spontaneous advance, or move closer than 800p to any known enemy. (b) If any of his side’s commands were broken last bound and no enemy command is broken, either:

• If either he is irregular and of a different nation, or the two armies are of the same nation, existed at the same period and fought each other in a civil war during that period, then his command (including baggage) will change sides and become a committed enemy command. • If neither of these two, all elements of the command become permanently disheartened.

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BRILLIANT OR INERT GENERALS

A few generals are additionally defined in their army list as Brilliant. This is not a judgment on their overall ability (many much better generals do not qualify), but because they historically proved capable in a campaign or battle of a brilliant unexpected rapid manoeuvre that threw the enemy off-balance. They were often also difficult subordinates to their seniors, unsettling to their own subordinates or the victim of political jealousy and took dangerous personal risks. They can be the C-in-C, a subordinate or an ally general. They are allowed 2 brilliant strokes during the battle, but only 1 in a bound. A brilliant stroke can be used to specify a stratagem otherwise not available, to increase PIPs, to change orders, or to gain an advantage when moving into close combat. Be warned that only good players have the necessary situational awareness and sense of timing to benefit and even then equally competent opponents may deny them opportunities. A brilliant C-in-C cannot average his own command’s PIPs or change orders except with a brilliant stroke which he is assumed to have planned in advance and prepared for (his original plan is either a brilliant success or a glorious failure).

Some other C-in-C or ally generals (inertia in subordinates is rarely tolerated) are defined as Inert. This is because they consistently handicapped their troops by lethargy, indecision, timidity, over-confident neglect of elementary precautions, failure to take firm control of subordinates, innate incapacity, jealousy or extreme pig-headedness. They have a negative AP value, but the AP total of their own command must be positive.

STRATAGEMS

Stratagems are cunning tricks used by generals to give their army an advantage. Those permitted are taken from those listed by Polyaenus and Frontinus or included in other ancient manuals and historical accounts. Any C-in-C can specify and pay for up to 5 of the stratagems below in his Order of Battle and choose up to 2 of these at stage 1 of deployment in each battle. An Inert C-in-C can use only Feigned Flight, Portable Obstacles, Delaying Battle and Unusual Troops (but only with Scythed chariots) stratagems. Some stratagems can be specified only by Brilliant generals or if included in army lists. Stratagems can be:

Scouting

Skilled scouts are sent to detect hidden troops by such signs as flocks of birds rising from woods and discover any concealed obstacles.

The C-in-C allocates a small number of Cavalry, Light Horse or Psiloi elements of his own command to scout. These elements are not deployed with the rest of the command, but each dices at stage 3 of deployment. All enemy elements used in Ambush, Unusual Troops or Concealed Command stratagems or FO used in Hidden Obstacle stratagems must be immediately deployed or an army encamped at night start PIP dicing if any scouting element scores 5 or 6, but only the furthest forward ambushing element be deployed if the scouting element scores 4. Each scouting element scoring 1 (or 2 if the enemy has deployed more scouts) is destroyed. Scouts that are not destroyed are spent if Psiloi, otherwise deployed within 80p of their C-in-C. Disguised Troops or Exaggerating Army Size stratagems and flank marches are not detected. Cost 5AP.

Feigned Flight

Troops (or Galleys) pretend to flee from the enemy to tempt them into a rash pursuit, often into an ambush. The C-in-C expends 3 PIPs or a brilliant stroke at the end of his bound to trigger an immediate flee outcome move by all elements of a command (except ambushers) closer than 800p to enemy. Next bound, all enemy less than 400p from elements feigning flight must make a spontaneous advance unless halted or train. Up to 2 more feigned flights can be made later for 2 PIPs each by the same or different commands. Cost 5AP.

Guides

An invading C-in-C searches for and finds a peasant who tells him of a route for a column, unknown to the defender, which can be used to pass an inconvenient terrain feature; such as a path over difficult hills or through marshes or woods, or an unmarked ford (There are no historical instances of this being done by defenders). The invader marks the position of the path or ford on a map at stage 1 of deployment and passage counts as if along a road, except that the leading element dices when halfway across the feature. A score of 1 indicates that the peasant is treacherous or has got lost, and the terrain then reverts to its normal state, except that all moves made while crossing it that bound expend an extra 1 PIP. Cost 10AP.

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Changing Deployment

A C-in-C can exchange the positions of two of his commands after the enemy has become used to his habitual scheme of deployment.

This can be done only by a Brilliant C-in-C as a brilliant stroke; and then only if deployment finishes between sunrise and 1000, and there is no mist, fog, snow or sandstorm. The 2 commands are deployed in each other’s rectangles and exchanged in stage 5 of deployment (without changing the relative position of each command’s elements except optionally reversing their order from left to right). All moves during those commands 1st_bound

expend an extra PIP (friction due to unfamiliarity with the deployment). Cost 5AP. Exaggerating Army Size

Dust created by towing brush behind cavalry or moving cattle, or extra trumpet calls, standards, tents or camp fires, or shallow formations are used to give the impression that the army is stronger than it is.

1 or 2 extra ranks (or part ranks) of elements are added directly behind 1 group of real elements of the same types and must move as part of that group. These are all removed immediately any of them become visible to enemy up to 400p away. If real elements are placed in such a position that the enemy incorrectly assumes them to be fake, this simulates the contrary ploy of using less standards, tents, trumpet calls or fires than normal to give the impression that the army is smaller than it is. Cost 5AP.

False Reinforcements

Camp servants or similar non-combatants with fake standards appear on a hill behind the army and convince the enemy that it has been reinforced.

This can be used only by armies with Baggage (O) and whose list specifies it. It also requires there to be a hill crest no further than 1,200p from the army’s rear battlefield edge for them to appear on. The reinforcements are not deployed until the C-in-C expends a PIP to move them over the crest or enemy can see behind it. Each enemy command that is then aware of them and has none of its eleme

nts less than 400p away from them has its ME total temporarily reduced by 2ME during this bound and the immediately following bound. If it becomes broken due to this, it remains broken even if the cause is removed. Cost as specified by army list.

Hidden Obstacles

Obstacles of which the enemy is unaware are constructed in advance; such as a road or ford blocked by pits and stakes, river passage obstructed by a boom, chain or underwater stakes, trees prepared for rapid felling to block a road through a wood, stakes or pits to hinder chariots or knights, or a trench dug for enemy mounted to fall in. (Plashing is a TF, not an obstacle.)

If specified by their army list, an FO (see p.11) the width of a road or river, or up to 400p long, or to cover the front of a specified number of elements, is marked on a map at stage 2 of deployment. It is placed only when it is discovered by Scouting, friendly troops cross it, or when enemy reach it. Enemy that reach it move their full distance for the going they start in, but count for any subsequent close combat during that bound and the immediately following enemy bound as if in difficult going. Cost 2AP per element/80p frontage.

Portable Obstacles

The troops carry stakes or chains that can be set up to protect their front and be set-up again if they move. Must be specified by their army list and count as a tactical factor. Cost 1AP per element with PO (see p.11). Betrayal

An enemy junior leader is bribed to betray a fortification.

Dice before resolving the combat for treachery when the first friendly element first assaults an enemy fortification. A score of 1 if visibility is reduced to 80p or 1-2 if not indicates that the traitor has been discovered and the attack is resisted. If the score is greater, the enemy element defending the fortification section contacted becomes spent unless it is that of a general, the attacking element crosses the fortification into the space vacated, and 5 ME is deducted from the moving army’s ME total to pay the bribe. Cost 5AP.