DBA - De Bellis Antiquitatis

BATTLEFIELD TERRAIN

Players must be able to provide a battlefield in case they become the defender. As generalship is definable as the skill with which generals adapt their troops’movements to those of the enemy and to the battlefield, varied and realistic terrain is essential for interesting battles. Since so little time is needed to paint DBA armies and the playing area is so small, players should invest time and ingenuity in making their terrain as visually attractive as their troops.
Unless a competition organiser provides preset terrain, the battlefield is produced by the defending player placing separate terrain features on a flat board or cloth representing flat good going such as pasture, open fields, steppe grassland or smooth desert. The defender bisects the battlefield twice at right angles to its edge to produce 4 equal quarters and numbers these 1-4 clockwise from the left.

CHOOSING AND PLACING FEATURES

The types of feature that can be used depend on those of the terrain in which the defending army historically normally fought at home. The defending player chooses and places 1-2 compulsory and 2-3 optional features from those permitted :

If terrain is: Compulsory features are: Optional features are :

ARABLE 1 BUA or 2 Plough. River, Difficult Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, extra Plough, Enclosures, Road, Waterway, Scrub, Boggy. FOREST 1-2 Woods. River, Marsh, Gentle Hills, extra Woods, BUA. HILLY 1-2 Difficult Hills. River, Woods, BUA, Road, extra Difficult Hills. STEPPE 1-2 Gentle Hills. River, Rocky, Scrub, 1 only Gully, BUA.DRY 1-2 Rocky or Scrub. Dunes, Difficult Hills, Oasis, BUA.TROPICAL 1-2 Woods. River, Marsh, 1 only Gully, BUA, Enclosures, Road, extra Woods. LITTORAL 1 Waterway. Either Difficult Hills or Marsh, either Woods or Dunes, BUA, Road, River.


AREA TERRAIN FEATURES

Includes those listed below as Bad, Rough or Good going and also BUA (see p.7). Each must fit into a rectangle of which the length plus the width totals no more than 9 BW. Every feature must be at least 1 BW wide at its centre and only 1 feature can be less than 3 BW wide at its centre. A Gully’s length must be at least 3 times its width. The length of other features must not exceed twice their width. BUA and Plough can have straight edges; otherwise all features must be a natural shape with curved edges. A city or fort can be combined with a larger hill also permitted, as 1 feature. Difficult (steep and/or rocky, thickly scrubbed or wooded) Hills, Woods, Marsh and Gully are BAD GOING, which slows the movement of, and is an adverse close combat tactical factor for, some foot and all mounted and may hinder shooting(see P.10). Dunes and Oasis are bad going except to elements of any type with camels. Rocky, Scrubby or Boggy flat ground, Enclosures (fields subdivided by stone walls, hedges, ditches or in Asia by paddy bunds), are ROUGH GOING, which slows move distances as if bad going, but is not a tactical factor and does not affect shooting.
Gentle Hills and playing surface other than terrain features are GOOD GOING. Plough is GOOD but changes to ROUGH if the game’s 1stPIP score is 1, due to heavy rain or crops. An element in more than 1 kind of going is treated as in the worst. All hills slope up to a centre line crest and give a close combat advantage if part of an element’s front edge is upslope of all of its opposent.

LINEAR TERRAIN FEATURES

Include Waterways, Rivers and Roads. A Waterway represents the sea, a lake edge or a river too wide and deep to be fordable and is impassable. It extends 1-4 BW in wards from an entire battlefield edge and half its length must extend no more than 3 BW in from that edge. It can be bordered by a beach or flood plain extending up to 2 BW further, which is good going. A River must run from 1 battlefield edge to a different battlefield edge or join a waterway. It cannot be more than 1 BW across or longer than 1½ times the distance between its ends. It can cross any feature except a Hill, Dunes, Oasis or BUA. It cannot start or go within 4 BW of any battlefield edge except the 2 edges it flows from and towards. It is neither good nor bad going, but elements crossing it are often penalised in other ways. Its nature is constant along its whole length for the whole game and will not become known until the first attempt by either player to cross it off-road (see page 9). An element is defending the bank if it is entirely on land and its close combat opponent at least partly in the water. Roads can be paved or be earth tracks (best depicted as pale brown) created by frequent civilian traffic. They are depicted as less than a BW wide, elements moving astride centred on them rather than confined between the road edges.
A road must run from 1 battlefield edge towards the opposite battlefield edge, bending only minimally if desired to avoid terrain features. It cannot begin or end at a waterway edge, but Crosses Rivers by ford or bridge. It can end at a BUA on a waterway edge. It cannot cross a BUA except from city gate to city gate. A 2nd road must cross or join the 1st. Movement along a road is in good going and counts as straight ahead even when the road curves. Combat on it is in the going it is passing through.

CHOOSING AND PLACING FEATURES

The defending player chooses features from those allowed and places them. Those chosen must include BAD or ROUGHGOING or a River or Waterway, and cannot include more than 1 each of Waterway, River, Oasis, Gully or BUA, or 2 roads, or 3 each of any other feature type. Compulsory features must be placed first. Each feature is diced for. A score of 1 to 4 directs that it must be placed within that quarter. A score of 5 directs that the quarter is chosen by the defender. A score of 6 directs that the quarter is chosen by the invader.
Area features other than Plough or Gentle Hills must be placed entirely within that quarter. A lesser part of any Gentle Hill may, and all Plough and linear features must, extend into 1 only adjacent quarter. A feature that cannot be placed is discarded. There must be a gap of at least 1 BW between area features and between an area feature other than a BUA and any battlefield edge.

BUA

If a BUA (Built-Up Area) is chosen, it must be a City, Fort, Hamlet or Edifice. These are placed like other area features, except that all of a City or Fort must be within 6BW of each of 2 battlefield edges and can be on a hill. (a)

CITY

Has defensive walls, high economic and prestige value and a large population of denizens who will defend it if it has no garrison. It must be modelled with 1 or 2 gates, through which all elements entering or leaving must pass unless enemy assaulting it. It can be passed through along a road by a single friendly group or element even if garrisoned; these using 1 PIP (see P. per element to get from just outside the 1st gate to having the last moving just outside the far gate. Denizens of a City are armed civilians initially loyal to the defender. If a garrison vacates the denizens continue to defend the City. If it is destroyed, they do not. When a garrison or denizens are destroyed in close combat, any 1 of the assaulting enemy elements occupies the City and remains inside it sacking it until its player has a PIP score of 5 or 6. It can then garrison the City or vacate it.
Prior to that, it does not get the garrison tactical factor and cannot shoot or be shot at. Denizens sometimes sallied out to assist a relieving army, so this is allowed if the City does not contain a troop element and there are both enemy and friendly troop elements within 2 BW of the City. They cannot themselves go more than 3 BW from it. Their fighting value in the open is minimal; and the City is undefended in their absence. If the denizens of a City sally out or are destroyed and it is left unoccupied by the enemy or vacated, either side can move into or through it without combat.

If denizens defending inside a City are destroyed by artillery, the City surrenders and is not sacked. An appropriate enemy element immediately becomes a garrison on moving into it. If it is not occupied by the enemy or it is vacated; a puppet administration has been put in power and its denizens will defend the City for the enemy. Denizens of a surrendered City cannot sally, as the puppet administration is fully occupied holding down a doubtful populace.

If a City surrendered or was captured earlier in a campaign and there is no enemy troop garrison or this has been destroyed by shooting, the player that originally owned the City can pay 5 PIPS at the start of any of his side’s bounds for its denizens to revolt against and overthrow the puppet administration, resume their original loyalty and defend the City (treachery by an internal faction was the most common reason for a city’s fall). (b)

FORT

(Or castle) has permanent defenses and a gate and must start the game garrisoned by a foot element. It has no economic value or denizens. It is left undefended if its garrison vacates it or is destroyed; and can then be occupied and garrisoned by any troop element. (c)

HAMLET

(Or Township) - either a small inhabited area of scattered or grouped houses among small enclosed fields, or a larger village or town with denser housing, but no perimeter defenses except fences to keep out animals. It has insignificant economic or defensive value and its inhabitants fled when troops approached. It functions only as rough going. (d)

EDIFICE

- An isolated large building, such as an Amerindian or other pyramid, a pharos, a monastery, a temple or ruins. It has no economic value, denizens or defensive value. It is treated only as bad going, except when it is used as a CAMP.A City can and a Fort must be garrisoned by (a) 1 (non-allied) foot element, placed near its centre but representing defenders manning its perimeter, or if a City (b) in the absence or loss of such a garrison, defended by denizens not represented by an element unless they sally. If the garrison is Artillery, its shooting effect is reduced because the artillery is distributed around the perimeter. Any single troop element [except of Elephants, Scythed Chariots or War Wagons] can occupy an undefended City and then garrison it. A garrison or other occupying element can vacate its BUA voluntarily by a tactical move, but does not pursue defeated attackers.
- Occupiers of a BUA be side any but a paltry river count as defending the bank against enemy elements assaulting it and still partly in that river. Occupiers of a city or fort cannot count as uphill of attackers or assaulters as fighting in bad going, since a hill it is on counts as part of its defenses.
- A city on a hill must incorporate an extra road (not counting as a separate terrain feature) from each gate to the nearest hill edge.

CAMPS

The camp is the logistical element of the army. It is optional if the army has a City or more than 2 War Wagons, compulsory if it does not. It must be in good going (except Plough) on the rear edge of its side’s deployment area or on a waterway or beach, and should have only temporary structures, except that an EDIFICE so positioned can be declared and act as a camp. A camp must be at least 1 BW x ½ BW and fit into a rectangle the length plus width of which totals no more than 4 BW. Unless based on an edifice, it is depicted by an outer perimeter consisting of a simple earthwork and/or palisade, laagered wagons, a brush boma, a group of medieval tents with interlaced guy ropes, yurts with tethered ponies, kneeling camels or anything else appropriate to the army. It can be hollow with an interior space that can be occupied by a single removable defending troop or camp follower element or permanently occupied by fixed camp followers with tents, fires and similar. Your camp can be occupied either (a) by 1 only non-allied troop element [except Elephants or Scythed chariots], which can vacate it or be replaced by another such element, or (b) by camp followers (represented either by a Camp Follower element that can move out of it but without being able to return, or by un-based or fixed figures that cannot move out of it), but not both. If neither has been provided, it has been left undefended. There are rare historical examples of camp followers voluntarily leaving the camp to potentially fight in the open but more realistically as a decoy or false reinforcement. This is therefore permitted, but will be of minimal combat value and leaves the camp undefended.

FIGHTING THE BATTLE DEPLOYMENT

Each side dices and adds the aggression factor of its army list to the score. The side with the lower total is the defender. It chooses and places terrain allowed to its army to create the battlefield. The high scorer is the invader. If the defender has used a road, the invader’s base edge must be one of the edges the road joins. If not, the invader can choose any edge as his base edge except that opposite a waterway. The defender’s base edge is that opposite the invaders. Both sides now place their camps, the defender first. The defender now deploys its troop elements, and then the invader deploys its elements. 1 element of foot may be deployed as the garrison of a friendly city or fort. All other troops must deploy at least 3 BW from the battlefield centre line and from any enemy city or fort. Cavalry, Light Horse, Auxilia or Psiloi must deploy at least 2 BW away from battlefield side edges and others at least 4 BW away. If a waterway has been placed, either side can reserve 2-3 elements whose army’s home terrain is LITTORAL and which do not include Elephants, War Wagons or Artillery; then place them in its 1stbound as a single group with at least 1 element touching the waterway.

SEQUENCE OF PLAY

The defender takes first bound, then the two side’s alternate bounds. During each player's bound : ( 1)

The player dices for Player Initiative Points (PIPs)

[Each representing a share of the general’s attention and ability to communicate]. (2)

The player uses these PIPs to make tactical moves. (3)

Any Artillery, War Wagons or Bows elements of both sides that are eligible to do so, must shoot once each (in case of dispute in the order the moving player decides) and make or inflict outcome moves .(4)

Any elements of both sides whose front edges are in suitable contact with enemy fight in close combat in the order the moving player decides and make or inflict outcome moves.

PLAYER INITIATIVE POINT DICING

The side starts its bound by dicing. The score is the number of Player Initiative Points (PIPs) that can be used for tactical moves this bound. Any unused PIPs are lost, not kept for future bounds. The first move each bound of each single element or column uses 0 PIPs if it is the full distance possible, it is entirely byroad and it does not reverse direction. Each other tactical move uses up 1 PIP.
Except in the side’s 1st bound, a move that uses a PIP uses up an extra PIP for each of the 2 cases following that apply : (a)
If the element or group to be moved includes any Scythed Chariots, Elephants, Hordes, War Wagons, Artillery, denizens or camp followers, or is an element currently garrisoning a city, fort or camp. (b)

If an element other than a general; and its general’s element has been lost or is entirely in a BUA, camp, Wood, Oasis, Marsh or Gully; or if the element or group to be moved starts more than command distance from its general. This is 20BW if entirely Light Horse.
Otherwise, it is 8 BW, except that this is reduced to 4 BW if entirely either beyond the crest of a Hill, beyond a BUA or a camp, on or beyond a Difficult Hill, or in or beyond a Wood, Oasis or Dunes.


TACTICAL MOVES

A tactical move is a voluntary move that normally uses up PIPs and happens before shooting and close combat. It can be by a single element or a group of elements, but cannot include any element currently in close combat. It must not be confused with outcome moves (recoils, flees and pursuits), which are compulsory, do not use up PIPs and follow distant shooting or close combat. A legal tactical move cannot be taken back once the element has been placed unless the initial position was marked and the opponent consent. Such a marker must be removed before starting to move another element. A tactical move by a single element can be in any direction, even diagonal or oblique can pass through any gap its leading edge can fit through and can end facing in any direction. It cannot be used by an element in close combat, which can break-off only by a recoil or flee outcome move. An element that uses its move to dismount is exchanged (with its front edge in the same place) for the foot type, and then moves in later bounds as that foot. It cannot dismount in an enemy Threat Zone (TZ).

A group is a contiguous set of elements all facing in the same direction with each in both edge and corner-to-corner contact with another; or leading, or following another element in, a column. A column is a group only 1 element wide. To move as a group, each element must move parallel to or follow the first to move, move the same distance, or wheel through the same angles with the group’s entire front edge pivoting forward around a front corner. No other changes in frontage, direction or facing can be made, except to pivot, wheel and/or slide sideways to line up in an enemy TZ, or to conform in close combat. Groups are temporary: if the whole of a group cannot move, some of its elements will probably be able to move as a smaller group or as separate single elements.

Conversely, a group or single element can move to join other elements and make its next move as a group including these. Allied elements can only make a group move with elements of their contingent. A group move by road, or across bad (not rough) going must be in or into a column unless entirely by Psiloi. A group move can include reducing frontage to form such a column for this or any other purpose. The leading element moves forward, then others successively join behind it, moving as if by single element moves. No element can end with its front edge further to its original rear. Elements that do not join the tail of the column that bound are no longer part of the same group. Once in the column, each element follows the leading element and wheels in succession at the same places through the same angles.

TACTICAL MOVE DISTANCES

Movement is measured between the starting point of the furthest moving front corner and that corner’s final position. If the element deviates to avoid terrain, troops or TZ, the extra distance is added. A move can be up to:4 BW If Light Horse, Cavalry or Scythed Chariots and only in good going.3 BW If Knights, Elephants, Camelry or mounted infantry and only in good going, or if “Fast” foot in any going.2 BW If “Solid” Auxilia or “Solid” Warband in any going, or any foot other than “Fast” foot and only in good going1 BW If any troops other than “Fast” foot, Auxilia or Warband and in bad or rough going for any part of the move(except that Artillery and War Wagons cannot deploy or move at all off-road in bad going).1 BW If the front edge of any single element or group is in a non-paltry river for part of the move. All movement by an element or group that is entirely along a road is treated as in good going.

SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT TACTICAL MOVES DURING THE SAME BOUND

Elements or groups that have already moved this bound can make a 2nd or subsequent tactical move, but only if this does not start or go within 1 BW of enemy unless while moving along a road and is entirely by : (a) Light Horse or mounted infantry; and making a 2nd or 3rd move that is entirely in good going.(b) Psiloi making a 2nd move if either in their side’s 1st bound of the game, or if every element starts entirely in good going, but ends at least partially in bad going.(c) Troops moving along a road if making a 2nd or subsequent move.

CROSSING A RIVER

Troops that enter a river must continue crossing at the same angle to its course as they enter, or divert by the minimum necessary to line up in close combat with an enemy element. The first element to try to cross a river off-road during the game must dice for its state, which then applies along its entire length for both sides for the whole game. A score of 1 or 2indicates that the river is paltry, too shallow and easy banked to aid defense and can be passed through as if good going, 3or 4 that it slows crossing and its banks aid defense, 5 or 6 that it slows crossing, its banks aid defense and that only single elements or elements in or forming column can cross it during the game, wider groups stopping at the near bank.





INTERPENETRATING TROOPS.

If making a tactical move or fleeing, a mounted element can pass through friendly Psiloi or Psiloi pass through any friends, but in both cases only if there is sufficient clear space beyond and enough move to occupy it; and either (a) it starts at least partly directly in front and ends the move lined-up behind or (b) starts lined-up behind and ends lined-up in front. Recoilers can pass through friends facing in exactly the same direction to a clear space immediately behind the first element met, but only if either (a) mounted troops recoiling into any friends except Pikes, Hordes or Elephants, (b) Blades recoiling into Blades or Spears, (c) Pikes or Bows are recoiling into Blades, or (d) Psiloi recoiling into any friends except Psiloi. Since the men represented by an element are not necessarily in a rigid permanent formation, 1rear corner may pass through another element or an enemy TZ or a terrain feature while the element’s front edge pivots or wheels, rearward men having notionally moved directly to their new positions.

THREAT ZONE

The area 1 BW deep in front of an element or the area within 1 BW of any point of a camp, city or fort containing enemy is its Threat Zone (TZ). A single element or a group in, entering or touching the far edge of an enemy TZ can move only: (a) to contact or advance towards line up with the front edge of 1 such element (or contact that camp, city or fort), or (b) straight back for its entire move, or (c) after combat; as an outcome move or if still in contact with enemy and it must conform.

MOVING INTO CONTACT WITH ENEMY

The general principle is that troops that would contact in real life do so in the game and that moving a front edge into contact with enemy must result in combat. At the end of the bound’s movement phase the contacting element or at least one element of a contacting group must be lined-up with an enemy element, either; (a) in full mutual front edge contact, (b) in full front edge to rear edge contact, or (c) in front edge to side edge contact with front corners in contact, or (d) with no enemy in contact to its front, but in overlap (see p.10). If this is not possible, the move does not happen. One party moves the minimum distance to so conform. Contactors conform using their tactical move; except that an extra slide sideways of less than 1 BW that is the minimum necessary to conform after contacting an enemy front edge is allowed. Elements contacted this bound by enemy or whose front edge is still in contact when combat ends conform automatically. A single element contacting a single element conforms to it. A single element or group contacting a group conforms to that group.

A single element contacted by a group conforms to that group unless itself entirely in bad or rough going in which case the group conforms. If conforming to a front edge by contactors is prevented by part-element spacing between enemy or physically blocked by other enemy or a terrain feature; contacted elements must either conform or fight as if in full contact and overlapped. Unless turning to face a flank or rear contact (see p.10), contacted elements conform at contact. An element can move into edge contact with an enemy flank edge only if it starts entirely on the opposite side of a line prolonging that edge or if partly on the opposite sides of lines prolonging both flank and rear edges. It can move into contact with an enemy rear edge only if it starts entirely on the far side of a line prolonging that edge. CP, Lit, CWg, Art or WWg cannot move into any contact with enemy, except that a WWg mobile tower can contact an enemy-held city, fort or camp. Other elements except Scythed Chariots can contact a city, fort or camp with their front edge.

MOVING INTO CONTACT WITH ENEMY

The general principle is that troops that would contact in real life do so in the game and that moving a front edge into contact with enemy must result in combat. At the end of the bound’s movement phase the contacting element or at least one element of a contacting group must be lined-up with an enemy element, either; (a) in full mutual front edge contact, (b) in full front edge to rear edge contact, or (c) in front edge to side edge contact with front corners in contact, or (d) with no enemy in contact to its front, but in overlap (see p.10). If this is not possible, the move does not happen. One party moves the minimum distance to so conform. Contactors conform using their tactical move; except that an extra slide sideways of less than 1 BW that is the minimum necessary to conform after contacting an enemy front edge is allowed. Elements contacted this bound by enemy or whose front edge is still in contact when combat ends conform automatically. A single element contacting a single element conforms to it. A single element or group contacting a group conforms to that group.

A single element contacted by a group conforms to that group unless itself entirely in bad or rough going in which case the group conforms. If conforming to a front edge by contactors is prevented by part-element spacing between enemy or physically blocked by other enemy or a terrain feature; contacted elements must either conform or fight as if in full contact and overlapped. Unless turning to face a flank or rear contact (see p.10), contacted elements conform at contact. An element can move into edge contact with an enemy flank edge only if it starts entirely on the opposite side of a line prolonging that edge or if partly on the opposite sides of lines prolonging both flank and rear edges. It can move into contact with an enemy rear edge only if it starts entirely on the far side of a line prolonging that edge. CP, Lit, CWg, Art or WWg cannot move into any contact with enemy, except that a WWg mobile tower can contact an enemy-held city, fort or camp. Other elements except Scythed Chariots can contact a city, fort or camp with their front edge.







If its total is equal to that of its opponent:

No effect if attacking or defending a city, fort or camp. If not :
Scythed Chariots. Destroyed.
Knights or Camelry. Destroyed in close combat by Bows if these are Lb or Cb or by any Blades, recoiled in close combat by other “Solid” foot. 4Kn recoiled in close combat by 3Kn. Otherwise no effect.
Other mounted. Recoiled by “Solid” foot in close combat, otherwise no effect. Fast foot. Recoiled by “Solid” foot in close combat with it or shooting at it, Otherwise no effect.
Solid foot. No effect.

If its total is less than that of its opponent but more than half :

Destroyed if defenders of a city, fort or camp or denizens or camp followers that have sallied or mounted infantry in bad going. Recoil if in close combat against defenders of a city, fort or camp. No effect if CP, Lit or CWg. Otherwise :

Elephants. Destroyed by Psiloi, Auxilia, and Light Horse or by Artillery shooting. If not, recoil.
Scythed Chariots. Flee if shot at unless at least partly on their rear edge.
If not, destroyed.
Knights. Destroyed by Elephants, Scythed Chariots, Camelry or Light Horse.
If not, recoil.
Camelry. Destroyed by Scythed Chariots or if themselves in bad going. Flee from Elephants,
If not, recoil.
Cavalry. Flee from Scythed Chariots, or if in bad going. If not, recoil.
Light Horse. Flee from Scythed Chariots, from Artillery shooting, or if in bad going.
If not, recoil.
Spears, Pikes or Blades. Destroyed by Knights or Scythed Chariots if in good going or by Warband. If not, recoil.
Auxilia. Destroyed by Knights if in good going. If not, recoil. Bows. Destroyed by any mounted. If not, recoil.
Psiloi. Destroyed by Knights, Cavalry or Camelry in going which to the opponent is good. If not, recoil.
Warband. Destroyed by Knights or Scythed Chariots if in good going.
If not, recoil.
Hordes. Destroyed by Knights or Elephants in good going, or by Warband. Recoil if shot at. If neither, no effect.
War Wagons. Destroyed by Artillery shooting or by Elephants. If not, no effect. Artillery. Destroyed.
If its total is half or less than half that of its opponent:

Destroyed if defenders of a city, fort or camp. If not :

Cavalry. Flee from Pikes, Spears or Hordes if in good going or Artillery in close combat. If not, destroyed.
Light Horse. Destroyed by any mounted, Artillery shooting, Bows or Psiloi, or if in bad going. If not, flee.
Psiloi. Destroyed by Knights, Cavalry, Camelry or Light Horse if in going these count as good or if in close combat against Auxilia, Bows or Psiloi. Recoil from Elephants or Scythed Chariots. If not, flee.
All others. Destroyed.

DESTROYED ELEMENTS

A destroyed element is removed. This represents an unacceptable number of its men being killed, disabled or made prisoner and the remaining survivors dispersing and quitting the battlefield individually, wagons and artillery having been smashed and abandoned by crews, elephant dead, fleeing in panic or captured, or denizens defending a city abandoning the walls. An element destroyed by an equal result was brought to a disorganised halt in a critically dangerous position.





















RECOILING

This represents troops falling back a short distance under enemy pressure while continuing to maintain formation and fight. A recoiling element moves straight back without turning : A foot element always moves its own base depth or ½ BW if this is less than its base depth. A mounted element can choose either to move 1 BW or to move its own base depth if this is less than 1 BW. If the recoiling element is Elephants, all friends or enemy met that are not in a BUA or camp are destroyed. Elephants recoiling from close combat against the defenders of a city or fort are destroyed. If 2 Elephant elements meet, both are destroyed. Surviving elephants finish their recoil. If the recoiling element is not Elephants, friends facing in the same direction are interpenetrated if allowed. If not so allowed they are pushed back far enough to make room for the recoil unless they are Elephants or War-Wagons.
An element with a recoil outcome to shooting at least partially on its rear edge turns to face its rear before recoiling. A recoiling or pushed back element whose rear edge or rear corner meets terrain it cannot enter, a battlefield edge, friends it cannot pass through or push back, enemy or a city, fort or camp ends its move there. A recoiling or pushed back element that is already in such contact with any of these or that starts with enemy in front edge contact with its flank, rear or rear corner cannot move and is destroyed instead.

FLEEING

This represents a panic individual rush to the rear, ending as a confused mass until reformed by making a tactical move. A fleeing element turns 180 degrees in place; and then moves straight forward without turning its full tactical move distance for the going it starts in. If it contacts a side battlefield edge, it pivots and continues the move along that edge towards its rear battlefield edge. If any part of it crosses any other battlefield edge it is removed as lost. It stops if its front edge (or front corner only) contacts any of: (a) enemy that it does not destroy, (b) friends it cannot pass-through (as specified by INTERPENETRATING FRIENDLY TROOPS on page 9), (c) a city, fort or camp, (d) a waterway, or (e) unless it is Psiloi or Light Horse, any bad going it is not already at least partly in except marsh. It is destroyed if it starts with an enemy front edge in contact with its flank or rear edges, or if after turning it cannot move at all, or if it enters any river. If a friendly or enemy element prevents further movement by fleeing Elephants or Scythed Chariots, both elements are destroyed.




PURSUING

This represents following up a retiring close combat opponent or panicked survivors of a destroyed element with the intention of continuing to kill them. Unless it is in a city, fort or camp, or would cross a battlefield edge, or is in or a pursuit move would enter bad going other than Marsh or Gully, an element whose close combat opponents recoil, flee or are destroyed (and all elements in column behind a pursuing element of any of these) must immediately pursue, but only if:(a) Any element that destroys the defenders of a city, fort or camp in close combat. It immediately moves into that feature.(b) An element of Knights (other than 4Kn), Scythed Chariots, Elephants or Hordes pursues 1 BW straight ahead.(c) An element that is of Pikes, Blades (but not CP, Lit or CWg) or Warband and that fought against foot (other than Psiloi)pursues ½ BW straight ahead. If a pursuing element’s front edge contacts enemy or its front corner contacts an enemy front edge, it or they line up immediately as if contact was by a tactical move, but the resulting combat is resolved next bound.

LOST ELEMENTS

An element has been lost if it has been destroyed, or has recoiled, fled or been pushed back across a battlefield edge. Those that crossed a battlefield edge and destroyed camp followers or denizens are only lost for this battle and will reappear in the next turn of a campaign.

WINNING AND LOSING THE BATTLE

The first side that at the end of any bound has lost 4 elements not including Scythed Chariots, Hordes; camp followers or denizens loses the battle if it has also lost more such elements than the enemy has lost. The first double element lost counts as 2 elements lost. A general lost during the battle counts as 1 extra element lost. A camp that has been sacked by enemy counts as 1 element lost. A City occupied by enemy during the battle and still under enemy control counts as 2 elements lost if it was used without a camp or 1 if used with a camp. Scythed Chariots do not count towards the lost total because while expensive to provide their loss is expected and discounted. Hordes do not count because other troops do not regard them as equals or of much importance. Camp followers and denizens do not count because they are self-replacing (there are usually plenty of hopeful new prospective inhabitants for a once prosperous city and of hungry peasants willing to adopt soldiers who will feed them).




EXTENDED OR MULTIPLE GAMES MULTI-GAME TOURNAMENTS

Tournaments consist of several rounds of games, each usually played to a time limit, commonly of 60 minutes. Army composition and allies must be declared by the start of the first game and cannot be changed between games; except that an element listed as / or // can be deployed at the start of each game as either mounted or dismounted. Organisers of established tournaments usually have their own tried and tested scoring systems. If you are designing your own system, it needs to ensure that a single massive victory does not outweigh a more consistent string of successes, that wins are always more valuable than draws/unfinished games and players are not encouraged to get ahead in a game by a small margin then stall. A Swiss chess competition format enables players potentially travelling long distances to play in every round. Anachronistic pairings should be minimised by organisers giving priority to pairings between those armies with equal cumulative scores whose army lists specify each other as historical enemies. This principle can be taken further by each player bringing a historically opposed pair of armies and dicing for which player’s pair is used, the other player then choosing which he commands; but at the cost of reducing variety.
If it is important to eliminate draws (as in knock-out competitions) and neither side has achieved victory when the time limit is reached, one possible solution available to the organiser is to eliminate both players.

BIG BATTLE D.B.A

This is a variant enabling a single player on each side to use a larger army divided into commands and a larger playing area, but without the increased historical detail of DBMM. This differs from the standard version only as described below. Each army consists of 36 elements. If it is from a single list, multiply the number of elements of each type allowed by the army list by 3. Each of the 3 generals controls a command of at least 6 elements chosen from those available. The army can instead include allied commands of the same year from lists with a different number or with the same number but a different letter, which are always full 12-element independent armies from those lists. Allied elements can only be in an allied command. If there is only 1 allied command, the remainder of the army is then restricted to its list multiplied by 2instead of 3. If there are 2 allied commands, they must be from different lists and the remaining command is also a normal12-element army from its own list. One non-allied general must be designated as Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C). The C-in-C and all ally-generals must be of a troop type specified by their list as general. Other generals can be any element of their list except Lit, CWg, CP, Hordes, Scythed Chariots or Artillery, but cannot ride an elephant unless the C-in-C could ride an elephant. The width of the battlefield is doubled, but the depth remains the same. The number of compulsory features is changed to 1-3 and the number of optional features is changed to 2-4. There still cannot be more than 1 each of Waterway, River, Oasis, Gully or BUA; or more than 2 Roads, or more than 3 features of the same type. An allied command must be provided with its own camp; otherwise the whole army has 1 normal-size camp unless it has a City and chooses to use this instead. A camp can only be defended by an element of its own command or camp followers. The defender places terrain as in standard DBA, except that a Waterway cannot be placed on a long side. The invader chooses a long side as his base edge, the defender takes that opposite. Either the defender deploys all commands, then the invader deploys all his (the quickest method; and note that the defender has first move); or the defender deploys 1 or more commands, then each in turn places a command. Each element not in a city, fort or camp must be deployed within 8 BW of its command’s general. A littoral landing must be by a full command provided by an army whose own home topography is LITTORAL; and all that command’s elements must deploy within 1 BW of the Water Way.
One PIP dice is needed for each command. All a side’s dice must be the same color except that an allied command’s dice must be a different color and is always used for that command.
The player must write down after terrain has been placed and base edges chosen which non-allied command will always be given the highest scoring dice, which the next highest scoring dice, and which the lowest scoring dice. He discloses this when he first dices for PIPs.
Plough is rough if 1st bound PIPs total less than a command’s PIPs cease to be diced for when all its elements have been lost or left the battlefield. Once in each game, the C-in-C’s element can add +1 to its combat score after this has been calculated. An element is lost if it is destroyed or crosses a battlefield edge, but not if only demoralised. The first double element lost by each command counts as 2 elements lost, and the loss of its general as an extra element lost. An allied command whose camp is destroyed counts this as extra losses only to that command. Any other camp destroyed or city currently controlled by the enemy counts as extra losses to each non-allied command. A command that at the start of any of its bounds whose lost elements other than Scythed Chariots, Hordes, camp followers or denizens total a third of its original troop elements is permanently demoralised. During the remainder of the game it cannot make tactical moves, but it can use PIPs to turn and hold in place individual elements or to hold in place groups. Other elements not in close combat immediately flee directly towards the nearest point on the army’s base edge, but making an initial turn if necessary. This is repeated at the start of each subsequent friendly bound, each element not held that bound or in close combat fleeing whether or not it fled before.

Elements not in a city, fort or camp suffer a -2 tactical factor in close combat. A command that has lost half of all its original troop elements is removed. An army whose cumulative total of lost elements at the end of any bound other than Scythed Chariots, camp followers or denizens is at least half its original troop elements or has 2 of its commands removed or demoralised; and that has also lost more such elements in that bound than the enemy has lost the battle.

GIANT D.B.A

Giant DBA is an extension of Big Battle DBA for games with several players on each side and/or re-fighting large historical battles. It differs only as described below. A separate player controls each general (or more than 1 general).Each side’s C-in-C must specify either that all generals dice independently for PIPs, or specify the order in which PIP dice are to be allocated among them according to their scores. Army size is increased to 12 elements x number of generals. The width of the battlefield is increased to 3 times that of standard DBA and the depth can optionally be increased by up to half. The number of compulsory features becomes 1-4 and the number of optional features becomes 3-6, not more than 4 of which can be the same type.





HISTORICAL REFIGHTS

As Big DBA or Giant DBA, except that the armies and terrain are based on those of a large historical battle the battlefield area must be scaled to the size of the area historically fought over. Terrain features are not chosen by the usual selection rules, but are chosen and placed by agreement to duplicate the terrain of the real battle. Research the number of commands and troops actually used, then calculate the number of elements to be used according tothe following ratios, representing the number that would occupy the same space as an element at the ground scale used. An element of mounted or foot warriors represents 500-600 foot other than horde, 1,000+ horde, or 250-300 horse or camel riders. Other elements each represent up to 25 elephants or 50 chariots, war wagons or artillery pieces.

CAMPAIGNS

Campaigns are considered by many to be the highest form of wargaming. At the very top end, they can have a very large number of postal or internet players moderated by an umpire through general and personalised news reports, (usually
supported by a news sheet such as the “Shadizar Herald”, “News of the Known World” or “Grape Vine” containing a potent mix of truth, exaggeration, rumour and player propaganda) to which each player responds with written orders; and include diplomacy, politics and economics which sometimes overwhelm the military aspects. Such campaigns place a great load on the umpire and the really good ones may continue for many years. At the bottom end, they can be simple affairs at club level to provide an excuse for a series of battles at the same meeting in which each is partially dependent on the results of those before and so are not always between armies of identical strength. This section is mainly included for potential organiser of such the first requirement is a stylised map, ideally depicting an area historically involved. Each player controls a nation of several sub-territories. Movement is between provinces or (my preference) between nodes (usually major cities) of a transport network. Hex maps should never be used, because in real life there are few places from which it is possible to move a significant military force in 6 directions. You can nearly always move in 2 directions (forward or back), often in 3. A network node from which an army can move in more than 3 directions is strategically important. Moves differed in difficulty. In real life, a move across mountains was the most difficult. Opposed movement across a major river was less so, because of the problem in blocking all crossing points. Some terrain affected some armies more than others. For example, desert would not greatly affect an army from a Dry area, but would be very difficult for an Arable area army. Movement by sea was impossible in winter; and risky in spring and autumn unless moving along a coast line.
Moving an army took far more time than today and battles rarely followed in close succession. Even a month may be too short for a playing period, and I use a full 3 month season. In a one-day club campaign, a modified PIP system is ideal. Each player dices at the start of each season and can move any combination of armies and stages (of varying PIP cost) up to his total of PIPs. With several players, it is necessary to decide the order in which they move. I recommend that using a modified PIP system, with each player dicing at the start of each campaign year. The player with the highest PIP in the first season of each year moves first, then play continues clockwise for the rest of the year. To avoid fence sitting, we recommend that a player scoring 6 must either invade a neighbor or attack another player occupying the same territory. A player that loses a battle immediately retires 1 move if it can. A drawn battle counts as a win to the defender, since he loses no territory. At the end of a campaign year, armies go into winter quarters and start recruiting. Ideally, this should only partly replace losses and be tied to how much territory the defender has left or how many move stages the invader is from home.

ARMY LISTS

The armies listed represent typical or especially important (rather than all possible) historical armies of the nation covered. Each list provides sufficient flexibility to allow for some historic variation or differences of interpretation, but not to allow armies to be tailored for specific opponents. Such foreign mercenaries or subject races as were habitually used are included, but allied troops serving under their own generals are usually not, since provision is made for them as allied contingents in standard DBA or as a complete allied command in Big Battle DBA. The lists are a simplified version of the four list books of DBMM and have the same numbers and titles. As well as defining the troops available to the army, each list also defines its home terrain, aggression factor, historical enemies and possible allies; and (a feature not in DBMM lists) suggests especially good books for research or inspiration.

TROOP DEFINITIONS

Each troop entry has the number of elements of that sort that can be used, the name, and the type code as defined on page 5./ between 2 codes or prefix numbers directs that either can be used by all (not some of) those elements. Psiloi and foot that are listed as 3, 5 or 6 to a base are classed as “Fast”, others as “Solid”. // between 2 codes means that the mounted element can be exchanged for the dismounted element during the game.



HOME TERRAIN

This is usually that of the army’s heartland, but sometimes that of a border area where the entry of invaders will be opposed.

AGGRESSION FACTOR

This is a number from 0 to 4, based on how likely the army was historically to fight at home or to invade another nation. Opposing armies each add their aggression factor to the score of a dice, then compare totals to decide which army fights in home terrain.

HISTORICAL ENEMIES

This lists all the other armies it sometimes fought against. This enables competition organisers to pair historical opponents in an initial round or if accumulated scores are equal. Since a DBA army needs less than 50 figures, we hope that players will produce armies in opposing pairs or sets rather than mostly fight unhistorical opponents.

ALLIED CONTINGENTS

An army is allowed ally contingents from another listed army specified at the bottom of its own army list. The allies listed include only armies that fought on the same side in a historical battle and usually only if the allied army is of substantially different troop types or has a completely separate command structure. The advantage of using an allied contingent apart from it being necessary to represent an important historical battle is that it may provide specialist troops not otherwise available. The compensating disadvantage is that its elements cannot be moved as a group with elements of the main army or of another allied contingent so will probably be a serious PIP drain. A single allied contingent consists of exactly 3 elements from its own army list. In the rare instances when more than 1allied army provided allied contingents at the same battle, two allied contingents from different armies are allowed, each of exactly 2 elements. An allied contingent must include the general’s element of its army (which does not function as a general) and at least 1element from the entry with the largest number of elements. If the army has 2 troop types with that number allowed, the player chooses which to use. Any 3rd element is the player’s choice of those elements remaining unused. Allied elements are exchanged for the same number of elements from the main army’s list, which cannot include its general.



SOURCES

The sources mentioned at the foot of the list notes are those that have in the past inspired the choice of an army or provide extra information on its composition or history. Original sources are usually very useful if allowance is made for bad translation or not being exactly contemporary. Eyewitness accounts are best. The Osprey series are often useful, but are sometimes now very outdated since they are never revised, while the authors sometimes have pet theories they wish to foist on you, and the illustrators neglect the humdrum parts of the army and often invent uniform colors. Modern academic works also have to be used with caution, since no academic got promoted by saying his predecessor was right (unless of course he is their faculty head) and they rarely credit non-academic authors. However, one good new insight is often worth buying a book for. Historical novels can also be useful. The authors can bring an era to life and are often knowledgeable. For example, Alfred Duggan fought in Norway, rode horses cross-country, was widely travelled in the near east, studied Crusader castles and taught history and classics before he wrote his first novel “Knight with Armour” (the story of a put-upon rookie knight on the 1st Crusade); and Harry Sidebottom, the author of the “Ballista” series (based on 3rd Century Roman wars with the Sassanid) lectures in classical history at the University of Oxford. Two especially useful publications for geographical relationships and the history of the rise and fall of states are “The New Penguin Atlas of Ancient History” and “The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History” by Colin McEvedy and David Woodroffe. Another is “The Geographic Background of Greek & Roman History” by M. Cary. Googled websites such as Wikipedia are often useful for dates, persons and geography. Lastly, “Slingshot”, the journal of the Society of Ancients, often includes articles on obscure armies; and past issues are available to Society members on disc fromwww.soa.org.uk.