TO THE STRONGEST!
Fast-moving rules or Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Wargaming By Simon Miller Version 1.1
TO THE STRONGEST! Fast-moving rules or Ancient and Medieval Wargaming Wargaming Version 1.1
Rules designed and written by: Simon Miller. Design and layout: Michael “Millsy” Mills. Photography: Simon Miller, Ian Notter and various contributors. BigRedBat Ventures logo design: Pete “PK” Barfield. Editing: Aaron Bell, Grégory Privat, Neil Graber, Kent Reuber, John Mumby, William Stewart, JJ Parus, Shirley and Harry Miller. Playtesting: Ian Notter, Simon Moore, George Moraitis, Nigel Montord, Jay Stocks, Dug Page-Crof, Paul Scrivens-Smith, Martin Hogg, Roberto Ferrara, Paolo Caputo and others. With special thanks to: Ian Notter, Michael “Millsy” Mills, Aaron Bell and Mark Freeth. Published by BigRedBat Ventures, London, England. © Copyright BigRedBat Ventures, 2015.
Acknowledgements Te author would like to express his gratitude to the many people who helped him to produce this book. He would like to thank all those gaming mates who have been patient with him during the play-testing process. Tese include ellow Muswell Militiamen Ian Notter (who suggested the title o� the rules and who has made numerous helpul modifications to the rules mechanisms), Simon Moore, George Moraitis, Nigel Montord, Jay Stocks, and Dug Page-Crof. Tanks also to various various remote play testers including Paul Scrivens-Smith, Scrivens-Smith, Martin Hogg, Roberto Ferrara and Paolo Caputo, and to everyone who tried them at shows or the Wargames Holiday Centre.
Particular thanks to Ian Notter or taking many o� the photos that illustrate the rules and or the use o� his 15mm Macedonian and Roman miniatures. Photos have also been included, with permission, o� figures rom the collections o� Adam Smith, David Imrie, Simon MacDowall and Bennett Blalock-Doane. Blalock-Doane. Uncredited pictures pictures are o� miniatures rom the author’s collection. Finally, and most importantly, the author would very much like to thank his wie, Jean, who has been so patient and supportive during his “labour o� love”.
Tanks to Bevan Ferreira or his many helpul suggestions, and to Grégory Privat, Aaron Bell, Neil Graber, Kent Reuber, John Mumby, William Stewart, JJ Parus and the author’s mother Shirley and son Harry, or their heroic prooreading efforts. Aaron alone removed removed at least 500 500 surplus commas! commas! Michael “Millsy” Mills very kindly laid out this version o� the rules or printing. Grégory Privat suggested a useul approach to reviewing the rules, which helped to eliminate many inconsistencies. Te author would also like to thank Simon MacDowall or sharing his experiences regarding publishing a set o� rules. Te wargames figures rom the author’s collection that illustrate these rules are rom a wide range o� manuacturers, including Wargames Foundry, Aventine Aventine Miniatures, Miniatures, Gripping Gripping Beast, Black ree ree Designs and Warlord Warlord Games. Many have been painted by his riends: in particular Nick Speller, who has painted more Romans than one could shake a vitus at (and (and rather more Celts). Andrés Amián Fernández has has painted some some terrific Roman command figures or the author, including a stunning Caesar. Caesar. David Imrie has long long inspired the author with the high standard o� his work, and very kindly sold him some superb Early Imperials and a rather lovely King Arthur. Adam “Aventine” “Aventine” Smith sculpts a mean mini, and does a beautiul paint job on it, too! Finally, a big thank you you to Shaun “Redzed” Watson who very kindly sold the author the lovely Aventine Polybian Romans eatured in the rules.
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Druids consult the omens. Beautiully painted by chum Shaun Watson.
Legal Leg al Bits Bi ts Tese rules are Copyright © Simon Miller, 2014. No part o� this publication may be reproduced or transmitted transmitted in any orm or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission o� the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated circulated in any orm o� binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed upon the subsequent purchaser.
Acknowledgements and Legal Bits
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Table of Cont Contents ents Acknowledgements ............. .......................... ......................I .........I
V. Offering Battle ............. .......................... ..................... ........ 32
Legal Leg al Bits.............................. .......................................................... ............................II
Introduction ........................ Introduction .................................. .................... ......... 1
Positioning the terrain pieces .....................32 Positioning .....................32 Stratagems Strata gems ............................ ....................................................33 ........................33 Scouting Scoutin g ........................... ........................................................35 .............................35 Deploying Deployin g for battle............................ .....................................36 .........36 Sharing Sharin g box boxes es ...............................................36
Design Desi gn Notes ....................... .................................. .................... ......... 2
VI. The Player Turn Sequence ............ .............. 37
I. Preparin Pr eparing g for War .......... ..................... ..................... .......... 4
The activ activation ation process ............................. .................................37 ....37 Moving Movin g............................. ..........................................................40 .............................40 Charging Chargin g .............................. ......................................................42 ........................42 Shooting Shootin g ........................... ........................................................44 .............................44 Rallying ............................ .........................................................47 .............................47 Melees.............................. Melees ...........................................................48 .............................48
Table of Contents ........... ...................... ...................... ............. .. II List of Figures........... ...................... ...................... .................... ......... II
The Battlefield .......................... ................................................ ......................4 4 The Armies Ar mies .......................... ..................................................... ...........................5 5 Representative Representati ve Scale ...................................... 6 Basing Basin g the Armies .......................................... ..........................................7 7 Terrain Pieces........................... ................................................. ......................7 7 Playing Playin g Cards and Markers .......................... .......................... 8
VII. Laurels to the Victor .......... ..................... ............. 53
II. Generals Generals,, Heroes, Units and Camps Camps .. 10
VIII. Advice and and Examples of Play ...... 54
Generals.......................... ........................................................10 ..............................10 Units........................... ............................................................. ...................................12 .12 Unit descriptions .........................................15 descriptions .........................................15 Camps and Fortifications ............................25
Advice for Aspiring Generals ......................54 Resolving Resolvin g a melee inside ten seconds .........54 Extended example example of play ..........................54 ..........................54
III. The Lay of the Land .......... ..................... .............. ... 27 IV.. Preparing for Battle ........... IV ...................... .............. ... 30 Choosing the troops........................... Choosing .....................................30 ..........30 The order of battle.......................................30 Victory points........................... ...............................................30 ....................30 Victory medals .............................................31 .............................................31 Choosing Choosin g the terrain ter rain pieces ........................31 pieces ........................31
IX. Additional Material .................... ........................ .... 56 Advanced rules ............................................56 Points values.............................. .................................................59 ...................59 Army lists.............................. ......................................................59 ........................59 Scenarios .............................. ......................................................66 ........................66 Club and tournament games ......................67 Megagaming with To the Strongest! ..........68 Further reading.............................. ............................................69 ..............69
Index ........... ...................... ...................... ...................... ..................... .......... 71 Quick Reference Sheets ........... ...................... ............. .. 73
List of Fi Figures gures I: Recommended grid and table sizes for 15mm or smaller figures ........................ ........................5 5 II: Recommended grid and table sizes for 20mm or larger figures........................... figures ...........................5 5 III: War Wagon movement and shooting .......25 IV: Battlefield zones ..........................................32 ..........................................32 V: Deploymen Deploymentt zones................................. ........................................36 .......36 VI: Activ Activations ations ...................................................37 ...................................................37 VII: Potential march moves for a foot unit .....40 VIII: Zones of control ................................ .......................................41 .......41 IX: A prohibited diagonal move.......................41 X: Entering a box which already contains a friendly unit ..............................................41 ..............................................41
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XI: Entering and leavin leaving g the battlefield ..........42 XII: Permitted and prohibited charges............43 charges ............43 XIII: Number of ammunitio ammunition n chits at the start of a battle .............................. ..................................44 ....44 XIV: Shootin Shooting g rang ranges es ........................................45 XV: Shootin Shooting g arcs.............................. ..............................................45 ................45 XVI: Tracing line of sight............................... .................................46 ..46 XVII: Target priorities ......................................47 ......................................47 XVIII: Save modifiers ........................................50 ........................................50 XIX: Rampage Rampage paths ............................ ........................................52 ............52 XX: Extended example of play ........................55 ........................55
Table of Conten Contents ts and List of of Fi Figures gures
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Chaeronea 86BC. Pontics on the lef ace Sulla’s Romans on the right; the cohort in the oreground is disordered.
Introduction is a set o� ancient and medieval To the Strongest! is tabletop wargaming rules that has been designed to give novices an entertaining introduction to the periods whilst also providing seasoned gamers with a challenging evening’s play. Te rules were originally written to address the author’s passion or refighting ancient battles rom Classical Greece and the period o� Macedonian dominance o� the Eastern Mediterranean through to the rise and eventual all o� the Roman Empire. Tey have been designed so that they can be used or anything rom solo play with 100 or so miniatures through to huge games with 3000 plus miniatures and up to 5 players players a side. A square grid has been used to promote promote speed o� play. Tis also enables figures which have been based on different rontages or use with a variety o� rule systems to be used together on the same battlefield. Absolutely no dice are used in in To the Strongest! Instead, an innovative (and entertaining) entertaining) mechanism uses playing cards to activate units, which can each potentially move or fight multiple times during the same turn.
Te rules are simple enough that players who have not previously encountered them – including wargaming novices novices and young people – can be taught the basics in ten minutes and then learn the rest “on the job”. Tey are written in plain English, with lots o� description or those new to the hobby. Te rules use examples o� play, diagrams and photographs to to illustrate key concepts. Jargon has been kept to an absolute minimum. Te author has illustrated the rules with many o� his avourite photos o� wargames figures, because he believes that a beautiully painted army grasps the imagination o� gamers both young and old. He is especially keen to attract more o� the ormer to our hobby, and the young gamer, especially, loves to paint! Despite their relative simplicity, the author believes that these rules capture the essential flavour o� an ancient or medieval battle, and that the more seasoned gamer will find more than enough command decisions to entertain and challenge him. He hopes that players will enjoy very many happy games. May victory always go to the strongest!
Shooting and melees are resolved quickly and decisively, amidst a flurry o� playing cards.
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Introduction
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Design Desi gn Notes Not es Te author has enjoyed playing a great many game, as there is no need or measurement, nor different sets o� ancient warare rules. Around three indeed measures, templates or suchlike flummery. years ago he became rustrated when he ound there A square grid can be marked out out in 10 minutes minutes and wasn’t sufficient time to complete the very large rendered almost invisible, being indicated only by participation wargames which he loves to put on subtle markings at the corners o� the squares. at wargames shows. shows. He decided that he needed to In these rules battlefield riction, “the orce that write a set o� simple, ast playing rules that would makes the apparently easy, so difficult”, is simulated work well at a show, and that would, additionally, by simple and quick activation tests, made in seconds meet his regular wargaming wargaming needs at home. home. In late using playing cards, that units must pass to move, 2011 he began to write the rules that would later be charge, evade or rally. Units may potentially potentially activate named “o the Strongest!” several times, but a ailure in any test usually ends In the view o� the author, most ancient battles were the turn or the entire command to which the unit linear affairs, where the two sides lined up parallel belongs. A player will, thereore, have have a rather greater to each other and advanced more or less directly chance o� successully activating all o� the units orward into contact. Formations o� part-time within a small command than within a large one. ancient warriors usually lacked the drill required o melee, units activate to charge an enemy unit, to change acing quickly, so punching through and then attempt to inflict a hit upon it by playing an enemy line was ofen the best they could hope a to-hit card. I� this is successul then the target to achieve. Tere were however exceptions: the must make a save, again by playing a card. Spartans, or example, could march rings around Depending on their type, units ailing to save their neighbours, and proessional armies such will either become disordered or lost and may be as the Romans spent long enough under arms to removed rom the table. A surviving deending become ar more capable than their opponents. unit may strike back by itsel� playing a to-hit card, Furthermore, exceptional generals such as against which the attacker may, in turn, need to Alexander and Caesar Caesar were able to to win victories make a save. Once players have have become amiliar by training and organising their troops well, with the system, they will find that most melees can and, sometimes, by deploying their armies in an be resolved in less than 10 seconds. Because o� the innovative manner. uncertainty ollowing rom the activation process, Te author had long been a an o� grid-based these rules are particularly suitable or solo gaming. games because o� their great speed and simplicity In general, melees will be won by the side in the relative to games involving measurement. measureme nt. He had, better tactical situation and with the better troops. however, become concerned that the hexagonal However, the melee rules are designed to throw up grids that he used in many games avoured inclined the occasional shock: sometimes a unit o� recruits attacks. Most o� his games involved an attack will triumph over a unit o� veterans, as they did “in echelon”, in the style o� Epaminondas, where rom time to time on the ancient battlefield. the hexes enabled him to bring part o� his centre into contact with an enemy wing, ofen with Te author very much enjoys card-based rule systems, decisive results. results. Te author decided that the use o� but has elected not to use specially printed cards with a simple square grid would mean that units would, this version o� the rules as they add considerably in general, advance to fight the enemies directly to the cost i� proessionally printed, or, when opposite them, as they did historically. distributed as a pd�, are rarely printed out and used. Instead, this game requires each player to purchase Te use o� a grid also means that figures based or two inexpensive packs o� standard playing cards. different systems can be reely used against one another, so WAB-based minis can happily fight against those figures based or Impetus or the WRG rule systems. Moreover, he estimates that the use o� a grid saves thirty minutes to an hour in every
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Points values or all the troop types are included in this rulebook, along with several sample army lists. Army lists lists are essential essential or competitive competitive play and are extremely helpul or players who haven’t had time
Design Desi gn Notes Not es
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Roman Civil War clash o� the legions at Ruspina 46BC, photograph by Henry Hyde.
or lack the resources to ully research the army they wish to build. Tey are also useul or those who might want to design a antasy army – such as those used in ony Bath’s Hyborean setting – or use in an “Imaginancients” campaign. Tereore, the author will publish a comprehensive set o� ree basic army lists lists online. Later he intends to publish campaign books which will ocus on a particular historical campaign, enabling gamers to take the role o� historical generals and fight a number o� interconnected battles. battles. Tey will contain a wealth wealth o� historical material including maps and expanded army lists and will be generously illustrated.
Te army lists or the more proessional ancient armies, such as those o� the Romans and the Macedonians, include the potential to field more generals. Consequently, they should be able to organise their orces into smaller, more effective commands than those in barbarian armies. Differing styles o� generalship are also taken into account; options to include heroic leaders, particularly in the more aggressive aggressive barbarian armies, or those armies led rom the ront by leaders like Alexander, will will be included. Heroic leadership leadership can be inspirational, but the heroic general is at a much greater risk o� injury or death.
Navigation o install the rules on a tablet, the author suggests: [ [ [ [
First, ensure that the tablet has a suitable PDF reader “app”, such as Acrobat as Acrobat or or Goodreader Goodreader.. Save the PDF to Google Drive, or a similar Cloud-based storage site. Open the document on the tablet, in Google Drive. Click on the right hand section o� the bar at the top o� the document. Select “open in”, and pick the PDF reader installed on the tablet.
Te rules can also be printed out and used rom a ring binder, in the traditional traditional manner. Permission is granted to print these rules and the associated charts or personal use.
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Navigvation
Readers using electronic media such as tablets can move around this document by clicking on the requent hyperlinks, especially those contained within the Contents and Index sections. Tere is a Contents link G at the bottom o� each page that will take you back there. I� you are the sort o� gamer who likes to jump straight into the heart o� the action, the main “engine” o� the rules is contained in Section VI: Te Player urn Sequence. Sequence. Within these rules, examples illustrating game mechanics and quotations rom ancient authors are ramed in a light-purple light-purple coloured box.
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Cremona 69AD; view o� the Roman pontoon bridge across the river Po.
I. Preparing Pr eparing for War War Tis section briefly describes the gaming table, miniatures, cards and markers that are required to fight a battle using these rules. “I� you want peace, prepare or war.” Epitoma Rei Militaris, Vegetius
The Battlefiel Battlefield d is an unapologetically unapologetically gridTo the Strongest! is based set o� rules. Compared to games involving involving measurement, measurement, grids permit an extremely rapid rate o� play. Tese rules enable a game game with up to 1000 miniatures to be completed in around two hours, even by relatively inexperienced players. Moreover, the use o� grids does away with the need or tape measures, measuring sticks and precisionengineered wheeling templates, templates, and cuts at least a hal� hour o� tedious activity rom every game. Finally, measurement measurement can be a source o� riction and, occasionally, gives rise to bitter disagreements between players. One potential downside o� grids is that they can be earully ugly, with thick black lines drawn all over the table. Te author, however, uses an almost
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invisible invisible grid. On his green static-grass static-grass boards a ull stop-sized black dot drawn with a gel pen is sufficient to indicate the grid intersections. intersections. On his semi-desert “Zama” terrain boards he uses map pins, painted beige, to mark the grid intersections. intersections. Tese can easily be distinguished distinguished when one knows what to look or, but are invisible to the casual bystander. bystander. Nine times in ten players players encountering his games do not even appreciate that there is a grid until it is pointed out to them. Natural terrain pieces, such as woods, should not be exactly square, and should, ideally, have a slightly irregular irregular shape. It is quite acceptable acceptable or these pieces to be slightly smaller or larger than the grid, as this helps the gaming table to appear more naturalistic. In To the Strongest! the the gaming table is divided into equal-sized grid squares, reerred to hereafer, or the sake o� brevity, brevity, as “boxes”. Units are always aligned with the grid and never positioned diagonally within within the boxes. Each box can contain up to two units, acing either in the same or in opposite directions, and perhaps also generals and heroes, as described later under units sharing a box.
Preparing for War
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I� you want to try out these rules but don’t have a suitable gridded table, try sticking small coloured stickers or small balls o� Blu-tack (or similar) onto your terrain board or cloth. cloth. Alternatively, Alternatively, green or sand-coloured paper tablecloths can be bought very cheaply rom department stores and quickly marked up with a simple grid.
Te ollowing tables indicate the grid sizes that the author suggests or different sized gaming tables. He particularly recommends the table and grid sizes highlighted in bold text. Using these, battles can be ought on a typical 1800mm by 1200mm rectangular gaming table, using a 150mm (6”) grid, with armies o� around a dozen units a side.
Figure I: Recommended grid and table sizes or 15mm or smaller figures Game size
Unit size
Unit r rontage Grid size
able size
Mini Midi Maxi
Small Medium Large
40mm 80mm 120mm
600mm x 400mm 1200mm x 800mm 1800mm x 1200mm
50mm boxes 100mm boxes 150mm boxes
Figure II: Recommended grid and table sizes or 20mm or larger figures Game size
Unit size
Unit r rontage Grid size
able size
Mini Midi Maxi
Small Medium Large
60mm 120mm 180mm
900mm x 600mm 1800mm x 1200mm 2400mm x 1800mm
The Armies wo armies will be required to play To the Strongest! Tese will usually be o� miniatures, in any size rom 2mm to 54mm tall. I� however miniatures are not available, the game can always be played with cut-out pieces o� cardboard, or even with the Lego bricks with which many o� the author’s earliest battles were ought.
75mm boxes 150mm boxes 200mm boxes
In order to fight a battle, players new to the rules will each need eight or so units. Once gamers have become amiliar with the rules, a orce o� around a dozen units each will provide an entertaining evening’s gaming.
Generals should be represented by a small vignette depicting the officer, perhaps accompanied by a standard bearer and trumpeter. trumpeter. It is suggested suggested that Tese miniatures will need to be grouped into units. command bases be made circular to make them stand amongst the rectangular units. Generals Units represent the smallest subdivision o� an army; out clearly amongst are described as either being mounted or on oot. perhaps a cohort (or two) o� Roman legionaries, Any command command stand stand including including a mounted mounted figure is or a taxis o� a Macedonian pike phalanx. considered to represent a mounted general. Ideally, or aesthetic reasons, units should be Te more senior the officer, the more “flunkeys” slightly narrower than the boxes within which they should be hanging will rest. 120mm-wide units work well, or example, around him, and the with 150mm boxes, and 180mm wide with 200mm, larger diameter the but exact unit widths widths are not important. important. One great base o� the vignette. advantage o� this grid-based system is that figures Te author usually can be singly based, or based in “elements” o� 2-4 bases generals on a 40 figures; even the larger Impetus-based elements can or 50mm diameter be used. Moreover, opposing opposing armies don’t even even circular base (larger need to be based or the same rule system. bases or mounted), and more senior Te author eels that naming units individually, generals on a 60mm such as the “Tird �uingenary Cohort o� ungrians” A Roman command stand, diameter base. rom the talented brush o� or, perhaps, “the Warband o� the Leaping Salmon”, Andrés Amián Fernández Amián Fernández adds a great deal to the “colour” o� a game.
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Preparing for War
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Part o� a Viking camp.
As with with units units,, it is great great or gaming gaming “colour” “colour” to to use use named generals. o this end, the author scribes a name in Roman capitals into a patch o� green-stu� on each general’s (and hero’s) hero’s) base. He then paints the letters black and dry brushes over the top. Players will also need some models to indicate the presence o� a camp. camp. Tese are ideally ideally depicted using the excellent vignettes that many miniatures companies produce: a Roman camp scene with tents and standards; a herd o� at cattle; a wagon train. However, when suitable models aren’t available, then a olded piece o� paper, indicating a tent, will serve just as well.
Representative Scale does not prescribe a particular To the Strongest! does representative representative scale (i.e., the number o� real-world soldiers that are represented on the table by a single miniature). Tese rules are, however, by no means skirmish rules. Te author eels that they work best when one miniature represents somewhere between ten and one hundred real-world real-world soldiers. soldiers. Players are invited to choose whichever representative scale within this range best suits their needs (and pockets!).
Te author is lucky enough to have a substantial collection o� miniatures and ofen uses a 1:20 representative scale, in which units o� twenty our 28mm inantry miniatures represent cohort-sized bodies o� around 500 men. His cavalry and light units are smaller, with with 6-10 miniatures each. On the other hand, his larger units o� pikemen and tribal warriors each consist o� orty-eight miniatures, representing 1000 men, with the largest units being a mighty seventy-two miniatures strong. In 1:20 representative scale, a 200mm box represents a realworld square o� roughly eighty metres on each side. o re-fight the largest battles he uses a scale o� 1:40, representing a Principate Roman legion with five units o� twenty our miniatures each, plus a command stand and and hero. In this scale a 200mm box represents a real-world square o� roughly 160 metres on each side. It isn’t necessary, however, to use so many miniatures. In order to test some aspect aspectss o� the rules the author and a riend used a couple o� dozen plastic minis rom a used copy o� a Battlelore game picked up in a charity shop. Tese were stuck onto onto coloured sabot bases with Blu-ack. Te games we played with these were just as much un as i� we had used five hundred proessionally painted miniatures! It is also possible to purchase images o� units and print these out onto card, or mount them on wooden blocks. Alternatively, Alternativel y, one could play using the wooden blocks provided with the Commands and Colors: Ancients Ancients game. Whilst it is great great to play a game with beautiully painted miniatures, please don’t let the lack o� such an army stop you having un!
Many gamers choose to use a scale o� around 1:30, where a unit o� sixteen inantry miniatures represents around five hundred real-world soldiers. One or two such units o� 28mm inantry miniatures, in two ranks, will usually fit comortably within a 150mm or 200mm wide box. A unit o� sixteen sixteen 15mm inantry inantry miniatures in two ranks will usually fit inside a smaller 100mm square box. Improvised armies - plastic minis tacked onto card sabots.
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Preparing for War
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Basing the Armies Players o� To the Strongest! can can base their minis pretty much however they wish, just so long as the completed units fit within the boxes. o start o� with, players should use miniatures based or whatever rules system they have been using. Te author’s armies, based in ours on 60mm wide elements (originally or DBA rule set), have ofen ought against armies o� figures based singly or Warhammer Ancient Battles on a 20mm rontage.
Te author encourages players to experiment with innovative basing styles. Units in rhomboid or wedge fit easily within the grid and light cavalry can be depicted in skirmish ormation such as the Cantabrian circle. Tere is nothing to stop a player extending the idea and basing units on oval or irregularly-shaped bases, as any shape o� base can be laser-cut these these days. Tis approach would would particularly suit nomadic armies that can look too regular on rectangular rectangula r bases. Based imaginatively, such an army would look like a swarm o� angry bees, with each element a beautiul diorama in its own right...
Terrain Pieces
15mm units in two different widths in the ront and 28mm in two different widths, behind.
Moving orward, the author is currently experimenting with basing his 28mm figures on 120mm wide bases (as used with the excellent Impetus rules), and even on unusually large 180mm wide bases. Tese larger bases allow miniatures miniatures to be arranged in a much more naturalistic manner than is possible when a unit is spread across hal� a dozen smaller bases. Tis look is especially effect effective ive with irregulars, but units rom well-disciplined well-disciplined armies also have more character when based this this way. Moreover, it is much quicker to deploy a single large element rom storage onto the wargames table than it is to place hal-a-dozen smaller elements, or, worse still, a couple o� dozen singly-based figures – although the use o� sabot bases can greatly help with the latter. In the illustration above, the units o� 15mm figures in the oreground are 8cm wide or use with a 10cm grid and 12cm wide or use with with a 15cm grid. Te 28mm units behind them are 12cm wide, also or use with a 15cm grid, and 18cm wide or use with a 20cm grid.
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Preparing for War
Unless the battle is to be ought on a eatureless plain (and many, o� course, were), one or both players will provide a number o� terrain pieces. Each piece should occupy either one or two boxes. Pieces o� similar type placed next to each other can be combined to create larger eatures such as a long ridge which might extend across our or five boxes. In the case o� woods, it is useul to define their boundaries with a dark piece o� cloth cut approximately to the shape o� the box, with trees ree-standing ree-standing on top o� it. Te trees can be moved around within the box to accommodate units moving into the wood. wood. I� this cloth or the edge o� a terrain eature such as a hill should run slightly inside or outside o� the edge o� the box then so much the better, or this enhances the look o� the table. Te small overlaps into other boxes will, however, however, have no impact on play. Roads run through the centres o� boxes, and streams and ortifications along their edges. Rivers fill an entire row o� boxes, and can be one or more boxes wide. Te author suspects that most wargamers spend at least ten hours painting figures or every hour they spend on building building terrain. Tis is a great shame, as the beautiully-painted details in a unit o� miniatures tend to vanish on the same gaming table upon which the hastily and shoddily constructed constructed terrain pieces remain all too too visible. In recent years he has been trying to divert more o� the care and imagination that he expends on painting units into modelling the terrain o� the battlefield.
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errain or the author’s Cremona 69AD battle includes woods, vineyards, a raised road and a ew scattered cypress trees (purely or aesthetic purposes). A ortified camp can just about be made out, in the background.
Playing Cards and Markers uses packs o� playing cards to To the Strongest! uses resolve movement and combats ar more quickly than they could be determined with the handuls o� dice that are used in the majority o� wargames. Each player should take two standard packs o� playing cards and separate the numbered “pip” cards rom the court court cards and jokers. jokers. Te resultant pack o� eighty numbered playing cards is called the activation deck, and is used or many purposes during game play. Each player’s deck o� cards should should have different coloured or back designs rom those o� other players, so that the packs do not become mixed up during play. I� playing cards are in short supply then players can, at a pinch, share the same deck. Tis might, however, slight slightly ly reduce the speed o� play because it will need to be passed back and orth.
cards on the table because the grid is physically physically too small to accommodate them! Te author sells suitable chits rom his bigredbatshop.co.uk site. Tree principal types o� markers are used in To the Strongest! Firstly, victory medals are medals are coins or gaming tokens which are used to visually track which side is winning the battle and which is losing. losing. A couple o� dozen bronze, silver or gold tokens should be enough or even the largest games.
Te remaining cards are grouped into a deck o� twenty-six cards (twenty-our court cards, and two jokers). Tis stratagem deck is used when generating pre-battle stratagems (described below). As an alternative alternative to using using playing cards, cards, chits printed with playing card symbols and pip numbers can be drawn rom a drawstring bag. Such chits work particularly well with the relatively small 50mm boxes used on a 2mm/6mm/15mm table, where it is not possible to place normal playing
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Ammunition Ammuni tion chits chits (ront (ront lef), victo victory ry medals medals (ront (ront right) right) and two decks o� playing cards (rear).
Preparing for War
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Modern coins – or even chocolate coins – will do. Te gamer with exceptionally deep pockets might use original Roman aurei and denarii, but the author sells replica coins rom his e-shop and rather more cheaply! (www.bigredbatshop.co.uk (www.bigredbatshop.co.uk ) Secondly, ammunition chits are chits are used to keep track o� the limited supply o� projectiles that could be carried to the battlefield by ancient warriors. Tese chits should be relatively inconspicuous. Te author uses 15mm MDF discs with an arrow symbol cut into them. Model javelins or arrows can be stuck to these i� desired. Between one and six ammunition chits will be needed or each missilearmed unit, depending upon the missile weapon with which it is equipped. Tirdly, players will need to be to be able to to indicate which units are in a state o� disorder disorder.. Disorder means that a unit has suffered casualties and started to lose cohesion and urther casualties may
cause it to break and be lost. lost. A disordered unit may be indicated by stepping back elements or individual miniatures within the unit, as shown below. Alternatively, Alternatively, i� the unit is modelled modelled as a single stand then a disorder marker (a small vignette depicting dead or wounded men or routers) can be placed behind it. It is also useul to provide some markers or lancearmed cavalry armed cavalry and shock missile inantry missile inantry to serve as a reminder o� whether or not they have used their one-use weapons. At a pinch, a length o� toothpick or cocktail stick will do very well or this. Finally, there can be a tendency or battlefields to become increasing bare as units are gradually lost and removed rom it during the course o� a battle. Players with strong stomachs are encouraged to provide markers depicting dead elephants, crashed scythed chariots and heaps o� bodies.
Te Roman unit in the oreground has an element stepped back to indicate disorder. Te Celtic unit beyond, which is a single large element, has a disorder marker placed behind it or the same purpose.
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Preparing for War
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II. Generals, Heroes, Units and Camps In To the Strongest! armies armies are composed o� units o� fighting men, the generals and heroes who direct and inspire these units in battle, and the camps where they eat and sleep. Tis section introduces introduce s and classifies the generals, heroes and various types o� unit encountered in the rules, and describes their respective capabilities.
Army lists lists limit limit the number number o� generals generals available available to an army. All generals are either either “attached” to a unit, or “detached” (not part o� a unit), and thus capable o� moving about the battlefield independently. Generals may also have one or more o� the ollowing additional properties, which are described below:
Generals
[
Generals will sometimes represent amous leaders such as Caesar, Alexander and Pyrrhus o� Epirus, and other times more obscure commanders, such as the unnamed tribune at Cynoscephalae, whose whose innovative manoeuvre with the triarii stole the victory or the Romans.
Generals save save on on a 2+, except or heroic generals who save on a 3+. A general who ails a save must play a urther card to see whether he has been wounded or killed.
[
attached detached
[ [
senior heroic
[
brilliant
Attached generals generals orm part o� a unit, which which is ofen (but not not necessarily) necessarily) their their bodyguard. bodyguard. Tey are Te units under the control o� a general are reerred usually based as part o� the unit, and must remain to as his command. command. Every command is built around with this unit throughout a battle, until either the a single general, and must include at least one unit. gener general al is killed or seriously wounded or the unit is lost lost.. In To the Strongest! a a general may, may, once per turn, play a replacement activation card on card on a unit or I� an attached general survives the loss o� his unit, he units that are under his command command and and within the is immediately displaced to join any unit o� his choice same box, that have ailed to activate activate.. Should this under his command (whether on or o� the table). replacement activation be successul, then the unit I� the general is senior, he may choose to join any unit or units in question – and, potentially, other units in his army. Should no such riendly unit exist, exist, then within the command – may be able to activate the general is considered to have been captured and is again. Trough such interventions, intervention s, generals can lost - two victory medals are surrendered. ofen significantly influence the outcome o� a battle. Detached generals are not part o� any unit and Afer using this this ability, ability, the general’s general’s stand can then are based on a (usually circular) base o� their own. be turned around (or a marker can be used) as a Once in his command’s turn a detached general reminder that he has used his ability or this turn. may make a command move, which can be o� one box i� on oot, or two – including diagonals – i� mounted, without needing to make an activation test. A command move may neither pass through impassable terrain nor through boxes occupied by enemy units. units. A detached general may also also accompany any unit under his command and in his box when it moves, and may, thereore, be able to move several times during a player’s turn. Command moves are ofen used at the beginning o� a command’s turn to position a detached general where he will be most useul during the coming activations. activations. Detached generals are are more flexible than attached generals, and consequently cost one additional point. A dark-age dark-age Romano-B Romano-British ritish warlor warlord, d, stunningly painted by Andrés Amián Fernández.
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Heroic generals lead rom the ront, seeking out the thickest part o� o� the ray. Epaminondas the the Teban, Pyrrhus o� Epirus and, o� course, Alexander the Great would all have been heroic generals. “Come then, let any o� you strip and display his wounds, and I will display mine in turn. In my case there is no part o� my body, or none in ront, at least, that has been lef unwounded. unwounded. Tere is no weapon o� close combat and no missile whose scars I do not bear on my person. I have been wounded wounded by the sword, hand to hand, shot by arrows and struck by a catapult, and I am ofen struck by stones and clubs whilst working or your interests, your glory and your riches, while I lead you you as conquero conquerors rs through through every land and sea, river, mountain and plain.” Alexander addressing the mutineers at Opis, Arrian Book VII.10.1 Alexander Alexa nder the Great Great and and Companions. Companions. An example example o� a heroic, heroic, attach attached ed senior senior general general..
Senior generals are the overall commanders o� their army; Harold or William the Bastard at Hastings, or example. Tey also lead a command o� their their own, albeit sometimes just a single unit bodyguard. Unlike normal generals, in addition to being in control o� the units in this command, a senior general can also exercise a degree o� control over all o� the units in his army. A player might might choose to activate the the senior general’s command first in order to move him (and usually an accompanying unit) to the most useul position on the battlefield; perhaps into the same box as a unit in another command that he must activate later in the player turn. Whilst normal generals can only replay an activation card or replay a ailed to-hit card on a unit in the same box and under their command, a senior general may replay an activation or ailed to-hit card on any unit in the same box. Te presence o� a senior senior general can also help to avoid units suffering difficult activation penalties or being out o� command. Note that the senior general, like a normal general, can only use his command move when his own command is active. active. I� the senior general is detached, however, he may accompany any unit in his box that moves. Senior generals cost one point more than normal generals, and there can only be one in any army.
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Once in each riendly player turn a heroic general may, instead o� replaying an activation card, enable a unit in his own box to replay a missed to-hit card, as described later in replaying ailed to-hit to-hit cards. Afer using this ability his stand can be turned around as a reminder that this ability has been used, or, alternatively, alternatively, a marker can be placed next to the unit. Tis quality o� a heroic general, however, requires him to expose himsel� himsel� to greater danger. danger. When a unit in his box must save against a hit, he too must make a save requiring a 3+ card rather than the 2+ or standard generals. generals. Consequently, Consequently, he is twice as likely to be injured as a non-heroic general. Brilliant generals are the military prodigies o� their age: the Scipios, Sullas and Caesars. Te insight that a brilliant general brings to the battlefield enables him to anticipate developments and to move to wherever he will be most desperately needed. “Caesar, on observing these movements (rom his hilltop observation position), sent Labienus with six cohorts to the relie� o� his distressed soldiers. He ordered him to remain on the deensive i� at all possible, possible, but i�i� unable to resist resist the Gauls, Gauls, to to gather together some cohorts and make a counter-attack. He, himsel�, visited other parts o� the lines, urging the men to hold out: on that day, on that very hour, he said, depended the ruits o� all their previous battles.” Caesar commands at Alesia, rom his De Bello Gallico, Book VII, Ch.85-86
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Some armies who exhibited heroic leadership to an unusual extent (Celts or Macedonians, or example) will, in their army lists, be permitted to purchase greater numbers o� heroes. Once during battle, and during a riendly player turn, a hero enables his unit to replay a missed tohit card card (as described later in replaying ailed to-hit cards). cards ). Afer this the hero is removed removed (representing (representing his death, incapacity, incapacity, or exhaustion). exhaustion). Heroes never need to save when the unit they are with is hit, but are removed should this unit be lost. When a hero is used and removed the player should invoke his name, i� known; his shade will be pleased, and may help with the subsequent card play!
Units Gaius Julius Caesar, beautiully painted by Andrés Amián Fernández.
Brilliant generals must also be detached and senior. Tey can make an extended command move o� move o� three boxes rather rather than the normal two. two. When a unit or units under a brilliant general’s command ails an activation test, and the general is within command move distance o� the box containing the unit(s), then he may, once in any riendly player turn, play his replacement activation card upon them. I� this replacement card is o� sufficiently sufficiently high pip value to activate the unit(s) then the general’s stand is moved to join them and the activation proceeds as normal. normal. I�, however, however, the replacement card is too low, then the unit or units have ailed to activate, the general stays where he is and the command’s turn ends. Brilliant generals also provide an additional bonus during scouting tests. tests. Tey cost our points points more than normal generals, and a player must also pay one point each or detached and senior. Heroes represent those exceptionally brave junior officers, rankers and barbarian warriors whose names sometimes come down to us in the surviving ancient texts. Roman heroes would would include the centurions Scaeva at Dyrrachium and Crastinus at Pharsalus, and the auxiliary cavalryman Longinus at the siege o� Jerusalem. Tey could equally equally represent the brave brave (but unortunately usually nameless) heroes o� the British, Gallic, German, Jewish and other nations.
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Tis section o� the rules classifies and describes the units o� fighting men o� which every ancient army was composed. Te army lists provided later in this book, and those online, will explain which types o� unit will be ound in particular ancient armies. In To the Strongest! all all troops are classified as either “oot” or “mounted”, and either “light”, “small”, “regular-sized” “regular-sized” or “deep”. Light cavalry, cavalry, or example, are a light mounted mounted unit. Some units may additionally be classed as veteran or raw. Foot units are those that move at (or close to) a human walking pace. Elephants and war war wagons are classed as oot units rather than mounted, because their movement speed is closer to that o� humans than horses, and because they were ofen escorted by light inantry. Foot units include: [ artillery [ auxiliaries [ billmen [ bowmen [ crossbowmen [ elephants (whether Arican, Indian or escorted) [ hoplites [ javelinmen [ knights on oot
[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [
later knights on oot legionaries light inantry, javelin light inantry (other) longbowmen pikemen shieldwall spearmen war wagons warriors
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Mounted units are those who choose to ride to battle on horses or camels, or in chariots, and include: [ [ [ [ [ [
camelry cataphracts cavalry chariots heavy chariots knights
[ [ [ [ [
later knights light camelry light cavalry light chariots scythed chariots
Light, small, regular-sized and deep units
As well as being either oot or mounted, mounted, all units units all into one o� the ollowing our size categories: [ [
regular-sized units small units
[ [
light units deep units
Te illustration below shows typical oot units drawn rom each o� the our categories. It isn’t necessary to use this many miniatures in a unit; you should play with as many or as ew miniatures as are available. Regular-sized units
Regular-sized units are those most commonly encountered in these rules, and they include Roman legionaries, many javelinmen, spearmen and cavalry. Tey are represented by models drawn up airly close to each other, usually in two ranks i� inantry and one rank i� mounted, although basing styles are up to the individual gamer.
Regular-sized Regular-siz ed units have two hits and beco become me disordered afer disordered afer ailing ailing a save. save. Tey are lost lost and and two victory medals are medals are surrendered i� they ail a save when already disordered. Small units
Some armies consisted entirely o� units rather smaller than the average size in an ancient army, such as the maniples (“handuls”) o� the Polybian Roman army, and other armies rom Southern Italy, as specified in the army lists. Tey are usually armed with a javelin javelin or pila. On the table, small small units are represented with around hal� o� the number o� miniatures used in a regular-sized unit. Small units can can exchange places or change acing within a box as box as a normal move (or most units this would be a difficult activation). Small units, like light units, have a single hit and are consequently immediately lost in the event that they should ail a save. save. However, a small unit directly behind behind another small unit in the same box that has just ailed a save, save, and consequently been lost,, may strike back in its place. Note that this only lost applies when deending, and doesn’t apply when the small units are charging. A single victory medal is surrendered when a small unit is lost.
Examples o� unit types: anti-clockwise rom the rear lef are shown regular-sized, small, light and deep units.
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Light units
Light units include light inantry and light cavalry, light camelry and light light chariots. Light troops ofen ofen open a battle by laying down a hail o� missiles on the enemy. Light inantry love to take advantage o� any available rough cover, and light cavalry hope to outflank the oe, oe, and/or loot their camp. Scythed chariots (also a light unit) generally open a battle with a near-suicidal charge into the heart o� the enemy ranks. Light units usually consist o� relatively ew miniatures, with these dispersed irregularly around their bases. Ligh Lightt units have a single hit hit and are immediately lost lost in in the event that they ail a save. save. A single victory victory medal is surrendered when when a light unit is lost. Deep units
Deep units include, amongst others, pikemen, warriors and elephants. elephants. Where regular-sized regular-sized oot units are represented on the table by two ranks o� miniatures, then a deep oot unit should be represented by three or our ranks, or one or more large models. Some troop types are always ormed up in deep ormations; other troop types may either be in a standard depth or in a deep ormation as the player preers or the army list specifies. Deep units have have three hits. Tey become disordered afer ailing a save, save, double double-disordered -disordered afer ailing a second save, and are lost lost afer afer ailing a third. When a deep unit is lost, three victory medals are surrendered. Exception: Elephants Elephants only have a single hit, or two hits when “escorted “escorted”. ”. One victory medal is surrendered when an elephant is lost, and two when an escorted elephant is lost. Veteran and raw units
Sometimes on the ancient battlefield there were units present with significantly more or less experience than the average. In these rules they are described as “veteran” and “raw”, respectively. Veteran units can sometimes make a huge different to a battle, and raw units can be ideal or padding out a thin thin battle line. In an ongoing campaign, players might like to promote some raw units to average, and some average units to veteran, based upon their perormance in battle.
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Veteran units represent those ormations that, through a mixture o� training, battle and campaign experience and superior equipment, have become markedly more effective than the average. Examples o� veteran units might be Caesar’s amous enth legion at Tapsus in 46BC, Alexander’s Silver Shields, or William’s seasoned Norman knights at Hastings. “...it so happened that the inantry or a considerable time had been engaged in a battle o� phalanxes, but finally, afer many had allen on both sides, Eumenes’ men were victorious because o� the valour o� the Macedonian Silver Shields. Tese warriors were already well on in years, but because o� the great number number o� battles they had had ought ought they were outstanding in hardihood and skill, so that no one conronting them was able to withstand their might. Tereore, although there were then only three thousand o� them, they had become, so to speak, the spearhead o� the whole army.” Te Silver Shields at Paraitakene, rom Diodorus Siculus’ Library o� History Book IX, Chapter 20
Veteran troops have a save actor one actor one higher than that o� their average equivalents. Tis means that they are less likely to become disordered when they ail a save, and are rather easier to rally than the average unit. Missile weapon-armed veteran veteran light troops are very experienced with their weapons and can shoot them more accurately and or longer than the average soldier. For this reason they start a battle with an extra ammunition chit. chit. Raw units are those ormations whose training, experience and/or morale are markedly less than the average, or who are poorly equipped or close combat. Raw troops might might include the the numerous but indifferent skirmishers employed by the Seleucids, newly raised legionaries such as I Adiutrix at Cremona in 69AD, or the masses o� Sassanian levy. Raw troops have a save actor one actor one lower than that o� their average equivalents. Tis means that they are more likely to become disordered, and also rather harder to rally than experienced troops. Because they are less competent with their weapons, missile weapon-armed weapon-armed raw light raw light troops start a battle with one ammunition chit less chit less than average troops.
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Artillery saves saves on a 7+ card, card, with a +1 tactical bonus when shot at due to the relative dispersion o� Tis section provides brie� descriptions o� the units divided between: encountered in To the Strongest! and and describes their artillery crewmen. Artillery is divided respective capabilities and save actor. Artillery (cannon) (cannon) units which which represent the early gunpowder weapons used on the battlefield, Artillery including bombards. Reports o� artillery use are very rare in accounts
Unit descriptions
o� ancient battles, although the Romans and Artillery (cannon) (cannon) units have have a range o� six boxes. Macedonians did sometimes field light pieces. Each time a cannon activates to shoot there is During the latter part o� the medieval period, a chance that it will explode. I� the shooting however, artillery, artillery, in the orm o� cannon and organ activation card played is an Ace, then the cannon guns, gradually became a more common sight on must make a save, even in the event that the card is the battlefield. Artillery will only only be included in the replayed by a general. I� it should ail the the save then lists o� those armies that were recorded as having it explodes, is lost, and any other unit or generals in used it in set-piece battles, or those armies which, the box must save against a shooting hit. in the author’s opinion, might well have used it Artillery (catapults) (catapults) represents represents the torsion torsion weapons weapons without records o� its use having survived. occasionally used on the ancient and medieval Artillery is a regular-sized regular-sized unit, unit, but, unusually, unusually, battlefield, usually usually scorpion-types. scorpion-types. As ar as the has only a single hit. Artillery cannot move move,, author is aware, there are no records o� the larger except to turn or exchange places within a box. onagers and trebuchets being used in the field. It can neither charge charge,, nor evade evade.. Catapults have have a range o� our boxes. Roman Exceptions: Carroballistae Carroballistae and organ guns can move. carroballistae (cart-mounted (cart-mounted scorpions) move as i� oot but cannot charge or evade. Artillery hits on an 8+. Units hit by artillery disregard the benefits o� cover, including Artillery (organ (organ guns) were were small artillery artillery pieces ortifications, ortifications, and also the deensive benefits o� with nine to twelve relatively small barrels which ormations such as shieldwall and testudo. Units fired simultaneously. simultaneously. such as knights and cataphracts also lose some o� the positive save modifiers that modifiers that they receive due to their Organ guns have a range o� two boxes. When activated to shoot they may choose to play one or armour. two to-hit cards. Organ guns are prone to explode, All types types o� artill artillery ery commen commence ce a battl battlee with with six six in exactly the same manner as artillery (cannon). ammunition chits. chits. When artillery (cannon) (cannon) and Wheeled organ guns move as i� oot, but cannot artillery (catapults) successully activate activate to shoot, they charge or evade. play a single to-hit card. Artillery (organ guns) on the Auxiliaries other hand, may play either one or two to-hit cards. Auxiliaries are a troop troop class principally principally used to to represent the armoured non-citizen inantry raised in the Roman Empire rom the reign o� Augustus onward and and the Germanic Germanic auxiliarii that increasingly replaced legionarii in the later Empire. Tey are armoured and and carried a spear and a relatively large oval oval shield. Tey may also be encountered in other army lists where wellprotected spear-armed inantry types are required. Te class does not include those auxiliaries equipped with bow or sling, who are represented by light inantry armed with bow, sling or javelin. A Roman Scorpio Scorpion n catapult. catapult. Warlord Games minis painted by Andrés Amián Fernández
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Te author subscribes to the view that auxiliaries were standard line o� battle troops, not a
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compromise between light and heavy inantry, as they are portrayed in some some rule sets. Auxiliaries are considered to be somewhat less well drilled than their legionary comrades, and consequently consequently aren’t able to ignore difficult activation penalties when manoeuvring, as legionaries can. For this reason they cost one point less than the latter.
successully successully activate to shoot, they discard one or two ammunition chits and play one or two to-hit cards. When disordered or in rough rough terrain, they may play only one. Tey both hit and save on an 8+ card. Armoured bowmen, bowmen, such as Early Imperial Roman auxiliaries, are best represented by upgrading bowmen to veteran.
As with legionaries, legionaries, the the spears and javelins javelins they they carried are considered to be reserved or melee and are actored into their relatively high save o� 6+.
Camelry
Claymore Castings billmen rom David Imrie’s collection.
Billmen
Billmen are armed with one o� a range o� twohanded polearms including the bill, halberd, voulge and naginata. During the Wars Wars o� the Roses they ofen ormed the ront ranks o� a ormation, with longbowmen longbowmen in the rear ranks. Billmen can be either regular depth or deep oot units. Tey have a save o� 7+, and, when charging, their lethal two-handed cutting weapons inflict a -1 save modifier. Bowmen
Bowmen represent those ancient archers who ought in close ormation, such as the Persian archers at Marathon. Tey were either un-armoured or lightly lightly armoured, equipped with a close combat weapon o� some description, and sometimes carried small shields. Standing shoulder to shoulder, shoulder, they are able to pour orth a high volume o� arrows, “darkening the sky” as the Spartans put it. Bowmen are organised in regular-sized oot units and start a battle with six ammunition chits. Bows have a maximum range o� two boxes. When they
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Camelry were occasionally used on the ancient battlefield in place o� or alongside alongside cavalry. Te act that they were so rarely used suggests to the author that the camel was a rather less reliable fighting platorm than the the horse. Te presence o� camels did however sometimes cause disorder amongst enemy cavalry who were unamiliar with their scent. Camelry are treated exactly as cavalry (described below), except that camelry become disordered (effectively taking taking a hit) each time an Ace is played whilst attempting to activate them to charge. Tis disorder applies even in the event that the original activation card is subsequently subsequently replayed by a general. On the other hand, mounted mounted units in an army that does not include camelry (i.e. one without camelry in their own army list) suffer rom a -1 save modifier when charging or charged by camelry. Camelry save save on a 7+ 7+ when javelin or lance-armed, or 8+ when bow-armed. Cataphracts
Cataphracts were exceptionally well-armoured cavalrymen, riding large, large, well-protected well-protected horses. Tey were first introduced within nomad cultures, but later adopted by the eastern kingdoms o� Parthia and Sassanid Persia, and eventually imitated by the Late Romans. Tey ought in close ormation, carried a kontus or “bargepole” lance, and charged at the trot. “Suddenly their enemies dropped the coverings o� their armour, and were seen to be themselves blazing in helmets and breastplates, their Margianian steel glittering glittering keen and and bright, bright, and their horses horses clad clad in plates o� bronze and and steel.” steel.” A description o� the Parthian cataphracts at Carrhae, rom Plutarch’s Parallel Lives Book III, Chapter 24
Cataphracts are equipped equipped with the lance. lance. Te exceptionally complete armour on both man and horse enables them to save on a 6+ (with an additional +1 bonus in melee and when shot at by any except artillery or handgunners).
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In To the Strongest! cavalry cavalry can be armed with lance, javelin, bow, or occasionally with a combination o� the the three. Javelin-armed cavalry cavalry start a battle with two ammunition chits and bowarmed, three. Cavalry save on a 7+ when javelin or lance-armed, or 8+ when bow-armed. Chariots
15mm Parthian cataphracts rom the collection o� Ian Notter.
Unortunately, the weight o� this armour meant that the horses o� cataphracts tired easily, and the restricted visibility and poor hearing o� the riders due to their ace-protecting helmets seems to have made them particularly prone prone to disorder. disorder. Consequently, cataphracts become disordered disordered each each time an Ace is played whilst attempting to activate them to move two or more boxes, boxes, or to charge. Tis disorder is applied even in the event that the original activation card is subsequently replayed by a general. Cavalry
Cavalry represent mounted soldiers fighting in relatively close close ormation. Tey could not reliably reliably hope to break enemy oot in a rontal charge unless the latter were disordered. disordered. Sometimes they they could throw javelins at the enemy to disorder them, and then charge in. Cavalry were ofen ofen deployed on the wings o� the army, where it was hoped that they would be able to “see o�” their enemy equivalents, and later turn onto the flank o� the enemy oot.
Chariots represent the two horse medum chariots that were used by the Hittites, amongst others. Tey were more stoutly built than light chariots, and carried crews o� two two or three. Tey could operate as mobile missile platorms or charge into contact. As horses became larger larger and better able to carry riders, they were eventually eventually superseded on the battlefield by cavalry. Chariots perorm as cavalry, cavalry, except that except that they find activations involving rough terrain doubly difficult. difficult. Javelin-armed Javelin-armed chariots start start a battle with two two ammunition chits, chits, and bow-armed, bow-armed, three. Some chariots were used primarily or shock action, and these replace their their javelins with lances. lances. Sometimes they are equipped with extra bow or longbow, which increases their ammunition to three and enables them to shoot as i� light inantry. Chariots save on a 7+ when javelin or lance-armed or on an 8+ when bow-armed. Crossbowmen
Crossbowmen represent those ancient soldiers who ought in close ormation armed with relatively heavy crossbows, such as the ancient Chinese and the medieval Genoese. Crossbows had a relatively
Aventine A ventine Indian elephants elephants and an HLBS HLBS Arican Arican elephant elephant superbly superbly painted painted by Bennett Bennett Blalock-Do Blalock-Doane. ane.
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slow rate o� fire compared to bows and longbows, but a good range. Crossbowmen, like bowmen, were either un-armoured or lightly armoured and equipped with a close combat weapon o� some description. description. Sometimes they carried carried a large wooden pavise to provide protection when they are reloading. Some ormations in the the Middle Ages mixed crossbowmen with spearmen. Crossbowmen are organised as standard oot units and start a battle with six ammunition chits. Tey have a maximum range o� 3 boxes. When they successully activate to shoot, they discard an ammunition chit and play a single to-hit card. Tey both hit and save on an 8+ card, and may also be given pavises pavises or or additional protection against shooting. Armoured crossbowmen such as the Genoese are best represented by upgrading crossbowmen to veteran. Elephants
Elephants were popular weapons o� war with those ancient generals who could get hold o� them. Tey could be used to break through enemy lines or were sometimes deployed as a screen to hold o� enemy cavalry. Tey were particularly particularly effective against against enemies unamiliar with (and thereore terrified o�) them and those who had not yet been able to develop appropriate tactics to counter them. Arican and Indian Indian elephants are represented separately in To the Strongest! Moreover, Moreover, either species can optionally be escorted by light inantry.
Elephants include: Elephants (Arican) were the small (now extinct) North Arican variety, as used by the Carthaginians, Numidians and Romans. Romans. Tey are assumed to be without any significant missile capability unless escorted. Arican elephants save on a 7+. 7+. Elephants (Indian) were larger and better trained than their Arican equivalents. equivalents. Indian elephants save on a 6+. Elephants (escorted) were accompanied by a screen o� light inantry who used their missile weapons to keep enemy skirmishers at a distance and protect the vulnerable flanks o� the the beasts rom attack. Escorted elephants have greater “staying power” than their unescorted peers. Tey Tey become become disordered afer a ailed save but do not rampage rampage.. Tey are lost and rampage when already disordered and ailing a save. Escorted elephants are able able to shoot as i� light inantry bowmen, and commence the battle with three ammunition chits. However, they are more expensive in points terms and two medals, rather than the standard one, are surrendered when an escorted elephant is lost. lost. Escorted elephants save save on a 6+ i� Indian or 7+ i� Arican. Elephants are classed as oot and are always deep units. Once during a battle an elephant elephant that has successully successully charged may play a bonus to-hit card, card, as described under multiple multiple to-hits. to-hits. Generals may never replay to-hit cards on elephants.
Te Assyrian came down like the wol� on the old... Irregular Miniatures heavy chariots painted by Phil Riley.
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Mounted units in an army that is unamiliar with elephants (i.e. one without elephants on their army list) suffer rom a -1 save modifier when charging at or being charged by elephants. Elephants always gain a +2 save modifier when charged by mounted. When elephants are lost, beore the models are removed, they first rampage. Heavy chariots
Heavy chariots reer to the our horse chariots o� the Assyrians, early Carthaginians and Indians, amongst others. Tey were were stoutly-built terror weapons with crews o� three or even our men. Like chariots, heavy chariots perorm in much the same manner as cavalry, except that they find activations involving rough terrain doubly difficult. Tey are usually armed with javelins and start with two ammunition ammunition chits. chits. Some heavy chariots were primarily used or shock action, and these replace their javelins with lances. Sometimes they they are equipped with extra bow or longbow, which increases their ammunition to three and enables them to shoot as i� light inantry. Heavy chariots save on a 6+. Hoplites
Hoplites are the heavy inantry o� the classical Greek world. Tey were were exceptionally well protected by a large (usually decorated) bronzeaced shield, a bronze helmet, a linen or metal cuirass, and perhaps greaves. Te reach o� hoplites’ relatively long spears provides a save modifier against mounted who are attacking them rom the ront. ront. Hoplite ormations ormations tended to
drif to the right, as each man tried to tuck himsel� in behind his neighbour’s neighbour’s protective shield. Hoplite units can, thereore, move or charge diagonally to the right without the standard difficult activation penalty. Tey are never permitted permitted to move or charge diagonally diagonally to their lef ront. Hoplites can fight either as regular-sized or deep units. Tey save on a 6+. Javelinmen Javeli nmen
Javelinmen in To the Strongest! describe describe those troops who, equipped with javelins and oval or round shield, ought together in the line o� battle. Tese include Greek thureophoroi, Spanish scutarii, and Samnites. Sometimes javelinmen were were armoured, such as Greek thorakitae who were an armoured version o� thureophoroi javelinmen, wearing newangled mail cuirasses. Javelinmen can be either small, small, regular-sized regular-sized or deep oot units. Torakitae are represented represented by upgrading javelinmen to veteran. Javelinmen start start a battle battle with two ammunition chits, and save on a 7+. Knights
Knights represent the mounted Frankish, Norman and German warriors who used the couched lance, cantled saddle, saddle, stirrups and rowel rowel spurs. Riders so equipped had an improved control over their mounts and a tremendous collective orce in their charge, which could shatter most contemporary inantry lines. lines. When circumstances circumstances required it, knights sometimes dismounted to fight on oot. Tey ofen ormed the ront ranks o� a ormation o� less well armoured retainers.
Greek hoplites muster - Wargames Foundry Miniatures.
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Javelinmen Javelin men - Greek Greek Tureophoroi Tureophoroi painted painted by Nick Speller. Speller.
When mounted, knights are always equipped with the lance. When dismounted, they fight with two-handed cutting weapons. Knights are regularsized units and save on a 6+. When shot at whilst dismounted, by any except artillery or handgunners, they benefit rom a +1 save modifier. Later knights
Later knights replace knights afer the adoption o� plate armour and the introduction o� protection or their mounts in response to the threat posed by the crossbow and the the heavy crossbow. crossbow. Larger and more powerul steeds were bred to carry the increased weight o� this armour. In the late medieval period,
plate armoured knights ofen ought dismounted because their horses were relatively vulnerable to missile fire. Sometimes knights ormed the ront ranks o� mixed ormations including less well armoured retainers. When mounted, later knights are always equipped with the lance. When dismounted, they fight with two-handed cutting weapons. weapons. Later knights are regular-sized units units and save on a 6+. Teir heavy armour gives them a +1 save modifier in melee. When shot at by any any except artillery artiller y or handgunners, they benefit rom a +1 save modifier and a urther +1 save modifier when dismounted. dismounted.
Charging Burgundian later knights. Perry plastic miniatures rom the collection o� David Imrie.
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Caesarian-era Roman Legionaries. Wargames Foundry miniatures painted by Andrés Amián Fernández.
Legionaries
Legionaries represent the proessional troops o� the Romans, rom the early Republican conquests, through the Pax Romana, the glorious heyday o� the Empire, and on into the Empire’s decline, when the legionaries were progressively replaced by inantry and cavalry o� Germanic origin. “For every Roman soldier, once he is armed and sets about his business, can adapt himsel� equally well to every place and time and can meet attack rom every quarter. He is likewise equally prepared and equally in condition whether he has to fight together with the whole army or with a part o� it or in maniples or singly. So since in all particulars the Romans are much more serviceable, Roman plans are much more apt to result in success than those o� others.” Polybius, Te Histories, Book XVIII, Chapter 32
Te Roman legionary was usually well armoured and protected by a large oval or rectangular shield called a scutum. scutum. He carried the iconic iconic pilum, a heavy throwing spear designed to penetrate and encumber an opponent’s shield, and the lethal stabbing gladius hispanicus sword. Other nations, including Pontus, Galatia and Numidia, trained and equipped their own orces to fight as legionaries in the Roman manner. “Teir drills are bloodless battles, their battles, bloody drills” Flavius Josephus
Legionaries became increasingly proessionalised proessionalised during the Late Republic, and their high standards o� drill enable them to ignore all difficult activation
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penalties (see VI. Te Player urn Sequence) Sequence) except or those relating to moving or charging into or rom rough terrain, or or being out o� command. command. Tis ability is extended to the Polybian triarii, too - although they were equipped as hoplites, they have all previously served as legionaries in the hastati and principes. Legionaries carry a single shock missile weapon missile weapon representing their their pilum. Teir heavy armour and large shield are actored into their relatively high save actor o� 6+. Light camelry
Light camelry are the sons o� the desert, javelin or bow armed nomadic raiders who preer to raid or loot rather than engage in melee. Tey are treated as light cavalry, except that they are lost i� an Ace is played whilst attempting to activate them to charge. Tis loss applies even in the event that the card is subsequently replaced by a general. On the plus side, though, all mounted units in an army that does not include camelry (i.e. one without camelry on their own army list) suffer rom a -1 save modifier when charging or charged by light camelry. Tey save save on a 7+ 7+ i� javelin-armed javelin-armed or an 8+ i� bow-armed. Light cavalry
Light cavalry represent those mounted warriors who, ofen riding relatively small horses, ought primarily at range with missile weapons rather than in close combat. O� the battlefield, they they were the eyes and ears o� the army. In battle, rather than making making rontal charges, they preerred to descend upon the vulnerable flank or rear o� an enemy unit, or, better still, to circle around to loot the enemy camp.
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Tese Roman equites sagittarii light horse archers rom Syria greatly preer flight to melee!
Light cavalry are mounted units, armed either with the lance, the javelin or the bow/crossbow, or a combination o� these weapons. Tey include: Masinissa’s amous [ Javelinmen, such as Masinissa’s
[ [ [
Numidians, Greek mercenary arantines and the Illyrians and Dalmatians o� the Late Roman army. Bowmen, ofen o� eastern origin, and including the Parthians and the dreaded Huns Te mounted crossbows used in the medieval period. Lancers such as the Macedonian prodromoi and Border Riever Riever “prickers”. Some light cavalry lancers, such as the Granadine jinetes, were equipped with javelins, too.
Light cavalry with javelins start with two ammunition chits and have a special move and shoot activation shoot activation available to them. Tey save on a 7+, as do light cavalry armed with the lance. Light cavalry armed with bow or crossbow start with three ammunition chits and have a special shoot and move activation move activation available to them. Tey save on an 8+. Light chariots
Light chariots reer to the light-weight two-man, two-horse chariots used by the ancient Britons and Egyptians, principally as ast-moving missile platorms. Tey are armed with javelins or bows and are identical to the light cavalry who eventually replaced them, except that they find activations involving rough terrain doubly difficult. Tey save on a 7+ when javelin-armed or on an 8+ when bow-armed.
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Light infantry javelinmen
Light inantry javelinmen are the javelin-armed skirmishers that ancient generals ofen used to open a battle, with the intention o� driving back their enemy equivalents, equivalents, and then harassing the enemy’s heavy inantry. Tey include the Greek Greek psiloi, Spanish Spanish caetrati and the Roman Roman velites. velites. Tey usually carried carried a shield which made them slightly less vulnerable in combat than their bow or sling-armed equivalents. Tey were particularly effective in rough terrain. Light inantry javelinmen start a battle with two ammunition chits. When they successully activate to shoot, they discard an ammunition chit and play a single to-hit card. Tey have a special activation available to them, in which they can move one box directly orward orward and shoot. Tey save on a 7+. Light infantry (other)
Light inantry (other) represents skirmishers on oot armed with a variety o� ranged missile weapons. Tey were used in battle against their enemy equivalents, and to harass ormed enemy troops. Tey included: [
Light inantry bowmen such as the amous Cretan and Roman Idumean archers and light inantry slingers such as the Balaeric mercenaries employed by Carthage. [ Light inantry armed with the crossbows that became common in the medieval period, and with longbows, such as those used by the Ancient Indians Indians and Welsh Welsh bowmen. bowmen. [ Light inantry with handguns, using the early man-portable weapons introduced during the late medieval period.
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Light inantry (other) start a battle with three ammunition chits. Bows, slings slings and handguns have a maximum two box range, and crossbows and longbows a maximum three box range. When they successully activate to shoot, light inantry (other) discard an ammunition chit and play a single to-hit card. Light inantry (other) (other) have a special activation available to them, in which they can shoot and then move one box directly to their rear. Tey save save on an 8+. Longbowmen
Longbowmen represent the English, Welsh and Scottish archers who ought in close ormation, armed with bows roughly the height o� a man. In order to gain the strength to draw their weapons effectively, they needed to train or many years. Tey were usually lightly armoured and equipped with a close combat weapon o� some description. Standing shoulder to shoulder, they are able to darken the sky with their arrows, which had impressive range and penetrative ability. Longbowmen are organised as regular-sized oot units and start a battle with six ammunition chits. Tey have a maximum range range o� three boxes. When they successully activate to shoot, they discard one or two ammunition chits and play one or two to-hit cards, except when they are disordered or in rough terrain, when they may may play only one. Tey hit on an 8+ card. Longbowmen Longbowmen save on an 8+ card. Armoured longbowmen longbowmen are best best represented by by upgrading longbowmen to veteran. Mobs
Mobs represent those untrained armers and townsmen, un-armoured and equipped with improvised weapons and (sometimes) shields, who at times marched into into battle. Historical examples examples include the racing actions o� Constantinople, Constantinople, the less well-equipped Jews o� the great revolt, and medieval peasants.
Mobs are deep oot units. Tey start a battle with two ammunition chits (reduced to one or raw mobs) representing javelins and thrown stones. Te majority o� mobs encountered in the army lists are raw. Mobs have a shooting shooting and melee to-hit to-hit o� 8+, and also save on an 8+. Pikemen
Pikemen (or phalangitae) are the highly drilled proessional proessional and semi-proessional soldiers o� Macedon and the Successor states, and the similarly equipped soldiers o� the late medieval period, such as the Scots. Equipped with 16’ to 20’ long sarissa pikes gripped two-handed, they ought shoulder-toshoulder in exceptionally exceptionally deep ormations. ormations. Tese were hard to resist rontally, but vulnerable to flank attacks and tended to become disordered in any ground other than a flat plain. “Many considerations may easily convince us that, i� only the phalanx has its proper ormation and strength, nothing can resist it ace to ace or withstand withstand its charge.” Polybius, Te Histories, Book XVIII, Chapters 28-32
When a unit o� pikemen in clear terrain charges and hits a less-deep enemy unit that is also in clear terrain, then the enemy unit cannot strike back, even i� it should successully successully save against against the hit. Pikemen gain a positive save modifier when charged by mounted. Tey are deep oot units, and save on a 7+. Scythed chariots
Scythed chariots were sturdily constructed terror weapons, estooned with blades and scythes. Tey usually had a single crewman and our horses. Afer directing his chariot towards towards the the enemy ormation, the crewman would tie up the reins and attempt to bail out at the last minute beore the collision. Although much beloved by despots rom Asia Minor and Syria, the results results they achieved in
Seleucid phalangitae ace o� against Roman legionaries at Magnesia; rom the author’s collection.
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battle were distinctly mixed; ofen they inflicted more damage on their own side than they did upon the enemy. Tey could be countered by missilearmed light inantry, or by the target unit opening ranks to let them pass harmlessly through. o charge successully, scythed chariots needed to build up momentum. When charging two two boxes, they may play a bonus to-hit card, as described under multiple to-hits, and thus may be able to require their target to make two saves. When they are charging only into an adjacent box, or striking back in response to a charge against them, they play only a single to-hit to-hit card. Scythed chariots find find activations involving rough terrain doubly difficult. Generals may never replay to-hit cards on scythed chariots. Tey save on a 7+. Shieldwall
Shieldwall represent those inantry with unusually large shields, providing enhanced protection against missiles. missiles. Te type includes part-trained part-trained early medieval inantry inantry masses. masses. Sometimes a line o� shieldwall would be ronted by a rank or two o� proessional warriors rom a noble or royal bodyguard, such as Harold’s Huscarls, and then they may be upgraded to veteran. Shieldwall units can be either regular or deep. Tey have a save o� 7+. Te protection offered by their large shields coners a +1 save modifier against missile fire. Spearmen
Spearmen are oot armed with a relatively long spear, wielded two-handed, and sometimes a
smallish shield. Tey include some Dark Age, the Picts, Scots and Welsh. Spearmen units can be either regular or deep units. units. Tey have a save o� 7+ and their unusually long spears provide a +1 save modifier when they are charged rontally by mounted oes. War wagons
War wagons were used as mobile ortifications by the medieval Hussites and others. Tey contained crews o� up to 20 armed with crossbows, handgun, pikes and flails and were ofen deployed in large rectangular ormations called tabors. War wagons are classed as deep oot units and move a single box. Tey are highly unusual units in that they ace and shoot to their ront, but they move to either flank as shown in Figure III. o move in any other direction they need to make a deep unit difficult activation. Tey may never charge. War wagons wagons find activations involving rough terrain doubly difficult. Units charging war wagons do not gain bonus tohits or attacks attacks against their flanks flanks or rear. In Figure III (overlea�) one can see that there is also space or a light unit (perhaps o� handgunners or crossbows) to share the same box as the war wagon. War wagons shoot as i� either crossbowmen, handgunners, handgunners, artillery (cannon) or artillery (organ guns). Teir armament must must be specified beore the battle commences. Tey start a battle with six ammunition chits.
A Hussite Hussite War War Wagon Wagon rom rom the collectio collection n o� Gregory Gregory Blake. Blake. 1st Corp Corp and Front Front Rank miniat miniatures. ures.
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Figure III: War Wagon movement and shooting Shooting
War wagon Direction o� movement
Direction o� movement Light inantry
In melee they hit on an 8+. War wagons have a base save o� 7+. Tey receive positive save modifiers when charged by mounted or when shot at by any except or artillery or handguns.
Warriors
Warriors fight in deep irregular masses, ronted by their chies and the more enthusiastic and better equipped warriors. Warriors arrior s include the Celts, Germans and the better organised o� the Jews in the Great Revolt against against Rome. In some historical accounts warriors hurtle o� in impetuous charges, but the author observes that there are probably rather more accounts o� Celtic warriors standing stubbornly on the deensive. Warriors are also used to model the later Germans such as Franks and Saxons. Warriors are always deep oot units. Tey should be bolstered with as many heroes and heroic generals as can be afforded. Tey have a save save o� 7+. Te warrior class also includes the likes o� the Franks and early Saxons who relied upon a hail o� heavy missiles ollowed by a urious charge. Tese are equipped with a single-use single-use shock missile and cost one point more than normal warriors.
A Celtic Royal househol household, d, including including armoured armoured veterans, veterans, painted painted by Nick Speller Speller and the the author. author.
Camps and Fortifications Camps
Every ancient army had a camp on or near to the battlefield, with tents, wagons, mules, spare mounts, merchants, slavers and slaves, supplies and the odd guard. Camps contained contained an army’s ood, equipment, wealth and sometimes even the soldiers’ amilies. Te loss o� its camp camp could ofen lead to the breakup or rout o� an army. army. Conversely Conversely a ortified camp might orm a reuge or an army that was losing a battle.
“...Eumenes declared that they should stay and fight it out, or the phalanx o� the enemy had been shattered and the cavalry orces on the two sides were equal. Te Macedonians, however, reused to heed either party since their baggage had been taken, and their children, their wives, and many other relatives were in the hands o� the enemy.” Te veteran Silver Shields decided to betray their general Eumenes to his enemy Antigonus Antigonus ollowing ollowing the capture o� their baggage during the battle o� Gabiene, 316BC. Diodorus Siculus book XIX Ch. 43
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Every army must include at least one camp, although players will ofen choose to purchase additional camps because they contribute to an army’s overall size and thus to the number o� victory medals with which the army will commence the battle. Each camp is attached to a specific command and increases that command’s victory victory points, helping to delay the point at which the command will become demoralised. Te loss o� three three victory medals whenever a camp alls can be very serious, however, so it can be worth garrisoning or ortiying them. Camps are not units but rather a type o� terrain piece. Unlike other terrain pieces, pieces, however, however, camps are placed on the battlefield during thedeployment the deployment phase.. Tey must be phase be placed in a table table edge box adjacent to another unit rom their command and may not be placed in rough terrain. A camp, packed with tents, tents, animals and and civilians, is treated as rough terrain, impeding the movement or charges o� units into it, within it or out o� it. Some deending units (particularly light troops) may benefit rom save modifiers due to the rough terrain o� the camp. Enemy units may enter a camp without a riendly garrison, or charge charge a garrison i� present. A camp is controlled by the last player to move through it. When a camp is lost, a player must surrender three victory medals. medals. Tese are recovered in the event event that the camp is subsequently recaptured.
Fortifications
Ancient camps were ofen ortified ortified to protect protect them against attack. attack. Such deences included included the ditches and palisades o� Roman marching camps and the wagon laagers o� the Gauls and Germans. By their nature ortifications are challenging to cross. Units attempting to move or charge into a camp across ortifications count as making a difficult activation. Units attempting to move or charge out o� a camp across ortifications are assumed to do so by gates (whether depicted, or not) and consequently do not count as making a difficult activation. In either case, though, there may be an additional difficult activation penalty because the camp itsel� counts as rough terrain. When shot at (except by artillery) or charged across ortifications, deending oot units benefit rom a +2 save modifier. Attacking units do not gain the usual bonus to-hit card when charging a deender’s flank or rear across ortifications. ortifications. Foot units deending field ortifications are assumed to be provided with javelins and stones and consequently may shoot as i� javelin-armed light inantry with an unlimited supply o� ammunition. Fortifications block line o� sight, except to and rom units deending them. Fortifications cost 1 point per length, where a length is sufficient to protect one edge o� a box.
Wise players will garrison camps. Even light units can put up some sort o� deence due to the rough terrain, and a more confident deence i� the camp is additionally ortified.
Boudicca’s laager.
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Roman auxiliaries concealed within a vineyard during the battle o� Ad Castores, 69AD.
III. The Lay Lay of the Land Land Tis section describes terrain eatures and the impact they may have on a battle. It was always challenging to deploy and control large armies in ancient times and even more difficult when terrain or weather conditions restricted an ancient general’s view o� the battlefield. battlefield. For this reason, the majority o� ancient battles – especially the larger ones – were ought on plains, and sometimes eatureless eatureless plains, at that. On other occasions, however, however, battles battles were ought in very challenging terrain which had a major influence on the outcome o� the battle. errain is the term used to describe the roads, trees, buildings, hills and so orth that can influence the course o� the battle, usually by impeding movement, restricting shooting, shooting, or by conveying an advantage in melee. Most terrain pieces occupy either one or two two boxes, and all into one o� our categories: [ [
Open terrain Rough terrain
[ [
Impassable terrain Linear terrain
Open terrain does not impede the movement o� any troops. Features include: [
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Fields, meadows or similar, which impede neither movement nor line o� sight. Ideally, fields should be attractively modelled, in order
The Lay of the Land Land
[
to add to the variety and aesthetic appeal o� the table, but it is quite acceptable to use a piece o� elt or trimmed “teddy bear” ur. Low hills, which sometimes grant a modifier to the saves o� deending oot. Note that oot do not get the same benefit attacking down rom hills. Low hills block line o� sight, but troops on low hills can see over troops and over all other terrain eatures, except or low or steep hills.
Rough terrain impedes the movement o� some or all troop types. Features include: [
[ [
Broken ground, such as rocky ground, thick ground vegetation such as heather, sof sand or exceptionally wet and muddy ground. Broken ground does not block line o� sight. Woods or vine-stakes which provide cover and block line o� sight. Steep hills which are very much as low hills, except that they are rough terrain rather than open. Additionally, due to the cover they sometimes provide, and the extra difficulty o� shooting uphill, they provide cover against missile attacks. Units on steep hills can see over troops at a lower level, and over all other terrain eatures, except or steep hills and rocky outcrops. Steep hills block line line o� sight.
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[ [
Marsh, which does not provide cover or block line o� sight. Buildings provide cover against missile attacks and a save modifier or deending oot in melee. Tey block line o� sight, although troops within buildings can see over other troops in open terrain.
Impassable Impassable terrain is terrain that troops generally cannot enter. It includes: [
[ [ [
Rocky outcrops are large masses o� rock which are completely impassable to all troop types, and which block line o� sight. Dense orests are completely impassable to all troops, and block line o� sight. Small lakes occupy one or two boxes, and are completely impassable to all troops. Water boxes are those boxes entirely filled by lakes, rivers and the sea. Such eatures ofen occupy entire rows o� boxes, and can be several boxes wide. Tey are impassable to troops, except when crossing over a bridge, or in boats, or to rare troop types specified in an army list as being trained to swim rivers. Major water eatures don’t block line o� sight. Some types o� unit deending against attacks across a bridge or shoreline may receive a save modifier, and attackers do not gain the usual
bonus to-hit card when attacking a deender’s flank or rear across a shoreline. Linear terrain eatures either run through the centre or along the edges o� boxes. boxes. Linear eatures running running along the edge o� boxes include: [
Stakes and ditches represent the simple deences that were occasionally emplaced or dug into the battlefield, sometimes beore a battle and, occasionally, occasionally, during one. Some army lists include stakes or ditches, which can be purchased and assigned to units. Stakes cannot be chosen as a terrain choice. Tey can be deployed either at the outset o� a battle along the ront o� the unit to which they are assigned, or, during a battle, by making a difficult activation. activation. Once emplaced, they cannot cannot be removed. Tey ace in one direction and there is no penalty when moving or charging across them rom the the other. Mounted units moving or charging across stakes suffer the same penalties as experienced when entering rough terrain. Deenders against against mounted charges across stakes receive a +1 save modifier, and mounted attackers do not gain the usual bonus to-hit card when attacking a deender’s flank or rear across a line o� stakes.
Sheep may saely graze upon an impassable rocky outcrop!
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[
[
Streams, which represent small, relatively easily crossed waterways, and which run along the edge o� boxes. Streams must run run rom one side o� the table to one o� the other sides. Crossing a stream (except along a road) provides the same movement and charge activation penalties as experienced when entering rough terrain. Moreover, units deending against attacks across a stream receive a +1 save modifier, and attackers do not gain the usual bonus to-hit card when attacking a deender’s flank or rear across a stream. Walls and hedges. Tese linear eatures surround up to our sides o� a box. Crossing a wall or hedge provides the same movement and charge activation penalties as experienced when entering rough terrain. terrain. Units deending against against attacks across walls or hedges receive a +1 save modifier, and attackers do not gain the usual bonus to-hit card when attacking a deender’s flank or rear across them.
Linear terrain eatures which run through the centre o� boxes include: [
[
Bridges include both permanent bridges across wide rivers, and pontoon bridges. Only a single unit can be present present in a bridge bridge box. Boats cannot enter a bridge bridge box. Bridges count as rough terrain, and units deending against charges rom bridge boxes receive a +1 save modifier. Roads and tracks. tracks. Tese had relatively relatively little import on the ancient battlefield, where units generally moved in lines or in deep ormations, such as the Macedonian Macedonian pike phalanx. Roads/ tracks must run rom one side o� a table to one o� the other sides. Units that enter, pass through, or leave rough terrain whilst ollowing a road or tracks can make march moves and disregard the usual difficult activation penalty.
Roman legionaries orm up to deend a watchtower, somewhere along the Limes Germanicus.
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The Lay of the Land Land
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Legion vs. phalanx in 15mm. Xyston and Donnington miniatures rom the collection o� Ian Notter.
IV. Preparing for Battle Tis section describes how the armies and terrain are readied or the coming battle.
[
Choosing the troops All o� the miniatures miniatures and terrain pieces required required or the game may be provided by the host o� the gaming session, or, alternatively, each player may build and bring an army and terrain based on the points values and army lists provided later in the rules and online.
The order of battle An order o� battle battle is a list list o� all o� the the units in a player’s army, laid out so as to show the structure o� the army. An order o� battle must always: [
[
Clearly indicate indicate which units all under the command o� command o� which general. Each command command will be led by a general general and and will consist o� between one and and ten units. Tere may also be a senior general with general with a command o� his own. Include a description o� each unit including its type, whether it is veteran or raw, and its points value,, i� points are being used. value
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Include the number o� victory points with points with which each command will start the battle, and the number o� victory medals that medals that the army as a whole will have.
Beore the game commences, the order o� battle should be shown to the other player, who should be advised which unit o� miniatures on the table corresponds correspon ds to which unit on the OOB. An example o� an order o� battle battle is is included in VIII. Advice and Examples o� Play .
Victory points Each side should calculate the number o� victory points in each command o� their army, counting: [ [ [
3 points or each deep oot unit 2 points or every general, regular-sized unit, or escorted elephant 1 point or every non-escorted elephant, artillery, light inantry or light cavalry/chariot/camelry cavalry/chariot/camelry unit or small unit
Record (on the order o� battle) the number o� victory points in each each command. Tis may later become important to help determine whether the command becomes demoralised demoralised..
Preparing for Battle
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Victory medals Add toget together her the the victor victoryy points points o� each each comman commandd in the army, plus that o� any senior general without a command o� his own. Divide this total by three, three, rounding to the the nearest whole number. number. Te side is awarded the corresponding number o� victory medals, which are placed on his baseline, somewhere near the centre o� the the table. Remove victory victory medals or any units or generals that start the battle o� table or in ambush due to stratagems stratagems – – these medals will be recovered when the units are placed on the table.
Choosing the terrain pieces In many games, one or both players will position a number o� terrain pieces to their mutual satisaction satisaction and dive straight into the game, and this is perectly acceptable. I� you are using this this approach then move straight on to the VI. Offering Battle section. Battle section. For a slightly more ormal game, however, it is useul to have a set o� rules to regulate the amount and positioning o� terrain, as described in this section. For every eight boxes on the gaming table, each player will receive receive one terrain choice. So, on a typical eight by twelve box battlefield, each player will receive twelve choices. errain must be chosen as a combination o�: [
Single box-sized pieces (each counting as one terrain choice). [ Double box-sized pieces (each counting as two terrain choices). [ A road crossing the table rom one side to another (counting as a single terrain choice). crossing the table table rom one side side to [ A stream crossing another side (counting as one terrain choice per our box sides’ worth o� length). When selecting terrain, the ollowing rules must be ollowed: choices must be spent on [ At least 25% o� terrain choices open terrain such as low hills, fields or a road. choices must be spent on [ At least 25% o� terrain choices rough terrain such as woods or steep hills. [ No more than 25% o� terrain choices may be spent on impassable terrain.
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Preparing for Battle
[
[
[
Major waterways cannot be selected; these only occur by agreement between players, or as part o� a scenario. Stakes are not taken as a terrain choice. Tey are purchased rom army lists. errain pieces should ideally be themed and appropriate to the player’s army.
Players might also like to bring a ew trees and other character pieces that can be dotted around the board or purely aesthetic purposes. Players will want to give thought to selecting terrain pieces that will avour their army in the coming battle. Te owner o� a later Macedonian Macedonian army might choose to bring the maximum permitted number o� open pieces, to acilitate the movement o� the phalanx, whilst his Roman oes might choose to place as much broken broken ground as he is able. Tis behaviour is quite legitimate: historically, historically, prudent generals such as Lucius Paullus careully sought out battlefields whose terrain, as at Pydna, avoured their own army and hampered the enemy. Example: A player with an Arab Conquest army might choose to bring a set o� desert-themed desert-themed terrain. I� the board is twelve twelve by eight boxes, boxes, he needs to bring enough terrain to fill twelve boxes. He chooses: wo each o� single-box and double-box sized. [ wo double box-sized jebels (steep hills; rough terrain). grove (a wood; wood; rough terrain). terrain). [ An olive grove box-sized oasis (a small lake; lake; [ A single box-sized impassable terrain). [
His three camps might be indicated by the presence o� Bedouin tents, herds o� goats, or camels. Purely or aesthetic aesthetic purposes he might also bring some date palms to shade the oasis, a handul o� olive trees and an olive press. Alternatively, Alternatively, he could choose choose to bring bring terrain appropriate to the lands that an Arab Conquest army might be in the process o� invading or deending, such as Syria or the North Arican coast, with roads, olive groves, vineyards and villages.
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V. Offering Battle Tis section describes how terrain is set up, and how the troops are deployed, ready or battle. “Te natural ormation o� the country is the soldier’s best ally; but a power o� estimating the adversary, o� controlling the orces o� victory, and o� shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test o� a great general. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. battles. He who knows knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be deeated.” Sun zu, Art o� War, VIII
Te standard scenario scenario is “air and open battle”. In such a “vanilla” ancient battle, two armies stare each other down across a plain, across which a number o� terrain pieces have been scattered either inormally or by using the terrain placement rules described below. Once amiliar with the the rules, players might like to try using one o� the scenarios scenarios described described towards the end o� these rules. rules. I� so, the scenario should should be picked now as several o� the scenarios influence the placement o� terrain.
Positioning the terrain pieces As described in choosing terrain terrain pieces, terrain terrain can be positioned inormally by agreement between the players, in which case you can skip this section o� the rules. I�, however, you are using the more ormal method, then the table should be divided into a central zone and two flank zones, each o� a broadly similar width, as shown in Figure IV. When the number o� boxes across the table width is not exactly divisible by three, then the central zone should be made slightly wider than the flank zones. On a twelve box-wide table, all three zones would be our boxes wide. wide. On a sixteen box-wide box-wide table, however, the central zone would be six boxes wide and the flank zones five boxes each. One player on each side should be nominated to place terrain. Te nominated players should cut the deck to see who will place the first terrain piece, and then take it in turn to place terrain pieces, starting with terrain pieces that sit within boxes. errain pieces may be placed anywhere on the table, except that:
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[
Each side must place at least one terrain piece in each o� the three zones. Impassable terrain pieces may not be placed in [ Impassable the central zone. [ errain pieces may not be placed orthogonally adjacent (i.e. across the edge o� the box) to other terrain pieces, but may be placed diagonally adjacent to other terrain pieces. Exception: terrain pieces may be placed orthogonally adjacent to other terrain pieces o� the same type, so long as they are not placed orthogonally adjacent to a different type o� terrain piece. In this manner individual terrain pieces can sometimes be combined to orm a larger piece. A long long ridge ridge can can be be creat created, ed, or example, example, by the placement o� a number o� adjacent hills. [
Fortifications are not placed with other terrain; they are instead placed later, during deployment.. deployment
Players might choose to start by positioning areas o� open terrain, such as fields or low hills, in order to restrict the other side’s placement o� rough or impassable terrain. Once a player has placed all o� his terrain pieces that fit within boxes on the table, then he starts to place any linear pieces that that he has selected. Streams run along the edges o� boxes and, unlike the previous placements, can be placed adjacent to other terrain pieces. Roads or tracks pass though the centres o� boxes and through most terrain, but cannot cross steep hills, or cross rivers/lakes. rivers/lake s. Streams and roads/ tracks must run rom one edge o� the table to the other.
Figure IV: Battlefield zones
Lef Flank Zone
Central Zone
Right Flank Zone
Offering Battle
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Once all o� the terrain pieces have been placed on the table, then the player who placed the first terrain piece should deal a playing card, ace up, onto each terrain piece. Next he removes the the cards in the ollowing order (i.e. Hearts first, then Clubs, Diamonds and Spades), and the terrain pieces are processed accordingly: 1. Heart – the terrain piece remains where it is. 2. Club – the terrain terrain piece remains where it is, i� entirely in a flank zone. However, i� the the piece is partially or entirely in the centre zone, it is removed, unless it is a road/track. 3. Diamond – the terrain piece is removed. 4. Spade – the terrain terrain piece will move, move, unless unless it is a linear terrain piece. Starting rom rom the lef edge o� the table, each piece is moved one box in a direction indicated by the pip-value o� its playing card: [ [ [ [
1-2 pips – move one box away rom the player who placed the cards 3-5 pips – move one box to the player’s right 6-8 pips – move one box towards the player 9-10 pips – move one box to the player’s lef
I� it is not possible to move a piece into the destination box, either because there is already a piece there or because the move would take it at least partially o� the table, then the piece is, instead, removed.
Stratagems Stratagems represent the ploys that ancient generals adopted to gain an advantage on the field o� battle. Stratagems are not essential or play and you may choose to skip this section during your first ew games. “...some o� the elephants’ eet were pierced by the cleverly devised spiked chains and, tormented by their wounds and by the concentrated efforts o� their attackers, they began to all into disorder. For, although the attack o� these beasts is irresistible on smooth and yielding ground, their strength is completely useless on terrain that is rough and difficult, because o� the tenderness o� their eet.” Demetrius’ elephants encounter spiked chain deences during the battle o� Gaza, rom Diodorus Siculus’ Library o� History, Book IX, Ch. 84
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Offering Battle
Te stratagem deck is composed o� the court cards and jokers lef over when the activation packs were built. It should include 26 cards: two two o� each o� the court cards, and and 2 jokers. Afer the terrain has been set up, but beore the armies are deployed, each player draws a random card rom his stratagem deck. Exception: armies with brilliant generals may choose whichever whichever card they preer rom the deck. deck. Stratagem cards are single-use, and are discarded once played. Each card has a particular particular meaning: “ake the high ground!” [ Jack o� Hearts – “ake way, Effendi!” [ Jack o� Clubs – “Tis way, Diamonds – “Someone has has blundered!” blundered!” [ Jack o� Diamonds [ Jack o� Spades – “Inamy, Inamy!
Tey’ve all
got it in or me!” [ �ueen o� Hearts – “Where in Hades did that come rom?” [ �ueen o� Clubs – “Cry havoc, and loose the pigs o� war!” [ �ueen o� Diamonds – “Patroclus” [ �ueen o� Spades – “onight we dine in hell!” [ King o� Hearts – “Ambush!” [ King o� Clubs – “Flank march” [ King o� Diamonds – “Reserves” [ King o� Spades – “Lost!” “Player’s choice” [ Joker – “Player’s Te first two types o� stratagem card must be played at the end o� the deployment phase: [
[
“ake “ake the high ground!” (Jack (Ja ck o� Hearts) You have instructed one o� your generals to hurry ahead in a orced march to seize a critical piece o� terrain, or to position his troops ready to deliver an attack at the very outset o� the battle. Played afer both sides have ully deployed, up to three units and a general rom one o� your commands may commands may be advanced two boxes. “Tis way, Effendi!” (Jack o� Clubs) Your spy provides the enemy commander with misleading directions that delay the arrival o� an entire enemy command on the battlefield. battlefield. When played (at the end o� deployment) all o� the units in one enemy command are moved back one box towards their their baseline. Should impassable impassable terrain prevent any units rom moving back, then they remain where they are. Any units in the rearmost row o� boxes are removed rom the table and
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placed into reserve behind the zone in which they were ormerly deployed. Te remaining ten types o� stratagem cards are retained until used used during play. Until required, the card or cards are best placed under one o� the player’s camp models so that they do not get accidently shuffled into the pack with the numbered cards. Te remaining stratagems include:
[
[
“Someone has blundered...” (Jack o� Diamonds) Tis card should be used when an enemy general has just played a replacement activation card upon a unit or units. units. Te passive side side may instead activate these enemy unit(s) to move, charge, shoot or rally, in any manner they desire, except that they may not be required to shoot at or charge other units on their own side. Afer this, play returns to to the active active side, who may continue to activate units in the normal manner, although the general has expended his replacement card ability or this turn. [ “Inamy, Inamy! Tey’ve all got it in or me!” (Jack o� Spades) You have managed to infiltrate into the bodyguard o� an enemy general a traitor who will attempt to assassinate the general as soon as the the opportunity arises. arises. Play when any enemy general passes a save. He must immediately attempt three urther saves. [ “Where in Hades did that come rom?” (�ueen o� Hearts) Your scouts have identified identifie d difficult terrain that the enemy is unaware o�. You may place an area o� broken ground in a clear terrain box into which the enemy commander has just declared that he intends to move or charge a unit. Tis is a valuable card as it may be used to halt the move or charge o� enemy cavalry, or example. [ “Cry havoc, and loose the pigs o� war!” (�ueen o� Clubs) Tis represents the use o� one o� a range o� obscure instruments o� war including caltrops, tar-daubed incendiary pigs, spiked chains, and concealed pits that were occasionally deployed on the battlefield by well-read (or desperate) ancient generals. Te card may be played played when any riendly oot unit is unit is charged by enemy mounted mounted,, scythed chariots or chariots or elephants elephants.. Te enemy charge is cancelled, that command’s activation phase ends, and the charging unit must make a save or else become disordered or lost. [ “Patroclus” (�ueen o� Diamonds) One o� your generals has a close riend who has bravely
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volunteered to wear the commander’s distinctive distinctive armour and helmet into battle. Tis riend naturally becomes a ocus or enemy attacks. “Patroclus” is played when any general on your side ails a save. It turns out that it was was the riend that was killed or wounded, rather than your general, who didn’t ail the save afer all! “onight we dine in hell!” (�ueen o� Spades) Perhaps in response to hatred or the enemy, a desire or loot, or an excess o� mead, a single unit, selected by the player, comes to the battle exceptionally highly highly motivated. motivated. Te player should indicate on his roster which unit he has chosen. Te card is played in the instant that this unit first ails a save. Te unit does not become disordered or lost, and a hero is placed with it (unless it is a scythed chariot or elephant). Te unit may not, however, be rallied again rallied again during the remainder o� the battle.
Te next our stratagems all delay the deployment o� one o� the player’s units. Te player may choose any unit or this purpose, except or elephants or scythed chariots. Te unit may, i� the player wishes, be accompanied by by its command’s command’s general. An activation test is usually required to bring a unit onto the table, and will be made by the command rom which the unit was taken. Units must arrive acing onto the table, in boxes unoccupied by enemy units, as described in entering and leaving the battlefield. It may become apparent to the other player, because o� the off-table unit, that one o� the below stratagems is in play. However, even when making the activation attempts the owning player does not need to advise which stratagem card or cards he has, and indeed there can be considerable advantage advantage in maintaining an air o� suspense as to what the missing unit is actually up to... [
“Ambush!” (King (King o� Hearts) A player with this stratagem may conceal a single unit o� light o� light inantry or light cavalry/chariots/camelry in cavalry/chariots/camelry in ambush in any one piece o� terrain on his hal� o� the table that blocks line o� sight, including hills, or (oot only) only) in an area o� broken ground. He must make a note o� where the unit is hiding. Te unit will be placed on the table either when the owning player activates it by playing an activation card o� 4-pip or greater value, or in the instant that any enemy unit moves adjacent to it.
Offering Battle
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“Ten Pharas came beore Belisarius and Hermogenes, and said: “I� the Eruli and I remain here, it does not seem to me that we shall do the enemy any great harm. But i�, instead, we conceal ourselves behind that hill, and, once the Persians have begun the fight, we ride over the hill and suddenly appear, shooting them rom behind, we shall in all probability probability do them great great harm.” harm.” Tus he spoke, spoke, and, since it pleased Belisarius and his sta�, he carried out this plan.” Pharas the Herul proposes an ambush, rom Procopius’ History o� the Wars Book I, Ch.14
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Right base edge zone Central base edge zone Lef base edge zone Lef table edge zone Enemy right table edge zone Enemy right base edge zone Enemy central base edge zone Enemy lef base edge zone Enemy lef table edge zone Right table table edge edge zone
Te final stratagem is: [
[
[
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“Flank march” (King o� Clubs) is a stratagem [ “Player’s Choice” (Joker) Tis card enables that may permit a unit to unexpectedly appear the player to choose his preerred stratagem on the enemy’s wing. Te player must record rom the deck. Tis choice must must be made on his roster on which off-table flank the unit immediately. Te Joker is replaced replaced in the is marching. It arrives during any any turn o� the pack, and the court card relating to the chosen controlling player’s choice, afer their first, in stratagem is taken, instead. which the unit’s command plays an activation card o� 4-pip or greater value. value. I� successul successul the Scouting unit arrives in a table-edge box in the designated Armies Armies that that were were led led by exceptional exceptional generals, generals, or zone. I� unsuccessul, unsuccessul, the owner may attempt attempt which included a greater proportion o� cavalry, were to bring it on in uture player-turns as i� a at a considerable advantage in terms o� locating “Lost!” unit. the enemy. Te scouting test makes makes it more likely “Reserves” (King o� Diamonds) is a stratagem that such an army will be able to deploy more that enables a unit to remain off-table at the advantageously, advantageously, and move first. beginning o� a battle. Te owning player must speciy which base line zone the unit is in reserve Once the terrain has been set up, one player on each behind (i.e., lef, centre centre or right). It arrives side cuts the pack, and the pip value o� the card during any turn o� the controlling player’s drawn by each side is modified by: choice afer their first in which the unit’s [ +1 or each light cavalry/light camelry/light command plays an activation card o� 4-pip chariot unit present in their order o� battle. or greater value. I� successul, the unit arrives [ +1 or each two mounted inantry, cavalry/ in a table-edge box in the designated designated zone. I� camelry/chariot or light inantry units present unsuccessul, the owner may attempt to bring it in their order o� battle. on as i� a “Lost!” unit in uture player-turns. [ +1 i� a brilliant general is present. “Lost!” (King o� Spades) A unit has become become separated rom the rest o� the army and is wandering, lost, near the battlefield. It will Example: An Early Frankish army includes arrive during any player turn o� the owning one unit o� Breton light cavalry (one scouting player’s choice afer the first, in which the point), three units o� mounted inantry and one player running the unit’s command plays a unit o� light inantry archers (which combine to 4-pip movement activation activation card to bring it on provide two additional additional scouting scouting points). It has to the table. I� successul successul the unit will arrive arrive a total o� three scouting points. in a table-edge box o� his choice in a randomly determined edge zone (see also the diagram in Te side with the highest total becomes the active the entering and leaving the battlefield section). side, and the other, the passive side. In the battle I� unsuccessul, the player can draw or it again the active side will activate first. In the event o� a in uture player turns. draw, cut the pack aresh, and play resh cards.
Offering Battle
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A our legion legion Roman Roman Consular Consular Army Army deployed deployed or battle; 15mm 15mm Donnington Donnington miniat miniatures ures rom rom the collectio collection n o� Ian Ian Notter.
Deploying for battle Te auxiliary inantry, 8,000 in number, ormed a strong centre, while 3,000 cavalry were posted on the wings. Te legions were stationed in ront o� the camp rampart (behind the auxiliaries): victory would be vastly more glorious i� it cost no Roman blood, whilst, i� the auxiliaries should be repulsed, the legions could come to their rescue. Deployment o� a Roman army against the Caledonians, rom acitus’ Agricola Book I Ch. 35
Tis section o� the rules deals with the deployment o� armies on the battlefield. Firstly, each player draws a card rom their stratagem deck. Next, one o� the players on the the passive passive side deploys a command including any camps camps.. Camps must be placed in a table edge box. I� the table is eight or ewer boxes deep, the command is deployed somewhere in the two rows o� boxes nearest to the player. I� the table is nine or more boxes deep, the command is deployed somewhere in the first three rows o� boxes. No units may be placed in the extreme lef or right columns and camps must be placed along the the table edge. All units within within a command must be placed in boxes orthogonally adjacent (i.e. across the flats) to each other.
Figure V: Deployment zones Deployment Zone Lef Flank Zone
Central Zone
Right Flank Zone
Afer this and observing the the same deployment deployment rules as above, one o� one o� the players on the active side places a command command.. A player on the the passive side side then ollows suit, and this process o� alternate deployments continues until all o� the commands on both sides have been deployed on the table. Exception: sometimes one or more units and generals will remain o� the gaming table at the end o� deployment, as a result o� a player having drawn a stratagem card such as “In reserve”, “Flank march”, “Lost!” or “Ambush!” Remember that victory medals must be surrendered at the beginning o� the game or any off-table or ambushing units.
Sharing boxes Te our principles governing which units may be placed together in a box are: [ [
[
[
Friendly and enemy units may never share the same box. No more than two riendly units (together with any number o� generals or heroes) may share a box at the same time. I� a deep unit is unit is present, then the other unit can only be small or a unit o� light inantry or light cavalry/chariots/camelry. Where two units are present in a box, they must either ace in the same or in opposite directions.
Units are always placed parallel to the sides o� a box to ace outwards across across one o� our sides. Units never ace a diagonal; it must be clear which side o� the box they ace. Where two units in a box and acing the same direction, the ront one is described as the leading unit, and the rear one as the ollowing unit.
Deployment Zone
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Offering Battle
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VI. The Player Turn Sequence Tis section describes the sequence o� activities in a player turn. In many rule sets one might find a march phase, approach move phase, shooting phase, melee phase and rout phase. In To the Strongest! however, all o� these activities happen pretty much simultaneously, on a unit by unit basis, as individual units are activated.
3. Te active player turn ends. Te active side now becomes passive, and the passive side becomes active. Return to 1, above.
In a player turn (all activities reer to players on the active side):
The activation process
1. Te active player turn commences: a. Each player on the active side decides which o� his commands he wishes to activate first. b. Units within the command are activated to move move,, shoot shoot,, charge charge or or rally rally until until either a unit ails to activate, or until the player has activated all the units that he wishes to activate, and elects to pass. c. Each player on the the active active side may then pick another command, i� he has one, and repeat the previous step. And so on. on. 2. Once all the commands on the active side have completed their activations, each o� the players on both sides gather up any cards that have been played and pass to the player on their right, who reshuffles and cuts the pack.
Play thus passes rom one side to the the other until one one side runs out o� victory medals (see VII. Laurels to the Victor!). Victor!).
Te activation process is the core mechanism o� these rules. It is designed to introduce introduce riction into a battle. In To the Strongest! a a unit may sometimes be able to move, shoot and charge multiple times in a single turn, yet in other turns be unable to move at all. Tere are our different types o� activation: moving, charging, shooting shooting and rallying. rallying. A general may also “pass” once he has finished activating all the units that he wishes to activate. Each player starts by picking one o� his commands, and then selecting a box containing a unit or units o� that command. command. He then states and and indicates what either one or both o� the units and/or any generals in the box will attempt to do, stating, perhaps, that “Te third and ourth cohorts, and the tribune, will will move here (pointing).” (pointing).” Next, he plays the top card rom his pack in an attempt to activate the unit or units to either:
Figure VI: Activations Easy activations Either move or charge one box straight ahead, or two boxes straight ahead i� mounted. Move one box straight ahead and then shoot (javelin-armed light inantry/cavalry/chariots/camelry inantry/cavalry/chariots/camelry only). Shoot, then move backwards one box, acing in the same or the opposite direction (non-javelin armed light inantry/cavalry/camelry/chariot inantry/cavalry/camelry/chariotss only). Either shoot, or replenish one ammunition marker rom the reserve in the baggage. Rally.
Difficult activations
n.b. activations are never difficult or light troops
Either move or charge one box diagonally ahead, maintaining maintaining acing. Mounted units may either either move or charge one urther box straight ahead. Move one box sideways, maintaining acing. Move backwards one box (or two i� mounted), acing in the same or the opposite direction. Move, permitting permitting units to change acing direction or exchange places within within their box. Afer this, mounted units may move one box straight ahead. Either move or charge into or out o� rough terrain (e.g. woods, marshes).
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The Player Turn Sequence
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Cards played or activation purposes are always placed just behind the activated unit (or units), and remain there until the end o� each player turn, as a reminder o� reminder o� which units which units have have activated. activated. Cards Cards played or shooting shooting to-hits, to-hits, melee melee to-hits to-hits and saves are always placed on the player’s base line – this is important in order to avoid the to-hit and save cards becoming mixed up with the activation cards played on the units. Initial activations or units (except when a nonlight unit is making one o� the difficult activations) succeed on a 2+ pip card. Example: A player states that he wishes to activate a legionary unit to move one box straight orward. Any card other than an Ace will succeed. succeed. Te player plays plays a 3-pip card, card, which is placed behind the unit, and moves the unit orward one box. In a single activation a unit might charge charge and and the (enemy) target o� the the charge charge might attempt to evade evade.. I� the evade ails, a melee melee would would be resolved in which the deending unit might be lost lost.. I� so, the charging charging unit would then advance advance into into the vacated box. Each activation must be concluded beore the next activation can begin. Should an activation be successul then the unit may potentially be activated again, later, by playing another activation card. However, this new activation will only succeed i� the pip-value o� the new card is greater than that o� any previous previous card card played on the unit(s). In the case o� a difficult activation,, it must be two pips (standard units) or activation three pips (deep units) higher. Exception: An activation always succeeds when a 10-pip card is played on a unit, even when a 10-pip card has previously been played on the unit. Alternatively, Alternatively, rather than than activating activating the same unit unit again, the player may attempt to activate any other unit within the same command. Example: Afer successully activating several other units, the player decides to return to the legionary cohort mentioned in the previous example and attempts to activate it a second
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time. He states that the legionaries will will again move one box directly orward. orward. Te unit already has a 3-pip card on it. Consequently, Consequently, he needs to play a 4-pip or greater card in order or the activation to succeed. He plays a 6-pip 6-pip card behind the the cohort, successully activating it, and again moves the unit orward one box. A unit might might be activated activated a number o� times in a single player turn. Tese activations might be interspersed with activations o� other units. However, once any activation attempt ails, then the turn ends or that entire command. Exception: When the command’s general or a senior general is present in the same box as the ailing unit (or units) then he may, once in a player turn, use the general’s ability to play a replacement activation card behind the unit in a second (and final) attempt to activate it. Tis ability o� generals may also be used in an attempt to replace a successul but high pip-value activation card with a lower-pip value activation card, to increase the chance o� the unit being able to activate again, later in the turn. Example: Afer successully activating several other units, the player decides to return to the legionary unit mentioned in the previous example and attempts to activate it or a third time. He states that the legionaries will will charge an enemy unit to their their ront. Te unit now has a 6-pip card on it and consequently the player must play a 7-pip or greater value card in order or the activation to succeed. He plays a 5-pip card behind the unit. Tis would normally ail and cause the command’s turn to end. Luckily, the the tribune general general commanding the cohort is present in the box. He draws and plays a 7-pip card on top o� the 5-pip rom the ailed activation. activation. Because this is greater than the 6-pip card rom the previous successul activation it succeeds and the cohort is able to charge as he had wished. wished. Since the activation was successul, the player may continue to activate more units afer the melee has been resolved.
The Player Turn Sequence
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Once a unit has ailed to activate, or afer a player has activated all the units within a command that he wishes to activate, he can go on to activate units in another command, i� he he has one. Once all o� the players on one side have finished activating all o� their commands, the the player turn is complete. complete. Cards are gathered up, shuffled, and passed to the player on the lef, whereupon the other side begins their player turn. Difficult activations
Te first five types o� activation are described as easy activations. activations. Te remaining five are known as difficult activations and represent those activities which are made unusually challenging by terrain, by a unit’s ormation or because a ormed unit is out o� command. Difficult activations activations are a key mechanic o� the rules because they restrict the manoeuvrability o� units to something approaching historical levels. Activatio Activations ns are are never never difficult difficult orlight or light troops including light inantry, light inantry (other) and light cavalry/chariots/camelry. cavalry/chariots/camelry. In order to successully perorm a difficult activation, a unit or units must play a card one pip greater in value than would otherwise be required. Example: Te player decides to return to the legionary unit rom the previous example and attempts to activate it or a ourth time. He states that the legionaries will move one box directly orward, orward, into a vineyard. Te vineyard is rough terrain, so this is a difficult activation. activation. Te unit already has a 7-pip card on it, and consequently consequently a 9-pip card (one greater than or a normal move) is required in order or the activation to succeed. He plays only a 4-pip card, so the unit ails to move and activations or its command come to an end. Difficult activation penalties are cumulative. A unit making a move with two causes o� difficulty must play a card two or more pips greater in value than it would need to succeed with an easy activation. Example: A unit o� javelinmen who are activating or the first time in a player turn wish to move diagonally into a wood (rough terrain). As this makes makes two difficult activations, activations, the the unit requires a 4-pip card to activate.
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The Player Turn Sequence
Doubly difficult activations
Deep units find difficult activations particularly challenging. challenging. Instead o� the normal normal 1-pip penalty or perorming a difficult activation, they suffer a 2-pip penalty, known as a doubly difficult activation. Tis 2-pip penalty is cumulative or each difficult activation, such that a deep unit attempting two difficult activations would suffer a 4-pip penalty. Example: A pike phalanx, activating or the first time in a turn, wishes to make a diagonal charge. As it is a deep unit it must play a 4-pip card to activate, instead o� the 3-pip card usually required or a difficult activation. activation. I� the phalanx had been attempting to charge diagonally into an area o� broken ground, a doubly difficult activation, it would require a 6-pip card instead o� the 4-pip card required by a non-deep unit. Activations Activations involving involving all sorts sorts o� chariots chariots and war wagons that are already in rough terrain or testing to enter or charge into rough terrain are also doubly difficult activations. Activations involving multiple units in the same box
Where two units are sharing a box then the activating player must speciy, beore playing the activation card, whether he wishes to activate just one or both. I� a player wants wants to activate two two units within a box but the two units have different pipvalue cards on them due to previous activations, he must play a card that is sufficiently high in pipvalue to activate both o� the units concerned, or else the activation will ail. Example: wo Roman cohorts that have each activated previously previously are sharing a box. One already has a 3-pip card on it, and the other a 6-pip. A 7-pip card will be sufficient sufficient to activate activate both together but any lower value card will ail. Where two units that have previously activated together share a box and one o� them activates again on its own, place the new activation card on this unit, and leave the previous activation card on the other unit.
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Out of command
Ancient generals generals could could only exert control over a relatively small area o� the battlefield. o represent this, any units (except light troops) troops) which are more than two boxes (including diagonals) rom either their general or a senior general, general, are considered to be out o� command. Activating such units counts as a difficult activation. Light troops are never out o� command as it is considered that they act under their own initiative. Note that once a command’s general has been lost, all units in it will be out o� command, unless a senior general is within two boxes.
Moving In general, oot units and units and generals on oot can move one box, and mounted units and generals two boxes, as described under activations. Mounted units must units must halt, however, upon entering a box containing rough terrain. Detached generals can move in any direction, including diagonals. Players should note that generals on oot, with a single box move, will be unable to keep up with mounted units making a ull move.
A unit or units units and an accompanying accompanying general general may extend its normal one or two-box move by one moving one additional box straight ahead, as long as it does not: [
[ [
[
Start its activation adjacent to an enemy unit, or move adjacent to an enemy unit during the activation. Start its activation within a box into which any enemy unit is able to charge, or enter such a box. Start its activation within a box into which any enemy ormed unit o� bowmen, crossbowmen or longbowmen is able to shoot, or enter such a box. Pass through rough terrain, except along the line o� a road. Note, though, that a march move can include a difficult activation such as a turn, sideways move or diagonal, but the extended move must always be straight ahead.
Figure VII: Potential march moves or a oot unit Example: In Figure VII a oot unit extends a normal move either straight ahead or diagonally ahead, with a urther move o� one box.
Tere are two special moves permitted to some light units: [
[
Move and shoot is a special activation available to javelin-armed light inantry and light cavalry/ chariots/camelry. chariots/camelry. Such units can move move one box directly orward and shoot as a single activation. Shoot and move is a special activation that it is only available to bow, longbow, handgun and crossbow-armed light inantry or light cavalry/ chariots/camelry. chariots/camelry. As a single activation, activation, such units can shoot and then move one box directly to their rear.
March moves
roops who are not immediately threatened by enemy action are able to make an extended move, known as a march move. Marching units can move swifly about the battlefield because they don’t need to keep pausing to to dress their ranks. ranks. March moves are very useul when closing with the enemy at the start o� a battle, when attempting a flanking manoeuvre or when shifing reserves about behind the battle line.
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Zones of control
All units exert exert a zone o� control control into the the box directly to their ront. A unit must halt as soon soon as it enters an enemy zone zone o� control. A unit within the zone zone o� control o� an enemy unit may only charge it, i� able, or use a move activation to turn to ace it or to retire directly to its own rear. A unit which finds itsel� itsel� in the zone o� control o� multiple enemy units may only charge one, i� able, or use a move activation to turn to ace whichever unit it preers, or retire directly to its own rear. Exception: Non-light Non-light units may units may disregard the zone o� control o� enemy light units.
The Player Turn Sequence
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Exception: A unit directly behind a ormed riendly unit may disregard the enemy zone o� control o� an enemy unit to its ront, in order to make a sideways (but not a diagonal) move.
Figure IX: A prohibited diagonal move
Figure VIII: Zones o� control
X
Nervii
1st Cohort 2nd Cohort
Example: In Figure VIII the zone o� control o� the Nervii is shown shown in pale blue. Te presence o� the Roman 1st Cohort permits the 2nd Cohort to disregard this zone o� control and make a sideways move. Interpenetration Interpenetra tion of friendl friendly y units
A unit can move move or charge through through any riendly riendly light inantry or light cavalry/chariot/camelry cavalry/chariot/camelry units that are acing in the same or opposite directions, as long as they don’t exceed the number o� units that may share a box at the end o� movement/charging. A light unit can move or charge charge through any riendly units that are acing in the same or opposite directions, as long as they do not exceed the number o� units that may share a box at the end o� movement/charging.
Entering a box containing friends
When a non-light unit moves into a box which already contains another non-light riendly unit, it is positioned behind it i� entering rom the three boxes to its rear (Red 4 through Red 6) or in ront o� it, i� entering rom the box to its ront (Red 1). A unit entering entering rom either flank box (Red (Red 2 and 3) may be placed either in ront o� or behind the unit in the box. In all cases the moving unit will maintain its acing, except in the case o� Red 1, which may choose to turn though 180 degrees as part o� its retreat move. I�, in the below diagram, the unit moving into the box was a light unit, it could interpenetrate the unit in the box and so can choose whether to position itsel� in ront or behind it. Likewise, non-light units moving in could position themselves in ront or behind a light unit in the box.
Figure X: Entering a box which already contains a riendly unit
Other restrictions on movement
A unit unit may may never never enter enter a box conta containing ining an enemy enemy unit. It may, however, however, enter a box containing containing an unaccompanied enemy general, who is immediately displaced as described in the advances section, below. A unit may never never enter a box that that is occupied by a riendly unit at right angles to it. A unit may not make a diagonal move or charge charge through a gap between units or terrain both to its ront and flank, through which it cannot pass, as indicated indicate d in Figure IX. Note, though, that a unit MAY move through such a gap i� able to either interpenetrate one o� the units or move through one o� the terrain pieces.
41
The Player Turn Sequence
Red 1
Red 2
Red 4
Red 3
Red 5
Red 6
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Figure XI: Entering and leaving the battlefield
Entering and leaving le aving the battlefield
Units and generals may leave the battlefield battlefield either by making a normal movement activation or when evading evading..
6. Enemy right base edge zone 5. Enemy right table edge zone
7. Enemy central base edge zone
8. Enemy lef base edge zone 9. Enemy lef table edge zone
Units and generals may enter Right Lef Central the battlefield battlefield by means o� one Flank Flank Zone o� the stratagems stratagems,, by virtue 4. 10. Zone Zone Lef Right o� a special scenario rule, rule, or table table when returning afer having edge edge previously exited the table. zone zone Units entering or re-entering 3. Lef base 2. Central 1. Right base the battlefield must do so either edge zone base edge zone edge zone in the same table edge zone rom which they lef (one o� the ten around the edges o� the table in Figure XI) or as or elephants and artillery. artillery. Tey may, however, however, specified by a stratagem card. charge any unit rom one o� its five flank or rear boxes. A 4-pip movement movement activation activation card must must be played in order or a unit to enter (or re-enter) the A unit that is within an an enemy zone o� control battlefield. I� successul, the unit moves into an may only charge the unit that is exerting the zone edge box, acing onto the battlefield, and stops. o� control. In order or it to charge, it may be be It may subsequently be activated again in the necessary or it to first use a move activation to turn normal manner. I� unsuccessul, then this ends to ace this unit. the turn o� the command o� which it is part. Units may never never charge onto the table. table. A unit may not charge through a gap between non-light units / Charging impassable terrain to both its ront and flank. Charging overview
Units conduct a charge in order to attempt to melee with an enemy unit in an adjacent box, across an intervening box edge. In summary: [
[ [
I� the enemy unit successully evades evades,, but a second enemy unit is present in the box, then the charge is, instead, resolved against this second unit unless it also successully evades. I� the enemy unit is unable to evade, or elects to stand, then a melee (see below) will take place. I� afer evades and melees no enemy units remain in the box, then the charging unit must advance into the box.
Flank and rear charges must be made rom one o� the enemy unit’s five flank or rear boxes. Flank charges can be resolved at the charger’s discretion against either either unit in a box. box. Rear charges are are resolved against the rearmost unit. Figure XII (overlea�) illustrates permitted and prohibited charges: [ [
Permitted and Permitted and prohibited charges
Foot units can units can charge into an adjacent box that is straight or or diagonally ahead o� them. Mounted units can units can charge in the same manner, or alternatively move one box ahead straight or diagonally, and then charge into a second second box straight ahead beyond that. Light units are units are not permitted to rontally charge non-light units except
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[
1st cohort can attempt to charge the Nervii to its ront. 2nd cohort cannot charge, due to the presence o� the 1st cohort in ront o� it. However, i� the 1st cohort was destroyed in combat, the 2nd could then attempt to charge. Also, i� a light unit was present in the position o� 1st cohort, 2nd could attempt to charge through it. 3rd cohort cannot charge, because there are riendly units to its ront and on its flank, and units are not allowed to charge through such a diagonal gap.
The Player Turn Sequence
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[
[ [
[
Figure XII: Permitted and prohibited charges
4th cohort cannot charge the Nervii, because it is not acing them. However, it could use a move activation to turn 90 degrees to its lef, and then in a urther activation attempt attempt to charge. Tis would would be a flank charge. charge. 5th cohort can attempt to charge the Nervii; this would be a rear charge. 6th cohort can attempt to charge diagonally. Tis would be a flank charge, rather than a rear charge, as they are not directly behind the Nervii. 7th cohort can charge the Nervii diagonally, because there is no enemy unit to its ront. Tis will be resolved as a rontal, and not a flank charge.
6 t h C o h o r t
5th Cohort
Nervii
X 1st Cohort 7th Cohort
It should be remembered that diagonal charges charges (except by light units) are difficult activations, activations, and making them can be challenging, especially or deep units such as pikemen or warriors.
X
4th Cohort
X 3rd Cohort
2nd Cohort
do this a light unit may interpenetrate any other riendly unit, but a cavalry/chariotry/ cavalry/chariotry/ camelry may only interpenetrate riendly light units. All units, even mounted units, evade one box. Should the box into which which the unit is attempting to evade already contain two riendly units that it can interpenetrate, or riendly units at right angles to it, then the evading unit may move into the box beyond that, as long as this does not already contain two riendly units, or a unit at right angles to it, impassable terrain or enemy units.
Evading
Evading is the process by which light units and units and cavalry/chariotry/camelry cavalry/chariotry/camelry may (and ofen must) attempt to avoid a charge charge against them. In response to a charge upon it: unit, charged by any any light unit, may [ A light unit,
choose whether to stand or evade. unit, charged by any any non-light non-light unit, [ A light unit, must evade, unless in rough terrain in which case it may choose whether to stand or evade. cavalry/chariotry/camelry elry may choose choose A unit that must evade, [ A unit o� cavalry/chariotry/cam evade, but cannot cannot do so because because whether to stand or evade, except when in there is nowhere that it can evade to, is immediately rough terrain, when it must stand. lost and removed rom the table. I� a unit elects to stand, then no evade has taken place and a melee will take place.
In order to successully evade, a unit must test, requiring a:
In order or a unit to be permitted to evade, there must either be a box into which it can evade, or, in the case o� a light unit only, a non-light unit behind which it can evade. A unit:
[
[ [ [
43
May, i� light, evade behind a non-light unit within the same box. May evade o� the edge o� the table Otherwise, it must move into an adjacent box that it could legitimately legitimately enter, either directly away rom the direction o� the charge (into a diagonal box i� the chargers are charging on a diagonal) or directly directly to its its rear. In order to
The Player Turn Sequence
[
[
3+ to successully evade i� evade i� mounted in in the open evading oot, or oot in rough terrain evading terrain evading any. 5+ to successully evade i� mounted in the open evading mounted, or oot in the open evading oot. 7+ to successully evade i� oot in the open evading mounted.
I� the evade test succeeds, then the unit is placed in the box into which it was attempting to evade. I� a unit ails the evade test then it has been caught and the charging unit will melee with it in the normal
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manner, except that the evading unit may not battle back. Should it survive this melee, then it is considered to have evaded successully and is placed in the box into which it was originally attempting to evade. I� the subject o� a charge successully evades, or is destroyed, then the charge must be continued against any other unit in the box (which may, in turn, be able to evade). I� all o� the units in a box evade then the the charging unit must advance into the box.
Shooting In order to shoot, a missile-armed unit must: [ [ [ [
Have one or more ammunition chits Have an enemy unit within range and shooting arc Be able to trace line o� sight to sight to the target Successully activate to shoot
Ammunition
Units with missile weapons start a battle with a supply o� ammunition chits placed on or behind each unit. Te number o� chits is determined determined by the type o� weapon, the type o� unit and whether or not the troops are veteran veteran or raw. Tere will also be a small reserve o� ammunition in the army’s camps. Example: A 100 Years War English army includes six units o� veteran longbowmen and a unit o� Irish kern light inantry armed with javelins. Each o� the longbow units will start the battle with seven ammunition markers and the kerns with two ammunition markers. A reserve o� seven ammunition markers (one or each unit) is placed in the English camp.
Figure XIII: Number o� ammunition chits at the start o� a battle Unit type
Starting ammunition chits
Javelin-armed troops Light units armed with bow, sling, crossbow, hand gun or longbow Bowmen, Bowmen, crossbow crossbowmen, men, longbowm longbowmen en or artillery artillery Veteran units Raw units Ammunition reserve reserve Extra reserve ammunition
wo each Tree each Six each each One additional chit One less chit One chit or each unit that has ammunition ammunition One point purchases two extra chits
Principate Roman auxiliary archers - Warlord Games miniatures rom the author’s collection.
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The Player Turn Sequence
44
An ammunition chit is removed removed or each to-hit to-hit card that a shooting unit plays, regardless o� whether or not it inflicts a hit or hits upon the target. Note that bowmen, longbowmen and artillery (organ guns) that are not disordered or in rough terrain may choose to expend two ammunition chits in order to play two to-hit cards. Such units may still fire i� they have only a single remaining ammunition chit; in this event they play only a single to-hit card. A unit unit that that has has run run out o� ammunit ammunition ion chits chits may not shoot, but can attempt to resupply itsel� with chits rom the ammunition reserve, as described under activating to shoot, shoot, below. A unit can never exceed its starting number o� ammunition chits.
Should a camp be lost then any reserve ammunition stored in it is also lost. lost. Additional ammunition ammunition or the ammunition reserve can be purchased beore a battle - each point spent purchases two ammunition chits. Shooting ranges and arcs
Units have shooting arcs that depend upon the weapon with which they are equipped, as indicated in Figure XIV and XV. Shooting is resolved against the leading unit in the target box except when shooting rom behind the flank, in which case the ollowing or rearmost unit must be targeted.
Figure XIV: Shooting ranges Unit type
Range
Javelins or bows/slings/longb bows/slings/longbows ows when shooting overhead Bows/slings/handguns or artillery (organ guns) Longbow or crossbow Artillery (catapults) (catapults) Artillery (cannon) (cannon)
One box wo boxes Tree boxes Four boxes Six boxes
Figure XV: Shooting arcs Cannons
Cannons
Catapults
Longbows/crossbows
Bow/slings, handguns, organ guns Javelins and Javelins Javelins overhead fire Shooters Shooters
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The Player Turn Sequence
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Line of sigh sightt
In order to shoot, a unit must be able to trace line o� sight to the target unit. Line o� sight is traced rom the centre o� the box containing the shooting unit to the centre o� the target target box. It can be traced into boxes containing terrain that blocks line o� sight, such as woods and low hills, but not through them into a box beyond. Units have line o� sight into the box directly in ront o� them, even when they are behind a riendly unit. Line o� sight cannot be traced through boxes containing units or terrain that block line o� sight, or along a diagonal between boxes containing units or terrain that block line o� sight.
Example: In Figure XVI, the red units shooting units are armed with the longbow. [
[
[
Units on a hill can see and shoot over anything in the boxes immediately adjacent, other than another hill.
Red 1 can shoot at either Blue 2 in the open or at Blue 3 which is in a wood, but not at Blue 1 and Blue 4 which are beyond terrain that blocks line o� sight. Red 2 can shoot at Blue 5 but not at Blue 7. Units are not permitted to shoot along a diagonal between two units or terrain pieces that block line o� sight. Red 3 can fire overhead at Blue 5 because it is armed with longbow and because Blue 5 is in an adjacent box box directly ahead. ahead. It cannot target Blue 7, however, because overhead fire can only be directly ahead.
Figure XVI: racing line o� sight Blue 4
X Blue 1
Blue 2
Blue 3
Blue 5
X
Blue 7
X Red 2 Blue 6
Red 1 Red 3
Claymore Castings longbowmen, expertly painted by Andrew aylor, rom David Imrie’s collection.
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The Player Turn Sequence
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Target Priorities
A shooting unit must target the nearest nearest enemy enemy unit at which it may shoot. shoot. When checking the the distance, count the number o� boxes including the box o� the target unit, but not the box o� the shooting unit. Count diagonals as as one-and-a-hal� boxes. boxes. I� there is more than one eligible target, the shooting unit may choose which one to fire upon. Example: In Figure XVII the target priority or the bow-armed Red unit would be Blue 1. I� Blue 1 was destroyed then it would shoot at Blue 2. I� Blue 2 was also destroyed then Blue 3 would become the target.
Figure XVII: arget priorities Blue 2
2
Blue 3
3
Blue 1
1
Shooters achieve a hit on an 8+ card. o-hit o-hit cards cards are never modified. Hit units must must make asave a save or or each hit, as must all generals present in the target box, except or generals attached to a unit that wasn’t hit. Example: A unit o� English longbowmen are attempting to shoot at a unit o� Genoese crossbowmen, crossbowmen, 3 boxes away to their ront. Tey play a 2-pip card to activate successully, and their last two remaining ammunition chits are removed. Next they play two to-hit cards on their baseline – a 5-pip and a 9-pip. Te 9-pip is a hit and the 5-pip is a miss. Te Genoese will now need to play a saving card on their own baseline. As an alternative alternative to shooting, shooting, a shooting shooting activation activation may be used to replace one previously-expended previously-expended ammunition chit with one drawn rom the ammunition reserve in their camp. Example: Te English longbowmen, who have now run out o� ammunition, attempt to resupply themselves. themselves. A 3-pip activation activation card is played on the unit, which succeeds as it is higher than their their previous activation activation card. Te unit receives a replacement ammunition chit rom the reserve in the baggage train. Next the longbowmen will need to decide whether to shoot with a single to-hit card or resupply again so that they can fire o� a ull volley.
Rallying Activating to shoot
In order to shoot, a player must first activate the unit in the normal manner. manner. I� this activation activation is successul: [
[
47
Light troops, artillery (except organ guns) and crossbowmen play a single to-hit card and a single ammunition chit is removed rom the unit. Bowmen, longbowmen and artillery (organ guns) that are not disordered or in rough terrain may choose to play either one or two to-hit cards. Either one or two ammunition chits are removed rom the unit. Tey must declare this beore turning turning over the first card. When disordered or in rough terrain bowmen and longbowmen may only play a single to-hit card.
The Player Turn Sequence
Rallying is the process that enables units that have become disordered to attempt to reorganise themselves. A successul rally activation permits a disordered unit to make a rally save. A negative save modifier is applied to rally activations or each enemy unit that is, at the point o� testing, in a position rom which it could charge the testing unit. A positive save save modifier is applied when a general is present with the unit. I� the unit passes this save, then a disorder marker is removed rom it.
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Macedonian phalangites battle uphill at Pydna 168BC against the smaller and more manoeuvrable Polybian maniples.
Melees A melee takes place immediately immediately afer a unit has has successully successully charged an enemy enemy unit. Melees are resolved immediately afer each charge, beore the active player moves on to the next activation. To-hit cards
In a melee, a charging unit usually plays one to-hit card, although on some occasions some occasions more than than one card may be played (see Bonus to-hit cards, cards, below). o-hit cards are always played on the baseline, to avoid them becoming mixed in with the activation cards played on units.
An enemy unit unit that is hit must make a save save or or each hit inflicted upon it. Any generals present in the box must also make a save or each hit, except when they are attached to a unit that has not been hit. Afer making the the required saves, saves, the deending deending unit may strike back at the attacker, unless: [ [ [
It has been lost lost.. It had attempted, but ailed, to evade evade the the charge charge.. Te charge came rom its rear or behind its flank.
A unit strikes strikes back by playing playing a single single to-hit card. card. Note that the deending unit may have been In melee, a 6-pip or greater to-hit card inflicts a hit, disordered by the attacker, in which case it will only except or the ollowing troops, who hit on an 8-pip hit on an 8-pip or greater card. I� a hit is inflicted or greater to-hit card: upon the attacking unit, this must be saved against in the normal manner. double-disordered troops. [ Disordered or double-disordered Melees are usually resolved between the charging [ Light troops unit and the leading unit in the target box. bowmen, crossbowmen, crossbowmen, [ Artillery, bowmen, However, when a box containing two units is longbowmen, war wagons and mobs. charged rom the rear, the melee is, instead, resolved resolved A to-hit card that is lower lower in value than than the required required against the ollowing unit. pip score is a miss. o-hit cards are never modified. modifie d.
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The Player Turn Sequence
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Example: A unit o� Spartan Spartan hoplites successully successully charges a unit o� Athenians. Athenians. Te Spartans play a 9-pip to-hit card on their base line, hitting the Athenians, who subsequently ail to save save and become disordered. disordered. Te Athenians strike strike back, playing playing a 7-pip card card on their own base line. A 7-pip would normally hit, but the Athenians are now disordered and thereore require an 8-pip to-hit card, and thereore miss. I� the deending box is now vacant because all the deendin the deendingg units have evaded or been lost, see Advances see Advances.. Melees do not run over rom turn to turn. Once a melee has been resolved, another another charge must be made in order or a urther melee to take place. Bonus to-hit cards
Units making a flank charge, and units in some other circumstances listed below, may play a bonus to-hit card. Bonus cards differ rom rep replayed layed tohit cards in that they may cause an additional hit, potentially requiring the target to make two saves. charging against against an enemy enemy unit’s flank flank [ Any unit charging [
[
or rear may play a bonus to-hit card. Lance-armed mounted Lance-armed mounted units and elephants elephants may may play a bonus to-hit card in one melee o� their choice. Scythed chariots may chariots may play a bonus to-hit card when charging two boxes.
Example: A unit o� Ancient British warriors successully charges against the flank o� a Roman cohort led by a tribune (general). Requiring the usual six plus to hit in melee, the Britons play two to-hit cards – a 5-pip and a 7-pip. Te 7-pip is a hit – against which which the Romans will need to make a save – and the 5-pip is a miss.
Example: Te British warriors in the above example are led by a heroic general and accompanied by a hero. Te British player player could use either the general’s or the hero’s ability to replay the 5-pip card that missed, but not both. He elects to use the general, as the hero is one-use. Using the general’s ability, he replays the 5-pip card, this time drawing an 8-pip card, which hits. Te unortunate legionaries now need to make two saves. saves. Failing one, they become disordered. disordered. Te British player successully activates the warriors to charge or a second time. Tis time he plays a 2-pip and a 3-pip card, which would both miss. However he still has his hero, who he uses to replay one o� the misses, and this time he draws a 6-pip card, card, hitting. Te hero is removed. Te Roman player ails his save, and the disordered cohort cohort is lost. Te triumphant warriors advance into the box. Saving
Te controlling player must play a card, on his baseline, or each unit or general that needs to save. Te value o� this card will be modified upwards or downwards by the save modifiers listed overlea�. I� the modified value is equal to or greater than the unit’s saving actor, then it has successully saved. I� not, it has ailed to save. Exception: A 10-pip card is always a successul save.
Units that ail to hit, i� accompanied by a hero hero or or a heroic general, general, may choose to replay the ailed to-hit card. Should a unit have both both a heroic general and a hero in a box with it, then the player may choose which o� the two two will do this. A to-hit card can only be replayed once. Heroic generals may replay replay
Te saving actors o� the various types o� units are recorded under descriptions descriptions o� troop types, and also collectively below below,, alongside points value and saves. Many units have a base saving actor o� either 6+ or 7+. Some troops will also also be veteran or raw, which increases or decreases their saving actor by one, respectively. For the sake o� convenience, this is noted beore the game, so that a unit o� veteran legionaries, or example, starts a game with a save o� 5+, rather than 6+.
The Player Turn Sequence
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Replaying to-hit cards
49
either a to-hit card or an activation card in a given player turn. Heroes are removed afer replaying replaying a to-hit. Players thereore thereore usually preer to use use heroic generals or replays and reserve heroes or use later in the battle. However, a player player could use a heroic general and a hero to replay ailed to-hit cards on successive activations in the same turn. He could even use both together to replay a pair o� ailed tohit cards rom a bonus to-hit.
Generals save on a 2+, except or heroic generals, who save on a 3+. Saves or generals, unlike the saves or units, are never modified. Example: Te Roman unit in the above example needs to make two saves or the unit. None o� the save modifiers are relevant, so the player needs an unmodified six or greater pip card to save. He plays a 2-pip card and an 8-pip 8-pip card, passing one save and ailing the other. He also needs to save twice twice or the general. Te general is not heroic, and consequently saves on a 2+ pip card. He plays two 4-pip cards, saving twice.
Save modifiers
Save modifiers are bonuses (or penalties) applied to the saving card drawn when a unit has been hit or is attempting to rally. Tey all into three groups: melee save modifiers, shooting save modifiers and rally save modifiers. On any given save, only one o� the three groups o� modifiers will be used. Save modifiers are cumulative. cumulative. Positive modifiers modifiers increase the value o� the card drawn, and negative modifiers decrease it.
Figure XVIII: Save modifiers ype
Circumstance
Modifier
Light in inantry in in ro rough gr ground, wh when ch charged by by an any ex except lilight in inantry. Foot (except elephants) when charged across ortifications. Foot (except elephants) when charged uphill. Foot (except pikemen & elephants) in rough terrain and charged by mounted or pikemen. Any, deending deending against a charge across a stream, bridge, bridge, shoreline or stakes. Pikemen or spearmen receiving a rontal mounted charge. Melee Foot including elephants (but not light inantry) who are not disordered and receiving receivin g a rontal mounted charge. War wagons receiving receivin g a mounted charge. Cataphracts or later knights, mounted or dismounted. Charged by billmen or any armed with two-handed cutting weapons. Light inantry charged by mounted in open terrain. Moun Mounte tedd un unam amil ilia iarr wit withh eele leph phan ants ts/c /cam amel els, s, and and cha charg rgin ingg or or cha charg rged ed by same same.. Units in a demoralised command. Foot (except elephants) behind field ortifications, except when shot at by artillery. Cataphracts, dismounted knights or later knights, except when shot at by artillery or handguns. Later knights, shieldwall, war wagons and any units in cover, testudo or behind Shooting pavises, except when shot at by artillery or handguns. Light inantry, light inantry other and light cavalry/chariotry/camelry and artillery. Units in a demoralised command. Units hit rom behind a flank or the rear. A general is present present in the box. box. Rally For each each enem enemyy uni unitt in in a po positio ition n ro rom m whi whicch it it co could uld cha charg rgee the the test esting ing un unit. it. Units in a demoralised command.
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+2 +2 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 -1 -1 -1 -1 +2 +1 +1 +1 -1 -1 +1 -1 -1
The Player Turn Sequence
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Example: A Roman cavalry alae charges charges uphill against a unit o� Pictish oot and inflicts a hit. Te Picts save actor is 7+. In this instance however, modifiers apply or oot charged uphill (+1), oot charged by mounted (+1) and spearmen deending against a rontal mounted charge (+1). Tese combine to give give them a net +3 modifier, and so they need to play a 4+ in order to save. save. Tey play a 6-pip 6-pip card and save, and then attempt a strike back against the Roman cavalry, which misses. Note that i� in the ollowing turn the Picts were to charge downhill against the cavalry, the save modifiers would not then apply, because they are all deensive.
[ [ [
9+ the general is killed (lost). 6-8 the general retires rom the field seriously wounded (lost), but will recover afer the battle. 1-5 light wound; the general battles on, but will be killed (lost) i� wounded again.
Disorder
A unit that has suffered casualties and and started to lose cohesion is described as disordered. disordered. Further disorder may result in the unit’s loss, but in the right circumstances it may be possible to rally and remove the disorder. disorder. Disorder is indicated indicated by placing a disorder marker or by disarraying the elements o� the disordered unit. Loss
When a unit ails to save it will either become disordered or lost. lost. When ailing a save:
When a unit or general is lost, or moves or evades o� the edge o� the table, its models are removed and and the owning player player must surrender a number o� victory medals into medals into a cup at the rate o�:
[
[
Failing a save
[ [ [
Light inantry or light cavalry/chariots/camelry, cavalry/chariots/camelry, elephants (except escorted elephants), artillery, scythed chariots and small units are lost. Regular-sized units, escorted elephants, and deep units become disordered. Disordered deep units become doubledisordered. Disordered regular-sized units and doubledisordered deep units are lost.
When a general ails to save, play a urther card to determine the extent o� his injury:
[ [
Tree victory medals or each deep inantry unit (except elephants). wo victory medals or every regular-sized unit or escorted elephant unit, or or a general. One victory medal or every light inantry or light cavalry/chariots/camelry cavalry/chariots/camelry unit, small unit, elephant (except escorted elephants), artillery or scythed chariot unit.
In the event that a unit or general returns to the battlefield, then the medals that were surrendered when it exited are returned to the player.
Republican Roman Allied Principes - Aventine Miniatures.
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The Player Turn Sequence
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Demoralisation
Beore Beore the start o� o� each game, note down the number o� victory points or points or each command in the army. During the battle, as soon as any command has lost hal� or more o� its starting victory points, it becomes demoralised. Units in a demoralised demoralised command: [ [
Cannot charge. Suffer a -1 modifier on all uture saves.
Example: A Republican Roman command consists o� two small units o� triarii (two victory points), two o� principes (two victory points), two o� hastati (two victory points) and two o� velites (two victory points) led by a general (also two victory points) and a camp (three victory points) or a total thirteen victory points, and consequently a demoralisation level o� six and a hal� victory points. points. All six victory medals medals or the velites, hastati and principes might be lost, but the remaining general and triarii would not yet be demoralised. Any urther medal losses, however, would result in the command’s demoralisation.
All units and and generals in the box in which which the rampagers start, or in any o� the boxes along the selected rampage path, must save against a hit. Te elephant or chariot models are removed afer the rampage and may be replaced with models o� dead elephants or wrecked chariots, i� available.
Figure XIX: Rampage paths Rampaging elepahnt or chariot
1- 2
4- 6
8- 9
3
7
10
Advances
Should no enemy units remain in the box afer an evade or melee has taken place, then the charging unit must advance into the vacant box accompanied by any general who charged with it. Te advancing unit may turn so that its ront is parallel with that o� any enemy unit that evaded out o� the box or which was lost whilst attempting to evade. I� the box contains an unaccompanied enemy general, he is immediately displaced to join any unit under his command o� his choice (whether on or o� the table). I� the general is senior, he may choose to join any unit unit in his army. army. Should no such such riendly unit exist, then the general is considered to have been captured and is lost and two victory medals are surrendered. Rampages
When elephant or scythed chariot units ail a save (or a second save in the case o� an escorted elephant) and are lost, they first rampage either one box or two boxes, as determined by the play o� a card and according to Figure XIX. Te Greek general Alcibiades.
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The Player Turn Sequence
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VII. Laurels to the Victor “And thus the (German) barbarians threw away their lives in their struggles or victory, while toiling to break the compact array o� our legions. But still, in spite o� the ceaseless slaughter made among them by the Romans, whose courage rose with their success, resh barbarians replaced those who ell. Eventually, though, exhausted by their losses and demoralised by the requent groans o� their dying comrades, and having no strength remaining or anything but flight, the Germans sought to escape with all speed.” Te crisis o� the battle o� Strasbourg, rom Ammianus Marcellinus’ Roman History, Book XVI, Ch. 12, 15-16
Once individual units began to rout in ancient battles, the morale o� the whole wing o� an army might begin to waver. waver. As casualties mounted mounted urther, the entire army might break and flee the battlefield.
Each side begins a battle with a number o� victory medals equal medals equal to one third o� their total victory points (rounded points (rounded to the nearest whole number). Victory medals are surrendered (usually by dropping them into a cup or other receptacle) during the course o� the battle, as described under losses. Sometimes medals are regained, as units return to the battlefield. Victory is achieved when the other side surrenders its last remaining victory medal. Players should then shake hands, the vanquished congratulate the victors, and the victors commiserate with the vanquished! “In war, resolution; in deeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity.” Winston Spencer Churchill
Marcus Aurelius’ sta�. Aventine Miniatures command figures, sculpted and painted by Adam “Smithy” Smith.
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Laurels to the Victor
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VIII. Advice Advice and Examples of Play Advice for Aspiring Generals A player player should should alway alwayss try try to position position a command’ command’ss general in the most useul place or the turn to come. His presence might be required to lead a critical charge, or example, or bring up a unit that has allen behind the advance, or join a disordered unit that must be rallied. rallied. Te presence o� a general in a box enables a player to draw a replacement card, helping to reduce the risk o� a turn ending prematurely. Similarly, i� a player eels that the first card drawn was too high (because he wishes to activate the unit again this turn) this same ability can be used to draw a replacement card that will hopeully have a lower pip value. Careul thought should be given to the order o� activation o� the units within the command so that the most critical moves are made A brooding brooding Wargames Wargames Foundry beore a ailed Roman ribune painted by Alex Bews. activation brings the command’s turn to an end. Remember, there is a 10% or greater chance o� the command’s turn ending each time a unit or units are activated, and a significantly greater chance o� ailure when any are activated activated a second or third time. For this reason, it is usually best to activate most units in a command once, beore returning to activate any or a rather riskier second or or third time. It is also worth worth considering activating units who share a box with the command’s general early in the sequence, as the general can play a replacement card in the event o� ailure. In the event that a command’s turn should end with an Ace on the very first attempted activation, then the owning player should console himsel� with the thought that his next turn will come around all the sooner!
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Resolving a melee inside ten seconds Te card-based rules enable melees to be resolved rather more quickly than in most other systems. With practice, a melee can usually be resolved inside 10 seconds: 1. Charge – the active player plays a card to activate activate a unit to charge. 2. Evade – some deenders may be able to evade. I� the evade is successul and the box is now vacant, the attacking unit must advance in, and the melee is concluded. 3. Attacker hits – i� the charge was was successul the attacking player plays a to-hit card on his baseline, requiring either a 6+ or 8+ to inflict a hit, depending upon its type and whether it is disordered. 4. Deender saves – i� hit, the the deending deending player must play a saving card on his baseline. Tis card may sometimes be modified by terrain or other actors. I� the deending unit ails this save then it will be disordered or even lost. I� it is lost, and the box is now vacant, the attacking unit must advance in, and the melee is concluded. 5. Deender strikes back – i� the deending unit has survived, and did not try to evade, then the deending player now attempts to strike back by playing a to-hit card on his baseline, requiring a 6+ to 8+ to inflict a hit, depending upon its type and whether or not it is disordered. 6. Attacker saves – I� hit, the attacking player must play a modified saving card card on his baseline. I� the attacking unit is lost as a result o� ailing this save, the deending unit does not advance into its box.
Extended example example of play It is a Roman player’s move in a battle against savage German barbarians. barbaria ns. Te Roman player decides to activate a command which consists o� three cohorts o� legionaries and one each o� ungrian auxiliaries and javelin-armed oederati (allied) light inantry, led by a ribune (detached general).
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Figure XX: Extended example o� play «
War leader
Chatti war band
Chatti sk.
«
5 2nd Cohort ribune
1 «
Cherusci war band
6 7
4
2
3
3rd Cohort
Foederati sk.
4th Cohort
5th Cohort
«
Afer a ew moments moments deliberation deliberation to plan the the coming move, the Roman player: 1. Begins by making a ree command move with the tribune, who joins the 3rd and 4th cohorts. 2. Next, he activates the 3rd and 4th cohorts, and the tribune, to advance 1 box. He plays a 4-pip card, which is higher than the required 2-pip, and so the activation is successul. 3. He declares that he will advance his oederati and 5th legionary cohort one box (to protect the right flank o� the advancing legionaries). Playing a 2-pip card on them, he succeeds. 4. Playing a 3-pip card, he successully activates the javelin-armed oederati again, this time to shoot at the Cherusci warriors. Te first o� the Foederati’s two ammunition chits is removed. He plays an 8-pip card on his baseline, inflicting a hit, and requiring the Cherusci to play play a saving card. Playing a 3-pip (on their own baseline), they ail to save and become disordered. 5. He declares that the 2nd Cohort will charge the Chatti skirmishers. skirmishers. Tey require a 3+ card to succeed because the rough terrain makes it a difficult activation. activation. Luckily they play play an 8-pip. Being in rough terrain the Chatti Chatti light
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inantry could elect to stand and fight, but they preer to evade. evade. Light inantry in rough terrain require a 3+ card card to evade. Playing a 6-pip card (on their baseline), they succeed and all back one box, still acing the Romans, who advance into the wood. 6. Te ribune decides to charge the Chatti warriors with the 3rd Cohort. o succeed he needs to play a 5+ pip car, exceeding the 4-pip already on the unit. Luckily, he plays a 7-pip. Unortunately, the subsequent 4-pip to-hit card played on his baseline misses. He can’t replay this, as he is not a heroic general. Playing a 7-pip card on on their own baseline the Chatti successully hit back, obliging both the 3rd Cohort and the ribune to save. Te Roman player player plays an Ace on his baseline when saving or the 3rd Cohort, ailing and causing it to become disordered. Happily, the Roman player saves the ribune with a 2-pip card (played on his baseline). Tis saves or a normal general such as the ribune. I�, however, he had been a heroic general then he would have been injured. 7. Te R Roman oman player decides it would would be w wise ise to attempt a rally the disordered 3rd cohort. In order to succeed, the activation card must be at least one pip greater than the 7-pip card already on the unit. unit. Unortunately, he plays a 4-pip card, and ails to activate. o prevent the turn rom ending he elects to use the general’s ability to replace the 4-pip card. Te activation succeeds, on this second attempt, with a 10-pip card. Tis entitles him to play a saving card on his baseline card (with the +1 modifier or the presence o� the ribune general cancelled out by a -1 modifier or being within enemy charge reach). reach). A 10pip card saves comortably and the disorder marker is removed rom the 3rd cohort. 8. Te Roman Roman player attempts to charge, once again, with the the 3rd cohort. With a 10-pip card already on the unit, only a urther 10-pip card will succeed. He plays an Ace and ails. He cannot replay this as he used his replay earlier in the turn, and so his command’s turn turn comes to to an end. Te Roman player now moves on to activate another command.
Advice and Examples of Play
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IX. Additional Material Tis section includes additional material that is not strictly required to play the game, but which will add value or experienced experienced players. Tese include advanced rules, points values and army lists, a sample order o� battle, a variety o� scenarios and advice on playing the game in a club setting.
Exceptionally deep units move and charge exactly as i� deep units, but can survive one additional disorder compared to deep units, units, being lost on the 4th disorder. Exceptionally deep deep units cost 4 points points more than the equivalent deep unit.
Advanced rules
In some ancient units, all o� the soldiers carried two weapons, such as the Sassanian heavy cavalry who were armed with lance and bow. Other units were ormed by combining troops armed with different weapons, or example having spearmen in the ront ranks and archers or crossbowmen to the rear. In melee, the more heavily-equipped troops to the ore provided protection to the missile-armed troops behind.
Tese advanced rules are not recommended or novice players, who will already have plenty to take on board during their their first ew games. Once players have become amiliar with the basics however, they are likely to enjoy the additional gaming “colour” to be ound in this section. Boats
Whilst naval warare is outside o� the scope o� these rules, units in boats did occasionally play a part in land battles. Boats can only move on waterways. Each boat can carry a single non-deep oot unit. A boat and the the unit on board board are activated in the normal manner and move together as i� light inantry, including marching. Units may attempt to board or disembark rom a boat that is adjacent to a land box by making a difficult activation. Units on boats may also attempt to charge against enemy units in boats or on land, in an adjacent box, as a difficult activation. Missile-armed Missile-ar med units on board boats can shoot in any direction. Dismounting
Sometimes cavalry, camelry or chariotry will wish to dismount in order to enter or hold a terrain eature. Units may make a difficult activation in order to dismount, being replaced with a similarly-armed light inantry unit armed with bow or javelin acing in the same direction. directio n. I� the mounted unit was raw or veteran then the light inantry will be, too. Units that dismount may not remount during the course o� the battle. Exceptionally deep units
Exceptionally deep units reer to the rare occasions when Ancient generals sometimes used ormations 50 or more ranks deep in order to either attempt a break though (Epaminondas) or to stiffen unreliable troops (Antiochus III Megas at Magnesia, and Ptolemy IV Philopator at Raphia).
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Extra missile weapons
Tese can be represented by upgrading a unit with an additional missile weapon at a cost o� one point or light troops and two points or standard troops. Upgraded troops use the save actor o� the standard unit but shoot as i� light inantry armed with the appropriate weapon, i.e. playing a single to-hit card and hitting on an 8-pip 8-pip card. Units armed with with extra missile weapons aren’t able to put out the same volume o� fire as pure bowmen/longbowmen units, but will be rather more resilient in combat, having a better save actor and hitting on a 6-pip rather than an 8-pip card. Units with extra missile weapons carry the appropriate number o� ammunition chits or their missile weapon. When troops already armed with a missile weapon (e.g. javelins) are equipped with a second missile weapon (e.g. bows), then they use the more generous ammunition allocation o� the two, in this case three chits, or the bow. Fanatics
Fanatics fight motivated either by religious ervour or by a sense o� their own invulnerability. invulnerabili ty. Tese could include early Galatians, the fiercest German tribesmen or perhaps the Zealots o� the Jewish revolt. Sometimes anatics ought naked, either to inspire ear in their opponents or to demonstrate their own contempt or protective armour and clothing. On other occasions they might be lead by druids, priests or women waving flaming torches or snakes.
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Fanatics cost the same as standard standard troops. Teir ervour means that they continue to hit on a 6+ even afer they have become become disordered. However their their contempt or sel-protection means that they have an armour class one worse than equivalent units.
provide protection against enemy missile fire. Tey include the siege mantlets used by the Assyrians, Assyrians, the wicker shields carried by the ront rank o� Persian sparabara archers, and the pavises carried by the Genoese crossbowmen crossbowmen at Crecy.
Lance
Pavises coner a save modifier against missile fire rom the three boxes to a unit’s ront but not rom the five flank/rear flank/rear boxes. Tey do not provide any any protection in melee.
Lances were a long, stout spear used by cavalry either two-handed, or couched under the right arm. On impact, lances permitted the horse’s momentum to be transerred to the target o� the charge. Consequently, Consequently, lance-armed warriors warriors could charge rather more aggressively aggressively than their javelinequipped equivalents. Lance is a one-use weapon which enables a unit to play a bonus to-hit card during any one charge. Some mounted units come equipped with a lance, and others (including some chariot units) may replace their javelins with a lance. Some cataphract and heavy chariot units that engaged in shock action are treated as lance-armed, even when equipped with other weapons such as maces. Mounted Infantry
Some inantry such as English huscarls, and some Vikings and longbowmen rode to the battlefield but always dismounted to fight. Inantry can be mounted when specified in a list; this costs 1 point point extra per unit. Mounted inantry inantry dismount beore beore deployment. Teir early arrival on the battlefield means that they can be deployed one box urther in than usual, as i� they had used the “ake “ake the High Ground” stratagem. Moreover, they count as cavalry or scouting purposes. Orbis
Orbis is a deensive ormation in which the soldiers o� a oot unit are drawn up in a dense ormation, acing outwards outwards in all directions. Orbis can only be ormed by auxiliaries, billmen, hoplites, legionaries, shieldwall, shieldwall, and spearmen. A unit in orbis counts as having no flanks flanks or rear, but cannot charge. o orm orbis, or orm line rom orbis, a unit must make a difficult activation, activation, whilst remaining in place. o indicate that the unit is in orbis, its elements are placed back-to-back. back-to-back. Pavises
Pavises were very large wicker or wooden shields sometimes carried by bowmen and crossbowmen crossbowmen to
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Rhomboid
Tessalian and some other Greek cavalry ought in diamond-shaped ormations called rhomboids. With sub-officers at each o� the apices o� the rhomboid, they were able to turn 90 or 180 degrees with relative ease. Units that can orm rhomboid will be mentioned in the army lists and may commence a battle in the ormation. Units in rhomboid disregard disregard the difficult activation penalties or turning through 90 or 180 degrees or moving one box sideways, maintaining acing. Afer a round o� melee, melee, a rhomboid reverts reverts into line. o orm rhomboid, or orm line rom rhomboid, a unit must make a difficult activation. Where two rhomboids or wedges share a box, one should be positioned slightly ahead o� the other, to indicate that it is the leading unit. Players might want to give careul thought to basing these ormations; ideally the same miniatures should be able to depict the unit in both line and wedge or rhomboid. Shock missiles
Shock missiles represent a class o� heavy missile weapons such as the Roman pilum, the Frankish rancisca and angon and the Celtiberian solierrum. Tese weapons were thrown in the ew seconds beore close combat as the two sides closed to melee. Legionary units each start a battle with a single shock weapon and some javelinmen units (where specified in a list) replace all o� their javelins with a single shock weapon. weapon. Some warrior units (ofen German) add them as an extra missile weapon. Shock missiles can be thrown as i� javelins, but are usually reserved to be thrown as part o� the melee process. Tey cannot be resupplied resupplied in the manner o� other ammunition.
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Charging units equipped with shock missiles may throw them as part o� the charge activation beore the melee is resolved. resolved. Moreover, units units with shock missiles who are rontally charged by enemy inantry may throw them immediately beore melee is resolved, potentially disordering opponents beore they can play their their to-hit cards. Shock missiles hit on the same 8+ pip card as other missile weapons. Tey cannot be thrown when charging at or being charged by mounted - there just isn’t time. In the event that a unit with shock missiles should charge another unit with shock missiles, the deender (the inactive player’s unit) shoots first.
rom all directions. Historically, this this ormation was principally used when assaulting ortifications. estudo can only be ormed by Roman legionaries, or other troops when specified specified in an army list. Units in testudo gain a positive save modifier when shot at. Legionaries cannot start a battle in testudo ormation. Tey must make a move activation in order to orm testudo, or orm line rom testudo. Units in testudo may not make difficult activations, march moves nor enter rough terrain. Units in testudo automatically automatically revert to line when they are charged or enter melee.
Example: A unit o� Gallic warriors successully successully activates to charge a cohort o� Caesarian legionaries. Te legionaries still still have their their pila (a shock weapon) and throw them, discarding the chit and playing an an 8-pip to-hit card. Tis is just sufficient to hit. Te unlucky Celts ail to save save and are disordered. Tey will now need an 8-pip card to hit the Romans in melee rather than the 6-pip to-hit or warriors who aren’t disordered. Straddling
A straddling unit is positioned positioned across the border line between two boxes and is considered to be present in both. Tis can be useul when an army is outnumbered and needs to hold a wide rontage.
A Roman testudo (tortoise). (tortoise).
Two-handed cutting (or crushing) weapons
wo-handed cutting (or crushing) weapons include the Dacian alx, the Danish axe, great swords, halberds and the mauls and clubs sometimes used against knights and cataphracts.
In order to straddle, a unit must move sideways, which will be a difficult activation or most units. Straddling units may move or charge into either o� the boxes to their ront and into the boxes beyond these, i� mounted. Tey may not move or charge diagonally or sideways. A straddling unit can evade into either o� the two boxes to its rear that it could legitimately legitimately enter.
Units that are charged and hit by units armed with such weapons suffer a -1 save modifier. wo handed cutting weapons are included in the points costs o� knights on oot. When specified in an army list, they can be added to other troop types at a cost o� one extra point per unit.
Swimmers
Wedge
Swimmers are units who have been recorded as skilled in crossing wide bodies o� water. water. Tese notably include the Roman Batavian auxiliary cavalry, who achieved surprise crossings o� the Medway and Menai straits. By making a difficult activation, swimmers may enter water boxes, which they treat as rough terrain. Testudo
estudo (or the equivalent Late Roman “ulcrum”) is the ormation in which Roman legionaries ormed a shell o� shields to protect themselves against against attacks
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Macedonian companions, Huns, Normans and some Byzantine cavalry regularly ought in wedge ormation. Wedges led by an officer could wheel much more easily than could a line. Units that can orm wedge will be mentioned in the army lists and may commence a battle in wedge ormation. Units in wedge disregard disregard the difficult activation penalty or moving or charging diagonally. Afer a round round o� o� melee, melee, a wedge wedge reverts reverts into line. o orm wedge, or orm line rom wedge, a unit must make a difficult activation. activation. Where two wedges wedges share
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a box, one should be positioned slightly ahead o� the other, to indicate that it is the leading unit. Ideally the miniatures should be based such that a given unit can be depicted in both line and wedge ormation.
Foundry Tessalians in wedge, painted by Nick Speller.
Points values Many players will want to fight battles with armies that are broadly matched in terms o� fighting power. Te use o� points values values enables a pair o� such broadly equal equal armies to be created. Whilst points values are a useul tool, players should not eel obliged to slavishly play games where both sides have similar points points values. For example, a game where one side is badly outnumbered, and must battle against great odds, can prove to be an exciting challenge or a more experienced player fighting against a relative novice. Te point values or the troop-types used in To the are recorded in the generals, heroes and Strongest! are units properties summary. Points values are recorded in red, and the points values or deep units are in a bold typeace. When arranging to to fight a battle, battle, players should agree a points total with each other. A pair o� 130 130 point point armies armies will provide provide an interesti interesting ng game or two experienced players and will easily be completed within within an evening. Four player games games can be played with two such pairs o� armies.
Army lists Army lists lists enable players players to quickly quickly build armies armies that have a composition and flavour broadly similar to those o� their historical antecedents. Tese permit broadly balanced battles to be ought against similar-sized armies brought by an opponent at a club or during a tournament. tournament. Tey help to avoid the worst excesses o� those players who would
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preer to bring an army entirely composed o� their avourite über troop-type; a Roman army o� cataphracts, perhaps, or an army o� English longbowmen without any supporting knights. Te author has created a number o� basic army lists which will be available or ree on the internet. Alongside these, these, the author author has also also provided an Excel spreadsheet template or those who wish to create their own army lists. He would be delighted i� players could send him a copy o� their lists, as he welcomes inspiration or the so very many that need to be written! written! He intends to provide ree online army lists and, in due course, intends to publish booklets containing containing expanded versions o� the ree army lists with background material, illustrations, painting instructions and campaign material. Most o� the army lists that the author has provided include a small number o� units drawn rom the allies o� the nation nation or kingdom in the list. list. I� a larger allied contingent is desired, then the best way to tackle this is to build a separate contingent rom the appropriate army list o� the allies. In this case the player will, in effect, build two small armies and the agreed points value should be adjusted up to around 200 points. points. Where two or more players players are playing on the same side they will usually each use an army list. Sometimes they will use the same list, or sometimes the lists o� different armies that were historically allied. ypically 3-5 generals are available on an army list. Generals can be upgraded in various ways; to become mounted mounted or heroic, or or example. Armies that ought in a heroic style will have access to a greater number o� heroic generals and heroes. Lists speciy the number o� a given type o� unit that can be picked. Units can be light, light, small, regularsized, or deep; the cost o� deep units is always indicated in bold text. text. Te base cost o� a unit can be modified upwards or downwards according to its military experience, so that a unit o� Roman legionaries, i� veteran, will cost ten plus two points, or a total o� twelve points. Sometimes a list will speciy that a unit can be upgraded with an extra missile weapon so that it can represent those ancient or medieval ormations where troops in the rear ranks would shoot over the heads o� the more heavily equipped soldiers in the ront rank, who could protect the shooters in melee.
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Similarly, a unit may sometimes be upgraded with optional equipment or an extra point. Longbowmen, Longbowmen, or example, may optionally be given stakes and/or two-handed cutting weapons.
and hits. Tis halving takes place afer any modifiers have been applied. Small units are ragile ragile (lost to only a single hit) but cheap and can still pack quite a punch!
Lists will occasionally permit standard units to be downsized to become small units, halving their cost
wo sample army lists are included below: those o� the Ancient Britons and the Roman Principate.
Ancient Ancie nt British Brit ish 55BC 55B C to 410AD Te armies o� the Britons rom Caesar’s first landing to the end o� Roman rule in Britain Unit type Description Number Save Cost Attached general general (oot)
1-3
2+
4
Upgrade rom oot to mounted
Any
-
+1
Upgrade to heroic
Hal� or more
3+
+1
Upgrade to senior
0-1
-
+1
4-8
-
1
Light cavalry/chariots, javelins
4-8
7+
5
Upgrade light cavalry/chariots to veteran
0-2**
6+
6
Warriors
5-10
7+
10
Upgrade warriors to veteran
0-1**
6+
13
Upgrade warriors to anatics
0-2*
8+
10
Mobs, raw
0-3
9+
4
Light inantry, javelin
0-2***
7+
4
Light inantry, bow/sling
0-2***
8+
4
Camp
1-3
-
1
Field ortifications
0-5
-
1
Generals
Heroes Light cavalry or chariots
Warriors Elderly, youths, women Skirmishers Camp Wagon laager or hill ort Allies - Principiate Principiate Romans
* Only up to and including 61AD; units cannot be both veteran and anatics. ** Te British may either upgrade one or two chariots/light cavalry units or one unit o� warriors to veteran. In the latter case this represents noblemen and their bodyguards dismounting dismounting to stiffen the warriors. *** A maximum o� two units o� light inantry may be selected.
Celtic anatics at Anglesey, 61AD painted by Nick Speller and the author.
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Caesar in Britain, 55BC. Foundry and Renegade miniatures, painted by Nick Speller and the author.
Sample army list: Ancient Britons
Tis list covers the Ancient British rom the estimated date or the introduction o� the chariot through until the departure o� the last Roman Field Army in 407AD. 407AD. Chariots would have been used rom the beginning o� the period, and, as horse breeding improved, supplemented with and eventually replaced by light cavalry. Te Scots were still using using chariots as late as 84AD, but these may have allen out o� use earlier south o� the Roman rontier. Te author mixes elements o� light cavalry models into the chariot units o� his British army, but treating the whole as chariots. Te option to upgrade either chariots or a warrior unit to veteran represents the semi-proessional warriors o� a royal household, who can either fight mounted in chariots, or alight to stiffen a unit o� warriors.Te Britons’ warrior warbands will carry out the bulk o� the fighting. Tese deep masses will need to be led by as many heroic generals and heroes as are available. Fanatics are warriors inspired and led by druids, whose final stronghold in Anglesey was destroyed by Suetonius Paulinus Paulinus in 61AD. Fanatics should should
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include women in robes o� deathly black and with dishevelled dishevelled hair, brandishing torches, alongside druids raising their hands to heaven. Tese represent a terrific modelling opportunity! Mobs represent those times when entire tribes went on the march with their amilies, as during the Boudiccan revolt, or in the deence o� a hill ort or wagon laager. Tese might be represented on the gaming table by miniatures representing poorly equipped warriors, older men, youths and women. Tese are, militarily, the worst conceivable troops in these rules and should under no circumstances stray rom the protection o� a wagon laager or hill ort. Tere is scant evidence or the presence o� separate units o� Celtic light inantry on the battlefield. Earlier continental Celtic armies (notably the Galatians) were sometimes out-shot by their Roman oes. A small number o� light in inantry antry have been included or those players who eel they should be present on the battlefield. battlefield. It is, however, clear clear that numerous slingers were employed in the deence o� hill orts. Tese are represented by by troops deending deending ortifications, which are permitted to shoot as i� equipped with javelins.
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Principiate (or Early Imperial) Roman 27BC to 193AD Te Roman army rom Augustus’ reorms until the accession o� Septimus Severus Unit type Description Number Save
Generals
Cost
Attached general general (oot)
3-5
2+
4
Upgrade rom oot to mounted
0-3
-
+1
Upgrade to detached
Any
-
+1
Upgrade to heroic
0-3
3+
+1
Upgrade to senior
0-1
-
+1
Upgrade to brillant
0-1
-
+4
2-4****
-
1
Heroes Equites Singulares
Veteran cavalry, javelin
0-1
6+
11
Equites Alares
Veteran cavalry, javelin
1-3
6+
11
Equites Contariorum
Veteran cavalry, lance
0-1*
6+
11
Equites Cohortales
Cavalry, javelin
0-2
7+
9
Equites Numidarum/ Maurorum
Light cavalry, javelin
0-2
7+
5
Equites Sagittarii
Light cavalry, bow
0-1**
8+
5
Dromedarii
Light cavalry, javelin
0-1***
7+
5
Javelinmen, veteran
0-1
6+
9
Light inantry, javelin, veteran
0-1
6+
5
Legionaries
0-2
6+
10
All or none
5+
12
5-10
6+
10
Upgrade legionarii to veterans
Up to hal�
5+
12
Downgrade legionarii to raw
Up to hal�
7+
8
Downgrade legionarii to javelinmen, raw
0-2
8+
5
Auxiliaries
3-6
6+
8
Upgrade auxiliarii to veterans
Up to hal�
5+
10
Downgrade auxiliarii to raw
Up to hal�
7+
6
0-2
7+
5
Up to hal�
7+
9
Javelinmen
0-2**
7+
7
Light inantry javelin
0-2**
7+
4
Light inantry, bow/sling
0-2
8+
4
Javelinmen
0-2***
7+
7
Light inantry, javelin
0-2***
7+
4
Lanciarii Praetorianii
Upgrade praetorianii to veterans Legionaries
Legionarii
Auxiliarii
Auxiliarii Sagittarii
Symmachiarii
Gladitorii
Light inantry archers, veteran Upgrade sagittarii to bowmen, veteran
Continued overlea�...
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Principiate (or Early Imperial) Roman 27BC to 193AD Te Roman army rom Augustus’ reorms until the accession o� Septimus Severus Unit type Description Number Save Imbellis populus
Mobs, javelin
Servus castrensis
Cost
0-4***
8+
7
Light inantry javelin, raw
0-3
8+
3
Ballistarii
Artillery (catapult) (catapult)
0-2
7+
7
Carroballistae
Artillery (catapult) (catapult) carroballistae carroballistae
0-1
8+
8
Camp
Baggage
1-3
-
1
Castrum
Field ortifications
0-5
-
1
Allies - Armenians***, Armenians***, Eastern Eastern client states***, states***, Sarmatians** * Only afer 113AD. ** Only in Eastern armies. *** Only in Western armies. **** At least hal� o� the heroes must be allocated to either Auxiliarii or Equites Alares/Singulares. Sample army list: Principate (or Early Imperial) Romans
Te Early Imperial Romans are a classic wargaming army that I’ve loved passionately ever since Airfix brought out their range o� 20mm plastic figures in their plastic pteruge hot-pants - back in 1967. I have subsequently collected the same army in 15mm miniatures and three times (so ar!) in 28mm. Equites singulares are the mounted element o� the Praetorian Guard. Equites Alares are the the troopers o� the auxiliary alae, the pick o� the auxiliary orces. Equites Cohortales on the other hand, are the mounted elements o� the mixed auxiliary cohorts, temporarily combined into alae-sized ormations or the battlefield, and not as well drilled, well mounted, or as “smart”. Lanciarii represent a provincial governor’s or general’s bodyguard, as described in Josephus. Tese were elite legionaries but armed with lancea javelins instead instead o� pila, and perhaps more lightly armoured. Lanciarii may alternatively alternatively be deployed deployed as un-armoured light inantry, as depicted on the Principia relies at Mainz. Te Praetorian Guard in this period might be sofened by easy living in Rome, or battle-hardened veterans o� the Rhine rontier, depending on the year in question. In either case they get to wear wear the tallest plumes and the most brightly polished armour! Legionarii are the core o� the Roman army, and amongst the world’s first ull-time soldiers.
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Legionaries, and particularly veteran legionaries, are hard to kill due to their excellent save. Tey are also unusually manoeuvrable, as the high standard o� their drill enables them to perorm most difficult activations without penalty. During the Civil Wars, marines rom the Italian fleets were twice ormed into legiones (I and II Adiutrix), and are best represented by raw legionaries. legionarie s. Tey seem to have been highly motivated however; not least because their pay would have been been tripled! Legionarii downgraded downgraded to raw might otherwise reer to very recently raised cohorts, or cohorts with unusually poor morale, as encountered in the Batavian revolt. Auxiliarii Auxiliarii were were the workhors workhorses es o� o� the the Roman Roman army. army. Although Although paid only hal� o� the the legiona legionary ry salary salary,, on occasion they did all o� the fighting. fighting. Tey are slightly cheaper than legionaries, and might useully orm a ront line with the legionaries held back in reserve. Gladiatorii are gladiators who have been ormed into military units in a crisis and used or raids or commando-style operations. Tey may fight in close order as javelinmen, or as light inantry. Symmachiarii are barbarian auxiliaries recruited to boost numbers in a crisis. Tey fight in native gear under the command o� o� their own officers. Such irregular clubmen and slingers are depicted on rajan’s column.
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Imbellis populus (or unwarlike citizens) are the poorly armed militia and civilians who sometimes became involved on the rare occasions when fighting takes place within a city, as in Rome in 69AD. Tese mobs will include paramilitary vigiles as well as gang members and civilian volunteers, some o� whom would have likely been equipped with shields distributed rom temples or armouries. Teir single javelin javelin ammun ammunitio ition n chit chit represe represents nts improvise improvisedd throwing weapons such as hal-bricks and roo� tiles.
A ortified camp guarded by a unit unit o� light inantry can prove a good investment as the camp will increase the army’s starting victory medal total. A Sample Order of Battle
An order o� battle battle is a list o� the units in a army. Te eatures o� an To the Strongest! army. order o� battle should include: general in the army. army. [ A line or each general [ [ [
[
Imbellis populus: rioting Romans rom the author’s collection.
Servus castrensis are the numerous military slaves who supported supported each legion. Equipped and trained with javelins they would, in extremis, deend the camp. Tey must initially initially be deployed within within the camp.
Generals and heroes should be named; this adds character to a game. Each unit should have its save and points value noted. Te composition o� each command should be clear, along with the number o� VPs that must be lost or it to become demoralised. Te total victory points or the army and the total number o� victory medals
I decided to build a Roman army, as seen through the lens o� the film “Gladiator”. “Gladiator”. I started by designing a 135 point Order o� Battle (OOB) based on the Principate Roman list. Te orce is built around a core o� legionaries and auxiliaries, including three veteran cohorts. A couple o� ala o� good-quality good-quality auxiliary cavalry cavalry can be an effective strike orce on one wing, and two units o� skirmishers are included to provide missile support or contest areas o� rough terrain.
Veteran Imperial Roman legionaries, rom the brush o� David Imrie, based by the author.
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With only 133 points to play with, and with so many o� the units being relatively expensive legionaries and veterans, I could only afford three generals. I decided to divide the orce into three commands, each led by a general. One command would include the strike orce o� veteran heavy cavalry, another the bulk o� the legionaries, including the two veteran cohorts, and the third command would include the balance o� the legionaries and the the auxiliaries. Te two inantry command would include a unit o� light inantry; one o� these could be upgraded to veteran, using a lef-over army point.
When modelling this particular army, I decided to base the figures on 120mm-wide elements, similar to those used with the popular Impetus rule set. I could, alternatively, have used single 60mmwide elements, combining them into 120mm-wide elements or the rather larger 180mm-wide units with which I usually game. I was lucky enough to be able to buy a couple o� beautiully painted legionary units rom David Imrie, which I rebased in my own style.In battle the tactic will be to attack with the principal inantry command, outflank with the cavalry, and use the second inantry command to screen the flank o� the attacking command.
Rma Ary the No Cmand 1
Cos
T Mru Flu Aql - etae ri r (f), s 2+ ............6 Lein - er eine, s 5+, i r Ju .......................................13 ....................................... 13 Lein - er eine, s 5+..............................................................................12 Lein - eine, s 6+ ............................................................................................... 10 Lein - eine, s 6+ ............................................................................................... 10 Smai - ih nfny n bw, rw, s 9+ ...........................................3 C ...........................................................................................................................................................1 14 icty pnt, mrie n 7 icty pnt los
Cmand 2 Lega Au Pu - i etahe r (mne), s 2+ ..................7 Lein - eine, s 6+ ............................................................................................... 10 Lein - eine, s 6+ ............................................................................................... 10 Axi - xie, s 6+ .................................................................................................8 Axi - xie, s 6+ .................................................................................................8 Axiy rr - er ih nfny, bw, s 7+ ..............................................5 C ...........................................................................................................................................................1 14 icty pnt, mrie n 7 icty pnt los
Cmand 3 Gr Mxu - ae r (ri, mne), s 3+ ............................... 6 Eqie Ale - cvy, er , j , s 6+ ........................................................ 1 Eqie Ale - cvy, er , j , i r Lnu, s 6+............12 6 icty pnt, mrie n 3 icty pnt los T cos ............................................................................................................................................. 13 Victy pn i 34, ie y 3 e 1 icty edl
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Roman Auxiliaries painted by Pat Connor and based by the author.
Scenarios en different scenarios are described here. Tese are numbered so that they can be randomly selected, i� desired, by playing playing a card. When using a scenario, scenario, terrain is positioned as per the terrain rules, unless otherwise specified: 1. Te plain. Tis battlefield has unusually ew terrain eatures. eatures. In this scenario at least least hal� o� the terrain pieces that each player deploys must be clear pieces. 2. Hill country. Tis is a battlefield where the terrain is unusually unusually dense. Neither player may deploy any clear terrain pieces. 3. Coastal. Either the coast or a major river fills the entire column o� boxes running along one flank o� the battlefield. 4. Meeting Engagement. Neither army is expecting a battle to take place today, but one occurs anyhow! Light inantry or light cavalry/ chariots/camelry chariots/camelry may deploy one box urther in than usual. Afer deployment is complete, complete, all non-light units must make a save, so many will begin the game disordered. Some units with a single hit (small units, artillery, scythed chariots and non-escorted elephants, or example) might even be lost beore the battle begins! 5. Guerrillas in the mist. Dense og means that both armies stumble across each other
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unexpectedly. Tis scenario is exactly as 4 above, except that both players must also draw deployment diagrams and reveal them simultaneously. 6. Hold the gap! A small orce attempts to resist a more numerous enemy with the assistance o� challenging terrain. errain is deployed as described in the hill country country scenario. scenario. Use the scouting rules to determine which is the active side and which the passive. Te passive side must surrender units with a value o� at least 24 points. However, he retains the victory points relating to the surrendered units and is also awarded three additional victory medals. He may deploy one box urther in than usual. 7. Flank march. One army may have marched a substantial orce on to their enemy’s flank – but where will it arrive? Use the scouting rules to determine which is the active side and which the passive. passive. Te active side picks one command which can be either held in reserve or which can flank march on either wing. wing. Te player must write down on which flank it will arrive, or whether it is in reserve and, i� so, behind which table base edge zone. As usual the flankmarching player moves first, although note that the reserves and flank march cannot arrive in his first turn.
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8. Ambush! One or other army is surprised in the act o� orming up. Use the scouting rules to determine which is the active side and which the passive. Afer deployment all non-light units on the passive side must make a save. Consequently, many will begin the game disordered, and some (artillery, scythed chariots, non-escorted elephants) elephants) may even be lost. On the plus side, however, the surprised army is given three additional victory medals. 9. Delayed. Te battle begins beore one army has ormed up. Use the scouting scouting rules to determine determine which is the active side and which the passive. Te passive side starts with one command o� their choice o� table - they must write down which sector o� the table the command is in reserve behind. Units can enter the the table in the usual usual manner. Any camps in the off-table command command at not deployed in this scenario, but the army points/medals or them are still counted. 10. ime is o� the essence! One army must win the battle quickly, perhaps because it is running out o� water, night is alling, or because substantial enemy reinorcements reinorcements are expected. expected. Use the
scouting rules to determine which is the active side and which the passive. Te active side starts the game with our extra victory medals, but must surrender a victory medal at the beginning o� each riendly player turn afer his first.
Club and tournament games Because To the Strongest! games games are quick to set up and to play, these rules are extremely suitable or use in a club or tournament setting. wo different approaches are proposed to setting up such games. In either case, the scale o� the miniatures, along with the grid and unit size, should be agreed in advance by the players. Players will usually each bring an army o� an agreed point value, ideally rom the same era, or alternatively one player can provide a pair o� matched historical oes. Players should bring twelve terrain pieces (including clear pieces) each and a ew spare pieces i� they are planning to use use a scenario. Alternatively Alternatively one player can bring all o� the terrain. Te standard approach approach is described in section V. Offering Battle. Battle.
Te early morning sun illuminates the Pydna 168BC game put on by the author and riends at Partizan in September 2014. Tis involved eight players and almost 3,000 28mm ancient miniatures on an 18’ wide table. Above are the deployed orces, with the Macedonians on the lef about to launch an uphill attack against the Romans on the right.
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Clash o� legions near Cremona, 69AD.
Te alternative bid approach provides an extremely quick and very air way o� setting up a game, but will ofen result in a player using the army that his opponent has brought to the table, and so won’t suit everyone. In the bid approach the terrain, the scenario (i� any) and which side is active can be decided either by the host, or by agreement between the players. Te players then each secretly choose a card rom their pack. pack. Te pip value o� the card represents their their bid or choice o� army. Te player with the highest-numbered card can choose which army he wishes to play, but surrenders that number o� victory medals rom the army’s starting victory medal total. total. In the event o� a draw, draw, neither player surrenders medals - simply cut the pack to determine which player gets the choice o� army.
Megagaming with To the Strongest! One o� the reasons that I wrote these rules was to permit exceptionally large battles to be ought in the challenging environment o� a wargames show. Here are a ew tips on how to organise a successul megagame. Beore the day: [
[ [ [
Te players should agree on a battle that they all wish to play and or which they already have the majority o� the required required miniatures. Don’t set too ambitious a painting target! Book the table with the organisers as soon as possible afer the date o� the show is announced. Te game needs to be publicised well in advance to recruit sufficient players. One person should co-ordinate the event, using Excel or similar spreadsheets spreadsheets to calculate the number o� miniatures required and track the number that the contributors have promised to bring.
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One person should have overall responsibility or producing the terrain so that it all matches. to be play-tested. I�, as is likely, [ Te battle needs to the entirety o� the game can’t be played in advance, then sectors o� the battlefield should be played and key mechanics, such as legionaries vs. pikemen or Pydna, tested. [ Te basics o� the rules can be taught on the day. However, However, i� the players can be encouraged to purchase and read a set o� these rules in advance, then the game will get o� to a swif start! [ Don’t be araid to simpliy the rules, especially i� novice gamers will be participating. I promise that you won’t won’t regret it! For the Pydna battle we omitted ammunition resupply and simplified the victory conditions. [ One person should produce inormation and game signage, at a minimum including the name o� the battle, which the respective sides are, and where any well-known generals are positioned. [ Ruthlessly demand assistance rom your riends to set up and knock down the game at dawn and dusk. someone with photography photography skills to to [ Arrange or someone bring camera and tripod and record the game. [ Make a packing list. [ Bring superglue. One always needs superglue. [
On the day: [ [ [
Start setting up as early as possible; it will take longer than you expect. Speciy the start time o� the game. Start with a 10-15 minute teaching/reresher session on the rules.
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[
Buddy up raw players with seasoned veteran “o the Strongest!” players. battle at least least one person [ At all times during the battle must be available to engage with onlookers and explain what is going going on. Tis must be someone who isn’t playing and who has strong people skills. [ Drive the game orward at a bruising pace! [ Plan in a break or lunch (and shopping). [ o heighten the tension, let the players know when one side or the other is close to victory. [ When one side wins, salute the victors and commiserate with the vanquished!
Further reading Tis brie� section includes a ew useul links to sources on the ancient period or those relatively new to it, to help get them started. With limited space I’ve only included a small number o� my avourite books. Primary texts
“Te Gallic War” War” and “Te Civil [ Julius Caesar “Te [
[
Wars”; both still very readable and enjoyable. itus Flavius Josephus “Te Jewish War”, a ascinating account o� the all o� Jerusalem, written by the Judean equivalent o� Flashman! acitus “Te Annals o� Imperial Rome”. Includes details o� the “Year o� the Four Emperors”.
Secondary texts
“Te Complete Roman Army”, by Adrian Goldsworthy. An excellent introduction to the topic. [ “Te Roman Empire Order o� Battle or the Civil Wars 68-70AD” by Michael Lane. A antastic resource resource or the megalomaniacal Roman wargamer. Available on CD orm the Society o� Ancients. [ “Te Armies and Enemies o� Ancient Rome” by Phil Barker. Outdated in parts but but still very useul. [ “Armies o� the Macedonian and Punic Wars” by Duncan Head. Extremely useul. [ “Soldiers and Ghosts: a History o� Battle in Classical Antiquity” by J. E. Lendon is excellent on Macedonian and Roman warare, and a brilliant read! [
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Novels [
My avourite historical novelist is Alred Duggan. I particularly recommend recommend “He Died Died Old” about Mithridates o� Pontus; “Winter �uarters” about Crassus’ Parthian Campaign and “Count Bohemund” about the First Crusade. [ “Imperial Governor” by George Shipway. An excellent novel novel about the the Boudiccan revolt. revolt. [ Harry Sidebottom’s Ballista series set around 255AD, particularly the first book “Fire in the East”. Books as sources of paintin painting g inspiration
the Ospreys, especially those those with [ Any o� the illustrations illustratio ns by Angus McBride. Te Ospreys by Ross Cowan and Simon MacDowall are particularly good, and anything by Nick Secunda is very interesting, although his views can sometimes be controversial. controversial. Connolly. [ Anything illustrated by Peter Connolly. “Greece and Rome at War” is a great place to start. [ “Te Roman Legions recreated in colour photographs” by Daniel Peterson Wargaming publications with an ancient or medieval content [
Te Ancient Warare and Medieval Warare magazines available rom Karwansaray are excellent source o� material, including uniorms: www.karwansaraypublishers.com [ Slingshot, the magazine o� Te Society o� Ancients sometimes sometimes includes includes useul research research into ancient armies, and accounts o� battles reought using various rule sets: www.soa.org.uk [ Te three leading wargames magazines Wargames Illustrated, Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy and Miniature Wargames with Battlegames, Battlegames, ofen include ancients pieces (sometimes even contributed by the author!). Let’s encourage them to run even more! www.wargamesillustrated.net www.karwansaraypublishers.com/pw/wss www.miniaturewargames.co.uk
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Ancient and medieval wargaming blogs
Ave atque vale
Here is a list o� some o� the blogs I ollow which have an ancient or medieval content:
Or “Hail and arewell.”
Te BigRedBatCave is the author’s own blog, and will regularly include pieces on ancient gaming and To the Strongest! You can sign up to receive email updates rom it. www.bigredbat.blogspot.co.uk [ David Imrie’s Saxon Dog blog eatures many images o� beautiully painted ancient figures, some o� which have been included in this book, and has been a source o� great inspiration or the author. www.saxondog.blogspot.com proessional [ Andrés Amián Fernández is a proessional painter, who paints many lovely figures, including ancients. ancients. Some o� his work is included in this book. www.einarolason.blogspot.com blog. Paul has several beautiully beautiully [ Te Scrivsland blog. painted ancient and medieval armies, and he’s playing some To the Strongest! with with mate Mog, who can be ound at www.tabletopmog.blogspot.co.uk www.scrivsland.blogspot.co.uk [ Dean’s WAB Corner blog has a great many beautiully painted ancient figures; figures; he is a highly productive painter! www.wabcorner.blogspot.co.uk [ Olicanalad’s Games blog includes pictures o� James’s vast Punic Wars collection. www.olicanalad.blogspot.co.uk [ What Michael o� the Dalauppror blog doesn’t know about medieval Scandinavian warare isn’t worth knowing! www.dalauppror.blogspot.co.uk Here’s no Great Matter Matter blog has has a [ Aaron’s Here’s wealth o� ancient gaming material and lots o� photos o� his 15mm collection. www.prurockian-gleanings.blogspot.co.uk [
And finally or or the blogs, blogs, here are a couple o� delightul collections o� medieval eye-candy: [ [
Te Anderson collection blog www.theandersoncollection.blogspot.co.uk Te Army Royal blog, or warare right at the end o� our period. www.stuartsworkbench.blogspot.co.uk
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Te author very much hopes that you have enjoyed these rules. I� you have, then please encourage your riends to buy a set! Purchasers o� the rules will be included on a mailing list and sent any updates or corrections to this version o� the rules, links to new army lists as they are released, and all the latest news about To the Strongest! By purchasing these rules, you will also help support the author to develop the rules urther, including:
A Black ree Design Design Roman Aquilier, painted by Alex Bews.
[
Te production o� proessionally printed stratagem cards, and a new deck o� random event cards. [ Historical campaign books. Imaginancients campaign [ A To the Strongest! Imaginancients book. musket version version o� the rules. rules. [ A horse and musket So... i� someone has emailed you these rules, and you’ve not yet paid or them, please immediately go orth and purchase a copy or only £9.99 rom www.bigredbatshop.co.uk !! www.bigredbatshop.co.uk
cobaltpeak cobaltpeak gamedesig game desig Providing a full range of design and publishing services to the games designer, designer, publisher and player. player. Give that special project the nal polish it deserves and wow the compeon and your friends alike! Rules, Quick Reference Sheets, Army Lists & more. Contact Millsy at
[email protected]
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Index A
Detached generals .............................................................. .............................................................. 10 10 Difficult activations ............................................................ ............................................................ 39 39
Activating Activating to shoot ............................................................. ............................................................. 47 47
Dismounting Dismounting ................................................. ....................................................................... ...................... 56
Activation Activation process .............................................................. 37
Disorder ......................................................... ............................................................................... ...................... 51
Activations Activations involving involving multiple units ............................... 39 39
Doubly difficult activations............................................... 39 39
Additional Additional Material............................................................ ............................................................ 56 Advanced Advanced rules ................................................................... 56
E
Advances Advances....................................................... .............................................................................. ....................... 52
Elephants Elephants ....................................................... ............................................................................. ...................... 18
Advice and Examples of Play............................................ 54 54
Elephants Elephants (African) ............................................................ ............................................................ 18 18
Advice for Aspiring Generals ........................................... 54 54
Elephants Elephants (escorted) .......................................................... 18 18
Ammunition Ammunition ......................................................... ....................................................................... .............. 44
Elephants Elephants (Indian)........................................................... (Indian).............................................................. ... 18 18
Armies................................................. ..................................................................................... ....................................5
Entering a box containing containing friends ................................... 41 41
Army lists............................................................................. lists............................................................................. 59
Entering and leaving the battlefield................................. 42 42
Artillery ........................................................ ............................................................................... ....................... 15
Evading ................................................. ................................................................................ ............................... 43
Artillery (cannon) .............................................................. .............................................................. 15 15
Exceptionally Exceptionally deep units ................................................... 56 56
Artillery (catapults) (catapults) ............................................................ ............................................................ 15
Extended example of play ................................................. ................................................. 54 54
Artillery (organ guns) ........................................................ ........................................................ 15 15
Extra missile weapons........................................................ weapons........................................................ 56 56
Attached Attached generals ............................................................... 10 Auxiliaries Auxiliaries..................................................... ............................................................................ ....................... 15
F Failing a save ....................................................................... ....................................................................... 51
B
Fanatics Fanatics ................................................. ................................................................................ ............................... 56 Basing the Armies ................................................................. .................................................................7 Battlefield...................................................... ................................................................................ ..........................4 Billmen.......................................................... ................................................................................. ....................... 16
Fortifications Fortifications ................................................. ....................................................................... ...................... 26
G Generals ......................................................... ............................................................................... ...................... 10
Boats .................................................... ..................................................................................... ................................. 56 Bonus to-hit cards .............................................................. .............................................................. 49 49
H
Bowmen........................................................ ............................................................................... ....................... 16
Heavy chariots .................................................................... 19
Brilliant generals................................................................. ................................................................. 11
Heroes ................................................... ............................................................................ .........................10, 10, 12
C
Heroic generals ................................................................... ................................................................... 11 Hoplites Hoplites ................................................. ................................................................................ ............................... 19
Camelry ........................................................ ............................................................................... ....................... 16 Camps ................................................. ............................................................................ ...........................10, 10, 25
I
Camps and Fortifications Fortifications .................................................. .................................................. 25 25 Cataphracts.......................................................................... 16 Cavalry .......................................................... ................................................................................. ....................... 17
Interpenetration Interpenetration of friendly units .................................... 41 41
J Javelinmen Javelinmen ..................................................... ........................................................................... ...................... 19
Charging Charging ....................................................... .............................................................................. ....................... 42 Chariots ........................................................ ............................................................................... ....................... 17 Choosing the terrain pieces .............................................. .............................................. 31 31
K Knights.................................................. ................................................................................. ............................... 19
Choosing the troops........................................................... troops........................................................... 30 30 Club and tournament tournament games ............................................ ............................................ 67 67 Command............................................................................ 15
Lance ..................................................... .................................................................................... ............................... 57
Command move ................................................................. ................................................................. 15
Later knights ....................................................................... ....................................................................... 20
Crossbowmen Crossbowmen ....................................................... ..................................................................... .............. 17 17
Laurels to the Victor..................................... Victor........................................................... ...................... 53 53
D Deep units ........................................................................... ........................................................................... 14 Demoralisation Demoralisation ..................................................... ................................................................... .............. 52 Deploying Deploying for battle ........................................................... 36 36 Design Notes .......................................................................... ..........................................................................2
71
L
Index
Lay of the Land L and ................................................................... ................................................................... 27 Legionaries .................................................... .......................................................................... ...................... 21 Light camelry ...................................................................... ...................................................................... 21 Light cavalry ........................................................................ ........................................................................ 21 Light chariots ...................................................................... ...................................................................... 22
G
Light infantry javelinmen....................................... javelinmen.................................................. ........... 22 22
Saving ....................................................... ................................................................................... ............................ 49
Light infantry (other)......................................................... 22 22
Saving factors ...................................................................... ...................................................................... 54
Light, small, standard-sized standard-sized and deep units ................... 13 13
Scenarios.................................................. .............................................................................. ............................ 66
Light units........................................................................... units............................................................................ 14 .
Scouting ................................................... ............................................................................... ............................ 35
Line of sight..................................................... ......................................................................... .................... 46
Scythed chariots ................................................................. ................................................................. 23 23
Longbowmen Longbowmen .................................................. ...................................................................... .................... 23 23
Senior generals ........................................................... .................................................................... ......... 11
Loss ......................................................... ....................................................................................... .............................. 51
Sharing boxes ...................................................................... ...................................................................... 36 36 Shieldwall................................................. ............................................................................. ............................ 24
M
Shock missiles ..................................................................... ..................................................................... 57
March moves....................................................................... ....................................................................... 40
Shooting................................................... ............................................................................... ............................ 44
Megagaming Megagaming.................................................... ........................................................................ .................... 68
Shooting ranges and arc .................................................... 45 45
Melees .................................................... .................................................................................. .............................. 48
Small units ........................................................................... ........................................................................... 13
Mobs....................................................... ..................................................................................... .............................. 23
Spearmen ................................................. ............................................................................. ............................ 24
Mounted Mounted Infantry Infantry .................................................... ............................................................... ........... 57 57
Standard-sized Standard-sized units .......................................................... 13 13
Moving Moving ................................................... ................................................................................. .............................. 40
Straddling ......................................................... ............................................................................ ................... 58
O
Stratagems Stratagems ........................................................ ........................................................................... ................... 33
Offering Battle..................................................................... ..................................................................... 32
Strike back ........................................................................... ........................................................................... 53
Orbis....................................................... ..................................................................................... .............................. 57
Swimmers ......................................................... ............................................................................ ................... 58
Order of battle................................................. ..................................................................... .................... 30
T
Other restrictions on movement movement...................................... 41 41
Target Priorities .................................................................. 47
Out of command ................................................................ 40
Terrain Pieces......................................................................... .........................................................................7
P
Testudo..................................................... ................................................................................. ............................ 58
Pavises .................................................... .................................................................................. .............................. 57
To-hit cards ...................................................... ......................................................................... ................... 48
Permitted Permitted and prohibited prohibited charges charges .................................... .................................... 42 42
Two-handed cutting (or crushing) weapons .................. 58 .................. 58
Pikemen ................................................. ............................................................................... .............................. 23
U
Player Turn Sequence ....................................................... ........................................................ 37 .37
Unit Unit descriptions descriptions ................................................................ 15 15
Playing Cards and Markers Markers .................................................. ..................................................8 Points Points values........................................................................ ........................................................................ 59 Positioning Positioning the terrain pieces ........................................... 32 32
Units Units ......................................................... ............................................................................... ......................10, 10, 12
V
Preparing for Battle ............................................................ ............................................................ 30 30
Veteran and raw units ........................................................ 14
Preparing for War .................................................................. ..................................................................4
Veteran units....................................................................... 14 Victory Victory medals .................................................................... .................................................................... 31
R Rallying .................................................. ................................................................................ .............................. 47 Rampages......................................................... ............................................................................. .................... 52
Victory Victory points ..................................................................... 30
W
Raw units ............................................................................. ............................................................................. 14
Warriors ................................................... ............................................................................... ............................ 25
Replacement activation card............................................. card............................................. 38 38
War wagons wagons ...................................................... ......................................................................... ................... 24
Replaying to-hit cards....................................................... ........................................................ 49 .49
Wedge....................................................... ................................................................................... ............................ 58
Representative Representative Scale ..............................................................6 Resolving a melee inside ten seconds .............................. 54 54 Rhomboid........................................................ ............................................................................ .................... 57
Z Zones of control control .................................................................. .................................................................. 40
S Sample list: Ancient Britons.............................................. 61 61 Sample list: Principate (or Early Imperial) Romans ...... 63 ...... 63 Sample Order of Battle ...................................................... 64 Save modifiers ..................................................................... ..................................................................... 50
G
Index
72
Quick Reference Sheet
Activations Activat ions
TO THE STRONGEST!
Easy activations Either move or charge one box straight ahead, or two boxes straight ahead i� mounted. Move one box straight ahead and then shoot (javelin-armed light inantry/cavalry/chariots/camelry only). Shoot, then move backwards one box, acing in the same or opposite direction (non-javelin armed light inantry/cavalry/camelry/chariots only). Either shoot, or replenish one ammunition marker rom the reserve in the baggage. Rally.
Difficult activations
n.b. activations are never difficult or light troops
Either move or charge one box diagonally ahead, maintaining acing. Mounted units may either move or charge one urther box straight ahead. Move one box sideways, maintaining acing. Move backwards one box (or two i� mounted), acing in the same or the opposite direction. Move, permitting units to change acing direction or exchange places within their box. Afer this, mounted units may move one box straight ahead. Either move or charge into or out o� rough terrain (e.g. woods, marshes).
Save modifiers ype
Melee
Shooting
Rally
Circumstance Light inantry in rough ground, when charged by any except light inantry. Foot (except elephants) when charged across ortifications. Foot (except elephants) when charged uphill. Foot (except pikemen & elephants) in rough terrain and charged by mounted or pikemen. Any, deending deending against against a charge charge across across a stream, stream, bridg bridge, e, shorel shoreline ine or stake stakes. s. Pikemen or spearmen receiving a rontal mounted charge. Foot including elephants (but not light inantry) who are not disordered and receiving a rontal mounted charge. War wagons receiving a mounted charge. Cataphracts or later knights, mounted or dismounted. Charged by billmen or any armed with two-handed cutting weapons. Light inantry charged by mounted in open terrain. Mounted unamiliar with elephants/camels, and charging or charged by same. Units in a demoralised command. Foot (except elephants) behind field ortifications, except when shot at by artillery. Cataphracts, dismounted knights or later knights, except when shot at by artillery or handguns. Later knights, shieldwall, war wagons and any units in cover, testudo or behind pavises, except when shot at by artillery or handguns. Light inantry, light inantry other and light cavalry/chariotry/camelry and artillery. Units in a demoralised command. Units hit rom behind a flank or the rear. A general general is presen presentt in the box. box. For each enemy unit in a position rom which it could charge the testing unit. Units in a demoralised command.
Useul reminders ype Shooting to-hit Melee to-hit
Notes
All hit on 8+. 8+. Bowmen, Bowmen, longbowm longbowmen en and and artiller artilleryy (organ (organ guns) guns) may may play play 2 to-hit to-hit cards, cards, except when disordered or in rough terrain. All hit on 6+, 6+, except except or diso disordered rdered troops, troops, all light light troops, troops, artillery artillery,, bowmen, bowmen, crossbo crossbowmen wmen,, longbowmen and mobs who require an 8+. 3+ i� mounted in the open evading oot, or oot in rough terrain evading any enemy. Evade test 5+ i� mounted in the open evading mounted, or oot in the open evading oot. 7+ i� oot in the open evading mounted. Difficult o succeed with a difficult activation, units must play a card one pip greater than usual, unless deep, Activati Activations ons when they must play a card two pips greater.
Modifier +2 +2 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 -1 -1 -1 -1 +2 +1 +1 +1 -1 -1 +1 -1 -1
Quick Reference Sheet
TO THE STRONGEST!
Generals, Heroes and Units Unit types & modifiers Attached Attached general general on on oot oot
Generals
Upgrade rom oot to mounted Upgrade to detached Upgrade to heroic Upgrade to senior Upgrade to brilliant
Heroes
Mounted
Foot
Unit Modifiers
Other
Cataphracts Cavalry/chariots/camelry javelin Cavalry/chariots/camelry bow Heavy chariots, javelin or bow Knights Later knights Light cavalry/chariots/camelry javelin Light cavalry/chariots/camelry bow/light crossbow Scythed chariots Artillery Artillery Auxiliar Auxiliaries ies Billmen Bowmen Crossbowmen Elephants Arican/Indian Hoplites Javelinm Javelinmen en Legionaries Light inantry, javelin Light inantry other, bow/sling/light crossbow/longbow/ handgun Longbowmen Mobs Pikemen Shieldwall Spearmen War wagons Warriors Downgrade a light/standard unit to raw Downgrade a deep unit to raw Upgrade a light/standard unit to veteran Upgrade a deep unit to veteran Downgrade a standard unit to small Upgrade a light/standard unit with extra missile weapons Upgrade with pavises, boats, stakes, 2HCCW, extra ammo, mounts or inantry Upgrade a deep unit to extra deep Upgrade elephants to escorted Camps or ortifications, per 1 box-side length
NB. Unit costs in bold typeace indicate deep units.
Hits
Ammo
Save
Cost
VPs
-
-
2+
4
2
2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2, 3 2, 3 2 1
2 3 2, 3 2 3 6 6 6 2 3
3+ 6+ 7+ 8+ 6+ 6+ 6+ 7+ 8+ 7+ 7+ 6+ 7+ 8+ 8+ 7+/6+ 6+ 7+ 6+ 7+
+1 +1 +1 +1 +4 1 11 9 9 11 11 14 5 5 5 7 8 7, 10 7 7 6, 8 8, 12 7, 10 10 4
2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2, 3 2, 3 2 1
1
2
8+
4
1
2 3 3 2, 3 2, 3 3 3 -1 -
6 2 6 -1 -1 +1 +1 2 or 3
8+ 8+ 7+ 7+ 7+ 7+ 7+ +1 +1 -1 -1 -
9 7 13 7, 10 7, 10 13 10 -1, -2 -3 +1, +2 +3 -50% +1, +2
2 3 3 2, 3 2, 3 3 3 -1 -
-
-
-
+1
-
+1 +1 -
2 or 3 -
-
+4 +4 1
+1 +1 -
TO THE STRONGEST! “When he (Alexander), at length, despaired despair ed o� life, he took o� his ring and handed it to Perdiccas. His Friends asked: “To whom do you leave the kingdom?” and he replied: “To the strongest!” Diodorus Siculus, the Library o� History
o the Strongest! is a set o� simple rules or Ancient and Medieval tabletop wargaming. It enables a battle to be ought with model soldiers on a dining room table and won or lost in less than two hours. But the rules also support huge battles, with several thousand figures and up to five players a side. Games can be played with miniatures in any scale and based or any o� the common wargaming rules systems. A grid enables players to completely dispense with measurement, and so permits the game to move along at a cracking pace. o o the Strongest! uses a unique activation system driven by either playing cards or chits. Tis system introduces uncertainty to a battle; in some turns a unit can move our or five five times, and in others not even once. Te same deck o� cards is used to resolve shooting and melee. No dice whatsoever need to be rolled! Te rules include scenarios, terrain and points values to support those players who wish to play competitively. Numerous army lists are available online or ree. Te lists start in the Biblical period, run through Classical Greece and the empires o� Macedonia and Rome, the barbarian migrations and on to the end o� the Medieval era. Te rules have been written in plain English, with appropriate diagrams, sample lists and many examples o� play. Tey are copiously illustrated with pictures o� battles and beautiully painted miniatures. Tey have proved popular with veteran and novice wargamers alike!
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