For the Ancient Wargaming set, the various troop types are these:
- Heavy Infantry - examples include Greek hoplites and Roman legionnaires
- Heavy Archers - examples include Persian Immortals, and English longbowmen
- Warband- examples given include Gallic warriors, and Roman Auxiliaries
- Light Infantry - no specific examples given, except to say that many armies rely on light, skirmishing missile troops
- Heavy Cavalry - examples given are Macedonian Companions and Crusader Knights
- Light Cavalry - examples include Numidian Cavalry Andrew Mongol horse archers
- Heavy Chariots - examples here include Assyrian four-horse Chariots, and Hittite two-horse and three-horse Chariots
- Light Chariots - examples include Egyptian and British two-horse Chariots
- Scythed Chariots - the example given is the Persian use
- Elephants - here the examples are the Indian and Carthaginian armies
- Artillery - the example given of battlefield (i.e. Not in a siege) use is the Romans
Each of these units are portrayed with four stands per unit, except for the last three types. Scythed Chariots, Elephants, and Artillery each have only one stand in a unit.
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| Hannibal crossing the Rhone - Henri Paul Motte |
Some interesting things are already apparent. Although the first sub period covers warfare in the early part of the fifth century BC (490-480 BC) with the wars between the Greeks and Persians, and moving forward - there are no chariot armies. This is already beyond the period of Assyria and the Hittites, and even the period of chariot use in Egypt, yet they are mentioned in the textile on unit types. Also, a quick look over the army lists provided shows no army in the book with heavy Chariots. Although not stated, what the author has done here is to present a ruleset with broad applicability beyond the Armies and sub periods he discusses.
Another thing of note is that it states in the second chapter, on rules, that units take four hits per stand, regardless of the troop type. With some units having only one stand, that make sure those units are very fragile and vulnerable. Since we are talking about Scythed Chariots, Elephants, and Artillery, this makes sense.
One thing mentioned near the end of chapter one, and unfortunately not mentioned again clearly in chapter two (but stated in the introduction to chapter three on army lists for these rules), is that the standard game is played between armies of eight units each.
An additional thing mentioned in chapter one, is the concept of armor, which applies to infantry and cavalry. Armor types are Extra Heavy, Heavy, Medium and Light. These confer saving throws to avoid casualties in both shooting and hand-to-hand combat. Crossbows reduce the effect of armor, and artillery hits ignore it entirely.
The second chapter contains the rules, in a well organized outline format.
Set up rules are not given, but victory conditions are. If an army is reduced to two units (25%) then it has lost. In addition, if any of your units exits the map/board on the enemy's baseline, other than Light Infantry, the enemy player must remove two of his own units. Presumably this represents panic due to having the baggage looted, or a withdrawal route cut off.
The rules start off with giving the turn sequence. This is a typical, old school version of I go/You go. The sequence given is:
- Charge Sequence
- Movement
- Shooting
- Hand-to-hand combat
- Morale tests
Once one player completes all five phases, then it is the other player's turn, until the game ends. Nothing exotic here, and it gives a fairly good flow.
Charging is done in three steps. First, prior to measuring, the player whose turn it is announces charges. Then they are measured. If the enemy is reached, move the unit. If the unit cannot reach it stays put with no other penalty. If the target unit is equipped with javelins, it may then fire at the charging unit, as long as the charging unit moved at least 8cm. The third step mentions that combat will occur, but not until the hand-to-hand phase.
All other (non-charging) movement is next. Artillery is immobile, all other units have a movement rate from 8cm for heavy infantry, up to 24cm for light cavalry.
Wheeling and turning are not defined, but if any unit other than Light Cavalry or Light Infantry wish to move in any direction other than a straight line ahead, they only move at half speed. Presumably this also includes Light Chariots, as they are not listed with the other group.
About movement: when I use the rules to run games on a club night, or at a convention, it is the movement rules that causes the most difficulties for veteran players. There are no rules for different formations, and no rules for various maneuvers found in many rulesets. So, if you want to oblique, move at the wheel, turn a unit about, etc. then you are able to, as long as no part of the unit moves more than the allowed amount (full movement value for Light Cavalry or Light Infantry; half movement value for everyone else). As there are no rules that (for instance) allow a unit to about face in place (rather than wheeling through 180 degrees; or spinning the unit with a forward wheel on one flank, and a rearward wheel on the opposite flank), it presumably cannot be done - except by following the general "half move for any movement other than straight ahead". Note, in the army lists, there are some exceptions, for instance some heavy horse archers are allowed to make free about face maneuvers.. However we have found, as with most things, that reasonable house rules (or referee interpretations) can allow for certain things not expressly forbidden
About movement: when I use the rules to run games on a club night, or at a convention, it is the movement rules that causes the most difficulties for veteran players. There are no rules for different formations, and no rules for various maneuvers found in many rulesets. So, if you want to oblique, move at the wheel, turn a unit about, etc. then you are able to, as long as no part of the unit moves more than the allowed amount (full movement value for Light Cavalry or Light Infantry; half movement value for everyone else). As there are no rules that (for instance) allow a unit to about face in place (rather than wheeling through 180 degrees; or spinning the unit with a forward wheel on one flank, and a rearward wheel on the opposite flank), it presumably cannot be done - except by following the general "half move for any movement other than straight ahead". Note, in the army lists, there are some exceptions, for instance some heavy horse archers are allowed to make free about face maneuvers.. However we have found, as with most things, that reasonable house rules (or referee interpretations) can allow for certain things not expressly forbidden
The rules give instances for three classes of terrain. Rivers take a unit a complete turn to cross (they start on one bank, and just move to the other bank is the implication). Hills block line of sight, but otherwise don't affect movement. Woods are immobile to some units (Cavalry, Chariots, Elephants), slow down other units to half speed (Heavy Infantry, and Heavy Archers), but don't slow down light Infantry or Warbands.
Rules are given that allow Light troops (Infantry, Cavalry, Chariots) to fire on the move. Other units cannot do so.
Shooting rules are next. Weapons are defined by their maximum range, from 8cm for javelins, up to 48cm for artillery.
Rolls to hit are based on rolling one dice per stand in the firing unit, and the target number is based on the weapon. There are no modifiers to the hit number. Bows and Javelins need 4,5,6. Crossbows need 5,6. Units in the woods suffer only half the hits rolled. The rules don't state, but we round this up for the shooter's favor. (House Rule)
Next, the target unit gets to make saving rolls for each hit scored. As mentioned, this chance is reduced versus crossbows.
Artillery fire is somewhat different. Rather than rolling one dice to hit for the artillery, the firing player first roll said one dice, to see how many to-hit dice he gets. Then roll to hit, again halve hits vs targets in the woods. There are no saving rolls vs artillery, every hit results in a kill.
Recall it takes four kills to eliminate a stand from a unit. Kills have to be marked, as they are persistent, until a stand is removed. We use plastic upholstery rings, hung on the miniature that is killed. But any method works. I have seen online battle reports, where players use a dice behind the unit, indicating how many hits have been scored. When 4 are reached, a stand is removed.
When an elephant receives four hits, since its only a one stand unit, it would normally be eliminated. Instead it rolls to go berserk. It moves a full move in a direction based on a random chart, and if it strikes a unit, it immediately fights a round of combat. Then the poor beast dies.
Next we get to hand to hand combat. The rules give a set of priority considerations, to determine who strikes first.. Units then roll a number of d6 per stand in the unit, based on an striker/target matrix. Hits are on a 4,5,6. Saving throws are allowed, and kills marked. Both sides get to fight, but if a stand is lost to a foe who fights first in priority, it does not get to roll.
Saving rolls are not allowed against Elephants or Scythed Chariots.
Special striker/target considerations apply to combat in the woods, making Warband twice as effective there.
Artillery units contacted for Hand-to-hand combat don't fight, they are immediately destroyed.
Finally, the morale phase occurs. If the unit lost any bases in the turn, it makes a d6 test for each lost base. The scores required are based on morale grade of the unit. If a dice test is failed, the unit loses an additional stand for each failure.
Those are the rules as presented. In the next few articles, I will discuss the Armies and sub periods. Links to the successive article for each period of army lists are below.
