Battle Cry ancients

 

This variant uses the Battle Cry command cards and combat mechanics, but the troop classifications (and some other ideas) from DBA and DBM.

For the purposes of these rules, troops are divided into a number of categories:

Heavy infantry are those troops based 4 to a base on 60x20 (25mm) or 40x15 (15mm) bases. This is Pikes, Spears, Blades (S,O,I), Warband (S,O). Also Horde (S,O).

Skirmishers are those troops based two to a base – Psiloi and Light Horse. Pisloi are also referred to as Light infantry.

Medium infantry are all other infantry not covered by the above (Auxilia, Bows, Warband(F), Blades (F,X), Horde (F)).

Cavalry covers everyone mounted on a horse. Charging cavalry are those troops classified in DBA/M as Knights. They are all three to a base, except light horse (2) and cataphracts (4). Camelry is everyone mounted on a camel. All are three to a base.

Mounted is cavalry, camelry, elephants and chariots.

 

Units

Heavy  and Medium infantry get 4 stands.

Cavalry, Camelry get 3 stands

Skirmishers, elephants, artillery get 2 stands

Elite units get an extra stand. Levy units get one less stand.

 

Facing

A unit faces a hex corner. The two hexes it faces are referred to as its frontal hexes. It also has two flank hexes and two rear hexes. Units may only battle units in their frontal hexes (or frontal arc, for ranged units), and generally may only move into their frontal hexes (skirmishers excepted).

 

Moves

Heavy infantry & artillery move 1.

Light & Medium infantry, Cataphracts & Elephants move 2.

Cavalry & Camelry move 3.

All except artillery may move and battle.

Troops facing the same way in adjacent hexes with the same move allowance may all move together on a single move order (group move).

All such troops must be in the same battlefield section.

This doesn’t change the number of units you may order with a card – you can move a group, but may only battle with those units you have ordered.

 

Troops may only move into their frontal hexes, except skirmishers, who can move and face in any direction.  For every hex you move forward, you may change direction by 1 hexside. You may also turn in a hex, using one movement point per hexside. Finally, all troops may instead of moving spin to face any direction.

 

Troops which move into the frontal hex of enemy must stop, and may move no further than turn. They may use spare movement capacity to turn within the hex.

 

Battling

The ‘artillery’ symbol (and the bombard card) covers special troops like artillery, elephants, and scythed chariots.

Crossed sabers are a miss except against lone generals, but two crossed sabers is a hit against anyone. Skirmishers can’t convert a double crossed sabers hit into a retreat (see below)

Roll a number of dice equal to the number of figures on your base.

Elephants roll 4 dice. Hordes roll 2.

Everyone has a range of 1, except bow armed troops, who can fire two hexes, rolling a single dice at 2 hexes. Artillery has a range of 3, rolling 3,2,1 dice. The fire arc is the two frontal hexes, then the three hexes in front of those, then the four hexes in front of those.

 

Add a dice if fighting the flank or rear of enemy.

If fighting troops with longer weapons frontally, deduct one dice. For this purpose, Pikes are longer than everything else. Spears are longer than anything except Pikes (in particular, mounted are always considered to have shorter weapons than spears and pikes).

 

Skirmishers may convert hits into retreats if the hits are from units slower than them. They can’t do this with double saber hits.

Skirmishers may pass through and be passed through by anyone.

 

Supported troops (both rear hexes occupied) may ignore flag results – including the ‘automatic break’ flags from warbands and charging cavalry.

 

Warband, scythed chariots and charging cavalry which have just moved into contact destroy units they cause to retreat in good going (unless they are supported as above). If this happens, they must follow up into the newly vacated hex. If the target is in any sort of terrain, it retreats as normal. The unit causing the retreat may follow up in this case, but does not have to.

 

Troops armed with heavy throwing weapon add one dice if they have just moved into contact.

Cavalry deduct one dice if fighting camelry or elephants.

Retreating elephants turn to face away from the enemy, and are moved by the opponent. If they retreat into troops, the troops take a hit and the elephants pass through to their rear.

 

Heavy infantry deduct 2 dice if fighting in bad going.

Mounted deduct two (instead of the normal 1) if fighting in or into bad going.