DBA mini-campaign
Steve Burt (Steve.Burt@cursor-system.com)
The basic idea (not
original) is to have an 'on-table' campaign which is a stylised version of
Alexander's Successors. So here is how it will work:
4 25mm DBA armies
(Antigonid, Early Ptolemaic, Early Seleucid, Armenian)
6 foot square table laid
out as a stylised map of the near east. Each player gets one 2 foot square
corner tile with a capital and 2 other cities (card squares one element
square). The 4 tiles in the middle of each side are all obstructed in some way
- two by sea, and two by hills. So the table looks roughly like this:
|------------|
|....mmmm....|
|ss........mm|
|ss........mm|
|....ssss....|
|------------|
Where (s) are sea and (m)
are mountains - all impassable.
The idea is that the lower
left corner is Egypt, top left is Anatolia, bottom right is Persia, top right
is Amenia
The centre tile has four
'neutral' cities garrisoned by some wimpy troops (Ax)
Cities give a '+3' in combat,
capitals a '+4'. They can hold up to 2 elements of foot, 1 of mounted.
If the garrison is forced
to recoil, the city may be occupied by the attackers
(If the city is attacked
from more than one side, the garrison will be destroyed).
Troops start in or adjacent
to any friendly city.
Everyone starts with 2
Talents in their treasury (which is in their capital)
A 'year' consists of 12
moves followed by Winter, when the armies must go into Winter quarters or
suffer losses. Winter is also when you replace losses & hire mercenaries.
Moves are taken in rotation
round the table, starting with a different player each year (again in rotation,
or dice for it). Each is a normal DBA move.
As you will see, it may
take some time to take cities, even if you surround them (which will itself
take some time).
At the end of the year, you
get revenue - 1 talent per friendly city.
Next, armies must go into
quarters. If they are within 600p of a friendly city, they may move into
contact with that city and spend the winter there at no cost. Otherwise
supplies must be bought, at 1 talent for each group of up to 3 elements.
Next, you may replace lost
elements (up to your limit of 12 elements). You may replace losses with other
types if allowed by your army list, so long as the resulting army is a legal
subset of the DBA list. Replacements may appear at any friendly city in your
home country, but only 1 element per city. Any number may appear next to your
capital.
Light troops (PS & LH)
cost 1 talent to replace.
Exotic troops (EL & KN)
cost 3 talents to replace
Line troops (everyone else)
costs 2 talents to replace
Next, you may hire
mercenaries. There are 8 elements of mercenary Greek spearmen available. They
cost 2 Talents to hire for a year +1 Talent hiring fee if they are being
hired from the pool rather than re-hired. If unpaid, they go back into the pool
at the end of the year. Everyone write down how many they want to hire. If
there are enough to go round, all get them at 2/3 talents each (You may not try
and get more than you have money for)
If there are not enough to
go round, an auction starts, with the mercenaries going to the highest bidder.
Mercenaries appear at any friendly city (incuding one you have just
captured).
A group which does not have
supplies bought and is not next to a city suffers losses - roll 1 dice per
element. It deserts on a 1 or 2. Note that this is done AFTER replacements, so
you cannot replace these losses till next year.
If you lose your capital,
the treasury (if any) is captured, and you cannot get revenue. You can continue
to fight with such troops as you have to try and regain the capital, but cannot
replace losses (no money!)
Loss of the general. In
addition to the PIP difficulties this will give you, two further elements
immediately desert unless paid 2 talents each. Replacing a lost general costs 2
talents.
The general may be
reallocated to any friendly element in Winter
Mobs. You may elect to
place a 'free' element of camp followers in any vacant friendly city during a
winter period . This is removed if your troops occupy the city, but may be
replaced if they leave. They may NOT be removed other than by occupying the
city with troops (disarming the militia). However, if you tax a city garrisoned
by a mob, they may riot - they do so on a 1, in which case the city gives you
no revenue and becomes a neutral city garrisoned by the mob.
Terrain. Hills represent
high mountains and are impassable - there will be some narrowish passes
(Caspian gates etc...). Major rivers (Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Oxus) will be
represented, with areas of rough ground for hilly areas, deserts & marsh
The winner is the last one
standing......