DE BELLIS SOCIETATIS ANTIQUORUM PURPOSE To produce the simplest possible set of wargames rules that retains the feel

and generalship requirements of ancient battle in a 2 player game lasting 15 to 30 minutes. EQUIPMENT REQUIRED Games require 24 sq terrain board of scale 1 !100 paces" and for each player# an army of 12 elements# one of which includes his general# a board$edge camp# a d%# and a % &%00p measure. 'or 25mm scale games the board should be twice that si(e and the ground scale becomes 1)!50 paces. TROOP TYPES The rules distinguish only those arms&troop types that need different tactical handling. Mounted troops can be: *+*,-./T0# of any breed or crew complement. 1/2G-T0# including medie3al or /orman 4nights# cataphracts# and all other horsemen who charge at first instance such as 5acedonian companions# 0armations or Goths" and also hea3y chariots with more than 2 horses or crew. 6.7.+89# including all armoured ca3alry primarily armed with :a3elins# such as Gree4s# ,ersians or 8omans# or with bow or bow and lance# such as 0assanid clibanarii or ;y(antines# but also willing to follow up hand$to$hand" and also light chariots. +2G-T -<80*# including all light horsemen who s4irmish in dispersed swarms with :a3elin or bow and are reluctant to charge unsha4en enemy# such as /umidians# ,arthian horse archers# -uns# or +ate 8oman 2llyrians or *quites 0agittarii. oot can be: ,21*0# fighting collecti3ely with long pi4es or thrusting spears held in two hands# such as 5acedonians# 0cots# 'lemish or 0wiss. ;+.=*0# primarily s4illed in fencing indi3idually with swords or hea3ier edged weapons# such as legionaries of any period# huscarls# galloglaich# dismounted 4nights# billmen or 0amurai. 0,*.80# including all close formed infantry that fight in a rigid line of large shields with spears held in one hand# such as hoplites# 6arthaginian .fricans# ;y(antine s4utatoi or 'yrdmen. .>?2+2.# including all close combat infantry more mobile but less cohesi3e than those abo3e# such as peltasts# theurophoroi# 0panish scutarii# *arly or +ate 2mperial 8oman au@ilia# Aapanese ashigaru# Belsh spears or 2rish bonnachts. 0-<<T*80# including all s4irmishers on foot with :a3elin or sling# and all foot archers or crossbowmen# whether formed in ran4s or s4irmishing. B.8;./=# including all wild irregulars relying mainly on collecti3e impetus rather than indi3idual s4ill or cohesion# such as Galatians# Gauls# Germans# =acians# or most 7i4ings. *lements are based with 40mm frontage if 15mm figures and C0mm frontage with 25mm or 1&D2 figures. 6lose order troops should ha3e 3 or 4 figures in rigid formation# and open order troops should ha3e 2 or 3 in a loose formation on their base. *lephants# chariots etc will generally be 1 to a base. ;ases should be as deep as necessary to accommodate the figures on them. TERRAIN The basic terrain is good going. .n element is in bad going if in a wood# on rough or boggy ground or on a rough or steep slope# but not if in a ri3er or on an easy slope. *asy slopes are depicted as grassed# rough ground as scrub. 8oad mo3ement through bad going is not reduced# but the bad going still affects combat by units on the road. The first element to cross a ri3er other than at a road ford or bridge must dice. 2f the score is 1 or 2 that ri3er gi3es no ad3antage to defenders# if 3 or 4 the tactical factor for defending a ban4 applies# 5 or % that it applies and each element attempting to cross it must score more than 1 to do so# which may lead to a column being split or recoilers destroyed. 0ea# la4es and cliffs are impassable and always destroy recoiling troops. ;eaches are good going. SET!UP ;oth players dice. The high scorer nominates each board edge 1 to 4# then 2 ad:acent board edges to also be represented by 5 and %# then dices for his base edge# deploys first within %00p of it# mo3es second. SEQUENCE O PLAY The two sides ta4e alternate bounds. =uring each sideEs boundF G1H 2t dices# and ma4es tactical mo3es with up to that number of elements or groups. .ny unused die points each add 200p to a road mo3e that includes the general. G2H .ny elements of both sides that are in contact with the enemy fight and ma4e outcome mo3es# in an order decided by the player whose bound it is.

TACTICAL MO"ES . tactical mo3e can be by a single element or by a group of elements. *lements mo3ing as a group must each be touching another of its elements. *ach must mo3e parallel to# or follow# the first of them that mo3es# and mo3e the same distance or wheel through the same angles. . group mo3e cannot be by road or cross bad going or a ri3er unless in column# or contract e@cept to do so# or e@pand or retire. /o element can mo3e further thanF 500p if light horse off$road in good going. 400p if ca3alry off$road in good going# or any troops mo3ing by road. 300p if 4nights or elephants off$road in good going# or au@ilia or shooters off$road. 200p if other foot mo3ing off$road# or any mounted troops off$road in bad going. 0hooters can pass through any friends# mounted through shooters or blades through a single element of foot# but only if both start facing in the same direction and there is room. COMBAT This happens when an element has mo3ed into# or remains in# full base to base contact with an enemy element. .n element not already in combat must turn to face without this counting as a mo3e. *lements in partial front edge contact must align to each other at the beginning of combat without this counting as a mo3e. The mo3ing element must align itself to the stationary element# unless that element is of 0hooters or +ight -orse# in which case the stationary element aligns itself to the mo3ing element. *ach player dices for his element# and adds its combat factor as followsF ;lades I5 3 foot# I3 3 mounted. *lephants I4 3 foot# I5 3 mounted. 0pears I4. 1nights or pi4es I3 3 foot# I4 3 mounted. 6a3alry or warband I3. .u@ilia I3 3 foot# I2 3 mounted. +ight horse or shooters I2. *lements le3el with and o3erlapping an enemy or contacting its flan4 count only as a tactical factor. ,i4es add I3 or spears I1# if supported by an identical element contiguous behind in good going. ;lades or spears add I1 if fighting mounted or attac4ing camp similarly supported by shooters. .dd to or subtract from scores for each of the following tactical factors that appliesF I2 if foot occupying a camp. I1 if the element includes your general. I1 if defending a ri3er ban4 e@cept at a ford or against shooters or if uphill $1 for each flan4 o3erlapped# and&or each enemy element in contact with flan4 or rear. $2 if any troops in bad going on or off$road e@cept au@ilia or shooters. COMBAT OUTCOME .n element with less than or half the total of any opponent must ma4e an immediate outcome mo3e# which depends on its own type and that of the most dangerous opponent in contact Gbut not o3erlappersH. 8ecoilers mo3e straight bac4 without turning. 2f they meet friends facing the same way they pass through them if they can# else push them bac4. 8ecoilers that meet friends not facing the same way# enemy or impassable terrain# recoil off$board or end the recoil mo3e in contact with an enemy are lost. 0upporters are destroyed with those supported. .fter an opponent recoils# 1nights follow up to 200p and Barband up to 100p. I# $ts tota% $s %ess t&an t&at o# t&e ene'( but 'ore t&an &a%#: *lephants. =estroyed by shooters# or if in bad going. 2f not# recoil 200p. 1nights. =estroyed by elephants# shooters or light horse# or in bad going. 2f not# recoil 200p. <ther mounted. =estroyed if in bad going. 2f not# recoil 200p. ;lades. =estroyed by warband. -eld by light horse or shooters. 2f not# recoil 100p. .u@ilia. =estroyed by 4nights unless in bad going. 2f not# recoil 100p. 0hooters. =estroyed by 4nights unless in bad going. 2f not# recoil 100p. Barband. =estroyed by elephants or 4nights. 2f not# recoil 100p. <ther foot. =estroyed by 4nights or warband. -eld by light horse or shooters. 2f not# recoil 100p. I# $ts tota% $s &a%# t&at o# t&e ene'(: +ight horse. =estroyed by any mounted# or if in bad going. 2f not# recoil %00p. 0hooters. =estroyed by mounted if in good going# or by au@ilia or shooters. 2f not# recoil %00p. <ther troops. =estroyed. )INNIN* AND LOSIN* The 1st side to lose its general# its camp or 4 elements loses the game.