Thermopylae

By Aleksandar aranac, sharanac@yahoo.com, www.battreps.blogspot.com

All comments and suggestions are welcome

Thermopylae is a print and play solo wargame representing stand of Ancient Greek soldiers
against Persian invasion.
In this game you will take the role of 300 Spartans who took their last stand at Thermopylae Pass
to protect retreat of the main body of Greek army.
Game can be played by using given board and counters, but if the player wishes, it can be played
with miniatures on the game board, or even with chess figures on chess table (this might be a
good way to find a new use for your miniature magnetic chess set while on the road)

GAME COMPONENTS
Game board represent Thermopylae pass itself, and is divided into 64 (8x8) squares. If player
wishes, printed board can be replaced with chess board.
Counters represent army formations. Each Spartan counter represents phalanx of 100 men. Each
Persian counter represents one Persian unit. For this game, 3 Spartan and 8 Persian counters are
needed. If player wishes, counters can be replaced with appropriate plastic, metal or even paper
miniatures, or even with chess pieces.
Barricades are optional components used to block Persian advance (see Advanced rules section).
Dice. To play Thermopylae player needs to provide some six sided dice (d6). Six of them will be
enough, but we recommend having at least 10 for smoother play.

BASIC RULES
Mechanics of the game
Game of Thermopylae is based on rolling a hand with appropriate number of dice, and then
selecting these dice that have their double in the hand. Each double rolled corresponds with one
action in the game. Number of pips visible on these dice is called Power of the action.
For example, player rolls 6 dice and gets 1, 1, 3, 4, 4 and 6. This reads as one action with Power 1
and one action with Power 4.
In case that the triple or higher was rolled, player can choose how to read the dice. One option is
to take one additional action for each additional die. Other is to use additional dice to raise the
power of the action.
Example again. Player rolls 2, 2, 2, 4, 5, and 6. 2 is rolled 3 times. Player can choose if he wants
to have 2 actions with Power 2 or one action with Power 3.
Similar, if rolled 5, 5, 5, 5, player can choose to take 3 actions with Power 5, 2 actions with
Power 6 or one action with Power 7! Note that by using this rule Power level can raise beyond 6
which is maximum that can be rolled!
Note that Player decides as he wishes also when he or she rolls for Persian units. In this situation,
Player should not change view and chose the way that is best for Persians, but the way he or she
feels would be best for Spartans!
Creating units
Before the game, player has to create 3 Spartan units by dividing a units pool of 15 dice into 4
unit characteristics. These characteristics are:
Movement (M, minimum of 2 dice),
Close combat (C, minimum of 2 dice),
Ranged combat (R, minimum of 0 dice) and
Defense (D, minimum of 2 dice).
As you can see, player does not have to dedicate any dice to range combat. These represent
phalanx that are not armed with ranged weapons of any kind.
For example, one player may select to have 2 close fighting phalanxes (M5, C6, R0, D4) and one
phalanx of ranged support (M4, C2, R5, D4).
All Persian units have following statistics: M-special, C4, R0, D5.

Setting the game

Each Spartan unit starts the game in the square of players choice at the western edge of the
board. Persian units start at the eastern edge of the board. Place the first unit in the square marked
with number 1, next in the square number 2, etc.
Game is played in waves. In the first wave 3 Persian units are deployed, in second 4, etc.
When deploying units, note that at any time during the game 2 units are unable to occupy the
same square.
Game turn
1. Movement
Units must dedicate one action to move one square. Units can move like king in chess, so each
unit can move to any unoccupied adjacent square, even diagonally.

NO!

Spartans start first in each game turn.

Select one Spartan unit and roll its M dice. Mark the number of successes and the higher Power
rolled.
If the higher Power is 1, unit can only move number of squares up to the number of
successes. Unit can not shoot or attack in close combat this turn.
If the highest Power is 2 to 5, unit can move up to the number of successes rolled. Last
success can be used for movement or it can be dedicated to ranged or close combat attack.
Once the attack is made, unit can no longer move this turn, even if it have unused actions
left and the enemy is killed.
If the highest power is 6 or more, unit can move up to the number of successes rolled and
then attack. Note that in this case attack is free, player does not have to dedicate action to
do it. Again, once the attack is made, unit can no longer move this turn, even if it have
unused actions left and the enemy is killed.
Spartan units are free to move without any penalties even if they are adjacent to Persian unit. For
Spartans, attacks are not obligatory.
Once all Spartan units move and attack, it is time for Persian units to move, starting from the
northern one, and moving down the board. Each unengaged Persian unit moves 2 squares in each

turn. Persians will move directly to the west when possible, or, if blocked, using closest route to
reach western table edge. If Persian unit finds itself within 2 squares of Spartan unit, it will move
one or two squares in such a way to end its turn in square adjacent to phalanx. As soon the
Persian unit gets there, it will attack. For Persians, attack is free. If there are several options for
Persian unit to engage, player should decide where the Persians will go. Again, Player should do
it in the way he feels will be best for Spartan units. This represents Spartans using terrain,
psychology and tactics to their advantage, while Persians just attack, confident in their
overwhelming numbers.
Engaged Persian units will not move, just attack.
2. Attack
Units can attack other units in adjacent square using C dice or units at least two squares away
that they can trace unbroken straight line that divides all squares it passes through in half using R
dice. In both cases, procedure is the same.
P1

P2

P3

S2
S
P4

P5

In example above, Spartan S can shoot Persians P2 and P3, but not P1 (covered by S2), P4 (too
close, S can attack P4 using C dice, but if it does, it will be no longer able to move or shoot in
this turn) or P5 (not a straight line)
Attacker rolls C or R dice and sorts actions (here called attacks) from highest Power to lowest.
Attacker then dedicates each attack to one of available defenders. Attacker can assign one or
several attacks to one defender.
Shooting enemies locked in close combat is allowed and welcome!
Therefore, in the example above, if it manages to score two attacks, S will probably dedicate
higher Power attack to P2 (in order to release S2 from multiple combat) and lower Power attack
to P3.
Each defender then rolls its D dice:

If the highest defenders Power is higher than the higher attacker Power dedicated to this
defender, attack is reflected and defender suffers no ill effect.
If the highest defenders Power is lower than the higher attacker Power dedicated to this
defender, attack is successful and defender suffers a wound. Normal Persian units need
only one wound to be removed as casualty, while Spartan units and Persian Immortals
(see Advanced rules section) need to be wounded twice before removed as casualty.
If the highest defenders Power is equal as the higher attacker Power dedicated to this
defender, compare the number of actions rolled with D dice and number of dedicated
attacks. If defender has equally or more actions as the attacker, attack is reflected and
defender suffers no ill effect. In other case, defender suffers a wound.
Persian units will dedicate the highest Power attack to the Spartan unit north of them, and then
move counter clockwise until all attacks are dedicated.
Sometimes, several models will form fighting groups by fighting more than one model at the
time. In this case, add 1 die to both C and D pool for each additional friendly model in the group.
R and M dice as well as D dice after ranged attack are unaffected by groups.
S
P

S
P

S
P

S
P

First example above represents combat group where 2 Spartans fight against 3 Persians.
Therefore, when combat is decided, Spartans will use +1 die while Persians +2 dice when rolling
their respective C and D pools. Note that combat is not simultaneous, so situation will change the
very moment one of the units is removed as casualty!
Situation in second example is not a combat group. Since each unit touches only one enemy,
these situation represents two independent combats one on one.

Game over
Game is played in waves. A player wins the wave when all deployed Persian units are removed
as casualties. After each wave, player is allowed to cure one wound or to increase one
characteristic of one of surviving Spartan units by 1 die.
Then, the next wave begins, with Persians deploying one more unit than in the last wave.
Player looses when all Spartan units are removed as casualties, or at the moment when first
Persian units exits the board through the western table edge.

Advanced rules
For tougher challenge, each wave of Persians can be lead by unit of Immortals. Immortals have
the same statistics as normal Persian unit, with the one difference that they need to be wounded
twice before they are removed as casualties.
To make the game easier, player may use up to two barricades 2 squares long. Barricades are
used to delay progress of Persian units and to direct them to the part of the board where player
feels they will be the least dangerous. Barricades break the line of sight, so player is not allowed
to shoot through them.

Example above shows how you can use the barricades to slow down Persian unit and direct them
where you want them.