New “Simple Ancient Battle Rules”

Hi Stevie

Having seen a pre-publish version I think these would be good for demo games where the geometric issues with DBA could be minimised (say to school children - I'm all for teaching them REAL history .

Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to download the published version via the link above (not sure if anyone else has the same problem).

cheers

B.

Oh - we're in lockdown btw.... LOL

Stevie has put in a lot of hours on this project. Great work! You are definitely a DBA missionary.

Jim

awesome work! I have been working on something similar but far inferior!!! really really useful and thanks

Another thing that can cause complications is the way that DBA often describes a rule,
followed by the exceptions to that rule (and sometimes even exceptions to the exception!).
Eliminating some of these awkward and obscure exceptions would help to simplify things.

So here is a list of some of the other rules that were considered for simplification in SAB,
but were not included in the final version:-

Army List Selection: Don’t allow allies. They can be fun, but they do add extra complications.

Simplified Terrain: Treat Gully and Marshes as ordinary bad going that doesn’t block sight and
doesn’t prevent shooting (plus allowing shooting in rivers would remove another exception).
And, don’t use Plough, or treat them as Enclosures, as going through all the hassle of placing
Plough when there is an 83% (5 out of 6) chance they’ll have no effect seems pretty pointless.
Not allowing the ‘postage stamp’ sized 1 x 1 BW terrain would remove yet another exception.

Terrain Placement: For simplicity have Gentle Hills placed entirely within a quarter (and that
includes Plough type Enclosed Fields mentioned above). Although unrealistic, Area Terrain will
still need a 1 BW gap between each other and a table-edge (to prevent continuous walls of
terrain), but make BUA’s obey the same rule, removing another fiddly rule exception.
Oh, and don’t allow Roads to end at a BUA touching a Waterway, as these have no effect anyway.

One Type of River: Don’t use Paltry or Deep Rivers. Have all rivers the same, i.e. they slow
speed, can be crossed by groups, and give the +1 riverbank bonus (even if crossed by a road).

Army Deployment: Just have ‘Swift Mounted’ (i.e. LH-LCm, Cv-LCh, and Cm) capable of being
deployed in the 2 BW deep extra deployment zones, to remove yet more rule exceptions.
While we are at it, simplify the bewildering “Phantom Overlap” to be -1 for ALL troops within
1 BW of a table edge, except for ‘Swift Mounted’, in order to keep things simple.

Littoral Landings: Have these placed entirely within 1 BW of a Waterway, just as they are in BBDBA.

PIP Costs: Have these applying in every bound, including the first bound, to remove an exception.
Also, make all ‘Static Foot’ pay 2 PIP’s to move, as it keeps this troop class consistent, and it does
seem odd that Command Units such as CP, Lit, and CWg can zip about and be a nimble as Blades.
And while you’re at it, make SCh always pay either 1 or 2 PIP’s to move to remove another exception.

Subsequent Moves: Don’t use ‘em!
It’s bad enough that some foot move as fast as ’Heavy Mounted’…but moving twice as fast…!
And the same goes for Road Moves (see fanaticus.boards.net/post/37029/ ), although you
could have it that the single move along a Road costs no PIPs.
Disallowing Subsequent Moves like this removes a whole section from DBA riddled with exceptions.

Recoiling Through Friends: This is a complex section of the rules that could do with simplification.
Apparently mounted recoiling through most friends is fundamental to DBA.
Blades need to recoil through Spears to simulated the Republican Roman Triarii getting in the fight.
Bows need to recoil through Blades to simulate the English in the HYW and the War of the Roses.
            ---Oh what the hell…keep it simple…let ALL troops recoil through ALL friends.---
If big mounted horses and chariots (!) can recoil through foot, why can’t other foot do the same?
The only exception is Elephants, who can’t be recoiled through and trample all those they meet
who are not in a BUA or Camp.
(Certainly getting rid of the pointless “Psiloi cannot recoil through other Psiloi” would be a start)


The reason why none of the above were included is twofold:-
      (a) They would distort the game too much from the full rules, allowing certain things
            to be possible in SAB that are impossible in DBA, leading to different outcomes
            and effects and creating a completely different game altogether.
      (b) Many of the above items are straying into House Rule territory, and by their very
           nature House Rules are subject to the whims of individual players…
           ….what someone might like others may hate.

Nonetheless, if players really want extra simplification, they might want to consider some of these.

I dont think DBA needs simpler rules, it needs better written rules (an end to Barkerese).

And changing the base system, instead of having base depth agnostic rules, is IMO a backstep.

absolutely. On fact I am tempted to go 60x30 or 60x40 for 10mm figures

ok now changed to 80 x 40mm for my 10mm figures.....and thats that!