What is your opinion of the WADBAG Manoeuvre ratings?

My apologies Jim1973…I’ve only just noticed your post!

Have a look at the “Mapless Wars” at the very end of this:-
        fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/File:TIME_OF_DAY_DISPLAY.pdf
Even if you don’t like it, it might give you some ideas.
(Basically, if the 'attacker' doesn't attack, then the defender gains a 'Strategic Point'.
And with enough Strategic Points, even weak Ax and Ps armies can win a war through 'war weariness'...
...even if they can't win a battle)



Some potentially useful player aids can be found here, such as the “Quick Reference Sheets” from the Society of Ancients,
and the new “Army List Corrections” file: fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reference_sheets_and_epitomes
And this is the latest January 2018 FAQ: fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ_2018

Stevie, this looks really good! I will try and print it out this weekend and make up the display. I remember the system Phil devised for DBM using the initial die rolls, terrain and season which was quite elegant. I don't have DBMM to see if he revised this method at all. 
The strategic points system you devised also seems quite elegant and can add more depth to the game with little overhead. Now just need to make some system to vary deployment (Trasimene, Arsuf). The current system reminds me of Arty Conliffe's Tactica deployment.

Cheers

Jim

I’m a little bit confused primuspilus.
I assume you meant to say “The defender selects the compulsory features and 1 optional feature. The defender invader selects 0, 1 or 2 optional features”.
Yes, that would work nicely.
I think that David Constable’s idea to have a new terrain feature called “open terrain” was so that good going armies could place something in the middle of the table to prevent the defender from plonking a dirty great difficult hill there.
(Remember, although the defender would place the first terrain piece, he must place compulsory features first)

You know, I think we have just about plumbed the depths of this subject, what with:-
        a) The defender chooses all the terrain, it’s size and shape, and positions it (depending on placement rolls).
        b) The defender choose all the terrain, it’s size and shape, but the invader positions it (depending on die rolls).
        c) Both players choose ½ the terrain each, and alternatively place their pieces (again, depending on die rolls).
        d) Randomly selected terrain, but the defender chooses its size and shape, and places it (depending on die rolls).
In addition we have also explored adjustments to the aggression factor by using “Manoeuvre Ratings” or “Scouting Points” to decide just who actually is the defender.

But there is one more avenue that we haven’t explored yet…that of “Pre-Prepared Terrain”.

I’m currently going though all those lovely looking terrain maps in DBA Online.
My plan is to compile all these into a single document but arrange them into four separate groups;
littoral maps, bad going maps, good going maps, and dry/desert/steppe maps (with no woods). 
Defenders would chose which type of map they want, then randomly select (probably using playing cards) not one but two of them.
If playing a normal 12 element game, they pick one and discard the other.
If playing BBDBA, the defender places both maps side-by-side in any way they want to make a double length battlefield.

Then the invader dices for their deployment area; 1 = north, 2 = east, 3 = south, 4 = west.
If there is a road, a roll of 5 or 6 means the invader gets to chose one end of the road.
If there is no road, then a 5 = the defender chooses the deployment areas, 6 = the invader chooses.
(In BBDBA, a simple 50-50 dice roll to see who gets which long edge)

As most players, including myself, find rivers a bit tedious, the defender can announce that the so-called ‘river’ is just a decorative ‘stream’, and has no effect whatsoever…or simply not bother to place it at all.

I’m re-colouring some of the snow and desert maps so that they look like green grass, but fear not all you Book 1 middle-eastern players…just assume that the green bits are sand, so the final battlefield once you place it on the table matches your element bases.
And some of the DBAOL maps are already double-sized BBDBA maps.
These I will be cutting in half in order to make more 12 element sized maps.

Having “Pre-Prepared” maps is more limited, but with four different directions to have as your deployment area, they can be quite varied.
(And many of the DBAOL maps are historical, so jim1973 may well find himself fighting at Lake Trasimene and Arsuf... )



Some potentially useful player aids can be found here, such as the “Quick Reference Sheets” from the Society of Ancients,
and the new “Army List Corrections” file: fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reference_sheets_and_epitomes
And this is the latest January 2018 FAQ: fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ_2018