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Ancients: Tactical Battles in The Age Before Gunpowder
Ancients: Tactical Battles in The Age Before Gunpowder
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 8.0 9.0 Standard Battles . . . . . . . . . . . . Standard Battle Turn Sequence Removal of Leaders . . . . . . . . . . Panic Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinforcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replacement of Leaders . . . . . . Fire Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Optional Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . Naval Battles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Naval Battle Turn Sequence . . . Ship Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marine Movement . . . . . . . . . . . Marine Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ballista Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Further Suggestions . . . . . . . . . Designer's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12
ANCIENTS
1.2 Maps 1.3 Pieces
Each scenario requires the use of one of the included map sheets. These show terrain features superimposed with a grid of hexagons (hexes) to regulate movement and combat. Since each map is usable in several different scenarios, the map scale varies from approximately 100-200 yards per hex. Despite the fact that the maps are reusable, terrain shown is accurate for each battle. Errors (such as the river behind French lines at Agincourt or the village at Hastings) are always in unimportant locations and will seldom encroach on the area of play.
The game pieces represent the troop-types involved in each battle. On the front of each piece is printed its full strength, while on the back is its reduced value when 'disordered' (see Rules Section 2.7) due to combat or terrain. In games such as this, it is traditional to refer to such pieces as 'units'. Players should be aware of this definition, even though it is a misnomer in this particular game. To provide units corresponding to the unit size of every army in every period of time would be impractical. Instead, generic pieces representing like types of troops are used.
1.1 Components
All the components youll need to play the scenarios are available on the Ancients web-site, with the exception of at least one six-sided die (which can be borrowed from another game or purchased at a neighborhood hobby shop). The set of rules youre reading should be downloaded and printed for easy reference, as should the scenario listings. Ideally, the maps and pieces should be printed using a color printer for best effect. The latter should be mounted on cardboard and carefully cut out. 1.4.1 Infantry
Special Ability None * Doubled vs. Cavalry A Missile fire rating B Missile fire rating
Light Infantry (LI, 2-3, 2-3) Mobs of poorly armed, often untrained men.
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Light Archers (LA, 1A3, 0A3) Archers or possibly slingers. They have little or no body armor. Their purpose is to disrupt the enemy, not fight hand-to-hand. Heavy Archers (HA, 3A2, 1B2) Archers with armor (such as Assyrian archers or medieval crossbowmen). They can defend themselves in melee, but they sacrifice mobility. Mixed Missile (MM, 2B3, 1B3) Javelin throwers, Slingers, and Archers with limited hand-to-hand ability, such as Greek peltasts. Or, these could include regular infantry with a high proportion of missile troops. 1.4.2 Cavalry Light Cavalry (LC, 2-6, 1-6) Mounted troops with little or no body armor. They are usually armed with spears or javelins. They are used to scout, screen flanks, or to ride down fleeing foes. Heavy Cavalry (HC, 4-5, 2-5) Well armored, main shock cavalry. They can execute charges, and can deliver the decisive blow in battle. Knights (KT, 8-4, 4-4) Extra heavy cavalry in chain or plate armor. 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8
Once the second player has completed his or her player turn, the game-turn is over, and the completion of a turn is logged using whatever method is most convenient (scratch paper, changing the facing of a die, etc). In the Standard Battle game, the scenarios are six turns long. After the second players sixth turn, add up
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2.3 Reinforcements
Check the scenario to see if reinforcements are due. If so, they may be moved on this turn, saved until a later turn, or remain off indefinitely. If the entry hexes are occupied, the reinforcements may be placed off map on an 'imaginary' hex. They may attack the blocking units, but neither retreat nor move until they can enter the map. Note that reinforcements enter at full-strength, even if the rest of the army has panicked.
2.4 Movement
In his movement phase, a player may move some, none, or all his units, within the following restrictions. Units are moved one at a time, the movement of each being completed before the next is moved. A units movement is completed once the movement of a subsequent unit is begun, or when the player indicates that the last unit to be moved has completed its movement. Units move from hex to hex, paying costs in movement points to enter each hex, and in some cases to cross hex-sides (see Terrain Effects Chart). Units may move up to their movement allowance each turn, but may never exceed their movement allowance in a single turn. Nor may they "save" movement points from one turn to another, nor "loan" points to another unit. 2.4.1 Facing: Any unit on the map must be arranged so that it is facing one of the 6 adjacent hexes. The 3 hexes at its 'top' are its front. The other 3 are its flank. Leaders and Camps have a 360 degree front. Note that
In the example above, the unit pays 1MP to enter the hex on its right front; 2MPs to enter the hill hex; 1MP to change facing; 1MP to enter the hex now on its front center. It could then spend its remaining point if so desired. 2.4.5 Phalanxes: Phalanxes treat all terrain as if it has a movement cost of 1. 2.4.6 Exiting map: To exit the map, move to one of the hexes on the map's edge. Pay I additional movement point to exit off the map. Units that exit the map may not re-enter play, but do not count as losses for panic either. (Exception: see special rules in certain scenarios). 2.4.7 Enter map: Reinforcements (see Rule Section 2.3) are brought into play by paying to enter a hex on the map's edge.
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In the example above, the arrows indicate Unit As arc of fire. Unit A cannot fire at Unit 1 (its line of sight is blocked by the hill). Unit A may fire on Unit 2 (the hill is not blocking). Unit A cannot fire on Unit 3 (Unit 3 is outside of its arc of fire).
2.7 Melee
The phasing player may now attack with any units eligible to do so. Each attack is announced and resolved before moving on to the next 2.7.1 Multiple Attacks: Each unit may make only one attack per phase, even if its target retreats. Each unit attacks alone, not in combination with other units An enemy unit may be attacked any number of times. 2.7.2 Angle of Attack: A unit may attack only those enemy units in one of its three frontal hexes. 2.7.3 Retreat Before Combat Eligibility: A unit under attack may retreat one hex if it wishes, provided its movement allowance is greater than that of the attacker, it is not disordered, and there is an empty adjacent hex which is not itself adjacent to the attacking unit. 2.7.4 Retreat Before Combat Mechanics: The retreating unit enters a vacant, adjacent hex which is not itself adjacent to the attacking unit, adjusting facing so that its center rear hex-side is adjacent to the hex from which it retreated. The retreating unit is then flipped to its disordered side. 2.7.5 Compute Combat Strength: Take the combat strength of the attacking unit, multiplied by any modifications. Modifications are as follows:
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2.8 Rally
All Volley Markers are removed from units. Any phasing disordered unit stacked with a friendly leader is restored to full strength.
3.0 LEADERS
Leaders are not large formations of troops and therefore behave differently.
3.1 Movement
Leaders have no movement allowance. They are simply placed where desired at the conclusion of the phasing player's movement phase.
AD Attacker Disordered. The attacking unit is flipped to disordered status. If the unit is already disordered, it is eliminated. DD Defender Disordered. The defending unit is flipped to disordered status. If the unit is already disordered, it is eliminated. DE Defender Eliminated. Defending unit is removed from play. 2.7.8 Advance After Combat: If the defender's hex is vacated, whether due to retreat before combat or elimination in combat, the attacker must move the victorious unit into the empty hex (exception: Phalanx
3.2 Retreat
A leader may always retreat before combat. Remove the counter from the map until next movement phase. Any unit that was stacked with the retreating leader must either retreat itself, or if unable or unwilling, it suffers a 'DD' result before the attack begins.
3.3 Combat
Leaders double the strength of any unit(s) they are stacked with, in both attack and defense.
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3.5 Capture
If enemy units enter a leader's hex either during movement or advance after combat, the leader is captured (placed to one side of the map).
4.0 VICTORY
The performance of the players is evaluated by counting victory points. The player with more points is the winner. If both have the same number of points, the battle is a draw. One victory point is awarded for each of the following: R Capturing enemy camp (even if recaptured later). Causing enemy army to panic. Having twice as many total strength points on map as opponent at the end of the scenario. Count full strength value of all units, including those disrupted (flip disrupted units over to their non-disrupted sides before counting strength points). Camps and panicking units do not count.
R R
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5.6 Duels
Battles in most Hollywood movies and in ancient legends (but rarely in real life) were settled by champions of either side fighting it out, with the armies in the background as expensive stage props. If you wish to add this, assign each leader a value from 1-5 (1 being Darius, 5 being Richard the Lionheart). When two enemy leaders are in adjacent hexes, the phasing player may challenge his opponent to a duel during combat. If the defender refuses, he must perform a retreat before combat. If he accepts, each player secretly chooses a tactic. Players simultaneously reveal the tactic they have chosen, and cross-index them on the table below.
Attack Offensive Defend Offensive Cautious Defensive = Automatic no effect 0 +1 -1 Cautious -1 0 Defensive +1
The resulting number is added to the attacking leader's value, and the defending leader's value is then deducted from this. The resulting number becomes a die-roll modifier. The attacker rolls a die (to which the modifier is applied). A result of 1 or less causes the attacking leader to die, a 6 or more kills the defender. Any other result produces no effect.
5.9 Elephants
Elephants were very temperamental beasts in battle. Any number of ingenious techniques were used to cause them to panic (often into their own troops). To reflect this, a player may use one of his command points
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= = = = =
Results AD M DD DE
5.10 Dismounting
At the beginning of battle, the owning player may substitute infantry units for cavalry units, as outlined below. 1 2 1 1 1 2 Light Cavalry Heavy Cavalry Knight Horse Archer Cataphract Cataphract 1 1 1 1 1 1 Mixed Missile Heavy Infantry Heavy Infantry Light Archer Heavy Archer Heavy Infantry
In missile fire, declare all firing units and their targets. Now add together all the die roll ranges. Divide by six and round up if the remainder is four or more. This is the number of units that successfully hit their targets. Example: Two units have die roll ranges of 1-3 to hit and one has 1-4. 3+3+4 = 10. 10/6 = 1, and a remainder of four. This rounds up to 2. Two of the units hit their targets (not one unit twice); owning player chooses which unit is hit.
Knights and barbarians are still subject to 'command control' (5.7), even if dismounted. Note: cataphract refers to the armored cavalry, used notably by the Byzantine Empire.
At the conclusion of each game-turn, the completion of another turn is noted. Each naval scenario is limited to
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7.2 Ramming
Moving into a hex with an enemy ship may only be done while executing one of the three types of ram attacks covered here. A ship must be moving forward to execute a ram attack. 7.2.1 Oar Rake: The moving ship enters an enemy occupied hex via the enemys bow hex-side. If the moving ship has enough movement points, it may continue through the hex, but must stop on the other side (otherwise it ends its movement in front of the enemy ship). Both ships are then turned one hex-side clockwise, and both players roll a die and add their Crew Quality. Consult the Oar Rake column of the Oar Rake Table for each attack. The attacks are considered to be simultaneous. 7.2.2 Rudder Attack: The moving ship enters an enemy occupied hex via the enemys stern hex-side. If the moving ship has enough points, it may continue through the hex, but must stop on the other side. The moving player rolls a die and adds his Crew Quality. Consult the Rudder Attack Table for this attack. 7.2.3 Broadside Ram: The moving ship enters an enemy occupied hex via one of its four broadside hexes. The ramming ship must end its move in the hex before actually moving onto the enemy ship. It may not move through. The moving player rolls a die and adds his Crew Quality. Consult the Broadside Ram column of the Ramming Table for this attack. 7.2.4 Ram Resolution: After rolling a die on the appropriate Ram Table, one of the following results will occur: C Miss. No effect. Cripple. Flip target unit to its crippled side. If it is already crippled, it is sinking instead. Sinking. Place a sinking marker on the target ship.
7.1.4 Ship Movement: A ship can be moved either ahead into the hex directly in front of it, backwards into the hex directly behind, or it may change its facing (pivot) in the hex it currently occupies. The cost in movement points for each action are as follows: R R R Forward, 2 points. Backward, 3 points. Pivot one hex-side, 5 points.
Example: A fleet with a crew quality of 4 rolls a 3 (7 movement point total). Each of his ships may move ahead 3 hexes or backward 2 or may change facing I hex-side and move one. Each crippled ship could move forward 1 or backward 1. 7.1.5 Movement Restrictions: Ships entering land hexes, as well as any ships exiting the map are counted as lost for the purposes of victory conditions. 7.1.6 Stacking: A player may freely move through hexes occupied by friendly ships, as long as he does not end the turn in the same hex as another ship. There may only be one ship per hex at the end of the
7.2.5 Continuing Movement: After resolving a ram, go on to the next ship you wish to move. Any or all ships may move each turn, and ramming is considered a part of movement.
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Example: There is a crippled enemy ship with 1 marine aboard. The moving player attacks it with 1 boarding attack and 2 archery attacks. The first attack is the boarding attack, and a 'B result is rolled, eliminating the marine. The second attack is an archery attack, which causes a 'C' result. More rowers are hit, reducing the already crippled ship to 'sinking' status (note: if the boarding attempt had been second, the unprotected ship could have been captured instead). The final archery attack is now wasted because it could not cause more damage.
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7.6 Repair
Sinking ships may be repaired during the course of play. During this segment, the phasing player rolls one die for each ship he controls that is 'sinking' and consults the Naval Repair Table. If the ship is large ship, add 1 to the roll. If the ship gets a 'sinks' result, it is removed from the game, along with any marines on board.
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PERIOD
1300-650 BC 1100-650 BC 550-300 BC 500-300 13C 350-150 BC 300-200 BC 250 BC 100 AD 200 BC-600 AD 200 BC-200 AD 300-500 AD 350-450 AD 500-1200 AD 600-1450 AD 700-900 AD 800-1000 AD 1000-1100 AD 1200-1400 AD 1200-1250 AD 1300-1400 AD 1300-1450 AD
COMPOSITION
3 CH, 4 LI, 2 MM 2 CH, 2 LC, 3 HI, 2 Ll, 3 HA, 2 LA 10 LC, 5 HI, 10 MM, 2 PX (and lots of LI) 1 LC, 3 PX, 2 MM 1 HC, 1 LC, 4 PX, 2 MM, +1 LDR 2 HC, 4 LC, 2 PX, 6 LI, 2 MM 5 LC, 30 LI (Britons substitute CH for LC) 5 HC, 10 LC 2 LC, 8 HI, 4 MM, +1 LDR 10 HC, 5 LC, 2 HI, 8 Ll 20 LC (and German 'allies') 10 HC, 5 HI, 2 HA, +1 LDR 10 LC, 2 HC, 5 LI 6HC, 2 LI,1LA 5 HI (and as many horses as they could steal) 4 HC, 2 HI, 2 LA 6 KT, 3 HA 5 HC, 5 LC, +1 LDR 2 KT, 3 LA (English Longbows ) 3 PX, +1 LDR
Swiss Elephants: This nationality may buy elephants at half the normal rate. Any other nation wishing to buy them must buy them from this power's stock and at the price he sets. Note: Whenever a nation has elephants in its army, it is assumed that its cavalry horses will have become accustomed to them and have lost their fear of elephants; therefore, enemy elephants are not doubled when attacking its cavalry.
Longbows: Light Archers cost this power twice the normal cost. However, they get 3 volleys per turn. Training: Add an additional leader to every battle.
Navy: If a campaign is being played, this power may buy fleets for half price. In single battles, this player is considered to be raiding foreign soil. Add one victory point. Barbarians: Light Infantry is not disordered due to terrain. Also, they may triple their attack strength during any one combat phase. Horse Archers: All light cavalry have missile rating 'B'.
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CREDITS
Game Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Web Edition Production . . . . . . . Original Unit Icon Design . . . . . Map Design and Unit Adaptation Image Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William L. Banks Michael P. Nagel . . Beth Queman Michael P. Nagel . . Corel Gallery
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