Melees Gloriosus

Ancient Warfare Rules

review by John Boehm

This is a 96 page soft cover 8 1/2 x 11 booklet which contains rules for conducting land, naval and siege warfare in the age of Antiquity. These rules are written by David P. Gundt. In addition to the rules themselves, there are three double-sided plastic covered quick reference sheets, one of which is for naval combat. Also included was a naval vessel data sheet and a melee combat resolution table suitable for copying.

The rules are written giving distances and measurements that are claimed to be suitable for both 25 and 15 mm scale figures. The actual figure scale is 1 to 50. Troops are classed primarily as follows: infantry is classed as skirmishers, light infantry and heavy infantry, with special classifications for peltast and phalanx. Cavalry is classified as light and heavy, with special classifications for cataphract and camelry. Elephants are elephants and there are provisions for four types of chariots, plus battle wagons. Artillery is also provided for. There are also optional troop classifications including armed peasant levies, rabble, non-combatants, and others. Figures are organized into units, and the basing is similar to what has become standard basing sizes.

Troops are required to enter the playing area in march column and deploy unless their particular scenario declares otherwise. The play sequence involves five phases including movement, missile fire, melee, moral checks, and bonus break through moves. Movement is based on an initiative role and is a move counter-move situation. Infantry moves six inches and charges eight. Most cavalry move ten and charge twelve to fourteen inches. Commanders are represented on the battle field and exert a sphere of influence of ten or twelve inches. Skirmishers are mounted individually and pursued by heavier troops. The game uses two six-sided dice for most rolls, some rolls being determined by a single die. Maneuver, including changing formation, frontage or facing, and wheeling, may be performed by all troops but is done with certain restrictions in each case depending upon the troop type. Troops will definitely not be flying around the battle field. There are special rules for movement of Roman manipular and cohort infantry. Provision is also made for rolling up a heavy infantry battle line if it is flanked on the end of the line.

Missile combat consists of skirmishers and formed unit missile combat, and provides for both direct and in-direct fire. Interestingly, pila are treated as missile weapons, whereas heavy infantry armed with javelins and cavalry with javelins, treat these as melee weapons and not missile weapons. A die is rolled for each target, and is modified based on the nature of the target, the actions of the firing unit, and specific army and nationality modifiers. The result is cross referenced with each figure eligible to fire in order to determine the number of casualties. Provisions are made for elephants to panic when receiving missile hits. While casualties are counted by individuals figures, figures are not removed until the unit has fled the field or is destroyed. As indicated, the rules allow for indirect over head fire for units behind other units. There are also rules for artillery fire.

Melee includes skirmisher melee which is based on individual figures and a six sided die roll with modifiers. Skirmishers, as indicated, are dispersed by heavier troops. Melees between formed units, involve frontal, flank and rear melees. Bonuses are provided to the die roll for flanks, troop rating, i.e. raw, regular, veteran, or elite, and a number of modifiers are added based on the type of weapon, the action of the troops engaged, their armor, and various nationality modifiers. Flank and rear attacks are most devastating.. Special provisions are made for the effect of fatigue in melees, light infantry support of cavalry, barbarian charges, cavalry disengagement, and provisions for chariots and elephants. There are also special rules for Roman manipular and cohort formations in melee.

As previously indicated, morale classifications include elite, veteran, regular and raw units. Morale checks are made when a unit receives its first 30% casualties, witness a commander killed, a friendly unit eliminated or routed, or a unit is attacked in the flank or rear. Morale ratings are reduced for each 10% casualties. Various other adjustments are made for situations affecting the unit and for various nationality factors. Depending on the current morale rating of the unit, a failed morale role may result in various phases of retreat up to and including route and removal from play. Units may also be thrown into disarray as a result of a failed morale check. There is also a provision for a unit that is victorious in melee to perform a bonus break through move up to half of the unit's normal move. Victory conditions are determined by a specific scenario, or may result simply when 50% of the main combat units of an army are lost. There is also a troop point system available.

The naval warfare rules may be used with 15 mm scale figures and ships, or smaller scale ships. There is a similar sequence of play involving movement, missile fire, action moves, melee and morale. Crews may be raw, regular or veteran, which affects the outcome of certain situations and events. Missile fire is essentially the same as missile fire in the land warfare game, although there are special provisions for the harpax and flaming arrows. The action move phase involves such things as the use of the corvus, grappling, and boarding. The melee and morale phases are also similar to the land warfare phase. Movement is fairly simple and straight forward again using a move, counter-move system.

The siege warfare rules are intended to be used not for prolonged sieges, but for the combat that would be involved in a storming, escalde or breaching situation. They provide for various types of siege equipment and fortifications and involve a sequence of play similar to the naval rules. Provisions allows for use of ladders, dropping rocks, hot liquids, the use of cranes, field obstacles, battering rams, bores, siege towers, and incendiary devices, including stratagems to counter these types of equipment. Mining and breaches are also provided for. Missile and melee combat and morale are essentially the same as that in the land warfare game.

There is also an appendix on strategy and tactics describing the use of various armies from Sumerians through the Hellenistic period. In this respect, the rules do not seem to go much beyond the wars of the Roman Republic and the Successors. A separate booklet is available which contains army lists and troop classifications. Due to the need to review these rules quickly, I did not have the opportunity to play them. The rules and the mechanics, however, appear to be clearly explained and I did not encounter any difficulty in understanding them. The mechanics are fairly straight forward, and should provide for ease of play, with no need for record keeping. The intent is to provide an "enjoyable contest".

The rules would appear to provide a good straight forward standup clash between opposing armies. In this respect, they do not appear to be written specifically for tournament play, but rather for recreating enjoyable battles between historically opposing forces. I do not have a price for the rules, but they are available from Melees Gloriosus, PO Box 2493, South Bend, IN 46680-2493, www.melees.net, 219-876-3610.

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