Cohort
Grand Tactical Ancients

Rules

by Peter Manti

Teixeira, E.R. Cohort: Grand Tactical Ancients. Dimension Research & Simulation, 25562 Del Mar Street #2, Hayward CA 94542; 20 pages, 1982. $5.00.

The title of these miniatures rules for ancient land combat is derived in part from the troop scale: infantry and cavalry at 1 to 40, elephants, chariots and engines at 1 to 16 but counted as 40 for casualty reduction, while camels are ratioed as cavalry. At a ground scale of 1 inch equalling 30 yards, and considering the recommended stand sizes, the rules appear to be for 15mm figures, but the author states that COHORT can be used with figures based for any other set of rules. All movement is simultaneous within a strict turn sequence with units attempting to charge being the only ones for which written orders are required. In addition, all units are limited to five formations - line, column, square, testudo, and skirmish-for which the bases of all members of a unit must be touching.

Troops are defined and organized by three characteristics: battle role (shock or skirmish), six different morale grades, and fourteen armor classes which, like WRG rules, is an imprecise grab-bag of much more than "armor classes--heavy infantry, for instance, is armored identically as heavy cavalry yet both are separately classed. The distinction between cavalry and infantry should of course be made, but not under "armor class"; and while the heavy infantry and cavalry man are identically armored and of equal defensive value, the cavalry horse provides an unarmored mass roughly four times that of its rider. According to German General Staff studies, this should realistically provide a 400% better target for missiles or foot in melee with them; taking into account motion and horse armor only modifies, and in most cases complicates, the unaddressed problems inherent in "armor class" rules.

COHORT is played in standard turns of a rigid eight part sequence: (1) melee and movement of routing units and pursurers, rampaging elephants, facing and formation changes of normal units; (2) pushback movement and followups, voluntary breakoffs; (3) writing and declaring of charges and countercharges; (4) normal and charge movement, opportunity charges; (5) rolling for and placement of successful flank marches and previously withdrawn troops; (6) missile fire; (7) melee, and (8) rally attempts. Morale checks are taken as required throughout the turn, morale being the sum of two normal dice modified by battlefield situations and the particular troop type it is being applied to.

All the charts necessary for play are available on one page and a photocopyable unit roster sheet is also provided. A read-through of COHORT led me to believe that these were WRG-derived a few playtests convinced me that this is in fact so. If you like the feel of WRG rules however, then COHORT is definitely for you for it has the valuable advantages over its parent set of being clear, concise, well organized, unambiguous and free of eccentricities.

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