A Discussion of
De Bellis Renationis

Wargames Rules for 1494-1700 AD

By Mark Bevis


Sultan's note: As requested by many of you, we have expanded the coverage of Dragoman to include the entire Ottoman period. But as I said last issue, for this to succeed will require your assistance as my area of expertise is the Napoleonic Era. Mark Bevis has been the quickest off the mark and has sent us several good articles. I am familiar with him through his excellent book, From Tangiers to Tehran, A Wargamers Guide to the Middle Eastern Armies of the Napoleonic and Pre-Colonial Era c 1780-1830. His research for that publication is excellent and I am therefore sure his knowledge of the Renaissance period is equally good. At the end of the article is Mark's proposed new DBR army list for the Ottomans. These changes are not official and cannot be used at tournaments.

If you are familiar with the DBR rules, then you may have noticed some anomalies and rules that feel somewhat peculiar.

One of the worst flaws is the Light Horse results, which have changed from those in DBM so that they are easily destroyed or flee if beaten.

This challenges tbe generally accepted view of skirmishing light cavalry. As a rule, skirmish cavalry moved up close in open order, threw or fired various missiles at a slower, closer order enemy, then retired as the enemy advanced, maintaining missile distance.

Because the fire was nonvolley and erratic, it very rarely destroyed bodies of enemy, but caused disorder and a trickle of casualties. Return fire on skirmish cavalry generally had no effect as the cavalry was very spread out and moving fast, and it was generally fast enough to avoid most charges.

In DBR however, as it stands, they flee from any troop type, and if doubled, which happens quite often with a combat factor of 2, they die.

Even more flawed is Inferior Light Horse. Because they are allowed to shoot at distance, to represent their more timid long-range skirmishing, they are actually better than Superior Light Horse, which cost twice as many points, because LH(S) and LH(0) can't shoot back, even though in real life they would, and with better effect! The same applies to Pistols(I); being allowed to shoot makes them deadly, especially as they have high factors and can count extra ranks of support.

Here, then, are my proposed revised combat results for Light Horse:

If beaten:

    Flee from shooting by Pistols or Shot.
    Ignore LH(I) shooting
    Flee from Lancers and Sipahis in enemy bound; otherwise recoil.

If beaten by double:

    Flee from Pikes, Blades if in good going
    Recoil from LH(I) shooting
    Otherwise destroyed.

My gaming group has used these combat results and they feel much better, and give them more staying power. Other rules you might consider adding:

  • Troops carrying FO have their movement reduced by 50 paces in any terrain.

  • Troops can cross FO as single element move. As the rules stand, troops wishing to advance from their defences have to assault their own barricades/walls/gaps between wagons, etc., from the rear!

  • Pistols (Inferior) do not have ranged shooting ability. So-called Pistols Inferior that historically used caracoling shooting tactics are renamed Reiters (Inferior), and are treated as Pi(I), but do not add any bonus ranks in close combat. The rationale for this is that these troops were vulnerable in close combat historically, and this change should make them brittle enough (and 8pts is dirt cheap anyway).

    This is a modified DBR listing for the Turks nanowed down to 1550-1600 AD. Readers will note I have split the Kapikulu Suvarileri into the different types, purely for visual appeal, as the Silihtars look different from the Sipahi Oghlans; and other Suvarileri. I have added the obscurer troop types, such as Bostanci, Cebeci annoureers, mounted Janissaries and Serdengecti, even though their small numbers only allow one element or so on table. They look good, so I want the right to fidd them. Otherchanges include adding Albanians and Greek Martolos which were around but the original list did not allow before 1650.

    12a Ottoman Turkish Army 1550-1600 AD

    Warm. Ag. 4. Watersvay, River, Steep hill, Gentle hill, Wood, Orchard, Enclosed fields, Rough ground, Built-up area.

    1x Sultan or Pasha CinC with Sipahi Oglan Suvarileri bodyguard Si(S): @30 AP
    1-2x Grand Vizier or Pasha Sub-general with Sipahi Oglans bdygrd. Si(S): @30 AP
    or 1x Provincial Govemor Sub-general with Djelti bodyguard LH(S): @ 27 AP
    or Si(F): @28 AP

    Kapikulu
    Sipahis of thc Porte    :

    1x Sipahi Oglan Suvarileri Guard cavalrySi(S): @10 AP
    0-2x Silihtar Suvarileri cavalry Si(S) : @10 AP
    0-2x Gureba and Uleficiyan Suvarileri cavalrySi(S) : @10 AP

    Janissaries:

    1x Janissary Guard Solak Archers Bow(S): @7 AP
    1-5x Janissary Archers Bow(S): @7 AP
    0-6x Janissary Arquebusiers Shot(F): @6 AP
    or 0-6x Janissary Archers Bow(S): @7 AP
    0-2x Janissary Crossbow (replaces equal number of Bow or Shot) Bow(O) : @5 AP
    0-2x Janissary Chasseurs with long arquebus Sk(S): @4 AP
    0-1x Janissary Guard Halbediers Bd(0): @7 AP
    0-1x Janissary Serdengecti (Note: x4 if siege battle) Bd(F): @5 AP
    0-1x Mounted Janissaries Si(S) : @10 AP

    Other Regulars:

    0-6x Bostanci Guard Infantry (Constantinople only) Sh (S?) @7 AP
    0-lx Bostanci Bodyguard Infantry Sh (S?): @7 AP
    0-3x Cebeci Armourers Sh(I): @4 AP
    0-1x Humbaracilar Grenadiers/Miners Sk(X): @8 AP
    Wx War wagons with light guns Wwg(O) : @10 AP
    0-3x Bombards or Culverins Art(S): @25 AP
    0-3x Limbers train: @0 AP
    0-2x Mortars (sieges only) Art(O): @20 AP
    0-1x Pontoniers Pon(O): @5AP
    2x Baggage per CinC and Sub-general train: @0 AP
    0-24x Stakes, ditches or tethered camels FO: @2 AP

    Irregular Cavalry

    9-18x Peudal Sipahis (armoured, lance, etc.) Si(O): @8 AP can downgrade 0-9x to Feudal Sipahis (una~momd) Si(I): @5 AP 10-18x Akinjis, Yoruks, etc. LH(F): @4 AP 0-6x Tarters LH(S) : @7 AP 0-4x Djellis LH(S): @7 AP or Si(F): @8 AP or 0-4x Kurdish Light Horse LH(0): @5 AP or 0-4x Bedouin Cavalry LH(0): @5 AP 0-2x Hadji camel scouts (Middle East only) Cam(F): @6 AP

    Irregular Foot:

    0-4x Balkan Voynuks Bd(0): @7 AP
    0-4x Iaylars Wb(S): @5 AP
    0-3x Azab Arquebusiers Sk(S): @4 AP
    or 0-6x Sarikas or Tufenkis Sk(S): @4 AP
    or 0-6x Albanian Arnauts or Greek Martolos Sk(S): @4 AP
    upgrade 3x Sarikas/-Ibtenkis to mounted infantry Dr(S): @8 AP
    3-4x Azab archers Bow(I): @3 AP
    or Hd(S): : @2 AP
    3-4x Azab infantry Hd(S): @2AP
    0-6x Levants, Musselmen, Azabs, Lagimcilar, etc. Hd(0): @ 1 AP
    0-1x Anatolian fire Lance Sk(X): @8 AP

    Naval Assets

    0-4x Galleys Gal(O): @3 AP
    0-2x Corasir Galliots Gal(F): @2 AP
    0-3x Danube Flotilla Boats(S): @3 AP
    0-2x Moroccan Marines (in Corsair galliots) Bow(S) : @7 AP
    0-2x Janissary Marincs (in galleys) Bow(S) : @7 AP
    or Shot(F) : @6 AP
    0-4x Dismounted Sipahis Bow(S) : @7 AP
    04x Naval Arabs Bow(I) : @3 AP

    (Naval troops except Moroccans replace equivalent land types)

    A Provincial Govemor list for the Balkans or Anatolia should have the Djellis, Arnauts or Sarika, poorer grade Siphis, and cannot contain Sipahis of the Portc, Cebeci, Janissary Halbediers, Solaks or Sedengecti.

    A force deployed in the Middle East should have the Bedouin or Kurdish Light Horse, camd scouts, and can have the Tufenkis on carnels/mules as Dragoon (S) option. Other Bedouin replace Akinjis as LH(F).

    A Provincial Governor list for the Middle East should have the Kurdish DjeUis, Bedouin cavalry, camel scouts, Tufenkis, Sarikas and Azabs, with Sipahis acting u Gonullu and Mamluks, and Horde representing the various city militias. Other Bedouin replace Akinjir u LH(F).

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    © Copyright 1997 by William E. Johnson
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