Introduction This is my second edition of 6mm Ancient Rules. The first was published In MWAN recently. However, I left a few things out in that version and more importantly, I just got my hands on a copy of some very simple rules developed my Phil Barker. They we so simple, they take up one page to explain troop types and a second to explain combat. I liked many of the ideas in them so much, I decided to incorporate many of its features into this set. My main emphasis is to still attempt to recreate some the largest ancients battles In under three hours. I also wanted to provide Wally with some rules should he ever got serious about 6mm ancients. I also use this for 15mm figures since I use WRG basing (the some for both 6 and 15mm; the only difference is number of figures per base). I've sent a copy of this to Phil to see what he thinks. Who know I could come out with 6mm Ancient Rules, 3rd Edition some day. Scale runs about 1 Inch to 100 yards. Each turn covers about 20 minutes. 1. TURN SEQUENCE 1.1 Have three cards for each side (or put chits in a cup). Draw a card to see who moves. You could also go with an alternative move. Either will work. 1.2 Generals can order up to 3 units to move. Others must roll to see if they can move on their own. Roll a D6 with Poor troops needing 1-2, average 1-3, and elite 1-5. 1.3 Adjudicate combat. 1.4 Perform routs, reaction tests, etc. 2. TROOPS 2.1 Troop types are as follows: Elephants: any kind or crew Knights: a misleading term used to cover medieval knights, SHC, or any lance armed cavalry that lights in wedge (like Macedonian Companions). Cavalry. any other non light cav using javelin and/or bow. Troops Iike Roman or Gothic cav, a Sassanid clinarii, or some Byzantines, etc. Chariots. any type, regardless of number or kind. Light Horse. includes all light cavalry who skirmish. Numidians and Parthians are good examples. Pikemen. pretty self-explanatory. Swordsmen. primarily skilled in sword fighting such as Roman legionari, huscarls, galloglaish, dismounted knights, Samurai, etc. Many of the Book III 2HCT formed troops could apply too. Spearmen. includes all other close formed foot using long-handed thrusting weapon. Greek hoplites, Byzantine skutari and fyrdmen come to mind, Auxilia. other infantry more mobile than above, able to fight hand to hand but with less cohesion. Examples are peltasts, Spanish scutaril, Roman auxillia, Japanese ashigaru, Welsh spoars, etc. Psiloi. really has two groups, skirmishers (light Infantry) and all foot archers and crossbowmen (regardless of basing: open or closed). Warband. wild Irregular types like Galatians, Gauls, Thracians, or Viking bondii. 2.2 Each unit has morale of Poor, Average, and Elite. 2.3 Each unit starts the game with a Fatigue Point (FP) for each element in the unit Units can have a maximum size of 12 elements. Units that lose all FPs through combat are Tired. Obviously, small units have very little staying power. Remember, this game is not trying to simulate the effects in WAG 7th. I'm trying to got that 'big battle' feel. 2.4 Tired troops will only move into combat on a DO roll of 1 for Poor, 1-3 for Average, and 1-5 for Elite. 2.5 The General attached to a non-mounted unit can give FPs book per turn as follows (roll 1d6): 1-4: 1 PF 5: 2 FF 6: 3 FP Also, units receive 1FP back for every 3 consecutive turns of not moving. 2.6 All Light cavalry (as by your list) and light Infantry Psiloi can only skirmish or fight other skirmishers. 3. MOVEMENT 3.1 Move is either tactical or non-tactIcal. Units may not combine the two in one turn. Movement is given in yards. Troop Type Tactical Non-Tactical Swordsmen, Spearmen, Pikemen Elephants, Warband 200 1000 Auxillia, Psiloi, Knights 300 1000 Cavalry or Chariots 400 1500 Light Cav or Generals 500 2000 3.2 For rough or delaying terrain, each unit rolls percentile when reached. A 60% or low indicates the unit can move through without delay. A blown role stops the unit. Each time the unit desires to move In such terrain, it must roll. 3.3 Non-tac moves in column ONLY (1 stand wide). Deployment to tac moves is any other frontage. Tac moves occur when units are deployed in anything other than column. 3.4 It takes 1/2 move for any other than warband to deploy to tac and vice versa. It takes an entire move for warband troops to deploy. It takes skirmishers no time to deploy. A tac move ending in contact is a charge. 3.5 Wheels are permitted in tac moves. Units can alter direction in nontac moves without penalty. Units in tac move can only wheel. Units lose 50 yards for each element expansion or contraction during tac moves. 4. COMBAT 4.1 Anyone ending in contact after a move, or who remains In contact from a previous turn. each roll one d6 for combat. The difference in the roll, after modified, is the loss in Fps by the low roller. Units hitting in the flank while Mends hit In front count only as a tactical factor. However, if you have a multiple melee occuring in more than one direction (a unit is hit to flank and row for example), be flexible. You could turn some elements to face the enemy, giving them a -1 in combat, or whatever. In multiple melees to front each player must choose which unit's combat factor will be added to the d6 roll. Loses are than taken on which unit(s) of the loser's choice. For example, if a 12 stand unit is hit in front by a four stand elephant and eight stand warband and gets the higher die roll, the loser can choose to allocate the FPs to his elephant and warband unit in whatever manner. 4.2 COMBAT FACTORS Add the following modifiers to each sides D6: Elephant vs mounted +5; vs. foot +4 Swordsmen vs foot +5, vs. mounted +3 Spearmen or Knight +4 Cavalry, chariots, pike, auxillia or warband +3 Light Cav or Psiloi +2 Pike +3, Spearman or Warband +1 if another such element condguous behind. Swordmen, Spearmen, or Auxillia +1 if Psiloi contiguous behind. Warband +3 until first FP is taken You could allow optional +1 for anything scenario dependent Add or subtract from die roll die following: +2 if defending a riverbank or defended fortification + 1 if uphill or if general attached to unit -1 for each flank with enemy overlapping elements, each enemy contacting to flank or rear, unit disordered, or tired. These are cumulative -2 if any In rough terrain except Auxilia or Psiloi 4.3 Combat Results are: Units attacked in non-tac mode take double losses Units that lose more FPS than their opponents fall back 100 yards if foot, back 200 if mounted, and 300 if Light Horse, and are DISORDERD. They cannot aftack or move next turn. Disorder ceases after that. Units with no FPs left take the loses as # of stands removed. Such troops losing a melee rout. Troops losing all stands are destroyed and anyone, within 500 yards must take a morale test. 4.4 Units routing will make an immediate non-tac move to their rear. Morale tests are then taken by all friendly units who are within 500 yards of the move. After tests, the routing unit is removed from the table. 4.5 Throw a 1D6 for reaction tests: Poor troops rout on a 1-4. Average troops on a 1-2. Elko troops test only if they see other elite troops rout and only fall only on a 1. 4.6 If units rout as a result of a reaction to other units within the 500 yard limit mud led (or test twice if they am two or more units rout simultaneously). A domino affect is possible this way. Troops routing so a result of a morale test (not combat) will move 3 hall speed non-tac moves to the rear. Unless Intercepted by a general, the unit is remove troops leaving the table we considered lost. 4.7 Generals intercepting troops can rally them from a rout caused a a failed morale test:Poor troops rally on a 1, average on a 1-2 elite on a 1-4. If successful, troops can than move normally. Otherwise, take off table. 4.8 If a camp is represented on table, troops will rout to the camp, ignoring the non-tac move restrictions. They will then fight only from the camp as DISORDERED. Generals can rally the troops in the camp Iike rallying from rout. 4.9 If the General is with a unit in melee and that unit rolls a 1 on the combat table, roll a die again and consult the table: 1-2 nothing 3-4: Wounded; must move to the rear for 1D6 moves. Only 1 order per round given. 5: Killed; immediate subordinate given only 1 order for 1D6 turns. Afterwards can give 3 6: Captured; same as a 5. Award double points for capture. 5. SPECIAL TROOPS 5.1 Skirmishers should be obvious from your army lists. Light infantry, cav, and chariots can skirmish in the rules. Units cannot move non-too through deployed skirmishers. Units may move through deployed skirmishers tactically in which case the skirmishers am Immediately removed from the table. Skirmishers versus skirmishers In mele use the combat table but losses are taken by stands, not FPs. Skirmishers can only attack non-skirmishers from the rear or from the rank if the enemy is already in combat. Units not so engaged and hit in the rear by skirmishers turn to fight and suffer a -1. If the skirmishers lose the melee, they are taken off the board. 5.2 When engaged In combat and the elephants roll a 1, it will rampage in a random direction. Subsequently, during each friendly turn, it will automatically move in a random direction until routed/killed or 4 runs off the table. 6. Morale 6.1 When 30% of one's army Is routing or destroyed, all units suffer a -1 on the combat table. When 50% goes, a -2 on the table. When 86% goes. your whole army routs. Game over. Round fractions UP. Only count skirmisher units as 1/3 a unit for the army total. For example, if you have an army with 10 units and 3 skirmisher units, the army's total number of units would be 11. When your army loses 4 units total (for example you lose all 3 skirmishers and 1 additional unit) everyone now would fight at a -1, and so on. You could give each side a variable morale needed to rout. Closing Notes Unless you play with humongous armies, limit each side to 1 general. Never have more than 2 for even the largest battles. Part of the rules is the command and control problems, hence the unit's roll for individual initiative. If you have a cav, army (Parthians, Skythians, etc.), allow your single general to order up to 6 units par turn. A few words on organization and 'buying' an army, The troop to figure scale is roughly 1:50. Also, I assumed people have their 6mm stuff mounted and organized along WRG standards. That means that your typical Republican Roman infantry stand would contain 8 figures representing 400 men. With 10 stands, that equals 4000 troops, roughly a Legion from the period. Back to PW Review April 1990 Table of Contents Back to PW Review List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1990 Wally Simon This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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