I recently received some very nice figures from some of the various ranges of "Blood Axe" miniatures. Available from Adventure Books and Games 249 East Pine Central Point Oregon 97502 phone: (503) 004-3898.

Their 25mm ranges include: Vikings, Saxons, Norman/breton/French, Feudal/Medieval Spanish, Araos/Moors, Greeks (fersian and relopenesian Wars), Persians (Greek and Persian,wars), Scythians. Later Persians (Macedonian Wars), Macedonians and Hellenistics, Carthabinians, Early Italians, Ancient Spanish, Numidians, Republican Romans, Early Imperial Romans, Late Romans, Gauls, Early Germans, Sassania Persians, ass't. misc. figures, Hundred Years War, American Civil War, Victorian (Colonial) Wars, and in 15mm, a Spanish Civil War range. Upcoming new ranges in 25mm, include Samurai and Ancient India, as well as numerous additions to existing ranges.

A very unusual service provided is that new figures can be created on a case by case basis for customers ordering $150.00 or more at one time. Something well worth considering when army building, particularly when one considers the prices of the figures: horses $0.75 each, elephants $2.50 w/o tack, $4.50 with tower, camels 75 cents each, and men are $.05 each. Remember, these are 25mm, figures! Compare these prices to any of the other manufacturers and I'm sure you'll become very interested, very quickly!

Now about the figures. They don't have the high polish, smooth finish of say, Essex figures, out they do have a unique, rough hewn finish with a lot of appeal. They would blend very well with nearly any of the other manufacturers figures, particularly when building armies of an irregular nature. Most of the ranges are extensive enough to create armies of complete "Blood Axe" manufacture. The figures also lend themselves to customization and personalization quite readily. When you consider the prices as well, building a number of 25mm armies moves out of "want to" territory to "sit down and paint it" territory. I heartily recommend you all taking a look at "Blood Axe" figures. DBM Army Organization by Tedd Grulke

So.... you have selected an Army that you want to play and have some idea of which troops you intend to buy. The next question is: How should you organize them for the battle? Getting this job done right can spell the difference between defeat and having a shot at victory.

There are several aspects of this problem that are unique to the individual battle such as terrain, enemy and weather. However there are some elements to this question that fall more into the category of strategy or style of play which is pertinent to any battle that you might fight with a given Army.

This article will deal with the issues of how many commands, their relative size and how to handle reserves. it's intended for DBM in particular, however with some extrapolation it can be relevant to 7th Edition as well.

First the issue of how many many commands. Total army size will drive part of the answer. Also relevant is the predominance of regulars or irregulars and how much control you (as a player) want to have over the troops on the table. Subdividing into many small commands provides more control at the cost of purchasing generals and at the risk of making small commands brittle and subject to premature demoralization.

Homogenous commands can afford to be larger since a single PIP can move the whole force. Regular commands can be larger as well since they do not pay the PIP premium for extended marches or for turning. The CinCs command can be larger since he will have a free PIP each turn.

Before addressing the question of relative size of commands, you need to establish a concept for handling reserves. There are many choices, three of which are discussed here. This will drive the solution to relative command size.

Napoleon's concept was to maintain a relatively small but elite group in strategic reserve and not commit them until the battle was fully developed and the crucial point had been reached. In DBM, if you take this approach the reserve is likely to never come into play as one side will become demoralized early on and the reserve will be irrelevant.

Alexander's concept was to create a small elite unit to use as the point of his attack. The Companions would often open the battle and create the early opportunity for victory which would be exploited by the pikemen. This is a bit risky since it requires you to commit your best troops in an early gamble.

The third concept involves the creation of local reserves within each command rather than a seperate grouping for strategic reserve or initial attack. This concept can result in failure to concentrate sufficient force at a single point to win the battle.

For either Napoleon's or Alexander's concept, select the forces that you want to be in the elite command, give them their own general if you can afford it. Remember that irregulars move slowly and have trouble turning or changing frontage.

Divide the rest of your army into roughly equal size commands that are not too small/brittle and are somewhat homogenous. It might be useful to group them by how you intend to use them in battle ie as skirmishers, flankers, main line etc.

For the local reserve concept, I try for commands of roughly equal capability, size and composition. A couple of stands within each command are earmarked for reserve duty and held back. The generals stand is useful for this purpose plus a few other relatively mobile units, even if they are not elite. Compositions that reflect a specific use as noted above are also a good choice.

In closing, it is safe to say that no single approach works best in every case. I have experimented with all three types discussed here with varying degrees of success. If you do not have a clear preference, consider the way the Army fought historically and give it a try. The game is designed with the intention of rewarding strategies that follow historical precedent. Good luck.