This system is a variant of that found in DBA. The maps are set up to represent kingdoms around a central empire. There is very little of strategy, logistics or politics in the basic system. This is a game designed to bring armies to tactical battle on the tabletop with miniatures.

Set-up

There are up to eight kingdoms around one empire. Each kingdom has a capitol which is deep within its country. Before reaching the capitol. an army must pass through border forts. outlying cities, and overcome nearby fortifications. Capture of a capitol forces that player to become a vassal king, subject to the will and direction of the conqueror until such time as the conquerors' home capitol is captured. The Empire is ringed by kingdoms. It too has border forts, cities, and fortresses shielding the capitol. If the Empire's capitol is captured, the conqueror becomes the new Emperor. The capitol of the Empire also has a fortress within.

Each kingdom has a garrison compliment of 12 elements of the main infantry types for its chosen army list. These may be placed and moved as desired. The Empire has 50 elements. Each city has a militia of 10 Hd(O) which can be used in siege defense or can be fielded with an army if fighting a battle in a friendly city zone.

Movement

There are four seasonal turns each year; Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Players roll 2d6 each season to determine high roller, who goes first. Armies may move 2 zones per season, +I if all movement is in friendly zones, -1 if the army is regular. Except for garrison transfers, elements may not move without a commanding general, i.e. individual commands may move separately. An army that does not move may attempt to intercept an enemy army that invades its territory before it can conduct any siege operations. Each player rolls 2d6. If the interceptor's roll is lower, he is successful (takes less time to reach the objective).

Logistics

Each kingdom has one army, the Empire has two. Armies are limited to 400 points each. (This is an artificial logistical restraint.) Any adjacent kingdoms may ally and send contingents of upto 100 points to operate with each other's armies (which are still subject to the 400 point limit). A maximum of two allies may be with an army at any one time. Allies on the army units are not allowed. Any army not adjacent to a friendly city zone during the Winter turn rolls on the heavy Raid table each of thirteen weeks.

Raiding - Anytime an army bypasses a fort and leaves it in enemy hands sitting on its line of communications back to the nearest friendly city, will suffer from raids on his supplies and troops. Roll a 1d6 to determine how many successful raids are executed. Then roll on the loss table,

1-2 no loss
3-5 lose one elernent
6 lose supplies -lose 1d6 elements

For each element lost, roll 1d6. Odd - raider chooses element lost, Even - defender chooses. If there are two or more forts, or a fort and enemy army sitting between the army and its nearest city, then raiding is heavy. Increase to 2d6 raids, +1 to roll on loss table.

Battle

Battles occur when two opposing armies end their turn in the same zone at the end of a turn. Elements destroyed in a battle are placed in the countries replacement pool. Only these elements can be revitalized during the campaign- Each spring turn, players may recruit a number of elements equal in points to the value of their capitol(s). Each kingdom capitol is worth 150 points. The empire capitol is worth 250.

In armies that lose a battle, any element belonging to a command that is demoralized is unable to light in another battle the next season. If the demoralized command also lost its general, all elements are scattered, They may be mustered on the Spring turn in the nearest uninvested friendly city at no cost along with a new general. An allied command that is demoralized and loses its general loses all -elements. An irregular command loses 1/6 of its element, (roll 1d6 for each element, on a one it is lost).

Pursuit compares the remaining undemoralized elements of the victorious army. to the fleeing elements of the defeated army. The vanquished lines up all heavy and light infantry elements. The victor lines up all usable cavalry and light horse elements against them. They them roll, the attacker using normal modifiers, the defender uses a zero. All elements that are doubled are destroyed during the rout.

Sieges

Sieges are fought when an army occupies an enemy city or fort zone unopposed at die end of a turn (after ;my battle-, are fought). A city that witnesses the defeat of its army will surrender if the army does not retreat within. The invader may elect to either invest, assault, or use engineering to weaken the defenses prior to an assault.

Investment is an attempt to starve out the city or fort. If an army invests for two consecutive turns. it's chance of success is rolling a 12 on 2d6, +1 for each additional season. Investing through the Winter turn adds +3 to the next roll.

Assault is an attempt to storm the walls and gain entry to the city or fort. This is done by lining up attacking elements against defending elements. A wall is set up (or a fine drawn representing one). A city wall is seven elements wide, a fortress wall is three elements wide. The defender places his elements along the wall. The attacker fines up opposite and cannot overlap beyond the defender's wall width. Neither can have second ranks assist. Both can have reinforcements behind the lines to take the place of those lost or removed from the fight. The defender has a +2 bonus against elements attacking across the wall. If a defender is pushed back, die attacker automatically advances. Hank attacks and overlaps are made normally. Each attacking element that is pushed back is removed from the assault. Defenders fight until destroyed. An assault ends when either all assaulting or all defending elements are pushed back from the wall If all attackers are pushed back, the assault breaks down. If all defenders are pushed back, the attackers have gained final entry and overrun them. All defending elements are then destroyed. If an invader suffers two faded assaults in one season. the army is demoralized and must retreat as if having lost a battle.

Engineering is an attempt to reduce die defenses before assaulting. The invader rolls 1d6 for each week less 2d6 in the first season he begins) to attempt a breech. On a 6, an entry is made. An assault proceeds normally except one section of wag is open and the defender there does not have a 4-2 modifier. The attacker also has the benefit of siege towers, WW(S), one against forts. three against cities. Towers can either shoot over the attacking infantry, or be pushed up to the wall for close combat with an infantry element behind ready to climb onto the wall if the defender is pushed back. Unlike other elements, when a tower is pushed back it is not removed from the assault.

Scoring

The campaign lasts for a set number of years (5-20). Players score points for successes they achieve:

Allied to a victorious army 1 point
Capturing a fort 2
Defeating an enemy army 3
Capturing a city 5
Destroying an enemy army 7
Capturing a kingdom's capitol 9
Capturing the Empire's capitol 13

To destroy an army a player must eliminate more than 50% of it in battle while losing less than 25% of his own troops. Or cut off his supplies during a Winter turn and cause him to suffer losses throughout the season. At the end of the campaign the player with the most points is the winner. Good gaming!

Kingdom Map

Lines interconnect locations.

Two bottom lines connect to forts of empire, lateral to other kingdoms.

Empire Map

The empire is a centrally located capitol connected to a hub of four forts, located at the four compass points, which in turn are connected to eight cities in a octagonal wheel. On the outside of the wheel is another octogon of eight forts, offset so each is connected to two cities. Kingdoms connect to each of two adjacent forts and each other.

This entire set-up is entirely experimental.