Some issues ago, I suggested some DBM rules modifications. There seems to be interest in this topic (see SAGA 48 - Cavalry, Light Horse, Blades and mixed formations), so I am offering the following for your review.

Elites Rear Support Factors

Add the following:

• Blades, Spears, or Warbands representing dismounted knights, nobles, or special Foot elites (such as hirds or huscarles) who are fighting any troops to their front add + 1 for a single supporting rank of Spears of the same nationality. The support does not have to be of the same grade, but must match as Regular or Irregular. Supporting Spears are not impetuous as long as they are in supported.

It should be noted that when dismounted knights or nobles, or the elite Foot troops, were put into a line, it was to stiffien the line - make it more resilient in combat. The normal way to do this was to put the good or elite warriors in the front. The less well-equipped troops provided mass to support the warriors.

Example: Use this factor to re-fight the ba1tle of Hastings (1066 - Anglo-Danish against the Normans of William the Conqueror). The huscarles and supports will not go after the Norrnans; however, the parts of the fyrd that are not used for support will move impetuously after the Norrnans. The effects on battles are minimal, but more historically accurate.

Sample armies eligible for this rear support factor include:

• Middle Anglo-Saxon (DBM book 3, list 24) - The hird can be supported by the Spear (I) of the fyrd.
• East Frankish (DBM book 3, list 52) - Dismounted milites can be supported by thc Spear (O or I).
• Anglo-Danish (DBM book 3, list 71 ) - Huscarles can be supported by Fyrd Spears.
• Anglo-Norman (DBM book 4, list 3) - Dismounted knights can be supported by Spear (I).

Swiss Rear Support Factors

Add the following:

• Swiss Pikes or Blades (halberdiers) add +1 for a 2nd supporting rank of Swiss Blades (halberdiers) or +1 for each rank of supporting Pikes up to 3.

This factor is added simply to provide a better reflection of the historical impact of the Swiss deep columns in melee.

Alternative Victory Conditions

Change the following sections to allow for altemative victory conditions.

Lost Elements: Destroyed elements are lost. An element is removed from the table if any part of its base crosses the game area edge, such as when recoiling or fleeing, and is counted as lost. The only exception is naval elements retiring off the game area for the "night."

For the purposes of calculating demoralization, defeat, and tie break situations:

• The value of each element is the same as the AP for the element. For these purposes, baggage elements are worth 10 AP.
• A dismounted element counts as the total AP value of the mounted elements exchanged for it. Riderless mounts have no value.
• Each element of naval landing troops counts as its AP value whether embarked or disembarked. Its vessels do not count. An element of Ships (I) substituting as baggage has the same value as a land baggage element.

Demoralized Commands: Demoralization affects an entire command when either of the following applies:

• When, at the end of either side's bound, at least one third of the original AP value of the command has been lost, excluding baggage from the original AP value and losses.
• The command's general is lost. The command's next PIP die score (excluding modiflers for general grades) must be greater than the number of elements currently lost from the command. This represents immediate panic at the loss of a general and can only be applied once per command.

A demoralized command can use its PIP die each bound to make one (1) single element tactical move and any remainder to halt groups or single elements for the current bound. All other mobile elements must flee in spontaneous retreat unless already in edge contact with enemy other than as an overlap. Naval landing troops flee towards the nearest unladen friendly naval element capable of embarking them (if any exist); other elements flee towards the nearest point of their side's base game area cdgc or the flank edge of the game area from which they initially entered the game area.

Victory and Defeat: When, at the end of either side's bound, at least half of an army's original AP value, including baggage in both counts, is lost, demoralized, or have changed sides, and the army has lost more elements than the enemy, its remaining commands also become demoralized. The game is over and the other side has won.

For competition games and tournaments, use the existing rules.