moif
Shev_SPQR rule system
Introduction:
These rules are loosely based upon Wargames Research Group’s DBA with influence from DBM, DBR and unofficial variants. (M) indicates from DBM, (R) DBR and (V) variant. They are designed to resolve battles within complex campaigns, so (point) costs for different troops, allocation of terrain, etc. are omitted, and Victory Conditions, etc. are somewhat flexible.
Troops are defined by battlefield behaviour; each troop type therefore includes all troops that fight in the same way, had a generally similar ethos and morale, and had an equivalent effect on the other classes.
Mounted: Elephants, Leviathan, Knights, Pistols, Cavalry, Light Horse, Camelry, Expendables, Light Wolf, Swimmers, Light Fliers
and Gryphon.
Foot: Spears, Pikes, Blades, Warband, Auxilia, Dragoons, Bowmen, Shot, Rifles, Jager, Psiloi, Artillery, Cannon, War Wagons,
Mechanised War Wagons, Hordes and Baggage.
(M) Naval: Galleys, Airships, Ships, Landships, Landboats, Boats, Balloons, Fireships or Unladen Naval.
(V) Water: Leviathan, Swimmers, Galleys, Ships, Boats, Fireships and some Unladen Naval.
(V) Air: Light Fliers, Gryphon, Airships, Balloons and some Unladen Naval. All others are Land.
Light: Light Horse, Light Wolf, Light Fliers and Psiloi are referred to collectively as Skirmishers, and also together with Auxilia and
Jager, as Light Troops.
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Regular (M): Regulars are typically enlisted into units under officers and practiced in manoeuvre and combat techniques.
Irregular (M): Irregulars typically join with acquaintances under local or tribal leaders, and are less accustomed to waiting for, listening to,
or precisely and instantly obeying formal orders.
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This somewhat arbitrary distinction chiefly reflects the ease with which they can be controlled by their general. Not applicable in DBA.
(M) Troop Quality / Gradings:
I: Inferior: Brittle troops of significantly inferior morale and/or efficiency, for whatever reasons.
O: Ordinary: The majority of trained troops of that type.
S: Superior: Troops who are considerably above average, or of significantly superior morale and/or efficiency, for whatever
reasons.
X: Exception: Troops treated as special cases, for example, a unit contining a Champion.
-Gen: General: A general's Element.
Troop Types:
Elephants. Mnt. Elephants or similar, with various crew complements. They are used to charge solid foot, to break through gateways,
and to block mounted troops, whose frightened horses are reluctant to close with them. They can most easily be killed
by artillery or by the continued showers of missiles from light troops. They are all Irregular.
I: Smaller beasts and/or with lesser crew and/or escort, or used as Baggage.
S: Larger beasts and/or with stronger crew and/or escort. Great Mammoth or Ceratopsoids.
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Knights Mnt. All those noble or heavy horsemen of high morale that charge at first instance without shooting, with the intention of
also (R) Lancers breaking through and destroying the enemy by sheer weight and impetus. The impetuous charge that enables them
& Hvy Chariots, etc.: to sweep away lesser cavalry and all but the stoutest foot is also their Achilles' heel, leading to them being destroyed
by massed longbowmen or by light horse too rashly pursued, where lighter cavalry would have pulled off earlier.
They can be Regular or Irregular.
I: Knights charging at the trot in clumsy deep wedge formations and relying mainly on sword or mace. These must
be Regular.
4-wheeled battle-cars with 4 asses, driver and 1 fighting man with javelins.
O: Knights, gentry or men-at-arms, completely armoured in plate and/or mail, primarily armed with heavy lances, riding
with stirrups on heavy horses themselves often protected, accompanied by lesser armoured and armed retainers, and
charging at the gallop without too much regard to exact formation keeping. Unscythed charging chariots with 2-4
horses and 3-4 crew, at least one with a long weapon.
Heavy Shetka / sledge chariots with large team and crew.
S: Knights or gentry, as (O) above, accompanied by lesser armoured and armed retainers, and charging fiercely at the
gallop without too much regard to exact formation keeping. Impetuous and highly skilled in individual jousting.
Unscythed charging chariots with 4 horses and 4 or more crew including spearmen.
X: Completely armoured shieldless cataphract lancers riding fully armoured horses and charging at the trot in close
formation.
They are treated as (S) Knights when shot at by Dragoons, Bowmen or Shot (including by carried), or in close combat
to their front against Pistols, all Light Mounted, Spears, Pikes, Dragoons, Bowmen or Shot,
as (I) Knights in close combat to their front against Knights, Blades or Warband, and as (O) Knights in all other
circumstances.
In DBM they cannot claim rear support.
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Cavalry Mnt. The majority of horsemen, usually partially armoured, combining or following close range javelin or bow shooting
& Lt Chariots, etc with controlled charges. Their shooting is more intense than that of light horse, often using circulating formations or
halted rapid archery techniques to concentrate missiles in place and time, and may force enemy foot to halt or recoil. Being less impetuous, they can retire out of danger or to breathe their horses when knights would charge on to
disaster. They can be Regular or Irregular.
I: Poorly trained or inexperienced cavalry.
Platform or straddle-cars with a single javelin-armed crewman.
O: Riding unprotected horses and armed with javelins and usually shield, or with bow and spear, or with bow and
sword, or armed with lance but relying on fencing skills rather than the impetus of their charge, or with halberd, or
crossbow.
Skirmishing chariots with 2 to 4 unarmoured horses, etc., and crew comprising driver and one or more unarmoured
archers, or armoured or unarmoured javelinmen.
Typical Shetka / sledge chariots.
S: Either all combining bow with lance, or with lance and trained to fight in a formation mixing ranks armed with lance
and shield or with bow, or lacking lances but on partially protected horses.
Skirmishing Chariots with well-armoured driver and archer, and 2 horses, also often armoured.
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Light Lt. Mnt. All riders skirmishing in dispersed swarms and evading enemy charges. They can be Regular or Irregular.
Horse: I: Camel mounted scouts or raiders. Horsemen skirmishing with ineffective crossbows.
O: Relying on javelin, or with lance. Such troops were forced to try and close with bow-armed equivalents to avoid the
arrows, their opponents' sensible desire to open the range turning almost inevitably to flight.
S: Armed primarily with bows, but eager to take advantage of disordered enemy by charging home.
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Camelry: Mnt. Warriors who either fight from camels (or some other non-equids), or dismount from them to fight on foot, but keep
them close at hand to act as an obstacle or to disorder cavalry, whose horses dislike them. They are all Irregular.
I: Cameleers improvised by mounting troops on pack camels, or fighting on foot behind a barrier of tethered pack
camels.
S: Exceptionally heavily armoured or exceptionally feared and fanatical camel riders, fighting exclusively hand-to-hand.
X: Camels disguised as elephants to frighten real elephants.
They are treated as (S) Elephants when in close combat against Elephants,
otherwise as (I) Camelry.
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Expendables: Scythed chariots fitted with scythe blades and spear points, usually with 4 horses and a single crewman, intended to
Mnt. be driven into enemy formations in a single suicidal charge early in the battle to break up or destroy them, and also
all animals to be stampeded into enemy, such as cattle herds, wild elephants or thunder-bomb oxen. They are most
dangerous to troops who offer a solid target and cannot dodge easily, so are often countered by psiloi. They are always
Irregular.
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(V) Swimmers: The majority of combatants that swim in or under water, usually not in close formation. Can only engage land troops
W. Mnt. at the shore, other water troops, and aerial troops over or adjacent to water.
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Spears: Ft. All close formation infantry fighting with spears in a rigid shield wall. Can be Regular or Irregular.
I: Reluctant or sketchily drilled spearmen, including regulars such as citizen hoplites dragooned into reluctant
obedience by a domestic or foreign tyrant, or of effete cities, town militia, and also determined irregular peasants
practised only in keeping line.
S: Unusually well trained and confident elite regular spearmen. Always Regular, unless Dismounted knights.
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Pikes: Ft. All close formation infantry fighting collectively with pikes or long spears wielded in both hands. Usually Regular.
I: Less formally trained peasant or militia troops with long spears or pikes grasped in both hands, or drilled pikemen of
low morale or expertise, such as those of client states or hurriedly raised.
S: Exceptionally effective elite pikemen.
X: With at least the front rank carrying large pavises.
They are treated as (S) Pikes when shot at by any except Artillery including Cannon, and as (I) Pikes in all other
circumstances.
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Blades: Ft. All close fighting infantry primarily skilled in fencing individually with swords or heavier cutting or cut and thrust
weapons, sometimes supplemented by hand-hurled weapons. They can be Regular or Irregular.
I: Generally equipped as (O) below, but less confident and/or inadequately trained, or with clumsy weapons.
O: Partially armoured well trained close formation troops, with missiles as well as sword and shield, or with two-handed
cutting or cut-and-thrust weapons.
S: Exceptionally effective elite soldiers such as dismounted knights or men-at-arms completely armoured in plate and/or
mail.
X: Men armed with weapons specialised against heavily armoured mounted troops.
Treated as (S) Blades when in close combat with Knights to their front other than Chariots, and as (F) Blades in all
other circumstances.
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Warband: Ft. All irregular foot that rely on an impetuous and ferocious collective charge to sweep away enemy foot, rather than on
individual skill. They are all Irregular.
O: Fighting in dense formation but emphasizing mutual cohesion.
S: Fighting densely packed by forward pressure, and either having a strong belief in their own invincibility, or armed
with heavy throwing weapons. Chieftain's bodyguards and dismounted irregular cavalry.
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Auxilia: Lt. Ft. Foot able to fight individually hand-to-hand and to skirmish, but emphasising mobility in difficult terrain rather than
cohesion or aggression. They can be Regular or Irregular.
I: Poorly motivated and trained regular troops. Other troops with javelins but who are shieldless or lack confidence, or
who would be skirmishers were they not too numerous.
O: Foot relying only on javelins and light shields.
S: Regular foot drilled to fight in close formation when necessary, and with mail, darts or spear beside javelins and
sword.
Irregular foot with heavy throwing weapons, or with combinations of javelins with long spear or two-handed cutting
weapons.
X: Foot lacking shields and relying on long spear or cut-and-thrust pole weapons instead of javelins. Disadvantaged
against missile users, but capable of resisting mounted charges if clumped.
They are treated as (O) Auxilia if in close combat to their front against Mounted, Spears, Blades or Warband, except
that they can (M) benefit from deeper formations against Mounted, and as (I) Auxilia in all other circumstances.
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Bowmen: Ft. Foot who fight in formed bodies by shooting collectively with missiles at longer range than psiloi, often in volleys at
command, and who rely on dense shooting, hand-to-hand weapons, personally prepared obstacles or accompanying
pavise bearers for survival at close quarters instead of skirmishing or evasion, or who are packed too tightly to
skirmish effectively. They can be Regular or Irregular.
I: Shooters lacking the protection or discipline to be able to prolong a losing exchange and unwilling to fight
hand-to-hand, and all bowmen who would be (O) Psiloi were they not too numerous to skirmish.
O: Shooters with unremarkable bows or skill, or with crossbows, able to maintain a prolonged shooting exchange and
fight for a limited period hand-to-hand, by virtue of armour, pavises, spears, shields and side arms or high discipline
or morale.
S: Exceptionally effective shooters with unusually powerful bows or crossbows and high skill and morale, able to
outshoot opponents and equally prepared to fight indefinitely hand-to-hand with sword and buckler, spear or
two-handed cutting or concussive weapon, often protecting themselves from knights by stakes or potholes.
X: Foot trained to fight in a formation having a front rank or ranks with pike or with spear and a large shield or pavise,
but with the majority of ranks armed with bow or crossbow, and tactically emphasizing shooting rather than close
combat.
They are treated as (I) Spears for movement and when a front rank Element in close combat except against Knights to
their front.
In all other circumstances they are treated as (S) or (O) Bowmen depending upon the quality of their rear ranks.
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Skirmishers/ Psiloi: All dispersed skirmishers on foot shooting individually with javelin, sling, staff sling, bow, crossbow or hand gun, who
Lt. Ft. fight in a loose swarm hanging around enemy foot, running away when charged. Also all shooters supporting
primarily close combat infantry formations from rear ranks. They are useful to delay enemy, occupy difficult terrain
or support friends, but not where quick results are needed or unsupported in the open against mounted. They are
able to defeat elephants and scythed chariots by harassing them with missiles, using their agility to dodge them and
avoid contact. They can be Regular or Irregular.
I: Armed only with javelins and no shield, useful mainly to pester and delay enemy foot.
O: Armed with bow, sling, crossbow or staff sling, useful to support foot, sometimes from behind.
S: Armed with javelins and small shield, or with hand gun, able to drive off rival psiloi.
X: Armed with incendiaries, hand-hurled bombs, etc.
They are treated in all circumstances as (I) Psiloi, but substitute Artillery combat factors (+4) in close combat against
any but Auxilia or Psiloi.
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Artillery: Ft. Torsion, counterweight, powered by men pulling ropes, or primitive chemical or steam propellants. It is always
Regular.
I: Small rope pull or chemical artillery including organ guns/ribaudequins. Short range bolt throwers. Man-held rockets.
O: Bolt-shooting tension or torsion engines. Crew-served rocket launchers.
S: Torsion, counterweight or large rope pull stone-throwers. Primitive bombards or heavy cannon.
War Wagons: All slow wheeled vehicles intended to be fought from and to move on the battlefield, but not ordinary transport
Ft. wagons
or carts utilised to laager camps. They can be Regular or Irregular. Usually Carrying bowmen, etc.
I: Wagons carrying a large standard, guarded by picked troops on foot. Command litters. Mantleted wagons carrying
supplies (Baggage).
O: Mantleted wagons filled with men shooting from behind cover with bow, crossbow, handgun or light artillery.
S: Large wheeled towers manned by archers, etc. and either pulled by oxen or manhandled, including siege towers.
X: Anti-elephant carts.
They are treated as (S) War Wagons if in close combat against elephants, and as (I) War Wagons in all other
circumstances.
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Hordes: Ft. All unwilling or incompetent foot, brought to swell numbers and/or perform menial services, or attracted by
desperation, religious or political fanaticism or greed. They are always Irregular.
Unarmed civilians driven ahead with whips by invaders.
O: Peasants or camp servants issued with cheap weapons, but with little confidence in their ability to use them and no
stake in the battle except personal survival.
S: Fanatic armed mobs.
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Baggage Ft. All logistic support; its main game function is to require protection.
also Camp Followers, 1 Baggage Element is required for each Command / General (2 in DBM, 1 per Artillery in DBR). They may be grouped
Denizens under a single command.
and Riderless Mounts: All baggage is Irregular.
Land baggage is (O) if protected by fortifications, (I) if not.
Baggage can be carried on or be substituted by (I) Elephants, (Mech.) War Wagons, (I) Galleys, (I) Ships or (I)
Landships.
Baggage Elements must be either Mobile, such as wagons in draft, pack animals, flocks, herds or (I) Ships, or Immobile,
such as tented camps or draft animals tethered in the centre of a wagon laager. Only mobile baggage can move. Only
immobile baggage can be protected by field fortifications.
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(M) Galleys: W. Nv. All swift rowing or primitive motorised vessels intended to ram or use fire projectors. They are always Regular.
I: Transport galleys.
S: Large galleys with big marine contingents and chemical or torsion artillery, or fire siphons. An Element could
represent a single very large vessel.
X: Large motorised vessels that are notably more seaworthy than conventional galleys.
Treat as (S) Galleys, except that they are less affected by Weather and require sea room as Ships.
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(M) Ships: W. Nv. All slow, unhandy or primarily sailing vessels intended to carry cargo, and also galleys converted to carry horses or as
unmanoeuvrable siege towers for sieges. They are always Irregular.
I: Either acting as horse transports, or carrying supplies and substituting for land Baggage. Horse transports are the only
naval that can embark mounted troops.
S: With stern and bow castles and large numbers of troops embarked. An Element could represent a single very large
vessel.
X: Fastened together in pairs to carry siege towers.
They are treated as (S) Ships if shooting, or shot at, or if in close combat against fortifications, and as (I) Ships in all
other circumstances.
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(M) Boats: W. Nv. All primarily rowing vessels not intended to ram. They can be Regular or Irregular.
I: Hide and/or wicker boats filled with warriors, such as curraghs.
O: Small undecked wooden boats filled with warriors.
S: Large wooden boats with several men per oar and filled with warriors, such as longships.
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(M) Unladen Naval: Except for (F) Landboats, (F) Boats and Fireships, which have insufficient capacity, and (I) Galleys, (I) Ships or (I)
Nv. Landships if substituting for Baggage, each Naval Element can and must carry 1 Land Element. Air Naval can carry a
Land Element, such as missile troops, but need not. This must be of an appropriate type. If figured, its cost is
additional to that of the Naval Element. A water naval Element in contact with a Beach, quay or riverbank, land and
air naval adjacent to good going, can disembark its landing troops. Until landing troops are re-embarked, it cannot be
moved, and is assumed to have few fighting men, so has minimal ability to defend itself.
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