Warhammer: Ancient Battles

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Equipment: Hand weapon, javelins, shield, light armour Special Rules: Light Chariots 0-1 MAR SHIPRI MOUNTED SCOUTS SPECIAL RULES ALLIES Each army only can choose one ally with up to 25%, mixing of different ally contingents is not allowed. Subject alllies have Ld-1 and cost one point less per model, the subject ally-general 130 points with Ld7 only. CHARACTERS EQUIPMENT Characters may have the equipment of the unit they join at the start of the battle (free). Any additional equipment available for that unit can also be taken but the points are doubled which have to be paid for the character. EARLY PHALANX - if armed with thrusting spear fight in 2 ranks even on the charge - may not turn or change formation - always suffer the -1 LD penalty as if enemies were in 8" when reforming - become normal Phalanx rule in armies after 500BC GERMAN WEDGE - may count rank bonus up to +2. - ignore Ferocious Charge when charged and have at least +1 rank bonus - better armoured models have to be placed in front and flank KALLAPANI Some armies transported their troops with horse or camel drafted platforms across the battlefield before the battles began. Such armies are free to choose a number of units which can be upgraded with “Riding Horses” or “Riding Camels” for 1 point per model. Horse riding infantry units can move up to 8” after deployment and before the first turn, camel riding 6”. This cannot be combined with the extra movement allowed for skirmishers in some scenarios. LIGHT BOLT THROWER (36pts) (See rulesbook page 180) Each machine has a two man crew.

When a unit’s accumulated hits equal its stamina the unit becomes shaken. Shaken units can be subjected to break tests when they take further casualties and are less effective in combat. Hits taken in excess of a unit’s stamina value are then either discarded or distributed among supporting units.M WS BS S T W I A Ld Pts Javelinman 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 6 Equipment: Hand weapon, javelins Special Rules: Light Infantry CONSCRIPTS UNDER LOCAL COMMANDERS M WS BS S T W I A Ld Pts Scout 6 2 3 3 3 1 2 1 5 12 Equipment: Hand weapon, javelins. May be upgraded to WS3, Ld6 (+2) after 2000BC Special Rules: Skirmishers, Unruly, Only from 2000-1000BC CAVALRY

M WS BS S T W I A Ld Pts Camelrider 6 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 18 Equipment: Hand weapon, javelins. May have shield (+2 and short bow (+1) or bow (+2) Special Rules: Light Cavalry, Camelry, Only after 1000BC 0-1 CAMEL MOUNTED SCOUTS Equipment: Hand weapon May have shield (+1) Special Rules: Warband, Only Ugaritic after 1340BC 0-1 MEDJERGELEM GUARDS The movement rules require either very large (by North American standards) gaming tables or the substitution of centimetres for inches, with a corresponding reduction in unit frontages. We played most games on 4×4’ or 4×6’ tables. Using centimeters, this was lots of room. Scaled up to the inches, this was the equivalent of gaming on (roughly) 10×10’ or 10×15’ tables. We did not find any gameplay problems associated with scaling distances down, and we think this is a strength of the system. A game played on a 4×12’ table using inches saw basically no room for maneuver (units were in proximity on the first turn) and suggests that when using inches, a minimum table depths of 6 feet is desirable if you want an opportunity to maneuver. M WS BS S T W I A Ld Pts Spearman 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 7 Equipment: Hand weapon, thrusting spear May have light armour (+2) and large shield (+2). Special Rules: Early Phalanx, Only from 2600-2100BC HOUSEHOLD ARCHEREquipment: Hand weapon, javelins and light armour Special Rules: General is Army General. One sub-commander can be designated as Army Standard Bearer (+15) and one as Army General (+25) if no General is taken. The Ally-General acts as Army General but only for units from his allied contingent. From 1250-660BC the general may ride a two-horse chariot bought at additional costs and after 660BC a heavy chariot.

The character rules bit is so strangely out of place that it’s worth talking about more. 5th edition Warhammer was all about Heroes with insane magic item combinations mashing the shit out of each other and the hapless units that followed them around. Bizarrely, some of this carries over into the English Civil War. Though I never played it at the time, Warhammer English Civil War is still worth thinking about 20 years later. RulesMINOAN AND EARLY MYCENEAN 1600-1250BC CHARACTERS: Up to 25% CHARIOTS: Up to 25% INFANTRY: At least 50% M WS BS S T W I A Ld Pts Spearman 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 7 Equipment: Thrusting spear, hand weapon May have light armour (+2) and large shield (+2). Special Rules: Early Phalanx, Only Guti from 2193-2112BC Warmaster Ancients - the application of the epic scale rules for Warhammer Fantasy to non-fantasy armies

Warmaster: Good game but I feel the rules have little period feel and the armies are too 'samey'. I also have Blitzkrieg Commander (the WWII version of WMA) and there's little difference to them. Substitute panzers for phalanx :-)The combat and morale mechanics worked fine, adopting the threefold “hit-save-effect” approach common to GW systems. We appreciated some of the nuances that were built into the combat mechanics. For example, many units were able to support their friends (representing short-range missile fire and skirmishing on the flanks) while some units were not, representing historical weapon selections. This ability is set out in the presence or absence of a short-range missile fire value for the supporting unit, thus there is no special rules to remember about who can and cannot support.