| Korvessa | 16 Sep 2025 4:05 p.m. PST |
So if you are making an army list for your favorite obscure early middle ages which would you say would be the more accurate to base it on: WRG or DBA? |
robert piepenbrink  | 16 Sep 2025 4:24 p.m. PST |
How big is your army? When you only have 12 elements, you have to simplify a bit. That said, Phil continued to to research, and updated as his conclusions changed. Is any edition of WRG lists more recent than DBA lists? |
| Korvessa | 16 Sep 2025 5:18 p.m. PST |
About a half dozed formed units and a couple of skirmishers.
Formed units being 24+ figures |
| 79thPA | 16 Sep 2025 5:57 p.m. PST |
How do the lists compare in terms of percentage of troop types? That's where I would start. |
| batesmotel34 | 16 Sep 2025 6:17 p.m. PST |
DBA 3.0 lists are based on the DBMM lists so probably the latest word from Phil and Sue Barker. DBMM lists will have more detail if you're doing a larger army. The WRG 7th lists, presumably the last word if you're talkng traditional WRG, predate DBM and DBMM for which more up to date research was incorporated. |
 John the OFM | 16 Sep 2025 7:05 p.m. PST |
I have always thought that any lists produced by WRG, or anyone for that matter, were engineered to favor the author's armies. Warrior, the linear descendant to WRG 7th, is notorious for this.
So "accuracy" is a joke. Convince me I'm wrong. 🤷🙄 |
 miniMo | 16 Sep 2025 8:37 p.m. PST |
Accuracy is indeed in the eye of the beholder; and for the more obscure armies, the less detail there is to go on. This gets worse and worse the further back in time (and fewer detailed records) you go.
That being said, my go to reference is the DBM army books. DBM came out before DBA 2nd edition, and the 2nd ed lists were based on the DBM ones. However, some number of the DBA ones were pretty poorly translated.
DBA 3.0 is more closely based on DBM and brought all the lists into better alignment. We play DBA2.2+ regularly at the FLGS and allow army lists from any edition. Some folks still have a few 1st ed armies, and a few of the 3rd ed just play better. For an accessible online reference, the Triumph lists are on a par with up to date research. You have to traingulate in on some of the quirky troop names. They have a nicely searchable database:
meshwesh.wgcwar.com/home
For other game list references, ADLG is pretty up to date as well.
WRG lists are pretty dated now. |
| TimePortal | 16 Sep 2025 10:15 p.m. PST |
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| The Last Conformist | 16 Sep 2025 10:46 p.m. PST |
Phil's beloved Romans are not all that good under his rules … The most recent ancients and medievals army lists from WRG are the 2016 "Revised" lists for DBMM. You might want to know, though, that a new revision of the DBMM lists are in the works; at a guess they'll be published early next year. |
| lkmjbc3 | 17 Sep 2025 7:52 a.m. PST |
The best work now is probably the DBMM lists… though new lists are evidently being worked. DBA 3 lists are excellent as well, though they are in need of some update and revision. Lots of that has already been finished, but publishing is quite a ways off. I would go with the current DBMM lists. Joe Collins |
 ColCampbell | 17 Sep 2025 8:06 a.m. PST |
I tend to use the army lists associated with "The to the Strongest" ancient/medieval rules. They seem to be more accurate and get continued updates as more research is uncovered. link Jim |
| dragon6 | 17 Sep 2025 12:01 p.m. PST |
I can't recall the ADLG rules, but then my last surgery(s) ruined what little of my memory I had :( |
| Shardik | 17 Sep 2025 3:16 p.m. PST |
I also use To The Strongest lists. |
| mildbill | 17 Sep 2025 3:33 p.m. PST |
You wisely used a careful use of words OFM, they shoot people who say, Prove me wrong. |
receives a gift from his wife…
