"Adapting Dux Bellorum for ancients" Topic

Hello all,

Am trying out Dux Bellorum ahead of a game day next week, but my dark age armies are not yet ready. I'm thinking of a punitive expedition of Caesarian Romans running into some trouble with the local Gauls who, naturally enough, are not so keen to have their villages fired.

Any thoughts on rules adaptions? I could give the legionaries the heavy throwing weapons option, but this is what I have so far (I've deliberately not included skirmishers):

Roman list:

1 x Companion shieldwall w tribune @ 5pts
4 x Noble shieldwall @ 5pts
1 x Ordinary shieldwall @ 3pts
1 x LP @ 2 pts

Gauls:
1 x Companion warrior w chief @ 5 pts
2 x Noble warrior @ 5pts
4 x Ordinary warrior @ 3 pts
1 x Ordinary rider @ 3pts

Cheers,
Aaron

The late Allen Curtis wrote an article on this very thing Aaron. I believe it was in Wargames Soldiers and Strategy. He hits all the "common" ancient troops. There would have to be some obvious tweaking for Elephants and such.

Your lists look pretty good though. Looking forward to a battle report.

John

Sounds interesting, John. Did Allen suggest new types, or just fit earlier troop types into existing DB classes?

I recall seeing the article in WS&S. Looking on Google, here is someone who has been playing around with it.

link

It is in issue 70.

Best, Simon

There is this:

link

FWIW, you could also use the Basic Impetus army lists and see how they work out. I like both systems and find they have much in common.

Sounds interesting, John. Did Allen suggest new types, or just fit earlier troop types into existing DB classes?

Mostly he equated the existing DB types to the common troop types. For the most part it works pretty well. WSS #70 is the issue it is in. You can get it in PDF for a few dollars.

Issue 70…. Thanks chaps!

I actually mashed Dux Bellorum and Impetus together for my Macedonian War project, essentially just using the VBU as Aggression and modifying the Impetus mechanism (instead of removing it completely when a unit takes a hit, I deduct the number of hits a unit has taken from the Impetus).

Interesting idea, Pedrobear/TKindred. Might investigate further. Romans are getting massacred by the Gallic warriors at the moment!