"Dux Bellorum - Sumerian Wars" Topic

Gents,

A comprehensive update detailing the use, adaptation and playtest of Dux Bellorum for the Sumerian Wars period….Warrior Kings!

link

Enjoy!

HappyW

Nice info there!

Just a note, though – there actually is a set of ancients rules called "Warrior Kings." It's since been supplanted in the Two Hour Wargames line by a newer set, but you might want to consider changing the name of your effort to avoid confusion.

Doug

I thought these were theocracies – so perhaps 'Warrior Priests'? :)

That having been said, this is a wonderful article. It is both a model of how a variant should be presented and perhaps the most period-flavoured game I've seen for the wars of Sumer.

Warrior Priests is catchy. And I agree – he's done a great job with the material. Makes me want to go buy Dux Bellorum, just to apply these mods to it.

Doug

I would have thought the Axemen would have been Warriors, just without the impetuosity.

Great looking figures and game. Keep it up!.

I have, and like, DuxB too. Anybody considering them for later Dark Ages? You know, Saxons, Vikings and Normans?
Why? 'Cause I have the figs already!

Works beautifully Pan – get your toys on that table!

C-
Do you think there's a need to tweek anything? Or can I freely assign troopp categories as written, without feeling I'll get the wrong period flavor?

Very good adaptation, well thought out and presented, much food for thought. Another rule system to commit to.
Thanks for sharing your efforts.

Acaademy award from for outstanding presentation, images and photos.
Truly inspiring and love ssing those massed spear blocks.

Very inspiring! I've just picked up Dux Bellorum so will have a close look at this.

I think I will have to try this myself. Just looks too good not to. The price is also exellent.

Gentlemen,

Thank you for the kind comments. As you can see I now have been painting and now have enough troops beyond those used for 'close in shots'. It's been very nice getting them on-table……and yes, those spear blocks do look cool!

I see that THG does have a rule set called Warrior Kings. As mine is a free adaptation and not a stand alone set of commercial rules I kinda like sticking with Warrior Kings…these guys were the original warrior kings! I had thought of calling it Priest Kings as that also resonates of the time period…still cogitating on it, so I might change my mind.

As far as the axemen go, I had thought about the warrior classification but in the end I decided that the 'civilised' or regularised axemen would be more akin to a different armed soldier in the urbanised armies and that the warrior classification was best reserved for true 'mountain men' that were tribal. This is my take on them….classifying them as warrior type axemen would work as well, but it's not how I thought of these types of troops. It makes for a sharp distinct inaction between civilised and barbarian troops IMO which adds to the texture of the game. It'd be easy enough to model axemen as wild tribesmen that do not have an uncontrolled charge….dealer's choice.

For those that haven't played DB it really did play well for this period as far as we were concerned. The nice decision points along the battleline shield wall as they clash gives these types of armies a nice tactical feel beyond just a 'bang-your-dead' type of approach.

DB is highly recommended and it's at a nice price point and flexible enough that it's worth the investment IMO. I can see it be useful for other periods as well.

Cheers

HappyW

I had thought of calling it Priest Kings as that also resonates of the time period…

I like that better than Warrior Kings or Warrior Priests.

Doug

I'd like to try this for Trojan War. DuxB is great for "heroic" warfare – you can't get much more heroic than the Iliad.

Peloponnesian War! At last.

Actually I was thinking of adapting Dux B to the full spectrum of Ancient Warfare. I think heroism and individual initiative were far more decisive than many people think.

For instance, due to the quick thinking of a Roman centurion at Cynoscephalae, who drove his unit into a gap in the enemy Phalanx, ancient wargaming has suffered from the "Roman Legion as super troop" meme. In fact, in the battles between legion and phalanax, the phalanx was clearly winning as a weapon system until undone by smart Roman tactics (flanks, exploitation of gaps) or terrain effects.

Love the look of those big shields!