Kings of War
Historical Supplement Further Ideas on game rules.
David Child-Dennis (2012)
davidchild@[Link]
Movement
I would allow the barbarian warriors (or warbands on foot) and units described as s!ir"ishers to use At the
Double through o#en forest or woodlands. $his was the nor"al environ"ent "ost of the %auls and %er"anic-
%othic #eo#les were raised in. It was not until "uch later in the I"#erial age& after the 'o"an ar"( had absorbed
sufficient barbarian recruits& it allowed the" to overco"e the li"itations of getting cit( dwelling 'o"ans "oving
in forests and woodlands. 'o"an tactics& until at least the )
rd
centur( *D& were based on fighting in close order on
o#en ground& where their co""and and control structures usuall( guaranteed victor(.
+oodland dwellers (%auls& %er"ans& ,uns etc) "a( charge after having co"#leted an *t the Double "ove& but
"ust reduce their *$ value b( half& rounded down. $his #enalt( re#resents the dislocation in co""and and
su##orting fire (bows& slings and throwing s#ears are al"ost useless a"ong trees). 'o"an -egionar( units "a( never
charge in forests or woods& but #rovided the( #ass an( [Link] nerve test& will re"ain in follo!on combat with
the charging unit. *ll units fighting in woods or forests will reduce their *$ factor b( half& rounded down& with the
defender receiving a /1 defense bonus& in accordance with the standard cover rules (#11) $he #ur#ose of these
"odifications is to reduce the level of casualties to so"ething li!e the historical level of fighting in woods and forests.
"errain
$his is b( far one of the "ost difficult as#ects of rule writing and ga"e #la(ing. $errain& "ore than al"ost an( other
ele"ent& #la(ed a "a0or #art in the outco"e of war during this #eriod. $errain "ust alwa(s be obvious as to what it
is and where its boundaries are. 1or woods and forest I alwa(s use a felt or cloth base with "odel trees #laced so the(
can be "oved as [Link]. *n( unit with the rear of its base in contact with the terrain feature I consider to be
concealed at the edge of the terrain feature. *n( unit with at least half of its base within the terrain feature is
co"#letel( concealed within. 2issile fire should onl( be #ossible to those units at the edge of a terrain feature& firing
at targets outside that feature and not concealed within. I reco""end #la(ers consider all woods and forests
bloc!ing terrain for the #ur#oses of ranged fire and visibilit(.
Hills and slopes
$hese can be difficult& if not i"#ossible to describe and build for warga"es use. I have #la(ed for over 30 (ears and
invariabl( find so"e #roble" with the"4 ,owever& there is a #robable solution. 2odern #lastic and "ost lead
historical figures co"e in a constant 20"" or 25"" height scale. $his #rovides us with an e6cellent bench"ar! for
slo#e heights. I reco""end that in order for a slo#e or hill to #resent an obstacle& it "ust be a "ini"u" of 20""
in height. I also reco""end hills are ste##ed 7 not alwa(s an aesthetic solution I agree& in 20"" #latfor"s& la(er
ca!ed so that figure bases can be easil( #laced without ris! of "oving once #laced& or falling into their o##onents
base. ,owever& I would also suggest a set of 5"" thic! la(er ca!e slo#es which& while not being obstacles& do allow
the u#-slo#e unit an advantage.
+hile not included in the current edition of the rules& units fighting fro" u#hill& or u# slo#e did have a significant
advantage. Contrar( to so"e o#inion& "ost infantr( fighting was little "ore than an ar"ed scru". $he intention
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being to #ush (our o##onent over& de#riving hi" of "ove"ent and usuall( his shield& then wounding hi". 8nits
attac!ing a defending unit on a higher level should receive a -1 defensive to hit #enalt(& 0ust as if their o##onents
were occu#(ing a defensive #osition& as described in the section "ar!ed 2odifiers& (see #age12).
Shoot !#olle$ Fire
*rcher( units were an es#eciall( valuable resource in all ancient ar"ies. $he( were never e6#osed to unnecessar(
loss. *rchers were de#lo(ed close behind the first few ran!s of a for"ation& giving the" a sufficientl( clear field of
fire& while affording the" #rotection without restricting their abilit( to fire. 2assed volle( fire was "ore effective in
that it allowed #lunging fire& increasing casualties at "uch longer range& forcing the target to loo! u#wards& rather
than at their o##onents. 2assed volle( fire was rendered largel( ineffective and should be sub0ected to a /2 additional
to hit #enalt(& against targets in o#en woods (no shooting is allowed in forests or inside buildings) or with substantial
overhead cover& such as covered court(ards. 9la(ers should re"e"ber that an arrow onl( needs to be slightl( slowed
to reduce it fro" being lethal to that of a nuisance. In order to assess whether a shooting target is within a terrain
feature or building& assu"e that once the "a0orit( of the unit base is within the feature& all of the unit is within the
feature.
9la(ers "a( #lace an archer( unit base i""ediatel( behind& and in contact with the rear of the rear-"ost infantr(
(not cavalr() unit base. $he archer( unit "a( onl( engage an ene"( within visibilit( and arc of the co""and figure
of the front infantr( base. :olle( fire will be li"ited to a "ini"u" range of 12 inches and a "a6i"u" range of 23
inches& fro" the front of the archers base. ;nl( one archer( base "a( be included as an integral #art of an infantr(
unit. *ll other stats for the archer( unit are as #er the <hoot rules (#10)
Au%ilia or s&irmish screen units
<!ir"ishing units "a( be de#lo(ed to the front of a for"ed #arent unit. $he onl( e6ce#tion should be 'o"an
*u6ilia o#erating as inde#endent units. 2ost such s!ir"ish lines were de#lo(ed with the intention of disru#ting an
ene"( for"ation while it atte"#ted to close with the "ain bod(. ;nl( troo#s described as s!ir"ishers "a( be used
as s!ir"ish screens. $he( should be #laced no further than one full "ove (even at the double distance) fro" the
front of the first base of the #arent unit. If charged b( an( ene"( unit& other than another s!ir"ish unit& the( 28<$
i""ediatel( withdraw 7 (this is a res#onse "ove& before contact& and out of turn with the ga"e turn c(cle) using the
inter#enetration rule (#=) to end behind the last base of the #arent unit&. $he "ove"ent distance is alwa(s calculated
fro" the s!ir"ish unit to the front ran! of the #arent unit& regardless of the actual distance to the rear of the #arent
unit. * retiring s!ir"ish unit "a( onl( "ove to the rear of the #arent unit& it "a( not engage in ranged fire or
"elee. It "a( do nothing else in the ne6t ga"e turn but regrou#4 It "a( not "ove. $he charging unit is dee"ed not
to have "ade contact with the s!ir"ish unit& before it withdraws. 9arent units "a( not shoot through s!ir"ish units4
<!ir"ish units en0o( the sa"e "ove"ent advantages through woods or forests as barbarian warbands and "a( charge
within& or through& such obstacles.
Hiding or concealing units
$his can certainl( add a great deal of uncertaint( and fun to ga"ing& but it does [Link] careful #lanning& es#eciall(
when units beco"e too se#arated. $he #osition of the concealed units is indicated b( a sli# of #a#er& identif(ing the
hidden unit. 1>3 #ieces of #a#er "a( be a du""( unit "ar!er. ;nl( units that can be #laced behind concealing
terrain "a( be hidden fro" the o##onent. 'e"e"ber& its difficult to conceal an( "ove"ent on a battlefield&
es#eciall( horses. ?ou "a( not be able to see the"& but (ou can hear the"& often so"e distance awa(. I would
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reco""end s!ir"ishers& au6ilia and light cavalr( be the onl( eligible units. $he( "a( never be concealed in front of
the forward "ost visible friendl( unit. *t the co""ence"ent of the ga"e& the o##osing #la(er "a( [Link]
discover( b( scouting and atte"#t to locate each hidden unit b( dice roll. @oth #la(ers roll one dice& each& for ever(
concealed unit& and the loser 28<$ reveal one unit "ar!er #er lost dice roll. 8nits under discover( b( scouting are
rolled for fro" the owners left to right flan!.
'einforcements
8# to half of the ar"( "a( be held off table during the initial de#lo("ent before the ga"e co""ences. ,owever&
once the first "ove begins& all reinforce"ents are brought onto the table fro" the centre of the owners table end& or
edge& whichever #oint the initial de#lo("ent too! #lace fro".
Initiative
I have long disagreed with the conce#t of a c(clic ga"e turn structure. It gives "ost co"#etent #la(ers an enor"ous
advantage& es#eciall( when there is an ob0ective to be reached. I "uch #refer an initiative s(ste" that deter"ines&
b( si"#le dice roll off& which #la(er "oves first& at the co""ence"ent of each ga"e turn. It adds a lot of flavor and
uncertaint( in "ulti-#la(er ga"es4 If #la(ers are ga"ing historical scenarios& its #ossible to attribute factors& in the
for" of a dice roll "odification for each co""ander. I would give :alens a -1 rating at *driano#le& to reflect his
caution against the %oths. I would give :es#asian a /1 for his resolute leadershi#& es#eciall( during the Aewish revolt
of B0*D. In the scenarios I have alread( constructed& each of the co""anders can be given different ratings to
reflect their leadershi# st(le. 9la(ers will soon discover that battles have a less #redictable outco"e and what "a(
have see"ed certain defeat can suddenl( turn to victor(. ,owever& I would caution against rating the difference
between o##onents b( "ore than a factor of /2. *s another variation& the winner of the initiative roll off can
deter"ine which #la(er "oves first... a ver( useful advantage at ti"es4 @ut& if a #la(er has the initiative& the( "ust
co"#lete their entire ga"e ga"e turn& before their o##onent.
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