CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS
GETTING STARTED
Throughout the pages of history, great men have stepped out of
the ranks to settle their scores personally. Champions have ridden
up and down the enemy line, calling out for an opponent bold
enough to face them. This supplement dives into the business of
duelling, adding another level of excitement to your games of Hail
Caesar!
These rules are entirely optional, and designed to provide an
exciting interlude to the mass battle action happening elsewhere
on the tabletop. They are intended to be as generic as possible, to
fit with as many different time periods as possible.
You can even use these rules as a standalone game in their own
right. Before you dive in, you’ll need to make sure you have the
following bits and pieces to hand:
• A copy of the Hail Caesar rulebook
• At least two copies of the action deck printed in this publica-
tion
• 10 six-sided dice per player
• 1 engaged marker per commander in play
• A tape measure
• A copy of this supplement
1
TESTS AND SUCCESSES
Contest of Champions uses a system of tests to resolve actions
during the duel. To determine if a test is successful or not, count
up all the dice that roll a result of 4 or more - these are successes.
There are three basic types of test. Standard, Open-Ended and
Versus.
In a standard test, the testing player rolls a number of dice equal
to the tested statistic and counts the number of successes rolled.
In an open-ended test, the testing player rolls a number of dice
equal to the tested statistic and counts the successes rolled. Any
dice that roll a six or more can be rolled again. There is no target
number for an open-ended test - any successes count.
In a versus test, both players roll a number of dice equal to the
tested statistic. The number of successes rolled by the defender
sets the target number for the attacker. If the number of successes
equals or exceeds the target number, the test is passed. Any suc-
cesses rolled over the target number are termed degrees of success.
Both players must agree to use these rules before play begins - it is
recommended that this supplement is read in full, and the rules
for using commanders in games of Hail Caesar are reviewed.
CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS
MODIFICATIONS TO HAIL CAESAR
Commanders follow all the rules listed in the Hail Caesar main
rulebook, with the following caveat. Commanders no longer have
a standard movement rate of 24”. Instead, this is determined by
whether they are on foot, or mounted. Check the table below to
determine the commander’s new movement rate.
New Movement Rates
Type Movement
Rate (“)
Foot 6”
Horse 12”
Chariot 9”
In addition, Commanders move only after they have issued orders
to their division. In all other respects, they behave as normal.
Opposing commanders can no longer move over or through each
other without penalty. Instead, this triggers a duel.
THE DUEL
Duels begin in two circumstances. Firstly, if a commander moves
into base contact with an unengaged enemy commander.
Secondly, if a commander moves into weapon range of an
unengaged enemy commander.
Once a duel has begun, both commanders are engaged, and may
not be involved in any other duels. On subsequent turns, they
may not take any other actions until the duel is resolved. Other
commanders can assist their duelling compatriots, providing the
friendly duellist is within 6”.
If another commander is assisting, they must declare it after
issuing any orders but before moving. They may not move this
turn. By assisting, a commander adds +1 to any tested statistic
during the duel.
2
HECTOR VS ACHILLES
“Alas! the gods have lured me on to my destruction. ... death is now indeed
exceedingly near at hand and there is no way out of it – for so Zeus and his
son Apollo the far-darter have willed it, though heretofore they have been
ever ready to protect me. My doom has come upon me; let me not then die
ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing
that shall be told among men hereafter.” Hector to Achilles - the Iliad
Torn straight from the pages of myth, this clash between a demigod and
his mortal rival rings across the centuries as one of the greatest recorded
single combats of all time. Fought in the 10th year of the Trojan War, after
the heroic death of Achilles’ close confidant Patroclus, this titanic clash took
place outside the walls of Troy.
It began with an inconclusive exchange of javelins, leaving Hector with
only his sword and shield. Achilles is handed one last spear by an invisible
Athena, slaying his opponent with a well-aimed throw, piercing his collar
bone.
To celebrate his triumph, Achilles dragged his arch-rival behind his chariot
for twelve days before the gods could bear it no more and intervened.
RANGED CONTESTS
Once a commander moves into weapon range of an unengaged
enemy commander, a ranged contest begins. Ranged contests only
begin if at least one participant is armed with a ranged weapon.
If a commander doesn’t have a ranged weapon, they may not take
the Shoot action. If a commander has a ranged weapon, but the
target is outside of the weapon’s range, they may not take the
Shoot action until the target is in range.
Resolve the Ranged Contest using the following steps:
• Both players secretly choose a card from the ranged contest
action deck
• Both cards are revealed simultaneously
• Make the necessary tests to resolve the interaction between
the two cards
• Reduce the Might of both participants (If required)
If the Might of a combatant is reduced to zero, they are
immediately removed from play. Replace them with a reserve
commander as per page 80 of the Hail Caesar main rulebook.
The reserve commander must be placed at least 12” away from any
opposing commanders.
Any friendly units within 12” of a commander vanquished in a
duel must take a break test.
If both combatants survive the first exchange, they become
engaged. If, by using the Close Distance action card, one
combatant makes it into base contact with the other, a Melee
Contest begins.

MARCELLUS VS VIRIDOMARUS
The highest honour that could be awarded to a Republican Roman general
was the Spoila Optima - to achieve this, the general had to ride out and
meet the enemy general and vanquish them in single combat. Then, they
would carry their enemy’s armour back to Rome, where they would be
lauded with a triumphal parade.
Marcus Claudius Marcellus was one of only three generals to earn this
coveted prize. As a newly minted consul, he rode out to meet an army of
Gauls just outside of Clastidium - a fortified settlement to the south of the
Po River.
The Gallic king, Viridomarus picked out Marcellus by his commander’s
insignia and challenged him to single combat. Plutarch recounts the fateful
duel:
“Marcellus, by a thrust of his spear which pierced his adversary’s
breastplate, and by the impact of his horse in full career, threw him, still
living, upon the ground, where, with a second and third blow, he promptly
killed him.” Plutarch - the Life of Marcellus
3
CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS
MELEE CONTESTS
Once a commander moves into base contact with an unengaged
enemy commander, a melee contest begins.
Resolve the Melee Contest using the following steps:
• Both players secretly choose a card from the melee contest
action deck
• Both cards are revealed simultaneously
• Make the necessary tests to resolve the interaction between
the two cards
• Reduce the Might of both participants (If required)
If the Might of a combatant is reduced to zero, they are
immediately removed from play. Replace them with a reserve
commander as per page 80 of the Hail Caesar main rulebook.
The reserve commander must be placed at least 12” away from any
opposing commanders.
Any friendly units within 12” of a commander vanquished in a
duel must take a break test.
If both combatants survive the first exchange, they become
engaged.
CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS
RANGED CONTEST ACTION DECK
» Versus Shoot (Open-ended Test): Both
combatants reduce their Might by the
number of successes rolled.
» Versus Close Distance (Standard Test):
Reduce opponent’s Might by the
number of successes rolled. The target
makes one move towards the firer.
» Versus Evade (Versus Test): Reduce
opponent’s Might by the degrees of
success rolled.
» Versus Take Cover (No Test): Target
regains Might equal to their successes.
» Versus Shoot (Versus Test): Reduce your
Might by any successes rolled by any
degrees of success rolled.
» Versus Close Distance (No Test): The
target makes one move towards you.
» Versus Evade (Open-ended Test): Both
combatants move a number of inches
equal to their degrees of success.
» Versus Take Cover (Standard Test):
Move a number of inches equal to
your successes directly towards your
opponent.
4
» Versus Shoot (No Test): Make one move
directly towards the firer. Reduce your
Might by any successes rolled by your
opponent.
» Versus Close Distance (No Test): Both
combatants make one move directly
towards each other.
» Versus Evade (No Test): Make one move
directly towards your opponent.
» Versus Take Cover (No Test): Make one
move directly towards your opponent.
» Versus Shoot (Standard Test): Regain
Might equal to your successes.
» Versus Close Distance (Standard Test):
Regain Might equal to your successes.
Target makes one move directly towards
you.
» Versus Evade (Standard Test): Regain
Might equal to your successes. Target
moves a number of inches equal to their
successes.
» Versus Take Cover (Open-ended Test):
Both combatants regain Might equal to
their successes.

MELEE CONTEST ACTION DECK
» Versus Attack (Open-ended Test): Both
combatants reduce their Might by the
number of successes rolled.
» Versus Parry (Versus Test): Reduce oppo-
nent’s Might by the degrees of success
rolled.
» Versus Feint (Standard Test): Reduce
your opponent’s Might by any successes
rolled.
» Versus Footwork (Versus Test): Reduce
opponent’s Might by the degrees of
success rolled.
» Versus Attack (No Test):Reduce your
Might by any successes rolled.
» Versus Parry (Open-ended Test): Reduce
your opponent’s Might by any successes
rolled.
» Versus Feint (Versus Test): Reduce your
opponent’s Might by any degrees of
success rolled.
» Versus Footwork (Standard Test): Reduce
your opponent’s Might by any successes
rolled.
5
CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS
» Versus Attack (Versus Test): Regain
Might equal to the degrees of success
rolled.
» Versus Parry (Open-ended Test): Regain
Might equal to successes rolled.
» Versus Feint (No Test): Reduce your
Might by any successes rolled by your
opponent.
» Versus Footwork (Versus Test): Regain
Might equal to the degrees of success
rolled.
» Versus Attack (Versus Test): Move a
number of inches directly away from
your opponent equal to the degrees of
success rolled.
» Versus Parry (Versus Test): Move a
number of inches directly away from
your opponent equal to the degrees of
success rolled.
» Versus Feint (No Test): Reduce your
Might by any successes rolled.
» Versus Footwork (Open-ended Test):
Move a number of inches directly
away from your opponent equal to the
number of successes rolled.
CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS

HEROES OF LEGEND
In Contest of Champions, commanders of all levels (including
reserve commanders) are given a new stat line, which governs their
abilities during all duels. Consult the table below to discover your
commander’s stat line.

Commander Stat Lines

Command Rating Skill at Arms Marksmanship Agility Courage Might
10 6 5 6 5 4
9 5 5 6 5 4
8 5 4 5 4 3
7 4 4 5 4 3
6 4 3 4 3 2
5 3 3 4 3 2
4 or lower 3 2 3 2 1

EQUIPMENT Ranged Weapons

Choose appropriate equipment for your commander. As a rule of
thumb, this should be clearly visible on the model. Name Range (“) Effect
Sling 6” -
Melee Weapons
Javelin 9” +1 to all Close Distance
Name Effect Actions, -1 to all Feint
Actions
Sword +1 to all Feint Actions, -1 to Attack
Actions Hunting 12” +1 to all Shoot Actions, -1
Bow to all Attack Actions
Axe +1 to all Attack Actions, -1 to all Parry
Actions Recurve 18” +2 to all Shoot Actions, -2
Bow to all Attack Actions
Mace +1 to all Attack Actions, -1 to all
Footwork Actions
Spear +2 to all Feint Actions, -1 to all
Footwork Actions, -1 to all Parry
Gear Items
Actions
Two- +2 to all Attack Actions, -1 to all Name Effect
handed Footwork Actions, -1 to all Parry Buckler +1 to all Parry Actions, -1 to all Close
Weapon Actions Distance Actions
Lance +3 to all Attack Actions (if mounted), -1 Small +1 to all Take Cover Actions, +1 to all
to all Footwork Actions, -2 to all Parry Shield Parry Actions, -1 to all Close Distance
Actions Actions, -1 to all Evade Actions
Large +2 to all Take Cover Actions, +1 to all
Shield Parry Actions, -2 to all Close Distance
Actions, -1 to all Evade Actions
Light +1 to all Parry Actions, -1 to all
Armour Footwork Actions
Heavy +2 to all Parry Actions, -1 to all
Armour Footwork Actions, -1 to all Evade
Actions

6

Contest of Champions has been designed to be a fast-paced, quick
mini-game that can slot into a game of Hail Caesar. As such, some
elements have been scaled back to speed up play.
If all players agree, these additional rules can be used to add some
more depth to your duels!
OPTIONAL RULES
ROBERT THE BRUCE VS
HENRY DE BOHUN
By Bannockburn, Robert the Bruce was renowned across the British Isles
as one of Scotland’s greatest warriors. In the preceding insurgency against
the invading English, he had already faced death several times.

EXPANDED MOUNT TYPES With the largest English army Scotland had ever seen advancing on
Hail Caesar allows players to create armies from every exotic Stirling Castle, Bruce moved to intercept it, interposing his modest force
corner of the world. As such, the list of mounts has been of pikemen and light cavalry between the English juggernaut of armoured
expanded to cover animals like camels and elephants. knights and longbowmen.

The table below lists the new mount types, along with their
associated Might Thresholds and Charge Bonuses.
UNHORSING THE ENEMY
To add some additional drama to the proceedings, it is now
possible to unseat a rider from their mount. Each kind of mount
now has a Might Threshold associated with it.
If a Commander reduces their Might by an amount equal to their
mount’s Might Threshold during a contest, the mount is instantly
killed, and the commander’s model is replaced with one on foot.
Dismounted commanders suffer a -1 dice penalty to all actions on
their next turn.
CHARGING
The momentum of an armoured man barreling into an enemy is
not to be sniffed at - particularly if that man is mounted on a few
hundred pounds of horseflesh.
On the first day of the battle, two divisions of English cavalry advanced
towards the Scottish lines, encountering a body of Scottish horsemen led
by Robert the Bruce himself. Spotting the Scottish king astride a small
palfry, the earl of Hereford’s nephew - Henry de Bohun touched his spurs
to the flanks of his destrier, lowered his lance and charged!
Unfazed by the several hundred pounds of armoured knight and
horseflesh bearing down on him, Robert waited until the last possible
second before nimbly sidestepping the charge, delivering a single blow
with his axe.
The axe split de Bohun’s helmet in two, killing him instantly. Bruce’s
companions then swarmed the English cavalry, driving them off and
bringing the first day of the battle to a close.
When asked about his encounter with de Bohun, Robert remarked not on
the great risk he had taken, but that he had broken the shaft of his favourite
axe!

On the first round of a Melee Contest, the commander that

initiated the Contest by moving into base contact with a foe adds
a number of dice equal to the listed Charge Bonus to their next
Attack action.

Mount Types
Type Movement Charge Might
Rate (“) Bonus Threshold
Foot 6” +1 -
Horse 12” +2 2
Camel 9” +2 3
Chariot 9” +3 3
Elephant 6” +4 4

7
CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS

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