Professional Documents
Culture Documents
18.1 In Ancient Empires 2nd edition, each player or army commander buys their army according to the point values listed
below. The chart lists all the troop types used in the game with their various weaponry and unit characteristics. Each
type of troop may be able to be purchased in a variety of manners and/or morale grades.
The point values listed below are per move stand (‘element’ for DBx players) for all troops, and then for leader
castings separately. Simply cross index the troop type to the morale grade for the cost ‘per base’. Bow armed troop
costs are listed with such troops possessing a “common bow” or cross bow. For troops possessing long bow or
recurve composite bow, add one point (+1) per base purchased.
The chart separates the various types of troops into numeric categories. Within each category, each different type of
troop is numbered, depending on the type of characteristics the unit possesses. Most types of units can be purchased
with morale grades up or down, to one extent or another. Some troop types can be purchased up to a morale grade of
18, or down to a 13. Others can only be purchased with morale grades of 16 to 18, and some with morale grades of 15
or 16.
Cavalry, who are armed with Lance, Kontos, or equivalent, may be purchased as “Battle Status” cavalry. Heavy
Chariots (not Scythed Chariots) may be purchased as “Battle Status”. Troop types may be purchased as “Elites”, but
no more than 20% of the troops in an army may be purchased as elite. Certain infantry troop types of the period
possessed unusually complete armor. Most of these troop types, but not all, came into being after 1300 when
significant changes and evolution came into being regarding body armor. Infantry with such complete armor may be
purchased as “fully armored”.
In addition to the point cost per base, organizational points are incurred for each Tactical Unit and Major Unit that is formed.
Each Tactical Unit costs 5 points, and each Major Unit formed costs 20 points. Each Major Unit that is formed must be
commanded by a Major Unit Commander, purchased separately from the Tactical Units.
Army
Commanders Charismatic Inspiring Prudent Impersonal
Superior 160 140 120 100
Excellent 140 120 100 80
Good 120 100 80 60
Mediocre 100 80 60 40
Poor 80 60 40 20
Sub
Commanders Charismatic Inspiring Prudent Impersonal
Superior N/A N/A N/A N/A
Excellent 70 60 50 40
Good 60 50 40 30
Mediocre 50 40 30 20
Poor 40 30 20 10
MU
Commanders Charismatic Inspiring Prudent Impersonal
Superior N/A N/A N/A N/A
Excellent 35 30 25 20
Good 30 25 20 15
Mediocre 25 20 15 10
Poor 20 15 10 5
The point values listed above are for use with any of the figure scales in the game. Players should realize however, that when
utilizing different figure scales, the points used in a game will represent different numbers of ‘combatants’. When players use a
1 to 50 figure scale, the number of castings doubles for the same representative force, and if using 1 to 25 figure scale the
number of figures increases by a multiple of four to represent the same army as a 1 to 100 scale army.
Example:
In the example above, all three of these armies represent approximately the same number of ‘combatants’ in an army.
Leaders – Only one Army Commander may be purchased per army. Only one Sub-Commander and one Major Unit
Commander per army may be purchased as either ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ at the listed point costs. If a second Sub-Commander
or Major Unit Commander is purchase as either ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ the listed point costs are increased by 50%. If a third or
more of either is purchased, the point cost is doubled. Players may purchase as many ‘Mediocre’ or ‘Poor’ Major Unit or Sub-
Commanders as allowed in their respective army with no additional cost beyond the basic point cost for the leader.
The chart below is intended to assist the DBM player in converting his army over for play in AE2. DBM utilizes troop
classifications unique to those rules in order to facilitate game play. Some troop classifications exist in DBM that simply have
no equivalent in AE2. In DBM for example, horse archers are classified as “Light Horse Fast”, while javelin armed light
cavalry is not. The primary difference between these two troop types is armament, not movement, and AE2 classifies them
both simply as light cavalry.
Another DBM classification that does not apply in AE2 is type “X”. DBM places certain types in this class to incorporate
certain characteristics and abilities of troops such as “Knights X”, or “Blade X”, for example. AE2 places each type of troop
into its class based on ‘base mounting’ for type and then differentiates based on weaponry, morale, and certain type
characteristics such as “Elite” or “Battle Status”.
DBM places chariots in either the cavalry or knight class. In AE2, chariots are simply chariots, and the chart below combines
these types of troops under one heading not found in DBM.
One of the most difficult aspects in making a comparison of troop ratings and classifications between one rules set and another
is when you finally get down to specific unit characteristics. What is “Superior” in DBM may quite simply not be in AE2 or
visa versa. For example: the Macedonian Companions in DBM (Book 2, army #12) lists the Companions as “Regular Knight
(F)”. AE2 does not classify troops as “fast”. The Companions of Alexander were “Unarmored Cavalry” (horses being
unarmored), and most historians will agree that they were indeed one of “the” superior cavalry units of antiquity. In AE2, they
are rated as Unarmored Cavalry, elites, battle status, armed with lance.
This is just one example of the differences between the two rules sets. Another is that DBM uses different base mounting for
what the author’s term “Regular” or “Irregular” troop types. No such classification exists in AE2. AE2 takes the individual
characteristics of the troops and builds those characteristics into the unit and game play (utilizing existing DBx base mounting).
This is achieved by weaponry types and special abilities for the many different types of troops represented in the game.
The chart below is intended to give the DBM player a “place to start” when taking his existing army he has put together and
converting it over to AE2 for play. There will always be some troop types whose conversion is a somewhat grey area. Some
“Superior” cavalry types in DBM might be Elites in AE2, and perhaps not. They might rather be “Battle Status” cavalry, but
not elite. In such cases, AE2 allows the player some flexibility when purchasing these types of troops as the number of elite
troops allowed in your army in AE2 is restricted (20% max).
To use the chart, take your DBM army list and cross index the types of troops you are allowed with their unit characteristics of
“Superior”, “Ordinary”, or “Inferior”. If a particular troop type in DBM falls into “Fast” or “X”, remember that in AE2, these
troops will fall into one of the three previously mentioned brackets of superior, ordinary, or inferior. Players will need to utilize
some common sense on certain types of troop conversions, and you will also need to know the general type of weaponry used
by the various troop types in their army.
In some cases DBM places certain troop types in classifications that remain unclear to me. One example of this is in Book 2,
army #3, “Classical Indian”. The term “hereditary” is used in conjunction with “javelin men”, and “mercenary” seems to be
used for ‘non-hereditary’ troop types, again in conjunction with “javelin men”. These troop types were in fact many times
armed with a long spear or ‘pole type’ weapon. AE2 allows you to equip these unit types in a more historical manner and
purchase them as spear men. The DBM list has these troop types as “Irregular Blade (I)” and if you simply take the DBM list
and convert it using the chart below, these troops may be placed into a bracket that simply did not exist.
Again, some common sense must be utilized when converting troop types. When you cross reference a DBM troop type on the
chart below, numerous different types are usually found within each classification. Some classifications will have up to twenty
different types in AE2 that might qualify as “Knight Superior” in DBM. It is up to players to choose the type listed in the
conversion chart that best represents their troop type in AE2. You will find that AE2 allows you much more flexibility in
choosing your troop type than DBM does.
Have fun!
Same as other mounted types Same as other mounted types Same as other mounted types
Camels 3 only mounts are camels instead only mounts are camels instead only mounts are camels instead Not Applicable Not Applicable
of horses. of horses. of horses.
Types 501, 504, 505, 508, 509,
512, 513, 516, 517, 520, 521,
Cavalry 524, 525. Some 'Battle Status' Types 500, 502, 503, 506, 507, Types 500, 502, 506, 510, 511,
and 3 non 'Elite' cavalry will also 510, 511, 514, 515, 518, 519, 518, 519, AND who have a Not Applicable Not Applicable
Knights compare to DBM "Superior" 522, 523 Morale Grade of 13 or 14.
cavalry such as types 503, 507,
514, 515, 522 & 523.
Chariots
(DBM
category Types 719, 720, 721, 723, 724,
Types 718, 730, 743, 747 OR
Types 720, 722, 724, 726, 728, Types 722, 726, 730, 734, 738,
is either 725, 727, 728, 729, 731, 732,
1 733, 735, 736, 737, 739, 740,
732, 734, 736, 738, 740, 745, 743, 745, 747, 749 AND who Not Applicable Not Applicable
"Cavalry 749 have a Morale Grade of 13 or
741, 744, 746, 748, 750
" or 14
"Knights
")
Types 701, 702, 704, 705, 707,
Elephant
1 708, 710, 711, 713, 714, 716, Types 703, 706, 712, 715 Types 700 & 709 Not Applicable Not Applicable
s 717
Expenda
1 Expendables are type 742, Scythed Chariots. Other types of expendables in DBM are not presently addressed.
ble
Hordes 5 to 8 Type 150 Type 151 Type 152 Not Applicable Not Applicable