Rules for an Ancient Wargame, Part II: Rules for Special Ancient Armies

Each army is a fixed list of commanders, catapults, normal and special units totalling 200 points, e.g. the Macedonian army has 1 commander, 1 heavy and 1 light catapult, 2 light infantry, 2 peltasts, 4 phalangites, 1 hypaspist and 2 companion units.

Macedonian: 1 normal commander, 1 heavy catapult unit, 1 light catapult unit, 2 units normal light infantry, 2 units Peltasts, 4 units Phalangites, 1 unit Hypaspists, 2 units Companion- 200 points

The troop table gives a cost in points per stand type (e.g. elephant 10, Assyrian heavy chariot 12), and each listed national army totals 200 points.

Aasyrian:l normal commander, 3 units normal hag~ infantry, 1 hel!-vy catapult unit, 1 unit normal heavy cavalry, 2 unite Heavy Foot Archers, 3 units Heavy Mounted Archers, 1 unit .Light: Chariote, 2 units Heavy Chariots--- 200 poWs

Special troops are exempt from the single-stand retreat rule (as are all troops in Carthaginian or Roman armies), but cavalry, chariots and elephants can run over a single stand of legionaries, velites, hypaspists, phalangites or peltasts. Cavalry cannot charge into a square of 4 stands of legionaries or phalangites; heavy chariots have 2 shots per stand; legionary fire represents pila; peltasts, velites and Numidians may split and reform.

Cavalry cannot charge into a square containing 4 stands of Legionaries or Phalangites.

A table lists move, melee value, support, number per stand, cost and firing range for each special type. For fire purposes velites and peltasts count as light infantry; legionaries, Numidians, hypaspists, phalangites and heavy foot archers as heavy infantry/light cavalry; companions and heavy mounted archers as heavy cavalry; chariots, elephants and subcommanders as chariots/elephants.

Companions and Hvy. Mtd. Archers are hit as heavy cavalry. Egyptian and Assyrian Chariots, Carthaginian Elephants, and Subcommanders are hit as chariots/elephants.

Before any part of its move, an elephant rolls one die: 3-6 it charges, 1-2 it is inactive for the rest of the turn. An elephant is normally worth 2 but 4 if charging and leading a melee (in the contact square); light chariots are worth 2, or 3 when charging and leading.

To see if an Elephant will charge, roll 1 die. If the result is 3, 4, 5, 6, the elephant charges. If 1 or 2, the elephant is inactive for the rest of the turn.

Movement, melee contact and protection are resolved by squares; light chariots may combine or split freely provided there are no more than two per square, and melee is led from the contact square.

Light chariots may combine or split in any manner, as long as there are no more than two per square.

Subcommanders join and split from units as normal commanders do and also provide support as commanders do; they are hit as chariots/elephants.

Subcommanders join and split as normal commanders do. They also support as normal commanders do.

Tests such as the elephant charge check are made with one six-sided die.

To see if an Elephant will charge, roll 1 die.

Heavy foot archers, carrying cane shields, receive fire at all times as if they were in a protected square.

Since Hvy. Ft. Archers have cane shields, they receive fire at all times as if in a protected square.

With 3 or 4 stands left, each phalangite stand is worth 1.5; with 1 or 2 left, each is worth 1, representing loss of phalanx depth. Subcommanders support as normal commanders do.

If there are 3 or 4 stands left in a unit of Phalangites, each is worth 1½. If there is 1 or 2, each is worth 1.