Ritter (work in progress)

If an army has two killing attacks, two stands (not units) may attack for effect each turn, chosen by the attacker. This limits breakthroughs to a couple of places per turn so armies do not die in one round, and gives Matrix Game players a number to argue over.

Killing attacks is how many winning attacks can one make a turn. It is assumed that all the other soldiers are fighting to, but that their fights are inconclusive.

The list runs from 'All types kill routers' and 'All types kill in flank attacks' through troop-specific entries down to 'Generals kill all types frontally' and 'If no other result fits then the fight is a draw'. Order matters: knights hitting double-rank pike frontally lose, because 'Double rank pike can not be killed frontally' precedes the overlap rule and 'Pikes kill all cavalry frontally' is the first entry that fits.

The order it is written in is important. The result is the first entry that fits the situation.

Examples: blades kill pikes frontally, warbands kill blades frontally, single-stand bow fire kills knights, pike and bow; elephants kill blade, spear, pike and warband; pikes kill all cavalry frontally; psiloi kill elephants; cavalry kill light infantry in the open, light infantry kill cavalry in rough; knights kill infantry one-on-one.

Blades kill pikes frontally Warbands kill blades frontally Bow fire of a single stand kills knight, pike and bow

Flank attacks are decisive for all types; any type overlapping an enemy stand on both sides kills it; cavalry kill with a single overlap; bow fire with two overlaps kills frontally; infantry in works cannot be killed frontally.

All types kill if they overlap the enemy on both sides Cavalry kills if they overlap the enemy on one side

Routing stands turn their backs and move a full move (light infantry two stands) directly away; any that would bump a friend or foe or the table edge are destroyed instead, punishing crowded formations. The attacker may advance into a destroyed stand's space or make a full move to pursue a router; knights and warbands have no choice.

units that can not make a full move without bumping into another unit (be it friend or foe) is destroyed. So bunching troops up too closely in very dangerous.

Infantry move one stand length, cavalry two; light infantry one forward or two when retreating; bows shoot two stand lengths. Movement is otherwise very liberal to avoid needing a referee.

Infantry moves one stand length a turn, cavalry moves two stand lengths a turn.

Units may move forward or back, wheel or oblique; stands curved into all-round defence cannot march together. Single stands may pivot freely and still move. Re-forming adjacent stands into a unit costs one movement point.

individual stands are placed next to one another into ad hoc units. Such units move together.

Campaign battles use a low break point (1-3) to keep battles to about ten minutes; stand-up games use 4-6.

Break point is how many stands one can Lose before losing the battle.

A rally turns the routed stand around to face any direction but it may not move that turn; routers lose all fights.

For the cost of one movement point, a player can rally one of his routed units. The rallied unit turns around this turn.

The Movement number is how many units/groupings can move per turn. Rallying a routed unit costs one movement point, as does joining stands within one stand of each other into a unit. The number is meant to be manipulated by Matrix Game arguments.

Movement is how many groupings of figures one can move a turn.

Unpredictability comes from the limited moves and killing attacks per turn and the option to rout rather than die.

Though it is a deterministic game. I do not find it at all predictable.

Players can use existing DBA or Armati armies without rebasing; the author uses 6mm on US pennies.

So players can use their DBA armies to play Ritter without any remounting of figures.

The three army numbers (moves, killing attacks, break point) are deliberately few so Matrix Game players can argue to raise their own or lower the enemy's.

So the battle game has to have some kind of numbers that MG players can manipulate.

Each turn a player moves and makes his killing attacks; the defender gets no counter attack until his own turn. Bounds are of variable length, running from critical event to critical event.

Players alternate movement each turn, just like in chess. So first one side moves and attacks, then the other side moves and attacks.