Fatigue & cohesion erosion

Starting Courage comes from the commander's commitment and the company's dominant contingent type (e.g. Committed with 50%+ riding retinue = 4, Uncommitted array = 0), +1 Audacious, -1 Timorous. Failed Courage checks lose a level, every ended handstrokes encounter costs 1, commander death costs 1, and wards can spend Courage to ignore Faltering. Markers are kept face down.

Courage- a combination of physical energy and troop morale, which affects individual companies. It is determined by the collective starting quality of the bands and commanders that make up a company, and is spent through action

Every Fatigue phase adds 1 Fatigue plus 1 per Bleed Token; Quick Step, Rush, Outflank, Shield Lunge and Fervour also cost Fatigue. RESPITE Dice remove 1 each (Catch Your Breath) when not adjacent. Reaching F surrenders a die and sets a floor; reaching X concedes the match.

If, during the relevant step in the Fatigue & Bleeding phase, a player has the box marked “X” on the Fatigue Track checked, their gladiator is considered to be Exhausted and immediately concedes the match

DPs (pebbles) accrue from fatigue (1 DP per 6 rolled on move dice for formed troops), rough terrain, manoeuvre within 8" of enemy, shooting, combat and nearby routs. Fatigue/manoeuvre DPs stop at 3. Each DP removes one shooting or combat die (max -4 in combat). DPs are shed by redressing ranks or a leader steadying.

A unit’s strength and cohesion is noted by the accumulation of DPs due to fatigue and disorder when moving, from missile fire, combat and psychological factors.

DPs come from movement rolls, manoeuvre, collisions, morale, fire and combat; each DP gives -2 in combat and -1 die in fire. A unit can hold at most 5; further DPs from fire, combat or morale become casualties. Counters (pebbles) beside the command group show DPs openly.

These represent the temporary Disorganisation, Demoralisation, and Desertion that can affect a unit’s performance in action. Unlike casualties (see below) DPs do not have a permanent effect.

The Carthaginian deploys and the Mamertine player then assigns four fatigue points among Carthaginian units; the Mamertine deploys and receives five from the Carthaginian; no unit may take more than two. Romans and Syracusans then deploy fresh.

After the units are deployed, the Mamertine player assigns four fatigue points among the Carthaginian units. No unit can be assigned more than two fatigue points.