Apocryphal Well - Rule Modifications

I DETAILED earlier this year, starting here, the modifications I was making to Neil Thomas's biblical rules from Ancient & Medieval Wargaming.

After fighting a trial battle, I summarised the rule changes as I would be using them for future battles.

Some of the changes, for example Speeding The Game, are adapted from Bob Cordery's rules in The Portable Wargame.

Here is a barebones summary of the modifications.

Move Variation

Roll a die when a unit uses 75% or more of its movement allowance. 6: add 25% to the distance covered; 1: subtract 25% from the distance covered.

Sling Range

Same as for bows on foot, ie 24 cm.

Mounted Bow Range

20cm.

Who Moves First?

Dice at the start of each turn, higher score moving first. Great general: +1; poor general: -1.

Terminology

Use heavy, medium and light as classes of defensive protection - armour and shields; use close order and open order for formations.

Speeding The Game
Hits are scored on 5+.

If a hit is not saved, throw a die to decide its effect:

Quality   Lose Base   Fall Back 3m*
Elite             1-2              3+
Average       1-3              4+

Poor            1-4              5+

A victorious unit in a melee, provided it has not lost a base, may follow up a losing unit that has fallen back, thus immediately forcing another round of hand-to-hand fighting.

*A unit that for any reason cannot fall back loses a base (this includes where falling back would take a unit off the table).

Generals

One elite unit is designated as the general's, receiving a +1 modifier when testing morale. If the unit is destroyed, all friends in line-of-sight immediately test their morale, and all other friendly units test their morale at the start of the next turn.

Victory

An army losing more than half its units is defeated.

Turn Mechanics

Each unit moves, shoots, tests morale, etc, before the next unit does likewise.

Battle Length
Maximum 15 turns, before nightfall usually ends fighting.

Difficult Terrain

Use the same combat table as for fighting in woods.

Cover

Troops behind cover get an extra die per base in the first round of hand-to-hand fighting.