Biblical Cheat-Sheet

HERE is a cheat-sheet for my modified version of Neil Thomas's biblical rules in Ancient & Medieval Wargaming.

You will need the book to know how the rules play, and will need to consult my previous posts, starting here, to understand the reasons behind my modifications, which include ideas from Bob Cordery's The Portable Wargame.

Who Moves First?

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

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.

MOVEMENT

Open-order cavalry, light chariots: 24cm

Close-order cavalry, heavy chariots: 20cm

Auxiliary infantry, open-order infantry: 12cm

Close-order infantry: 8cm

Turning more than 30º costs a half-move for all but open-order troops and light chariots

Variation

Roll a die when using at least 75% of a unit's movement allowance for that turn. 6: +25%; 1: -25%.

SHOOTING

Foot bows, slings: 24cm

Mounted bows: 20cm

Javelins: 8cm

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 3cm*
Elite             1-2              3+
Average       1-3              4+

Levy             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). This rule should not be too strictly enforced if, for example, a unit cannot fall back in a straight line, but can do so with a deviation of less than 30°.

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.