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Rulebookrulebook The Ancient World v2.2 RULEBOOKRULEBOOK THE ANCIENT WORLD The Campaigns of Ancient History Version 2.2 July, 203 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S . Introduction ............................................................. 2 8. Land Combat ........................................................ 6 2. Components ............................................................ 2 9. Cities and Sieges ................................................... 22 3. The Sequence of Play ............................................. 3 0. Manpower ............................................................. 27 4. The Initiative System .............................................. 4 11. Control .................................................................. 27 5. Leaders .................................................................... 5 2. Diplomacy ............................................................. 28 6. Movement ............................................................... 7 3. Auguries ................................................................ 29 7. The Naval Superiority System .............................. 4 4. Winning the Game ................................................ 29 GMT Games, LLC P.O. Box 308, Hanford, CA 93232-308 www.GMTGames.com 0505 © 2005 GMT Games, LLC 2 The Ancient World v2.2 (1.0) INTRODUCTION Roman Legion Roman Legion The Ancient World is a series of games, in several volumes, Infantry Cavalry covering the major campaigns and wars that formed the Ancient World, from the Greek/Hoplite Era up through the Roman Em- pire...almost 000 years of history. Type Strength Type Strength (2.0) COMPONENTS Roman Roman See the Scenario Book for the components of the individual Quinquireme Trireme games. (2.1) THE MAP See the volume specific rule book (2.2) THE COUNTERS Type Strength Type Strength The following applies, generally, to all games in The Ancient World system. There are three basic types of counters: Combat Units, Leaders, War Elephants Numidian Cavalry and Informational Markers. Nationality (2.21) Combat Units: The combat units represent types of weapons systems prevalent in this period of warfare, reduced to a manageable number of generic types: Type Strength Elite Strength Status Infantry: The main body of fighting infantry, usually wearing body armor and carrying shields, using such weapons as pikes, spears, swords, and whatever edged or pointed weapon could Siege Engines cause havoc. We have not differentiated between “heavy” and “light” infantry (archers, slingers, etc.) as we are, essentially, dealing with armies that had a massive preponderance of heavy over light infantry (usually about 0-). Type Cavalry: Mounted troops, often wearing some armor, and using lances, spears and swords. We have lumped heavy cavalry in with light cavalry-horsemen more suited to guard the flanks and do (2.22) Leaders: These are the guys that lead the armies around reconnaissance work on the march, often unarmored and field- the map. Leaders have numerical and alphabetical ratings. See ing “ranged” weapons, such as bow-and-arrow. The differences 5.11 for explanation of the ratings. between the two at this level of simulation, and in this era, were not significant enough to include the rules minutiae necessary to reproduce such. Non-Roman Leader War Elephants: Scary beasts, but highly suspect. Just as likely Name Faction Stripe to trample on your own men as the opposition’s. Elephants can Guile Points Leader # be devastating when used well; equally as devastating-but in the Mortality Rating wrong direction-when ill-used, or used hastily. Initiative Campaign Battle Siege Equipment: Siege warfare was not a highly developed Rating Rating Letter craft in this era. Republican-era siege engines mostly consisted of lumbering machinery, such as long-range catapults, towers, Roman Leader etc. Name Leader ID# Guile Points The combat units are identified by type, contingent, and strength. Mortality Rating Within a given contingent and type, the units are interchange- able like money. Some contingents are considered “Elite” (see Initiative Campaign Battle 8.7). Rating Rating Letter © 2005 GMT Games, LLC The Ancient World v2.2 3 Each leader also has a number of Leader Activation Markers (LAMs) equal to his Initiative Rating. See 4. for further eluci- dation on this very important game mechanic. TERMINOLOGY BRT: Acronym for Battle Results Table (see 8.3). (2.23) Information Markers: Counters with words and numbers Contingent: Term used to denote separate groups of troops on them are used to record various game mechanics. Examples operating within a force. This usually occurs when an army is include markers for Under Siege, Sacked, Scattered, Devastated, made up of men from different areas, such as the armies fielded Useless, etc. by Hannibal and Pyrrhus. For example, Pyrrhus’ army may consist of contingents from Epirus, Tarentum, and Italy. Each (2.3) CHARTS AND TABLES of those would be a separate contingent, which is important for See the volume specific rule book determining who takes losses. Continuation: The mechanic whereby a Leader (and his army) (2.4) TERMINOLOGY gets to keep moving during his turn, after Stopping to undertake See side bar. some action. (2.5) GAME SCALE Devastation: A reduction in the status of a Province (see 6.7). The game-turns are yearly. DR and DRM: Acronym for die roll and die roll modifier. Each hex represents approximately 3 miles from side-to-op- Finished: The leader whose Initiative and Operations Phase it is, may not undertake any further operations in that Operations posite-side. One hex of traversable terrain would represent Phase. The Operations Phase for that leader is over. With most about one day’s normal march for an army-depending on who Operations, this is a die roll result. With others, the Finished is was in charge and how anxious they were to get where they automatic at the conclusion of the operation. were going. Force: Any stack of friendly combat/leader units in one hex. If Each Infantry SP represents 500 men; each cavalry SP, 300 the hex contains a city, the friendly units inside and outside the horsemen; and each Elephant SP, 0 elephants. city are considered separate stacks and thus separate forces. Friendly: Combat units and Cities/Ports are considered friendly (2.6) THE DIE to a player if they are controlled by the player or Allied to that Play of The Ancient World requires one 0-sided die, with a ‘0’ player. being a ‘0’, and the range 0-9. IDS: The Intrinsic Defensive Strength of a city; its walls, city militia, etc. (2.7) ADDITIONAL NOTES LAM: Leader Activation Marker...used to determine who goes, As this is a projected series covering much history, every once and when. in a while the rules will refer to mechanics for, or use examples of, events and details that will appear in future games. Operation: What a force can do when the leader commanding it is activated. See 5.3. OC: Acronym for Overall Commander. See 5.2, 5.3 and 5.42. (3.0) THE SEQUENCE OF PLAY Province: The territory within the Provincial Boundary lines. DESIGN NOTE: The Sequence of Play listed below describes Named islands with Attrition Ratings are also provinces; Cor- the major Phases and the general course of play common to sica, Melita, are examples. Each Province has an Attrition Rating all the volumes in the series. Each volume has its own detailed printed next to its name; see 6.4. Sequence of Play listed in its scenario book. SADS: Acronym for Siege Assault Defense Strength. This the The Ancient World uses a randomization-based sequence of defense strength used by the city’s defenders against a Siege play, although some mechanics are done in strict sequence. The Assault. players do not “go” in a set, pre-determined order; rather, you SCR: Acronym for Siege Capability Rating. This is the nation’s have to make the most of an opportunity when (and if) it arises. overall effectiveness in conducting siege warfare. Basically, a player picks a Leader Activation Marker (LAM) out Stop: Whenever an army or leader halts movement or finishes of a cup; the marker (usually) contains the name of a Leader. The an Operation. In many cases, a “stop” signals that the leader player controlling that leader may then move that leader’s units, is Finished. attack enemy armies/cities... whatever the rules for Operations SP: Acronym for Strength Point. (5.3) allow. There is no limit as to how far or how much a leader Strength Point: This represents the strength (manpower) of a can do with his units, other than his Campaign Rating (5.25), the given unit (see 2.5). grinding force of attrition, and certain other restrictions. Under Siege: The state a city must be under in order to conduct A. The Upgrade Phase See the volume specific rule book © 2005 GMT Games, LLC 4 The Ancient World v2.2 B. Strategic Phase (4.0) THE INITIATIVE SYSTEM See the volume specific rule book The Initiative mechanics are used to “drive” the randomized sequence of play. It explains how each player gets to move his C. The Initiative Phase units. The basic proposition is that a player gets to use (move) 1. LAM Pool Segment: Each player places all the LAMs avail- only one leader-and his army-at a time (with some exceptions able for every leader he has in play in a cup or similarly opaque to that theme). container. In addition, place the Augury marker and the three (3) Siege Attrition markers in the same cup. (4.1) LEADER ACTIVATION MARKERS (LAMs) 2. Initiative Determination Segment: Either player, blindly and (4.11) Each scenario has a series of Leader Activation Mark- randomly, chooses one marker from the cup. If it is a LAM or ers (LAMs) for each leader. The number of markers for each a Siege Attrition marker, go to the Operations Phase (D). If it is leader, which varies from to 4, is equivalent to that leader’s the Augury marker, go to the Augury Phase (E). If there are no Initiative Rating. LAMs in the cup, proceed to the Devastation Phase (F). PLAY NOTE: Thus, Hannibal, with an Initiative Rating of ‘4’, has four LAMs. Most other leaders have Initiative Ratings of D.
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