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De Bellis Italicis
The following are rules additions taken from D.B.R, Valour
‘gainst Fury, and Dominance to let D.B.A. cover the period from the
French invasion of Italy in A.D. 1494 to the battle of Pinkie in A.D. 1547.
ARMY SIZE AND TROOP REPRESENTATION
Unless the battle is a campaign or scenario game, each
army consists of one or more commands up to an agreed total of army points or
ducats. Each command contains at
least one battle, which may be supplemented by additional battles or individual
companies. Battles cannot be
split up among commands. A command
must have at least 9 elements and cannot have more than 15. One command is led by the C-in-C, while subsequent
commands are led by any one of the battle commanders mentioned in the army
lists. The C-in-C throws one PIP
die on behalf of each and every command at the start of each of his side’s
bounds.
Only one allied command may be fielded by an
army. Allied generals’ commands are each allocated a different colour die at
the start of the game, which die and its PIP scores they use throughout the
game.
The dice for other generals’ commands are all
the same colour. The C-in-C
specifies after throwing each bound, and before any moves are made, which of
these commands uses which die and its PIP score that bound.
However, a command instead dices independently if the C-in-C has been
lost.
PLAYING AREA AND GROUND SCALE
The playing area is 48 inches by 36 inches.
The ground scale is 100p = 20mm.
TROOP DEFINITIONS
BOW(X):
Foot trained to fight in a formation having a front rank or ranks with
pike, but with the majority of ranks armed with bow or crossbow, and tactically
emphasizing shooting rather than close combat.
They must be mounted on a double depth base together with an element of
(O) bowmen. They are treated as (I)
spears for movement and when a front rank element in close combat except against
knights to their front. In all
other circumstances they are treated as bowmen, counting as (S) when enemy
bowmen shoot or shoot back at them, otherwise as (O).
SHOT, representing all foot shooting in formation
with shoulder firearms. Shot were
vulnerable to charging cavalry unless protected by neighbouring pikes or close
terrain.
SHOT(I):
Entirely or mostly armed with arquebus or earlier firearms.
SHOT(X):
Foot trained to fight in a formation having a front rank or ranks with
pike, but with the majority of ranks armed with shot, and tactically emphasizing
shooting rather than close combat. They must be mounted on a double depth base
together with an element of (I) shot behind them.
They are treated as (I) spears for movement and when a front rank element
in close combat except against cavalry to their front.
In all other circumstances they are treated as shot(I).
BASING
Depth if:
No. of figures
Shot(I)
20mm
4
Shot(X)
40mm
8
Bow(X)
40mm
8
CREATING THE BATTLEFIELD
The table is divided into six sectors, each 16 inches
by 18 inches. The battlefield must
include 1-2 compulsory and 2-3 optional features. It must also comply with all the following:
DEPLOYMENT
The high scorer is the
invader. The defender sets the
terrain. The invader numbers one long edge as 1 or 2, the other 3 through 6,
then dices for which edge will be his base edge.
Both sides then record the relative position of their commands from right
to left and front to rear. They
then deploy their troops, alternately deploying one command each, starting with
the defender. Each side must deploy
its command with the largest total number of elements first.
Its remaining commands can be deployed in any order.
The invader takes first bound.
TACTICAL MOVES
An extra PIP is needed to
move a demoralized element or group.
MOVEMENT
Shot moves 400p on road and
300p off-road. Elements graded (F)
add 100p if mounted moving off-road or if others moving in any going.
DISTANT SHOOTING
Artillery(I) shoots 400p,
Bows shoot 300p and Shot(I) shoots
200p.
CLOSE COMBAT
Shot
+4 v foot, +2 v mounted
Tactical Factors:
+1 If Spanish pike-armed troops fighting against
Swiss or Landsknecht pike-armed troops.
+1 If Swiss pike-armed troops fighting against
Landsknecht pike-armed troops.
+1 If Landsknecht pike-armed troops fighting against
pike-armed troops other than Swiss or Spanish.
+2
If Swiss or Spanish pike-armed troops fighting against pike-armed troops
other than Swiss, Spanish or Landsknechts.
-2 If an element of a demoralised command,
other than its general, and either in close combat or shot at.
Grading Factors:
Compare your element's
total before grading factors to that of its opponent, then adjust it by:
-1 If your element is not artillery shooting
and scored more than (S) opponents.
+1 If your element is (S) shooting, and
scored exactly 1 more than (S) opponents, or equal to (O) or (F)
opponents.
+1 If your element is shooting or in close combat,
and scored equal to or more than (I) opponents.
+1 If your element is in close combat in your
bound or shooting, is not artillery, and scored more than (F) opponents.
COMBAT OUTCOME
If its total is less than
that of its opponent but more than half:
Blades
Destroyed by shot.
Shot
Destroyed by knights or blades in close combat in an enemy bound.
Otherwise recoil.
DEMORALIZED COMMANDS
If at the end of any bound
a command has lost either its general or a of its elements, the command becomes demoralized.
It does not quit the field, but operates at reduced efficiency.
WINNING AND LOSING
When ˝ of an army’s elements are lost or demoralized, and also more such elements than the enemy, its remaining commands also become demoralized. The game is over and the other side has won.
