Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules

[scott holder]

Five years ago we did this with the Crusades up to 1204 AD and it was a blast. Since this year's theme is "Chariot Wars", the armies lend themselves well to the format so we're going to run the Mini that way again.

One reminder: We hope to have something list-wise out and updated by the first of the year. We're not really sure how this will work since the BW overhaul is intended to be part of the Warrior Armies books and the amount of changes might be too difficult to simply put up as eratta. More on this as we think thru it.

Finally, does somebody want to ump this? I *really* want to play in this. Five years ago, I umped and played which was okay but I know there's plenty of you out there who don't have armies in the period or simply don't want to cram an entire weekend of Warrior into your schedule. And just because you volunteer to ump won't mean I'll select you. Unless you're the only want who steps forward.

Game times are 2.5 hours, specific round times TBD. Table size 4x4 for 15mm, 6x5 for 25mm. In 15mm only, rear zone is 360p.

Here goes:

1) Each player buys a regular 1600 point army (one version) that must follow the usual min/max guidelines. However, whatever a player chooses to field in any given round does NOT have to consist of those min/max bodies. What a player fields in each round cannot exceed 1200 points (plus the cost of your cheapest single element cost). Basically, you enter the campaign with 400 points of troops in reserve and how you manage losses and replacements during rounds 2-3 are entirely up to you. but only fields 1200 points in each round.

2) Troops broken/destroyed at the end of each round are gone and do not return in subsequent rounds.

3) Shaken troops come back at HALF strength in elements OR one morale grade lower than that which they started the round. If a general was in a 2 element unit, that means said general comes back as a single element body. If the general was only in a single element body at the start of the round and ends shaken, the general comes back one morale grade lower. Such reductions carry over into subsequent rounds, ie, there is no regaining of elements or morale grades. Also, there is a bottom limit to morale grade reductions. Regulars can go no lower than D class, Irregulars no lower than E. Should a unit theoretically drop below that, then your only option is to lose half the elements.

4) If your shaken unit is regular, you'll obviously need to factor in such unit limitations as even number of ranks, etc., when bringing back that unit. You could also choose to merge the unit into another but any command points "freed up" by such a move are essentially wasted unless you need to reorganize units later on. Basically, you can't purchase additional troops. Or you could choose to leave that unit in reserve in anticipation of melding it with another unit after the next round (all list restrictions on mixing units still apply, however). These same issues apply to irregular units as well.

5) After each round, you will need to rewicker your list since point values for units could change (as you merge them or bring them back at half strength or reduced morale), command costs might be subtracted or added.

6) What about armies that just lose too much stuff? Well usually the scoring system used in WARRIOR tracks what was lost in terms of troop values. So by Swiss pairing, I anticipate that tourney scores will result in armies that are more or less the same size as their opponent when plalying. And if not, so be it, that's the "charm" of a campaign tournament. You will really need to manage your forces over at least 2 rounds if you want to survice into round 3. Therefore, this might not be a full three round tournament for some players. To continue into the next round, a player will need about 700 points left. If you fall below that and there isn't another player reasonably close (the umpire will make this determination but assumre around 100-150 points difference), then we'll perhaps use FW lists. Just be prepared to be flexible in the third round. I remember playing Ed Berhart in Round 3 and we each had maybe 600 points. We drank a lot that game.

7) Have more than one general. If your CinC gets killed, you'll need a second in command. His point value as second in command won't "go up" should he get promoted, just stick with his value as originally purchased (unless he's down a morale grade from being shaken in previous rounds, then you'd subtract that cost from the body).

Be prepared for a looser than usual tournament. Be prepared to be flexible between each round as we collectively struggle to get army lists reworked for the next round. Be prepared to have fun and test your generalship in a much more realistic way than other tournaments.

Army lists (special rules and restrictions are TENTATIVE. Also, the Barbarian Playtest Rules will be used and very possibly 1-2 X Rules and who knows, maybe one or two things tried out at Fall In 07. We will do everything we can to not turn this into the Midiante and Neo-Bablylonian Tournament).

1 Early Dynastic Sumerian 2800 BC – 2300 BC
2 Old & Middle Kingdom Egyptian 2800 BC – 1580 BC
3 Elamite 2800 BC – 640 BC
4 Nubian 3000 BC – 750 BC
5 Libyan 3000 BC – 74 BC
6 Highland Barbarians 2800 BC – 1800 BC
7 Bedouin Foot Nomads 3000 BC – 1000 BC
8 Makkan 3000 BC – 1800 BC
9 Early Syrian 2600 BC – 1757 BC
10 Akkadian/Later Sumerian 2334 BC – 2000 BC
11 Old Babylonian/Old Assyrian 2000 BC – 1600 BC
12 Kassite Babylonian 1600 BC – 1159 BC
13 Bedouin Tribes (Midianite) 1000 BC – 600 BC
14 Hyksos 1650 BC – 1532 BC
15 Early Canaanite, Ugaritic, Syrian 1700 BC – 1100 BC
16 Hittite 1680 BC – 1180 BC
17 Mitannian 1600 BC – 1250 BC
18 Anatolian City States 1500 BC – 1000 BC
19 Mycenaean/Minoan Greek 1700 BC – 1150 BC: If the Rash Ally-general is used, it never takes waver tests and fights until destroyed. If it is joined to the Myrmidons, it still does not take waver tests although they can but the Ally's element ignores any resulting actions of failed Myrmidon waver tests. If the Ally's element is destroyed, the Myrmidons take a waver test at -1 regardless of where they are on the battlefield. This -1 is in addition to any other minuses that might occur along with the associated waver test(s). ALL other units take a regular waver test if within 720 paces of the destroyed Rash Ally.
20 New Kingdom Egyptian 1580 BC – 1070 BC
21 Middle Assyrian 1400 BC – 745 BC
22 Early Hebrew 1250 BC – 1000 BC
23 Sea Peoples 1230 BC – 1165 BC
24 Philistine/Late Canaanite 1200 BC – 1000 BC
25 Neo-Hittite/Aramaean Syrian 1180 BC – 710 BC
26 Dark Age/Geometric Greek 1150 BC – 700 BC
27 Cypriot 1000 BC – 500 BC: No Ionian Hoplites allowed.
28 Neo-Babylonian 1140 BC – 540 BC: No Lydian or Greek mercenaries allowed. No more than 6E Median Skirmishers (if Medes are used) allowed. Skythians cannot be used with Medes.
29 Late Hebrew 1000 BC – 580 BC
30 Mannaian/Median 950 BC – 550 BC: CinC (and army) must be Mannaian. No more than 6E Skythian or Cimmerian mercenaries are allowed.
31 Urartian 900 BC – 650 BC: No more than 6E Cimmerian mercenaries allowed.
32 Libyan Egyptian 945 BC – 712 BC
33 Phrygian 1200 BC – 650 BC: No more than 6E Cimmerian mercenaries allowed.
35 Neo-Assyrian Empire 745 BC – 610 BC: No Saitic Egyptians. If Skythians are used, no more than the listed minimums are allowed.
36 Kushite Egyptian 715 BC – 660 BC

[Adrian Williams]

Nice ideas - we will have to try the campaign tourney here at some point.

As it is, we are having a mini this weekend - Throw Down the Gauntlet 2007 - a 1200 15mm open mini - 4 by 3 tables - open list choice - preset terrain - looks like we have a dozen or so starters.

More info late next week!

Adrian Williams

[John Garlic]

Hi Scott,

Looks great!!! Dmitri and I are both looking forward to it, so there will be at least two non Midianite, non Neo-Babylonian armies present. The campaign rules look very interesting. It seems that the object will be to avoid getting ground down enough to triumph. I notice everything is geared downwards as far as its effects on units. Have you considered morale upgrades?

For example each army could raise morale class of one unit after round. Unit would have to have destroyed/routed an opponent in hand-to-gland combat.

Just an idea, but I like overall campaign feel - looks very challenging.

John Garlic

[christiangcameron]

Hi Scott,
I just promised to loan my Cimmerians (Skythians really, but who can tell?) to Bill Chamis and I note they aren't legal. I'm sure it's not a misprint because they're held to a minimum on other lists.

This strikes me as a bit odd. They are a historical opponent for a bunch of the listed armies. Sure, they get LC (shieldless LC) and HC (Shieldless HC) but Cimmerians aren't a viable list for fighting other horse archer armies or for fighting mainstream armies--so when do they get their day?

I don't think that they present an insurmountable obstacle to a chariot force. May I ask you to reconsider and let them play? I could see limiting them on other lists (LC plus HChariots is a very difficult combination) but LC alone with HC is not that bad. And, as I say--a historical problem.

Yours,
Christian