"Yeah, I'm thinking I'm back!"

OK, so I'm not exactly John Wick, but after a two-and-a-half-year-long absence from this blog I thought my return required a little drama. No promises going forward; we'll just see how regularly I am motivated to post.

Since my last post referenced Phil Barker, the author of the DBX rules system, it seemed appropriate to focus this post on the most recently published addition to the DBX family: De Bellis Fantasiae. 

De Bellis Fantasiae (DBF) is the result of the continued development work of the authors of D3H2, which was itself the attempt, with Phil Barker's approval, to bring the Hordes of the Things 2.0 (HOTT) fantasy elements into line with the then-new DBA 3.0 revised mechanics. You may see my previous posts on D3H2 for a fuller explanation, but the big changes to HOTT included measurement in base-widths instead of "paces," the ability to apply "Fast" and "Solid" characteristics to HOTT's fantasy elements and an amended points system to determine element (unit) cost. DBF has furthered this evolution. After "publishing" D3H2, the authors continued to make "improvements" to the DBX system in regards to ease of play, plausibility of historical results and even presentation.

Presentation has been overhauled. Since the book is a Lulu print page-count is less of an issue, so full-color has been used throughout, type is bigger and diagrams have been placed alongside the relevant text. Extra words were used to help better explain rules in an attempt to reduce the "Barkerese" that some people have complained about over the years. FYI, I never had a problem with the writing style.

The element point system has been completely revamped, ranging from the expensive Aerial Hero at 17 points down to Skirmishers, Hordes and Light Mounted at 3 points. Making an element a General costs an additional 10 points. Mages (Magicians) are purchased at Levels from 1 to 5, and a new Magic system allows for some varied spells at escalating PIP costs.

The new point system lets you play small DBA-style games at around 75 to 100 points as well as larger "Big Battle-style" games with multiple commands/generals in the 200-300 point range.

Combat resolution is basically unchanged, but there are some new tactical factors and some "Special Rules" (traits related to training or specific weapon use) that change some interactions. Some of these are tied to specific fantasy army lists - 60 different lists from literature and mythology are included in the book - but all could be applied to other fantasy, or even historical armies as the user sees fit. Indeed, using DBA and/or DBMM army lists as reference these rules can be used to build and play with historical armies as well as fantasy. I consider DBF a great new "toolbox," and really like all the changes.

Oh, and there are new campaign rules, too. If you like the DBX system (I do!), you should check out DBF.

 
 

Happy 90th Birthday, Phil Barker!

 

90 years! Congratulations. Thank you for DBA. . . and HotT!

Recruits and Stuff

 

 

Recruits 2022 is happening next weekend in Lee's Summit, Missouri. I'll be running two games on Saturday afternoon featuring Wiley Games' Fistful of Lead Bigger Battles set in the French & Indian War. The game will be similar to our Battles & Brews outing, including the use of my rules amendments. . . which Wiley Games is sharing for free here. . . so if you couldn't make it to Battles & Brews, Recruits is your second chance to play a fun historically-themed game in an iconic setting with big "toy-soldier-scale" models.

And the other "stuff" I mentioned? Mr. Daniel Mersey, of Lion Rampant fame, got some of my money twice last month! Lion Rampant Second Edition has been released. It's a good game that I had a few thoughts on back in the day. . .

 

Also from Mr. Mersey, Armoured Storm, an inexpensive little game of World War 2 tank warfare in North Africa that I'm looking forward to playing. . . some day.

 

See ya!

Battles & Brews Game

 

 

Battles & Brews 2022 is in the books, as they say, and a good time was had by all. . . at least as far as I could see. Go here to my previous post to learn more about the event, and here for a look at some of the games. I put on one game of Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles with the selfish goal of play-testing my rules additions and unit characterizations for campaigning during the French & Indian War. In the One True Scale, of course.

The terrain was basically symmetrical so both sides had the same advantages and challenges. The scenario was a meeting engagement, and whoever held the center clearing at game's end would be the winner.

 

Both armies were the same size and roughly the same configurations for as clean a play-test as possible. I am also using unit sizes that correspond to the forces used in GMT Games' Bayonets and Tomahawks for use in a map-based campaign; the Irregular units are roughly one-quarter to one-third the size of Regular Brigades. All of the Irregular units are one 6-man unit and the Regulars and Provincials are 2 10-man units with a Brigade Commander. Each army then gets one overall Commander. Each unit has an integral Unit Leader with no traits (at this time) whose loss causes a negative modifier to Rally attempts.

Each Army for this game consisted of one overall Commander, One Regular Brigade of 2 10-man units with Brigade Commander (Player One); one Provincial Brigade of 2 10-man units with Brigade Commander (Player Two - the British were Regulars and the French Irregular). Player Three had two units of Irregulars; French had First Nation Warriors and the British had Rangers. Each side then had a unit of Regular Grenadiers and French Irregular Marines or British Irregular Light Infantry to assign as desired. 6 players in total!

The Irregulars came onto the table on Turn One, the British and French on opposite sides. The French Natives and Marines entered on the narrower strip of woods with the British Light Infantry and one unit of Rangers opposite.

 

On the wider wooded flank the French Provincials faced off against the other unit of British Rangers.

 

On Turn Two the Regulars arrived via the road mostly, except for the British Grenadiers that entered in the woods on their left flank and one unit of the British Provincials that entered the woods on their right flank behind the Rangers.

As the Irregulars found hard cover in the woods to provide covering fire the Regulars maneuvered to sort out into firing lines in the clearing.

 

The French Regulars got their firing line organized first as the Natives charged the Rangers in the woods on their right flank, the melee throwing the Rangers out from behind their cover. The Provincials on the other flank blazed away at each other.

 

After the British Rangers fell back the Light Infantry engaged the Natives, and both sides suffered losses that caused them to retreat. The British Grenadiers moved up to the edge of the woods to provide flanking fire in the clearing and delivered the first of two devastating volleys. The French Marine Irregulars left the cover of the woods to advance through the clearing and the Grenadier volley fire killed 5 of the 6 soldiers in the unit. The second volley was delivered by the center British Regular unit and 7 of the 10 French Grenadiers went down.

 

The Natives attempted to charge the British Grenadiers, but were foiled by my new Test to Charge rules. Being under half-strength and outnumbered, they failed their tests, as they should have! The British regulars were able to make good use of two "Free Reload" cards. . . and coupled with the aforementioned volleys, the French just couldn't recover and ceded the field.

 

I had a blast watching this game, and all the players seemed to have had fun. We had at least one player new to the Fistful of Lead system, and one even new to miniatures gaming (husband and wife, respectively)! Bigger Battles handled this genre admirably and my period adjustments worked as intended,. The dilemma of 18th Century Regular commanders seemed well represented - does one move into close musket range and risk taking a crippling First Fire or wait in the hope that you will get to deliver said crippling Fire instead? After delivering that volley will your men drive the enemy from the field at bayonet-point as ordered? I'm looking forward to more games using the Fistful rules, and experimenting with campaign adaptations.

See ya!