Hex Grid Campaign Maps

The basic DBA campaign rules provide a basic map scheme where players move from point to point along designated lines linking key military objectives. As an alternative to this approach, players might consider using a hex grid campaign map on which to run their campaign setting.

There are several advantages to a hex grid map:

Hexes provide a scale that makes it easy to regulate movement.
Movement on the hex grid campaign map is more flexible and hence may feel more historically realistic.
Hexs can be easily overlaid on a historical map taken from an atlas or other source to give you a ready-made historical campaign map.
Each hex can be assigned a different terrain type, either randomly or by historical reference, rather than determining terrain type by defender's army list.
If you want to play with special rules for resources in your campaign, hexes provide an easy basis on which to assign resource points to specific geographical areas.
The map, and hence the campaign, can be scaled to time. For example, each hex could represent the distance that an army can move in a day, a week, a month or a season.

The downsides are that creating a hex grid campaign map is slightly more time consuming and that it can "enlarge" the campaign by creating additional areas of terrain that must be fought over.

In creating a hex grid campaign map, it is important to scale the hexes so that map movement does not overwhelm the game. You don't want players having to move 3-5 turns to reach anobjective, or to make it possible for one army to completely avoid the other through movement.

To help you get started with hex grid campaigning, here is a blank hex grid sheet and a sample campaign map for a six player campaign. If you have developed a hex grid campaign map that you are willing to share with the Fanatici, please drop a note to Chris Brantley with the image.

Fanatici Feedback

Roy Beers: There's nothing to stop you blanking off huge areas of the map for impassable mountain ranges, tidal estuaries or whatever to create single hex-wide corridors. These "junction" hexes would then be closely fought over. You could also have "bad going" hexes where the majority terrain type would be hills, woods, or whatever - e.g. the Teutoburger Wald - which would give bad going-friendly armies a break from the usual "golf course".

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Last Updated: May 30, 2003

Comments and suggestions welcome. Send them to Chris Brantley, brant@erols.com.