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DBA Review and Proposals

By Daniel Duffy

Finally got around to buying a copy of DBA Rules 2.0 a while back. I am much impressed with the elegant simplicity, accuracy and overall realism of these rules. It provides an enjoyable overview of the subject with out being bogged down in the pre-gunpowder equivalent of "sprocket counting", which always sucks the fun out of any wargame. In short, this is a great game system.

Did I say accuracy and realism? You bet I did. Not just overall but in the detailed description of the various standard units types. To illustrate, I'd like to provide a relatively simple taxonomy for unit designations that I hope will explain DBA unit classifications. A unit can be classified by its weight in three different categories: weapons, formation and armor. If these weight categories are further broken down into heavy, medium and light subcategories, we have a 3x3x3 classification matrix for either cavalry or infantry (special units like elephants, camels, chariots, scythed chariots, artillery and war wagons being in a separate category).

Now for the definitions of each category:

Weapons

Heavy Weapons (HW) - Weapons used exclusively for shock and melee that require both hands to use. These include two-handed spear weapons like pikes and sarissas and two-handed blade weapons like the battleaxe and halberd (also glaives, bills, etc.)

Medium Weapons (MW) - Weapons that can be used either as shock and melee weapons or thrown at the enemy as a missile weapon. These include one-handed spear weapons like lances, spears, pila, assegai, and javelins - as well as one handed blade weapons like swords, gladius, spatha, etc. Note that this taxonomy assumes that everyone has a sword (including axemen and halberdiers). For certain types of units, like the Romans, the sword does the real killing after throwing their spears at the enemy. Note that throwing spears can only be thrown from formation which given enough elbow room for the hurlin of spears. In high density formations, spears can only be thrust at the enemy.

Light Weapons (LW) - Weapons used exclusively for missile "fire", either volley or skirmishing. These include bows, crossbows, longbows, slings, etc.

Formations

Heavy Formations (HF) - These are units in very dense formations, 1 square yard per footman (closed ranks) or 1 yard front and 4 yards depth per horseman. Also includes ultra heavy locked shields formation that gives each footman a frontage of * yard. These formations are suitable only for shock tactics (the "push of the pike") for those armed with two-handed and one-handed shock weapons. There is no elbow room in this formation for effective fencing or missile shooting.

Medium Formations (MF) - Moderately dense formations, 1-yard front and 2 yard depth for footmen (closed files) or 2 yards front and 4 yards depth for horsemen. Also includes irregular cunea formations of barbarian Warbands with about 2 square yards per footman. These formations provide enough elbowroom for both melee/sword fighting and the mass volleys of arrows and javelins.

Light Formations (LF)- Light formations, 2-yard front and 2-yard depth for footmen (open formation) or 4-yard front by 4-yard depth for horsemen. Also includes open irregular formations such as skirmish lines. This formation allows for rapid movement through rough terrain, effective skirmishing, and generally flexible tactics.

Armor

Heavy Armor (HA) - These units are those having both a significantly large shield (hoplos, scutum, kite shaped shield, etc.) and significant body armor. Also includes late medieval knights with full plate armor who didn't need shields. (Note: Knights relied upon the shape, curvature and design of their armor plates, not the plate's thickness and weight. A knight's suit of armor weighted about the same as the full armor and shield of a Greek hoplite or Roman legionnaire.)

Medium Armor (MA) - This is armor consists of either a significant shield or body armor only. Pavise protected archers, early Greeks or Celtic warriors who fought naked behind their shields would be considered to have medium armor. So too would Renaissance or Swiss pikemen who had body protection only.

Light Armor (LA) - Units with light armor have neither a large shield nor significant body armor.

The Unit Matrix

Cross-referencing weapons and formations categories provides the following weapons matrices, with DBA unit type designation and allowable armor weights:

The signature weapon of a warband is the battle-axe or long sword, two-handed blade weapons. It may be heresy, but Swiss halberdiers should also be considered warbands, perhaps immune to quick kills by knights. Blades hurl their spears at the enemy from a medium formation prior to engaging with the sword. (Note: I can't see why the Vikings are rated as blades instead of warbands. If anyone qualifies as a high ferocity unit, it's the Vikings.)

While the infantry designation are accurate and make sense, DBA cavalry designations (IMHO) are inadequate. I've found it interesting to break up both the cavalry and light horse designation to allow for differentiation between medium and light weapons:

Equites and genitours remain the same as cavalry and light horse. However, cataphracts and horse archers are given a distance shooting capacity to account for their bows. Warry ("Warfare in the Ancient World") describes Parthian horse archer tactics involving shooting at Roman legions from a maximum effective distance of about 100 yards. This range would be about 120 paces to 150 paces (about 1 to 1.5 inches at game scale). This is about right since foot bowmen (at a shooting range of 200 paces) tended to outrange mounted bowmen.

I invite DBAers to try a DBA game with these cavalry modifications. I'd like to know what you think.

Contact me at theduffys@fuse.net.

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Last Updated: April 22, 2002

Comments, suggested additions, and/or critiques welcome. Direct them to Chris Brantley at brant@erols.com.