DBA Resource PageCampaignsThe Battlemaker Campaign SystemBy Jim WrightBATTLE MAKER is a simple system for generating a campaign between two DBA armies. The entire campaign take place on the campaign track shown below. Player A sits at one end and Player B at the other end. The campaign consists of a cycle of fighting a DBA battle, the winner forcing the loser back in track position toward their home end. When a player is forced off their end of the track the other player has won the campaign. The campaign starts with a battle in track position three. A campaign could be over in a minimum of three battles or rage back and forth across the campaign track. THE CAMPAIGN TRACK
PLAYER A
+---+
| 1 |
+---+
| 2 |
+---+
| 3 |
+---+
| 4 |
+---+
| 5 |
+---+
PLAYER B
GETTING STARTED Each player rolls a D6. High roller is the initial Attacker in the campaign. Low roller is the initial Defender. In the second and subsequent battles, the Attacker it the player forcing the other player, now the Defender, back a section on the campaign track. Each section of the campaign track has different terrain setup rules. When a battle is fought in a section, that section terrain rules apply, with the attacker and defender status changing as battles are lost and won. THE FIRST BATTLE The first battle of the campaign is fought in section 3. Each player uses a full strength 12 element army. SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT BATTLES The battle is fought on the campaign track section the Attacker advanced into. The Attacker may take one additional element or have the Defender lose one element for the battle. The element lost or gained is the "most common" element type in the armies deployed by the players. "Most common" means the element type with the highest element count. When more that one element is the "most common", dice for it. The choice of who will gain or lose an element is made after the elements are chosen from the army list, but before deployment onto the battlefield. For example, the Early Spartans, DBA 24B, have deployed 11xSp and 1xPs. The most common element is Sp. The Lydians, DBA 18D, deploy 3xKn, 2xLH, 2xSp, 2xPs, and 3xAx. They would dice (1D6) for what is lost or gained: 1-3=Kn, 4-6=Ax. TERRAIN PLACEMENT MODIFICATIONS Terrain placement varies according to board size and on which section of the campaign track you are fighting on. Section Three: Divide the table into four (2' by 2' game board) or six (2' by 3' game board) sectors equal size, numbered as shown below. When distinction between board sizes must be made the smaller board will be A and the larger will be Z.
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| 1 | 2 | | 1 | 2 | 3 |
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| 3 | 4 | | 4 | 5 | 6 |
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
Roll a D6:
Roll a D6 to determine what sector each terrain feature goes in. Roll a D6 to determine position within a sector:
The players alternate placing the terrain features, the Defender going first. If a feature can not be placed without moving previously placed features, it is not used. Each player counts the number of Psiloi, Auxilia, and Warband elements in their army and add the roll of a D6 to this total. The player with the higher total may add 1 terrain feature of Bad Going of their choice following the terrain placement sequence above. The Attacker advances from the side with sectors 1 and 2 on it. The defender that that opposite. Sections Two and Four: Divide the table into four (2' by 2') or six (2' by 3') sectors equal size, numbered as shown below:
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| 1 | 2 | | 1 | 2 | 3 |
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| 3 | 4 | | 4 | 5 | 6 |
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
The defender sets up the terrain from that available. At least 3 sectors of A and 5 of Z must contain at least one terrain feature. Each player counts the number of Psiloi, Auxilia, and Warband elements in their army and add the roll of a D6 to this total. The player with the higher total may add 1 terrain feature of Bad Going of their choice following the terrain placement sequence above. The Attacker picks his side without regard for table orientation, the defender's is that that opposite the Attacker. On A the attacker can advance from any side he chooses. On Z the attacker can chose to advance down the long axis or the short axis. Section One and Five: Divide the table into four (2' by 2') or six (2' by 3') sectors equal size, numbered as shown below.
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| 1 | 2 | | 1 | 2 | 3 |
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| 3 | 4 | | 4 | 5 | 6 |
+---+---+ +---+---+---+
The defender sets up the terrain from that available. At least 3 sectors of A and 5 of Z must contain at least one terrain feature. The Defender picks his side without regard for table orientation, the Attacker's is that that opposite the Defender. On A the Defender can advance from any side he chooses. On Z the Defender can chose to advance down the long axis or the short axis. DEPLOYMENT Deployment is the same for all campaign track sections. The deployment area is the center 24 inches of the table. This will leave a 6 inch unoccupied flank sector on each end of table Z.
Attacker
f +---+------------+---+ f
l | | | | l
a | | | | a
n | | | | n
k +---+------------+---+ k
Defender
The Defender places his Camp touching his baseline. The Attacker places his Camp touching his baseline. The Defender deploys 6 or more elements within 6 inches of his base edge or of its shore line if a sea edge and within the deployment area. The Attacker deploys 6 or more elements his troops within 6 inches of his base edge or of its shoreline if a sea edge and within the deployment area. The Defender deploys his remaining elements within 6 inches of his base edge or of its shore line if a sea edge and within the deployment area. The Attacker deploys his remaining elements his troops within 6 inches of his base edge or of its shoreline if a sea edge and within the deployment area. The Defender takes the first bound. VICTORY CONDITIONS The standard DBA victory conditions apply. SAMPLE BATTLEMAKER CAMPAIGN MAPS
CONQUEST OF GAUL ALFRED & THE DANES
Gauls (#35) Vikings (#111)
+-----------------+ +----------------+
| Belgica | | York |
+-----------------+ +----------------+
| Lugdenesis | | East Anglia |
+-----------------+ +----------------+
| Aquitania | | Mercia |
+-----------------+ +----------------+
| Transalpine Gaul| | Wessex |
+-----------------+ +----------------+
| Cisalphine Gaul | | Cornwall +
+-----------------+ +----------------+
Julius Caesar Alfred the Great
Marian Romans (#59) Mid. Anglo-Saxons (#75b)
|Top of Page | Campaigns | DBA Resource Page | Last Updated: Dec. 24, 1999 Questions, comments, and feedback are welcome. Sent them to my attention at brant@erols.com. |