Teaching DBA...Or being taught a lesson?

It struck me that I hadn't put my older DBA armies on the table in nearly a year. Although I enjoy the War and Conquest/WAB type games, I have a lot more armies element based, and although I've started to get into Impetus, I still really like the elegant simplicity and 'clean lines' of a DBA game. Up until now it has only really been Steve at the club who is interested in DBA, but Ben mentioned he wouldn't mind giving it a go because he had painted up a 10mm Roman army which he was looking for a set of rules to play with once he had an army to match it. I offered Ben a choice of armies to bring and we went with the Republican Romans and Carthagininans, both 'double-based' armies.

The idea was to teach Ben the game, but in our first game it wasn't clear who was teaching who! We set up and I was keen to take a hill on my left flank in the middle of the table. I moved up my general's cavalry unit and swung a light horse unit that was with it wide to threaten an outflanking move. But as soon as I seized the hill Ben charged my general's element with some cavalry swinging some velite psiloi into their flank. I threw a 1, Ben a 5, even with my general's bonus and being uphill, I was toast, the unit destroyed...and I'd lost the game in the second turn!

So we set up again. This time with a coastline down the left hand side of the table, two steep hills  down the middle.

Overview of the battle

I put my cavalry on each flank, although I quickly moved them most on to my right flank, my auxiliaries and warbands lined up with the steep hills. and spear deployed to hold the middle ground. Ben put all his cavalry on his right flank, and moved some velite psiloi in to some woods to guard his left flank. His legions lined up in the centre.

I threatened his left flank with some cavalry and light horse with my general's cavalry poised to follow up, but Ben quickly refused his flank leaving an inpenetrable barrier of legions. My warbands had grabbed the hill on this flank and spear advanced slowly to fill the centre.

Battle on my right flank

It was over on the right flank, however, that the battle was decided. Some of Ben's psiloi were initially successful slowing my advance on to the hill, but this tempted Ben to move his legionaries to reinforce them. meanwhile there was a fairly free-wheeling cavalry battle on my left flank. Putting the legionaries on a steep hill, though proved a mistake, giving my auxiliaries and warband the advantage. I destroyed two elements of legionaries and his psiloi. The battle ended when, initially having been forced to flee, my light horse aided by some psiloi destroyed his cavalry element, and with four of Ben's elements destroyed, leaving his right flank in tatters, compared to three of mine I could claim victory.

Battle on my left flank where things were decided

Ben said he liked the DBA rules, a nice change from the 'buckets of dice' War and Conquest rules, with the Player Initiative Points die roll really making you think about how to move your army. He liked the look of the double-based armies, and as he was playing a PC game campaign of the Punic Wars, was intrigued by the possibilities of a DBA campaign, and said he'd definitely play it again.

Nice to have another recruit in the DBA camp at the club!

Gallic Army

I've nearly completed my Gallic Army up to what I call 'Double-based DBA' standard, that is up to circa 48 elements or up to 200 figure size.

The core is obviously warbands. The first pic is of the latest addition to their ranks. Figures are Italeri, my favourite for this army - and when choosing manufacturers many more armies besides. Some of the other elements use Esci barbarians or Airfix Ancient Brits, but I'm trying to up the number of Italeri figs, and have more to paint.

It is designed to go with my Punic Wars era armies, but the DBA army list for Gauls runs from much earlier (400BC) to somewhat later (ie. Caesar's conquest) and is pretty much the same, apart from using chariots rather than cavalry for the earlier period.

The second pic shows what the whole army looks like so far. The DBA army list is as follows:

1x3/4 Wb or LCh (Gen) General’s Warband or Chariots

2xLCh or 3Cv Chariots or Gallic Cavalry

8x3Wb Tribal Warband

1xPs Young Warrior skirmishers

As usual with my 'large' DBA armies, the aim is to be able to use the force for 'double-based' DBA (ie. 4 times the infantry, twice cavalry etc. per element) or'Big Battle' DBA uses two or three 'normal' 12 element DBA commands per side, and provide a number of standard DBA armies so inter-tribal conflict can be fought out. I've not checked out the 'Impetus' rules, but I guess it will be close to a 'double-based' DBA.

This is a snap of some figures from the Hat 'Carthaginian Allies' set, and depict naked Gauls, perfect for 'Gaeseti'. These can also be used for Galatian armies, the Celts that invaded and settled Asia Minor.

The army can basically be put straight on the field if necessary, but if playing a three command 'Big Battle' DBA game, it is short a few cavalry, which can be co-opted from the early German army. I was orginally intending to use some of the Hat Gallic cavalry I bought as 'generics' for Dark Age cavalry, trimming away all notably 'Gallic' features such as horns, other helmet decoration, and a dull paint scheme without Celtic checks and tartans. As I haven't quite made my mind up what to do with these, as the issue of Hat's Gothic Cavalry means I don't need to use these figures in that role, thee painting (and therefore varnishing & basing) is not completely finished.

I have, however, since bought a box of Italeri Gallic cavalry, which are a much nicer set. I've started painting them, and could finish with a day or so's work. They'll provide 5 normal (ie. three model) elements, so I'll be fully up to strength for most eventualities.

The other element, which is not strictly necessary, but I'd like to add, is a General's Warband element for the double-based/Impetus level game (ie. 16 figures). I actually have enough command and of the 'armoured' figure from the Italeri set to do this, but a 16 man unit mainly using the same figure would be a bit dull. I have my eye on the new Caesar Gaul set, which has a lot of armoured figures. It is currently on my 'wish list', but cash and this part of my 'wish list' have not come together yet!

These are the pics from the Plastic Soldier Review on the Caesar set:

Update

I've just looked up the 'Basic Impetus army' lists and thought I'd add it here for reference. 'Impetus' rates Gallic warbands as Light Foot, but with an Impetus bonus of 4.

VOL 4: ROME AND ITALY

GAULS (VDT=20/10)

Nr	Type	M	VBU	I	VD	Notes
2	CM or CGL(*)	10	4	1	3	various (only if CGL)
6	FL	8	4	4	2	impetuous
2	S	8	2	0	1	javelin

OPTION. Change 1 FL Unit into:

Nr	Type	M	VBU	I	VD	Notes
	FL	8	5	5	2	Gaesati impetuous

Vol 6: ROME & THE END OF THE REPUBLIC

GAULS II-I Cent. AD (VDT=20/10)

Nr	Type	M	VBU	I	VD	Notes
2	CM(*)	10	4	1	3
6	FL	8	4	4	2	impetuous
2	S	8	2	0	1	javelin

Note. FL can form Large Units

For good measure this this the Ancient British Army from the VOL. 7 Army Lists: ROME & THE EMPIRE

ANCIENT BRITISH (VDT=23/12)

Nr	Type	M	VBU	I	VD	Notes
3	CGL(*)	10	4	1	3	various
2	CL	12	3	1	2
4	FL(*)	8	4	4	2	impetuous
2	S	8	2	0	1	javelin or sling

Option. Change one CGL Unit into:

Nr	Type	M	VBU	I	VD	Notes
1	FL	8	5	5	2	(naked fanatics) impetuous

Note. FL can form Large Units

CGP= Heavy Chariots; CGL= Light Chariots; CF= Schyted Chariots; CP= Heavy Cavalry; CM= Medium Cavalry; CL= Light Cavalry; FP= Heavy Infantry; FL= Light Infantry; S= Skirmishers; T= Missile Troops, EL= Elephants ; ART= Artillery

M= Movement; VBU= Basic Unit Value; I= Impetus Bonus, VD= Demoralization Value; VDT= Total Demoralization Value

(*) Unit that can include general