I'm interested in Ancients. What do I need to play?

- By Vinnie the Pooh

Not a lot! Just rules, an army list, plain old ordinary six-sided dice and a ruler. Mind you, toy soldiers, a table and terrain are helpful too! Where to get them? Read on.

Rules: The most popular, and simplest rules used in NZ are published by the Wargames Research Group (WRG) and are called De Bellis Multitudinis (DBM). The current edition is Version 3.0 with official amendments. The amendment sheet comes with the rules.

Army lists: The beauty of Ancient wargaming is that the period allows for literally hundreds of different armies. WRG publishes four volumes of lists for DBM, including hundreds of armies. The lists are much as you would expect if you have played other periods. They list what troops an army must have, what it may have and, by not including them in the list, what it cannot have. They also give a brief history.

Figures: 25mm figures are most attractive. 15mm are most popular. 6mm are cheapest, but seldom used in NZ. Competition games use 350 points for 25mm and 400 points for 15mm. Scenarios use whatever points are appropriate.

Tables: For 25mm games, an 8' x 6' table or similar is best, but 8' x 4' will do. It is the depth that is important for 25mm games. A 4' deep table forces 25mm armies to deploy a little too close together. For 15mm, 6' x 4' is ideal.

Where to get them

Before spending money, you should be able to borrow a rule book and ask to be involved in a few games. Talk to people at the club for advice. Particularly the more 'veteran' members. You can tell who we are because we tend to be wider in the middle and thinner on top!

The magazine Wargames Illustrated has details of literally dozens of suppliers of new figures and books. Just some of the suppliers are listed at the end of this article. Also, don't forget secondhand figures are often available at the club, at conventions and through Dispatches.

About the game

The rules explain how to base your figures. They also list the cost of each troop type in points and include simple systems for terrain, weather and deployment.

Each turn players roll one die for each of their generals (one to four generals per army). This determines how many action's that general's troops can carry out that turn. It is a easy way of allowing for the fog of war, well organised (or disorganised) command and control and random events like 'I didn't know that rabbit hole was there until my horse stepped in it!'

Combat is straight forward. Each troop type has combat factors against foot opponents and mounted opponents. For each 'element' (i.e. base of figures) in combat, roll a die, add the combat factor and any tactical factors that apply, and compare the total against the opposing element's total. Highest score wins - easy, eh? A higher score causes a push back (usually). Doubling the opposing element's score destroys it (usually).

Why usually? Because some troop types only need to beat a particular troop type to destroy it - they do not need to double it. Some examples. Knights that beat a warband destroy it (it was ridden down). Elephants that beat knights destroy them (squishy bits underfoot). Light troops that beat elephants destroy the elephants (BIG steaks). However, some troops cannot be destroyed by particular troop types, even if they double them. Instead, they 'flee'. For example, a phalanx of spearmen can make light infantry run away but can't catch them.

There is another way to destroy elements - first hold them still and then hit them! That is, contact the front and also the flank or rear of the opposing element. Then, if you beat it, you destroy it. And that applies to troop types you normally couldn't destroy at all.

When a third of a command is destroyed, that command is demoralised and will try to run away. When half of an army is destroyed or demoralised, then that army has lost.