RULEBOOK

THE GREAT BATTLES OF HISTORY SERIES — Volume VIII

CATAPHRACTBattles of Belisarius and the Byzantines

in the Era of the Emperor Justinian

DARA • CALLINICUM • TRICAMERON • TAGINAE • CASILINUM

a MARK HERMAN/RICHARD BERG game design

Table of Contents1.0 Introduction . . . . . 22.0 Components and Terms . . 2

2.1 The Maps . . . . . 22.2 The Playing Pieces . . 22.3 Charts, Tables and

the Die . . . . . . 32.4 Terminology . . 32.5 Game Scale . . . . . 42.6 Game Length . . 5

3.0 The Sequence of Play . . 54.0 Leaders . . . . . . . . 5

4.1 Leader Counters . . 54.2 Leader Capabilities . . 64.3 Command System . . 6

4.4 Leaders and Combat . . 75.0 Leader Activation and Orders . 8

5.1 How to Activate Leaders . 85.2 The Orders Phase . . . 85.3 Momentum . . . . . . 95.4 The Trump Option . . 95.5 Elite Commanders . . . 10

6.0 Movement . . . . . . . . . . 116.1 Movement Allowances . 116.2 Movement Restrictions . 116.3 Natural Terrain . . . 116.4 Column Movement . . . 116.5 Orderly Withdrawal . . . 126.6 Stacking . . . . . . . 13

7.0 Facing and ZOCs . . . . . . . 137.1 Facing . . . . . . . 137.2 Zones of Control (ZOC) and Shock Requirements . 13

8.0 Combat . . . . . . . . . . 14

8.1 Missile Volley . . . 148.2 Reaction Fire . . . 158.3 Shock Combat . . . 168.4 Advance After Combat . 188.5 The Combat Tables . . . 18

9.0 Special Rules . . . . . . . 189.1 Dismounted Cavalry . . 189.2 Army Discipline . . . 189.3 Uncontrolled Advance . 199.4 Rate of Fire . . . . . . . 199.5 Bow-Armed Cavalry . . 199.6 The Champion Challenge 19

10.0 The Effects of Combat . . 1910.1 Cohesion . . . . . . 1910.2 Rout and Retreat . . . 2010.3 Rally . . . . . . . 2110.4 Army Withdrawal

and Victory . . . 21Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21GMT

GAMES

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1.0 Introduction

CATAPHRACT portrays the developmentof the ar t of war wrought by ear lyByzantine empire (also known as theEastern Roman Empire) during the reignof the Emperor Justinian under its greatgenerals Belisarius and Narses. Duringthis period the Byzantine Empire for abrief period of time re-captured a largeportion of what was formerly the WesternRoman Empire. Although successful in itsattempts to re-capture Italy and NorthAfrica, the Byzantine empire’s resourceswere insufficient to hold onto its gains.

CATAPHRACT is the eighth volume inthe Great Battles of Histor y Series,following THE GREAT BATTLES OFALEXANDER which portrayed theMacedonian art of war, SPQR whichportrayed the legion of the RomanRepublic, and CONQUEST OF GAULwhich portrayed the legion during theGallic Wars of Julius Caesar.

CATAPHRACT uses the same “basic”system as CONQUEST OF GAUL, withrule changes and additions that portraythe advances in tactical concepts andweaponry. We have also included a largenumber of historical notes, so that you cansee what questions of military historyarose from the individual battles. Weprovide the usual section on terminology,so that you can understand more fullywhere we are going—and from where itall came. Finally, in the playbook you willfind indications of how long and howwell-balanced (in terms of having achance to win) the battle scenarios are—all based on playtest experience and input.Your experiences, to be sure, may vary.

A Note on PlayCATAPHRACT, while not an over lydifficult game to learn, understand or play,uses a tactical system which rewards mostthose who know what their men can doand how to exploit the capabilities of eventhe worst of them. As warfare evolvedfrom the previous Roman era and becamemore complex, the rules of this systemreflect, albeit only slightly, that increasedcomplexity. To calmly blunder into battlewith a “let’s see what happens here” theory

is to be exiled quickly to some forlorn rockin the Mediterranean.

Never Played a Historical Simulation?We wouldn’t normally recommend thisgame for novices, but you’ve alreadyplunked down your drachmas so youmight as well give it a shot. Your mainproblem will be that wargaming, like mostintrospective systems in life, has its ownlanguage. That language is the mainbarrier to enjoyment, much like the firsttime you tried to use a computer (or setthe clock on your VCR). The rules use a“sectional” approach. While thissometimes makes reading them asomewhat disjointed process to theuninitiated, it does help you find thingsmore quickly when you need them. Aboveall, this is supposed to be FUN, so don’ttake anything we say too seriously, andsort of slide through the rules to see whatthose mysterious words mean. (Thesection on terminology is most helpful inthis case.) This will get you going, moreor less. We then suggest you start withthe Tricameron scenario (see Playbook).Set it up (that means put all thedesignated counters in their assigned“starting” hexes ( ...oops, that’s wargamelingo for those hexagonal-shaped patternson the map), turn to the rules sectioncalled “3.0 Sequence of Play” and simplystart doing what that sequence tells youto do, referring to the rules when you don’tunderstand what to do next. After about20-30 minutes you’ll be just as good atthis sort of thing as we are. Any problems?There’s a phone number listed heresomewhere; give us a call. We’ll be gladto give you a few hints. Trust us; after all,we’ve got your money.

Haven’t Played this System? Even if youare quite familiar with simulation gaming,we suggest that you set up the Tricameronscenario (see Playbook) and push thecounters around for a turn or two beforeactually starting a game. This will revealthe various tactical strategies available,how the different types of weapons systemmay best be used and how best to (try to)protect against them. The one thing toremember is that the more you knowabout your units and how they act/interact, the better commander you willbe.

Familiar with this System?CATAPHRACT retains all the core rulesfrom the previous titles in the series. Thecommand system in CATAPHRACT ismuch simpler than in the earlier titlesreflecting the realities of the period. Anumber of familiar rules have beendropped due to a lack of specialist typeunits (Skirmishers, Elephants) or changesin doctrine (Depletion, Cavalry Pursuit).You will note the increased effectivenessof missile units due to the use of thecomposite bow, so a thorough review ofthe charts and tables is hearti l yrecommended. Extended missile range[8.18], contingent commanders [4.33],ZOC-encumbered leader activation[5.27] have changed, as have some aspectsof Line Commands. New special rules arein 9.0.

And remember: Watch Your Flanks.

2.0 Components and Terms

2.1 The Maps

Each battle uses a portion of a 22” x 33”map. A hexgrid covers each map toregulate movement and combat, and theeffects of the different types of terrain onthe map are covered in the rules andcharts.

2.2 The Playing Pieces

There are three types of playing pieces,or counters: combat units, representingthe various types of fighting troops;leaders, the individuals who command thetroops; and information markers used tonote certain types of informationnecessary for play.

2.21 Combat units. All combat units arerated numerically for their Size, TroopQuality (TQ) and Movement capability.Units that are capable of firing missilesalso have a Missile indicator, indicatingthe type of missile used (e.g., B = SimpleBow, C= Composite Bow, and J= Javelin,etc.). The Missile Table gives the Ranges

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Types of combat unitsThe type a unit is denotes the weaponsit used as well as whether any armor/protection was worn. Type is importantin determining Superiority [see 8.37].

Heavy Infantry

Medium Infantry (Militia)

Light Infantry/Bowmen

Heavy Cavalry

Light Cavalry

Lancer Cavalry

available for these missiles. Each combatunit has two sides. When a unit is flipped,this indicates it has been moved once andwill suffer Cohesion penalties if/when itmoves again that turn [see 6.1].

Series Note: The designation for Archerin previous GBOH releases (A) isequivalent for all purposes to the B-ratedunits (Simple Bow) in CATAPHRACT.There will eventually be separatedesignations for Long Bow and Crossbowin future releases.

2.22 Each unit is of a certain Type(usually indicated on the third line on thecounter; e.g., HI, LC, etc.). The type isused to determine certain combat resultsand effectiveness vis-a-vis other types.Some types are subdivided by Class (e.g.,HC type—Heavy Cavalry—with the classCataphract.

2.23 Examples of Units

One-Hex Combat Unit (Front)

Unit Type (Medium Infantry)Name/counter ID

Unit Size Troop Quality Basic

Movement Allowance

One-Hex Combat Unit (Moved)

Missile TypeCounter ID (Archer)

Unit Type (Light Infantry)MOVED indicator

Cavalry Unit

Name/counter IDMissile Class (Composite)

Cavalry Type (Heavy)

Leaders have a variety of ratings, used torate their Initiative and Command, as wellas their fighting, capabilities—both asleaders and individually [see 4.1].

Front (Activated) Side

NameStrategy (Overall

Commanders only)Personal Combat

Command CharismaRange Line Commands

Initiative(Elite indicator; see 5.5)

Rear (Finished) Side

Name

Personal Combat

Charisma

Restricted Leader (ContingentCommander)

NameMay command only

these units

2.24 Informational markers, such as“Shock-Check TQ,” numbered counters(representing Cohesion points lost),“Routed,” “Missile Low,” etc., are used torecord certain game functions, usually thechanging status of a unit.

2.3 Charts, Tables and the Die

The use of each chart and table isexplained in the rules. The game uses aten-sided die; the 0 is treated as a 0 (not a10), and is less than 1.

2.4 Terminology

Knowledge of the following game termswill be useful for play.

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Activated Leader = The leader who isgiving Orders or Line Commands to histroops at any given instant. Only oneleader may be active at any one time.

Class = Subcategory within type, used todifferentiate between various weaponssystems within a type. Example:Cataphract.

Cohesion = A unit’s ability to remain inan organized, fighting formation. In thegame, this is measured in the form ofCohesion Hits.

Finished Leader = A leader who haspreviously been activated that turn and is“Finished,” and may not be activatedagain. Leaders may be Finished for otherreasons, such as being Wounded, failureto Trump, etc.

Inactive Leader = A leader who has yetto be activated and is still eligible to beactivated.

Leader = Interchangeable with the wordcommander. Leaders were the generalswho commanded and influenced thetroops.

MA = Acronym for a unit ’s basicMovement Allowance. It also representsa unit ’s maneuverability vis-a-vis theother units in the game.

Missile Volley = Friendly units throwingjavelins or shooting arrows at enemy units.

Momentum = The mechanic by which aleader can undertake more than oneOrders Phase in a turn.

Orders Phase = The period during a turnwhen a Leader gives Individual Orders orLine Commands to his troops to moveand fight.

Order/Line Command = The twomethods leaders have of getting theirtroops to move. Orders apply toindividual units; Line Commands toentire groups of units. In terms of whethera leader can/may issue an Order or a LineCommand they are treated separately.

Shock Combat = Hand-to-hand, (and,often literally, eyeball-to-eyeball), hackand thrust, slash and crash, melee.

Size = Representing the number of menin that unit.

Superiority = The relative capabilities and“killing” effectiveness of the opposingweapons/armor systems. Superiority,when achieved, will substantially increasean opponent’s cohesion losses.

TQ = Acronym for the all-importantTroop Quality rating. The TQ rating is,by far, the most important number of acombat unit. It wil l be consultedconstantly throughout play—at almostany time a unit does something that willendanger its cohesion. The “Cohesion Hitand TQ Check Chart” summarizes whena player uses the TQ rating.

Trump = The mechanic by which anenemy leader can stop a friendly leaderfrom undergoing an Orders Phase andtransfer that phase to that enemy leader.It can also be used by a friendly leader togo before another, but lower-rated,friendly leader.

Type = General, categorical description ofcombat unit, usually used to determinecombat effectiveness and results.Examples: HI (Heavy Infantry), HC(Heavy Cavalry), etc.

Zone of Control (ZOC) = The hexes—usually directly to the front of a unit—into which that unit exer ts, by itspresence, enough “influence” so as toinhibit freedom of movement.

Knowledge of the following types ofcombat units/terms will be useful for play.

Heavy Infantry = In CATAPHRACT, thistype represents dismounted HeavyCavalry. These are troops protected byarmor (usually helmet, breastplate and legarmor). They are armed with lances andshields along with a variety of one-handedslash/bash weapons. The ByzantineCataphracts are also armed with thehighly effective composite bow.

Medium Infantry = A term that appliesto units (e.g., Militia infantry) that, whilenot as well-equipped as their heaviercounterparts, had weaponry and somebody protection that was superior ineffectiveness to that worn (or not worn)by Light Infantry.

Light Infantry = A generic term appliedto foot units with little or no body armor,a light shield, and usually a spear and/orsword. Most of the Light Infantry inCATAPHRACT are armed with bows.

Light Cavalry and Lancer Cavalry = Forthe most part, these are mounted archersnoted for their mobility. That speed andmobility could be a major plus, asdemonstrated by the effectiveness ofSimmias and Phasis and the magnificentHun and Herulian Light/Lancer Cavalryunits.

Heavy Cavalry = This was the arm ofdecision for the Byzantine, Persian andGothic armies. The Byzantine Cataphractwas the ultimate combat system of thisera. Heavy cavalry was trained in the useof the composite bow and lance. Theseunits were the backbone of the Byzantinearmies of this period. Their mobilitycoupled with local militia infantry wereable to fend off larger more mobile Arabforces. S imilar to Dragoons of theNapoleonic era, these units could bedismounted to supply a heavy infantrybackbone to the infantry archer forcesakin to the later English long bow system.

2.5 Game Scale

Each point of Size denotes from 100-150infantry (depending on their formation,rank depth and usage) or 100 cavalry.Thus, a typical Medium Infantry unitrepresents 700 men and a CataphractHeavy Cavalry unit about 500 men. Acombat unit has afrontage of about 50+yards, or one hex. Each hex isapproximately 70+ paces (yards) from sideto side. Each game turn covers about 20minutes of real time, although gamersshould not take that too literally.

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2.6 Game Length

There is no Turn Record Track, althoughthere are game turns. A battle is foughtuntil one side withdraws—so there is(usually) no need to keep track of howmany turns have passed.

Historical Digression: Veterans ofCAESAR will find that the Byzantinebattles/scenarios are shorter to completethan those of just 500 or so years earlier.The size of the armies was routinelyaround 10,000-15,000 men per side.

3.0 The Sequence of Play

Players activate each of their leaders inthe order determined by their Initiativerating [5.1]. When a leader is activatedhe gives orders which allow units withinhis range to move and conduct combat.After all leaders are finished, each army/player checks for Army Withdrawal afterwhich that game turn is concluded.

The Sequence of Play

A. Leader Activation Phase: The playerwith the lowest-Initiative-rated leader (orUncontrolled Line [9.3]), who has not yetbeen activated, activates that leader. If thatleader wishes to issue a Line Command,he rolls for the ability at this point [4.23].That player may attempt to by-pass thatleader’s turn by Trumping his own leader[5.41].

B. Orders Phase

1. Movement and Missile FireSegment.

a. For each Individual Orderissued by an activated leader, theplayer may perform any onefunction listed [5.22] with onecombat unit or leader. OR,

b. For each Line Commandissued, a number of units within

range of the leader may moveand/or Fire Missiles [5.23].

c. Units capable of Order lyWithdrawal [6.5], and/orReaction Fire [8.2] may do sothroughout this segment.

2. Shock Combat Segment. After aleader has finished issuing orders,eligible units engage in Shockcombat, using the fol lowingsequence [8.3]:

a. Shock Designation: all non-moving, el igible units thatchoose to Shock are given“SHOCK-No Check” markers.

b. The Charge (Pre-Shock TQCheck).

c. Resolution of Possible LeaderCasualties.

d. The Clash of Spears andSwords (determine Superiorityand Shock column).

e. Resolve the melee.

f. Check for possible Collapse(Rout).

C. Momentum Phase OR Return to “A.”The player having the leader who wasactivated in the immediately precedingOrders Phase may attempt a Momentumdie roll to give that leader another OrdersPhase (Phase “B”), or else play returns toPhase “A” for any leaders that remainunactivated.

D. Rout and Reload Phase

1. Remove “Rallied” markers.

2. Rout Movement: Routed unitsmust undergo Rout Movement[10.22].

3. Reload Segment: Eligible missileunits may get more missiles [8.15].

4. Army Withdrawal Check: Eachplayer checks to see if his army hasreached its Withdrawal level.

5. Flip al l “Moved” units and“Finished” leaders back to theirfront sides.

At the conclusion of the Rout and ReloadPhase that game turn has ended andanother game turn begins. There are noset number of turns. The battle continuesuntil one side withdraws.

4.0 Leaders

Combat units may not move or firemissi les unless they get either anIndividual Order or a Line Commandfrom a leader (exception: see 9.3Uncontrolled Advance). Those combatunits that have received such ordersduring a turn, or that are within commandrange of that same leader, or that areexecuting an uncontrolled advance, mayconduct Shock Combat. Each leadercounter has two sides: “Active” and“Finished.” A leader that has concludedits activation is flipped to his Finishedside. Leaders return to their active side atthe end of the turn for use again in thenext turn.

4.1 Leader Counters

Each leader possesses several ratings:

Initiative: This denotes his basic abilityto control forces and make rapid decisions.Initiative is used to determine thesequence of leader activation and thechances of that leader being able to useMomentum. It also defines the numberof Individual Orders that leader may issueper Orders Phase. The higher the ratingthe better the leader.

Elite Commander Initiative: This refersto leaders with a triangle next to theirInitiative [5.5].

Line Command: The number to the rightof the slash indicates that, if eligible, thatleader—instead of issuing a series ofOrders to a given number of units—mayissue a move and/or fire Order to all unitsin that number of Lines [4.23].

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Contingent commanders (leaders markedwith a “C” where the Line Commandrating would be) may not issue LineCommands.

Command Range: Denotes his overallpresence on the battlefield as well as thepresence of his aides and the effectivenessof his abilities—the base range in hexesover which that leader may exert hisInitiative.

Strategy: Only Overall Commandershave this rating. It is used to determine ifa Subordinate Commander can use LineCommands in his Order Phase.

Charisma: Denotes his ability to spur histroops on to greater efforts in combat. Therating is used to adjust the die roll on theShock Combat Results Table in his favorfor combat units with which he is stacked.It is also used to Rally units.

Design Note: This rating varies widelyin CATAPHRACT. For the most part,Roman Commanders of this era hadabandoned the up-front and personalstyle of hands-on leadership in favor of amore e fficient, behind-the-linescommand methodology. This enabledthem to see—and, thus, control—more.Some of their opponents, such as the Gothsstil l emphasized the traditionalAlexandrian up front style of leadership.

Personal Combat: This rating is used todetermine whether a leader is killed orwounded in combat or from missile fire.

Movement Allowance (MA): Themovement allowance of a leader is notprinted on the counter. Rather, thenumber of Movement Points a Leadermay expend in a single Orders Phase isnine for all leaders.

4.2 Leader Capabilities

There are three types of leaders inCATAPHRACT: Overall Commanders,Subordinate Commanders, andContingent Commanders. Section 4.3describes the Command System used inC ATAPHRACT , while this sectiondescribes the general capabilties of all all

leaders. When activated, a leader mayissue either Individual Orders or LineCommands. He may not do both.

4.21 Individual Orders. A leader may giveIndividual Orders to any friendly combatunits within his Command Range (subjectto certain command restrictions), whichis measured using an unobstructed pathof hexes equal to or less than the range,traced between leader and unit. Count theunit’s hex, but not the leader’s. A path isobstructed by hexes occupied by an enemyunits, an unoccupied hex in an enemyZone of Control (ZOC), or terrain aleader could not cross or enter. Friendlyunits negate enemy ZOCs for purposesof tracing Order paths. All other paths areconsidered unobstructed. CommandRanges are calculated at the instant theOrder is given.

4.22 An Individual Order allows onefriendly unit to conduct movement and/or missile volley, rally a unit, etc. [5.22].In a given Orders Phase a leader may issuea number of Orders equal to his Initiativerating. Once a leader can give no moreOrders and cannot be activated again, fliphim to his Finished side.

4.23 Line Commands.

Series Note: Line Commands arehandled somewhat differently inCATAPHRACT than in prior games inthe series. Experienced players shouldread this section and the Line CommandEligibility charts carefully and refrainfrom adding exceptions and conditionsfrom prior games that are not there.

A leader, instead of issuing IndividualOrders, may issue a Line Command, ifhe is eligible to do so. Units issued a LineCommand may Move and/or Fire [5.23].A Line consists of units of the same typeand organization as denoted on the LineCommand Eligibility Chart for thespecific scenario. All units that willcomprise a given Line must be withintwice the Command Range of the leaderinvolved. The leader must be able to tracea path as if he was giving an Order [4.21]to at least one unit in the Line. The unitsthemselves must meet the Line CommandEligibility requirements [4.27] to be part

of the Line. For cavalry lines where anintervening hex is allowed, this hex cannotbe occupied by an enemy unit or a friendlyunit not eligible for that line. Units in aLine do not have to stay together whenthey move, and all eligible units in rangedo not have to take part.

Belisarius is the only leader who can issuetwo Line Commands. All eligibilityrequirements are determined at theinstant the Line Command is issued.Furthermore, Belisarius can move witheach line, but his total movement cannotexceed his movement allowance of nine(see also 5.24 #3).

4.24 In order for a leader to move, thatleader must issue an Individual Order tohimself, receive an Individual Order fromthe Overall Commander, or move at thesame time as a Line to which he issued aLine Command (see, also, 6.14).

4.25 A leader, other than the OverallCommander [4.31], who is in an enemyZone of Control may not issue Orders orLine Commands—either to combat unitsor to himself, and thus may not move outof that enemy ZOC—unless and until heis moved out of that ZOC by an Orderfrom the Overall Commander.

4.26 A leader who is “Finished” [5.15]may not issue Individual Orders or LineCommands. However, he may move, butonly if ordered by an Overall Commanderto do so.

4.27 Line Command Eligibility Charts.These charts (see playing aid card) detailby scenario which unit types mayparticipate in a given line.

4.3 Command System

Design Note: Players will soon realizethat Line Commands are a very efficientway to move large numbers of units.However, Line Commands do restrictwhat a leader may do. For example, aleader issuing a Line Command to moveunits may not rally units in that OrdersPhase. Moreover, as a battle progressesand the combat units become intermixedin their melees, it will become

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increasingly difficult to issue LineCommands to more than a few units.

4.31 Overall Commanders. OverallCommanders (OC) function like otherleaders except that, when activated, OCscan:1. Leave enemy ZOCs by issuing an

Individual Order to themselves (thiscosts two Orders).

2. May issue Individual Orders to other,friendly leaders (one per leader perOrders Phase) to move them. If theleader to be moved starts in an enemyZOC it costs the OC two Orders tomove that leader. Note that an OC inan enemy ZOC may not issue anOrder to move another leader; he mustfirst leave that ZOC.

3. Automatically issue Line Commands.4. Use its Strategy rating to al low

subordinates to issue Line Commands.

An OC in an enemy ZOC can onlyperform item #1 above—leave an enemyZOC. Immediately upon leaving anenemy ZOC, an OC can again issueIndividual Orders and, if applicable, useits Strategy rating to al low othersubordinates to issue Line Commands.The OC cannot issue Line Commandsimmediately after leaving an enemy ZOC,but could issue Line Commands duringsubsequent activations if it meets theconditions to do so.

4.32 Subordinate Commanders.Subordinate Commanders (SC) functionlike other leaders with respect toIndividual Orders, but to be eligible toissue a Line Command he must start hisActivation Phase, either:1. Within his OC’s command range. The

player then rolls a die and comparesthat die roll to the OC’s Strategyrating. If the die roll is the same as orlower than the rating, the SC is eligible(though not required) to issue a LineCommand that turn. If it is higher, hemay issue only Individual Orders. Thatability to issue a Line Command stayswith that leader for that turn, into anyimmediately succeeding Momentumactivation; the player does not have toroll against the OC’s Strategy ratingagain.

2. Outside his OC’s command range.The player may still attempt a LineCommand for that leader by rollingthe die. If the die roll is a 0, that leadermay issue a Line Command; if it is a‘1-9” the leader is Finished.

In either case, the SC must meet therequirements listed in 4.23.

In certain scenar ios, SubordinateCommanders may be further restricted onthe nationalty/types of units that they maycommand.

Example: At Callinicum, Cabades canonly give Orders and Line Commands toPersian units.

4.33 Contingent Commanders.Contingent Commanders(CC) function like otherleaders with respect toIndividual Orders, with theexception that these Ordersmay be issued only to those

units in their command as noted by thecommand restriction keyword on theircounter. Furthermore, ContingentCommanders may not issue LineCommands and may not Trump or useMomentum.

Series Note: In CATAPHRACT ,Contingent Commanders are the leadersof barbarian mercenary bands employedby the Byzantines. Their use and functiondiffers from the Contingent Commanderspresented in ALEXANDER.

4.4 Leaders and Combat

This section covers general rules relatingto leaders and enemy combat units. Forspecific rules for casualties during Shocksee 8.34.

4.41 Leaders may enter enemy ZOCsonly if stacked with a friendly combat unitor that ZOC already contains a friendlycombat unit. Like combat units, leaders,too, must cease movement for that Orderupon entering an enemy ZOC. A leadermay leave an enemy ZOC, only if hereceives orders from the OverallCommander [4.31].

4.42 The instant any combat unit movesadjacent to a leader, that leader canundertake an Orderly Withdrawal [6.5].If the leader is alone in the hex, and doesnot withdraw—or cannot (because ofenemy units or terrain)—then one of thefollowing happens:1. If adjacent to enemy foot units, simply

place that leader with the nearestfriendly unit.

2. If adjacent to a mounted enemy unit,roll the die. If the die roll is a 3-9, thatleader is eliminated (captured orkilled). If the die roll is 0-2, place theleader with nearest friendly unit.

3. If the leader cannot reach the nearestfriendly unit, because it is surroundedby enemy units or ZOCs throughwhich it would have to move, it iseliminated.

4.43 Replacement Leaders.All leaders, other than theOverall Commander, may bereplaced when killed. This isdone by having the OC issue an Order toreplace a fal len subordinate with aReplacement leader. EliminatedContingent Commanders are simplyplaced back on the map. The OC does nothave to be within range of any particularunit; simply place the Replacement leader(or returning Contingent Commander)in any hex containing a unit he is capableof commanding. The Replacement leaderis considered “Finished” for that turn; hemay not give orders—or initiate shockcombat for units within range—until thenext turn. The number of Replacementleaders provided is a design-intent playlimitation. If there are no Replacementleaders available, a dead leader may notbe replaced. (This, again, does not applyto a Contingent Commander.)

Design Note: A single, “named ”Contingent Commander counter actuallyrepresents more than one “man.” The samemay also be said of other named leadersin terms of their presence on the field. Thereplacement leaders for SubordinateCommanders have ratings similar toContingent Commanders.

4.44 If an Overall Commander iseliminated, he is not replaced; the armycontinues with no OC.

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5.0 Leader Activation and Orders

An Important Note: For the sake ofbrevity, the word “order” will also mean aLine Command, unless the rulespecifically uses the term Individual Order(IO) to distinguish it from a LineCommand.

Leaders issue Individual Orders or LineCommands in the Orders Phase. Leadersmay not issue any orders until they areActivated. P layers may use theMomentum rule to give an activatedleader up to two additional Orders Phases.They may also use the Trump Option toactivate a leader sooner than usual.

Exception: A leader first activated by theElite rule [5.5], then activated again—later in the turn—may use Momentum forone additional Order Phase.

5.1 How to Activate Leaders

5.11 All leaders start the turn inactive,and each has the opportunity to becomeactivated and issue orders. After theycomplete issuing orders, they are thenFinished.

5.12 Each game turn starts with oneplayer activating one of his leaders.Leaders are activated in the sequence oftheir Initiative ratings, starting with theleader having the lowest and proceedingto the highest (see exceptions in 5.4 TheTrump Option). In case of ties, roll a die;high roll goes first, with players thenalternating amongst the remaining,similarly-rated leaders. If two leaders onthe same side have the same Initiativerating, the owning player decides whichone goes first.

5.13 Only inactive leaders that have notpreviously been activated in that turn areeligible for activation, with the exceptionof Momentum [5.3] and EliteCommanders [5.5].

Example of sequence of leader activation:At Callinicum, the Byzantine leadersArethas and Longinus (Initiative 3)would activate first and second(Byzantine player ’s choice). As bothplayers have leaders with Initiative 5, ahigh die roll decides who goes next. If thePersians win the roll, one of their twoleaders with Initiative 5 would go,followed by one of the Byzantine’s havingInitiative 5, then the second Persianhaving Initiative 5, etc.

5.14 A leader may be activated amaximum of three times in succession ina single game-turn (using Momentum forthe last two times). Exception: see the“succession” requirement with respect toElite Initiative [5.5].

5.15 A Leader is Finished when one ofthe following occurs:1. The Leader has completed an Orders

Phase and does not (or cannot) makea Momentum attempt.

2. The Leader is Trumped by an enemyleader.

3. The leader fails with his own a Trumpor Momentum attempt.

4. A player declines to use that leaderwhen it is his turn; i.e., he “passes.”

Exception: See 5.5 Elite Commanders.

5.16 When a leader is Finished, flip hiscounter over to so indicate. A Finishedleader cannot undertake any furtherOrders Phases that turn.

5.2 The Orders Phase

5.21 Once activated, a leader can give anumber of Individual Orders (IO) equalto his Initiative rating to units or, he canissue a Line Command(s) [4.23].

Example: Thus, when Belisarius isactivated he can either issue up to sixIndividual Orders OR two LineCommands for that activation. He maychoose to issue less (or none); he may notissue more in that Orders Phase.

5.22 Each Individual Order allows theplayer to do one of the following:

1. Move any one unit. Missile units mayfire a missile volley at any time duringtheir movement [8.1].

2. Conduct Missile Fire with one missileunit (without Movement).

3. Remove two Cohesion Hits [10.14].

4. Attempt to Rally a Routed unit[10.33].

5. Replace an eliminated leader [4.43].

5.23 Each Line Command allows allunits that are within twice the leader’scommand range and meet the LineEligibility requirements [4.23 and 4.27]to move/missile fire as if they were justgiven an Individual Order. A LineCommand given to a non-bow armedinfantry or cavalry unit may cause anUncontrolled Advance to occur [9.3].

5.24 Leaders may move under thefollowing conditions:

1. An activated leader may issue anIndividual Order to himself and movealone.

2. An activated leader may issue anIndividual Order to a unit with whichhe is stacked and move along with it.The leader must remain with themoving combat unit and end up in thesame hex.

3. An activated leader may issue a LineCommand and move along with thatLine as long as he starts in the samehex as a moving unit from that Line.However, he does not have to remainwith that unit/line, as long as he endsmovement in normal CommandRange of one unit in that Line.

4. The Overal Commander (OC) mayissue an Individual Order to moveanother leader (which is helpful if thatleader is in an enemy ZOC, whichrequires two such Orders). He may usea Line Command to move anotherleader only if that leader is stackedwith a combat unit in that Line.

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5. A leader may move with a unitundergoing Orderly Withdrawal [6.5]if he is stacked with that unit.

5.25 Although a given combat unit maybe ordered to move more than once pergame turn, it may not move (and/ormissile fire) more than once per OrderPhase [6.0].

Example: At Dara, if a Cataphract unitis ordered to move by John, it may not beordered by John to move again in thatOrder Phase. It may, however, be soordered in a subsequent phase (in the sameturn) by, say, Belisarius, or even by Johnif he gets a second (Momentum)activation.

5.26 Orders/Line Commands are notused to directly precipitate shock combat,which occurs in a subsequent segment.[8.3]. However, Individual Orders can beused for Missile Fire [8.1]. Reaction Firedoes not require orders; it occurs inresponse to enemy actions.

5.27 Any activated leader (other than theOC) starting an Orders Phase in anenemy ZOC may not issue orders [4.25].However, his Command Range may stillbe used to designate units to engage inShock Combat in that segment of theOrders Phase [7.25], so he is not entirelyuseless. In addition, he may still use hisCharisma. At the end of the orders phase,regardless of whether or not the leaderallowed and/or participated in ShockCombat, if the activated leader remainsin an enemy ZOC, he is Finished. Hemay not use Momentum [5.3]. (See 4.24and 4.31 for moving leaders in an enemyZOC.)

Example: At Tricameron, Martinus, oneof Belisarius’ subordinate commanders,starts the turn in an enemy ZOC. Whenit becomes Martinus’ turn, he cannot issueIndividual Orders or Line Commands.Martinus might as well use hisCommand Range to have someByzantine units make Shock attacks(because he is about to be Finishedanyway). When Belisarius gets an OrdersPhase, he decides to move Martinus outof that enemy ZOC, but the Finished

Martinus is not eligible to activateduring the remainder of the turn.

Design Note: The ability of leaders inan enemy ZOC to allow units in theirrange that are already in contact with theenemy to Shock—even if that leadercannot do anything else—is more afunction of the units’ proximity to theenemy than the leader’s ability, range,awareness, etc.

Series Note: In our never-ceasing effortto improve the rules, a ZOC-encumberedleader no longer has the option ofpostponing his normal position in theleader activation sequence. In theprevious example, a gambling Belisarius(wanting more out of Martinus thisturn) could have tried to Trump thenormal sequence in order to moveMartinus out of the ZOC prior toMartinus’ normal position in theactivation sequence.

5.28 After a leader has issued all of theorders he wishes (or can), friendly unitsengage in Shock in the ensuing ShockSegment, as delineated by theintroduction to 8.3.

5.29 After Shock combat has beencompleted, that Orders Phase is finished.One of two things may now happen:1. The player may attempt to gain a

Momentum Orders Phase [5.3] for theleader who just finished the OrdersPhase; or

2. The next, eligible leader with thelowest Initiative rating is activated(subject to Trumping), returning toPhase “A.”

When all leaders are Finished the playersproceed to the Rout and Reload Phase.

5.3 Momentum

Play Note: Momentum (and Trumping,below) are highly useful and powerfulgambits, especially for the Player withsuperior leadership. However, there isusually a 20-40% chance of it backfiring;when that occurs, Momentum can oftenprovide the opponent with majorpossibilities.

5.31 At the conclusion of the OrdersPhase, if the leader who had issued ordersfor that phase ...• is not in an enemy Zone of Control,

and• was not previously Trumped or

Bypassed [5.45], thenthe player may attempt to undertake anadditional Orders Phase with that sameleader. In order to do so, that leader mustpass a Momentum die roll.

Exception: Contingent Commandersmay not use Momentum.

5.32 The player rol ls the die andcompares the result to the leader ’sInitiative rating. If it is the same or lessthan the rating, that leader starts anotherOrders Phase (Phase B); if more than therating, that leader is Finished for the turn.

Example: Thus, Belisarius would need adie roll of 0-6 to gain Momentum; a 7-9would Finish him.

5.33 Die Roll of Doom. If theMomentum die roll is a 9, then the die isimmediately rolled again:• If the second die roll is a ‘9’ then no

further leader activation may occur thisturn (by either player), and play goesdirectly to the Rout and Reload Phase.

• If the second die roll is a 0 or 1,paralysis occurs. That player may notactivate any further leaders for theturn, but his opponent is still eligibleto activate his remaining eligibleleaders.

• If the second die roll is a 2-8, the leaderattempting Momentum is Finished.Go back to Phase “A.”

5.34 Momentum die rolls apply only to aleader who has just finished an OrdersPhase. You may not apply Momentum toa leader who Finished several phases ago.

5.4 The Trump Option

Design Note: This is a game mechanicthat is intended to simulate the effect ofsuperiority in the area of command. Assuch, it is l ikely to be used almostexclusively by the player with palpably

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better leaders (such as Belisarius). The“inferior” player will often find that, forhim, its best application is when itbackfires on his supposedly betteropponent. To that extent, players shouldbe aware that, simply because this optionis available doesn’t mean it should be usedindiscriminately.

Prior to each leader activation bothplayers are given one option to trump thatleader’s activation.

5.41 Active Player Trump Option. Theplayer whose turn it normally would beto activate his lowest-rated leader, instead,may attempt to activate any other, inactiveleader with a higher Initiative rating. Todo this, the player must roll the latter’sInitiative rating or less on the die. Ifsuccessful that leader is now activated(after which play returns to the normalprocess of momentum and activatingleaders, including the still-unfinished,previously-trumped leader). Ifunsuccessful, the originally designatedleader is activated and the one whoattempted the trump is Finished.

Exception: Contingent Commandersmay not make Trump attempts.

Example: At Dara, the Persian player,instead of activating Pitames, couldattempt to activate Perozes by Trumping.If he rolled a 0-5 he would be successful;but on a 6-9 the Trump attempt fails,Pitames is activated and Perozes isFinished.

5.42 Inactive Player Trump Options.The opposing player has two trumpoptions, each usable under differentcircumstances.

1. Trumping the Trump: If—and onlyif—the active player is successful withhis trump [5.41], the opposing playerthen has the option of attempting totrump that first trump activation withhis own leader. This requires that theinactive player’s leader have an equalor higher Initiative rating (and theusual trump die roll less than or equalto Initiative). If successful this leaderis immediately activated; ifunsuccessful the initial trump-

activated leader goes and the leaderattempting the “trumping the trump”is Finished.

Example: Using the example in 5.41, ifthe Persian player is successful inactivating Perozes instead of Pitames,then the Byzantine player can nowattempt to trump the trump by rolling forBelisarius. However, he rolls a 8, soPerozes remains activated and Belisariusis Finished for the turn.

2. Momentum Trump: If the activeplayer is successful with a Momentumdie roll, the opposing player mayattempt to trump in the same fashionas #1, above.

Example: At Tricameron, Gelimar hasbeen successful with a Momentumattempt. Belisarius will have none of thatand attempts to trump. He rolls a 3 and,instead of Gelimar going, it ’s nowBelisarius’ Orders Phase and Gelimar isFinished.

After the successfully-trumping leader hasfinished his set of Orders/LineCommands, play reverts back to thestandard, lowest-available-leader-goesprocedure.

5.43 Each side is allowed only one trumpattempt per activation.

5.44 A leader who fails a trump attemptor has been trumped when trying forMomentum is Finished.

5.45 Bypassed. An inactive leader whohas not yet been activated andis passed over by a successfultrump is stil l eligible foractivation (and will probablybe next in line as the lowest-

rated leader). However, all bypassedleaders may not use Momentum that turn.Use the “Trumped / No Momentum”markers to indicate this.

Player Note: Bypass applies to bothplayer’s units. Thus at Callinicum, ifBelisarius trumps his man A. John, notonly is A. John Bypassed, but also Bouzesand the Persians Alamoundaras andCabades as well.

5.46 A leader may be activated only onceper game-turn, although that activationmay be extended by Momentum [5.3]. ForException, see 5.5 Elite Commanders.Finished leaders may not be activatedagain that turn.

5.47 A leader that successfully trumpscannot pass. He must issue an order to aunit to move or fire, or he must use hisRange to have units Shock attack. A unitis considered to have moved for thepurpose of this rule if it ends the phase ina hex different from the one in which itstarted (a change of facing is not enough).

5.5 Elite Commanders

This rule simulates the marked superiorityof certain commanders—such asBelisarius—especially in their ability to“get going” before their opposition.

A player with an Elite O verallCommander (indicated by the trianglenext to his Initiative rating) has the optionto start each turn with a single EliteInitiative (EI) Orders Phase. This EIOrders Phase may be undertaken by theOC or by any one subordinate leader whois in his Command Range, regardless ofInitiative rating, as designated by theplayer. That leader may not useMomentum to continue this EI Phase.After that Phase is completed, the chosenleader or OC reverts to inactive (but notFinished) status. He has undergone onlyone Orders Phase for purposes of 5.14 andmay be activated again, using normalactivation rules.

If both players have an elite OC (thiscannot happen in CATAPHRACT but thisis here as part of the standard rule set), atthe start of each turn, each player rolls adie, to which he adds his EliteCommander’s Initiative rating. High rollgets to use the EI Order Phase. If theadjusted die roll is a tie, neither player canuse the EI Order Phase.

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6.0 Movement

6.1 Movement Allowances

Design Note: Movement Allowancessimulate not only the time it takes a unitto move from point A to point B, but alsoits maneuverability relative to other,different-type units as well as the tacticaldoctrines applied to deploying those units.

6.11 A combat unit’s printed MovementAllowance (MA) is the basic allowance fora single Order. A combat unit receivingan Order may move up to its printed MA.Units may move less than the printedMA, unless part of an UncontrolledAdvance [9.31].

6.12 There is no limit to the number oftimes a combat unit may move in a singleturn; however; it may move only once perOrders Phase.

6.13 After the first time a unit moves ina turn, flip it to its “Moved” side. “Moved”units later may use their full MA again.However, each time a “Moved” unit ismoved again, it earns a Cohesion Hit[10.1]. This hit penalty does not apply toadvances after combat or units usingOrderly Withdrawal [6.52]. (Comparethis to the “terrain-mandated” hits in[8.41]). Firing without movement is notmovement for the purposes of this section.

6.14 Activated Leaders may move anynumber of times in a turn or OrdersPhase, but they may not exceed theirallotted nine MA per phase. Leadersmove using cavalry costs. Leaders have nofacing and do not pay any cost to changefacing. See 6.64 for impact of stacking.

6.2 Movement Restrictions

6.21 As a unit moves, it traces a path ofcontiguous hexes through the hex grid,paying the cost of each hex entered (see6.3 Natural Terrain). One unit ’smovement must be completed beforeanother can begin.

6.22 A unit may be moved in anydirection or combination of directions.

However, a unit may only enter a hexwhich is to its front [7.11]. In order for aunit to change direction it must firstchange facing [7.12] by pivoting in thehex it occupies.

6.3 Natural Terrain

Design Note: As with previous eras,because of the problems in movingtightly-packed formations, virtually allbattles were fought on as flat and clear apiece of ground as could be found. Somecare was also taken in using naturalbarriers, such as rivers, to secure flanks.

There is always a cost in MovementPoints (MP) to enter/cross each type ofterrain. In addition, there may be apossible Cohesion Hit penalty to do so,depending on the unit and/or terrain type.

Play Note: Players should neverunderestimate the damage that rough andhilly terrain can do to a formation.

6.31 A unit expends Movement Pointsfor each hex it enters and for somehexsides crossed. Most units also pay extraMovement Points to move into a hex ofhigher elevation.

Example: A Heavy Cavalry (HC) unitat Taginae in hex 3823 would expend 2MP to move into 3923 (one for thebroken hex and one for the higherelevation level).

6.32 It didn’t take much to disorder aformation that had to enter terrain thatwasn’t level and smooth. A unit usuallyreceives a Cohesion Hit whenever itchanges elevation or enters “Rough”terrain (determined by unit type, see6.37). Rough terrain, in CATAPHRACT,is woods, marsh or broken. Leaders neversuffer cohesion penalties. All CohesionHits due to movement (including alladvances after combat) and facing changesare applied the instant they occur.

Example: Using the example in 6.31,that HC unit would earn one CohesionHit for moving into the broken hex.

6.33 A hex containing two types ofterrain uses the “majority” terrain.

Example: Hex 1503 at Callinicum,while it does contain some river, is aClear hex in game terms.

6.34 Certain hexes are impassable; nounit may enter such a hex.

Example: City Walls at Dara.

6.35 A moving unit must have enoughMP to pay the terrain cost of entering ahex; if it doesn’t, it cannot enter that hex.Units also pay movement point costs tochange facing [7.12].

6.36 Elevation, rivers and woods may alsoaffect shock combat results by adjustingthe column under which the players rollto determine losses, as per the ShockCombat Results Table.

6.37 The Movement Cost Chart. Thischart gives the MP costs and CohesionHits for each type of unit moving into/across (or changing facing in) a specifictype of terrain.

6.4 Column Movement

Design Note: On the battlefield, formedinfantry moved in a battle formationthat would, in later centuries, be called“Line.” They were capable, however, ofusing much looser, more mobile formation(in modern terms, “Column”) for morerapid movement. In addition, because theunits were not in an extended line thatconstantly needed dressing to be effective,the effects of movement upon a unit ’s“cohesion” were not as drastic.

6.41 On being given a move order, anyinfantry unit of a Disciplined army [9.2]that is not in an enemy ZOC or Routedmay change to (or from) “Column” as theconclusion of its Movement. It costs oneMP to change formation, either in or outof Column, so the unit must have at leastone MP remaining to do so. In order fora unit to use Column Movement, a unitmust start the Orders Phase in Column.Use the “In Column” markers to indicatethis status.

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6.42 Units In Column increase their MAby one. In addition, the only Cohesioncosts a unit In Column pays are the onesmarked with “COL” on the Terrain Chart.

Example: Units In Column pay theCohesion cost for moving through woods,but they do not pay such for crossing aStream.

6.43 Units in Column must face thehexside (not the vertex) and only the hexdirectly in front of them is frontal. Thechange in facing is effected when thechange to (or from) Column status isannounced. When changing formationfrom column to normal, the unit is alwaysfaced to the vertex on either side of thehexside (and vice versa). There is noadditional cost to do so.

6.44 Column units move into either theirfrontal hex or the flank hexes adjacent tothe frontal hex. There is no MP cost tochange facing to move into a frontal-flankhex; there is a cost to move into any otherhex.

6.45 Units In Column have their TQratings temporarily reduced by two. Unitsin column may not attack or fire. The onlything they do is move. If attacked by anenemy unit, the attacking unit isautomatically Attack Superior, regardlessof Position or Weapon system.

6.46 If an In Column unit is shockattacked, at the conclusion of that OrdersPhase. the unit automatically goes backto its combat formation at the cost of oneadditional Cohesion Hit, even if that hitwere to cause it to Rout!

6.47 In Column units may not useOrderly Withdrawal, nor may they movethrough other units.

6.5 Orderly Withdrawal

Orderly Withdrawal is a form of retreatcarr ied out dur ing the movementsegment, in the face of an approachingenemy, in which “lighter,” but faster andmore maneuverable, units can avoidgetting crushed.

Play Note: OW is an extremely valuablemaneuver. Therefore, we have gone togreat lengths to explain this rule. OrderlyWithdrawal is a “retreat” in the face ofan approaching enemy, long before thatenemy can close. This is why thewithdrawing unit can return to theoriginal facing (with minimum cohesioncost) it had before the enemy approached.In play terms, you simply move thecounter backwards.

6.51 Dur ing an enemy MovementSegment, any unrouted friendly combatunit that is not in an enemy ZOC [7.2]may avoid contact with an enemy unit theinstant it moves within two hexes of thefriendly, “defending” unit, as long as the“defending” unit has a higher movementallowance than the attacking combat unit.This case also applies if the moving unitstarts its move at a range of two hexes.

To do this, the friendly, defending unitwithdraws from the advancing unit up toa number of Movement Points (not hexes)equal to the difference between themovement al lowances of the unitsinvovled. Withdrawal must occur theinstant the enemy unit moves into two-hex range (stop moving the friendly unittemporarily), or else the option is lost.Cavalry units that qualify as a Line maywithdraw as a “clump” if any part of thatLine conducts Orderly Withdrawal. ForLeaders, see 4.42.

Example: A Saracen Light Cavalry unit(MA of 9) may not Withdraw uphill inthe face of an advancing ByzantineCataphract (MA of 8) because it wouldcost the Saracen LC 2 MPs to move soand it is only allowed 1 MP withdrawalmove.

Play Note: Yes, it says within two hexes,so any (eligible) friendly unit canWithdraw if an enemy moves within twohexes, even if that unit doesn’t actuallymove in his direction. Thus, the friendlyplayer must make his decision towithdraw before the moving enemymakes his full intentions clear!

6.52 The withdrawing unit maintains itsoriginal facing throughout withdrawal atno facing change cost in Cohesion Hitsor Movement Points. It does, however,pay any of the usual Cohesion penaltiesfor terrain entered/crossed during thewithdrawal. At the completion ofwithdrawal, if it wishes to change facing,it pays any Cohesion penalties inherentin such a change. There are two possibleadditional penalty situations:1. Al l withdrawing infantr y units

(inc ludes dismounted cavalr y)automatically receive 1 Cohesion Hitafter moving.

2. If the Withdrawing unit was beingapproached from a rear or flank hex(i.e., the hex into which the enemy,moving unit intended to move) itsuffers a 1-point Cohesion penaltybefore withdrawing. (This iscumulative with #1, and applies to allunits.)

6.53 If a Withdrawing unit reaches itsTQ rating in Cohesion Hits it Routs[10.2].

6.54 A unit may withdraw an unlimitednumber of times during a game turn, butthe 6.52 penalties apply to each,individual withdrawal. No movementpoints are expended and no orders areneeded for combat units.

6.55 A unit may not withdraw into anenemy ZOC, woods, marsh, river or anyhex into which movement would beprohibited. Cavalry units with B or Cmissile capability may fire as part of theOrderly Withdrawal. The range is alwaystreated as two hexes for B missile types.Composite bow (C missile type) cavalrymay select the most advantageous rangeprovided that the moving unit was at thatrange with a clear LOS at some pointduring its move. No other missile type

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unit may fire as part of an OrderlyWithdrawal. Stacking restrictions (6.6)apply during withdrawal.

Clarification: As noted in 6.51, theapproaching unit does not actually enterthe Withdrawing unit’s ZOC; the latterhas moved before that can occur. Thismeans that, if the approaching unit iscapable of Missile Fire while moving,such fire must take place at range 2 orgreater.

6.56 Orderly Withdrawal takes placeduring the opposing player’s Movement—a unit may not withdraw in the Shockcombat segment. The attacking/movingunit may continue to complete itsmovement in the face of such withdrawal.

6.6 Stacking

Stacking refers to having more than oneunit in a hex at any one time, whetherduring movement or at the completion ofmovement. There are two principlesinvolved when considering stacking rules:Voluntar y movement, which usuallymeans combat units moving under ordersor Orderly Withdrawal; and Mandatorymovement, virtually all of which is routmovement.

6.61 The Basic Stacking Rule. A hex maycontain, without penalty, one combat unit.Leaders and informational markers do notcount for stacking purposes. A hex maycontain any number of leaders/markers.

Design Note: The stacking rules are verysimple—no voluntary stacking.

6.62 A unit may never move into orthrough a hex containing an enemycombat unit.

6.63 The restrictions, allowances andCohesion Hit penalties for movingthrough friendly units are all given on theStacking Chart [6.66]. The chart does notapply to leaders, which have no stackingrestrictions.

6.64 Combat units may enter a hexcontaining only a leader at no movement

or cohesion cost. However, leaders pay amovement penalty of +1 MP to enter ahex occupied by a combat unit.

6.65 A combat unit stacked with a leadermay Orderly Withdraw together [6.5]. Ifthey withdraw together, they must staytogether. Remember that the leader mayalso withdraw using 4.42.

6.66 The Stacking Chart. The chart listswhat type of unit is moving. However, theeffects apply to both moving andstationary units, unless otherwisespecified.

7.0 Facing and ZOC

7.1 Facing

7.11 All units must be faced in a hex sothat the top of the unit (the side with itsname) faces into the vertex of the hex(between two hexsides, as shown below).All units in a hex must be faced the sameway. The two hexes to the front are calledthe frontal hexes, those to the side are theflanks, and those behind are the rear. Aunit may only move into a hex to its front.

7.12 In order for a unit to change itsfacing it must pivot within its hex. Allcombat units (not leaders) pay a cost ofone movement point for each vertexshifted.

7.13 A unit may not change facing whileentering, or while in, an enemy ZOC.

Exception: Units advancing after combat[8.42] may change facing one vertex.

7.14 Units that change facing within aRough terrain hex suffer a one-pointCohesion penalty for each vertex forwhich they do so. “Rough” terrain includesWoods, Broken, and Marsh.

7.15 Reaction Facing Change. Any unitmay change facing one vertex (per phase)when an enemy unit moves adjacent to it.It may not do so if it is already in anenemy ZOC. After changing facing, theplayer rolls one die if the reacting unit isinfantry. If the die roll is higher than theunit’s TQ rating, apply the difference (rollminus unit’s TQ) as Cohesion Hits to theunit. There is no die roll for cavalry units.

7.2 Zones of Control (ZOC) and Shock Requirements

7.21 Combat units exert a Zone ofControl into their front hexes (only)—even those that are out of missiles. Routedunits and leaders do not exert ZOCs.

7.22 ZOCs do not extend into a hex intowhich movement is prohibited.

7.23 A unit must cease movement theinstant it enters an enemy ZOC. A unitthat begins movement in an enemy ZOCcan move out of the enemy ZOC only if:1. It is the Overall Commander issuing

two Orders to himself.2. It is a leader issued two Orders by his

OC.3. It is a combat unit that can receive an

order to move, has at least oneunoccupied frontal hex, and its printedMA is greater than the MA of anyenemy unit exerting a ZOC on it.

A unit leaving an enemy ZOC mayimmediately enter another enemy ZOC,but would then cease movement for theremainder of that Orders Phase. Unitsleaving a missile unit’s ZOC are subjectto Retire Reaction Fire [8.21].

7.24 If unit ZOCs of opposing sidesextend into the same hex, then they areboth considered to “control” that hex.

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7.25 Some units must Shock Attack,while others may choose to:A. In the Shock Combat Phase, “heavy”

combat units—those units noted witha “plus” [+] on the Superiority Chart—that moved during the current OrdersPhase must undertake a Shock Attackagainst all enemy units in their ZOC.

B. All other “lighter” units that so movedmay choose to undertake Shock.

C. Any unit issued Fire (only) orders, orthose simply within the activatedleader’s command range may choose toattack all enemy combat units in their(friendly) ZOCs. [7.26, 8.31].

7.26 The moving playerplaces a “SHOCK-CheckTQ” marker on top of eachmoving ‘heavy” unit[7.25(A)] at the instant thatmoving unit moves adjacent to an enemyunit. The moving unit must Shock attackin the ensuing Shock segment. Units thatare eligible to—but do not have to—attack [7.25(B)], also receive a “SHOCK-Check TQ” marker the instant they finishmovement if, at that instant, the playerchooses to shock attack with that unit.Non-moving units [7.25 (C)] are given“SHOCK-No Check” markers at thebeginning of the Shock Combat Segment.These Shock markers delineate whichunits must undergo a pre-Shock TQcheck[8.33]. Only units with Shockmarkers may Shock attack.

Example: A Byzantine Heavy CavalryCataphract unit has a “SHOCK-CheckTQ” marker placed on top of it because ithas to attack. A Persian Light Cavalryunit moving adjacent to an infantry unitdoes not have to shock attack; however,the moving player must state his decisionon whether or not to do so as it finishesmovement. If he wishes it to attack, hemust place a “SHOCK-Check TQ”marker on top.

8.0 Combat

There are two kinds of Combat: Missileand Shock. Missile combat occurs as partof—or instead of—movement at any

point during the Movement segment ofan Orders Phase. Shock combat comes inits own segment—at the conclusion of theMovement Segment, after all orders havebeen issued and movement is completed.A missile unit can participate in bothtypes of combat during the same OrderPhase. In Shock Combat, the Type andSize, plus the Troop Quality of a unit aretaken into account, and the effects ofcombat are Cohesion Hits which mayresult in a unit being Routed.

8.1 Missile Volley

Historical Note: The ubiquitous use ofthe composite bow during this periodmade missile fire a major force on thebattlefield, a significant change from thedays of Caeser.

8.11 There are four types of missile units:Simple Bow (B), Composite Bow (C),Javelins ( J) and the Throwing Axe (F).W hen given an Individual Order,individual missile units can move, fire, orfire during movement. A Line of missileunits given a Line Command may fireduring—or instead of—their movement.The units in the Line do not have toconduct the same action (some may move,others may fire without moving, while stillothers may both move and fire). A unitmay fire during movement only if itmoved “forward” (towards the target)immediately preceding actually firing.Firing during movement does not cost anymovement points, but it can affectaccuracy [8.17 #4].

Example: The Hun Light Cavalry unitmay move four hexes forward, fire at anenemy four hexes away, and then use itsremaining points to ride away.

8.12 Missile Fire may occur:1. As an Order or Line Command.2. As Reaction Fire.3. During Orderly Withdrawal (missile-

armed cavalry only [6.55]).

8.13 A Missile unit may fire at any singletarget unit which is within its MissileRange—which extends from its frontaland/or flank hexes—to which it can tracea Line of Sight [8.16]. Missile units must

each fire individually ; they may notcombine fire.

Exception: Infantry units armed withcomposite bows (Missile type C) thathaven’t moved may fire twice wheneverthey are allowed to fire [9.4].

8.14 Missile Supply. A missile unit mayvolley if it has at least one missile volleyremaining.

1. Bow-armed missile units (types B andC) have an unlimited number ofmissile volleys until they roll anunadjusted 9 when resolving any

missile combat. At the instantone of these units rolls anunadjusted 9 place a MissileLow marker on it, indicatingit has one volley remaining.

2. Javelin-armed units (type J) have anunlimited number of missile volleysuntil they roll an unadjusted 6-9 whenresolving any missile combat, at whichpoint place a Missile Low marker onit, indicating it has one vol leyremaining.

3. Throwing Axe units (type F) are oneshot weapons. Place a Missile Nomarker after their first use.

4. If any “Missile Low” unit fires, flip themarker over to its Missile No side toindicate there are no missiles left tofire. A unit with a Missile No markermay not fire at any time.

8.15 Reload. Any friendly “Missile Low”or “Missile No” unit may Reload byremoving any Missile Low/No markers,only if:1. Not in an enemy ZOC, and2. Not within Missile Fire Range and

Line of Sight of an enemy unit (thatis not ‘Missile No’),

A missile unit may Reload during theReload Segment of the Rout and ReloadPhase, bringing it up to full missilecapability.

8.16 Line of Sight. A missile unit canshoot a missile volley only at an enemytarget unit to which it has an unobstructed

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Line Of Sight (LOS). An LOS iscalculated by tracing a path of hexesbetween the center of the hex the missileunit is in and the same for the target unit,through the firing unit’s frontal or flankhexsides. LOS is blocked by woods, unlessthey are in hexes at a lower elevation thanboth the firer and the target. LOS is alsoblocked if any part of a hex of higherelevation is between the two units. LOSis usually blocked by combat units, unlessthe blocking combat units are closer tothe firer than the target and the firing unithas a missile type of B or C. If the LOSis blocked, missiles may not be fired.

Exception: Missile units may always fireinto adjacent hexes.

Play Note: While not a major problemin most of these battles, because of the flatterrain, LOS is often a cause of “playertension.” We suggest that missile LOSrules be interpreted strictly, while LOSfor Line Commands (4.23) be interpretedliberally. The former are trying to shootat a target; the latter are simply tryingto see if everyone is in place.

8.17 Volley Effects. The Missile Rangeand Results Chart [8.51] is used todetermine the effect of Missile volleys.For each volley, a die is rolled. If the dieroll is equal to or less than the ratingindicated on this chart for that range,then the target unit takes one CohesionHit. If the firing unit is armed with acomposite bow (C), then on an adjusted0 or 1 the target takes two Cohesion Hitsinstead. If the die roll was greater thanthe missile unit’s volley strength rating,then it misses. Remember, infantry missileunits may not f ire dur ing Order lyWithdrawal. All combat effects frommissile combat are immediate and occurbefore any other unit is moved/fires. Thefollowing (cumulative) die rol ladjustments are made:

1. If the target is in a Woods hex, addone to the die roll.

2. If the target is Heavy Infantry add oneto the die roll. (This represents theheavier armor protection of suchunits.). This modifier is not used if #3below is used.

3. If the target is Heavy Infantry, and anarcher (C or B armed) is firing at arange of one hex (adjacent) throughthe frontal hexsides of the infantry, addthree to the die roll. This does notapply to Javelins ( J) or the ThrowingAxe (F), or Reaction Fire by compositebow units. This modifier is usedinstead of #2. (This represents the factthat the lighter shafts of archers were mosteffective against the formidable shieldsand body armor of the heavy infantrywhen firing “ from above” [arcedtrajectory] into the body of troops; atpoint-blank, low-trajectory range, theycould not do that.)

4. If a bow-armed infantry unit or anymounted missile unit, moved/willmove, add one to the die roll. This doesnot apply to infantry armed withjavelins or throwing axes. Design Note:There is no such penalty for movinginfantry using javelins or throwing axesbecause they use movement to gainmomentum for their missiles.

5. If firing from a Dara Wall hex, subtractone from the die roll.

Example: At Taginae, an ArmenianCataphract fires at a Goth HeavyCavalry unit at a range of 4 hexes. At arange of 4, the composite bow missilestrength is 7. The Byzantine player rollsa 1. The Goth HC take two CohesionHits. If the Cataphract had moved to getinto range, the moving-fire modifier (+1)would have changed the result to a 2,causing one Cohesion Hit instead.

8.18 Extended Range. When a missileunit fires at a target unit on a lowerelevation, its range is increased by onehex (two hexes if firing from a DaraWall hex). When firing at extendedrange, the unit needs an adjusted dieroll of 0 to inflict a Cohesion Hit.Composite bows inflict only one hit atextended range.

8.19 If there is a leader in the hex firedat and the missile volley die roll is a 0,there is a possibility that the leader hasbeen hit. Roll the die again: if that dieroll is a 0, the leader has been Wounded.The player then rolls a third time: if that

die roll is greater than the leader ’sPersonal Combat rating, the leader hasbeen killed. Players may, if they wish, fireat a hex (in range) in which there is onlya leader counter. (See also 8.34 for othercauses of leader casualties.)

8.2 Reaction Fire

Missile units may fire in reaction tocertain enemy movements into (EntryReaction) and out of (Retire Reaction)their ZOCs.

8.21 Retire Reaction. Whenever anUnrouted unit leaves the ZOC of anenemy missile unit, or a unit uses OrderlyWithdrawal to avoid the enemy missileunit entering its ZOC [6.55], that missileunit, if it has a fire capability of two ormore hexes, may fire a free volley at themoving unit. Any results are appliedbefore the unit moves.

8.22 All Retire Reaction Fire at unitsmoving away from the firing unit is at arange of two hexes.

Play Note: The two-hex range does applyto composite bow-armed units.

8.23 Entr y Reaction. Whenever afriendly unit enters the ZOC of an enemymissile unit (and this includes entry as aresult of Advance after Combat), thatenemy missile unit may fire a volley at theentering unit before any furthermovement or friendly fire occurs. Alleffects from this missile combat occurimmediately. When friendly units aremoving as a Line, all movement iscompleted before any Entry Reaction Firetakes place. Units may select the rangecolumn that offers them the best chanceto hit provided that the moving unit wasat that range at some point during itsmove and the firing unit had a clear LOSto that hex.

Design Note: This change accounts forthe fact that certain missile weapons aremore effective at longer ranges andaccounts for the fact that the advancingunit must pass through this “kill zone” toreach its target.

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8.24 Reaction Fire does not require anOrder; it does require that the missileunits have sufficient missiles available tofire.

8.3 Shock Combat

Design Note: This section is the heart ofthe game; thus, we have gone to greatlengths to explain how things work. It islonger and more detailed than othersections and may, at first glance, appearsomewhat daunting. Take heart. Inpractice/play, most of the mechanicsbecome self-evident and, after a few trialruns, the resolution of shock will becomesecond nature.

The Shock system relies on theinteraction of the units’ weapons, armorprotection, size, angle of attack andquality (TQ) to produce a single result.While no factor is unimportant, the ratingto which pay closest attention is TQ—forthat rating determines the ability of a unitto withstand the rigors of toe-to-toeancient warfare.

Procedure:

At the completion of the MovementSegment of an Orders Phase, shockcombat occurs. Shock is part of a leader’sOrders Phase, and all shock engenderedby that leader is resolved before the nextleader may be activated (or momentumattempted).

All units with either type of Shock marker(placed per 7.25 and 7.26) must shockattack.

Important: Each shock combat isconducted as a series of steps performedin order for all units participating in shockcombat—before the next step of shockcombat is conducted. Thus, Step 8.33 iscompleted, followed by Step 8.34 for allinvolved units. After which Step 8.35 isundertaken for all units, etc, etc.

We suggest undertaking each separatestep from left to right, across the map.Players may use any system they wish tonote what has happened up-and-down thelines of attack.

Design Note: It would be easier to resolveeach separate combat as one “piece.”However, to do so creates a “blitzkrieg”type of effect, wherein the attacker getsto choose which attacks he wants to dofirst so that he can achieve“breakthroughs.” Despite its simplicity,this would be so far from reality as torender the system—and the game—inaccurate. However, isolated shocks cancertainly be resolved as a piece, if doingso would not affect other attacks. Themethod you choose should keep this intentin mind.

8.31 Shock Designation Segment. Thisis used to place “SHOCK-NoCheck” markers on non-moving units that Choose toShock [7.25(C)].

8.32 The Basic Pre-Shock Procedure.Units that attack by Shock must attackall units in their ZOCs, unless thatdefending unit is being attacked byanother, friendly unit in that ShockSegment. The attacker determines whichunits will be involved in each, individualcombat resolution, within the restrictionsthat follow:• A friendly unit may attack more than

one unit, as long as the targeteddefenders are all in the attacking unit’sZOC.

• An attacking unit may not split itsattack capabilities, although two (ormore) units may combine to attack onedefender.

• If more than one unit is defendingand/or attacking, total the Sizes.

• Each unit may attack only once perShock Combat Segment.

• A defending unit may be shockedattacked only once per Orders Phase.

Other than the above restrictions, theattacking player may divide his attacksamongst his units as he sees fit.

Example: At Casilinum, the HeruliLancer unit moves adjacent to a FrankBeserker. Unfortunately, the poorBeserker is already in the ZOC of one ofthe Heruli foot units. The Byzantineplayer may either combine the cavalryand infantry units in the attack, or have

the cavalry attack (as it must) and theHeruli MI sit and watch.

Shock Resolution Overview

Sections 8.33 through 8.37 aredescriptions of the sequence andprocedure used to resolve Shock Combat.While extensive in narrative terms, playerswill soon realize that these steps are:

1. Charge (“Shock Must Check TQ”)marked units and their defendersCheck TQ to see if troops will attackin an ordered manner [8.33].

2. Check for any leader casualties [8.34].

3. Use Clash of Spears and Swords Chartto determine which column on theShock CRT will be used [ 8.35].

4. Determine whether terrain, leadersand/or relative strengths andcapabilities will have any effect [8.36].

5. Determine results using Shock ResultsTable [8.36].

6. Check for Rout [8.37].

8.33 The Charge. All units with a“SHOCK Must Check TQ” marker[7.26], and their intended targets,undergo a Troop Quality check by rollingthe die for each unit. All such checksbeing simultaneous.

Exception: If all defending units areRouted, the attacking units need not makea check. The intended targets still do, andremember, Routed units have a TQ of 1.

Attacking units with “SHOCK-NoCheck” markers—and their defenders —do not undergo this TQ check. If a unitis to be attacked by both types of units(Shock-Check and Shock-No Check),the defender then checks TQ.

1. If the die roll is higher than a unit ’sTQ, it takes a number of CohesionHits equal to the difference betweenthe die roll result and its TQ.

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2. If the defender has taken sufficientCohesion penalties to be equal to orgreater than its TQ rating it immediatelyRouts [10.2] and the attacking unit, if itis not in the ZOC of another enemy unit,advances into the vacated hex (where itmay change its facing one vertex, ifdesired). A Routed unit that fails thischeck is eliminated.

3. If the attacker has Routed from its TQcheck, the defender stays put (ifunrouted).

4. If both units would Rout from theirTQ checks, defender retreats (see10.2), but attacker stays in place(although he is still routed).

After the TQ check, if the attacker andthe defender did not rout, go to the nextstep.

8.34 Possible Leader Casualties.Casualties to leaders are determined priorto resolving the actual shock. If either orboth sides has a leader stacked with oneof the units involved in combat the playerrolls the die for each such leader. If thedie roll is a 0, the leader has beenWounded. The player then rolls a secondtime; if that die roll is greater than theleader’s Personal Combat rating, theleader has been Killed instead. Killedleaders are immediately removed fromplay (see 4.43 Replacements). If a leaderis Wounded, he remains in play but allhis ratings are reduced by one—to aminimum of 0. A leader who previouslyhas been wounded and is wounded againis, instead, killed.

8.35 The Clash of Spears and Swords.The Clash of Spears and Swords Chart isnow consulted to determine under whichShock CRT column the battle will occur(prior to any adjustments). If there is morethan one type of defending unit, defenderchooses which type will be used fordetermination. However, if the attackeris attacking with more than one unit, andsuch attack is coming from more than one“angle,” the attacker chooses the angle ofattack most advantageous to him. If a unitis being attacked through the vertexbetween different facings, that defender

gets the benefit of the most advantageousfacing.

8.36 The Hand-to-hand Struggle.Players now determine the effect of anyadvantages either side has and thenresolve the shock combat.

1. Determine Superiority. There are two“types” of Superiority, only one ofwhich may apply to each Shockcombat:• Position Superiority—which

results when one side’s angle/position of attack is from the flankor rear.

• Weapon System Superiority—when the weapons system andarmor/protection of one side is sosuperior to the other that it willresult in a marked increase in“losses” to the inferior side [8.36(4)].

Either one side or the other may (butnot must) gain superiority, either as:Attack Superiority (AS) or DefenseSuperiority (DS). Players determineSuperior ity, using the ShockSuperiority Chart. In many instancesthere is no Superiority. Superiority isdetermined as follows:

A. If a friendly unit is attacking anenemy through its Flank or Rear,it is considered Attack Superior tothe defender. However, whicheverunit the attacker uses to determinePosition Superiority must also beused to determine Shock Columnon the Clash of Spears and SwordsChart [8.53].

B. If no position superior ity isattained, the opposing units checktheir weapon class relationship [seethe Shock Superiority Chart, 8.52]to determine if either weaponsystem is superior (either AttackSuperior or Defense Superior) tothe other. If more than one unittype is involved on any one side theplayers use the units they chose todetermine Shock column on theClash of Spears and Swords Chart.

Play Note: Many different types ofpermutations and combinations arepossible, in terms of unit types andmultiple attack angles. The two precepts,above, should cover virtually all of thesepossibilities. If they don’t, try attain aresult that best fits in with the generalprinciples.

2. Determine Size Difference Ratio.Compare the total Size points of theattacking unit(s) to those of thedefender(s). For each level of SizeRatio Difference (SRD) greater than1-to-1 a unit has it gets a ShockResults Table Column Adjustment ofone in its favor. The attacker adjuststo the right, the defender to the left.Players should reduce all size ratios toa round integer value of #-1, roundingoff as follows:• If any attacker moved to effect the

shock, round off in favor of theattacker! Thus a 5-size unitattacking a 4-size unit is 2-1; a 4on 5 is 1-1 and a 2 on 5 is a 1-2.

• If no attacker moved, round off infavor of the defender. Thus a 5-sizeunit attacking a 4-size unit wouldbe 1-1; but 4 on 5 is 1-2.

Design Note: The “rounding off ” rulesreflect the advantage of “momentum.”

3. Adjust Columns and Resolve. Toresolve shock melee, the Attackerconsults the Shock Combat ResultsTable, determines the “base” columnand adjusts that column for any SizeRatio Difference and/or Terraineffects. He then rol ls the die,modifying the die roll for by theCharisma rating of any Leader stackedwith the units of either side.

4. Apply Results. Results on the ShockCRT are Cohesion “hits” for bothattacker and defender. The number inparentheses is for the defender. If theattacker was superior (AS) then doublethe defender’s result. If the defenderwas superior (DS), then triple theattacker’s result. If more than one unit(of the same player) was involved inthat combat, Cohesion Hits aredistributed per 10.12.

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8.37 The Collapse. All units that haveCohesion Hits equal to or greater thantheir TQ automatically Rout [10.2].Then, units that are within one CohesionHit of automatic rout and are in an enemyZOC must roll one die. If this die roll isequal to or greater than their TQ, theyrout. If lower, they pass that TQ checkand then reduce their Cohesion Hits byone.

8.4 Advance After Combat

8.41 Attacking units must advance intoany hex vacated by enemy units as a resultof Shock (only), including Pre-Shock TQcheck rout. This does not require anOrder, but the advancing unit pays allCohesion penalties engendered by such amove. If the advance would rout themoving unit, it still advances and does notRout, but instead it retains a number ofCohesion Hits equal to TQ minus 1.

Exception: Units which cause an enemyto vacate a hex because of rout during thepre-shock troop quality check (not theactual shock combat) and which are inanother enemy ZOC at the time may notadvance.

8.42 Advancing units may change theirfacing one vertex upon finishing theadvance, even if they are in an enemyZOC. This is an exception to 7.13.

8.43 If there was more than one attackingunit, the unit that had Superiority (if any)must advance. If no such unit is involved,the one with the highest TQ mustadvance. In case of tie, the attacking playerchooses.

8.44 There is no advance after MissileFire alone, regardless of what the targetunit does.

8.5 The Combat Tables

8.51 The Missile Range and ResultsChart. This table is used to determine thestrength of a missile unit firing at a givenrange.

8.52 The Shock Superiority Chart. Thischart is used to compare the superiority(if any) of one type of unit compared toanother, depending on which side isattacking or defending. Always read downthe column—from the Attacker’s point ofview. (Reading across, by row, gives a“false” result.) Superiority is used toaugment Cohesion Hits.

8.53 Clash of Spears and Swords Chart.This chart is used to determine whichColumn wil l be used on the ShockCombat Results Table (subject toadjustments).

8.54 Shock Combat Results Table. Thistable is used to resolve shock combat interms of Cohesion Hiits to both attackerand defender [10.11 and 10.12].

8.55 The Cohesion Hit and TQ CheckChart. This summarizes when CohesionHits are applied and when TQ checks takeplace.

9.0 Special Rules

9.1 Dismounted Cavalry

Cataphract type units maydismount and become heavyinfantr y (HI) units. ACataphract unit maydismount, if it is not withinrange and LOS of an enemymissi le unit that is notMissile No, and not withinfour hexes of any enemy unit.During the movement phasethe unit expends all of its movementallowance and is replaced with itscorresponding heavy infantry unitcounter. The unit may assume any facingit desires. Under the same circumstancesa dismounted cavalry unit may re-mountusing the same procedure. Dismount/mount may be conducted as part of a LineCommand.

Design Note: The horses are keptsomewhere safe and cannot be attacked,captured, eliminated, etc.

9.2 Army Discipline

An army may be designated as eitherDisciplined or Undisciplined. Disciplinedarmies conform to the normal rules, butan Undisciplined army has someadditional advantages and restrictions.The Byzantine and the Persian armies inCATAPHRACT are Disciplined. All otherarmies in C ATAPHRACT areUndisciplined.

Series Note: Up to this point most of thearmies have been Disciplined. To retrofitthis back consider any army that uses theword tribe anywhere in the rules as anundisciplined army. Obvious examplesare German tribes in DICTATOR,Danubian tribes in ALEXANDER, etc.Disciplined armies are the Macedoniansor any Successor army, the Romans, andany of the smaller kingdom armies suchas Pontus, Pergamon, etc.

Barbarian tribes, fought stand-up battlesin a fairly rudimentary manner. For themost part, Barbarian tactics were a bigrush designed to swiftly break the backof their opponent. Against another forceof similar capability the outcome wouldbe determined by courage and individualfighting prowess or ferocity.

Each Undisciplined army unitindividually assesses its own ferocity. Atthe beginning of the scenario, all unitshave a TQ which is two greater than itsprinted value. This advantage continuesuntil the Overall Commander fails anUndisciplined Army Check. The OverallCommander makes this check each timeone of his army’s units rout. At the instantthat a unit in an Undisciplined army routs,the player rolls the die. If the die roll isequal to or less than the OverallCommander’s Initiative iating, then theUndisciplined army maintains its ferocity.If the die roll is greater than the OC’sInitiative, that Undisciplined army losesthe +2 TQ adjustment for the remainderof the scenario. Once ferocity is lost itcannot be reinstated.

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9.3 Uncontrolled Advance

9.31 Whenever an Undisciplined armyuses a Line Command and moves non-bow-armed units more than two hexescloser to the enemy than when theystarted, that Line is considered in anUncontrol led Advance. ThisUncontrolled Line is treated as the lowestInitiative leader on the subsequent turnand is ineligible for momentum rolls. (Ifthere are more than one Uncontrolledlines, the players alternate with high a dieroll going first.) Units that are conductingan Uncontrolled Advance must use theirfull movement allowance to move directlytoward an enemy unit and engage thatenemy unit in shock combat. Once theadvancing unit has engaged in shockcombat it is relieved of its UncontrolledAdvance status. A unit can be part of anUncontrolled Advance more than onceper scenario.

9.32 Units from Disciplined armies, aftercompleting a move that meets theconditions of 9.31, make a LeaderDiscipline Check. Roll the die, if it isequal to or less than the Initiative ratingof the leader that issued the LineCommand, then the units remaincontrolled. If the die roll is greater thanthe leader’s rating then the units conductan Uncontrolled Advance and follow therestrictions in 9.31.

Series Note: It is not suggested that youretrofit this rule[9.32] onto earlier gamesin the series. If you decide to do so, thenan Alexandrian Macedonian army andRoman Legion units should definitely beexempted from the retrofit.

9.4 Rate of Fire

Any infantry units armed with acomposite bow (missile type C) that hasn’tmoved from its original setup hex at allduring the scenario, can fire twicewhenever it is al lowed to fire.Ammunition supply is checked after eachfire. These units need not fire at the sametarget. If the composite bow-armedinfantry leaves its setup hex, even if itreturns, it loses this capability.

Design Note: This rule reflects the greateraccuracy and overall effectiveness ofstationary infantry relative to othermissile units in the GBoH series. It alsoreflects the pre-positioning of arrowswithin easy reach of the archer who is inhis original position (ala Agincourt).

9.5 Bow-Armed Cavalry

Any bow-armed cavalry (missiles types Bor C) may enter an infantry ZOC, fire itsmissile and then ignore the ZOC to turnand leave the ZOC into the hex fromwhich it originally entered the ZOC(basically you go out the way you camein). The bow armed cavalry unit must notbe in a ZOC of any enemy unit at thecompletion of its move. Enemy infantryarmed with missile weapons may performentry and retire reaction fire.

Play Note: The astute player will realizethat this time honored tactic makes littlesense for composite bow-armed cavalry.We left it in to allow the bow-armedVandal horse to apply this traditionagainst the arriving Byzantine foot atTricameron.

9.6 The Champion Challenge

This is a rather chromaticmethod of determiningwhat passes for Initiative inthe game. It is based on anactual incident prior to thebattle of Taginae.

9.61 In the Dara and Taginae scenarios,each side has a “champion.” Eachchampion has two ratings: Fight andStamina. The former is used to resolve around of individual combat; the latter

determines what the effects that combathave on the champion.

9.62 The Champion Challenge is playedin rounds, each round consisting of onedie roll by each player. The Challengeends when one of the champions has beenkilled.

9.63 In each round, each player rolls onedie, to which he adds his champion’s Fightrating.• The champion with the lower adjusted

roll takes one hit.• If the lower adjusted DR is one-half

or less than the higher, the unfortunatetakes two hit.

• If the lower adjusted DR is one-thirdor less than the higher, the unfortunatetakes three hits.

9.64 When a champion has accumulatedmore hits than his Stamina rating, he hasbeen killed. His opponent is the winner.

9.65 The winner gains the followingadvantages, all applying solely to the firstturn:• He may start the turn by moving any

one leader, regardless of numericalranking. (A sort of quasi-Elite phase.)

• All units on the winning side subtractone from all TQ-related die rolls.

10.0 The Effects of Combat

Units suffer cohesion penalties (called“hits”) from disruptive and/or excessivemovement and/or combat. Too manyCohesion Hits produce a Rout. Routingunits run away and head for their RetreatEdge of the map. A routed unit can berallied under certain circumstances

10.1 Cohesion

Cohesion is a measure ofhow organized and effectivea unit is at any point during the battle.The loss of cohesion is measured inCohesion Hits, which are applied against

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a unit ’s Troop Quality—sometimesautomatically, sometimes after a die roll.The Cohesion Hit and TQ Check Chart[8.55] summarizes when these occur.

10.11 Each time that a unit suffers aCohesion Hit place a cohesion(numbered) marker on or under theunit—representing the total number ofhits taken.

10.12 If there are multiple units involvedin a single combat resolution, hits mustbe divided as equally as possible amongstthese units, with any extra hits being givento the unit that was:

1st: used to determined Superiority;

2nd: used to determine the Shock CRTcolumn

3rd: Player’s choice

This rule applies even if it means that aunit will have to rout.

10.13 W hen a unit has absorbedCohesion Hits equal to or more than itsTroop Quality rating it automaticallyRouts [see 10.2]. In addition, in theCollapse Phase of Shock Combat, playersroll for Rout for units that are in an enemyZOC and are one Cohesion Hit short ofreaching their limit [8.37].

10.14 Recovery. During an Orders Phase,any unrouted unit (only) with CohesionHits that is not in an enemy ZOC, noradjacent to an enemy unit, nor withinrange and LOS of any enemy missile unitthat is not Missile No, and is in “clear”terrain, may remove two Cohesion Hitsby being given an Individual Order to doso. A unit may not remove more than twoCohesion Hits per Order Phase, and LineCommands may not be used to do this. Aunit that has Cohesion Hits removedcannot move/fire in the same OrdersPhase. A unit that has moved or fired maynot have hits removed. Units that haveRallied this game turn may not haveCohesion Hits removed.

10.15 Cohesion Hits do not affect a unit’scombat strength or capabilities in any way,other than to show how close it is getting

to falling apart. Thus, a unit with a TQof 6 with four hits has the same combateffect as one with no hits. It is just morelikely to rout.

10.16 The Cohesion Hit and TQ CheckChart [8.55] lists the times during thegame when a unit must undergo a TQCheck. These instances have also beennoted throughout the rules. A TQ Checkconsists of rolling the die and comparingit to the unit ’s printed TQ rating. (IfRouted, that rating is 1.) The CohesionHit and TQ Check Chart also lists theresults, usually one or more Cohesion Hitswhen/if the die exceeds the rating.

10.2 Rout and Retreat

10.21 A unit which hasrouted [10.13] is immediatelymoved two hexes toward its Retreat Edge,as defined in the rules for each battle (seePlaybook). Place a “Routed” marker onthat unit when it finishes its retreat. Nomovement points are expended, but theunit must take the most direct pathtowards its Retreat Edge, even if thismeans moving into and/or throughfriendly units. After being refaced towardthe friendly Retreat Edge, a routing unituses the following order of preferencewhen deciding which hex to enter:1. Vacant hex not in enemy ZOC2. Friendly-occupied hex not in enemy

ZOC3. Friendly-occupied hex in enemy ZOC

If the unit cannot so retreat the fulldistance, it is, instead, eliminated.

Play Note: Writing rules for retreatdirection is a quixotic task at best. Itwould take three pages of type to coverevery possibility—and even then, theRules Nutsos would come up withsomething new. All we can say is, try touse common sense. Fleeing men arerunning away from the enemy—nottowards them. Given the choice ofrunning through or around their ownmen, they will, like water, choose the pathof least resistance. When we say “use themost direct path,” we mean don’t try tomeander around the board trying toavoid the edge of the map.

Example: At Taginae, a Gothic HeavyCavalry (HC) unit in 4515 is routed bymissile fire. The Gothic Retreat Edge isat the northern edge of the map. The unitcould rout move either into 4615 or 4616subject to the retreat priorities given in10.21. If 4615 and 4616 were occupiedby friendly units, the routing HC can notenter 4514 or 4516 to avoid passingthrough his own units.

10.22 In the Rout Movement Phase allrouted units are moved their full, printedmovement allowance in the same fashionas in 10.21 (even if they moved previouslyduring the turn). Routed units use normalmovement rules, except that they may notenter enemy ZOCs unoccupied byfriendly units. They do not suffer cohesionpenalties from rout movement.

10.23 A unit that either moves off themap (for whatever reason) or cannotcomplete its rout movement because ofthe presence of enemy units/ZOCs orimpassable terrain is permanentlyremoved from play and consideredeliminated for Army Withdrawalpurposes.

10.24 The movement of routing unitsthrough or into other units is covered onthe Stacking Chart [6.66]. The mainpremise is that routed units may not stack.If a routed unit were to finish its routmovement in a friendly-occupied hex,instead—and as shown in the chart—itcontinues retreating one more hex (withadditional penalties to the non-movingunit). If that “additional” hex is alsooccupied, the routed unit is automaticallyeliminated (with the non-movingpenalties applying to the units in boththose hexes).

10.25 Restrictions on Routed Units:• Routed units retain their Size and

Movement Allowance.• They have a TQ of 1.• Routed foot missi le units are

automatically “Missile No.” All otherunits retain their current missile supplystatus.

• Rout-moving units do not incurmovement Cohesion Hits.

• Routed units may not receive or use

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Orders or Commands, other thanRally, nor may they fire missiles for anyreason.

• If a routed unit is attacked (missile orshock) and suffers any additionalCohesion Hits, the unit is immediatelyeliminated and removed from play.

10.26 If, as a result of Cohesion Hitsfrom Shock , ALL attacking anddefending units would rout, the followingoccurs instead: Attacker adds to his totalhits the number of hits—if any—that hewould accumulate were he to advanceafter combat [8.4]. The side that has theunit with the greatest discrepancybetween hits and TQ rating now routs,while the other side does not rout. If thedefender is not routed, it remains in place.If the attacker is not routed, he advances(if eligible). The unit that does not routhas Cohesion Hits equal to his TQ minusone.

If the difference between the hits and TQis the same for both sides, the defenderrouts and the attacker advances aftercombat (if allowed) and has CohesionHits equal to its TQ minus one.

The above sections apply only when allunits would have routed. If, however, one(or both) sides have more than one unitinvolved, and at least one unit did notreach or exceed its TQ, then all the otherunits that did reach their TQ must rout.

10.27 If a leader is stacked with a routingunit, that leader may rout move along withthat unit. He is otherwise unaffected bythe rout.

10.3 Rally

10.31 During an OrdersPhase, a leader may attemptto rally any routed unit that is in hisCommand Range (and can becommanded by him), as long as it is notin Rough terrain, and is not adjacent toan enemy unit or within range of anenemy missile unit that has missiles.

10.32 An individual leader may attemptto rally a given unit only once per turn.

That limitation applies to the leader, notthe unit, which may be rallied by anotherleader in that turn as long as the unit iswithin that leader’s command range.

10.33 To rally a unit, the player makes arally die roll, comparing that die roll tothe leader’s Charisma rating:1. If the roll is the same as or lower than

the leader’s Charisma rating, the unitis rallied (place a Rallied marker on it).If infantry, it now has hits equal toone-half its printed TQ, roundingdown. If cavalry, it now has hits equalto one-third its printed TQ, roundingdown.

2. If the roll is higher than the leader’sCharisma, the unit is eliminated.

10.34 Rallied units may not receive oruse Orders until the next turn. Ralliedunits may be refaced at no cost in MP orCohesion Hits, but foot missile units arestill “Missile No.”

10.4 Army Withdrawal and Victory

10.41 A player wins by causing hisopponent’s army to Withdraw (Rout). AnArmy will withdraw when it has exceededits Withdrawal Level (listed in thescenario) during the Rout and Reloadphase. To determine that level, each playertotals the TQ points of all his eliminatedunits. Units that have routed off the mapare considered eliminated for purposes ofArmy Withdrawal. To this, he adds fivetimes the Initiative rating of killed leaders.The sum is that side’s Rout Point (RP)Total.

10.42 If an army’s RP Total is the sameor higher than the army’s WithdrawalLevel, that army has routed and thatplayer has lost the battle. If both sidesexceed their Army Withdrawal Level atthe same time, the player with the leastnumber of Rout Points above that levelwins (but just barely). If both sides areexactly the same, it’s a draw.

Credits

Original System and Game Design:Mark Herman

Scenario Design: Mark HermanScenario Map Research: Mark MatneySena Gallica and Viking ScenarioDesign: Richard H. BergGame Development: Alan RayGame Development Assistance:

Salvatore VastaPlaytesting: Bill Thoet, David Fox,

Mike Pitts, Richard Shay, Sal Vasta,Alan Ray Jr., Alan Ray, MikeLemick

Cover Art: Rodger MacGowanMap Art: Mark SimonitchCounter Art: Rodger MacGowan and

Mike LemickRules Editing and Layout:

Stuart K. TuckerProduction Coordination: Tony Curtis

GMT GamesP.O. Box 1308

Hanford, CA 93232

www.gmtgames.com(800) 523-6111

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3.0 The Sequence of Play

Players activate each of their leaders in the order determined by their Initiative rating [5.1]. When a leader is activated he givesorders which allow units within his range to move and conduct combat. After all leaders are finished, each army/player checks forArmy Withdrawal after which that game turn is concluded.

The Sequence of Play

A. Leader Activation Phase: The player with the lowest-Initiative-rated leader (or Uncontrolled Line [9.3]), who has not yetbeen activated, activates that leader. If that leader wishes to issue a Line Command, he rolls for the ability at this point [4.23].That player may attempt to by-pass that leader’s turn by Trumping his own leader [5.41].

B. Orders Phase

1. Movement and Missile Fire Segment.

a. For each Individual Order issued by an activated leader, the player may perform any one function listed [5.22] with onecombat unit or leader. OR,

b. For each Line Command issued, a number of units within range of the leader may move and/or Fire Missiles [5.23].

c. Units capable of Orderly Withdrawal [6.5], and/or Reaction Fire [8.2] may do so throughout this segment.

2. Shock Combat Segment. After a leader has finished issuing orders, eligible units engage in Shock combat, using thefollowing sequence [8.3]:

a. Shock Designation: all non-moving, eligible units that choose to Shock are given “SHOCK-No Check” markers.

b. The Charge (Pre-Shock TQ Check).

c. Resolution of Possible Leader Casualties.

d. The Clash of Spears and Swords (determine Superiority and Shock column).

e. Resolve the melee.

f. Check for possible Collapse (Rout).

C. Momentum Phase OR Return to “A.” The player having the leader who was activated in the immediately preceding OrdersPhase may attempt a Momentum die roll to give that leader another Orders Phase (Phase “B”), or else play returns to Phase “A”for any leaders that remain unactivated.

D. Rout and Reload Phase

1. Remove “Rallied” markers.

2. Rout Movement: Routed units must undergo Rout Movement [10.22].

3. Reload Segment: Eligible missile units may get more missiles [8.15].

4. Army Withdrawal Check: Each player checks to see if his army has reached its Withdrawal level.

5. Flip all “Moved” units and “Finished” leaders back to their front sides.

At the conclusion of the Rout and Reload Phase, that game turn has ended and another game turn begins. There are no setnumber of turns. The battle continues until one side withdraws.