Is DBA 4th coming?

Chris K is in contact with the team behind the recent fantasy derivation of DBA called DBF. It wasn't a DBA game for a number of reasons and was more of a replacement for HOTT. It included a points system rather than the simple 12 element structure of DBA. Since its publication (and during its development) there was speculation as to whether the changes made would form the basis of DBA 4. Some of the writers (well, one mainly) has recommended on DBA groups that some of the changes should be routinely adopted.

Chris has since received a copy of a proposed update to be called DBA (F) and for this week's session we got together to try out the rules with the changes. The drive of the changes is to modify the role of Psiloi, Light Horse, and Auxilia to make them "more realistic". "Psiloi" are now called "Skirmishers" BTW as it is a more generic understandable term, but "Auxilia" remains.  

Flicking around between DBA 2.2, DBA 3 and DBA(F) the changes aren't as major as those from 2.2 to 3, and it's really just tinkering round the edges. Some combat values have been shifted by +1, some movement rates have been reduced, the light horse command range has been reduced, and there are some tweaks to the outcomes. The major one is Solid Auxilia can be Quick Killed in certain circumstances.

We all turned up at CK's with out armies rammed full of Ps/Sk, LH and Ax. I was running late, so Steve and Chris were at it already. Phil and I had taken a couple of matched armies each, so we set up and got on with it.

Phil had brought Slavs (III/1c) and Thematic Byzantines (III/29). I got the Slavs.

I had 8 x 3Ax, 2 x Ps, 1 x Cv and 1 x Cv Gen. Phil had 3 x LH, 3 x Cav, 2 x Cv, 2 x Sp, 1 x Ps and 1 x Cv Gen.

I was defending, and put out a lot of woods. I then realised that it would take me for ever to move out of them. Hmm. Then I rolled a six for my first PIPs, which seemed to be a sign that I should get on with it. Accordingly I move my right wing out of the woods, with the aim of turning Phil's left. (If I was to suggest a change for this version of the rules, I'd let Fast Auxilia do group moves in RG/BG like Psiloi).

I think I was playing into Phil's hands.

Phil quickly took advantage of what I'd done, and intercepted my Auxilia with his cavalry. In the centre
he engaged my cavalry that I'd pushed up. I'm not sure why I'd done that.

 I won the Ax v Cv fight, recoiling Phil's chaps, but my cavalry was made to flee. I then rolled 1 for my PIPs, which rather left everything hanging in the air.

Phil got loads of PIPs, flanked my General and then 6:1'd him. That's three elements down, and me with a command penalty.

So far we haven't really tested the changes to the rules.

In my turn another PIP problem - remember I now need 2 PIPs to move anything - so I decided to kill Phil's Psiloi if I could to at least get on the score sheet.

I then had a disaster in the combats top right, and lost a combat I could have won. Phil wins 4:1.

A definite hmm. The changes made very little difference, except they slowed the contact between the armies, which isn't a positive for me.

Next game was my Siamese v Khmer. Phil chose the Khmer. He has a load of 4 Ax, plus solid bows and elephants. My Siamese are mostly 3 Ax, couple of elephants, and some fast bows. I'd normally chose the Fast Blade option for the Siamese.

I was defending again. The brown thing is a marsh. 

I stepped forwards to get my archers into range. The moment I did it I thought it was unwise.

Phil then moved a full turn towards me, which meant his Artillery couldn't shoot. To his surprise I immediately charged home. Why? Well, artillery are Quick Killed in Close Combat, so it was a chance to get on the scoreboard.

 Luck turned my way. Starting from my right, as I had an overlap, I killed a 4Bw unit, and then with an overlap destroyed the artillery too. That's better. Phil was a bit stunned.

Not enough time for me to gloat. Phil had lined up his Psiloi with my elephants, lucked out with another and killed my Elephant General. Unfortunately for me I'd forgotten it was my General, so didn't add the +1. I don't know if that would have made a difference. By way if exchange, I killed his reserve elephant, who bad unwisely taken on my Auxilia (yeah - I got lucky).

Having forgotten I'd lost my General, I rolled 6 for my PIPs, and attacked with everything everywhere if I could. This included flanking Phil's elephant general, an attack which was decisively bounced.

Phil's attempt to take out my remaining elephant with two Psiloi failed, and I killed his cavalry to take the game 4:3.

The rule changes made little or no difference to this game. The mods to 4 Ax factors off set each other in the combat in the marsh. The result would probably have been the same if we'd just played DBA3 in both games. More testing needed.

The four of us had a post game discussion and I took some notes. There's a need for me to crunch some numbers, then I'll let the development guys have some feed back.