Warhammer Ancient Battles Rules

UMPIRE: Nick Bennett, 1 Luard Court, Warblington, Hampshire, PO9 2TN

Rules:

The WAB v1.5 rulebook will be used (the amendments and errata are available from the Warhammer Historical Wargames website at www.warhammer-historical.com if you have the original rulebook). The optional rules for rallying, and for ending games on army breakpoint, will be used.

Games will be played on 6ft x 4ft tables; if any tables are found to be oversized, the playing surface should be reduced unless both players wish otherwise.

Army Lists

Armies will be of 2,000 points. Handguns, gunpowder artillery, full plate and plate barding may not be used. Lists can be drawn from the following WAB supplements: Alexander, Hannibal, Spartacus, Arthur, Shieldwall, El Cid, and Beyond the Golden Gate. The Early Achaemenid Persian and Crusader lists in the 1.5 rulebook can also be used. Characters and lists indicated in supplements as being optional, or for scenario use, may not be used. 

Armies drawn from “Beyond the Golden Gate” will be allowed to use the cavalry special movement/firing abilities on payment of the additional points indicated in the supplement for open period use.

Scenarios and Clarifications

Set up at the start of games as follows:

Each player must supply 1 – 3 terrain pieces two of which must be no larger than 12” x 12”. The third piece may be up to 16” in any direction. These are pooled. Players alternate in placing terrain features from the pool until all of them are on the table. Dice to place the first piece.

Terrain pieces may be of any type that a player wishes (but not impassable terrain), although a maximum of one wall or hedge may be used. Players must use the same terrain pieces in all of their games. The pieces must generally match the descriptions within the WAB rulebook.

Terrain pieces can be placed alongside or on top of existing pieces where suitable, e.g. a wood on a hill. A hill placed on a hill makes it difficult going (take the second hill off the table).

Once all terrain is placed, scatter it 3D6 inches in the direction of a scatter dice, measuring from the centre of the terrain piece. Terrain pieces should be scattered in the order that they were laid. Pieces may end up on top of each other where appropriate, and where inappropriate the piece should bounce 180’ the remainder of its distance. If the dice roll would remove a piece from the table, it is placed on the table edge.

All games will last until the phase of a move in which one or both sides reach army breakpoint. Reducing the opponent to breakpoint gains 500 VPs.

All army special abilities will be in use in all scenarios. If two special abilities conflict (e.g. each can automatically go first) resolve with a dice throw. 

In scenarios where there are “free” skirmisher moves, Nomad Horse may take the 4” free skirmisher move if applicable, or the 16” Nomad free move, but not both.

Welsh armies from the Shieldwall supplement are allowed to place an extra piece of terrain. This fourth piece may be of any of the acceptable types, and may be changed between games. It does not form part of the terrain pool, and is placed after the other pieces, but before dicing for sides. It IS subject to the scatter dice.  This piece may also be no longer than 12” square.

The following Scenarios will be played: 

Hidden Deployment

Screen troop set up or draw maps of deployment. Troops deploy no closer than 12” to the table centre and all the way across to the table edges. Free skirmisher moves apply as in Pitched Battle. Ambushes may be set- however if the ambushing troops’ location turns out to be visible to the enemy upon deployment, the unit is lost.

Meeting Engagement (Modified)

Set up all skirmishers, and light infantry operating in skirmish formation, in accordance with the rules for meeting engagement, except that players are not bound by a pre-set unit sequence for their units.

If either player has deployed more than twice as many figures in this phase as the other has, he may make his opponent deploy all his remaining troops before placing his own.

If this does not happen, both players then draw a map of the deployment of all other troops, and place them all on the table together. These formed troops may not be placed nearer to the enemy than the skirmishers already on the table, unless in ambush.

Score sheets shall be completed, including your delegate number, signed and handed in within 10 minutes of the finish time.

Admission to the tournament is at the sole discretion of the organisers and their decision on all matters is final. An application to enter denotes acceptance of the rules. Entry fees and any queries to be addressed to the BHGS, The White Cottage, 8 Westhill Ave, Epsom, KT19 8LE. Tel. 01372  812132.  Fax. O1372 817038.   E-mail BHGS@slitherine.co.uk  All correspondence must enclose a stamped addressed envelope, and Players who indicate an e-mail address will receive details via e-mail.