Quick review: Dux Bellorum

[Ferb]

Hi all,

I've just added a quick review of the new Dux Bellorum rules to my blog. You can check it out here.

Ferb

[Steve J]

Thanks for the review Ferb, the rules look ok and are reasonably priced, so may consider this for the future.

[lentulus]

So how do you think they would do for 10mm?

[Ferb]

I think they would be fine with 10mm figures. You could go with 40mm bases and just have as many figures on them as you like. Or if you want the game to look more epic you could use 80mm bases. As the rules focus on each base as a unit they're easily usable for any scale.

[GordonY]

Well my game plan is eventually (the other Dux rules have priority) to have the sheildwall units on 80 x 40 bases with 4 ranks of 8 (or maybe 10), I think that'll look more like a sheildwall than 4 15mm figures stuck to a 40 x 20.

I'm also considering hedging my bets and using 4 40x20s to make up the 80x40, that way if the rules suck then theyre good to go for Warmaster.

[Nosher]

I've also got the rules and am waiting on a copy of Dux Britanniarum to arrive.

I like the look of Dux Bellorum, particularly that I can field an army of about thirty to forty figures. Only trouble is, other than late romans there aren't too many options in 10mm. I already have Gripping Beast 28mm so at risk of being burnt at the stake I will probably collect armies in that scale.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Just ordered mine, might finally get a use for my Later Romans!
Dash you sir!   

[Fenton]

Finally got around to buying these today at Amazon 8 pounds..Cant wait to try them out

[Luddite]

Cheers for the review.  We'll be trying these out early 2013 i think.  My copy's due to after 25th.

Interesting to read its nothing like A World Aflame.  It would seem that Osprey aren't, as many other publishers, choosing a one size fits all core mechanic and sticking with it.

[Luddite]

Played our first game last night.

An excellent ruleset.  Simple, fast paced, tactically rich and bloodthirsty.

Highly recommended if you want a good fun evening's gaming.

[Nosher]

I really must dig my set out again.

I played once - solo - which was probably not the best idea, and as you say found them fun and bloodthirsty but missing something I couldn't put my finger on until I thought about it a few days later and realised its not great for solo play.

I also felt it was a bit DBAish which I will have to find a different wayu of describing it if I am to sell it to anyone at the club.

[Steve J]

I keep thinking about these but really want rule sets that will also work well with solo play.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Some of the scenarios would work for solo.

There is a forum on the Geek about these rules.

IanS

[Steve J]

Just bought them for £7.84 inc p&p which is as cheap as chips these days . Another quick read through of Ferbs thoughts as well as a sample turn online, plus a preview courtesy of Amazon convinced me to buy these. I also like the fact that you don't need that many figures to make a force compared to WMA. Once I receive the book it will be time to get the thinking cap on to buy some of Clibs wonderful late Roman figures for some Arthurian era gaming .

[nikharwood]

Don't forget Keira 

[Steve J]

Good idea .

[Luddite]

Just bought them for £7.84 inc p&p which is as cheap as chips these days . Another quick read through of Ferbs thoughts as well as a sample turn online, plus a preview courtesy of Amazon convinced me to buy these.

Aye, makes a change from the usual £30 effort of 10 pages of rules and 190 pages of fluff. 

I also like the fact that you don't need that many figures to make a force compared to WMA.

Indeed.  Although, if i didn't already have 28mm armies for the period i'd be doing 100x50mm bases with 30+ Pendraken figures per base...

[Serotonin]

Ive just picked these up too- I blame Steve J and am very impressed.

Not sure what scale I want to do these. I would like to do them 10mm but the Pendraken range is pretty limited right now (hint hint). Thinking 15mm as my mates have a few 15mm forces for this era, but I am also contemplating 28mm, because as a Saga player I am anxiously awaiting their Arthurian supplement. Then again with element basing you are talking base widths of around 100mm a unit and that means a foot unit is going ot be moving 20-30cm a turn, which seems a lot to me on a 6x4 table. Any views guys?

[Fenton]

I was reading these again last night, and the large movements did concern me, especially I am thinking of 6 or 10mm on 60mm wide bases, Having not played a game yet maybe the Bravery tests and LP's limit this more than I think it might

[Luddite]

Then again with element basing you are talking base widths of around 100mm a unit and that means a foot unit is going ot be moving 20-30cm a turn, which seems a lot to me on a 6x4 table. Any views guys?

Basing is entirely up to you and the rules recommend 40mm base width for 15mm figures or smaller, or 60mm base width for larger figures.

Personally we've gone with 28mm figures on 100mm bases.  On a 6x4' table, with the deployment rules it means that your cavalry are likely to be within charge range on turn 1.  Infantry can be in contact by turn 2.

This means that deployment is vital since with the larger base widths we've chosen to use, the armies deploy effectively in 'combat range'.  Its not too bad though since Dux Bellorum is about Dark Age warrior 'warbands' who lack subtlety, mobility, or tactics.  For them, anything more than 'get 'em lads' is probably a bit suspicious and 'un-manly' in any case!

With say 60mm base widths you'd have a lot more room for manoeuvring.  If you're on 40mm bases i believe the rules recommend using smaller table so...

Overall though we've found that these move distances aren't a problem and the freedom of movement that individual units have makes for interesting 'dancing' and 'dressage', especially when you get a cascade of units charging each other.  It really gives a feeling of the chaotic 'football riot' style of fighting that Dark Age battles likely were...we're not talking Napoleonic ordered formations here!

Not sure what scale I want to do these. I would like to do them 10mm but the Pendraken range is pretty limited right now (hint hint).

Indeed!

Having not played a game yet maybe the Bravery tests and LP's limit this more than I think it might

Actually we've found the Bravery tests to be not too limiting.  In a game we've found you perhaps fail maybe one or two critical Bravery tests at most, and for those units you absolutely have to move, you can invest Leadership points to get them going!  Its part of the appeal of the game actually.

The bulk of your army is likely to be grouped with your Companions/Leader anyway so Bravery is almost never a problem there.  Its only once the lines meet and the groups break up that things start to get tricky!  The units outside your leader's range are likely to be your skirmisher flanks and they're pretty 'brave' when moving anyway...

Overall the game holds together pretty well and is well worth a try.