DBMM Part Two - Destroyed Elements and Recoils

Here is part two of some other stuff I found in the rules this evening.

There is something going to put a big grin on Jon's face too........


1. DESTROYED ELEMENTS

Well we all know the basics here but this is DBMM and after reading the section in the book a second time I was suprised to find these little rules....

When you destroy an element it is removed, there are no more rules for losing rear supports or flank supports (this is covered in recoils below) however......

The book states.... Only a single element is destroyed, except that when an element OTHER THAN psiloi is destroyed as a CLOSE COMBAT outcome, ALL friendly elements with any part directly beyond are also destroyed ONLY if their nearest part is LESS than the initially destroyed element's base depth AND

1. They are foot AND the destroyed elements frontal opponent was...... WARBAND!

This means that if you have say 2 elements of blade, one in rear support, fighting Warband and the Warband destroy the lead element the rear support will also be coming of the table. I'll post on the forum later because I need to define the phrase "BEYOND" I think that this must mean elements behind otherwise a single warband would end up killing flank supports and rear in one outcome. I'll clarify by Thursday but it still looks rosy for Mr Gaul :)

I guess Jon will be looking forward to his purchase now.......

2. An enemy element's front edge is in contact with ALL of their side edge.....

This is interesting at it potentially interprets that if you are within a base depth behind your friendly element just destroyed and have an enemy element in contact with your side edge (as above) you are destroyed.

There are a few other sub rules for Bow, Elephants and also Psiloi but I think the above is enough to Sober any Roman blade! I'll clarify from the book before we start on Thursday.

2. RECOILING

Recoiling represents troops responding gradually to enemy pressure. A recoiling element moves back it's base DEPTH to it's rear without turning.

You can't recoil IF a) it meets (or is in contact with) friends it cannot pass through OR push back b) an enemy element c) impassible terrain d) a battlefield edge.

A mounted OR foot element which is unable to start a recoil is penalised in combat with a -1

If a recoiling element meets a friend facing the same direction it will pass through to the friends rear if permitted (see interpenetration rule) if it can't it will push back this element.

Slightly different rules here to DBA in that instead of dying when you can't start a recoil you fight at a -1 in the close combat. The push back rule works only by allowing you to push back any troops that are able to recoil ( this is defined in the book)


We will be playing 230 AP this week which is roughly the same 2 command armies we used last week.


I'll post a final part tomorrow on Morale or "ME" just so everyone understands this!