THE ROUND TABLE

A DBM Authurian Campaign

by Jeff Herbert

The Rules

DBM Rules, 3 Saxon players start on table and up to 2 off table.  All British players start on table.  Each player has three centres of occupation on table, which allow for the recruitment of 2/1/1 elements every six turns.  One centre, 2, is his capital area.  The six turns are split into 3 pairs, Spring Summer and Autumn.  In Winter a player's elements must be within 4" of either one of his own centres or that of an Ally or Tributary.

If a British player takes a British centre on a D6 1,or 2, he destroys it, 3,4,5,6 it becomes his and he may recruit from it.  A British player may become Tributary to another British player at any time.  This cannot be broken until the Overlords (CinC) is killed when the Tributary may renounce allegiance.

A Saxon may become Tributary to another Saxon/Angle/Jute.

A British player may not become Tributary to a Saxon/Pict/Irish player or make such Tributary while Arthur lives.  However Arthur may force a English player to become Tributary.

The Roman Army, replaces losses with native troops, which means it will gradually deteriorate.

British players may not rebuild destroyed sites, the Celts declined throughout the period.  While Arthur is alive Saxons must destroy a British Site and then may rebuild on it.  After Arthur's death a Saxon player may capture a site on using the above British dice throw without the need to rebuild.  A site is rebuilt by standing down 1 element on the site after recruitment has occurred during Winter and before the Spring move.  Settlement means less troops are available in the coming year.

To take a settlement a player must score a 6 on a D6, however he adds to his dice throw the sum of any of his elements within 4".  Six elements make it automatic.  After gaining control dice to see if the settlements are taken or destroyed.

Picts may not rebuild after Arthurs death.  Irish must destroy and rebuild and can only rebuild once on each site except in Scotland.  In Scotland the Irish capture and do not destroy any Pictish Site. Recruitment from these sites remain Pictish figures.  Picts can only rebuild in Pictland and not after Arthurs death.  The Scots can rebuild outside Scotland and Pictland but only if their sites are contiguous.

A tributary must give 3 elements to his Overlord and maintain them at recruitment.  The Overlord may use them as he wishes. Command radius is 2', being out of command adds a pip.

Up to two Saxon players start off table on the East.  They may enter on a 6 on a D6 at any point on the East Coast.  They enter automatically if Arthur is killed.  One Irish player starts off table to the West he may enter at any time along the West Coast.  He may go back to sea at any time and re-enter two bounds later with a full army.  If he goes back to sea any centres built revert to British/Welsh/Pict/Saxon players.

The Visigothic fleet starts off table.  It may arrive at any time.  It may fight to establish itself or be given ceded centres at Arthur's choice if Arthur is still alive.  Arthur may cede any British area, the British owner cannot object, except to his Capital being ceded.  Arthur may also direct the Visigoths to a Vacant Site.  If on ceded/vacated territory the Visigoth acts as a Brit and losses recruited from British elements.  If establishing himself he acts as is, recruiting from his own losses.  He must have however have at least one centre adjacent to a coast to do this as reinforcements will come by sea.

On Arthur's death, the player becomes a normal British player.

Before Arthur's death Saxon may ally with Saxon or Picts.  British with British or Welsh.  Pict with Saxon or Scot/Irish. Irish with Pict.  Allies may break the six element rule.

Unless in their own area an army of more than six elements may suffer attrition on a 1 on a D6. If so they lose one element.  Exception Allies moving together.  Allies may be moved within Command and Control if One General is present.  For attrition dice each move.

When a player's elements are within 6" of another non-tributary or Allied player's elements, both must declare their intention's which are binding for the coming move.  Battles, this occurs when unfriendly elements declare their intention to attack.  The attacker goes first, dice if meeting in no-mans land.  Each player gets 3 bounds of play.  The victor is the one who destroys more elements than he has had destroyed.  If a draw both fall back to their prior battle positions.  The loser must fall back to his first available centre, or remain there if already there.  However if he has lost one third he must fall back to his second available centre.  The Victor may follow up taken possession of the first centre.  If a player has only his capital left he must either declare himself under siege or seek sanctuary from another player. If granted he leaves his 'homeland' and stands down all but up to three elements.  He may not further recruit until he has regained his capital but may be 'lent' troops.  A second player may grant him a new 'homeland' which he then takes as a capital.

Each ship model fights as per its army list.  Each ship model carries 4 elements so sea battles will be extremely bloody.

Scoring

Each player counts 1 for enemy elements destroyed in excess of his own in each conflict, plus 2 for an enemy non-Arthur General. Killing Arthur is worth -2 to a British player other than Medraut who scores 3.  A Saxon/Pict/Irish player gets 2. The Visigoth dices 1,2 -1, 3,4 0 and 5,6 +1.

Each player at games end gets +1 for each centre.  Saxons get an additional plus 1 for every three centres in modern England.  Scots/Irish score 2 for each centre in Scotland or Pictland and an additional 5 points if they control two thirds of all such centres.  The Irish count 2 points for any centres in Devon and Cornwall or Wales and one point for any else where.  The Picts get 2 for each of their centres and 10 points if there are no Irish in Scotland.  One of the Welsh players get 10 points, for controlling at least two thirds of Wales.  Tributaries at games end count for control. All Tributary centres are counted as 1 point.  A British player counts 4 points for any of his own centres and plus 2 for any British Tributary Centre and plus 2 for any non-British Tributary.  The Visigoth counts plus 2 for any Centre any where and plus 3 for each remaining ship model.

After Action Report

The game went very well and 12 players gathered round the Round Table.  Due to the space we reduced the centres to two each.  For those who have read John Morris' the Age of Arthur the game turned out quite accurate.  In the South a two and thro situation arose between the British and the Saxons.  York held the North South and the Votadini kept the Picts at bay.  The armies in Wales could only leave at times of internal peace and those in south Wales found it hard to get out.  From North Wales I overran Strathclyde but this was non-player controlled and would have been tough against a real player.  The Irish came and went from Devon/Cornwall and then tried Dariada where at first successful over the Picts they were later pushed back to the coast.  This was one of our longest Meetings and even by night time a number of players didn't want to stop.  Like most things of this nature it was just getting going when we had to call stop and would really be better over two days.

The system of play was introduced to the club by Bruce Meyer basically the DBA campaign system is played out on the table which is set out like a map.  The armies were 12 base ones and we used DBM Rules.  Good fun, try it.

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