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De Bellis Antiquitatis: Quick Play Wargame Rules with Army Lists for Ancient and Medieval Battles box art

De Bellis Antiquitatis: Quick Play Wargame Rules with Army Lists for Ancient and Medieval Battles

Game ID: GID0087728
Collection Status
Description

A flexible, fast-playing set of miniatures rules. An army consists of 12 units (called "elements"), classified as Blades, Warband, Knights and so forth. The rules are very simple (and can actually fit on one sheet of paper) but nevertheless pretty effective.

The Fantasy version is Hordes of the Things, and the De Bellis Multitudinis: Wargames Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battles – 3000 BC to 1500 AD rules add more detail and significantly increase army size.

De Bellis Renationis extends the time period through the end of the Renaissance (1700 AD) and Horse, Foot and Guns covers the period from 1701 to 1915.

Year Published
1990
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 1
This page: 1
Sentiment: pos 1 · mix 0 · neu 0 · neg 0
Mentions per page
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Video K2sxoGOToFc Unknown general_discussion at 0:28 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2362 · mention_pk 143537
Unknown - De Bellis Antiquitatis: Quick Play Wargame Rules with Army Lists for Ancient and Medieval Battles video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:28 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Clear, all-in-one rulebook with extensive army lists across periods
  • Thematic consistency with Spartan and Greek imagery
  • Accessible entry point for DBA-style play and historical replays
Cons
  • Painting time can be lengthy due to linen armor detailing
  • Some ranges and miniatures can be difficult to source in certain regions
  • Dice randomness can affect the pace and outcomes of battles
Thematic elements
  • Ancient warfare centered on hoplite phalanx tactics and Spartan iconography
  • Classical Greece, Sparta vs Athens; ancient battlefield scenarios
  • Military-arts and army-building narrative tied to historical period gameplay
Comparison games
  • De Bellis Antiqutatis (DBA) – core reference
  • Other ancient-era wargames using historical miniatures
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • dice-based combat resolution — combat outcomes are resolved using dice with unit stats and modifiers
  • Movement points — players assemble armies from a fixed point budget with unit-type and historical restrictions
  • order/activation and morale — activation sequence and morale influence unit performance and combat effectiveness
  • Point-based army construction — players assemble armies from a fixed point budget with unit-type and historical restrictions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • the centerpiece of my army and fits perfectly with the theme
  • these models are by Victrix an amazing company for ancients
  • the detail is great
  • linen armor can take a while but I think their work and marries it for them really
  • I honestly find them quite imposing
  • it's just a shame they are so difficult to get hold of in the UK
  • I call it eagle's green as if Monty of the Philly Eagles from the NFL
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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