HOTT Hordes of the things

Hordes of the Things (HOTT) is a fantasy miniatures wargame published by WRG. These rules are based on the De bellis antiquitatis rules.

A generic fantasy game, it can represent armies from a wide variety of settings. 

 An army is made up of a number of 'elements' of equal frontage and varying numbers of figures. The number of figures on each element is unimportant and need only be what looks right for any given army; all game mechanisms use the element as a basic unit. The number of elements in an army is based on a points system. Each element costs 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 Army Points (AP) depending on its type. A basic army is made up of 24 AP worth of troops, but no more than half the points can be spent on elements costing 3 or more AP. A basic army is therefore normally made up of between 9 and 12 elements, although 13-24 element armies are possible. Elements are of basic types—examples are Knights (mounted troops relying on a fierce charge), Blades (skilled fencing infantry), Heroes (superhuman individuals), Lurkers (things that hide and ambush) and Magicians (practitioners of magic). One element is the army's general.

Variant to play mass battles

 
Hordes of the Things has a variant called Mass Battle Hordes of the Things – where each player can use two or more armies instead of one

Each army is divided into commands, each controlled only by its own general, or that one of them designated as commander-in-chief. Commands can be of unequal size, but no command may have more than half its points of 6 AP, 4 AP and 3 AP elements, and only that of the commander-in-chief can include gods, dragons or lurkers. Elements of different commands must not intermingle when first deployed.

Both sides' commanders-in-chief dice. The lower scorer is the defender. He chooses the terrain and numbers the playing area's two long edges 1,2,3 and 4,5,6 respectively. The higher scorer is the attacker. He dices, taking the edge corresponding to his score as his base edge. The defender places his side's stronghold on that opposite. Both sides now alternatly deploy one command, the attackers starting first. The defenders take first bound.

Some links:

- Free download of the rules (V2 English version): on this page

-  Free downlad of the rules (V2 French version): On this page

FAQ 3.0 in french

FAQ for DBA 3.0 (in french)
( Second Quarter 2017)
Here

DBA 3.0 en français: premières impressions (Article written in French)

L'année 2016 aura été très positive sur un point: la parution, pour la 1ère fois d'une traduction en Français des règles de DBA.

Cette excellente initiative est le fruit de la société ZBB édition.

Comme il se doit, j'ai acquis un exemplaire de cette traduction sitôt celle ci disponible dans le commerce.

L'objet-livre

DBA 3.0 en Anglais (à gauche) et en Français (à droite)

Il s' agit d'un bouquin de qualité. Couverture rigide, pages cousues et non pas simplement encollées. Papier agréable au touché. Exclusivement en noir et blanc. Les illustrations annoncées un temps avant la parution restent introuvables dans le livre.

Cette édition est une réussite sur le plan matériel.

La déco extérieure respecte le schéma de l'édition anglaise. La couleur de fond est un peu plus claire.

Le livre parvient avec une fiche d' aide de jeu (tableaux et résumé des règles). Pour le coup, je ne suis pas séduit par cette fiche. Hormis l'utilisation d'icônes pour différencier les unités (inutiles mais esthétiques et égayant la fiche) je ne vois guère ce qu'elle peut apporter. Je ne parviens pas à l'utiliser correctement. Mais bon elle est offerte (en revanche, achetée à part, elle coût dans les 4€, achat dont on peut, je pense se dispenser)  Sa qualité matérielle (couleurs, type de carton) n'est pas en cause.

La traduction

Du bonheur. La traduction a été réalisée avec soin. Elle apporte une aide précieuse aux joueurs francophones qui, comme moi, maitrise un anglais leur permettant de comprendre sans difficulté un texte écrit en Godon mais dont la maîtrise ne leur permet pas de saisir toutes les subtilités, infimes dans un texte mais lourdes de conséquences sur la table de jeu. 

Là encore une réussite.

Un bémol concernant la traduction des listes d' armées. Dans la grande majorité de celles ci pas de souci mais pour certaines d'entre elles (pas mal tout de même) des erreurs majeurs assez handicapantes pour qui n'est pas un spécialiste de l'histoire antique et médiévale.
Je ne vais pas toutes les citer ici car cela fausserait la perception (l'ensemble reste correct). La liste Kouchane (empire aux frontière de l'Inde et de l'Afghanistan pour faire gros) est nommée liste Kouchite (nom d''un royaume soudanais antique). Cela fait désordre.

Pour en avoir discuté avec l'un des responsables de l'édition française, il ressort que ces erreurs n'ont été repérées qu'après parution malgré les relectures et qu'un soin particulier avait été apporté aux traductions "exotiques" (exemple traduction des dynasties chinoises selon la version choisie (méthode pinyin ou pas).

Le travail effectué par les traducteurs reste énorme (qu'ils en soient remerciés) mais ces petites erreurs me gâtent un peu le plaisir de lecture des listes et peuvent, comme dit plus haut gêner fortement les profanes en histoire.

Les tableaux et schémas.

Les schémas explicatifs étaient déjà particulièrement utiles dans la version anglaise de DBA 3.0

Rien à reprocher là dessus non plus à la version francophone. Au contraire. Cette quinzaine de pages apporte un plus indéniables à la compréhension des règles.

En conclusion

Cette traduction est une réussite (qui eut été totale et complète sans les bourdes des historiques des listes) Un achat vivement recommandé. Même pour ceux qui lisent sans souci l'Anglais. 

Les données légales de la version française

Probabilities of combat results in De bellis antiquitatis

 

The random factor has always been on the battlefield. Of course, it occupies an important place in the DBA game system. The art of the general consists in part in taking into account the probabilities.

" My cohort of praetorians may very well be massacred by this band of ragged ragged but it is likely to repel them, or even destroy them"    Centurion Bonusmalus

The goal is not to transform the game into mathematics. That would be reductive and ridiculous. In addition, systematic consultation of these tables during the game should be avoided as this would reduce the playful pleasure and would be painful for the gambling partner.

The function of these probabilities is to help understand the mechanisms of combat results and to be able to develop a better knowledge of the destructive or resistant capacities of the various types of troops. This allows novice players to quickly perceive what is risky, easy or conceivable on a DBA battlefield.

 There are two different tables: the first concerns the probability of obtaining a score higher than the opponent and the second the probability of obtaining a result that is double that of the opponent.

Link to Tables

 

Aides de jeu pour la version 3.0 (in french)

The links on this page lead to fact sheets summarizing the main points of rules in order to make them easily accessible during the game.

These are game aids that I realized myself. It is possible, therefore, that there are some errors to be modified, but I think that, in general terms, these sheets are reliable. We use them in any case regularly within my game group.
Fiche Mouvement (1 page)

Fiche Terrains (2 pages) L'une des pages concerne le déploiement.

Fiche combat (2 pages)
Attention, cette fiche est erronée. Je m'en suis aperçu au cours d'une partie récente; Je laisse le lien le temps de la refaire.
(Please note that this form is incorrect. I have noticed this in a recent part; I leave the link time to do it again).

Probabilités de résultats de combat (1/2 page)

Blogs and sites about DBA in 25 or 28mm

- 1) Forum Fanaticus DBA

(An excellent place to share discussions on rules, painting techniques etc)

-2) New forum DBA
Same forum type as previous (both being active).

 
- 3) Fanaticus DBA

(Un site remarquable, plein de photos et infos. Hélas désormais délaissé par son webmaistre. Le site reste malgré tout  une vraie pépite)

- 4) DE BELLIS ANTIQUITATIS Forum DBA

(There is still a site now not very active but has the merit of being in French. It is still possible to glean info interesting - but rather old - on the game)

- 5) ZBB éditions 

(The publisher's website of the French version of DBA 3.0 Various pages are devoted to the game).

- 6) Ulmer-strategen.de

(Page, in English, of a group of German players of DBA in 28mm.This page gathers the galleries of several of their tournaments.) By browsing the site, there are some other nice pages such this one featuring beautiful photos of Romans high-empire.

- 7) Les trophées d'Auguste

(Nombreuses photos d' armées au format DBA ou DBM150 La page vers laquelle mène mon lien n'est pas la plus récente mais je l'aime bien, leurs figurines de Palmyréens et de Perses Sassanides étant superbes.)

8) Le blog DBA des Dragons  de vaire

(C'est du 15mm mais il n'empêche quec'est un blog très intéressant consacré à DBA)

9)La page du club Figurines et Stratégie consacrée à une journée découverte DBA
Parts in 15mm. I discovered this day only by discovering this page during my navigations on the web.

10) Le forum DBA du club de la Horde d'Or à ASNIERES (92)
A forum alive to interesting topics.

11) Ressources DBA
FAQs and Game Aids (DBA Score Card and DBA Quick Reference Sheet) All in English, for version 3.0

12) De bellis antiquitatis -version 3.0
A site oriented on the v3.0 Presentations of armies, dates etc

13) DBA Italia
Everything is in the title. Many pictures of armies. Almost all in 15mm

14) Présentation, en VF, de la 3.0
A player presents this edition and tells his photo of his initiation to this rule.

15) DBA: de la peinture des figurines
A vidéo Tric Trac

16) FAQ De Bellis Antiquitatis 3.0 par N. Lamberti

"(An) update of the FAQ for De Bellis Antiquitatis. Many questions about the Elephants, which, it is true, present many particular cases."

17) Une bataille Giant DBA à 300 figurines (Romains vs Gaulois)
The Battle of the Sambre with 8 Roman armies and 16 Gaulish armies.

18) Gazebo Gaming -- 25mm DBA-RRR
The wars of Italy (XVIth century) in 28mm. Beautiful armies in photo.

19) Ière croisade en 25mm
A battle between Normans and Turks on the DBA forum.

The extensions of the 3.0

The DBA game system is a complete and successful system that is self-sufficient. The rulebook is sufficient in itself because it contains:

 - The rule of the game

- The entire list of armies

- Variants: Giant DBA and Big battles DBA (BBDBA)

However, the release of version 3.0 of the rules was accompanied by the output of extensions. Here is the one I am aware of:

- 1) Start wargaming using DBA 3.0  by Sue Laflin-Barker

The author of this extension is part of the group of authors who created DBA. This booklet, the first one that she has written alone, is presented as a guide for the great beginners wishing to embark on this game. The booklet contains rules, advice (constitution of armies, realization of sets ...) and a report Of battle between Romans and Germans. Army lists are not included.

I have a copy of this book but I can not advise it (except maybe to the great beginners). It is useless to the jpoueurs having a certain practice of the wargame. The fact that it includes the rules is duplicated with the DBA booklet, the purchase of which is still necessary to have the lists of armies.

A video in English, on Youtube, presents this book:

- 2) Great battles of history for DBA 3, de Joe Collins

This is a 134-page book with a soft cover. It lists 12 historical battles scripted to be played in BBDBA version.

Unlike the previous work, the purchase of this booklet does not seem useless. The interior pages, in color, are very interesting and bring pleasant knowledge on the subjects tackled.
On the other hand, on the purely playful level, it will be useful only to players wanting to reconstitute the battles proposed and having the appropriate figurines.

 

  

There is a large extract from this free online book on google book: on this page
The book, difficult to find, even on the web, can be found here.
Example from their battle of Gela: the map and the photograph of the terrain:

  

- 3) Punica (in french) publication de ZBB éditions, l'éditeur de la future vf de DBA 3.0

 

  This supplement of 15 pages will reconstitute 12 major battles of the second Punic war. As it has not yet appeared, I have not seen it and have no opinion on it.

On the other hand, the idea is interesting.

- 4) DBA Extension 1500-1900 AD

An interesting curiosity that I promise to try. It is not an extension for the v3.0 but for the 1.1 It dates but that does not matter. This extension allows to play armies between the XVIth century and the end of the XIXth century.

A translation in French by Pierre de Magistra is available in pdf sur cette page. The English version remains indispensable for the lists of armies.

 

- 5) DBA 3.0 en Français: premières impressions 

Link to the article in which I present my first impressions to the reading of the French version of the v3.0

Presentation videos of the rule

These are videos found on the web, in French, presenting the game. I am not the author of these videos.

 English spoken videos

- A presentation of the game (version 2.2) found on youtube, with 15mm figures:

 French spoken videos

- Video of presentation of the game  by Tric trac: "Of Bellis Antiquitatis: of the explanation"

 - Another video of presentation of the game by Tric trac: "Of Bellis Antiquitatis: of the part"

BBDBA / big battle

The version BBDBA or big battle is proposed in the annex of the DBA rule. It offers the interesting opportunity to play bigger battle.

It is for this format that I mount most of my DBA armies.

 

Here is the content of the rule changes (for version 2.2 of DBA because version 3.0 is currently on sale, I prefer to broadcast an obsolete version, it was very close to the current). This allows you to enter the difference between DBA and BBDBA.

Introduction

    This is a variation of the rule allowing players to use a larger army divided into body and a larger playing surface but without adding detail and complexity to DBM.
It differs only from the standard version by the description below.
   

Composition of the Army

Each army is made up of 36 elements. If it comes from a single list, multiply the number of each type of items in the army list by 3. 3 generals control a body of at least 6 elements chosen from those available. The army may include allied corps of the same period from lists with a different number or number but different letter, which are always composed of independent armies of 12 elements from these lists. If there is only one allied body, the rest of the army is then restricted to its list multiplied by 2 instead of 3. If there are 2 allied corps, they must come from different lists and the remaining body has Also a normal army of 12 elements from the own list. A non-allied general must be designated as Commander-in-Chief (C-en-C). The C-en-C and all allied generals must have specific troops to their list. The other generals may have any element of their list except the tanks, "psiloi" or the artillery.

Battleground Size and Terrain

The width of the battlefield is doubled, but the depth remains the same. The number of compulsory land is increased from 1 to 3 and the number of optional land is increased from 3 to 4, but no more than 3 same land is allowed. There can not be more than one waterway, river, oasis, built area.

Camps

An allied corps must have its own camp, otherwise the entire army has a normal size camp unless there is a built-up area or more than one wagon.

Deployment

The defender puts the field and the invader chooses the side where he wants to unfold, the defender taking the opposite side. The defender deploys two bodies including that of his C-en-C, then the invader unfurls all his bodies, finally the defender unfolds the bodyrestant.

Launched dice

Each corps has a command die. All the dice of an army must be of the same color except the dice of the allied bodies which must be of different color and are always used for these bodies. The player must note after the field is placed and the deployment done which unallied body will always receive the dice with the highest result and the one who will receive the dice with the smallest result. It reveals this on the first roll of a die. A corps command command ceases to be thrown when all elements have been lost or have left the battlefield.
 

Fight

Once per round, the C-En-C can add +1 to its combat result after it has been calculated.

Losses

An element is lost if it is destroyed or leaves the battlefield by one of its edges, but not if it is only demoralized. An allied corps that has its enemy-controlled camp counts as 2 additional lost elements for that body. Any other camp or zone constructed controlled by the enemy count as 2 additional elements lost for each non-allied body.
 

Demoralization

A body that at the beginning of one of these towers has lost its general or at least a third of its elements other than tanks, camp servants or inhabitants is demoralized. He can only use tactical movements to return and retain items or to retain a group. Other elements not in close combat flee immediately to the nearest point of the deployment margin of the army without first retreating but initially turning back if necessary. This is repeated at the beginning of each successive friend turn, for each element not retained in the letter, or those also fleeing from a close combat or not having fled before. Items that are not in a built-up area or camp have a -2 penalty in close combat.
 

Winner and loser

An army that accumulates a total of lost elements of more than half of the elements of the initial troops at the end of a turn other than tanks, camp servants or inhabitants and that has lost more elements than its opponent, or That an army has its demoralized C-en-C, lost the battle

Rules and game aids

- DBA 2.0 for free download (without Army Lists) VF


- Extension Great battles of history for DBA 3 by Joe Collins

(It is a color extract, 42 pages out of the 134 of the book, published on Google books)

- FAQ 3.0 in french (2nd quarter 2017)

De Bellis Antiquitatis: The various editions

De Bellis Antiquitatis: the various editions

The current version: 3.0

The current version of the game appeared after a long wait, in 2014 in the United Kingdom. It differs from previous versions by increasing the distances of movements, which greatly accelerates the game (these are sometimes increased by 50% compared to the previous versions).

For the first time, DBA should be translated into French. Its release is planned for the end of September 2016.

 

Old versions:

The ancestor of DBA is the rule "De Bellis Societatis Antiquorum" (very short rules) realized in two pages by Phil Barker in 1988.
The first commercial edition of the game dates from 1990 and is the joint work of Phil Barker, Sue Barker and Richard Bodley Scott.
The various editions of DBA appeared on the following dates (source wikipedia):

 -  DBA 1.0, 1990

 -   DBA 1.1, March 1995

 -   DBA 1.2, 1998 (a compilation of modifications and modifications more than a real new version)

 -   DBA 1.22, 1999 (a compilation of improvements and modifications more than a real new version)

-    DBA 2.0, February 2001

-    DBA 2.1, 2003 (a compilation of improvements and modifications more than a real new version)

-    DBA 2.2, January 2004

-    DBA 2.2+, 2012 (an unofficial version played by several US members of the DBA forum)

La première édition du jeu.
J'ai personnellement débuté
 avec la version de 1998

 2.0 edition

Version 2.2 with which developed my game group

DBA 3.0 in English: first impressions

 

De Bellis Antiquitatis: The main principles

De Bellis Antiquitatis, more commonly known as DBA, is a history game rule that allows you to play the ancient and medieval rows of battles before the generalization of black powder (roughly 3000 BCE to 1500 after Our era, even if some more recent armies are playable like the example of the Tuareg)

The scale of the game is free, and players can play in 28/25 mm, in 20mm, 15 mm, or even with smaller figures.

The figures are plated on plates called "elements" in the rules. Each element can maneuver and fight individually or support other elements. An ordinary part of DBA is armed with 12 platelets (about fifty figurines on average) but the big battle version allows to play larger numbers (36 plates)

My armies, presented on this blog are in 28mm and in the format "BBDBA (Big battle DBA)"

Players in my game group improvising a game

Principles of play:

The main characteristic of the game is to privilege the behavior of the troops in combat to their equipment. For example, a fighter on horseback will be treated as a "Knight" regardless of his equipment if his combat technique is based on the frontal load. He will be treated as a "Light Rider" if he favors harassment and avoidance and will be classified as "Cavalier" if his mode of combat falls between these two extremes.

 
Examples of "Knights" in terms of play: medieval European nobility, the companions of Alexander the Great or Assyrian four horse chariots.

 
Examples of "light riders" in terms of play: Huns, Scythians or Mongols, but also javeliniers mounted Greek or Numidian;

 
Examples of "Cavaliers" in terms of play: the Gaulish aristocracy, the Roman alares equites or the oriental ghoulams.

 

Neo-Babylonian chariots, classified as "Knights"

Types of troops:

Aligned troops are classified into the following types:

Elephants, knights (including most four-horse chariots), cavalry including most four-horse chariots), light cavalry, floats, camels, lances (heavy infantry armed with spears and fighter Shoulder-to-shoulder), pikemen, blades (heavy infantry privileging hand-to-hand weapons such as Roman legions or late knights on foot), auxiliaries (infantry capable of fighting in open terrain but able to maneuver and Fighting in difficult terrain), archers and crossbowmen pulling at long range, psiloï (skirmishers), tribal bands privileging the initial charge, hordes (emergency levies, little trained fighters), artillery, trolleys Of war (used as mobile ramparts by certain armies), camps and luggage.

 

The difficult art of command:

 

The DBA command system is very simple but gives results very similar to those obtained with more detailed systems using written orders, with transmission by messengers or by signals and interpretation test by the recipient. Troops react to events and effectively simulates the loss of cohesion in a battle
 

At the beginning of his turn, each player rolls one die (or one die per corps in the "BBDBA" version). Whose result indicates the number of points of initiative (PIPs) which he will have during his turn of play.

Maneuvering an element costs a PIP but if several elements are in contact by one side and one corner and they face the same direction, their movement costs a single PIP.

To constitute lines of battles maneuvering in concert allows better use of his troops. On the other hand, the lines gradually dislocating to the liking of the vagaries of the battle, the troops became harder and harder to control.