From: "Brandon Einhorn" Subject: Re: Variants - Imperium Romanum - West End Games The new movement and supply rules should make the game more realistic and interesting. With the old rules the entire counter mix could march across 150 miles of desert or 500 - 1000 miles of clear terrain and attack the defender before he could concentrate or run away. Since supply was only judged at the end of the turn, this huge army could leapfrog from supply island to island, regardless of being out of supply for most of the time it was marching. (Note on dice: 1d10 is always 1 .. 10, the 0 is always a 10) Movement 1) The turn is now broken down into 3 segments, each with its own movement and combat phase. Siege however still is resolved in monthly increments. In the first and second segments units have a movement allowance of 50% their printed speed, retaining fractions In the third segment, only units force marching may move. Combat takes place at the end of each segment. Thus a unit could initiate three battles a turn. A unit may always move one hex each of the first two segments, regardless of how many movement points it has. Thus all units can move two rough hexes per month in winter. 2) There is a new force march table: Roll 1d10, if it is less than or equal to the number of movement points (MP) expended force marching, roll 1d6 on the forced march loss table. This is the percentage of stacking points, rounded up, that are eliminated. Cavalry gets one extra free MP when force marching, thus they get 2-5 MP rather than 1-4. 1mp 2mp 3mp 4mp 1 5% 5% 10% 10% 2 5% 5% 5% 10% 3 5% 5% 5% 5% 4 5% 5% 5% 5% 5 0% 5% 5% 5% 6 0% 5% 5% 5% 3) When a unit finishes moving it may apply unused movement points towards a hex, for the next turn. Place an appropriate arrow marker(s) pointing to the hexside to which the force is applying these extra movement points. The arrow markers have a direction and a movement value of 1/2, 1, 2, 3. The next turn if the force continues moving through that hexside, it is credited with those movement points. If it instead changes direction and enters one of the two adjacent hexes, it does not get credit for the saved movement points. If the force moves into one of the three opposite hexes from the direction it was moving, it is penalized the number of saved movement points (it takes time to retrace its steps). 4) There is a new movement cost chart Roads No Roads Summer Winter Summer Winter Clear 1.5 2 2 3 Forrest 2 2.5 2.5 4 Rough 2.5 3 3 6 Marsh 2 3 3 5 Desert 2 2 2.5 2.5 River +.5 +1 +2 +3 5) Siege trains have a movement allowance of 9 minus the number of supply counters they have. Thus their speed will vary between 6 and 9. Their off road movement costs are increased by 50%. Interception 1) Land units may only attempt interception on units moving adjacent. 2) Naval units may attempt interception on units passing within two hexes. Interception is always successful on a roll of 6. If a unit intercepts, it may not move in its next movement phase. Supply Naval unit supply is unchanged. Sea supply is unlimited for: units in or adjacent to a port, and for units blockading and besieging a port if they have a fleet. Land unit supply is radically altered. Rather than judging supply at the end of the turn, supply is judged continuously during movement. All units consume supply points (SP) for every movement point (MP) expended, whether moving or stationary. A force gains SPs equal to the supply value of the hex times the number of movement points expended in the hex. In addition a unit may forage. For each MP spent foraging (not moving) that unit gathers SPs equal to twice the supply capability of the hex. However a city does not produce double supplies by foraging. Each unit, except supply trains, can carry a number of supply points equal to twice its stacking value. [Thus a light infantry unit can gather 24 SP but can only carry 2SP] A unit that remains stationary in a hex may build a supply depot containing four times its stacking value of SP. This way an advance force can gather SP for a large following force. Each supply counter carried by a supply wagon is worth 256 supply points. Units consume SP at different points in the turn based on their speed, according to the following table: Speed Supply Points consumed 6 Equal to stacking value for each MP. expended, double for the 2nd and 5th MP 7 Equal to stacking value for each MP. expended, double for the 4th MP 8 Equal to stacking value for each MP. expended 9 Equal to stacking value for each MP. expended except the 5th 10 Equal to stacking value for each MP. expended except the 3rd and 8th 12 Equal to stacking value for each MP. expended except the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th 16 Equal to 1/2 its stacking value for each MP. expended Supply units with two supply counter equivalents (512 SP) consume 4 SP per expenditure. Above 512 SP a supply unit consumes 8 SP per expenditure. Force marching units must expend SP equal to their stacking value, regardless of how far they move. [Presumably they did not gather as many SP foraging during their hurried march] For each under supplied MP a force expends, it earns 1 attrition point (AP) for each 5% shortfall, rounded up. A force that is under supplied by more than one third earns double APs. No force may voluntarily subject themselves to a shortfall of 50% or more, for more than one hex. For example an 18 stacking point force that has 16 SP earns 3 AP (16/18 = 11% => 15%) for each movement point expended. A force with APs, may use excess SP later in the turn to reduce its attrition value. The most an under supplied force can consume, per MP, is one third of its stacking value. Thus, an 18 stacking point force with six APs (30%) entering a 32 supply value hex may remove all of them (6AP*5%=30%, 18 * 1 1/3 max. = 24, 24 - 18 = 6, 6/18 = 33% forage value, 33% > 30% AP). At the end of each of the three movement segments, units with attrition points must roll on the supply attrition table. Divide the APs and divide by 8, rounding up to get the attrition value. After rolling on the table and applying losses, one half, rounded down, with a minimum of 10, of the forces AP are removed. The remaining AP carry over to the next phase. 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 5% 5% 10% 15% 15% 2 5% 10% 10% 15% 20% 3 5% 5% 10% 10% 15% 20% 4 5% 5% 10% 15% 15% 20% 5 5% 5% 10% 10% 15% 20% 25% 6 5% 10% 10% 15% 15% 20% 25% 7 5% 5% 10% 10% 15% 20% 20% 25% 8 5% 5% 10% 10% 15% 15% 20% 25% 30% 9 5% 5% 10% 10% 15% 20% 25% 25% 30% 10 5% 5% 10% 10% 15% 20% 20% 25% 30% 35% Devastation A hex may be devastated by a heavy unit expending two MP or a light unit expending six MP. A devastated hex produces 1/2 of the normal amount, until the start of the next July. Thus devastating a hex in winter has a shorter impact, that devastating the hex in July Combat The losing force rather than being 100% eliminated, gets to keep 10% of its strength, divided up at its owners discretion. Half strength markers may not be used to create two reduced strength units instead of one full strength units. Limited Intelligence Markers Rather than useing leader boxes, intelligence chits are used, based on the number of stacking points in the hex. If an enemy unit enters the hex, the number of stacking points +/- 20% must be revealed. 0 - 8 stacking points = A 9 - 16 " " = B 17 - 32 " " = C >32 " " = D Leader retreat survival Leaders move at a speed of 20. They don't need fleets to move by sea. At any friendly non-blockaded port they may board a generic fleet. The fleet has no combat strength, may carry no units, and moves at a speed of 30. If intercepted it's automatically captured. Overruns A moving force may eliminate a defending force during movement if it can attain odds of 5-1. There is a no movement cost, and the attacking force may continue movement. Half Losses Because of increased supply and forced march attrition, a half strength marker is available to place on a heavy unit. It reduces the strength, stacking point, and supply requirements by 50%. The unit may combine with a similar color unit, provided that the weaker strength is used. If in a recruiting area, the unit may be brought up to full strength by paying 50% of the normal cost. A half strength veteran brought up to full strength retains its veteran status. If two identical half strength units stack together at the end of a phase, they must be consolidated into one unit. City Surrender To better reflect the political consequences of abandoning a province, undefended cities may surrender. Once every 12 months an unoccupied city may be called upon to surrender. To demand surrender, a friendly force must have 4 stacking points of infantry or 8 of cavalry in the hex. Roll 1d6, on a 7 the city surrenders. The following modifiers are added: -1 if there are any unbesieged city allied forces (forces of the same side as the city) within 4 hexes. -1 if there are any unbesieged city allied forces present in any city in the area -1 if the city is the capital -1 if the besieging force has ever pillaged the area +1 if the current owner of the city has ever pillaged the area +1 Roman faction calling on a Roman city. +1 if the capital of the area is captured by the besieging faction +1 for each additional 4 stacking points of infantry or 8 of cavalry in the hex, up to +3 Unit Maintenance (OPTIONAL) Starting 12 months after a unit is built, maintenance of 1/6 of its purchase cost must be paid quarterly. Failure to do so results in a potential mutiny. Roll 1d6 and consult the table below: 1-3: Unit stays loyal 4-5: Unit disbands 6: Unit disbands and pillages the hex Failure to pay maintenance two quarters in a row results in disbandment, and pillage of the hex Morale There are two morale levels political and military. The Political morale is the morale specified in the game. When it reaches 0, that side disolves, but it has NO effect on combat. The military morale affects only combat, and only by +/-1, including donatives. The military morale rises and falls solely based on military action: pilaging, corn revolts, loss of provinces and cities has no effect. 12 turns (1 year) after an event that caused a change in morale, one half of the morale (rounded up) that was gained is lost, and one half of the morale that was lost (rounded up) is regained. Ex. On turn 1 Side A gains 25 morale, and side B loses 30 morale. On turn 13 side A gives back 13 morale, and side B regains 15 morale. Without this rule, the side that wins the first big battle will win the game (barring a disaster). Also morale is ephemeral. The Romans came back against Hannibal after the Trebbia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae. But it would not be possible in this game. Also while morale is important +/- 1 is a large enough modifier (its equal to cavalry or missle superiority). Otherwise one battle that raises your morale by 30, and lowers your opponents by 30 will cause a net 60 which when coupled with some small event like the loss of a province and some gold is added will yield a +2 to the die roll. This is too much. brandon@global-tech.com