Partizan DBMM

DE BELLIS MAGISTRORUM MILITUM

DBMM is a radical development of DBM, retaining many structures and procedures and much of the basic data. The most major difference is simulating command and control more realistically and in particular emphasizing the C-in-C's plan. This inspires its title, which translates as "For the Wars of the Masters of Soldiers".

The new command system requires regular C-in-Cs to have a plan. It also allows cunning stratagems taken from the compilations of ancient authors, and caters for the exceptional generals of antiquity in a way that can only be exploited adequately by players with a good sense of timing. It eliminates time consuming PIP trading in pairs games. Troop definitions have been adjusted. Terrain choosing has been changed to give more variety and less predictability. Deployment is quicker and less stereotyped, and "edge of the world" effects have been reduced.

Combat places more stress on seizing tactical initiative and less on arranging advantageous local match ups. Be warned that some changes in tactics from those of DBM are necessary, in particular deeper deployments and greater aggression. Cavalry actions on the wings have been speeded up so that a wing command can gain a decision in time to intervene in the centre. Conversely, it is now also possible for successful infantry to break through in the centre instead of slogging on unrewarded. The ability of light troops to hold up an advance without fighting is removed. However, a curbing of rear support gives missile-using cavalry and skirmishers a small chance previously lacking of occasionally destroying an element of heavy foot. The morale stiffening value of crowds of minimal quality troops in the rear has been greatly reduced. Micro-measurement has been reduced and unrealistic geometrical constraints that prevent troops doing what they would in a real battle have been eliminated. A revised scoring system gives credit for narrow defeats and finer gradation in competitions.

Redundancies have been removed, procedures and wording simplified and layout improved. There are some unfamiliar rule mechanisms that work better than DBM once you are used to them. It may seem at first sight that the rules are now more bulky and complex, but much of the extra pages and space has been used to split up and better explain some existing concepts, to increase print size for easier reading, and for a large number of diagrams to explain the more abstruse points. However, these mostly serve to prove that what you would do naturally is correct! New players starting from scratch without a helpful friend are recommended to first read the book from start to finish, then play a few early games solo, using the DBMM 100 and 200 variants.

Rather than confine testing to a limited group, DBMM was made available both on my own web page and on the DBMMlist@yahoogroups.com discussion group for public play testing, suggestions and comments. Over the past 39 months, the latter's more than 800 members generated 41,782 messages, including several hundred game reports, and organized several weekend competitions around the world. DBMM is the most thoroughly tested rule set ever. It will be supported by 4 books of improved army lists developed from those for DBM. Until these are ready, DBM lists can be used, but with modifications specified here in the Appendices.