Some ideas I'm prototyping for skirmish-scale solo rules set suitable for Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, and early Medieval wargames. Expect axes, spears, and shields. I'm iterating a simple scenario and tweaking when I can. Bring on the hex paper!

Somewhat inspired by the episodic format of Mike Lambo's "Solitaire" games, I want to introduce storytelling, simple roleplaying elements, and a progression system to a simple but strategic set of rules.

Rounds & Turns

A game takes place over a series of rounds. In a round, each unit on the battlefield takes a turn, in which they move, attack, and perform other actions. Once all units have taken a turn, the current round ends and a new round begins.

As Barbarica is a solo game, you (the player) take actions on behalf of the enemy (non-player) units and your own units. You should play both sides to the best of your and their ability. After all, if you don't, you're only cheating yourself! The rules for each scenario give you a framework for how the enemy will behave (see #NPC Unit Intelligence).

Units

TODO:

Attributes

Units have the following attributes, easily remembered with the acronym MEADS.

Movement

How many hexes the unit moves on their turn.

Expertise

The martial skill of the unit.

Attacks

How many attacks the unit may make each turn.

Discipline

Coolness in combat, willpower, and mental resilience.

Strength

The unit's physical numbers or an individual unit's toughness.

NPC Unit Intelligence

Each scenario includes a set of conditions that enemy (non-player) units will follow.

Example: "Will move towards the nearest player unit that is in contact with at least one allied unit. Will attack fleeing enemies with their bows. Will attempt to move next to a friendly unit."

Read through these conditions for each NPC unit whenever they move or attack. If none of the conditions apply, roll a D6, add the unit's Strength, and compare the result to the table below. Alternatively, choose an option that you think makes sense given the unit's strategic position on the battlefield!

Behaviours

Aggressive
Defensive
Cautious
Prefer (Ranged/Melee)
Reckless

The Basics of Combat

This same mechanic applies to both melee and ranged combat.

Compare the attacker and defender's Strength on the table below. The value shown on the table is the Target Number (TN) the attacker needs to roll on a D6 to inflict a wound.

The attacker's Strength is on the vertical axis. The defender's Strength is on the horizontal axis.

The attacker rolls a number of dice equal to the attacking unit's Expertise, plus one additional die that is distinguishable from the others called the Wild Die.
After rolling:

• Resolve parrying and dodging. If attacked in melee combat, remove any dice showing a score equal to the defending unit's Expertise.
• Resolve shields against ranged attacks. If attacked at range and the defending unit is carrying a shield, remove any dice showing a score equal to the defending unit's Expertise.
• Resolve the effects of armour. Remove the lowest scoring die if the defending unit is carrying light shields or wearing light armour. If they are carrying heavy shields or wearing heavy armour, remove the highest scoring die.

Each remaining die showing a score equal to or higher than the TN inflicts one wound on the defender.

Example: a Strength 8 unit with 4 Expertise is attacking a Strength 6 unit with 3 Expertise wearing light armour in melee combat. The attacker rolls 4 dice + 1 Wild Die (shown in bold), scoring:

1, 1, 3, 4, 5

The attacker removes any dice showing a 3 as the defender has 3 Expertise. They also remove one die showing a 1 as the defender is wearing light armour. This leaves three dice showing 1, 4 and 5. The target number to inflict a wound is a 3 (Strength 8 vs. 6), and the defender suffers two wounds from the 4 and 5.

One Attack per Round

Unless the rules state otherwise, a unit may only make one attack per round.

Wounds

Each wound reduces a unit's Strength by 1. Remove units from play that fall to 0 Strength.

Ranged Combat

Firing Arcs

TODO:

Line of Sight

TODO:

Indirect Fire

TODO: what you can do if you don't have LoS.

Shooting into Melee

A ranged attack, firing or throwing weapons into a melee where friendly and enemy units are in contact risks hitting allied units.

If the remaining wounding dice also include the Wild Die, split the wounds equally between all units in contact with the target unit. Apply any odd wounds to the original target.

Example: an enemy unit in contact with a friendly unit suffers three wounds from a volley of bow fire, and the wounding dice include the Wild Die. Two wounds are suffered by the enemy unit and one wound by the friendly unit.

Melee Combat

Return Attacks

A defender may also fight back against their attacker. Before resolving a defender's wounds, they may choose to perform a return attack. Both sides then suffer wounds at the same time. A melee is not an "I go, you go" affair; it is a confusing, bloody clash of bronze, iron, and blood.

Return attacks are subject to the #One Attack per Round rule. A unit cannot perform a return attack if it has already attacked this round.

Ranged attacks do not provoke a return attack in this way.

Pushing Forward

TODO:

Facing & Formations

Fighting Retreat

When a unit performs a Fighting Retreat, they maintain their facing towards at least one enemy unit and withdraw, whilst maintaining contact with that unit. This allows them to bring shields and weapons to bear, remain engaged, but also withdraw from an area under their own terms.

To begin a Fighting Retreat, a unit must:

1. Be engaged in melee combat with an enemy unit.
2. Use their movement to move backwards away from the unit, while maintaining their facing.

Before moving, the unit must use their attack against an enemy unit in contact.

Action Order

Each round, actions occur over five phases: Psychology, Movement, Ranged Combat, Melee Combat, and Clean-up at the end of the round.

1. Psychology

Rout tests, etc.

2. Movement

The player units move in whatever order the player chooses, followed by the NPC units. Each unit may move up to their Movement attribute in hexes. A unit isn't obliged to move at all.

Difficult Terrain

Each scenario's map will highlight terrain that is difficult to cross. When moving through difficult terrain, a unit must spend an additional point of their Movement per hex they move through.

• A unit with Movement 1 must stop and miss their next Movement Phase after moving onto a hex with difficult terrain (it takes 2 turns to move through each hex).
• A unit with Movement 2 that moves onto difficult terrain uses both their points of Movement to do so and must stop, but may move off and onto adjacent normal terrain during their next Movement Phase (the hex uses 2 Movement to move through).
• A unit with 3 Movement can move onto difficult terrain (costing 2 Movement) and then off again onto normal terrain (costing 1 Movement) on the same turn.
• A unit with 4 Movement can move through two hexes of difficult terrain on their turn.

And so on.

Woods & Forests

Woodland and forests count as #Difficult Terrain and block the #Line of Sight to any unit inside them that is at least 1 hex from the edge.

3. Ranged Combat

Resolve ranged combat from the player side first, followed by the NPC side, in whatever order of units the player chooses.

4. Melee Combat

Resolve melee combat from the player side first, followed by the NPC side, in whatever order of units the player chooses.

5. Clean-up

Weapons & Armour

Melee Weapons

Club

TODO:

Dagger

TODO:

Short Sword

TODO: c.f. Gladius, Falcata and Kopis.

Spatha

The spatha is a "long sword", with a straight, double-edged blade, typically up to 40 inches long. This category includes the anthropomorphic handled swords of the western tribes, as well as those used by more disciplined soldiers.

Spear

+1 die when attacking units wearing heavy armour, unless the unit is also wielding a shield. Spears may dismount riders that are on horseback. If the wounding dice include the Wild Die, the attacker may choose to dismount a unit instead of inflicting wounds.

Two-Handed Sword

TODO:

Ranged Weapons

Axe (thrown)

TODO:

Composite Bow

TODO:

Dart

TODO:

Improvised Weapon (thrown)

This category covers any object that is thrown at an enemy that is not explicitly designed to be used as a throwing weapon. Rocks, swords (yes, swords aren't meant to be thrown), logs, and helmets all fall into this category.

Javelin

TODO:

Self Bow

TODO:

Sling

TODO:

Spear (thrown)

Armour

TODO:

Light Armour

TODO:

Heavy Armour

TODO:
Units in Heavy Armour must spend an additional point of Movement when moving through #Difficult Terrain.

Shields

TODO: Light vs. Heavy.

Other Rules

Breaking from Melee Combat

A unit that attacked or defended against an attack on the previous round, that moves out of melee combat range of an enemy unit, provokes an attack of opportunity from each enemy unit they have moved out of contact with.

Each such enemy unit gets a free attack, which the disengaging unit may not make a return attack against. The only exception to this is when the unit is performing a #Fighting Retreat.

Charging

TODO:

Mounted Units

A single token is used to represent a unit on horseback, or a mobile unit such as a chariot.

Firing from Mounts

TODO:

Glossary

"In Contact" - a unit is in contact if its hex is next to a hex containing an enemy unit.

"{subject} may {action}" - wherever the rules use the modal verb "may" to describe an action, that action is always optional. For example, "a unit may choose to move" implies that moving is not mandatory.

Test Scenario

Player Units

1 x Tribal Chieftain
1 x Chieftain's Daughter
2 x Tribal Archers
4 x Tribal Axemen
4 x Tribal Spearmen

Enemy Units

1 x Roman Tribunus
1 x Roman Praefectus
10 x Roman Auxiliaries