New at this and can't get my head around it...

[razorbacjac]

PIPs-High to low dice for each command.....Ive read and reread the rules and what I could find in the using the forum search but I still don't understand how the basics of the high and low are used.

How can one group if its given the highest but rolls only a one on a die.....it would be the lowest.....I am still missing something.

[razorbacjac]

I think Ive got the basics now-"regular units" have the same color die and their either high,low or middle.  The allies or irregular groups have a different die color and only roll for them selfs.

[Barritus]

G'day Razorbacjac

It sounds like you've worked it out, but here's a Plain English version to go with the Barkerese version in the rules.

If you have an army with regular sub-generals, you decide at the start of the battle which command's general gets the highest PIP dice, which one gets the lowest PIP dice, and which one gets the one in between. Throughout the battle, as you roll the dice, one command always gets the highest PIP dice, one always gets the lowest PIP dice, and the other gets the one in between.

You can change the allocation during the battle if you want, but it's messy - in the first bound of the new allocation, all moves cost extra PIPs.

As a result, the rules strongly encourage you to design regular armies with the PIP allocations in mind. Take, for example, my Alexandrian Macedonian army. Alexander commands the Companions, the Hypaspists and a few other support troops, and his command is the army's strike command. So he gets the highest PIP dice. Parmenio commands the Thessalian cavalry and some more support troops, and his command is the defensive wing. So he gets the middle PIP dice. In the middle of the army is Craterus's pike phalanx. All it does is head straight forward to pin the enemy army, so all he needs is the lowest PIP dice.

Now if you have irregular generals, or regular ally generals in your army, those commands roll their own PIP dice, and those PIP dice aren't ever placed in any allocation. The same goes for commands which are off table flank marching, which have lost their general, or which are broken.

I hope this helps, but if you have any questions, please ask us. We're happy to help.

Cheers

Peter

PS Welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy yourself and the rules. By the way, do you mind me asking you where you live?

[razorbacjac]

Thanks for your reply.   I live in central Arkansas.  I am not new to miniatures(American CivilWar)but I am new to anicents and the DBMM system.

Thanks for the welcome.  I have one other question:  In your bound, do you move all your units then the other fellow moves all of his units in his bound, or do you alternate moving one of your groups/elements and he moves one group/element then back to you until all units have moved and a new bound begins?


Thanks.

Darrell

[LAP1964]

  In your bound, do you move all your units then the other fellow moves all of his units in his bound, 

Mostly,  but you would move your elemenets as a result outcome moves after combat in the enemy bound .
LES
PS try using an army with a Irr C-in-C,and 2 Reg Sub-Gens

[Valentinian Victor]

In your bound (think of it as your turn if you like) you move all your elements/groups, then carry out any shooting then close combats then do any outcomes due to this then your bound ends and your opponent does the same.

Rinse and repeat.

[razorbacjac]

Thanks guys!  That answered my question(about the bounds).  I went to bed still trying to get it correct in my mind.  To you guys this is probley simple stuff but to me trying to completely understand the ancient era, well I am still learning.

Ive been reading and rereading everthing I can find on the forum.......

[LAP1964]

  To you guys this is probably simple stuff but to me trying to completely understand the ancient era,

That's the easy bit. It's understanding what Phil means is the hard bit!! 
LES

[razorbacjac]

Another question guys:  The combat Dice roll.  Is that ONE Die for each player Or more than one die?  It seems to indicated one die but the rules are not real clear on that.

Thanks,

Darrell

[LAP1964]

1 dice per element on either side for each combat. 
LES

[razorbacjac]

1 dice per element on either side for each combat. 
LES

Thanks Lap.

[LawrenceG]

Thanks for your reply.   I live in central Arkansas.  I am not new to miniatures(American CivilWar)but I am new to anicents and the DBMM system.

Thanks for the welcome.  I have one other question:  In your bound, do you move all your units then the other fellow moves all of his units in his bound, or do you alternate moving one of your groups/elements and he moves one group/element then back to you until all units have moved and a new bound begins?


Thanks.

Darrell

Note that only one side moves in its own bound, but both sides shoot in every bound.

[Valentinian Victor]

Best advice I can give about learning to play the game is to set up a few elements of various types on a table top (any table will do, dining table, coffee table etc) about 300mm apart then play a few moves as if you were facing an opponent. This will give you the basics on movement, shooting, combat and outcomes.

This is what I did and then I found a local player who then guided me through playing a typical 400AP size game.

[LawrenceG]

Ive been reading and rereading everthing I can find on the forum.......

Bear in mind that everything on here prior to about July 2010 refers to version 1 of the rules. Version 2 is a bit different in some areas (often making the more esoteric discussions of version 1 irrelevent now).