Reformatted Basic Impetus Army Lists for the Fall of Rome

I’m thinking of using Basic Impetus for the next game in our Fall of Hispania Campaign. The good news is that the army lists for the Fall of Rome period are freely available at Vol 7. Rome and Empire and Vol 8. Fall of Rome. The bad news is I don’t like them. Firstly, I can’t read them because of all the abbreviations, for example, “FP” does not leap out at me as “Heavy Infantry”. Secondly, the format of the table is counter intuitive for me; I want to know who the troops are first before seeing how they are classified. Thirdly, I disagree with some of the army lists. In this post I’ll content myself with addressing the things about the format that annoy me. In a subsequent post I’ll revise the army lists.

 


 

Late Roman Empire – West

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 17/9 if without options

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Equites Medium Cavalry (CM) (General) 10 5 2 3
2 Equites Illyricani Light Cavalry (CL) 12 3 2 1
2 Legionaries Heavy Infantry (FP) (General) 5 5 1 3
2 Auxilia Palatina Light Infantry (FL) 8 5 1 2
1 Auxilia Comitatensis Light Infantry (FL) 8 4 1 1
1 Archers Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 short bow B

Option 1. Replace 1 Light Cavalry (CL) Unit + 1 Skirmishers (S) Unit with

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Catafractarii Heavy Cavalry (CP) 8 6 3 3

Option 2. Replace 1 Skirmishers (S) Unit with either of:

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Ballistae Artillery (ART) 3 1 0 1 art B
1 Carroballisate Artillery (ART) 6 1 0 1 art B

Special rules.

  • Impetuous foot charging Auxilia Palatina don’t get Impetus bonus. Impetuous foot charging Legionaries halve their Impetus Bonus.
  • If on cart, Roman artillery is considered as a “mounted target”, but still benefit -2 for shooting vs artillery

 


 

Late Roman Empire – East

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 16/8

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Equites Medium Cavalry (CM) (General) 10 5 2 3
1 Catafractarii Heavy Cavalry (CP) (General) 8 6 3 3
1 Equites Sagittari Light Cavalry (CL) 12 3 0 1 comp. bow B
1 Equites Illyricani Light Cavalry (CL) 12 3 1 1
1 Legionaries Heavy Infantry (FP) (General) 5 5 1 3
2 Auxilia Palatina Light Infantry (FL) 8 5 1 2
1 Auxilia Comitatensis Light Infantry (FL) 8 4 1 1
1 Archers Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 short bow B

Option. Replace 1 Skirmishers (S) Unit with either of:

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Ballistae Artillery (ART) 3 1 0 1 art B
1 Carroballisate Artillery (ART) 6 1 0 1 art B

Special rules.

  • Impetuous foot charging Auxilia Palatina don’t get Impetus bonus. Impetuous foot charging Legionaries halve their Impetus Bonus.
  • If on cart, Roman artillery is considered as a “mounted target”, but still benefit -2 for shooting vs artillery

 


 

Patrician Romans

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 16/8 if without options

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Equites cataphractarii Heavy Cavalry (CP) (General) 8 6 3 3
1 Mercenary Huns Light Cavalry (CL) 12 3 1 2 comp. bow B
1 Foederati Heavy Cavalry (CP) 10 5 3 2
1 Legionaries Heavy Infantry (FP) (General) 5 5 1 3 long spear
1 Auxilia Palatina Light Infantry (FL) 8 5 1 2
2 Foederati Heavy Infantry (FP) 5 5 5 1 impetuous
2 Skirmishers Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 short bow B or javelin

Option 1. Replace 1 Foederati Heavy Infantry (FP) or Heavy Cavalry (FP) Unit with either of:

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Ballistae Artillery (ART) 3 1 0 1 artillery B
1 Carroballisate Artillery (ART) 6 1 0 1 artillery B

Option 2. Change 1 S Unit with one more Hun CL

Special rules.

  • Impetuous foot charging auxilia and legionaries halve their Impetus Bonus.
  • If on cart, Roman artillery is considered as a “mounted target”, but still benefit from -2 for shooting vs artillery

Note. Long Spear nullifies impetus bonus of mounted troops
 


 

Early Ostrogoths

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 17/9

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Nobles Heavy Cavalry (CP) (General) 10 6 4 3
4 Goths and allies Heavy Cavalry (CP) 10 5 3 2
1 Sarmatians and Huns Light Cavalry (CL) 12 3 1 2 comp. bow B
2 Gothic and Slav archers Missile Troops (T) 6 3 0 1 comp. bow A
2 Archers Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 short bow B

 


 

Early Visigoths

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 18/9

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Nobles Heavy Cavalry (CP) (General) 10 6 4 3
6 Warriors Heavy Infantry (FP) 5 4 4 2 impetuous
2 Archers Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 short bow B
1 Javelinmen Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 javelin

Notes. Heavy Infantry (FP) units can form Large Units.
 


 

Visigoths

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 19/10

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Bucellarii Heavy Cavalry (CP) (General) 10 6 4 3
3 Nobles Medium Cavalry (CM) 10 4 1 2
4 Warriors Heavy Infantry (FP) 5 4 4 2 impetuous
2 Archers Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 short bow B

 


 

Early Frankish or Burgundi

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 16/8)

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Nobles Medium Cavalry (CM) (General) 10 5 2 3
5 Warriors Heavy Infantry (FP) 5 5 4 2 Impetuous
3 Archers Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 short bow B

Option 1. Replace 1 Heavy Infantry (FP) Unit with

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Basques Light Infantry (FL) 8 4 3 2 impetuous

Option 2. Replace 1 Heavy Infantry (FP) Unit with

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Sarmatians Light Cavalry (CL) 12 3 0 1 comp. bow B

 


 

Sarmatians

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 16/8

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Nobles Heavy Cavalry (CP) (General) 10 6 4 3
4 Young warriors and allies Heavy Cavalry (CP) 10 5 3 2
3 Horse Archers Light Cavalry (CL) 14 3 0 1 Comp. bow B
1 Archers Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 short bow B
1 Black Sea allies Skirmishers (S) 8 2 0 1 javelin

 


 

Attila’s Huns

Total Demoralisation Value (VDT) = 17/8

Number Name Type Movement (M) Basic Unit Value (VBU) Impetus Bonus (I) Demoralisation Value (VD) Notes
1 Nobles Medium Cavalry (CM) (General) 10 5 2 3 Comp. bow B
1 Heruls, Gepids, Ostrogoths Heavy Cavalry (CP) 10 6 3 2 impetuous
2 Horse Archers Light Cavalry (CL) 12 3 1 2 Comp. bow B
2 Franks Heavy Infantry (FP) 5 5 5 2 impetuous
2 Burgundi or Thuringians Heavy Infantry (FP) 5 4 4 2 impetuous

Notes. Heavy Infantry (FP) units with same Basic Unit Value (VBU) can form Large Units.

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