Solo DBA Arthurian Campaigns

I’ve shared some DBA Arthurian Campaigns based on Martin Smith’s “Arthurian campaign” article in Slingshot (Smith, 2021), itself based on Kaptain Kobold’s solo HoTT campaign (Dux Bellorum). Both Martin and the Kaptain give solo opportunities so I thought I’d share how to use my campaigns in solo mode. You can play a solo variant of the campaign, like Kaptain Kobold. Or you can play a multi-player campaign with the table top battles fought solo, like Martin Smith (2021). Both options are presented here.


The Legions have Gone (420-439 AD) as a solo campaign

Kaptain Kobold’s HoTT campaign (Dux Bellorum) was for solo play. You can do the same with the The Legions have Gone (420-439 AD) campaign,if you wish to.

The campaign rules are mostly unchanged. The sequence of play is the same as the basic game.

There is only one player who plays the Lowland Romano-British kingdom. Northern Romano-British is added as a barbarian nation. The map becomes:

The Legions Have Gone (420-439 AD) - DBA Arthurian Campaign - Solo
The Legions Have Gone (420-439 AD) – DBA Arthurian Campaign – Solo

When choosing barbarian nation that is going to raid or invade, roll 1d6:
1 – Angles
2 – Picts
3 – Northern Romano-British
4 – Saxons
5 – Scots-Irish
6 – Welsh

If you win two consecutive victories against the same barbarian nation, without losing a battle against them in between (although you can fight other people), then the barbarian nation is eliminated so they can no longer invade; roll again.

At the end of the 20th year the campaign automatically ends. How much Glory do you have? Can you do better next time?


The Bear Exalted (518-537 AD) as a solo campaign

Kaptain Kobold’s HoTT campaign (Dux Bellorum) was for solo play. You can do the same with the The Bear Exalted (518-537 AD) campaign,if you wish to.

The campaign rules are mostly unchanged. The sequence of play is the same as the basic game.

There is only one player who plays the Lowland Romano-British kingdom. Northern Romano-British is added as a barbarian nation. The map becomes:

The Bear Exalted (518-537 AD) - DBA Arthurian Campaign - Solo
The Bear Exalted (518-537 AD) – DBA Arthurian Campaign – Solo

When choosing barbarian nation that is going to raid or invade, roll 1d6:
1 – Angles
2 – Gewissei
3 – Picts
4 – Northern Romano-British
5 – Saxons
6 – Scots-Irish

If you win two consecutive victories against the same barbarian nation, without losing a battle against them in between (although you can fight other people), then the barbarian nation is eliminated so they can no longer invade; roll again.

At the end of the 20th year the campaign automatically ends. How much Glory do you have? Can you do better next time?


Solo DBA Battles

Rather than 2-player DBA games, Martin Smith’s 4 player campaign was to provide context for solo DBA battles during the 2020 Covid-19 Lock down. He provided some guidance on how to make this work and this is my version of that guidance. This system needs an umpire.

Before the battle:

  1. Umpire determines order of battle for the barbarian nation (if any)
  2. Umpire selects a commander for the barbarian nation (if any); Martin Smith used DBA players outside his normal player group for this
  3. Umpire tells commanders the kingdom or barbarian nation they are opposing and their own order of battle
  4. Romano-British commander(s) select a field army of up to 12 elements from their great army
  5. Umpire randomly selects battlefield (from a pre-generated set of 36) and direction of play and shares with the commanders
  6. Commanders send umpire battle plans i.e. deployment and orders
  7. Umpire anonymises the battles so armies become Red/Green (not Rheged/Irish) with just the troop types without national descriptors (e.g. “Warband” not “Saxon Warriors”)
  8. Umpire selects a neutral solo player for each game, ensuring a Romano-British player does not fight their own battle
  9. Umpire sends solo player the anonymised game details (red/blue orders of battle and battle plans)

The Battlefield is chosen at random from 36 pre-prepared battlefields. Six should have a waterway; 12 should have a river. ‘Littoral’ defenders (Scots-Irish, Picts, Angles) defend on one of the watery battlefields. Other defenders could be on any of the battlefields. Use each battlefield only once. Direction of play chosen at random.

During the battle:

  • In game setup use the details from the umpire including the battlefield, direction of play, orders of battle, deployment
  • Follow the orders from the commanders, as much as possible

After the battle:

  • Solo player sends umpire a battle report including final casualties on both sides
  • Umpire assesses what happens with Romano-British casualties (return to great army, go to reserve, downgrade before going to reserve, discarded) and tells the player

References

Barker, P., Bodley Scott, R., and Laflin-Barker, S. (2014). De Bellis Antiquitatis: Simple fast play ancient wargame and campaign rules with army lists [Version 2.2]. Wargames Research Group.

Barker, P., and Laflin-Barker, S. (2014). De Bellis Antiquitatis: Quick play wargame rules with army lists for ancient and medieval battles [Version 3.0]. Wargames Research Group.

Saunders, A. (Kaptain Kobold) (2012). Dux Bellorum: A Solo HOTT Campaign. Stronghold Rebuilt: Hordes of the Things.

Arthur defends Britain from raiders and invaders. A simple solitaire campaign set-up suitable for DBA or HOTT.

Smith, M. (2021, January/February). Arthurian Campaign. Slingshot: Journal of the Society Ancients, 334, 12-17. Society of Ancients.

Thomas, S. (2007). Britannia 600 AD Campaign. Balagan.

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