Armies of Oerth, Part 0: Field of Glory

Admittedly, I put the cart before the horse by presenting army lists adapted for a system that I hadn't taken the time to explain. Let me make ammends for this...

Field of Glory is a set of historical miniatures rules for ancient and medieval tabletop battles. The rules cover the ancient and medieval period (3000 BC – 1500 AD) from the rise of the earliest known armies through to the introduction of effective gunpowder weapons. The game scale is flexible and the movement and range distances are the same regardless of scale.

FoG is designed to play a battle with 10 – 15 battle groups in a 3 to 4 hour game. Each battle group is made up of variable number of bases, usually between 2 – 12 each, and are maneuvered by commanders as independent units which remain as a single cohesive block for the game. These battle groups move as a unit but the combat system allows the shooting and melee combats to be fought by those bases exposed or in contact. Battle groups are rated by type (cavalry, heavy foot etc) training, protection level, weapons and morale.

A standard turn consists of a set sequence of phases; an Impact Phase (charging and combat) a Movement Phase, Shooting, Combat Phase (in addition to the charge combat) and a final Administrative Phase which deals with a range of command and morale issues. The sequence is logical and straightforward to follow.

The command and control system rates commanders by levels of competence and applies the simple mechanic of distance from the commander to model the efficiency of the army command and control. Commanders can assist battle groups to maneuver, fight and rally. Under some circumstances a commander can provide benefit to a “group” of battle groups which is called a battle line. This simple technique seems to model the efficiencies of a traditional ancient battle-line quite well.

The move system is reasonably simple and intuitive. Move distances, formations and maneuvers (such as wheels and formation changes) are logical and well explained. One clever touch is the Complex Maneuver Test (CMT) which forces battle groups in close proximity to the enemy and who are performing a complex move to roll dice to complete the move. This makes you think twice about performing formation changes within charge range of the enemy! There is some complexity in the move sequence, fighting in two directions and the ability to feed parts of a battle group into an existing melee but the rules do cover these circumstances in sufficient detail to allow an understanding by the second or third game.

The combat system appears complicated but is actually quite straight forward and is well supported by a set of good charts and tables. There are more units able to shoot and skirmishers now take on the important function of forcing the heavy units to take Cohesion Tests from a trickle of shooting casualties inflicted over a long period of time. Melees now take many turns and the disintegration of battle groups is gradual and the effects are more subtle than one would normally observe in a game where each unit fights to the last man. For example the initial clash between an elite Roman Legion and a Gallic warrior band might see the legionaries “disrupted” and even lose some elements but often their better armour, better morale and close quarter training will allow them to (over 4 or 5 turns) whittle down the Gauls and cause them to break and run.

Morale rules are also important in determining the outcome of a battle. Supporting units, location of Generals, routing units, rallying units, “bolstering” (improving a unit’s morale) and the “Cohesion Test” are some of the techniques the game applies to model the impact of morale on an ancient battle.

The game is supported by a detailed set of annexes and a comprehensive glossary which is very useful for new players to this system. There is a range of 13 supplemental books containing specific Army Lists, such as Republican & Imperial Rome, Ancient Greeks, Late Medieval Europe, Byzantium, and the Far East. These books are not necessary for using the main rulebook, but they are well presented and illustrated and provide detailed lists of a broad range of historical armies.

In summary, Field of Glory is a well written and well explained system with lots of clear and colourful diagrams which will ease the pain of learning a new set of rules. The rules have a formed-unit approach that represents many of the aspects of ancient warfare with simple ease. The morale rules add a significant element to the game and are simple to understand and straightforward to apply. The combat rules are not complex, but they do require a methodical and measured approach. New players who rush will either make fundamental errors or become confused about who did what to whom. The rules have been assembled by a group of long-standing wargamers and several of the contributors are classical or history scholars in their own right.

From the designers:
In Field of Glory our most important objective is to make the game fun to play whilst retaining a strong historical feel. So whether you fancy being Alexander the Great or Ghengis Khan, it's up to you, happy gaming and may your dice roll high!

Ciao!
Grendelwulf