THE LIST OF OUR
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Renaissance-
Crusades-

Questions in the Regular font, Answers in Bold Please note: the wording of some questions have been modified for clarity. Some questions have been combined, as they were asking about the same subject, or do not appear at all, because someone else framed the same question with greater clarity. If the Captain has missed anyone, please don’t let him off the hook- complain at our yahoo group.

Along with all this, there are some brand new diagrams pages for download at the
bottom of this page. You should find them quite helpful.

These Answers override, replace, outrank ANY other answers that you may have gotten out of the
Captain in the past. If they conflict with any of his previous rantings, this ranting takes precedence.
Although the Captain will be editing the rulebook to include this errata, for the time being he suggests that you make a notation at the appropriate place in the rules and play aids to denote a new rule section, a clarification or a typo, which will refer you to these pages, which you should add to the back of your rulebook as an appendix.

* for rule changes and new rule sections † for clarifications and typos. For those who don’t mind printing up the whole rulebook again, they can either wait for our official version (with some new graphics and play aids), or they can add these to the .doc file themselves right away.

Note: The questions about the diagram examples of play have mostly not been included, as these pages have been rewritten, with many of the suggested changes included. Also, the numbering system is still tangled up- it awaits the final edit of the rulebook. All references to numbering and pages are using the current, flawed outline. This comes from editing together rules sections from different incarnations of the rules which were developed over 3 years, with many long pauses between versions.

The Perfect Captain wishes to offer his heartfelt thanks to the following Promachoi who
 gave their all in the playtesting and questioning of Hoplomachia, and in selflessly offering up these
following queries and observations as precious feedback- you all must surely have a place in the
Elysian Fields waiting for you….

Horrifying Note: due to the (hopefully) temporary loss of my personal email from 04/29/2003 to 02/05/2004, this list of names is sadly incomplete- all questioners who sent mail directly to the TPC site address (and indirectly to the Hoplomachia answer-man) are mostly anonymous at the moment. Their questions are here,  but their names are absent (for now) …if you don’t see your name here, you have our humblest apologies.

A.New rules sections & Changes:

1.Page 10. After (General Troop Types and Depiction), but before “1: Hoplites” , add:

A Note on the Taxis and Lochos, the Group and Stand In general the terms Taxis and Lochos are used for disciplined infantry troops; but not for undisciplined ones, which use the terms groups and stands. However, when in the rules the Taxis or Lochos are mentioned alone, they can be thought of being synonymous with groups and stands respectively, unless specifically mentioned as otherwise.

2.Q.In the belos phase I am under the impression that  you start with the side with arete beginning on his right and moveing  to his left. Now the question is does the player with the arete  advantage, conduct belos completely and then the other player  completes his fire, or does the sequence move from right to left alternating between players? The same with the Epidromos phase, march and approach phases. It seems unclear to me.

Arete Sequence Clarification: One player does NOT complete all his activities during a phase, and then the other player completes his- they Alternate between each other. The player who has precedence in sequence starts with one of his taxeis (usually the rightmost, except in cases where he has a Crafty Hegemon)- its activity and any automatic reaction of the enemy is resolved. Then the other player resolves any activity of his taxis that is next in the direction of the order of occurance (ie. In the direction chosen by the player who has precedence), providing that taxis has not already reacted to an enemy activity in that same phase. After that, and any reaction stemming from that taxis’ activity, the first player then goes next and so on. See the diagrams for examples.

3. Andreia Katastrophe Checks due to a lost lochos: These are now rolled for immediately as they happen; this will prevent units who lost a stand, say, to Belos fire early in a turn, then end up routing their tormentors, yet still failing the katastrophe check at the end of the turn…therefore routing at the now distant memory of their katastrophe!

-On Page 28, section 4a, add a new case after “in the Automatic Move Phase”:
•In the Offensive Belos Phase:Each time a taxis loses a lochos to belos fire, it must make an Andreia Check on the Katasrophe line.

4. Belos Charge: all Belos troops capable of performing a belos charge add +1 to their Belos number when doing so. Add this to the belos charge box on the Sanides, and to the bottom of page 37, section 2: Belos Charge.

5. Hamippoi-
Q. Page 12: When do Athenians and Lakonians begin using Hamipoi? Alkibiadean Epoch? Also, how are Hamipoi handled, are they normal psiloi rolled on the table and given over to the horsmen or are they free when you roll up some Hippeis?

OOPS! That was a big omission; Here’s how it should go-
On page 41, after “J. Epilektoi” add:

K. Hamippoi
Hamippoi are psiloi who run along supporting hippeis. When one is attached to an individual ile (placed in contact behind the ile) it is treated as a marker rather than a stand (denoting that hamippoi are present). It is not considered “there” for any other game purposes (belos fire, rear attacks, etc). They are lost (scattered) if their host ile is routed or if it evades more than 7”. An ile which has hamippoi attached may use the Hamippoi modifier in Othismos only- they have no combat effect in Epidromos. Any Hippeis/Hamippoi which moves more than 7” in epidromos may choose either to lose the hamippoi, or voluntarily limit themselves to the next lowest result which has a 7” move (such hippeis can be considered a little more disciplined than others). Once lost, hamippoi cannot be regained during a battle. They do not count as a lochos routed/killed.

Add to the Army Notes section of each of the following Army Generation Charts: Theban,
Thessalian, and Syracusan-

“May exchange hamippoi for  psiloi  at a rate of  1:1, in numbers equal to the number of
Hippeis Ilai present.”

Add to Athenian Chart Army Notes-

“May exchange hamippoi for  psiloi  at a rate of  1:1, in numbers equal to the number of Hippeis  Ilai present. Epaminondian Epoch only”

Add to Misthophoroi  Chart Army Notes-

“May exchange hamippoi for  psiloi  at a rate of  1:1, in numbers equal to the number of Hippeis  Ilai present. Agesilaian epoch and after only.”

6. Strategoi types
Q. Ionian army list; do you specify using the Panhellenic line on the strategoi table?

The question of  which type of strategoi some armies may have is a little difficult to nail down. While it’s easy for states like Athens, Sparta and Thebes, when we get to armies like the Ionians or Chalkideans, things can get a little vague. The following  is only a rough guideline.  Add it to the Army generation rules, under the “Strategoi Generation” section.

Spartan, Athenian, Boiotian and Persian Armies: Strategoi as named.
Peloponnesian, Arkadian Armies: Peloponnesian or Spartan Strategoi
Aitolian, Macedonian Armies: Tribal or Panhellenic Strategoi
Thessalian, Chalkidean, Ionian Armies: Panhellenic Strategoi
Thracian Armies: Tribal Strategoi

Syracusan Armies may have a Spartan Strategos only during the Athenian siege,
otherwise he must be Panhellenic As for Misthophoroi Armies, almost anything goes, although most times they seemed to turn up with Spartan or Athenian ones. As the owning player chooses.

7. Evading from belos fire:
Evasion which must occur from Belos fire reactions are executed in the Automatc Moves Phase. On page 32, omit “Offensive fire Phase (B.2) in the first line of section  d. Evasion.
Getting an Evade result will still forstall any further belos activity in that turn by the
suffering unit.

8. Q.Routers how do they stop routing?

Add to Pg 33. “f. Rout:” just before the Hamippoi section-
•Recovering from routing: Only horse that has outdistanced pursuers may attempt to recover (rally). During the auto-move phase, they roll an Andreia check on the Recovering line- if they receive a “R” result, they may recover; any other and they continue routing.

9. Page 37. Add new section after C. Movement and Fire paragraph:

d. Belos Timing: All regular (non-Belos Charge) fire is resolved in the Belos Fire Segment; any fire resulting from a Belos check in this segment is immediately resolved as it happens. However, any Belos Charges are resolved (along with any resulting fire or Belos charges) in the Belos Charge segment.

10. Page 37. Add new section after the 2.Belos Charge Section:

2b. Belos  Charge Timing: All stands in a taxis resolve their fire in secuence; any results affecting Lochoi (ie. Routing) are resolved immediately as they occur, but any results affecting Taxeis (ie. Belos Charging)  are held until all firing from the instigating taxis is complete. Note that any results requiring a taxis to engage in further Belos activity, after it has already performed any Belos fire or charges in this segment or any previous segment, are not allowed. Instead they are treated as disarray results, or if not allowed (ie. for No Files troops), as Maintain.

11. Page 37, “b.Targeting” and to Sanides:Belos Check: Add-

•Target behind cover (wall or palisade): -1 to Belos Fire Number.

B. Clarifications and Omissions

1.Page 9. Isn’t psiloi pronounced as psee-loy ?
Sorry, but that’s not the way my parents pronounced it. Its Psee-lee.

2.Page 9. You don't give the Erasmian pronunciation as far as I can see.
Yes, we never got around to that, but any encyclopaedia would give you one.
Or try:  http://www.biblicalgreek.org/links/pronunciation.html

3.Page 9. The 'G' pronunciation sentence is unfinished
Hmm…must have gone for a coffee, and forgot to finish it. The ‘g’ has a softer sound, sometimes spoken as ‘y’ in “year” or sometimes almost as in the Arabic pronunciation of Baghdad.  Also may be hard, as in “gurgle” but not like “gender”.

4.Page 19 of the rules, ‘Determine Base Arete Points’, on the chart, which takes precedence:
Outnumbered by enemy or Spartan Army also Outnumber enemy or facing Spartan Army, etc?
Hmm…should have caught that- How about the higher on the list, the higher the precedence?  A better order in this case would be:

Facing Spartans
Outnumber enemy
Spartan Army
Outnumbered
No advantages

5.Page 27. Q. Hieres: why bother rolling after the second try since it seems that pass or fail on the third try you’re still essentially stuck with the bad omens in the column of the third try – or did we miss something?
No, obviously there’s no reason to roll the third roll- unless you really want the blessings of the gods, and you’ve got a big herd of goats with you! It is understood that the mantis will do it until it works, or comes up with a convenient excuse (which will fool nobody); but for game purposes, only two rolls need be made. The plus on the chart means “or more”; in the rules  on Page 27, item 2.b, line 4, change “third” to “second”.

6.Page 32. Q.When a unit wishes to evade does it just do that for free or does it have to check its morale through the andreia check. And if so does a pass on the adrea check table on the unit card mean that they can.
This is a bit unclear as the result listed on the charging line is C charge-counter charge.
Units evade only when they roll an evade result on either a Belos check or an Andreia check. If they receive an “E” result, they must perform an evade move. They do not evade by choice. Some units never evade, others are more prone to it. However, this should not necessarily be looked upon as a weakness in some troop types; rather it may represent the tactical style of the unit (i.e. Hippotoxotes).

7. Q.How do light troops move, do they move as an amorphous mob or do they still wheel etc.?
Light troops may cover troops in No Files or Open Files: check the rules for the details
(Depiction on the Board-p31, and Turning, p33.

8. Q.When Artisbara or Sparabara fire, how many stands actually fire?
Page 37 (Belos Conventions - eligibility suggests that all 3 fire, adding their belos numbers
 together for totals of 12 and 9 respectively!
You don't add the Belos numbers together; you count the first stand's Belos number,  and add +1 per additional stand firing at the same target. Note that the eligibility rule is wrong in regards to Persian Belos units: they may add 2 additional ranks to their fire. The second bullet point in 1.a. Eligibility: should have “(add their belos numbers together)” changed to “(adding a +1 modifier)” The last bullet point in 1.a. Eligibility: should read-
•Persian Artisbara (dual armed with spear and bows) and Sparabara (mixed spearmen and bowmen) fire as if the entire lochos were bows; count the first rank  as the firers, and the second and third each as a +1 modifier (+2 total)

9. Page 37- Belos conventions- 2nd bullet last sentence: Does the second rank of Hippeis modify the shooting of the first rank?
No- they fire as a single stand.

10. Q.A unit fires at another unit. Two stands of psiloi fire at a flank stand of enemy psiloi. This is due to the arc of fire, in that the fire cannot be spread out. Now the belos check states (page 38 under procedure) that the unit might fail etc. This implies that the fire of the enemy affects the entire unit. So my question is that if a unit of say 6 stands of psiloi is fired on by two enemy units that are positioned in such a way that they are only hitting the flank stand. This means that the firing unit gets the +1 since two bases are firing. Now my question is if the belos check results in a failure and rout does this mean that the entire unit routs or just the base which is shot at.
On page 38 you’ll find the Belos Reactions Definitions. You’ll notice some affect Lochoi, some effect Taxeis; there is also a rule as to which takes precedence. In the case of Routs, you’ll notice that this effects only the Lochos fired at- the taxis which loses one or more lochoi, if unaffected by anything else, will have to take an Andreia/Katastrophe check immediately. If it loses another, it will have to take another check, and so on.

11. Q. When a unit fires at the unshielded flank or rear of a hoplite unit I am assuming that the only difference is that they do not count the shield in determining the belos intensity number?
Yes

12. Q.if a large unit of psiloi say 6 stands loses one or more stands from the middle of the unit
(assuming that the answer to the above question is that each stand checks for fire and not the unit) what happens to the unit which is broken into two separate parts?
It depends on the unit. Units arrayed in No Files mostly act like a cloud; in the next phase that  the unit may move at all, simply converge the stands somewhat until they are at least one base length apart. Unit inOpen and Close files which are dismembered by a routed lochos count as disarrayed, and may use the Recovering from Disarray rules. The one exeption is a taxis that is either in Epidromos or Othismos which has lost a stand; it’s parts will continue to operate as separate parts, but still counting as a taxis for Katastrophe rolls. If the unit survives the melee, it will rejoin while rallying.

13. Q.If through a belos check an enemy unit receives a B result I understand it must then fire at its
 enemy or belos charge it, if it only fires and forces the original unit to receives a B result does, this
continue indefinitely, this could mean that this might continue back and forth in one turn until the
Spartans come home from Thermopylae.
Check Page 38, 11.b- Belos Reaction Definitions- Under B= Belos Charge. Units which have already performed a charge counts “B” results as a “D” result. Only one charge per customer.

14. Ekdromoi: once they are out, do they stay? If so, for how long; if not, when are they recalled? Is it automatic?
Ekdromoi are removed at the end of each Belos phase. See the diagrams for examples.

15. Page 40, item g, at the end of each of the two items, ‘struck on shielded flank’ and ‘struck on
unshielded flank’ clarify the rule. After the words generate a no penetration result insert the words
 against their adversary
Yes, that is much better

16. Q.When a phalanx is fired upon and there is 0 intensity, I see that on page 42 under Battlefield
events affecting arete that you roll to see if the arete level falls. Now is this for any number of units firing at the phalanx or do you check for each enemy unit firing, do you roll on the to drop arete multiple times or just once.
A follow on if the phalanx is split and each part is fired upon does this mean rolling multiple times. It is counted only once per turn. It represents the chagrin and frustration of the hoplites at having been hit at all by missles. But ineffective fire, even if demoralizing, is still ineffective fire.

17. If a unit is pushed back how far is that? If a unit is broken into is it pushed back or not?
In both cases, the loser is pushed back the length of the attackers’ stand or element depth
 (i.e. if losers are pushed back by an enemy hoplite lochos of two stands depth or more, it is still the depth of one stand; the enemy follows up). If the attacker has a double size element (2 stands in depth) push the loser only half the element depth back. See the diagrams for examples.

18. Allies and Enemies section: PERIKLEAN EPOCH- inserted before 2nd Peloponnesian war :
435 BC Corinth vs Corcyra (Athenians)

19. Play example Belos charge: Thracian Peltastes in NO files. They fire at 2 intensity vs shield of 3.
This yields a -1 intensity fire that is impossible to fail.
Even though the Diagrams for the Belos strophe have been changed, and there is now an extra modifier for Belos Charges, there still may arise a situation where belos fire may be hoplessly ineffectual. If firing at a Hoplite phalanx, there still is a detrimental effect on its Arete Point level. Other ineffectual fire remains ineffectual.

20. Q.On the Sanides, melee Resolution: Can’t seem to find a definition of the melee result slaughtered, so we treated it as rout – is that correct?
No- this means what it says; the lochos is removed from play, and a casualty counter is placed (or maybe a couple, for effect) in a campaign setting, this lochos will count as lost, not fled (and therefore able to fight another day).

21. Q.On the Sanides, melee Resolution: – it took us quite some time to figure out what may seem obvious, which is how to read the diagrams in the first column, in the sense that having more than one category of results icons sharing the same column was confusing. It looked like the header winner penetrated <> loser penetrated each had their own column of icons beneath them as opposed to symbolising the left hand and right hand results of each set of icons. Definitely worth clarifying.
You are right-  that “winner penetrated <> loser penetrated” is simply there to define each pair of symbols  grouped about a <> double arrow, denoting the compared levels of penetration between opposing lochoi. Some however, have confused them as headings over each “column” of grouped icons. If there is room, on the corrected Sanides I will move them below the chart and put “levels of penetration” in their current place over the chart.

22. Q.Disarray modifier in combat. It states on the cheat sheet (Sanides) that it is "minus 1/2 of the total attack number (rounded down)” now I realize I might be in the anal retentive mode here, however, how are we supposed to find the total attack number without the disarray number added first, the problem seems to me be in that you have the modifier added in calculating the total attack number. I guess it is a bit of the chicken and egg, which comes first.
Sorry, you’re right- it should come at the end. You divide the total in half.

23. In the Syracusan army Charts, add a note that the hippeis are Syracusan but use the Theban card.

24. Arete cards: the base arete table is on page 19, but not on the card.
Mostly due to a lack of space- the base Arete Table doesn’t show on the Arete cards as it
would have been repetitive, and unnecessary. The table is only consulted once during the game- I tried to get it on the Sanides, but there was little room. Note: Some of you might notice that there is room on the Arete Events table on the Sanides. This was because we thought that as playtesting continued, new items might be added.

25. Artisbara card: Aren’t they bow armed? Shouldn’t a bow picture replace the javelins?
Yes.

26. Strategoi Generator: Political stance of ally general table... delete "Persian"?
Yes…oops

27. Aitolian army list put * next to Ataktes hoplites.
Right

Page14- last line of first paragraph-Roll of 2D6, not 2D12.

1. Page 21, item 4, first bullet, small typo: may instead of made

2. Page 22, item 1a, third bullet: erratic instead of Erratc

3. Page 26- next to last sentence-should be ‘assumes the role’, not ‘roll’.

4. Page 28 1st para, last sentence delete 1 roll from 'Roll roll'.

5. Page 28 In Andreia Checks: a. Frequency-  In the Melee phase- it should read  “If a lochos receives a
melee result of Andreia check from...”

6. Page 33, first bullet, end of first sentence: if instead of in

7. Page 35, fourth bullet, second line, eliminate the word are between stands and make

8. Page 35, fourth bullet, sixth line, insert the word than between more and two

9. Page 36, first bullet, second line, replace “retreat 3” for” by “retreat for 3””

10. Page 37- Belos charge- 1st bullet should read: “they must be in open files or no files to do this”.

11. Page 38- Belos check Procedure-third line should read  “.if result is equal or lower than the targets Belos check Number…..”.Also in •note – should start: Zero or less intensity attacks...'

12. Page 38, twelfth bullet, third line, eliminate the word and replace by an

13. Page 39- C. Modifiers- added to Modifying the attack total (in Othismos) should include:
“The Othismos Modifier”.

14. Panhellenic army list, * change OI to OR
Yes

15. Troop type description : Change Boiotian Hippeis to Theban as per card.
Yes.

16. On the troop card for Thracian Peltasts, their movement is  described as 'Open march'. I assume this is a hangover from an  earlier incarnation of the rules, and should in fact be 'No files'.
Yup. it's a leftover from an earlier incarnation. Should be "No Files".

17. Can Hetairoi and Persian Synagenes _really_ send forth Ekdromoi as  their Belos check table shows? Should this instead be a 'C' result  like other cavalry?
It's a 'C' result. Only Hoplites may use Ekdromoi.

18. The Thracian army list tells us to use the Tribal Arete chart. Why  not the Thracian chart?
(I do appreciate they are essentially the same)
There was no Thracian Arete chart originally; it was added because they fit 4 to
A page, and we didn't like the blank space. Use the Thracian one, but you're right
to notice that it's the same as the Tribal one. Just for you Thraxophiles (?)
out there!

Greetings Captain,

Played our first game of Hoplomachia yesterday. Lots of fun though I got my butt royally kicked.

Summary of game

We played with small forces, Athenian vs Spartan. A sally from the city by a Spartan force
made up of one taxis of Spartiates (2 lochoi) commanded by a fellow hoplite strategos and
one taxis of Lakonians (2 lochoi) commanded by another fellow hoplite strategos – as there
 were no Psiloi in sight, they employed a unit of Toxotes (2 stands). Arrayed against them
 were 4 lochoi of Athenianans under a crafty strategos, 4 lochoi of Panhellenics under a fellow
 hoplite strategos and a small unit of Psiloi (2 stands).

Respecting historicity, the Athenians demanded and received the honour of being on
the right, dixit with the Spartiates. There was lots of room for a leisurely march, which the
Spartans used to line up against the Panhellenics, leaving themselves heavily overlapped
by the entire Athenian taxis who were facing the Toxotes.

The Athenians sent forth the Psiloi to harass the Spartan phalanx, but as they got in range, they came under ineffectual fire from the Toxotes. The Spartans continued the advance and pushed the Psiloi back towards their phalanx. At this point the Athenian realised that it was too late to recall the Psiloi as the Spartans had commenced their approach. So the Psiloi moved to the right flank between the Athenian phalanx and the Spartan Toxotes (clever move figured the Athenian as it cleared the space for the Panhellenics to advance).

On the next turn, the two phalanxes came into contact. At the same time, the Psiloi came under fire from the Toxotes and suffered sufficient Belos to rout. Unfortunately, the Athenian phalanx behind them, who was manoeuvring to hit the Spartans in the unshielded flank, had to wade through the Psiloi thereby disarraying themselves (it was that or halt, have the Psiloi rout through them next turn and take an Andreia check on the Katastrophe table).

The Panhellenics had bolstered their morale by sacrificing their goat (much to the laughter of the on-looking women…) and singing the paean. Unfortunately the advancing Spartans ‘grim resolve’ deflated the Athenian morale. Even worse, in the charge the Panhellenic morale collapsed along the line and the entire phalanx struck the Spartans in a state of disarray. It was like watching a hot knife going through butter as the Panhellenics routed to the man in the first minutes of contact.

Athenian morale plummeted, a 40% drop in Arete in one turn. But all was not lost
 as the Athenian phalanx re-ordered itself and swung on the Spartans who had pursued
 their foes for two turns.Alas, Spartan discipline prevailed and they broke off pursuit, re-ordered themselves, turned a smart 180 degrees and bore down on the nervous Athenians. The ensuing combat was a re-run of the first one, with only one Athenian lochos reaching contact in good order.

The Spartans went off to a hearty supper and to set up their trophy, while the sorry Athenians muttered about allowing weak allies letting them down…

In short an excellent game, with all the right feel and a hunger for more. Tactical lessons were learned about the use of Psiloi and the speed of approach, not to mention the futility of allowing Panhellenic hoplites to face Spartiates…

Get your copy of
"Hoplomachia and Stratiotika"
right here!

* * *

How 'bout some
links, Cap'n?

Perseus Digital Library

Xyston 15mm Ancient Miniatures

Eureka Miniatures

The Strategikon- Wargames Club of Athens, Greece (Hellas)

Thrace and the Thracians

Everything Spartan, Lakonian and Messenian

The Peloponnesian War

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