Do You like Dux Bellorum

[The Gray Ghost]

I'm thinking on getting and playing it. Any thoughts?

[Mark]

I've got it but have not played it! Due to lack of figures more than anything else. I would like to give it a go - I think it looks like a fair attempt to generate interesting situations and tactical choices in shieldwall based dark age warfare.

Online reviews I have looked at over the years seem to either love it or hate it, so seems like it might be a bit of a marmite set of rules.

It's an Osprey blue book though, so if you purchase and don't like it you haven't lost much!

[monkeylite]

Here's a brief thing I did on it:

https://tewblogger.blogspot.com/2019/12/dux-bellorum-test.html

I played a couple more games, but it didn't really grab me. I think I was feeling that when you had a pretty solid shield wall going, you would be forced to pour resources into its  weakest point, every turn, and then one turn it (or your opponent's) would suddenly collapse. Which may be an excellent simulation (I don't know) but I didn't find it that fun to play.

[craigjonwoodfield]

My mate Mike and I probably played 30+ games. Obviously we enjoyed it. Could do with an official errata (there are a few grey areas) and some updates, but gave some very satisfying games. Shieldwall has the edge over Warband, but never cut and dried.

[Old Hob]

I'm a fan of the rules. They're inexpensive and do exactly what it says on the tin. Given the tight date range you'd expect a Dark Age infantry slog with fairly limited troop types, and while battles do come down to who's line cracks first, that seems a pretty accurate simulation. The allocation of Leadership points keeps you engaged in the pushing match and the additional rules allow you to select some fun troop types that are ahistorical, but popular tropes in Dark Age gaming. Overall, it gives a quick and simple game. Probably best suited for playing a one off scenario - let's fight Hatfield Chase - rather than campaign gaming, though.

[Maxromek]

I just played my first game last week and it was well fun. Even when our lines of infantry met in the middle it didn't slow down the game much at all.

[Atheling]

The rules are i/simple ii/easy to follow iii/ fun and iv/ a very good attempt at representing Post Roman/Sub Roman/Late Antiquity/Early Medieval warfare.

What's not to like would be my summary.

[Easy E]

I think you should get them, as the price point is pretty solid.   Especially as it will be on sale right now. 

Here is my review of the game:
http://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2016/12/review-dux-bellorum-osprey-wargame.html

It was pretty influential set of rules in my own development as a designer.

[OB]

I'd say so too.  Well worth getting a copy and very affordable.

[rampantlion]

I enjoyed it.  It has been a few years since our group played dark ages, but it felt right for the period to me.  Armies were smallish which also made sense.  It had historic formations and pretty undynamic armies (in the sense of unit types) which also made sense.

[The Gray Ghost]

Thanks I give it a try

[Melnibonean]

I played them a few times several years back and thought they were pretty good. My opponent (a casual visitor to my club) vanished and I never played it again, which was a shame. For what it's worth I'd say they give a nice game without breaking you bank account.

[SirRoystonPapworth]

I really like them and we play fairly regularly.

One thing we do is not allowing the option to buy more leadership points. Keeping them to the minimum means you need to prioritise where to use them more and it stops the game bogging down into using the points to save ever hit and dragging on.

In fact, I like them so much, I am currently painting up a Welsh army, using the new Footsore range for the rules…

[SJWi]

Grey Ghost, not much I can add to a view on them as I have them but have never played them. Why not? As with most rules they require specific basing which my collections for thios period don't match. If you are starting from scratch I would heartily recommend you base your figures individually and then use multi-figure sabot bases. This means that you can then use your quite pricey and lovingly painted figures with other rulesets. For instance I can now use my sabot-based figures for my favourite mass-battle set being Simon Miller's "To the Strongest" but also smaller scale/skirmish sets such as Saga.