Omens in wargames

[dadlamassu]

For years I have read ancient history - From University in the 1960s-70s until now.  One theme that recurs in descriptions of battles is that the armies form up then a pre-battle ritual of making a sacrifice and reading the omens takes place. The result if the reading of the omens has a significant effect on the outcome (the chroniclers say). 

So has anyone tried to incorporate this in a wargame or campaign or know of a set of rules that attempts this?

[SteveBurt]

The Hoplomachia rules from the Perfect Captain had this sort of thing, and Dux Brit does in the campaign game.

[jon_1066]

Nick Lund's Fantasy Warriors had this before a battle.  If you took a shaman or priest type character you could read the omens and take a chance that you would get a good or bad result.  It was a fun set of rules with some interesting aspects that were different to the old Warhammer at the time.

[dadlamassu]

Nick Lund's Fantasy Warriors had this before a battle.  If you took a shaman or priest type character you could read the omens and take a chance that you would get a good or bad result.  It was a fun set of rules with some interesting aspects that were different to the old Warhammer at the time.

I have had hose rules for many years.  Now to dig them out!

Thanks

[dadlamassu]

The Hoplomachia rules from the Perfect Captain had this sort of thing, and Dux Brit does in the campaign game.

Thanks, unfortunately I don't have those but will see if anyone at the club has them.  I am sure I have seen a Dux Brit game being played.

[Easy E]

Osprey's Men of Bronze and Wars of the Republic has it as a potential "Complication" for the game. 

I think Warhammer Ancients had something called Oracles for Greek armies, but I have no idea how they worked mechanically or it they really match what you are looking for.  Someone on here more knowledgeable about Warhammer Ancients may know? 

[Tim Haslam]

Yup, Oracles we’re great in WAB.

You simply rolled two D6 before the game, and this gave you an amount you could spend to boost combat results, or you could spend one and re-roll a particularly bad leadership check.
So the better the omens, or Oracles you rolled the more you can spend in a game.
Very neat, great fun.

[Thargor]

Although not at the beginning of the battle, Mortal Gods uses Omens;  Unit activation is via black or white stones drawn from a bag, there are also 3 red stones.  If you draw a red stone you also take an Omen card, which may have a positive or negative effect on your army, your opponents army or both.  The third red stone ends the turn.

[Roo]

There was set in one of the wargames mags that used such Omen mechanisms as a precursor to 1/300 scale battles between Republican Romans vs Celts called ‘It’s down to the Triarri’ or something similar if anybody has a memory or copy of them

[frank xerox]

Chris Peers’ Death in the Forest/ on the plains has pre games medicine dice rolls for some Indian war bands. Pretty sure that the rules with no name have something similar

[bluewillow]

Used in Impetus rules as an option to add favours to dice results

cheers
Matt

[FierceKitty]

In my home-grown rules there is a roll on a bogey table before starting, with a chance of good or excellent omens (a few expendable but useful boosts to performance), and a similar chance of bad or terrible ones. In the latter case a wise general spends the first round sacrificing some more in the hope of good omens. Priests can be threatened to improve the chances, but there is then a danger that a pious soldier will assassinate the general.

[has.been]

Waaaay back in the mists of time, OK the 1960s, my
first wargaming opponent (Steve O'Leary) cadged some
spare Friar Tuck figures from my 'stock' (Old sweetie tin) of
spare Airfix Robin Hood figures. Two weeks later his (mainly
Hinchcliffe) early Byzantine army felt the spiritual benefit of
a very nice religious procession, complete with Bishop, incense
burner carriers, priests, altar boys & a beautiful Holy banner.
I did respond in time for the next game with some heathen
sacred oracle bones (thanks to my Mother, who cleaned & then
'baked' some chicken bones for me).  They definitely had a
placebo effect as I rattled & threw the Bones. If I then threw
an average throw, I claimed that, 'had it not been for the Shaman's
throw, the dice would have been low!'  Great fun.
 

[Irregular Wars Nic]

Fantastic Battles (fantasy or historical games) allows for a priest/mage to roll prophecy dice. These are kept off to the side and can the be used to replace other dice rolls later in the game.

[dadlamassu]

Thanks, some very good ideas that I can use to create something for our own rules.  A mixture of number of clerics, priestesses, shamans, sacrifices and, of course, a die roll.