A In-Depth Review Of DBA 3.0 After 4 Playtest Games

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In my quest to thoroughly review and compare 5 popular Ancients rulesets I tested DBA 3.0 four times with the Mons Graupius wargame scenario, as I did with LWTV Age of Hannibal, before. It's a structured review with a topic list. More:

https://amsterdamwar.game.blog/2022/06/18/de-bellis-antiquitatis-3-0-modern-in-depth-review-after-4-standardized-test-wargames/


Conclusion in short, a badly written but excellent game, intermediate complexity

[has.been]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. Interesting.

[Kelly_]

Great article, I think you explained the learning curve really well.

[OB]

Yeah, nicely done.  I've played DBA, DBM and DBMM in my time.

[Psychlic Bob]

DBA re-invigorated Ancient gaming when it was released. When it became DBM there was an increase in competitions and a whole generation of us started attending tournaments (the previous WRG editions had put me and many others off - anyone remember "Standing Orders"? ;-) )

[fred]

Thanks for this.

I missed the DBA era, as I wasn’t gaining in the 90s - so good to understand more of its background.

But its overall presentation and graphic design seems poor even by contemporaries such as Featherstone and Quarrie Tank Battles in Miniatures, Operation Warboard, and Warhammer 1.0 - all of which were early 80s.

[Erik]

Thank you for this review. I first started playing DBA quite late during covid lockdown as I needed a simple game that could be played via facetime.

It actually helped me understand the basics of many of the other games I’ve played for years, as many of the building stones for wargamings comes from DBA. I would definitely recommend it as a good introduction system for new players. But only if you have someone helping you get started. Don’t try reading the rules on your own if it’s your first wargame.


cheers
Erik

[WorkShy]

Appreciate the effort you made to review DBA 3.0. Was never a fan of DBA (only 12 elements, v small tables, few minis, no points system etc) but it's good to keep abreast of what the newer versions do/do not offer.

[has.been]

anyone remember "Standing Orders"? ;-) )

One of the lads we used to play against had Standing orders such as:-
'Attack when appropriate to do so'
'Move to cover if threatened'
'Head to General if he is in danger'.
The last one he tried to implement after ignoring it for three moves, and
even though the said General was the other side of a big wood.

The IDEA of standing orders is good, the practice is not. Kind of like Hazard
warning lights on modern cars.
I did use the idea in a (very) simple homebrew set for a club Ancient campaign
that involved a lot of players who didn't normally play Ancients. There was no
way I was going to try & educate them to the use of WRG.
It boiled down to each troop type had several options as to actions.
e.g. Slingers could:- Skirmish, close, retire, evade but NOT charge.
while Noble Heavy Cavalry could:-Advance, retire, charge but NOT evade.
The owner of the unit would dice off against his opponent. Whoever won
chose from the list of options. I called it the 'Spanner in the works' system.
Just because your opponent chooses does not necessarily make it the wrong
thing in THAT situation.
One Noble Heavy Cavalry commander definitely did not want to charge. He likened
the situation to the Charge of the Light Brigade, but when he failed the dice off,
his opponent (grinning) MADE him charge, only to see him win the melee (completely
against the odds) & smash through the line.

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I would definitely recommend it as a good introduction system for new players. But only if you have someone helping you get started. Don’t try reading the rules on your own if it’s your first wargame.

A veteran helped me when I started, and the WADBAG rules were clear. But because I'm an irregular DBA-er, I still struggle with some interpretations when I pick up a game. It's tougher than, for example, the elegantly written Sam Mustafa rules.

[mc_deli]

Great review and writing, especially with all the quotes you pulled in. That will be such an amazing resource.

Hats off!

[79thPA]

Well done. Thank you.  I am looking at DBA again after not playing for many years.