L'Art, DBA, and Soldiers of God!

Had a wonderful time this week learning the L'Art de la Guerre rules. Played a full battle using 100 pt armies and it was a blast; a very tactical and challenging game to say the least. All in all it is safe to say that L'Art is now my "go-to" set of ancients rules for my ancient battles, second only to DBA. DBA of course is what it is... a great game that can be played with small armies on a limited space, and this is where it shines best. So therefore expect plenty more content with DBA. However, for the more 'gritty' type battles, larger, and with lots of detail, at the moment that belongs to L'Art. So both rules will be my focus at the moment. However, I will be looking back into DBMM as well, especially later this year when we can get our hands on the new version of the rules and army lists! I still feel that DBMM is one of the best sets of rules (and most realistic) out there for ancients.

Another set of rules I intend to re-visit is Impetvs, a long time favorite of mine. However, I am NOT a fan of its basing system (SHUDDDDDER) because the bases are too damn big; best played on a smooth, flat surface, which I am not keen on; I like lots of random terrain in my battles. However, I am waiting till later this year for the release of the NEW Basic Impetvs rules - yes they may actually be PUBLISHED! Hopeful Baroque and Impetvs II will follow soon after (next year?!). Regardless, expect some Impetvs content as well in the future.

With all that said, I think at the moment I know where I am sitting regarding what rules I will be using for the time being: L'Art is great for a deep, detailed battle (which I love), and DBA allows for ease of play with ANY size battle. Both are tops in my book, each deserving of my serious attention. So, we shall see what happens in the coming months if my attitude changes.

One more thing I should note is that I will be trying out Warwick Kinrade's new set of rules for the Crusades - Soldiers of God! These rules look really fun and historical. I imagine they have a lot of 'feel' for the period as well. Being deck driven is another plus as well. Anyway, I should have these rules in my hands in a matter of days now (tomorrow?). After a good look I will be plotting out some playtests. Of course, I will need to get my Feuadals based up! I also have NO arabs to fight for the Muslim cause, so I am gonna have to plan out some figure buys over the coming weeks. Full details to follow.