Basing for Ancients

How to base your figures

Most Ancients rulesets are based on the standards defined for DBx rules, sometimes using multiples of the DBx bases.

The following is based on 15mm figures.

DBA

For 15mm figures all bases have a 40mm frontage. Details are from "Start Ancient Wargaming Using DBA 3.0".

Troop type	DBA Code	Base depth (mm)	Figures / base
Cavalry	Cv	30	3
	6Cv	60	6
	LCh	40	1
Light Horse	LH	30	2
	LCm	30	2
Spears (all solid)	Sp	15 - 20	4
	8Sp	30	8
Pikes (solid)	4Pk	15 - 20	4
(fast)	3Pk	20	3
Blades (solid)	4Bd	15 - 20	4
(fast)	3Bd	20	3
(fast)	6Bd	40	6
Auxilia (solid)	4Ax	20	4
(fast)	3Ax	20	3
Bows (solid)	4Bw, Cb, Lb	20	4
(fast)	3Bw, Cb, Lb	20	3
(solid)	8Bw, Cb, Lb	40	8
Psiloi (all fast)	Ps	20	2
Warband (solid)	4Wb	15 - 20	4
(fast)	3Wb	20	3
Elephants	El	40	1

	Close Combat		Movement
Troops	vs Foot	vs mounted	GG	BG/RG
Cavalry (Cv)	+3	+3	4	1
Light Horse (LH)	+2	+2	4	1
Elephants (El)	+5	+4	3	1
Spears [all solid] (Sp)	+4	+4	2	1
Pikes	+3	+4	2	1
Blades - Solid (4Bd)	+5	+3	2	1
Auxilia - Solid (4Ax)	+3	+3	2	2
Auxilia - Fast (3Ax)	+3	+3	3	3
Psiloi [all fast] (Ps)	+2	+2	3	3

Rear Support Factors

Pikes add +3 and Warband +1 when in frontal contact against enemy foot other than Psioli
Pikes add +1 when in frontal close combat against Knights, Elephants or Scythed Chariots
Light horse add +1 when in frontal close combat against any troops

Flank Support

Spears add +1 when supported by Spears or Solid Blade
Fast elements neither give or receive flank support

ADLG

For 15mm figures all bases have a 40mm frontage. Heavy and medium infantry units are implemented as two DBA bases (one behind the other) to represent a unit. Other troop types use a single DBA base to represent a unit.

Troop type	Bases / Unit	Base depth (mm)	Figures / unit
Light infantry	1	20	2
Medium infantry	2	20	2 x (3 or 4)
Heavy infantry	2	15	2 x 4
Light cavalry	1	30	2
Cavalry and knights	1	30	3
Cataphracts	1	30	3 or 4
Levy	1	30	4+
Light and heavy chariots	1	40	1
Elephants and artillery	1	40	1
War Wagons	1	80	1
Camp	1	80	1
Commander	1	<= 40	1+

Troops	Cat	Pr	Co	Basic factors and modifiers
Medium cavalry / camelry Light chariots	Cv	0	3	+1 vs. Mounted, LI, LMI, MI, Levies +1 vs. HI if attacking flank or rear. Add +1 in first phase vs. MI except if cavalry already has impact
Heavy Cavalry	Cv	1	3	Same as medium cavalry + armour
Light Cavalry / Camelry	LH	1	2	+1 vs. LI if LI is in open terrain
Elephants	El	0	3	+2 vs. Mounted and +1 vs. Foot Impact except vs LI, LH and Javelinmen
Heavy spearmen	HI	1	4	+2 vs LMI in open or vs LH otherwise +1 vs all Impact vs Mounted except El
Medium spearmen	MI	1	3	+1 vs all except Kn Impact vs Mounted except El
Pikemen	HI	1	4	+2 vs all Impact vs Mounted except El
Heavy swordsmen	HI	1	4	+2 vs LMI in open or vs LH otherwise +1 vs all
Medium swordsmen	MI	1	3	+1 vs all except Kn
Javelinmen	LMI	1	3	+1 vs LI, LH, El and SCh. Javelin
Light infantry	LI	1	2	Destroyed in open by LMI, MI, HI, Cv, Kn. Otherwise 0 vs all enemies

Melee modifiers for terrain

Foot: -1 in rough if HI or WWg (-2 if Heavy spearmen or pikemen)
Foot: -2 in difficult terrain if HI or -1 if LMI or MI
Mounted: -2 in rough or -3 in difficult terrain

Troops	Open	Rough	Difficult
Light Cavalry	5	4	2
Medium and Heavy Cavalry	4	3	1
Light Chariots, Scythed Chariots	4	2	-
Elephants	3	3	1
Knights	3	2	1
Heavy Chariots, Cataphracts	3	1	-
Light Infantry	3	3	3
Medium Infantry	3	3	2
Heavy Infantry	2	2	1
War Wagon, mobile Artillery	2	1	-

Impetus

For 15mm figures all bases have a 80mm frontage. That is, two DBA bases wide and 1 - 2 DBA bases deep.

Troop type	Bases / Unit	Base depth (mm)	Figures / unit
Wagenburg (W)	2 x 2	80
Cavalry (CP, CM, CL)	2 x 2	60	12
Heavy Foot (FP)	2 x 2	30 - 40	16
Light Foot (FL) and Missile Troops (T)	2 x 2	40	8
Skirmishers (S)	2 x 1	20 - 30	4
Chariots (CGP, CGL) and Elephants (EL)	2 x 2	60 - 80	4
Artillery (ART)	2 x 1	40 - 80	2