Army Lists

Army Lists for Vis Bellica are gathered into three volumes:

  • Chariots to 1st BC

  • 1st AD to 10th AD

  • 10th AD to Guns

Below you will find amendments and expansions to the published lists.

If you have a comment or expansion for one of the army lists, either published or posted, please click here.  Constructive criticism is always appreciated!
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1. Chariots to 1st BC 2. 1st AD to 10th AD 3. 10th AD to Guns

NEW:  Lydians

 

NEW:  Hurri-Mitanni

 

11. Indians

(9thBC - 5th AD)

 

17. Etruscan

(7th-3rd BC)

 

18. Sabine, Samnian & Umbrian

(7th - 3rd BC)

 

24. Later Hoplite Greek

(5th-3rd BC)

 

27. Successor

(4th - 1st BC)

 

28.  The Gauls

(4th - 1st BC)

 

30. Republican 

(Camillan) Romans

 

32. Galatians

(3rd-1st BC)

 

34. Parthians

(3rd BC - 3rd AD)

 

41. German

(3rd BC - 2nd AD)

54.  Sassanid Persians

(3rd - 7th AD)

 

57. Wei, Shu, Wu, Tsin & Sui Chinese

(3rd - 7th AD)

 

a. Western T'sin

 

b. Eastern Tsin

 

60.  The Huns

(4th-5th AD)

115. Seljuq Turk

(11th-14th AD)

 

120. Early Samurai

(11th - 14th AD)

 

147. Timurid

(13th-15th AD)

 

152. Later Polish 

(14th - 16th AD)

 

160. Later Holy Roman Empire 

(14th - 15th AD)

 

165. Later Samurai

(14th-17th AD)

Using the Army Lists

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using the Army Lists

Each list is divided into Core Troops and, in their own section, Special Troops.

Players may take as many Core Troops bases as they like, provided they stick to the ratios in the column marked No.  Players may only take the bases listed under Special Troops once.

For example, the Akkadians or Summerians list is as follows:

1. Akkadians or Summerians (Chariot)
No. Base Type Ord Exp Wgt Str Weapons Pts
1-3 Onager Chariots 4H Vet HCh 12 UD, 1+LS 26
2-10 Nu Banda Spearmen CO Lvy MI 10 HS, ½SH 23
3-9 Nim Javelinmen OO Lvy LI 8 LS 14
1-3 Nim Archers SO Lvy LI 6 BO 10
0-5 Nim Slingers SO Lvy LI 6 SL 10

SPECIAL TROOPS
0-1 Bodyguard OO Elt MI 14 2H, LD 32

The bases listed from Chariots to Slingers are Core Troops.  The Bodyguard base is Special Troops.

We can see that Spearmen bases, known as Nu Banda, are Close Order Levy Medium Infantry with strength 10.  The base is armed with Heavy Spears and half Shields.  The basic number of bases that may be fielded is between two and ten.  Each base costs 23 points to field.

We can also see that any Akkadians or Summerians army must field as a minimum one Chariot base, two Spearmen bases, three Javelinmen bases and one Archers base.

Without penalty, provided available points allow, they can field between one and three Chariot bases, between two and ten Spearmen bases, between three and nine Javelinmen bases, between one and three Archers bases, up to five Slingers bases and up to one Bodyguard base.

If, however, the player wanted to field, say, four Chariot bases, then they would have to proportionately increase the other bases that must be fielded as well.  The new minimum number of bases would be double the old minimums i.e. two Chariot bases, four Spearmen bases, six Javelinmen bases, and two Archers bases.  They could still only field a maximum of one Bodyguard base. 

Without further penalty, and provided available points still allowed, the army could now consist of two to six Chariot bases, four to twenty Spearmen bases, six to eighteen Javelinmen bases, two to six Archers bases, up to ten Slingers bases and up to one Bodyguard base.

Wanting more than six Chariot bases would mean that the minimum would increase again.

Officers and Standards

Officers and Standards must also be purchased, although not all armies are allowed Standards.  If the notes under a list doesn’t include Standards, then no Standards are allowed. As a reminder, points costs are as follows:

·        Leaders cost 10 points each

·        Sub-generals and Army Standards cost 20 points each

·        Generals and Sacred Standards cost 30 points each

·        CinC’s cost 40 points each

Allied Troops

Some armies have Allied Troops available.  The points cost shown already incorporates the x¾ discount for Allied Troops.  Ally Officers are half the cost of Officers.  Allies may not have Standards.

Train Bases

In addition to any shown on their army list, all armies are entitled to field one Train base, with statistics as follows:

No.

Base Type

Ord

Exp

Wgt

Str

Weapons

Pts

0-1

Train

  

Avg

  

10

  

20

A Note on Army Sizes

I would suggest learning to play Vis Bellica with armies of around 350 points each.  This should give each player two or three brigades/contingents, each of three to four bases, led by a Sub-General.

A typical evening’s game would consist of armies of around 500 points a side.   Mainstream armies would now consist of up to six brigades/contingents per side, probably still led by a Sub-General, but maybe led by a General.  A set piece battle of around 500 points should take around three hours play to ressolve from the moment the players sit down either side of the table.

As a guide, a full Augustan Roman Legion, with Officers, costs about 800 points to field.

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154.  100 Years War English (14th - 15th AD)
English Men-At-Arms
No. Base Type Ord Exp Wgt Str Weapons Pts
2-7 English MAA CO Vet KN 15 LA, SH 42
0-2 Lesser MAA CO Vet HC 15 LA, SH 38
1-3 Hobilars OO Av H/MC 11 LA 26

English Foot
1-4 Mounted Archers OO Av HI 10 LB, ½ 2H, ½SH 32
5-15 Archers OO Av MI 10 LB, ½ 2H, ½SH 24
0-3 Billmen CO Av HI 12 PO 30
0-8 Militia Archers OO Lvy MI 8 LB, ½ 2H, ½SH 20
0-7 Militia Spearmen CO Lvy MI 10 LS, SH 24
Welsh
0-2 Archers OO Av LI 10 LB 18
1-2 Knifemen OO Av MI 10 HS 22
Gascons
0-2 Men-At-Arms OO Vet KN 13 LA, SH 38
0-1 Crossbowmen OO Av HI 10 CB 26
0-1 Bidowers OO Av LI 10 LS, SH 20
0-2 Brigans OO Av HI 10 HS 26
Faux-Francais
0-2 Men-At-Arms OO Lvy KN 9 LA, SH 28
0-1 Town Militia CO Lvy HI 10 HS or CB, SH 28

SPECIAL TROOPS
0-1 Artillery Av Hvy 11 Bombard 24
1-2 Royal Household MAA CO Elt KN 17 LA, SH 46
1 Royal Archer Guard CO Vet HI 14 LB, ½ 2H, ½SH 40

NOTES

  • Officers  as Knights.

  • The army may field an Army Standard mounted on the base of the most senior Officer fielded.

  • Hobilars have front rank HC and back rank MC.

  • Men-At-Arms habitually fought dismounted.

  • Mounted Archers are Mounted Infantry.  Mounted Archers may have front rank upweighted to EHI at a cost of +4 points per base.

  • English Archers and Militia Spearmen may have front rank upweighted to HI at a cost of +2 points per base.

  • English or Welsh Archers carry stakes that they can emplace across their frontage as Light Works.  Any English or Welsh archers that have Hold orders and are not in melee can place or pull up these stakes during a movement phase.

  • Royal Household Men-At Arms are compulsory when the most senior Officer fielded is the King but cannot otherwise be fielded.  If the King is fielded then the army automatically takes the defeat condition "Big Man Down" on that figure.

  • Royal Archer Guards are compulsory when one Officer fielded is the Prince of Wales, but cannot otherwise be fielded.  If the Prince of Wales is fielded then the army automatically takes the defeat condition "Big Man Down" on that figure.

Comment on Army

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160.  Medieval French (14th - 15th AD)
No. Base Type Ord Exp Wgt Str Weapons Pts
3-9 Men-At-Arms                          OO  Vet KN 13 LA, SH 38
0-6 Sergeants OO Av HC 11 LA, ½SH 29
0-5 Archers OO Lvy MI 8 BO 18
2-6 Crossbowmen  OO Av MI 10 CB, ½SH 23
0-2 Genoese Crossbowmen OO Av HI 10 CB, ½SH 28
0-1 Spanish Crossbowmen SO Av LI 8 CB 14
0-6 Voulgier City Militia CO Av E/HI 12 PO, ½SH 33
1-4 Brigans OO Av H/MI 10 ½PO, ½HS, ½SH 25
0-2 Bidets or Bretons OO Av MI 10 LS, SH  24
0-15 Peasants OO Lvy MI 8 ¼BO, ¼LS, ¼PW 18

SPECIAL TROOPS
0-1 Scots Bodyguard CO Elt KN 17 LA, SH 46
0-1 Scots Bodyguard Archers CO Elt EHI 16 LB 46
# Noble’s Guards OO Vet HI 12 LB 30
0-1 Ribauds OO Elt LI 14 SA only 24
0-1 Handgunners OO Av HI 10 HG 26
0-1 Artillery . Av Mdm 9 Organ Gun 20
0-1 Heavy Artillery . Av Hvy 11 Bombard 24

NOTES

  • Officers as Knights.

  • Medieval French may field a Sacred Standard, mounted on its own base as either the Oriflamme banner, or as Joan of Arc!

  • Archers and Crossbowmen may be upweighted to mounted HI, on horses, at a cost of +8 points per base.

  • The SH issued to crossbow- and polearm-armed bases are Pavises.

  • Voulgier City Militia have front rank EHI and back rank HI.  They may be mounted infantry, on horses, at a cost of +4 points per base.

  • Brigans have front rank HI and back rank MI.

  • Scots Bodyguard bases can only be fielded with a CinC, in which case they must be fielded.  Scots Bodyguard Archers are mounted infantry.

  • One Noble Guard bodyguard base may be fielded for each General or Sub-General fielded.

Allies

Scots
No. Base Type Ord Exp Wgt Str Weapons Pts
1-2 Men-At-Arms OO Vet KN 13 LA, SH 29
0-5 Spearmen OO Av MI 10 HS, SH 18
0-1 Archers OO Av HI 10 BO, SH 25

NOTES

  • Officers as Knights.

  • Minimums only apply if any Scots are fielded.

  • Archers are mounted infantry, on horses.

 

Comment on Army

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Copyright © 2002  Robert Avery. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 07, 2005 .