Siege Rules

This was a project I set myself for 2025.  After playing the Pyrrhic campaign in 2024 (see posts under label "Pyrrhic Campaign") and also many DBA campaigns earlier this century the siege systems, often critical to the game, always seemed a bit simplistic, based on one or two die rolls.  After playing the boardgame Kingdom of Heaven I thought that it's siege mechanics could be easily adapted for Basic Impetus (or indeed many other rulesets I am sure).

The system worked well in the Kingdom of Heaven game and so I was sure it was sound.  I've run it through a number of recent Basic Impetus games with it as an adjunct, and it has provided varied and what I consider to be valid outcomes.  These games can be found in my recent posts that as also labelled "siege".

This is the link to the finished document:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lIl_kb3wXAXZSGRk4kpnnvRNYJz0V2rc/view?usp=sharing

Burgundian Ordonnance versus New Kingdom Egyptian - The Final

The final miniatures game of the year and the final in the club's Basic Impetus competition, my Burgundians face Karl's New Kingdom Egyptians.  What could go wrong?

The Egyptians find themselves out scouted and defending a hill, 

with their left flank protected by a lake and a wood.

The Burgundians are very much a full-frontal army

and so the enemy's flanks are rarely worth trying to exploit.

Shooting commences.

Burgundian crossbowmen get ready.

The Egyptian chariots advance and deliver a devastating volley of missiles.

The Burgundian left flank withers.

Oh oh!

The Burgundian left flank dissolves.

The Burgundian pike advance, pushing back the enemy to their front.

The Burgundian longbow are successfully targeting the Egyptian infantry.

The Egyptian chariots commence to wheel round to rejoin to the fight.

The Burgundian pikes keep pushing

and the Burgundian knights get ready.

Will the Egyptian chariots return to the fray in time?

Almost, but not quite...

The Egyptian army moral breaks.

And now to test out the siege rules.

The Egyptians have 4 units, 7 steps/manpower and 16 combat factors.  The resistance factor of their stronghold was 5 (no port and they have lost their leader).

The Burgundians have 7 units, 12 steps/manpower and 30 combat factors.  More importantly they still have their commander who promptly demanded the Egyptians surrender.  They did not.  It would have  saved a lot of bloodshed as we shall see.

The Burgundians implement a blockade and set about besieging the Egyptian stronghold.

There are rats in the Egyptian's food supply (#43). RF drops to 3.

The Egyptians break the blockade (#20) inflicting 4 step losses on the Burgundians.

The Burgundians construct a siege tower (#32) but the Egyptians burn it down (#45).

The Burgundians start filling in the moat (#11) dropping the RF to 2.

Then they fill in the moat some more (#12) reducing the RF to 1.

Deploying ladders and mantlets (#15) they reduce the RF to 0 and assault.

However the Egyptians have secondary defences (#29) and raise the RF to 1.

With the RF shift the attackers and defenders are on the same column on the assault table.  The defenders have a plus 2, while the Burgundian leader gives them a plus 1.  Both sides throw a 6.  The Burgundians lose 6 steps, 75% of their force!  The Egyptians lose 5 steps and are wiped out.  A very bloody victory to the Burgundians.

Burgundian Ordonnance versus 100 Years War English - The semi-final

This time my Burgundians, particularly the knights and pike, did everything expected of them against Dave's 100 Years War English.

It was a bit touch and go, but the English were finally out-scouted.

The Burgundians found them hiding behind a low hill with a wood on one flank and a lake on the other.

The English advanced.

Shooting began.

Lots of shooting.

The English claimed the initiative and charged but failed to either make the distance or follow up.

The Burgundians riposte! 

And what a riposte it was.

The knights and pike all pursued when needed,

and while not without casualties,

the Burgundian losses were nothing compared to those of the English.

As is my want, following the game I worked out the siege parameters.  

The English had 1 unit, 2 steps, 2 manpower and 2 combat factors.  The resistance factor of their stronghold was 4 (as I am assuming they didn't have time to make it to a port).

The Burgundians had 9 units, 15 steps, 22 manpower and 32 combat factors.  More importantly they still had their commander who promptly demanded the English surrender.  They did (a roll of 5 on the dice with 4 needed).

I'm still refining the siege system and think I will make manpower equivalent to steps.  

On to the final now to face the New Kingdom Egyptians.

Burgundian Ordonnance versus 100 Years War English

Mark B helped me out by running a cobbled together set of figures from my collection to represent a 100 Years War English army to face my Burgundians.

The images are after each person's round, so two per turn and as you can go twice in a row if you lose/win the initiative, sometimes it might look like not much is happening, but trust me, my Burgundians were busy firing everything they had.

The English were out scouted and have chosen a defensive position between a lake and a hill.

The Burgundians start shooting.

While their hand gunners try to slip round the English left flank.

The Burgundians keep shooting

And shoot some more.

But it's not all one-way shooting.

The Burgundian feudal crossbowmen in the centre takes a volley.

Luckily there is the Ordonnance pike ready to fill the gap.

Also the Burgundian hand gunners have become pinned.

The Burgundian cannon succeeds in blowing away a unit of English longbow.

And the other English longbow takes a bunch of hits as well

But still the English press on.

The Burgundian hand gunners and the English skirmishers suffer mutual destruction.

The Burgundian knights shuffle out of the way should anything bad happen to their artillery.

The English move up ready to charge.

Decisive initiative gave the English the first go and they cleared the Burgundians before them.

Only the Ordonnance pike remain.

The Burgundian longbow wheel round while the pike fight on.

The pike repel the English foot as both sides try to reposition.

The battle is in the balance.

The Burgundian centre recovers its order.

The Burgundian knights are struggling to get in position.

The English foot charge again.  

But it goes badly for them.

The Ordonnance pike defeat their opponents

but in following up suffer a reverse.

Note: the grey base to their front is to indicate their position 

as the pikes are a bit too forward.

The English foot make one last charge.

The English foot perish and at last one of the Burgundian units of knights

 get to charge and rout their opponents.

SIEGE

I had failed to take my siege rules but noted the remaining forces for this subsequent play through.

English: 2 units, 3 steps, 5 manpower and 9 combat strength.  They still have their leader.

Burgundians: 5 units. 9 steps, 14 manpower and 26 combat strength. They also have their leader.

While potent, the Burgundian army doesn't represent a significant force (needs at least 7 units) and so calls for surrender are unlikely to be accepted.

Given their preponderance of manpower the Burgundians can establish a siege and implement a blockade, assuming they have the English holed up in an in-land castle, away for the coast.

The English castle has a Resistance Factor of 7, thanks mainly to their leader.

Each side now receives seven siege cards.

The Burgundians have a good hand with only one card they can't use and even that provides for a replacement.

The English have an okay hand, with only two dud cards.

The Burgundians play Enemy Foraging Party Caught. The RF falls to 6, but more serious they are reduced to only 1 unit, 2 steps, 3 manpower and 7 combat strength.

Undeterred the English attempt Blockade Broken, but a bad roll sees no casualties inflicted on the Burgundians and the blockade holds.  They do get a replacement card, but it's a dud.

The Burgundians Construct Siege Tower, but the English counter with Greek Fire, both sides draw replacement cards. Another dud card for the English and not much better for the Burgundians.

The Burgundians attempt to starve the English out playing a 2 value card.  They also play Good Omens giving them a +1.  The English counter with a 3 value card which also gives them a replacement card.  The starvation roll is mediocre (needed a 6) so there are no losses to the English (not surprising given the garrison's small size).  However it was another dud replacement card.

The English play Besieger's Supplies Run Low. Their RF increase back to 7.  The Burgundians lose 2 steps leaving them with 4 units, 7 steps, 11 manpower and 21 combat factors.

The Burgundians use their dud card to get a replacement.

The English discard a dud card.

The Burgundians again try and starve to English using 2 value card.  The English play Bad Omens to reduce the roll which has the desired effect and no losses occur.

The English now have only dud cards and so await what the Burgundians will do.

Another starvation attempt, with a 1 value card, but to no effect.

Yet another starvation attempt, with a 1 value card. But the English are happy eating their horses.

With their last card the Burgundians deploy Ladders and Mantlets reducing the RF to 6.  But that still leaves the English castle too strong to be assaulted and the siege fails as the Burgundians returning home.  The RF value produces negative column shifts on the assault table and no assault can be mounted if the resultant column is off table.

Nubian versus Early Achaemenid Persians and Siege

A scant 2,000 years difference, but let's see what my Nubians can do against Mark B's Persians and the subsequent siege.

Nubians were out scouted which means they are defending against the Persian invaders.

There is a lake and some broken ground on their left.

Things start cautiously.

Skirmishers to the fore!

While the skirmishing continues,

the main mass of the Nubians starts to advance.

The Persian light cavalry has broken through,

but still has hordes of Nubian skirmishers to deal with.

The battle is now a contest of bow fire.

There is limited success so far...

But both sides have lost units although the danger to the Nubian right flank has ceased.

Time for the Nubian warriors to charge.

The Persian cavalry flee,

but the Immortals stand firm.

The other Persian foot are moving forward,

having seen the Immortals repel the best of the Nubian foot.

But the Nubian archers withstand that threat.

The Nubian warriors surge forward again...

The Immortals are routed their general running off in time honoured Persian fashion.

Victory to Nubia!

Siege

The Persians retreat to their nearest stronghold and the Nubians follow up.

The Nubian have 10 units comprising 15 steps, 26 manpower and 25 combat strength including

their commander with his still fresh unit.

The Persians have only 4 units comprising 7 steps, 9 manpower and 11 combat strength. They have lost their commander. 

The Resistance Factor of the Persian stronghold is 5 and is not a port.

Before the siege commences, the Nubians call for the Persians to surrender.  They need to roll higher than the RF on a D6, but having leader with a fresh unit they gain a +1.  Regardless they fail.

The Nubians easily have the manpower to maintain a siege and implement a blockade which they do.  They then proceed to deploy Sappers and Miners and the RF falls to 2.

However the Persians Break the Blockade and the Nubian's lose 2 steps.  Ouch!

The Nubians create Lines of Circumvallation and reestablish the blockade.

They then attempt to starve the Persians, but they are well provisioned and suffer no losses.

The Nubians wait some time longer, still hoping to starve the Persians and are gratified to see then lose one step. 

But the Persians again Break the Blockade and the Nubian's lose another step.  

The Nubians deploy Ladders and Mantlets causing the RF to drop to 1.  They decide to assault. At this stage they are down to 21 combat factors and can only manage to inflict a 3 step loss on the Persians.  The Persians however, with 10 combat factors and the still adequate stronghold defences inflict 2 step losses on the Nubians, thereby avoiding having their losses doubled which would have caused them to surrender.

The Nubians call on Fortunes of War, but to no effect. They decide to assault again. At this stage they are down to 19 combat factors and can only manage to inflict 1 step loss on the Persians.  The Persians however, with 7 combat factors and still enjoying stronghold defences inflict 3 step losses on the Nubians.

At this stage the Nubians have 4 units, 7 steps, 12 manpower, and 14 combat factors.  The Persians have only 1 unit with 2 steps, 3 manpower and 4 combat factors.

Running out of time (as in cards to play) the Nubians again call on the Fortunes of Wall, but once more to no effect.  Regardless, they assault causing 2 step losses and receiving 1.  As they doubled the defender they won a major victory, but it didn't matter as all the Persians were wiped out.

Whoops! I forgot that after an unsuccessful assault the RF increases by 1.  Admittedly I had left this out of my rule's transcription, so I am still going to claim victory.  But the two unsuccessful assaults would have left the RF at 3 which is three shifts on the combat table and with the weakened combat strength the Nubians would have been able to do only 1 step loss at the end, not enough to win.

Nubian versus New Kingdom Egyptians and subsequent siege

I decided to try something almost contemporary to face Karl and his New Kingdom Egyptians.  I had to cobble the Nubians from my Carthaginian and Arabian armies and add in a DBA army that I had purchased but never used.  How would it all go?

Please note, for this post photos are mostly after each player's turn rather than pair of turns. This should provide a better feel for the action.

The Egyptian went up the Nile and invaded Nubia.

The Nubians were ready, deployed with a scrubby wood on their left

and some broken ground in the centre.

The Nubian wings fly forward

as the Egyptian chariots start to roll.

Nubian skirmishers run forward,

while their archers start shooting.

But once they get in range the Egyptian chariots have significant missile fire power.

The chariots mostly annihilate the Nubian archers.

But there are plenty of Nubians and their arrows continue to rain down on the Egyptian chariots.

In the centre the Nubian warriors are now with strike range.

The charge by the Nubian warriors cleared away the Egyptian archers, 

but was not able to prevail against the Egyptian foot.

The Egyptian chariots are now faced with redeploying while avoid being shot at.

A mighty charge by the Nubian warriors lead by their nobles scores a massive set of hits.

But hits alone do not do it.

The Egyptians reel back, 

but are not broken.

The Egyptian chariots are trying to get back into action.

However, the Egyptian foot must be feeling a bit abandoned.

Nubian archery decimates the Egyptian chariots

And the Egyptian morale collapses.

 Subsequent Siege

The Egyptians flee until they find refuge in a Stronghold on the Nile.  The Nubians pursue.

The Egyptian force is just 3 units with 3 steps, 7 manpower and 10 combat strength.

The Nubians have 8 units, 15 steps, 18 manpower and 20 combat strength.

They can easily lay siege but being on the Nile the Egyptians have the benefit of a port and are therefore not blockaded.  The Stronghold has a Resistance Factor of 7 and would resist any immediate call for surrender.

The Nubians start by filling in the moat, reducing the RF to 6.  They then deploy catapults further reducing the RF to 5.  Thinking they will get the Egyptians to surrender they supply lavish gifts, but the Egyptians can see bad omens if they accept and refuse to surrender.

At this stage the Nubians have run out of playable options and call upon the Fortunes of War, only to find a traitor in their ranks and the RF raised to 7.

But things get worse as an epidemic breaks out in their camp.  They still have 8 units, but now only 9 steps, 10 manpower and 12 combat strength.  The epidemic spreads to the Stronghold, but has lost it virulence and with the Egyptian washing of hands policy, has no effect on the defenders.

The Nubians continue to call upon the Fortunes of War only this time to find their supplies are running low which sees their force drop to 6 units, 7 steps, 8 manpower and 10 combat strength.  They might still have a significant force, but its strength has been halved. The RF has risen to 8.

However, the Fortunes of War start to smile upon them. They construct a siege tower which brings the RF down to 6. And then another siege tower is constructed, and the RF falls to 4.  Finally ladders and mantlets are deployed causing the RF to drop to a low of 3.  In desperation they would try an assault, but the Nubian combat strength, after adjustment for the RF, prohibits such a venture and the siege fails and the Nubians withdraw.