Dux Bellorum

The Dark Age of Britain, from the middle of the 4th century to the end of the 8th, was a time of violence and warfare, when charismatic warlords such as the fabled King Arthur could gather together armies and carve out their own kingdoms. With this new set of wargames rules, players can take on the role of these warlords and command their own armies on the tabletop. Written by the author of the popular Glutter of Ravens rules set, Dux Bellorum is an element-based system, where each base of figures represents 50 fighting men. Each player has a specific number of points with which to construct his force and can choose a Late Roman, Romano-British, Welsh, Saxon, Pictish, Irish, or Sea Raider army, amongst others. The game is then played out following a set of simple, fast-paced rules. A completely self-contained gaming system, Dux Bellorum is perfect for gamers who are looking for a way into fighting Dark Age battles without investing a lot of time or money in larger rulesets.

• Setting: 

  The Dark Ages of Britain, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the end of the 8th century, an era of warfare and kingdom-building. 
• Warlord Focus: 

  Players assume the roles of charismatic warlords commanding their own forces. 
• Element-Based: 

  Instead of individual figures, each base represents a group of approximately 50 fighting men. 
• Scalable Gameplay: 

  The rules use “Base Widths” for distances, allowing for flexible army sizes and different miniature scales (e.g., 15mm or 28mm). 
• Leadership Points: 

  A core mechanic where players allocate LPs to influence their units’ actions, with points decreasing as units are lost. 
• Army Choices: 

  Players can choose to command forces of Late Roman, Romano-British, Welsh, Saxon, Pictish, Irish, or Sea Raider armies. 
• Fast-Paced Rules: 

  The game features a sequence of play that includes allocating LPs, shooting, movement (by unit type), and combat. 
• Simple and Accessible: 

  Dux Bellorum is praised for being a well-written, self-contained system that is easy to learn, making it a good entry point for new wargamers.