Paperboys’ Rules Supplements Andy Callan

No.1: Rome and her Enemies

This is the first of these Supplements and has been produced to coincide with the launch of the new PDF Paperboys.
I have tried to remain true to the original design brief – which was to produce a simple and enjoyable set of rules that would be accessible
to newcomers to the hobby while still providing enough of a challenge to veterans who might fancy a change. The game encourages players to
employ tactics that are characteristic of the armies concerned, but it makes no claim to be an “accurate simulation” of the horrors of the ancient
battlefield.
Contents
1. Army Points, Army Lists and example armies: Germans
Late Republican Romans Dacians
Early Imperial Romans Parthians
Britons 2. New Rules for the 5 new armies
Gauls 3. Addenda to the published rules for Britons vs Romans

Army Points and Army Lists

Many Wargamers like to fight games with equally-balanced armies,
even though this is a luxury that no historical Commander ever
enjoyed. The Roman Invasion book included some hints on “Army
Points” (page 39) but I have now got around to producing something
a bit more formalised. At the same time I have taken the opportunity
to devise an Army List system in order to give Players a range of
possible Orders of Battle for their Paperboy armies. The points and lists
are combined in the table, below, followed by some examples of the
different armies @ c125 points – enough for a reasonably sized game.

TROOP TYPE Points per stand Max. % of Army Points Notes

Late Republican Romans
Veteran Legionaries 3½ 60 e.g. Caesar’s in Gaul
Ordinary Legionaries 3 80
Raw Legionaries 2½ 60
Allied Heavy Cavalry 3 15 e.g. Gauls
Allied Light Cavalry 2 20 e.g. Numidians
Skirmishers 1 20
Artillery 3 10
Early Imperial Romans
Veteran Legionaries 3½ 50
Auxilia 2 40
Heavy Cavalry 3 15
Light Cavalry 2 20
Archers 2 10
Skirmishers 1 20
Artillery 3 10 Single (attached) or 3 stand units
Britons
Warbands 2 80
Light Cavalry 2 20
Heavy Cavalry 3 15
Skirmishers 1 30 Javelins or Slingers
Chariots 3 15 Operate independently
Gauls
Warbands 2 80
Light Cavalry 2 20
Heavy Cavalry 3 15
Skirmishers 1 30 Javelins or bows
Germans
Warbands 2 70
Cavalry 2½ 25
Skirmishers 1 40

Rules page 1
Dacians
Warbands 2 70 German or Gallic-style
Falxmen 2 10 Small units: 3-4 stands
Skirmishers 1 30
Light Cavalry 2 20
Very Heavy Cavalry 4 20 Roxolani Allies
Artillery 3 10
Parthians
Horse Archers 2 90
Very Heavy Cavalry 4 40 Cataphracts

Examples of Armies @ c125 points each

You will see that only one of these armies adds up to exactly 125 points. This is because of the game convention that most units consist
of 6 stands. The odd point here or there doesn’t really matter but, if you insist, you can adjust things by adding or removing some 1 point
Skirmisher stands to equalise the points count.
ARMY
Republican Romans Total Points (Stands)
2 units of Veteran Legionaries (2 x 6 stands @ 3 ½ + 1 artillery @ 3) 48pts (14)
3 units of Ordinary Legionaries (2 x 6 stands @ 3) 54pts (18)
1 unit of Allied Light Cavalry (6 stands @ 2) 12 pts (6)
2 units of Skirmishers (2 x 6 stands @ 1) 12 pts (12)
Total 126 points, 50 stands.
Break point 50/3 = 17
Early Imperial Romans
2 units of Veteran Legionaries (2 x6 stands @3 ½ +1 artillery @3 48 (14)
2 units of Auxilia (2 x 6 stands @ 2) 24 (12)
1 unit of Archers (6 stands @2) 12 (6)
1 unit of Light Cavalry (6 stands @ 2) 12 (6)
1 unit of Heavy Cavalry) (6 stands @ 3) 18 (6)
2 units of Skirmishers (2 x 6 stands @ 1) 12 (12)
Total 126 points, 56 stands.
Break Point 56/3 = 19
Britons
1 x big Warband (10 stands @ 2) 20 (10)
4 other Warbands (4 x 8 stands @ 2) 64 (32)
6 Chariots (6 stands @ 3) 18 (6)
1 x Light Cavalry (6 stands @ 2) 12 (6)
2 x Skirmishers (Slingers) (2 x 6 stands @ 1) 12 (12)
Total 126 points, 66 stands
Break point 66/3 = 22
Gauls
1 big Warband (10 stands @ 2) 20 (10
5 other Warbands (5 x 8 x stands @ 2) 80 (40)
1 Light Cavalry (6 x stands @ 2) 12 (6)
2 x Skirmishers (2 x 6stands @ 1) 12 (12)
Total 124 points, 68 stands
Break point 68/3 = 23
Germans
4 Warbands (4 x 8 stands @ 2) 64 (32)
1 small Warband (1 x 6 stands @ 2) 12 (6)
2 Cavalry(2 x 6 stands @ 2 ½ ) 30 (12)
3 Skirmishers (3 x 6 stands @ 1) 18 (18)
Total 124 points, 68 stands
Break point 68/3 = 23

Rules page 2
 Dacians
3 Warbands (3 x 8 stands @2)
2 small units Falxmen (1 x 3 stands, 1 x 4 @2)
1 Light Cavalry (6 stands @ 2)
1 Very Heavy Cavalry (6 stands @ 4)
3 Skirmishers (3 x 6 stands @ 1)
1 Artillery (3 stands @ 3)
Parthians
2 units of Very Heavy Cavalry (2 x 6 stands @ 4)
1 big unit of Horse Archers (1 x 8 stands @ 2)
5 standard units of Horse Archers (5 x 6 stands @ 2)
New Rules for New Armies
Some additional rules, reflecting the special tactics and features of these new armies. Like most things to do with wargames, these are
something of a caricature of the historical realities.
Late Republican Romans
Under the late Republic, the Roman Legions conquered all of Gaul
and mopped up the last of the Greek Successor kingdoms before
turning on each other in the Civil Wars. If well-led, these Romans
were unbeatable and even when commanded by the sort of patrician
incompetent that their odd system of government sometimes
produced, the Legionaries’ well-honed drills and tactics usually made
their opponents pay a high price for any rare victory.
Compared to the Imperial army, however, that of the late Republic
was seriously lacking in disciplined Light troops and Cavalry so had
to make up the shortfall with potentially unreliable tribal allies and
Irregulars.
Even the Legionaries were of a less consistent quality. Compared
to the regulars of the long-service Imperial army, recruits to the
Republican Legions could be levied and disbanded to meet ever
changing emergencies. Part of the secret of Rome’s success was her
vast resources of manpower, but newly-raised troops, often badly-
equipped, were always at a serious disadvantage fighting against
seasoned opposition.
Gauls
Are very like their Celtic cousins so most of the Britons in the Roman
Invasion book (except for the Chariots and Slingers) can also be used
as Gauls. There are two new Paperboy troop types: a) Armoured
Infantry and b) Archers.
a) Although there is nothing to stop you having one complete
unit of armoured Gauls in your army (at a cost of 3 points per
stand), I suggest it would be more realistic to instead allow
one armoured stand to each Warband, representing its leader’s
personal bodyguard. The following new rules apply:
• All stands in a unit have the same Saving Throw. But if the
(randomised) loss falls on the Bodyguard stand roll again –
for 3/4/5/6 remove a different stand.
Germans
The Romans were really scared of these big men and their dark forests
and after the disaster in the Teutoburgerwald they gave up on the
idea of expanding the Empire into the Germanic lands.
Germans operated in warbands, like the Celts, but seem to have
been more dogged in the defence if less headstrong on the attack.
Rules page 3
48 (24)
14 (7)
12 (6)
24 (6)
18 (18)
9 (3)
Total 125 points, 64 stands
Break point 64/3 = 22
48 (12)
16 (8)
60 (30)
Total 124 points, 50 stands
Break point 50/3 = 17
Special rules for Late Republican Romans
a) Not all Legionaries are the same.
Veteran Legionaries cost 3 ½ points per stand (21 points per unit).
They have all the special rules that apply to Imperial Legions
(including reorganise – see addenda below).
Ordinary Legionaries cost 3 points per stand (18 points per unit).
They can’t reorganise.
Raw Legionaries cost only 2 ½ points per stand (15 points per
unit). They have enough pila for just one volley and save only for
4/5/6.
b) Allied troops are treated as Romans for orders purposes
(section 2.1) but when they have lost half of their original stands
they always flee the battlefield (rather than just being unable
to attack) and count as lost. Veteran and Ordinary Legionaries
ignore fleeing allies but Raw Legionaries may be panicked by
them.
b) Gallic archers represent a new troop-type – “Skirmishing
Archers”, unlike the close-order “volleying” Roman Auxiliary
archers in the book. So they need a new rule:
• Skirmishing Archers roll 1D6 per stand per stand when
shooting - their range is 16 cm. They can only shoot over
the heads of friendly troops who are downhill of them.
Comment: Gallic Archers operate like British Slingers, so they are a
sort of “longer-range skirmisher”. They are acting as individuals, aiming
at specific targets (so they like to get close) rather than shooting in
massed volleys on the word of command.
Their Cavalry had a nasty tactic of dismounting in the middle of a
fight, to hamstring enemy horses. Retreat was deemed particularly
disgraceful in Germanic culture. The special rules for Germans are:
a) One stand in each Warband is the bodyguard (Comitatus)
of its leader (mark it with a standard bearer). If a randomised
 loss falls on the Comitatus, remove another stand instead. The
Comitatus is always the last stand left fighting in a German
Warband. It never routs – it will always fight to the death, with a
saving throw of 3/4/5/6.
b) German Warbands are not “aggressive” for orders purposes
so they don’t attack without orders. They get no bonus for
charging but, like Roman Auxilia, they throw javelins just before
combat (rule 3.1) and can close ranks after a round of combat
(rule 3.3) to fill up any gaps caused by losses.
c) German archers operate as Skirmishers in the same way as
their Gallic equivalents (see above)
Dacians
They made quite an impression on the Romans, as recorded on
Trajan’s Column, combining typical barbarian Warband tactics with
some unusual weaponry and troop types. The Dacian lands were
inhabited by tribes of Thracian, Celtic and Germanic origins and they
were occasionally able to call on the help of neighbouring Steppe
peoples who used Parthian-style tactics. All in all, a very exotic army.
There are two new Paperboy troop types – Falxmen and
Artillery. For Cavalry use the German equivalents. Roxolani allies are
represented by Parthian Cataphracts.
Special rules for Dacians are:
a) Falxmen. Operate in small units of 3 or 4 stands. They hit for
3/4/5/6 in any round of combat but save only for 5/6. They always
fight to the death, so they never retreat or rout.
Parthians
At Carrhae (53BC) they destroyed an entire Roman army but in
circumstances that were rather special – they were fighting on ground
that was perfectly adapted to their tactics against an enemy who
lacked enough light troops and cavalry to counter them. The Parthians
are an entirely mounted army, employing a deadly combination of
horse archers and very heavy cavalry (armoured Lancers on armoured
horses). But they need wide open spaces to be at their most effective
and any wargamer who agrees to fight them on such a table top
battlefield is asking for trouble.
The special rules for Parthians are:
a) Very Heavy Cavalry (Cataphracts) save for 2/3/4/5/6 vs
Cavalry or missiles and 3/4/5/6 vs Infantry. They re-roll any 1s
when they charge other cavalry.
Comment: These boys are hard to kill and dangerous when they
attack. The only good thing, from an opponent’s point of view is
that they are expensive (at 4 points per stand) and rare.
b) Horse Archers.
Comment: These troops combine firepower and mobility in a way
that is tricky to model, in game terms. This is how I have decided
to do it for this game:
• Horse Archers, like Warbands come in units of 6, 8 or 10
stands. They operate either in a single line of stands (like
other units) or in a special formation, with a forward line of
skirmishers circling back on a line of supports. So a 6-stand
unit has 3 skirmishing forward and 3 in a closed-up line in
support. Note that the skirmish line is positioned 12cms in
front of the supports
Support line D E F
Skirmish line A B C
Rules page 4
d) German Cavalry don’t attack without orders. They charge like
heavy cavalry and in the second round of an all-cavalry fight, they
hit for 4/5/6 (not 5/6).
e) As a special tactic, German armies may use fieldworks to
improve a defensive position. At a cost of ½ a point per stand of
frontage (4cms) they can build earthworks along the edge of a
wood. These then count as a linear obstacle – they are impassable
to enemy cavalry, and any Heavy Infantry (Legionaries or enemy
Warbands) crossing them, must halt (disordered) for the rest of
the turn. Troops defending earthworks cannot be outflanked in
combat.
Comment: Their vicious “scythe on a stick” weapon had a can-
opener effect on Roman armour but left them very vulnerable,
since they used it two-handed and bare-chested. I see them as a
sort of “suicide squad” – nasty but short-lived.
b) Artillery. Operate in batteries of 3 stands. They can’t move.
Comment: Dacians certainly used artillery in their fortresses.
Maybe not in the field…
c) Warbands can operate either like Celts or Germans,
depending on their tribal origins.
Comment: It is easiest if you choose one type for the whole army
but having a mixture will add some extra spice to the game.
d) Very Heavy Cavalry (Cataphracts) operate like their Parthian
equivalents (see below).
• The arrows show the notional movement of the stands,
but since this happens as a constant changeover there is
no need for you to physically move the stands in this way
on the table top. Just put a couple of the special “shooting
backwards” figures between the two lines to show that the
unit is operating this tactic.
• Horse archers have a range of 16 cm (like skirmishing
foot archers) but shoot 2D6 per stand. When a unit is in
this “circle of death” formation they get to shoot in both
the shooting phase AND the movement phase. So, in a
game turn, they will shoot with 3 skirmishing stands in the
shooting phase and 3 in the movement phase, rolling a
total of 12 dice. Like other missile troops, they always hit
with a 6.
• Unlike other Missile troops, whose arc of fire is 45 degrees
to either side of the stand’s front corners, Horse archers
have an arc of 360 degrees – so they can shoot in any
direction, as long as the line of fire does not pass through a
friendly stand.
And, of course, they also have a special “Parthian shot” rule,
namely:
• If attacked, the skirmishing Horse Archer stands in a “circle
of death” get an immediate free “evade” move back behind
their supports. They are not disordered by doing this
(unlike other evade moves – see Rule 6.3.1) and they also
get to shoot 1D6 per stand, as they go.
• In Combat, however, Horse Archers are at a serious
disadvantage, since they always need a 6 to hit, in any
round. Their saving throw is 5/6.
 Addenda
Finally, here are some amendments and further explanations of the
rules published in the Roman Invasion book, made in the light of
suggestions received (thank you) or on further reflection after recent
games.
1. Page 41, Column 1, section 1.4: Which stands are
destroyed?
Replace the original text with the following:
“When shooting or attacking a unit’s flank always remove stands
from that end first. “
Otherwise, roll another D6, count that many stands from the right
of the unit (facing the enemy) and remove that stand. For any further
losses keep counting in the same direction, circling back if necessary.
Comment: The advantage of this way of doing it is that after a
typical unit has suffered its first loss (i.e. failed save) then, any later
losses are more likely to fall on the unit’s unshielded side. E.G.:
Enemy
[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F]
Unit strength 6 stands: 1st loss. A Dice roll of 1 falls on F, 6 on A
“ “ 5 stands: 2nd loss. A Dice roll of 1 or 6 falls on F
“ “ 4 stands 3rd loss. A Dice roll of 1 or 5 falls on F
Most units consist of 6 stands and going below half strength has
serious consequences, so it doesn’t really matter where the 4thloss
falls.
2. Page 41, Column 2, section c): Regrouping
Add a new sentence at the end of the Roman paragraph.
“Damaged Legionary units (any which have lost 2 or more stands)
within 16cms of each other may also reorganise by combining to form
a new, full-strength unit (so if a 4 stand and a 3 stand unit combine,
they will only form a standard-sized 6-stand unit. Remove the spare
stand but do not count it as “lost”). This takes them a full turn, in the
presence of a General.”
Comment: a powerful new ability for the tough Imperial Veterans,
which justifies upping their cost to 3 ½ points per stand.
3. Page 42, top of Column 2: The loser of any turn of
fighting.
Add a new sentence after the first.
“Cavalry who lose a turn of fighting against Infantry back off
16cms”
Comment: This puts the Cavalry out of reach of a counter attack
by the Infantry in the next turn, unless the infantry are foolish enough
not to spend half a move re-grouping first (rule 2.3.c).
Rules page 5
4. Page 42, Column 2, Phase 4 Unit Morale and Discipline
Section 4.1 c): Other Troops Rout
Replace all the current text with the following:
“Turn them around, run them straight back towards their home
table edge for the distance of a full move, and then take them off the
table. Any friends they run through or run past (within 12cm) must
test for Panic (see 4.2).”
There is no change to the Panic section, but then
Section 4.3 Pursuit
Replace all the current text with the following:
“A British Warband or Cavalry unit which routs its opponent in
combat must test for Pursuit, by rolling a D6. For 1/2/3 it will pursue
them off the battlefield and not come back. On a roll of 4/5/6,
the pursuit lasts only one move, during which the pursuers are
disordered.”
Roman Cavalry never pursue. They halt after combat and regroup
on the spot.”
Comment: this avoids having routing troops and their pursuers
cluttering up the battlefield. But it means British Warbands and
Cavalry can become one-shot weapons – so they need careful
handling!
5. Page 43 Victory and Defeat
Phase 6; replace paragraph c) and the following sentence with:
“When an army that has reached its Break Point has one of its
units routed or forced to withdraw (see section 4.1) there is a general
collapse of army morale.”
The Break Point is reached when the number of stands the army
has lost (destroyed or routed off the table) not counting any infantry
Skirmishers is greater than one third (or one quarter for a quicker
game) of the total number of stands (of all types) it had at the start of
the battle”.
Comment: the original version required Players to keep a count
of the points value of stands lost – which could be tricky in the heat of
the action. This way you just have to look at the number of stands in
the “dead pool”, setting skirmishers to one side.
And one last thing …
6. Playsheet, page 45, column 1, line 12: Charging WB/H.
Cavalry
Delete “re-roll 1s”. Instead, insert “hit for 3/4/5/6. Very Heavy Cavalry
re-roll 1s charging other Cavalry”