The Age of the Country at War Review

Rules by Barrie Lovell

This rule set is aimed at large multi-player games using 15mm figures but other scales can easily be adopted. It consists of 12 spiral bound A4 pages and come with a quick reference card and a sheet of order/status markers.

Units are mounted on large 60mm x 40mm bases and represent about 500 infantry or 250 cavalry. Each unit base should mount 7-9 infantry or 3-5 cavalry figures. Generals and Heroes are based individually. Several units are grouped together as a clan and each clan has one general. Ground scale is 1" = 50 paces (40 yards) and each turn represents about 15minutes. All dicing is with 6-sided dice, both normal and average (2,3,3,4,4,5) varieties.

A unit must be of one of the following troop types: Cavalry, Samurai, Ashigaru, Ashigaru Archers, Ashigaru Arquebusiers, Peasants or Warrior Monks. In addition, samurai can be classed as elite. Generals are rated as Renowned, Good, Competent or Poor. These ratings can be decided before the game or diced for. The General's rating is very important as it affects morale, order and initiative tests. Terrain definitions are Good Going, Bad Going, Gentle slopes and Rivers which are all self explanatory. Some terrain features such as lakes, cliffs etc. can be considered impassable.

A game turn begins by issuing orders to clans that currently have none, by placing an order marker beside the clan's general. Generals and heroes may then move. Next, morale checks are performed for clans that require them. Each clan that was issued a new order must now test obedience to see if they will implement the order. Clans with Manoeuvre or Retreat orders do so next. Both sides then dice for initiative with the winner performing all activities for each of his clans in succession followed by his opponent activating his clans.

Orders can be: Attack, Defend, Skirmish, Retire, Manoeuvre, Reform and Retreat. Each order is defined but some of these definitions are a bit vague. For example, Attack specifies that one unit in the clan must attempt to close with the enemy but no options are given for other units in the clan. A few house rules here should easily solve any problems.

Morale tests are taken for the usual reasons such as suffering a bad combat outcome, seeing friends destroyed etc. A single d6 is rolled, modified by a few factors and the result read from a table. A failed test can vary from retiring for one move to retreating shaken until all units are at least 8" from all enemy.

Clan order tests and the Initiative test are also conducted by rolling a d6 and modifying the roll by a handful of factors. Clans require a score of 3 or more to implement the new order otherwise they continue with the previous order.

Players familiar with WRG's DBA rules will be at home with the movement system. Clans operating under Attack, Defend, Skirmish and Retire orders roll a d6, with each pip allowing a tactical move. A tactical move can be by a single unit or a group of contiguous units. Movement distances are diced for using between 1 and 3 average dice depending on troop type and terrain.

Combat too is similar to DBA. Opposing units in contact roll a d6, add their combat factor and any modifiers. Highest score wins. Results range from a push back to the loser being destroyed, depending on the troops involved and how much the winner's score beat the loser's. Missile fire is conducted in a similar fashion but the firing troops cannot suffer from an adverse result. Leaders attached to losing units must dice to determine whether they have been killed in the action.

Other rules cover deployment, weather and visibility. Finally, there are the Heroic Actions rules which allows leaders to perform the brave (and crazy!) deeds for which samurai are renowned. These include, "Engage an enemy champion", "Rearguard", "Glorious Charge", "Taking a Famous Head" and "Honourable Death". Each of these is given a Success and Failure score on 2d6. A successful attempt can have a major impact on the game but failure can mean the loss of a valuable leader.

These rules allow for a fast moving game with enough period flavour to satisfy any samurai enthusiast. The mechanisms work well, being based heavily on the successful DBA rules, a fact acknowledged by the author.

The rules cost me £2.50 a few years ago and are dated August 1993. I suspect they are no longer in print so obtaining a copy could prove to be difficult. Best bet may be the "bring and buy" stall at a wargames show. If anyone has further details on availability, please email me.

Review by Ian Duncan. September 2003