Rules Review -TRIUMPH 

These rules are like a much improved modified version of DBA, written in easy to understand text. I like them a lot.

Intersting review. I was never able to read DBA rules until I found DBA 2.2+ unofficial friendly-user edition. Triumph looks interesting AND accessible. THx for your work

Great review, good explanation, will have to check this out, thanks for that 👍

Pretty good, Nick. Was thinking of trying these rules. I am planning on attending some tournaments in the future; this and ADLG are quite popular. ~K

Interesting looking rules. Thanks for the rules overview Nik!

Very interested in these as well. Thanks for a great review Nik.

Thank you for this, I have been considering trying Triumph for a while now

Very nice review Nik, you really are good at going through rile sets, keep safe mate, all the best Garry

Always useful to wztvh reviews like this.

We really appreciate your review and hope you get a chance to play the game soon!

Cheers Nik. Food for thought mate.

It will be interesting to see what the channel Tod's Workshop will find out about flanking fire from English archers on French knights. Are you following his channel?

These rules look interesting Nik, a replacement for HC for you ?

Looks good Nicholas

Interesting looking rules Nik

Very cool

Excellent set of Ancients rules, which unlike many, actually mean what they say. Not overly pricey (PDF Version), good feedback from the rules writers, and over 600 free army lists.

Seems really solid

BTW, there rules have a LOT, a REALLY LOT that is identical to that in Hoplon. But, unlike Hoplon, it does not restore Morale, nor Units, nor Charges. These things were “restored” to Hoplon from 7th Edition, along with anything with a missile weapon using it at a distance, during “shooting” and not during Melee, as an “Abstraction.” The re-introduction of Morale in Hoplon, and the elimination of “Grade” was a HUGE improvement. Some of the “Weapons/Skills” from 7th/Warrior were re-introduced as well. You have Vulnerable, ‘Normal,’ and Heavy Armor for troops. You have Fast(F) and Fast-Extra/Extraordinary(Fx) Abilities for some troops¹, The troops have primary, and possible secondary “roles” that determine how-well they deal with Close Combat (Shock(Shk), meant to fight in Close Combat. Missile(Msl), meant only to shoot at things. Or Shock/Missile(Shk/Msl), being Melee Troops with a Missile Weapon used principally against Charging Troops, or Missile/Shock(Msl/Shk). Troops that has a Missile Role also list what that Missile is (Such as “Msl [Javelin]” or “Shk/Msl[Bow]” or “Msl/Shk[Longbow]”). And then things like “Impetuous,” “Legionnaires” (either Manipular or Cohort, and thus able to do Rank-Replacement to retire a Disordered or Shaken Unit engaged in Combat if there is a Rear-Rank or Unit to “Swap” with the Engaged Rank), Scythian/Parthian, Hoplite (Spearmen able to Charge or Countercharge), “Professional” (Pro1 or Pro2, meaning “Pro with Principal Role” - Pro1 - Or Pro2 if Dual armed and “Professional” with both combat roles), and “Untrained” (Levy Troops, Conscripts, or new Volunteers without Unit Training, or much else. Can be Inferior, Ordinary, or Superior Morale). And the Generals have what is called a “Basic Initiative Factor” (BIF) that adds to the Command Points (CoPs, or PiPs) of the Command, AND which affects the Command Distance/Range and Morale of the Commands. The Dice rolled for Command Points also add the BIF, which determines the Command’s Initiative, which then determines when it MAY CHOOSE to Move. Higher Initiative Commands can choose to move before ANY Lower Initiative Command, BUT MAY Intervene after any Lower Initiative Command has moved to “Seize-back the Initiative.“ This means that the Movement is usually Interleaved, with a player’s Command not being moved all at once in most cases, and the players having turns moving their different commands. The Initiative also determines who declares charges, and in what order. If a General has a Unit who declares a Charge, it MUST move in the order of its Initiative. This means that a General who does not declare Charges may ONLY Countercharge against any enemy Charging his Units, AND… If the General DOES declare Charges, he may NOT “Defer the Initiative” and MUST move in the order of his Initiative. The Moral situation, rather than Grade, restoring Morale (and Disordered, and Shaken) also greatly simplifies Combat. Because there ARE NO “Killed if doubled unless x against y or in in abc terrain, which causes a recoil, instead.” Recoils remain ONLY to things that are not “Doubled” and anything doubled is killed, without exception. There are still SOME “Quick-Kills” for some troops, but most are ONLY during a Charge, such as with Knights. The “Warband” equivalent does still retain a Quick-Kill against Swords (Blades) and Spears during melee, but it is costly to the Barbarians (Warbands), as well, who lose entire files of elements if they lose. Combat is still element-to-element, but Shooting is Unit-to-Unit. New Rules are being written to eliminate more of the DBx heritage in restoring Unit-to-Unit (or “UnitS-to-UnitS”) Combat of a sort, so that combat is greatly sped-up. The most recent suggestions have been about including a troop like Triumph’s “Rabble” as distinct from “Hordes.” Hoplon already calls its “Hordes” “Rabble,” but the distinctions in Triumph between the two have been discussed already. Oh! And the Bows on deeper bases are something Hoplon also has. Triumph looks to be an enlarged and expanded DBA. 1. Knights (obviously), Spears, Blades, Peltasts (“Auxilia” in DBx, who become more like “Bad-Assed Psiloi,” or Peltasts who can also Skirmish, evading if Charged, rather than having to stand and receive the Charge), Cavalry(Who become like a Light-Horse Unit who are capable of close-combat, or Cavalry who can also Skirmish, and thus evade charging Foot, Knights and Cataphracts), and Fast Cataphracts, Chariots (usually just Light), Barbarians, and Bowmen (who are able to skirmish like Psiloi - another characteristic being considered to add to a new version is a form of Bowmen who are also better able to fight in Close Combat similar to Peltasts, or Swords(Blades) or Spears).

Hope this game takes off.

Interesting MW..

If you like DBMM, you should take a look at Hoplon. It is VASTLY better than DBMM. It shares many things with Triumph.