House Rules
LATE EMPIRE HOUSE RULES
1. Build Palatinae and Comitatenses legions as follows: 4 named heavy infantry units, 1 equivalent sagittarii/slinger unit, 1 exculcatore/lanciarii unit. Auxilia Palatinae 2-3 main units 1, light unit
2. Build Limitanei Legions as follows: 4-6 unarmoured units, 2-4 armoured units, 1-2 light or sagittarii units for an old-style remnant of a border legion.
3. Build Palatinae and Comitatenses cavalry vexillations as follows: 6 units of the same type (after the Valens/Valentinian split however each vexillation is only 3 units in strength).
4. Limitanei cavalry vexillations should average 4-5 units of the same type.
5. Brigade field army and palatine legions together as twinned regiments and try not to separate them into different areas of operations.
6. Palatinae field armies need to be commanded by the Augustus or one of the high-ranking Magister Militi.
7. Local Comites and Duces will command the smaller field armies and the frontier forces.
8. Separate Military and Civil ancillaries – no single general should command an army and govern a province – troops billeted in a town remain under the command of the nearest military commander.
9. In exceptional circumstances, a single general may administer a province and also lead a field army.
10. Duces and Comites may cross the limes to stage retaliatory raids only – and only if the neighboring tribes have already invaded the Empire.
11. Full-scale invasions of entire territory may only be led by the Augustus himself or one of his high-level Magistri.
12. Legions and vexillations of the field armies and the palatinae are to be stationed as a rule in the inner towns and cities while not on a specific campaign.
13. Border legions and cavalry of the limitanei must be stationed on the frontier towns and forts.
14. Foederati are to be recruited either for a specific campaign and then must be disbanded OR enrolled from a subsidiary settlement or foedus and deployed as required in local warbands.
15. Most military and civilian ancillaries are region-specific so if you wish to move a specific general to another area or diocese, then you must allocate a new ancillary and relieve him of the first.
16. If unit casualties drop below 20% retire the legion or the vexillation to a rearward suitable town or city for recruitment.
17. Any named legion or vexillation which is destroyed in the field must never be reconstituted. Its name is struck off the notitia.
18. Group artillery into a single stack with support for invasions only else keep such units within towns and cities. The late Empire rarely deployed artillery in the field anymore.
19. Never disband regular line units to favour economic growth.
20. Never abandon any forts – always man them even you only leave a single century behind.
21. When recruiting legions and vexillations, never send them into the field UNTIL the entire unit has been recruited.
22. In general, never massacre rebelling towns or cities.
23. If named legions or vexillations rebel, do not recruit the same type again until after that legion or vexillation has been destroyed or bribed back into the fold.
24. If campaigning in the barbaricum, always massacre captured populations if the enemy has refused surrender unless you are intending to extend the limes permanently.
25. In general, maintain the Empire rather than increasing it.
26. Unfavourable generals (either through religion or traits) should be posted to remote locations, stripped of ancillaries, or placed in command of low-grade troops – never put them in a ship or send them on a suicide mission. Use what you have as best you can and allow them to rebel if they want to – it will simulate the late era more accurately!
27. Build up the diplomatic arm – spies, assassins, diplomats (I know – that element is broken) and attempt to stall all out war by the judicial elimination of the enemy generals HOWEVER see 28 –
28. Overuse of 27 denies the AI any advantage and can make gameplay too easy so I would suggest that only assassinations occur AFTER any major defeat has been inflicted on your forces. Target a specific general who was responsible for the defeat and then leave it at that!
29. Recover all eagles lost as a matter of honour. Any general who survives losing an eagle must be cashiered into a civilian post or downgraded in rank (see 26).
30. All field armies (ie: a full stack or more) require a suitable ranking general to march in the field and should maintain camp discipline at the end of every turn. Allow the enemy AI the chance to catch you in a siege fort situation.
Campaign Play
I thought it might be interesting to post a few house rules I use when playing IBRR or IJ and to find out what other players use (if any!) as House Rules as well. I would define House Rules in my terms as rules or conditions which I play with that closely simulate late Roman practice. I would suggest that mine are strongly personal but seem to work in creating a late Roman milieu. I would also add that my knowledge of the period is always changing and that some HRs are now perhaps a little out of date!
My first topic will be Army composition and usage -
As most of us know, the late Roman army can be broken down into 4 distinct levels:
Limitanei
Comitatenses
Palatinae
Foederati
I want to address the first troop type and pose some of my HRs in relation to these sturdy and underpaid men who man the limes or frontier of the Roman Empire!
The Limitanei were frontier troops mustered along the forts and garrisons whose main job was to secure the frontier from low-level raiding, enforce customs, and generally maintain the pax romana. These troops were originally old-style auxilia or legions who had remained upon the limes and become hereditary soldiers. They were now locally recruited and in some manner tied to the land for supplies and income.
So, House Rules for the Limitanei
These troops can only be recruited in towns close to the limes.
They must either man said towns or be marched to the nearest fort on the frontier.
Each unit of Limitanei may only ‘march out’ once it has reached it nominal troop size (you would be looking at 500 or say 1,000 men (3 or 4 unit cards). Troops do not march out piecemeal but as a unit. Some Limitanei are the descendants of the old legions and may have remained at 5,000 plus strength. I would suggest that no more than one such unit be active in any single ducal command area.
These units are either garrison units or frontier units and as such do not engage in general field actions with invading barbarian hordes – unless said barbarians are low-level raiding forces. Rule of thumb: if the barbarian force is equal in size or smaller, then the limitanei will sally forth to engage. If not, they will under no circumstances leave the town or fort.
Limitanei remain under the command of local officers and do not need a ‘general’ figure unless brigaded together into a larger force – if so only the local regional Dux may command such a force. All other general figures will bear ‘comitatus’ status and therefore be inappropriate for leading frontier troops.
Limitanei historically were sometimes ‘upgraded’ to semi-regular line troops status. I would only pull Limitanei off frontier duty and place them under the command of a field-army Comes or general after such troops as a whole unit had been upgraded in the nearest town. If the Limitanei had not been upgraded, they must remain as frontier static troops only.
Next post will deal with the line regiments!
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Originally Posted by SeniorBatavianHorse
