Description

Hoplon 3 is the third edition of a fast play set of ancient and medieval miniatures rules using an amended version of the DBx basing system. This allows players with DBx-based armies to play Hoplon with only minimum changes necessary.

Although designed for 15mm miniatures, the system also supports 25/28mm play. Hoplon has been extensively play-tested in clubs and by members of a dedicated Yahoo group, and this testing has led to a number of revisions which have been incorporated into the third edition.

The philosophy behind Hoplon is to provide an easy-to-learn but deep system emphasizing the relative capabilities of different troop types and morale classes, the difficulties of effective command and control and -most of all - the close matching of historical tactics and performance.

In Hoplon, armies are separated into commands, and commands are separated into units. Troops are activated and controlled by means of command points. While single elements can function individually, they do so at a cost when detached from their parent formations, losing their unit's stamina, cohesion bonus, and ability to maneuver in groups. This in turn forces players to deal with the tactical control problems inherent in commanding large bodies of ancient and medieval troops. Sequence of play is by interleaved-Command (both players moving on the same round by order of initiative of their commands) rather than alternating on every round, which makes tactical decision-making all the more interesting.

While it uses a points system and army lists loosely based on the DBM model, Hoplon has taken a fresh approach to game-play which provides a realistic and historically satisfying simulation of ancient and medieval warfare. As a result, most historical battles require little or no tweaking to re-fight making this set a real tool for simulating actual battles.