Ancient War Series

Game Title: Belisarius’s Vandal War 

Game Released: July 2012

Decision Games, PO Box 21598, Bakersfield, CA 93390

Decision Games hereby grants permission for its customers to download and/or print copies of this file for their personal use. 

SCENARIO: BELISARIUS’s VANDAL WAR (AD 533-534) 

23.0 INTRODUCTION
Belisarius’s Vandal War is a two-player wargame of the campaign fought by the Eastern Roman Gen. Flavius Belisarius to re-conquer Roman North Africa from the Vandals, who had established a kingdom there in the century prior. One player controls Belisarius and the Roman forces, and the other player controls the forces of the Vandal kingdom. 

24.0 FORCES
Roman Player. Controls all Roman units.
Vandal Player. Controls all Vandal units.
Note: There are also several allied units, which may be controlled by one player or the other, depending on card play. These include Huns and Moors. 
Scale. Roman units equal 500-2,000 men per unit. Vandal and Moor units represent 2-5,000 men. Huns represent about 1,000 horsemen.

25.0 UNIT TYPES
Supreme Leader. This will be Belisarius for the Roman side and Gelimer for the Vandal side. 

Regular Leader. A leader of courage and skill.

Regular Cavalry. Organized units of horse mounted soldiers.

Regular Infantry. Standard solders

Irregular Cavalry. Bands of horsemen and steeds. 

Garrison. Fortress defense forces.

Fleet. Warships and merchant vessels. 

Roman Camp. Fortified Roman camps.

Elite Unit. Specially trained or fearsome troops.

Bucellarii (Buc). Elite household troops. 

Equites Comitatenses (Eq Com). Roman regular cavalry. 

Foederati (Foed). Roman mercenary cavalry, officered by regulars.

Pedites Comitatenses (Ped Com). Roman regular infantry. 

Limitaeni (Lim). Roman frontier and garrison troops. 

Exploratores (Expl). Roman long-range scouts and agents. 

Hun. Allied light cavalry including Herules. 

Moors. Allied light cavalry and infantry.

Vandal Cavalry. These represent assemblies of warriors. Ammatas, Gibamund and Tata are Vandal chiefs, but they have no special abilities.

26.0 THE MAP
The map shows the Vandal kingdom and adjoining waters. The Terrain Effects Chart explains the specific terrain and its effects. On the Turn Track, the 533 and 534 box are not turn boxes, just year indicators. 

27.0 HOW TO SET UP THE GAME
Barbarians (set up first)
In any forts or towns other than Syracusa and Hellas; no more than two units per space: Gelimer, Tata, Ammatas, Gibamund; Cavalry III , IV, V; Fleets I, II (fleets must be in ports). 
In the Barbarian Recruit Box 
	Vandal I, II cavalry; Moor I, II, III cavalry. 
Note: The Moors are initially Vandal allies and may be recruited. 
Cards. Shuffle all Barbarian Campaign Cards together and place them face down. 
Roman Units (set up second) 
In Syracusa: Belisarius; Bucel, Foed I, Foed II, Eq Com I cavalry; Ped Com I, II, III, IV, V; Fleets I, II, III; Exploratores; Huns. 
In the Roman Recruit Box
Solomon; Eq Com II, Cyril cavalry; Ped Com VI; Lim I, II, III, IV, V; 1 x Roman Camp.
Cards. The Roman player selects one Campaign card that he will play on Turn 1. Then shuffle all remaining Roman cards together and place them face down, to create the deck used on Turns 2 and after. 

28.0 GAME LENGTH
The game lasts 9 turns, August 533 to April 534. 

29.0 HOW TO WIN THE GAME
The Roman player wins the game if, at the end of the last turn, Roman units occupy all five fortresses; and Belisarius is still on the map. The Vandal player wins the game if, at the end of the last turn, Vandal units occupy at least two fortresses, and Gelimer is on the map. Any other result is a draw. 

30.0 PLACING RECRUITS
Recruits may not be deployed in spaces containing enemy units. Units may be placed in empty spaces, unless it is specified that they must be placed with friendly units. Otherwise, place recruits as listed.
Romans. Land units are placed in Hellas or Roman occupied fortresses. Fleets are placed in Hellas or Roman occupied ports. Leaders are placed with any Roman unit. Additionally, one unit per turn may be placed with Belisarius.
Barbarian. Land units are placed in Vandal occupied fortresses. Fleets are placed in Vandal occupied ports. Leaders are placed with any Vandal unit. Additionally, one unit per turn may be placed with Gelimer.
Allies. These are placed in any land space occupied by friendly units. Moor units must be placed in Africa.

31.0 SPECIAL RULES
31.1 Hellas
Only Roman units may enter Hellas. 
31.2 Allies
There are two sets of Allied units; Huns and Moors. Huns are initially controlled by the Romans. Moors are initially controlled by the Vandals. The play of certain cards will give a player control of enemy allies. If the units are in the same space as formerly friendly units, then the owning player immediately retreats the allied units one space, exactly as if after battle, except that the allied units are not panicked, and there is no pursuit.
31.3 Rebels
If the Roman plays the Support Rebels card, he places the designated reinforcements in any fortresses. Any Vandal units in those fortresses must retreat one space, exactly as if after battle, except that the Vandal units are not panicked, and there is no pursuit
31.4 Elite Units
Belisarius, the Exploratores, and the Huns are elite units.
31.5 Static Units
Roman garrisons cannot move or attack, but defend normally. 
31.6 Roman Camps
Roman regular cavalry and infantry are considered to be “legions” for the purpose of the Camp rule (21.0).
31.7 Special Cards
If the Roman player picks the Magister Militum Africa card, or the Vandal player picks the Furore Vandali card, that player has the option to either: 
1) play that card immediately and then remove it from the game; or,
2) reshuffle it back into the deck without playing it, and pick a substitute card to play instead. 
Note: These are the only cards that allow recruiting of leaders.