Dinosaurs on the Battlefield

Victor Milán’s new novel in The Dinosaur Lords series, set in a primordial world with every species of dinosaur, large and small. The books are bloodsoaked—the basic elevator pitch is “Jurassic Park meets Game of Thrones”—specifically because the saurians aren’t around to be pets, attractions, or build a Dinotopia.

Milán employs them as scaly war engines which brings up a question pondered by generations of kids as they’ve assembled plastic dinosaur toys in their sandboxes—which are the best dinosaurs to wage war?


An enormous, excessively-fanged theropod would be the obvious choice. We’ve all daydreamed about clambering atop a Tyrannosaurus to vanquish our enemies. (Right?) But there are two problems with this plan. The first is that the carnivore might be just as likely to eat you as your enemy. A morsel is a morsel to a hungry carnivore. That, among other reasons, is probably why there haven’t been war tigers or battle wolves outside the annals of fantasy. And despite the psychological terror an armored, snarling tyrannosaur might inspire on the battlefield, it’d actually be terrible in an all-out fight. Tyrannosaurs, like all giant carnivorous dinosaurs, were bipeds. Break one of their legs, and they topple over useless and defeated.

Milán gets it. In his fantasy world, most of the war dinosaurs are herbivores that stomp around on all fours—crested hadrosaurs, horned dinosaurs, and the armored ankylosaurs. They seem like suitable stand-ins for dragons. Many had the spikes, horns, and crests to make them look intimidating enough. Despite their appearances, though, most of these dinosaurs wouldn’t have been as useful as you might expect.

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WARHAMMER FANTASY

Carnosaurs are large apex predators that have terrorized the darkness of the primordial jungles since the dawn of this world's existence. Considered by many as the ultimate jungle hunter, with some growing nearly two stories tall, these massive reptilian beasts are powerfully built and highly aggressive creatures, with long, muscular hind limbs and a heavy tail that is used to balance its enlarged and powerful skull. Only the Dread Saurian are above even these mighty predators. Upon scenting prey, or catching sight of even the slightest amount of movement, the Carnosaur propels itself with enormous strides, moving with a surprising speed for such a large beast.

Bastiladon, sometimes known as Living Bastions, are a mighty and hulking species of armored reptiles whose heavily armoured shell is perhaps one of the strongest within the continent of Lustria. It is a walking fortress, a living bastion covered in a rock-hard bony skin, and then further protected by massive iron-like plates — a natural armour so dense that it can, sometimes, thwart the bite of the mighty Carnosaur. Even those blows that crack the outermost armour plates cannot penetrate deeply into the beast due to the Bastiladon’s alternating layers of thick leathery skin and additional scales.

Stegadons are mighty horned reptilian beasts that have dwelt within the primeval jungles of Lustria since long before the coming of the Old Ones. They are bulky creatures whose heads are covered by armoured crests, out of which project massive horns. With bony scales and spikes shielding their bodies, there are few predators that dare challenge them. Territorial and highly aggressive, Stegadons will charge any creature that intrudes upon their habitat. Other creatures stay well clear of these herds, for fear of being trampled or gored.

Seraphon Army

Older than memory, existing for aeons unrecorded, the seraphon have ever waged an unending, savage war against Chaos. Summoned by the incredible power of the Slann Starmasters, they materialise from the energy of the stars themselves - nimble skinks, predatory saurus and hulking kroxigor, each intent on destroying the forces that have corrupted and darkened the realms almost beyond repair.

 

Desert Hydra

With five huge heads independently biting and spitting acid at its foes, the Desert Hydra is one of the most devastating warbeasts the Skorne Empire has ever captured and conditioned for war. Each head can release a focused spray of highly corrosive acid or snatch up opponents to be devoured by its gaping, hellish jaws. Flesh hooks protruding from beneath armored plates keep the beast maddened with pain, spurring it to further carnage even after suffering multiple decapitations.

Physical Characteristics
Desert hydras have a varying number of heads, and their bodies are layered in scales from soft beige to deep red. Although a desert hydra begins its life with a single head, masses of cells accumulate and divide upon the torso as the creature ages to form additional heads, all fully functional. On average, a hydra grows a head for each decade of its life. The eldest desert hydras can have as many as seven, though few survive to this stage.

A desert hydra's vital organs, including its brain, are protected deep within its torso. The protective plates lining the creature’s multiple necks and back also work to retain body heat; alternately, the spines protruding from these plates can disperse excess heat when necessary. Glands inside a hydra’s mouths discharge a potent acid capable of eating through chitin and steel, and a heat-sensing structure embedded between its eyes and nostrils facilitates highly accurate strikes against warm-blooded prey.

Behaviour
When not engaged in territorial disputes, male hydras often battle one another for the right to mate with a female. Likewise, a female will challenge and fight any males who approach her, refusing to mate with those who back down. Though a single clutch can contain up to a dozen eggs, competition among newborns is fierce, and more than half are killed by their siblings within days of hatching.

A hydra’s wounds are extremely quick to heal. Only deep strikes to the torso are likely to prove fatal, though decapitations prior to such strikes may help lead to a kill. Severed heads can grow back within weeks, and lesser wounds heal at a much faster rate.

Desert hydras spend the daylight hours hunting. Once its target is dead, the hydra unhinges one of its many jaws to swallow the meal whole, its mandibles guiding the carcass down the gullet. With its multiple heads, a hydra can consume prey even as it fends off scavengers and other predators.

At night, when the cold desert air makes the ectothermic hydras sluggish, they retreat to expansive subterranean dens to stay warm. Such dens also serve as nests, and female hydras protect such holdings fiercely. While navigating or constructing these dens, desert hydras propel themselves through the soil with rows of tiny, horned feet that line their bodies.

Employment
Capturing a desert hydra is an exceptionally violent undertaking. At night, masses of slaves armed with rudimentary prods descend into a hydra's burrow to lure it to the surface where beast handlers fire upon the beast with harpoons. After several of the creature’s necks have been ensnared, slaves take hold of ropes stemming from each harpoon and pull the snapping heads to the ground long enough to let the beast handlers sedate the hydra. Successful captures often come with high casualties among both slaves and beast handlers. In a step that may seem extreme but is the essence of skorne pragmatism, experienced beast handlers often decapitate all but a single head prior to transporting captured hydras rather than risk further deaths - the hydra's regenerative capabilities ensuring it could not be killed by such tactics.

For every slave killed in capturing a hydra, ten are lost during conditioning and battle preparation. Additionally, inserting flesh hooks beneath the hydras’ natural armor plating is a task from which few beast handlers walk away unscathed, and keeping the beasts fed requires a steady expenditure of resources.

All attempts by the skorne to breed hydras in captivity have failed. Subjugating them for use as warbeasts was not considered to be worth the expense or deaths even for the richest skorne houses, until Supreme Archdomina Makeda unites the empire and makes the acquisition of these beasts a top priority so that she might use their strength in the conquest of the west. Keeping a desert hydra in captivity without breaking it to a warlock's will first is nearly unthinkable, so the creatures are captured wild and tamed in the desert, often by a team of the most skilled paingivers available

Forest Dragons of Warhammer

Forest Dragons are an ancient breed of Dragon that seems to only dwell within the ancient woodlands of the Old World. At first thought, it seems incredible that a creature as vast as a Dragon could make its home in the dense forests of Athel Loren. Yet, in the deepest recesses of the Chasm Glades, there lurks a distinct race of great sky wyrms who long ago adapted to life within the greenwood. Protected by the forest canopy and shielded from the attentions of young heroes seeking to make names for themselves by the sheer rock faces of the chasms, these Forest Dragons thrived and multiplied.

Such providence has proven itself a stark contrast to other places in the Old World, where Dragons and their kin have long since been either slain or driven into the mountains. Nothing dwells for long in Athel Loren without being changed, and the Forest Dragons are no exception. Like certain groups of Wood Elves, the Dragons have slowly become an extension of the forest’s will to survive and prosper. Though still voracious predators, the Dragons hunt only when the forest has need of them, resting in a state of hibernation for the remainder of the time. Should there be an intrusion by creatures too mighty for Athel Loren’s spirits, the forest will occasionally goad one or more Forest Dragons to wakefulness in order to counter the threat. More often, the Elves will themselves petition the aid of a Dragon to serve as a steed for a Glade Lord — a request to which the beast cedes with reasonable grace, provided it wasn’t disturbed from a particularly fascinating dream. Over time, a Glade Lord might form a strong bond with a particular Forest Dragon, the two becoming friends, more than mere allies at need.

Regardless of the reason for its waking, a Forest Dragon is a ferocious foe and one not easily matched. Few can stand firm against its wrath unless they can master the primal fear its countenance provokes. This fear only grows when the beast descends, arrows and bullets scattering off its scaly hide, to eviscerate and devour all who oppose it. Even those enemies fortunate enough to find themselves beyond the crippling sweep of the Forest Dragon’s talons inevitably succumb to its soporific breath. Those who breathe this cloying emerald vapour collapse into a stupefied daze, their will to fight or flee utterly spent.

Despite their monstrous appearance, Forest Dragons are actually highly intelligent, and maintain a keen interest in events that occur far beyond the boundaries of Athel Loren. They are particularly voracious for tidings that relate to their long months of slumber. In part, this hunger is fed by the Elves who petition them for aid, but the Dragons do not necessarily consider the Elves to be wholly unbiased observers and often seek out others to provide counterpoint. Indeed, it is not unknown for a Dragon to spare a suitably intriguing opponent, providing that it has the potential to expand the Dragon’s knowledge. If the captive’s news is sufficiently valuable or intriguing, the Dragon feels duty-bound to spare his life in exchange for the information; if not, the captive is invariably devoured on the spot for unknowingly having squandered the Dragon’s precious time.

Cretacea: The game of gargantuan survival

 

 Cretacea is the skirmish wargame of gargantuan survival, inspired primarily by a passion for dinosaur documentaries and dinosaurs themselves.

The cretaceous period of earth’s history was a fruitful and inspiring era full of magical creatures. It has long been my intention to bring these beasts to the table top in a survival based game.

Why survival?...because Cretacea is not just about fight and destroy objectives, it employs the use of roaring and grazing, barging and stomping among a plethora of other genre specific actions that make the game unique.

Cretacea is mainly inspired by nature documentaries and the way in which they depict the characters of the ancient world, fighting to eat, grow and survive!

A game plays in 30-45 mins (genuinely!) therefore, a small "campaign" or "dinosaur life" can be played out in a few hours.

Each game utilizes checks to emulate the real life characteristics of predators and prey respectively. Of course there are only really two teams to choose from, but the animals in those teams are so varied and wonderful that it is all you need.

The game also allows a level of investment in your dinosaur by being able to modify your dinosaur’s stats to suit age should you wish!

Fight to survive and risk it all, or graze peacefully and run when the predators get close. Its your game so it's entirely up to you how you play your dinosaurs!

Utilize a selection of realistic yet crazy mechanics such as stomping tiny creatures with your gargantuan scale dinosaurs or tail whipping enemies as they close in.

By making the most of unique specials for your dinosaur models you can also control the sway of the battle while keeping a steady flow of play due to the minimal models included.

Each game uses about 2-3 dinos a side.

 Although the game is designed to be used with 1/100 scale metal dinosaurs from magister militum the book includes 4 pages of hand drawn dinosaur tokens that have been professionally digitally colored.

Cretaceous Dinosaurs

Galrauch -- The Great Drake, First of the Chaos Dragons

In the time of Aenarion, when the Elves fought their great wars against the tides of Chaos, the elder race of Dragons fought at their side. These great drakes were the nemeses of the armies of the Dark Gods, diving from the skies upon the scions of Chaos and crushing or incinerating them in their thousands. The might of the Dragons could only be matched by the greatest of Daemons, and the epic clashes between these mighty creatures were events of such magnitude that the mortal warriors could only witness them in awe.

It was during such a battle that Galrauch the Gold Drake came upon Fateclaw, the Lord of Change at the head of a Daemon horde. As Galrauch descended from the heavens like an avenging thunderbolt, the avian Daemon-thing below did nothing more than bare its teeth in a sinister expression of glee. Galrauch's great jaws snapped shut around Fateclaw's head, ripping it clean away in a multicoloured spray of ichor. Within a heartbeat, the broken body of the Greater Daemon had dissolved into a scintillating mist that enveloped the exultant Dragon and sank into his flesh. Galrauch, resplendent in victory, flew high into the air, and the Elf warriors below him raised cries of triumph. But their cheers died away when the Dragon's body became suddenly wracked by violent convulsions. The mighty drake froze in mid-air, and an evil, iridescent light appeared in its eyes. H is scales flowed like water, form ing into evil, leering faces that cackled maniacally in praise of Tzeentch. Foul tentacles and wicked spikes emerged from the Dragon's flesh, and finally the once-noble head of Galrauch split into two all the way down to the base of his neck. Where there was once one head, there were now two, and to the horror of the Elves below, both turned towards their ranks. One head belched dark fire, burning scores of Elves alive, but the other breathed a sorcerous mist that brought horrible mutations and madness. The heads were governed by the same will at first, but soon they started to tear at each other with hatred, a sure sign that the spirit of the great Dragon had not been completely destroyed. The mind of the Lord of Change managed to wrest control of the powerful body once again, but not before the Elves and Dragons had broken the back of the Daemon armies. 

Galrauch withdrew from the lands of mortals and slept for centuries at a time, emerging now and then throughout history to wreak havoc on the lands of Elves, Dwarfs and Men. Legend has it that he was the first of the Chaos Dragons, and that many were the dark creatures born of his blood and of his evil sorcery. It was Galrauch who slaughtered King Thurgrim Rockarm and all his kin and sacked their ancient halls. It was he who single-handedly destroyed the city of Languerre de Lac and plunged its ruins into eternal night. Hundreds of noble heroes have tried to slay him, but they have all failed.

Heldrake

http://www.frontlinegaming.org/ 

http://brushandminiaturetorture.blogspot.com/2012/11/heldrake.html

"Out of the storm it came -- a beast of brass and obsidian, of cable and bone, the wind from its jagged pinions reeking of brimstone and rotten souls..."

The Heldrake is a winged Daemon Engine of Chaos Undivided that plummets out of the skies like a living comet, hurtling towards enemy aircraft and crashing claws-first into them from above. Each Heldrake is a vicious predator, hell-forged deep within the Warp. These monstrous creatures take cruel joy in diving down upon the unsuspecting air support of their enemies in order to shred them into pieces with is scything wings and rune-carved talons. Heldrakes are usually found within the ranks of the Chaos Space Marine Traitor Legions, attaching themselves to the bottoms of Chaos warships and waiting until the ship reaches low orbit of its target planet, then the Heldrake will plunge into the world's atmosphere and engage enemy forces in the war-torn skies.  

Often, the first sign of a full-scale Chaos Space Marine invasion comes in the form of an attack by Heldrakes. These metallic monstrosities traverse the void between the worlds by clinging to the undersides of Chaos Space Marine attack ships, wings folded protectively around themselves in the manner of bats and their piston-driven claws clamped onto the fuselage above. Dark umbilical cables, sheathed in organic webbing, probe outwards from each Heldrake's body to burrow into the host voidship's outer surface, drawing away raw energy as a leech draws blood from its victim. When the Chaos warships arrive in low orbit, the Heldrakes detach themselves, unfurling their great wings as they plummet towards the atmosphere of the victim planet below. Some will soar through the skies as heralds of the destruction to come, retractable weapons pushing out from their gullets and spitting volleys of red-hot bullets that cut down the scrambling, earthbound defenders below. Others prefer to plunge through the clouds into the crucible of battle, screaming in savage joy as they crash headlong into the fight.

De Bellis Dinosauris 1.1

(aka Dino-Wars!)

A Most Unofficial DBM Supplement

Jeffrey R. Zorn

Special thanks to my Dinosaur consultant: Bonnie H. Rauscher

Sweat soaked every part of Titus the Tribune’s gear and poured off him in rivlets. "By Mithras!" he cursed and took a slashing blow at a mosquito the size of a sparrow as he pushed through the dense, verdant curtain of brush that hung around him. "If I ever find the guides who directed us to this infernal valley I will crucify them myself. Bah! If Octavian wants new types of animals to celebrate his triumph at Actium he should be here himself!" So preoccupied was Titus in the revery of his misery that he failed to notice the sound of something large crashing though the jungle ahead of him. Then suddenly a scaly beast the size of a small siege tower leapt from the trees into the midst of the straggling Roman column, its lashing tail sending two men spinning to their knees. It walked on two feet like a man, but had a head like some lizard, or one of the dragons from the stories of the gods, and a mouth full of teeth each almost as long as a gladius. Before any of the stunned men ahead of him could react this horror grabbed one of his soldiers and tore him completely in half with one bite. As some men scattered in blind panic and others began to toss their pila at the monster Titus barked out orders: "Maximus! Hurry! Bring up the ballistas at once!"

Following is a series of modifications or expansions to DBM designed to allow player to pit their human armies head to toe with the largest, most fearsome creatures ever to walk the earth, the dinosaurs! These rules are meant as pure fun, a chance to try something a bit offbeat, and as an excuse to play with small plastic dinosaurs. The rules are a mix of what we really know about dinosaurs, and what we see in the Movies when people stumble upon a Lost World. If you like them, let me know; suggestions to make them more fun are also great. Except where noted in these modifications all standard DBM rules apply.

Classification:

All dinosaurs are treated as Expendables in DBM terms (see reference section on Expendables in DBM below). In this supplement they are called Dinosaurs.

(S) Heavily armored dinosaurs, usually with either horns, or a tail with spikes or massive enough to be used as a mace. Includes all members of the Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus lines and all quadrupedal Ceratopsians, such as the Triceratops.

(O) All the large Saurupods (the long-necked plant eaters), such as Apatosaurus (formerly known as Brontosaurus) and Brachyosaurus. While much larger than (S) class dinosaurs they have no defenses/weapons other than their huge mass. They are waders

(I) All Bi-pedal vegetarians, classically represented by the "Duckbill" and "Bonehead" lines of dinosaurs. They are not as large as (O) and likewise have no special defenses or weapons. They are waders.

(F) All carnivorous dinosaurs, the Theropods. These can be either the large solitary hunters such as the Allosaurus, or the smaller variety which hunt in packs, such as Velociraptors.

(X) All flying reptiles (there are no flying dinosaurs!), the Pterosaurs. The most famous member is the Pteradon (formerly the Pterodactyl). They count as (F) for movement, (I) when shot at, (O) under all other conditions. They are flyers.

Note that the (I) classification is only of significance when Exp meets Exp and they tie; the (I) dinosaur will be the one eliminated. The (F) classification does not carry any combat disadvantage and so they are more expensive than (O) class.

Basing:

1 figure per 40x40mm base if using 2"-3" high figures for 15mm, 1-3 such figures if using 25s. Larger dinosaur figures are available and would be most striking if used with 25s. A single figure can represent a single large dinosaur, such as a Tyrannosaurus, or 5-10 smaller creatures, such as Velociraptors, or the immature young of the larger creatures.

Terrain:

There is a single addition to the terrain list: Volcanoes (Vl)! A Dinosaur player who wishes to place a Vl must roll a 5 or higher. If the roll fails he may place a another piece of terrain of the same terrain equivalency. Volcanoes are like H(S) in all respects; in addition, any element moving onto/across a Vl must roll a 6 to survive, otherwise it has fallen into a crevice, or suffered a minor lava flow incident. Any bound in which the PIP dice average 2 there is a chance for a minor irruption, on a test roll of 4 or higher. All elements within 300 paces (6" in 15s) of the volcanoes must roll a 4 or higher to survive. Also, dust conditions will prevail until the PIP dice average 5+ on a subsequent bound.

If the attack does not place either a WW or Rv, the defender may elect to place a river running from one long table edge to the other between 600and 1200 paces of the edge (12" to 24" in 15s). If the defender chooses to place such a river he may not place a river running between the short table edges.

Deployment:

Since we are dealing with creatures of limited intelligence which move either in herds/packs or as solitary predators, not a professional army, special rules are required for deploying dinosaurs so that they are not drawn up on table in a human style battle formation. Intermingling of commands is not allowed except where noted.

1. Each element of (F) Theropods is diced for randomly to see in which of the 3 sectors in their deployment area they are positioned. Because of their aggressive, territorial nature no (F) dinosaur may be deployed within 250 paces (5" in 15s) of any other (F) dinosaur. This will likely lead to "intermingling of commands" which is permitted in this case.

2. (X) Pterosaurs must be deployed within 500 paces (10" in 15s) of a H(S) or a Wd. Since they are gliders more than true flyers they like to be near heights from which they can launch themselves.

3. All (O) and (I) class dinosaurs must be deployed within 500 Paces (10" in 15s) of a Rv, WW or M. These are their native environments; also the water helps to support the great bulk of the (O) class Sauropods. (O) and (I) class dinosaurs may also ambush from Rv and WW. This represents their habit of ducking under water to pull up plants.

4. (S) class dinosaurs may deploy anywhere within their deployment zones.

5. Dinosaur baggage may be deployed in any GGo anywhere in the dinosaur deployment zone.

Baggage:

Dinosaur baggage consists of their nests and eggs, and is therefore immobile. Baggage must be deployed in GGo, except Pteradon baggage, which must be placed on H(S), or in Wd if no H(S) are present. Elements within 150 paces (3" in 15s) of their own command’s baggage are not impetuous; this simulating an effort to protect the nests. Rv and WW do not count as GGo to (O) and (I) class waders for purposes of baggage deployment.

Ambushes:

Dinosaurs may ambush as normal. In addition waders may ambush from Rv and WW.

Flank Marches:

Dinosaurs may flank march. This represents a herd wandering into a new grazing area at a propitious moment. (F) predators must be spaced 200 paces (4" in 15s) apart from each other as they come on to the table.

Movement:

Dinosaurs may wheel forward or backward off any corner.

Waders All (O) and (I) class dinosaurs are waders. They may treat Rv, WW and M as GGo for movement purposes, but may only move at 100 paces per bound (2" in 15s) through such terrain. They may also move along the length of any Rv at no penalty. They may move a maximum of 150 paces (3" in 15s) into a WW. i.e they may end movement up to 150 paces from the shore. They may attack naval while wading. As noted above, waders may ambush from Rv or WW.

Flyers (X) reptiles are gliding/flying creatures. They move over any terrain (including WW) at no penalty. They may move over friendly or hostile elements, but they may not end their moves above them (mainly to keep things tidy). If there is no space to place the (X) stand, spontaneously advancing/pursuing/retreating/fleeing flyers will "pop through" elements until they reach a space large enough for their stands. Flyers moving under PIP control do not pop through and must stop in front of other stands if there is no room for them beyond the intervening stands.

Flyers require a space of 2 base depths (80mm in 15s) in front of an enemy element in order to land and attack that element, even if moving impetuously. Under impetuous movement they will move towards the nearest element which has this amount of space in front of it. They may attack naval in WW, this representing tight diving attacks.

Combat:

Dinosaurs do not create a Zone of Death behind them when they are eliminated.

Dinosaurs wading in a Rv or WW, or (X) class dinosaurs, quick kill Shp; they kill other Naval on a double, otherwise they recoil them.

(X) flyers may execute a "Swoop" attack instead of a normal attack. Once per the dinosaur’s player bound each stand of flyers may swoop down and attack an enemy stand it passes over. In a swoop attack there need only be a single base depth clear in front of the target. This combat is resolved as each flyer passes over its target, even if part of a group move. Combat is resolved with normal factors. Overlaps are resolved as the combat takes place. E.g. a line of 3 Pterosaurs all swoop down on a line of 3 Sp, each Pterosaur directly in front of an opposing Sp. The right most flyer swoops down on its opponent first. At the moment of the attack the Sp element receives overlap support from its neighbor. If this Sp survives and the center Pterosaur swoops in next the center Sp receives overlap support from its neighbors, etc. If the flyer eliminates its target it ends its movement one base depth behind the rear edge of its target, popping though any elements which block its position.

Breaking the Dinosaurs:

Since dinosaurs are classed as Expendables their losses do not contribute toward the Break Point of the army; in effect the army has an infinite Break Point. They are, after all fairly brainless. It is not possible to break a dinosaur command by killing 1/3 of its elements, nor the army by killing half the elements. A dinosaur command is broken when all of its baggage has been looted. The army is broken when half of all army baggage has been looted.

Summary of DBM Expendable Rules:

Expendables are mounted troops.

Expendables ending their move off road in rough or difficult going can only do so as single elements.

Expendables can only change direction by wheels except when turning to face enemy in front edge contact with their flank or rear.

Expendables are impetuous.

Expendables move 200 paces along a road, 200 in Ggo, 150 in Rgo, and 100 in Dgo.

No troops can count as overlaps for friendly expendables.

Expendables have a combat factor of 4 vs. everything.

Troops fighting against expendables do not get to count rear support in close combat.

Expendables are destroyed in combat if their total is equal to or less than their opponents.

Expendables quick kill: Kn, Exp, Bw, Art and Baggage under any conditions and, Sp, Pk, Bd, Wb, and Hd in Ggo. They kill other troops by doubling as normal.

An element of expendables whose pursuit move reaches difficult going is destroyed.

Dinosaur Army List

Tropical. Ag 0. WW, Rv (mandatory if no WW), H(S), H(G) RGo, Wd, M, D, Vl

1 C-in-C - Irr Exp (O) @ 17 or Irr Exp (F) @ 18 or Irr Exp (S) @ 19

0-2 Sub-generals - Irr Exp (O) @ 17, Irr Exp (S) @ 19, Irr Exp (I) @ 15

0-1 Ally-general - Irr Exp (F) Theropods @13

0-1 Ally-general - Irr Exp (X) Pterosaurs @ 14

10-30 Sauropods - Irr Exp (O) @ 7

5-12 "Duckbills" and "Boneheads" - Irr Exp (I) @ 5

5-12 Stegosaurs, Anklyosaurs or Ceratopsians - Irr Exp (S) @ 9

0-12 Theropods (Tyrannosaurs, Velociraptors) - Irr Exp (F) @ 8

0-12 Pterosaurs - Irr Exp (X) @ 9

Theropods may only command, and be commanded by Theropods. Theropods are considered allied generals of a different nationality and will change sides if another dinosaur command is demoralized before they become active allies (meant to represent easy pickings which they cannot ignore). Pterosaurs may only command, and be commanded by Pterosaurs. Pterosaurs are considered to be allied generals of the same nationality; they will not change sides (except in a dinosaur civil war).

Terrain suggestions:

To give the battle field a proper prehistoric "feel" try using some aquarium plants for marshes, brush, etc. Not botanically accurate, but definitely vegetation not of the modern (or ancient) world.

Designer’s Notes:

This supplement grew out of two ideas which suddenly came together in one spine shattering thunder clap: one definitely connected to DBM, the other to the Movies. Have you ever wondered why, in the Movies, the Lost Worlds of dinosaurs are only ever discovered in the late 19^th and 20^th centuries? After all, these pockets of Jurassic life were sitting there for millions of years. Why did no other "high" civilizations ever stumble across them? E.g Incas in the rain forests of Brazil, Malaysians in the swamps of Southeast Asia, Romans in Africa looking for exotic animals for their coliseum games (I’m keeping the movie rights on this one), etc. Seemed perfectly possible to me.

The second thought grew out of a discussion with a couple members of our club (FLAG: Finger Lakes Area Gamers) about what the best army would be in DBM if you were allowed to design you own. My initial suggestion was an army of all Hd(I) since they count nothing for break points and in a 500 AP game you could have 1000 of them, enough to swamp a lot of opponents! However the thought of buying and painting 5000 figures disabused me of this idea. I then recalled that Expendables also counted as nothing for break point purposes.. Hmm, an army of all stampeding cattle? While intriguing it seemed a bit dull. Then my musings on the Movies came to my mind, and I recalled that the local toy store sold nice 2"-3" high plastic dinosaurs for 40 cents each (I could build a 500 AP army for $30!). The rest is, as they might say: "Prehistory"!

Can an "army" of wild animals, if there are enough of them, overwhelm a human army? Possibly, they certainly have the quick kill capability to cause losses, and since they cannot be broken by conventional combat they can keep at the fight far longer than humans will. The deployment rules are meant to mimic the "typical" appearance of a Jurassic landscape: the large plant eaters lolling by the water, powerful carnivores on the prowl and gliding bat-like reptiles soaring overhead. I.e. the dinosaurs cannot be drawn up for battle in any regular sort of formation and their command structure, such as it is, will break down quickly with individual dinosaur stands crashing off after their targets. Most likely they will hit the human line in small groups, or alone. If the humans can break up the groups and draw off individuals into pursuits they may be able to win the battle by combat. Or, can they get past the nest guardians and carry off the eggs? Certainly the dinosaurs will make for a most unconventional foe.