A number of people have contributed ideas and practical suggestions to the creation and development of these rules. They are: Van Vorhis, Stuart Roe, Joel Gregory, Mike Demana, Chris Brantley and the DBA Resource Page Web site, Alan Saunders and The Stronghold HOTTs Web site, and the members of the HOTTs e-mail list. A lot of the gold belongs to them, the dross is mine. If I forgot anyone, I apologize.

These rules were written as a supplement to the Hordes of the Things (HOTTs) fantasy rules in order to allow play with larger armies and/or multiple players on each side. With this supplement, it is also possible to play battles involving more than the traditional two sides.

Unless specifically modified within this supplement, the normal HOTTs rules apply.

Each side in the game is an army. Within that army are commands (which correspond to the armies normally fielded in a regular HOTTs game). A BB-HOTTs army is assigned some amount of AP per command at the discretion of the umpire or game host. Normally, this should be 24-32 AP per command or player.

No more than half of the AP in an army can consist of 3, 4, or 6 AP type elements. This includes those elements whose AP cost may be modified to reflect element grading. Note that this does mean that one or more commands within the army could consist of all 3, 4, or 6 AP type elements. Commands can be of unequal size. Only the command of the commander-in-chief can include gods, dragons or lurkers.

Troop elements can be purchased as Elite or Levy elements. An Elite element has its AP increased by 50%. Elite elements fight all combat with a +1 TF. A Levy element has its AP cut in half. Levy fights with a -1 TF. Elite and Levy elements must be clearly recognizable according to the umpire or host.

Rider normal movement is reduced to 400p per bound. All other Rider movement rates remain the same.

This rule adds light infantry and Light Horse to the existing HOTTs mix. There are two types infantry: Scouts and Rangers. They cost 2AP per element.

Scouts have the following characteristics:

Mounted element.
60x40 base in 25mm (40x30 in 15mm).
500p movement.
Combat factor +2 against anyone. If the Light Horse are equipped with a shooting weapon, they can shoot 100p.
If beaten, destroyed if in bad going, otherwise, flee 600p.
If doubled, destroyed by Riders, Light Horse, or Flyers in good going, or if in bad going; otherwise, flee 600p.

Scouts have the following characteristics:

Foot element.
60x30 base in 25mm (40x20 in 15mm).
300p movement. Mounted can pass through Scouts, or Scouts through any friends, which are facing in the same or opposite direction if there is room beyond the first element met.
Combat factor +2 against anyone. If the Scouts are equipped with a shooting weapon, they can support Warband, Spears, or Blades against Mounted/Aerial (+1 factor) and suffers same fate as supported unit.
No -2 if fighting in difficult or bad going.
If beaten, destroyed by Knights, Riders, or Flyers in good going, otherwise recoil.
If doubled, destroyed by Knights, Riders, or Flyers in good going or by Rangers or Scouts; otherwise, flee 600p.

Rangers have the following characteristics:

Foot element.
60x30 base in 25mm (40x20 in 15mm).
300p movement.
+3 combat factor versus foot, +2 against all others.
No -2 if fighting in difficult or bad going.
If beaten, destroyed by Knights in good going, otherwise recoil.
If doubled, destroyed.

The playing area should provide about the same area for every 48 AP in play as for a normal HOTTs game of the played scale. In other words, a 3 foot by 3 foot for 25mm scale. This can be changed to accommodate scenario or space constraints.

In normal battle (non-campaign or scenario battles), neither army has a Stronghold. Instead, each side deploys Baggage. Baggage is placed during deployment. It fights and suffers combat results like a Stronghold, but provides no tactical factors to other elements. Although it costs no AP, the loss of the baggage causes the loss of 12 AP to the controlling army. Upon capture by an opponent, the baggage is removed from the game area. (Consider it to be looted, pillage, and burned – with any accompanying grievous bodily harm performed – in short order, with any valuables quickly disappearing into the pockets and pouches of the enemy.)

Each army is divided into commands; each controlled only by its own general, with one of them designated as commander-in-chief. Elements of different commands must not intermingle when first deployed. To deploy:

1. Both sides' commanders-in-chief dice. The lower scorer is the defender; the higher the attacker (for deployment purposes, anyway…).
2. The defender (or umpire or host) sets out terrain.
3. The defender numbers the playing area's two long edges 1,2 and 4,3 respectively.
4. The attacker designates one long side as 5 and 6.
5. The attacker rolls a die and takes the edge corresponding to the die roll as attackers’ base edge.
6. The defender places their baggage anywhere within their deployment area or any BUA on the game area.
7. The attacker places their baggage anywhere within their deployment area.
8. Both sides now alternately deploy one command, the attacker starting first.
9. The attackers take first bound.

The deployment zone should (at the discretion of the umpire or host) be increased to accommodate the larger playing area.

Generals in any edge contact with an enemy element are considered non-functional for PIP expenditure.

Aerials can end their movement in Woods or BUAs. Aerials can fight in Woods or BUAs with the same combat factors applied as for Mounted troops. Aerials forced to recoil or flee by a non-Aerial opponent while in a Woods or BUA are destroyed instead.

Artillery can move or fire only in a friendly bound. It can not do both in the same bound. (This allows multi-sided games.)

Elements or groups that are more than 600p from a known enemy and remain more than 600p throughout their bound from a known enemy can move again for each extra PIP spent. This movement can include deploying.

A command is demoralized if it loses half of its AP. If a command loses its general it is also demoralized if its next PIP score is less than half the number of APs the command has lost.

A demoralized command remains on table and carries on as before, but with the following restrictions:

• Only one element (not group) in the command is allowed to make a normal move. All other elements must be halted either as individual elements or groups, such a halt counting as a move. This means that it is subject to extra PIP costs for Aerials or Magicians or for lack of proximity to a general. At the end of all movement, any element in the command not in contact with an enemy, or that has not moved or been halted will flee 600p towards its base edge.
• All elements in the command receive -1 modifier if in close combat.
• Undeployed Gods, Dragons and Lurkers can no longer be deployed but do not count as lost.
• Ensorcelled Heroes or Magicians can be redeployed. Note that the PIPs used for this are not available to move or halt other elements.
• Replacement Hordes and fled Lurkers can not be redeployed and are counted as permanently lost.
• Troops that would normally follow up a recoiling, destroyed or fleeing enemy continue to do so.
• Any undemoralized element whose close combat opponent is a demoralized element is subject to pursuit under the same rules that apply to Knights, Behemoths, Beasts and Warband.

These rules should allow a demoralized command to remain on the table, and hold together as long as it does not become too dispersed. Pockets of resistance, probably based around high AP elements such as Heroes or Magicians, will continue to cause the enemy problems, but lower grade troops will quickly disappear.

The game ends when – at the end of a bound – an army has half or more of its AP either lost or demoralized and it has more lost or demoralized AP than its opponent. In this case, the other army wins.