The latest news from Ancients website.
With help and support from DH Judson, I've recently published a new CCA_EPIC module extension.
This one groups all battles from First and Second Punic Wars, already converted using EasyEpic system (by Brady Severns).
You can download it here: EasyEpic01 - PUNIC WARS .
(Remember to save it in a subfolder named like the original vassal module)
With direct C3i Magazine permission, I've also published a new article about C&C Odds (by Miguel Marques).
You can read it here.
Read more: 2010-04-12 EasyEpic - Punic Wars module extension
I'v updated ScenarioX Army List (Variant Menu on the left) to recently released v10 (by Don Clarke).
Some new armies and some corrections on the "usage" page.
| 80. Pergamene 263BC-129BC |
| 81. Alan 50AD-1500AD |
| 82. Sarmatians 310BC-375AD |
| 83. Armenian 300BC-244AD |
| 84. Sassanid Persian 220AD-651AD |
| 85. Ostrogothic, Herul, Sciri, or Taifali 200AD-493AD |
Hope you like and enjoy.
Hi guys, Brent Steeves presents himself submitting 5 scenarios: they are all about the great Battle of Alesia (from Gallic Wars)
| BS01 Alesia I (52 BC) |
| BS02 Alesia II (52 BC) |
| BS03 Alesia III (52 BC) |
| BS04 Alesia IV (52 BC) |
| BS05 Alesia V (52 BC) |
You will also find some detailed Alesia Design Notes.
Hi guys, it's time for another 5 new scenarios from Jim Duncan.
| JD83 Caudium (314 BC) | Samnite Wars |
| JD84 Acragas Libre (307 BC) | Sicilian Wars |
| JD85 Mutina (193 BC) | Celtic Conflicts |
| JD86 Emporiae (195 BC) | Celtiberian Wars |
| JD87 Tagus River (185 BC) | Celtiberian Wars |
Hi guys,
now commandsandcolors.net/ancients website fully supports HexBattle Scenario Designer (developed by Derek Hohls).
You can find the Quick Start Guide HERE.
You can also receive support in the Forum, just ask if you need help!
Recently Bill Bennet posted an incredible new module about C&CAncients EPIC, to play online using VassalEngine.
And now you can finally play it with a fully functional Italian Cardset!!! (you will see Italian cards and other players will see original English cards)
You can download it here: C&CAncients_EPIC_ITA .
Commands & Colors: Ancients online EPIC game experience will be easier for "Italian Wargamers".
Hi guys,
recently Jim Duncan reviewed some of his "old scenarios" about Mauryan Empire.
...when looking afresh at the Mauryan battles I made changes to all of the battles, some of them quite substantial... I also took the opportunity to update the historical backgrounds with the full text from the GBOH module. I was also hoping that the scenario special rules/notes could be presented separately as with the Jewish battles...
Finally I've updated all of them as noted by the author.
Click Here to see these battles, and a big "Thank You" to Jim for the update.
Recently Bill Bennet posted an incredible new module about C&CAncients EPIC, to play online using VassalEngine.
You can download it here: C&CAncients_EPIC .
Thank you Bill for your great work! Commands & Colors: Ancients online EPIC game experience is finally "real" with your new Vassal module!!!
I've also updated all Official scenarios about Epic Ancients II.
Read more: 2010-01-14 C&CAncients EPIC - Vassal module and Scenarios
Just published 5 new maps taken from C3i Magazines #21 and #22.
| C3i10 Umbria (217 BC) |
| C3i11 Agathocles Tower (204 BC) |
| C3i12 Cirta (203 BC) |
| C3i13 Caralis (215 BC) |
| C3i14 Himeras River (211 BC) |
Read more: 2010-01-12 Published 5 new maps (from C3i Magazines)
Recently Jim Duncan posted loads of new scenarios so I've decided to create a new CCA Vassal Module Extension to group them all and easily get them played online.
Here you can find his full module list:
Unzip the files into an extension folder named for the v3.2 module, as appropriate to your system (i.e. subdir "C&CAncientsv3_ext").
Thank you Jim for your hard work!
Hi guys, this time Jim Duncan surprised us with 8 new maps that can even be played as a campaign: Judas Maccabaeus.
You can read some scenario notes here.
| JD75 The revolt begins (166 BC) |
| JD76 Beth Horon (166 BC) |
| JD77 Ammaus (165 BC) |
| JD78 Beth Zur (164 BC) |
| JD79 Beth Zacharia (162 BC) |
| JD80 Adasa (161 BC) |
| JD81 Elasa (160 BC) |
| JD82 Ashdod (147 BC) |
Moreover with these maps we have broken 4 hundreds scenario limit: our scenario archive now counts 405 MAPS!!!!!
On left menu under "Rules" you will find "Expansion 4" with full details about:
Moreover you will also find a complete scenario list HERE.
Many thanks to GMT Games LLC and to Mr Tony Curtis (GMT Games LLC manager) for granting permission to publish all these materials.
An online tournament using the Vassal C&C Ancients module.
Commands & Colors Ancients is a board game designed by Richard Borg and published by GMT Games (http://www.gmtgames.com/), which allows you to re-fight epic battles of the ancient world.
Vassal (http://www.vassalengine.org/) is a free software utility that allows you to play board games in real time over the internet. A module for playing C&CA is available from the Files section of its webpage on the Vassal website.
The tournament is hosted on the C&CA Vassal Players Yahoo group (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/ccavassal/). It features two phases of play. In the first phase, players will be organized into a Swiss system draw for match play (playing both sides of a scenario against their assigned opponent in each round). In the second phase, the top eight players will be seeded in a single-elimination quarterfinals bracket to determine the ultimate champion. The full rules for the tournament can be found in the Files section of the Yahoo group.
To sign up for the tournament, you will need to join the C&CA Vassal Players group and go to the Database section where you will enter your information in a tournament player database.
Registration is open until October 25, 2009.
Recently Bill Bennet posted on CCAvassal Yahoo Group! some news the new version (v 3.2) of famous C&CAncients module to play online using VassalEngine.
Extension files fully compatible with version 3.2 of the C&C Ancient module are also available. In order to simplify downloading, you will find them assembled into a single archive file, named "CCAv3_ExtensionPack.zip".
Unzip the file into an extension folder named for the v3.2 module, as appropriate to your system (i.e. "C&CAncientsv3_ext").
You should find all extension files contained in the archive file:
You can download it here: CCAncients_V3 and also Extensions.
If you are searching for the "Italian Cards"... I'm working on it! Stay tuned.
Thank you Bill for your great work! Commands & Colors: Ancients online game experience is even better with your new Vassal module!!!
Just published 5 new maps by Jim Duncan.
| JD70 Protopachium (89 BC) |
| JD71 Chaeronea (86 BC) |
| JD72 Halys River (82 BC) |
| JD73 Anas River (79 BC) |
| JD74 Ambush at Longobritae (78 BC) |
Just published 4 new maps by Jim Duncan!
| JD66 Anapus (415 BC) |
| JD67 Arigaeum (327 BC) |
| JD68 Sparta (272 BC) |
| JD69 Cremona (200 BC) |
Aaron Bell (a.k.a. bestbandis on BGG) is back, publishing his hexless variant for Commands & Colors: Ancients!!!
This is pretty much a straight conversion from the board game to a hexless, tabletop version. Use the normal unit stats and rules as written unless there is anything here that supersedes them.
These rules are intended to keep the flexibility of the boardgame while making it look and play a little more like a classic tabletop rule set.
For play you will need appropriate figures based on DBx-standard elements. Units should be four elements in double-line if foot, three elements in wedge formation if cavalry, and two elements side by side if elephants, chariots or war-machines. Elements are not removed as casualties. Use markers to keep track of losses.
For easier reference, HEXLESS VARIANT RULES has been added to "Variants Menu" on the left (CLICK HERE).
In Download Area you will also find the original PDF by the author (CLICK HERE).
In these days Miguel worked a lot on a restyle for his MM01 Thermopylae map.
Here you can find his work report:
I have been working on a new Thermopylae (once more!!!)... It was after the remarks of Bevan on BGG on my Thermopylae scenario, and having a closer look I realised that I didn't like it...
The other two ones, from Joe (X18) and Don (A10), treat the fighting on the wall in a too small scale to my taste, and the flanking around the mountains distracts from the battle itself. I made mine with the wall diagonal because I was afraid of doing a too big scale, with the wall going along the whole board. But then the retreat paths were awkward, the fighting was left-to-right, and the flanking force, though treated as the official ambushes, sometimes arrived too far from the Greeks.
I made some tries, solo, with my brother, and sending some tests to Bevan, who tried it with his group and sent feedback! I have kept the starting cards, but left out the deck "clock", removing 20 cards was complicated (specially in VASSAL!), I wanted only a few special rules but that gave the right flavour to the battle.
The ambush is now very effective; "300 Spartans vs 100 Nations" centers the fight around the Spartan HI, gives a better chance to the Persian, gives more importance to "Rally", and conveys the overwhelming Persian numbers without filling up the starting board. "Go Tell" introduces interesting choices at the beginning of each Greek turn. And no more elephants, Bevan thought that that was too "300 the movie" and that it introduced a too random element in the fight!
Mr. John Foley (Author of the very first official website dedicated to CCAncients - http://www.thewargamer.com/ccancients) recently contacted me to congratulate about the website and, after my request to publicly quote his comment he elegantly replied:
“You are free to post my comments - I did not write them to call any attention to myself - you deserve the highest praise for such a beautiful and useful resource. Thank you and my very best wishes, John“
You deserve much more than this, John.
“I have been so busy designing and developing other games that I have been out of touch with this beautiful game, C&C Ancients.
Your web site is magnificent.
Thank you for using any of my previous materials and classifications and pulling them together in this simply SUPERB resource.
Bravo, bravissimo!
John Foley“
I want to THANK YOU, because your meticulous work gave me the impetus to start this adventure.
Thewargamer.com is the First Attack, commandsandcolors.net/ancients the Momentum Advance.
I've recently seen the sticker art for the purple Roman army and wanted to report a "nice touch" that is being included... if players do own the rest of the system (likely most purchasers) and want to do a side shuffle of sorts.
The victory banners here are Roman eagles, with a gray background.
If you remember, the base game Roman VBs had a red background. The Red Romans of RvB had VBs with a purple background. By giving a gray background VB to the purple Romans, those who wish for a little more literal alignment can swap VBs around in their armies-- so that each Roman army has VBs of it's own particular army background color.
| Base Game Rome vs Carthaginian |  |  ner.jpg" border="0" /> |
| Expansion 2 Rome vs Barbarian |  |  ner.jpg" border="0" /> |
| Expansion 4 Imperial Roman | PURPLE BLOCKS | Eagle + Grey Backgound |
| Base Game Rome vs Carthaginian | | Eagle + Grey Backgound |
| Expansion 2 Rome vs Barbarian | | ner.jpg" border="0" /> |
| Expansion 4 Imperial Roman | PURPLE BLOCKS | ner.jpg" border="0" /> |
That's nice under any circumstances, but might be particularly nice if you're doing RCW type battles with two Roman armies fighting each other.
I've created 2 new sections:
Comments and feedbacks are always welcome.
Enjoy playing CCA.
Alessandro
In Download Area you will find 2 new files:
1st Edition corrected Dice symbols
For those who still find a "1st Edition" CCA for sale somewhere, the original game had the dice stickers slightly too large to fit into the recessed portion of each dice. GMT quickly posted these as replacements.
The Phalanx V1
Unofficial variant for scenarios featuring Macedonian/Successor Heavy Infantry. (by BradyLS)
For easier reference, The Phalanx has been also added to "Variants Menu" on the left (CLICK HERE).
I've published 5 new maps by Jim Duncan.
| JD61 Sangala (326 BC) |
| JD62 Paraitacene (317 BC) |
| JD63 Gabiene (316 BC) |
| JD64 Ipsus (301 BC) |
| JD65 Arbela (331 BC) |
Hi guys, recently I've created some USERBARS to be used wherever you like:
- I support commandsandcolors.net/ancients website
- I prefer Carthaginians
- I prefer Romans
- I prefer Greeks
- I prefer Eastern Kingdoms
- I prefer Barbarians
- I prefer Marian Romans
If you like them, please, ask me for creating your own personalized UserBar. It's FREE.
30.000 unique visits and 200.000 page views!
To celebrate this great event I would like to propose an unique scenario, written by Jim Duncan and set in Issus (333 BC): JD60 The Thirty Thousands (333 BC).
It's also available a new Extension that groups Jim Maps from JD41 to JD60. CLICK HERE to download it.
Nowadays our Maps Archive counts 358 different Scenarios!!!!!!
Many thanks to all Scenario Designer for help our map database growht.
I've published 4 new maps by Jim Duncan.
| JD56 Telamon (225 BC) |
| JD57 Persian Gates (330 BC) |
| JD58 Galeria (312 BC) |
| JD59 Ephesus (498 BC) |
I've published 5 new maps by Jim Duncan.
| JD51 Tispasa (213 BC) |
| JD52 Siga (212 BC) |
| JD53 Tingis (212 BC) |
| JD54 Himeras River (211 BC) |
| JD55 Bagae (328 BC) |
Miguel
READ MORE for detailed infos.
I've published 5 new maps by Jim Duncan.
| JD46 Pandosia (331 BC) |
| JD47 Saticula (316 BC) |
| JD48 Sutrium (310 BC) |
| JD49 Arretium (249 BC) |
| JD50 Lake Vadimon (283 BC) |
This is the complete list of all Scenario incuded in Commands and Colors: Ancients Expansion 5 (Epic Ancients).
CODENAME: all these maps will be named 5xx, where xx represents the progressive number.
| Marathon (490 BC) |
| Plataea (479 BC) |
| Crimissos River (341 BC) |
| Gaugamela (331 BC) |
| Hydaspes (326 BC) |
| Paraitacene (317 BC) |
| Beneventum (275 BC) |
| Bagradas (253 BC) |
| Clusium (225 BC) |
| Lake Trasimenus (217 BC) |
| Dertosa (215 BC) |
| Arausio (105 BC) |
From now on, at the page-bottom of each map, you will see a new module titled "OTHER BATTLES...".
Over there you will see battles involving that specific WAR/CONFLICT.
Hope this new feature will improve your surifng all around CCAncients website.
I've updated 4 maps by David Gorman (about Third Mithridatic War).
Here you can find them.
| DG07 Rhyndacus River (73 BC) |
| DG08 Lampsacus (73 BC) |
| DG09 Cabira - Main (72 BC) |
| DG10 Cabira - Skirmish (72 BC) |
I've updated 5 maps by me. Here you can find them.
| AC36 Artaxata (68 BC) |
| AC37 Lycus River (66 BC) |
| AC38 Pistoria (62 BC) |
| AC39 Arar River (58 BC) |
| AC40 Siege of Aduatuca (53 BC) |
Read more: 2009-02-06 Published 5 maps (by Alessandro Crespi)
I've published 5 new maps by Jim Duncan.
| JD41 Malayaketu (317 BC) |
| JD42 Revolt in the Provinces (275 BC) |
| JD43 Suppression of the Khashas (274 BC) |
| JD44 Tagus River (220 BC) |
| JD45 Rhone River (218 BC) |
I've published 5 new maps by Jim Duncan.
(all about GREAT BATTLES OF THE MAURYAN EMPIRE)
| JD35 Pataliputra (319 BC) |
| JD36 Magadha (317 BC) |
| JD37 Takshashila (316 BC) |
| JD38 Gandhara (304 BC) |
| JD39 Kalinga (261 BC) |
I've published and/or updated 6 maps byJim Duncan.
| JD29 Cappadocia (321 BC) |
| JD30 Gaza (312 BC) |
| JD31 Cretopolis (319 BC) |
| JD32 Lamia (322 BC) |
| JD33 Orcynia (320 BC) |
| JD34 Corupedium (281 BC) |
GMT has chosen to include reference cards for all units, which they have upgraded with each Expansion. Surprisingly, none for the terrain, which is not very much used in the first scenarios but that appears progressively in the different Expansions and C3i scenarios. Someone at BGG made a one-page summary for the terrain.
When I have introduced other users to the game, they felt a bit overwhelmed when they saw me laying on the table the board, the cards, one page for the terrain, two double pages for the units... and sometimes got lost in front of all the columns and rows!
I wanted something simpler, if possible with symbols (not all of my opponents speak english), and avoiding things like "See Note 1" or cross checking a row and a column to find out that the column does not apply to that unit ("--"). And including terrain (yes, I know terrain does not appear very often, but when it does sometimes I've forgotten the details...).
The file can be downloaded HERE (linked to original file on BoardGameGeek).
"Read More" if you would like to see how it looks like and how to create it by yourself!!
Hello everybody, here they come... Christmas Holidays!!!
Best whishes for New Year 2009, full of fun and C&C:Ancients playing.
Stay tuned for a 2009 full of new scenarios, downloads and latest released CCA expansions 4 & 5.
Alessandro
I've updated 5 maps by me. Here you can find them.
| AC31 Piraeus (87 BC) |
| AC32 Mount Tifata (83 BC) |
| AC33 River Amnias (88 BC) |
| AC34 Siege of Cyzicus (74 BC) |
| AC35 Cabira (72 BC) |
I've updated 10 maps by me.
Here you can find last 10 additions.
DOWNLOAD HERE