Any province has a rudimentary network of spies and informants which provides
limited advance warning of the intentions of enemy states and tribes.
A governor may increase this network by spending 1 talent. Light cavalry
and (in some cases) psiloi provide significant additional information.
Intelligence also allows the player to determine the what types of terrain
the battle will be fought over.
To determine the effects of intelligence, the Roman player and the Enemy of Rome make an opposed die roll. The Roman player adds 2 to his die roll if the battle will be in his province, and adds 2 to his die roll if he bought improved intelligence. He subtracts 2 if the battle will be in the enemy’s territory. Note – the first battle of a war, and any battle when the victory totals are equal, takes place on the border and neither side gets the benefit of the territory. The die roll is also modified by the number of any 2LH elements available to the Roman commander or to the enemy nation. This includes 2LH elements used in earlier battles that survived but could not fight in this battle (see discussion of continuing battles). If the battle could occur in hilly or wooded terrain, then the die roll is also modified by one-half the 2Ps elements available. The player who wins this die roll either Seizes the Strategic Initiative or Gains Strategic Insight.
Effects of intelligence
Seizing the Strategic Initiative
If one player doubles the other’s intelligence score, the winning player
has seized the strategic initiative. The player with strategic initiative
may choose to preclude the DBA game defender from picking any terrain features
from one type of optional terrain, or he may require the DBA game defender
to place up to 2 terrain features of a specific optional type. As the defender,
the winning player gets an additional optional terrain feature pick (4 instead
of 3, for example) of his choice. No matter what the normal province terrain,
a Roman player with the strategic initiative may include a gentle hill – selecting
it as defender or requiring it as optional terrain when the Roman is attacking.
No matter what the province terrain, the Enemy of Rome with strategic initiative
may choose one terrain type from his home terrain list - selecting it as
defender or requiring it as optional terrain when the Enemy of Rome is attacking.
In addition, the player with strategic initiative, whether attacking or defending, may choose his table edge after terrain placement on a DBA Big Battle table if he rolls 4,5,6, and may add one to his table side roll on a DBA table as attacker, or add/subtract one from the attacker’s base-edge selection die roll if defending with strategic initiative. The player with strategic initiative can add or subtract one from the die roll to determine any river and rolls this die roll secretly after terrain placement, before setting up his elements. The player with strategic initiative knows the number of elements and generals the enemy player is using and may hire additional troops.
The player with strategic initiative can induce delay on a die roll of D6=6, with a DRM of the number of pips by which he exceeded double the enemy’s score. This will preclude the arrival of all elements from any one enemy allied contingent. Also, it causes one complete enemy command (which can be allied or subordinate, but not the C-in-Cs command), or all extra elements over a standard 12-element army fighting as a single command army to be delayed. These elements do not set up on the table at game start. The delayed elements arrive 1d10 turns after the start of the game, plus the number of pips by which the Roman player won the roll. They enter the table in a two element wide column on their own base edge, counting normal movement from the table edge. Elements that cannot enter on the first turn can enter in a two element wide column directly behind the first, or in the closest good going to the first arrivals. Movement onto the table of the column costs one pip if completely in good going.
Gaining Strategic Insight
The player who beats the enemy’s intelligence score but not double it
gains strategic insight. A player with strategic insight may preclude placement
of one optional terrain feature, or require the defender to place one terrain
feature of a particular type. As DBA defender, a Roman player with strategic
insight can always place a gentle hill as optional terrain. As DBA defender,
the Enemy of Rome with strategic insight may always place an element of his
home province terrain as optional terrain. The player with strategic insight
knows how many generals the enemy is using, and may hire additional auxiliaries.
The player with strategic insight makes the die roll for any rivers secretly
after terrain placement, before setting up his elements.
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