GRAND

TRIUMPH!

Rules for Large Tabletop Battles

Ancient and Medieval

Final DRAFT
Version 0.9 June 2024

Washington Grand Company

 Final Draft
This is the final draft version of GRAND TRIUMPH! This set of rules is
complete and playable, and nearly finished. During the process of final
review it is possible that a few additional changes may occur.

Meshwesh
Army lists for GRAND TRIUMPH! are available on the Meshwesh web site.
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from the Sumerians to the early renaissance armies of Europe. These
army lists are fully searchable and simple to access. Links to enemies and
related army lists make it easy to browse through the lists. Access to
Meshwesh is free—and open to all gamers.

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Washington Grand Company

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1 THE NATURE AND OBJECTIVE OF b. 2 main army commands and 1 ally
command
THE GAME
c. 1 main army command and 2 ally
1.1 Grand Triumph is a larger version of commands
standard Triumph, using triple-sized armies
Design Note
on a larger game board.
Two ally commands are only allowed when
1.2 Grand Triumph is played between two the army list specifically includes an ally troop
opposing sides who alternate taking turns option with two allied contingents. For those
armies, an ally command corresponding to
until one side has won.
each of the allied contingents is allowed.
1.3 Grand Triumph is designed to be played
3.3 All troops are allocated amongst the three
with either one player per side or multiple
commands.
players per side.
1.4 Grand Triumph incorporates all of the rules 4 ARMY COMPOSITION
of standard Triumph except as explicitly
specified in this rules document. If there 4.1 Each side has an army consisting of troops
are any conflicts, rules expressed here take and battle cards totaling 144 points (or
priority. fewer) and one or more camps (see
Paragraph 4.3).
2 VICTORY CONDITIONS 4.2 Each army must be created from one or
more army lists. Use the standard Triumph
2.1 At the end of a turn, a side wins the game if
army lists with the following adjustments:
it has destroyed at least 72 points of its
opponent’s troops (½ its total points, see a. For the main army commands, use the
Paragraph 4.1), and has lost fewer points of standard Triumph army list, but
troops than its opponent. multiply the minimum and maximum
of each troop entry by the number of
Design Note
main army commands.
In our experience the ½-total-points victory b. For an ally command, use the troop
condition gives the best feel of an actual
battle for Grand Triumph, with the collapse of
entries from the full Triumph army list
commands and demoralized troops running for that army. Do not use the troop
around. entries listed in the Ally Troop Options
For tournaments at conventions, where time part of the main army’s list.
constraints may have increased importance,
Design Note
lower thresholds (60 pts, or even 48 pts) can
also be used. The troop entries provided for an ally in the
main army’s list are intended for an allied
contingent used in standard Triumph.
3 ARMY COMMAND STRUCTURE
When building an army, there is no
3.1 Each army is composed of three requirement that an ally command be
commands. composed of exactly one third of the army’s
points. As long as the army meets the
3.2 Each command is designated as either a minimums and maximums for each troop
main army command or an ally command. entry, an ally command may have more or less
than one third of the army’s points.
As allowed by the main army list, an army
may have: 4.3 The army must have one camp for the main
a. 3 main army commands army, and one camp for each ally
command. If there is more than one camp
it must be clear which camps are associated

1
 with each ally and with the main b. Dice for tactical advantage and flank
army. Camps that are lost count as 8 pts of march eligibility.
troop losses for each command they serve, c. Dice for number of terrain pieces.
influencing both command demoralization d. Select and place terrain pieces.
and overall victory conditions. e. Determine command compositions (see
Article 3 and Article 8) and designate
5 GAME BOARD flank marches (see Paragraph 8.11).
f. Place camps and troops.
5.1 The game board is 96 MU wide x 32 MU
deep.
7 DICING FOR NUMBER OF TERRAIN
Design Note
PIECES
This is the size of two standard Triumph
boards placed side-by-side. 7.1 Dice for terrain pieces as in standard
Triumph, except use the following table to
5.2 For the purpose of placing terrain pieces, determine the number of terrain pieces.
the game board is divided into 12 equal
sized boxes, 6 boxes wide and 2 boxes Terrain # of Terrain Pieces Coast
deep. Each box is 16 MU by 16 MU. For
purposes of deployment and flank march Score Steppe Forest Arable Allowed?
entry designation, these boxes and edges Dry Marsh Hilly
are designated as follows: Delta

2 1 4 2 -

3 1 5 3 -

4 2 6 4 Yes

5 3 6 5 -

6 4 7 6 -
Moving from left to right along the friendly
base edge, the boxes are designated as:
7 5 7 6 Yes
a. left wing
b. left flank 8 6 8 7 -
c. left center
d. right center 9 6 9 7 -
e. right flank
f. right wing 10 7 10 8 Yes

6 SET UP SEQUENCE 11 7 10 9 -
6.1 Before play may begin, the terrain pieces
and the armies must be placed on the game 12 8 10 10 -
board according to the following sequence:
a. Dice for battlefield topography. Table 3. Number of Terrain Pieces

2
8 COMMAND COMPOSITION 10.3 for the impact of being a superior or
inferior command).
8.1 Command composition is the allocation of
stands of the army into individual 8.10 The main army command with the most
commands. Each side must determine its points of battle line troops is the center
command composition before deployment command. If two or more commands are
of camps or troops begins. tied for the most points of battle line
troops, the side may choose which of these
8.2 Each stand must be allocated to a particular is the center command.
command.
Design Note
8.3 Each command must be allocated at least
The center command concept in Grand
24 points of troops. Triumph acts like the battleline deployment
Design Note restrictions in regular Triumph, enabling
deployments that fit historical patterns known
There is no requirement that a command for individual cultures and armies.
(including an ally command) be composed of
exactly one third of the army’s points. 8.11 Any flank march must be designated at this
Commands may be of any size, as long as all time (before placement of camps and
commands include at least 24 points of troops begins). The location of the flank
troops.
march must also be assigned:
8.4 A main army command may only include
a. left side edge
troops from the army list of the main army.
b. left base (friendly base edge; left wing
An ally command may only include troops
and left flank boxes)
from the appropriate ally army list.
c. right base (friendly base edge; right
8.5 One stand in each command must be wing and right flank boxes)
designated as the command’s general. d. right side edge
8.6 One general must be designated as the (see diagram in Paragraph 5.2.)
army commander. The army commander
8.12 Command composition and the existence
must be of a troop type allowed for a
of a flank march do not have to be revealed
general in the main army list.
to the opposing side at this time.
8.7 The generals of the other main army
8.13 The location of a flank march is not
commands may be of any troop type
revealed to the opposing side until the
except:
flank march is placed on the game board.
a. The general may not be Skirmishers,
Rabble, or Artillery unless the command 9 DEPLOYMENT
contains no other troop types.
9.1 Camps and Troops are placed on the game
8.8 The general of an ally command must be of board in the following order:
a troop type allowed for a general in the
ally army list. a. Each side decides its command
composition (including flank marches
8.9 If the side chooses, it may designate one and their entry location) before
main army command as superior and deployment as described in Article 8.
another main army command as inferior. If b. Disadvantaged side places its camps.
a command is designated as superior, then c. Advantaged side places its camps.
another must be designated as inferior. d. Disadvantaged side places its center
Ally commands may not be designated command and one of its other two
superior or inferior (see Paragraph 10.2 and commands. If the disadvantaged side is

3
 making a flank march, its entry location a. Troops placed using the Ambush battle
is secret, but the decision to flank march card must be placed instead as described
is revealed at this time. The flank march in Appendix A: BC1.
command does not count as one of the
9.7 Any troops that are unable to be placed
placed commands. There must be two
due to insufficient space remain off the
commands placed whether or not there
game board and are not used during the
is a flank march.
game. They do not count as lost.
e. Advantaged side places all of its
commands except flank marches. If the 9.8 Allied stands may only garrison their own
advantaged side is making a flank camp; main army stands may not garrison
march, its entry location is secret, but allied camps.
the decision to flank march is revealed
at this time. 10 COMMAND POINTS
f. Disadvantaged side places its remaining
10.1 The active side starts its turn by rolling one
command unless it is flank marching.
die for each command. The result is the
g. Advantaged side then takes the first
number of command points that each
turn.
command has available during the tactical
9.2 Camps must be placed in open terrain and movement phase.
in contact with the side’s base edge. In
Design Note
addition:
Before rolling, one die must be assigned to
a. The main army camp must be placed in each command. There is no swapping or
the left center or right center box (see assignment of dice after the roll.
Paragraph 5.2).
10.2 A superior command (see Paragraph 8.9)
b. An ally command camp must be placed
adds 1 to its roll when determining
in the left flank, left center, right center,
command points, up to a maximum of 6
or right flank box (see Paragraph 5.2).
command points.
9.3 The center command’s general (see
10.3 An inferior command (see Paragraph 8.9)
Paragraph 8.10) must be placed in either
subtracts 1 from its roll when determining
the left center or right center box (see
command points, down to a minimum of 1
Paragraph 5.2).
command point.
9.4 Allied command generals must be placed
Design Note
within 16 MU of their respective camps
unless they are designated for a flank Superior and inferior commands relate only to
how many command points are available for
march or have no camp (see Appendix A: that command. Troops in those commands
BC15 No Camp). may be of any types.
9.5 Troops not involved in a flank march must Historical reasons for this division are various.
be placed within 8 MU of their side’s base in several of his battles Alexander the Great
took personal command of one part of his
edge. Troops on a flank march ignore this
army and his command was (in Triumph
restriction; their placement is limited by terms) very active; most of his pikemen under
Article 12. Parmenion were much less responsive. This
command split works well in Grand Triumph
9.6 Troops must be placed such that they are as Alexander having a superior command and
within the command range of their Parmenion having an inferior one. None of
command’s general. this implies that Parmenion was a
substandard commander.

4
10.4 Command points assigned to a command c. Open order foot stands may be placed
may only be used to move stands that in open or difficult terrain without
belong to that command. restriction.
d. All stands must be placed entirely
10.5 Command distance is always measured
within 4 MU of the designated edge of
from the command’s general.
the game board.
e. All stands must be placed more than 4
11 GROUP AND COLUMN MOVES MU from any enemy stands.
11.1 A group or column move may not include 12.7 A flank march must be placed in the
stands from more than 1 command. designated location as follows (see
Paragraphs 8.11 and 5.2):
12 FLANK MARCH
a. Left side edge: place the command
12.1 As in standard Triumph, an army may use along the left edge of the board.
a flank march if either: b. Left base: place the command along the
a. the side’s maneuver roll is an army’s friendly base edge within the left
unmodified 1, or wing and left flank boxes.
b. the side’s maneuver roll is less than the c. Right base: place the command along
army’s maneuver rating. the army’s friendly base edge within the
right flank and right wing boxes.
12.2 A flank march is optional. An army that d. Right side edge: place the command
qualifies to use a flank march is not along the right edge of the board.
required to do so.
12.8 If an enemy flank march has already been
12.3 A flank march is composed of all stands placed on a side edge, that edge may not be
from a single command except any used for a friendly flank march. In that case
garrisoning its camp. Stands belonging to convert the location of the second flank
other commands may not be included in march to the corresponding friendly base
the flank march. location (i.e., left side edge becomes left
12.4 At most one command from an army may base and right side edge becomes right
make a flank march. The command may be base). Then proceed as usual.
either a main army command or an ally 12.9 Placing a flank march costs exactly 1
command, but may not be the center command point, allotted to the command
command. that is making the flank march.
12.5 A main army command that includes one 12.10 Placing a flank march counts as a tactical
or more Artillery, Elephant, or War Wagon move for the placed stands.
stands may not make a flank march. Ally
commands do not have this restriction. 12.11 If any stands belonging to the command
making the flank march are not placed on
12.6 The flank march is placed on the board on the first turn, those stands will remain off
their first turn subject to the following the game board and are not used during
restrictions: the game. They do not count as lost.
a. Troops must be placed such that they
are within the command distance of the 13 DEMORALIZED COMMANDS
command’s general.
13.1 At the end of a turn, a command is
b. Mounted stands and close order foot
demoralized if it has lost troops whose
stands must be placed entirely in open
point value equals one third or more of that
terrain.

5
 command’s starting points. Each stand in Design Note
that command is a demoralized stand. Demoralized stands are not helpless; they are
in a crisis of command. They are still capable
Design Note
of military activity but are more vulnerable in
When calculating one third of the command’s combat and starting to think more of their
starting points, always round up. For example, own survival than simple military objectives.
a command that starts with 31 points of
troops is demoralized when it has lost at least 13.7 Stands that are not demoralized that defeat
11 points of troops. a demoralized stand in close combat must
pursue, unless the victorious stand is
13.2 When a command is demoralized, the
Artillery or War Wagons.
command distance of its general is reduced
to 8 MU. 13.8 A demoralized stand that was forced to
make a rout move during the tactical
Design Note
movement phase may not shoot in the
A reduced command radius makes it more range combat phase this turn. It may be
difficult to maintain a widely spread-out
command after it’s been demoralized. shot at.
Instead, a demoralized command is likely to
be reduced to a small group of troops 14 HOLD MOVE
clustered around the general. This is both
historically sound and good for play balance. 14.1 A hold move expends command points to
prevent a stand or group of stands from
13.3 In addition to the ordinary categories of
being forced to execute a rout move (see
tactical moves, a demoralized stand or
Paragraph 13.5 and Article 15).
group of demoralized stands may be
commanded to make a hold move. (See 14.2 A hold move may be a single stand or
Article 14). group move.
13.4 A demoralized stand may not make a 14.3 Troop stands given a hold move remain in
march move. their current location without moving.
13.5 At the end of the tactical movement phase, Design Note
every demoralized stand belonging to the The hold move is intended to explicitly allow
active side must immediately perform a demoralized stands to avoid being forced to
rout move (see Article 15) unless one or rout and instead remain stationary.
more of the following conditions apply: All normal command point modifiers apply.
For example, a hold move costs +1 command
a. The stand is in front contact, flank contact, point if the stand or group of stands includes
or rear contact with an enemy stand. an Elephant.
b. An enemy stand is in flank contact or rear
contact with the stand. 15 ROUT MOVE
c. The stand performed a tactical move
during this tactical movement phase. 15.1 A stand that is forced to make a rout move
must perform the following steps:
Design Note
a. It must fall back.
A stand in a rear support position must
perform a rout move unless one of these b. It must turn so that it is directly facing
conditions applies directly to it. its own base edge with its front parallel
to that edge.
13.6 A demoralized stand receives a -1 tactical
c. It must then make a rout move, which is
factor in both ranged combat and close
the equivalent of a full tactical move in
combat.
the direction it is now facing.

6
15.2 Rout moves do not cost command points. b. an enemy stand
c. a camp
15.3 A stand that is forced to make a rout move
d. impassable terrain
is destroyed instead if it is outside the
e. the edge of the game board
command distance of its general’s stand or
if its general’s stand is destroyed. 15.5 A stand ignores the ZOC of enemy stands
while making a rout move.
15.4 During the rout move, the stand is
destroyed if it meets any of the following:
a. a friendly stand

7
 APPENDIX A: GRAND TRIUMPH AND BATTLE CARDS
pay 1pt (if they have two allied commands), or 2
Overview pts (if they had two main army commands, and
one allied command), or 3 pts (if no allies).
Grand Triumph incorporates all of the rules for
battle cards for standard Triumph except as Game Play
explicitly specified in this rules document. If
Troops placed according to the Ambush battle
there are any conflicts, rules expressed here take
card must be placed within 24 MU of their
priority.
general; they ignore the restrictions of
“All or none” in any battle card description Paragraphs 9.5 and 9.6.
includes all stands of a given troop entry across
all the commands of the main army. Allied
commands are independent; “all or none”
choices for allied commands are made BC2 CAMEL PROTECTED INFANTRY
separately from the main army. If the BC3 Cost
Camelry: Armored and Charging battle card is
used for a Tuareg army list, all commands of the 1 pt per command in the army.
Tuareg army list must use this rule. 1 pt for an Ally command with this battle
As described in Paragraph 4.3, Grand Triumph card. Main armies with this battle card would
has a single camp for the main army culture pay 1pt (if they have two allied commands), or 2
regardless of how many commands it represents pts (if they had two main army commands, and
(potentially 1, 2, or 3 commands). This has an one allied command), or 3 pts (if no allies).
impact upon the battle cards that relate to This cost is independent of how those stands are
camps; the cost of the battle card will vary based allocated to different commands. So an army
upon how many commands are served by the with two commands would have to pay 2 pts for
camp with that battle card. Camel Protected Infantry, even if all the troop
Design Note stands with that ability are allocated to only one
of those commands.
There are a few historical cases where a culture’s military
logistics could be organized in a more complex way. As
one example, the Sassanid Persians sometimes had part
of their camp fortified with ditches, and part of it was
flocks and herds outside the fortifications. In Grand BC3 CAMELRY: ARMORED AND CHARGING
Triumph this might be represented by a split camp (one
camp for each command), with one command having No additions to the battle card rules are
BC11 Fortified Camp, and another command having required to use it in Grand Triumph.
BC16 Pack Trains and Herds.
These cases are uncommon enough that we have
decided not to add to the complexity of the rules by
including their representation. BC4 CAMELRY: LIGHT CAMELRY
No additions to the battle card rules are
BC1 AMBUSH required to use it in Grand Triumph.
Cost
1 pt per command that can use this battle card.
BC5 CHAINED TOGETHER
1 pt for an Ally command with this battle
card. Main armies with this battle card would No additions to the battle card rules are
required to use it in Grand Triumph.

8
 Any army with the possibility of the
Dismounting Mid-Battle battle card may choose
BC6 CHARGE THROUGH instead to buy the Deployment Dismounting
battle card, permitting all the troop stands who
Cost would have Dismounting Mid-Battle to use
1 point for each battle card. Deployment Dismounting instead.

A maximum of 3 Charge Through battle cards Any army that purchases Dismounting Mid-
may be purchased for an army in Grand Battle may use BC 8 Dismounting at
Triumph. Deployment for any of its stands that have that
ability without purchasing the BC 8
Game Play Dismounting at Deployment battle card.
Charge Through battle cards purchased for an
army may be played on a stand from the eligible
troop entry in any command.
BC10 ELEPHANT SCREEN
Cost
BC7 DECEPTIVE DEPLOYMENT 2 points per command.

No additions to the battle card rules are This cost is independent of how those stands are
required to use it in Grand Triumph. allocated to different commands. So a main
army with two commands would have to pay 4
pts for Elephant Screen, even if all the troop
stands with Screenable are allocated to only one
BC8 DISMOUNTING AT DEPLOYMENT of those commands.
Cost Game Play
1 point per command. Elephant Screen stands may provide support for
This cost is independent of how those stands are Screenable stands across any number of
allocated to different commands. So a main commands within the main army (only the one
army with two main army commands would command if in an ally). Within each command
have to pay 2 pts for Dismounting at only stands in the front rank of a single group
Deployment, even if all the troop stands with may be screened, as described in Elephant
that battle card are allocated to only one of those Screen.
commands.

BC11 FORTIFIED CAMP

BC9 DISMOUNTING MID-BATTLE Cost
Cost 1 point per command.
2 points per command. This cost is independent of how those stands are
This cost is independent of how those stands are allocated to different commands. So an allied
allocated to different commands. So an army command with this battle card would always
with two commands would have to pay 4 pts for cost 1 point; a main army would pay 1 pt, 2pts,
Dismounting Mid-Battle, even if all the troop or 3pts for Fortified Camp, depending upon
stands with that ability are allocated to only one whether it had two, one, or no allied commands
of those commands. respectively.

9
BC12 HOLD THE LINE BC17 PLAUSTRELLA
Cost No additions to the battle card rules are
required to use it in Grand Triumph.
0 points gives the army one Hold the Line battle
card; 1 point for each subsequent card.
A maximum of 5 Hold the Line battle cards may
be purchased for an army in Grand Triumph.
BC18 PREPARED DEFENSES
No additions to the battle card rules are
Game Play
required to use it in Grand Triumph.
Hold the Line battle cards purchased for an
army may be played on a stand from the eligible
troop entry in any command.
BC19 SCYTHED CHARIOTS AND STAMPEDES
Cost
BC13 HOPLITE DEEP FORMATION 2 points per command. Scythed Chariots and
Stampedes may be purchased once per
No additions to the battle card rules are
command; a maximum of one battle card may
required to use it in Grand Triumph.
be assigned to any command.
Unlike many “per command” costs, each
command may choose to purchase this battle
BC14 MOBILE INFANTRY
card separately in Grand Triumph.
No additions to the battle card rules are
required to use it in Grand Triumph.

BC20 SEPARATED VALETS

No additions to the battle card rules are
BC15 NO CAMP
required to use it in Grand Triumph.
Cost
3 points per command.
This cost is independent of how those stands are
BC21 SHOWER SHOOTING
allocated to different commands. So an allied No additions to the battle card rules are
command with this battle card would always required to use it in Grand Triumph.
cost 3 points; a main army would pay 3 pts, 6pts,
or 9pts for No Camp, depending upon whether
it had two, one, or no allied commands
respectively. BC22 STANDARD WAGON
Cost
None.
BC16 PACK TRAINS AND HERDS
Game Play
Cost
No changes from the standard Triumph battle
None. card rules.

10
The Standard Wagon acts as a camp in all troops (“all or none”), or (Option 2) visually
respects; its loss counts as a lost camp for all its differentiate supported stands so there is no
relevant commands (see Paragraph 4.3). chance of confusion for the opponent. For
supporting bowmen in the main army (likely
representing multiple commands) the option
chosen applies across the whole army,
BC23 SUPPORTING BOWMEN regardless of how stands are assigned to
Game Play commands.

Supporting Bowmen stands may provide

support for Supportable stands across any
number of commands within the main army BC24 SWORD-FIGHTING CAVALRY
(only the one command if an allied command).
No additions to the battle card rules are
The two options described in BC23 are still in required to use it in Grand Triumph.
force: if an army uses Supporting Bowmen it
must either (Option 1) apply it to all relevant

11