The table below is compiled from the results of various DBM competitions during 1996 & (early) 1997 involving a total of 498 players (or teams in the case of doubles competitions); there were 8 unknown armies. Just over half of the results (261 with known armies) were from limited period competitions (i.e. those where a restricted set of lists is used). The sources of the results were Slingshot, Spearpoint, Miniature Wargames and the World Wide Web (particularly the British HGMS web page). Most of the competitions were staged in the UK, but some were held in New Zealand & USA and one was in Portugal.
The probability of success figure represents how far up the rankings the army came in the competition results. In other words, the army coming first in a competition gets 100%, the army that came last gets 0% and the rest are spread evenly between.
| Frequency of use | Probability of success | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Overall |
limited period competitions |
unlimited competitions |
Overall |
limited period competitions |
unlimited competitions |
| Later Carthaginian | 21 |
15 |
6 |
45% |
48% |
39% |
| Alexandrian Imperial | 18 |
13 |
5 |
49% |
56% |
32% |
| New Kingdom Egyptian | 17 |
12 |
5 |
40% |
42% |
37% |
| Late Imperial Roman | 17 |
7 |
10 |
70% |
66% |
73% |
| Medieval Portugese | 14 |
5 |
9 |
59% |
70% |
53% |
| Ottoman Turk | 14 |
5 |
9 |
54% |
49% |
57% |
| Later Hungarian | 14 |
5 |
9 |
59% |
38% |
71% |
| Palmyran | 13 |
9 |
4 |
48% |
59% |
24% |
| Sassanid | 12 |
10 |
2 |
59% |
52% |
90% |
| Timurid | 11 |
8 |
3 |
51% |
40% |
80% |
| Classical Indian | 10 |
6 |
4 |
35% |
46% |
19% |
| Medieval French | 10 |
6 |
4 |
44% |
39% |
52% |
| Graeco Bactrian | 9 |
7 |
2 |
52% |
51% |
56% |
| Neo Assyrian ? | 9 |
6 |
3 |
61% |
62% |
60% |
| Patrician Roman | 9 |
3 |
6 |
32% |
10% |
43% |
| Early Imperial Roman | 9 |
1 |
8 |
27% |
4% |
30% |
| Wars of the Roses | 8 |
3 |
5 |
62% |
64% |
61% |
| Yuan Chinese | 7 |
6 |
1 |
52% |
57% |
21% |
| Middle Assyrian | 7 |
5 |
2 |
78% |
87% |
53% |
| Seleucid | 7 |
3 |
4 |
54% |
49% |
58% |
| Hsuing-Nu | 7 |
3 |
4 |
52% |
42% |
59% |
| Abbasid Arab | 7 |
1 |
6 |
62% |
18% |
69% |
| Feudal Spanish | 7 |
0 |
7 |
41% |
41% |
|
| Graeco Indian | 6 |
6 |
0 |
56% |
56% |
|
| Early Byzantine | 6 |
5 |
1 |
53% |
63% |
7% |
| Ghaznavid | 6 |
3 |
3 |
41% |
34% |
48% |
| Bosporan | 5 |
4 |
1 |
47% |
39% |
79% |
| Early Samurai | 5 |
3 |
2 |
60% |
67% |
50% |
| Neo Assyrian Later Sargonid | 5 |
0 |
5 |
78% |
78% |
|
| Libyan Egyptian | 4 |
4 |
0 |
38% |
38% |
|
| Republican Indian | 4 |
3 |
1 |
84% |
78% |
100% |
| Attalid Pergamene | 4 |
3 |
1 |
72% |
78% |
53% |
| Khmer | 4 |
3 |
1 |
59% |
59% |
58% |
| Serbian Empire | 4 |
3 |
1 |
53% |
55% |
47% |
| Chinese Northern Dynasty | 4 |
3 |
1 |
64% |
53% |
96% |
| Kushite Egyptian | 4 |
3 |
1 |
34% |
44% |
4% |
| Macedonian Early Successor | 4 |
1 |
3 |
24% |
0% |
31% |
| French Ordonnance | 4 |
0 |
4 |
72% |
72% |
|
| Later Hebrew | 3 |
3 |
0 |
94% |
94% |
|
| Alexandrian Macedonian | 3 |
3 |
0 |
72% |
72% |
|
| Lysimachid | 3 |
3 |
0 |
44% |
44% |
|
| Middle Imperial Roman | 3 |
3 |
0 |
41% |
41% |
|
| Maccabean Jewish | 3 |
2 |
1 |
80% |
84% |
74% |
| Buyid | 3 |
2 |
1 |
78% |
82% |
70% |
| Mongol Conquest | 3 |
2 |
1 |
43% |
61% |
6% |
| Hyksos | 3 |
2 |
1 |
61% |
59% |
67% |
| Central Asian City State | 3 |
2 |
1 |
60% |
47% |
88% |
| Huns | 3 |
2 |
1 |
54% |
44% |
74% |
| Later Hoplite Greek | 3 |
2 |
1 |
32% |
40% |
18% |
| Alans | 3 |
1 |
2 |
79% |
88% |
75% |
| Bithynian | 3 |
1 |
2 |
53% |
73% |
42% |
| Parthian | 3 |
1 |
2 |
77% |
68% |
82% |
| Early Bulgar | 3 |
1 |
2 |
70% |
53% |
79% |
| Nikephorian Byzantine | 3 |
1 |
2 |
45% |
26% |
54% |
| Early Neo Assyrian | 3 |
1 |
2 |
28% |
9% |
37% |
| Anglo-Norman | 3 |
0 |
3 |
51% |
51% |
|
| Kushan | 3 |
0 |
3 |
55% |
55% |
|
| Later Polish | 3 |
0 |
3 |
62% |
62% |
|
| Avar | 2 |
2 |
0 |
64% |
64% |
|
| Commagene | 2 |
2 |
0 |
51% |
51% |
|
| Thracian | 2 |
2 |
0 |
33% |
33% |
|
| Hindu Indian | 2 |
2 |
0 |
28% |
28% |
|
| Later Achaemenid Persian | 2 |
2 |
0 |
23% |
23% |
|
| Spartan | 2 |
1 |
1 |
84% |
89% |
78% |
| Wei & Western Ts'in Chinese | 2 |
1 |
1 |
88% |
76% |
100% |
| Tibetan | 2 |
1 |
1 |
47% |
59% |
35% |
| Pictish | 2 |
1 |
1 |
19% |
36% |
2% |
| Early Armenian | 2 |
1 |
1 |
49% |
27% |
71% |
| Golden Horde | 2 |
1 |
1 |
10% |
9% |
11% |
| 100 Years War English | 2 |
0 |
2 |
32% |
32% |
|
| Cham | 2 |
0 |
2 |
55% |
55% |
|
| Early Ostrogothic | 2 |
0 |
2 |
47% |
47% |
|
| Japanese ? | 2 |
0 |
2 |
8% |
8% |
|
| Khurasanian | 2 |
0 |
2 |
79% |
79% |
|
| Medieval German | 2 |
0 |
2 |
60% |
60% |
|
| Norman | 2 |
0 |
2 |
30% |
30% |
|
| Romanian Frank | 2 |
0 |
2 |
43% |
43% |
|
| Tarascan | 2 |
0 |
2 |
9% |
9% |
|
| Viking | 2 |
0 |
2 |
13% |
13% |
|
| Lithuanian | 1 |
1 |
0 |
91% |
91% |
|
| Burgundian Ordonnance | 1 |
1 |
0 |
88% |
88% |
|
| Early T'ang | 1 |
1 |
0 |
79% |
79% |
|
| Swiss | 1 |
1 |
0 |
64% |
64% |
|
| Jurchen-Chin | 1 |
1 |
0 |
61% |
61% |
|
| Phrygian | 1 |
1 |
0 |
53% |
53% |
|
| Qara-Khitan | 1 |
1 |
0 |
50% |
50% |
|
| Spanish, Ancient | 1 |
1 |
0 |
47% |
47% |
|
| Marian Roman | 1 |
1 |
0 |
46% |
46% |
|
| Mithridatic | 1 |
1 |
0 |
41% |
41% |
|
| Early Carthaginian | 1 |
1 |
0 |
37% |
37% |
|
| Early Libyan | 1 |
1 |
0 |
37% |
37% |
|
| White Sheep Turk | 1 |
1 |
0 |
35% |
35% |
|
| Lakhmids (Later Pre-Islamic Arab) | 1 |
1 |
0 |
34% |
34% |
|
| Galatian | 1 |
1 |
0 |
33% |
33% |
|
| Neo Babylonian | 1 |
1 |
0 |
30% |
30% |
|
| Nan-chao | 1 |
1 |
0 |
22% |
22% |
|
| Early Bedouin | 1 |
1 |
0 |
21% |
21% |
|
| Suevi (Early Frankish) | 1 |
1 |
0 |
21% |
21% |
|
| Order of St John | 1 |
1 |
0 |
18% |
18% |
|
| Hititte Empire | 1 |
1 |
0 |
13% |
13% |
|
| Gepid | 1 |
1 |
0 |
12% |
12% |
|
| Chatti (Early German) | 1 |
1 |
0 |
8% |
8% |
|
| Ancient British | 1 |
1 |
0 |
8% |
8% |
|
| Early Hebrew | 1 |
1 |
0 |
4% |
4% |
|
| Later Rhoxolani Sarmatians | 1 |
1 |
0 |
0% |
0% |
|
| Minoan & Early Mycenean | 1 |
1 |
0 |
0% |
0% |
|
| Sea Peoples | 1 |
1 |
0 |
0% |
0% |
|
| African Vandal | 1 |
0 |
1 |
53% |
53% |
|
| Akkadian | 1 |
0 |
1 |
48% |
48% |
|
| Aztec | 1 |
0 |
1 |
56% |
56% |
|
| Carthaginian ? | 1 |
0 |
1 |
47% |
47% |
|
| Chin Chinese | 1 |
0 |
1 |
42% |
42% |
|
| Christian Nubian | 1 |
0 |
1 |
33% |
33% |
|
| Early Achaemenid Persian | 1 |
0 |
1 |
93% |
93% |
|
| Early Rhoxolani Sarmations | 1 |
0 |
1 |
3% |
3% |
|
| Early Russian | 1 |
0 |
1 |
87% |
87% |
|
| Feudal French | 1 |
0 |
1 |
58% |
58% |
|
| Han | 1 |
0 |
1 |
100% |
100% |
|
| Horn of Africa | 1 |
0 |
1 |
27% |
27% |
|
| Italian Ostrogothic | 1 |
0 |
1 |
17% |
17% |
|
| Komnenan Byzantine | 1 |
0 |
1 |
23% |
23% |
|
| Later Muslim Indian | 1 |
0 |
1 |
84% |
84% |
|
| Later Swiss | 1 |
0 |
1 |
95% |
95% |
|
| Low Countries | 1 |
0 |
1 |
31% |
31% |
|
| Lydian | 1 |
0 |
1 |
8% |
8% |
|
| Mamluk | 1 |
0 |
1 |
16% |
16% |
|
| Medieval Spanish | 1 |
0 |
1 |
42% |
42% |
|
| Mitanni | 1 |
0 |
1 |
46% |
46% |
|
| Polish ? | 1 |
0 |
1 |
35% |
35% |
|
| Polybian Roman | 1 |
0 |
1 |
13% |
13% |
|
| Ptolemaic | 1 |
0 |
1 |
53% |
53% |
|
| Pyrrhic | 1 |
0 |
1 |
4% |
4% |
|
| Saxon | 1 |
0 |
1 |
41% |
41% |
|
| Serbian ? | 1 |
0 |
1 |
43% |
43% |
|
| Silla Korean | 1 |
0 |
1 |
13% |
13% |
|
| Tamil Indian | 1 |
0 |
1 |
18% |
18% |
|
| Teutonic Order | 1 |
0 |
1 |
60% |
60% |
|
| Welsh (South) | 1 |
0 |
1 |
31% |
31% |
|
There is a table showing the expected range of the success figure (assuming the results are random).
Some points I noted - you will undoubtedly spot others:
| Last revised: August 25, 1999. | |
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