BattleLore: Dragons
BattleLore: Dragons Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
A Word About Creatures
Like all Creature units, the units introduced in this booklet follow the same rules governing Creatures found in Chapter 7 (pg. 41) of the BattleLore Player's Guide, unless specifically indicated otherwise. These include ordering a Creature out-of-section, morale, and trampling rules. An updated edition of the Creature rules can be found at www.FantasyFlightGames.com.
General Dragon Rules
Flight
All Dragon units (including Drakes and Wyverns) have the ability to fly over terrain or units. The hex its movement ends on must be an empty hex (no unit or terrain). It is then considered to be on the ground.
Example (printed on page 1): In this example of Dragon movement, the Wood Wyvern wishes to move two hexes. Because of flight, it can move over the river but its movement must still end in an unoccupied hex. The hex with the red arrow is not an option because it holds a unit.
When used against a flying Dragon, Lore cards that Hold or Web cause the Creature to fall to the ground and take a one die Critical Hit check. Should this happen, the Dragon stops in its current space. If the space is occupied, the Dragon must retreat until it reaches an empty hex.
Morale
A Dragon may ignore one flag. When a Dragon is forced to retreat, it must retreat three hexes. When retreating, a Dragon flies over any blocking units in its retreat path. The hex its retreat ends on must be an empty hex (no unit or terrain).
If a retreat cannot be completed, one hit is scored for each hex of the retreat that cannot be completed. When a Dragon receives two or more hits, a Critical Hit check occurs.
Dragon Critical Hit
A Dragon is a very tough Creature. A Dragon only takes a Critical Hit check when two or more hits are scored during a combat, a retreat that cannot be completed, or a Lore card attack. The first two hits scored on a Dragon cause a one die Critical Hit check. Each additional hit scored adds one die to the Critical Hit check.
A Critical Hit is scored only if the banner color of the Dragon is rolled on the Critical Hit check. All other results on the Critical Hit check (Flags, Lore, Sword on Shield symbols, and other helmet colors) are ignored. If the Dragon's banner color does not come up, the Dragon survives the Critical Hit check. If the banner color of the Dragon is rolled, the Dragon receives a Critical Hit and dies immediately. Remove it from the battlefield and place it on the Victory Track of its opponent. A Dragon that is eliminated counts as two Victory banners.
If a troop defeats a Dragon, it is awarded one Lore token from the Lore pool for the kill. Place the Lore token in the hex with the troop to indicate the unit has accomplished a great deed of valor. The troop may spend the Lore token and return it to the Lore pool to do one of the following:
- Move one additional hex when moving or in a retreat
- Battle with one additional die
- Ignore one flag
Hits may also be scored on a Dragon from a Lore card attack or when the Creature cannot complete a required retreat movement. The key point is that any time a Dragon suffers two or more hits it must take a Critical Hit check.
Dragon Combat
A Dragon fights in melee like other units with damage dice from its bite and tail. Terrain combat restrictions apply. Lore rolled by a Dragon during a melee is placed in the owner's Lore Goblet.
To use his Dragon's breath attack during a turn, a player must spend a number of Lore equal to the breath weapon's Lore cost from his Lore Goblet prior to movement. This allows the Dragon to attack up to three enemy hexes during movement.
Example 1 (printed on page 2): Before using the Fire Dragon to fly four hexes, its controller pays 3 Lore to use the Dragon's breath attack. As the Dragon moves, it places a Fire Breath token (target side up) on each enemy unit. The Dragon must still land at the end of the turn, so it moves to the indicated hex.
Example 2 (printed on page 2): After all ordered units allied with the Dragon have moved, the breath attack is resolved (before normal combat). The controller rolls four dice for each unit with a target on it. For each Lore symbol result, a Fire Breath token (effect side up) is placed on the unit. In the example, only the archers had Lore symbol results rolled against them. Because two results were rolled, two tokens are placed on the unit. (The printed caption draws this result as an icon; it is read here as the Lore symbol, which is the result the breath rules name.)
A Dragon's breath weapon may only be used when flying above an enemy unit. As the Dragon is moving over an enemy unit, place a Breath token of the appropriate type in the enemy unit's hex on the target side. A Dragon may only attack a maximum of three units because it must always land in a vacant hex to end its flight. A Dragon may also only fly over and use its breath attack on any given unit once during a turn.
After all of the camp's movement is completed, all of that camp's breath attacks are resolved prior to any other combat. That camp's player rolls the Dragon's damage dice against each enemy unit with a Breath token. A Lore symbol when rolled activates the Dragon's special effect. The player flips the Breath token over to show the effect side. If more than one Lore is rolled, the player places additional tokens, effect side up, in the unit's hex. If no Lore is rolled, the token is removed.
Terrain combat restrictions do not apply to a Dragon's breath attack, and Lore rolled by a Dragon during a breath attack is never placed in a player's Lore Goblet.
A Breath effect token stays with a unit until the unit is eliminated or the token is removed. To remove a token, the affected unit's owner must order the unit and spend two Lore per token he wishes to remove. The unit may then move and battle as normal on that turn.
Dragon Units
Components pictured on page 3: for each Dragon, a pair of Breath tokens, a miniature, a Summary card, and a Breath Attack card. The Summary card stat blocks are printed too small to transcribe reliably and are not reproduced here; the rules they summarize are given in full below.
Wood Wyvern
The Wood Wyvern uses a fearsome Poison breath attack, which costs the owning player one Lore to use.
When a unit has at least one Poison Breath effect token, each Lore symbol rolled against the unit or by the unit scores a hit on the poisoned unit. A poisoned unit may move and battle as normal.
In the following adventures, the Green Banner Creature symbol represents the Wood Wyvern.
Poison Attack card (text): A unit with at least one Poison token takes a hit for each Lore symbol rolled against it or by it in combat until all Poison tokens are removed by spending 2 Lore for each token when this unit is ordered.
Ice Drake
The Ice Drake uses a freezing Frost breath attack, which costs the owning player two Lore to use.
When a unit has at least one Frost Breath effect token, the unit battles with a maximum of two battle dice and may not move until the Frost Breath effect token is removed. A frozen unit cannot ignore any flags, so all flags rolled against a frozen unit score hits since a frozen unit cannot retreat.
In the following adventures, the Blue Banner Creature symbol represents the Ice Drake.
Frost Attack card (text): A unit with at least one Frost token battles with a maximum of 2 dice and may not move until all Frost tokens are removed by spending 2 Lore for each token when this unit is ordered. Frozen units may not ignore flags and, if forced to take retreats, must take hits instead since they cannot move.
Fire Dragon
The Fire Dragon uses a devastating Fire breath attack, which costs the owning player three Lore to use.
When a unit has at least one Fire Breath effect token, the unit battles with a maximum of two battle dice and has a movement of one hex until the Fire Breath effect token is removed. A unit with at least one Fire Breath effect token takes one hit at the beginning of its camp's Order Phase.
Units in a waterway (fords and fordable streams) cannot be set on fire. In addition, a unit on fire may move into a waterway and remove all Fire tokens without spending Lore.
In the following adventures, the Red Banner Creature symbol represents the Fire Dragon.
(The Fire Breath Attack card is printed in part; the text above is the booklet's own rules text for the same effect, which the card repeats.)
Adventures
The pack includes four adventures, all set in France in 1362. Each adventure page gives a Setup Order, a Briefing, Victory Conditions and Special Rules. The battlefield map and unit placement on each page are graphic and are not transcribed here; consult the printed page for them.
Both commanders appear on the Briefing panel of every adventure: Seguin of Badefol and Sir Arnold of Cervolles. Each panel is printed with "WAR COUNCIL Level 6", a "Victory Conditions" value, and an "x 3+" graphic. The "x 3+" graphic is not explained in the booklet's text and is not transcribed.
Poisonous Pines - 1362
Setup Order:
- Forest hex, x 17
- River hex (straight), x 5
- River hex (curved), x 3
- Ford, x 2
- Bridge, x 1
Briefing: "Only by my words will the stories of these great creatures be told. Most others that fought against these monsters are either dead or have taken an oath of silence and will not give an account of the events and deeds of these days. I have encountered three dragons in my lifetime, each one more dangerous than the previous one. Perhaps one day the nobles will admit the truth: these beasts are real, these beasts defeated our army, and these beasts are alive still."
Victory Conditions: Seguin of Badefol: 6. Sir Arnold of Cervolles: 6.
Special Rules:
- Battle Savvy rules are in effect (see the back of this rulebook).
- The River is only passable at the fords. In addition, the fords, which are very shallow, do not stop a unit's movement.
The Ice Drake Cometh - 1362
Setup Order:
- Forest hex, x 15
- Hill hex, x 6
Briefing: "It was a cold day and we had only marched a short while before we encountered the enemy. This part of the country was dotted with small forests that were perfect, I thought, for another encounter with a Wood Wyvern. But this day the enemy had unleashed a more powerful Dragon, one that could freeze a man in his tracks."
Victory Conditions: Seguin of Badefol: 6. Sir Arnold of Cervolles: 6.
Special Rules:
- Battle Savvy rules are in effect (see the back of this rulebook).
The Fires From Above - 1362
Setup Order:
- Forest hex, x 5
- Hill hex, x 7
Briefing: "Fire was everywhere. Our camp was on fire, our troops were on fire, and we were in dire circumstances. Nothing we did could stop this beast of fire and destruction. Some of my fellows ran and were chased down. Others, like me, chose to stand and fight, but the Creature's tail and bite were too much for us. We thankfully retired when Sir Arnold commanded us to retreat."
Victory Conditions: Seguin of Badefol: 6. Sir Arnold of Cervolles: 6.
Special Rules:
- Battle Savvy rules are in effect (see the back of this rulebook).
There Be Dragons Here! - 1362
Setup Order:
- Forest hex, x 15
- Hill hex, x 12
Briefing: "Dragons seemed to be everywhere, in the air and on the ground, everywhere! Sir Arnold had hired a Fire Dragon to fight with us against the two Dragons allied with the enemy. It was a grand sight seeing Seguin of Badefol's army trying to cope with our Fire Dragon, especially after so many battles with him having the only Dragon on the field of battle."
Victory Conditions: Seguin of Badefol: 8. Sir Arnold of Cervolles: 8.
Special Rules:
- Battle Savvy rules are in effect (see the back of this rulebook).
- This scenario uses the rules for Epic Adventure Combat.
Battle Savvy Troops
Medieval Tactics sidebar, printed on the back page of the booklet. The adventures above refer to these rules.
Battle Savvy troops are veteran fighters that use the following rules during combat:
- Battle Back: A unit that is attacked in melee and is not eliminated or forced to retreat from its hex may battle back. A unit in melee unable to fulfill a required retreat movement may battle back after it takes losses if it is still in its original hex.
- Ranged Combat: Ranged weapon units collect Lore in melee combat but not in ranged combat.