Warmaster
Warmaster Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Introducing Warmaster
- Game Values
- Game Sequence
- Command
- Movement
- Shooting
- Combat
- Confusion
- Generals, Wizards & Heroes
- Flying Units
- End of the Battle
- Advanced Rules
- Artillery & Machines
- Magic
- Battlefields
- Setting Up Scenery
- Table Size and Deployment Areas
- How Long Does the Battle Last?
- Scenarios
- A Word of Warning!
- The Battle of the Little Big Bash
- The Battle of Nobhill
- The Battle of Grimm-on-Sour
- The Relief of Karbutzal
- The Fall of Eisberg
- Wagon Train Over Axe Bite Pass
- The Flight of Countess Heugenloewd
- The Confederacy of Sigmar
- Sieges & Fortresses
- Battle Honours & Umpires
- Campaigns of Conquest
- Ships & Boats
- Army Lists
- Appendix 1 — Examples of Play
- Appendix 2 — Notes on Terrain
- Appendix 3 — Warmaster at a Glance
- Glossary of Terms
Introducing Warmaster
Warmaster is a game of conflict on a grand scale, fought over an area of ground that we might imagine to be many miles square. Although our models are approximately 10mm high this should not be taken as a literal representation of scale when it comes to the size of the battlefield.
The area occupied by a regiment of models is assumed to encompass hundreds of warriors including all of their supporting elements such as mules laden with spare ammunition, surgeons' wagons, preachers, servants, messengers, scouts and all the paraphernalia of warfare. Never mind that the actual number of warriors depicted is typically about 30-40 in the case of an infantry regiment — we must imagine the formation whole and glorious as it marches to battle! This abstraction, by which a few models are taken to represent many more actual warriors, shouldn't concern us too much during play, although it has a direct bearing on the way the rules have been formulated.
Similarly, when considering the distances moved by our troops it is wise to think of a standard move of 20cm or 30cm as representing a unit redeploying into a new position from which it is able to launch attacks or push groups of warriors forward to shoot, skirmish or scout ahead. Where troops charge their enemies it would be inappropriate to imagine them running hell for leather over this entire distance — rather, they march into position, deploy their ranks appropriately and cover only the very final part of their manoeuvre at anything like a hurried pace. Hence, movement distances in Warmaster are dependent upon a unit's deployment and command structure rather than on the notional speed of an individual warrior.
Because Warmaster units represent such large bodies of troops, the rules for combat emphasise the position of units rather than the weapons with which individual warriors are armed. Troops that are in advantageous terrain or supported by friends obviously fight more effectively. Even poor quality troops will fight relatively well in these circumstances. On the other hand, casualties suffered have a direct bearing on a unit's effectiveness, not only making it weaker in combat but also eroding its logistical support, making it harder for the general to direct as he wishes.
A comparable approach has been taken to missile ranges. In the game, a bow can shoot as far as 30cm but this represents a longer distance than a bow could really shoot. This distance is not based on the range of a bow but the tactical area that a missile armed regiment is able to cover. We might imagine the regimental commander sending individual detachments forward or edging the line to and fro to entice the enemy to their doom! For this reason missile ranges are not based entirely on theoretical weapon ranges — we are interested in the much broader ability of a missile-armed regiment to dominate the ground in front of it.
The most important aspect of the game is the role allotted to the armies' commanders. Warmaster is based around the ability of generals and their subordinate commanders to control the action around them. In the game this is accomplished by dice rolls but in reality we might picture the general and his staff bent over maps, eagerly awaiting word from their subordinates, reading reports of distant fighting and dispatching messengers with fresh orders. Generals influence the action around them by directing troops — their role as combatants is not especially significant — although a commander's immediate presence can inspire troops to that extra bit of effort at critical moments!
The Game Rules
The following pages contain all the rules for the Warmaster game. We suggest that you read through them before attempting to play but don't worry about trying to learn the game by heart. It's far better to get stuck in! You can always check out the rules as you go along. After a few games you'll find the basic routines are easily remembered whilst more unusual rules can be looked up as required.
The rules are presented with summaries at the beginning of each section. There is also a glossary of terms at the back. For players already familiar with the game there is a reference section at the end of the book.
In a few instances the rules will also ask you to roll a 'D3'. This is simply a convenient way of referring to a random roll of between 1 and 3 achieved by rolling a normal D6 and halving the score rounding up. So, a D3 roll of 1-2 = 1, 3-4 = 2, and 5-6 = 3.
Rulers & Tape Measures
In the Warmaster game, units move across the battlefield by a measured distance. When troops shoot it will be necessary to measure to ensure that they are in range. All distances are given in centimetres. We recommend that players purchase one or more retractable tape measures for measuring distances.
Players who prefer to play using inches can do so by halving the value of all the distances given. This gives slightly longer moves and ranges but makes no practical difference so long as both sides use inches.
Get Stuck In
Although the scope and pageant of the game can only be realised by playing with miniature armies, for the purpose of learning the rules you might want to improvise by making your own troop stands from card. This will enable you to get a feel of how the game works right from the start.
Similarly, you may want to field unpainted models that you buy. You can paint your army later but this will take time so it's best to learn the game and fight a few battles first.
Nothing else is needed, though a pen and paper are useful for making notes and a nice hot cup of tea is always a good idea!
Dice
The Warmaster game uses dice to represent the chance element of shooting and close combat. To save space we refer to an individual six-sided dice as a 'D6'. So when we instruct you to roll a D6 we are simply asking you to roll a dice.
Sometimes you'll be required to roll two dice and add the scores together, in which case we will ask you to roll '2D6'. Occasionally, you will need to roll one dice and multiply the score by another number, in which case we write this as 10 x D6, or 5 x D6 and so on.
Game Values
Some troops are better fighters than others, some are better trained, some are more naturally violent and so on. So that we can represent these different qualities in the warriors, monsters and weird creatures that are found in the game, we assign three values to each piece or 'stand'. These are Attacks, Hits and Armour.
- Attacks — This is the basic number of dice rolled in combat – the more dice, the better at fighting the stand is and the more hits it will be able to inflict.
- Hits — The number of hits the stand can suffer before it is removed.
- Armour — The stand's Armour value indicates the chance of nullifying hits scored against it. A value of 6+ indicates that a dice roll of 6 is required to nullify a hit, a 5+ that a 5 or 6 is required and so on. A value of 0 means that the stand has no armour.
Example: Attacks 3, Hits 3, Armour 5+.
Infantry, cavalry, chariots, monsters, artillery & machines
Broadly speaking, armies consist of infantry, cavalry, chariots, monsters, artillery and machines — this last category includes various oddball devices, as we shall discover.
The rules distinguish between these six types of troops. Monstrous creatures of small to medium size are usually classified as either cavalry or infantry — Ogres are clearly infantry, for instance, although their appearance is no less monstrous for all that.
Shooting attacks
If troops carry bows or other missile weapons then they will have two Attack dice values divided by a slash, for example 3/1 or 2/2. In this case, the first number is always that used in hand-to-hand combat and the second value is that used for shooting.
Example: Attacks 3/1 — roll 3 dice in hand-to-hand fighting, roll 1 dice when shooting.
Command
Command is another game value and a very important one too! Only your General and other important characters have a Command value and they use it when issuing orders. Values vary from as low as 7 to as high as 10 but only the very best Generals have a value as high as 10. More about command in due course.
Units
Infantry, cavalry and most other types of troops fight in formations of several stands each consisting of a number of metal castings glued to a 40mm x 20mm Warmaster base. A number of stands form a regiment of infantry, a squadron of cavalry, a battery of artillery, and so on. All the stands in the same formation are always arranged so they are touching, either side-by-side, one behind the other, or contacting at a point.
For convenience, we shall refer to all of these formations as units. Units usually consist of three stands of the same type but this can vary and sometimes a unit can be just a single stand, as we shall see later.
Up to four units can be temporarily placed together to form a brigade. We'll be covering brigades in much more detail in the rules that follow.
Infantry stands are always oriented along the long edge of the base. Generally speaking, all other troops, including monsters and artillery as well as chariots and cavalry are oriented towards the short edge of the base. Any exceptions are indicated in the Army Lists section.
Machines do not usually have bases but are self-supporting or can be mounted onto card bases of appropriate size.
Characters
In addition to the troops described, armies always include a General and can include other Heroes and Wizards as well. These consist of a single stand which includes the mighty individual as well as assorted helpmates and hangers on. These stands are referred to as characters.
Measuring
Players are free to measure distances prior to making moves or shooting, and in many cases this will be necessary to determine which target to shoot at or charge. There is no restriction on measurement during play itself; players can take measurements as and when they wish.
Anything else to learn?
Most armies have unique troops of one kind or another, many of which have special rules to reflect their sorcerous and fantastical abilities. You don't need to know about these to begin with, so don't worry about them. Later you'll see that this is what makes each army a different and challenging force to command.
Game Sequence
-
Deploy armies. At the start of the battle both players line up their armies at least 80cm apart. Armies are deployed secretly by making a map of the battlefield with the positions of units indicated or, if players prefer, by placing one unit at a time, starting with the player whose army has the most units. (See the Battlefields section.)
-
Commence battle. Each side takes a turn one after the other, starting with the player who rolls the highest score on a D6. Players can either set a number of turns to play or fight until one side is forced to withdraw. (See the End Of The Battle section.)
A turn is divided into three phases, completed in the order shown, starting with the Command phase and ending with the Combat phase:
- Command — Orders are issued and troops moved. The player whose turn it is issues orders to troops in the Command phase. Troops move on their initiative or in response to orders as they receive them.
- Shooting — Troops shoot with missile weapons. The player whose turn it is can now direct missile fire. Shooting includes short-ranged weapons such as bows, as well as longer ranged weapons like cannons, and magic spells. Often these will be out of range of the enemy, so there will be no shooting that turn.
- Combat — Both sides fight hand-to-hand combat. After shooting is complete, the players work out any hand-to-hand combat. In the Combat phase both sides fight. This phase is a bit different to the other phases because it is not just the player whose turn it is that takes part. In the Combat phase both players fight with all their troops that are engaged.
Once a player has completed his Combat phase his turn is over and it's his opponent's turn. His opponent then takes a turn in the same way, starting with Command and ending with Combat. It is then the first player's turn again and so on until both players have completed the predetermined number of turns or until one side concedes defeat or is forced to leave the battlefield.
-
The battle ends. The game finishes when one player concedes defeat or an army is forced to withdraw from the battle or, if players prefer, when an agreed number of turns have passed. (See the End Of The Battle section.)
-
Hail the victor! Once the game is over and the dust of battle settles, it is time to work out who has won. Once the battle is over, both players add up the number of victory points they have scored. The more enemy units they have destroyed, the more victory points they will accrue. (See the End Of The Battle section.)
Command
Command at a Glance
Orders
- Units move by initiative or by orders.
- Units using initiative are moved first.
- Other units require orders to move.
- You must finish giving orders from one character before giving orders from another character.
- The same unit may be given several orders in succession.
- You must finish giving orders to one unit before giving an order to another.
Command
- A character must roll equal to or less than his Command value on 2D6 to issue an order.
- If a roll is failed, the order is not given and no further orders can be issued by that character.
- If the General fails to give an order, no further orders can be given by any other characters.
Command Penalties
| Penalty | Value |
|---|---|
| Per full 20cm distance | -1 |
| Each successive order to the unit | -1 |
| Enemy within 20cm of unit | -1 |
| Unit within dense terrain | -1 |
| Per casualty | -1 |
Issuing Orders to Brigades
- Up to four touching units may be brigaded together and issued a single order.
- Units moving as a brigade complete their entire move as a brigade unless charging.
Charge
- A unit that moves into an enemy is said to have charged.
- Once units are touching enemy they are engaged in combat.
- Units in contact with an enemy cannot be issued further orders.
The Command Phase
Units are moved in the Command phase. A unit usually requires orders before it will move but if the enemy is very close, a unit is able to react directly to its presence. Otherwise, if a unit receives no orders it remains where it is and awaits further instructions.
The Command phase proceeds in the following sequence:
- Initiative Movement — Any units moving by initiative do so.
- Ordered Movement — Orders are given to other units to move.
Initiative movement
Units within 20cm of the enemy at the start of the Command phase can use their initiative to move without orders. They do not have to do so — it is up to the player to decide whether to use initiative or to issue an order. If the player requires any of his units to use their initiative, they must do so before any orders are issued.
Before we concern ourselves further with initiative movement, we need to understand how ordered movement works. For this reason, an explanation of initiative movement and further rules for it are given in the Movement section of the rulebook.
Ordered movement
Issuing orders is one of the most important features of Warmaster. An order is given to a unit to enable it to move. Once a unit has moved, another unit may be given an order and moved and so on. This represents the process of relaying instructions by messenger, or a local commander's interpretation of orders either given by signal or arranged before the battle.
Orders are issued by Generals, Wizards and Heroes, collectively known as characters. Specific rules for Generals, Wizards and Heroes are given in the Generals, Wizards & Heroes section of the rulebook.
Giving an Order
The player begins giving an order by choosing a unit which he wishes to move. He must then take a dice test to determine if the order is received and acted upon. This works in the following way:
Roll 2D6 (ie, roll two dice and add the results to get a score of between 2 and 12). If the score is equal to or less than the character's Command value then the unit has received its order and can move. If the score is more than the character's Command value then the unit has not received its order and so cannot move.
Once a character has begun to issue orders, he must finish issuing all of his orders before another character can start to do so. It is not permitted for a character to issue an order, then a different character to issue one, then the first character again.
Once a character has failed to give an order, he cannot issue any more orders in that Command phase. Once the General has failed to give an order, no further orders can be issued by any other characters in that Command phase even if they have not done so already. The character has run out of time, the distance between him and the unit he is issuing orders to is too great for his signals to be discerned, or the message may have been lost or confused (perhaps the messenger has been caught up in nearby enemy action and killed).
Command Values
This table shows the Command values for different Generals. As you can see, there are three basic values and some are better than others.
| Army | Command Value |
|---|---|
| High Elf | 10 |
| Dwarf | 10 |
| Empire | 9 |
| Undead Tomb King | 9 |
| Chaos | 9 |
| Orc | 8 |
Giving further orders
When a unit is given an order, it moves to a new position. Usually this enables the unit to move 20cm if it is infantry or 30cm if cavalry but some troops move at different speeds, as we shall see later.
Once a unit has moved, the character can give it a further order to move again or he can attempt to give an order to a different unit. However, he is not permitted to go back to a previously moved unit once he has moved another unit. Nor is a different character permitted to give a unit an order if that unit has already been given an order that turn, even if the order was failed. This is an important rule so it is worth remembering right from the start. If you want to move a unit several times, the character must finish ordering it to move completely before he can try to issue an order to a different unit.
The player continues issuing orders and moving his units until he no longer wishes to move or until he can issue no more orders. It is possible to fail to issue any orders at all during a Command phase, although this happens rarely. More commonly, a player might manage to move only one or two units before a dice roll ends movement. This represents the confusion of battle, the indecisiveness of unit leaders, occasional stupidity and all those other annoying things that bedevil the process of waging war.
Command Penalties
Circumstances can sometimes make it harder to issue an order. For example, a unit might be a far distant speck on the horizon or it might be obscured within dense terrain. All of these things make it harder for the character to identify what is going on and less likely that an effective order will be formulated or received. To represent this, we apply the following penalties:
-
If the distance between the character and the unit you wish to move is more than 20cm, the character suffers a Command penalty of -1 per full 20cm of distance. When measuring distances between characters and units in this way, measure the shortest distance between them.
Distance to Unit Command Penalty Up to 20cm none Up to 40cm -1 Up to 60cm -2 Up to 80cm -3 per +20cm minus a further 1 -
If a unit has already been issued an order during the Command phase then there is a Command penalty of -1 each time the character gives it a further order. This accounts for fatigue and the limits of time, so a unit which has already moved several times is harder to move again. This penalty is cumulative, so a unit's second order is at -1, its third order is at -2 and so on.
Order Command Penalty First None Second -1 Third -2 Fourth -3 Each additional minus a further 1 -
If the distance between the unit you wish to move and the closest enemy unit is 20cm or less, there is a Command penalty of -1. Units close to the enemy are naturally inclined to use their initiative to react, so it is harder to give them a specific order.
Closest Enemy Command Penalty Up to 20cm -1 More than 20cm none -
If the unit you want to move is in dense terrain then there is a Command penalty of -1. The penalty applies if at least one stand is even partially within dense terrain. Typical dense terrain features are woods, in and around buildings, ruins and such like but see the Movement section for more about dense terrain.
Dense Terrain Command Penalty Within feature -1 Example: a General (Command value 9) wishes to order a unit of infantry to move forward. The unit is 25cm distant (-1 distance penalty) and within a wood (-1 dense terrain penalty). The player therefore requires a dice roll of 7 or less to successfully issue an order.
-
If the unit has lost one or more stands as casualties then there is a Command penalty of -1 per stand lost. Units which have suffered casualties are harder to motivate than fresh units.
Casualties Command Penalty Each Stand -1
Example: The General has a Command value of 9. He has already moved his cavalry forward once. Now he wishes to move them again, hoping to capture a village that lies on the enemy's flank. The cavalry are 65cm away and have already moved once, which means a whopping -4 Command penalty (-1 per 20cm and -1 for the second move). The player will have to roll 5 or less to give the unit an order. He knows this is unlikely but decides to take the risk anyway as he considers the village an important objective. He rolls 2D6 and scores 4... success! The player moves the cavalry into their new position. Next, he attempts to give orders to a unit of infantry 10cm away. Although he only needs 9 or less, this time he is unlucky and rolls a 10. The unit does not move.
Charge!
A move which brings a unit into combat with the enemy is called a charge. A charge does not imply that the unit concerned covers the whole distance at a mad gallop but, nonetheless, we will use this word as a convenient and dramatic term to describe a move into confrontation.
Once it has charged, a unit cannot receive any further orders that turn. It is committed to battle and must fight in the ensuing Combat phase. See the Combat phase section for further explanation.
Brigades
In order to save time, it is permitted for an order to be issued to up to four adjacent units simultaneously. This means that fewer tests need to be taken to issue orders to the entire army and ensures that units move at the same time, maintaining a coherent battle plan. If you find this a bit confusing, don't worry. You can safely ignore the Brigade rules for your first few games. Later on, once you've got the hang of other aspects of the game, you can have a go at giving orders in this way.
A brigade consists of up to four units arranged so that they touch, forming a single body. Units comprising a brigade at the start of the ordered movement part of the Command phase can be given a single order and are moved together as a body. Once it has moved, the brigade can be given further orders if required, potentially moving several times in just the same way as individual units.
Bear in mind that it is not obligatory to move units as a brigade simply because they happen to be touching at the start of the Command phase. A brigade is not a formal division of the army but a convenient ad hoc formation that can be changed from one turn to the next. Units formed up together can be given separate orders if you prefer, or two or three units can be divided from a larger formation and treated as a completely separate brigade. It is really up to you whether you choose to move touching units as a brigade or not.
To give orders to a brigade, measure to the most distant unit in the brigade and take one test. Remember to apply the -1 penalty if any units in the brigade are within 20cm of the enemy, in dense terrain, if the brigade has moved before or if any units have lost casualties. Don't apply any penalties more than once (if two units are in dense terrain for example) and in the case of casualties apply the penalty for the unit which has lost the most stands. If your test is successful, the entire brigade is in receipt of an order, whereas if you fail, it is not and the whole brigade does not move.
Assuming an order is successfully issued, the brigade can move. Except when units wish to charge, brigades move as a body, with each unit remaining in touch with the brigade as a whole.
Individual units in the brigade can change their relative positions but must still form a brigade once its move is complete. Individual units in the brigade can change formation as they move. No stand in any unit in the brigade may move further than its permitted move distance.
Conceivably, some units in a brigade might wish to charge enemy whilst others do not. Any units in a brigade that wish to charge do not have to remain in touch with the rest of the brigade as a whole. Even though a single brigade order has been issued, individual units can always charge. They do so individually, one at a time, exactly as if they had been issued separate orders. Units which do not charge still have to end their move touching.
Once a brigade has moved, the player may not want to move the whole brigade again but might wish to move an individual unit or subset of touching units. Alternatively, he may wish to divide the brigade into two and move it in two different directions. To do this, the player must issue a separate order to each unit or sub-brigade. The individual units or sub-sets will carry over any Command penalty for a second or subsequent move.
Once a brigade has moved, the player must finish moving all the units in the original brigade before he moves other units. If he divides a brigade into two (say A and B), he must complete the movement of each subset in turn before moving anything else (so he must finish moving group A, then group B and then he can move other units in the army).
Brigades cannot use initiative as a body. Units using initiative must be moved at the start of the Command phase in the usual way.
During a battle, units may be moved into touch to form a new brigade. However, a brigade cannot be formed and subsequently moved in the same Command phase. Units must be in a brigade at the start of the ordered movement part of the Command phase to move as a brigade.
Movement
Movement at a Glance
Distance
- Units move in the Command phase either by initiative or if they receive orders.
- Units receiving one order after another are able to move several times during the Command phase.
Movement Chart
| Types | Full Pace | Half Pace |
|---|---|---|
| Infantry | 20cm | 10cm |
| Cavalry | 30cm | 15cm |
| Chariots | 30cm | 15cm |
| Artillery | 10cm | 5cm |
| Monsters | 20cm | 10cm |
| Machines | Move distances vary | Move distances vary |
| Flying Units | 100cm | 100cm |
| Characters | 60cm | 60cm |
- Charging units and evading units move at up to full pace. Regular formations of columns and units in a straight line move at up to full pace unless fortified. Fortified units and units in an irregular formation move at up to half pace.
Terrain
- Infantry can move into any terrain.
- Cavalry and monsters cannot move into or over terrain features other than hills, bridges, shallow fordable rivers and low obstacles.
- Chariots, artillery and machines (in general) cannot move into or over terrain features other than hills and bridges.
Initiative
- A unit within 20cm of enemy can use its initiative to move.
- A unit using its initiative must either charge or evade the closest enemy unit.
- A unit cannot use its initiative and be given orders in the same turn.
Generals, Wizards & Heroes
- Characters move once after the Command phase and can move up to 60cm.
- Characters do not need an order to move.
- Characters treat terrain in the same way as infantry.
Movement
Units move when given an order as explained in the Command section or by using their initiative as explained later in this section. The distance a unit can move depends upon its troop type and formation. Some troops are naturally faster than others, cavalry are faster than infantry for example. Also, troops arranged in a regular formation are able to move more quickly than units in an irregular formation.
Movement distances
Broadly speaking, infantry units and monsters move up to 20cm at a time, cavalry and chariots move 30cm and artillery, such as stone throwers and cannons, move 10cm. Flying troops can move up to 100cm but their movement is governed by special rules, as described later. The chart above gives the full pace move distances for each troop type plus the half pace movement. In each case, distances are maximums and the player can move the unit a shorter distance if he wishes.
You'll find a few exceptions to these moves in the army lists later in the book but for now we don't need to worry about these oddities.
Formation & Movement
Units must be arranged in formation, by which we mean that all stands in the unit must touch at least one other stand in the unit. Players can arrange the stands as they want so long as they touch either along an edge or at a point.
- Units charging or evading can move up to full pace regardless of their formation. Charging is discussed in detail in the Combat phase section and evading is described later in this section under Moving By Initiative.
- All units wholly or partially in a fortified position at the start of their movement can only move at half pace regardless of their formation unless they are charging or evading, in which case they move at full pace as noted above. We'll be introducing further rules for fortified troops in the Combat phase section.
- Units arranged in a column with stands placed one behind the other can move at full pace unless in a fortified position as noted above. Units in a column are said to be in a regular formation.
- Units arranged in a straight line with all their stands facing in the same direction and butted edge-to-edge move at full pace unless in a fortified position, as noted earlier. Units in a line are said to be in a regular formation.
- All units in other formations or circumstances move at half pace. For example, infantry are able to move up to 10cm, cavalry up to 15cm and so on. This represents the fact that the unit is out of regular formation and that it is necessary to regroup in order to move. For convenience, we refer to all these formations as irregular. Note that the only situation where an irregular formation moves at full pace is when it charges.
- In some circumstances, units move a distance determined by rolling dice or by the results of combat (such as drive backs, retreat moves and advances). These distances are not affected by the unit's formation.
Moving the stands
As a unit moves, you can rearrange its stands as you wish. Stands must remain touching but can be turned round or arranged into a line, column or an irregular formation. However, no individual stand can move further than its permitted maximum move distance as it does so.
When moving a unit, no stand can move through another stand of the same or a different unit. The exception to this is when a unit bursts through another during an evade as described later. Units can always move through characters as described in the Generals, Wizards & Heroes section.
Terrain
Later on we'll discuss ways that you can make woods, rivers, hills and other such terrain features for your battlefield. For now, it is enough to know that these features radically affect strategy, providing strong points to defend as well as obstructions to movement.
Infantry can move into or over terrain features with no reduction to their movement distance.
Cavalry and monsters can't move into or over terrain features on the battlefield except for hills, bridges, shallow fordable rivers and low obstacles (hedges, walls, fences or ditches, for example).
Chariots and artillery cannot move into or over terrain features on the battlefield except for hills and bridges.
Machines have special rules but in general treat terrain in the same way as chariots.
Any other feature large enough to warrant representation on the tabletop is considered to form a barrier to cavalry, chariot, monster, machine and artillery movement (unless players choose to agree otherwise before the game).
Hills can be moved over by all troops if they are essentially open and quite shallow but steep, rock strewn or wooded hills are considered impenetrable to all units except infantry.
In some exceptional cases, terrain might be considered a barrier to all troops, including infantry as well as cavalry, etc. Obvious examples include a huge canyon, a lake of molten lava, the ocean or an especially large river. These are unusual and entertaining features but don't really enter into the majority of games, so we won't concern ourselves with them any further. If you refer to the To Arms! section you'll find further examples of rules for unusual terrain.
Rules occasionally oblige units to move into terrain they cannot cross. If units attempt to move into terrain they cannot cross they will halt at the edge. If they are driven back into impassable terrain as a result of shooting or magic, they may become confused (see the Shooting phase section and the Confusion section). If a unit is forced to retreat into impassable terrain during combat then it is destroyed (see the Combat phase section).
Fortifications and buildings
High walls, tall towers and large buildings block movement as you might reasonably expect. In these cases, troops must move through gateways or gaps. The exception to this is flying troops and this is covered in detail in the section on Flying Units.
The only time when ground troops can move across an intact curtain wall, tower or similar fortification is when infantry are making an assault as described in the Sieges & Fortresses section. Assaulting troops come prepared with scaling ladders, grappling hooks, siege towers and a hefty dose of grim determination.
Moving by Initiative
The initiative rule represents the ability of a unit's commanding officer to lead his troops to the attack or guide them away from danger. Once the enemy is close, a regiment's training and natural instincts pretty much determine what happens next, regardless of what the General might prefer. At the start of the Command phase if a unit can see an enemy unit within 20cm the player has the option of either using the unit's own initiative to move, or issuing the unit an order to move as usual. The choice is the player's in most cases, exceptions are covered in the Army Lists.
A unit is assumed to be able to see another if it is possible to draw an uninterrupted line of sight between the front edge of any stand and any stand in the other unit. It is not possible to see through unit stands from either side, or terrain other than low features such as low obstacles, rivers/streams etc. Characters never block line of sight (see the Generals, Wizards and Heroes section).
Individual units that wish to move by initiative must move before any orders are issued. Once an order has been given by a character, no more units can move using initiative. A unit that used initiative to move can't be given orders that turn.
A unit moving by initiative can move in one of two ways. It can charge the closest enemy unit that it can see within 20cm or it can evade away from the closest enemy unit that it can see within 20cm. If you want a unit to do something else, such as move around a flank or attack an enemy other than the closest, then you will have to issue an order instead.
Units moving by initiative are moved one at a time. The movement of a unit may block the line of sight of others making it impossible for them to use initiative or affecting which visible enemy unit is nearest.
If two or more enemy units are equally close a player may choose which to charge or evade. Refer to the Combat phase section for rules for charges.
Artillery cannot use their initiative to charge, although they can use it to evade. The crews of artillery, such as cannons or stone throwers have no natural inclination and little ability to fight in close combat.
The path of evaders
When troops evade, they move directly away from the closest enemy they can see up to their full pace move. When we say 'directly away' or, for that matter, 'directly towards', the direction is established by placing a tape measure between the closest points of the closest two opposing stands. Where stands are equally close, the evading player may choose between them. The resulting line indicates the exact direction in which the evaders move.
Move the closest evading stand in a straight line in this direction then pivot it to face in any direction that you want. Finally, rearrange the remaining stands into formation around the first. Remaining stands cannot be placed closer to the evaded unit than the first. These remaining stands can be moved further than their full pace move where required and can change their relative position in the unit as they evade.
When units evade in this way, their path is determined by the movement of the first stand and the final position of the unit as a whole. We assume that the remaining stands follow the same path as the first, rather than necessarily moving alongside each other as a body.
Evading units cannot move through terrain they could not normally enter nor through enemy units or combat engagements. An evading unit must end its move at least 1cm from any enemy unit.
An evading unit can move through a friendly unengaged unit if the player wishes assuming the evaders have sufficient move to pass completely through. This is called a burst through and is an exception to the normal rule that stands can't move through each other. The burst through represents a situation where trained troops in good order manoeuvre through each other, one unit opening up its ranks to allow the other to pass. This obviously takes time, so a unit which is burst through is automatically confused! See the Confusion section.
Character Movement
Characters move at the end of the Command phase after unit movement has been completed. Characters never move with units during the Command phase, not even if a character joined a unit in a previous turn or if such a unit charges or evades using initiative. When units are repositioned during other phases, during pursuit combat for example, characters which have joined units are moved with them.
Each character can move once and up to 60cm, or 100cm if flying. Characters can always move at full pace and, unless mounted on a flying creature or riding a chariot, always treat terrain as if they were infantry. No Command test is required for a character to move. Any failed Order rolls made in the Command phase do not affect his ability to move.
Due to their unique role in Warmaster, characters are treated differently to other types of units. Character stands are essentially 'tokens' that are considered to be 'transparent' on the battlefield. In other words, this means they can move through units from their own side, and similarly, a unit can move through its own side's characters. All stands from either side can see past and, if they are appropriately armed, can shoot through characters as if they were not there. See the Generals, Wizards and Heroes section.
Units Which Move Off the Table
Sometimes units or characters are obliged to move off the table. This can happen when a unit receives a 'blundered' order but can also happen to units that are defeated in combat or troops driven back by missile fire.
If one or more stands in a unit leaves the table edge, whether wholly or partially and for whatever reason, roll a D6 and then consult the Left the Battle table below to see what happens. Deduct -1 from the roll for each of the unit's stands that has already been removed as a casualty.
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 0 or less | The unit/character leaves the battlefield and does not return. The unit/character is considered to have been destroyed. |
| 1-2 | The unit/character leaves the battlefield and may or may not reappear. At the start of its side's next turn, before initiative moves are made, roll again on this chart. |
| 3-4 | The unit/character is placed at the table edge where it left. The unit/character cannot move further that turn. |
| 5-6 | The unit/character reappears at the table edge it left from. If it is reappearing at the beginning of a turn, it may move as normal. |
Characters who move off the table with units they have joined suffer the same fate as the unit. Characters who are on their own must roll in the unlikely event that they leave the table.
If a General leaves the table and does not return immediately then the battle is over and the army withdraws. He abandons his army and heads for the hills and is considered to be a casualty. See the End of the Battle section.
Shooting
Shooting at a Glance
Targets
- Units shoot once per turn at the closest enemy unit.
Range
- Most missile armed troops can shoot at enemy up to 30cm away.
Attacks
- Total the Attack value for the shooting unit.
- Roll the number of dice indicated.
- Rolls of 4+ score hits. Rolls of 5+ are needed to score hits on a defended target. Rolls of 6+ are needed to score hits on a fortified target.
- Roll an Armour save for each hit scored.
- Record final hits scored.
- Remove stands where sufficient hits are scored.
Drive Back
- Roll a dice for each hit taken, rolling 1 less dice for defended units and 2 less dice for fortified units.
- Add the dice scores together and drive back the target unit by this distance.
- If any drive back dice roll 6s, the unit becomes confused.
- Units driven into enemy units, engaged units or friends who do not make way become confused.
- Units driven into impassable terrain or into friends who do make way are confused on the roll of a 6.
- Friendly units making way for driven back units are confused on the roll of a 6.
- A unit driven back further than its full pace move is destroyed.
Shooting at Chargers
- Hits inflicted on chargers carry over into the first combat round.
- Chargers cannot be driven back.
Disregard Odd Hits
- At the end of the Shooting phase any odd hits are disregarded.
The Shooting Phase
The effect of missile weapons is worked out in the Shooting phase. This includes missile fire from troops armed with bows, crossbows and similar weapons as well as long ranged artillery bombardment from weapons such as cannons and stone throwing engines. Some magic attacks also happen in this phase, such as Balls of Flame or Death Bolts hurled by sorcerers.
Attack value
Troops that carry missile weapons such as bows, crossbows and handguns have a separate Attack value. This is expressed as a number following a slash, thus: 3/1, where 3 is the Attack value in close combat and 1 is the Attack value for shooting.
Targets
Units equipped with missile weapons can shoot once in their turn if they are in range of a suitable target they can see. Units engaged in combat cannot shoot other than to shoot at units that have charged them, as described later.
A unit automatically shoots at the closest enemy unit it can see. All stands shoot at the same target unit where possible. If two visible enemy units are equally close, the player may choose which to shoot at. If it's impossible for every stand to shoot at the same enemy unit then shooting can be divided stand by stand, though this tends to be ineffective.
A stand must be able to see its target to shoot at it. It is assumed to be able to see if an unobscured line of sight can be drawn from its front base edge to the target's base. Sight is obscured by interposing terrain (other than low terrain features such as low obstacles, streams/rivers, marshes), other units, other stands from the shooting unit or any features that, in reality, would make it impractical to see or shoot.
Stands inside a wood are assumed to be able to see up to 1cm. Stands within 1cm of a wood's edge are assumed to be able to see outside the wood. Likewise, stands outside the wood can see stands positioned up to 1cm within it. This makes it possible for archers to line up at the edge of the wood and shoot out without exposing themselves to a charge from cavalry, chariots or other enemy for whom the wood is impassable.
Enemy units in combat are judged to be intermingled with their opponents and don't therefore present a clear visible target to missile fire. They are consequently ignored as potential targets.
If a player wishes a unit to shoot from its rear base edge then stands must be pivoted 180° so that they can see the target. This happens automatically. Stands cannot pivot to their sides to shoot. A few troops are able to see to shoot all round without turning, as described in the Army Lists section.
Range
Most troops have a range of 30cm with their weapons regardless of whether they carry bows, crossbows or whatever. The range represents the tactical area over which the unit operates rather than the literal distance a weapon can shoot and most missile weapons are comparable in this respect. Of course, many artillery pieces can shoot a large boulder, cannon ball or some such missile quite a good distance because their tactical role is to provide long ranged bombardment. In these cases, special rules apply as we shall see later. Various rules for specific weapons are also noted in the Army Lists section.
The distance between units is measured stand by stand. An individual stand must be in range in order to shoot. This may result in some stands being within range whilst others are out, even though they are in the same unit.
How to Calculate Casualties
To work out the effect of missile fire, begin by adding up the unit's total Attack value. For example, a unit of three stands, each with an Attack value of 2, will have a total value of 6. The total Attack value is the number of dice rolled to determine how many hits are scored on the target. The minimum dice roll required for a hit is normally 4 or more. So, eight dice rolls of 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6 and 6 equals four hits on the target.
In practice, players may find it convenient to resolve shooting attacks from several units at once if they are firing at the same target. This is perfectly acceptable and saves time rolling several batches of dice. Just add up the total number of dice rolls from all the units shooting and roll all the dice at once.
It is harder to score a hit on a target if it is in a defended or fortified position. In cases where some stands from a unit are so protected whilst others are not, shooters will always target the least protected stands so long as they are able to see them and are within range, even though other stands may be closer. Unprotected stands must be removed as casualties first. In cases where casualties are likely to result in the removal of whole stands, it will be necessary to break the dice rolling into batches so that the appropriate penalty can be applied once all exposed stands are destroyed. The full definitions and further rules for troops in defended and fortified positions are discussed in the Combat phase section.
The chart below shows the scores needed to hit.
Scores to Hit
| Target | Score Needed |
|---|---|
| All targets, except as noted below | 4, 5 or 6 |
| Infantry/artillery target in defended position | 5 or 6 |
| Infantry/artillery target in fortified position | 6 |
Armour
If a target unit has armour then the number of hits scored by shooters may be potentially reduced. The target's Armour value is expressed as a number 6+, 5+, 4+ or 3+, indicating the minimum dice score required to nullify a hit. Roll one dice for each hit scored on the unit. Any dice that scores equal to or more than the Armour value of the unit will nullify or 'save' one hit. Hits nullified in this way are ignored — they are not struck on the target and no further account is taken of them. For example, a unit of Empire Knights (Armour 4+) is shot at by two units of archers which score four hits. Four dice are rolled for Armour (one dice per hit) scoring 2, 4, 5 and 6. As any score of 4 or more equals a 'save', 3 hits are nullified and the Knights suffer only one hit.
Removing Casualties
Units can sustain a number of hits before a stand is destroyed and this number varies depending upon how tough and how determined the target is. Men have a value of 3, for example, whilst dour, stubborn-minded Dwarfs have a value of 4. Once a unit has taken a number of hits equal to its Hits value, remove a stand immediately. If the unit takes insufficient hits to destroy a stand, or if it suffers enough to remove a stand with some remaining, record any hits left over. This is most easily done by placing a distinctively coloured dice directly behind the unit so that it shows the number of hits the unit has taken.
If a unit is shot at by several enemies during the Shooting phase it may take further hits and the total may mount up. Remove stands as casualties occur and record any hits left over as appropriate. Once the Shooting phase is over, any odd hits are discounted. Hits are not recorded from one phase to another or from one turn to the next. We assume that the regiment regroups while lightly wounded or disaffected warriors are brought back into the fighting ranks. Although this means that it is quite difficult to inflict casualties by shooting, missile fire can be used to drive back enemy units, as follows.
Driving Back Enemies
At the end of the Shooting phase, units that have taken hits during the phase are driven back by the hail of missiles. This can be thought of as an orderly retreat under fire or as out-and-out flight followed by a swift rally, depending on the distance involved. The more hits a unit suffers, the further it is likely to be driven back. Work out how far units are driven back once all shooting is complete but before disregarding odd hits at the end of the Shooting phase. The player whose units are being driven back can decide the order in which drive backs are resolved.
To determine how far units are driven back, the opposing player rolls one dice for each hit suffered. Don't forget to include hits from any stands that have been removed during the phase. Add up the total of all the dice to find how far the unit is driven back. For example, a unit taking two hits rolls two dice scoring 3 and 4, resulting in the unit being driven back 7cm.
Defended units roll one less dice for working out drive backs. One hit, therefore, cannot cause a drive back, two hits roll 1 dice, three roll 2 dice and so on.
Fortified units roll two less dice for working out drive backs. Therefore, one or two hits cannot cause a drive back, three hits roll 1 dice, four roll 2 dice and so on.
Units driven back move directly away from the closest unit that shot at them (the driving unit). The path taken is determined in the same way as for evading troops. Place a tape measure between the closest points of the closest stands and move the first driven back stand back along this line. Remaining stands move back along the same path into a suitable formation but cannot be placed closer to the driving unit than the first stand. This enables a unit that is driven back to rearrange its formation as it retires. Note that the actual drive back measurement is made from the closest driven back stand and other stands may retire further than the drive back distance rolled.
Example: A unit of men takes 5 hits from shooting, enough to remove one stand, with 2 hits remaining. The stand is removed immediately. Once the Shooting phase is complete, the player rolls to determine how far the unit is driven back. Five dice are rolled (1 dice per hit), scoring 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 = 15. The unit is therefore driven back 15cm. At the end of the Shooting phase the remaining hits are disregarded.
Units confused during drive backs
Units that have been driven back may become confused amidst the turmoil of a disorderly recoil. This is a marked disadvantage because it means that units will be unable to move in their following turn.
When you roll for drive back distances, any dice roll of a 6 means that the unit becomes confused.
Units may also become confused if they are driven back into terrain which they can't enter or if they are driven back into other units, whether they are friend or foe.
See the section on Confusion for full rules.
Units routed by drive backs
A unit driven back a distance greater than its full pace move is automatically routed and destroyed. We assume that the unit has scattered beyond recovery, its troops having abandoned their weapons and fled or retired from the battlefield in sorrowful dribs and drabs. The unit is not moved and is removed immediately.
This happens very rarely because most units taking large numbers of hits will be destroyed anyway but it is very spectacular when it does! It is also a useful way of disposing of large, unfriendly creatures which have many wounds and are otherwise difficult to slay.
Shooting at Charging Enemy
Stands capable of shooting (including artillery, appropriate monsters and machines) can shoot at enemy units charging their unit assuming that they can see them.
This represents the unit pelting the enemy with missiles as they approach, perhaps at the very last moment but possibly as part of a fighting withdrawal by parties posted ahead of the unit's main body. Shooting in this way forms an exception to the normal turn sequence because it happens in the enemy's turn and is worked out before the first combat round is fought. Shooters are able to fire at any convenient point as their enemies close in, to ensure that their missile fire achieves the maximum effect but they must be able to see their target at the point when they fire.
Any hits inflicted on the enemy unit carry over into the combat and count as having been struck in the first round. So, if an archer unit inflicts two hits on a unit of charging Knights, the Knights start the combat with two hits outstanding. If four hits are inflicted, one stand is removed as a casualty, one hit remains outstanding and all four hits count against the Knights in the first round of combat.
Units which shoot at charging enemies don't cause drive backs. This is partly for convenience, as the game would quickly become very cluttered otherwise but it also reflects the ability of troops to stoically advance under fire once they have the enemy in their sight. Any loss of enthusiasm is taken into account by carrying the casualties inflicted by the shooters into the combat result for the first round of fighting.
If a missile armed unit is charged by two different enemy units, one after the other, then it can potentially shoot twice — once at the first chargers and once at the second. However, when shooting at a second charger (or, for that matter, any subsequent charger), only stands which are not already touching enemy can shoot. Remember that stands touching corner-to-corner are still considered to be touching for purposes of fighting combat and so are not free to shoot in this way.
The Role of Missile Troops
You may have realised by now that missile fire isn't a terribly effective way of destroying enemy units. The number of hits inflicted will probably be insufficient to remove a stand and any odd hits are always discounted at the end of the phase. The most effective way to employ missile fire is to coordinate attacks from several units at once.
However, shooting is a very effective way of pinning down enemy troops and driving them from strongly defended positions. Good generals will recognise these qualities immediately, for they are an important means of controlling the battlefield and frustrating your enemy's plans.
Combat
Combat Phase at a Glance
- Attack — Roll and record hits.
- Result — Compare hits scored.
- Draw — Both sides retreat.
- Win — Loser retreats. Winner stands, pursues/advances or falls back.
- Pursuit — Fight a further round of combat.
Combat Engagement
- Interlinked units form a single combat engagement. Work out results for each engagement separately.
Attacks
- Total the Attack value for each unit.
- Roll the number of dice indicated.
- Rolls of 4+ score hits. Rolls of 5+ are needed to score hits on a defended target. Rolls of 6+ are needed to score hits on a fortified target.
- Make Armour rolls and discount saved hits.
- Record hits scored.
- Remove stands where sufficient hits are scored.
Results
-
Compare the hits scored by each side.
-
Add +1 per supporting stand.
Draw! Both sides score the same hits. Both sides fall back from 1cm to 3D6cm except for defended or fortified units. Combat ends.
Win! One side scores more hits. Losers retreat by the difference (divided by number of units in multiple combats). Winners fall back, stand or pursue/advance. If winners fall back or stand, the combat ends. If winners pursue, fight a further round.
Pursuit/Advance
- Infantry never pursue retreating cavalry or chariots.
- Artillery never pursue. If forced to retreat they are destroyed.
- Fortified troops never pursue.
- Victors cannot pursue into terrain they cannot enter or cross.
- Advancing units charge nearest visible enemy unit within 20cm/10cm.
Attack Modifiers
| Modifier | Value |
|---|---|
| Charging against enemy in the open | +1 |
| Monster/chariot charging enemy in the open | +1 |
| Pursuit attack | +1 |
| Extra pursuit attack (per 3cm) | +1 |
| Fighting terrifying enemy | -1 |
| Enemy facing own side or rear | -1 |
| Confused | -1 |
End of Combat
- At the end of the Combat phase any odd hits are disregarded.
- Units can reform.
The Combat Phase
In the Combat phase work out the fighting for each combat engagement. You must work out the result for each engagement before going on to the next. Work out each in the following combat sequence:
- Attacks — Work out all the attacks for both sides. Note any hits taken by each unit.
- Results — If one side scores more hits than the other, or destroys it completely, it wins. If both sides score the same number of hits the engagement is a draw.
- Draw — Both sides fall back and the combat engagement ends.
- Win — The loser retreats. The winner can fall back, stand or pursue the retreating enemy. If the winner stands or falls back the combat engagement ends. If the enemy are destroyed, winners can advance into a further engagement, fall back or stand.
- Pursuit — If the winner pursues, a further round of pursuit combat is fought. Both sides attack and work out results as before. Fighting continues until one side is destroyed, until the winners stand or fall back, or until the combat result is a draw.
Combat represents close quarter fighting between enemies whether it is continuous hand-to-hand combat, very short-range missile fire or a combination of both. In some cases we might imagine units clashing repeatedly for brief periods which are punctuated by momentary pauses in which the combatants gather their energy. This is especially likely when fighting over broken ground such as woods or amongst ruins or when troops are assaulting fortifications. In any case, all close quarter fighting is represented by means of the rules in this section.
Combat Engagement
Units can move into contact with enemy units during their Command phase either by means of an order or by using their initiative. Units using their initiative must always move against the nearest enemy they can see. Units acting on an order can move against any enemy within reach and which they can see. In both cases, the move is referred to as a charge. Once units are touching an enemy unit they are said to be engaged in combat.
A combat engagement can sometimes involve several units on one or both sides. All interlinked units are considered to be fighting in the same engagement.
Moving Chargers
Sequence of charges
The term 'charge' describes a unit's movement into contact with an enemy unit. Units which move by initiative are moved before units which move by orders but, apart from this, there is no obligation to move charging units in any particular order. Charges occur throughout the Command phase as units move against enemy units. There is no need for a player to announce that a unit is charging before he moves it or to declare that a charge is intended. Players are free to measure before moving to determine whether a charge is possible.
Enemy in sight
A unit can only charge an enemy that it can see at the start of its move. It is possible for one unit's charge to subsequently block the line of sight of another, making it impossible for that second unit to charge even though its target was visible at the start of the Command phase. It may also be possible that a unit's charge clears the line of sight for another. This is why a charging unit must be able to see its target at the start of its move, so it is always well worth bearing this in mind when deciding which units to move first.
A unit is assumed to be able to see an enemy if it is possible to draw an uninterrupted line of sight from the front edge of any stand to any edge of any stand in the enemy unit. All other units, friend or foe, block the line of sight as does terrain, other than low features such as low obstacles, rivers/streams, marshes etc. Characters never block a unit's line of sight, as explained in the Generals, Wizards and Heroes section.
The charge
Before moving the charging unit, determine which stand is closest to the enemy unit that is to be charged. A stand which can't see the enemy or which can't reach the enemy, for whatever reason, is ignored in favour of one that can. Where impenetrable terrain or other units block the shortest path to the enemy then measure the actual route to be taken to determine which stand is closest and whether it can reach. If you really can't tell which stand is closest, if several are equally near for instance, the player making the charge nominates one of them as the 'closest'. Move the closest charging stand into contact with the closest visible enemy stand. Place the front edge of the charging stand centre-to-centre against the nearest edge of the enemy stand.
Where the corner of an enemy stand is the closest point then chargers will move to the edge indicated by the balance of the charging unit's frontage. If more of the charging unit lies to the left of the shortest line between the two units then it will favour the left-most edge, if more lies to the right it favours the right. If it is impossible to tell which way to go because the balance is exactly equal then the charger may choose.
Enemy stands or stand edges which cannot be seen or which are inaccessible, for example because they lie against impassable terrain such as marshes or rivers, are always ignored when working out where to position chargers.
Once you have placed the first charging stand, move the rest of the unit to accompany it. You must place each of the remaining stands with its front edge flush to the contacted edge of the charged unit and each charging stand must touch along the entire width of its front edge where possible. If it is impossible to place a charging stand with its front edge in complete contact with the enemy, it is acceptable to place the stand so that its front edge touches partially or corner-to-corner. In these cases the charger must position the stand so that as much base front touches the enemy as possible.
In some cases, you may find that charging stands come into contact with a second enemy unit positioned alongside the first. This second unit also counts as having been 'charged' and is drawn into the combat engagement. The obligation for chargers to contact along their entire base extends to additional enemy units alongside the target and tends to result in more units being drawn into an engagement.
Occasionally you may find that it is impossible to align the first charging stand to the centre of the closest enemy stand/edge because the edge is partially covered, for example by another stand or by terrain. In this situation, the charger is placed as closely as possible.
When positioning chargers, no individual stand may move further than its permitted maximum move distance. If individual charging stands do not have sufficient movement distance to reach the enemy or if there is insufficient space to position them, as described, because of impenetrable terrain or the proximity of other stands, they must be placed behind other stands in their unit or staggered slightly rearwards so that they remain part of their unit.
As described above, all charging stands must be positioned flush to the charged edge of the enemy unit — for example, if a charge is launched against the enemy's front, all your stands must be placed against the front, if attacking in the side you are not allowed to move round to the front or rear, etc. A charging unit cannot lap stands round the enemy's formation. Later, we'll describe how stands can move round and surround an enemy once combat is underway (see Pursuit).
Occasionally, it will be impossible to position chargers exactly as described because the enemy line is not straight. In this case, chargers are arranged along the enemy formation so that individual stands touch both their own unit and their enemy. The routine is to place the first charging stand in the usual manner. Remaining stands are then placed by the charger so that they remain in touch with their own unit and contact the enemy either frontally or at a front corner.
Corner-to-corner contact is common when cavalry units of three stands charge individual infantry stands in the side edge, in which case all three cavalry stands are in contact because one stand is flush whilst the adjoining stands are touching corner-to-corner.
Moving chargers from brigades
Up to four units that are touching when orders are issued can be given a single order and moved as a brigade (see the Command phase section).
Normally, a group of units given a brigade order must move as a body (ie, they have to be touching once they have moved). However, a unit which charges will automatically separate from its brigade. The unit does not have to be given an individual order to do so; the order already issued to the brigade allows any or all units to charge. The entire brigade does not have to charge just because one unit does so. Charges must be worked out one unit at a time, as the movement of one may block or open the path for others. The player may decide the order in which units will charge.
The reason why chargers are permitted to separate in this way is that it is often impossible for units in a brigade to remain touching once they charge. The positioning of individual stands against enemy stands often obliges units to part, while gaps can appear if casualties are inflicted as a result of shooting. Allowing units to separate in this way may be thought of as representing the ability of individual unit leaders to identify and close with their adversaries once battle begins. Units which do not charge must still touch at the end of their move and must move into touch where gaps have appeared due to charges.
Attacks
Regardless of whose turn it is, all units which are engaged in combat can fight in the Combat phase. Work out one engagement at a time. The player whose turn it is nominates which engagements to fight first.
If at the end of an engagement a victorious unit advances into another engagement or initiates a new engagement by advancing into a fresh enemy then work out that engagement next and include the advancing unit amongst those fighting (see Advance, below).
Attack value
All stands have an Attack value which determines how effective they are in combat. The higher the value, the better combatants fight. Some troops have two separate values separated by a slash. The first is used for close combat and the second for shooting.
Example: 3/1 — the first value (3) is the Close Combat Attack value, the second (1) is the Shooting Attack value.
Work out the attacks of one unit at a time. It is usual for the player whose turn it is to complete his attacks before his opponent as this 'feels right', especially where units charge dramatically into combat! Strictly speaking, it makes no difference who goes first as stands which fall casualty are allowed to fight back before they are removed.
Choose a unit to start with. Any stand touching an enemy unit can fight, even if stands are only touching corner-to-corner or at side or rear edges. A stand can strike against any one enemy stand it is touching. If a stand is touching two or more enemy units, the player can decide which to attack.
Attack Modifiers
The Attack value of a stand is modified by tactical factors as shown below. These represent different tactical situations by means of bonuses or penalties.
| Modifier | Value |
|---|---|
| Charging against enemy in the open | +1 |
| Monster/chariot charging against enemy in open | +1 |
| Pursuit attack | +1 |
| Pursuit attack per full 3cm | +1 |
| Fighting terrifying enemy | -1 |
| Enemy facing own side or rear | -1 |
| Confused | -1 |
Charging against enemy in the open
This bonus applies to all stands where a unit charges into combat. The bonus only applies in the first combat round of an engagement. The bonus does not apply if the enemy are not in the open, ie, when a stand is fighting against infantry or artillery in a defended or fortified position as described later.
Monster/chariot charging
This bonus is applied to Monster and Chariot stands charging in addition to the basic charging bonus. This means that Monsters and Chariots receive a total bonus of +2 when charging against enemy stands in the open.
Pursuit attack
This bonus applies to stands whose units won the previous round of combat and pursued their enemy. Pursuit bonuses only apply where a combat lasts over several rounds.
Pursuit attack per full 3cm
This bonus applies to stands whose units pursue enemy that have retreated by 3cm or more in the previous round. The bonus is added to the standard pursuit bonus. Each full 3cm that the enemy retreats adds a further +1. So a unit which forces its enemy to retreat 6cm gets a +1 pursuit bonus plus a further +1 for each full 3cm, making +3 in total.
Fighting terrifying enemy
This penalty applies to all individual stands which are touching at least one stand of terrifying enemy. Terrifying enemy include especially scary creatures such as massive Dragons. The penalty doesn't apply to units which are terrifying themselves… you can't terrify a terrifying creature! Creatures which terrorise their foes are indicated in the Army List section.
Enemy facing own side or rear
This penalty applies to individual stands which have an enemy stand's front edge or front corner touching their own side edge, rear edge or rear corner. Note that only enemy front edges and corners impose this penalty. Opposing stands touching side to side don't impose a mutual penalty for example.
Confused
This penalty applies to all stands in a confused unit. Units can become confused as a result of missile fire or by moving into other friendly units or impassable terrain. See the section on Confusion.
How to Calculate Damage
To work out the damage inflicted by a unit in combat, begin by adding up the total Attack value of its fighting stands. For example, a unit of three stands each with an Attack value of 3 has a total value of 9.
The total Attack value is the number of dice rolled to determine how many hits are scored on the enemy. The minimum dice roll required for a hit is normally four. So, eight dice rolls of 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6 and 6 equal four hits on the enemy.
If enemies are in defended or fortified positions, the roll needed to hit will be 5+ and 6 respectively. See Defended & Fortified Troops.
Armour
As already described for shooting, if a unit has armour then the number of hits scored by the enemy might be reduced. A unit's Armour value is expressed as a number: 6+, 5+, 4+ or 3+. This indicates the minimum dice score needed to nullify a hit. Roll one dice for each hit scored on the unit. Any dice that rolls equal to or more than the Armour value of the unit will nullify or 'save' one hit. Hits nullified in this way are ignored — they are not struck on the target and no further account is taken of them.
For example, a unit of Elven spearmen (Armour 5+) takes four hits. Four dice are rolled for Armour (one dice per hit) scoring 2, 3, 5 and 6. As any score of 5 or more equals a 'save', two hits are nullified and the Elves suffer only two hits as a result.
Casualties
A stand can take a number of hits before it is destroyed, as described in the Shooting phase section. This varies depending upon how tough and determined the unit is. Men have a value of 3, for example, whilst Dwarfs, an infuriatingly hardy folk, have a value of 4.
If a unit suffers a number of hits equal to its Hit value, the player removes a stand as a casualty. Stands are always removed from the edge of the unit's formation, never from the middle but otherwise the player can choose which stands to remove. Stands which are not touching an enemy can be removed, in which case it is assumed that casualties occur at the front and warriors press forward to take the place of fallen comrades. You'll find that it is easier to remember how many hits have been scored if stands are not actually removed until both sides have finished attacking, in the meantime 'deadies' can be turned round or flipped over.
Where a unit takes too few hits to destroy a stand or if it suffers enough to remove a stand with some remaining, record any outstanding hits. This is most easily done by placing a distinctively coloured dice directly behind the unit to show the number of hits it has taken. If combats involve several units on each side, it is advisable to use a notepad and paper to keep a record of casualties. Alternatively, you can devise suitable markers or simply remember, whatever you find the most convenient.
Hits inflicted are accumulated from round to round and into new combat engagements resulting from advances, see Advances.
Once the Combat phase is finished, any odd hits left over are disregarded. As with shooting, hits are not kept from one phase to the next, or from turn to turn. We assume that units regroup once fighting is finished and partially wounded or disaffected warriors return to the fighting ranks. This is not just done to save recording hits, it is an important consideration when deciding whether to fall back, stand or pursue a defeated enemy. A victorious but exhausted unit with several hits may prefer to fall back rather than risk losing a stand.
Combat Results
After units have attacked it is time to work out the result. If one side is destroyed then the combat is automatically won by the survivor, otherwise compare the number of hits inflicted by both sides. In cases where a unit has been struck with more hits than it can actually take (for example a unit with a total of nine hits might suffer twelve) then only count actual hits taken. Excess hits are ignored for purposes of working out combat results.
Hits Equal — Draw!
If both sides score the same number of hits, the result is a draw and both sides must fall back.
To find out how far a unit falls back, roll three dice. The unit can fall back up to the total score of the dice and must fall back by at least the score of the lowest scoring dice. For example, on a roll of 2, 4 and 6 the unit falls back between 2cm and 12cm. Once the combatants have disengaged the combat is over. See Fall Backs for more details.
The exception to the fall back rule is that defended or fortified units can stand their ground instead of falling back. Players may decide to fall back with such units if they prefer. See Defended and Fortified Troops for rules about fighting in defended and fortified positions.
One Side Scores More Hits — Win!
If one side scores more hits than the other, it wins the combat round. The loser must retreat 1cm for each hit taken in excess of hits inflicted. So if one side scores three hits and the other scores one hit, the second side loses by two and must retreat 2cm. See Retreats and Multiple Combats for further details about how to move retreating units.
If a unit wins, the player has a choice of what to do next. The victorious unit can fall back, stand its ground or pursue. If a unit destroys its enemy, it cannot pursue but can advance instead.
- Fall Back. The victorious unit falls back up to 3D6cm and must fall back by at least the score of the lowest scoring dice. The combat is over.
- Stand its Ground. The victorious unit remains where it is. The combat is over.
- Pursue. The victorious unit is moved back into contact and a further round of pursuit combat is fought in the same way as before. See Pursuit. Any hits already scored are carried over into the next pursuit round. Hits carried over don't count towards working out who wins the next round but they might result in the loss of stands due to cumulative damage. No charge bonus is awarded during a pursuit but there is a +1 bonus for pursuit itself and further bonuses for pursuing enemy that have retreated 3cm or more. If a defeated enemy infantry unit has been forced to retreat from a defended or fortified position then it is no longer defended or fortified.
- Advance. The victorious unit can advance once up to 20cm in the first round or 10cm in subsequent rounds to engage another enemy unit. See Enemy Destroyed.
Supporting Troops
It is possible to affect combat results by using adjacent infantry stands to support fighting infantry units. This represents the ability of a unit to threaten the enemy's flanks or to provide solidity through depth. Only infantry can support and be supported in this way.
To qualify as giving support, a stand must not be touching an enemy, the unit it belongs to must not be confused and it must be positioned either exactly behind or exactly beside a stand which is fighting and facing in the same direction. A supporting stand can be from the same unit as the fighting stand it supports or from a completely different unit.
Each friendly supporting stand in position once both sides have fought adds a +1 bonus 'hit' to the combat result of the supported side. Stands that fall casualty during the fighting cannot support or be supported. This can turn defeat into a draw or victory or increase the effect of a victory in an ensuing pursuit. Note that supporting stands only add a bonus 'hit' to the combat result. They do not actually inflict hits, though the bonus counts towards the side's overall score and so affects the defeated side's retreat distance.
A unit placed directly behind a fighting unit to support it is not engaged in combat and cannot therefore pursue if the enemy retreats (see Pursuit and Retreats). If the fighting unit in front is forced to retreat, an unengaged supporting unit does not retreat with it but must make way for it or refuse to do so. This is explained under Blocked Retreats and in more detail in the Confusion section of the rules.
Retreats
A retreating unit moves away from the enemy without changing formation or the direction it is facing. It will normally be apparent where to move the unit to. In most cases, all enemy stands will be aligned solely against the unit's front, side or rear and the retreating unit simply moves in the opposite direction.
The direction of the retreat may be less clear if the unit is fighting enemy from several directions at the same time. In this case, the unit retreats from the greatest number of touching enemy stands (front, side or rear — corners are ignored). If this is equal, the retreating player can nominate which of the possible directions it will retreat.
In a few cases, a unit's formation may be arranged so that the direction of the retreat is in doubt. In this case, identify the retreating stand touching the most enemy and work out the unit's retreat relative to that. If all stands face the same number of enemy, the player can decide which to use. This stand then moves directly away from the enemy as already described and the rest of the unit retreats alongside it maintaining the same relative position and facing.
Blocked retreats
If unengaged friendly units lie in the way of a unit's retreat then these can be moved. The unengaged unit is said to make way. It is up to the player whether the blocking unit makes way or not. However, retreating stands are destroyed if they are forced into friendly stands that do not or can not make way. Units which make way and retreating units forcing others to make way can become confused as a result. See the Confusion section for further rules for confused units and making way.
If a unit's retreat results in stands moving through enemy units, impassable terrain, through other friendly units which are engaged in combat or which have also retreated from combat, or through other friendly units which refuse or who are unable to make way then these individual retreating stands are destroyed. This often happens where a unit is surrounded or partially surrounded, for example fighting to its front and rear at the same time.
Players may occasionally feel that in the interests of playability a certain leeway is allowable when repositioning units along their line of retreat. This is considered acceptable if both players are in agreement.
Retreating artillery
Retreating artillery units are an exception to the normal rules for retreating troops. An artillery unit which is forced to retreat is automatically destroyed. Its weapons are overrun and the crew massacred or scattered beyond hope of recovery.
Pursuit
A unit engaged in combat can pursue a retreating enemy and fight a further round of combat immediately. This second round can lead to third and subsequent rounds in the same way. This is called pursuit combat. Only units which are already engaged in the combat can pursue. A unit not engaged but whose stands are only supporting cannot pursue. This may influence a player's decision to pursue or not as pursuit can often deprive a fighting unit of its support.
Pursuit combat continues from round to round until one side is destroyed or the combat is drawn or the winning unit stands its ground or falls back. The decision to pursue will often rest upon how badly mauled victorious troops are compared to their foes.
Not all troops can pursue in all circumstances. Some troops are restricted in their options as described below:
Pursuing restrictions
- Infantry never pursue retreating cavalry or chariots. They can pursue other infantry and retreating monsters and machines as described in the rules.
- Artillery never pursue retreating enemies of any kind. Artillery stands who retreat are automatically destroyed. See the Artillery & Machines section.
- Fortified units never pursue. If they win a combat they must fall back or stand their ground.
- Troops never pursue enemy who have retreated into or through terrain they cannot enter. For example, cavalry cannot pursue infantry who retreat into a wood.
- Non-flying units never pursue retreating flying units. Only flying units can pursue flying units.
Moving pursuers
During pursuit combat, pursuing units are moved back into combat with their enemy. The actual distance covered is not fixed — the unit is assumed to press forward during the course of the fighting, remaining in contact throughout.
Pursuing stands which are fighting against retreating enemy stands to their front edge are automatically moved back into contact against the same stand and edge where possible.
All other stands in the pursuing unit must be moved against the same enemy unit(s) if possible. This will include any stands previously in corner-to-corner contact as well as stands not previously touching an enemy or touching an enemy that has fallen casualty. Individual pursuing stands are permitted to move further than the distance retreated by the enemy; pursuit moves are not restricted by distance.
Stands free to do so can move around the enemy's flanks or rear so they can fight in the following round. They are obliged to do so if this is the only way they can move into contact with retreating enemy. Stands moved around the enemy's side or rear must have a clear path and once stands have moved, the whole unit must still be touching.
When pursuing stands move they can potentially come into contact with a previously unengaged enemy unit. Sometimes this will automatically bring other enemies into combat but in others the player may have a choice depending on exactly how he positions the pursuing stands. Any new enemy units contacted are engaged and will fight in the ensuing combat round. Pursuit bonuses don't apply when attacking newly engaged units, only against units that retreated in the previous round. Nor does the pursuer get a charge bonus against the new enemy, and the enemy is not permitted to shoot as it could against a charge.
Sometimes it will be impossible to move all pursuing stands into contact with retreating enemy because of the position of other units, friend or foe, or because of impassable terrain. If it is possible to move some but not all of a unit's stands into contact with the retreating enemy unit(s) the player can position stands as he wishes, so long as they remain part of their unit.
Note that when pursuit results in the front of enemy stands touching pursuers at a side, rear edge or rear corner, a combat penalty will be incurred in the following round (see Attack Modifiers).
Enemy Destroyed
A unit is destroyed if all of its stands fall casualty or if all of its stands are forced to retreat through enemies, impassable terrain or friends who do not make way. In addition, artillery units are destroyed if forced to retreat. Weapons are assumed to be abandoned by their crews and overrun by the enemy.
Often a unit will find that the enemy unit, or units, it was fighting have been destroyed. When all of the enemy units in touch with a victorious fighting unit are destroyed then the winner cannot pursue because there are no enemies left to pursue! There may be other enemy units still involved in the engagement but these cannot be pursued if they were not touching the victorious unit during the combat.
Advance
If all the enemies a unit is fighting are destroyed it can do one of three things. It can stand its ground, it can fall back up to 3D6cm as if the combat had drawn, or it can advance into a new combat. Troops can't advance through terrain they can't enter, if they are in fortified positions, if there is no path to enable them to do so or if they have already advanced in that Combat phase. Otherwise, units are allowed to advance against any kind of enemy, even if they are a troop type that would not normally be allowed to pursue, such as infantry fighting cavalry or chariots.
An advancing unit charges the closest enemy unit that it can see and can reach. A unit which has destroyed its enemy in the first round of combat may advance up to 20cm. A unit which destroys its enemy in a subsequent round of combat may advance up to 10cm. The advancing unit's charge is worked out in the same way as any other charge except that no stand may move further than the distance it is allowed to advance. As you can see, the distance a unit is allowed to advance is not dependent upon its troop type but upon the decisiveness with which it destroys its enemy. A unit which bowls over its enemy in the first round can more easily exploit its victory! Note that the term advance is used to distinguish this move from an ordinary pursuit (which is worked out differently) or an ordinary charge (which takes place in the Command phase). In this context, an 'advance' is a charge. A unit cannot simply advance into the open once it has destroyed its enemies.
An advance may initiate a new combat engagement or it may bring the advancing unit into an existing engagement. The advancing unit is treated as charging. An enemy unit which is advanced into can shoot at the advancing unit in the same way as it is able to shoot at chargers. The advancing unit receives bonuses for charging as usual but no bonuses for pursuing because the advance will lead to a new combat against a different unit. Any hits already accumulated against the advancing unit are carried over into the new combat round. Outstanding odd hits are only removed at the end of the Combat phase once all combats are finished.
A victorious unit does not have to advance if the player doesn't want it to unless the unit is normally obliged to charge enemies where possible because of a special rule, in which case it must.
Note that, as described already, a unit can only advance once during any Combat phase. This applies even if the unit must normally advance because a special rule obliges it to charge whenever it can do so. Advancing troops are judged to be far too exhausted to be able to advance again during the same Combat phase. This limits the range over which a unit can fight during the Combat phase and prevents units from working their way from one side of the battlefield to the other in a single turn.
Fall Backs
In a drawn combat both sides must fall back unless one side is in a defended or fortified position in which case it can stand instead. A victorious unit can choose to fall back if the player wishes. The opportunity to fall back gives players a chance to pull units out of combat and move them to better tactical positions.
Where both sides have units falling back at the same time roll a dice to determine who falls back first.
A fall back is basically a free move that represents the unit rallying back on its standards and officers. Unlike an evade, drive back, or retreat, it doesn't have to be made in a specific direction or over an exact distance, nor does it have to be made in a straight line.
The distance a unit falls back is established by rolling three dice. A unit can fall back a maximum distance equal to the total dice score and must fall back by at least the score of the lowest dice. So, on a roll of 6, 4, and 3 a unit can fall back between a maximum distance of 13cm and a minimum of 3cm.
If several units fall back out of the same combat one roll is made for them all. Each unit must move between the same maximum and minimum distance, but units do not all have to move the same distance.
When a unit falls back no individual stand may move more than the distance permitted, and at least one stand must move the minimum distance. It is not necessary for every stand to move the minimum distance. When stands move they may not move closer than 1cm to any enemy troop stands or stands engaged in combat except to move away initially. Falling back stands may not move through friendly stands or impassable terrain.
If a unit cannot move the minimum distance required without moving closer than 1cm to enemy stands or stands in combat, through impassable terrain, or through a friendly stand, then the unit is treated as if it had been driven back by shooting. When this happens, the unit can become confused, see the Confusion section. In this circumstance a friendly unit can make way for a unit falling back, as it can for a unit driven back by shooting, but otherwise friendly units do not make way for units that fall back and falling back units must move round them.
Reforming
At the end of the Combat phase, any outstanding hits are discounted and surviving units from either side which have fought combat that turn can reform. It is important to wait until the end of the Combat phase before doing this because it is possible for pursuit or advance to bring a unit back into combat.
If both sides wish to reform, roll a dice to decide which side reforms its units first.
A unit that is reforming rearranges its stands as follows. One stand stays where it is but may pivot about its centre to face any direction. Other stands can then be rearranged into formation around it. The distance they move is unimportant. However, stands must have a clear path to move into their new position. They cannot move through impenetrable terrain or other units for example.
Defended & Fortified Troops
In most circumstances, all enemy units are assumed to be 'in the open'. This means that they are in no position to benefit from natural cover or the protection of permanent fortifications or temporary field works. However, infantry and artillery units can take advantage of natural cover and fortifications. In both cases, the score required to hit will increase as shown on the chart below.
| Target | D6 result required |
|---|---|
| All other targets | 4+ |
| Defended infantry/artillery | 5+ |
| Fortified infantry/artillery | 6+ |
A defended stand is one placed behind a low obstacle such as a hedge or wall, at the edge of or within a wood, amongst ruins or buildings, or positioned on the crest or upper slope of a hill or rise so that they occupy higher ground than their enemy. These are easily defended positions that confer some advantage of height or cover to occupying troops. In the case of stands on the slopes of hills, their advantage is partly due to their position of height but we also assume that hillsides have undulations in the ground or are covered with scrub, enabling troops to improvise some kind of entrenchment or to place themselves so that enemy are forced to advance over rough ground.
A fortified stand is one placed on the ramparts of a substantial fortification, for example, a castle, curtain wall, tower, fort or purpose built earthwork.
Defended & fortified enemy
Only infantry, flying troops and giants can attack a fortified enemy in combat. Cavalry, chariots, artillery and non-flying monsters and machines cannot do so. In the case of castle walls, towers and similarly tall fortifications, specialist equipment may be needed to mount an assault as described in the Sieges & Fortresses section of the rulebook.
Defended or fortified stands are harder to hit as described above. Hence a score of 5+ or 6 respectively is needed to inflict hits. Also, charge bonuses don't count against them because they are not 'in the open'. The most common occurrences of this during a game are situations where infantry are on the upper slopes of hills or at the edge of a wood.
Cavalry, chariots and machine and monster stands count as being in the open in all circumstances. They never count as being defended or fortified, even when they have moved onto hills, behind hedges, low walls and so forth. In these situations, cavalry and chariots are assumed to have to move in order to fight, surrendering any advantage of shelter in favour of greater mobility. Monsters and machines are simply too big or too dim-witted to take advantage of cover.
Troops that charge or advance are always assumed to be in the open, such as infantry stands charging in a wood. Troops that pursue a retreating enemy are also assumed to be in the open. In both cases, troops cannot take advantage of cover whilst pressing their attack. Troops that retreat in one combat round always count as being in the open during following rounds of pursuit combat in the same turn. In most cases, this is obvious because enemy will have been pushed over a low wall or rampart. In other cases, a unit may be still inside a wood or still up-slope of an enemy. However, a unit always loses the advantage of its position once it has retreated.
Multiple Combats
So far we have mostly described situations where one unit is fighting one enemy unit. This is a common enough occurrence but it is also possible for a combat to encompass several units. In situations where a unit charges another it can often happen that a second unit is drawn into the combat engagement because one stand touches the chargers corner-to-corner. It can also happen that two units charge the same enemy one after the other. In these situations, all units which are touching become engaged in the combat even if they are only touching corner-to-corner.
Resolving multiple combats
To resolve multiple combats, work out attacks from all the units involved and note all the hits scored. Bear in mind that stands touching corner-to-corner are engaged and can fight.
You will find that in multiple combats where several units are attacking the same enemy unit it is often possible to roll the dice in a single batch rather than dicing for each unit one at a time. However, this is merely suggested as a matter of convenience and it is entirely up to the player whether he prefers to do this or not.
Once all units have fought, compare the hits that have been scored by all the units on each side and add any bonuses for supporting stands. This means that although one unit might do badly, another does spectacularly well, ensuring that overall the side wins the combat round. Where the score is equal, the result is a draw as usual and all units fall back. Make one Fall Back dice roll for all the units from each side involved in the combat. They all fall back between the same minimum and maximum distance but don't have to fall back exactly the same distance if the player does not want them to.
Retreats and pursuits
If one side wins then each enemy unit must retreat. The retreating player can decide which units to move first. The distance moved is the difference between the number of hits scored divided by the number of units on the losing side including any units removed as casualties. Remember to include bonus hits from supporting stands and hits on units which have been destroyed as these are easily overlooked. Round up any fractions when calculating retreat distances. It follows that retreating units will always move back at least 1cm.
Example: side A inflicts eleven hits on side B which inflicts three hits in return. Side A wins by eight hits. Side B has two units fighting so eight divided by two = a 4cm retreat.
Blocked retreats
Blocked retreats become common in multiple combats. Stands forced to retreat through units engaged in combat will be destroyed as already described. This will be especially apparent when a double line of troops is fighting to its side and front at the same time. The front unit must retreat back but the rear unit will be pushed sideways. In this situation, the front unit is likely to lose stands as it retreats.
It is possible to reduce the potential loss by being careful about which stands are removed as casualties during the fighting and by retreating units in an order which creates as many gaps as possible. However, in practice, dense formations which have been 'flanked' in this way will usually collapse pretty quickly.
Options for victorious units
The units on the victorious side have the usual options of falling back, pursuing/advancing or standing their ground. There is no obligation for all victorious units to do the same things. Some can fall back whilst others pursue, for example. The player can move the units in whatever order he wishes. If units choose to fall back, the player makes just one dice roll which applies to all as for a drawn result.
A pursuing unit may be opposed by enemy units retreating in different directions. In this case, a unit will pursue enemy units to its front, if possible and this may result in some retreating units becoming stranded. If a pursuing unit is (unusually) facing several different directions, it will pursue the enemy faced by the majority of its stands, if this is not apparent, the player decides which enemy to pursue.
If all of the enemy in touch with a victorious unit are destroyed then it cannot pursue but has the option of advancing (see Advance). An advancing unit always charges the closest enemy within range and which it can see. In a multiple combat engagement this often results in an advance upon the flank of an adjacent enemy unit.
Stranded units
If a victorious side takes casualties then its frontage may effectively 'shrink'. In a multiple combat this can result in some defeated units becoming stranded. The defeated unit retreats but there are no enemy stands left to pursue it. Retreating units which become detached in this way simply drop out of the combat engagement. Any remaining hits are retained until the end of the Combat phase because it is possible that further pursuit or advances may bring the unit back into combat once more.
Units can also become stranded where two or more units are forced to retreat in different directions away from the same enemy or where a pursuing unit effectively disengages from one enemy as it pursues another. In these circumstances, any units which are no longer touching an enemy drop out of the combat engagement and are allowed to reform at the end of the phase, see Reforming.
Confusion
Confusion at a Glance
Units become confused if:
- Burst through by evaders.
- Driven back by missile fire on any Drive Back roll of a 6.
- Driven back/falling back into impassable terrain on the roll of a 6.
- Driven back/falling back into enemies or combat.
- Forcing friends to make way on the roll of a 6.
- Driven back/falling back into unyielding friends.
- Making way on the roll of a 6.
Confused units
- Confused units cannot move in the Command phase by either initiative or orders.
- Confused stands suffer a -1 Attacks modifier in combat.
- Confused infantry stands cannot support in combat.
- Confused units cease to be confused at the end of their Command phase.
Confusion
As astute readers will have gathered, there are several situations where units become confused. Confusion often happens in the Combat phase when a unit is forced to move into other troops or impassable terrain or in the Shooting phase when a unit is driven back by missile fire. For convenience, we have summarised all the circumstances where units can become confused in this section.
When do units become confused?
- Burst through by evaders. Unengaged friendly units burst through by evaders are automatically confused. Such units won't be able to move further during that Command phase but recover at the end of the Command phase and so suffer no further penalties that turn. See the Movement section for more details.
- Driven back by shooting. A unit is confused if it is driven back by shooting and any dice roll for the drive back distance is a 6. See the rules for driving back enemies in the Shooting phase section.
- Driven back/falling back into impassable terrain. If a unit is driven back by shooting into terrain it can't cross, or is unable to avoid falling back into terrain it can't cross, it will halt at the edge and is confused on the D6 roll of a 6. See driving back enemies in the Shooting phase section.
- Driven back/falling back into enemies or combat. A unit driven back by shooting into, or unable to avoid falling back into, enemies or any units engaged in combat, whether friends or foe, halts 1cm away and is automatically confused. See driving back enemies in the Shooting phase section.
- Forcing friends to make way. If a unit is driven back by shooting, retreats from combat, or is unable to avoid falling back, into a friendly unengaged unit, the player has the option of moving the friendly unit to make way. A unit which moves into friends forcing them to make way will become confused on the D6 roll of a 6. See the rules for Making Way below.
- Driven back/falling back into unyielding friends. A unit driven back by shooting into, or unable to avoid falling back into a friendly unengaged unit that the player is unable or unwilling to move to make way is automatically confused. See driving back the enemy.
- Making way. A unit that makes way for another unit is confused on the D6 roll of a 6. See the rules for Making Way below.
Stands which are forced to retreat from combat into unyielding friends, enemies, units in combat and impassable terrain are destroyed. Hence the possibility of confusion is not considered! See the Combat phase section for details on retreats from combat.
Confused Units
A confused unit is judged to have become disheartened or disordered. The troops are unwilling or unable to obey their officers and in combat they fight either unenthusiastically or in a poorly coordinated fashion. The unit remains confused until the end of its Command phase. At the end of its Command phase the unit automatically recovers.
- A unit which is confused is unable to move in the Command phase either by its own initiative or by orders. In the case of a flying unit it can move by homing back. See the Command phase and Flying Units sections. Note that confused units are able to move in other phases and must do so where the rules require it.
- Whilst it is confused, a unit suffers a -1 Attack modifier in combat. Units commonly become confused during combat if retreating units are forced back into unengaged friends. See the Combat phase section.
- A confused infantry unit cannot support in combat. See the Combat phase section.
When a unit becomes confused, it is a good idea to make this visually apparent in some way. A convenient method is to 'jiggle' the stands into an irregular formation to represent disorder in the ranks. The unit can then be rearranged back into formation at the end of its Command phase. If a confused unit is in combat it is often better to use a marker or turn a stand round, as disturbing the unit's formation may make it hard to work out retreat moves.
Making Way
Unengaged units are allowed to make way for friendly troops that have been driven back, that are retreating or that are themselves making way as a result of a drive back or retreat. Units that are engaged in combat, constricted by terrain or unable to move for whatever reason cannot make way.
Supporting stands have to be lined up exactly to the rear or beside a fighting stand. The most common instance where a unit might make way occurs during a retreat in combat where one infantry unit is placed directly behind another to support it.
When a unit makes way for another, it can either move aside or back.
When moving aside, only stands directly in the path of the friendly unit are moved. The player rearranges his formation around the stands that remain stationary. If all stands must move then the player moves one stand the shortest possible distance to get out of the path of the friend and remaining stands are then rearranged into formation.
When moving back, a unit simply keeps pace with its friend and ends its move positioned behind. In the case of infantry units that are making way for other infantry units, stands that are touched by a retreating unit can be repositioned so that they support retreating troops where required.
Making way for friendly troops may result in several units shifting, each moving aside to allow room for the next unit. All units that move to make way, plus the original unit, must test for confusion as described already. The original unit will have to test for each unit that it forces to make way, so the more units it moves through the more likely it is to become confused.
A unit cannot make way if in order to do so it would have to move to within 1cm of enemy (assuming it isn't at the start of its move), into contact with any units engaged in combat or into impassable terrain or through stationary friends.
Units which are unable to make way or which the player refuses to move to make way are considered to be 'unyielding friends'. A unit forced against unyielding friends halts on contact and becomes confused automatically. A unit retreating from combat is destroyed if forced into unyielding friends (see the Combat phase section). A unit which refuses to make way does not become confused and is unaffected.
Generals, Wizards & Heroes
Generals, Wizards & Heroes at a Glance
Characters
- Generals, Wizards and Heroes are referred to as characters.
- Characters can move through and be moved through units from their own side.
- Characters cannot be seen, shot at or charged by the enemy.
- Character stands with units are ignored for the purposes of measurement and calculating which stands fight.
Orders
- Generals can give orders to any units in the army. Heroes can give orders to units within 60cm. Wizards can give orders to units within 20cm.
- When issuing orders from a Hero or Wizard, a roll of a 12 indicates a blunder. The unit or brigade must make a Blunder roll.
- Once the General fails to issue an order no other characters can do so.
Combat
- Characters cannot be attacked. Characters are slain if their unit is destroyed in combat, by shooting or by magic.
- Characters add their Attacks value as a bonus to any stand in the unit they are with.
- Characters fight, advance, pursue, retreat or stand with their unit unless unable to do so because of terrain restrictions.
Generals, Wizards and Heroes
Generals, Wizards and Heroes are represented by a single stand which includes the great man himself plus his bodyguard, standard bearer, familiars, servants, messengers, observers, courtiers, pets, jesters, toadies and other such hangers-on as make up his immediate entourage. For the sake of convenience, Generals, Wizards and Heroes are referred to as characters.
Game values
In some armies, Generals, Wizards and Heroes have different names such as Liche Priests in the Undead army and Shamans in the Orc army. Names apart, they amount to the same thing and each is either a General, Wizard or Hero as indicated in the Army Lists section of the rulebook.
Unlike troop stands, character stands don't have a value for Hits or Armour. Instead they have a Command value. They have no Hits value at all. They have an Attack value which is expressed as a bonus, for example +1, +2, +3, etc. Full game values for all characters can be found in the Army List section.
*Example: an Empire Hero stand — Attacks +1, Hits *, Armour , Command 8.
Characters as Game Pieces
Characters are different from other pieces in the game. Most stands of infantry or other warriors represent a substantial body of troops defined by the stand's area. Characters represent a comparatively tiny number of actual individuals, some of whom may be scattered across the battlefield in the role of messengers, scouts and observers.
The character stand's prime function is to provide a fixed point from which orders are issued. In addition a character stand can bolster a unit's combat ability by joining it. In the case of Wizards they can also cast spells, some of which are directly offensive in nature.
Because of their unique place in the game, character stands are treated differently to units of troops. A character stand is used much more in the manner of a token or marker. The stand itself is ignored on the battlefield by units from both sides.
Units from their own side can move through characters without penalty and they, in turn, can move through units from their own side. If friendly units are moved in such a way that they displace a character then the player must immediately move the character by the minimum distance required to allow the unit to take up its position. This may result in a character moving several times during the Command phase to get out of the way of troop movement.
If moved through by enemies, characters are repositioned as described below.
Characters can also be seen through and, where appropriate, shot through by troops from both sides. Their presence is not considered to block a unit's line of sight.
It follows that characters cannot be specifically shot at, targeted with spells or attacked in combat. Characters don't suffer hits from shooting or combat, although they can be slain if a unit they are with is destroyed, as described later. A character stand on its own cannot charge or fight an enemy unit.
It is worth bearing in mind that character stands are always ignored when considering which enemy target is the closest and when measuring between units. Similarly, an enemy unit cannot act on its initiative with regard to a character and the presence of an enemy character within 20cm does not impose a -1 Command penalty.
Characters & Terrain
Unless riding monsters or chariots, character stands ignore terrain in the same way as infantry. Only terrain which is impossible for infantry to cross is impossible for characters (ie, a character cannot move across the open ocean, into a volcanic lake and so forth). If riding monsters or chariots, characters are restricted by terrain in the same way as these troops. See Monstrous and Chariot Mounts.
Orders from Wizards & Heroes
We have already described how characters give orders in the Command phase.
Any character can issue an order to any unit or brigade within his command range. The General's command range extends over the whole battlefield but a Hero can only issue orders to units within 60cm of the character stand and a Wizard can only issue an order to a unit within 20cm of the character stand.
| Character | Command Range |
|---|---|
| General | Battlefield |
| Hero | 60cm |
| Wizard | 20cm |
A player can issue orders from his characters in any sequence he wishes but must finish issuing orders from each character before moving to the next. For example, you can't issue orders from the General then from a Hero and then from the General again.
Once a Hero or Wizard has failed to issue an order, that character can issue no more orders in that Command phase. However, other characters can continue issuing orders until they too fail to issue an order. Once the General has failed to give an order, no further orders can be issued in that Command phase by any characters even if they have issued no orders previously. This makes it preferable for Heroes and Wizards to issue orders first and the General last, although this is not mandatory. A player may occasionally prefer to await the outcome of his General's attempts to issue orders before committing a Wizard or Hero.
Blunders
Wizards and Heroes are not always reliable. We presume that the General has briefed them concerning his battle plan, carefully instructed them in their duties and taken pains to make everything as clear as possible. In a perfect world this should be sufficient but, alas, this is rarely so. Some underlings are plain dim and so misunderstand their orders. Others get carried away and charge off in pursuit of a new and exciting goal. A few are quick to ignore their General's orders in favour of their own plan.
This wayward inclination is taken into account whenever a Wizard or Hero fails to issue an order as a result of rolling a 12. If the player rolls a 12 then not only is the order not issued but something has gone wrong. Someone has blundered. The Wizard or Hero has got carried away or ignored the instructions he has been given or taken a wrong turning or mistaken a wandering group of locals for the enemy. The player rolls a dice and consults the Blunder table. The result applies to the unit which has failed to receive its order and to all units in the case of a brigade, except where noted otherwise.
Blunder Table
| D6 | Blunder |
|---|---|
| 1 | You must be crazy! The unit's officers are seriously bewildered by their orders and insist on disputing their interpretation. This takes a long time during which tempers fray, fists fly and some officers storm off determined to spend the rest of the battle undermining the efforts of their rivals. The unit suffers a -1 Command penalty for the rest of the battle. If a brigade has blundered then this penalty applies to one unit and the player can choose which is affected. The penalty will apply to the whole brigade if an order is given to the brigade that includes the affected unit. This penalty is cumulative so it's theoretically possible for a unit's effectiveness to plummet to a seriously incompetent level. As the order has been failed, the unit/brigade may not move further that Command phase. |
| 2-3 | Blimey Sir! There's thousands of 'em! The unit's officers mistake a shabby group of curious locals for a huge enemy force. If there are no visible enemy units within a full pace move of the unit or brigade then the unit/brigade halts and in this case there is no further penalty. If there are visible enemy units within a full pace move of the unit or brigade then the unit or each unit in a brigade must move away from any visible enemy units so that it is at least a full pace move away. Where units have different moves, the brigade moves at the speed of the slowest. Once it has moved, the unit/brigade halts as for a normal failed order. If unable to comply, a unit halts instead. |
| 4-5 | No sense in getting killed sir! The unit's officers are timorous and hesitant, convinced that the unit is surrounded by enemy and unseen dangers. If forced to advance in what they judge to be a rash manner, they will be as cautious as possible! The unit/brigade can move but will move no faster than half pace and may not charge. Once it has moved, the unit/brigade halts as for a normal failed order. |
| 6 | Up and 'at 'em, men! The troops are overcome by a sudden and uncontrollable lust for glory and surge forwards out of control. The unit must move at its maximum full pace towards the nearest enemy unit and will charge the nearest enemy unit if it is possible to do so. If a whole brigade goes 'up and 'at 'em!' then move each unit one at a time as the movement of one may affect the ability of subsequent units to charge because it blocks sight or access to base edges. Once units have moved, they halt as for a normal failed order. |
Alternative Blunder Rule
An alternative blunder rule favoured by a few players, and so given here for your consideration, is that a blunder simply ends the Command phase in the same way as a failed order from a General. This is more predictable and so appeals to players of an especially sober disposition.
Character Movement
We have already covered the essentials of character movement in the Movement section. To summarise:
- Characters move at the end of the Command phase and never move in company with units during the Command phase.
- A character can move once up to 60cm (100cm if flying). No Command test is required for a character to move.
- Characters move in company with units they have joined in other phases. For example, if they are driven back by missile fire, move to make way for other units, and throughout the Combat phase during pursuit, fall backs, retreats and advances.
Joining a Unit
A character may join a unit by moving into touch with it at the end of the Command phase. The player declares that the character is now with the unit. A character can join a unit which is in combat if you wish. Players should be careful not to place characters touching units if they are not intended to be joined and should always leave a discernible gap where this makes the position clear.
A character must also join a unit if he is obliged to move as a result of enemy troop movement. In this case, he must move into touch with a friendly unit within a 30cm move as described opposite.
If a character is joined with a unit which is confused, this does not prevent the character from moving at the end of the Command phase. Nor does it prevent him issuing orders to other units during the Command phase itself.
The precise position of the character stand relative to a unit he has joined is not critical. Once he has joined a unit, the character himself is assumed to be within the unit's formation. Once a character has joined a unit, his stand may be moved to any point around the unit as required, for example so that another unit can charge into position or move alongside. The character stand must remain in touch with the unit at some point if possible. If this is impossible, if the unit is in combat and completely surrounded for example, the player can temporarily balance the character stand in the middle of the unit or say that he is doing so whilst placing the stand safely aside.
Enemy Moving Through Characters
If a lone character gets in the way of enemy units as they move then the character stand must be moved up to 30cm to join a friendly unit. Flying units fly over the battlefield as they move and so only displace characters if their move ends on top of them. Character stands cannot be moved so that they displace enemy characters. Note that a displaced character does not have to join the closest unit, the player can decide which unit to join.
If a character cannot move to a friendly unit, he is considered to have been slain and is removed from the battle. If the General is slain, the battle is over as described in The End of The Battle section.
This is an important rule because it obliges characters to remain fairly close to their own troops, especially Wizards who might otherwise exploit their invulnerability to launch unsupported magical attacks deep behind enemy lines.
If a character is with a unit when it makes contact with moving enemy then the character can be repositioned out of the way as convenient, so long as he stays in touch with the unit he is with. If this is impossible (if the unit is surrounded, for example) then the character can be precariously balanced on top of the unit or removed but assumed to be included within the unit's formation.
Characters & Shooting
Characters cannot be shot at but may have joined a unit which is shot at and either been driven back or destroyed as a result. If a character is with a unit that has been driven back by shooting, he automatically moves with it.
If a character has joined a unit that is subsequently destroyed by shooting or which is routed and destroyed as a result of a drive back then the character is slain.
Characters in Combat
When one or more characters join a unit in combat, the character with the highest Attack value can add this as a bonus to the Attack value of any one stand in the unit. A unit may be joined by any number of characters but only one character can ever add his Attack value bonus to a unit at a time.
Character stands which have joined a unit in combat must remain with it whilst the Combat phase lasts and must fall back, stand their ground, retreat, pursue or advance with the unit.
A General, Wizard or Hero is slain if the unit he is with is destroyed in combat. This is of particular importance as it makes combat an extremely risky business for characters and certainly not something to be indulged in lightly.
Monstrous and Chariot Mounts
If you read the Army Lists section you'll see that Generals, Wizards and Heroes are often allowed to ride on some sort of monster or in a chariot. In the case of monsters these are referred to as Monstrous Mounts and chariots are Chariot Mounts.
If a character rides either a Monstrous or Chariot Mount this does not affect the rules described above. The stand is still a General, Wizard or Hero stand for our purposes. However, the mount will usually increase the character's Attack value bonus in combat. Chariot and Monster Mount bonuses are added to the character's normal Combat bonus. In addition, there may be special rules that apply. For example, a General riding a Monstrous Mount may cause terror. These rules are noted in the Army Lists.
It is quite common for characters to ride some sort of flying creature such as a Griffon or a Dragon. This increases the rider's maximum movement to 100cm. A flying character is not affected by normally impassable terrain because it can fly right over it in the same way as other flying stands.
A character riding a chariot or a monster cannot move into terrain that his mount could not enter. He cannot enter a wood for example. He cannot join a unit if all of its stands are in a wood and if a unit he is with retreats, falls back, pursues or advances into a wood he must move up to 30cm to another unit in the same way as a lone character contacted by the enemy. If he cannot do so, he is slain. However, so long as at least one stand in a unit is positioned in unrestricted terrain, the character can join the unit.
Note that character stands riding horses are treated exactly like stands on foot. We don't penalise characters for riding horses!
Flying Units
Flying Units at a Glance
Initiative
- Flying units can use Initiative to charge if within 20cm of enemy. Flying units cannot evade.
Home Back
- Flying units more than 20cm from a character can home back up to 10xD6cm towards any character before orders are issued.
Orders
- Flying units can only be issued orders if they are within 20cm of a character.
- Flying units under orders can move up to 100cm.
Terrain
- Flying units ignore terrain (they fly right over it) but cannot end their move in a wood.
Characters
- Characters riding a flying Monstrous Mount add its Attack value to their own.
- Characters who ride a flying creature can move up to 100cm rather than 60cm.
Flying Units
Troops and monsters who are able to fly can move long distances very quickly. However, once airborne they are almost impossible to direct, so such troops must be deployed and committed to battle with care.
Initiative
A flying unit can use its initiative to charge an enemy within 20cm. In this respect it's like any other unit.
Flying troops don't evade as ground based troops do. This is because they are allowed to home back instead. Homing back is explained below.
Orders
A flying unit can only be issued orders if it is within 20cm of a character. This restricted range reflects the difficulty of issuing orders to troops that are airborne.
Home Back
Flying units more than 20cm from a character at the start of the Command phase can choose to move up to 10xD6cm towards any character after initiative moves have been made but before any orders are issued. This is called a home back move. The player can roll for distance before deciding whether or where to home back to.
A unit can home back and be given orders in the same Command phase if it homes back to within 20cm of a character.
A unit can home back even if confused and therefore normally barred from moving, although such a unit cannot be given an order in that Command phase.
Unless affected by a spell that prevents movement, flyers can always home back if the player wishes. This is because airborne units are isolated from broader events and their natural reaction to not knowing what is going on is to home back rather than stand around in confusion.
Moving
Flying units move up to 100cm when moving under orders and always move at the same 'pace'. Once a flying unit has moved, it is treated exactly like a ground based unit and can therefore be shot at, charged or attacked with magic in the normal way. However, certain special rules apply regarding terrain as noted below.
Terrain
Flying units need not worry unduly about the effect that terrain, fortress walls or tall buildings has on their movement because they can fly right over the top of them. They can also fly over deep rivers, chasms and any other sort of terrain no matter how severe and never incur any kind of penalty for doing so. If players wish to construct huge fire spouting volcanoes then it is up to them to decide how they might affect the movement of flying troops. For practical purposes, we won't concern ourselves with such things right now.
However, flying stands can never enter a wood. They can fly over woods but cannot end their move positioned over them. Flying units cannot charge into or fight inside a wood.
Fortified Troops
Flying units can attack fortified units as well as units within castle courtyards and similar places. Fortified units still count as fortified to attack from the air. It is assumed that ramparts have hoardings and other fortifications which offer sufficient shelter to protect them from aerial attack.
Characters
If a General, Wizard or Hero rides a flying Monstrous Mount, such as a Dragon or Griffon, his fighting ability is vastly improved. The stand's maximum movement is increased to 100cm and the Attack bonus of the monster is added to the character's.
A character riding a flying monster is bound by the terrain movement restrictions that apply for flying monsters. See the Generals, Wizards and Heroes section.
If a lone flying character has to move to a friendly unit as a result of enemy contact he can move 30cm to reach safety in time. In this case, his move is not increased because he rides a flying creature. If there is no friendly unit he can join within 30cm, he is slain.
If a flying character joins a unit in combat, he must remain with it as it fights but if the unit retreats, falls back, pursues or advances into terrain which the character cannot enter then he must move to another unit in the same way as a lone character contacted by the enemy. He can move up to 30cm and if he is unable to reach a friendly unit he is slain.
End of the Battle
End of the Battle at a Glance
The Battle Ends
- Once both players have taken the predetermined number of turns.
- Once one player concedes.
- Once one army withdraws.
Withdraw
- An army must withdraw if:
- a) The General is slain.
- b) The army has lost 50% or more of its units.
- Once an army withdraws the turn is finished, after which the game is over.
Victory Points
- Each player earns victory points for enemy units and characters he destroys.
- Each player earns half victory points for enemy units reduced from three or four stands to one.
- The player who amasses the most victory points wins the battle.
- A player who concedes earns no victory points.
- An army which withdraws cannot earn more victory points than the enemy (ie, it cannot win the battle, though it can draw).
The End of the Battle
The battle rages on until both sides have played a predetermined number of turns, until one player concedes defeat or until one army is forced to withdraw from the battlefield. Once the game is over, each side works out how many victory points it has scored. The higher your score the better you have done and the player who scores the most is the winner.
Turns complete
Many players like to play to the bitter end, others prefer a strict turn limit. Players can agree to set a turn limit at the start of the game but are not obliged to do so. Players preferring a limit can either agree how many turns to play or roll a dice at the start of the game to determine how long the battle lasts: 1-2 = 6 turns, 3-4 = 7 turns, 5-6 = 8 turns. Once both players have taken this number of turns, night falls and the battle ends.
Player concedes
A player may surrender at any time he wishes. If he surrenders then his army earns no victory points.
Withdraw
An army is forced to withdraw in two circumstances. It must withdraw if the General is slain or leaves the table for good, and it must withdraw if it suffers so many casualties that it is judged unable to fight on. In either case the game is ended. Both sides calculate victory points but the withdrawing side cannot score higher than its enemy.
General Slain. If the General is slain or leaves the table for good, the army must withdraw. Rumours of their leader's death soon reach the troops who promptly beat a hasty retreat from the battlefield.
Casualties. At the start of the game each player makes a note of how many units are in his army. Generals, Wizards and Heroes are not included, even if they ride a monster or chariot. Once the army has lost a half or more of its units it must withdraw.
Once one army withdraws, the game ends immediately. Victory points are calculated to establish the victor.
Victory Points
Victory points are earned as follows:
- Each enemy unit destroyed and each slain character earns its full points value as given in the Warmaster Army Lists. In the case of characters, this value includes mounts. In all cases, the value includes magic items.
- Each enemy unit reduced from three or more stands to one stand earns half its points value rounding up to the nearest 5 points and including the value of any magic item. Enemy units which start the game at one or two stands must be destroyed to earn victory points.
- Some of the battles described later include bonus victory points for achieving specific objectives. A few battles do away with victory points altogether and victory is determined purely by objectives achieved.
You can keep track of victory points as you go along or you can wait until the end of the game and work out the points from the 'dead heap'. It makes no difference either way.
Advanced Rules
Once you've reached this far, you will have read all of the basic rules of the Warmaster game. The following section introduces new rules to cover magic, engines of destruction, ways to improve the fighting qualities of your armies and, for the very ambitious, we'll discuss how to fight entire campaigns of conquest. You don't need to use any of these rules to play Warmaster but they do make the game more fun. We'd recommend that you fight a few games using only the core rules to familiarise yourselves with the way that the game works. Once accustomed to the basic routines, further rules can be introduced as you wish.
The Aim of the Game
The advanced rules in this section describe ways of extending the Warmaster game to cover new weapons, campaigns and scenarios. Unlike the earlier sections of this book, many of these themes are presented in a discursive fashion so that players can decide for themselves how to develop their Warmaster battles. This might strike some readers as a little odd in a book of gaming rules but Warmaster is no ordinary game.
Most other games provide fixed and finite rules and leave very little up to the players themselves. Warmaster invites players to change, invent, expand and super-detail the rules to their liking. Indeed, it would be impossible for us to provide rules for every single imaginable aspect of warfare or which would accommodate everyone's individual tastes. Players are positively encouraged to invent their own rules, to change bits they don't like and to expand the game to suit their own purposes. For example, you might wish to represent novel and potent sorceries, or vast and exotic war machines of your own devising. You might have a burning desire to fight games which involve shipboard action on the high seas, waterborne assaults, lengthy sieges, aerial warfare between soaring beasts, whirling machines and so forth. All of this would require some effort and no little imagination but lies well within the capabilities of the experienced gamer.
The Spirit of the Game
Winning isn't the most important thing, honest! Sure, we all want to win but we want to do so with superior tactics, well taken decisions and just a little luck, not by bickering over the rules or bullying our opponents into compliance. The really important thing is that all the players involved have a good time.
If players find themselves quibbling over a particular rule or are confused over how to proceed, it is best to agree what to do and get on with the game. Later, once the heat of battle has cooled, there will be plenty of opportunity for the players to check over the rulebook or come up with a new rule of their own to apply in future. If you really are stuck and can't agree what to do then roll a dice to decide which interpretation to apply. This might seem arbitrary but it is fair and keeps the game going where it might otherwise bog down.
Artillery & Machines
This section covers cannons, stone and bolt throwing war engines, guns of various types and strange weapons such as the notorious Empire Steam Tank. Both artillery and machines share some rules in common, so we've included them together to avoid taking up more space than necessary.
Artillery describes crewed weapons such as cannons, Stone Throwers, Flame Cannons, etc. In most cases, these are arranged into units called batteries; a typical battery consisting of two individual weapons.
Machines describes unusual devices such as Steam Tanks and Gyrocopters. Each model is invariably a single unit in its own right.
Stands
Artillery pieces are mounted on stands which include the weapon itself plus any necessary crew. For our purposes, the two are inseparable. After all, an artillery piece without its crew is useless and crewmen without a weapon are an embarrassment.
Machine models are too large to fit onto a regular stand. Some are sufficiently large enough to be self-supporting and so stands are not required. However, players can opt to make their own stands from card if they wish. Stands should be cut to a convenient size that fits the models but it is suggested that players stick to whole centimetres where possible.
Artillery in Combat
Artillery cannot use initiative to charge. The role of artillery is to shoot at the enemy from a distance, not to fight. A player can order artillery to charge into combat if he wants, although this is rather a desperate thing to do! See the Command phase section.
Artillery is vulnerable in combat. An artillery unit that wins a round of combat never pursues and if it retreats it is automatically destroyed.
Machines are more complex than artillery and some have their own rules for fighting in combat, as described later on.
Terrain
As discussed in the Movement section, artillery cannot move into or over terrain features on the battlefield except for hills and bridges. Any other type of terrain is impassable to artillery.
Except where noted, machines treat terrain in the same way as chariots. Some machines have special rules of their own, as described later.
Shooting Overhead
As we described in the Shooting section, stands cannot see through other stands. Consequently, missile-armed troops cannot shoot through or over a friendly stand to attack an enemy. Technically speaking, the stand's 'line of sight' is blocked and it is unable to fire.
Whilst this is perfectly true and satisfactory for the majority of troops, when it comes to artillery fire it is felt that an exception is called for. After all, is it not appropriate that cannons, stone throwing engines and the like should lob their missiles over the heads of intervening troops onto the enemy? Obviously, it is of great benefit to crew if they can see where their missiles land but we can conveniently assume that there are forward observers placed in strategic positions to observe the fall of shot and somehow communicate any targeting information back to the crew.
Artillery stands can shoot over any obstacles, including friendly stands, that occupy lower ground than the shooter or target. So, if artillery are positioned on a hillside, they can shoot over friendly stands, buildings, woods, and similar terrain features on a lower level. Similarly, if a target is positioned on a hillside, it is possible to shoot over friendly stands or terrain on a lower level to reach it.
Artillery placed on the ramparts of a castle or upper storey of a watch tower is assumed to be higher than the corresponding ground level of the fortress wall or tower.
Cannons
These are large calibre guns that fire a heavy cannon ball. Gunpowder weapons like these are primitive and unreliable compared to the tried and trusted technology of stone throwers and the like. Only Dwarf smiths and a few weapon makers in the Empire can build these devices. These wild and determined individuals can be recognised by their dense covering of soot and lack of eyebrows.
Cannon — Range 60cm; Attacks 1 / 2+ bounce (Close Combat / Shooting).
Cannons ignore a target's Armour because no armour can nullify a hit caused by a cannon ball. No Armour roll is made. In addition, fortified targets only count as being defended (5+ to hit) and defended targets count as being in the open (4+ to hit).
Cannon balls can bounce through densely packed ranks causing immense destruction. To represent this, a shot is deemed to strike the closest point of the target stand, pass all the way through it and bounce a further 5cm in the same direction. If more than one cannon from the same unit is shooting then both cannon balls are assumed to bounce the same distance through the path between the closest cannon and closest target stand. The target unit suffers two attacks plus +1 for each additional stand from the same unit that is bounced through.
A shot that bounces into a different unit inflicts one attack on that unit for each stand bounced through. This can result in units normally ineligible as targets being hit, such as friendly units or units in combat. Total up the number of attacks struck and roll for all the attacks against each unit at a time.
If a cannon is charged it can shoot at the enemy by firing 'grapeshot'. Like cannon balls, grapeshot has an Attack value of 2 but it doesn't bounce and targets shot at by grapeshot count their full Armour value — armour is not discounted as it is with a cannon ball.
Although grapeshot is pretty effective compared to, say, a shot from a single archer stand, it is actually less effective than ordinary cannon fire. At first glance this may seem wrong. After all, shouldn't grapeshot be devastating compared to normal cannon fire? The reason for this is not that we've made grapeshot weak but that normal cannon fire represents not a single shot but a continuous bombardment in which dozens of balls are fired by each cannon. Grapeshot, on the other hand, represents just one hurried blast at close quarters, far more deadly than a single cannon ball which could easily sail over the enemy formation or pass between the ranks but not as deadly as a rain of well aimed cannon balls over a longer period.
Empire Helblaster Gun
The Helblaster is rumoured to have been built for the Empire by renegade Dwarfs under the guidance of a disgraced weapons master called Gimlit Bareshanks, one of the most embittered Dwarf geniuses of all time. It is a devastating but unreliable weapon with a tendency to explode leaving a pile of smoking iron and a big hole in the ground. If its name refers to the effect it has on the enemy or its crew it is hard to say.
Empire Helblaster Gun — Range 30cm; Attacks 1 / 6-3-1 (Close Combat / Shooting).
The Helblaster is a primitive crank-driven machine gun based on a discredited Dwarf design. Its Attack value varies according to range; the closer the range the more deadly it is.
| Range | 01-10cm | 10-20cm | 20-30cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attacks | 6 | 3 | 1 |
The small calibre ammunition it requires is similar to that used by Handgunners and is similarly powerful. Targets struck by a Helblaster count their Armour value as one worse than normal — so 3+ counts as 4+, 4+ as 5+, 5+ as 6+, whilst 6+ is ignored altogether.
Unfortunately, the device is somewhat unreliable. When shooting more than one shot with a Helblaster, if you roll more 1s than 6s the Helblaster does not shoot but explodes instead, destroying itself and mortally surprising its crew. To reduce the risk of self-destruction, the crew often reduce their rate of fire and players may choose to do likewise if they want to by rolling less attacks than indicated but must decide how many they will roll before doing so.
A Helblaster can shoot at charging enemy in the usual way and can hold its fire until the last moment to inflict the most possible number of hits.
Elven Bolt Thrower
This elegant device was devised many years ago by the High Elves for use onboard their ships. Since then it has become a feature of many Elven armies and is sometimes known as the 'Reaper' because of its deadly effect. The machine throws a hail of light weight bolts, ideal for raking the decks of enemy ships or the ranks of enemy regiments.
Elven Bolt Thrower — Range 40cm; Attacks 1 / 3 (Close Combat / Shooting).
As with all Elven archery, the Bolt Thrower adds +1 to the Attack roll made 'to hit'. So, targets in the open are hit on a 3+, defended targets on a 4+ and fortified targets on a 5+.
The Elven Bolt Thrower can shoot at a charging enemy in the same way as a missile-armed infantry or cavalry unit.
Unlike many artillery pieces, the Elven Bolt Thrower does not automatically pierce its target's armour. Enemies take their Armour rolls as normal. The Elven Bolt Thrower's darts are relatively small and light compared to say, the Undead Bone Thrower's.
Undead Bone Thrower
An Undead Bone Thrower is a device fashioned from bones and designed to hurl osseous missiles upon the enemy. It is essentially a big crossbow made of bone... a very big crossbow indeed! The missiles it fires are as long as spears and can skewer a whole line of troops.
Undead Bone Thrower — Range 40cm; Attacks 1 / 1 per stand (Close Combat / Shooting).
Targets always ignore their armour when shot at by a Bone Thrower. No Armour roll is made. The Bone Thrower's heavy dart can pierce even the thickest armour.
When you shoot with a Bone Thrower it will automatically skewer the target stand and hit any stand behind it that is touching the target stand and which lies within the missile's line of flight. If there are further stands arranged directly behind and touching the second then the missile will hurtle through, skewering up to a maximum of three stands. Each stand takes one attack, and all attacks against the same unit are rolled together. For example, a unit arranged in a column three stands deep will suffer three attacks when shot at from the front.
Bone Throwers can shoot at charging enemy and can do so at any point as the enemy charge, including when the charger has reached its final position.
Orc Rock Lobbers
Orc Rock Lobbers are big machines which employ a system of counterweights or torsion power to chuck either one big rock, several small rocks or what (or whoever) takes your fancy. These stone throwing machines are favoured by greenskins because they are simple to build from readily available materials. Because Rock Lobbers lob rocks of such immense size no armour can protect against them. Even the most heavily armoured knight would be instantly pulped if a boulder the size of a horse were to land on him. To represent this, targets always ignore their armour when shot at by a Rock Lobber. No Armour roll is made.
Orc Rock Lobber — Range 60cm; Attacks 1 / 3 (Close Combat / Shooting).
Rock Lobbers shoot with such a high trajectory that they cannot shoot at charging enemies.
Undead Skull Chukka
The Skull Chukka is a macabre device of the Undead army; a devilish engine that throws sorcerous screaming skulls rather than stones. The skulls land in amongst the enemy, biting, screaming and smashing apart in a deadly manner whilst giggling hideously.
In most respects the Skull Chukka works like a Rock Lobber and uses the same rules. The only difference is that the enemy is more likely to be confused as a result of being driven back by hits from a Skull Chukka. When rolling for drive backs, any roll of 4, 5 or 6 means that the unit becomes confused as described in the Confusion section.
Dwarf Flame Cannon
The Flame Cannon is an infernal device that shoots a gout of flame. The techniques of the weapon's manufacture are a closely guarded secret of the Dwarf Engineers Guild. This is a hide-bound and deeply secretive organisation, bitterly opposed to further progress or innovation. Only Dwarf weapon masters of the highest rank know how to make these potent devices and even they have their off days.
Dwarf Flame Cannon — Range 30cm; Attacks 1 / 2D6 (Close Combat / Shooting).
The Flame Cannon's shooting attacks are slightly unusual. Rather than having a fixed number of attacks it has 2D6 Attacks instead — roll 2 dice and add the scores together. But if the Flame Cannon rolls a double then it does not shoot as expected! Depending on the double rolled something has gone horribly wrong.
Flame Cannon Misfire Chart
| Double Rolled | What's that gurgling noise?! |
|---|---|
| 1 | No hits are caused. The Flame Cannon explodes and is destroyed. |
| 2 | The Flame Cannon emits an enormous belch of fire inflicting an extra 2D6 attacks to the 4 hits already caused before it explodes, destroying itself. |
| 3 | The Flame Cannon makes a worrying wheezing noise before spewing out a rather disappointing flame. Only 3 hits are caused this turn. Work out all further attacks in the game with one dice. |
| 4 | The Flame Cannon chuffs out a great gout of soot instead of fire, covering the target in black smoke and hot coals. Only 4 hits are caused this turn. It is otherwise unaffected. |
| 5 | The Flame Cannon splutters and its boiler goes out. The crew scramble round to re-light it. The Flame Cannon does not shoot this turn but is otherwise unaffected. |
| 6 | The Flame Cannon lurches in its mountings and heaves forth an especially huge flame. Add a further D6 attacks to the 12 hits already caused this turn. The Flame Cannon is otherwise unaffected. |
A Flame Cannon can shoot at charging enemy in the usual way.
Machines
The Empire Steam Tank
The Empire Steam Tank was made by the extraordinary genius Leonardo of Miragliano, who was said to have been inspired by legendary tales he had heard of gargantuan Dwarf Steam Juggernauts. Sadly, the secrets of its construction died with him, leaving no more than eight occasionally working examples in existence. Each is driven by steam which also pressurises the cannon that forms its sole armament. It is an unreliable device but a potent one, as the enemies of the Empire have come to know only too well.
Empire Steam Tank — Range 30cm; Attacks 2 / 2+ bounce (Close Combat / Shooting).
The model forms a unit on its own, moves up to 20cm and must be given its own orders. The Steam Tank cannot be brigaded with other units, not even other Steam Tanks. It cannot be joined by a character model.
The tank's steam powered cannon has a range of 30cm and shots ignore enemy armour. No Armour roll is made. The shot bounces 5cm in the same way as other cannons and can shoot at enemies charging the tank using grape shot. Fortified targets count as being defended against cannon shots and defended targets count as being in the open.
The Steam Tank's Armour rating is 3+ (the best) because its armour is thicker than even the thickest armour worn by the thickest knight!
A Steam Tank cannot be driven back by shooting. It takes more than a few paltry arrows (or cannon balls) to discourage a Steam Tank.
A Steam Tank which moves into terrain it cannot cross is destroyed. We assume that it becomes bogged down, crashes or is wrecked and abandoned by its crew.
If the player attempts to issue orders to a Steam Tank and rolls a blunder then the order is failed as usual and the tank does not move. Ignore the normal Blunder chart. Instead, the Steam Tank's unreliable mechanism may have gone remarkably wrong. Roll on the following Steam Tank Blunder chart to find out what has happened.
Steam Tank Blunder Chart
| D6 | Creak, Whirrr, Clang, Boing! |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Steam Tank grinds to a halt and does not move for the remainder of the game. |
| 2-3 | The Steam Tank cannot shoot that turn. |
| 4-6 | The Steam Tank does not move that turn but is otherwise unaffected. |
Dwarf Gyrocopter
Dwarfs are short, burly creatures who spend much of their lives in mines and other subterranean places. Your average Dwarf likes to keep both feet firmly planted on the ground or, preferably, below it. However, the Dwarf Engineers Guild numbers amongst its select membership some of the most eccentric and foolhardy of Dwarf kind. These are individuals whose obsessions verge on, and quite clearly beyond, the insane. Only the most determined and talented members of the Guild know the secrets of heavier-than-air flying machines. This curious and occasionally devastating machine represents the pinnacle of the Dwarf Engineer's art.
The Gyrocopter is a flying machine, so all the usual flying rules apply (see the Flying Units section). The model always forms a single unit on its own, must be given orders individually, cannot be brigaded with other units and cannot be joined by a character in combat.
Dwarf Gyrocopter — Range 30cm; Attacks 1 / 3 (Close Combat / Shooting).
The Gyrocopter is armed with a small, short range, crank-driven, piston activated gun which is powered by the motion of the rotor shaft. The engine is fuelled by alcohol (as is the pilot!).
The Gyrocopter's fast-firing gun is light in weight and fires a small calibre shot. It counts Armour values as one worse than normal, so an Armour value of 3+ counts as 4+, 4+ counts as 5+, 5+ counts as 6+ and 6+ does not count at all.
Gyrocopters can fly over any obstructive terrain in the same way as flying creatures. Like all flying units they cannot end their movement in a wood.
Magic
Magic is a potent ally but a dangerous adversary. All armies make use of some sort of sorcery so it is important to have a grasp of the arcane abilities that lie at your command.
Spells
Only Wizards can cast spells. The term 'Wizard' includes various types of sorcerer such as Orc Shamans, Elven Mages, Undead Liche Priests as well as human Wizards. Every army's magic is different and some are better than others as we shall see.
Magic Items
Magic items are devices such as banners, swords or armour that confer special attacks, protection, etc. Each magic item has its own rules and points value.
When you choose an army you can include magic items in it. Any unit of infantry, cavalry or chariots can be given one magic item. Each character can also be given one magic item. If you decide to give a magic item to a unit or character then you must pay the extra points. This means that you will have less points for other troops.
Magic items cannot be given to monsters or war machines. Some items can only be given to characters or to a Wizard as described later.
Casting Spells
In his Shooting phase, each Wizard can cast one spell from the spell lists for his army. He can cast a spell even if he has joined a unit that is engaged in combat. The spell has a range just like a shooting weapon and the target unit must lie within this distance. Unlike shooting from missile weapons, the Wizard does not have to target the closest enemy unit but can choose whichever enemy unit he wants. The Wizard is assumed to be able to see all round though his vision will be blocked by unit stands and terrain as usual.
The Wizard nominates the target and must roll the required dice score to make the spell work; usually 4+, 5+ or 6 depending on how difficult the spell is to cast. If you are successful, the spell works as described. If not then the spell has failed and there is no effect.
The score required is sometimes modified but, regardless of any modifier, a dice roll of 1 always fails and a roll of 6 always succeeds.
A spell can only be successfully cast on the same unit once in the same Shooting phase.
Empire Spells
Ball of Flame — 5+ to cast, Range: 30cm. A ball of flame shoots from the Wizard's outstretched arm burning all in its path. Draw an imaginary line 30cm long extending from the Wizard's stand in any direction you wish. Each unit under the line takes three shooting attacks worked out in the usual way. Note that this spell can easily affect several units and will affect all units that fall beneath its path (including your own). Unengaged units can be driven back by a Ball of Flame as with ordinary shooting. Engaged units cannot be driven back but carry over any hits that are scored into the first round of combat. Hits caused by the Ball of Flame count as having been struck in the combat itself.
Voice of Command — 5+ to cast, Range: 30cm. The Wizard's voice booms out across the battlefield directing troops above the tumult of combat with the magical Voice of Command. The spell can be cast on any friendly unit within 30cm regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not. If successful, the unit can be moved just as if it had received an order in the Command phase. A unit can only be affected by one Voice of Command in a turn. The Voice of Command affects only a single unit, never a brigade and only the unit itself will be affected, not characters who might have joined it.
Weird Enchantment — 4+ to cast, Range: 30cm. A weird enchantment forms around the target unit and engulfs it in strange lights, scary nightmares and disorientating special effects. This spell can be cast on any enemy unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not. While the enchantment lasts, the unit moves at half pace even if charging. Except for Undead (who are impossible to spook for obvious reasons) the unit counts all enemies as terrifying (-1 Attack penalty). If the unit would normally cause terror then it ceases to do so whilst the Weird Enchantment lasts and counts all enemy as terrifying just like everyone else. The Weird Enchantment lasts until the end of the opposing player's following turn. Only one Weird Enchantment can be successfully cast on a unit at a time.
Teleport — 2+ to cast, Range: n/a. With a swirl of his cloak, a crack of thunder and just a hint of maniacal laughter, the Wizard vanishes to reappear anywhere on the battlefield. The Wizard can move into or out of combat by this means. Once a Wizard has teleported he can immediately attempt to cast a further spell. Roll a D6. On a score of 4, 5 or 6 he can cast another spell. On a score of 1, 2 or 3 he cannot.
Undead Spells
Raise Dead — 5+ to cast, Range: 30cm. At the Wizard's beckoning, the mangled corpses that litter the battleground rise to continue the slaughter from beyond the grave. This spell can only be cast if there is combat within 30cm of the Wizard (fresh casualties provide raw material). There is no need for the Wizard to be able to see the combat to cast the spell. If successful, a unit of three new Skeleton infantry stands is created. This is immediately placed within 30cm of the Wizard into any existing combat engagement. It can be placed to the enemy's front, side, or rear, or lapped round. If there is insufficient room, the unit must be placed so that it touches at least one of the friendly fighting units and can be placed so that it is supporting where opportunity permits. Raised dead do not count as charging when they are raised. Raised dead are ignored when working out victory points.
Touch of Death — 4+ to cast, Range: Touching. The Wizard's enemies crumble to dust as he smites them with the corrupting Touch of Death. This can only be cast if the Wizard has joined a unit in combat. The spell automatically makes three attacks on one enemy unit which is touching the unit the Wizard has joined. These are worked out in the usual way. Any hits scored are carried over into the first round of combat and count as having been struck in combat.
Doom and Despair — 4+ to cast, Range: 60cm. A dark cloud of doom and despair settles over the enemy, sapping their courage and dampening their warlike spirit. This spell can be cast on any unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not. The enemy unit cannot charge whilst the dark cloud of Doom and Despair persists and if engaged in combat it will not pursue/advance. Even Undead are affected by the ennui of the tomb! This spell lasts until the end of the opposing player's next turn. Only one Doom and Despair can be successfully cast on a unit at a time.
Death Bolt — 5+ to cast, Range: 30cm. A fearsome bolt of sorcerous lightning flies from the Wizard's outstretched finger tips and strikes an enemy unit. The Wizard must be able to see his target to use this spell and it cannot be directed at a unit engaged in combat. The Death Bolt is treated like three ordinary shooting attacks except that armour has no effect (all targets count as having no armour). A unit can be driven back by a Death Bolt as with ordinary shooting.
Orc Spells
Foot of Gork — 6+ to cast, Range: 50cm. A gigantic spectral green foot descends from the heavens with a mighty thunk, crushing the enemy to pulp and grinding their bones into the dirt. You can cast this spell on a single enemy unit within 50cm of the Shaman. The caster does not have to be able to see his target. The spell cannot be used on a unit engaged in combat. The unit suffers six attacks worked out in the usual way. A unit cannot be driven back by the Foot of Gork as the attack comes from above!
Gotcha! — 5+ to cast, Range: 30cm. With a mighty heave a huge green fist erupts explosively from the Shaman's gaping mouth and strikes all within its path. Draw an imaginary line 30cm long that extends from the Shaman stand. Each unit under the line takes three shooting attacks worked out in the usual way. Note that this spell can affect several units and will affect all units that fall beneath the path of the green fist... including friends! Unengaged units can be driven back by the Gotcha! spell in the same way as ordinary shooting. Engaged units cannot be driven back but carry over any hits scored into the first round of combat. Hits caused by the spell count as having been struck in the combat itself.
Gerroff!!! — 5+ to cast, Range: 60cm. The voice of Gork booms out across the battlefield forcing back his foes with a rancid gale force bellow. This can be cast on any enemy unit within 60cm, whether the Shaman can see it or not. It cannot be cast on a unit engaged in combat or cast successfully on a unit more than once per turn. The enemy unit is driven back by the blast of the bellow by 5xD6cm towards its own table edge. This is treated in the same way as a drive back from shooting except that the direction is established by determining the shortest route to the table edge. A unit cannot be routed by a drive back from a Gerroff! spell. If the unit leaves the table edge it must roll as described in the main rules (see the Movement section).
Waaagh! — 4+ to cast, Range: 30cm. The Shaman summons the power of the mighty Waaagh! to invigorate the greenskins. This spell can be cast on any friendly unit of Orcs or Goblins engaged in combat within range, whether the Shaman can see the unit or not. Every stand in the unit, including character stands, adds +1 to its Attacks value during the following Combat phase. A unit can only have one Waaagh! cast successfully on it at one time.
High Elf Spells
High Elves are the most powerful of the sorcerous races of the Old World, having learned their magic aeons ago at the webbed feet of the Old Slann, the greatest sorcerers in all of time and space. Right now we won't worry too much about the Old Slann or the debased remnants of their civilisation that still survives in the jungles of the New World. Instead we'll concern ourselves with their most mighty prodigy — the High Elves of the land of Ulthuan.
High Elf Mages are especially powerful wizards and to represent this can always re-roll any failed spell. Because a High Elf has two goes to cast a spell he is far more likely to cast even the most difficult spells compared to, say, a Goblin Shaman or Human Wizard.
Storm of Stone — 6+ to cast, Range: 30cm. The ground erupts around the Mage and a hail of stones, rocks and dirt hurls itself upon his foes. Each enemy unit within 30cm of the Mage stand takes D3 attacks worked out in the normal way. Roll separately for each enemy unit. A unit is not driven back by the Storm of Stone (the ground beneath its feet erupts). Engaged units carry over any hits scored into the first round of combat and hits caused by the Storm of Stone count as having been struck in the combat itself.
Light of Battle — 5+ to cast, Range: 30cm. A radiant light shines forth upon the Mage's companions filling them with magical vigour. This spell affects each friendly unit within range regardless of whether the Mage can see his target or not. The spell takes effect for the duration of the following Combat phase and adds +1 Attack to every friendly stand within 30cm of the Mage including character stands. A unit can only have one Light of Battle spell cast successfully upon it at any time.
Heaven's Fire — 5+ to cast, Range: 30cm. The Mage imbues the Elven archers with an unearthly swiftness enabling them to rain death upon the enemy. The Mage can cast this upon any friendly unit of missile armed infantry or cavalry. The Mage does not need to be able to see either the unit he is casting the spell upon or their target. When the Heaven's Fire spell is cast on a unit, it can shoot immediately regardless of whether it has already shot that turn. In effect it can shoot twice this turn. A unit can only have Heaven's Fire cast successfully upon it once a turn. This spell cannot be cast on artillery or machines.
Hail of Destruction — 5+ to cast, Range: 30cm. A hail of fiery arrows flies from the Mage's outstretched finger tips and strikes an enemy unit. The Mage must be able to see his target to use this spell. The Hail of Destruction is treated like three shooting attacks except that armour has no effect (all targets ignore armour).
Chaos Spells
Boon of Chaos — 4+ to cast, Affects unit he is with. A dark power billows from the Sorcerer filling his troops with the destructive vigour of chaos. The spell adds +1 to the combat Attacks of each stand in the unit the Sorcerer has joined, including his own. The effect lasts for the duration of the following Combat phase.
Anger of the Gods — 4+ to cast, Affects all enemy within 30cm. The anger of the Chaos gods blots out the sun and sends clouds of rage scudding across the battlefield all around the Sorcerer. The spell lasts throughout the enemy's following turn and affects his ability to issue commands. All enemy units within 30cm of the Sorcerer suffer a -1 penalty to their Command rolls due to the Anger of the Gods. A unit can only be affected by one Anger of the Gods spell at a time.
Rage of Chaos — 5+ to cast, Range 30cm. The Sorcerer screams a blasphemous litany to his dark gods. From the black gore that drenches the battlefield leaps a roaring shadow which fights with great madness and ferocity. The Sorcerer summons dark power to aid a friendly unit in combat within 30cm, turning it into a daemonic agent of destruction. The effect lasts for the following Combat phase and increases the unit's total number of Attacks by any number of dice rolls up to a maximum of one dice for each stand in the unit (ie, D6, 2D6 or 3D6 in a unit of three stands). The player may roll each dice before deciding to add another if he wishes. However, if any doubles are rolled the unit suffers that many hits itself (it may save for armour) and no bonus is added to its own attacks. It is therefore safe to add 1D6 (as no doubles can be rolled) but the more dice the player rolls, the higher the potential bonus and the higher the chance of rolling a double.
Curse of Chaos — 5+ to cast, Range 30cm. An arc of pure energy strikes the foe, wreaking strange changes, melting flesh and twisting metal into monstrous forms. The sorcerer can cast the Curse of Chaos at any unengaged enemy unit within range and which he can see. This has the effect of three shooting attacks except that it ignores any armour the target may have. The target unit may be driven back in the same way as for shooting.
Dwarf Anti-Magic Spells
Dwarfs are a down to earth kind of race that prefers honest toil and hard graft to airy-fairy nonsense like magic. Dwarfs don't use magical spells but their Runesmiths make powerful enchantments in the form of magic items and devices. When it comes to making magical weapons and cunning devices there are none who can match the skill of the Dwarfs.
Although Dwarf Runesmiths cannot cast spells, they can combat the magic of their enemies. If an enemy Wizard casts a spell, a Runesmith can anti-magic it on the roll of a 4+. If the Runesmith is successful, the spell doesn't work — it is dispelled by the Runesmith's defiant efforts. A Runesmith can attempt to anti-magic any number of spells in a turn. However, a spell can only be anti-magicked once, even if the Dwarf army includes more than one Runesmith.
Magic Items
Our armies rely on brute strength, courage and meticulous training to overthrow their opponents... and if that doesn't work there's always sorcery. It's not just Wizards that get to use magic. Units can have magic items and other characters can carry them too. Magic is part and parcel of the fantastic world our armies are fighting over. To keep things fair, each item is allotted a points value, just like the troops themselves, and some items can only be used by certain races or types of warrior. There are three broad types of magic item: Magic Standards (most of which protect the unit carrying them in some way), Magic Weapons (which are carried by a unit's leader and which usually increase the unit's fighting power) and Devices of Power (which increase the leadership abilities of Generals, Wizards and Heroes).
As a general rule, a unit or character can only have one magic item. A unit of infantry can have a Magic Banner or a Magic Weapon, for example, but not both. Similarly, a Wizard can have a Magic Weapon or a Device of Power but not one of each. Furthermore, a specific item may only appear in an army once. You cannot have two Banners of Fortitude or three Swords of Cleaving, for example.
Magic Standards
A unit of infantry, cavalry or chariots can be given a single Magic Standard. Characters and other types of units cannot be given Magic Standards. An army can never include more than a single example of each type of standard. Magic Standards serve to make a unit more difficult to destroy by increasing its Armour value or number of Hits.
The Battle Banner — Cost 50 pts. A unit with this banner increases the Attacks value of each of its stands by +1 during its first Combat phase of fighting. The effect only lasts for the first combat engagement of the battle, including rounds of pursuit combat during the same engagement and any further engagements which result from an advance during the same phase.
The Banner of Shielding — Cost 50 pts. A unit with this banner has its Armour value increased in effectiveness by +1. If the unit's Armour value is 5+ then this banner increases it to 4+ and so on. A unit's Armour value cannot be better than 3+. If a unit already has an Armour value of 3+ then this banner has no effect. This bonus lasts until the unit loses a stand. After the unit has lost a stand, the banner has no further effect.
The Banner of Fortitude — Cost 50 pts. A unit with this banner increases the Hits value of each of its stands by +1 during its first Combat phase of fighting. The effect only lasts for the first combat engagement of the battle, including rounds of pursuit combat during the same engagement and any further engagements which result from an advance during the same phase. Discard odd hits at the end of the Combat phase before discounting the effect of the Banner of Fortitude.
The Banner of Steadfastness — Cost 30 pts. One shooting hit inflicted on the unit after saves have been taken in each turn is ignored because the missiles are cast aside by the Banner of Steadfastness. This includes hits from magic spells inflicted in the Shooting phase. This effect lasts until the unit loses a stand. After the unit has lost a stand the banner has no further effect.
The Banner of Fortune — Cost 20 pts. The player can choose to immediately re-roll all the unit's Attack dice once in either the Shooting phase or Combat phase should he wish to do so. This includes any bonus attacks from magic items or characters. The player declares that he is unsatisfied with the scores he has rolled, takes all the dice and immediately rolls them all once again. Note that the player must roll all the dice again, including any that have scored hits, so it is possible to be very unfortunate and roll an even worse score! The Banner of Fortune works only once during the entire game.
Magic Weapons
Magic weapons can be carried by an infantry, cavalry or chariot unit or by a character. Only a single example of each type of magic weapon can be included in an army.
Sword of Destruction — Cost 10 pts. If a unit has this weapon then one enemy unit that it is touching is affected and must re-roll one successful Armour roll in each round of combat. For example, if three hits are scored and one is saved by armour then the successful roll must be taken again. Only one enemy unit can be affected by this.
Sword of Fate — Cost 5 pts. The first time it fights in combat, a unit with this sword adds a +1 bonus to the Attack value of one stand in a similar way as the Attack bonus of a character. The Sword of Fate only works once in the entire game. Note that this gives +1 Attack in total and not +1 to each stand!
Sword of Cleaving — Cost 10 pts. A unit with this sword can re-roll one unsuccessful Attack dice each round of combat.
Sword of Might — Cost 10 pts. A unit with this sword adds a +1 bonus to the Attack value of one stand, similar to the Attack bonus of a character. Note that this gives +1 Attack in total, not +1 to each stand!
Devices of Power
Devices of power can be carried by characters. Only a single example of each device can be included in an army.
Crown of Command — General only, 100 pts. If the General has this potent magic item he can choose to issue his first order of each turn against an unmodified Command value of 10. No command penalties apply when the Crown of Command is used. This only applies to the General's first order each turn, subsequent orders must be given normally. Should the General fail to issue his first order, by rolling an 11 or 12, then the Crown of Command ceases to work.
Helm of Dominion — General only, 50 pts. Only a General is allowed to wear the Helm of Dominion (only his head is big enough!). The General's Command value is increased by +1 up to a maximum value of 10. The Helm of Dominion works for one turn only during the entire battle, the player must specify at the start of the turn if he wishes to employ its powers.
Orb of Majesty — General only, 30 pts. If the General has this magic item he may disregard a single failed Command test to issue an order. The order is automatically issued and the General can continue issuing further orders in the usual way. This will only work once in the entire game and only affects orders that are issued by the General.
Ring of Magic — Wizard only, 30 pts. A Wizard with this ring is able to cast a spell without making the usual dice roll to do so. This item will only work once in the entire game.
Staff of Spellbinding — Wizard or Dwarf Runesmith only, 30 pts. If an enemy Wizard fails to cast a spell, he can be spellbound on the D6 roll of a 4+. A spellbound Wizard suffers a -1 dice penalty each time he tries to cast a spell. The Staff of Spellbinding ceases to work once it has been used successfully. It follows that only one enemy Wizard can be spellbound as a result.
Sceptre of Sovereignty — General only, 30 pts. If the General carries the Sceptre of Sovereignty, he may ignore one blunder made by one of his subordinates during the battle. Roll for the blunder first before deciding whether to ignore it or not. If ignored, the Command test is passed and the character may continue issuing orders as normal. The steely will of the Sceptre of Sovereignty reaches out and stays the incompetent wretch before the deed is done.
Scroll of Dispelling — Wizard or Dwarf Runesmith only, 20 pts. If a Wizard or a Dwarf Runesmith has the Scroll of Dispelling he can automatically cause an enemy's spell to fail. The Scroll can only be used once to nullify the effect of a spell an enemy Wizard has successfully cast. In the case of a Runesmith, the scroll can be used after a normal Dwarf anti-magic roll has failed.
Wand of Power — Wizard only, 10 pts. A Wizard with the Wand of Power can add +1 to the chance of a spell working once during the game. The player must decide that he is using the Wand of Power before rolling the dice. As always a spell fails on the roll of a 1 even when using the Wand of Power.
Rod of Repetition — Wizard only, 10 pts. If the Wizard casts his first spell successfully he can cast a second spell once during the game. This can be the same spell again or a different one as preferred. The Wizard must still roll to cast the second spell as normal.
Battlefields
There are several different but equally acceptable ways of setting up armies for a battle. In the scenarios described in this section we often indicate which side should place its troops first. In these cases, the story behind the battle naturally indicates that one side should set up first, for example because it is already deployed on a hill waiting for the enemy to attack or because the scenario represents an ambush where one side is strung out along a road.
However, where a game is played without a specific scenario or a scenario is played where no deployment is specified, players can deploy in any mutually agreeable fashion. The following are commonly used and provide an even-handed way of deploying.
One unit at a time. Each side deploys one unit at a time onto the table starting with the player whose army has the most units. If both armies are the same size roll a dice to decide who goes first. Once one player has no units left, his opponent places the rest of his units on the battlefield. Characters are placed once all units are in position, either all at once or one at a time in the same way as units.
This is the easiest method of deployment as it involves no preparation at all. It is slightly unrealistic as it allows players to observe and react to each other's deployment as it progresses. No advantage is conferred to either side unless one army is much larger than the other. In this case, it might be argued that the larger army comprises poorer quality troops and the advantage of setting up a few extra units at the end off-sets the imbalance in fighting quality.
Maps. Each player makes a sketch map of his table edge and draws the positions of his units and characters. Once both players have completed their maps they are placed on the table and the armies are deployed by each player in accordance with the positions indicated.
Most players would agree that this is the best way of setting up a game but it requires a little effort. It is the most realistic method as, in reality, a General would make his battle plans and decide upon his dispositions well before the battle begins. It is necessary to take some trouble to make the maps accurate, otherwise you may find yourself trying to deploy two units where there is space for only one.
Screens. A screen is set up across the centre of the table and each player sets up his army out of sight of the other. Once both armies are deployed the screen is removed and the dispositions revealed.
This is great in theory, combining all the advantages of making a map with none of the effort. In practice you will be fortunate indeed if your gaming set-up features anything quite so elaborate. A relatively simple way of erecting a temporary screen is to use card boxes, tall books, etc, to make a low screen whilst both players sit down and try to avoid peeking!
One Side First. Both players roll a dice and the highest score decides to set up first or second. One side then sets up its entire army first, then the other side sets up. The side that set up first takes the first turn.
This is an extremely fast method of setting up but really only appropriate when one army is deemed to be awaiting the approach of another. Depending upon the armies involved, it can give a massive advantage to one side but where time is short it's a perfectly good way of getting the game started. The side which sets up first is obviously at a disadvantage because his opponent can react to his dispositions but this is off-set to a degree by having the first turn.
Setting Up Scenery
The scenarios that follow include maps showing how to place the scenery for each battle. These can be adapted by the players to suit the scenic features they have available. In non-scenario games it is entirely up to the players to decide how to set up the scenery before the armies deploy. Here are some of the ways commonly used to do so.
Dice For Edges. Both players can help to construct the battlefield, after which they dice to see which table edge they fight from. As neither player knows which edge he will start from, it is in their interest to make a battlefield that is reasonably balanced.
One player sets up and his opponent chooses which edge to fight from. One player sets up the terrain and the other decides which of the opposing edges he will fight from. This is a good method when one player is travelling to another's house as it enables the host to set up the table beforehand.
Symmetrical set up. The scenery is laid out perfectly symmetrically so that no advantage is conferred to either side. This is a bit mechanical and rather unrealistic but it's certainly fair in principle.
Table Size and Deployment Areas
Warmaster has been developed using our own 6'x4' (c.1.8m x 1.2m) and 8'x4' (2.4m x 1.2m) gaming tables. It can be played on a slightly smaller or much larger table using suitably sized forces. We found that armies needed about 20cm of depth to deploy, which puts them at about 80cm apart at the start of the game. Hence the standard game rule is that armies deploy along opposing table edges 80cm apart.
If your table is particularly wide we would recommend that armies be allowed to set up further apart to allow more room for manoeuvre. However, 80cm is the minimum practical distance and if your table is especially narrow we would recommend deploying the armies right at the edge to maximise the distance between them. The scenarios described in this section differ in that they give specific rules for setting up the armies.
How Long Does the Battle Last?
Players often like to play as many turns as necessary until one side withdraws. Alternatively, dice before the battle to see how long it lasts. Each turn can be thought of as representing up to ninety minutes of daylight, with the game ending as darkness falls.
| D6 | Game Length |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 6 turns |
| 3-4 | 7 turns |
| 5-6 | 8 turns |
The scenarios that follow assume that players will dice as described and fight a predetermined number of turns. Many of the games revolve around trying to fulfil the victory conditions within the time available.
Scenarios
Like all good stories, a battle must have a beginning, middle and end! The beginning is the set-up; this describes the events that lie behind the battle as well as choices and deployment of forces taking part. The middle is movement and commitment of opposing forces; during this part rival commanders try to outwit each other, taking their chances as they present themselves during battle. The end comes when one side achieves its aim or gains such an indisputable ascendancy that victory lies within its grasp.
The simplest way to start a game is by lining the armies up across the battlefield 80cm apart using one of the methods described. Although easy, this seems unnecessarily dull when you could embellish each battle with its own story. So, why not have a go. The battles that follow show what we mean. Each describes the circumstances that lie behind the fight, the terrain and any local conditions that must be taken into account. You can play these exactly as they are, or you can change the armies, scenery, objectives and other details to suit yourselves. There are no rules when it comes to creating a battle. It's up to you to invent an entertaining plot or spin a fantastic yarn to underpin the game. That's the fun bit!
A Word of Warning!
Many of the following battles involve armies from places such as Bretonnia and Sylvania. During the game's development we realised that we didn't have time to make all the armies but we've left the battles as originally described as we thought readers may like a sneak preview of possible future developments. Of course, each battle can be played with any armies. If there is sufficient demand from players, we would love to make armies for all the races described in our Warhammer game (and possibly a few more besides!).
The Battle of the Little Big Bash
The Big Bash River runs through the area known as the Badlands, marking the territory of warring Orc tribes. It has been the scene of many savage battles and the bones of countless Orc warriors litter the river bed. Upstream runs a tributary called the Little Big Bash. It was to this desolate place that Count Reinhard Von Stern, an intrepid but eccentric explorer from the Empire known as 'Mad Strangler Stern', led his brave warrior adventurers. He was searching for the legendary golden city of Amdahar, supposed to lie beyond the Badlands. No one knows whether he found it. After the Battle of the Little Big Bash he led his army south and vanished forever from history.
This battle was fought between the Count's Empire army and a confederacy of Orc tribes under the leadership of Warlord Gruk Bigruk of the Howling Dog tribe. However, the battle can easily be fought between any two other armies. The most important feature of the game is the river and the bridge that goes across it.
In this game, the defenders (Orcs) set up first along their table edge. The attackers (Empire) set up afterwards but take the first turn. This favours the attackers and compensates for the victory points bonus and scenery which obliges the attackers to forge across the river in the face of stiff enemy resistance.
The Little Big Bash River can be crossed by any troops at the bridge, or infantry can attempt to wade across. The river is neither deep nor dangerous. A unit/brigade reaching the river automatically halts. A further order must then be given to move across the river. Troops will not use their initiative to cross the river unless they are infantry obliged to charge enemy they can reach, in which case they must do so.
Infantry units can fight in the river but stands which retreat into or through the river are automatically destroyed.
The boggy ground either side of the river is passable to infantry only.
Victory Points Bonus
Attackers (Empire)
- +100 points if your troops hold the bridge at the end of the game and there are no enemy units on the bridge.
- +100 points for each unit on the enemy's side of the river at the end of the game.
Defenders (Orcs)
- +500 points if there are no enemy on your side of the river at the end of the game.
Bonuses are given for 1,000 points a side and should be increased proportionately for bigger battles.
The Battle of Nobhill
This famous battle took place in the realm of Bretonnia. A band of Orcs came out of the mountains, rampaging, looting and destroying the fair land until they were finally caught and destroyed by a large Bretonnian army that was sent against them. The Orc Warlord, Ugg Bigtooth, made the fatal mistake of splitting his forces, sending some of his lads pillaging whilst the rest of the army set up camp on a large hill. The hill, since dubbed Nobhill, affords an excellent view over the surrounding territory.
However, vigilance was never second nature to Orc-kind (unlike brawling, drunkenness and falling asleep on watch) as a result of which Ugg Bigtooth woke to find a large Bretonnian army ready to offer battle. Ugg held out for several hours in the hope that the rest of his army would arrive to save the day. Fortunately for the Bretonnians this did not happen and a glorious victory was won by the gallant knights.
This battle was fought between the rival armies of Orcs led by Ugg Bigtooth and a much larger force of Bretonnians. You could easily fight the battle between any two other armies as you please. The most important feature is the large hill in the middle.
The defenders, Orcs in the original battle, are placed on the hill and is a somewhat smaller force than the enemy. Allow the defenders half as many points to choose their army as the attackers. The defenders set up first and the attackers take the first turn.
During this battle we must allow for the possibility of Orc reinforcements turning up. To represent this, the defenders can choose another force of the same points value as the first. The defender rolls a dice at the start of each of his turns. On a 6 this second army appears on either short side edge chosen by the defending player. The force is deployed along the table edge and can be issued orders and moved that turn.
Special Victory Conditions
Attackers (Bretonnians) — Win automatically if defender's General (Ugg Bigtooth) is not on the hill at the end of the game.
Defenders (Orcs) — Win automatically if the defender's General (Ugg Bigtooth) is on the hill at the end of the game.
The Battle of Grimm-on-Sour
This battle took place many years ago, long before the human realms of the Empire or Bretonnia were founded, during the long and bitter war between the Dwarfs and Elves. Dwarf prospectors discovered a natural source of gold in the Sourstream, as the local river was called. Subsequently, there grew up a small community populated by Dwarf gold hunters and their families. The founder and leader of this place was Grimm 'Goldcrazy' Girkinson and the village was named Grimm-on-Sour after him. Unfortunately the village laid in an exposed area situated over the mountains from the mighty Elf city of Tol Eldroth. The obsessive leader of this city was none other than Ardath Dwarfshaver who had already subdued the Dwarf holds on his side of the mountains. The attack upon Grimm-on-Sour, its destruction and heroic defence form the basis for a famous Dwarf saga and are recorded in gruesomely exaggerated detail in the Great Book of Grudges that lies in the Dwarf capital of Karaz-a-Karak.
This battle was fought between the High Elf army of Ardath Dwarfshaver and a Dwarf army led by Grimm 'Goldcrazy' Girkinson. You could easily fight the battle between any two armies. The most important feature of the game is the village and surrounding homesteads which the attackers must destroy.
The attackers (High Elves in the story) deploy first on the far side of the Sourstream. The defenders (Dwarfs) deploy afterwards in the village of Grimm-on-Sour. This represents the advantage the defenders have of deploying out of sight amongst or inside buildings. The attackers take the first turn.
The attackers aim to set fire to the defender's buildings and burn them to the ground. For this purpose, the attacking troops are assumed to carry flaming torches as well as their regular weapons. Any troop stand which is touching a building and not part of a unit engaged in combat that turn can start a fire on the dice roll of a 6. Once a building is burning it is uninhabitable and is deemed to be destroyed at the end of the game.
The Sourstream can be crossed without penalty at the bridge. It is not a deep river and so can also be crossed elsewhere by any troops except for artillery, chariots or machines. However, because of the extreme cold of the mountain water, any unit that crosses the river is temporarily debilitated and so cannot be given further orders that turn.
Victory Points Bonus
Attackers (High Elves) — +100 points for each building destroyed by the end of the battle.
Defenders (Dwarfs) — +500 points if no buildings in the main village are destroyed.
Bonuses are given for 1,000 points a side and should be increased proportionately if fighting bigger battles.
The Relief of Karbutzal
The Dwarf kingdom consists of many fortified underground holds scattered throughout the World's Edge Mountains. These are constantly threatened by marauding Orcs and Goblins and over the centuries some have been destroyed or taken over by greenskins. Karbutzal is a small but wealthy hold in the northlands that has been attacked several times over the years. On one such occasion a relieving army was dispatched to reinforce it. The Dwarf army tried to reach Karbutzal by means of the adjoining valleys but found them firmly guarded by Orcs. Eventually, the Dwarfs decided to march straight up the broad Karbut valley to try to break through the Orc army and reach Karbutzal itself.
This battle was fought between Orcs and Dwarfs but can just as easily be played between any two forces. The relieving forces must traverse the valley and leave by the far side to reach the besieged settlement.
This game is fought along the full length of the table with the opposing armies deployed at either end. The attacking (Dwarf) army deploys first at the broad end of the valley and the defending (Orc) army deploys afterwards at the narrow end where it is besieging Karbutzal. The defenders deploy second because they have concealed themselves behind their defenses and the attackers have no time to react to their positions.
Karbutzal lies just beyond the area of battle. The Orcs have built a wall of earth and dung across the valley. Troops on the Karbutzal side of this count as being defended to troops on the other side but not vice versa, as the wall is steep on one side but sloped on the other. It offers no barrier to sight and only affects the movement of artillery, chariots and machines.
The game takes place in a steep-sided valley, the impassable sides of which are represented by the long table edges. No troops may leave the table by these edges. Units may leave the table by either narrow edge. Attacking (Dwarf) units which leave by the Karbutzal edge before the end of the game are assumed to have reached the hold.
Because it is fought along the length of the table we will allow an extra turn. Roll to determine how long the game lasts as normal and add a turn. If your table is less than 1.8m (6ft) long, this won't be necessary.
Victory Points Bonus
Attackers (Dwarfs)
- +100 points for each unit of two or more stands that reaches Karbutzal. Units of one stand or flying units do not count.
- +50 points for each unit of two or more stands that crosses the Orc wall. Units of one stand or flying units do not count. Units which reach Karbutzal do not count (they earn +100 points as described above).
Defenders (Orcs)
- +100 points if no attacking unit of two or more stands reaches Karbutzal.
- +100 points if no attacking unit of three stands reaches Karbutzal.
No other victory points are awarded. Neither side cares how many troops they lose, only how many units achieve or don't achieve their objective.
The Fall of Eisberg
During the War of the Vampire Counts, the small town of Eisberg in Ostermark found itself in the path of an Undead army led by Vlad von Carstein. The town is small but well defended, with impassable marshes to the north. The south is protected by a natural fissure called the Eis Chasm which is crossable only by means of a stone bridge. The west is protected by cliffs but a winding path leads to the cliff top and then descends via a system of caves into the city itself. This path is guarded by a small watchtower. The east is protected by an extension of the marshes but a narrow path over the mire leads to the rear of the city. This marsh path is almost impossible to find and so has been left unguarded. Before his Undead army was able to launch its assault, the Vampire Count was obliged to capture at least one of these paths into the city. Until he succeeded in doing this, Eisberg was considered to be an impregnable fortress.
The Battle of Eisberg was fought between the Undead army of Vlad von Carstein and an army of Empire defenders. However, it would be perfectly possible to fight the same battle between any two armies. The important features are the three key locations which the attackers must attempt to capture before they can advance and invade the city.
This game is played along the length of the table. The defender (Empire) sets up his army first in Eisberg itself except for a unit of infantry which must be placed inside the watchtower (fortified). A battery of cannons can also be sited in the watchtower if the player wishes. The attackers (Undead) deploy second along the southern table edge opposite Eisberg. The attackers take the first turn.
The cliffs are impassable as is the Eis Chasm, except via the bridge. The marshes are also impassable but can be searched in order to discover the hidden path. Any unit may attempt to enter the marshes at any point to search for the path. Roll a dice on behalf of each searching unit. On a roll of 1 a single stand is sucked down into the marsh, on a roll of a 6 the unit has discovered the entrance to the path.
Bonus Victory Points
Attackers
- +250 points for capturing the watchtower at the base of the cliff path.
- +250 points for capturing the bridge across the chasm.
- +250 points for discovering the path through the marshes.
Defenders
- +500 points if there are no units of attackers on the Eisberg side of the chasm at the end of the game, excluding flying units and units of one stand.
Bonuses are given for 1,000 points a side and should be increased proportionately for a bigger battle.
Wagon Train Over Axe Bite Pass
The Grey Mountains divide the Empire from Bretonnia and form an almost impassable barrier. The main route through the mountains is over a high pass known as Axe Bite Pass, a massive cleft in the rock along which wagon trains come from the north and the south. These trains are protected by hired troops and often by the military forces of the Empire and Bretonnia. They are constantly in danger of attack from Orc and Goblin brigands. This battle is typical of such an attack. A heavy convoy of food, drink, gold and fine silks finds itself attacked as it leaves the pass and enters the surrounding hill country. As if from nowhere, an entire Orc army appears on the skyline and attempts to pillage the wagons whilst the accompanying Empire troops do their best to fight them off.
This battle involves ambushing Orcs and an Empire convoy but could easily be played between any two armies. The most important feature is the wagon train which one side must get away from the fighting and the other side attempts to pillage.
The defending (Empire) army has one wagon for every unit in the army. The wagons are placed in a row along the road no further than halfway across the table and no closer than 40cm to the Axe Bite Pass edge. The rest of the Empire army is deployed either along the side of the road or behind the wagons. The entire Empire army is placed first. The attackers (Orcs) are deployed afterwards on the hilltops along either or both long table edges. The attackers take the first turn.
Wagons can move 20cm once in the Command phase, heading in the direction leading away from the pass. They don't need to be given orders to do this. Alternatively, they may be given individual orders, in which case they can move once 20cm along roads in whatever direction you wish, or 10cm cross country. A wagon can't be given two or more orders in a turn. Any that leave the table by any edge are counted as having been saved. Wagons cannot be driven back by missile fire.
An attacking (Orc) unit can attack and plunder a wagon by inflicting one or more hits in combat. Units engaged with enemy troops cannot attack wagons. Wagons have no armour and do not fight back. Plundered wagons are taken from the table and kept by the attacking player who earns points for them at the end of the game. If a wagon is successfully plundered the victors can advance as they would if they had destroyed an enemy unit.
Bonus Victory Points
Attackers (Orcs) — At the end of the game roll a D6 for each wagon plundered.
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Soppy Silks! No use to you. Zero points. |
| 2-3 | Food! +100 points. |
| 4-5 | Booze! +200 points. |
| 6 | Gold! +300 points. |
Defenders (Empire)
- Win! Every wagon gets off the table safely.
- +100 points for each wagon you get off the table.
No other victory points are counted. Only the wagons matter in this battle, not the number of casualties that are inflicted.
The Flight of Countess Heugenloewd
During the time of the Three Emperors, the Empire was split between rival claimants to the throne. The various lands of the Empire found themselves allied to one side or another. It was during this time that the Count of Middenland, a claimant to the throne, allied with Eldred Heugenloewd, the Count of Solland. To cement this relationship a marriage was arranged between the Count of Middenland and Eldred's only daughter, the widow Matilda. The marriage was a coup for the Count of Solland, who had no sons and therefore noone to inherit his throne. His daughter's previous husband had been tragically crushed to death in a bizarre accident on their wedding night.
The Sollanders set off for Middenland in a convoy escorted by a small army of soldiers. Their route lay through the territory of the Count of Talabecland, Volzin Forstenloess, also a claimant to the Imperial throne. Unknown to anyone, he had become infatuated with Matilda having seen some especially flattering portraits of her by the court painter Renardo Harfblind. Driven by amorous intent, he sent his army to ambush the convoy and steal away the Countess. Little could he imagine how the events which were to follow would determine the fate of nations for generations to come.
This battle was fought between rival Empire armies but could equally well be fought between any two opponents. The important feature is the convoy and the capture of the wagon containing the prize.
The defenders (the Sollanders in the story) deploy their army first along the road between the table edge and the fork in the route. Units are deployed in column (ie, stands one behind the other) as if marching. If there isn't room for the entire army, any units not included can be brought onto the table later (see below). The player has three wagons which can be placed at any point on the road within the marching column except at the front. One wagon secretly contains the objective of the battle (Countess Heugenloewd) and the player must note down which wagon this is. The attackers (Talabeclanders) deploy afterwards along either or both long table edges but no closer than 40cm to the road. The attackers take the first turn.
Any defending units not deployed on the table can enter at any point along the narrow edge behind the column during the player's first turn. Each unit is placed within 20cm of the table edge and cannot move that turn.
The road and verges are approximately 12cm wide, sufficient for an infantry unit of three stands to deploy on. The woodlands are divided by tracks which vary between 2cm and 6cm wide. These woods are, of course, impassable to troops other than infantry, except by means of the road and paths.
Wagons can automatically move once up to a distance of 20cm along the road in any direction in the Command phase. They do not need to be given any orders to do this and cannot be moved by further orders or initiative. Any wagons which leave the table by any of the three paths leading to Middenheim are deemed to have been captured by the side which has control of them at the time. Any wagons that leave by the opposite road count as captured by the attackers even if they are controlled by the defenders at the time. All wagons begin under the control of the defending player. Wagons are not driven back by missile fire.
An attacking unit can take control of a wagon by moving into contact with it. Units cannot take over wagons if they are also engaged in combat with enemy troops. The wagon can then be escorted by the enemy unit, moving in company with it up to 20cm per turn along the road. A wagon may not move more than once a turn even when it is being escorted as described. A captured wagon will not move unless it is escorted.
Only the defender knows which wagon contains the objective (Countess Heugenloewd). The player only has to reveal which this is once the wagon leaves the table or at the end of the game if it fails to do this. The remaining wagons contain ladies-in-waiting and assorted female hangers-on.
To represent the element of sudden surprise, the defender's General counts his Command value as 7 in his initial turn.
Bonus Victory Points
Attackers
- Win! Capture the wagon containing Countess Heugenloewd and leave the table by any path.
- +500 points in control of the Countess' wagon at the end of the game but not having left the table.
- +100 points each other wagon controlled by the player having left the table.
Defenders
- Win! The Countess' wagon escapes on any of the paths to Middenheim.
- +500 points in control of the Countess' wagon at the end of the game but not having left the table.
No other victory points count in this battle. The fate of the Countess is the important thing and both sides will sacrifice all to possess her.
The Confederacy of Sigmar
Long, long ago, before the Empire was the Empire, when the land was divided between rival human warlords and barbarous greenskins, a great leader emerged. His name was Sigmar and he united all the tribes of men together and forged an alliance between himself and the Dwarfs. Together, the humans and Dwarfs fought to rid the land of the numerous Orcs that lived there. This took many years and many battles were fought with men and Dwarfs on one side and the combined forces of Orc warlords on the other.
This battle represents a typical battle of that distant era. A large Orc army comprising several distinct tribes has launched a raid into Sigmar's lands and has laid waste to the small township of Ostwald. The Orcs have massacred the town's inhabitants and are busy pillaging and looting in an altogether undisciplined and uncoordinated fashion. Seeing the rising smoke from their watchtowers, the humans and Dwarfs despatch armies to repel the invasion.
As with so many battles of this heroic age the efforts and considerable martial skills of humans and Dwarfs combined to defeat a much larger force of unruly greenskins. Ostwald was quickly rebuilt and re-populated with settlers from the west. Soon Sigmar would chase the Orcs out of the land altogether and establish an Empire which has since endured for two and a half thousand years.
This battle was fought between a combined Empire and Dwarf force against Orcs but could easily be played between any two allied armies or combinations of allied forces. The main feature of the battle is that there are several players on each side.
The attacking (Empire/Dwarf) force is made up of two separate armies each with its own General, represented by a player. The defending (Orc) army has one General but, to represent the defenders as a confederacy of tribes, each character is represented by a different player.
The defending force (Orcs) is divided by the General into as many separate parts as there are players, with no part more than one unit larger than any other. Each player is allotted one character and, if further characters are included, they must be allotted between the other players as evenly as possible. The General controls only the General stand and his own portion of the army, he cannot control other characters as well. Each player can deploy his forces where he wishes within the defender's deployment zone. Roll dice to decide the order in which the players deploy. The defending General can advise and cajole his subordinates appropriately but they can deploy as they wish.
Meanwhile the attacking (Dwarf and Empire) Generals make a list of their forces to represent the order in which their armies are marching along their respective roads. The units and characters at the top of the list are marching at the head of the column, those at the back are marching at its rear. None of these forces are placed on the table at the start of the game but will arrive in the first or second turn.
The Dwarf/Empire side takes the first turn. Each of the Generals rolls a dice and deploys his own stand plus that many units/characters from his column into the deployment area starting with those at the head of the column. The Dwarf/Empire side then takes a turn as normal. The Dwarf and Empire armies are entirely separate; the Dwarf player gives orders on behalf of his army and the Empire player gives orders on behalf of his army. Dwarf characters cannot give orders to humans or vice versa. A failed Command test from either General will halt his army but not both.
The remainder of the Dwarf and Empire columns are deployed at the start of their second turn.
Throughout the battle the Orc players each roll dice for their own troops but can agree to let other characters give their troops commands should they wish to do so. Otherwise the game plays as normal.
The only unusual feature is the ruins of Ostwald itself, a smoking heap of tumbled down walls and collapsed buildings. This area is considered to present a series of low obstacles and is therefore impassable to chariots, artillery and machines but otherwise passable by all troops and easily seen over. Infantry within or at the edge of the ruins count as occupying a defended position.
No bonus victory points are allocated in this battle. Its interesting aspect is that it is a multi-player battle rather than having any particular objective.
Sieges & Fortresses
In the Warmaster game it is possible to represent fortresses, walls, towers, castles and even entire cities on the tabletop by means of appropriately sized models. The scale of the game is ideally suited to fighting massive sieges with sweeping armies, mighty fortresses, lumbering war machines and towering engines of destruction.
When playing siege games, the besieging side should ideally have doubled the points value of the defender. Where the defences are relatively weak or overlong it may be better to adjust the points slightly in the defender's favour. This is left up to the players to decide. All besieging infantry are assumed to carry ladders or hooks free of points.
This section of the rulebook introduces new rules for incorporating sieges and siege machines into the game.
Fortresses
As you will have already seen in the Movement section, high walls, tall towers and substantial tall buildings are considered to block the movement of all but flying units. Troops are therefore obliged to use gateways, doors or gaps when moving into or out of fortresses.
The only circumstances where troops can move over an intact fortress wall or tower are when they come prepared with such things as scaling ladders, grappling hooks or siege towers as discussed later in this section.
Model Fortresses
Walls, castles and towers can be made from card, plastic, balsa or similar materials. The small scale of Warmaster models means that it is relatively easy to produce a fortress using readily obtainable items. For example, plaster of paris and plasticine can be used to create wall sections, towers and even gateways. However, the easiest material to use is thick card, such as the mounting card commonly sold for picture framing.
When making walls or towers for a castle or fortress where troop stands will be deployed it is necessary to make sure that the walkways are sufficiently wide enough to take a stand (ie, 20mm). Similarly, it is also a good idea to make sure that such things as bridges, gateways and roads between buildings are at least 20mm wide so that stands can move along them.
Troops on Ramparts
Only infantry and artillery can man the ramparts of a fortress. Cavalry, chariots, monsters and machines cannot move onto ramparts.
Infantry and artillery stands can move up, onto, or off the defender's side of ramparts as normal. It is assumed there are sufficient internal stairs or ladders to enable them to do so regardless of what the fortress model may look like.
Infantry stands that are from an attacking force can move over a wall and onto unoccupied ramparts. We assume that they are equipped with ladders or grappling hooks to scale the walls. Infantry can also use a siege tower to move directly onto a rampart. A stand that moves onto a section of wall cannot move any further that turn.
In most cases attackers will be forced to fight defending troops before they are able to move onto the ramparts. This is explained further under Assaults.
Gateways and Breaches
Walls can have entrances of two broadly different sizes: large gateways and smaller doors or gates, such as postern gates and sally-ports. The chances are that a model gateway won't look wide enough for an infantry stand to move through — but we won't worry about that. Just as in real life, troops will file through a door or gate so we must assume our warriors can do the same.
Friendly units and characters can move through intact gateways without penalty. It is assumed that they have the wits to open it beforehand and close it behind them once they've gone through. Enemy cannot move through an intact closed gateway but must smash it down first.
Once a gateway is destroyed any units from either side can move through it without any reduction to their movement. Giants are assumed to stoop if necessary!
Small doors can be moved through by friendly infantry or cavalry and appropriate characters. Monsters, artillery, machines and chariots cannot move through smaller types of doors and gates. Cavalry riders are assumed to dismount in order to lead their horses through.
Units moving through a small door or gate suffer no reduction in their movement but a maximum of three troop stands and any number of character stands can go through in any Command phase (ie, a single unit in most cases). Enemy cannot move through small doors at all.
Intact gateways and small doors are assumed to block sight. This means that a unit will not be able to move through and charge in the same move. This is because the unit cannot see its target at the start of its move.
A breach in a wall or collapsed tower can be moved through by infantry, cavalry or monsters without any hindrance. Machines, artillery and chariots, however, cannot move over the debris. The wreckage caused by a collapsing wall or tower counts as cover to defenders in the same way as a low wall or barricade. A breach can therefore be defended by troops on the other side once the wall or tower itself has been knocked down.
Shot
Fortress walls, towers and gateways are pretty solid. Arrows and light shot will bounce harmlessly off. They can only be damaged by shots from cannons and stone throwing engines such as Rock Lobbers. This includes cannon shots from the Empire Steam Tank but not shots from Helblasters or Dwarf Gyrocopters which fire a hail of small calibre cannon balls unsuitable for breaching walls. Undead Skull Chukkas are assumed to be able to throw stones in the same way as an Orc Rock Lobber.
To breach a wall or gateway or collapse a tower you must shoot at it with a unit of suitable artillery or machines. Each 40mm long section of wall counts as a separate target. A tower is considered a single target unless it is very large (more than 60mm x 60mm base area), in which case it must be divided into a suitable number of sections in the same way as a castle wall.
When shooting at a wall, gate or tower it is not necessary to shoot at the closest target, as is normally the case with missile fire, as the besiegers will generally pick a vulnerable point beforehand and concentrate their fire at that. If a player wishes to shoot at fortifications he can ignore the normal targeting rules and may shoot where he wants to within the normal limitations of range and sight.
If you wish to shoot at troops that are on the ramparts of walls or towers then the normal shooting rules apply and no account is made of damage on the wall or tower itself. Shots that are directed at the rampart can only cause harm to the troops and not to the fortification.
As fortresses are difficult to damage, a wall, gateway or tower target counts as fortified (6 to hit) but has no armour.
To resolve the effect of hits on a wall or gate roll a dice for each hit scored by the shooting unit. Roll all the dice for one unit at a time, take the highest scoring dice and consult the chart below to determine the effects. If shooting at a gateway add +1 to the dice roll (gateways are weaker than walls and consequently easier to destroy). If the wall, gate or tower has already been damaged add a further +1. Note that you only add +1 in total if the wall has been damaged and not +1 for each time it has been damaged. In practice, this means that once a wall is damaged a roll of 6 is required to cause a breach.
Breach Chart
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Nothing. The missile bounces off harmlessly. |
| 3-6 | The wall/gate is damaged but holds firm. |
| 7+ | The wall/gate is breached. A tower must be 'breached' twice to cause it to collapse. |
Modifiers
| Modifier | Value |
|---|---|
| Shooting at a gateway | +1 |
| Shooting at a damaged wall/gateway | +1 |
If the wall or gateway is damaged (score of 3-6) make a note of this either by writing it down on a scrap of paper or by placing a suitable marker by the wall. A small stone or 'piece of rubble' is ideal.
Once a wall is breached the entire 40mm long section is destroyed and collapses. Any stand on the rampart is destroyed. Where practical, the wall section can be removed and replaced by rubble or, if you wish, by a specially made section of breached wall.
Once a gateway is breached, the gate is assumed to have been blown apart. A stand on a rampart above the gate is not affected as it is the gate that is the target rather than the surrounding stone.
A tower must be breached twice to destroy it. The first breach has no effect. The tower must be breached a second time to cause it to collapse and before the enemy can move through it. This is because towers are much more solidly built than walls and it is quite possible for them to suffer heavy damage without falling down. As with walls, any stand on the rampart of the tower is destroyed when it collapses. Where practical, the tower should be replaced with model rubble to show that it has collapsed.
Battering
Walls, towers and gates can also be breached by means of Battering Rams. A Giant can also batter a wall with his club but no other monster is sufficiently large to do so.
Battering Rams that move against a wall, tower or gateway can batter it during the Combat phase. Each ram automatically inflicts one hit. Roll a dice for each hit scored to see what happens in exactly the same way as for shooting with cannons and stone throwers.
Giants can use their clubs to batter in the same way as a Battering Ram. A Giant can only do this if there are no troops on the ramparts that he can fight, otherwise he must fight the defenders instead. When attempting to batter walls, each Giant gets one automatic hit and damage is calculated in the same way as for Rams.
Assaults
It is possible for infantry to attack an enemy on the ramparts of a fortress's walls but not enemy on towers, as these are too high to reach. Depending on the construction of the model's fortifications it may be necessary to designate some high walls, gateways or towers as being 'too high to assault'. This is left to the players' discretion.
We assume that infantry come prepared with grappling hooks or ladders to reach the ramparts. Infantry can also attack a rampart from siege towers as discussed later. In both cases this is called an assault. Only infantry can assault. Except for the odd examples discussed later, cavalry, chariots, monsters, artillery and machines cannot assault a fortress because they cannot attack fortified stands. Assaults are different from ordinary combat in several ways.
Infantry units can make an assault by charging up to the base of the defended fortress walls. The two sides then fight a round of combat as if they were touching.
During an assault, no account is made for the effect of supporting stands for either side. In the dangerous, cramped and confused melee of an assault it is impossible for troops to support each other as they do on the open battlefield.
Missile armed defenders can shoot at troops making an assault in the same way as troops making a charge. Any hits inflicted are carried over and count as if struck in the assault.
If the attackers win the combat round, their assault has succeeded. Beaten defenders must retreat down from the ramparts and away from their enemy. Measure all retreat moves horizontally, no account is made of the distance moved up or down (otherwise a stand could end up halfway down a wall!). Artillery stands are automatically destroyed if forced to retreat.
Victorious units automatically move stands onto the empty ramparts. If the unit won't fit on the ramparts, some stands must be left at the base of the wall. Because combatants will be separated, the combat ends. No pursuit combat is fought during an assault.
In the event of a draw, assaulting units fall back in the usual way. The defenders remain in place.
If the defenders win the combat then the attackers are thrown back and must retreat in the usual manner. The defenders remain in place. Defenders will not (and cannot!) pursue over ramparts.
Counter attacks on ramparts
Once attackers have taken a fortress' walls it is likely that their enemies will charge from the inner side. Stands holding the ramparts of walls against attack from the inner side of the fortress do not count as being fortified. Because of the advantage of height they count as being defended.
In this situation, a unit defending ramparts will be destroyed if it is defeated and obliged to retreat because it has nowhere to go (except over the fortress wall to its destruction). Victorious attackers automatically move up onto the recaptured ramparts but cannot pursue over walls.
Giants
Because they are so tall, Giants can attack troops on ramparts. However, they are too heavy and clumsy to scale the walls of a fortress and the people of the Warhammer world have sufficient sense to build their walls high! A Giant can just about reach sufficiently high enough to bash any enemy on the ramparts of the wall with his club (aka 'large tree trunk'). Towers and anything higher than a normal fortress wall are assumed to be out of his reach. If your model fortifications are such that there is doubt whether a Giant can reach them or not then the players should ideally agree beforehand which walls are out of reach.
A Giant can fight against a unit of enemy on the rampart of a fortress wall but can't pursue should the enemy retreat. Although he can clear the ramparts of foes, he can't take and hold ramparts as infantry can.
Siege Machines
No besieging army would be complete without siege towers and rams with which to pound the enemy's fortress to pieces. Some races have developed their own versions of these devices but all function in more or less the same fashion and have equal effectiveness.
Siege Towers
A Siege Tower is a massive wooden tower that rolls forward on huge wheels. It is pushed to the enemy's fortress by troops who are protected by its stout timbers. Once the tower reaches its target, a ramp descends allowing the sheltering troops to swarm over the walls.
| Troops | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points | Min/max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siege Tower | M | 0 | 3 | 3+ | – | 1 | 10 | –/– |
A Siege Tower is a unique kind of machine. Its sole purpose is to deliver troops onto the enemy's walls. You'll find a complete explanation of how the stat line works in the Army Lists section.
A Siege Tower must be assigned to a unit of infantry. To represent the fact that they are really inside the Siege Tower, the unit is arranged directly behind it, in column.
All enemy shots against the unit are assumed to hit the Siege Tower because the troops are actually inside it. A Siege Tower and the unit inside it cannot be driven back by missile fire.
Should a Siege Tower be destroyed by shooting, its accompanying infantry will abandon it and may continue to fight normally.
The Siege Tower has no value in close combat. If the unit is attacked, the Tower is simply ignored. If the unit is forced to retreat, the Siege Tower is destroyed.
The Siege Tower can be pushed forward at a speed of 15cm but can never move more than once in any Command phase. A unit accompanying a Siege Tower cannot make way for other units. If all its accompanying infantry are killed in combat before it reaches the walls, the Siege Tower is considered to have been immobilised or destroyed.
Once the Siege Tower reaches the enemy's walls it has effectively done its job. As soon as the walls are reached, the accompanying infantry can assault the defenders or, if there are no defenders, they can occupy the wall as described below.
A Siege Tower is usually not tall enough to reach a tower. However, if there is doubt because a tower is especially low, the players should agree before the game whether it can be assaulted like this.
Troops making an assault from a Siege Tower cancel out the advantage of fortifications. Both sides count as being in the open (4+ to hit) and the assaulting stand gets the usual +1 bonus for charging.
The assaulting unit fights with only one stand (the warriors at the top of the Siege Tower) whilst the defenders fight with all stands that would theoretically be touching were it possible to move all the stands properly into place! As stands touching corner-to-corner would normally fight, defending stands adjacent to the stand directly facing the Siege Tower will fight, assuming they are otherwise free to do so.
Once a Siege Tower has reached the walls, up to three stands of infantry can move up it and onto the walls in any subsequent turn, assuming that there is room for them to spread out whilst remaining in physical contact with each other. Once stands have moved onto the ramparts they cannot move further that turn, even if unopposed.
A Siege Tower is automatically destroyed if the wall section it faces is subsequently occupied by the enemy. They push it over! Troops defending walls from a counter attack cannot retreat down a Siege Tower and enemy cannot pursue or advance using a Siege Tower.
If the unit pushing the Siege Tower consists of missile armed troops, all stands can shoot as if they were positioned on top of the tower. This brings them up to the same height as the walls. Targets on the ramparts of walls count as being defended from a Siege Tower rather than being fortified. Targets in higher towers still count as being fortified.
Battering Rams
Battering Rams are mounted on a wheeled chassis and protected by a wooden roof so that troops inside can push the ram forward under cover. A Battering Ram can be incorporated into a Siege Tower in which case it simply combines the attributes of both.
A Battering Ram's purpose is to effect a breach in the enemy's gate or walls.
| Troops | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points | Min/max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ram | M | 0 | 3 | 3+ | – | 1 | 10 | –/– |
A Battering Ram must be assigned to a unit of infantry. To represent the fact that they are inside the covered frame the unit is arranged directly behind it.
All enemy shots against the unit are assumed to hit the Battering Ram because the troops are actually inside it. A Battering Ram and the unit inside it cannot be driven back by missile fire.
Should a Battering Ram be destroyed by shooting, its accompanying infantry will abandon it and may continue to fight normally.
The Battering Ram has no value in close combat. If the unit is attacked, the Ram is simply ignored. If the unit is forced to retreat, the Ram is destroyed.
The Battering Ram can be pushed forward at 15cm but can never be moved more than once in any Command phase. A unit accompanying a Battering Ram cannot make way for other units. If all its accompanying infantry stands are killed before it reaches the walls, the Ram is abandoned and is considered to have been immobilised or destroyed.
Once the Ram reaches the enemy's walls it can begin to batter! The rules for battering are described above. The Ram must be accompanied by a unit of infantry of at least one stand in order for it to batter (they provide the muscle). A unit may not batter and assault at the same time.
Sows
These are roofed and wheeled structures that offer protection to troops as they advance towards a castle. A Sow is very much like a big shed on wheels or, to put it another way, a Battering Ram without a ram. A Sow is represented by the same rules as a Battering Ram except that it cannot batter.
| Troops | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points | Min/max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | M | 0 | 3 | 3+ | – | 1 | 5 | –/– |
Mantlets
These are large mobile shields made from stout wood. They offer protection to troops behind them and can gradually be shuffled forward without exposing the sheltering troops to enemy fire. They are used by infantry units and are provided with arrow slits through which missile armed units can shoot.
In a siege game, units of infantry can have Mantlets for +10 points per unit. This is enough to cover the unit's frontage and the unit is considered to be in a defended position. A unit with Mantlets can only move a maximum of once during the Command phase. If it charges, it must abandon its Mantlets. If the unit suffers casualties, it automatically abandons any unnecessary Mantlets (these cannot be used by other troops). If retreating or pursuing in combat its Mantlets are abandoned if they haven't been already.
If a unit equipped with Mantlets is driven back by shooting it will carry its Mantlets with it. However, if driven back more than its half pace move (10cm for standard infantry), the unit automatically abandons its Mantlets as it moves. As units carrying Mantlets count as occupying defended positions, they deduct one dice from their drive back distance.
A unit can abandon its Mantlets at any time during the Command phase, in which case it is not restricted to one move that Command phase. In this case, the Mantlets are overturned or cast aside and removed from the battle.
Boiling Oil
Defenders are liable to throw anything they can get their hands on at enemies trying to scale the castle walls. Well prepared defenders will have amassed numerous large rocks, prodigious amounts of garbage, masonry, furniture, statuary, dead horses, stone sinks, anvils and the like. Of course, the professional choice is boiling oil but scalding water and hot sand are also used to good effect. We won't worry much about the exact type of missile. For our purposes it's enough to assume that the defenders have something appropriate to hand. For the sake of explanation, we'll assume that Boiling Oil is our preferred option.
A 40mm wide section of wall may be provisioned with Boiling Oil (etc,) at a cost of +5 points. This may be used by a unit of troops manning that section.
If an infantry unit launches an assault against a section of wall which is provisioned with Boiling Oil then the defenders can pour oil down onto the enemy as they climb their scaling ladders. Boiling Oil cannot be used against units making an assault via a Siege Tower.
Boiling Oil attacks are worked out immediately before normal combat at the same time as shots at chargers. The Boiling Oil attack can also be made against a Battering Ram in the Combat phase before it batters. The attacks are resolved against the ram itself. A unit can pour oil and shoot with its own weapons at the same time. Any hits inflicted are carried over into the combat and count as having been struck in the first round. Roll a dice and consult the chart below.
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | No effect, you miss or the enemy successfully protect themselves from your barrage. |
| 3-4 | The enemy unit suffers 1 attack resolved in the usual fashion but continues climbing or battering undaunted. |
| 5-6 | The enemy unit suffers D3 attacks resolved in the usual fashion and if it loses a whole stand as a result, the attack is foiled. If the attack is foiled, the unit is automatically defeated and retreats 1cm for each hit taken. In this case the assault is not fought. |
The rulebook's To Arms! chapter (a painting and hobby guide covering brush techniques, colour schemes, terrain-building tips and photographs of painted armies) is not reproduced here as it is hobby guidance rather than game rules.
Battle Honours & Umpires
So far we have considered the Warmaster game as a battle in which two players confront each other with their respective armies. This is the easiest type of game to play so it is hardly surprising that it is also the most popular. A battle between two players is straight forward to arrange, simple to set up and quick to fight.
The following pages of this book describe how you can play different styles of games. In this section we'll look at rules that allow you to field battle-hardened veterans in your armies. We will also take a look at the role an umpire can play in helping to run games. Armed with this information we shall shortly be delving into rules for fighting campaigns and entire wars.
Battle Honours
In real life, good quality troops don't just appear. Raw recruits only become seasoned campaigners after fighting many battles. These experienced troops become the hardy veterans that form the core of a successful army.
In the Warmaster game, veteran troops are represented by the battle honours system. The system can be used whether you are playing a series of single battles or linked campaigns. A certain minimal amount of book keeping is required as players will have to make a record of any battle honours they earn either in a note book, loose leaf folder or as a computer print-out.
Victorious armies win battle honours. The more that are won, the better the army fights until such time as it is defeated. Once defeated, an army loses some or all of its battle honours. This represents the progress of victorious troops from ordinary warriors to battle-hardened veterans under the leadership of a successful general. Similarly, once an army has been defeated its old guard is broken and its experienced fighters must be supplemented with raw recruits.
Winning Battle Honours
If you win a battle, consult the chart below. Roll a dice to determine which honour you receive. Pick one infantry or cavalry unit from your army to receive the honour. In each battle from now on, that unit fights with the bonus described until the unit is destroyed. Once a unit is destroyed its battle honour is lost!
You will earn more battle honours if you win further games. It is possible to have the same battle honour several times over, in which case you can use it for more than one unit. However, no unit can have more than one battle honour and only infantry or cavalry units can have them at all. Other units cannot be given battle honours.
| D6 | Battle Honour |
|---|---|
| 1 | Guards. The unit always obeys the first order it is given each turn. No dice roll is needed to see if the order has been issued. This doesn't apply if the unit is part of a larger brigade. |
| 2 | Loyal Troops. If the unit is within 20cm of the General it will always obey his orders. There is no need to roll to issue the order. This doesn't apply if the unit is over 20cm from the General or part of a larger brigade. |
| 3 | Vicious Fighters. The unit's Attack value is increased by +1 for the first round of each close combat. This only applies in the first combat round of each Combat phase but it applies throughout the entire battle. |
| 4 | Stubborn. The unit automatically rolls one less dice than normal when working out drive backs from shooting. So, a unit suffering 2 hits will roll one dice instead of two. Bonuses for defended and fortified units are cumulative, so in a defended position the unit rolls two less dice and if in a fortified position, three less. |
| 5 | Bushwhackers. No modifier is made when issuing orders on account of the distance between the unit and character. The unit is especially proficient at behind the lines operations, scouting and bushwhacking. |
| 6 | Hard as Nails. The unit's Hit value is increased by +1. The unit is especially determined and very hard to destroy. |
Losing Battle Honours
If a unit with a battle honour is completely destroyed during a game then the battle honour is lost with it.
How Many Can You Have?
There is no need to place a limit on the number of battle honours the army can earn. However, some players might feel that once an army has accumulated several dozen units with battle honours it is simply too powerful to compete fairly against an army with none. There is no obligation to use the battle honours system, so players who prefer to play without them can do so. We leave it up to the players to make whatever arrangement they feel works best amongst their fellow gamers.
The absolute maximum number of battle honours you can have is one per unit of infantry and cavalry in your army.
The Role of the Umpire
The Warmaster game can be played between two players without the aid of an umpire. The game relies upon the fact that players are perfectly capable of sorting out any points of contention in a mutually agreeable fashion. We naturally assume that players will wish to play within the rules and to the spirit of the game. It would be rude to suggest that an umpire were needed to prevent unsporting behaviour, let alone cheating! Having said that, the author's preference is to play with an umpire presiding and it is recommended that other players do the same, if possible.
There are many and various benefits to having an umpire. Of course, the umpire can resolve any disputes quickly and impartially, he can look up rules whilst the players get on with the game and he can call breaks, make the tea and speed the game along by helping to move units. Umpiring is a good way to observe and learn about different armies and tactics. It can also be fun! The most important rule about umpiring, and make no mistake, this is a game rule every bit as important as any other, is that the umpire's decision is always final. The umpire can interpret the rules in any way he sees fit and even change rules or invent new ones if he judges it appropriate to do so.
Bearing this in mind, it is always a good idea to be nice to the umpire. Defer to his decisions. If you know he has made a mistake you might wish to tactfully draw his attention to the relevant section of the rules. But don't push it! Remember, as in cricket or football, the umpire's decision is what counts, not the action replay. Of course, if you find yourself cast into the role of umpire, it is important to run the game impartially, to interpret rules without favour and to prepare the game properly. You must make sure you have a good working knowledge of the rules in order to do your job. Such things only come with practice so it is usual for the most experienced players to volunteer their services as umpire.
Entertaining Umpiring
Although it's useful to have an umpire simply for convenience there are other benefits too. Imagine how an umpire might invent a new scenario for the two armies. He could write or type up an account of the events leading up to the battle to present to each player in the form of briefing notes before the game. Each player's account could be subtly adjusted to reflect the limited information available to him. Neither player would necessarily know what his enemy's objectives were or what information the other player might have. Only the umpire would know everything contained in both sets of briefing notes. This is one of the author's favourite ways of running a game and the source of all the battles described in the Battlefield section.
Another idea is for the umpire to present each player with a map of the battlefield and ask him to indicate where his forces will deploy. This can be done by each player sketching out his dispositions or by the umpire setting out the units in accordance with the players' instructions. In this way, neither player knows where the other's forces are at the start of the game. This becomes even more interesting if the maps prepared by the umpire are slightly wrong or contain slightly different information, hidden tracks, secret forest trails and such like. Military intelligence is rarely perfect. These are simple ploys that can help to make games more entertaining because they restrict each player's knowledge to that of a real life commander in the same situation. This is a scheme that the author uses occasionally where the battle scenario suggests such an approach and it can work very well indeed.
The Umpire as Participant
A more involved idea is to allow the umpire to control forces on the battlefield itself. To do this, the umpire invents a battle scenario that features a third force. For example, what look like ruins could in fact be the hideout of a band of brigands, a mob of Orc raiders or deserters from some other army. Although the brigands have no interest in the battle, they will be forced to fight to protect themselves. As the players have no prior knowledge of their presence, the brigands must be kept away from the table until a unit approaches within a certain distance (say 30cm). When a unit stumbles into the unexpected force, the umpire would have to decide how the brigands might react. He might, for example, draw up a simple chart beforehand to determine this: 1-2 hostile, charge immediately; 3-4 stand off, stay where they are and shoot; 5-6 avoid, move away immediately.
This kind of force can be controlled by the umpire as he sees fit. He might ascribe a suitable motive to the force. For example, a cornered dragon might wish only to escape but will panic and attack any troops that move within 30cm. Other variations on this would be easy to imagine: a cave mouth is the home of a huge fire-breathing dragon, a murky swamp is inhabited by hungry Trolls, a wooded glade is hosting a sacrifice to the gods of Chaos, a party of noble knights is out hunting in the woods, an irascible wizard is out collecting herbs for his potions... and so on.
Although the umpire controls any third force directly it is important to remember that the umpire can't win the game! These forces are part of the story behind the battle. The reason they are included is to present the players with an extra puzzle to solve. Most importantly, the umpire should try to make the incident entertaining. The inclusion will only work if the players have confidence in the umpire, so it's best reserved for games between players who know each other well. Personally, I find it a good idea to include some kind of hint in the briefing notes at the start of the battle so that players aren't taken completely by surprise.
Games with Several Players on Each Side
Although umpires can act as a third player as described above it is also feasible to fight battles with two, three or more players on each side. Indeed, such huge rucks are the mainstay of the author's own gaming and remarkably good fun they are too. Nor is there a strict need for there to be an even number of players on each side. All that is needed is an equal points value.
The most obvious way to involve several players is for extra players to take the roles of Wizards and Heroes, controlling a portion of the army directly. It is up to the General to divide his forces, allotting his subordinates appropriate troops to fulfil the tasks he sets them.
Another way of involving more players is for two different armies to ally. In this case, each player fields his own army which naturally includes his own General as well as other characters. For example, imagine that Dwarf and Empire armies have allied together to take on a combined horde consisting of an Orc army and an Undead army.
In alliance games each player deploys and controls his own army during the game. The allied Generals must decide for themselves how to divide up the battlefield between them. It would be wise for them to spend some time in private formulating a battleplan. Tradition has it that each side gets five minutes in the games room to discuss its plans.
When the game starts each side gets a full turn, so the Orcs/Undead take a turn then the Dwarfs/Empire take a turn and so on. In his side's turn each player controls his own army issuing commands, shooting and fighting as normal. Both players can issue orders at the same time but do so quite independently. The failure of one player's General to issue an order does not stop his ally from issuing orders, for example. Characters can only give orders to their own troops (not allies) and can only join units from their own army.
There are other more complex ways of dividing the game sequence. You might allow a full turn to each player in rotation; Dwarfs, Undead, Empire, Orcs, for example. However, in the author's experience the method described above works best because players spend relatively little time waiting for their turn, both allied players get to do things at the same time and everyone keeps active. In practice it is common for each player to find himself confronting a single opponent, so rarely is the game held up because a player is busy on the opposite flank. Even if this should happen, most players are happy to let their co-general resolve a combat on their behalf rather than slow the game down.
Campaigns of Conquest
Gamers of more than average ambition have fought campaigns since tabletop battles were invented. Enthusiasts pore avidly over maps of their imaginary lands deploying their armies to counter the attacks of their enemies, plan daring manoeuvres, conquer territory, gather resources to raise regiments and cheerfully tax the population to pay for it all (even in our fantasy world there is no escape from taxes, I'm afraid).
Such games have the potential to be highly detailed and massive in geographical scope. Some players will sometimes go so far as to include such things as supply and logistical factors, obliging commanders to feed and pay their troops as well as simply march them into battle. Others devise rules for spies, assassins, and ambassadors, or for political elements such as rebellions, court intrigues and the destructive activities of fifth columnists.
This section discusses some of the ideas employed by these diehard campaigners. You might wish to adopt these ideas wholesale to create your own campaign, or you might prefer to devise something that is entirely of your own creation. Either way, I hope you'll find these ideas provide fuel for your own dreams of conquest.
An Easy Option
Although campaigns can be very complex, it is possible to play a very short campaign without too much effort. The easiest method is for each player in your group to play each other player once, taking note of any battle honours after each game. The player to win the most games wins the campaign. This isn't really a campaign in the strictest sense but it can be fought quickly and with a real sense of rivalry.
To Map or Not to Map?
When most people think of military campaigns they think of maps. It is a readily comprehensible image, Generals hunched over charts moving pins or little flags to plan the movement of their forces. While it is perfectly feasible to fight campaigns without maps, it is an irrefutable fact that the display of occupied territories and confronting forces adds greatly to the appeal.
On the whole then, there is much to be gained by creating a map of the land you wish to fight over. What's more, drawing the map, giving your land a distinct geography and naming its principle features becomes part of the entertainment.
Creating a New Land
The inventors of the Warhammer games have created the Warhammer world and populated it with various races and nations. You might want to use the Warhammer world as the basis for your campaign: or rather part of it because the whole world is huge and the task of providing detailed maps of an entire planet lies beyond the scope of even the most determined megalomaniac (I know... I've tried). Maps of some areas of the Warhammer world have been published in various Games Workshop games and supplements but most of its considerable area remains unknown territory, if not in gross detail then at least at the level we are interested in. Furthermore, vast areas are officially described as 'wastelands' or 'borderlands' where it is possible to place as many minor principalities, nouveau kingdoms, petty warlords and aspiring tribes as you could want.
An alternative is simply to invent your own land from scratch. In practice, it matters little whether your map represents a remote or hidden part of the Warhammer world, a large undiscovered island, or whether it is somewhere else entirely. Either way, the players can cheerfully create their own vision of a land for their armies to fight over.
Making a Map
The first step of any map-based campaign is to draw the map itself. As the map provides the basis for the campaign, this task usually falls to one person, normally the same person who will organise the games and oversee the progress of the campaign as a whole. This isn't an absolute requirement, players can get together to draw the map just as they can get together to organise other details of the campaign but there are advantages to giving the job to one person. The main advantage is that the job gets done by the most enthusiastic and determined individual. A further important benefit is that it is possible to keep some details of the campaign secret from the players as a group.
Using a large sheet of paper it is possible to simply draw the outline of your land allowing sufficient room to include base territories for every player in the campaign. There must be sufficient room between the players to allow for expansion and enough routes, whether by land or water, to allow the armies to reach several opponents from the outset.
If you don't feel confident about creating a map from scratch try looking through a large scale atlas of real places and you'll find plenty of ideas. Even familiar shapes such as Antarctica or Borneo look surprisingly novel when viewed from different angles or merged together. Nor do you have to restrict yourself to islands, the campaign area can just as easily be delineated by deserts, marshes, mountains, mighty rivers and dense jungles.
Creating Nations
Once you have drawn up the broad geography of your campaign you can begin to add cities, towns, fortresses, roads and such like. Whether your campaign is based on a place in the Warhammer world or whether it is completely made up there are a few things which the cartographer must bear in mind.
Each player in the campaign will need a capital which forms the centre of his land and base of operations. On the whole, it is best to site these equidistantly over the area or in such a way that all the players have some hinterland around their capital. The player's capital is the seat of his power, whether it be a human or Elven city, a dark necropolis of the Undead, a mountain stronghold of the Dwarfs or a crude Orc town of logs and dung. The player, as ruler of his land, launches armies and ambassadors from his capital, gathers news and dispatches tax collectors to every corner of his domain.
Having placed your players' capitals upon the map there are two basic ways of proceeding. The first is to assume that the rest of the land is unknown territory which the players must explore and colonise. The second is to assume that the players control well-established domains with towns, villages and a proper network of roads and resources all appropriate for their race. Although the former method can be a lot of fun, campaigns of exploration and colonising can become very complex. Players must found fortified settlements or villages from which they can raise revenue to fund their armies, or they can search for gold or other natural resources as alternative sources of income. A less involved approach is to fill in the details of the map so that each side has a similar amount of interesting territories to start with. In this second case, the players know the extent of their enemy's territories and can set about fighting over them right from the very start.
Fighting Campaign Battles
When armies clash, players have the chance to invent a scenario or concoct some tale to explain the circumstances behind the battle. Sometimes the map will strongly suggest the terrain or underlying story. For example, a battle in a mountain pass might be fought down the length of the table with the long edges representing the towering mountain sides. On the other hand, battles for possession of towns and cities are best fought in the relatively open lands around it rather than in the streets. On the whole, it's best to let the campaign map suggest the scenery rather than dictate it. You might choose to fight a disputed river crossing at the river itself, or you might assume the forces meet before the enemy reaches the river or after he has crossed. If players are open minded about this sort of thing, the games can be as varied as you please.
When fighting battles it is preferable for armies to be chosen fresh each time, usually to a points total fixed before the campaign starts or determined by territories held by the player. Players can therefore vary the details of their forces each time they play and there is no need to use exactly the same troops in every game. Similarly, any casualties inflicted in a battle can be assumed to be replaced by fresh recruits. This means that there is no need to keep records of exactly which regiments have suffered casualties from game to game.
Of course, it is possible to use the same forces from one battle to the next and to introduce rules for recording casualties, recruiting fresh troops and otherwise keeping tabs on the individual elements of the army. However, this amounts to a remarkably tedious exercise in book keeping, a route which leads to such horrors as accountancy and can result in working for the Inland Revenue... be warned!
The Land of Pelagonea
'The Land of Pelagonea' illustrates one way a straight forward campaign can be run. In this case, six players are taking part, although you could easily adapt the details to suit more or fewer. Each player can control a different race, although this is not absolutely necessary as it would be perfectly possible to field two Orc tribes or rival Empire factions, to give just two examples. This type of campaign can be fought out relatively quickly but will still provide enough interesting battles to make the effort worthwhile.
Each player controls a capital, a fort and a significant territorial resource such as a gold mine, port, forest, etc. Possession of these territories enables the player to field an army as shown on the chart below.
| Territory | Points |
|---|---|
| Capital | 2,000 points. |
| Resource | 1,000 points. |
| Fort | 0 but includes a 1,000 points garrison. |
Each player therefore begins with a 3,000 points field army plus a 1,000 points garrison permanently attached to his fort. If a player captures enemy resource territories then the total value of his field army goes up by +1,000 points per resource captured and his enemy's army drops in value by the same amount. If a player captures a fort then he gains a 1,000 points attached garrison to man it. If he captures an enemy capital he gains nothing, instead the capital is razed to the ground and the enemy player is knocked out of the campaign. The winner is either the last player standing or the player with the most territory after a pre-set time has elapsed.
As well as the three territories already described, there are bridge or pass territories that divide the players. At the start of the game these belong to no one.
The campaign progresses in turns, each of which represents about a week in the fantasy world. This seems a reasonable time for troops to undertake marches of some duration, fight battles or intercept invaders. During a turn, a player can choose to either defend his empire or move his army to attack an adjoining territory.
Each player secretly nominates what he intends to do during the turn by making a written note which is revealed once all players are ready. There is nothing to stop players making non-aggression pacts, although the possibility of treachery must be taken into account!
Defend your territory
If a player is to defend, he meets any attacking enemy at his outlying territory. He may be attacked from different directions by different enemies, in which case he fights both, one after the other.
Attack 'place X'
Armies can move from the player's outlying territory via the roads to an adjacent territory. If the player decides to launch an attack then his army is assumed to move along the connecting road to the target territory. If this territory is in the enemy's land, a battle will result if the enemy has decided to defend or if the territory is a fort (which is automatically defended by its garrison). If a territory is undefended, it is automatically captured and no battle is fought.
If an army attacks a fort there will always be a battle because forts always have a garrison of 1,000 points. If a player defends a fort, his army will therefore be 4,000 points, which will be hard to defeat.
An attacking army which is victorious in battle captures the territory it has attacked. Where two players decide to attack each other across the frontier at the same time the battle is fought somewhere between the two opposing territories and the winner captures the territory he has attacked unless it is a fort, in which case a further battle must be fought against the garrison.
As territories expand, players come into contact with new enemies. If you look at the map you'll see that a player who controls a fort can launch an attack in one of two ways: into the next land along or against the resource area of the player whose fort he has captured.
If a player is attacked from two directions while defending, he must decide who to fight first. If the defender wins this game then he also fights the second battle as normal. If the defender loses his first game then he cannot oppose the second attacker. If the first attacker occupies the territory contended by the second then the second attacker has a choice; he can either take the battle to the occupying field army, or he can back down. This basic rule applies for all successive battles where two enemies are converging on a single player.
Ships & Boats
Action at sea between fleets of ships lies beyond the scope of these rules and could easily form the subject for a whole game in itself. Such a game might well feature in our future plans but for now we must content ourselves with a brief look at how ships might be incorporated into the Warmaster game.
Games Workshop hopes to make at least one ship model for the Warmaster game but this is not yet available at the time of writing. Fortunately, it isn't too difficult to make perfectly usable models from card or balsa, with a suitable sail made from paper or foil. A smallish ocean going ship, a trading vessel or long ship, would be about 120mm long. Smaller boats could be any size down to a rowing boat or skiff at about 20mm. Larger vessels could easily reach 250mm-300mm, although such monsters would be hard to incorporate into a land-based battle.
The Role of Ships
For our purposes the prime role of ships is transporting units over open water or down rivers. For the sake of convenience we make the following assumptions.
A ship is assumed to be a single unit complete with its crew. In the case of small boats (by which we mean such vessels as supply lighters, rowing boats, rafts and similar small oared vessels), these operate as a unit of three boats.
A ship can carry a number of stands equivalent to one per 2cm of length. The chances are that entire units won't fit in your ship model unless you are very careful. It is sufficient to place one stand inside to show that the entire unit is on board or simply to indicate its presence to your opponent. All the stands comprising a unit must be carried in the same ship or by the same unit of small boats.
A small boat can carry one stand of infantry, so a unit of three boats can carry a unit of three infantry stands.
It is possible to arm a ship by filling it with artillery to create a warship. Small boats cannot carry these kinds of weapons.
Moving Ships and Boats
Vessels can automatically be moved once in the Command phase. They do not need to be given orders to do this. The player can move the vessels at any convenient time.
No vessel can move into a river or stream that is too narrow to allow it to pass, nor over rapids, waterfalls, weirs or other similar features that would prevent its passage. Small boats may attempt to run rapids. Roll a dice for each boat, the boat is wrecked on the D6 score of a 6 and the stand it carries is destroyed.
The following table summarises the permitted maximum move distances for ships and boats.
| Vessel | Move |
|---|---|
| Small boats | 15cm |
| Oared galleys | 20cm |
| Ships under sail | 15cm |
| Vessel moving downstream | +5cm |
| Vessel moving upstream | -5cm |
| Sail moving with wind | +10cm |
In the case of sailing ships it is necessary to establish wind direction at the start of the game. This can be done by spinning a pen or pencil so that it points in a specific direction or, if you have one, using one of Games Workshop's Scatter dice.
Sailing vessels may not move directly forward into the quarter from which the wind blows (ie, they may not move into the wind). Vessels moving with the wind on their port or starboard quarter do so at normal speed. Sailing vessels moving with the wind behind for the entire turn increase their speed by +10cm.
Wind direction will not normally change during the course of a battle but the possibility might be taken into account in a battle scenario devised by the players or umpire. One option is to roll a dice each turn, with the wind changing on a roll of 6, in which case simply roll the Scatter dice again.
Embarking/Disembarking
A unit can embark onto a ship or into a unit of rowing boats, by moving into touch or alongside a river bank, dock or quayside.
A unit onboard a ship or in a unit of rowing boats can move off it either by using its initiative to charge or by being given an order. Units are in irregular formation whilst on ships or in boats and will therefore move at half pace unless charging.
A unit cannot embark and disembark in the same Command phase.
Units can embark and disembark as brigades where required. Up to four units onboard a ship are automatically considered to be a brigade.
Attacking a Ship
It would be possible to work out quite involved rules for fighting engagements at sea. Indeed, I expect some of you will want to do just that! However, as these rules are really aimed at incorporating boats into land-based games, we'll assume that combats are only going to occur if ships are docked or boats are drawn up onto the shore.
Ships are rather like fortifications in that they are too big to destroy with ordinary weapons. Therefore, we will assume that only weapons that can harm a fortress wall can harm a ship. The ship counts as a fortified target so 6s are required to hit. Hits taken by ships are recorded in the same way as hits upon walls, towers or gates. When the ship is shot at roll one dice for each hit, pick out the highest scoring dice and consult the Ship damage chart. If the ship is damaged add +1 to the chart. Note that this +1 damage bonus is not cumulative, further damage does not add further bonuses.
Ship Damage Chart
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Nothing. The missile bounces off harmlessly. |
| 3-6 | The ship is damaged but holds firm! |
| 7+ | The ship is sunk and any units that are on board are lost. |
Modifiers
| Modifier | Value |
|---|---|
| The ship is already damaged | +1 |
Boats are treated differently. A boat that is carrying a unit of troops counts the same Hit values and Armour as the troops themselves. In other words, the boats give the unit the ability to travel by water but otherwise they do not affect the unit's normal vulnerabilities. If boats are empty they have 1 Hit each but no Armour value to represent their small crew on board.
Ships cannot be driven back by missile fire but units in boats can be driven back in the usual way. If boats are driven back onto land they are unharmed and their passengers automatically disembark safely beside them. Any boat driven back further than its move distance capsizes and sinks and any stand it is carrying is destroyed.
Fighting from Ships
A ship in harbour might be boarded, leading to a fight between units on board and attackers. In this case, line the defending unit on the ship's deck and place attackers as closely as possible along the land. Fight the combat as normal except that, as with an assault against a castle, supporting stands are ignored. The ship counts as a fortified target, so 6s are required to hit but in other respects it is treated like a combat on land. If the defenders retreat, they are thrown overboard and destroyed.
Units in ships may shoot normally but it may be difficult to determine how many stands can see their target. This is especially true when it is not literally possible to place all the stands on the ship model. A good rule of thumb is to allow up to half the ship's carrying capacity of stands to shoot in any Shooting phase and to measure distances and line of sight from the ship's sides.
An enemy can shoot at units on board a ship and counts as firing at a fortified target (6s needed to hit).
Boats are ignored for purposes of shooting or fighting. The stands they transport can fight, shoot and be shot at normally. If stands are destroyed, then the boats carrying them are destroyed as well. Boats merely give units the ability to move over water, they confer no extra protection whatsoever. If boats not carrying stands are attacked, they have 1 Hit each and no Armour.
Army Lists
This section of the book provides the essential army lists from which players choose their armies. You will see that there is a separate list for each army. Each list describes the different kinds of troops and characters the army can include. The list itself takes the form of a chart with the troop types listed down the left hand side and information about them in the columns to the right. For the sake of convenience the information for each stand is referred to as its 'stat line' (short for statistics line). If special rules apply to a unit or character then the 'Special' column will direct you to a separate note beneath the main list.
The Stat Line
| Troop | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points per unit | Min/max | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halberdiers | Infantry | 3 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 45 | 2/– | – |
Type. This describes the type of troop unit or character stand: Infantry, Cavalry, Monster, Artillery, Machine, Chariot, General, Wizard or Hero. Mounts for characters are sometimes optional and are included as a separate line as Monstrous Mount or Chariot Mount.
Attack. The basic number of dice rolled in combat by each stand in the unit.
Hits. The number of hits the unit can suffer before one stand is removed.
Armour. The score required to nullify a hit struck on the unit if it has armour (3+, 4+, 5+ or 6+). A unit with no armour has a value of 0.
Command. The Command value of a character.
Unit Size. The number of stands in a unit.
Points per Unit. The points value of a unit or character of that type.
Min/Max. This defines the minimum and maximum number of units or characters of that type which an army must include per 1,000 points. A dash indicates there is no minimum/maximum needed for that troop type.
How to Pick an Army
The lists are designed so that two players can pick armies to the same points total should they wish to do so. Armies of the same points value will be as evenly matched as it is possible to make them. In practice, the layout of the battlefield together with the strengths and weaknesses of the various armies means that there can never be such a thing as two exactly matched armies but the contest will be as equal as possible.
Size
To pick an army you must first decide how big it is going to be, generally 1,000 points, 2,000 points, 3,000 points, etc. There's nothing to stop you picking armies of any size (eg, 1,500 points, 2,750 points or any odd amount you decide upon) but you will find it more convenient to stick to figures of round thousands.
The army can include any of the units and characters that are given in the relevant list. Choose which you want and keep a running total of the points you have spent. You may find that you cannot use up every point, so your 2,000 points army ends up as 1,975 points, 1,990 points or some such odd amount. This doesn't matter. The important thing is that you cannot pick an army worth more than the points value you have decided upon. Although its actual points value might be slightly short, it is still considered to be a 2,000 points army (or 1,000 points, 3,000 points or whatever).
In practice, players often agree to pick 2,000 points armies but both end up spending slightly more. So long as both players are happy, there is no reason why this shouldn't be acceptable. The points system is merely a handy way of working out armies of comparable fighting abilities and can be readily adapted to suit the players' own purposes.
Units/Characters
An army must always include one General regardless of its size. It cannot include any more or any less.
In all armies you are not entirely free to choose exactly whichever units you want. You must include a certain minimum number of units and you will be restricted to a maximum number of other units. These are essential defining troop types that these armies always have (in the case of minimums) or rare or, in some way, limited troop types (in the case of maximums).
The Min/Max column of the stat line shows the minimum and maximum number of units or characters of the type you are permitted per 1,000 points of that army. This is noted as 1/3 for example. The first number shows the minimum number of units per 1,000 points, the second the maximum. A dash simply indicates that there is no restriction, so 3/– indicates that the army must include at least three units per 1,000 points and can include more.
The Min/Max applies for every full 1,000 points of agreed army value. So, in a 2,000 points army you would double the Min/Max value, in 3,000 points you would treble it and so on.
Magic Items
Units of infantry, cavalry or chariots can include a single appropriate magic item as described in the rules for magic. Characters can also carry a single magic item. In all cases, these cost the number of points indicated in the Magic section.
If your army includes magic items, you must make a note of which items are carried by which units and of course, you must include the price of the item in the cost of the unit/character.
The Empire Army
The Empire is the largest and by far the most powerful of all the realms of men. It is a wild and untamed land full of evil creatures, monsters and human brigands. The Empire's outwardly prosperous cities are little more than islands of civilisation in a deeply hostile world. Their thick walls and massive gates are a testament to the many perils that lie beyond.
Although the Empire is a large land, its cities are very dispersed and travelling between them is a slow and often fatal affair. Settlements are separated by sinister forests, high mountains and grim wastelands which harbour enemies of all kinds. As a result of these factors, the Empire is divided into a number of smaller regions each ruled by its own Elector Count. A Count is the hereditary ruler of his domain and commander of its armies.
The ruler of the Empire, the Emperor himself, is elected by the Counts from amongst their own number. Needless to say, the death of an Emperor is always a time of uncertainty as rival claimants vie for the throne. Courtly politics revolve around the succession. There is constant intrigue amongst contenders for power and even the occasional assassination. In centuries past there have been terrible civil wars between rival Emperors and it is only in recent times that the Empire has been reunited into a single realm. Even today, the city of Marienburg in the Wasteland remains fiercely independent, as it has been ever since the corrupt Emperor Dieter handed it over to the burghers of that city in return for a substantial quantity of treasure.
Each of the regions of the Empire has its own army charged with defending its borders. The Emperor himself maintains a core of troops which forms the basis of the Empire's army in times of war. The backbone of the Imperial army is its well trained and equipped infantry regiments armed with halberds, crossbows and handguns. In much of the Old World, gunpowder weapons are regarded as new fangled and dangerous but in the Empire new ideas and technical innovations are willingly embraced. The Empire also has good cavalry in the guise of the various Knightly Orders, such as the Knights of the White Wolf and the Knights Panther. They are ably supported by lightly armoured riders armed with swords and pistols. A more unusual, if not always welcome, addition to the Emperor's armies are crazed Flagellant bands. These are not soldiers but lunatics who travel from battlefield to battlefield in search of a redemptive death at the hand of the Empire's enemies.
Empire Army Selector
| Troop | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points per unit | Min/max | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halberdiers | Infantry | 3 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 45 | 2/– | – |
| Handgunners | Infantry | 3/1 | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 65 | –/3 | *1 |
| Crossbowmen | Infantry | 3/1 | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 55 | 2/– | – |
| Flagellants | Infantry | 5 | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 70 | –/1 | *2 |
| Skirmishers | Infantry | 4 | 3 | 0 or 6+ | – | +1 | 25 | –/– | *3 |
| Knights | Cavalry | 3 | 3 | 4+ | – | 3 | 110 | –/– | – |
| Pistoliers | Cavalry | 3/1 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 95 | –/4 | *4 |
| Helblaster | Artillery | 1/6-3-1 | 2 | 0 | – | 1 | 50 | –/1 | *5 |
| Cannon | Artillery | 1/2+ bounce | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 85 | –/1 | *5 |
| Steam Tank | Machine | 2/2+ bounce | 3 | 3+ | – | 1 | 120 | –/1 | *5 |
| General | General | +2 | – | – | 9 | 1 | 125 | 1 | – |
| Hero | Hero | +1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 80 | –/2 | – |
| Wizard | Wizard | +0 | – | – | 7 | 1 | 45 | –/1 | – |
| Griffon | Monstrous Mount | +2 | – | – | – | 1 | +80 | –/1 | *6 |
| War Altar | Chariot Mount | +1 | – | – | – | 1 | +15 | –/1 | *7 |
Special rules
- Handgunners. Handguns are rare but powerful weapons. A handgun shot can pierce armour far easier than an arrow or a crossbow bolt. Therefore, count enemy Armour values as one worse than normal when shot by a handgun. So an Armour value of 3+ counts as 4+, 4+ as 5+ and 5+ as 6+, whilst an Armour value of 6+ can't save against a handgun.
- Flagellants. The Empire is a dangerous place, too dangerous for the peace of mind of many of its inhabitants. Some folk just can't stand the pace and become gibbering maniacs convinced that behind every doorway lurks some new and deadly peril. The Flagellant bands roaming the Empire are made up of madmen convinced that the world is about to end. They travel the land preaching a mix of doom and damnation and are attracted to battlefields and the prospect of a grizzly death. So keen are they to meet their maker that a unit of Flagellants will always use its Initiative to charge an enemy if possible and can't be given orders instead. They'll never use their Initiative to evade. They can't be driven back by shooting and do not roll for drive backs. If victorious in combat, they must pursue or advance where possible. Flagellants are unaffected by enemies that cause terror in combat, so they do not suffer the usual -1 Attack modifier.
- Skirmishers are trained to harass the enemy at short range and to provide extra backup for infantry in combat. They are expert fencers, armed with swords and small shields called bucklers. Many carry pistols that they shoot at point-blank range once they are in combat. Skirmisher stands never fight as independent units. Instead, you may add one stand of Skirmishers to any of your infantry units. This brings the size of the unit to 4 stands, ie, 3 other stands plus the skirmishers. Skirmishers always have the same Armour value as the rest of their unit, either 6+ or 0. They fight as part of their unit and can be removed as a unit casualty if the player wishes. Skirmisher casualties never count as casualties for the purpose of issuing orders, which means there is no -1 penalty as there normally would be for units suffering a casualty. Skirmisher stands never count as part of the unit's formation when determining whether they move at full or half pace, so no movement penalty is incurred if they are arranged out of the unit's regular formation. As a result, skirmishers are both more adaptable and more expendable than other troops.
- Pistoliers. These are lightly armed cavalry who carry pistols, short barrelled hand guns and stout swords. They can fight both at a distance and close up. Their guns have only a short range compared to other shooting weapons, so we have restricted their fire to 15cm. However, as their weapons are so handy they can shoot behind or to the side without turning stands to face their target. Just measure the range from any stand edge, front, side or rear. They can therefore shoot at enemy charging them from any direction.
- See Artillery & Machines for complete rules.
- Griffons. Generals, Wizards & Heroes may ride Griffons. The Griffon combines the appearance of a lion and an eagle. These creatures are hatched from stolen eggs and hand reared in the Emperor's menagerie to serve as splendid aerial mounts for favoured individuals. The Griffon can fly, increasing its rider's Movement from 60cm to 100cm and it adds +2 Attacks to those of its rider. A unit which includes a Griffon rider causes terror in its enemies (and, one might imagine, a good deal of nervousness amongst its own ranks).
- War Altar. There is only one War Altar of Sigmar, the founder of the Empire and its patron god. Consequently an army, no matter what its size, can only include one. The War Altar carries the mightiest sorcerer in the Empire into battle. This is the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, the chief priest of the Sigmarite cult and greatest religious authority in the Empire. A War Altar can only be included as a mount for a Wizard, in which case he is assumed to be the Grand Theogonist. The presence of the War Altar adds +1 Attack and enables the Grand Theogonist to add +1 to the dice when casting a spell, once during the battle. The player must announce that he is using the power of the War Altar before rolling for the spell.
The Undead Army
Long ago in the Dark Lands there lived a race of men. Whilst the ancestors of the western realms were skin clad savages, the kings of this land were warrior sages whose sorcerers raised powerful spirits and whose slaves built vast tomb pyramids on behalf of their departed rulers. At that time and place there were many cities and many kings and each king devoted his life to the building of his tomb. Thanks to the magical protection of the tomb, he would enjoy his earthly power once more when the appointed time came for the dead to rise.
The greatest of the kings' sorcerers were the Liche priests whose sole duty was to ensure the preservation of their king after death. As the centuries passed, the Liche priests learned how to extend their own lives far beyond their natural span. Eventually they learned how to cheat the ordinary process of death altogether but they could not prevent themselves from ageing. Each would grow decrepit and monstrous until his flesh shrivelled and fell from his bones and he was destroyed.
One day, a Liche priest called Nagash rose to the leadership of all the Liche priests. His power was greater than any who had come before. He was jealous of the power of the kings who would rise after death whilst he and the other Liche priests were mere servants doomed to annihilation. He rose in rebellion against the rightful king and usurped his throne. Though some Liche priests were horrified by his actions, he bought off the most powerful by promising to share the dark secrets of eternal life that he had discovered.
The reign of Nagash was long, cruel and bloody. Thousands of slaves laboured and died building his infamous Black Pyramid, the arcane dimensions of which bound powerful spells of resurrection. Eventually the people rebelled and overthrew Nagash who was forced to flee with his loyal henchmen, priests and warriors as steeped in evil as himself. For a while it seemed that the dark days of Nagash's reign were over and the Liche priests set about casting down his statues and destroying his works. But no matter how hard they tried, they could not find a way into the dreaded Black Pyramid. It was protected by sorcery too powerful for the Liche priests to penetrate.
Though Nagash fled, he was not destroyed. Instead he brooded bitterly over his defeat and resolved to have his vengeance. For many years he nurtured both his hatred and his sorcery until he was ready to cast the most potent and evil spell he had ever created. This was the Great Spell of Awakening.
The spell took many months to cast and all this time Nagash made his incantations and performed blood sacrifices, not eating or sleeping but keeping himself awake with sinister drugs and stolen vitality. As the spell grew in power, daemons howled around the Tower of Nagash and supernatural winds blew over the land of men, carrying the spell into the tombs and cities. When men looked into the sky they saw only the darkness of racing clouds, of fire in the night and the shapes of cavorting daemons mocking them from above. Beneath the power of the spell all living things sickened and the land became barren, crops withered and those that did not die of plague starved until nothing lived in the ancient land.
Even so, the vengeance of Nagash was not yet complete, there was still worse to come. For as the land and its inhabitants died so the dead felt the stirrings of life. All over the devastated land the grip of death was loosened as warriors, courtiers, kings and hordes of the ordinary dead rose from their tombs. The great kings of old, of whom there were many, looked about themselves with dead eyes and saw the dry, empty reality of the eternal life they had inherited. The rage of the dead was terrible for rather than the promised rebirth as gods, they had inherited instead an eternity of dry dust and nothingness. This was Nagash's terrible vengeance.
So it has been ever since. The dead Tomb Kings rage and fight amongst their ancient cities. Their dead armies are locked into an eternal battle in which none can die, for those who are destroyed one day are forced to live again the next, enduring an eternity of carnage at the whim of the evil Nagash. As for the accursed Nagash, he is the most reviled and hated of all the Undead but he is also the most powerful. His insane laughter echoes throughout the tombs and can be heard at night coming from deep inside the bowels of the impenetrable Black Pyramid.
Undead Army Selector
The backbone of the Undead army takes the form of Skeleton infantry and cavalry. These are not great troops by any means but they are ably supported by chariots and various monsters in the form of flying carrion, Bone Giants and Sphinx. The most characteristic feature of Undead troops is their inability to use their initiative (being dead they don't have any!).
| Troop | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points per unit | Min/max | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeletons | Infantry | 2 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 30 | 2/– | – |
| Skeleton Bowmen | Infantry | 2/1 | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 35 | 2/– | – |
| Skeleton Cavalry | Cavalry | 2 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 60 | –/– | – |
| Skeleton Chariots | Chariot | 3/1 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 110 | –/3 | – |
| Carrion | Monster | 2 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 65 | –/1 | *1 |
| Bone Giant | Monster | 6 | 4 | 4+ | – | 1 | 125 | –/1 | *2 |
| Sphinx | Monster | 4 | 6 | 3+ | – | 1 | 150 | –/1 | *3 |
| Skull Chukka | Artillery | 1/3 | 3 | 0 | – | 1 | 85 | –/1 | *4 |
| Bone Thrower | Artillery | 1/1 per stand | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 65 | –/1 | *4 |
| Tomb King | General | +2 | – | – | 9 | 1 | 130 | 1 | *5 |
| Liche Priest | Wizard | +1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 90 | –/2 | *6 |
| Zombie Dragon | Monstrous Mount | +3 | – | – | – | – | +100 | –/1 | *7 |
| Liche Chariot | Chariot Mount | +1 | – | – | – | – | +10 | –/1 | *8 |
Common Undead rules
The Undead are quite beyond any feelings of revulsion, fear, trepidation or anything else for that matter. They are dead and as such nothing holds any real terror for them. To represent this the following rules apply to all units.
- The Undead differ from most troops in that they are creatures of sorcery bound by the will of their Undead commander. They never act on initiative because they haven't got any! An Undead unit only moves if given orders in the Command phase (except Carrion, as noted below).
- All Undead are unaffected by the -1 Command penalty for enemy within 20cm. Just as they have no initiative, so their resolve is unaffected by the presence of enemy units.
- All Undead units are unaffected by the -1 Combat penalty for fighting terrifying troops. You can't frighten them at all.
- All Undead are unaffected by the Confusion rule because they don't panic, get apprehensive, worry about getting hurt or think much at all for that matter.
Special rules
- Carrion are huge undead birds whose putrid flesh hangs in strips from their vile carcasses. Despite their tattered and sticky appearance they can fly. Like other Undead, Carrion can't use their initiative but, because they are flying creatures, they can always return to a character by homing back at the start of the Command phase. No order is required to do this.
- Bone Giants are huge creatures whose living forms once helped raise the Tomb Kings' pyramids. They cause terror in living foes. They are so slow that it is harder to give an order to a Bone Giant or a brigade containing a Bone Giant, so when giving orders there is a -1 Command penalty.
- Sphinx. The Sphinx is a guardian monster entombed by the Liche priests. It is a powerful creature which causes terror in living foes. Thanks to the Liche priests' magic, the flesh of the Sphinx long ago turned to stone giving it an impressive Armour value and a great many hits (6) which are difficult to inflict even during lengthy combat. Because it has so many hits, we must consider the possibility of hurting the Sphinx and reducing its effectiveness in subsequent turns. Therefore, if a Sphinx has accumulated 3-5 hits by the end of the Shooting phase or Combat phase it is deemed to have been badly hurt. Once a Sphinx is badly hurt all accumulated hits are discounted and its maximum Hits value and Attacks are halved for the rest of the battle (to 2 Hits and 3 Attacks).
- Skull Chukka/Bone Thrower. These artillery pieces are crewed by skeletons. See Artillery and Machines for rules.
- Tomb King. The Tomb King is empowered by the spells cast upon him when buried. He can use this power to increase the Combat Attacks value of all the stands in one unit within 20cm by +1 for the duration of the following Combat phase. This ability can only be used once per battle.
- Liche Priests cast spells like other Wizards.
- Zombie Dragon. A Tomb King or Liche priest may ride a Zombie Dragon. A Dragon can fly, increasing its rider's Move from 60cm to 100cm, and it adds +3 Attacks to those of its rider. Zombie Dragons have a special shooting attack, they can belch corrosive breath! This attack can only be used if the Dragon riding character has joined a unit but is not engaged in combat. A character that has not joined a unit can't use the Breath attack. The corrosive breath has a range of 20cm. It can be directed against one target as normal and has 3 Attacks worked out in the usual way. The Zombie Dragon is a large terrifying creature. A unit which has been joined by the Zombie Dragon causes terror in its enemies.
- Liche Chariot. A Tomb King or Liche priest can ride a chariot. A character riding a chariot adds +1 to his Attacks.
The Chaos Army
The Old World is a dangerous place where malevolent monsters and supernatural magic threatens even the most secure of human cities. Yet in all the world there is no peril as great as the power of Chaos.
Chaos is the source of all magic. It is the raw elemental power of darkness which wizards bend to their will in order to cast their spells. All great sorcerers must fight a constant battle in their own minds for control of this destructive power. The rewards are great but the dangers are, if anything, greater still. Chaos is not unthinking or uncaring by any means. It is a living power that will not bow willingly to the mind of a sorcerer. It will ensnare and trap him if it can. It hates all living things and would, if it could, feast upon the souls of those foolish enough to open their minds to it.
Such is the nature of Chaos and such is the nature of its vast and powerful armies! There are many who are so driven by their hunger for power that they give themselves to Chaos. They willingly surrender their immortal souls in return for the nebulous promises of the Chaos gods. There are four of these great gods of Chaos, the immortal rulers of the realm of power.
Khorne, the Blood God. Khorne is the raging god of battle whose bellows of anger echo through time and space. It is said that his screams for blood can be heard amidst the din of battle and that his followers pile the skulls of the fallen about his throne. His warrior-daemons scour the dimensions searching for battles to sate their battle-lust and redden their blades. His mortal worshippers wage war maddened by the scent of blood, screaming their battle-cry, "Blood for the Blood God!". Khorne's rune takes the form of a sneering skull and one of his names is the Lord of Skulls.
Nurgle, Lord of Decay. Nurgle is the god of everything that is diseased and vile, of plague and pox and all that festers upon the body of man. He is the most disgusting of all the Chaos gods. His huge obese body is bloated with corruption and his flesh is torn and oozes with open wounds. Tiny parasitic daemons scamper over his rotting carcass, sucking upon oozing boils and licking at the running sores that cover him. It is Nurgle that sends pestilence into the world of men, who presides over hunger and disease and whose loathsome daemons feast upon the rank flesh of rotting corpses.
Tzeentch, Lord of Change. Tzeentch is the god of magic and of change. His powers are to trick and deceive and thereby ensnare mortals to his will. His glance will drive a mortal insane or mutate his flesh, causing living creatures to develop hideous malformities. It is by these vile mutations that the foul agents of Chaos can be recognised, by extra limbs, scaly skin, eyes that grow from stalks and writhing tentacles that sprout from twisted bodies. Witch Hunters look for these taints, called marks of Chaos, upon the bodies of those they suspect to be in league with Chaos.
Slaanesh, Prince of Chaos. Slaanesh is perfect in bodily form, neither man nor woman and yet both. It is said that merely to look upon Slaanesh is to be damned to love him with passionate and undying intensity. To hear his voice is such pleasure that a mortal listener would do all that he asked and more. For the favour of Slaanesh's glance a mortal would willingly give his life. For a smile he would surrender his immortal soul. Such is the Lord of Forbidden Pleasure whose daemons cavort naked with the fallen, or drive them forth with stinging whips to new and agonising pleasures.
These gods of Chaos are mighty entities that take their shape from the greed and ambition of mankind; from the warrior's anger, the sorcerer's vanity, the guile of the thief and the delirium of the insane. They are known as Khorne the Blood God; Nurgle, Lord of Decay; Tzeentch, Lord of Change and Slaanesh, Prince of Chaos. These gods are worshipped by the sick and insane, by men ambitious for power and by the desperate and depraved.
In the lands of men it is only reviled heretics that worship the Chaos gods. Their sickening rites take place in secret, away from the eyes of common folk and at night when their deeds may go unwitnessed. In the lands of the Empire, where the threat of Chaos is greatest, bands of Witch Hunters zealously track down hidden covens. They are merciless in their pursuit of Chaos, whether real or imagined. When Witch Hunters ride into a sleepy town with their flaming torches and cruel instruments of torture, it is not just the guilty that quake with fear. Despite the efforts of the Witch Hunters, Chaos grows stronger every day. It grows in secret. Covens thrive because many powerful and influential men secretly ally themselves with the forces of Chaos. In deep cellars, hidden from the eyes of the masses, these conspirators perform hideous rites to appease their dark masters. Their magic brings plagues and other misfortunes upon mankind. Everything they do is aimed at destroying the mortal realms and enslaving their fellow men to the implacable will of Chaos.
Only in the far north do men openly worship the Chaos gods. These fur clad barbarians live in the cold Chaos Wastes beyond the reach of the Witch Hunters and armies of the Empire. Marauders, as they are called, are brutal warriors who nurture a deep hatred of the civilised men of the Empire. Their ancestors have served Chaos since time immemorial so that they no longer think of the Chaos gods as evil. They do not fear the horrific scars of mutation that mar many of their number but welcome these so-called gifts. When changelings are born, creatures half men and half beasts, they are hailed as a blessing and honoured because they show the gods' favour. Marauder numbers are swollen by renegades from the south and by agents of Chaos who have fled from the justice of the Witch Hunters. Together with mutated creatures from the Chaos Wastes, such as Dragon Ogres, Chaos Hounds and vile Spawn, they make up the armies of Chaos. These forces are continually at war with each other and with the rest of the world.
Chaos Army Selector
| Troop | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points per unit | Min/max | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaos Warriors | Infantry | 4 | 4 | 4+ | – | 3 | 150 | 1/– | – |
| Marauders | Infantry | 3 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 60 | 1/– | – |
| Ogres | Infantry | 4 | 4 | 5+ | – | 3 | 105 | –/1 | *1 |
| Trolls | Infantry | 5 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 110 | –/3 | *2 |
| Marauder Horsemen | Cavalry | 3 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 90 | –/4 | – |
| Chaos Knights | Cavalry | 4 | 4 | 4+ | – | 3 | 200 | –/4 | – |
| Chaos Hounds | Cavalry | 3 | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 30 | –/2 | – |
| Chariots | Chariot | 3 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 95 | –/3 | – |
| Harpies | Monster | 2 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 65 | –/1 | *3 |
| Dragon Ogres | Monster | 6 | 4 | 5+ | – | 3 | 250 | –/1 | – |
| Chaos Spawn | Monster | 3/3 | 4 | 3+ | – | 1 | 110 | –/2 | *4 |
| General | General | +2 | – | – | 9 | 1 | 125 | 1 | – |
| Hero | Hero | +1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 80 | –/1 | – |
| Sorcerer | Wizard | +1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 90 | –/1 | – |
| Chaos Dragon | Monstrous Mount | +3 | – | – | – | 1 | +100 | –/1 | *5 |
Special rules
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Ogres are notoriously fond of fresh human meat, although they will eat practically anything that was once alive (or still is). To represent this an Ogre unit must use its initiative to charge a unit of humans (literally humans... men and not Dwarfs, Elves, etc,) if it is within 20cm at the start of the Command phase. This happens automatically and there is nothing their commander can do about it!
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Trolls are especially stupid creatures that find it difficult to walk or spit straight, let alone think. Consequently, when trying to issue an order to a unit of Trolls or a brigade containing a unit of Trolls, there is always a -1 Command penalty. By way of compensation, Trolls have the ability to regenerate their bodies and repair the most horrendous injuries. To represent this, in each round of combat after whole stands have been removed Trolls automatically regenerate one outstanding hit. If no hits are left over after removing stands then regeneration has no effect. Regenerated hits still count towards the combat result for the round.
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Harpies are half men and half creatures of the air, the twisted descendants of a race corrupted by the power of Chaos. They flock in the northern skies and feast upon the slain once battle is over. Harpies follow the armies of Chaos like crows. They can fly and as they are such wild and bestial creatures, a unit of Harpies cannot by joined by a character. Harpies are an exception to the normal conventions for basing monsters, in that they are based along the long edge in the same way as infantry, rather than the short edge like other monsters.
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Chaos Spawn are horrendous mutants. Every Chaos Spawn was once human but has been changed into a monster by the power of Chaos. Spawn are mindless creatures driven by blind hatred into a final frenzy of killing. Every Chaos Spawn is different but all are horrible, malformed and dangerous. Some have several heads, often of various creatures, as well as extra limbs, claws, tentacles, scaly skin, gangling necks, the tails of animals and all manner of bodily distortions. They can spurt acid, mucous, fire, boiling excrement and other unpleasant bodily fluids, enabling them to shoot with a reduced range of 15cm. As they have heads, limbs and assorted orifices pointing in various directions, Spawn are able to shoot in any direction from their front, side or rear.
Chaos Spawn are mindless and cannot act on their own initiative. They cannot be given orders on their own but only as part of a brigade which contains more non-Spawn units than Spawn. Chaos Spawn do not add to the size of a brigade, so a brigade can consist of four units of Chaos Warriors plus three Spawn for example. This enables Chaos Spawn to move along with other troops, accompanying them to battle, guided by the general mass.
Spawn that are not part of a brigade as described cannot move of their own volition and will halt until joined by other units. They cannot make way if friendly units move into them. They can be driven back by shooting and in combat they retreat, pursue, advance and fall back in the same way as other troops.
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Chaos Dragon. Generals, Wizards and Heroes may ride a Chaos Dragon. The Chaos Dragon can fly, increasing its rider's Move from 60cm to 100cm and it adds +3 Attacks to those of its rider. In addition, the Dragon has a special shooting attack. It can breathe fire! This special attack can only be used if a character riding the Dragon has joined a unit and is not engaged in combat. A character that has not joined a unit cannot use the Dragon's fiery breath to attack.
The Dragon's fire breath attack works as follows. The fire breath has a range of 20cm. It can be directed against one target as normal and has 3 Attacks worked out as normal.
The Chaos Dragon is a large terrifying creature. A unit which has been joined by the Chaos Dragon causes terror in its enemies and therefore imposes the usual Combat penalty.
The Orc Army
Orcs are ferocious raiders and relentless warriors who periodically invade the lands of the Old World. Orc tribes mass at the borders of the human realms such as the Bad Lands, the lands of the Border Princes, the Worlds Edge Mountains and the Troll Country. Once a large host is ready, it advances in a great mass, smashing, burning, looting and destroying. Like locusts, they descend upon their foes and consume them, quite literally as they eat any captives they take, unless they are especially old or scrawny in which case they are used for target practice. Their ravaging can only be stopped if they are defeated in battle and scattered into the forests or mountains.
Orcs and the smaller Goblin and Snotling breeds are known as greenskins. Although varying in size, these different kinds of greenskin are very similar in other ways. They have tough hides which become gnarly, scabby and thicker with age and their blood is dark and acrid. They appear to feel little pain and can fight on with horrific wounds that would stop a human dead in his tracks. They are brutal creatures and the bigger they grow the more single-mindedly brutal they become. Smaller greenskins are quick-witted and cunning compared to their larger relatives. They need to be, to avoid being eaten!
The largest and most ferocious Orcs of all are the dark skinned Black Orcs. Compared to other Orcs, these creatures are few but they are braver and brighter than most of their kind. Black Orcs often become tribal chieftains and in battle they fight together, forming the most powerful regiment in the army. Orcs don't ride horses. Orcs do like horses... but only to eat. Instead they ride gigantic boars whose evil disposition is well suited to their own temperament. These boars are bred by the Orcs especially for battle. They have long tusks which the Orcs sharpen with files or adorn with jagged iron blades. Orc boar riders range far and wide in advance of the main Orc horde and are a match for the best knights in the Old World. Tribal chieftains also ride chariots pulled by boars.
Goblins are too small and feeble to ride boars so instead ride sleek wolves, evil-hearted creatures whose deadly jaws are studded with keen-edged teeth. Their riders often carry short bows so that they can pelt their foes from a distance before scampering away quickly. Greenskin hordes often include various kinds of monsters that are attracted to these ravening armies or pressed into the service of the Orcs. Amongst these are Giants from the north, as well as big, clumsy and dim-witted Trolls and Ogres from the mountains.
Orc Army Selector
| Troop | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points per unit | Min/max | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orc Warriors | Infantry | 4 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 60 | 2/– | – |
| Black Orcs | Infantry | 4 | 4 | 5+ | – | 3 | 110 | –/1 | – |
| Goblins | Infantry | 2/1 | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 30 | 2/– | *1 |
| Trolls | Infantry | 5 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 110 | –/3 | *2 |
| Ogres | Infantry | 4 | 4 | 5+ | – | 3 | 105 | –/1 | *3 |
| Boar Riders | Cavalry | 4 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 110 | –/– | – |
| Wolf Riders | Cavalry | 2/1 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 60 | –/– | *4 |
| Wolf Chariots | Chariot | 3 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 80 | –/3 | – |
| Giant | Monster | 8 | 8 | 5+ | – | 1 | 150 | –/1 | *8 |
| Rock Lobber | Artillery | 1/3 | 3 | 0 | – | 1 | 75 | –/1 | *5 |
| Orc General | General | +2 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 95 | 1 | – |
| Orc Hero | Hero | +1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 80 | –/2 | – |
| Orc Shaman | Wizard | +0 | – | – | 7 | 1 | 45 | –/1 | – |
| Goblin Hero | Hero | +1 | – | – | 7 | 1 | 45 | –/2 | – |
| Goblin Shaman | Wizard | +0 | – | – | 6 | 1 | 30 | –/1 | – |
| Wyvern | Monstrous Mount | +2 | – | – | – | 1 | +80 | –/1 | *6 |
| Boar Chariot | Chariot Mount | +1 | – | – | – | 1 | +10 | –/1 | *7 |
Special rules
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Goblins fight in a close mob or huddle in which the smallest and weediest are pushed to the outside. A unit of Goblins includes some armed with bows, some armed with clubs, a few with spears and most with whatever comes to hand. To represent this, the Goblin unit is allowed to shoot as if it had bows but its range is reduced to 15cm.
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Trolls are especially stupid creatures that find it difficult to walk or spit straight, let alone think. Consequently, when trying to issue an order to a unit of Trolls or to a brigade that contains a unit of Trolls, there is always a -1 Command penalty. By way of compensation, Trolls have a remarkable ability. They can regenerate their bodies and repair the most horrendous injuries. To represent this, in each round of combat after whole stands have been removed Trolls automatically regenerate one outstanding hit. If no hits are left over after removing stands then regeneration has no effect. Regenerated hits still count towards the combat result for the round.
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Ogres are notoriously fond of fresh human meat, although they will eat practically anything that was once alive (or still is). Ogres can't abide the taste of greenskin and won't touch a Goblin or an Orc unless they are seriously peckish. To represent this, an Ogre unit must use its initiative to charge a unit of humans (literally humans... men, not Dwarfs, Elves, etc) if it is within 20cm at the start of the Command phase and the Ogres can reach it. This happens automatically and their commander can do nothing about it!
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Wolf Riders. The Wolf Riders' bows have only a short range compared to other shooting weapons, so their fire is restricted to 15cm. However, because their weapons are so handy they can shoot behind or to the side without turning stands to face their target. Just measure the range from any stand edge, front, side or rear. They can therefore shoot at enemy charging them from any direction.
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Rock Lobber. Rules for Rock Lobbers can be found under Artillery and Machines.
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Wyverns. Generals, Wizards and Heroes may ride Wyverns. The Wyvern is a large scaly monster, similar to a Dragon except smaller with no forelimbs. Orcs capture these creatures when very young and bludgeon them daily until they are tame enough to ride. A Wyvern can fly, increasing its rider's move from 60cm to 100cm, and it adds +2 Attacks to those of its rider. A unit which includes a Wyvern rider causes terror in its enemies.
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Boar Chariot. A General, Wizard or Hero can ride a Boar Chariot. Boars are ugly and tough creatures eminently suitable for pulling crude wooden chariots. A character in a Boar Chariot adds +1 to his Attacks.
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Giants are maddeningly dim witted creatures with a fondness for strong beer and the raw flesh of men, Elves and even Dwarfs. Because of their turgid mental processes and weakness for drink they must always be given a separate order. They cannot be brigaded with other troops, although several Giants can be brigaded together if you wish. If you attempt to give an order to a Giant and fail then you must make a test to see what it does. Ignore potential blunders, these are taken into account by the following rules. Roll a dice and consult the Giant Goes Wild chart. Where Giants are brigaded together roll for each separately. A Giant causes terror in its enemies.
Giants have a great many hits, 8 in fact, which are almost impossible to inflict during even a fairly lengthy combat engagement. Because Giants have so many hits we must consider the possibility of hurting the Giant and reducing his effectiveness in subsequent turns. Therefore, if a Giant has accumulated 4-7 hits by the end of the Shooting phase or Combat phase it is deemed to have been badly hurt. Once a Giant is badly hurt all accumulated hits are discounted and its maximum Hits value and Attacks are halved for the rest of the battle (to 4 Hits and 4 Attacks).
Giant Goes Wild chart
D6 Oh no! What's he doing now! 1 The Giant will neither move or fight this turn but simply stands rooted to the spot looking dopey! 2 Move the Giant directly towards the nearest table edge. If he moves into another unit he will attack it regardless of which side it is on. If victorious in combat, the Giant will stand his ground. 3 The Giant picks up a rock, tree, abandoned cart, small building or whatever comes to hand and throws it at the closest unit, friend or foe that he can see. The object travels 5xD6cm and, if it travels far enough to hit its target, strikes with 3 Attacks worked out in the usual way. 4 The Giant moves straight forward at full pace in the direction he is facing. If he reaches an enemy unit he will attack as normal. If there is a friendly unit is in his way, he will walk straight through it. A unit which is walked through instantly becomes confused for the remainder of the Command phase. A unit which is walked through ceases to be confused at the end of the Command phase along with other confused units. 5 The Giant moves towards the nearest enemy unit that he can see as fast as he can. If he reaches the foe, he will attack as normal. If friends are in the way, he will walk through them causing confusion as described above. 6 The Giant gives a mighty bellow and rushes straight at the nearest enemy unit that he can see. Move the Giant at double his normal full pace move. If he reaches an enemy unit, he fights by jumping up and down on the foe furiously doubling its Attacks value in the first round of combat.
The High Elf Army
The Elves are the oldest and most civilised race in the whole world. Long before the crude townships of men took shape, the Elves were building magnificent cities in the distant island-continent of Ulthuan. After millennia of habitation, most of these cities still exist. They are graced by fantastical towers, sweeping arches and a thousand other wonders undreamed of by mankind. Within these soaring spires the High Elves pursue their age long studies of art, sorcery and the natural world.
The Elven mind is not only keen but is matched by a near-perfect form and uncommon longevity. Elves resemble men but are taller and more elegantly proportioned with long athletic limbs. They have lean, intelligent and handsome faces with delicately pointed ears and entrancing almond-shaped eyes. Their movements make the most graceful human seem oafish in comparison. These qualities make them dangerous warriors as well as unparalleled craftsmen.
Elves are not warlike by nature as are, for example, Orcs and even Dwarfs and men to some extent, but they are proud. Some would say they were arrogant and they would not be completely wrong! Elves are an insular people not much interested in other races and dismissive of their primitive achievements. Many centuries ago they traded with the Dwarfs and even established realms in the Old World from where Dwarfish and other materials were exported across the sea to Ulthuan. Unfortunately, Dwarfs are almost as proud as Elves and harbour grudges far longer. Relations between the two races were always strained and inevitably they broke down altogether. As a result, the Elves and Dwarfs fought a war which lasted for many centuries and so weakened both races that it was to affect the whole course of the histories of the Old World and Ulthuan.
The war between the Dwarfs and Elves ended with the High Elves abandoning the Old World and returning to Ulthuan and civil war at home. The Elves had not seen a malignant power taking shape amongst their own kind. At first a few Elves turned their backs upon the old Elven gods, seeking perhaps more potent aid in their troubled wars. These few malcontents began to worship dark gods with evil rites and black sorcery. More Elves joined the ranks of these sinister brethren as their power increased. The wise and ancient amongst them warned against the perils of turning to such dangerous and unpredictable sources of power. The wise were to be proven correct but impotent.
Civil war split the Elves into two factions; the traditionalist High Elves and the sinister Dark Elves. At first, the tainted Elves did not appear outwardly evil. Many flocked to join them, believing that the old gods and the habits of centuries had betrayed them. They argued that it was time for new ways. But soon the true nature of the Dark Elves was revealed for all to see. Many were slain. Cities were destroyed forever. Much of the eastern region of the island was so ravaged by magic that it sank beneath the waves. After great destruction and loss of life the High Elves won and drove their foes westward where they took refuge in the cold forbidding land of Naggaroth.
The Dark Elves and High Elves remain the most bitter foes. The High Elves still blame the Dwarfs for the long war between their two races. However, in more recent times the Dwarfs and Elves have sought to establish a more friendly relationship in a world where they have many common enemies and where survival remains uncertain. Although their days of supremacy are over, the Elves preserve much of the wisdom and might of former days and remain one of the most powerful races in the world.
High Elf Army Selector
| Troop | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points per unit | Min/max | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spearmen | Infantry | 3 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 60 | 2/– | – |
| Archers | Infantry | 3/1 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 75 | 1/– | *1 |
| Silver Helms | Cavalry | 3 | 3 | 4+ | – | 3 | 110 | –/– | – |
| Reavers | Cavalry | 3/1 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 100 | –/3 | *1 |
| Chariots | Chariot | 3 | 3 | 5+ | – | 3 | 95 | –/3 | – |
| Giant Eagles | Monster | 2 | 3 | 6+ | – | 3 | 70 | –/1 | *2 |
| Dragon Riders | Monster | 6/3 | 6 | 4+ | – | 1 | 350 | –/1 | *3 |
| Elven Bolt Thrower | Artillery | 1/3 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 65 | –/1 | *4 |
| General | General | +2 | – | – | 10 | 1 | 155 | 1 | – |
| Hero | Hero | +1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 80 | –/1 | – |
| Wizard | Wizard | +0 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 85 | –/1 | – |
| Giant Eagle | Monstrous Mount | +2 | – | – | – | – | +20 | –/1 | *5 |
| Dragon | Monstrous Mount | +3 | – | – | – | – | +100 | –/1 | *3 |
| Chariot | Chariot Mount | +1 | – | – | – | – | +10 | –/1 | *6 |
Special rules
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Archers, Reavers and Elven Bolt Throwers. High Elves are renowned for their skills with a bow and can easily outshoot other races. These Elven units add +1 to their dice roll when making Shooting attacks and will therefore score a hit against targets in the open on a 3 or more. Against defended targets a score of 4 or more is required and against fortified targets a score of 5 or more is needed.
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Giant Eagles. These live in the snow-capped Annulii mountains of Ulthuan. They are intelligent creatures that exist in peace and harmony with the High Elves and are ready to aid them in battle. Eagles can fly.
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Dragons live in the volcanic mountains of Caledor in the land of Ulthuan. They are intelligent and powerful creatures that have served the High Elves for many centuries. Today their numbers are few compared to the days when Dragon Riders filled the skies of Caledor. Dragons can, of course, fly and they can also breathe flames. Dragon Riders and any units which include a Dragon riding character cause terror in their enemies.
Dragon Fire. Dragons have a special shooting attack — they can breathe fire! This applies both to a unit of Dragon Riders and to Dragons ridden by characters that have joined a unit of troops. Dragon fire works as follows. The fire breath has a range of 20cm. Breath can be directed against one target as normal and has 3 Attacks that are worked out in the usual way.
Because Dragon Riders have a great many hits (6 in fact) which are difficult to inflict even during a lengthy combat engagement we must consider the possibility of hurting a Dragon and reducing its effectiveness in subsequent turns. Therefore, if a Dragon Rider has accumulated 3-5 hits by the end of the Shooting phase or Combat phase it is deemed to have been badly hurt. Once a Dragon Rider is badly hurt all accumulated hits are discounted and its maximum Hits value and Attacks are halved for the rest of the battle (to 3 Hits and 3 Attacks).
Generals, Wizards and Heroes may ride Dragons. A Dragon can fly, so its rider's Move is increased to 100cm. An extra +3 Attacks are added to those of the character. A Dragon mount can breathe fire if the character has joined a unit but isn't in combat. A Dragon ridden by a character can't breathe fire if it is not part of a unit.
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Elven Bolt Thrower. The Elves employ a special kind of multiple bolt thrower, sometimes called the Reaper. See Artillery and Machines. As with other High Elf shooting, the Elven Bolt Thrower receives a special +1 'to hit' bonus.
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Giant Eagle. Generals, Wizards and Heroes may ride a Giant Eagle. These live in the high Annulii mountains of Ulthuan. They are intelligent creatures that live in peace and harmony with the High Elves. An Eagle can fly, increasing its rider's Move from 60cm to 100cm, and it adds +2 Attacks to those of its rider.
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Chariot. A General, Wizard or Hero can ride a chariot. The character riding a chariot adds +1 to his Attacks.
The Dwarf Army
The Dwarfs live in fortified subterranean strongholds in the mountainous regions of the Old World. Beneath these near impregnable fortresses they have dug thousands of miles of tunnels, shafts, mines and galleries. The Worlds Edge Mountains are riddled with Dwarf delvings which constitute a hidden underground realm as large in extent as any human kingdom. The adjoining Grey Mountains and Dragonback ranges are also home to Dwarfs and there are scattered settlements in most of the mountainous regions of the Old World.
Dwarfs are attracted to these bleak places by hidden mineral wealth and especially gold. Dwarfs are utterly besotted with gold. They are also enthusiastic about gemstones and other rare and precious metals but most of all they like gold. Dwarfs sing songs about gold, dig through solid rock to find gold and spend endless happy hours counting the gold they possess. They have hundreds of words for different kinds and are constantly inventing new ones. A Dwarf who finds himself in the presence of large amounts of the yellow shiny stuff can easily go 'gold crazy'. Such an individual may become insanely violent, going so far as to attack friends and family who are, "after me gold!". Given this strong materialistic streak in their character it is not surprising that Dwarfs are keen traders and manufacturers. They are always willing to do business with other races (though only on cash terms, gold is always acceptable).
Dwarfs are shorter and far stouter than men. They are also far stronger and more resilient. They consider Humans and Elves to be gangling weaklings liable to be blown over in a decent breeze. They are expert craftsmen, especially when it comes to metal work, smithying, gem-cutting and jewellery making. Despite their cumbersome appearance they are astonishingly skilful when it comes to making tiny mechanisms such as locks, concealed drawers and hidden doorways. They are also adept stonemasons and take great pride in their ability to 'build to last'. Indeed, the phrase 'Dwarf-built' is a byword for indestructible, whilst the Dwarven for 'shoddy' translates quite literally as 'man-made'. Even the Elves consider Dwarven metalwork to be the finest in the world, though they are less appreciative of Dwarven taste which is legendarily vulgar and gaudy.
Before the coming of men, the Elves established colonies in the Old World in order to trade with the Dwarfs. For many years the two races benefited from this arrangement and both peoples flourished. However, differences in temperament doomed the relationship to inevitable failure. The Dwarfs saw the Elves as arrogant and effeminate. The Elves thought Dwarfs brutish and vulgar. If Elves had been more tactful and Dwarfs less prickly things might have turned out differently. But it was never to be. Once war began, both sides were too proud to concede defeat.
After hundreds of years of continuous warfare both races became exhausted. The Elves returned to Ulthuan and abandoned the Old World. The Dwarfs considered themselves the victors but their numbers were so depleted that their empire could barely defend itself. It was at this point that hordes of greenskins and ratmen attacked the Dwarf realm from above and below. Many strongholds were destroyed and others damaged. The once sprawling underground empire was reduced to embattled enclaves in the mountains.
Today the Dwarf realm is much reduced in size. Men have established themselves in the lands once fought over by the elder races. The Dwarfs have learned to trade with men and the two races have forged a mostly peaceful relationship. It was a combined force of Dwarfs and men that finally drove the greenskins from the Empire and it was Dwarf craftsmanship that raised the first human cities. Relations with the Elves remain embittered. Dwarfs never forget injustices against their kind and can bear a grudge practically forever. They reserve their most heartfelt hatred for the greenskins and ratmen who have taken over the ruins of many strongholds that are the rightful property of the Dwarfs.
Dwarf Army Selector
| Troop | Type | Attack | Hits | Armour | Command | Unit size | Points per unit | Min/max | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | Infantry | 3 | 4 | 4+ | – | 3 | 110 | 2/– | – |
| Handgunners | Infantry | 3/1 | 4 | 6+ | – | 3 | 90 | –/– | *1 |
| Rangers | Infantry | 3/1 | 4 | 5+ | – | 3 | 110 | –/2 | *2 |
| Troll Slayers | Infantry | 5 | 4 | 0 | – | 3 | 80 | –/2 | *3 |
| Cannon | Artillery | 1/2 | 2 | 6+ | – | 2 | 90 | –/1 | *4 |
| Flame Cannon | Artillery | 1/2D6 | 2 | 6+ | – | 1 | 50 | –/1 | *4 |
| Gyrocopter | Machine | 1/3 | 3 | 5+ | – | 1 | 75 | –/1 | *4 |
| General | General | +2 | – | – | 10 | 1 | 155 | 1 | – |
| Hero | Hero | +1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 80 | –/1 | – |
| Runesmith | Hero | +1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | 90 | –/1 | – |
| Anvil | Special | +1 | – | – | – | – | +10 | –/1 | *5 |
Special rules
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Handgunners. Dwarf Handgunners are often known as Thunderers. A shot from a handgun can pierce armour far more easily than an arrow or even a crossbow bolt. Therefore, count enemy Armour values as one worse than normal when shot at by Handgunners. So an Armour value of 3+ counts as 4+, a value of 4+ as 5+ and 5+ as 6+, whilst Armour 6+ cannot save against a handgun.
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Rangers. Dwarf Rangers are the hardiest and grimmest of a race that is characteristically hardy and grim. They spend their lives amongst the mountains and forests where they vengefully hunt down the enemies of Dwarfkind, slaying them in ambushes, traps or open battle. More lightly armoured than regular Dwarf warriors, they carry sturdy axes and powerful crossbows combining both close combat and shooting skills.
Although they are infantry, Dwarf Rangers can pursue any retreating enemy. They do this with a mixture of missile fire, by setting traps in advance and by sneaking small parties behind the enemy to waylay them as they retire. Dwarf Rangers are exceptional in this respect. Their skills have been honed due to the Dwarfs' lack of mobile cavalry (Dwarfs are too short to ride a horse although they are too proud to admit it and prefer to sneer at horsemen as being prone to gallop away when things get tough).
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Troll Slayers welcome death, having undertaken a vow to die in battle. Quite why a Dwarf would make such a vow is baffling to other races but Dwarven pride is a matter of life and death. A Dwarf who feels disgraced or dishonoured would prefer to take the Slayer's oath and die in battle rather than continue to live in shame.
A Troll Slayer unit will always use its initiative to charge an enemy if possible and cannot be given orders instead. They will never use their initiative to evade. They can't be driven back by shooting and never roll for drive backs. If victorious in combat, they must pursue or advance where possible.
Troll Slayers are unaffected by enemy that cause terror in combat, they don't suffer the usual -1 Attack modifier. Troll Slayers are so crazed that they actually prefer fighting huge dangerous monsters that are likely to kill them, the bigger the better in fact. So expert are they at fighting monsters that Troll Slayer stands receive a special +1 Attack modifier when fighting against a monster stand.
Any Troll Slayer units remaining at the end of the game count as if they have been destroyed, earning the opposing player full victory points. Conversely, any units completely destroyed earns the opposing player nothing. Odd bunch, Dwarfs!
-
Full rules for Cannons, Flame Cannons and Gyrocopters are in Artillery and Machines.
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Anvil. The Anvil is a huge anvil-shaped altar upon which the greatest Dwarf Runesmiths forge runes of power. The army can only include a single anvil and it is incorporated onto the stand of a Runesmith. If a Runesmith stand includes the anvil, once per battle he can add +1 to his dice roll when he attempts to dispel enemy magic spells with Dwarf anti-magic.
Appendix 1 — Examples of Play
The Command Phase
It is the Empire player's turn and his army is deployed across a broad front that is divided into three blocks. On the right flank is a block of infantry, in the centre is a mixed block of infantry, cavalry and artillery, and on the left are some Flagellants who are accompanied by a cavalry unit.
The player begins with his Wizard. The Wizard has a low command range (20cm) and has been placed ahead of the troop block so that he can lead it more effectively. He gives a single command to both units as a brigade, rolls 2D6 and scores a 5 which is well within his Command value of 7. The brigade moves forward — but the player is careful not to move either unit further than 20cm from the Wizard as he intends to issue another order to them. This time there is a -1 penalty as the brigade has already received one order. The player rolls a 6 which is just sufficient to move (Command 7-1 penalty). The player moves the brigade and as it is now beyond the Wizard's Command range he declares that the Wizard has finished giving orders.
The player proceeds to the Hero. The Hero gives a single brigade order to the block of infantry immediately behind him. His Command value is 8 but the player rolls 9. The order is failed and the Hero cannot therefore give further orders that turn. The infantry hold their position.
Lastly the player attends to his General. He would like to move the block of infantry on the right flank but cannot do so as they have already been issued an order by the Hero — even though that order failed. Instead the General nominates the two units of Knights as a brigade and issues an order. He requires 9 or less and rolls 7, successfully moving the brigade forward. At this stage he does not wish to push the cavalry ahead unsupported, and would prefer to keep them out of initiative range of the enemy (20cm). He therefore leaves the Knights and issues a brigade order to the three centre infantry units. The most distant unit is just less than 40cm so there is a penalty of -1. A roll of 8 successfully moves the brigade forward (the General has a Command value of 9). The player decides to attempt a further order with the same brigade as he would like to push the infantry ahead of the cavalry and bring his missilemen into firing range. The most distant unit is still less than 40cm but now there is an additional -1 penalty for issuing a second order. A 7 is required and a roll of 4 moves the brigade into place just ahead of the cavalry but beyond the enemy's initiative range. The player decides not to move further with his infantry, intending to bring as much fire onto the leading enemy units as he can.
Finally, the General issues an order to the cannon battery. This is not strictly necessary as the cannon is already within range, but the player would like to bring it a bit closer to his preferred target if possible. At over 40cm distant a -2 penalty means that 7 is required and a roll of 10 means that the General's orders are lost upon the wind. The Command phase ends at this point, both because there are no further units to move, and because a failed order from the General always brings the phase to an immediate end.
At the end of the Command phase the Empire player moves both the Wizard and the General ahead of their units in preparation for the next turn, and moves the Hero slightly to the centre so that he can potentially take charge of the artillery and centre infantry should this prove necessary.
A Combat Engagement
It is the Empire player's turn. A unit of Knights and a unit of Flagellants are positioned facing three units of Orcs (Left, Centre and Right). Both units are within 20cm of the enemy and can therefore charge the closest unit on their initiative, in the case of the Flagellants they are obliged to do so. The Flagellants are placed against the left most unit of Orcs and then the Knights are placed against the centre unit of Orcs. Because the Flagellants and Orcs Centre are touching corner to corner all four units are 'interconnected' forming a single combat engagement.
Round 1. Flagellants strike Orcs Left. The Flagellants have a basic 5 attacks, +1 for charging = 6 per stand or 18 in total. Scores of 4 are required to inflict hits and the dice roll results in 8 successful hits. The Orcs require 6s to save, and manage to save 1 and suffer 7 hits. In return three Orc stands strike with 4 attacks each, 12 in total, requiring 4s once more. The dice are rolled and 2 hits are struck. As the Flagellants have no save, 2 hits are suffered.
The Knights strike Orcs Centre. The Knights have a basic 3 attacks, +1 for charging, = 4 per stand or 12 in total. The Orcs have two stands which strike with 4 attacks each or 8 in total. After attacks and saves have been rolled the Knights suffer 2 hits and the Orcs suffer 6.
Hits suffered in round 1: Flagellants 2, Knights 2, Orcs Left 7, Orcs Centre 6.
The Orcs have one supporting stand which adds to their combat result, so overall the Empire scores 13 and the Orcs 5. The Orcs are defeated and must retreat. The retreat distance is the difference in scores (8) divided by the number of units engaged on the defeated side. In this case only two Orc units are engaged (Orcs Right are not as no stands touch the enemy). The Orcs must therefore retreat 4cm.
Orc casualties are removed (3 hits being sufficient to remove a stand), hits carried over are recorded, and the Orc units moved back as shown. The Flagellants and Knights pursue and are moved back into position in preparation for the next round. No Empire stands are removed because insufficient hits have been scored (3 hits being required to remove a stand), so each unit carries over the hits it has suffered into the following round.
Round 2. The combat then divides into two separate engagements. The Flagellants strike Orcs Left. The Flagellants have 5 attacks each, +1 for pursuit +1 for a pursuit of 3cm or more, totalling 7. Dice are rolled for 21 attacks which yield 10 hits once saves have been taken. The remaining Orc stand is wiped out but not before it strikes back with 4 attacks and inflicts 2 hits.
The Knights strike Orcs Centre. The Knights score 4 hits after saves have been taken and the Orcs fail to score any.
Both Orc stands are removed which means the Empire player automatically wins both combats having destroyed the enemy. The Flagellants have lost a stand and have 1 hit outstanding. The Knights have not lost a stand but have 2 hits outstanding. The Flagellants are obliged to advance where possible but as there is no visible enemy within 20cm, both units have the option of standing where they are or falling back.
The player elects to stand with both units, there being no suitable enemy units to advance into (Orcs Right being out of sight of both units) whilst a fall back could bring the Knights in front of Orcs Right, which would expose them to a charge in the enemy's turn.
At the end of the Combat phase the outstanding hits on the Empire units are disregarded and they are allowed to reform.
Comment. Engagements really can be as decisive as this if units find themselves badly placed or supported. Charging cavalry will ride rough shod over infantry in the open, especially if the infantry are not supported by a second rank.
Infantry placed up-slope of their enemy or on top of hills count as in cover, which means that charge bonuses don't count against them and 5s are required to score hits.
On the other hand it can be worth throwing infantry forward into the open to draw the enemy into an unsupported attack. This will leave his best units stranded behind your lines and, hopefully, placed so that you can destroy them with your reserves. It is especially common for novice players to over-extend themselves in this way.
Appendix 2 — Notes on Terrain
Hills and ridges can be represented in several ways and you will see photographs of examples elsewhere in this book. An ideal battlefield is fully three-dimensional with slopes and dips just like it would have in real life. However, in practice players are often obliged to make do with simple representations of hills consisting of shapes that are cut from a sheet of polystyrene or some other similar material.
Whilst this is perfectly fine as a way of representing hills it poses a problem in terms of the game rules because it introduces a degree of abstraction — real terrain doesn't consist of perfectly flat plains punctuated by raised platforms of uniform height. Depending upon how the model hills are represented, different rules are needed when deciding if stands are positioned higher up than others. As players inevitably make their own scenery it has always struck me as appropriate that they figure out for themselves how the model scenery relates to real terrain.
If your scenery is fully contoured it isn't a problem to decide which troop stands are higher than others. What you see is what you get! Occasionally, a stand will be placed so that one part of the stand is higher than another part of the same stand. Where this introduces doubt about the relative heights of different stands, a stand is taken to be higher than another stand if no portion of it is lower and at least part of it is higher. In practice this means that combatants straddling a slope are usually at the same height, whilst units arranged along contours will be higher than enemies charging from below.
If your hills consist of a single sheet of polystyrene tile, board, etc, of uniform thickness, then the representative 'flat' hill is assumed to be highest at its centre and to slope evenly down on all sides to its edge. Stands that are placed in the centre of the hill are 'on top' and stands placed half way between the middle and edge are 'above' stands placed on the lower edge. If all your hills consist of a single sheet in this way it is best to assume that all are of equal height relative to each other, so a stand that is on top of one hill is higher than a stand which is half way down another. Mark the centre of the hill so that you can be sure exactly where it is.
Some players make hills by taking a sheet of material and gluing a smaller sheet on top of it, and possibly a small sheet on top of that. This produces a hill which rises in 'steps' conveying the impression of a hill whilst providing flat areas on which the troops can stand. This is taken to represent a gently sloped hill, with each step equivalent to some notional fixed height. Thus, a three stepped hill is higher than a two stepped hill or a one stepped hill, and so on. As with a single flat sheet the hill is assumed to be highest at its centre and to slope evenly to its base. A stand that is placed on the top of a three stepped hill will therefore overlook the top of a two stepped hill, for example.
When constructing stepped hills it is a good idea to leave a sufficient distance so that you can position a stand on each level. An area of 40mm is required to position a cavalry stand so this is a good minimum size. However, if you want to represent a steep slope which is passable only by infantry, then you could do this by reducing the width of the contour down to 20mm. If you wanted to make an impassable sheer drop you could align the contours less than 20mm so it becomes impossible to place stands altogether. In this way you can turn the abstract stepped hill into an advantage, as it becomes clear which troops are allowed to move onto it and which cannot.
Roads, bridges & lanes. In Warmaster scale roads, bridges and lanes look ridiculous if you make them wide enough for an infantry stand to deploy across. Quite right too — in reality there is no way that a third of a regiment (several hundred men) could deploy across a road. On the whole it is best to make these features wide enough to take a cavalry stand or an infantry stand sideways (20mm).
Unfortunately infantry stands moving onto bridges or along roads do look a bit naff shuffling along sideways. There is an additional problem along narrow country lanes or ravines where charging units are normally obliged to move 'front edge first' into contact. In these cases it is permitted for infantry to charge in 'sideways' although they still suffer the -1 attack penalty if fighting against an enemy's front. In practice this doesn't happen except where players deliberately create narrow restrictions, the most common examples being on a bridge and between buildings.
If players wish to they can make infantry stands that face to their side for use in these situations (though not otherwise... infantry stands are intended to have a 40mm frontage not 20mm). However, even though the stands look better they don't gain any advantage when fighting — the 20mm edge still counts as the infantry stand's 'side' when calculating combat and the 40mm sides count as its front/rear. This not only affects the unit's attacks (-1 if enemy face to your side) but also the bonus from supporting stands.
Woods, ruins, villages & other dense terrain. Dense terrain is anything the players consider to be such, whether natural or otherwise, but will generally consist of stands of trees or other thick vegetation, ruins, built up areas, scattered rocks and boulders, or rugged and scrubby ground, which not only impedes movement but also conceals troops from sight. Troops in dense terrain suffer a -1 Command penalty because they may be hard for messengers to find, flag signals may be hidden from them, and horn calls muffled by their surroundings.
The best way to make this kind of feature is to cut a base board from card, hardboard, or thin fibre board. This defines the edge of the area. Then fix on such features as required, trees, buildings, bits of ruin, and whatever, leaving enough gaps so that troops can be positioned as required. Such a feature can incorporate a road, woodland track, path or lane which would be passable to all units, but otherwise dense terrain is passable only to infantry.
It is best to leave enough space around the outer edge of the feature to position troops along its edge. Bear in mind that if you make the edge an irregular shape, units will have to adopt an irregular formation to defend it — perfectly appropriate in dense terrain. In the case of villages you will find that the edge can be defined nicely with a low hedge, fence or wall, in which case leave space behind it to place defending troops. Areas of woodland can be surrounded with low earthbanks or hedges too (they were often enclosed in this way in medieval times to keep animals out).
Marshes, bogs, pools, & low features. These are easily represented in a similar way to dense terrain and differ only in that they are essentially flat. Troops can see across low terrain features even if they cannot move across them. Large expanses of this kind of feature don't make for a very exciting game as they restrict movement, but can be useful for delineating flanks.
Rivers. The general rule for rivers is that if they are shallow and fordable they can be crossed by infantry, cavalry and monsters, and otherwise they can only be crossed by infantry without penalty. In the latter case the river is assumed to be fairly narrow and troops are assumed to either wade across or swim. However, in reality rivers can be narrow and fast, wide and sluggish, or huge and torrential. Players wishing to make provision for wider or more dangerous rivers can do so by inventing suitable rules — two examples are included in the battlefield scenarios 'The Battle of the Little Big Bash' and 'The Battle of Grimm-on-Sour'.
Rivers work best when incorporated into a sculpted terrain board. Otherwise players can make separate lengths which can be laid down of the tabletop. If each length is made 50-60cm long several can be placed together to produce rivers of varying design. A handy way of representing shallow fordable streams is to use sections no more than 40mm wide, whilst larger rivers can be represented by sections more than 40mm wide.
Appendix 3 — Warmaster at a Glance
In this section of the Warmaster book we valiantly attempt to summarise all the basic rules and many of the more important advanced rules in a format suitable for reference. In all cases the text in the main rules is definitive.
1. Turn Sequence
0. Start of the turn
- Roll on the Left the Battle table for units that have left the table without leaving for good and that have not yet returned.
1. Command phase
- Initiative movement. Units wishing to charge or evade on their initiative do so.
- Home back moves. Flyers home back.
- Ordered movement. Units/brigades move in accordance with successful orders received.
- Character movement. Characters move.
- End of phase. Confused units automatically recover.
2. Shooting phase
- Units shoot/Wizards cast spells. Units able to shoot can do so. Wizards can cast spells. The player whose turn it is can decide in which order to shoot/cast spells.
- Remove casualties. Remove casualties as they occur.
- Drive backs. These are worked out unit by unit. The player suffering the casualties decides which order to resolve drive backs and move units. Unengaged friendly units can make way as units are driven back. Confusion tests are made at the same time.
- Discount hits. Any remaining hits are discounted.
3. Combat phase
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Engagements. Work out each combat engagement completely before moving on to the next. The player whose turn it is decides the order in which engagements are resolved, except that engagements precipitated as a result of advances are worked out before any other engagements.
Remove casualties as they occur and carry hits forward.
Unengaged friendly units can make way as units retreat and Confusion tests are made at the same time.
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Discount hits. Once all engagements have been fought, discount remaining hits.
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End of phase. Surviving units that fought from either side can reform.
4. End of the turn
2. Command
- Units within 20cm of the enemy can use initiative to either: a) Charge the nearest enemy unit they can see, or b) Evade from the nearest enemy unit they can see. Except that: a) Artillery cannot use initiative to charge. b) Flying units cannot use initiative to evade. c) Some troops are obliged to charge if able to do so as described in the army list (eg, Flagellants, Ogres, Troll Slayers). d) Undead cannot use initiative, as described in the army list. e) Confused units are unable to move.
- All units using initiative must be moved before orders are given. The player whose turn it is can decide the sequence these units are moved in.
- Flying units more than 20cm from a friendly character can home back up to 10xD6cm after initiative movement and before ordered movement. They can do so even if confused.
- Orders are issued by one character at a time. Each character must complete issuing orders before going on to the next character.
- A character issues orders to one unit or brigade at a time and must complete issuing orders to each unit or brigade before issuing orders to other units.
- A unit or brigade cannot be given an order by more than one character during the Command phase — even if that order is failed.
- Each time a unit or brigade receives an order it can move in accordance with the movement rules. A unit can potentially move several times as a result of receiving several orders in succession.
- To issue an order to a unit or brigade, the unit, or the most distant unit in a brigade, must be within the character's command radius. This is: 1) General — the entire battlefield; 2) Hero — 60cm; 3) Wizard — 20cm.
- A flying unit can be given an order by a character within 20cm.
- To issue an order successfully, the player rolls 2D6 and must score equal to or less than the character's Command value, taking any Command penalties into account.
- If a character fails to issue an order, he may not issue any more that Command phase. The unit/brigade he was attempting to order may not receive orders from other characters.
- If a General fails to issue an order then no further orders may be issued by any characters, even if they have not issued orders that turn. The Command phase comes to an end.
- If a Hero or Wizard fails to issue an order as a result of a roll of 12 (double 6) then someone has blundered. Roll on the Blunder chart to determine what happens.
- Command penalties are as follows:
| Penalty | Value |
|---|---|
| Per full 20cm distance to unit/brigade | -1 |
| Each successive order to the same unit/brigade | -1 |
| Enemy unit within 20cm of the unit/brigade | -1 |
| Unit/brigade within dense terrain | -1 |
| Per casualty suffered by unit | -1 |
3. Units & Brigades
- Stands are of two types: character stands and troop stands. Character stands are separate pieces that move independently. Troop stands form units of (usually) three stands if infantry, cavalry or chariots, one or two stands if artillery, up to three stands if monsters and one stand if machines. Unit sizes are specified in the army lists.
- A unit of two or more stands is arranged so the stands touch forming a single body of troops. They can touch in any way but will move and fight more efficiently if in regular formations of columns or lines.
- Up to four adjacent touching units may be designated as a brigade at the start of the Command phase. An entire brigade may be moved by issuing a single order, in which case units must touch once the move is complete.
4. Movement
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Units are moved in the Command phase either by initiative or when they receive an order. In both cases, a move is either a full pace or half pace move as shown on the Movement chart.
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Flying units more than 20cm from a character can also move by Homing Back towards a character 10xD6cm, after initiative movement but before ordered movement.
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Units can also move during the Shooting phase or Combat phase as a result of drive backs, fall backs, retreats, pursuit, advances, making way and reforming. In all these cases the distance moved, and sometimes the direction, is determined according to the appropriate rules.
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Character stands can be moved once in the Command phase when ordered movement is complete. Character stands that have joined units do not move with them in the Command phase but do move with them at all other times.
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Movement Chart:
Type Full Pace Half Pace Infantry 20cm 10cm Cavalry 30cm 15cm Chariots 30cm 15cm Artillery 10cm 5cm Monsters 20cm 10cm Machines Varies Varies Flying units 100cm 100cm Characters 60cm 60cm -
Units charging or evading move up to full pace regardless of their formation.
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Units wholly or partially in a fortified position at the start of their movement move at half pace unless charging or evading.
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Unless fortified, units in regular formation move at full pace. Regular formation is defined as: a) A column with stands arranged one behind another either directly behind each other, or touching at rear to front corners forming a curved column. b) A line with stands abutted edge to edge forming a straight line. c) A single stand — which is nominally a line.
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Units which are not in a regular formation move at half pace and are said to be in irregular formation. This only affects movement in the Command phase and does not affect moves such as drive backs, fall backs, retreats, etc made in other phases.
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As units move they may change their formation but no stand may move further than its maximum permitted move and the unit must form a single body of touching stands once it has moved.
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Troop stands cannot move through other troop stands from the same or different units. They can move through character stands as required.
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Stands cannot move through terrain that is impassable to them as follows: a) Infantry can move through all terrain that has not been nominated as completely impassable before the game (eg, a fortress wall or tower, the ocean, a sheer 50 metre high cliff, a lake of molten lava, etc). b) Cavalry and monsters can move over open hills, bridges, shallow fordable rivers and low obstacles (eg, hedges and low walls). They may not move into woods, marshes, areas of ruin, or any other kind of dense terrain feature. c) Chariots/artillery can move over open hills and bridges. They can't move into shallow fordable rivers, over low obstacles, into woods or other types of dense terrain. d) Machines have special rules but, where in doubt, treat them as chariots/artillery. e) Flying troop stands can move over any kind of terrain, including normally impassable terrain, but cannot end their move in a wood. f) Characters are treated as infantry stands unless mounted on non-flying monsters or chariots, in which case treat them as monsters or chariots, or on flying monsters, in which case treat them as flying units.
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Stands attempting to move into impassable terrain will halt at the edge. If a unit is driven back into impassable terrain it halts at the edge and becomes confused on the D6 roll of a 6. A troop stand in combat that retreats into impassable terrain is destroyed.
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Where a unit of troops moves on top of a friendly character stand, the character must be moved by the minimum distance to a clear position.
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Where a unit of enemy troops moves on top of a character stand, the character must be moved up to 30cm to join a friendly unit. If unable to do so, it is destroyed.
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Characters cannot displace enemy characters.
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A character can join a unit by moving in touch with it. It is then assumed to be within its formation. The character stand can then be moved to any position around the unit to accommodate other troop movement, or removed from the table or balanced on top of the unit where necessary.
5. Evades
- An evade is an initiative move made directly away from the closest enemy unit. The move is made by moving the closest stand directly away from the enemy, defined by placing a tape measure or ruler through the closest point between the opposing units. The closest evading stand is moved first. The rest of the evading unit is rearranged into formation no closer to the enemy.
- Evading units can burst through friendly units in their path. A unit burst through is automatically confused.
6. Charges
- A charge is a move into combat made in the Command phase during initiative or ordered movement. It is also possible for units to move into combat during the Combat phase as a result of pursuit or advance.
- A unit wishing to charge must be able to see its target at the start of its move and can do so if it has a clear line of sight from the front of at least one charging stand to at least one enemy stand. All troop stands and all terrain other than low obstacles and low terrain features such as a marsh or boggy field block line of sight.
- A charge using initiative must be against the closest visible enemy unit. A charge using an order can be against any enemy in sight.
- Position the front of the closest charging stand against the closest edge of the closest enemy stand. Position the stands centre-to-centre. If a stand edge is invisible or inaccessible, ignore it in favour of a visible or accessible edge. If the closest point of the enemy unit is a corner, the charging unit will favour the edge which lies in front of the greater part of its formation.
- Remaining charging stands are placed against the same edge of the enemy's formation (front, side or rear) with as much of their own front edge in contact as possible.
- If the charging unit comes into contact with a second enemy unit then the obligation to get as much front edge into contact extends to that second unit.
- Units that are charging cannot 'lap' stands round the enemy's formation. All stands must charge against the same edge and any stands unable to contact are placed in line with their unit.
- Stands cannot move further than their move distance to complete a charge. Any stands unable to complete the charge are placed behind or staggered beside the first and do not fight.
- A unit which is part of a brigade can charge if the brigade receives an order. The unit charges independently of the rest of the brigade. Several units can charge in this way from the same brigade and can charge the same or different targets if required. Where units charge from a brigade, the player moves the units one at a time, as charges must be resolved individually and the positioning of one unit may affect the positioning of another or even prevent it from charging by blocking sight. Remaining non-charging units from a brigade can still move as a brigade and if they do so, must complete their move touching.
- An appropriately armed unit can shoot at a charging enemy that it can see. Shots are worked out once the charger's move is complete. Any stands that fall casualty as a result are removed, excess hits are carried over into the first combat round and all hits are carried over towards the combat result of the first round.
7. Shooting
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A unit can shoot once in its Shooting phase at the closest target it can see.
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Each individual stand must be able to see a target to shoot at it. A unit may divide its fire if no one target is visible to all stands.
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A stand is assumed to be able to see if it's possible to draw an uninterrupted line of sight from its front base edge to the target's base. Sight is obscured by other troop stands, by interposing terrain (such as low obstacles, rivers, marshes, etc) or by more than 1cm of woodland.
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Stands must be in range of their target to shoot. Ranges are:
Weapon Range Bows, crossbows, handguns and all troops not otherwise specified in the rules 30cm Dragon fire/breath 20cm Elven Bolt Throwers, Undead Bone Throwers 40cm Cannons, Orc Rock Lobbers 60cm Empire Helblaster gun, Dwarf Flame Cannon, Empire Steam Tank Cannon, Dwarf Gyrocopter gun 30cm Pistoliers, Chaos Spawn, Goblins, Wolf Riders 15cm -
Roll 1 dice per shooting attack. The score required to inflict a hit is 4+ against most targets, 5+ against defended infantry or artillery and 6+ against fortified infantry or artillery.
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If the target has armour, it takes armour saves against any hits inflicted, needing to score its armour value or more on a D6 to save each hit.
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Unsaved hits are recorded against the target. Where sufficient hits are caused to remove a stand, the stand is removed as a casualty.
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Once all shooting is complete, all units which have taken hits roll for drive backs. Roll a D6 for each hit caused, -1 dice if the unit is defended and -2 dice if fortified. The total dice score is the distance the unit is driven back directly away from the closest enemy shooters.
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Driven back units become confused if any drive back dice scores a 6. They may also be confused if driven back into friends, troops in combat, enemies, or impassable terrain (see Confusion). The drive back move is made by moving the closest stand directly away from the enemy, defined by placing a tape measure or ruler through the closest point between the opposing units. The closest driven back stand is moved first. The rest of the unit is rearranged into formation no closer to the enemy.
8. Combat
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Work out each engagement completely before moving on to another.
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An engagement is fought in rounds consisting of the first round plus as many rounds of pursuit combat as necessary.
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In each round, all troop stands touching an enemy troop stand can fight. Both sides fight. Any stands that fall casualty in the round can still fight if they have not already done so.
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The player rolls 1 dice for each combat attack. The score required to inflict a hit is 4+ against most targets, 5+ against defended infantry or artillery and 6+ against fortified infantry or artillery.
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The following Attack Modifiers apply per stand.
Modifier Value Charging against enemy that are in the open +1 Monster/chariot charging enemy in the open +1 Pursuit attack +1 Extra pursuit attack per 3cm +1 Fighting terrifying enemy -1 Enemy facing own side/rear -1 Confused -1 -
A character that has joined a unit can add its Combat value as a bonus to any one stand in the unit. Only one character can add a bonus to a unit.
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If the enemy has armour, it takes armour saves against any hits inflicted, needing to score its armour value or more on a D6 to save each hit.
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Unsaved hits are recorded against the unit. Where sufficient hits are caused to remove a stand, the stand is removed as a casualty at the end of the round.
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Combat results are worked out at the end of each round. Total the number of hits scored on each side. Add +1 for each supporting stand. The highest scoring side is the winner.
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An infantry stand can support another infantry stand from the same or different unit if it is placed directly behind or beside the supported stand and is not touching an enemy troop stand and is not confused.
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Each unit on the losing side must retreat at the end of the combat round. Units retreat by the difference in combat results in cm, divided by the number of units on the losing side, rounded up to the nearest cm.
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Retreating units move directly away from the enemy, or from the greatest number of enemy if facing enemy from different directions. Where the size of enemy units is equal, the retreating player may choose the direction of retreat. When several units are retreating together, the loser decides which order to move them in.
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Stands which retreat into impassable terrain, enemy stands, stands engaged in combat or which have also retreated from combat, or friends who do not make way are destroyed. Artillery stands are destroyed if they retreat.
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Once the loser has retreated, the winner can fall back, stand, or pursue with any or all units subject to the pursuing restrictions. If a unit pursues, move it back into contact against the same stand and edge where possible. Stands unable to move against the same stand and edge can lap round the enemy's formation. If no winners pursue, the combat engagement is complete.
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The following pursuing restrictions apply: a) Infantry cannot pursue cavalry or chariots. b) Artillery cannot pursue and are destroyed if they retreat. c) Fortified units cannot pursue. d) Units cannot pursue into terrain they cannot enter. e) Non-flying units cannot pursue flying units.
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Units must fall back in the case of a draw and can choose to do so if they win the combat round. Roll three dice for all the units falling back from the engagement. Each unit must fall back between the lowest dice score and total rolled. Units can fall back in any order the player wishes. If both sides are falling back, roll dice to determine who falls back first.
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A unit that is falling back may not move closer than 1cm to the enemy. If unable to comply, it halts 1cm away.
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A unit can advance if it wins the combat and is unable to pursue because all the enemy it was fighting are destroyed. The unit can advance against the nearest enemy up to 20cm in the first round of combat and 10cm in subsequent rounds.
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An advance is a charge except that it happens in the Combat phase and is restricted in range and must be directed against the closest visible target. An advance may bring a unit back into an engagement, into another engagement, or may initiate a new engagement. Any hits suffered by the unit are carried over into the new engagement.
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Once all combat engagements have been fought, any outstanding hits are discounted.
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Once hits have been discounted, units that have fought can reform. One stand is pivoted about its centre and the other stands are arranged into formation as required.
9. Confusion
- Units become confused when: a) Burst through by evaders (automatic). b) Driven back by shooters on any drive back roll of 6. c) Driven back/falling back into impassable terrain (on a roll of 6). d) Driven back/falling back into enemies or combat (automatic). e) Forcing friends to make way (on a roll of 6). f) Driven back/falling back into unyielding friends (automatic). g) Making way (on a roll of 6).
- Confused units are unable to move by initiative or orders in the Command phase. Flying units can home back even if confused.
- Confused units suffer a -1 Attack penalty in combat.
- A confused infantry unit cannot support another infantry unit in combat.
- Confused units cease to be confused at the end of their Command phase.
10. Making Way
- Unengaged units can make way for friends for the following reasons: a) Friends have been driven back into their path. b) Friends retreating into their path. c) Friends are making way into their path. d) Friends who cannot avoid doing so are falling back into their path.
- Units can make way by moving aside or moving back.
- To move aside, take each stand in the path of the friendly unit and rearrange it in formation around stands which are not in the path of the friendly unit. If all stands lie in the path of the friendly unit then move one by the minimum distance out of the unit's path and rearrange the remaining stands around it.
- To move back, an entire unit moves along the same path as the friendly unit and ends its movement behind it. Infantry units making way in this fashion can be arranged to offer support to the friendly unit.
11. Blunder Table
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A Command roll of 12 (double 6) by a Wizard/Hero means that the character can issue no more orders that turn and the unit/brigade cannot receive further orders. In addition, roll a D6.
D6 Result 1 The unit, or one chosen unit from a brigade, suffers a -1 Command penalty for the rest of the battle. 2-3 If there are no visible enemy within a full pace move, the unit halts. If there are visible enemy then the unit/brigade must move so that it is at least a full pace move distant where possible. 4-5 The unit/brigade can move up to half pace but no unit can charge. 6 The unit/brigade moves its full pace towards the nearest enemy and will charge if it is possible to do so.
12. End of the Battle
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The battle ends: a) Once a predetermined number of turns has been played.
The players may either decide for themselves how many turns they will play at the start of the game or roll a D6: 1-2 = 6 turns, 3-4 = 7 turns, 5-6 = 8 turns.
b) When one army withdraws. An army must withdraw as soon as: i) General is slain/abandons table. ii) The army has lost half or more of its units. c) If one player concedes.
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The player who has amassed the most victory points is the winner. Victory points are awarded as follows: a) Each enemy unit destroyed or character slain earns its full points value, including magic items. b) Each enemy unit reduced from three (or more) stands to one stand earns half its full points value including the value of magic items. Round up to the nearest five points. c) As appropriate for scenarios.
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A player who concedes earns no victory points. A player who withdraws cannot earn more victory points than his enemy.
13. Artillery
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Cannons. Range 60cm. Attack 1/2 + a bounce of 5cm beyond the stand struck. Counts fortified targets as defended (5+ to hit) and defended as in the open (4+ to hit). No armour rolls are made against hits scored. Stands bounced through take one additional hit. Charging targets are fired at with grapeshot with 2 attacks and no bounce.
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Empire Helblaster Gun. Range 30cm. Attacks 1/6-3-1. Shooting attacks are 6 at up to 10cm, 3 at up to 20cm, and 1 at up to 30cm. Targets count their armour value as one worse than normal. Charging targets are fired at with the most effective range. When shooting more than one shot, if more 1s are rolled than 6s the Helblaster Gun explodes and is destroyed.
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Elven Bolt Thrower. Range 40cm. Attacks 1/3. Elves add +1 to all shooting rolls to hit, scoring a hit against a target that is in the open on a 3+. Defended targets count as being in the open and fortified targets only count as being defended against cannon fire.
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Undead Bone Thrower. Range 40cm. Attacks 1/1 per stand up to a maximum of 3. Bone Throwers can hit up to three stands in a row within the path of the missile. No armour rolls are made against hits scored.
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Orc Rock Lobber. Range 60cm. Attacks 1/3. No armour rolls are made against hits scored. Rock Lobbers cannot shoot at charging enemy.
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Undead Skull Chukka. Range 60cm. Attacks 1/3. No armour rolls are made against hits scored. Undead Skull Chukkas cannot shoot at charging enemy. Enemy units become confused on any drive back dice scores of 4 or more.
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Dwarf Flame Cannon. Range 30cm. Attacks 1/2D6. If a double is rolled for Attacks, proceed as below.
Double Rolled Result 1 No hits caused. Destroyed. 2 4 hits caused + 2D6 attacks. Destroyed. 3 3 hits caused. Shoots with one dice in future. 4 4 hits caused. Otherwise unaffected. 5 Doesn't shoot this turn — otherwise unaffected. 6 12 hits caused + D6 attacks. Otherwise unaffected.
14. Machines
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Empire Steam Tank. Range of Cannon 30cm. Attacks 2/2 + bounce. Armour value 3+. The Steam Tank always forms a unit on its own and cannot be brigaded. Cannon shots ignore armour and bounce 5cm beyond the target in the same way as cannons, inflicting a further +1 hit per stand bounced through. Defended targets count as being in the open and fortified targets only count as being defended against cannon fire.
The Steam Tank cannot be driven back by missile hits. If a blundered order is given ignore the normal Blunder rules. The tank cannot move. In addition roll a D6 and consult the chart below.
D6 Result 1 Immobilised for rest of game. 2-3 Cannot shoot that turn. 4-6 Unaffected. -
Dwarf Gyrocopter. Range of gun 30cm. Attacks 1/3. Hits from gun count armour values as one worse (5+ counts as 6+ etc). Flying rules apply.
15. Magic Spells
1. Empire
a) Ball of Flame. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. Each unit beneath a 30cm line projected from the wizard takes 3 shooting attacks. Unengaged units are driven back as usual. Engaged units carry over hits into the first combat round.
b) Voice of Command. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. The target unit can move as if it had received an order. Only one Voice of Command can be cast on a unit in a turn. Characters are not affected by this spell.
c) Weird Enchantment. Cast 4+. Range 30cm. The target unit is reduced to half pace (even when charging). Unless Undead, it counts all enemy as terrifying. Units which normally cause terror cease to do so. The effect lasts until the end of the opposing player's following turn. Only one Weird Enchantment can be successfully cast on a unit at a time.
d) Teleport. Cast 2+. The Wizard moves to a new position on the tabletop and can then attempt to cast a further spell on the D6 roll of 4+.
2. Undead
a) Raise Dead. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. Can be cast if there is a combat within 30cm of the Wizard. Three Skeleton infantry stands are created and placed in a combat engagement within 30cm of the caster. They do not count as charging.
b) Touch of Death. Cast 4+. The spell makes three combat attacks on one enemy unit that is touching the unit the Wizard is with. Hits are carried over into the first combat round.
c) Doom and Despair. Cast 4+. Range 60cm. The unit cannot charge and if engaged in combat, will not pursue/advance. The spell lasts until the end of the opposing player's turn. Only one Doom and Despair can be successfully cast on a unit at one time.
d) Death Bolt. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. This counts as three shooting attacks. Armour has no effect against hits scored. The spell causes drive backs as for normal shooting. The Wizard must be able to see the target and cannot shoot into a combat engagement.
3. Orc
a) Foot of Gork. Cast 6+. Range 50cm. The target unit suffers 6 attacks. Targets cannot be driven back by the Foot of Gork. The spell cannot be used on a unit that is engaged in combat.
b) Gotcha! Cast 5+. Range 30cm. Each unit beneath a 30cm line projected from the Shaman takes 3 shooting attacks. Unengaged units are driven back as usual. Engaged units carry over hits into the first combat round.
c) Gerroff! Cast 5+. Range 60cm. The target is driven back 5xD6cm towards its own table edge. This spell can't be cast at a unit engaged in combat or successfully cast at the same unit more than once a turn.
d) Waaagh! Cast 4+. Range 30cm. Each unit stand and character in the target unit adds +1 to its Attacks during the following Combat phase. A unit can only have one Waaagh! successfully cast on it at once.
4. High Elf (High Elves can re-roll a failed spell)
a) Storm of Stone. Cast 6+. Range 30cm. Each enemy unit within 30cm of the Wizard takes D3 shooting attacks. Targets are not driven back by hits. Engaged units carry over hits into the first round of combat.
b) Light of Battle. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. Affects all High Elf units within 30cm. Each unit stand and character adds +1 Attack during the following Combat phase. A unit can only have one Light of Battle successfully cast on it at once.
c) Heaven's Fire. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. Cast on a friendly missile armed unit. The unit may shoot regardless of whether it has done so or not. A unit can only have one Heaven's Fire successfully cast on it in a turn. This spell cannot be cast on artillery or machines.
d) Hail of Destruction. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. This counts as three shooting attacks. Armour has no effect against hits scored. The spell causes drive backs as for normal shooting. The Wizard must be able to see the target and can't shoot into a combat.
5. Chaos
a) Boon of Chaos. Cast 4+. Adds +1 to the combat attacks of each stand in a unit he has joined including his own. Lasts for the duration of the following Combat phase.
b) Anger of the Gods. Cast 4+. Range 30cm. This spell lasts throughout the enemy's following turn. All enemy units within 30cm of the Wizard suffer a -1 penalty to their Command rolls. A unit can only be affected by one Anger of the Gods spell at one time.
c) Rage of Chaos. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. Affects one unit for the duration of the following combat round. During the combat, the player may roll up to one dice for each stand in the unit and add the score to the unit's Attacks. Dice can be rolled one at a time. If a double is rolled (any two rolls the same), all extra hits rolled are struck on the unit itself and not on the enemy.
d) Curse of Chaos. Cast 5+. Range 30cm. This counts as three shooting attacks. Armour has no effect against hits scored. The spell causes drive backs as for normal shooting. The Wizard must be able to see the target and can't shoot into a combat.
6. Dwarf Anti-magic
Dwarfs have no spells but instead a Runesmith can attempt to nullify an enemy spell. Roll a D6. On a 4+ the spell has no effect. Only one attempt can be made to nullify each spell.
16. Magic Items
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A unit of infantry, cavalry, or chariots, or a character can be given a single magic item. A specific item can only appear in the army once.
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Magic Standards. Available to infantry, cavalry and chariots.
a) Battle Banner. Cost 50 points. +1 Attack per stand in the unit's first combat phase of the unit's first engagement of the battle.
b) The Banner of Shielding. Cost 50 points. Improves unit's armour value by +1 up to a maximum save of 3+. Stops working when unit takes a casualty.
c) The Banner of Fortitude. Cost 50 points. +1 hit per stand in the first combat phase in the unit's first engagement of the battle. Discard odd hits before discounting the effect of the banner.
d) The Banner of Steadfastness. Cost 30 points. One shooting hit per turn inflicted on the unit after saves have been taken is ignored. Ceases to work when the unit takes a casualty.
e) The Banner of Fortune. Cost 20 points. The unit can re-roll all its Attack dice from shooting or combat once in the game.
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Magic Weapons. Available to infantry, cavalry, chariots and characters.
a) Sword of Destruction. Cost 10 points. The enemy must re-roll one successful armour save in each combat round.
b) Sword of Fate. Cost 5 points. This adds +1 Attack the first time the unit fights. Works once a game.
c) Sword of Cleaving. Cost 10 points. The unit can re-roll one unsuccessful Attack roll per combat round.
d) Sword of Might. Cost 10 points. Adds +1 Attack.
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Devices of Power. Available to characters.
a) Crown of Command. General only. Cost 100 points. The first order of each turn is issued on an unmodified 10. The Crown ceases to work if this first order is failed.
b) Helm of Dominion. General only. Cost 50 points. The General's Command value is increased by +1 up to maximum of 10. The Helm works for only one turn during the game.
c) Orb of Majesty. General only. Cost 30 points. May ignore one failed Command test by General. Works only once per game.
d) Ring of Magic. Wizard only. Cost 30 points. The Wizard may cast one spell without the usual dice roll. Works only once per game.
e) Staff of Spellbinding. Wizard/Runesmith only. Cost 30 points. If the enemy fails to cast a spell, he is spellbound on the D6 roll of 4+. Spellbound wizards suffer a -1 penalty on their dice rolls to cast spells. The Staff ceases to work once it has been used successfully.
f) Sceptre of Sovereignty. General only. Cost 30 points. One Blunder roll made during the battle may be ignored.
g) Scroll of Dispelling. Wizard/Runesmith only. Cost 20 points. Use to nullify the effect of a spell the enemy has successfully cast. The Scroll works only once per game.
h) Wand of Power. Wizard only. Cost 10 points. Adds +1 to the chance of a spell working. The Wand works only once per game.
i) Rod of Repetition. Wizard only. Cost 10 points. If the Wizard casts a spell successfully, he may attempt another. The Rod works only once per game.
17. Fortresses
- Ramparts are inaccessible except to infantry, artillery, flying units and appropriate character stands.
- Walls can be scaled by attacking infantry — this is called an assault.
- Friendly units/characters can move through gateways. Enemy stands cannot move through intact gateways.
- Small doors can be moved through by friendly infantry or cavalry stands and appropriate characters. No more than three troop stands can move through in a Command phase. Enemy cannot move through small doors.
- Intact gateways and small doors block line of sight, so it is impossible to move through and charge as part of the same move.
- A breached wall or gateway can be moved over by infantry, cavalry or monsters without hindrance. Machines, artillery and chariots cannot pass. Wreckage counts as a defended position to troops placed behind or within it.
- A 40mm section of wall, a gateway, or a tower with a base area of up to 60mm x 60mm is considered to be a single target to missile fire. These targets are liable to be damaged by cannons and stone throwing engines but not from other shooting weapons.
- When shooting at walls, gateways or towers, there is no obligation to shoot at the nearest target.
- Walls/gateways/towers can also be breached by Battering Rams or Giants. Rams and unengaged Giants automatically inflict 1 hit in the Combat phase — no dice roll is necessary.
- Walls/gateways/towers count as fortified targets against missile fire (6+ to hit).
- Work out breaches as follows. Work out the number of hits from a unit and afterwards roll a D6 for each hit inflicted. Take the highest score rolled, add +1 if the target is a gateway and +1 if the target is already damaged. Consult the Breach chart below.
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | No effect |
| 3-6 | Target damaged |
| 7+ | Breached |
A tower must be breached twice before it collapses — the first breach has no effect. 12. Any stand that is positioned on a collapsing tower or breached wall is destroyed.
18. Assaults
- Infantry can mount an assault against walls using scaling ladders and grappling hooks. Defenders count as being fortified.
- No account is made of supporting stands during an assault.
- Defenders are able to shoot at assaulting troops in the same way as they can shoot at regular charging enemy.
- Beaten defenders retreat according to the combat result as normal.
- Victorious attackers move to occupy the ramparts. No pursuit combat is fought during an assault.
- In the event of a draw, assaulting units fall back as normal. Defenders remain in place.
- If defenders win the combat, attackers retreat according to the combat result as normal.
- Victorious defenders remain in place.
- Units that are holding a rampart against a counter-attack from the inner side of the wall are destroyed if defeated. Such units count as defended.
- Giants can assault a wall but cannot occupy ramparts if victorious. They stand instead.
19. Siege Machines
- A Siege Tower/Battering Ram/Sow must be allocated to a unit of infantry. The unit is positioned in column behind it but it is assumed that troops are also inside the siege machine itself.
- All shooting against the unit is assumed to strike the Siege Tower/Battering Ram/Sow. These siege machines and the units associated with them cannot be driven back by shooting hits.
- If a Siege Tower/Battering Ram/Sow is destroyed by shooting, it is abandoned and the unit continues without it.
- A Siege Tower/Battering Ram/Sow has no value in close combat. If the unit is attacked, the Siege Tower/Battering Ram/Sow is ignored. If the unit retreats, the Siege Tower/Battering Ram/Sow is destroyed.
- A Siege Tower/Battering Ram/Sow moves at 15cm but can only move once a turn.
- An assault from a Siege Tower cancels out the advantage of fortifications. Enemy stands count as being in the open, so a 4+ is required to hit and charge bonuses apply. However, only one stand can fight from the tower.
- Once it is in position, the siege tower can be used as a ladder. Up to three stands can move through the tower and onto the ramparts in a turn.
- Once in position, a Siege Tower is destroyed if the ramparts opposite are occupied by enemy at the end of the Combat phase.
- If the unit pushing the Siege Tower carries missile weapons these can shoot as if they were positioned on top, bringing them up to the same height as the walls. Targets who are on the ramparts of walls count only as being defended against units that are shooting from Siege Towers.
- A unit operating a Battering Ram cannot batter and launch an assault in the same turn.
- An infantry unit that is equipped with Mantlets moves once in the Command phase and abandons its Mantlets if it charges/assaults. It will also abandon its Mantlets if it is driven back further than 10cm by missile fire.
A unit carrying Mantlets counts as being in a defended position. 12. A section of wall can be provisioned with boiling oil which may be employed against assaulting infantry using ladders/grappling hooks in the same way as shooting at chargers. Oil can also be used against a battering ram before it batters.
Roll a D6 and consult the following chart. Any hits caused are carried over into the first combat round.
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | No effect |
| 3-4 | 1 attack |
| 5-6 | D3 attacks. If the enemy lose a stand, the assault is not fought. The unit is automatically defeated and is forced to retreat 1cm for each hit that is taken. |
20. Ships & Boats
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Vessels can automatically move once in the Command phase. No orders are required.
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Small boats operate in units of three. A small boat can carry one stand of infantry. A ship is counted as a single unit and can carry one stand per 2cm length.
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Vessels may not move over impassable water except that small boats may attempt to run rapids. Roll a D6 for each boat attempting this. On the roll of 6 both the boat and its cargo are destroyed.
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Maximum moves:
Vessel Move Small boats 15cm Oared galleys 20cm Ships under sail 15cm Vessel moving downstream +5cm Vessel moving upstream -5cm Sail moving with wind +10cm -
Wind direction is established randomly at the start of the game. Sailing vessels may not move directly into the quarter from which the wind blows. Vessels moving with the wind to their rear quarter add +10cm.
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A unit can embark on a unit of boats/ship by moving into touch. A unit can disembark either by means of an order or by charging an enemy by using its initiative. Units on board ships are in an irregular formation. A unit cannot embark and disembark in the same turn.
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Ships can only be harmed by cannons/stone throwing engines in the same way as walls and towers. Hits are inflicted in the same way as towers, and a test is made after each unit has shot in the same way. The following chart is used. Roll a D6 for each hit, pick out the highest scoring dice and consult the chart below.
D6 Result 1-2 No effect 3-6 Damaged 7+ Sunk — all units on board are lost Add +1 to the dice roll if the ship is already damaged.
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Boats give stands mobility over water but have no effect on shooting or fighting — the unit can be shot at normally and boats are removed along with transported stands. Boats without cargo have a nominal 1 Hit and no Armour.
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Ships cannot be driven back by shooting. Units in boats can be driven back by shooting and are destroyed if driven back by more than the boat's move distance. Boats driven onto land are unharmed and stands on board automatically disembark.
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A unit on a ship can be shot at and counts as fortified. No account is made of drive backs.
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A missile-armed unit can shoot from a ship. A number of stands equal to half the ship's carrying capacity can shoot during any Shooting phase. Take lines of sight from the ship's side.
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A unit on a ship can fight against boarders and counts as being fortified. If defeated the defenders are destroyed. Supporting stands are ignored during a boarding action.
Glossary of Terms
Advance. A unit which destroys its enemy can advance once against further enemy.
Armour/Armour Value. The minimum score on a D6 needed to negate a hit. If 0 the unit has no armour.
Assault. An attack upon a fortified position by infantry using ladders, grapples or siege towers, or by flying troops or giants.
Attack/Attack Value. The number of dice rolled per stand in combat and/or shooting.
Attack Modifiers. Modifiers added to or deducted from the Attack value of stands in combat.
Blunder. Caused by a Command roll of 12 on behalf of a Wizard or Hero.
Blunder Chart. Used to resolve the results of blunders.
Brigade. Up to four touching units forming a brigade do not need separate orders, a single order can be issued to the entire brigade.
Burst Through. An evading unit can burst through unengaged friends causing confusion.
Character. A single stand representing either a General, Wizard or a Hero.
Charge. A move which brings a unit into contact with an enemy in the Command phase is termed a charge.
Combat Engagement. Enemy units touching or interlinked by other fighting units are engaged in combat and must fight one or more rounds of combat during the turn.
Combat Round. A bout of fighting ending in a win or draw. A Combat engagement consists of one or more such rounds.
Command. The Command value allocated to a character.
Command Test. A 2D6 roll made against a character's Command value to issue orders.
Command Penalty. A penalty applied to a character's Command value when issuing orders.
Confused Unit. A confused unit may not move by initiative or orders in its Command phase and suffers a penalty in combat.
D6. Standard notation for an ordinary six-sided dice numbered 1 to 6.
Drive Back. A unit can be driven back as a result of shooting. Units which are driven back may become confused.
Evade. A unit can use its initiative to evade from an enemy unit within 20cm.
Fall back. A unit which wins or draws a round of combat can fall back up to 3D6cm.
General. A single stand representing the player as commander of the army.
Hits. The number of hits a single stand can take before it is removed as a casualty.
Home Back. Flying units can automatically home back 10xD6cm towards a character at the start of their Command phase.
Initiative. Units within 20cm of enemy can charge or evade by initiative before orders are issued.
Make Way. A unit which moves aside or back to make room for a retreating or driven back unit is said to make way.
Orders. Units are issued orders to move. To issue an order a character must make a successful Command test.
Pursuit Combat. A second or subsequent round of combat during the same Combat phase.
Reforming. At the end of the Combat phase all surviving units that fought can reform.
Retreat. A unit which is defeated in combat must retreat at the end of the combat round.
Support. One unit can support another in combat, adding to its combat result.
Stand Its Ground. A unit which wins a round of combat and holds its position is said to stand its ground.
Stand. A single base of troops or 'piece' such as a Dragon or stone throwing engine.
Tea. Hot herbal infusion. Several gallons are required to play Warmaster.
Unit. A unit of troops represented by several stands or a single stand which moves and fights on its own.
Unyielding Friend. A unit which is unwilling or unable to make way for a friend.
Victory Points. Points awarded for destroying enemy units or capturing objectives in the battle. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is the winner.
Withdraw. An army must withdraw if its General is slain or if it has lost 50% or more units. When one side withdraws the battle is over.