AmazonsTeach your daughters well the ways of proper and dutiful

Hera, wife of Zeus, lest the Amazons steal your child and teach her the wild ways of animals. Such is one of the many

warnings spoken of the Amazons in the land of Hellas. Countless legends have risen about them, often wild, exaggerated tales told to terrify the men of Hellas into keeping their wives and daughters in line. Yet all of the tales agree, they are women who have forsaken their traditional role as the caretakers of home and hearth, and have taken up the sword and spear against all men.

The Amazons roam the wide steppes north of the civilized lands of Hellas and south of the barbaric lands of the Scythians. They are expert horse riders and archers, a combination that makes them a deadly force in combat. Unlike the men of Hellas, they call no city-state their home, and they recognize no man-made borders drawn upon a map; their home is the wide, open grassland, their borders are the distant horizon, and their roof is the night sky. They scorn the ways of civilized men who dwell in filthy, degenerate cities, and have nothing but contempt for the laws men have written to give the weak power over the strong. They live a life of freedom, an open rebellion that threatens the very order of Hellenic society. If they could, the Amazons would tear down every city that men have built, liberate every woman from her male oppressors, and free every horse from bit and bridle. With this outlook, warfare with the armies of men is inevitable.

The Amazons inspire both fear and fascination in their enemies. Many young and inexperienced warriors are at first hesitant when confronted by a force of Amazons on the field of battle. To their eyes the Amazons are mysterious and exotic, beautiful to behold, and the thoughts of the warriors linger on the other women they have known: nurturing mothers, tender lovers, and innocent daughters. The Amazons are none of these. They are women born to the battlefield and nurtured with a burning hatred for men and their civilization. In battle, they are often overtaken with a demonic fury that transforms their beautiful faces into terrifying masks of demonic rage. They fight without mercy and kill without hesitation… even the corpses of their enemies are not safe, for their scalps are taken as gory prizes and their blood is used as war-paint for the faces of their killers. Those who survive a battle against the Amazons are shaken, left with the fear that their beloved wives and daughters too could someday turn against them.

HISTORY & SOCIETYThe Amazons live nomadic lives, never lingering in a single place for longer than a few seasons. Few have ever seen an Amazon camp and lived to tell the tale. Their scouts ride in long patrols around their encampments, and any interloper or invading force is spotted long before they make contact. In times past, the Amazons made an attempt at diplomacy, entertaining notable guests such as Heracles and Theseus, but these events all ended in tragedy. Boorish Heracles so offended his female hosts that a dozen of their champions were compelled to challenge him to single combat, and though mighty warriors themselves, each was in turn brutally slain by the invincible son of Zeus. Theseus likewise offended them, seducing their queen Antiope with his legendary charm and abducting her in the night, an offense that lead all the tribes of Amazonia to unite in a bloody war of retribution against the city of Athens. Now, no such efforts at diplomacy are ever considered. All foreigners on their lands are considered trespassers, to be brutally slain without question.

An Amazon never marries. She must earn her right to bear children… only after she has slain three men in battle is an Amazon permitted to mate, a practice that ensures only the strong and battle-tested give birth to the next generation. Yet not any man will do… the Amazons seek to capture only the greatest champions, men strong and perfect in form to sire their daughters. They know that by mating with the greatest of their enemies, they steal their enemys’ greatness and pass it on to their next generation. But to fall into the hands of the Amazons is no romantic or erotic affair; the captive is first crippled and hamstrung, then roughly used for a season to breed the next generation of women warriors. He will never see his children, for once all of the eligible warriors are with child, or if he can no longer perform his duties, he is sacrificed to the tribe’s patron god. No man lives longer than a single season in the captivity of the Amazons.

In this way, each year brings a new generation of half-sisters, often all the daughters of the same captive man. The bond of their sisterhood is powerful, if any one of their siblings is slain, the others will hunt down and slay her killer. If sons are born, those childred are castrated at birth. Bereft of their manhood, they are weak-willed and docile, and never fully develop physically. They are seldom seen by outsiders and are entirely dependent upon their female counterparts for protection. These captive ‘brothers’ are the workers and craftsmen, performing all the menial tasks necessary for the tribe to exist, yet beneath the station of any Amazon warrior. While they are not technically slaves, they have few rights, traveling only in their wagons and forbidden to ever ride a horse.

Imagery & text copyright 2015, Crocodile Games. Written by Chris FitzPatrick, illustrations by Des Hanley, Paul Jeacock, and Mharaid Morrison.

ALLIES & ADVERSARIESOnly the city-state of Troy maintains any sort of civil relations with the Amazons. Separated from their lands by the swift-flowing waters of the Hellespont, the Trojans know not to trespass on the Amazons’ sacred homeland. It is the Amazons instead who go seeking the men of Troy, for their horses are swift and strong and without equal, and greatly prized by Amazon leaders. A healthy trade has been established, with the Amazons taking the wildest animals of the Trojan herds – those animals that even the legendary horse-tamers deem untamable. These horses are exchanged for the spoils that the Amazons have taken in battle, for they have little need for gold, gemstones, and the luxuries of civilized life. All other city-states of Hellas hate and fear the Amazons, and there exists a constant state hostility between them. Though the conflict is usually confined to border skirmishes and small raids for captives, it would only take a small offense to mobilize the entire nation of the Amazons for war again.

The Amazons follow the same pantheon of gods as do the rest of the Hellenes, but for them, the order is inverted – the female gods are supreme, existing in constant conflict against their male oppressors. The goddess Hera is the most scorned, for she has shamefully surrendered her freedom to Zeus without complaint… the Amazons despise her even more than Zeus himself. Virginal Artemis is greatly revered by the Amazon youth, for she symbolizes the freedom and harmony with the wild that all Amazons desire. Dark Hecate is worshipped by the eldest matrons of the tribe, initiated into her mysteries when they can no longer ride a horse, or equal a man in battle due to advancing age and injury. These women wage war in more sinister ways, using the dark arts of sorcery to wither the spirit of men and cripple their health. Of all the male gods of Olympus, only warlike Ares is universally honored by the Amazons. As a people they claim direct descent from the god of war, a claim that is likely true, for if ever there was a race born of war for the sake of the battle itself, it is the Amazons. Ares looks fondly upon his many ‘daughters’, and often goes amongst them, sowing the seeds of the next bloody battle that will scar the face of Hellas.

WAY OF WARAmazons learn to ride horses at an early age. While other cultures seek to break the spirit of their horses to easily harness them to their to carts and chariots, the Amazons have a different relationship with their animals altogether… it is said that an Amazon does not choose her horse, rather it is the horse that chooses the rider. The horse seems to sense the wild nature of the warrior women, and even an untamed animal becomes calm when approached by an Amazon. They become bound together, like a mother and child, and this bond grows ever stronger over the lifetime of the animal. Such a bound horse will allow no other to ride it, but with the Amazon they act in near-perfect harmony. The Amazon rides without bit or bridle, and the animal is directed by whispered words, the hand that holds its mane, and pressure from her knees and heels, and through these subtle directions the horse responds without hesitation. It recognizes in the Amazon a kindred spirit, not a master that would crush its wild nature but a companion to run with, free and unrestrained. Together, they have perfected the art of horseback combat. In battle, the cavalry of the Amazons is swift and versatile. They taunt their foes, harassing their infantry

with a withering rain of javelins and spears. When their opponents have weakened, or when the Amazons can contain their bloodlust no further, they charge into the midst of their enemies sowing confusion and destruction within their ranks.Those Amazons who have not yet found their steed, or whose steed has been lost in battle form a body of infantry and go to war on foot. These units are typically comprised of the youngest of their warriors, yet they are often the most ferocious, for they are eager to prove themselves worthy in the eyes of their elder sisters. They fight relentlessly in the center of the Amazon line, for while the warrior women are traditionally known for their cavalry, it is this stable body of fierce footsoldiers that form the anvil of their army, allowing their horse-riders to act as the hammer and crush their opponents upon them.

AMAZON WARBANDThe arrival of an Amazon warband in the lands of civilized

men is always a cause for panic. Those who have fought against them know that any encounter will likely lead to

bloodshed, and those who are defeated at their hands can expect no mercy.

The Amazons do not follow the same laws and customs of men – they reject men’s claim to property and entitlement to societal dominance, and their attitude toward the accepted rules of warfare is no different. Unlike their hoplite enemies, Amazons do not shun the use of bows; in fact, they gain great pleasure in shooting men from a distance, to watch them stumble and die in impotent frustration. They pay no heed to the orderly ritual of warfare; battle lines are ignored, the Amazons quickly moving to surround their enemies on swift horses to cut warriors down from the sides and rear. Nor do they limit their violence to the battlefield; enemy cities, temples, and crops are all put to the torch… only animals are spared, and these the Amazons unbridle and set free. They exchange blows with an enemy only on their own terms, riding close enough to strike at an enemies’ flanks and rear, and prancing away, refusing to commit to a fair and honorable fight… for when have men ever treated the weak with fairness or honor? With the Amazons, every battle is fought for bloody vengeance, and mercy is neither given nor expected.

Demigods Permitted:An Amazon warband may be lead only by a female Demigod of Apollo, Ares, Athena, Artemis Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hades, Hecate, Poseidon, or Zeus.

Units Permitted:Warriors, Champions & HeroesArchersPeltastsHonor GuardWar AltarCavalry (Mounted Archers and Spearwomen)Specialists: Manhunter, War WitchPentheselia, Queen of the Amazons (replaces Demigod)

Note: Amazon missile troops are limited to 50% of the total warband points value rather than the usual 25% of other City-States.

Allies:An Amazon warband may include allies from Troy. If the warband is lead by an Infamous Demigod, it may include Cretan Pirates. It may also include any mythological allies that are brought along by their Demigod.

Unlike most women of Helles, the average Amazon is as tall as any man; those of their number who were born soft and slight of build died on the battlefield generations

ago, leaving only those unusually tall and strong to bear the current generation. Her black hair is worn long, with her unruly, serpentine curls tied back when going into battle. Her movements are swift and carried with a powerful grace. She is clever and defiant; within her is an untamed ferocity, like the wild spirit of a wolf or leopard… she cannot be tamed, and any who would attempt to do will pay a bloody price for their conceit.

The weapons carried by the Amazon are simple and elegant: a short, curved spear that can be used equally well on foot or horseback, a strong bow with wickedly barbed arrows, and a heavy, double-bladed axe that amplifies the strength of her arm. Her armor is made of bronze and leather: a sculpted anatomical breastplate brazenly showing her feminine form, a simple helmet with a flowing horsehair plume, and greaves above her sandal-shod feet. Upon her arm she carries a crescent shield adorned with a simple, natural motif: the moon that she follows by night, free birds in flight, or the evil eye of protection. Upon the rim of her shield she hangs her grisly trophies, according to her tastes: severed hands, ears, and the braided scalps of warriors she has bested in battle.

restrictionsAn Amazon warband may include as many units of Amazon Warriors as the player desires. Note that Amazon warriors are not Hoplites, and they cannot fight in the Phalanx formation as do the soldiers of most city-states.

EquipmentAll Amazon Warriors, Champions, and Heroes come pre-equipped with a Spear and a Normal Shield. They may choose to upgrade to Light Armor (2 points per model) or Medium Armor (4 points per model), Javelins(2 points per model) and Hand Weapon (1 point per model). Each unit may also purchase a Musician and Standard Bearer if the player chooses, at additional cost.

hatred of menAll Amazons possess a deep mistrust and hatred for the men of all lands. When they go into battle against men, their hatred boils into a fury that is terrible to behold, transforming their beautiful faces into frightful masks of fury. In melee combat, all Amazons receive a bonus of +1 to their Attack Rating when attacking any human model of male gender. The Hatred of Men does not apply to attacks against Monsters, Undead, and the Aegyptian Children of the Gods (excepting male Asar).

Battle HonorsUp to three units of Amazon warriors may be given a Battle Honor at additional cost, but no Battle Honor may be duplicated in the entire warband. The miniatures of a unit with a Battle Honor MUST be built or painted to match the Battle Honor’s Requirement, as described in the specific descriptions below. The Battle Honor applies to all warriors in the unit, as well as any Champion or Hero that is attached to the unit.

Notes:

Warrior

Mv Wnd #Att Att Def Mis Arc Disc Pts

Hero

Champion

Class

5 3 2 6 6 6 6 8 57

5 1 1 4 4 4 5 6 18

5 2 1 5 5 5 5 7 32

Hatred of Men: Aamzons add +1 to their Attack Rating against any male human opponent. Base Size: 20mm

AMAZON WARRIORS

Red Hands (+25 pts.)The Red Hands are veteran warriors who have all fought and killed men in battle. Their faces are painted with the blood of their enemies and their shields and spears are adorned with gruesome trophies, the severed hands and scalps of men that they have personally slain. The Red Hands are thirsty for more blood and trophies, to honor their spears and shields. Whenever a model in the Red Hands rolls a natural 10 on their Melee Test, the roll is considered a hit and the model is allowed to make a new Melee Test. Thus, the Red Hands model may make multiple attacks each Turn, providing that it continues to roll a natural 10 on the Melee Test.

Requirement: All of the miniatures in a unit with the “Red Hands” Battle Honor must be painted with blood red warpaint on their faces, and their shields and spears should be decorated with gruesome trophies such as severed heads, scalps, and bloody red hand-prints.

Spear Sisters (+30 pts.)This unit of Amazons are all half-sisters, born in the same year and the offspring of the same captive man. They are fiercely loyal to their siblings, and any who causes harm to one will suffer the wrath of all of the others. After their first Casualties are sustained in melee combat, the Spear Sisters begin to fight fanatically: when one Casualty has been suffered, the unit thereafter receives a bonus of +1 to their Rout Saves and Damage Modifier against the unit that caused the Casualty. If the unit suffers more than 25% casualties, the Spear Sisters thereafter receives a bonus of +2 to their Rout Saves and Damage Modifiers against the unit that caused the Casualties. If the unit suffers more than 50% casualties, the Spear Sisters thereafter receives a bonus of +3 to their Rout Saves and Damage Modifiers against the unit that caused the Casualties.

Requirement: All of the miniatures in a unit with the “Spear Sisters” Battle Honor must be given identical shields. Furthermore, they must be painted with a familial resemblance. For example, they could all have the same color hair and eyes, and so on.

The Horse Widows (+15 pts.)When an Amazon’s horse is killed in battle, the rider is known as a Horse Widow. Until the Horse Widow finds a new mount she goes into battle on foot, moving with uncommon speed as the spirit of her former mount is with her. Horse Widows add +1 Move Value to their Profile.

Requirement: All of the miniatures in a unit with the “Horse Widows” Battle Honor must be given shields painted with the image of a riderless horse.

Spear Sisters miniatures, with identical shields depicting the red moon under which they were born.

Red Hands miniatures, their faces painted with blood and their shields decorated with severed hands and scalps of their enemies.

Horse Widows miniatures, each warrior’s shield painted with the image of her fallen steed.

manhunterThe legends of the Amazons common throughout Hellas.

Everyone knows of their hatred for men, their love of battle. Many erroneously believe that the Amazons, as a whole,

seek to capture their male opponents in battle… this could not more false. In truth, when the Amazons go to war, they are merciless killers, often leaving none of their defeated enemies alive. Those foolish enough to expect mercy or capture find themselves brutally struck down, their scalps cut from their still-living skulls, for this is the only trophy that Amazons desire of most men, and then to die there, groveling and bleeding in the dust. Only the greatest warriors are sought by the Amazons for capture… such a warrior must be tall and powerfully built, for the Amazons desire their daughters to grow to be equals in stature to any man. The warrior must be famous, with a gloried name and boasting many victories … for once he has served his purpose to the Amazons he will be sacrificed to their gods, and only the blood of heroes is sufficient to earn the blessings of dark Hecate or bloodthirsty Ares. In short, the Amazons seek to capture only heroes, warriors who have proven worthy of survival time and again. A warrior such as this becomes the target of the Amazon Manhunter, to sire the next generation of warrior women.

Though all Amazons are capable warriors, the Manhunter is the most formidable of her kind. Some of her sisters may be stronger or faster, but none surpass her animal cunning or her cold cruelty in combat. While other Amazons battle with a murderous frenzy, the Manhunter is cool, calculating each move… she smiles at her opponent, enjoying every thrust, laughing at every feint, as she slowly tests his defenses and weighs his worthiness. A man that can be defeated too easily will be killed, for only one who truly challenges her will be spared for capture. As she circles her foe, she seeks his weak places, slashing at his unprotected ankles and wrists with her hooked blade. She needs cause only the slightest scratch, for her blade is envenomed with poisons brewed by the tribal crones that bring crippling weakness and feverish delirium, but not death. At last, she strikes without mercy, seeking not to kill her opponent but to cripple him, for her quarry is needed only for procreation, not to wield a sword or spear ever again. Once incapacitated, the man is trussed and gagged, and herded back to the Amazon camp for inspection by the crones. Only an impressive physical specimen will be kept alive, and then only for a few weeks. His lifespan is just long enough to be used by those Amazons who have proven themselves worthy to bear the next season of female warriors. If the captive is found to be weak or flawed, or cannot adequately perform his task, he is put to death without hesitation. As the generations have gone by, the Amazons have grown strong, for each new generation are born from the greatest warriors that came before, bred with the strongest of their enemies. It is the Manhunter who selects these men, doomed victims valued only for their seed, to strengthen the next generation of Amazons.

The Manhunter is skilled in the use of many unusual weapons. Such diverse skills are necessary, for it is a simple thing for her to

Manhunter

Mv Wnd #Att Att Def Mis Arc Disc PtsClass

6 3 2 7 6 6 6 8 75

Notes: Crones’ Venom, Acrobatic Agility Armor Rating: 7 (hard: 3)

kill an over-confident man with an axe or spear, but to subdue and capture a living warrior on the battlefield requires extraordinary effort. Against a man who faces her at spear-length or more she will use the Discus: a heavy yet balanced stone projectile sheathed in a casing of bronze. Striking a warrior’s shield with the discus will leave him staggering, and a direct hit upon even the strongest helmet will bring the mightiest to his knees, his skull ringing with pain. Against a man foolish enough to close to melee, she will use the Mancatcher; a cruel, pole-mounted weapon with a flexible metal mouth, filled with wickedly barbed hooks. Once a man is caught within the Mancatcher’s jaws, any movement he makes causes excruciating pain; unable to resist, he is easily forced to the ground in defeat. Against a man who chooses to flee she will employ the Bola, a hunting weapon made of three stones spinning around an entangling cord that will ensnare a warrior’s legs, breaking bones if the stones strike true. In addition to these exotic weapons, she carries more straightforward tools: the axe, to quickly dispatch those she deems unworthy of capture, and the dagger, to cut away his scalp to save as a trophy, should she find the color of his hair pleasing.

Acrobatic Agility The Manhunter is remarkably fast, reacting to attacks made against her with the blinding speed of a leopard. She can move with acrobatic grace, flipping away from melee attacks and dodging missiles that would strike any normal target. The Manhunter gains a Hard Armor bonus of +3 in addition to her normal armor, effectively giving her an Armor Save of 7 (hard: 3). The use of her Acrobatic Agility does not permit heavy or cumbersome armor, so she cannot be given additional armor or a shield.

Crones’ VenomThe Manhunter’s blade is coated with a poison, brewed by the tribal crones to bring crippling pain and nausea. The blade only needs to prick the skin for the victim to feel the cruel effect: a crippling pain and nausea that lingers but does not kill. If the Manhunter scores a successful melee attack against an opponent, there is a chance that the Crones’ Venom has been delivered. If the defender fails their Armor Save, the poison automatically takes effect. Even if the Armor Save is successful, the defender may still have been scratched: if the result of the Armor Save was an odd number, the defender has been successfully poisoned. For the remainder of the game, all Tests and Saves made by the poisoned character suffer a penalty of -1, due to the excruciating pain of the Crones’ Venom. The Crones’ Venom does not affect Monsters, Undead, or non-living creatures such as Automatons.

restrictionsA warband may include only 1 Amazon Manhunter.

EquipmentThe Manhunter comes pre-equipped with Medium Armor and a Hand Weapon. She may purchase any of the following special weapons at additional cost.

Mancatcher (+10 pts.)The Mancatcher is a pole-weapon, surmounted by a wide, open mouth filled with sharp, hooked spikes. If the Mancatcher entraps the body and arms of an opponent, escape is nearly impossible due to the pain caused by the spikes, for the jaws of the mouth are under tension. It is nearly impossible to resist, and the victim can be easily herded or forced to the ground, completely at the mercy of the Manhunter.

When used in combat, the Mancatcher is considered a double-handed weapon, with a Damage Modifier of 2. In a Melee Test that hits an opponent with an excess of 2 or more points, the target may be trapped in the Mancatcher’s jaws. The defender is allowed to make an Armor Save against the Mancatcher (DM: 2) failure means that the model suffers 1 wound, and is entangled – completely under the control of the Manhunter. The captured model may make one last-ditch effort to escape; on his next Activation Phase, he may attempt to break free by sheer force. The Defender must make a Test against the Manhunter, using his Defend Rating against the Manhunter’s Attack Rating, with a success meaning that the model has broken free of the Mancatcher, destroying it on the process. However, to do so may cause him great harm; a successful escape will cause a wound upon himself, though an Armor Save against the wound is permitted.

The Mancatcher can only capture human-sized models (those mounted on a 20mm or 25mm base), and it is not effective against non-living opponents such as the undead or Automatons; against such enemies it is considered a normal double-handed weapon.

Discus (+5 pts. each)The Discus is a flat, round disc of polished stone, encased by a sharpened bronze blade around the edge. Though it is notoriously difficult to master, the Amazons were taught the secrets of its use as a weapon of war by Ares himself, a secret that they jealously guard. The Discus has a range of 5”/10”15”, and has a Damage Modifier of 2. A Discus can be used to make a Fire of Opportunity attack. If the Discus hits any man-sized model with a natural roll of 10, the target has been struck on the head and is automatically wounded, with no Armor Save allowed. If the Discus hits a model that carries a shield and the target makes a successful Armor Save, the shield may be damaged by the force of the impact. If the result of the Armor Save was an odd number, the shield is destroyed. The Discus is a thrown weapon, once hurled it cannot be used again during the game.

Bola (+5 pts.)The Bola is a missile weapon made by 3 stones, connected by a length of cord. When hurled at a target, the stones spin about, and may entangle the limbs of the target if the wielder’s aim is true. The Bola has a range of

8”/16”/24, and can only be used by an Independent Character as it requires some space to successfully throw. A successful hit by a Bola causes 1 wound. The Bola may entangle a man-sized model (base size 20mm or 25mm): if the model has an unplayed Command Counter and is hit by a Bola it must make a Discipline Save at a penalty of -1. Failure means that target has been entangled for the Turn, and the Command Counter is removed. The Bola may only be used once per game.