ares - mj12games.com · ares miniatures wargaming system™ by daniel kast this demonstration...

ARESMiniatures Wargaming System™

by Daniel Kast

THIS DEMONSTRATION VERSION DOESNOT INCLUDE THE SECTIONS ON MAGICOR FIGURE CREATION, AND DOES NOT

LIST ALL OF THE SAMPLE FIGURETYPES.

• S E C O N D • E D I T I O N •

Credits

GAME DESIGNDaniel S. Kast

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCEDavid Eynon, Brian Jurczyk, Derek Rompot

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS & PLAYTESTINGPaul Goodwin, Demian Rose, Kevin Smith, Rich

Spainhour, Chad Wilson

2421 E. Washington 5-50Bloomington, IL 61704-4419

http://mj12.chrispy.net/

ARES: Miniatures Wargaming SystemSecond Edition • Product #0202

Version 2.0First Printing, February 2001

Printed in the United States of Americaby Gorham Printing, Rochester, WAhttp://www.gorhamprinting.com/

“ARES: Miniatures Wargaming System” and the MajesticTwelve Games logo are trademarks of

Majestic Twelve Games.

PROLOGUEIn which the Secrets of the

Universe are revealed. Okay,maybe not, but we got your

attention, didn’t we?

f you are anythinglike me, walkinginto a gaming shopis like stumbling

into a candy store: “I’d likeone of everything, please!”When selecting the nextbatch of miniatures topaint, I am ruled less bylogic than I am byæsthetics. “That looksneat,” I’ll cry, as I grab acouple of figures from thisproduct line, and a fewmore from that one, plusone or two from thediscount bin.

As a result, eachindividual figure becomes alabor of love, and I wouldn’twant to part with any ofthem. Unfortunately, mycollection is rather motleyand not very suitable forany of the establishedminiatures games, withtheir army lists and well-planned backgroundmaterial. Not that I haveanything against them,mind you; it’s just thatevery once in a while, itwould be nice to pull outmy entire figure collectionand bash some skulls, as it

were, without worryingabout any of that peripheralstuff.

Thus, the idea for theARES: MiniaturesWargaming System™ wasborn.

ARES is billed as a“miniatures wargamingsystem” because it is notreally a game as that wordis usually applied to thisgenre, with a built-inhistory, army lists, and setassumptions. Instead,much is left to the players;most importantly, the typesof figures used and theircapabilities are completelyleft to your whim andimagination. There areplenty of suggestions, to besure, including a largeselection ofsample figuretypes, but in theend, ARESis what youmake of it.

ARES: Miniatures Wargaming System - 3

Because of this, acertain amount ofexperience with miniatureswargaming will be veryhelpful to those who wish touse these rules. However,ARES is relatively simple,which means it should takevery little effort for you toteach your friends theessentials, leaving moretime for you to kick theircollective behind.

Materials Needed forPlay

We’ll get you to the funpart soon enough, but first,you’ll need to gather a fewthings together.

FiguresBefore you can play

this, or any other,miniatures game, you willneed to have (you guessedit) miniatures. Any kind willdo; while these rulesassume you will be using25mm figures, orthereabouts (most popularminiature lines are actuallyaround 28-30mm scale),you should not feelrestricted to any particularscale or manufacturer. Apremium is placed onplayers’ imaginations, andas this is first and foremosta fantasy system, mostanything goes!

Before play, you willneed to work out thespecifics of each figure to beused in the game. ChapterOne: Figures will help youwith this process.

Playing AreaOne of the beautiful

things about miniatureswargaming is that you canplay just about anywhere.While the most suitableplaying surface is atabletop, you can use thefloor, hallway, or practicallyanything else that isrelatively flat and open.

These rules assume arectangular playing arearoughly four feet by six feet,although this should beadjusted up or downdepending on thesize of the battleto be fought.


Measuring TapeBecause this game is

played on an open area,without squares or hexes tohelp determine distances,players will need ayardstick or tape measurethat measures at least threefeet.

It seems that nowwould be as good a time asany to make a point aboutscale: ARES is intended tobe played with figures inthe 25-30mm range, givinga ground scale of around 1”= 2 yards. It is possible, ifyou do not have a largeenough space available, orif you just want to fightwith more figures, to playARES with miniatures inthe 10-15mm range,

altering theground scale toabout 1” = 4-6

yards. If youchoose this

option,simplychangealldistancesfrominches to

centimeters. For example, afigure with a move of 5would move 5cm ratherthan 5”.

DiceThis game uses several

different types of dice, all ofwhich should be availableat the shop where you getyour figures. There are fivedifferent types of dice,differentiated by thenumber of sides on each.For example, “D6” indicatesa standard six-sided die.The other types of die areD4, D8, D10, and D12.

Sometimes, you willneed to roll more than onedie and add the resultstogether. This is noted byindicating the number ofdice to be rolled in front ofthe die type. For example,“2D6” would mean roll twosix-sided dice and add themtogether.

MarkersThere are several things

that need to be indicated bythe use of markers of somesort, whether they arebeads, coins, rocks, raregems, or whatever else youhave lying around.

Specifically, players willneed held & borrowedaction markers, and shakenmorale markers. If you are


using the rules forspellcasting (see ChapterSeven: Magic), you mayalso need markers toindicate the targets ofparticular spells. The exactuses for each type ofmarker are detailed in theappropriate sections of therules.

As a quick & painlessfix, you can make use ofcoins as markers: forexample, a “heads” pennycould indicate a held action;a “tails” penny wouldrepresent a borrowedaction; and a nickel mightstand for a shaken figure.

Playing CardsThis game uses a

standard deck of 52 playingcards todetermineinitiative. So, it

would be nice ifyou had one

handy...

Paper & PencilsFinally, players will

need to keep track of thecharacteristics and currentstatus of their troops.Ordinary pencils and papercan be used for thispurpose, or else players canmake copies of the unitrecord sheet included withthese rules.

CHAPTER ONE:FIGURES

In which we learn about ourlittle friends who will do our

fighting for us.

his chapter willdiscuss the variouscharacteristics andattributes that

define combatants in thisgame. One thing should bekept in mind: there is avery high level ofabstraction involved.Because the overridingprinciple in the design ofthis game is to allowplayers to use any figuresthey have lying about, it isvery difficult to bepainstakingly “realistic”about things.

Also, players need tohave a more than adequatesuspension of disbelief;since each figure’s abilitiesare defined by the owningplayer, one person’s idea of

8 - Majestic Twelve Games

how an “orc” shouldlook/behave/fight/etc. isnot going to be the same asanother’s. A rating systemis included as a way tomake sure things come outall right in the end (see theEpilogue: Rating TheTroops), but even that isnot foolproof. However, ifyou weren’t able to dealwith a certain amount ofambiguity and creativity,you wouldn’t be playingwith little lead figurines inthe first place!

Figure CharacteristicsEach figure in this

game is defined by thefollowing characteristics.Those items represented by“dice” are either D4, D6,D8, D10, or D12.

Combat RatingBecause of the variety

of combatants that can besimulated in this game,some way of benchmarkingany given figure’scapabilities is necessary:thus, the Combat Ratingwas born. The exact methodby which a particularfigure’s Combat Rating isdetermined will bediscussed in the Epilogue;for the time being, playersshould simply keep in mindthat figures with similar

ratings will be fairly evenlymatched.

WoundsWounds is a

quantification of theamount of punishment afigure can sustain beforeincapacitation. A figure thatloses all of its wounds isnot necessarily “dead”, butit is removed from thegame.

Whether or not aparticular figure is dead ormerely disfigured is ofconsequence to no one(aside from the figure itself,one would suppose), unlessyou are playing in acampaign: a series ofconnected battles. If this isthe case, a system ofdetermining theexact level ofinjury sustainedby each“dead”figure willneed to beagreed


upon by all playersbeforehand.

MovementAs you may have

guessed, a figure’smovement score is a directrepresentation of the speedat which it can travel acrossthe playing area. Movementis expressed in inches, andindicates the distance afigure can cover whenperforming a singleMovement action.

MoraleEvery figure has its

breaking point; that time inthe battle when it hasdecided enough is enough,it’s better to live to fightanother day, discretion is

the better part ofvalor, etc. Howquickly a figure

reaches thispoint is

governedby itsmoralescore. Ingameterms,

morale isthenumbera figure

must roll on a D12 or lessin order to pass a moraletest.

All of the figures in aunit (see Units, below) havethe same morale score; thisis determined by the sum ofthe morale ratings of thefigures in the unit. Forexample, a unit made up of6 foot soldiers with amorale of 1 and a morale 3knight would have anoverall score of 9 (6 x 1 +3).

The minimum moralescore for a figure is 1 andthe maximum is 5.

Armor DieA figure’s armor die

represents the amount ofprotection a figurepossesses. It is rolledwhenever the figureattempts to resist injury:the “bigger” the die (i.e., themore sides it has), the morelikely the figure will be ableto survive combat.

A figure armed with ashield will have a plus signafter its armor die, forexample: “D4+”. The effectof a shield is described inChapter Four: Combat.

Close Combat DieEach figure has some

amount of talent when itcomes to hacking and


slashing in close quarters:this expertise is representedby the close combat die,which is used whenever thefigure makes a closecombat Attack. Obviously,the bigger this die is, themore likely the figure is tobe successful when makingsuch an Attack.

Ranged Combat DieSimilar to the close

combat die, the rangedcombat die is used when afigure is attempting tostrike an opponent fromsome distance away. Not allfigures will have a rangedcombat die.

WeaponsEvery figure will have a

melee weapon (even if it isjust the figure’s own fists,claws, or teeth), andpossibly one missileweapon: only a figure witha ranged combat die willpossess a missile weapon.

Melee weapons arethose used up close, andare defined solely by theirdamage dice: the bigger aweapon’s damage die is, thebetter chance it has toinflict wounds on a target.

Missile weaponscomprise all weapons thatare used to cause damagefrom a distance; from rocks

and loaves of stale bread allthe way up to crossbowsand catapults. In additionto a damage die, eachmissile weapon has a rangefactor, which indicates howthe weapon’s effectivenessdegrades as the distance tothe target increases.

Magic DieAll figures will have a

magic die, whether or notthey are actually able tocast spells (unless allplayers have agreed thatmagic will not be a part ofthe game). For spellcasters,this represents their innatemagical ability; for non-spellcasters, the magic dieis reflective of theirresistance to the effects ofmagic.

Playersshould note thatmagicresistanceapplies to“friendly”as wellas“non-


friendly” spells. Therefore,while a figure with a magicdie of D10 may be difficultto injure with a fireballspell, it will also be difficultto heal magically if andwhen it does take damage.

SpellsEach spell known by a

figure should be listed,along with the appropriatespell die. See ChapterSeven: Magic for details onthe ways of wizards.

SpecialThis is the “catch-all”

category, and lists all theabilities of the figure (andits weapons) that are notcovered by any of the abovecharacteristics. A common

example of aspecialdesignation is

“cavalry”, whichindicates that

thefigure is

comprised of a rider andmount.

A sample combatant isgiven below:

Human Knight (88)Wounds 6 Move 6”Morale 8 Armor D10+Close Combat D8Ranged Combat n/aWeapons:

Sword (D8)Magic D6Spells:

NoneSpecial: Cavalry

Figure BasesBecause players are

allowed (indeed, they areencouraged) to use figuresfrom various differentmanufacturers and genres,there will be a wide varietyof shapes and sizesrepresented on thebattlefield. What follows aresimply ourrecommendations: you willobviously need to makechanges where necessary inorder to accommodate yourparticular figure collection.

Infantry FiguresInfantry figures (defined

as single combatants morethan half and less thantwice the size of an averagehuman) should be mountedon circular bases one inch


in diameter. This can beadjusted slightly accordingto the actual size of thefigure: for example, ahalfling may look a bit sillyon a human-sized base, inwhich case a diameter of3/4” or 5/8” might be moreappropriate, while a largishtroll may need to sit on abase of 1.25” or 1.5”.

Regardless of the actualsize of the base, it isstrongly recommended thatplayers stick with circularbases for infantry figures,rather than squares orhexagons, as it makesturning in tight quarters alot easier to manage.

Cavalry FiguresCavalry figures include

those combatants who rideupon mounts of more thanhalf and less than twice thesize of an average horse. Aswith infantry figures, theactual size of the base mayneed to be altered asappropriate, but the generalrule of thumb is arectagonal base 1” wide by2” long.

Oversized & UndersizedFigures

Any figure that does notfit into either of the abovecategories is considered“oversized” or “undersized”,

and should simply beplaced upon whatever sortof base fits (and looksgood). See the rules on“scale” in Chapter Eight:Special Abilities for waysin which such divergentsizes can affect the game.

Line of SightAll figures have a “line

of sight” based upon theirfacing. As the name implies,a figure’s line of sightdetermines what the figurecan see.

Draw a line through thecenter point of a figure’sbase, perpendicular to itsfacing. Any objectcompletely behind this lineis in the figure’s “rear”;everything else is to its“front”, as shownbelow:


Infantry figures candraw a line of sight toanything in front of them;cavalry can see targets bothin front and to the rear.

UnitsEvery figure in the

game is part of a unit, evenif that unit consists of justone figure. The unit is afigure’s “band of brothers”,with whom it has beentrained to fight and die(well, perhaps not die).

Each figure in aunit contributesits own moralescore to the unit

total.

Unit CompositionA unit may consist of

any number and type(s) offigures you see fit. Keep inmind that, while largerunits will have highermorale ratings, andtherefore greater stayingpower, they are less flexibleand more prone to masspanic.

Unit CoherencyThe figures in each unit

must remain within acertain area in order to beeffective and draw strengthfrom each other. This areais called the commanddistance; the two mostdistant figures in the unitmust remain within thisdistance from each other, asin the following example:

(All distances in thisgame are measured fromthe centerpoint of onefigure’s base to thecenterpoint of another.)

The starting commanddistance for a given unit is

≤12”

Front

Rear


equal to 2” per figure. Thus,in a unit of 6 figures, thefarthest apart any twofigures may be is 12”, asshown above. This diameteris reduced by 1” for everyfigure lost during thecourse of the game: e.g., aunit that starts out with 6figures and then loses halfits number would have itscommand distance reducedto 9”.

It is possible that unitswill find themselves outsidethis command distance dueto casualties or other effectsof battle. This is calledbeing out of comand. Shouldthis occur, the unit willsuffer ill efects to its moralerating until the situation isrectified (see Chapter Five:Morale).

CHAPTER TWO:PLAYING THE GAME

In which we present themethod to the madness.

Setting Upnce you havecollected all of thenecessary items forplay, as listed in

the Prologue, anddetermined your figures’abilities, as per ChapterOne, you can go aboutsetting up the playing area.The exact way in which this

is done will differ accordingto the players involved, thetype of scenario beingplayed, how much time isavailable, etc. Given in thissection are the defaultprocedures, to be usedwhen players cannot agreeon any other method.

A scenario is a set ofguidelines and additionalrules that describe aspecific situation. Forexample, a battle betweenthe forces of an evilnecromancer and thedefenders of a small townmay require certainmodifications to the rules,types of figures available,and so on. The scenariodescription would providethese details.

TerrainVery few

battles areplayed onan openfield; thereisalmost


invariably some kind ofterrain to break up themonotony (and provideplenty of interesting placesto hide!).

The exact ways inwhich figures interact withterrain (and vice versa) isentirely up to the players: ifyou are stuck for ideas,Chapter Six: Terrain mightprovide you with someinspiration. Whatever isdecided, be sure all playersare aware of the terrainrules being used before thebattle starts.

There are two basicways in which terrain canbe placed on the battlefield:

1. Players canalternate placing pieces ofterrain until they

mutually decideto stop, or;

2. One playercan set up the

battlefield, andgive theotherplayertheoption ofwhichside of

the

playing area to set upalong.

Once the battlefield hasbeen prettied up, playerscan move on to placingtheir forces.

Choosing an ArmyThe exact size and

composition of the players’armies is left entirely up tothem. However, the figures’Combat Ratings should beused to make sure thingsstay relatively fair: unless,of course, you really wantto fight off that horde of600 orcs with a lonehalfling and his slingshot...

The total CombatRatings of all figures undereach player’s control shouldbe as close as possible: as ageneral rule of thumb, thereshould be no more than a10% variation. For example,if one side has a totalCombat Rating of 450, andthe other has a totalCombat Rating of 475,things should be fairly even,since the difference (25) isless than 10% of the lowertotal (45).

Certain scenarios mayrestrict the type andnumber of figures a playermay choose, but in theabsence of such guidelines,anything goes!


Arranging Your ArmyAfter the opposing

forces have been chosen,and Combat Ratingscompared, the next step isto place the combatants onthe playing area. Thisshould be done secretly,either by erecting a barrierbetween the two players, orelse by mapping out thefigures’ starting locationson a piece of paper.

As an alternative, youcould deal a number ofcards to each player equalto the number of units onhis side. The player withthe highest card in handplaces one unit anddiscards that card. Theplayer with the next highestcard then places a unit,and so on, until all unitshave been placed.

In this game, aces arealways “high”, and redcards go ahead of blackcards of equal value, withhearts before diamonds andclubs before spades.

Each player should setup along one of the longedges of the playing area.Figures must be within 12”of the edge, and at least 12”away from either side. Thisis illustrated below:

The shaded boxesindicate legal setup areas.

The Sequence of PlayAfter the battlefield has

been arranged, the carnagecan begin! The followingsequence outlines theactions that are taken inorder to complete one gameturn. Once all of the stepshave been completed, playresumes from the top, andso on until the game isover.

1. Eachplayer is dealt anumber ofcardsfrom thedeckequaltothe


number of units hecurrently controls.

2. The player with thehighest card in handbecomes the “actingplayer”. (The highest cardis discarded.)

3. The acting playerchooses one of his unitsthat has not yet beenactivated this turn.

Each figure in thechosen unit now uses upto two actions (seeActions, below); oneaction may be held untillater in the turn (seebelow).

4. After all figures inthe chosen unit haveacted, return to step 2. Ifneither player has anycards remaining, the turn

is over.If the last

figure in a unit isremoved from

play beforethatunit hasbeenactivatedin thecurrentturn,

one ofthatside’s

remaining initiative cardsshould be chosen randomlyand discarded.

Winning the GamePlay continues for a

predetermined number ofturns (usually six to ten); atthe end of that time, theside that has scored themost victory points wins.

Victory points arescored by eliminatingopposing figures: eachfigure is worth a number ofpoints equal to its CombatRating. For example, thesample Human Knightgiven in Chapter One has aCombat Rating of 22; itsvictory point value wouldtherefore be 22.

Players should notethat there may be scenariosthat have differentconditions for scoringvictory points and/orwinning the game;obviously, those ruleswould take precedence.

ActionsThe heart of ARES is in

the initiative and actionresolution system. It is anelegant procedure, allowingfor a very fluid andinteractive game.

Whenever a unit isactivated, each figure in theunit is allowed to perform


either zero, one, or twoactions. A figure may alsochoose to hold an action, oreven borrow one from thenext turn in certaincircumstances!

The different types ofallowable actions are givenbelow. They will beexplained in greater detailin later chapters:

AttackChargeDodge*Go Prone*MoveParry*RallySprint*Withdraw

An asterisk (*) indicatesthat the action may beborrowed.

Infantry figures whosebases are in contact withone or more opposingfigures are only allowed toAttack, Dodge, or Parry(Attack actions may only beused to strike an opponentin contact with the actingfigure, not to make a rangedAttack). Cavalry figures mayuse a Movement action tobreak contact, whileinfantry figures must use aWithdrawal action in orderto move away from theopposing figure(s).

All of one figure’sactions must be completedbefore those of anotherfigure may begin.

Held ActionsFigures that do not use

both of their actions in agiven turn may choose tohold one of them and use itlater on. Place anappropriate marker next toany figure that is holdingan action. A figure may onlyhold one action at a time.

A held action may beused after any opposingfigure performs an action:only one figure may use aheld action per opposingaction. A figure may alsouse a held action at anytime when it could normallyborrow one (seebelow).

If a figure isstill holdingan actionwhen it istime forthatfigureto actagain,it willhavethree


actions to use in that turn,instead of two.

Borrowed ActionsIn certain

circumstances, a figure maybe allowed to borrow one ofits actions from the nextturn. The most commonuse for this is to Dodge orParry an Attack. Theborrowed action is indicatedby placing an appropriatemarker next to the figure.

A figure may onlyborrow one action at a time,and must use its nextavailable action to “clear”the borrowed action.

No figure may borrowan action while it is stillholding an action.

CHAPTER THREE:MOVEMENT

In which we discover how toget close to our enemy sothat we may smite him.

Movement Scorefigure’s movement

across the field ofbattle is governedby its movement

score, which indicates thedistance it can travel whenusing a single Movementaction. For example, afigure with a movementscore of 5 would be able tomove up to 5” when usingone Movement action, or upto 10” if it used twoMovement actions insequence.

Figures are only able tomove in the direction theyare facing; however, figuresmay change facing at will(see Turning, below).

An infantry figure thatmoves so its base comesinto contact with anopposing figure must endits movement immediately.Cavalry and oversizedfigures do not have thisrestriction; however, nofigure may move throughany other figure.

TurningAs mentioned above,

figures are allowed to


change their facing anynumber of times during thecourse of their move. Whenturning, the figure ispivoted around the centerpoint of its base, asillustrated below:

For an infantry figure,or any other figure with acircular base, this will notbe a problem. However, forcavalry figures and otherswith irregularly-shapedbases, it is necessary tomake sure the figure’s basedoes not move throughanother figure while itpivots. If a turn wouldcause a figure’s base tomove through that ofanother figure, the turncannot be completed.

Exception: If all playersagree, figures withregularly-shaped bases(hexes, squares, etc.) maybe allowed to turn freely,even if doing so wouldcause the base’s edges tomove through anotherfigure.

ChargingWhen a figure moves

into contact with an enemy,it is called a Charge. ACharge is treated as amovement action in allrespects, save that aftercontact is made, the figurereceives a free melee Attackaction, resolved immediately(see the next chapter fordetails).

SprintingOccasionally, figures

may find it prudent to exertthemselves in order to seekcover or jockey for position.For these situations, theoption of Sprinting isavailable.

In essence, a Sprintaction is simply a borrowedMove action, withthe followingrestrictions:

1.Sprintingmust bethe last


action taken by a figurein the current turn;

2. A Sprint may notbe used to move intocontact with an opposingfigure (i.e., a figurecannot borrow an actionto make a Charge).

As an example, let ussupposed that aswordsman finds himselfin a clearing, 13” from thenearest cover. As there areseveral enemycrossbowmen bringingtheir weapons to bear, ourHero decides to make arun for it...

The figure’s basicMove score is 5”; usingboth of his actions to Movetowards the trees leaves

him 3” short. Hetherefore choosesto Sprint, allowing

him to Move anadditional 5”

andmake itinto cover(just intime!). Heis now

considered to haveborrowed an action, andwill therefore be unable toborrow another should theneed arise later in theturn.

WithdrawingAs noted above, an

infantry figure that is incontact with an opposingfigure may not perform aMovement action; however,sticking around andhacking it out may not bethe best option, either.Therefore, infantry figureshave the option ofWithdrawing from combat.

In order to perform aWithdrawal action, a figuremoves no more than 1”, inany direction, and positionsitself so that it is no longerin contact with anyopposing figures. If a figureis unable to do this(perhaps because it issurrounded by opponents),the Withdrawal cannotoccur.

Figures leavethemselves vulnerableduring this process,however. When a figuremakes a Withdrawal, anyone opposing figure withwhich it was previously incontact may make a freemelee Attack against theWithdrawing figure (see


Melee Attacks in the nextchapter). The defendercannot Parry this Attack;the Attacker may not use aheld action to make acombined Attack.

Going ProneOne final movement-

related action is availableonly to infantry figures.This is called Going Prone,otherwise known as “eatingdirt”.

A prone figure shouldbe placed face-down on thetable. While prone, thefigure moves at half itsnormal rate; thus, a humanwith a Move of 4” wouldonly travel 2” per actionwhile prone.

Furthermore, pronefigures suffer significantpenalties while in hand-to-hand combat. However,while prone, a figure ismore difficult to hit withmissile fire. See the nextchapter for details.

Standing up from aprone position requires theuse of an action, which maybe borrowed.

CHAPTER FOUR:COMBAT

In which we do really nastythings to the other guy.

eal combat is one ofthe bloodiest,goriest, scariest,and all-out most

horrific experiences any ofus could imagine. It’s agood thing combat in thisgame is a lot more fun!

The Attack RollThere are two types of

combat: ranged and melee.Both utilize the same basicprocedure. Each player rollstwo (or possibly three) dice,and the totals arecompared:

(AR =Attacker’s roll;DR = Defender’sroll)


AR ≤ DR No effectAR > DR Defender

suffers onewound.

AR > 2xDR Defendersuffers twowounds.

AR > 3xDR Defendersuffers threewounds

And so on...

Melee AttacksMelee Attacks are made

by figures that are incontact with an opposingfigure. The target of theAttack must be in theattacker’s front, althoughinfantry figures may turnfreely before striking inorder to meet this

requirement.When making

a melee Attack,the attacker rolls

its closecombatdie andthemeleeweapon’sdamagedie; the

defenderrolls itsclose

combat die and its armordie.

The attacker maychoose to use two actions tomake a combined Attack(also known as the “doublewhammy”), which allows athird die to be rolled, equalto the attacker’s closecombat die. The decision tomake a combined Attackmust be made before thedefender decides whether ornot to Parry.

To Parry the Attack, thedefender may either use aheld action or borrow anaction. Parrying allows athird die to be rolled, equalto the defender’s closecombat die. In order toParry an Attack, theattacker must be in front ofthe defender, althoughinfantry figures may turnfreely in order to meet thisrequirement.

If no part of theattacker’s base is in front ofthe defender (i.e., its base iscompletely behind theimaginary line described inChapter One), the Attack isconsidered a flank Attack.

The following modifiersare applied to the attacker’sroll. All modifiers are “perdie”, which means a +1modifier would add +2 to anormal Attack roll, or +3 toa combined Attack roll:


Attacker is wounded: -1Attacker is prone: -2Cavalry attacking

infantry: +1Defender is wounded: +1Flank Attack: +1Defender has a shield: -1*Defender is prone: +2Defender is outnumbered:

+1**Infantry attacking

cavalry: -1

*Only if the Attackoriginates from in front ofthe defender.

**A figure is considered“outnumbered” if it is incontact with more than oneenemy figure that is notitself in contact with two ormore opposing figures.

Knockdowns (Optional)Any time a single Attack

inflicts a number of woundsequal to half or more of thedefender’s initial woundtotal, there is the possibilityof a “knockdown”. Forexample, if a figure with 4wounds takes a hit thatinflicts 2 or more wounds, ithas a chance of beingknocked over.

When this happens, asingle D4 should be rolled;on a result of 1, the figurehas been knocked down,and is considered prone

(see Going Prone in theprevious chapter).

Only infantry figuresmay be knocked down.

Ranged AttacksRanged Attacks are

made in a similar fashion tomelee Attacks, with a fewmodifications. Figures maynot make ranged Attackswhile prone.

The target of the Attackmust be in the attacker’sline of sight, but the twofigures cannot be in contactwith each other. All figuresblock line of sight; “hard”cover, such as solid walls,hills, and the like, does soas well. “Soft” cover (trees,bushes, fences, etc.) doesnot block line of sight, butdoes affect theAttack (seebelow).

The lineof sightbetweenthe


attacker and the target ismeasured from the centerpoints of the two figures’bases, as shown below:

All ranges are roundedup to the next whole inch.

The attacking figurerolls its ranged combat dieand the missile weapon’sdamage die; the defenderrolls its armor die and therange die.

The range dieis determined bythe distance to thetarget and the

missile

weapon’srangefactor:

(Dist.=

Distance to target; RF =Range factor)

Dist. ≤ RF D4Dist. ≤ RFx2 D6Dist. ≤ RFx3 D8Dist. ≤ RFx4 D10Dist. ≤ RFx5 D12Dist. > RFx5 Out of

range

The attacker maychoose to use two actions tomake a combined Attack,which allows a third die tobe rolled, equal to theattacker’s ranged combatdie. The decision to make acombined Attack must bemade before the defenderdecides whether or not toDodge.

To Dodge the attack,the defender may either usea held action or borrow anaction. Dodging allows athird die to be rolled, equalto the range die. A Dodgecan only be performed if thedefender has a line of sightto the attacker; unlikeParrying, an infantry figuremay not make a free turnbefore Dodging.

Instead of Dodging, thetarget may also choose toGo Prone (see ChapterThree: Movement). Thismay be done by using aheld action, or an actionmay be borrowed. Like a


Dodge, a figure may onlyGo Prone if the defenderhas a line of sight to theattacking figure.

If no part of theattacker’s base is in front ofthe defender, the Attack isconsidered a flank Attack.

The following modifiersare applied to the attacker’sroll. All modifiers are perdie:

Attacker is at a higherelevation: +1

Attacker is wounded: -1Defender is at a higher

elevation: -1Defender has a shield: -1*Defender is prone: -2Defender is wounded: +1Flank Attack: +1Per friendly figure in

contact with thetarget: -1 (“friendly”means on the same sideas the attacker)

Per inch (or fractionthereof) of soft coveralong line of sight: -1

*Only if the Attackoriginates from in front ofthe defender.

DeathAs figures take damage,

the number of wounds theyhave is reduced until theyhave none left, at whichpoint things look rather

bleak. Any figure thatreaches zero wounds isremoved from the game,and its unit mustimmediately make a moraletest, as described in thenext chapter.

CHAPTER FIVE:MORALE

In which lily-livered cowardsteach us all a valuablelesson about survival.

The Morale Ratings mentioned inChapter One, everyfigure has a basemorale rating; these

ratings are added togetherto obtain the morale scorefor the entire unit. Thisscore representsthe number thatmust be rolled orless on a D12 inorder topass amorale test.

Notethat aunit’s


morale score is notconstant, but will drop asfigures are lost.

Command Distance andMorale

Whenever a unit is outof command (i.e., thedistance between the twomost distant figures in theunit is greater than theunit’s command distance),it suffers a penalty to itsmorale score. This penaltyis equal to -2 per inch (orfraction thereof) beyondcommand distance the twomost-distant figures are.

For example, let ussuppose a unit of 6figures, each with amorale of 2, is out of

command: theunit’s currentcommand distance

is 12”, but thegap between

the twomost-distantfigures is14”. Thisis 2”outside

commanddistance,and soresults in

a-4

penalty to the unit’smorale score. Normally,the unit would have amorale of 12, but currentlyit is reduced to 8.

The Morale TestThere are two types of

morale test: the individualand the unit.

The Individual MoraleTest

A figure must attemptan individual morale testwhenever something ickyhappens that affects itspecifically. The mostcommon example of this istaking damage: any time afigure suffers one or morewounds, it must make animmediate morale test.

Note that one test isrequired each time thefigure is wounded, not foreach wound; thus, a figurethat takes three wounds asa result of an arrow hitwould roll once, not threetimes.

The Unit Morale TestA unit morale test is

made whenever somethingnasty happens that affectsan entire unit’s morale.Most general morale testsare triggered by the loss ofa figure: whenever a figureis eliminated from the


game, for any reason*, theunit make an immediatemorale test.

(*The only exception tothis rule: whenever a figureis routed due to a unitmorale test, it does nottrigger another morale testfor its unit.)

Unlike individualmorale tests, the effect of aunit morale test is sharedby the whole unit; i.e., onlyone roll is made, ratherthan a separate roll foreach figure.

Effects of Morale TestsWhen a morale test is

called for, roll a D12. If theresult is equal to or lessthan the appropriate moralescore, the test has beenpassed, and nothing badhappens.

However, if the roll isgreater that the moralescore, the test has beenfailed, and the figure(s)involved become shakenand/or routed. Regardlessof a unit’s current moralerating, a roll of 12 alwaysfails.

Shaken FiguresA figure that fails a

morale test will becomeshaken. While shaken, anappropriate marker shouldbe placed next to the figure.

The figure immediatelyloses any held action, andwill receive one less actioneach turn while it remainsshaken.

In the case of a failedunit morale test, all figuresin the unit become shaken.Any already shaken willrout (see below).

Routed FiguresA figure that is already

shaken and then failsanother morale check isrouted. It is removed fromthe board immediately. Thistriggers an immediatemorale test for theremnants of the figure’sunit, unless the rout wasitself the result of a unitmorale test.

Victory pointsare scored forrouted figuresjust as ifthey werekilled.


RallyingWhile it is not

uncommon for figures tospend the entirety of abattle quaking in theirboots, those who can getaway from the enemy for afew moments and gathertheir wits may be able tothrow off the effects of afailed morale test andreturn to proper form.

In order to return ashaken figure to normal, aRally must be performed.This takes one action, andis performed like a normalmorale test. If the test ispassed, the figure is nolonger shaken, and receivesthe normal number ofactions per turn (beginningwith the next turn: the

figure does notreceive anadditional action

for the currentturn). Afigurethat failsa Rallyattemptis alsono longershaken;

however,it is

considered to haveborrowed an action fromthe next turn.

A figure cannot Rallywhile in contact with anyopposing figures.

CHAPTER SIX:TERRAIN

In which we take some timeout from blood and gore tolearn a little botany and

geology.

n the secondchapter, it is statedthat the way inwhich terrain

affects the game is entirelyup to the players. Given inthis chapter are severalsuggestions to assist thosewho are inexperienced inthese matters (or are justplain lazy...)

Players should bewilling to use their commonsense when handlingterrain, rather than expectto be able to come up witha hard and fast rule forevery situation; if terrainlooks difficult to movethrough, it probably is, andif it looks like two figurescan ”see” each other, theyprobably can.

Basic TermsBefore we get into

specifics, a few handy


definitions need to beprovided.

Linear Versus AreaAll terrain features can

be divided into two classes:linear and area.

Linear terrainincludes fences,hedgerows, streams,fissures, and the like.Figures must be either onone side or the other of apiece of linear terrain;they cannot be within oron top of it.

Area terrain, on theother hand, describesfeatures that occupyspace on the battlefield:forests, hills, marshland,and rubble are all goodexamples of area terrain.Figures interact with areaterrain by moving throughit.

These two classes ofterrain are not as distinctas it may first appear:consider a river, forexample. Depending on thesize of the river and thewhims of the playersinvolved, a river could betreated as either a linearterrain feature, whichfigures simply cross over, oran area feature, forcingfigures to wade through.Because of this, players areencouraged to define terrain

in ways that make sense tothem; however, it should beclear to everyone how aparticular feature is goingto be handled before thegame begins. Otherwise,you may not have verymany friends left to playwith...

Open, Difficult, andImpassable

When dealing with areaterrain, players mustdetermine how seriously itimpedes the progress offigures.

Open terrain is justthat: open to one and allwho wish to travelthrough it. Open terrainhas no effect onmovement at all; as such,anything that isnot specificallylabeledotherwise


is considered openterrain.

Difficult terrain issomewhat hazardousand/or annoying to getthrough. Because of this,double the distance afigure travels throughdifficult terrain. Forexample, if a figure moves2” through a patch offorest, it uses up 4” of thefigure’s movementallowance.

Impassible terrain iscompletely impossible tomove through. A goodexample of this would bea lake; no (normal)infantryman would beable to get through undercombat conditions.

Players should be awarethat it is possiblefor terrain toaffect different

figures indifferent ways;

forexample,a denseforestmay be

impassible to cavalry, butonly difficult ground forinfantry.

Sample Terrain EffectsGiven below are several

types of terrain, along withsuggestions as to how theymight affect the game. Youshould feel free to accept,modify, or discard theseideas as you see fit: justmake sure you tell youropponent(s) before you do...

ForestForests may be handled

in one of two ways:1. As area terrain that

is difficult ground forinfantry figures andimpassible for cavalry, or;

2. As a number ofindividual trees, each ofwhich is an obstacle tomovement.

If you choose the formermethod, count the forest assoft cover for line of sightpurposes; if the latter, eachindividual tree blocks line ofsight.

Hedges & FencesHedges and fences are

linear terrain, and it takesinfantry figures onecomplete action to climbover them. Cavalry mayleap over them, which takes


1/2” of their movementallowance.

Hedges and fences donot affect line of sight,unless the target of aranged Attack is within 1”of the opposite side fromthe attacker. In this case, a-1 per die penalty is appliedto the attack roll.

HillsHills are a special type

of area terrain, in that theysimply represent a portionof the battlefield that issignificantly higher than therest. Hills are uniquebecause they may haveother types of terrain (andeven more hills!) on top ofthem. Hills come in twoflavors: small and large.

1. Small hills(generally, those 1” highand under) are not muchof a hindrance; going upor down costs a figure1/2 of its movementscore. For example, afigure with a move of 4”would need to use 2” togo up a small hill.

2. Going up or downa large hill (up to 2” high)is more difficult, andtakes one completeaction. When a figurewishes to move on to (oroff of) a large hill, it muststop at the edge of the

hill, and then use its nextaction to go up (or down)the hill.

Any hill higher than 2”is impossible to climb.

A hill blocks line ofsight if it lies between twofigures. If one or both of thefigures are on top of thehill, line of sight is clear,unless the figure on groundlevel is within 1” of the baseof the hill, and the figure ontop of the hill is more than1” from the edge. In thiscase, the figure on theground is hidden by thecrest of the hill.

MarshesMarshes are wet,

sloppy, sticky, and justplain not fun. They aredifficult groundfor infantryfigures, andimpassibleto cavalry.They donot blockline ofsightin anyway.


Ruins, Rocks, and RubbleOtherwise known as

“broken ground”, thiscategory includes any areastrewn with debris of onesort or another. It isconsidered difficult groundfor all figures, and rangedAttacks against infantryfigures in broken groundsuffer a -1 per die penalty,due to the numerousoutcroppings that can playhavoc with missile fire.

Water HazardsFor the most part,

water on the battlefieldcomes in the form ofstreams, rivers, and lakes.

Streams are linearterrain, requiring onecomplete action to cross

over; rivers aredifficult terrain,forcing figures to

wade through*; and lakesare impassable.

*Optionally, rivers canbe considered difficult forcavalry figures, butimpassable for infantry.

CHAPTER EIGHT:SPECIAL ABILITIESIn which we discuss all the

really neat-o things thatdon’t seem to fit within the

normal rules.

pecial abilitiesinclude anything afigure (or itsweapon) is able to

do that isn’t accounted forby any of the othercharacteristics. The oneexample that has alreadybeen discussed is cavalry;however, there are manyother possibilities. As hasbeen stated before, this is agame of fantasy, andanything players can dreamup should be allowable. Usethe suggestions in thischapter as a guide toensure things don’t get toounbalancing, otherwise,have at it!

There are two basickinds of special abilities:figure-related and weapon-related. Each is discussedin its own section.


Figure-Related SpecialAbilities

Figure-related abilitiesdeal with anything thefigure itself is able to dothat a standard figure is notcapable of.

BackstabA figure with the

Backstab ability can sneakup behind an opponent anddeal a vicious blow beforethe target can react.Whenever such a figureCharges into melee combatfrom behind, the targetcannot turn to meet theAttack, and thereforecannot Parry. In addition,the Attack, if successful,inflicts one extra wound.

Cause FearWhenever a figure that

Causes Fear Charges anopponent, the target mustmake an immediate moralecheck, before the Attack isresolved.

Conversely, any time afigure wishes to Charge anopponent that causes fear,it must make a moralecheck; if this roll fails, thefigure does not move, andaction is wasted.

This ability does notwork on figures thatthemselves Cause Fear.

CavalryThis one’s pretty much

a “gimme”. A figure labeledas Cavalry has certainspecial rules applied to itthat are already covered inprevious chapters.

FanaticA Fanatic figure is

exceptionally enthusiasticabout fighting, and as suchis unaffected by unit moralechecks. In addition, thefigure receives an automatic+1 per die bonus whenAttacking in melee combat.However, the figure is alsoquite undisciplined andunconcerned about its ownwelfare. Because of this,enemy figures receive +1per die bonus when makingmelee Attacksagainst Fanaticfigures. Finally, ifthere is anopposingfigurewithin


Charging distance, aFanatic must pass a moralecheck in order to performany action other thanCharge that figure (unlessthe Fanatic is already inmelee combat). If thismorale check is passed, theFanatic may performwhatever action the playerintended; if it is failed, theFanatic immediatelyCharges the opposingfigure.

A Fanatic does not needto pass a morale check toperform a purely defensiveaction, such as a Dodge.

First StrikeA figure with the First

Strike ability may, insteadof Parrying an Attack,

choose to makeits own Attackfirst! In order to

do so, allconditions for

a Parrymust bemet (i.e.,spend anaction,attackermust be

in thefront,etc.). TheFirst

Strike is made as a normalmelee Attack, and the target(the original attacker) mayParry; if it does so, however,it loses its own Attack.Once the First Strike iscompleted, the Attackproceeds normally (providedthe attacker is still alive, ofcourse).

The First Strike abilitymay not be used against afigure that also has FirstStrike capability.

FlyerA figure labelled as a

Flyer is able to (you guessedit) fly across the battlefield.Taking to the air requiresan action: landing takesanother action. When flying,the figure’s move score isdoubled, and it may ignoreall terrain effects.Furthermore, a flying figurecannot engage or beengaged in melee combat: itcan only Attack or beAttacked with missileweapons. Attacks againstflying figures are at a -1 perdie penalty; Attacks byflying figures are at a +1 perdie bonus. Terrain onlyaffects ranged Attacks byflying figures if it isoccupied by the target (e.g.,the target is inside a forest,etc.). Terrain does not affect


ranged Attacks againstflying targets.

Flying figures mayCharge by first moving nextto their intended target andthen spending thenecessary action to land,which is then considered aCharge.

Glass JawFigures with a Glass

Jaw are highly susceptibleto injury. While there maybe a perfectly reasonablemedical explanation for thecondition, it is very difficultto convince the figure’scomrades that this is due toanything other than pure“wussiness”...

All Attack rolls againsta figure with a Glass Jawreceive a +1 per die bonus.

HideA figure that can Hide

is able to blend itself intoits surroundings, eitherthrough camouflage ormore magical means. Whilethis is not true invisibility,for the purposes of thegame, a figure that ishidden cannot be Chargedor otherwise Attacked byopposing figures.

Figures must use anaction to Hide. Oncehidden, a figure remains sountil it chooses to reveal

itself. A figure may not Hidewhile in contact with anenemy figure.

Figures areautomatically revealed ifthey perform any combat-related action (Charge,Attack, etc.). While hidden,a figure’s move score is cutin half.

Hidden figures may bespotted: attempting to Spottakes an action. To seewhether the Spottingattempt is successful, rollone die: if the roll is equalto or greater than the rangeto the hidden figure (ininches), the attemptsucceeds and the target isno longer hidden.

The type of die used ina Spotting attempt dependsupon the basemorale score ofthe spottingfigure:


Morale Die Type1 D42 D63 D84 D105 D12

IndividualThis figure does not

have to be part of a unit;instead, it can be fielded onits own. Figures thatoperate in such a mannerdo not suffer from unitmorale tests (as there is nounit to trigger them), andmake all individual moraletests using a D6 instead ofa D12. In these cases, a rollof 6 automatically fails. Ifan Individual figure is madepart of a unit, it is treatedas a normal figure, but its

morale rating isincreased by +1.

Keen SensesThe Keen

Sensesability

represents better thanaverage eyesight, hearing,smell, or whatever. Theeffects of this talent arethreefold:

1) Keen senses givesthe figure a bonus whenattempting to detecthidden figures (seeabove). Whenever a figurewith Keen Sensesattempts to spot a hiddenfigure, it may roll two diceinstead of one; e.g., afigure with a morale of 2and Keen Senses wouldroll 2D8 rather than asingle D8.

2) A figure with KeenSenses is immune to theeffects of the Backstabability (see above).

3) Finally, KeenSenses also gives a figurea bonus in missilecombat; such a figuregains a +1 per die bonusto all ranged Attack rolls.

LeaderA figure with the Leader

ability is (obviously) in aleadership role, and is notprone to the same fears anduncertainties that plaguethose under its command.As such, a Leader isimmune to the effects of allunit morale checks.

Furthermore, thecommand distance of a unit


containing a Leader isincreased by 1” per figure.For example, a unit of 6figures normally has acommand distance of 12”; ifthe unit contained a Leader,this diameter wouldincreased to 18”. Thisbonus is only applicableonce, regardless of thenumber of Leaders in theunit.

LeapA figure that can Leap

is able to jump over otherfigures and/or interveningobstacles, such as fences,hedges, and the like. TheLeap takes one full action,and may be used to moveup to 1/2 the figure’smovement score,disregarding any terrain orfigures in the way. A Leapmay not be made in to orout of melee combat.

Magic ResistanceMagic Resistance forces

all spells cast against thefigure to take a -1 per diepenalty, whether the figurewants the spell cast on it ornot. In addition, a MagicResistant figure is immuneto the +1 per die bonusgranted to Magic weapons(see Weapon-Based SpecialAbilities, below).

QuickA figure with the Quick

special ability isexceptionally responsiveand agile. It may use threeactions per turn, instead oftwo. It may still only hold orborrow one action at a time.

RegenerateFigures with the

Regenerate ability have amuch faster healing processthan normal creatures. Byspending an action, aregenerating figure mayreplace a wound that hadbeen lost. This may not beused while in contact withan opposing figure, andmay not be used to give afigure more wounds that itstarted with.

ScaleWhile most

combatantswillgenerally fitwithin the


parameters of normalhuman proportions, in afantasy game it is possibleto encounter anything fromtiny fairies (who go squishbetween your toes) toenormous giants (whousually do the squishing).To accommodate this, eachfigure will have anassociated Scale.

The assumption here isthat Scale will have aneffect both on the amountof damage a figure caninflict, as well as theamount of damage it cantake. In other words, aScale +1 figure will do moredamage than a Scale -1figure with otherwiseidentical statistics.Likewise, a Scale -2 figure

will break muchmore easily than aScale 0 figure,

even though theymay both have

thesamearmorvalue.

Thereare five

levels ofScale:eachlevel is

roughly twice the size of theprevious level. Thus, aScale +2 figure is actually16 times as massive as aScale -2 figure. Unlessspecified otherwise, assumeall figures have a Scale ofzero (human-sized).

In game terms, Scalehas the effect of modifyingAttack rolls. The Attacker’sScale is used as a per diemodifier in melee combat,as is the reverse of thedefender’s Scale. Forexample, a humanattacking a Scale +1 giantwould suffer a -1 per diepenalty; when the giantstrikes the human, itreceives a +1 per die bonus.

Scale also affectsranged combat; in this case,the defender’s scale is usedas a per die modifier to theAttack roll. Thus, a gremlin(Scale -2) would be muchmore difficult to hit with amissile weapon than adragon (Scale +2).

Secondary AttackA Secondary Attack

reflects a figure’spossession of more thanone melee weapon; forexample, a two-bladedswordsman, or a reptilianwith rear claws. A figurewith a Secondary Attackmay always roll a third die


when making a meleeAttack; this extra die isequal to the close combatdie, and does not requirethe expenditure of anadditional action, as with anormal combined Attack.

A figure with aSecondary Attack thatwishes to make a combinedAttack does not add afourth die; instead, itreceives a +1 per die bonusto its roll.

Snap-FireA figure with the Snap-

Fire ability can bring itsmissile weapon to bear withlittle or no preparation.Whenever an enemy figureis about to take an action, afigure with the Snap-Fireability can interrupt andmake an immediate rangedAttack against the actingfigure. The firing figure canuse a held action, or borrowone if none are currentlyheld.

Only one Snap-FireAttack can be made beforeeach opposing action.

Thick SkullIn direct opposition to

figures with Glass Jaws,those with Thick Skulls havethe ability to shake offblows that would flatten alesser man (or beast).

Attack rolls against anyfigure with a Thick Skullsuffer a -1 per die penalty.

TauntSome figures just have

a knack for getting underother creatures’ skins (orscales, or feathers, orwhatever). Because of this,they are able to disrupt theenemy’s plans and lurethem into combat (which, ifthe enemy is bigger, maynot be a Good Thing...)

Whenever a figurewishes to perform anaction, and there is anenemy with the Tauntability within Chargedistance, the acting figuremust pass a morale checkin order to avoid Chargingthe Tauntingfigure. This checkmust be madeeach timethe figure isabout totake anaction,unlessit is


already in melee combatwith another figure. Thisrestriction does not apply topurely defensive actions,such as Dodge.

This ability will notwork on figures that canthemselves Taunt.

ThrustA figure with the Thrust

ability is able to counter anopponent’s active defensesand strike home. It isimpossible to Parry anymelee Attack by such afigure.

Weapon-Based SpecialAbilities

As the name indicates,a weapon-based ability istied to one of a figure’s

weapons, andwould thereforeonly apply to

actions takenwiththatweapon.

AreaEffect

AreaEffect

weaponsare justwhatthey

sound like: weapons thathave an effect across agiven area. This area isexpressed by a radius,given in inches (e.g., 2”).This means that all figureswithin this distance fromthe point of impact will beaffected. As such, onlyranged weapons will havean Area Effect.

When firing an AreaEffect weapon, a playermust designate a locationon the board as the target,rather than a specificenemy figure. This locationbecomes the point ofimpact, and a separateAttack roll is made againsteach figure (friend or foe)within this radius. Theseshould be carried out asnormal ranged Attacks inall respects, using the rangedie appropriate to eachtarget, not to the point ofimpact. The order in whichthese Attacks are resolvedis at the discretion of theacting player.

ChainThis designation is valid

only for melee weapons,and indicates a weapon thatis held together by(surprise!) a chain (orchains): for example, a flailor morningstar. Suchweapons have the benefit of


ignoring an opponent’sshield, if present.

CumbersomeA Cumbersome weapon

requires two actions to use.Examples would be acrossbow, which needs theextra action to reload, or avery heavy war hammerthat throws its wielder off-balance.

A figure may borrow thesecond action needed to usea Cumbersome weapon; forexample, a dwarf with oneaction remaining wishes tofire his Cumbersomecrossbow. He must use hislast action and borrow onefrom the next turn in orderto do so.

MagicA Magic weapon gains

an automatic +1 per diebonus to its Attacks, unlessthe target is MagicResistant.

PolearmA Polearm is an

extremely long weapon,used to hold opponents at adistance. This allows afigure using one to gain a+1 per die bonus to itsAttack roll wheneverCharging, as well as a -1penalty to all enemy

Charges against this figurefrom the front.

PersistentSome weapons will have

the Persistent ability; thismeans that when a target ishit with such a weapon, itwill continue to suffer illeffects for some timeafterwards. Examples wouldbe poison spit from a giantcobra, or burning pitchlaunched from a siegetower.

Whenever a figure takesdamage from a Persistentweapon, place anappropriate marker next toit. Whenever such a figureis activated, make a specialdamage roll. Two of theappropriate damage diceare rolled againsttwo of theappropriatearmor dice(e.g., if theweaponhas a D6damagedie,andthetargethasD8armor,2D6are


rolled versus 2D8). If thisroll results in no damage,the Persistent marker isremoved, as the weaponhas spent itself. However, ifthe roll results in one ormore hits, the damage isapplied and the marker isleft in place. The procedureis repeated each turn untilno damage is inflicted.

PowerfulA powerful weapon

inflicts +1 wound wheneverit makes a successfulAttack. This means that apowerful weapon willalways inflict at least 2wounds if it hits.

RepeatingA weapon with the

Repeating abilitycan attacknumerous times in

one action: noreal-world

medievalexamplesspring tomind,but onecan

assumetherecould bemagical

and/or fantastic equivalentsof the submachine gun...

Whenever a Repeatingweapon causes a wound, itcan immediately makeanother Attack: this Attackmust be made against theoriginal target. Thiscontinues until the weaponfails to cause a wound.

All subsequent Attacksfrom a Repeating weaponare made with just two dice,even if the attacker made acombined Attack, or has theSecondary Attack ability.Likewise, if the defenderDodges or Parries theAttack, the third die is onlyused in defense of the firstattack roll.

WeakA weapon designated as

Weak will never cause morethan one wound in a singleAttack, regardless of thesuccess level.


SAMPLE FIGURETYPES

Human Hero (110)Wounds 6 Move 6”Morale 4 Armor D10+Close Combat D10Ranged Combat n/aWeapons:

Mace (D10)Magic D6Spells:


Human Knight (88)Wounds 6 Move 6”Morale 4 Armor D10+Close Combat D8Ranged Combat n/aWeapons:

Sword (D8)Magic D6Spells:


Human Noble (134)Wounds 6 Move 5”Morale 5 Armor D10Close Combat D10Ranged Combat n/aWeapons:

Sword* (D10)Magic D8Spells:

NoneSpecial: Cavalry, *Magical

Human Longbowman (40)Wounds 3 Move 4”Morale 2 Armor D6Close Combat D4Ranged Combat D8Weapons:

Dagger (D4)Longbow (5/D10)

Magic D6Spells:

NoneSpecial: None

Human Mounted Archer(99)Wounds 6 Move 7”Morale 3 Armor D8Close Combat D6Ranged Combat D8Weapons:

Sword (D6)Bow (3/D8)

Magic D6Spells:



Human Pikeman (27)Wounds 3 Move 4”Morale 2 Armor D8Close Combat D6Ranged Combat n/aWeapons:

Pike* (D8)Magic D6Spells:

NoneSpecial: *Polearm


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