Carl
2014-12-04, 01:14 PM
This is the next posting of this system, since last time i've made a number of minor adjustments to existing rules and codified Defense as well as it's variety's. I've also completed the Morale section.
Spoiler tags for length.
Basics:
This is a Tabletop Army Level Battle system, similar in general purpose to Games Workshops Warhammer Fantasy Battle System. Being an accumulation of various full scale re-writes of huge section of that systems 6th edition this system does share some passing similarities, however it is very much an accumulation of those efforts and as such has seen some very heavy differences, with many superficial similarities laying more in the need to represent common elements of massed pre-modern combat than in any direct copying thereof.
Distances and Measuring:
All distances given in the following document are in SDU’s or Standard Distance Units. 1 SDU can be equal to any amount you wish, however it is recommended that you keep it to a reasonable number, generally as a rule of thumb 1 SDU should be equal to the scale of the models you are using. Hence if you wish to use the relatively common 25mm scale models a conversion of 1SDU to 1 inch is a good working average, however if you have smaller models or a bigger gaming area a larger or smaller value could be use as appropriate.
For all Purposes you may pre-measure any number of distances from any number of units or points to any other number of units or points prior to taking an action and may change your action, (see later for a definition of an action), so long as you do not complete it before deciding to do so.
If you begin an action and subsequently find it to be an invalid action treat the situation as if the player who’s unit is executing the action had chosen to change the units action after starting it.
Generally if an action involves rolling dice you cannot change it once dice have been rolled. An exception is actions found to be invalid after rolling the dice.
If a player selects to take an action in a given stage with a unit they must complete some form of action with the unit that is valid for the stage. The player cannot change his mind over which unit will take action. An exception is if the unit chosen is found to have no valid action choices for the stage in question. In which case he may change his choice of unit.
Unit’s, Basing, Size Category, Unit Strength and Blocks:
All Models must be on appropriately sized 4 sided bases, and should be facing one edge of the base. This is considered the Front of the base, with the Sides and Rear being the appropriate edges. There are 3 basic sizes of Base, Standard, Large, and Huge, and one special Variation that exists in all sizes Elongated. Large Bases should have dimensions exactly twice that of Standard Bases, and Huge Bases should have dimensions exactly treble that of Standard Bases. Standard size bases should be roughly equal to 1SDU along each side.
Elongated Bases are twice the length of a normal base of their size, the long edges are always the side edges of the base, with the short sides forming the front and rear edges.
A models Size Category is the same as it’s Basic base size, (e.g. Standard, Large or Huge).
A unit is considered in edge contact if part or all of it’s base is in physical contact with part or all of the base, (not counting corners), of another model. Contact via the corners is considered Corner contact only and not edge contact. If neither Edge nor Corner to corner contact is specified (i.e. a general statement such as “base to base contact”), then assume both apply and are used.
A Unit consists of either a single Model or a single Block of Models. Single Models are subject to some special rules, (described in a later section), but except where stated otherwise are treated as Blocks.
Blocks consist of multiple models formed into a single unit with the formation taking the form of a Block. All Models in the Block must face with their Forward edge facing in the same Direction, this defines the Front, sides, and Rear of the Block. Each Block consists of 1 or more Rows of Models.
Unless a special rule applies for the unit they must be at least 5 models wide. With the exception of the models on the ends of the row all models must have each their base’s sides in edge contact with the sides of one and no more than one other model in the row per side. Models on the ends of the row require that only one side has one, and only one, model in edge contact with it.
A unit may have more than 1 Row. If this is the case, with the exception of the rearmost Row, all Rows must have the same number of Models in them. Each model in each Row except the Frontmost and Rearmost Row must have edge contact at both the Front and Rear with one and no more than one model per Front and Rear Edge. Models in the Front Row require that they have one Model and one Model only in Edge Contact with their Rear and models in the Rear Row require that they have one and no more than one Model in Edge Contact with their Front Edge.
If the unit has only one Row it is considered both the Foremost and Rearnmost row and as such it has no required minimum number of models in it.
A Block’s Unit strength is equal to the Unit strength of all models in the unit, which barring certain specific exceptions, (see later and unit entries for details), have a unit strength equal to their hitpoints.
Designer Note: As I’m sure most have figured out this amounts to pretty much the same as WHFB’s Rank and File system, albeit with a larger minimum width, (this was chosen more based on expected unit sizes as it should keep the blocks mostly square instead of excessively stretched), I know I’ve no legal reason to set it up with such different terminology, still I felt I might as well.
Turns, and Turn Sequence:
Each game is split into several turns and each turn has 3 stages. These stages are known as Movement, Combat, and Recovery stages and occur in that order.
In each stage unless subject to a rule that would prevent it, each unit may take action. Player take turns in each stage choosing one unit from their army and taking a valid action with that unit for that stage. Once their action has been completed the opposing player chooses a unit and acts. This continues until one player runs out of units he wishes to take an action with, at which point the opposing player takes any further actions with his remaining units that he wishes to take. The types of action a unit can take are defined in the relevant sections on the relevant stages.
Basic Statistics:
All models have several Basic Statistics. These Statistics are as follows, shorthand designation in brackets:
Movement (M): The Movement characteristic consists of two number separated by a forward slash, e.g. 8/2. This first is the maximum forward movement distance; the second is the number of turns. See the section on the Movement stage for a full explanation of how these values are used.
Melee Combat (MC): This value is a measure of how skilled at hitting a target the unit is in Melee Combat. See the Melee sub-section of the Combat stage section for a full explanation of how this works.
Ranged Combat (RC): This value is a measure of how skilled at hitting a target the unit is in Ranged Combat. See the Ranged sub-section of the Combat stage section for a full explanation of how this works.
Power (P): This is a measure of the innate psychical power the unit possesses, it is used In both melee and ranged combat to determine how destructive a hit is. It may be modified or limited by equipment, particularly weapons, and by various forms of magic. See the Dealing Damage sub-section of the combat rules for how this value is used.
Endurance (E): Endurance is a measure of a units ability to shrug off or resist damage. See the Dealing Damage sub-section of the combat rules for how this value is used.
Reflexes (R): Reflexes is a measure of how rapidly a unit reacts to events around them. It is primarily useful for allowing a unit to get the first hit in melee combat. See the Melee sub-section of the Combat stage section for a full explanation of how this works.
Hitpoints (HP): Hitpoints, like in many games with such a stat is a measure of how many damaging hits the unit can survive before it falls dead. See the Dealing Damage sub-section of the combat rules for how this value is used.
Strikes (S): Strikes is a measures of how many effective strikes with a weapon, (or shots if ranged), the unit can make within the window of one Combat Stage.
Morale (MR): Morale is a measure of the units determination to fight on despite harrowing and/or demoralising circumstances, it decreases and increases based on a wide variety of effects. A Unit with no morale remaining will attempt to flee the battlefield. A full description of it’s functionality is given under the Morale section of the rules.
Amour (A): Amour is the primary means by which a unit may attempt to avoid damage to it’s hitpoints. Most units do not have any amour of their own, instead as the name implies it is granted by equipment worn, as such they will not have an armor value listed on their stat line. The functionality of amour and what grants it is covered in more detail in the Damage Mitigation sub-section of the Combat section rules.
Example: A Human Swordsman has the following Statline:
M:8/2 MC:4 RC:3 P:6 E:6 R:6 HP:1 S:2 MR:70
Special Statistics:
Special Statistics are statistics that are very uncommon, typically only been present only very rarely. And with the exceptions of Command and Energy are not normally listed on a models statline.
Command (C): Command is a measure of a leader’s ability to lead and inspire troops and is not normally possessed by normal units. A full description of it’s functionality is given under the Command sub-section of the Morale section of the rules.
Ward (W): Wards are an additional way to avoid hitpoint damage. Like armour it is covered in more detail in the Damage Mitigation sub-section of the Combat section rules.
Defense (D): Defense is an important stat as it affects an attacking opponents ability to hit the model. Most Models lack a value in this stat as simple skill at arms differences are represented by the melee combat skill and it’s uses, however some magic’s or situations or equipment types are able to unusually impede anyone to some degree or another and so this stat is used to represent this.
Magic Defense (MD): Magic Defense represents a units natural ability to resist spells and similarly functioning effects.
Energy (ER): Energy is a stat possessed only by models with spellcasting ability. It regenerates each turn and is expended to cast magical effects. It’s use is described in the Magic Subsection of the Combat section of the rules below.
Targeting:
Several section below will note that a effect or rules or action requires you to be able to target an enemy unit. You can only target an enemy unit if you can draw a direct line between the unit wishing to perform the target and the unit that is being targeted that does not pass through anything that is considered to block the line. Blocking of the line is known as “blocking line of sight”. Most units, regardless of owner, block line of sight. So do some terrain features and spells. See the Sections on Terrain and Spells for more information.
Unit’s that are engaged in melee combat cannot normally be targeted except by units that are part of the combat, though no base to base contact is required for this unless stated otherwise.
Movement:
Normal Movement:
Normal Movement for a unit is moving the unit without bringing it into contact with any unit during or at the end of it’s move. You may only conduct such movement if the unit is not engaged in melee combat at the start of the movement stage.
A unit may move a number of SDU’s directly forward equal to the first of it’s two movement values.
During this movement it may make a number of turns equal to the second value listed in it’s movement statistic. A turn consists of rotating a unit around it’s centre point by up to 45 degree’s. If the unit has sufficient turns it may use several at once to turn by a larger amount. It may also use it’s turns values separately, turning, then moving then turning against for example.
Moving into Melee:
A unit may if it wishes move into melee combat with a hostile unit. To do this first determine that you can in fact make the move required to bring you into base to base contact with the chosen enemy unit, but do not move your unit yet. You may make a free turn, (that is it does not count against your turns limit), at the end of your move to align your unit properly with the enemy, this turn may be cantered on either front corner of the unit rather than it’s centre if you wish.
Once you have determined that the move can in fact be made the owner of the unit you are attempting this against is allowed to declare a reaction. He has two choices; to hold his ground, or to counter-charge.
If he holds his ground complete the move described above. If he counter-charge’s, move your unit until you have reached a distance from the counter-charging equal to half the counter-charging units move value. Then halt the movement and the countercharging unit completes the remainder of the move using the rules for moving into melee outlined above.
Regardless of weather the opposing unit holds its ground or counter-charges the last unit to move must attempt to place the maximum possible number of models in base to base contact with the enemy unit.
Moving into melee with a unit requires that the unit doing so be able to target the unit is is moving into melee with.
Moving Into Combat and Conditionals:
Some rules will specific that a unit “must not have moved into melee in it’s previous movement phase”, or similar equivalent meaning phrase. Others will specific “if a unit moved into melee in the previous movement phase”, or similar equivalent meaning phrase. The following clarifies how moving into melee and reactions to such function for both participants in a melee combat only, units not engaged in melee combat are determined normally.
For the purposes of rules that have a condition that requires a, “unit moved into melee in the previous movement phase”, the unit which initiated the movement always counts as having done so. The unit moved-into only counts as such if it counter-charged.
For the purposes of rules that have a condition that requires a, “unit did not move into melee in the previous movement phase”, only a unit moved-into may fulfil this condition, and only if it did not counter-charge.
Moving Into Combat and Reflex:
Any unit which has moved into melee in it’s previous movement phase gains a bonus +2 modifier to it’s reflex score for the remainder of the turn to represent the benefits of existing movement and accumulated momentum.
Impeded Movement:
Several factors can impede a units ability to move, most commonly terrain. Such a units movement is said to be impeded and they must expend two SDU’s worth of movement for every actual SDU they move. It is acceptable for a unit to move a fraction, (usually half), an SDU if the unit has a total movement value that is not a whole even number.
Combat:
Attacking:
Several sections of the following text will use the term attack. Attack refers to a single die roll or die roll result of any attempt to harm an enemy unit with a melee weapon, (including fists/claws/e.t.c.), ranged weapon, or some forms of magic. If a model or unit is described as attacking it is a coverall term for all die rolls the model or unit makes whilst attempting this.
Actions in the Combat Stage:
As noted below there are three primary forms of combat. Melee, Ranged, and Magic. Both Magic and Ranged combat can sometimes take place involving units that are engaged in melee, and since one or more unit/s from each side will be involved all units may have the option of fighting in melee, (known as a melee action). To clarify the sequence involving such units the five following rules should be followed:
Firstly all units engaged in a single melee take their actions simultaneously, as such each unit attacks just once per Combat stage, not once per unit taking actions.
Secondly, any unit wishing to take an action other than or in addition to a melee action does so only as part of the melee action that resolves the combat for this turns Combat Stage.
Thirdly, a unit wishing to take an action other than or in addition to a melee action may take a melee action, (thus causing the entire combat to be involved in a melee action allowing the legal application of the second rule listed here), to thus allow them to take their non-melee action.
Fourthly all non-melee actions are resolved before melee attacks are resolved. If multiple models and/or units wish to take such actions resolve them in reflex order.
Fifthly, unless stated otherwise taking a non-melee action does not prevent a unit or model from making melee attacks when resolving the melee action.
Melee Combat:
Melee Combat consists of 2 or more units belonging to different players attacking each other with melee weaponry. Units that are engaged in melee combat must take a melee action, unless they choose to take another action, (see the subsection on “Actions in the Combat Stage” above for more information on this), though when during the combat stage each combat is resolved is decided by who activates a unit in each combat first. By default only models in the front row may strike at the enemy and the strikes of the various units are resolved in reflex order. That is the model/s with the highest reflex in the selected combat conduct their strikes first, the models with the second highest reflex conduct theirs second and so on and so forth. If multiple models have the same reflex, then conduct their attacks simultaneously.
Attacks may normally only be directed against a unit in general, that is the attacks are directed at the entire block, and may not be directed at individual models that are part thereof. Heroic Individual’s are exception under some circumstances, but see the specific section on such individuals for full details.
If all the models have the same power value for their attacks and the attacks are otherwise identical in all respects you may conduct all the relevant models attacks as one complete whole adding their melee combat and strikes values together for the purposes of the following rules.
When striking at an enemy unit you roll a number of dice equal to the attackers melee combat value, by default for each roll of a 4+ you score one potential strike, more commonly referred to as one hit. You must then determine weather the attack was damaging using the attacking models power value, and determine if the defender was able to negate it via armour or wards using the defending units armour and ward values. Because these mechanics are also used by most forms of ranged attack and some magical effects they are detailed separately below in the sub-sections on Damaging, Mitigation, and Hitpoint’s.
Example: A unit of Human Swordsmen engages a unit of Daemons. Note that we will ignore the effects of equipment for this example. The entire front row is 5 models wide, so 5 models may fight. As shown in the Example in the Statistics section a unit of Human Swordsmen has a Melee Combat score of 4. Thus since each model rolls 3 dice to hit and their attacks are made at the same power and are otherwise identical we may roll all of them simultaneously, thus rolling a total of 20 dice to hit. The swordsmen roll slightly high and achieve 12 rolls of 4 or more, thus scoring 12 hits.
Ranged Combat:
A unit wishing to engage in ranged combat with an enemy must not be engaged in melee, (except where noted below), and must posses an actual ranged weapon. If these conditions are met the unit may fire their missile weapons, however the unit they wish to hit must be wholly or partly within the maximum range of the weapon and they must be able to target the unit they are firing on. As an additional targeting restriction the unit being targeted must lay within a 45 degree arc to either side of directly ahead of the unit at the time it fires. If the unit is arranged as a block of 2 or more rows only the front 2 rows may fire.
The procedure is very similar to Melee combat with each model attacking with a ranged weapon rolling a number of dice equal to their ranged combat score with each die resulting in a potentially damage strike or hit on a roll of a 4+. Like melee combat if all the models have the same power value for their attacks and their attacks are otherwise identical in all respects they may add their ranged combat and strikes values together in the same way as a melee fighter. Unlike in melee combat however the enemy does not get to make attacks back, in addition several effects grant a unit targeted by ranged weaponry a bonus to their defense value vs ranged attacks.
The common modifiers specific to ranged weaponry are as follows:
Shooting at a target further away than half the firing weapons maximum range results the unit attacked gaining a +1 bonus to their defense score.
If the firing unit has moved in the prior movement stage, (movement outside of the movement stage does not count), the attacked unit gains a bonus of 1 to it’s defense.
Once it has been determined how many hits are scored, the procedure for determining if they become damaging strike’s, and weather they are mitigated is detailed below, and is identical in all respects to melee.
Units engaged in melee cannot normally be targeted as noted under the Targeting subsection of the Basics section. However if the unit to be targeted moved into melee in the prior movement phase it may be targeted. A unit of troops possessing ranged weapons may even target a unit that engaged it in melee in the prior movement phase provided it did not countercharge. Ranged attacks conducted in this manner suffer no negative modifiers, but they take the place of melee attacks for the models that use their ranged weapon/s. Individual Models within the unit using Ranged weaponry may choose to forego the use of their ranged weaponry to allow them to use their melee weaponry instead.
Magical Combat:
A unit can only engage in magical combat if it has an energy attribute. Magical Combat consists of 2 types of combat, casting a spell and counterpelling a spell. Counterspelling does not require an action and is discussed further below. Casting a spell does.
All spells will have an energy cost listed. This is the minimum energy a magic user must spend to successfully cast the spell, if they can’t meet the minimum cost they cannot cast the spell. So long as they spend at least the minimum amount of energy the spell is always successfully cast. Some spells will have a variable cost, in this situation the cost of the spell is outlined in the spell description. Unless noted otherwise a spell may be cast while engaged in melee combat. A magic user may cast any number of spells in a single action, resolve them one by one in any order the caster wishes.
See the Spells Section for a list of common spells.
Counterspelling:
Counterspelling is the act of attempting to disrupt a spell after it has been cast but before it’s effects are applied. Any spell can be counterspelled but if you wish to do so you must declare and resolve the attempt immediately after the spell is cast.
Counterspelling requires that one or more magic users attempt to appose the spell. To do so they must all expend energy points. There is no minimum or maximum amount they can use and you do not have to use more than one magic user if you do not wish to. However you must declare all energy points to be expended before any dice are rolled. After the defender has declared how many Energy he is going to expend, the casting player roll’s 1 die per energy point used to cast the spell and the counterspelling player rolls one die per energy point expended in the counterspells attempt. Add all the die’s of each player together, if the counterspelling players total is greater than the casting players total the spell is countered, otherwise the attempt to counterspell fails and the spell affects apply as normal. You may only attempt to counterspell a given spell once.
Magic Defence:
Magic Defence acts to render spells less effective. When determining if a Unit or Model is affected by a spell, reduce the total energy committed to the spell by the caster by an amount equal to the Magic Defence of the unit or Model. If this reduces the energy total below that required to successfully cast the spell the unit or model is unaffected. This does not cause the spell to actually fail, it simply means the spell has no effect on the unit. Some spells use magic to create a non-magical effect, (e.g. a rainstorm to make the ground waterlogged), these spells are usually unaffected by Magic Defence. If this is the case it will be specified in the spell description.
Damaging an Enemy:
A variety of effects, mainly Melee and ranged combat, but also some spell effects can inflict “hits”. These hit’s will have a power value attached to them, usually determined by the spell or the equipment the hit is made with. Now we must determine if these hits are damaging. This is done by rolling 1 die per hit scored. To determine the minimum roll required for the hit to be damaging subtract the targets Endurance score from the Power of the attack and consult the table below. For each successful roll one “Potentially Damaging Hit” is achieved.
Difference
Roll Required
-6 to more
Cannot damage, do not roll
-4 to -5
6+
-2 to -3
5+
0 or -1
4+
+1 to +2
3+
+3 to +4
2+
+5 or more
automatically damages, do not roll
Example: Continuing the Example of the Swordsmen striking at the Daemons from the Melee Combat sub- section we now need to determine how many of the 12 hits become potentially damaging. For these purposes we will assume the Daemons have an Endurance of 6. All the hits are of Power 6, thus rolls of 4 or more are needed to make the hit potentially damaging. The Swordsmen now roll nearly perfectly. 11 of the 12 hits scored roll a 4 or more on their roll to determine how many damaging hit they cause. Thus they cause 11 Potentially Damaging Hits.
Strikes Limit:
Regardless of the finial results of the dice rolls each unit/model has a limit on how many potentially damaging hits it can cause. This is known as the Strikes limit and is equal to the Strikes value of the unit/model. This limit only applies to Melee and Ranged Attack’s, it has no effect on spell effects.
Example: Continuing the Example of the Swordsmen striking at the Daemons from above we now need to apply the Strikes Limit. Since 5 models are responsible for these attacks and we are combining their attacks into one large group and the models in question have a strikes value of the Swordsmen is 2. This means the combined Strikes limit of 10. Thus in the Example above of the unit scoring 11 Potentially Damaging Hits, the strikes limit would activate and cap this number at 10. Thus he unit only causes 10 Potentially Damaging Hits.
Damage Mitigation:
Once you have determined how many Damaging Strikes are caused after accounting for the strikes limit, your opponent may attempt to use any forms of mitigation the target possesses. There are two primary types of mitigation; Armor and Wards. Many units and models will not have a ward effect, and some may not have armor, thought this is rarer. Regardless of type a success means the potentially damaging hit was mitigated and it has no effect. If a unit possesses both it may use them both, with Armor done first, then wards. Failure to mitigate a Potentially Damaging Hit results in a single point of damage being suffer by the unit or model struck. See further below for details of what to do next. Their functionality is described below:
Armor:
A unit to successfully mitigate a hit must exceed the power of the attack with a die roll to which their armor rating is added. A roll of a 1 is always a failure.
Example: Continuing the Example of the Swordsmen striking at the Daemons from above we now apply the Daemons Armor Mitigation. For this example we will say the Daemons have an Armor value of 1. Thus the Daemons must roll a 6 or more when attempting their armor mitigation against each Potentially Damaging Strike. he daemons roll their 10 Armor mitigation dice, and get lucky, 3 dice score a 6, thus they have taken only 7 points of damage.
Ward:
Wards function the same as Armor, except that you must roll greater than a value of 6 regardless of the power of the attack. Like armor a roll of a 1 is always a failure.
Defense:
Defense is a stat possessed by some units, but is more usually granted by equipment, magical effect’s, or situational factors. Sources of Defense may restrict the effect to either Melee or Ranged attacks, but if no restriction is noted it applies to both equally. For each point of defense the unit has each model wishing to attack it with either Melee or Ranged attacks has it’s Melee or Ranged Combat score, (as appropriate), reduced by 1. For melee attacks this cannot reduce the value below 1 for any individual model. No such restriction exists for ranged attack’s, (though a negative number has no different an effect than a value of zero). A unit who’s defense would reduce it’s attackers ranged combat value to zero or less is not a valid target for the purposes of the targeting rules for the affected model/s and/or unit, (as appropriate).
Example: A unit of 10 Human Archers arranged in two rows of 5 shoots at a Unit of Daemons. For our example we will ignore equipment and simple state relevant values. Human Archers have a Ranged Combat score of 3. As such normally all 10 models may shoot, (as per the rules for ranged combat further up). Normally therefore they would roll 3 dice each, however the unit of Archers moved during the previous movement phase. As such the Daemons gain a bonus point of defense vs the ranged attacks of the Archers. Thus their Ranged Combat score is reduced to 2, meaning they only roll 2 dice each, thus they roll a total of 20 Dice.
Morale:
Basics:
Morale is a representation of the fighting spirit of a unit or model, it’s willingness to continue the battle in the face of adverse conditions and experiences.
All Blocks have a “Base Morale” score, this score is equal to the Morale value of the models making up the Block, plus the Unit Strength of the Block, plus any additional modifiers, (see the Heroic Individuals, Spell Lists, and Magic Items sections for more details on the common forms of these). Changes in Unit strength or those other modifiers may change this value as the battle progresses, but nothing else modifies this value, all other effects modify the “Actual Morale” value. Whilst individual affects should list which they affect, as a rule of thumb if the effect does not grant an increase in morale score when present and remove it when absent it is not a modifier to Base Morale score.
Example: A unit of Human spearmen 30 models strong. Since human spearmen are normal size and have 1 hitpoint the block has a unit strength of 30. The morale value listed in their statline is 70. As such without any other modifiers their Base Morale is 100.
Designer Note: Although not specified above, Heroic Individuals modify Morale via their command value. The rule of thumb is as much a nice hard guideline for would be designers of stuff for this system as anything else.
In addition to their Base Morale score, all unit’s posses an “Actual Morale” score. At the start of the battle their actual morale score is the same as their base morale score. As the battle progresses their actual morale score will decrease, virtually always at a faster rate than their Base Morale scores value, however unlike base morale, actual morale can be recovered in the Recovery Phase.
Effects which modify Morale, unless noted otherwise are applied at the time the trigger conditions are initially met. Unless noted otherwise no unit that is the source of a penalty to another unit may inflict any single type of penalty more than once per turn to any single enemy unit. However it may inflict several different penalties to the same unit in the same turn, or the same penalty to multiple enemy units in a single turn.
All modifications to Base and Actual Morale in the movement and combat phases are applied at the end of the phase they occur in, not as the penalties occur.
Designers Note: This last rule avoids certain unwanted interactions involving large scale melee combats amongst the possible problems that could occur from an as and when methodology.
Morale Modifiers:
Note: The effects of Command and Heroic Individual’s on Actual Morale Scores are discussed under the Heroic Individuals and Command sections later on.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force who’s total unit strength is greater than the total unit strength of the friendly force by a total of 5 or more, it suffers a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score. If a melee combat involves multiple units from one or both sides, add the combined unit strengths of all units on each side together and compare the unit strengths to determine if this applies.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force and a hostile unit with a unit strength of 10 or more is in edge to edge contact with either side of the unit, the unit so engaged suffers a -5 penalty to it’s actual morale score. If a unit is engaged by multiple hostile units in this fashion it suffer the penalty once per side it is engaged in regardless of how many units are in that side.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force and a hostile unit with a unit strength of 10 or more is in edge to edge contact with the rear of the unit, the unit so engaged suffers a -10 penalty to it’s actual morale score.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force it suffers a -1 actual morale penalty for each potentially damaging hit it takes.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force and a model within the unit is removed as casualty it suffers a penalty to it’s actual morale equal to the unit strength of the model removed.
If a unit is shot at with ranged weapons, has a hostile spell cast on them, or is engaged in melee combat in any given turn it suffers a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score. This is applied once per turn even if the conditions of are met repeatedly. If Engaged in Melee or shot with Ranged weapons the enemy unit must have a unit strength of at least 5 to trigger this penalty. No such restriction applies to hostile magic.
If a unit is shot at with ranged weapons, has a hostile spell cast on them, or is engaged in melee combat it suffers a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score. This is applied once per instance of occurrence, and so can be suffered an unlimited number of times per turn. If Engaged in Melee or shot with Ranged weapons the enemy unit must have a unit strength of at least 5 to trigger this penalty. No such restriction applies to hostile magic. This effect is cumulative with the -5 modifier for being subject to any of these conditions at least once.
Each time a unit moves into melee combat with 1 or more opposing units all opposing units engaged in the subsequent melee suffer a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score. In the event of a counter-charge reaction then both units do inflict this penalty on each other.
If a unit with a Terrifying Aura comes within the listed trigger distance of the aura at any point during the turn, or the unit with the aura moves within the listed trigger distance of the aura at any point during the turn, the hostile unit suffers a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score for each point of Terrifying Aura strength the Aura possesses (see Terrifying Aura rules under “Common Special Rules” for more details). Unlike most other morale penalties if a unit is affected by Multiple Terrifying Aura’s in a single turn only the highest strength aura applies.
If a unit sees, (to see a unit it must be able to draw LoS to it, see targeting rules for more information), a friendly unit break and flee during the turn, or sees a friendly unit fleeing at the start of the movement phase it suffers a negative Actual Morale Modifier equal to half the fleeing unit’s current unit strength, fractions are rounded down. Unlike most other morale penalties if a unit is affected by this type of penalty multiple times in a single turn, only the highest penalty applies.
Morale Recovery:
Morale Recovery happens in the Recovery Phase. Since there is normally no effect upon which order the recovery is done in, players may roll for morale recovery in any order they wish, and may even do so simultaneously.
All units automatically recover 2D6 Morale per turn. Tis is a positive Modifier to Actual Morale only.
Units which did not suffer any Morale penalties in the Previous turn, other than those caused by fleeing units regain an extra 1D6 Morale.
Heroic Individuals and Command may provide additional Morale recovery at this time, as can spells and magic items. These are detailed in their appropriate sections.
Spoiler tags for length.
Basics:
This is a Tabletop Army Level Battle system, similar in general purpose to Games Workshops Warhammer Fantasy Battle System. Being an accumulation of various full scale re-writes of huge section of that systems 6th edition this system does share some passing similarities, however it is very much an accumulation of those efforts and as such has seen some very heavy differences, with many superficial similarities laying more in the need to represent common elements of massed pre-modern combat than in any direct copying thereof.
Distances and Measuring:
All distances given in the following document are in SDU’s or Standard Distance Units. 1 SDU can be equal to any amount you wish, however it is recommended that you keep it to a reasonable number, generally as a rule of thumb 1 SDU should be equal to the scale of the models you are using. Hence if you wish to use the relatively common 25mm scale models a conversion of 1SDU to 1 inch is a good working average, however if you have smaller models or a bigger gaming area a larger or smaller value could be use as appropriate.
For all Purposes you may pre-measure any number of distances from any number of units or points to any other number of units or points prior to taking an action and may change your action, (see later for a definition of an action), so long as you do not complete it before deciding to do so.
If you begin an action and subsequently find it to be an invalid action treat the situation as if the player who’s unit is executing the action had chosen to change the units action after starting it.
Generally if an action involves rolling dice you cannot change it once dice have been rolled. An exception is actions found to be invalid after rolling the dice.
If a player selects to take an action in a given stage with a unit they must complete some form of action with the unit that is valid for the stage. The player cannot change his mind over which unit will take action. An exception is if the unit chosen is found to have no valid action choices for the stage in question. In which case he may change his choice of unit.
Unit’s, Basing, Size Category, Unit Strength and Blocks:
All Models must be on appropriately sized 4 sided bases, and should be facing one edge of the base. This is considered the Front of the base, with the Sides and Rear being the appropriate edges. There are 3 basic sizes of Base, Standard, Large, and Huge, and one special Variation that exists in all sizes Elongated. Large Bases should have dimensions exactly twice that of Standard Bases, and Huge Bases should have dimensions exactly treble that of Standard Bases. Standard size bases should be roughly equal to 1SDU along each side.
Elongated Bases are twice the length of a normal base of their size, the long edges are always the side edges of the base, with the short sides forming the front and rear edges.
A models Size Category is the same as it’s Basic base size, (e.g. Standard, Large or Huge).
A unit is considered in edge contact if part or all of it’s base is in physical contact with part or all of the base, (not counting corners), of another model. Contact via the corners is considered Corner contact only and not edge contact. If neither Edge nor Corner to corner contact is specified (i.e. a general statement such as “base to base contact”), then assume both apply and are used.
A Unit consists of either a single Model or a single Block of Models. Single Models are subject to some special rules, (described in a later section), but except where stated otherwise are treated as Blocks.
Blocks consist of multiple models formed into a single unit with the formation taking the form of a Block. All Models in the Block must face with their Forward edge facing in the same Direction, this defines the Front, sides, and Rear of the Block. Each Block consists of 1 or more Rows of Models.
Unless a special rule applies for the unit they must be at least 5 models wide. With the exception of the models on the ends of the row all models must have each their base’s sides in edge contact with the sides of one and no more than one other model in the row per side. Models on the ends of the row require that only one side has one, and only one, model in edge contact with it.
A unit may have more than 1 Row. If this is the case, with the exception of the rearmost Row, all Rows must have the same number of Models in them. Each model in each Row except the Frontmost and Rearmost Row must have edge contact at both the Front and Rear with one and no more than one model per Front and Rear Edge. Models in the Front Row require that they have one Model and one Model only in Edge Contact with their Rear and models in the Rear Row require that they have one and no more than one Model in Edge Contact with their Front Edge.
If the unit has only one Row it is considered both the Foremost and Rearnmost row and as such it has no required minimum number of models in it.
A Block’s Unit strength is equal to the Unit strength of all models in the unit, which barring certain specific exceptions, (see later and unit entries for details), have a unit strength equal to their hitpoints.
Designer Note: As I’m sure most have figured out this amounts to pretty much the same as WHFB’s Rank and File system, albeit with a larger minimum width, (this was chosen more based on expected unit sizes as it should keep the blocks mostly square instead of excessively stretched), I know I’ve no legal reason to set it up with such different terminology, still I felt I might as well.
Turns, and Turn Sequence:
Each game is split into several turns and each turn has 3 stages. These stages are known as Movement, Combat, and Recovery stages and occur in that order.
In each stage unless subject to a rule that would prevent it, each unit may take action. Player take turns in each stage choosing one unit from their army and taking a valid action with that unit for that stage. Once their action has been completed the opposing player chooses a unit and acts. This continues until one player runs out of units he wishes to take an action with, at which point the opposing player takes any further actions with his remaining units that he wishes to take. The types of action a unit can take are defined in the relevant sections on the relevant stages.
Basic Statistics:
All models have several Basic Statistics. These Statistics are as follows, shorthand designation in brackets:
Movement (M): The Movement characteristic consists of two number separated by a forward slash, e.g. 8/2. This first is the maximum forward movement distance; the second is the number of turns. See the section on the Movement stage for a full explanation of how these values are used.
Melee Combat (MC): This value is a measure of how skilled at hitting a target the unit is in Melee Combat. See the Melee sub-section of the Combat stage section for a full explanation of how this works.
Ranged Combat (RC): This value is a measure of how skilled at hitting a target the unit is in Ranged Combat. See the Ranged sub-section of the Combat stage section for a full explanation of how this works.
Power (P): This is a measure of the innate psychical power the unit possesses, it is used In both melee and ranged combat to determine how destructive a hit is. It may be modified or limited by equipment, particularly weapons, and by various forms of magic. See the Dealing Damage sub-section of the combat rules for how this value is used.
Endurance (E): Endurance is a measure of a units ability to shrug off or resist damage. See the Dealing Damage sub-section of the combat rules for how this value is used.
Reflexes (R): Reflexes is a measure of how rapidly a unit reacts to events around them. It is primarily useful for allowing a unit to get the first hit in melee combat. See the Melee sub-section of the Combat stage section for a full explanation of how this works.
Hitpoints (HP): Hitpoints, like in many games with such a stat is a measure of how many damaging hits the unit can survive before it falls dead. See the Dealing Damage sub-section of the combat rules for how this value is used.
Strikes (S): Strikes is a measures of how many effective strikes with a weapon, (or shots if ranged), the unit can make within the window of one Combat Stage.
Morale (MR): Morale is a measure of the units determination to fight on despite harrowing and/or demoralising circumstances, it decreases and increases based on a wide variety of effects. A Unit with no morale remaining will attempt to flee the battlefield. A full description of it’s functionality is given under the Morale section of the rules.
Amour (A): Amour is the primary means by which a unit may attempt to avoid damage to it’s hitpoints. Most units do not have any amour of their own, instead as the name implies it is granted by equipment worn, as such they will not have an armor value listed on their stat line. The functionality of amour and what grants it is covered in more detail in the Damage Mitigation sub-section of the Combat section rules.
Example: A Human Swordsman has the following Statline:
M:8/2 MC:4 RC:3 P:6 E:6 R:6 HP:1 S:2 MR:70
Special Statistics:
Special Statistics are statistics that are very uncommon, typically only been present only very rarely. And with the exceptions of Command and Energy are not normally listed on a models statline.
Command (C): Command is a measure of a leader’s ability to lead and inspire troops and is not normally possessed by normal units. A full description of it’s functionality is given under the Command sub-section of the Morale section of the rules.
Ward (W): Wards are an additional way to avoid hitpoint damage. Like armour it is covered in more detail in the Damage Mitigation sub-section of the Combat section rules.
Defense (D): Defense is an important stat as it affects an attacking opponents ability to hit the model. Most Models lack a value in this stat as simple skill at arms differences are represented by the melee combat skill and it’s uses, however some magic’s or situations or equipment types are able to unusually impede anyone to some degree or another and so this stat is used to represent this.
Magic Defense (MD): Magic Defense represents a units natural ability to resist spells and similarly functioning effects.
Energy (ER): Energy is a stat possessed only by models with spellcasting ability. It regenerates each turn and is expended to cast magical effects. It’s use is described in the Magic Subsection of the Combat section of the rules below.
Targeting:
Several section below will note that a effect or rules or action requires you to be able to target an enemy unit. You can only target an enemy unit if you can draw a direct line between the unit wishing to perform the target and the unit that is being targeted that does not pass through anything that is considered to block the line. Blocking of the line is known as “blocking line of sight”. Most units, regardless of owner, block line of sight. So do some terrain features and spells. See the Sections on Terrain and Spells for more information.
Unit’s that are engaged in melee combat cannot normally be targeted except by units that are part of the combat, though no base to base contact is required for this unless stated otherwise.
Movement:
Normal Movement:
Normal Movement for a unit is moving the unit without bringing it into contact with any unit during or at the end of it’s move. You may only conduct such movement if the unit is not engaged in melee combat at the start of the movement stage.
A unit may move a number of SDU’s directly forward equal to the first of it’s two movement values.
During this movement it may make a number of turns equal to the second value listed in it’s movement statistic. A turn consists of rotating a unit around it’s centre point by up to 45 degree’s. If the unit has sufficient turns it may use several at once to turn by a larger amount. It may also use it’s turns values separately, turning, then moving then turning against for example.
Moving into Melee:
A unit may if it wishes move into melee combat with a hostile unit. To do this first determine that you can in fact make the move required to bring you into base to base contact with the chosen enemy unit, but do not move your unit yet. You may make a free turn, (that is it does not count against your turns limit), at the end of your move to align your unit properly with the enemy, this turn may be cantered on either front corner of the unit rather than it’s centre if you wish.
Once you have determined that the move can in fact be made the owner of the unit you are attempting this against is allowed to declare a reaction. He has two choices; to hold his ground, or to counter-charge.
If he holds his ground complete the move described above. If he counter-charge’s, move your unit until you have reached a distance from the counter-charging equal to half the counter-charging units move value. Then halt the movement and the countercharging unit completes the remainder of the move using the rules for moving into melee outlined above.
Regardless of weather the opposing unit holds its ground or counter-charges the last unit to move must attempt to place the maximum possible number of models in base to base contact with the enemy unit.
Moving into melee with a unit requires that the unit doing so be able to target the unit is is moving into melee with.
Moving Into Combat and Conditionals:
Some rules will specific that a unit “must not have moved into melee in it’s previous movement phase”, or similar equivalent meaning phrase. Others will specific “if a unit moved into melee in the previous movement phase”, or similar equivalent meaning phrase. The following clarifies how moving into melee and reactions to such function for both participants in a melee combat only, units not engaged in melee combat are determined normally.
For the purposes of rules that have a condition that requires a, “unit moved into melee in the previous movement phase”, the unit which initiated the movement always counts as having done so. The unit moved-into only counts as such if it counter-charged.
For the purposes of rules that have a condition that requires a, “unit did not move into melee in the previous movement phase”, only a unit moved-into may fulfil this condition, and only if it did not counter-charge.
Moving Into Combat and Reflex:
Any unit which has moved into melee in it’s previous movement phase gains a bonus +2 modifier to it’s reflex score for the remainder of the turn to represent the benefits of existing movement and accumulated momentum.
Impeded Movement:
Several factors can impede a units ability to move, most commonly terrain. Such a units movement is said to be impeded and they must expend two SDU’s worth of movement for every actual SDU they move. It is acceptable for a unit to move a fraction, (usually half), an SDU if the unit has a total movement value that is not a whole even number.
Combat:
Attacking:
Several sections of the following text will use the term attack. Attack refers to a single die roll or die roll result of any attempt to harm an enemy unit with a melee weapon, (including fists/claws/e.t.c.), ranged weapon, or some forms of magic. If a model or unit is described as attacking it is a coverall term for all die rolls the model or unit makes whilst attempting this.
Actions in the Combat Stage:
As noted below there are three primary forms of combat. Melee, Ranged, and Magic. Both Magic and Ranged combat can sometimes take place involving units that are engaged in melee, and since one or more unit/s from each side will be involved all units may have the option of fighting in melee, (known as a melee action). To clarify the sequence involving such units the five following rules should be followed:
Firstly all units engaged in a single melee take their actions simultaneously, as such each unit attacks just once per Combat stage, not once per unit taking actions.
Secondly, any unit wishing to take an action other than or in addition to a melee action does so only as part of the melee action that resolves the combat for this turns Combat Stage.
Thirdly, a unit wishing to take an action other than or in addition to a melee action may take a melee action, (thus causing the entire combat to be involved in a melee action allowing the legal application of the second rule listed here), to thus allow them to take their non-melee action.
Fourthly all non-melee actions are resolved before melee attacks are resolved. If multiple models and/or units wish to take such actions resolve them in reflex order.
Fifthly, unless stated otherwise taking a non-melee action does not prevent a unit or model from making melee attacks when resolving the melee action.
Melee Combat:
Melee Combat consists of 2 or more units belonging to different players attacking each other with melee weaponry. Units that are engaged in melee combat must take a melee action, unless they choose to take another action, (see the subsection on “Actions in the Combat Stage” above for more information on this), though when during the combat stage each combat is resolved is decided by who activates a unit in each combat first. By default only models in the front row may strike at the enemy and the strikes of the various units are resolved in reflex order. That is the model/s with the highest reflex in the selected combat conduct their strikes first, the models with the second highest reflex conduct theirs second and so on and so forth. If multiple models have the same reflex, then conduct their attacks simultaneously.
Attacks may normally only be directed against a unit in general, that is the attacks are directed at the entire block, and may not be directed at individual models that are part thereof. Heroic Individual’s are exception under some circumstances, but see the specific section on such individuals for full details.
If all the models have the same power value for their attacks and the attacks are otherwise identical in all respects you may conduct all the relevant models attacks as one complete whole adding their melee combat and strikes values together for the purposes of the following rules.
When striking at an enemy unit you roll a number of dice equal to the attackers melee combat value, by default for each roll of a 4+ you score one potential strike, more commonly referred to as one hit. You must then determine weather the attack was damaging using the attacking models power value, and determine if the defender was able to negate it via armour or wards using the defending units armour and ward values. Because these mechanics are also used by most forms of ranged attack and some magical effects they are detailed separately below in the sub-sections on Damaging, Mitigation, and Hitpoint’s.
Example: A unit of Human Swordsmen engages a unit of Daemons. Note that we will ignore the effects of equipment for this example. The entire front row is 5 models wide, so 5 models may fight. As shown in the Example in the Statistics section a unit of Human Swordsmen has a Melee Combat score of 4. Thus since each model rolls 3 dice to hit and their attacks are made at the same power and are otherwise identical we may roll all of them simultaneously, thus rolling a total of 20 dice to hit. The swordsmen roll slightly high and achieve 12 rolls of 4 or more, thus scoring 12 hits.
Ranged Combat:
A unit wishing to engage in ranged combat with an enemy must not be engaged in melee, (except where noted below), and must posses an actual ranged weapon. If these conditions are met the unit may fire their missile weapons, however the unit they wish to hit must be wholly or partly within the maximum range of the weapon and they must be able to target the unit they are firing on. As an additional targeting restriction the unit being targeted must lay within a 45 degree arc to either side of directly ahead of the unit at the time it fires. If the unit is arranged as a block of 2 or more rows only the front 2 rows may fire.
The procedure is very similar to Melee combat with each model attacking with a ranged weapon rolling a number of dice equal to their ranged combat score with each die resulting in a potentially damage strike or hit on a roll of a 4+. Like melee combat if all the models have the same power value for their attacks and their attacks are otherwise identical in all respects they may add their ranged combat and strikes values together in the same way as a melee fighter. Unlike in melee combat however the enemy does not get to make attacks back, in addition several effects grant a unit targeted by ranged weaponry a bonus to their defense value vs ranged attacks.
The common modifiers specific to ranged weaponry are as follows:
Shooting at a target further away than half the firing weapons maximum range results the unit attacked gaining a +1 bonus to their defense score.
If the firing unit has moved in the prior movement stage, (movement outside of the movement stage does not count), the attacked unit gains a bonus of 1 to it’s defense.
Once it has been determined how many hits are scored, the procedure for determining if they become damaging strike’s, and weather they are mitigated is detailed below, and is identical in all respects to melee.
Units engaged in melee cannot normally be targeted as noted under the Targeting subsection of the Basics section. However if the unit to be targeted moved into melee in the prior movement phase it may be targeted. A unit of troops possessing ranged weapons may even target a unit that engaged it in melee in the prior movement phase provided it did not countercharge. Ranged attacks conducted in this manner suffer no negative modifiers, but they take the place of melee attacks for the models that use their ranged weapon/s. Individual Models within the unit using Ranged weaponry may choose to forego the use of their ranged weaponry to allow them to use their melee weaponry instead.
Magical Combat:
A unit can only engage in magical combat if it has an energy attribute. Magical Combat consists of 2 types of combat, casting a spell and counterpelling a spell. Counterspelling does not require an action and is discussed further below. Casting a spell does.
All spells will have an energy cost listed. This is the minimum energy a magic user must spend to successfully cast the spell, if they can’t meet the minimum cost they cannot cast the spell. So long as they spend at least the minimum amount of energy the spell is always successfully cast. Some spells will have a variable cost, in this situation the cost of the spell is outlined in the spell description. Unless noted otherwise a spell may be cast while engaged in melee combat. A magic user may cast any number of spells in a single action, resolve them one by one in any order the caster wishes.
See the Spells Section for a list of common spells.
Counterspelling:
Counterspelling is the act of attempting to disrupt a spell after it has been cast but before it’s effects are applied. Any spell can be counterspelled but if you wish to do so you must declare and resolve the attempt immediately after the spell is cast.
Counterspelling requires that one or more magic users attempt to appose the spell. To do so they must all expend energy points. There is no minimum or maximum amount they can use and you do not have to use more than one magic user if you do not wish to. However you must declare all energy points to be expended before any dice are rolled. After the defender has declared how many Energy he is going to expend, the casting player roll’s 1 die per energy point used to cast the spell and the counterspelling player rolls one die per energy point expended in the counterspells attempt. Add all the die’s of each player together, if the counterspelling players total is greater than the casting players total the spell is countered, otherwise the attempt to counterspell fails and the spell affects apply as normal. You may only attempt to counterspell a given spell once.
Magic Defence:
Magic Defence acts to render spells less effective. When determining if a Unit or Model is affected by a spell, reduce the total energy committed to the spell by the caster by an amount equal to the Magic Defence of the unit or Model. If this reduces the energy total below that required to successfully cast the spell the unit or model is unaffected. This does not cause the spell to actually fail, it simply means the spell has no effect on the unit. Some spells use magic to create a non-magical effect, (e.g. a rainstorm to make the ground waterlogged), these spells are usually unaffected by Magic Defence. If this is the case it will be specified in the spell description.
Damaging an Enemy:
A variety of effects, mainly Melee and ranged combat, but also some spell effects can inflict “hits”. These hit’s will have a power value attached to them, usually determined by the spell or the equipment the hit is made with. Now we must determine if these hits are damaging. This is done by rolling 1 die per hit scored. To determine the minimum roll required for the hit to be damaging subtract the targets Endurance score from the Power of the attack and consult the table below. For each successful roll one “Potentially Damaging Hit” is achieved.
Difference
Roll Required
-6 to more
Cannot damage, do not roll
-4 to -5
6+
-2 to -3
5+
0 or -1
4+
+1 to +2
3+
+3 to +4
2+
+5 or more
automatically damages, do not roll
Example: Continuing the Example of the Swordsmen striking at the Daemons from the Melee Combat sub- section we now need to determine how many of the 12 hits become potentially damaging. For these purposes we will assume the Daemons have an Endurance of 6. All the hits are of Power 6, thus rolls of 4 or more are needed to make the hit potentially damaging. The Swordsmen now roll nearly perfectly. 11 of the 12 hits scored roll a 4 or more on their roll to determine how many damaging hit they cause. Thus they cause 11 Potentially Damaging Hits.
Strikes Limit:
Regardless of the finial results of the dice rolls each unit/model has a limit on how many potentially damaging hits it can cause. This is known as the Strikes limit and is equal to the Strikes value of the unit/model. This limit only applies to Melee and Ranged Attack’s, it has no effect on spell effects.
Example: Continuing the Example of the Swordsmen striking at the Daemons from above we now need to apply the Strikes Limit. Since 5 models are responsible for these attacks and we are combining their attacks into one large group and the models in question have a strikes value of the Swordsmen is 2. This means the combined Strikes limit of 10. Thus in the Example above of the unit scoring 11 Potentially Damaging Hits, the strikes limit would activate and cap this number at 10. Thus he unit only causes 10 Potentially Damaging Hits.
Damage Mitigation:
Once you have determined how many Damaging Strikes are caused after accounting for the strikes limit, your opponent may attempt to use any forms of mitigation the target possesses. There are two primary types of mitigation; Armor and Wards. Many units and models will not have a ward effect, and some may not have armor, thought this is rarer. Regardless of type a success means the potentially damaging hit was mitigated and it has no effect. If a unit possesses both it may use them both, with Armor done first, then wards. Failure to mitigate a Potentially Damaging Hit results in a single point of damage being suffer by the unit or model struck. See further below for details of what to do next. Their functionality is described below:
Armor:
A unit to successfully mitigate a hit must exceed the power of the attack with a die roll to which their armor rating is added. A roll of a 1 is always a failure.
Example: Continuing the Example of the Swordsmen striking at the Daemons from above we now apply the Daemons Armor Mitigation. For this example we will say the Daemons have an Armor value of 1. Thus the Daemons must roll a 6 or more when attempting their armor mitigation against each Potentially Damaging Strike. he daemons roll their 10 Armor mitigation dice, and get lucky, 3 dice score a 6, thus they have taken only 7 points of damage.
Ward:
Wards function the same as Armor, except that you must roll greater than a value of 6 regardless of the power of the attack. Like armor a roll of a 1 is always a failure.
Defense:
Defense is a stat possessed by some units, but is more usually granted by equipment, magical effect’s, or situational factors. Sources of Defense may restrict the effect to either Melee or Ranged attacks, but if no restriction is noted it applies to both equally. For each point of defense the unit has each model wishing to attack it with either Melee or Ranged attacks has it’s Melee or Ranged Combat score, (as appropriate), reduced by 1. For melee attacks this cannot reduce the value below 1 for any individual model. No such restriction exists for ranged attack’s, (though a negative number has no different an effect than a value of zero). A unit who’s defense would reduce it’s attackers ranged combat value to zero or less is not a valid target for the purposes of the targeting rules for the affected model/s and/or unit, (as appropriate).
Example: A unit of 10 Human Archers arranged in two rows of 5 shoots at a Unit of Daemons. For our example we will ignore equipment and simple state relevant values. Human Archers have a Ranged Combat score of 3. As such normally all 10 models may shoot, (as per the rules for ranged combat further up). Normally therefore they would roll 3 dice each, however the unit of Archers moved during the previous movement phase. As such the Daemons gain a bonus point of defense vs the ranged attacks of the Archers. Thus their Ranged Combat score is reduced to 2, meaning they only roll 2 dice each, thus they roll a total of 20 Dice.
Morale:
Basics:
Morale is a representation of the fighting spirit of a unit or model, it’s willingness to continue the battle in the face of adverse conditions and experiences.
All Blocks have a “Base Morale” score, this score is equal to the Morale value of the models making up the Block, plus the Unit Strength of the Block, plus any additional modifiers, (see the Heroic Individuals, Spell Lists, and Magic Items sections for more details on the common forms of these). Changes in Unit strength or those other modifiers may change this value as the battle progresses, but nothing else modifies this value, all other effects modify the “Actual Morale” value. Whilst individual affects should list which they affect, as a rule of thumb if the effect does not grant an increase in morale score when present and remove it when absent it is not a modifier to Base Morale score.
Example: A unit of Human spearmen 30 models strong. Since human spearmen are normal size and have 1 hitpoint the block has a unit strength of 30. The morale value listed in their statline is 70. As such without any other modifiers their Base Morale is 100.
Designer Note: Although not specified above, Heroic Individuals modify Morale via their command value. The rule of thumb is as much a nice hard guideline for would be designers of stuff for this system as anything else.
In addition to their Base Morale score, all unit’s posses an “Actual Morale” score. At the start of the battle their actual morale score is the same as their base morale score. As the battle progresses their actual morale score will decrease, virtually always at a faster rate than their Base Morale scores value, however unlike base morale, actual morale can be recovered in the Recovery Phase.
Effects which modify Morale, unless noted otherwise are applied at the time the trigger conditions are initially met. Unless noted otherwise no unit that is the source of a penalty to another unit may inflict any single type of penalty more than once per turn to any single enemy unit. However it may inflict several different penalties to the same unit in the same turn, or the same penalty to multiple enemy units in a single turn.
All modifications to Base and Actual Morale in the movement and combat phases are applied at the end of the phase they occur in, not as the penalties occur.
Designers Note: This last rule avoids certain unwanted interactions involving large scale melee combats amongst the possible problems that could occur from an as and when methodology.
Morale Modifiers:
Note: The effects of Command and Heroic Individual’s on Actual Morale Scores are discussed under the Heroic Individuals and Command sections later on.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force who’s total unit strength is greater than the total unit strength of the friendly force by a total of 5 or more, it suffers a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score. If a melee combat involves multiple units from one or both sides, add the combined unit strengths of all units on each side together and compare the unit strengths to determine if this applies.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force and a hostile unit with a unit strength of 10 or more is in edge to edge contact with either side of the unit, the unit so engaged suffers a -5 penalty to it’s actual morale score. If a unit is engaged by multiple hostile units in this fashion it suffer the penalty once per side it is engaged in regardless of how many units are in that side.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force and a hostile unit with a unit strength of 10 or more is in edge to edge contact with the rear of the unit, the unit so engaged suffers a -10 penalty to it’s actual morale score.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force it suffers a -1 actual morale penalty for each potentially damaging hit it takes.
If a unit is engaged in Melee combat with an opposing force and a model within the unit is removed as casualty it suffers a penalty to it’s actual morale equal to the unit strength of the model removed.
If a unit is shot at with ranged weapons, has a hostile spell cast on them, or is engaged in melee combat in any given turn it suffers a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score. This is applied once per turn even if the conditions of are met repeatedly. If Engaged in Melee or shot with Ranged weapons the enemy unit must have a unit strength of at least 5 to trigger this penalty. No such restriction applies to hostile magic.
If a unit is shot at with ranged weapons, has a hostile spell cast on them, or is engaged in melee combat it suffers a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score. This is applied once per instance of occurrence, and so can be suffered an unlimited number of times per turn. If Engaged in Melee or shot with Ranged weapons the enemy unit must have a unit strength of at least 5 to trigger this penalty. No such restriction applies to hostile magic. This effect is cumulative with the -5 modifier for being subject to any of these conditions at least once.
Each time a unit moves into melee combat with 1 or more opposing units all opposing units engaged in the subsequent melee suffer a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score. In the event of a counter-charge reaction then both units do inflict this penalty on each other.
If a unit with a Terrifying Aura comes within the listed trigger distance of the aura at any point during the turn, or the unit with the aura moves within the listed trigger distance of the aura at any point during the turn, the hostile unit suffers a -5 reduction in it’s Actual Morale score for each point of Terrifying Aura strength the Aura possesses (see Terrifying Aura rules under “Common Special Rules” for more details). Unlike most other morale penalties if a unit is affected by Multiple Terrifying Aura’s in a single turn only the highest strength aura applies.
If a unit sees, (to see a unit it must be able to draw LoS to it, see targeting rules for more information), a friendly unit break and flee during the turn, or sees a friendly unit fleeing at the start of the movement phase it suffers a negative Actual Morale Modifier equal to half the fleeing unit’s current unit strength, fractions are rounded down. Unlike most other morale penalties if a unit is affected by this type of penalty multiple times in a single turn, only the highest penalty applies.
Morale Recovery:
Morale Recovery happens in the Recovery Phase. Since there is normally no effect upon which order the recovery is done in, players may roll for morale recovery in any order they wish, and may even do so simultaneously.
All units automatically recover 2D6 Morale per turn. Tis is a positive Modifier to Actual Morale only.
Units which did not suffer any Morale penalties in the Previous turn, other than those caused by fleeing units regain an extra 1D6 Morale.
Heroic Individuals and Command may provide additional Morale recovery at this time, as can spells and magic items. These are detailed in their appropriate sections.