Battle System: -------------- The battlefield is divided into a variable matrix. Each "location" in the matrix is a possible placement of an index card representing a unit. Behind the matrix, on both sides is the reserve area of an army. For eaxample, if the matrix was determined to be 5x5, then the battlefield would look like <-----------------------RESERVE------------------------> +----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ <-----------------------RESERVE------------------------> Units that go beyond the fixed number of columns have "left the arena" and are removed from play, or if special, may be returned to the appropriate reseves. It is possible for a routing army to leave the reserves. (see later) Units that leave the battlefield in this manner may never return to the current battle. Note: At the DM's discretion, there may be a variable number of columns. If a unit goes beyond the set number of columns, it does not leave the battlefield, but instead generates its own column When more than one unit of the same army are present in the same "location", they form a stack (there is one stack in each location per army,) No more than ten land or naval units may be in each stack at the end of the movement phase (see later), without incurring penalties. Aerial units do not stack. Note: The following description of battle cards assumes large scale warfare. The number of men per unit/brigade may be scaled accordingly. I think this will work down to 50 man brigades with 10 man units. Troop cards: ------------ Each brigade (500 men) is represented by one index card Each card has the following information written on it: 1.) Brigade name and designation 2.) Brigade Type 3.) Brigade Stats a.) Morale b.) Move c.) Offensive Rating d.) Denfensive Rating 4.) Brigade Class number 5.) Brigade Unit number 6.) Preferred Weapon(s) 7.) Special Notes What they mean 1.) Unit name and designation: The brigade's designation and the army to which it belongs. 2.) Unit type. The homogeneous unit type it belongs to. Non homogeneous units cannot form a brigade. Examples are: Infantry (light, medium, heavy) Cavalry (light, medium, heavy) Archers (foot, mounted) Air Cavalry (light, medium heavy) Elite (Scouts, Knight, Artilery, etc.) others 3.) Unit Stats a.) Morale. The morale of a brigade unit is calculated by Tables 49 and 50 in the DMG (p. 70 in v2.0). The base morale of a unit is calculated before battle (applying both tables). Morale is recalculated during a "Morale Check" on a unit by unit basis. Please Note the following changes to the table entries: "Creature has less than 25% of its hp" -> "Brigade is operating at 51-75% of full strength" "Creature has less than 50% of its hp" -> "Brigade is operating at 1-50% of full strength" "Creature" -> "Brigade" "... with X HD..." -> "with X HD average" "Most powerful ally killed" -> N/A b.) Movement. This is the number of continuous adjacent, non-diagonal spaces a brigade card may move. It is calculated using the following formula: MV =(move/12). Any fraction results in the number being increased one. I.e., a move of 12 gives you a MV of 1, a move of 15 gives you a MV of 15. c.) Offensive Rating. The Melee offensive rating of a brigade is the sum of the following numbers: 1.) 21 - Avg. THAC0 (avg of riders and mounts if applicable) of melee weapon (include any non-situational bonuses here) 2.) Max. damage (avg.) of brigade/mount with preferred melee weapon 3.) The number of attacks the brigade/mount has with the preferred melee weapon per round. 4.) Max. damage (avg.) of rider with preferred melee weapon 5.) The number of attacks the rider has with the preferred melee weapon per round. MELEE The melee rating of the brigade is the sum of the above numbers / 10 (rounded up). No brigade equipped with melee weapons has a melee rating below 1 The missile offensive rating of a brigade is the sum of the following numbers; 1.) 21 - Avg. THAC0 of missile weapon (include any non-situational bonuses here) 2.) Max. damage (avg.) of brigade with preferred missile weapon 3.) The number of attacks the brigade has with the preferred melee weapon per round. MISSILE The missile rating of the brigade is the sum of the above numbers /10 (rounded up). No brigade equipped with missile weapons has a missile rating below 1. The charge offensive rating of a brigade is the sum of the following numbers: 1.) 21 - Avg. THAC0 of charging weapon (include any non-situational bonuses here) 2.) Max. damage (avg.) of brigade with preferred charging weapon CHARGE The charge rating of the brigade is the sum of the above numbers /10 (rounded up) PLUS THREE. d.) Defensive Rating. The defensive rating of a unit is calculated using the following formula. (10 - AC) / 3 (round up) A unit may have a defensive rating of 0. The amount of damage that a brigade can take is contained in two numbers: 4.) The brigade class number: This is the number of remaining one hundred man centuries left in the brigade (before battle, a full strength brigade will have a class number of 5). 5.) The brigade unit number: This is the avg HD (rider+mount if applicable) of the nth class (where n is the brigade class number). If the class is compromised of 0 level, this number is 1. For example: A full strength cavalry brigade compromised of 0th level riders, has a class/unit number of 5/1. A full strength knight's brigade compromised of 7th level knights would have a class/unit number of 5/7. The same knights brigade might be withdrawing to the reserves after engaging the enemies. It may now have a class/unit rating of 3/3. This signifies it has 2 full centuries (3-1) and 3/7ths of another century. Every time the unit number reaches zero, a century is assumed to be destroyed. The class number drops by one, and the unit number is reset. Damage done to a brigade comes from these numbers. For example, let us say that ten points of damage is done to our knights brigade. The first seven would knock out a unit, drop the lcass number by one, reset the unit number to ten, and then the remaining three points would be applied to that class. The knight's brigade would then be a 4/4 unit. no damage 5/7 unit -> 7 points -> 5/0 unit -> 4/7 unit -> 3 points -> 4/4 unit = no damage 5/7 unit -> 10 points -> 4/4 unit The battle is resolved in the following The Battle Phase 1.) Roll initiative to determine who attacks first 2.) Movement a.) Winner (of initiative) moves b.) Loser (of initiative) moves A brigade may move until it 1.) runs out of movement points. 2.) Encounters an opposing force's stack. At the end of movement, there cannot be more than ten cards in the same stack. If there are, the offensive and defensive ratings of all the brigades in that stack are dropped by 2 per number of brigades in the stack over ten. It is recommended that steps three through ___ be performed on a location by location basis 3.) Engagement. For every location that has stacks representing opposing forces (i.e. both winner and loser), the winner of initiative declares which brigades he will attack with, and which brigades will be held back. The defender then individually which of his units will engage, and which enemy bridage each of his defending brigades will engage. The loser may allocate multiple brigades to engage a single attacking brigade. 4.) Attack phase. (Winner) Engaged units may only perform step 4d a.) Resolve Magical Attacks. Mages may lunch magical attacks at brigades in the current location, or one location away. (forward, backward, to the side, or diagonally). Calculate the average damage done by the attack and divide by ten. Multiply the result by the class number of the brigade. This is the damage done to the opposing brigade. b.) Resolve Stationary Missile Attacks. Brigades with Missile Ratings may attack with their missile weapons. If the brigade attacks another brigade in the opposing force's stack, the missile brigade receives a +1 bonus to its attack rating. If it attacks a brigade in an adjacent (including diagonal) location, it receives no bonus. Once a brigade has attacked with missile weapons, it may use its melee weapons only to counterattack. The attacker subtracts the target brigade's defensive rating from his missile rating. The attacker then rolls 2d10 and consults table 1 for the result. c.) Resolve Charge Attacks. If a brigade has a charge rating, and it moved into a location during this movement phase, it may charge. The attacker subtracts the target brigade's defensive rating from his charge rating. The attacker then rolls 2d10 and consults table 1 for the result. d.) Resolve Melee Attacks. Enaged units _must_ attack. The attacker subtracts the target brigade's defensive rating from his melee rating. The attacker then rolls 2d10 and consults table 1 for the result. 5.) Damage from Winner's scouts divisions is dealt out. 6.) Loser counterattacks - step 4 for all loser's units. 7.) Assess damage from winners attack and loser's counterattack. Aerial Units ------------ Aerial Units use the same type of warcard as used above. However, the following rules apply to them 1.) Aerial Units do not stack in the land stack. 2.) Aerial Units do not attack as brigades. Individual units may attack. The number of attacks an aerial unit has is equal to its class number. Do not multiply the damage done to the opponent by the total class number of the brigade, but by the total classes that attacked the brigade. 3.)