Medieval Warfare Fast Play Rules 7.

0
RULES FOR WARGAMING TACTICAL LEVEL COMBAT
FROM !"#$!"" A%
(Version 7.0 2/20/02)
By Terry L. Gore

War has been defined by Bruce Lincoln as "Organized and coherent violence conducted between
established and internally cohesive rival groupsit is neither individual, spontaneous, random, nor
irrational." rying to replicate warfare, during the !edieval period especially, has been a daunting and
challenging tas". hese rules are an attempt to do #ust this.

he Fast Play rules are an outgrowth of our Medieval Warfare rules. $or some time, there has
been a %uestion of how to recruit new wargamers into the hobby as well as attract older players who
have &dropped out& for a variety of reasons. he MW rules are very complete, but they are not a simple
system to learn without guidance. hey also re%uire plenty of figures, something many new gamers are
not willing to commit to.
$or these reasons, ' have decided to write a set of &$ast (lay& rules. hose of you familiar with the
e)isting MW gaming system will have no problem sitting down and playing a game. here is a lot you
will notice that isn&t there in MWFP, however. $or e)ample, you only have a single general with a more
generous Leadership *bility. We are also using #ust the de facto W+, basing here - no alternate
basing. here is no .trategic !ovement, no ambushes, no flan" marches, no .upply /nits, fewer
special formations, a simplified movement table, a more concise missile fire table, an abbreviated
close combat table, no *dvanced +ules and no naval capability. /nit sizes are set at 0-1 stands for
mounted and 2-3 stands for foot. 4o optional rules are included and while we will use the e)isting MW
army lists until 5ave .mith and .teve .chifani complete their wor" on army lists for the Fast Play
rules, the number of stands, both minimums and ma)imums are divided by three. $or the other
changes to the lists, go to the (reparing for Battle section and loo" under *rmy .election.
*ll of this will give you a very fast-paced game that can be played on a smaller surface, allowing
players to use "itchen tables or card tables to set up and play on, even with 26mm figures7 he idea is
to have a game you can finish in an hour and a half or so.
erry ,ore
$& ORGANI'ATION
MEDIEVAL WARFARE Fast Play Rules uses miniature model soldiers laid out on a table
complete with model terrain. 8ou use dice, rulers and various mar"ers designating orders, condition of
units, casualties, etc. to bring about the results of a !edieval battle.
he miniature figures are organized onto cardboard, wood or metal bases sometimes referred to in
other rules as &elements&. We refer to them as stands. 9ach stand has one or more model soldiers
mounted on it. $or these rules, we use the standard W+, basing system, illustrated a bit later.
'n Fast Play Medieval Warfare, unli"e some popular rules, the figures you have organized and
painted must be gathered together into tactical :units;, or groups of stands representing the warbands
and feudal banners under command of local leaders.
here is no boo""eeping involved in these rules. *ll changes in status can be represented on the table
by mar"ers, stand position, etc. his results in fewer &misinterpretations& of player intentions and less
arguments.
1.1 Tables, i!"re and Time #$ale
he width of a stand represents an actual ground-scale distance of appro)imately 1< paces. *ny
size of figures may be used in Medieval Warfare.
9ach game turn represents appro)imately 6-0< minutes of actual time.
9ach stand represents between 0<< and 2<< actual men and animals.
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*ll measurements are ta"en from the nearest point on any stand in a unit.
1.2 %nits and Generals
%nits, &i'isions and (rmies
9ach &"nit) consists of between 0 and 3 stands of miniature figures.
,enerals are one stand.
*rtillery and 9lephant units can be 0 or 2 stands in size.
=avalry units can be from 2-1 stands in size.
$oot units are from 2-3 stands in size.
Generals
,enerals influence movement, morale and fighting ability, and thus play a very important part in
your battle plan. he better commanding generals were often able to pic" the terrain on which to
fight and would be able to usually outmaneuver their opponents.
9ach army has one general counting as a unit for all purposes.
1.* Table &efinitions
Known Enemy *ny enemy unit or general on the table. here were usually enough scouts to
"eep local commanders informed of enemy positions as well as tell-tale dust,
noise, etc. to indicate that the enemy was there.
Visibility Line of sight, bloc"ed by woods, hills and buildings, but not stands of figures.
/nits see all around with a >3< degree field of vision. /nits may be "nown
while not visible.
Mounted *ny troops riding animals ?cavalry, elephants, and camels@.
Cover Being in any type of woods, behind walls, mantlets or pavises, or in
buildings.
Flank * flan" is simply the side of a unit in military parlance. * unit must have one
of its stands behind the front of an enemy unit&s stands before any charges,
movement or shooting in order to be able to count as a flan" attac"Ashot.
his is illustrated at the end of the !issile $ire section of the rules.
Delaying Terrain *ny terrain that causes a particular troop type to be slowed down.
1.+ Troo, &efinitions
roops are differentiated by four factors ma"ing up the Bwhole manCD hese are *rmor, Weaponry,
!orale, raining and /nit .trength. * stic"er can be taped to the rear of a unit&s command stand to
identify it.
Ty,i$al %nit -dentifi$ation #ti$.er his is an e)ample of how to identify the ma"eup of a unit.
'nclude the unit description, armor, morale class, weaponry and number of stands. he slip has the
armor type ?Eeavy 'nfantry@, morale ?Warriors@, training ?'rregular@, weaponry ?.pear F .hield@ and the
number of stands in the unit.
4orman Eeavy 'nfantry,
Warriors ?'@, .pearA.hield ?1@
(rmor * stand of figures represents the type of men actually portrayed by the castings along with their
retainers, s%uires, etc. *ll of the figures on a stand must have the same armor, weaponry and morale.
/ode (rmor Ty,e &es$ri,tion
$( $ull (late !edieval "nights encased in complete plate armor starting around 0>1<.
he armor was so complete shields were generally considered
superfluous items, and often no longer used.
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* *rmored !ost "nights of the late 0>
th
to mid-01
th
centuries, wearing mail with
some plate armor additions, usually covered with a surcoat with heraldic
motifs.
$!
$ull !ail
$ully mail-clad "nights. his covers most "nights of the 02
th
to 0>th
century, and armored 9astern cavalry on partly armored horses.
E Eeavy he early medieval "nights were mail-clad men on unarmored horses.
his category will also include the mail armored foot that ma"e up the
bul" of medieval infantry armies, who may not be of :"nightly; status.
L* Lightly
*rmored
'nfantry wearing leather or fabric armor, and similarly e%uipped cavalry
riding unbarded horses. hese were generally poorer soldiers such as
garrison troops, lesser thegns and retainers.
/ /narmored (oorer infantry and cavalry ?on unbarded horses@ with no body armor at all.
9)amples include early .cottish spearmen and .lavs. his category
includes all s"irmishers, whether the figures are shown completely without
armor or not.
#tands in a "nit may ha'e different armor and 0ea,ons as allo0ed in the army lists i.e. li!htly
armored infantry (L(-) s,earmen in the front ran., "narmored infantry (%-) ar$hers in the rear.
&esi!n 1ote2 =avalry may start the game dismounted. 5ismounted Loose Order cavalry forms up as
e%uivalently armored and armed =lose Order 'nfantry. One stand of infantry replaces two stands of
mounted. 5ismounted ."irmish =avalry form up as similarly armed ."irmish 'nfantry. Once
dismounted, cavalry may not remount during the game.
Trainin!
.ome troops fought in organized units under trained commanders. hey were paid ?sometimes
regularly@, drilled as units, and were supplied with arms by their employer. hey were rare in the
!edieval period. herefore, there are only two grades of trainingD
Trained Byzantine regulars, some 9astern armies and a few troop types in later Western
armies. rained troops have maneuver advantages and can perform certain
battlefield evolutions that untrained troops cannot. hey cost a bit more than
'rregulars, reflecting the added e)pense of their training.
Irregulars *ll the rest7 'rregular troops are less able to maneuver in the face of their enemies.
Wea,onry
he weaponry and armor often defined the social status of the !edieval fighter. he army lists specify your
troops; weaponry. Weapons use counts whether a unit is charging, moving, or standing still. Weapons vary in
lethality and the number of ran"s allowed to use them ?see the =lose =ombat tables@. 'f otherwise unarmed, all
troops are considered to be carrying the e%uivalent of a sword with a combat factor of <.
!ounted troops are allowed lance, spear, #avelin, bow, crossbow, and longbow ?in reality this would be the
smaller but very powerful composite bow@ or a)eG Hapanese .amurai swords count as a)es.
'nfantry may have pi"e, halberd, long spear, spear, various ?meaning the troops have a variety of weapons
mi)ed together in the unit@ a)e ?includes twohanded swords@, #avelin ?includes francesca, throwing a)es,
etc.@, bow, crossbow, longbow, sling or staff sling.
5ismounted lance armed cavalry count as armed with spears, e)cept for the Inights of the late 06
th
century,
which are counted as using a)es as their main weapon.
&esi!n 1oteD 'n the army lists, non-s"irmisher foot armed with longbow cost more points than other missile
troops because of their e)tra training and the lethality of the weapon.
.ome troops are allowed 2 or more weapons ?see the Medieval Warfare rules army lists@.
%se of #hields /nits with shields count as shielded e)ceptD
When they are using weapons re%uiring both hands such as archers or units with a)es.
When they are fired at or contacted on their right flan" or rear ?their unshielded side@.
hey are fired at by artillery, as shields did not help them here7
/nits without shields will normally count as &unshielded&.
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9lephants and artillery are always considered shielded.
34$e,tion2 *ny units with a)es, pi"es long spears, halberds or lances will count shielded in the initial
round of a close action due to the longer reach and lethality of their weapons. 'n subse%uent rounds of
the close action they will be shieldless.
*ny units within any type of woods counts as shielded to any type of missile fire.
5orale
here are five different levels of troop morale and one combination level for troops in the game.
Elites Eousehold troops and loyal guards. 9asily controlled and very tough to defeat.
/sually the best armed and armored.
Fanati!s +eligious zealots or other intensely motivated troops. 5ifficult to control, but
fearsome to face in =lose =ombat.
Warbands hese infantry fighters counts as fanatics up to and including their first round of
close combat, after which treat them as warriors. .lavs and 'rish bonnagt are
e)amples.
Veterans Older, e)perienced fighters. Well armored and determined.
Warriors he bul" of !edieval armies. (rotection varied widely, from none at all to heavily
armored. * challenge to control, but usually reliable in combat.
Poor ,arrison troops, militia and levies. Often unreliable, but plentiful in many armies.
1.6 i!"res ,er #tand
The n"mber of fi!"res mo"nted on a stand is determined by the fi!htin! order of the "nit. This
is e4,lained belo0.
/lose order fi!hters were troops who fought shoulder to shoulder in tight formations, such as
Byzantine s"utatoi, .a)on huscarles or 4orman spearmen. * close order unit has four figures
mounted on each stand.
Loose order fi!hters were troops who fought in a more open formation, such as armies operating
in delaying terrain li"e Welsh, .lavs, 'rish or (atrician +oman au)ilia.
0. 'rregular units in loose order have three figures mounted on a stand.
2. rained units in loose order have fo"r figures mounted a stand.
>. !ounted units in loose order have three figures mounted to a stand.
1ote2 rained loose order foot fought in closer order than their untrained counterparts, while retaining
the ability to maneuver effectively in bro"en terrain.
#.irmish order fi!hters are troops who spread out in wide, dispersed formations. /nits in
."irmish order have t0o figures mounted on a stand.
7rder i!"res/stand
=lose 1
Loose > for 'rregulars A 1 for
rained
."irmish 2
1.8 Basin!
W9G Basin!
!W$( uses the standard W+, basing system. $or alternate $oundry or WE*B basing consult the full
MW rules set.
.tandsAbases are 2<mm in width for .mall stands ?0<mm@, 1<mm in width for !edium stands ?06mm@
and 3<mm in width for Large stands ?26mm@.
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Base depths are not all that important. With many of the new 2Jmm plus size figures, you may have to
use deeper stands to fit your figures on them. $or those interested, however, here are the W+, base
depthsD
7rder and #$ale of i!"res 26mm i!"res 16mm i!"res 10mm i!"res
/lose 7rder oot 20mm 16mm 10mm
Loose 7rder oot *0mm 20mm 16mm
/a'alry +0mm *0mm 20mm
3le,hants or (rtillery :0mm +0mm +0mm
!ount the figures 1 to a stand for close order and trained loose order, > to a stand for 'rregular loose
order, and 2 for s"irmish order as noted above.
1.7 Losses and #tand 9emo'al
Whenever a unit has lost a number of its figures e%ual to its figures per stand, either four, three or two,
a stand must be removed. his reflects the continuous losses a unit suffers through fatigue, desertion
and wounds as well as close combat or missile fire attrition.
$igures are not individually removed, but the losses are "ept trac" of until enough of them have
been inflicted to remove a stand.
$igure losses, hereafter referred to as &casualties&, are recorded by placing mar"ers alongside the
unit ?figures of casualties, small roc"s, piles of battlefield debris, loose shields of appropriate
nationality, plastic to"ens or whatever you find convenient and aesthetically pleasing@.
Once enough figures have been lost to e%ual the number of figures on one stand in the unit, a
stand is removed.
.tands are removed from the rear ran"s of the unit regardless of unit ma"eup. 't is assumed that
the rear ran"s would move forward to ta"e the place of the front ran"s as they fell.
.tand losses will have an effect on unit morale as well as fighting capability. hese will be
e)plained later in the rules.
1.: &i$e
here are two different types of dice used in Medieval Warfare Fast Play. here is the standard 3-
sided variety ?which is referred to as a d3 throughout the rules@ and also the 0<-sided or &percentile& die
?referred to as a d0<@. When rolling a 0d0<, a result of :<; is read as :0<;. 'n other words, the available
numbers on a 0d0< roll are from 0-0<.
1.; 9o"ndin! ra$tions
$or fractional values, round up. $or e)ample, if a player needs to roll Bhalf a 0d3" and he rolls a >, half
of the die roll result ?rounded up@ is 2.
1.10 Good #,ortsmanshi,
'n any situation where players cannot %uic"ly come up with an answer to a rules %uestion, roll a die to
settle it and go on playing. (layers should use their common sense in the interest of fun and history7
(& GENERALS
*s noted previously, your ,eneral is very important. Ee gives your units orders, provides a morale boost
in certain situations, and will give a unit he is with an advantage in any close combats. 'f he is lost,
however, you will probably lose the battle.
2.1 The Generals
$igures of ,enerals along with their bodyguard figures are mounted li"e any other troop type.
9ach stand represents the ,eneral as well as his entourage of guards.
8our ,eneral may spend the entire battle as an independent, single-stand unit, able to act each
turn without using orders.
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he ,eneral can also #oin any unit ?always being placed on the front ran"@ for as long as desired.
he unit then still re%uires orders.
Once #oined with a unit, the general can only leave it during the !ovement (hase.
2.2 General Leadershi, (bility and 7rders
* ,eneral is rated for his leadership ability, which determines the number of orders he may issue each
turn. Li"e any other factors involved in war, this leadership ability could vary %uite widely. he better
your commander, the more advantages you will have in battle. /ltimately, however, all decisions are
up to you and a poor battle plan or badly thought out e)ecution of a battle plan will cost you the battle
no matter how good your commander.
* ,eneral;s leadership ability is determined after the armies have been chosen, but before terrain
has been placed or either side has deployed its troops.
+oll two d3 for your ,eneral and find the result on the following table. he rolls are made openlyG
each side is assumed to "now the %uality of the other&s leader by reputation7
&ie 9oll 9es"lt Leadershi,
(bility 9atin!
7rders ,er T"rn
12 /harismati$ 6
; < 11 34$e,tional +
2<: #tal0art *
'f unhappy with your die you may re-roll it once, but you are then re%uired to stic" with your final
roll, even if it is worse7
Orders are re%uired for your units to ma"e any movement. *s you can easily see, you will have a
limited amount of order-giving ability each turn ?see .ection 1 - Orders@.
9ach army also has 2 orders independent of the ,eneral, providing the army a limited command
and control capability in the event he is lost. We assume some local commanders have the ability
to at least ta"e independent command if the commander is indisposed. herefore, even with a
.talwart commander, you will still have five orders per turn.
2.* /as"alties (mon!st Generals
'n order to get out of a bad situation, the general may always order himself, or the unit he is with, to
+etreat or to 5eploy to face an enemy if involved in a close combat.
Otherwise, if in a close combat, a ,eneral may not give any orders to any of units.
'f a ,eneral is "illed, routed, captured or leaves the table, he can no longer give orders.
Once the ,eneral;s stand has ta"en enough casualties to remove it, it is removed from the battle.
Once lost, ,enerals are not replaced.
+emember that if you decide to use your generals as combat units, they will certainly add to the
morale and fighting %uality of the unit they are with, but if he is "illed, most li"ely the battle is over7
)&
PREPARING FOR BATTLE
Before anything happened in a !edieval battle, the troops had to be gathered together and brought to
a field selected for the fight. he following section deals with getting this done.
*.1
(rmy #ele$tion
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9ach player pic"s an army from the army lists. Eistorical match-ups are encouraged7 We strongly
recommend battles be fought between historical enemies, or at last those that could have come to
blows in real life. *rmy size in FPMW should be between 2<<-26< points per player.
4ote that army lists specifically for FPMW are being developed by 5avid .mith and .teve .chifani.
$or now, use the regular published MW army lists with the following changesD
'gnore the =i= cost and use the ,eneral cost for your commander.
'gnore .acred +elicsABanners and ships, they are not used in these rules.
5ivide all minimums and ma)imums by three.
+ound down for fractions, i.e. J divided by > K 2.
'gnore any number of stands less than 2.
*.2 Table #i=e
.mall Bases figures ?3-0<mm figures@, we recommend a 2& ) >& table.
!edium Bases ?06mm figures@ use a 1& ) 1& table.
Large Bases ?26-><mm figures@, use a 1& ) 3& table or larger.
*.* Terrain #i=es and Ty,es
8ou may custom build your own terrain pieces, or chose from any number of available commercial
pieces. *ll are of decent size and wor" well with Medieval Warfare Fast Play.$or small or medium
sized tables, use the first size listed. $or larger tables, use the second, parenthesized size.
$or scenarios, use the maps provided to place terrain. Otherwise, see the errain (lacement *ppendi)
at the bac" of this rules set.
Terrain Ty"es#
$ig%t Delaying Terrain .crub, marshland, sand dunes, brush, roc"y ground, steep hills.
Dense Terrain $orest, swamps, bogs, steep hills covered with Light errain.
&onDelaying Terrain Light woods, orchards, palm groves and low hills.
1ote2 Low Eills have no effect whatsoever on movement. Eowever, they do provide a height
advantage and superior tactical position for combat and morale purposes.
Ma'imum and Minimum Terrain (i)e# he ma)imum size for any terrain piece is J " ?02"@. he
minimum size for any piece of terrain is 2C ?1C@.
*bsta!les# Obstacles include streams, walls, fences, hedges, gullies, ravines, caltrops, sta"es,
and potholes. hey count the same as Light errain for movement delay and disorder. !ay be J"
?02"@ long.
+oads# +oads are 0C ?2C@ wide, depending on table size. +oads may be placed crossing rivers and
low hills, or through any light or dense terrain. hey negate the delaying terrain they run through.
+ivers# hese are wider and more difficult to cross than streams. hey are 2" ?>"@ wide. hey may
only be crossed at bridges or fords.
Water Features# hese represent ponds, la"es, ma#or rivers, or seas. (onds are a ma)imum of 3C
?L"@ in diameter. * la"e, sea or ma#or river runs the entire length of one of the table;s two flan"
edges ?select randomly@ and can be up to 3C ?L"@ wide. Only one per player may be placed.
*verla""ing Terrain
$orests, light woods, scrub, brush, buildings and roc"y ground may be placed on Low Eills.
+ivers may run across +oads.
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+oads may run across +ivers, .treams and Low Eills, or through any Light or 5ense terrain.
* Bridge or $ord is automatically placed wherever a +oad crosses a +iver ?or vice versa@.
*side from these e)ceptions, a piece of terrain may never be placed on top of another.
*.+ #ettin! ", (rmies
(layers are encouraged to set up a screen between them so that they do not see their opponent&s army
before all deployment is finished. $olded cardboard or auto sunscreens are great for these.
*lternatively, set up one unit at a time, dicing for who goes first.
/nits on small tables may be placed up to 1" from their player;s own baselineG units on larger
tables may be up to 3C from the player;s own baseline. (layers desiring an even %uic"er game may
agree to set on up to L" from their baseline.
& OR%ERS
8our units need orders to move. 't is up to you to decide how to use your orders each turn. Whether to
order charges, to try to recover disordered units, or to try to retreat a threatened unit out of harm&s way,
all are options and decisions you must ma"e.

8ou are limited in the number of orders you can transmit each turn. 't is necessary to plan ahead. 8our
general has a limited amount of orders, depending upon his leadership ability, and each army has two
additional orders as well. 8ou may thus have from a low of five to a ma)imum of seven total orders to
issue each turn.
+.1 -ss"in! 7rders
5epending on the ability of his ,eneral, each player has between five and seven Orders to place each
turn.
* ,eneral may issue orders to any friendly unit on the table, there is no &=ommand +ange& in
FPMW.
Orders are normally re%uired for units to move.
* unit is normally issued only one order each turn during the Orders (hase.
* unit without orders automatically stands in place unless it is re%uired to move due to a morale or
a close combat result.
34$e,tion2 $anatics or frenzied units normally must charge an enemy unit when within their normal
movement range of the enemy unit. ."irmishers may be forced to +etreat by enemy units that try to
move into contact with them, and any unit may be forced to +etreat as a result of failed morale test.
* unit does not need an order to fire missiles.
+.2 7rder &efinitions
his section details what each Order signifies, as well as restrictions and bonuses. here are si) orders
that can be given. hese areD
0. (d'an$e < his is the order to use for moving in the direction the unit is currently facing.
2. /har!e - his order is used when a unit attempts to attac" an enemy unit.
>. &e,loy < * maneuver order, used for a facing or formation change to get into a more favorable
position to advance, charge or fire at an enemy unit.
1. &efend - his is the order to use when preparing to receive a charge or get ready to fire at
optimum efficiency.
6. 9etreat - his is the order you want to use to run away7
3. 9e$o'er - his order is used to bring a unit bac" from various states of disorder or to restoc"
depleted missiles.
1o fa$in! or formation $han!es are ,ermitted d"rin! (d'an$e, /har!e or 9etreat mo'ement
e4$e,t2
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( "nit may 0heel +6 de!rees before they $ommen$e mo'in!.
( "nit may shift stands into a rear ran. in order to a'oid r"nnin! into other "nits,
terrain or obsta$les. -t m"st ha'e at least a stand 0idth)s !a, to mo'e thro"!h.
(d'an$e
he unit must move at least half of its ma)imum allowed movement in the direction the unit is
currently facing unless it runs into an enemy unit first.
*dvancing units may allow their frontage to conform to the edge of terrain features or obstacles
that they move up to, as long as no stands e)ceed their movement allowance or physically
separate from the rest of the unit,
*dvancing units may fire, but fire at reduced effectiveness if they are foot units.
*dvancing units must follow-up or pursue close combat opponents.
/har!e
* unit must be within its normal movement distance of the target of its charge in order to be issued
=harge orders.
34$e,tion2 'nfantry must be within half their normal move distance to =harge mounted troops. .
* charging unit must move at least 0A2 of its allowed =harge !ove unless it contacts an enemy
unit before it reaches that distance.
9)ceptionD $renzied units. .ee $renzied =harges. .
."irmish 'nfantry may only =harge ."irmish 'nfantry or the flan" or rear of other troops. ."irmish
=avalry may attac" whatever they choose.
'f the charging unit has more than one potential target for its =harge, the =harging player chooses
which to attac". 'f the charging unit can hit two or more enemy units ne)t to each other, the charge
can be declared against all of them.
=harging units must pre-empt their own charges and charge any enemy that %as been ordered to
!%arge his unit unless it is impossible to physically do so ?i.e. can&t wheel to face, enemy charging
to rear, etc.@. his is still considered a =harge, rather than a =ountercharge.
=hargers who are =harged in the flan" or rear will ma"e their own =harge move, hoping to outrun
their enemy. 'f caught before contacting the target of their own =harge, they are halted and suffer
the conse%uences7 'f they manage to first hit the target of their own =harge, but are then hit in the
flan" or rear themselves, they fight their target unit with all applicable charge bonuses, but suffer
the penalties for the flan" or rear attac".
=harging or =ountercharging units may not fire missiles.
=harging units must follow up or pursue close combat opponents.
/o"nter$har!es
* =ountercharge differs from a =harge in that the unit in %uestion has *dvance orders, not =harge
orders..
he countercharge options for units with *dvance orders areD
5o"nted troo,s may countercharge or not move at all, ta"ing the enemy charge at the halt.
#.irmish /a'alry may either countercharge or change their order to +etreat and run away.
-nfantry may countercharge other infantry that is charging but must hold against mounted.
#.irmish -nfantry will change their orders to +etreat. 't may only countercharge other ."irmish
'nfantry.
(rtillery must ta"e the charge at the halt.
/nits must be facing, or be able to wheel to face their attac"ers to be able to =ountercharge.
ren=ied /har!es
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10
his type of charge is e)tremely powerful, but also ris"y. Once in a frenzied state, a unit rea$ts as if it
were a fanatic unit. he following units may attempt to become frenziedD
*ny 'rregular unit.
*ny ,eneral.
*ny rained unit that is within >" ?1"@ of a charging friendly general.
o attempt to become frenzied, roll a !orale est for the unit with no modifiers.
'f the unit passes the !orale est, it becomes frenzied. 'f it fails, it suffers the normal effects of
failure ?these can vary from halting disordered to fleeing in rout7@
34$e,tion2 4o !orale est is made for $anatics. hey are always frenzied when they charge.
/nits that are frenzied "eep that distinction as long as they win their close combats. Once they lose or
draw, they lose the frenzy.
anati$s /har!in!
$anatics are always considered in a state of charge readiness. $anatic units that find themselves within
their normal movement range of any enemy they $an rea$h must attempt to charge that enemy unit
unless constrained by a +ecover order.
.ome enemy targets may not be reachable, i.e. cavalry cannot charge into dense terrain, etc.
$renzied units are not re%uired to charge units in delaying terrain or behind obstacles.
$renzied mounted units are not re%uired to charge elephants, pi"e, long spear or halberd armed
foot.
$renzied units are re%uired to move their full charge movement allowance.
A
B
C
D E
Z
&e,loy
/se this order to change facing or formation, or to face an enemy unit that is moving into or already is
in contact with your flan" or rear. 'f an enemy unit is behind your flan" and you thin" it may charge
you, it is advisable to issue 5eploy orders to avoid being hit in the flan".
0. * rained unit that has a 5eploy order and is neither 5isordered nor being charged may
perform any 2 of the following actions in a turn.
2. 'rregular units and rained units in other circumstances may perform only 0 actionD
/han!e fa$in! a f"ll ;0 or 1:0 de!rees.
/han!e formation.
Page 11
11
Charge Eligibility:
Units B, C, D are eligible
charge targets based n
distance and angle! " is
#tside distance and $ is
#tside the angle re%#ired!
&' 'riendl( #nit ) *as in +lace
as sh*n C *#ld be
ineligible *ith n line ' sight,
b#t B c#ld still be charged b(
dr++ing bac, stands t the
rear ran,!
&n'antr( #nit D *#ld nt be
able t c#ntercharge as its
distance is greater than its
charge range!
&' C had a charge rder against
(# and B did nt (# -#st
chse C as the target ' (#r
charge!
Trained foot, other than ,i.es, halberds or lon! s,ears, may )sideste,) 1 stand 0idth to
either flan., i!norin! any terrain delays.
Trained foot may fall ba$. 1> (2>), remainin! fa$in! their enemy thro"!ho"t.?
T"rn ;0 de!rees or 0heel ", to +6 de!rees to fa$e an atta$.er as he /har!es in.?
@la$e sta.es, $altro,s, sear$h for fords et$.
5o'e one base de,th strai!ht for0ard, i!norin! terrain delays.
?hese are legal =harge responses to an ordered charge on the unit.
/nits with 5eploy Orders may follow-up or pursue close combat opponents at the owning player;s
discretion.
&efend
Only non-fanaticAfrenzied foot may be given 5efend Orders. !ounted units may never be given
5efend orders. /nits with 5efend orders are assumed to be :prepared; for the attac", with spears
butted into the ground, a)es at the ready, and archers with arrows at hand.
/nits with 5efend orders must remain motionless throughout the turn.
hey receive combat and morale bonuses for defending under all circumstances.
*rchers may fire an *rrow Barrage unless they are low on missiles or out of missiles ?see !issile
$ire section@.
'f forced to move due to morale tests, re%uired retreats or combat results, immediately remove the
5efend order.
'f the unit has become frenzied, immediately remove the 5efend order.
/nits with 5efend orders do not follow-up or pursue close combat opponents.
9etreat
/nits with +etreat orders attempt to escape from perceived danger or a close combat by turning and
running away. hey were often unsuccessful.
$anatics or $renzied units may never be given a +etreat order. hey would not obey it.
+etreating units must turn 0J< degrees with their bac"s to the enemy and ma"e a +etreat move in
that direction. hey must +etreat from either the nearest enemy unit, or any enemy unit that is
=harging, *dvancing or already in contact with them. 'f charged or advanced into by more than
one enemy unit, retreat at an angle an e%ual distance from them both.
he +etreat move distance must be rolled for ?see !ovement ables@.
* retreating unit ma"ing an ordered retreat normally must move at least 0A2 of the +etreat move
distance.
34$e,tionD * unit may retreat less than 0A2 if it would otherwise have to contact an enemy unit.
+etreating units end the turn in whatever formation this causes them to adopt, but facing away
from the enemy.
4on-."irmish units that +etreat are disordered from their retreat move unless they are rained
troops moving no more than 0A2 of their movement allowance.
+etreating units may not fire.
'f the +etreating unit is contacted by an enemy unit, the retreating unit counts as being hit in the
flan" or rearG causing it to be disordered. ."irmish 'nfantry will be destroyed if contacted.
'n the following turn&s Orders (hase, a retreated unit may turn 0J< degrees without penalty before
Order mar"ers are placed, unless it is in contact with an enemy unit.
* unit may not retreat into a close combat. +etreating units must avoid contacting enemy stands.
Page 12
12
#.irmishers and 9etreat ."irmish 'nfantry automatically +etreat if any non-.' unit attempts to
=harge or *dvance into contact with them. 'n the same circumstances, ."irmish =avalry voluntarily
may opt to +etreat. 4o orders are re%uired for this and any e)isting orders are cancelled.
'f e)tra movement is re%uired for this during the !ovement (hase ?i.e. the unit has already moved first
in the !ovement (hase and an enemy unit is advancing into it during its turn@, the unit is disordered.
9e$o'er
hin" of a +ecover order as a call for rallying around the banner and re-ordering of the ran"s. *
+ecover order may not be used to recover a unit from more than one situation in a turn.
+ecover Orders are placed on those units which the player desires to +ecover from +out,
5isorder, $ragmentation or Out of !issilesALow on !issiles.
+ecover orders may also be placed on $anatics or frenzied units. his will prevent them from
automatically charging the nearest eligible enemy unit.
'n order to +ecover, units must stand in place with no movement or missile fire of any "ind.
'f a recovering unit fires or is contacted by an enemy unit, immediately remove the Recover order
?i.e., the unit does not +ecover@.
/nits in a =lose =ombat may never be given a +ecover order.
+.* &"mmy orders
5ummy order mar"ers may be used to confuse your opponent as to which units actually have orders.
.imply place :blan"; counters behind those units that have no real Orders. 9ach player is limited to
three dummy orders per Orders (hase.
+.+ %nits 0ith no orders
/nits that do not have any orders when contacted by an enemy unit have no choice in their responses.
hey ta"e all charges at the halt, with no wheels, facing or any other movement.
."irmishers may always elect to +etreat, however.
hey must follow-up or pursue enemy in contact.
34am,le2
1orman -rre!"lar Aea'y /a'alry (A/) .ni!hts ha'e a /har!e order a!ainst a By=antine Aea'y
-nfantry (A-) Trained foot "nit. The By=antines ha'e a &e,loy order.
The 1orman 0ants his A/ to be fren=ied 0hen they atta$., so he rolls a d10 (the "nit leader is
!i'in! an ins,irin! s,ee$h to his men). The A/ are 'eterans, so they need to roll a * or better
(*0B ,l"s) to ,ass their morale and be$ome fren=ied.
They roll a 8 and $har!e fren=ied.
The By=antines ele$t to mo'e ba$.0ards as a $har!e res,onse "nder &e,loy orders, ho,in! to
mo'e o"t of ran!e of the $har!in! A/.
!& SE*UENCE OF PLA+
his is how we play each turn of the game. 't is important to follow this .e%uence of (lay in the e)act
order listed. (laying completely through each part of the turn is very important to the understanding of
the concepts of Medieval Warfare and how a battle could sway bac" and forth.
On the first turn of a game, units are sufficiently eager and in a state of battle-readiness. $or the first
turn of the game only, all units can *dvance, +etreat or 5eploy without orders. his first turn of the
game is done simultaneously, pro-rating movement if necessary.
6.1 7rders @hase
his is the point at which your ,enerals must decide which orders to give and which units will get
them.
Page 13
13
Before any orders are placed, any unit not involved in a close combat, routing or in frenzied pursuit
is allowed to ma"e a &free& 0J< degree turn to face an enemy unit.
9ach player now simultaneously places his allowed number of order mar"ers and &5ummy& orders
fa!e down on any desired units.
/nits without orders may still fire missiles.
6.2 -nitiati'e &ie 9oll @hase
his phase determines which side moves first in the !ovement (hase. 8ou may want your opponent to
move first in order to e)ploit any openings he presents. 8ou may want to go first yourself to "eep
pressure on him.
9ach player rolls a d3, adding M0 if their ,eneral is =harismatic.
he player with the higher modified roll has the 'nitiative and decides which player will move first.
+eroll in the event of a tie.
6.* /har!e &e$laration @hase
Both players now simultaneously declare and e)ecute any ordered charges and permitted charge
responses ?.ee Orders section@. $lip over any charge order mar"ers and the orders of any units being
charge. =harges opened most battles. his occurs before any other moves are made. he 'nitiative
winner decides from which flan" to begin charges from.
+oll for charge distances, countercharges, etc., and move units into contact.
argets of charges get to respond to the charges if they had proper orders ?.ee Orders section@.
."irmishers may always retreat if being charged. Otherwise, the targets sit and ta"e the charge at
the halt.
Line up units base edge to base edge for combat, moving e)tra if necessary to align the units
against each other with no penalty.
6.+ 5o'ement @hase
*fter all =harges and charge responses are finished, all other units with orders get to ma"e their
moves.
he player who has been chosen to move first now turns over any remaining order mar"ers.
9ach unit now follows its orders, starting with the outermost unit on whichever flan" the player
chooses and wor"ing across the table until reaching the outermost unit on the other flan".
he opposing player then turns over his order mar"ers and applies all of his Orders in the same
fashion.
6.6 5issile ire @hase
*fter charges and other moves have all been resolved, any eligible stands on both sides may
simultaneously conduct missile fire. =harging and counter-charging troops may not fire.
he winner of the initiative die roll ?another advantage for the high roller@ decides which flan" to
start the !issile $ire (hase from. Wor" across the table from one flan" to the other, each side
firing simultaneously before removing any stands due to casualties.
* unit that is the target of a charge may fire if eligible ?see !issile $ire section@.
*rtillery that moved in the current turn may not fire.
6.8 /lose /ombat @hase
his is the most important phase of the game. $ollow the =lose =ombat procedure and you will not
have problems.
Page 14
14
* battle may see-saw bac" and forth and this attritional aspect of battle is representative of the nature
of hand-to-hand warfare.
+esolve each close combat between units in contact one at a time, starting from the flan" chosen
by the player who won the 'nitiative roll. his can be very advantageous.
34$e,tion2 * multi-unit close combat is resolved as though it were a single close combat. *ll
participating units will fight it out simultaneously no matter what their position is relative to the flan"
where the close combat started.
*fter each single close combat, perform all resulting push bac", +out and (ursuit movement.
(roceed to the ne)t close combat,
6.7 9e$o'ery @hase
his is the part of the turn when troops are brought bac" from rallying and resting to a better-organized
physical and psychological state. his is performed simultaneously by both players. /nits that had a
+ecover Order mar"er placed on them during the Orders (hase may do one of the followingD
*ttempt to +ally from +out.
+ecover from $ragmented to 5isordered. +eplace the $ragmented mar"er with a 5isorder mar"er.
+ecover from 5isordered to 4ormal. +emove the 5isorder mar"er.
+emove an Out of !issiles A Low on !issiles mar"er.
1ote2 +ecover mar"ers are removed at the end of the turn. /nits in close combat may not be issued
+ecover orders.
34am,le of 7rders2
Both ,layers ,la$e their orders on sele$ted "nits. The 1orman ,layer and the By=antine ,layer
then both roll a d8 to see 0ho has the -nitiati'e.
The 1orman ,layer rolls a 6, the By=antine ,layer rolls a *. -f either had a /harismati$ !eneral,
he 0o"ld add C1 to his die roll.
#in$e the 1orman 0on, he de$ides 0hether he 0ants to mo'e first or ha'e the By=antine ,layer
mo'e first. Ae de$ides that he 0ants to see 0hat the By=antine ,layer has ", his slee'e, so
ele$ts to !o se$ond.
Both ,layers sim"ltaneo"sly de$lare any /har!es and both fli, o'er any /har!e order mar.ers.
The 1orman ele$ts the flan. from 0hi$h to be!in mo'in! the $har!in! "nits.
(fter all /har!es, alon! 0ith fren=ied $har!e attem,ts, $o"nter$har!es and any allo0able
$har!e res,onses are $om,leted (&e,loy res,onses, 9etreats, et$.), the By=antine ,layer fli,s
o'er his remainin! order mar.ers and his "nits follo0 their orders.
7n$e he is finished, the 1orman ,layer fli,s o'er his order mar.ers and mo'es.
(fter all mo'ement is done, both sides sim"ltaneo"sly fire missiles and then fi!ht o"t all the
$lose a$tions, a!ain from the flan. ,i$.ed by the -nitiati'e 0inner.
,& MOVEMENT
'f a unit is not given an order, then it may do nothing during the !ovement (hase other than stand in
place, unless specifically re%uired to do otherwise by a !orale result.
34$e,tion2 'f the unit is $anatics or frenzied re%uired to charge then they will charge with no orders
re%uired. ."irmishers about to be contacted by an enemy unit may retreat with no orders re%uired.
Page 15
15
he variable =hargeA+etreatA+out moves ta"e into account the &reaction time& of a unit to respond to
an order, a threat, or a complete brea"down. hus, it may sometimes be less than the normal move
allowance.
8.1 5o'ement Tables
#5(LL 79 53&-%5 #T(1&#D 2<-1< !! W'59
1ormal /har!e/9etreat/9o"t Li!ht Terrain &ense Terrain
/lose 7rder oot +> d8 C1> < 1/2 d8 (&is.) <d8 (&is.)
7ther oot 8> d8 C2> < 1/2 d8 <d8
#.irmisher oot 8> d8 C*> 1o &elay < 1/2 d8
3le,hants, (//@/ 8> d8 C*> < 1/2 d8 (&is.) 1/(
#.irmish /a'alry 10D d8 C7> < d8 1/(
Loose 7rder 5o"nted :> d8 C6> < d8 (&is.) 1/(
(rtillery 2> 1one 1( 1/(
+oad !ovement ) 2
L(9G3 #T(1&#D 3< !! W'59
1ormal /har!e/9etreat/9o"t Li!ht Terrain &ense Terrain
/lose 7rder oot 8> d8 C2> < d8 (&is.) <d8 C 2> (&is.)
7ther oot :> d8 C+> < d8 <d8 C 2>
#.irmisher oot :> d8 C8> 1o &elay <d8
3le,hants, (//@/ :> d8 C8> < d8 (&is.) 1/(
#.irmish /a'alry 18> d8 C12> < 2d8 1/(
7ther 5o"nted 12> d8 C;> < 2d8 (&is.) 1/(
(rtillery *> 1one 1( 1/(
(&is.) !eans the unit it 5isordered from moving into or through that terrain.
+oad !ovement ) 2
Wheelin!D * wheel is a pivot. he unit is swinging li"e a door, but troops were slowed down while
performing this manoeuvre, as it is e)tremely difficult to maintain your order while moving this way.
Wheeling units pivot around their non-moving inner stand. hey may pivot through a ma)imum of 16
degrees each turn, counting double the actual wheeling distance moved. he wheeling distance is the
distance the outer stand moves. *ll wheels are performed at the start of a unit&s movement. /nits with
stands one behind the other may &follow the leader& as the lead stand wheels. his allows a road
column to move along the path of the lead unit.
8.2 ormations
#tandard ormations
he following formations may be used by any unit, regardless of terrain. /nits under 5eploy Orders
may change from one formation to another.
8our units are not loc"ed into the formation you initially start the battle in.
8ou may change your formations as the battle progresses by using 5eploy orders or as a close
combat result.
Line
* unit is in Line when it is 0 or 2 stands deep.
his is the formation used by mounted units and most foot when they are e)pecting to engage in
combat.
5ass
* unit is in !ass when it is 0 or 2 stands wide, and at least > stands deep.
his formation is most commonly used by infantry units e%uipped with long spears or pi"es.
Page 16
16
9oad /ol"mn
* unit is in +oad =olumn when it is in a 0 stand wide column using a road.
* unit must be in this formation in order to en#oy the movement advantages conferred by +oads.
000 000 000 5o"nted "nit of three stands in line.
0000 0000 oot "nit of fo"r stands in
0000 0000 line formation.
0000 oot "nit of three stands in mass formation.
0000
0000
Indicates retraction of unit width
for Irregular and Trained units.
Reverse arrows for expansion
#,e$ial ormations hese formations are able to be used only in clear terrain and wedges are
limited to those armies allowed them in the army lists. /se mar"ers to designate whether a unit is in
wedge, conrois or shieldwall ?use shields, spears, etc.@.
* unit may only be in one special formation at a time.
.pecial formations may not be used in delaying terrain.
Wed!e
=ertain units were allowed the use of a wedge formation.
Wedge allows a second ran" to fight that otherwise would not be able to. his is especially helpful
for cavalry or a)e-armed foot.
Wedging units were more vulnerable to missile fire.
/nits allowed to wedge are noted in the army lists.
Page 17
17
/onrois
Other cavalry could form up in a very tight formation, called =onrois.
hey may fight with a ran" and a half.
his formation is more vulnerable to missile fire.
=onrois may be formed by any non-s"irmisher cavalry unit.
#hield0all
his was a formation for infantry only, mounted may not use it. 't was slow-moving, but allowed
greater fighting power to be concentrated, provided a sense of security, and made the troops a
more difficult missile target.
$renzied units may not be in shieldwall formation. /nits in shieldwall that become frenzied must
fall out of shieldwall into line formation.
.! Terrain Effects
5epending upon your field of battle, terrain often dictated the flow of the fighting. .ome armies, such
as Euns or !ongols, would opt for an open plain, where their numerous and maneuverable cavalry
could ride freely around the enemy army. Other armies, such as the Welsh or .lavs, fighting in loose
order and on foot, preferred hilly, wooded terrain allowing them to use deadly ambushes. 4ormally,
scenarios have terrain already selected. $or competition games, go to the end of the rules boo"let and
loo" under errain ,eneration for rules on selecting your own terrain.
Li!ht Terrain and 7bsta$les
.teep hills, scrub, sand dunes, obstacles and roc"y ground all cause delay and even disorganization in
some troop types which attempt to move through them. Low hills, orchards and light woods do not.
*ll troops e)cept ."irmish 'nfantry deduct the light terrain penalty from their move distance once any
stand of a unit touches the terrain. hey may not have enough move distance left to actually enter
the terrain, which means they stop moving at that point.
/nits in light terrain or facing obstacles may still =harge or =ountercharge but receive no close
combat charge bonuses for doing so.
&ense Terrain
5ense terrain is tough to traverse. 't includes woods, swamps, bogs and steep hills covered with light
terrainG moving through these "inds of rough country posed a considerable problem to many troop
types.
'nfantry in dense terrain may still =harge or =ountercharge but will receive no close combat
bonuses. he advantage of ordering in a charge in dense terrain is to possibly get more movement
allowance in order to hit a target a distance away.
!ounted units are not allowed in dense terrain.
Page 18
18
"#
$elaying Terrain
9i'ers
+ivers could be difficult to cross at best. ,enerals sometimes spent hours searching for a suitable
crossing point, and even then, fording a river was slow and dangerous. +ivers may be crossed only at
Bridges and $ords.
Whenever a +oad crosses over a +iver ?or vice versa@ place a Bridge or a $ord one stand wide at
the crossing.
*ny unit that is under 5eploy Orders and has a stand touching a river may search for a ford. 9ach
touching stand rolls a d3, and on a roll of :3; a 2-stand width ford is found. he ford remains in
position for the rest of the battle. !ar" it with a few small roc"s.
9oads
/nits that spend their entire !ovement (hase moving along a road *dvance, =harge, +out and
+etreat two times their normal distance, ignoring all effects of any terrain that the road crosses.
Eowever, units may only move along a road in a +oad =olumn ?i.e., a column that is one stand wide@.
8.+ -nter,enetration
:'nterpenetration; is the term used when a stand or more of one unit moves through one or more stands
of another friendly unit. /sually, this was not a good thing, disordering both units. he only instances
where this can occur without penalty to both is whenD
."irmisher foot move through or are moved through by any friendly unit without penalty.
'n other circumstances, a unit that moves into a friendly unit is placed directly on the far side of that
unit, and halts there with the two units; stands in contact. he BpenetratedC unit is not moved. Both units
are 5isordered,
8.6 /han!in! a$e
$acing refers to the direction in which your unit is pointed or is moving.
o change facing means to turn the unit toward another direction, either to the side or to the rear.
* unit that is under 5eploy Orders may turn and face in a new direction even if engaged in =lose
=ombat.
his is done by turning the individual stands. *ll stands must either be turned L< degrees, to face
left or right, or turned about 0J< degrees.
Page 19
19
8our unit of Loose Order 'nfantry is
attempting to move into brush
?Light errain@. 4ormal move
distance for large bases is JC.
*fter moving 1C roll a d3 and
subtract this from remaining
movement ?in this case 1C@. On a
roll of 1, 6, 3 the unit will not have
enough movement to enter the
delaying terrain and will halt #ust
outside.
'f the unit was =lose Order starting
movement from #ust outside the
terrain ?3C normal move distance@ it
would roll a d3 and on a 3 it would
be unable to move at all. On any
other roll it would move into the
terrain and become 5isordered.
34am,le of 5o'ement into &elayin! Terrain2
( "nit of 1orman "narmored infantry (%-) ar$hers in loose order is *> a0ay from a forest. They
0ish to enter the 0oods, so d"rin! their mo'ement ,hase, they are mo'ed *> to the ed!e of the
0oods. Their normal mo'ement allo0an$e is :>, so normally they 0o"ld ha'e 6> left. The
0oods are &ense Terrain, ho0e'er. The 1orman ,layer m"st roll a d8 and add 2> to it for the
total %- delay in in$hes. -f he rolls a * or more, the ar$hers may not enter the 0oods this t"rn (*
,l"s 2> eE"als 6>, all he has left). -f he rolls a 1, the ar$hers 0o"ld mo'e 2> into the 0oods this
t"rn.
1e4t t"rn, he m"st roll a!ain for the delay. Ae rolls a 8. The 8 added to the 2> eE"als :>, his
total mo'ement allo0an$e. The ar$hers 0o"ld not e'en mo'e at all. They are tem,orarily lostF
-& MORALE

,ood morale could be assured by ma"ing certain that troops were in a secure position both physically
and psychologically.
(roblems of confidence arose when one side felt itself to be inferior to another, often with regard to
numbers, morale and armor %ualityG nobody wants to fight a foe who appears to be braver, better
e%uipped, and here with all his cousins7
!ounted assaults were often worrying for a stationary target, although infantry armed with long spears
or pi"es would usually stand their ground as they felt they were ready and able to beat the cavalry.
!ost infantry was not able to feel %uite so confident. Being uphill, or protected by an obstacle definitely
helped morale and was often daunting to attac"ers.
7.1 5orale #tates
'n Medieval Warfare Fast Play, the morale state can be considered an amalgamation of several factors,
including the psychological, mental state of the fighters, as well as physical e)haustion, hunger and thirst.
+ecord that a unit is 5isordered by placing a 5isorder mar"er on it. ' use shields for these as mar"ers,
one shield for each disorder. wo shields ?disorders@ means the unit is $ragmented. hree shields and
the unit is +outed.
Good 7rder
he unit is in a state of readiness for battle. *t the start of a game, all units are considered to be in
,ood Order unless specified otherwise by the scenario.
&isordered
he unit is starting to fragment. =ohesion has been lost, and fighting as well as shooting ability is
reduced. he unit must +ecover to regain ,ood Order and fight at full effectiveness.
Causes of Disorder -Cumulative.
-nter,enetration other than by or thro"!h #-.
( failed morale test res"lt.
(ny "nit ,"shed ba$. in $lose $ombat
5a.in! an ordered 9etreat. This does not a,,ly to Trained troo,s mo'in! no more than 1/2
of their normal mo'e or to any s.irmishers.
The "nit /har!ed and failed to ma.e $onta$t.
The "nit has destroyed all of its /lose /ombat o,,onents (this may ne'er res"lt in the "nit
be$omin! ra!mented or 0orse.)
The "nit ,"rs"ed and failed to $at$h or $onta$t any enemy (this may ne'er res"lt in the "nit
be$omin! ra!mented or 0orse.)
Page 20
20
( "nit in 0ed!e or $onrois that $har!ed this t"rn and failed to ro"t or destroy its o,,onent.
(ny e4tra mo'ement reE"ired to be ta.en d"rin! the normal 5o'ement @hase beyond that
allo0ed in a t"rn, i.e. s.irmishers 0hi$h ha'e already mo'ed d"rin! their mo'ement ,hase
and are then for$ed to 9etreat d"e to enemy mo'ement d"rin! the o,,onent)s mo'ement
,hase.
The "nit is $onta$ted by an enemy "nit in the flan. or the rear.
/a'alry G really, the horses < meetin! Hstran!e beastsI 0ithin *> (+>). or e4am,le 3le,hants
0o"ld fri!hten all b"t #o"th (sian /a'alry, 0hile /amels 0o"ld do the same for horses
from o"tside the desert $o"ntries of 1orth (fri$a and (sia.
5o'ement thro"!h delayin! terrain as indi$ated on the 5o'ement Tables.
Effe!ts of Disorder
Only the front ran" of a 5isordered unit fires missiles or fights in close combat regardless of
weapon type.
he unit may still be issued charge orders.
he unit may still be in any allowed special formation.
ra!mented
he unit is beginning to fall apart as its troops become scattered and unresponsive to command. 't
must +ecover to regain a 5isordered state. +ecord that a unit is $ragmented by placing a second
5isorder mar"er on it.
Causes of Fragmentation#
( se$ond &isorder.
(s the res"lt of a failed morale test.
Effe!ts of Fragmentation#
Only half the front ran" of a $ragmented unit fights in close combat or may fire missiles.
* $ragmented unit may not be issued =harge Orders and may not =ountercharge. 't may be
issued any other Order,
he unit may not be in any .pecial $ormations.
9o"ted
he unit flees in disarray and is then removed.
Causes of +out#
( third &isorder.
(s the res"lt of a failed morale test
Effe!ts of +out#
he unit will ma"e automatically a +out move ?see movement tables@ during the turn that it fails its
!orale est.
Other units seeing the +out are affected.
Once all other units have tested for seeing the rout, the routing unit is removed.
7.2 5orale Tests
Whenever any of the following events occur in a phase of the turn, the unit in %uestion must
immediately ta"e a morale test. 'f the events are occurring simultaneously, i.e. an unarmored infantry
unit is being charged by a heavy cavalry unit, it only has to ta"e one test, even though there are two
!orale est events.
0. ( "nit is /har!ed (not /o"nter$har!ed) by a better armor $lass (L(- $har!ed by A-).
Page 21
21
2. -nfantry in the o,en is /har!ed (not /o"nter$har!ed) by non<s.irmisher $a'alry or
ele,hants,
>. The General is Jilled or 9o"ted.
1. The %nit Loses a #tand or 5ore.
6. or 3a$h riendly non<#.irmish -nfantry %nit 9o"tin! or &estroyed and Visible Within 8>
(:>) of the Testin! %nit.
3. (ttem,tin! to ma.e a ren=ied /har!e ?no modifiers@.
7.* 5orale Test @ro$ed"re
o perform a !orale est, simply roll a d0< for each testing unit and add or subtract the !orale
!odifiers.
'f the modified die roll is e%ual to or higher than the unit&s o (ass value, the unit is fine.
7n an "nmodified roll of >10>, non<9o"tin! "nits (e4$e,t (rtillery or 3le,hants) 0ill be$ome
ren=iedF This means that they are an!ered or fr"strated to the ,oint of losin! $ontrol and
0ill attem,t to $har!e the nearest enemy. @la$e a Hren=iedI mar.er behind the "nit. Ko"
$an also "se a sin!le $ommand fi!"re to desi!nate this.
579(L3 T(BL3
L"ality To @ass Val"e
Elites 2 or more
Veterans * or more
Fanati!s * or more
Warband Count as Fanati!s u" to and
in!luding t%e first round of !lose !ombat/ t%en
as Warriors,
Warriors + or more
Poor 6 or more
Die +oll 5odifiersD -Cumulative.
C1
/nit has 5efend Orders
'n .hieldwall, uphill or in cover.
,eneral visible within 3" ?J"@
C2
(i"e, Ealberd or Long .pear foot in good
Order charged frontally by mounted.
(ushing bac" or (ursuing enemy.
5efending obstacle.
,eneral with /nit.
<1
9ach .tand lost.
9ach 5isorder mar"er.
/nsupported ?no unrouted friends within
>" ?1"@ to either flan" or rear 16 degrees.
<2
9nemy visible F facing flan" or rear within
3" ?J"@ Within 01 in forest.
7.+ 5orale ail"re
'f a unit does not pass its !orale est, it chec"s to see how badly it failed by. he worse it failed, the
more severe the penalty.
5orale Test 9es"lts
$ail by 0 - .tand in place, 5isordered.
$ail by 2 - +etreat, 5isordered.
$ail by > - +etreat, $ragmented.
$ail by 1 - +out.
Page 22
22
'f a ,eneral is with a unit that fails a !orale est, he suffers the result along with it, +outing or
+etreating according to his own movement allowance.
* second disorder causes an already 5isordered unit to become $ragmented. * third 5isorder
causes the unit to +out. hings could only get so bad before a unit would begin to fall apart and
cease to function.
* +etreat move as a result of morale failure must always be at the full movement allowance.
34am,le2
The By=antine A- ha'e lost a stand of fi!"res to ,rolon!ed missile fire. They m"st no0 ma.e
an immediate morale $he$.. They are all alone, 0ith no other friendly "nits nearby.
They are Warriors, so they m"st roll a d10 and roll + or more to ,ass. They roll a +.
Their die roll modifiers are <1 for ea$h stand lost, one so far, and a f"rther <1 for bein!
"ns",,orted 0ith no friendly "nit 0ithin +> to either flan. or rear. This res"lts in a modified
morale die roll of 2. #in$e they need a + to ,ass, they ha'e failed their morale by 2. Loo. at
the 5orale ail"re 9es"lts and see that fail"re by 2 res"lts in a 9etreat, &isordered res"lt. The
By=antines t"rn, fa$in! to their rear, and m"st retreat a $om,lete mo'e endin! ", disordered.
Page 23
23
.& MISSILE FIRE
While !edieval battle were traditionally decided by massive hand-to-hand combats, the actions of missile
armed troops N archers, slingers and #avelinmen in the early days, crossbowmen around 0<<<*5, with the
addition of handgunners and artillery as the !iddle *ges went on N had a significant impact on the course
of the engagement. 'ndeed, 9nglish armies became the prime e)ponent of the longbow, with close-
%uarter troops serving primarily to defend the archers when the enemy attac" came.
'deally missile fire was used to brea" up and demoralize enemy formations. $actors determining the
probability of missile hits were the status of that target ?armor type, tactical position, formation@ and the
number of shooters able to bring their weapons into action. *rmored targets were increasingly harder to
hit than unarmored. he challenge facing the !edieval general was deciding when to fire. .hooting an
*rrow Barrage at long range might cause some casualties, but also seriously deplete your ammunition
supply.
:.1 Who 5ay ireM
*ny missile-armed troops may fire during the !issile $ire (hase assuming they have an eligible target in
range. * unit is never forced to fire.
/nits may not fire when they areD
Out of !issiles.
'nvolved in a close combat.
/nder retreat orders.
:.2 9an.s 3li!ible to ire
Eandgunners could only fire from the front ran", unless s"irmishing, when they could spread out
more.
/nits in any type of woods may only fire from the front ran".
*ll other non-artillery missile troops fire two ran"s deep.
:.* irin! &i$e
4ormally, one d0< is rolled for each eligible firing stand. he e)ceptions are gunpowder weapons, which
had a much greater psychological effect due to the noise and smo"e they produced, and the traumatic
nature of the wounds they inflictedD
Eandgunners roll 0d0< for each 2 figures firing.
,unpowder artillery roll 0d0< for each surviving crewman on the firing stand.
9ach unit fires separatelyG you cannot combine stands from different units to come up with a more
favorable number of firing dice7
/nits firing gunpowder weapons ignore the !issile $ire modifiers for numbers of figures per firing
stand.
:.+ 5orale #tates and 5issile ire
'f the firing unit is disordered, only 0A2 of its eligible stands may fire.
'f the firing unit is fragmented, only 0A2 of its eligible front ran" stands may fire.
+outed units may not fire.
:.6 5issile #",,ly
*rchers, crossbowmen, slingers and many loose-order foot and cavalry were assumed to carry enough
missiles to last them the length of a battle. his was not often the case, however. Other missile-armed
troops, such as close-order foot, may carry only a small number of missiles. *rtillery and handgunners
carried sufficient ammunition to last through a battle, but were very slow to reload.
'n order to portray the vagaries of war ?being tired, poorly supplied with missiles, etc.@, we utilize a very
easy system to determine if a unit is Low on !issiles or Out of !issiles.
*rtillery and Eandgunners go Low on !issiles each time they fire. 'f they fire while already Low on
!issiles, they automatically go Out of !issiles.
=lose Order 'nfantry armed with Havelins ?includes throwing a)es, darts and similar thrown weapons@
may fire only once before they are Out of !issiles.
*ny units armed with Oarious weapons may fire them only once before they are Out on !issiles.
*rchers that fire an *rrow Barrage immediately become Low on !issiles ?see *rrow Barrage below@.
*ll missile-armed units go Low on !issiles if any of their d0< !issile $ire rolls is a "0<". 'f a unit rolls
two or more &0<&s& while firing that turn, it is Out of !issiles.
+ecord when a unit is Low or Out of !issiles by placing a mar"er behind it.
(mm"nition #",,ly 3ffe$ts
* unit that is Low on !issiles rolls only 0A2 of the usual number of firing dice.
* unit that is Out of !issiles cannot $ire.
o restoc" a unit;s missile supply, give it a +ecover order during the Orders (hase. .o long as the
unit does not fire or move, it removes the Low or Out of !issiles mar"er at the end of the +ecover
(hase.
* single +ecover order fully restoc"s a unit, whether it was Low or Out of !issiles.
:.8 (rro0 Barra!es
$oot ar$hers with 5efend Orders ?but not s"irmishers, or any other "ind of missile troops@ who are not
low on missiles may fire an *rrow Barrage.
*n *rrow Barrage increase the number of firing dice by 6<P. ?.ee !issile $ire able@.
*n *rrow Barrage causes the firing unit to go Low on !issiles.
'f any of its o Eit die rolls is &0<&, the unit is now Out of !issiles.
34am,le of 5issile ire2
( disordered, fo"r<stand "nit of ar$hers in o,en terrain !ets t0o firin! di$e be$a"se it is
disordered, re!ardless of 0hat formation it is in.
-f the same "nit 0as also Lo0 on 5issiles, it 0o"ld only !et one firin! die, sin$e the "s"al
n"mber of firin! di$e 0o"ld be red"$ed by another half.
( si4<stand "nit of $rossbo0men that is formed in t0o ran.s, lo$ated in 0oods and Lo0 on
5issiles 0o"ld !et one firin! die. The 0oods ,re'ent the stands in the rear ran. from firin!, and
only half (ro"nded do0n) of the stands left !et to fire d"e to bein! Lo0 on 5issiles.
:.7 irin! (r$s, Line of #i!ht and 3li!ibility
irin! (r$s
roops may only fire at enemy units that are within their $iring *rc. * firing arc is the angle at which a
man could e)pect to &turn& without actually moving in order to shoot.
!ounted missile troops can shoot all around ?i.e., >3<-degrees@.
'nfantry missile troops have a 16-degree arc of fire, measured from the front corner edges of their
stand.
*rtillery has a 22.6-degree arc of fire.
Line of #i!ht
9ach firing stand must fire at the closest enemy unit to which it can trace an unbloc"ed Line of .ight.
*rtillery ?only@ may fire over any troops if either the target andAor the firing artillery is on higher
ground.
Other missile troops have their fire bloc"ed or screened by friendly or enemy units, including
."irmishers. hey cannot ignore eligible targets in front of them in order to fire at units further away
roops need at least a one-stand width gap to fire through. /se common sense.
/nits in any type of woods ?orchards, light woods or forests@ must be within 0" of the edge to be able
to fire out or to be fired upon by troops outside the wood, and be within 0" ?2"@ of an enemy within the
woods to fire on them. he canopy of trees is great protection from missiles.
Tar!et 3li!ibility
9ach stand must fire at the nearest eligible enemy target. +oll a die to settle ambiguous situations.
!issile troops can only fire at the stands of an enemy unit in =lose =ombat that are overlapping and
are not eligible to fight that turn.
4on-chargingAcounter-charging units may fire all missile weapons e)cept for #avelins and various at
chargers as they close in ?#avelins and various are used in the close combat.@
:.: (rtillery
*rtillery grew progressively more powerful as time passed. 9arly &gonnes& were huge. hey were
immobile and primarily used in sieges.
'n MWFP, artillery are powerful units. hey not only have a much greater range than other missile units,
they also ignore all armor.
,unpowder artillery receive a d0< for each artilleryman crewing the gun. he slow rate of fire of
gunpowder artillery, however, results in the gunpowder artillery being Low on !issiles after a single
shot.
!echanical artillery receive a d0< per stand, #ust li"e any other missile units. hey do not go Low on
!issiles after as shot as gunpowder artillery does.
*rtillery are very vulnerable in a close combat. hey count as L*' when fighting and, if pushed bac",
are considered destroyed.
*rtillery are always considered shielded due to their dispersed nature and the protection afforded by
the guns themselves.
A
B
C
D
E
Z
%issile &ire'
.#r #nit ' archers has B, C, D as
+ssible eligible targets based n range
and arc ' 'ire!
D *#ld nr-all( ha/e t be 'ired #+n
as it is the clsest target!
Units dr+ #t ' eligibilit( i' the 'iring
#nit has n chance t hit the target 0need
111 t hit2!
&' this is the case, then C *#ld bec-e
the clsest eligible target!
&' 'riendl( #nit ) *as +laced as sh*n C
*#ld be ineligible d#e t li-ited line '
sight and B *#ld bec-e the target!
:.;
irin! @ro$ed"re
his details the way we carry out missile fire. ,o slow with this at first, as it may seem confusing.
Eowever, you will %uic"ly grasp the ease and accuracy of the method.
hose of you used to simply modifying a die roll will find the !issile $ire procedure a bit different. $irst
of all, you are modifying the o Eit number, not the die roll. 8ou will %uic"ly ?the first time you try it@ get
used to this as it;s %uic" and easy to do7 Once you arrive at the final o Eit number, simply throw all of
the dice for the stands in the firing unit and see how many have that number or more. hese are the
number of hits you have inflicted7
!easure the distance from the front ran" of firing stand?s@ to the target to determine if you are in
range.
he firing range for stands in the second ran" ?if they are permitted to fire@ is measured from the first
ran" eligible to fire.
*dd or subtract all applicable modifiers from the o Eit number to arrive at a final modified number
you need to roll on each d0< to get a hit.
9ach roll that is e%ual to or greater than this number inflicts a casualty ?i.e., figure removed@ on the
target unit.
'f the modified o Eit number is 00 or more, your unit does not get to $ire at that target this turn. .ee
if there is another target in arc and range that you can hit and fire at that instead.
:.10 5-##-L3 -93 T(BL3#
he number of firing dice is modified as followsD 2ll effe!ts are !umulative,
1"mber of #tands (rro0 Barra!e &isordered, Lo0 on 5issiles Both &isordered and Lo0
+ #tands irin! 8 di$e 2 di$e 1 di$e
* #tands irin! + di$e 1 di$e 1/(
2 #tands irin! * di$e 1 di$e 1/(
1 #tand irin! 1/( 1/( 1/(
%se of shields. *rchers are re%uired to use both hands when firing and are therefore considered
shieldless during the firing phase if they shoot. .hielded #avelinmen and slingers need only
one hand to use their missile weapons so are considered shielded while shooting.
/nits using pavise count as shielded while firing.
For Medium (i)ed 3ases
d10 #$ore
to Ait 7C ;C
W3(@71 1ormal Lon!
Aand!"n 0<2> 2<+>
Na'./Var. 0<2> <
Bo0/#lin! 0<+> +<:>
Lon!bo0 0<:> :<12>
/rossbo0 0<8> 8<12
(rtillery 0<20> 20<*0>
For $arge (i)ed 3ases
d10 #$ore
To Ait 7C ;C
W3(@71 1ormal Lon!
Aand!"n 0<*> *<8>
&art/Na'. 0<*> <
Bo0/#lin! 0<8> 8<12>
Lon!bo0 0<12> 12<18>
/rossbo0 0<:> :<18>
(rtillery 0<*0> *0<+6>
57&--39#
<1
Lightly *rmored argetQ
1 figuresA.tand $iringQ
arget is in Wedge or !ass
5efend orders firing
<2
/narmored argetQ
C1
$ully !ailedQ or .= arget
=hargingA'n =ontact arget
$oot !ove and $ire
2 $iguresA.tand firingQ
arget /phill, 'n .hieldwall, in =over
arget .hielded or with (aviseQ
C2
*rmoredA$ull (late argetQ
.' arget
/nits using pavise count shielded when firing.
*Ignore t%ese fa!tors for 2rtillery or %andgunner fire,
:.11 irin! at %nits /har!in! or 5o'in! -nto /lose /ombat
*ll missile weapons e)cept for HavelinsAOarious may be fired at chargers as they close in.
This fire is al0ays $ond"$ted at 1ormal 9an!e.
roops must be standing to receive charging enemy troops in order to fire at them. =harging,
=ountercharging and +etreating troops cannot fire.
34am,le of ire2
( si4<stand "nit of 1orman loose order ar$hers has mo'ed ", to 0ithin *> of a + stand "nit of
By=antine #.irmish -nfantry slin!ers 0ho also mo'ed that t"rn.
&"rin! the 5issile ire @hase, both "nits sim"ltaneo"sly shoot at ea$h other.
Both "nits 0ill fire at 1ormal 9an!e. That means all of the firin! stands 0ill start 0ith a base
fa$tor of 7<10 to s$ore a hit.
The 1orman ,layer $o"nts ", his modifiers. Ais tar!et is %narmored, so he !ets a <2 from his
base fa$tor, he also is foot that mo'ed so adds a C1 to the base n"mber. inally, he is firin! at a
#hielded tar!et (another C1) of #.irmish -nfantry ( a C2). Ais final d10 s$ore to hit is th"s 7, <2, C1,
C1, C2 for a total s$ore of ;. Ae needs to roll a ; or a 10 to s$ore a hit. Ae has si4 stands that $an
fire, so thro0s si4 di$e.
The By=antine ,layer $o"nts ", his modifiers. Ais tar!et is also "narmored for a <2 from his base,
he only has t0o fi!"res ,er stand firin!, bein! #-, so that)s a C1. Ae also mo'ed that t"rn for
another C1. That)s itF Ais to hit n"mber is th"s 7, <2, C1, C1 for a total s$ore of 7. Ae needs to roll
a 7, :, ; or 10 to s$ore a hit. Ae has fo"r stands so thro0s fo"r di$e.
(ny hits are $as"alties. -f the 1ormans $an !et t0o hits, the By=antine #- 0ill lose a stand and be
for$ed to ta.e a morale $he$.. -f the By=antines $an s$ore three hits, the 1orman ar$hers 0ill
also lose a stand an be for$ed to ta.e a morale test.
/& CLOSE COMBAT
!any factors influenced the outcome of a close combat, including the mettle of the troops, their weaponry
and armor, the presence of their leaders, the strength of their position, and their confidence in their
comrades ability to win through in the final test of arms.
;.1 /har!in! or 5o'in! -nto /onta$t
!oving into contact with an enemy, either by an all-out ordered charge ?with the re%uired morale tests,
rolling for move distance and charge responses@ or by simply miscalculating and blundering into him,
?re%uiring none of the above@ resulted in a close combat.
5esignate the unit?s@ =harging during the =harge 5eclaration (hase or simply *dvance into contact
during the normal actical !ovement (hase.
he winner of the 'nitiative decides from which flan" to begin moving from.
34am,le2 0000 0000
0000 0000 %nit )0)

OOO OOO (((( (((( %nits )O) and )()
OOO OOO (((( ((((
Both "nits O and ( ha'e $har!e orders a!ainst "nit 0. -f the $har!es are startin! from the ri!ht
flan., "nit ( 0o"ld be able to !et one stand into $ombat as it !oes first and "nit O 0o"ld also !et
one stand into $ombat. -t 0o"ld end ", li.e this.
0000 0000
0000 0000
OOO OOO (((( ((((
OOO OOO (((( ((((
#.irmisher 9etreat rom /onta$t
."irmishers may retreat if they would otherwise be contacted by an enemy unit, regardless of orders.
+etreating ."irmisher 'nfantry will be destroyed if they are caught. ."irmishers interpenetrating a
friendly unit will retreat to the rear of the friendly unit to regroup, ta"ing e)tra movement if necessary. -f
they do ta.e e4tra mo'ement, they 0ill be disordered.
/har!e -nd"$ed 5orale Tests
he target unit of a =harge must ta"e a morale test if it isD
=harged by troops of a better armor class, or
hey are infantry in the open =harged by mounted troops other than ."irmish =avalry.
1oteD his morale test is re%uired even if the unit in %uestion has a =harge order of its own ordered
against the enemy attac"er.
/har!e 9es,onses
he =harge +esponse is now determined, depending on orders. 'f the target unit hasD
/har!e 7rdersD he target must charge the unit charging it unless this is impossible because of
angles, wheeling allowance, terrain restrictions or not close enough.
(d'an$e 7rders2 he unit may countercharge the attac"er. Eowever, foot may never
=ountercharge mounted, so infantry units remove the *dvance order and ta"e the charge at the halt.
&e,loy 7rders2 he unit may wheel or turn to face an attac"er as he comes in or, if rained foot,
may move bac"ward 0" ?2"@ while still facing the enemy.
&efend 7rders2 he unit ta"es the charge at the halt with no movement of any "ind.
9etreat 7rders2 urn around and run away. 8ou must move 0A2 of your allowed distance.
9e$o'er 7rders2 +emove the +ecover order. he unit may wheel to face the charging unit.
5etermine the distance of any =harge, =ountercharge, +etreat or +out moves.
/har!e /an$ellation
* unit&s =harge may be cancelled under certain circumstances.
'f an infantry unit in the open is $har!ed by a non-s"irmish mounted unit, it&s own =harge is
cancelled, unless it is within 0A2 of it&s normal movement allowance of the charging mounted unit.
'f a unit cannot physically fit in to fight against a target of its charge, the charge is cancelled. +eturn
the unit to its starting position and remove the =harge order. 8ou may replace it with an *dvance
order if you wish. 'f it was frenzied or fanatic, it must move toward or charge another enemy unit
within reach.
&eterminin! lan. /har!es
'n order to contact an enemy unit in the flan", a unit must have one of it&s stands completely behind the
front line of the opposing unit at the start of the =harge or actical !ove (hase in which it moves.
'f a unit cannot meet this criteria, it is not considered a flan" contact for any purpose. 'nstead, the
attac"ing unit is considered to have contacted an enemy unit to the front, even if it has moved in such a
way as to be touching the enemy&s side edge ?.ee diagram below@.
lan. (tta$.s2
A
B
C
(nits B and C are eligible to conduct a
flan) attac) as at least a stand
start the turn behind
the ene*y unit+s front line.
(nit A has no part behind and can only
conduct a frontal attac)
;.2 9esol'in! a /lose /ombat
=alculate the =lose =ombats as followsD
9andom &ie 9oll2 9ach player rolls 0d3 for each of his units. We call this the &+andom die roll.& he
players compare the die rolls for each pair of close combat opposing units. he player with the higher
score adds the difference between the two throws to his unit&s =lose =ombat modifiers.
34$e,tion2 * unit =harged in the flan" or rear does not get to roll against the flan" or rear attac"ing unit.
Eis +andom roll against a flan" or rear attac"er is <. he unit still gets to roll against any units contacted
frontally.
70n 5orale /lassD *dd or deduct the modifier for your own unit&s !orale =lass ?9lites or $anatics
M2, Oeterans M0, and if (oor -0@.
3nemy (rmor2 5educt or add for the enemy *rmor type ?Lightly *rmored M0, $ully !ailed -0, etc.@
70n Wea,on2 =onsult the =lose =ombat able to detemine how many ran"s are eligible to fight,
and add the modifier?s@ for all eligible weapons.
7ther 5odifiers2 *dd or deduct any other relevant =lose =ombat !odifiers.
(li!nin! i!htin! #tands
When opposing units that are not lined up directly come into contact, their relative positions are shifted
slightly in order to align them.
Once two units are in contact, ad#ust the opposing stands so that they are neatly lined against each
other. 8ou may slightly e)ceed normal moveAcharge distance to do this. .tands may also be dropped
bac" into the rear ran"s with no penalty to avoid running into other units or delaying terrain.
he player who moved first during the actical !ovement (hase has the option of lining up stands in
ambiguous circumstance. his is an advantage of moving first in the turn.
/al$"latin! i!htin! #tands
he number of stands that fight depends upon their weaponry, !orale state and how many rounds a
particular =lose =ombat has lasted.
Wea"on 4se
.ee the Weapons =hart to determine how many ran"s are eligible to fight.
.ome army lists allow certain units to have more than one weapon. 'f this is the case, count the
pluses for both weapons, if eligible.
34am,le2 * unit of 'rish Bonnachts armed with *)e and Oarious is formed into two ran"s. he stands in
the front fight with a total weapons modifier of M> ?M2 for the *)e and M0 for the Oarious@, but the rear
ran"fights with a weapons factor modifier of only M0 ?the *)es are not counted as they may not fight from
a second ran"@.
'n units with mi)ed weaponry, such as 0A2 .pear, 0A2 Bow, the =lose =ombat weaponry should be
placed in the front ran"s, i.e. spearmen should not be behind archers7
o fight in multiple ran"s, the stands have to be from the same unit. 8ou cannot :stac" up; different
units behind one another and fight7
;.* /lose /ombat a$tor and /as"alty /al$"lation
=alculate the number of enemy casualties by multiplying the final total combat factor times the number
of friendly stands eligible to fight.
5ivide this number by 0< to determine how many casualties you inflict.
$or e)ample, if you have a final factor of 21, divide by 0< and this results in two automatic casualties
and a 1<P chance for a third casualty. +oll the d0< for a percentage chance to get another casualty,
each pip e%ualing 0<P ?i.e. 1 K 1<P@ 0-1 therefore causes a casualty. 6-0< no casualty.
34am,le of a /lose /ombat2 Ko" ha'e a "nit of By=antine A- in t0o ran.s of 2 stands ,er ran.
fi!htin! a!ainst a 2 stand "nit of 1orman A/. The A- ha'e &efend orders and are in #hield0all.
OOOO OOOO
OOOO OOOO By=antine A-
777
777 1orman A/
Both ,layers roll a d8 for their 9andom die roll. The 1orman rolls a *, the By=antine rolls a 8. The
By=antine ,layer adds C* to his /ombat 5odifiers.
The By=antine fi!"res o"t his $ombat as follo0s2 C* for the 9andom. Ais foot are Warriors, so 0
for that. They are fi!htin! A/, 0 for that. The A- are armed 0ith a Lon! #,ear and the first ro"nd
fa$tor for that 0ea,on is a C*. 1o0 loo. at the 5odifiers. (#o far he has a C8).
The only modifiers he has are C1 for bein! 0ider that the 1ormans and a C1 for ha'in! + fi!"res
,er stand. This !i'es him a total of C:.
Ae fi!hts in ", to three ran.s dee,, b"t sin$e he only is t0o dee,, that)s all he $o"nts. Ae has
one stand in $onta$t and the se$ond ran. stand for a total of t0o stands times his $ombat fa$tor
of C:. 2 4 : P 18.
&i'idin! this by 10 !i'es him one a"tomati$ ).ill) and a 80B (1<8 on the d10) $han$e of infli$tin! a
se$ond.
/nits hit in the flan" or rear suffer double casualties ?i.e. if unit suffered 03 casualties, this doubles to
>2 divided by 0< for >.2@ and they do not get to fight bac" against those units hitting them in the flan"
or rear. 'n this instance, three casualties are inflicted with the possibility of a fourth on a roll of 0 or 2
?2<P@.
Whatever the circumstances, you may never have less than a 0<P chance to inflict a casualty per
eligible fighting stand.
+emove lost stands from the rearmost stands. roops would always move up to fill in the gaps in the
lines.
;.+ /75B(T #/793 T(BL3#
9ach unit rolls 0d3 for the random factor. he winner adds the difference of the rolls to his modifiers.
579(L3 #T(T%#
anati$ C2
3lite C2
Veteran C1
Warrior 0
@oor <1
7@@7131TI# (9579
"ll @late < *
(rmored < 2
"ll 5ail/3le,hant < 1
Aea'y 0
Li!htly (rmored C1
(rtillery C1
%narmored C2
&o"ble<armed troo,s ?i.e. with a)e and #avelin@ add the factors for both weapons in the initial round of
close combat, but lose the #avelin factor in subse%uent rounds of the same close combat. 't is assumed
to have been thrown immediately before impact.
Wea,on irst 9o"nd #"bseE"ent 9o"nds 9an.s
Aalberd C2 C2 1 1/2
@i.e/Lon! #,ear C* C0 *
#,ear C2 C1 2
(4es C2 C2 1
Na'elin C1 C0 1 1/2
Vario"s C1 C1 1 1/2
Lan$e C* C0 1
5o"nted #,ear C2 C1 1
5o"nted Na'elin C1 C0 1
5odifiers
C1/2 1d8
.=A$oot =hargingA=ounterchargingQ
C1d8
!ounted =hargingA =ounterchargingQ
C2
$renzied in 0
st
+ound of a close combat
(ushed bac" enemy or pursuing
,eneral or =hampion with unit
$renzied or $anatics pushing-bac" or pursuing
C1
'n .uperior Order to enemy ?ordered vrs.
disordered@
5eeper full ran"s than enemy
Wider than enemy
!ore figures per stand than enemy
.hieldless enemyQQ
<1
9nemy with 5efend Orders
9nemy in shieldwall
<2
9nemy /phill or behind obstacle
<*
9nemy (i"eALong .pearA Ealberd in good order
charged by mounted.
&isordered2 $ight with front ran" only.
ra!mentedD $ight with 0A2 front ran" only.
Wed!e $ight with two ran"s.
/onrois $ight with 0 0A2 ran"s.
Q=hargers !rossing any obstacles or in delaying terrain, do not receive the charge combat bonus die
roll.
!issile troops with shields that are being charged are assumed to pic" up their shields before being
contacted by their enemy even if they fire. hey will fight shielded.
;.6 (fter /lose /ombat
What happened after the =lose =ombat determined the continual ebb and flow of the battle as fighting
units pushed each other bac" and forth, until one finally had enough and fled the field. =lose =ombat
continues until one unitD
#"ffers a morale fail"re.
-s 9o"ted of &estroyed.
-s ordered to 9etreat.
3E"al i!"re Losses
Where both units suffer the same number of casualties, they are considered "loc"ed in melee", and
continue the close combat ne)t turn. *ny frenzied mar"ers are removed.
Losin! a /lose /ombat
he unit that suffers more casualties ?figures@ lost fall bac" 0" and gains a level of disorder while
remaining facing their opponent.
*rtillery that is pushed bac" is destroyed.
Winnin! a /lose /ombat
'f the enemy unit is pushed bac", the winning unit must follow up ?i.e. move forward, maintaining
contact with the pushed bac" enemy unit@ unless they have 5efend Orders, in which case they
cannot, or 5eploy Orders giving them the option of doing so or not.
.'f the enemy unit is routed or retreats because of orders or a morale result, the winning unit must roll
for its pursuit move distance and attempt to catch the fleeing enemy unless they have 5efend
Orders, in which case they cannot, or 5eploy Orders giving them the option of doing so or not.
1ote2 5efend or 5eploy orders are only in effect during the first round of a close combat.
he pursuing unit must follow by the most direct route possible, not deviating from it to hit another
enemy unit unless a new enemy unit is in the way.
'f you catch a retreating unit in pursuit, it suffers another disorder. 'f it then has three disorders it is
immediately routed and your pursuit continues. 'mmediately roll again for move distance and see if
you catch the enemy.
'f you catch a routing unit, it is destroyed.
'f the enemy unit is completely destroyed, no further pursuit move is made, but the winning unit will
be disordered if not already.
'f pursuing or following-up an opponent causes a unit to contact another enemy unit, the unit counts
the bonus for pursuing or following-up, but does not count as charging ?i.e. does not receive the
=harge combat bonus.@ he new =lose =ombat will be fought out immediately, not ne)t turn.
34,andin! 7"t (fter a @"sh Ba$. .ome troops were capable of &swarming& around the flan"s of their
enemy or penetrating them to such an e)tent that they are able to bring more troops to bear on their
beleaguered opponents. o simulate this, we allow any units to e)pand out as they push bac" their
opponent. his is done as followsD
*fter the enemy unit has been pushed bac", the following up unit may swing stands from its rear
ran"s up in line with his front ran", e)panding the frontage of the unit by up to one stand per flan".
his may not result in contact with any other units, either friendly or enemy. 'f other units are in the
way, the e)pansion cannot be done.
34am,le2
Let)s say o"r By=antine ,layer rolled a d10 and !ot a se$ond hit on the 1orman A/. The
By=antines 0on the $lose $ombat. The 1ormans m"st fall ba$. 1>. The By=antines had &efend
orders, so may not follo0<", the 1ormans.
-f the By=antines had not !otten the se$ond hit, and the 1ormans rolled and infli$ted a $as"alty
on them, the $ombat 0o"ld then be a )lo$.), fi!htin! a!ain ne4t t"rn.
;.8 5"lti,le %nit /ombats
.ometimes, more than one unit will be fighting in =lose =ombat against more than one enemy unit.
hese situations are resolved as followsD
$ight the entire multiple close combat before ta"ing any morale tests for any of the units involved.
'f a unit is fighting two or more enemy units, it does not roll separately against each enemy unit. 't
rolls #ust one random die and counts that roll against each random roll of its enemies.
* unit engaged in multiple close combats never pursues a +outing or +etreating opponent unless all
of its opponents +out or +etreat.
* unit engaged in multiple close combats that wins all of them does not pursue any +outing
opponents if this would cause it to split its stands and become $ragmented.
'f a unit engaged in multiple close combats wins some but loses others, the stands which lost are
pushed bac" and the unit suffers the subse%uent disorder for being pushed bac" in close combat.
5ou are never re6uired to s"lit a unit, T%e ot%er stands will fall ba!k to remain aligned/ even if
t%ey won t%eir !ombat, he big disadvantage of multiple unit combat for the single unit is that the
unit suffers the worst result of any of the combats.
;.7 Lea'in! and 9et"rnin! to the Table
Our battlefield ends with the edge of the table. *ny unit that leaves the table ?battlefield@ must be
removed and cannot return.
*ny unit that has any part of any of its stands go off the edge of the earth ?i.e. go off the table edge@ is
immediately removed from play.
'f routers or retreating units are chased or followed off the table, they count as 0<<P lost.
'n all other instances, the units count as 0A2 points lost.
$"& %eter0i1i12 Vi3t4ry
When playing a scenario, use the scenario;s victory conditions. Otherwise, use the ournament Oictory
=onditions listed below.
10.1 T399(-1 G3139(T-71 79 /75@3T-T-71 G(53#
/se these errain ables ?see below@ to determine what terrain is present on the table,
+oll one d0< for each piece of terrain, adding M0 or deducting -0 to each roll if your =in= is
=harismatic.
9ach player may roll for up to 1 pieces of terrain.
he players announce how many rolls they intend to ma"e and alternate ma"ing rolls. 't is
convenient for each player to use a d3 and simply place the number of pips face up, revealing them
simultaneously to determine how many pic"s each wishes to ma"e.
+andomly determine which player rolls first.
Terrain Table
The ,layer !ets to sele$t his desired terrain (from 0<+) ea$h and then rolls a d10 to ,la$e.
0 or a 2 is a discard.
> or a 1 is placed in the friendly left
flan" sector.
6 is placed in the friendly center sector.
3 or a R is placed in the friendly right
flan" sector.
J is in the enemy left flan" sector.
L is placed in the enemy center.
0< is placed in the enemy right flan"
sector.
1o 9i'ers in this se$tor
1o 9i'ers in this se$tor
10.2 V-/T79K /71&-T-71# 79 T7%91(531T G(53#
To"rnament Vi$tory /onditions :
Once an army loses enough of its units routed, destroyed or captured, to reach his army&s Brea" (oint
?B(@, or when a player decides to concede the game ?i.e., surrender@ usually after a general is lost, the
battle ends.
(rmy Brea.,oints
Eow many units you start with in your army and the number of these units it has lost determines the
winner of a battle. he number of units you can lose before losing the battle is referred to as the *rmy
Brea"point.
his ratio of beginning units to B( is on the following tableD
6, 3 or R /nit *rmy K B( 2 units lost
J, L or 0< /nit *rmy K B( > units lost
00, 02 or 0> /nit *rmy K B( 1 units lost
/as"alty Loss @oints
Once the battle is concluded, both players then count up their =asualty Loss (oints as followsD
*dd up the total number of points cost per stand in rout or removed from the table.
Vi$tory @oints
* player receives 0 Oictory (oint for each of the following conditions that appliesD
Won the battle ?enemy conceded or reached his army Brea" (oint@.
$or each 0-26 points of enemy stands removed.
8ou have a non-s"irmisher unit on the enemy side of the table at the end of the battle.
9ach enemy ,eneral "illed or captured.
Vi$tory Le'el
he difference between player&s Oictory (oint totals determines the level of victoryD
M0 Oictory (oint Marginal Vi!tory
M2 Oictory (oints Ta!ti!al Vi!tory
M> Oictory (oints (trategi! Vi!tory
M1 Oictory (oints De!isive Vi!tory
M6 Oictory (oints *verw%elming Vi!tory
The @riest 9oll
$or those of you who consistently roll lousy dice, we use a &(riest& figure in our games. he priest is free
and allows you to re-roll one bad die roll of your choice per turn. 't can sometimes save a very bad
situation, but as often as not, may have worse results7
hat&s the game7 ' hope you will en#oy your miniature battles and feel free to contact me with any
%uestions you may have.
erry ,ore
tlgoreSfrontiernet.net