Rulebook & Manual

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====== 12. TACTICAL HINTS AND TERRAIN GENERATION ======

====== TACTICAL HINTS ======

===== TERRAIN =====

The ease with which units can hide in or behind
woods makes them great places from which to
launch surprise attacks or ambush the enemy.
Remember, concealed units are kept off the table
until they are spotted or the commander decides to
reveal them and horrify his opponent.

When planning the placement or movement of
your troops always consider the lie of the land first—
to ensure you avoid embarrassing mistakes and your
troops can manoeuvre easily. If your advance is
going to be blocked by a river or marsh — make sure
you get at least one Freeze Fresh Water spell and
perhaps a Solidify spell as well, for your magic-user.
If one flank is blocked by woods, consider an Activate
Trees Spell. If the enemy is going to have the
advantage of buildings, consider a Polterage Spell.

===== EQUIPPING UNITS =====

Troops armed with spears, pikes or halberds need
to be equipped with a second weapon as they are
vulnerable to Warp and Splinter spells — or your
Magic-user needs a Preserve Wood spell ready to
hand at all times. Do not waste armour on missile
troops or pikemen — the faster they can move the
better.

===== UNIT SIZE =====

Large units reduce the negative effects of morale
and increase firepower for troops armed with missile
weapons. But they are hard to manoeuvre and are
prime targets for magical attacks. It is always wise to
field a balanced army. Try to have some large units
which can be charged in to pin the enemy, and then a
number of smaller, better equipped units that can
hang back and attack enemy units in the flank, that
have been pinned by your larger units — or protect
the larger unit's flanks from similar attacks by your
opponent.
 
===== PLACING TROOPS =====

Never place troops or monsters that are subject to
order tests in the way of troops who are in brigade or
direct control. If the troops or monster fails to move,
it could hold up your entire army!

Try to ensure any cavalry you have, either have a
clear front so they can make unimpeded charges, or
are held well back in reserve, ready to plug any gaps
or exploit a sudden break in the enemy line.

Screen important units like pike blocks with other
units so the enemy cannot concentrate their missile
fire against them. If you are allowed to use open
order make sure you deploy your missile troops in
this formation as it does not harm their
effectiveness, it allows them to move faster and evade
the enemy, and it reduces the effect of any enemy
counter fire against them.

Do not always stick 'C' class troops in the front
ranks. One tactic is to hold them back where they can
help to boost the morale of the front line troops and
can be used to attack the enemy in the flank after the
B class troops have pinned them down in combat.

Do not be afraid to use magic at the beginning of
the battle. It can be a good idea to cast Illusion: Cloak
on a unit before placement. That unit can then sit in
the middle of a field and be invisible to the enemy,
tempting him to attack because he believes that part
of your line is weak. Then as the enemy advances, you
can suddenly reveal the unit and charge home!

===== BRIGADES =====

Try to place your brigades on the table so they run
across in a line rather than the units being clumped
together in a block. Such an arrangement allows you
to leave significant gaps between the front and
second lines, so you can ensure your units will not be
disordered if they are pushed back and the rear units
have room to manoeuvre.

FIRING
If you wish to use your missile troops effectively
you should ensure they are moved across the
battlefield in line formations that have no more
ranks than the number listed in the Ranks for Firing
table - otherwise you will be wasting valuable fire
power.

If you can place troops in open order, where ever
possible try to put all missile troops onto the table in
such formations.

If you can spot important characters on the enemy
side, try to pick them off with missile fire. If you
succeed in killing an important brigade commander,
your enemy's plans can quickly be reduced to a
shambles.
COMBAT
Try to ensure your troops are in line before they go
into battle. Fighting in column is a recipe for disaster
— especially for cavalry.

Do not just charge your whole front line into the
enemy. Try to manoeuvre some of your troops into a
position where you can charge the enemy in the
flank or rear. Such attacks can be devastating. When
fighting a pike, spear or polearm unit, flank attacks
 
to destroy their rank and weapon reach bonuses can
be invaluable.
It can be worth while charging missile troops
because once they are pinned in combat they are
unable to fire their missile weapons.

Always look ahead when planning a move. If a unit
advancing in line will need to change formation to
pass through a narrow gap ahead, make sure it
changes formation early rather than late. For a unit
ordered to change formation when it is within
charge range of an enemy unit, runs the risk of
sustaining heavy casualties and perhaps even being
routed.
CAVALRY
Try to use your cavalry to outflank your enemy or
act as a mobile reserve. Where ever possible, avoid
charging wolf riders or light cavalry into the front of
enemy infantry.

Do not be afraid to arm light cavalry with missile
weapons. They can then be used to harrass the
enemy.

If your cavalry cannot ride through woods always
remember they can still dismount and walk their
mounts through.
 
===== ARCANE MAGIC =====

It is worth bearing in mind that Arcane Magic can
be a two-edged sword. Spells can go wrong and the
result can be terminal for the character casting it
and/or cause havoc across a wide area. Therefore it is
always better to choose a large number of simple,
easy to use spells and only a few powerful ones.
Wizards armed only with mega-busting spells will
have fewer spells to cast during a game and each time
they cast a spell will be in grave danger of failing. This
is because the more powerful a spell is, the more
expensive it is in terms of spell points and the harder
it is to use. Always remember you can lose a battle if a
spell goes dramatically wrong and affects a large
part of your army instead of the enemy's.

Try to use spells sparingly. If you squander spells at
the beginning of a battle you risk running out of any
magical ability before the battle is over or won. If a
wizard runs out of spells half-way through a battle he
is not a particularly strong character and will be in
great danger of being killed. Because spells can be
dangerous, it is also worth remembering that when
choosing an army on a points basis it is probably
better to pick two Minor Magic-users rather than
one Master. That way if a spell goes wrong and its
caster is killed, you will not have lost your entire
magic capability in one fell swoop.

When Magic-users are attempting to cast spells, 
try to keep them away from your own troops. If
anything goes wrong with the spell this will provide
your troops some protection.

As you are allowed to choose from the spell list
afresh before each new battle, grants your Magic-
users a tremendous degree of flexibility. Study the
battlefield carefully to see which spells may prove
the most useful and which ones will be useless. After
all why would you need to breathe under water if
there is no water on the battlefield to hide in or cross?
You should also study the mix of your opponent's
forces. What spells will be most effective against
them? For instance, Warp and Splinter can be
devastating against pikemen, Downpour is useful
against large concentrations of missile troops, while
Polterage, Ignite or Minor Earthquake can be useful
for flushing troops out of buildings. Finally try to
consider what spells your opponent might try to
cast, so you can select some relevant (and possibly
essential) counter spells.

===== DIVINE MAGIC =====

Priests are better at doing some things than Magic-
users. If any healing is to be done the Light Divine
Spells are best. If you want to create clouds of
Darkness (or banish them) Divine spells come out on
top again. The Divine spells for summoning and
banishing skeletons are also superior.

====== TERRAIN GENERATION ======

The following system may be used to randomly generate battlefield terrain. First divide the play area
into six areas as follows:

{{ :terrain.jpg?400 |}}

There is a sixty percent chance a terrain feature will exist in each area marked 1 — 6. The player
setting up on the northern edge will place any scenery in areas 1, 3 and 5. The player setting up on
the southern edge, will place the scenery in areas 2, 4 and 6. The scenery may be placed anywhere
within the area, except villages which must be placed in the centre of the area. The size of the scenery
is at the discretion of the player placing it. Roll one D100 for each area in turn, and if you score 60%
or less a terrain feature will be present. Then roll one D100 for each area that has a terrain feature, to
discover what it will be, comparing the roll to the following table. If the terrain feature has an asterix
after it you should consult the notes that appear after the table.

^ Die Roll ^ Northern ^ Northern Temperate ^ Median ^ Southern Temperate ^ Southern ^
| 1-10     | Broken   | Broken             | Broken | Broken              | Broken   |
| 11-20    | Broken   | Scrub              | Scrub  | Scrub               | Scrub    |
| 21-30    | Bog      | Bog                | Fen    | Fen                 | Fen      |
| 31-40    | Fen      | Fen                | Fen    | Fen                 | Swamp    |
| 41-50    | Wood     | Wood               | Wood   | Wood                | Wood     |
| 51-60    | Wood     | Wood               | Scrub  | Wood                | Jungle   |
| 61-70    | Hill<sup>1</sup>     | Hill<sup>1</sup>               | Hill<sup>1</sup>   | Hill<sup>1</sup>                | Hill<sup>1</sup>     |
| 71-80    | Steep Hill<sup>2</sup> | Steep Hill<sup>2</sup>     | Steep Hill<sup>2</sup>  | Steep Hill<sup>2</sup>      | Steep Hill<sup>2</sup> |
| 81-90    | Village<sup>3</sup> | Village<sup>3</sup>       | Village<sup>3</sup> | Village<sup>3</sup>            | Village<sup>3</sup>    |
| 91-100   | Field<sup>4</sup> | Field<sup>4</sup>           | Field<sup>4</sup> | Field<sup>4</sup>              | Field<sup>4</sup>      |

===== (1) HILL =====

If a hill is rolled the player controlling the area must roll one D6 to see if the hill has a
secondary feature:
  - Hill is bare
  - Hill is strewn with rocks and counts as rough ground
  - Hill is covered with scrub
  - Hill is also a wood
  - Hill has a rune stone on it
  - Hill also counts as broken ground in Northern / Hill is bare in Median / Hill is covered in scrub in  temperate / Hill is also jungle in Southern.

===== (2) STEEP HILL =====

If a steep hill is rolled the player controlling the area must roll one D6 to see if it has a
secondary feature:
  - The hill also counts as rough ground
  - The hill also counts as a wood
  - The hill is bare
  - The hill is covered with scrub
  - The hill also counts as rough ground
  - The hill is covered with scrub

===== (3) VILLAGE =====

If a village is rolled it must be placed in the centre of the area. It will stand on a road running
from A — H, B — G or C — F, whichever is relevant. A D6 must then be rolled and on a roll
of 5 or 6, the village will stand on a crossroads, with the second road running from I — E or J — D,
whichever is relevant. If two villages or more are rolled for, they will automatically be connected by
roads to each other, and then one will have a road going north off the play area, while another must
have a road going south off the play area. If a road encounters a wood, scrub or rough ground it will
travel straight across it.

If it encounters a wall, hedge or fence it will pass through and create a gap. If it encounters bog. fen,
swamp, jungle, hills or steep hills it will go round them. Roll one D6. On 1 — 3 it skirts round to the
left, on 4 — 6 it skirts round to the right. After skirting the terrain feature, the road will return to its
original course.

===== (4) FIELD =====

If a field is rolled for the player must roll one D6 to see how it is enclosed:
  - The field is open
  - It is enclosed by a fence
  - It is enclosed by a hedge
  - It is enclosed by a wall
  - It is enclosed by a fence
  - It is enclosed by a wall

If the field is enclosed, and no road passes through it, roll one D4 to determine on which side there is
an opening, unless a village is on the table, in which case the opening will face the village.
  - Opening is on North side
  - Opening is on East side
  - Opening is on South side
  - Opening is on West side

===== RIVERS =====

Roll one D100 and if you score 25% or under a river runs across the play area. If there is a river roll
one D100 again to determine its course:

^ Die Roll ^ Course ^ Die Roll ^ Course ^
| 1-2      | A — J  | 50-51    | H — I  |
| 3-5      | A — I  | 52-54    | H — J  |
| 6-8      | A — G  | 55-57    | H — E  |
| 9-11     | A — F  | 58-60    | H — D  |
| 12-14    | A — E  | 61-63    | G — I  |
| 15-17    | A — D  | 64-66    | G — J  |
| 18-20    | B — J  | 67-69    | G — D  |
| 21-23    | B — D  | 70-72    | G — E  |
| 24-26    | B — I  | 73-74    | F — E  |
| 27-29    | B — E  | 75-77    | F — D  |
| 30-32    | B — H  | 78-80    | F — J  |
| 33-35    | C — J  | 81-83    | F — I  |
| 36-38    | C — I  | 84-86    | J — E  |
| 39-40    | C — D  | 87-89    | I — D  |
| 41-43    | C — E  | 90-93    | J — D  |
| 44-46    | C — G  | 94-96    | B — F  |
| 47-49    | C — H  | 97-100   | I — E  |



If the course of the river crosses an area of broken ground, wood, scrub, swamp, fen, bog, or jungle,
the river will continue straight through it.

If the course of the river crosses a hill, steep hill, village or field, it will skirt the obstacle. Roll one
D6. On 1 — 3 it skirts round to the left, on 4 — 6 it skirts round to the right. After skirting the terrain
feature, the river will return to its original course. If a river crosses a road roll one D6. On a roll of 1 -
4 there is a bridge there, on a 5 — 6 there is a ford there. The players must agree at least one ford, away
from any roads, along the length of the river. The ford should be at least 28 cms in length.