The different types of terrain soldiers encounter on a battlefield can alter their movement and other capabilities for good or ill. For instance, obstacles may slow troops down but can also provide useful cover.

There are two types of terrain that affect soldiers movement across the battlefield. The first are area obstacles, which are normally features such as woods, marsh, rough ground etcetera. The second are linear objects such as walls, hedges and fences. Different races react in different ways to area obstacles. While humans lose half a move when they pass into or through woods, wood elves lose only a quarter of a move.

Where ever possible in FANTASY WARLORD we have reflected the different races abilities in their movement. The effect terrain has on each race, is detailed on the Profile Sheets. The movement modifiers terrain causes are always expressed as fractions and represent the amount of movement a unit loses in passing through that terrain. The special way in which the modifiers apply, actually gives commanders a great deal of flexibility, when it comes to movement.

Example: A regiment of Scarlet Empire archers, operating in open order, equipped with leather armour, and organised in a line of two ranks, begin phase six 1 cm from a dried-up river bed. The river bed counts as broken ground and is 5 cm wide. The soldiers have a normal move of 20 cm. They move the 1 cm and have 19 cm left, which should be enough to cross the broken ground and move on further still. So how does the commander work out the move?

The soldiers movement is halved moving across broken ground, which is the same as saying it uses up twice the usual movement to cover the same space. Thus to move 5 cm across broken ground, will cost the soldiers 10 cm of their movement. But this calculation does not allow for the fact the terrain effect continues to apply until the last rank has cleared it. So, the commander must also add in the depth of the unit's multibase, which in this case is 4 cm, because they are in a line of two ranks. Thus to move across and clear the broken ground costs the unit 5 cm + 4 cm = 9 cm x 2 = 18 cm. The unit clears the river bed and can then advance a further 1 cm across the clear terrain. (20cms -1 cm -18 cm = 1 cm).

Example: A Regiment of unarmoured wood elves, in close order and formed in a line one rank deep, begin phase six 3 cm from a ford. There normal move is 24 cm and the ford will cost them 1/4 more to traverse than clear terrain. They advance to the ford using 3 cm of their move and leaving 21 cm still to go. The ford is 8 cm wide and the depth of the elf unit is 2 cm, which equals a total of 10 cm to clear the obstacle. A 1/4 of 10 is 2.5 which means it actually costs the elves 12.5 cm of their allowance to clear the ford, even though they only move forward 10 cm. 12.5 cm + 3 cm = 15.5 cm of their allowance and leaves them with a further 8.5 cm to move over the clear terrain beyond the ford.

Players should note that movement modifiers are cumulative. If a regiment of humans in mail and plate wished to move up a steep, wooded hillside their movement rate would be reduced from 18 cm to 9 cm by the steep hill and then from 9 cm to 4.5 cm by the woods. You will note in this example, that the modifier effects the balance of the movement rate and not the original rate every time. If this were not case the humans would never be able to move up the steep, wooded hillside.

Linear obstacles are treated in the same way as area obstacles. The unit of unarmoured orcs in the diagram on the next page, are 2 cm from a wall. There normal move is 20 cm. They advance the two cm to the wall and then halve the remaining 18 cm of move to cross it — so they advance 9 cm beyond the wall.

Just as troops suffer a reduced movement rate when their rear ranks are still inside an area obstacle, so too does a unit which has troops on either side of a linear obstacle. In short a unit is not considered to have crossed a linear obstacle until every figure has successfully left it behind. When a unit is leaving an area of terrain which affects movement, they may not return to their normal movement rate, until the last figure of the unit has cleared the obstacle.

To enter or leave a building via a gateway incurs no movement penalties, though a unit may have to change formation to do this successfully. If a figure wishes to enter or leave a building via a ground floor window or small door, it must begin the turn within 5 cm of the building and be given the order Break Formation, which consumes an entire move.

Example: A regiment of unarmoured goblins, in the picture below left, start their turn 5 cm from a marsh, through which they want to pass. Their normal move is 22 cm. They move the 5 cm to the marsh, which leaves them a further 17 cm of movement. As goblins lose half their movement allowance, when travelling through marsh, on this turn they can only move 8.5 cm into the marsh. On the next turn they could move a further 11 cm through the marsh or half their normal move of 22 cm.

Clear terrain represents land such as flat grassland, steppe, beaten earth or hard packed sand. It has no effect on movement, missile fire or combat.

Gentle slopes have no real affect on movement. However, steep hills slow soldiers down as they travel up the slope. Players should note that there is no movement modifier for moving down a slope whether it is gentle or steep. To qualify as a steep hill, slopes must be designated at the beginning of a battle, or they are automatically classed as gentle slopes.

Troops positioned behind the crest of a hill, away from the enemy, are classed as being concealed from the enemy and as such are not placed on the table until the enemy moves into a position from which the concealed troops can be seen. The position of concealed units should be recorded on a sketch map of the battlefield, so there can be no argument about where they are actually positioned when they are revealed.

Creatures that can fly and are travelling at Flight Height can see over all hills on the battlefield. Under these circumstances troops that would normally be concealed behind the crest of hills, must be placed on the battlefield, because they will have been spotted by the flying creature.

Any group of trees can be classed as a wood. When a wood is represented on your battlefield its edges must be clearly delineated to avoid confusion. This can be done by edging the wood with lichen or mounting the trees on a painted base that is simply placed as a whole on the battlefield (though this particular solution can create problems when you want a wooded slope).

Woods slow all movement down, though the factor by which they reduce movement varies from race to race and is listed on the Profile Sheets. Woods also reduce the effectiveness of missile fire, as the trees provide large areas of cover for the troops inside the wood. Any unit occupying a wood automatically receives the benefit of Medium Cover when it is fired on. This is true even when the firing unit is also in the wood. Units that fire from inside a wood lose any ranks for firing advantage they may have and only the front rank is able to fire. Any close order unit that charges in a wood is automatically disordered. Pikes cannot be used in combat in a wood and pikemen must fight with their secondary weapon.

Units engaged in combat in a wood automatically receive the benefit of Medium Cover. Players should note than when both sides are inside the wood, they both receive this benefit.

Units can hide from the enemy by being positioned on the far side of woods or by being inside them, but subject to the following considerations. Units concealed in woods are not placed on the table until an enemy figure or unit moves into the wood. Units that are inside woods cannot be seen by any other units more than 5 cm away, nor can they see any unit around them in the woods which is over 5 cm away, This rule can make battles inside woods quite a lot of fun, especially if you have a game master to referee and record each sides movement.

Players should note that if they have a unit inside some woods that wishes to fire out of the woods at the enemy, it must be within 5 cm of the edge of the wood! In addition units using missile fire from inside a wood lose all Rank for Firing advantages and may only fire the front rank.

Units concealed in woods are invisible to flying creatures winging their way overhead and do not have to be revealed. However, units hiding behind woods are visible and must be placed on the battlefield. If a flying creature or unit wishes to investigate a wood for enemy units, it must first land and then all the usual visibility and movement rules apply.

Jungle is extremely dense woodland which is frequently choked with undergrowth and is only found in the southern hemisphere. When entering jungle, units suffer a cumulative movement loss as if they were entering wood and then scrub as well. Visibility in jungles is also reduced from 5 cm to 3 cm. Otherwise jungles count exactly like woods for the purposes of concealment, firing and combat. Any unit that charges in a jungle is automatically disordered. Pikes cannot be used in combat in a jungle and pikemen must fight with their secondary weapon.

An area of scrubland (a plain covered with tall grass and bushes) is composed of low undergrowth, bushes and the odd tree. Units cannot be concealed in scrub. Scrub slows movement down and provides light cover for troops stationed inside it, when they are fired on by the enemy. It also provides light cover for troops engaged in hand-to-hand combat within the scrub area.

Broken ground covers all sorts of terrain types. Including land covered with rubble, wreckage, small boulders, scree and soft sand. Flights of steps are also classed as broken ground. Broken ground slows down movement but conveys no combat or missile fire advantages.

There are three types of marshland in FANTASY WARLORD, bog or mire, fens and swamp; which affect movement and combat in different ways. The effect they have on movement is listed under the heading Marsh on the Profile Sheets but is also modified by other factors detailed below.

Bogs are exceptionally wet areas with very soft ground that are generally found at the source of rivers or in open areas. Mires are any areas that temporarily become difficult to pass because of water. Such as a mud road that turns to mire if it rains continuously. Bogs and mire adversely affect the movement of units, according to the Movement Modifiers for Marsh on the Profile Sheets and provide no combat or missile fire advantages.

For the purposes of FANTASY WARLORD, fens are wet areas covered with bushes and reeds. They are generally found beside or near rivers. Units entering fens suffer a cumulative loss of movement as if they were entering scrub and then marsh as well. While in a fen, a unit receives all the combat and missile fire benefits usually experienced in scrub.

Any close order unit that charges in a fen is automatically disordered. Pikes can only be used in combat in a fen if the pike unit remains stationary otherwise they must use their secondary weapon.

For the purposes of FANTASY WARLORD swamps are defined as any area that is covered with trees and water. Units entering swamps suffer a cumulative loss of movement as if they were entering a wood and then a marsh as well. While in a swamp, a unit receives all the combat and missile fire benefits usually experienced in woods. Swamps act just like woods for the purposes of concealment, firing and visibility.

Any unit that charges in a swamp is automatically disordered. Pikes cannot be used in combat in a swamp and pikemen must use their secondary weapon.

Unless specified before a battle begins, rivers are considered to be impassable and may only be crossed at bridges, designated fords or by flight or swimming (Characters, some monsters and hill trolls only).

Troops crossing a river by a bridge suffer no movement penalty but may have to change formation to negotiate the width of the bridge. Fords are normally the same width as the road that leads down to them, though any length of river can be declared fordable, provided it is acceptable to all commanders before the battle commences. Troops crossing rivers by fords suffer a movement modifier (see Ford on the Profile Sheets), but their combat and missile fire capabilities are unaffected. Troops charging, counter-charging or making an Uncontrolled Advance across or into a ford automatically become disordered.

Linear obstacles include walls, hedges, and fences. All of these features adversely affect movement (see the Profile Sheets) and many provide cover from missile fire and some degree of protection in hand- to-hand combat.

To receive the cover benefits of a wall, fence or hedge, a figure or unit must actually have its base in contact with the object or the object's base. Being close to it is not good enough. To man such a defensive line the unit must either advance up to its base in line, or start the turn within 5 cm in any formation and be given the order Break Formation. In addition to this, even if a unit is in base-to-base contact with a wall, hedge or fence; if its formation is more than two ranks deep, ranks three and over are not counted as being under cover. If a player spots a unit with more than two ranks taking cover behind a linear obstacle, he may elect to fire on its rear ranks only. To do this he must measure from the front of the unit firing to the first rank of the enemy unit that is not under cover. In such a case the unit being fired on can only lose figures which are not under cover, and should there be more casualties than figures available the excess casualties have no effect. Units fighting with a wall, hedge or fence between them both receive the combat modifier appropriate to that terrain feature (see below).