Post by Gormonghast on Mar 15, 2006 13:15:36 GMT 1
MARCHING TO WAR: DEVELOPING BATTLES IN WAR OF THE RING
I’ve used this system in many war games; this is how it could be used in War of the Ring and its expansion. There are some complications regarding the use of action dice, but this can be used to provide a different focus for WOTR battles.
The basic rules is that:
Whenever a battle is initiated, any army in a region bordering that being attacked may send units to reinforce the battle.
These units are regarded as “Marching” to war, and will arrive at the battle after the two main forces have fought at least one round of combat. The time of arrival of each reinforcing unit depends on several factors such as unit type and the terrain between regions.
After the attack has been declared, each side may commit more forces to march to the battle until both are satisfied with their numbers, or have no more to add. At the beginning of each subsequent round of combat each side may continue to commit marching forces if any are available.
Forces in a stronghold under siege may not march to war, but those in a besieging army may do so, abandoning the siege if they wish.
Players may add the leadership ability of characters in marching forces only when they arrive at the battlefield, but these characters then become subject to battle casualty rules. Similarly, army units may only be taken as casualties when they have joined the battle.
Combat strength and leadership are still limited to a maximum of 5, but must be recalculated for each round of battle taking newly arrived forces into account.
Units arriving from a march are considered to become part of the main army for all combat purposes. Players may continue to reinforce their main army after every round of combat, but must observe the stacking limit. If, as the result of new arrivals, an army exceeds the limit the army must be reduced. Excess units can be returned either to the reinforcement pool or their starting region.
After the battle
Units scheduled to arrive in future rounds of combat are assumed not to have crossed the borders and are unaffected by the battle. However units controlled by the winning side may continue their march to the battleground and join the victorious army, subject to the usual stacking limits.
The overall effect should be to produce a smaller number of “giant” battles, which more accurately reflects the course of war than the series of more localised skirmishes which usually plays out.
Some factors to consider for adjusting the rules for WOTR:
Sieges
It is not possible to reinforce a stronghold’s garrison under siege, so an army under siege has a big relative disadvantage. It may therefore be necessary to implement a rule that armies may not march to reinforce an army conducting a siege. The justification is that in order to participate in a siege an army must physically join the besieging forces, while a battle in the open may involve manoeuvres over a much wider area.
Conversely, armies in adjacent regions may reinforce a besieged army initiating a sortie. These marching units may not withdraw into the stronghold with the garrison if the sortie is unsuccessful, but may join a victorious garrison in the liberated region. These factors may therefore balance each other out.
It may become easier for the Shadow player to bring greater numbers to bear more quickly towards a military victory.
On the other hand the Free Peoples player may be able to initiate bigger battles using its fewer action dice.
Nazgul (and Eagles if using them) may be sent to reinforce a battle from anywhere on the board, but still cannot participate until the second round of combat. They are unaffected by border terrain.
The big question is regarding the use of action dice; should only the initial attack require the use of a die, or should each reinforcing action also need one, which will face each player with more difficult decisions regarding the conservation of limited actions?
Marching modifiers
An army marching to reinforce a battle always arrives after at least on round of combat has been fought. Factors considered when calculating arrival times are:
Any unit marching to battle +1
Regular unit an additional +1
Unit having to cross difficult border an additional +1 (Battles of the Third Age)
A number of additions may be made to combat cards, such as bad weather delaying the arrival of marching units, or armies with special characters being permitted to march from a distance of two regions away.
Battles of the Third Age “combined attack” rules may still apply, but with the two initial attacking armies considered to arrive simultaneously and begin the battle in the first round. Or is this too powerful?
Units ordered to march can be identified by stacking counters under each unit equivalent to the number of rounds after which they are due to arrive.
Players may wish to place all attacking and reinforcing units on the borders over which they are moving; it is thus possible to enforce the requirement that an attacker choosing to end combat, or a unit reinforcing a failed defence, must withdraw to the region from which it came.
I’ve used this system in many war games; this is how it could be used in War of the Ring and its expansion. There are some complications regarding the use of action dice, but this can be used to provide a different focus for WOTR battles.
The basic rules is that:
Whenever a battle is initiated, any army in a region bordering that being attacked may send units to reinforce the battle.
These units are regarded as “Marching” to war, and will arrive at the battle after the two main forces have fought at least one round of combat. The time of arrival of each reinforcing unit depends on several factors such as unit type and the terrain between regions.
After the attack has been declared, each side may commit more forces to march to the battle until both are satisfied with their numbers, or have no more to add. At the beginning of each subsequent round of combat each side may continue to commit marching forces if any are available.
Forces in a stronghold under siege may not march to war, but those in a besieging army may do so, abandoning the siege if they wish.
Players may add the leadership ability of characters in marching forces only when they arrive at the battlefield, but these characters then become subject to battle casualty rules. Similarly, army units may only be taken as casualties when they have joined the battle.
Combat strength and leadership are still limited to a maximum of 5, but must be recalculated for each round of battle taking newly arrived forces into account.
Units arriving from a march are considered to become part of the main army for all combat purposes. Players may continue to reinforce their main army after every round of combat, but must observe the stacking limit. If, as the result of new arrivals, an army exceeds the limit the army must be reduced. Excess units can be returned either to the reinforcement pool or their starting region.
After the battle
Units scheduled to arrive in future rounds of combat are assumed not to have crossed the borders and are unaffected by the battle. However units controlled by the winning side may continue their march to the battleground and join the victorious army, subject to the usual stacking limits.
The overall effect should be to produce a smaller number of “giant” battles, which more accurately reflects the course of war than the series of more localised skirmishes which usually plays out.
Some factors to consider for adjusting the rules for WOTR:
Sieges
It is not possible to reinforce a stronghold’s garrison under siege, so an army under siege has a big relative disadvantage. It may therefore be necessary to implement a rule that armies may not march to reinforce an army conducting a siege. The justification is that in order to participate in a siege an army must physically join the besieging forces, while a battle in the open may involve manoeuvres over a much wider area.
Conversely, armies in adjacent regions may reinforce a besieged army initiating a sortie. These marching units may not withdraw into the stronghold with the garrison if the sortie is unsuccessful, but may join a victorious garrison in the liberated region. These factors may therefore balance each other out.
It may become easier for the Shadow player to bring greater numbers to bear more quickly towards a military victory.
On the other hand the Free Peoples player may be able to initiate bigger battles using its fewer action dice.
Nazgul (and Eagles if using them) may be sent to reinforce a battle from anywhere on the board, but still cannot participate until the second round of combat. They are unaffected by border terrain.
The big question is regarding the use of action dice; should only the initial attack require the use of a die, or should each reinforcing action also need one, which will face each player with more difficult decisions regarding the conservation of limited actions?
Marching modifiers
An army marching to reinforce a battle always arrives after at least on round of combat has been fought. Factors considered when calculating arrival times are:
Any unit marching to battle +1
Regular unit an additional +1
Unit having to cross difficult border an additional +1 (Battles of the Third Age)
A number of additions may be made to combat cards, such as bad weather delaying the arrival of marching units, or armies with special characters being permitted to march from a distance of two regions away.
Battles of the Third Age “combined attack” rules may still apply, but with the two initial attacking armies considered to arrive simultaneously and begin the battle in the first round. Or is this too powerful?
Units ordered to march can be identified by stacking counters under each unit equivalent to the number of rounds after which they are due to arrive.
Players may wish to place all attacking and reinforcing units on the borders over which they are moving; it is thus possible to enforce the requirement that an attacker choosing to end combat, or a unit reinforcing a failed defence, must withdraw to the region from which it came.