There are two types of combat: shooting and melee. Both use the same basic procedure. In shooting, only the shooting stands roll dice. In melee, stands of both units roll dice. Work out the modified combat value of the stands involved and roll 1D20 for each. If the number rolled is equal to or less than the modified combat value, 1 strike is scored and applied to the Strike Result Table for the final result. BASIC COMBAT VALUE (CV) ‘7’: In melee and shooting, all stands begin with a basic combat value of: 7- which can be modified. Strike Results Table (SRT) Find the unit type being attacked and follow down and find the number of stands in the target unit. Move to the right and match up with the number of strikes along the top taken in this combat. The result will be listed in the corresponding table cell. DOUBLE STRIKES Melee only - Kn, Cv, Maa, and trained Sp are allowed double strikes. If the roll is equal to or less than one-half of the rolling stand’s modified CV, a second strike is scored. In melee the actual number to hit may never exceed 19 (remember, 20s always miss). However it is possible for the hit number to exceed 20. RESULTS NE: No Effect 1,2 etc.: Figure Casualties. D: Disordered. M: Automatic Morale Check required. (FC): Strike results that call for a FC are in figures. These are marked until enough are taken to remove a stand, which is considered at full strength until it is removed. COMBAT TABLE SHOOTING Bonus : Add any Missile Weapon Bonus. +3 : Shooting at a massed target. -3 : Shooting at distant range. -3 : Skirmisher shooting or as a target. MELEE +7 : Unit is the Weapon of Choice. +3 : Fkn 1 rank deep and charging over 3” in the open. * +2 : Foot charging over 2” and totally in the open +2 : Other mtd. charging over 3” and totally in the open. +3 : Fkn vs. foot other than ordered Sp in the open. * +3 : Superior troop quality. SHARED +7 : Basic Combat Value. +3 : Trained. -3 : Foe is on higher elevation or is in obstacle terrain 1/2 : Shooter or combatant is in disorder. WHO CAN MELEE and SHOOT Stationary Sp in the open and in good order may fight 3 ranks deep. Stationary Pk in the open and in good order may fight 4 ranks deep. Others melee and shoot 2 ranks deep in the open, and 1 from or within obstacle terrain. Others melee against obstacle terrain 1 rank deep. SKIRMISHERS: Contact with formed enemy troops in the open destroys skirmishers. If attacked from the front they will fire first at effective range They can never be a massed target. SHOOTING PROCEDURE Command a unit to shoot, (-) OR shoot a unit that is reacting. Determine how many stands of the firing unit are eligible to shoot. Determine the modified combat value of the stands shooting. Roll 1D20 for every shooting stand. Personalities that are attached to the target must make a personal combat skill check. Apply the strikes to the Strike Results Table. STANDS ELIGIBLE TO SHOOT For a stand to be able to shoot, the target must be within the stand’s shooting arc, and within effective or distant range. It is possible for different stands in a firing unit to have different modified combat values when firing on the same target due to range or other factors. SPLITTING FIRE A missile unit may engage any and all legal targets when it is commanded to fire. The rules assume that the local commanders, the captains, the retainers and so on that control the units know what they are doing and will pick the targets that are best for them. ARC OF FIRE The arc that a stand may choose a target within is determined by how it is based. There are 3 arcs of fire. The distance is measured from the closest point of the firing stand to the closest point of the target. Arc of fire is measured from the far side of each firing stand. Formed troops, 22 degrees to the front. Skirmish foot, 45 degrees to the front. Light cavalry, 360 degrees around. The shooting arc is measured off one side of the shooting stand. The entire target stand must be within the shooting arc to be an eligible target. The shooting arc represents the farthest angle that men in the unit can effectively shoot to either side. MISSILE WEAPON TABLE Weapon Bonus (+) RoF Eff. Dist. LONGBOW 1 4 10” 25” SKIRMISH 0 2 5” - CROSSBOW * 3 2 10” 20” ARTILLERY* 3 0 10” 50” * This bonus is only used at effective range. NOTES TRAINED LONGBOW These score double strikes when firing (see Double Strikes.) Artillery rolls 1 D20 per stand. Crossbows increase the NE results on the Strike Results Table (SRT) table to 1 figure casualty. All other results are unchanged. Missile units that are fired on MUST shoot back if able (-). COMBAT VALUE (CV) Apply all modifiers in the order they are listed, to get the final CV. All units start with a 7 CV. MASSED TARGETS shooting at the flank or rear of a formed unit or one that is in column, block or wedge formation. RATE OF FIRE (ROF) When missile units are firing at one another, the one with the highest rate of fire will roll first. The lower applies the results of the fire upon it and then returns fire. Missile weapon rate of fire is listed on the Missile Weapon Table in order of highest (4) to the lowest rate of fire (0). PERSONALITIES UNDER FIRE Personalities (including those captured and attached) must roll under a 20 to have been unharmed. This roll is made even if no strikes were rolled. MELEE PROCEDURE Determine the number of die thrown then proceed to the Combat Table using all applicable Melee and Shared modifiers and apply them in the order that they are listed to determine the final CV. The players roll their dice and the number of strikes each unit made on the other is compared. The unit that took the most strikes is the original loser of the melee. Ties always go to the defender or counter-charger. Strikes are compared on the Strike Result Table and the results applied to the units involved. One side has now won the melee, but the results are not yet carried out. It is possible through morale checks that the roles could reverse and loser becomes the winner. CHARGE RESTRICTIONS Infantry may not charge ordered cavalry in the open unless within 3” of the targets front or one move of the target’s flank or rear. Missile infantry may not charge formed troops in the open unless within 3” of the targets front or one move of the target’s flank or rear. Personalities may not charge unless attached to a unit that is charging. Sk, Lc and Ha may not charge any formed troops in the open unless within 3” of the target front or one 1/3rd a move of the target’s flank or rear. 1. DECLARE CHARGES and ADVANCE 1 MOVE To charge, a unit must be commanded to do so with a unique maneuver command, be able to see the target, and contact it with a charge move (3 normal moves). If able, the charger moves a single MOVE towards the target and then refers to the Charge Reaction Table for any reaction to the charge. Non-forward movement is ONLY allowed during this portion of the charge or counter-charge. CHARGE MOVEMENT and BONUS To qualify for charge bonuses in melee, a unit must have charged OR counter-charged over a half a MOVE as listed on the army domain. Charging stands may not come within 3” of an enemy stand that it is not charging unless the stand belongs to a unit that is alongside the target and is itself within 3” of the target with no other unit in between. In which case the 3” rule is ignored. 2. REACTION TO A CHARGE At the end of the first move of a charger, one by one, starting with supporting units first, each check on the Charge Reaction Table and perform any possible reaction. Each reaction is completed before moving to the next reacting unit. The order is left up to the defender. This is done for every charge that is in action at this time. After all supporting reaction is completed for all charges the actual target(s) checks and acts upon its reaction. This is done for each charge. Skirmishers contacted by formed, enemy troops in the open are removed as lost. They may first fire if allowed. Cavalry units contacted in the first move of a charge will not be able to counter-charge! SUPPORTING UNIT REACTIONS Shooting Those not being charged and able to shoot a charger during any part of the charge MUST do so. The fire is treated as if at distant range. Weapons with out such range still may fire but with the -3 penalty. Artillery and handguns may not fire. Knights If the target of the charge is a Kn that can counter-charge it will do so before any other supporting unit may act. Those who find a charger (who has not contacted a target) in their forward move zone and within 2 moves MUST counter-charge in support. In this situation a new charge would result and halt the one that triggered it while it was dealt with. Such counter charges will pass through up to 2 ranks of formed friendly stands, and any number of disordered or skirmish friendly stands. FORMED CAVALRY, DISMOUNTED KNIGHTS and MAA Formed cavalry not yet contacted MUST counter-charge half of the remaining distance. Men at arms and knights not charged by formed cavalry and not already contacted MUST counter-charge half the remaining distance They may each use up to a move of non-forward movement to adjust themselves before moving forward. MISSILES Missile troops in contact with the charger or within obstacle terrain MUST stand and fire at distant range or break (see Break Moves.) Others missile troops MUST stand and fire at effective range or break (see Break Moves.) Artillery and handgunners never get defensive fire. Artillery is destroyed if contacted. SKIRMISHERS/LIGHT CAVALRY/HORSE ARCHERS Stand and fire if facing skirmishers. Those contacted at reaction point by formed troops or Lc/Ha are destroyed. Those not contacted fire and retire 1 move, halting upon entering obstacle terrain OR passing through a friendly, formed unit in good order. Ha not contacted in 1 normal move fire and then retire so as to maintain 15” between them and the charger. The charge then moves it’s entire charge move. Those contacted in 1 normal move are destroyed and do not fire. ANY: Warlords Choice BREAK: Any unit may break, (see Morale). PERONALITIES: If within 5” of a friendly unit that is being charged may join it. If they are alone and able to be contacted by a charger they draw a card on the capture table. If un-captured, they join the closest friendly unit. OTHERS: STAND: Unit holds and prepares for melee. 3. ADVANCE CHARGING UNIT TO CONTACT If shot at there is a chance the charger will halt (see Morale). This is why shooting is done before the charge closes. It should be noted that even if the charge starts outside of shooting range the fire still takes place! If the target is still in reach after all reaction the charger continues in a straight line to contact. If not, then the charge has failed (see Failed Charges). When the charger contacts any point of the charged unit, it stops (see Match Up). Stationary, the defending stands DO NOT MOVE. FAILED CHARGES If, after all reaction the charger finds that its target fled out of charge reach, the charge fails. This simulates an instance where the soldiers have begun to attack before realizing they could not reach their opponent or the opponent was capable of fleeing out of their reach. They have halted to regroup and size up the situation. CHARGE REDIRECT: If a charger finds his original target is no longer an eligible target but another is within the charger’s forward movement zone and within range it will charge it. This will trigger an entirely new charge, which starts the sequence again from this point with any remaining movement. Any movement used at this point is lost. All movement is forward movement from this point on. Units that have already fired in defense on this charging unit may not fire upon it again during any other charges it might make this turn. 4. MATCH UP The first charging stand to contact its target determines the point of melee. If a frontal attack this stand is moved in such a way that it contacts the enemy stand so the sides of each of these two stands match up evenly. If the charging stand has contacted two stands its Warlord adjusts it. Next, the remaining stands in the charging unit form up alongside the stand that is already in contact as they had been at the point contact was made. This is a free match-up move. It is possible for both units to have an overlap on opposite flanks. Match up movement is free and non-conforming to non-forward movement rules. 5. MELEE RESOLUTION This is similar to the procedure used for missile shooting. Go to the Combat Table and compute the CV of each stand involved in the melee. A. WEAPON OF CHOICE (WOC) Is used only in open terrain and on gentle slopes. In melee, one weapon type will usually prevail over the other. WOC are listed in order of priority; use the first one that applies. If both or neither unit is able to claim the WOC, it cancels and is not used. First charge by mounted knights. Knights, mounted or on foot. Spears. Formed cavalry. Men At Arms. B. PERSONALITY COMBAT DICE When a personality is attached to a unit in melee he rolls 1 bonus D20. His CV is that of the unit’s modified CV + his SR. SR 6/7 have bonus of +6, SR 8 or higher equal a bonus of +7. C. PERSONAL COMBAT SKILL CHECKS (PCS) Personalities (including those captured and attached to) must roll under their PCS (SR +10) to have been unharmed. SR 6/7 have a PCS of 16, SR 8 or higher have a PCS of 17. PCS Modifiers: :5 if wounded, -5 if the unit lost the melee, -1 for each strike difference in the melee if his unit lost. 6. MELEE MORALE CHECKS Starting with the original loser, make any automatic morale checks due to melee results or other events such as losing banners or personalities. Apply any results before moving on to other morale tests (see Morale.) As a result of morale check results, it is possible for the original loser to remain as the final winner. A. FINAL MELEE RESULTS If neither unit fails morale the original loser retreats. The final winner of the melee checks to see if any enemy personalities or banners are captured. B. RETREAT AFTER MELEE The loser retreats one half a move plus 1” per strike difference facing the enemy and ending the melee. This movement does not incur disorder and is NOT halved as “non-forward movement is”. Attached personalities (unless captured) remain with the unit. This counts as the unit’s next maneuver. Capture Table Joker: Killed Face or Ace: Captured Other: Escaped unharmed C. CAPTURING A PERSONALITY OR BANNER When a personality is wounded in melee or involved in a losing melee there is a chance he is lost, captured or killed. When a banner or standard is involved in a losing melee there is a chance it is captured. The opposing Warlord draws a card for each event. THIS ENDS A MELEE Units that charged are considered halted at this point, even if they have more charge movement available REAR and FLANK ATTACKS Units attacked on their rear or flanks are disordered at the moment of contact and may make no reaction other than to face the charge with any contacted stands. The melee is then carried out as normal. The defender may not use rear or overlapping stands against these attacks. Previously broken units are removed as destroyed. Example - a unit deployed 2 stands deep is attacked on its flank. It is disordered and the two end stands that were contacted are rotated to face the attacker. The attacked unit will fight back with only the stand that is in contact; the rear stand will not fight. Example - a unit is deployed 3 stands deep and 4 stands across and is attacked on its rear. The rear 4 stands face about to meet the attack and unit is in disorder. The attacker is only 2 stands wide so the defender will only fight with the two stands in contact. OVERLAPS A unit with a larger frontage may gain the advantage of one stand per flank. A stand directly to the rear of an overlapping stand may also fight. More Warlord Medieval Rules Introduction Battle Preparation and Turn Sequence Command, Terrain, and Movement Combat Morale Back to Table of Contents -- Courier # 83 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2002 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com