Knights and Magick

Rules

by Mark Swanson

With "Knights and Magick", HERITAGE hopes ta sell miniature warming to role players. It provides an interesting set of rules for 1/1 scale battles with a hundred or so figures per side, clean, complete campaign rules, and many pages introducing novices to other aspects of the hobby. Experienced miniaturists are unlikely to find it worth the $19.95 price, save possibly as a gift for some role player they'd like to "recruit".

"Knights and Magic", within the flimsy, four color box, contains four large and one small pamphlett along with a well designed summary sheet and long survey. Two and a half of the large, as well all of the small pamphlets cover magic; adapt) of role playing characters and monsters; a skimpy set of army lists; how to paint figures and an in. troduction to heraldry. Oriented towards the novice, they are fairly accurate as far as they go, though the constant tie in references to other Heritage products sets my teeth on edge.

The combat system uses one figure per man, but simple enough to allow several hundred per side. It is an alternate movement system, with simultaneous melee strikes and missle fire during your opponent's turn. Each figure attacks seperateIy, but movement and morale is by 5-30 figure "groups". Melees are quick and deadly, with morale effects are important albeit dicey. These are the best rules for this scale I've seen: including even my own homebrewed ones!

WRG Ancients mounted troops can be used though K & M specifies 15 X 15mm infantry and 15x30mm cavalry bases for 25mm figures. The latter is silly: few cavalry figures will fit, not even those in the K & M figure line.

The campaign rules are almost unique in completeIy specifying all mechanics and rules. An are, movement system is used, with the effects of terrain, leadership, weather, army type, etc. modifying the die roll needed to move. Unlike many, tines' encourage combat. They could be used directly with any combat rules where an army costs a thousand points or so, notably WRG Ancients. They will require much less work than a Tony Bath style, personality oriented, campaign.

"Knights and Magic" is the best bridge between fantasy role playing and miniatures I have seen, though the different magic system and ease with which player's characters can be killed may hurt its popularity. For the historical miniaturist, twenty pages of combat rules and seventeen of campaign rules is not worth $19.95.

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