Arcane Legions Technical Rules v11 08022010

Arcane Legions RLE, v1.1 Page 1 of 31

Arcane Legions Technical Rulebook

V1.1

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Pieces of the Game ................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Base ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Unit Card ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Figure ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Circle‐color ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Images ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Factions ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Basic Icons ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Special Abilities ............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Codex ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6

The Four Basic Icons ............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Special Abilities ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Activated Ability ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Triggered Abilities ............................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Static Abilities ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Reminder Text .................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Timing ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Triggered Abilities ............................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Static Abilities ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 “Fizzling” ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Simultaneous Choices ................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Zones ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Army Building ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Playing the Game ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 TURN SEQUENCE ................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Orders ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Pushing ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Combat Orders ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Close Combat Order ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Ranged Combat Order .................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Dice and Sub‐zero Values ........................................................................................................................................................... 17 Dealing Damage .............................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Regroup Order ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Move Order ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 Order costs ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 Breakaway ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Moving ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Lateral Movement .......................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Collision .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Snapping to .................................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Sliding ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 21

Turning ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Making a 45 degree turn ........................................................................................................................................................ 21 Making a 90 degree turn ........................................................................................................................................................ 22 Collision from Overlap ............................................................................................................................................................ 22


Limits on Turning and Snapping ........................................................................................................................................ 23 Terrain ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Line of Sight & Measuring ................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Victory Points ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Control Terrain................................................................................................................................................................................ 26 Defeating enemy units & Downing enemy commander figures ................................................................................ 26

Winning the Game .............................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Keywords ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Glosssary .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 28

Introduction Greetings, Arcane Legions enthusiasts, and welcome to the Technical version of the Arcane Legions rules. (If you’re learning to play the game then you should check out our basic rulebook first.) Arcane Legions was designed as a casual game, with a rules system that is straightforward and not overly complicated. We must remember, however, that the game is not always going to be played solely by casual players. Many who play games like this require a higher level of detail to resolve the corner cases and conflicts they may discover, so if that’s how you play then the technical version is for you. Here’s what it’s for and how it works:

This document is designed as a part FAQ, part addendum, in which we get down and dirty into the kinds of things that most players never have to worry about – ability timing, the precise order of a turn, template deconstruction, the definition of the word “is,” and other such apparently unnecessary subjects which are not, in fact, as superfluous as they might appear.

This document will give those who require detailed specifics the clarity they require, without making the rulebook an unwieldy mess. It will help judges and tournament hosts resolve disputes that may arise from the corner cases that inevitably occur, and for which the rules lawyers among us live to debate. This will be your Arcane Legions study guide.

This document will change over time, as new powers or abilities or rulings come into play that make us adjust and/or rewrite specific passages in this file. We’ll keep it updated with a version number and try to highlight what has changed from version to version.

Let the games begin!


Pieces of the Game

Three pieces make up a unit: A base, unit card, and figure.

Base A base is the rigid piece of plastic that the unit card will sit on and the figures fit into. A base can be formation (rectangular) or sortie (square) size.

Notch: Notches are used for measuring. Whenever a distance is measured from (or to) a unit, it is measured from (or to) a notch.

Peg holes: Figures have pegs on the bottom of their footpad. The pegs will fit snugly into the peg holes on a base in order to hold that figure in place.

The basic unit of measurement in Arcane Legions is the “step”.


A step is the length of a sortie base, which is also the length of the short side of a formation base. (The long side of the formation base is two steps.)

Unit Card A unit card is the thin piece of plastic that sits between the figures and the base. It has openings custom‐cut that will reveal certain peg holes on the base behind it. The unit card displays all the information about the unit.

Name: The name of the unit.

Types: Units have multiple types that describe what kind of unit it is. (See keywords)

Codex: The codex describes a unit’s movement costs, facing, and side strengths. (See Codex below)

Slot: Each figure is put into a slot, though not all slots may have figures at all times. A slot can have a circle color, peg arrangement, figure special abilities, figure number, and icons associated with it.

Figure number: A slot with a figure number on it is a starting slot. A figure with a matching figure number must start the game in this slot.

Circle‐color: This dictates what type of figure can go in this slot. Figures may only be repositioned between slots with matching circle‐colors. A figure may never be put in a slot with a circle‐color that doesn’t match that figure’s circle‐color.

Peg arrangement: Only figures with a completely matching peg arrangement may be repositioned into this slot.

Icons and Figure Special Abilities: These are associated with the nearby slot and are considered ready if the slot has a figure in it.

Unit Special Ability: These are always considered ready while the unit is in play.

Faction: This image corresponds to the unit’s faction. (See factions.)

Point cost: How many points this unit costs towards the build point limit.

Rarity: The unit’s rarity. Currently this has no gameplay implication. (Visit www.arcanelegions.com for more about the various rarities.)

Unit #: The unit’s unique reference number. Official units created by Wells Expeditions consist of two numbers separated by a dash. The first number corresponds with which set the unit is from, and the second number is that unit’s collector number within that set. Custom units have a different number that can be used to check its authenticity using a verifier at www.arcanelegions.com.

Figure A figure represents a warrior in your army.


Sculpt: This is just how your figure looks and has no gameplay relevance.

Base: Has a size and shape, both of which must match the circle size and shape of any slot that figure is placed in.

Pegs: Figures have one hit point for each peg on their base. The number of pegs and their arrangement must match whichever slot the figure is placed in.

Figure number: Unique to the figure, the figure number must match the slot the figure starts in. The first number is the set number the figure was released in. The letter is the faction the figure belongs to. The remaining number is that figure’s collector number in the set.

Circle-color Each slot on a base has a circle‐color. There are four different circle‐colors:

White: basic troops of all shapes and sizes.

Green: arcane figures.

Red: martial figures.

Yellow: commander figures. Figures may only be reorganized into slots that have a matching circle‐color.

Images Some information in the game is only conveyed through images:

Factions

Egypt –

Rome –

Han –

Basic Icons

White defense icon –

Red attack icon –

Blue ranged icon –

Chevron movement icon –


Special Abilities On a unit card there might be icons that represent special abilities. The rules text for each special ability can be found on that unit’s special ability card. All special abilities can also be found at www.arcanelegions.com.

Codex Each unit card has a codex on the lower left that describes how that unit moves and which sides are its strong sides in combat.

The center is shaped like the base it describes: rectangular for formation, square for sortie. The arrow inside the base shape points toward the unit’s front side. The colored border around the base shape indicate how combat is affected on each side of a unit. Grey “Bad side” – Any time a unit is in combat on this side it rolls 3 fewer dice than it normally would. That means that as an attacker would roll three fewer red dice in close combat, or three fewer blue dice in ranged combat. As a defender on this

side the unit rolls 3 fewer white dice. Red side – This side is good for close combat. A unit attacking from or being attacked on a red side rolls the normal number of dice. A unit making a ranged attack originating from this side will roll 3 fewer dice. (Note: A unit being attacked by a ranged attack on this side will still roll the normal amount of defense dice.) Blue side – This side is good for both close and ranged combat. No matter which type of combat is occurring on this side, the normal amount of dice will be rolled. The yellow arrows pointing away from the base shape indicate directional costs; that is, how many movement points the unit must spend to move in that direction. (See movement.)

The Four Basic Icons Four basic icons appear on slots.

A white defense icon. These give you dice to roll when your unit is defending against an attack.

A red attack icon for close combat. These give you dice to roll when your unit is attacking an adjacent enemy unit.

A blue ranged icon for ranged combat. These give you dice to roll when your unit is attacking an enemy unit from a distance.


A black and yellow movement icon. These give your unit movement points it can spend to move around the battlefield.

Special Abilities Many units have special abilities that allow that unit to do things beyond the normal rules. Special abilities can do many things from increasing a unit’s own damage to reducing the movement of an enemy unit to gaining victory points. If a special ability ever tells you do to something different than what the rules of the game tell you, the special ability takes precedence. With each unit card comes a special ability card that contains the rules text for each of the unit’s special abilities. The image of a special ability on the unit corresponds to an image on the special ability card and its rules text. The Special ability card is not required to play and is not needed to use those special abilities – it is only a reference. You can find a complete list of our Special abilities, their image, and their rules text at www.arcanelegions.com. There are two types of special abilities based on where they are found on the unit.

1. Unit special ability: Found on bottom‐right of the unit bar, next to the build point cost. These abilities are ready as long as that unit remains on the battlefield.

2. Figure special ability: Found next to figure slots, along with the basic icons. These abilities are ready while their corresponding slot is occupied by a figure.

Special abilities are only active while they are ready. (Note: Some special abilities, as described in their rules text, might have different conditions for being ready, or may not even need to be ready at all.) Special abilities come in one of three types: activated, triggered, and static, as shown by the way they are written.

Activated Ability Written using the following syntax: [Cost] [Activation restriction (if any)] – [Effect.] Activated abilities require a cost to be paid in order for an effect to happen. All activated abilities have a dash “‐“ that separates the cost and activation restrictions (to the left) from the effect (to the right). Examples: Lord of the Dead, Healing, Fireburst In order to get the effect of an activated ability, the cost must be paid. The usual cost to use an activated ability is some number of order points, though other costs such as downing one of the unit’s own figures may also be used. All costs must be payable to get the effect.


Some abilities can have an activation restriction. In order for the costs to be paid in the first place the activation restriction must be met. For example, an ability that says “Spend 1 Order Point, if this unit is undead –“ can only be used if that unit is undead. During a player’s order phase they may activate an activated ability. Doing so requires giving the unit a special order. Technically an activated ability itself has no inherent use cap (such as once per turn) but a unit may only be given one Special Order a turn. (See Special Orders.)

Triggered Abilities Written using the following syntax: [Trigger condition,] [effect.] Triggered abilities begin with the word “When”, “At,” or “Whenever” followed by the time or condition under which the ability will trigger, followed by the effect that happens. Examples: Aggressive, Death Cloud, Leader of Men A triggered ability only triggers once each time its trigger event occurs. However, if one event contains multiple occurrences of a trigger event the ability will trigger multiple times. For example, an ability that triggers “Whenever a figure is downed from this unit,” will trigger three times if another ability is used on that unit that says “Down three target figures on an enemy unit.” (As long as three figures are actually downed.) Triggered abilities need only be ready when the trigger event occurs; they need not be ready when the trigger actually resolves. For example, a figure ability that triggers “When this unit is dealt damage” will trigger and resolve even if damage dealt to that unit also downs the figure causing this ability to be ready. Some triggered abilities are optional. Usually this is marked by the word “may” before the effect of the ability. If a played chooses not to use an optional triggered ability, no part of that ability happens. (Note that some abilities may be entirely optional, while others may just have optional pieces.) A triggered ability may have a cost in order to use the effect, but it is still considered a triggered ability. For example: “Whenever this unit is given a ranged combat order, it may spend one order point to gain 2 blue dice until end of turn.” This is still considered a triggered ability, though the effect is only gained if the cost is paid.

Static Abilities Static abilities are active as long as they are ready and do not occur because of a trigger or require activation. Static abilities are simply written as statements. Examples: Hail of Arrows, Nature Magic, Aura of Peace Some static abilities may have a condition in which the ability is in effect. Intrinsically most static abilities must be ready to be in effect, but some may also require that the unit be attacking or that their owner has a certain number of victory points.


Occasionally two static abilities may be at odds. For example, one ability could say “This unit’s phantom dice are 1s” and another ability could say “This unit’s phantom dice are 3s.” In these cases timing rules must be used. In general the most recent ability to be made ready is the one that takes precedent. (See timing.)

Reminder Text Some abilities require further clarification and contain reminder text. Reminder text is italicized and in parenthesis placed at the end of an ability. It does not actually affect the play of the game; reminder text has no rules implications, and is only meant to make an ability easier to understand.

Timing

Triggered Abilities When multiple abilities trigger at once follow these steps:

1. If the active player has no unresolved abilities, go to step 3. 2. The active player chooses one of their unresolved abilities and resolves it. Then return to step 1. 3. If the inactive player has no unresolved abilities, go to step 5. 4. The inactive player chooses one of their unresolved abilities and resolves it. Then, return to step

3. 5. If the active player has unresolved abilities, go to step 2.

To explain it in words, each player’s abilities are put into their own “bucket”. The active player empties their bucket first by picking an ability and resolving it, one at a time. Emptying the bucket is not optional. Once the active player’s bucket is empty, the other player empties their bucket in the same way. If through the resolution of one ability another ability triggers, it is immediately put into its owner’s bucket. If an ability is added to a player’s bucket while they are in the process of emptying it, that ability is treated like the rest of the abilities and must also be emptied. Players take turns emptying their buckets until both buckets are empty, and then the game continues as normal.

Static Abilities If two static abilities are in conflict then the ability that was most recently active will take precedence. For some static abilities, being active only means being ready. For static abilities with a condition (for example, “While in combat”), they activate when their condition is true. If multiple static abilities ever become active at the same time, the active player determines the order their abilities are applied in. Then the inactive player determines the order their abilities are applied in. This means that the inactive player’s abilities that are in conflict with the active player’s static abilities will take precedence, since they became active most recently.


“Fizzling” If the effects of an activated or triggered ability cannot be carried out, such as if they lose available targets or try to move a unit that no longer exists, that individual effect is simply not executed. Perform all other effects of the ability that can still be carried out.

Simultaneous Choices If two players must ever make a choice simultaneously (such as which figures to remove due to combat damage) the active player makes and reveals their choice first. (Note: While the choices are made separately, the effects may happen simultaneously.)

Zones There are essentially two zones in arcane legions: in‐play, and out‐of‐play. The in‐play zone is called the Battlefield; this is where the game is played. The out of play zone is where downed figures and units are placed. The out of play zone is different from a player’s collection. The out of play zone is still considered part of the game, while a player’s collection is considered outside the game. Each player controls an army, which is the total of all their units on the battlefield. The term “friendly units” refers to all of a player’s units and all units controlled by their allies. Each player also has a number of order points (usually only on their own turn) as well as a number of victory points. Downed figures placed in the out‐of‐play zone must know their unit of origin. (This is important for abilities that return downed figures to play.)

Army Building Each player brings a pre‐built army to the game created from the figures, bases, and unit cards in their collections. This army can consist of any number or types of units with a few restrictions. First, each army’s build total must be within a pre‐determined build total limit. The standard built total limit is 7,000 points. Each unit has a build point cost found on the bottom right of its unit card. The combined total of each unit’s build point cost in an army is that army’s build total, which must be less than or equal to the built total limit. Second, no army may have two of the same commander figure. A commander figure is a figure with a yellow circle color. Players may have any number of commander figures in their army, but no army may have two commander figures with a matching figure number. (Note: Two players may have the same commander figure in their respective armies.) Lastly, while players are allowed to have any number of factions in their army, for each non‐mercenary faction beyond the first that player gets 1 less order point a turn. For example, an army consisting of Egyptian and Mercenary units will get the full 8 order points a turn in the standard game. Another army consisting of Egyptian, Roman, and Han units will only get 6 order points a turn (‐1 for each additional faction.) This only


applies to unit types, which are indicated by the faction symbol on the lower left of a unit card. It doesn’t matter which faction the individual figures in your units are from – only the unit’s overall faction. (Note: This was not a rule in the original rulebook. It has since been added.) As stated above, the standard game has a 7,000 point built total limit and 8 order points a turn. This is only a recommended setting, however, and players may decide on built point totals and number of order points among themselves. For more suggested variations go to www.arcanelegions.com. Each unit must begin the game with the correct figures. Each starting slot on a unit must be filled with a figure with the same figure number as is on that slot. Non‐starting slots (slots without a figure number) do not begin the game with any figures.

Playing the Game To begin, randomly choose a player. That player decides whether to go first or second. The player going first chooses a side of the table they will deploy their army on. The other player gets the other side of the table. Then, starting with the first player, each player takes turns placing a unit in their deployment zone. The deployment zone is the area within two sortie base lengths of a player’s side of the table.

Once all units are placed, the first player takes their turn. The first turn of the game is called the ambush turn. In this turn the player going first gets half the normal order points (4 order points in the standard game). In each subsequent turn of the game players get the standard number of order points (including on the second player’s first turn). On each player’s turn begin the following turn sequence.


TURN SEQUENCE Progression through the turn sequence halts while there are unresolved triggers. (See timing.)

1. Beginning of Turn a. Control terrain victory points are gained.

2. Order Phase

a. Active player gains their order points. b. Active player may choose a unit to be given a chosen order. If they do, proceed to that order’s

sequence.

3. End of Turn a. All damage is removed from injured figures. b. Each player’s order points are set to 0. c. The next player begins their turn.

. Close Combat Order

a. Ordering player may declare an adjacent enemy unit as the target of the attack. Otherwise, proceed to step (j).

b. Costs may be paid, otherwise proceed to step (j). c. The combat order is given. If not, proceed to step (j). d. This unit becomes the attacker and the opposing unit becomes the defender. e. Players count the number of appropriate dice they have. f. Players roll their dice. Critical hits are scored.

i. Players reroll dice or adjust their results due to special abilities. g. Hits are scored. h. Damage is dealt. i. End of close combat. j. Return the turn sequence to the same point as when this order began.

. Ranged Combat Order

a. Ordering player may choose the side their unit will attack from and an in‐range side of an enemy unit. The enemy unit becomes the target of the attack. Otherwise proceed to step (l).

b. Costs may be paid, otherwise proceed to step (l). c. The combat order is given. If not, proceed to step (l). d. This unit becomes the attacker and the opposing unit becomes the defender. e. Line‐of‐sight penalties are applied. f. Firing‐into‐melee penalties are applied. g. Players count the number of appropriate dice they would roll. h. Players roll their dice. Critical hits are scored.

i. Players reroll dice or adjust their results due to special abilities. i. Hits are scored. j. Damage is dealt. k. End of ranged combat. l. Return the turn sequence to the same point as when this order began.

. Move Order


a. Costs may be paid, otherwise proceed to step (h). b. The move order is given. c. Breakaway attacks may be made. d. Ordered unit gains movement points. e. Ordering player may do one of the following:

i. Choose a direction for their unit to take a step, then pay the cost for that move. ii. Place the turning tool on a side of their unit and choose the side of their unit to turn on

to, then pay the cost for that move. f. If a move was paid for: move the unit then return to step (e). g. End of movement. h. This unit’s movement points are set to 0. i. Return the turn sequence to the same point as when this order began.

. Regroup Order

a. Costs may be paid, otherwise proceed to (e) b. The regroup order is given. c. Figures on the ordered unit may be repositioned. d. Unit’s facing may be changed. e. End of regroup. f. Return the turn sequence to the same point as when this order began.

. Special Order

a. If the special ability has targets, the ordering player chooses what to target or proceeds to step (f).

b. Costs for the order may be paid, otherwise proceed to step (f) c. The special order is given. d. The effect of the Special Order happens. e. End of special order. f. Return the turn sequence to the same point as when this order began.

Orders It is during the order phase that players choose orders to give to their units. At the beginning of a player’s order phase they gain order points based on the size of the game being played. (In the standard game players gain 8 order points per turn.) For the first turn of the game, the ambush turn, the active player only gets half the normal order points. Order points last until the end of the turn, at which point the active player’s order points are set to 0. Players can’t gain order points during other player’s turns. The active player will choose an order type and then follow the steps for that order’s sequence. When that order is complete play is returned to the order phase. Once a player is done giving their units orders the end of turn phase begins.

Pushing The first time a unit is given an order of any type the costs to give that order are normal. (See the orders below for their costs.) The five order types are close combat, ranged combat, regroup, move, and special. If


you would like to give a unit a second order of the same type (for example, its second regroup order in the same turn) that unit must be pushed. Pushing means that a figure must be removed from the unit as an additional cost for giving the order.”. This is paid as other costs to give that order are also paid (customarily order points). A unit may only be pushed once each turn, regardless of the order type. For example, if a unit has pushed to complete a second move order it can’t also push for a second close combat order in the same turn. A player may push any number of their units in a turn, but can’t push the same unit more than once a turn. Special orders can’t be pushed. Each order type is described in detail below:

Combat Orders Both close combat and ranged combat orders are considered combat. During each of these orders players will roll combat dice that will result in their unit’s dealing combat damage. Not all damage that a unit does in combat is combat damage – only the damage as a result of the combat roll is combat damage. When a combat order is given, the unit being given the order makes an attack against a target unit. The attack originates from a side and is directed at a side. In a close combat order these are the adjacent sides, and in a ranged combat order it is between the sides whose notches were used to measure the line of sight.

Close Combat Order To give a close combat order to one of your units, choose an enemy unit that is adjacent to your unit. The chosen enemy unit will become the target of the attack. The side of your unit that is adjacent to the enemy unit is the side the attack is being made from. The side of the enemy unit that is adjacent to your unit will be the side being attacked. A unit may only be given a close combat order if it has at least one ready attack die icon. Next, pay the cost for the order. A close combat order costs 1 order point to give to a sortie and 2 order points to give to a formation. (Note: some special abilities may increase or decrease this cost.) The attacker then rolls a number of red dice equal to the number of ready red attack die icons it has, along with attack dice granted (or removed) by special abilities. The defender rolls a number of white dice equal to the number of ready white defense die icons it has, along with defense dice granted (or removed) by special abilities. If the attacker is attacking from a grey side, they roll three less attack dice. If the defender is defending from a black side, they roll three less defense dice. Once players roll their dice, each player arranges them from highest to lowest. If the attacker has rolled three dice with a result of 6, they get a critical hit, which increases the number of hits this unit scores by 1. Players


apply any special abilities that affect the die roll, such as rerolls or anything that alters the results of the dice. Once those have been resolved, players re‐adjust their dice from highest to lowest. Compare the highest attack die to the highest defense die. If one side does not have a die, then compare the remaining die to a phantom die, which has a value of 2. If the attack die is higher than the defense die, the attacker gets one hit. If the defense die is higher than the attack die, the defender gets one hit. If a phantom die is higher than the die it is being compared to, however, no hit is scored. Then, move to the next highest die for each player and compare again until all dice have been compared. Each unit then deals damage to the opposing unit equal to the number of hits it got. This includes any additional hit from a critical hit. For rules on how damage is dealt, see Dealing Damage.

Combat ends and the turn resumes.

Ranged Combat Order A ranged combat order is very similar to a close combat order, though there are a few key differences. A unit that is adjacent to an enemy unit may not be given a ranged combat order. To give a ranged combat order to one of your units, choose an enemy unit that is in range. The standard range is six steps; you must choose a side of your unit that the attack will come from that is within six steps from the side of the enemy unit being attacked. All range measurements are made from notch to notch. The chosen enemy unit will become the target of the attack. A unit may only be given a ranged combat order if it has at least one ready ranged die icon. Next, pay the cost for the order. A ranged combat order costs the same as a close combat order: 1 order point for a sortie, and 2 order points for a formation. The attacker then rolls a number of blue dice equal to the number of ready blue ranged die icons it has, along with ranged dice granted (or removed) by special abilities. The defender rolls a number of white dice equal to


the number of ready white defense die icons it has, along with defense dice granted (or removed) by special abilities. If the attacker is attacking from a non‐blue side (red or black) then they roll three less ranged dice. If the defender is defending on a black side, they roll three less defense dice. Ranged combat is also subject to certain penalties: Firing into melee: In ranged combat the attacker rolls one less ranged die if the target of its attack is adjacent to a unit friendly to the attacker. Hindered: In ranged combat the attacking unit rolls one less blue die for each object hindering its line of sight. Line of sight is hindered by units (friendly or enemy) and hindering terrain. Blocked: A ranged attack may not be made when line of sight is blocked. (See Line of Sight for more details.) The lineup for ranged combat is the same as close combat. Once players roll their dice, each player arranges their dice from highest to lowest. If the attacker has rolled three dice with a result of 6, they get a critical hit which increases the number of hits this unit scores by 1. Players apply any special abilities that affect the die roll, such as rerolls or anything that alters the results of the dice. Once those have been resolved, players re‐adjust their dice from highest to lowest. As in close combat, compare the highest ranged die to the highest defense die. If one side does not have a die, then compare the remaining die to a phantom die, which has a value of 2. If the attack die is higher than the defense die, the attacker gets one hit. However, unlike close combat, if the defense die is higher than the attack die, the defender does not get a hit. And again, if a phantom die is higher than the die it is being compared to, no hit is scored. Then, move to the next highest die for each player and compare again until all dice have been compared. Each unit then deals damage to the opposing unit equal to the number of hits it got. (Usually the defender will score no hits, as white dice don’t normally score hits against blue dice.) This includes any additional hit from a critical hit. For rules on how damage is dealt, see Dealing Damage.


Combat ends and the turn resumes.

Dice and Sub-zero Values Special abilities that reference dice often use the convention, for example, of 1d6. The first number is how many dice to roll, and the second number is how many sides those dice have. Whenever a die is rolled its number is considered that die’s result. Phantom dice do not have results – they have values. (The default phantom die value is 2.) Any ability that adjusts die results does not effect phantom dice as they have no results. Some special abilities adjust the result of dice. The physical die itself is not adjusted, but the result that die has is considered to be adjusted. Dice can be adjusted to be any number above 0. However, if a special ability would reduce the result of a die below 0, it is reduced to 0 instead. (If multiple abilities would adjust the result of a die at the same time it may be important to reference the timing rules.) Furthermore, no other value in the game may be below 0. Players can’t have negative order points or victory points, and units can’t roll less than 0 dice in combat.

Dealing Damage When damage is dealt to a unit (either through combat or a special ability) the controller of that unit must then assign the damage to the figures on a base. Lethal damage must first be assigned to the figure on the unit with the most (or tied for the most) nonlethal damage on it. Lethal damage means that a figure has damage on it equal to or greater than its hit points. Usually only one figure on a unit will have damage on it at a time. However, in the event that two figures have damage on them, the one with the most damage on it must be assigned lethal damage first. If two figures are tied for most damage, the controller of the unit chooses which one to assign damage to. Once all damage is assigned, it is all dealt simultaneously. Figures are downed as soon as they have lethal damage on them (damage equal to or greater than their hit points). Remove downed figures from the


battlefield. A unit is defeated when it has no figures. Remove a defeated unit from the battlefield. This is true of both combat and non‐combat damage – all damage must be assigned using the same rules, and damage is dealt simultaneously. Each figure dealt lethal damage is downed simultaneously. (For example, if a special ability deals 3 damage to a unit, all 3 damage is assigned and then dealt simultaneously.) If a unit takes damage and assigns that damage to a figure with multiple hit points, but not enough damage to down that figure, the damage stays on that figure until the end of the turn. Place a die next to that unit with a number representing how much damage is on that figure. Figures with damage on them are considered injured. That damage is on the figure, not the slot, so if the figure is later repositioned into a different slot the damage moves with it. At the end of each turn, all damage is removed from figures. All damage has a source. In the case of combat damage the damage is coming from the unit that rolled the dice. Some special abilities will describe their source. If a source of damage from a special ability is unclear, however, it is considered to be coming from the unit with the special ability. Most damage is dealt by units, but if a figure deals damage the source is considered the unit that figure is on. If the source of damage leaves the battlefield before damage is dealt (for example, a special ability that requires downing the unit as an additional cost) the source is still that unit. If a unit is destroyed, each figure in that unit is considered to have been downed. Any special ability that triggers when a figure is downed will trigger if the unit itself is destroyed, such as by a special ability.

Regroup Order A Regroup Order costs 1 order point regardless of base size. Regroup orders can be pushed. The first function of a regroup order allows you to change the capabilities of a unit during the game by moving its figures to different positions. When a unit is given a regroup order any number of figures (some, all, or none) may be moved to any legal slot. Moving a figure is limited by three elements—outline color, footpad size, and peg arrangement—which must all match in order for a figure to change slots. A figure can’t be put into a slot unless the following criteria match:

Outline color. A figure can only be in a slot whose outline color matches the figure’s starting slot.

Footpad size. A figure can only be in a slot that matches its footpad size & shape.

Peg arrangement. A figure can only be in a slot that matches its peg count and arrangement. The second function of a regroup order allows you to change your unit’s facing. A formation unit that is given a regroup order can change its facing 180º. A sortie unit can change its facing 90º, 180º, or 270º as part of a regroup order.

Move Order

Order costs The first thing that happens when a move order is to be given is that the costs for that order are paid. This includes pushing, so a pushed figure’s icons are not considered ready when the move order is given. A move order costs 1 order point to give to a sortie base, and 2 order points to give to a formation base.


Breakaway Next, a check for a breakaway attack is made. If an enemy unit is adjacent to a formation being given a move order, the controller of the enemy unit may give their unit a close combat order targeting the moving unit that costs no order points. Breakaway attacks are optional; a player can always decline to make a breakaway attack. When a player decides to make a breakaway attack, they give a close combat order to their unit that will target the unit given the move order. Breakaway attacks may not be made against sorties. After the breakaway attack is made, movement continues on as normal. Breakaway attacks are made after the move order is given, but before the unit moves. Thus, the order points for the move order are already spent before the breakaway attack happens, and any movement icons on figures lost during the breakaway attack do not contribute to the unit’s movement points. If multiple enemy units are adjacent to a unit being given a move order, each of the enemy units gets a breakaway attack. The owner of those units decides which order those attacks are made, but does not have to make every attack. They may attack with all, none, or some of their adjacent units. If multiple players control the adjacent enemy units, then the active player is the first to act, followed by the next player in the turn order, then the next player in the turn order, and so on through the turn order of players until each adjacent enemy unit has handled their breakaway attack. (Note that usually the active player will be the one attempting to move a unit, and thus will have no breakaway attack decision.)

Moving When a unit is given a move order it gains movement points equal to the number of ready movement icons it has. The unit can then spend those movement points to move in one of two ways:

1) The unit can move up to one step forward, backward, or sideways. 2) The unit can make a turn off of a side.

The unit can keep performing either of these actions as many times as desired, usually until the unit no longer has any movement points remaining. A unit is not required to use all of their given movement points, but at the end of movement all excess movement points are removed; movement points do not carry over from one move to another.

Lateral Movement A unit can move up to one step either left, right, forward, or backward. A “step” is the basic unit of measurement in Arcane Legions, and it is equal to the length of a sortie base. (This is also equal to the short side of a formation base.) When a unit moves it does not have to move a full step; partial steps are an option. The cost of that move, in movement points, is found on the codex of the unit.

These numbers are called the directional costs of that unit. For example, with the codex shown above a unit would have to spend one movement point to move a step forward, or two movement points to move a step backwards. The move can’t be made unless all costs for that move are paid, and a partial move, such as only moving half of a step, costs the


same as moving a full step. In order to physically make a lateral move we use extra formation bases as guides. A formation base is equal to the size of two sorties placed side‐by‐side. For this reason an extra formation base makes a good guide for lateral movement. To make this basic maneuver, place the long side of a formation base next to your unit, along a side perpendicular to the direction you want to go. Make sure the center notch of your measuring base lines up with the leading edge of the moving unit. Simply slide the unit forward until the leading edge of the moving unit lines up with the edge of the measurement base. This will move your unit one step (the length of a sortie base). Remove the measurement base and you’re done.

Collision When a unit would move into the space that another object occupies, those objects collide. An object is considered a unit or a piece of terrain. The moving unit then snaps to the other object and then has the option to slide to a notch or side, as detailed below. Collision ends movement.

Snapping to The first thing that happens in collision is snapping to. When a unit collides with an object at an angle (they do not share a flat edge) then the moving unit must “snap to” the other object on the smaller angle by pivoting or the collision point. This causes the two objects to become adjacent. If both angles created by the moving unit are equal (there is no smaller angle) then the controller of the moving unit decides which angle to snap to. Snapping to is not optional if collision occurs. *Note: In the Standard game most angles should be 45 degrees (as created by the turning tool or snapping to standard terrain). However, variations in the standard game may cause other angles to be created, and the smaller angle rule is applied.


Sliding The second step of collision is to slide. If the moving unit collided with another unit and is now adjacent (meaning it could have snapped or simply collided adjacent) then the moving unit can slide until one of its notches or sides is aligned with an edge or notch of the adjacent unit. The unit can slide in either direction until a notch or slide aligns, but must stop sliding once a notch or side aligns. A unit can’t slide in a direction that would cause the units to no longer be adjacent. Sliding is optional. Units do not slide on terrain.

Turning The turning tool can be used during movement to turn the unit 45º or 90º. Using the turning tool costs movement points equal to the direction cost of the side the unit is turning off of. The move also costs movement points equal to the direction cost of the side the unit is turning off of for each step the unit is beyond

the turning tool after the turn is made.

Making a 45 degree turn To make this maneuver, place the movement tool flat on the table with the Angle Turn edge against your unit. Make sure the bevel on the edge of the tool slots into the notch on the edge of your base. Pick up the unit—leaving the movement tool in place—and set it back down so any one of the notches on your base slots into the bevel of either the Left Turn or Right Turn edges of the movement tool. Remove the movement tool from the table and you’re done


Making a 90 degree turn To make this maneuver, place the movement tool flat on the table with either the Left Turn edge or the Right Turn edge against your unit, depending on which way you intend to move your unit. Make sure the bevel on the edge of the tool slots into the notch on the edge of your base. Pick up the unit— leaving the movement tool in place—and set the unit back down so that any one of the notches on your base slots into the bevel of the opposite edge of the tool. Remove the movement tool from the table and you’re done.

Collision from Overlap Turning makes the snapping to function work a little differently because instead of colliding with the outside edge of another unit, the moving unit will be overlapping it.

If a turning unit would end its movement overlapping another object, the turning unit creates two angles; one on each relevant side of the other object. The turning unit will snap to the side with the smaller (i.e., narrower) angle, just like normal snapping rules. Similarly, if the angles are the same, the unit can snap to either side. However, the pivot point for the unit is a little different. Instead of pivoting on the corner of collision, the unit pivots on the point where its side crosses the side of the other object. If a turning unit ends its movement overlapping two corners of another object, it will snap to the edge that lies between those two corner.

If the turning unit overlaps multiple objects, the player turning that unit decides which object to snap to.

Sliding occurs as normal after snapping from an overlap. (Units do not slide on terrain.)


Limits on Turning and Snapping There are a few limits that might make turning impossible in tight situations. First, if the turning tool can’t be placed, the turn can’t be made. If a unit that is snapping would collide with another unit, that snap can not be made. The unit must then try to snap in the other direction, even if that would be to the bigger angle.

If no snap is possible and the moving unit is not overlapping another object, then the unit remains at the angle it collided. This will likely leave the unit at an angle to the object, meaning they are not adjacent to each other. If no snap is possible and the moving unit is overlapping another object, then that move can’t be made. Return the unit the unit to its last legal point in movement and continue movement. For a video walkthrough, go to www.arcanelegions.com/videos and click “Snap To.” Once a unit has snapped to and slid into place (if desired), its movement ends and the unit loses any remaining movement points. Snapping only happens to an actively moving unit. If a unit is moved without being given a move order and it collides with a corner of another base or a piece of terrain, it merely stops. If a collision creates a situation in which the moving unit cannot snap to the other base without causing it to collide with something else (another unit or piece of terrain), then it does not snap to. Because it does not snap to, its movement does not end, so the unit may continue spending movement points to move.

Terrain There are three basic types of terrain: blocking, hindering, and controlling. Players can use different builds of terrain as long as they have distinct edge lines, whether that be a printed line or a raised physical edge. Terrain must be labeled by its type, either by painting their edges the corresponding color or by some other means. Blocking Terrain ‐ Red Blocking terrain can’t be moved through and hinders line of sight. The area outside of the battlefield is considered blocking terrain. Hindering Terrain ‐ Green Hindering terrain can’t be moved through but only partially blocks line of sight. (See “line of sight” for rules on hindering penalties.)


Control Terrain – Yellow Basic control terrain is flat, allowing units to move onto it, and does not block line of sight. Control terrain allows players to gain victory paints. (See “Gaining victory points”) Collision with control terrain is optional. A unit may choose to collide with control terrain and snap to the edge, or not collide at all and move through the control terrain. (That is, if the control terrain is not also blocking or hindering terrain.)

If the players place control terrain, each player places one piece, with the following requirements:

The piece lies within four steps of the centerline and at least six steps away from each other piece of control terrain.

There are an equal number of control terrain pieces on each side of the centerline.

If you are using additional terrain other than control terrain, these rules govern their placement:

Non‐control terrain must be placed at least two steps away from other non‐control terrain and from deployment zones.

Non‐control terrain can be placed adjacent to control terrain, but cannot overlap it.


Line of Sight & Measuring Players may measure distances at any time with no penalty. Some games don’t allow “pre‐measuring”, but Arcane Legions does. When measuring line of sight, for a special ability or for ranged combat, draw an imaginary line from the notch of the originating unit to a notch on its target. This line can’t go through the target unit; the target notch must be on a side facing towards the originating unit. If the line goes through a piece of hindering terrain or another unit, that line of sight is considered hindered. In ranged combat the attacking unit rolls 1 less blue die for each time it is hindered. (i.e. for each piece of hindering terrain and each unit between it and the target of the attack.) If the line goes through a piece of blocking terrain that line of sight is considered blocked. Ranged combat may not be through a blocked line of sight.


Special abilities do not care about line of sight unless they say otherwise. If a special ability has a range of “Within X steps”, it affects this unit and any adjacent unit. For example, Aura of Peace effects all units “within 2 steps”, which includes the unit with Aura of Peace, as well as any adjacent units.

Victory Points The standard way to win a game is by obtaining a certain number of victory points – 21 in the standard game. Players gain victory points primarily by commanding control terrain, defeating enemy units, and downing an enemy commander figure. If a unit gets victory points, those points are gained by the controller of that unit.

Control Terrain In a player’s beginning of turn phase that player gains 3 victory points for each piece of control terrain they command. A player commands control terrain if they control a unit on or adjacent to that piece of control terrain, and no enemy units are on or adjacent to it. The units on that control terrain get the victory points, which are then gained by the player. A player only ever gains 3 victory points from the terrain, regardless of how many units they control on that terrain.

Defeating enemy units & Downing enemy commander figures Whenever a unit is defeated or a figure is downed, the unit that defeated (or downed) it gets a certain number of victory points – 2 victory points for defeating a formation, 1 victory point for defeating a sortie, and 1 victory point for downing a commander figure. If a unit is defeated, but not defeated directly by an enemy unit (such as by pushing its own final remaining figure) then the victory points are gained by the player that owns the nearest enemy unit. If two enemy units are tied for nearest, then the player that owns one of the enemy units and is next in the turn sequence gains the victory points. Players can also gain victory points through special abilities.


Winning the Game A player wins the game when they have victory points equal to or greater than the victory point goal (21 in the standard game) while they are the active player. If a player reaches the victory point target while they are not the active player, they do not win the game until they become the active player. A player may also win the game if every other player’s army has been completely eliminated. As soon as all opposing armies are eliminated, your victory point total is increased to the goal value (if necessary). If all armies are eliminated and the score is tied, the active player wins.

Keywords The following keywords may appear on units (or in the case of the faction, are implied by a symbol on the unit card). Units are considered to be the types of their keywords. An ability that affects cavalry, for example, affects any unit with the keyword Cavalry. Faction

Egypt / Egyptian

Rome / Roman

Han

Mercenary Subfaction (Must be 100% else nothing)

Crusader

Gallic

Greek

Imperial

Slavic

Xiongnu Descriptor (Must be over 80% else Mixed)

Construct

Human

Mixed

Mythic

Undead Type (Must be over 80% else Irregulars)

Arcana

Artillery

Cavalry

Irregulars

Infantry


Glosssary Active player: The player whose turn it currently is.

Adjacent: Two objects are considered adjacent to each other if they share a flat edge.

Ambush Turn: The first turn of the game. During the ambush turn, the active player only gains half of the regular order points, rounded down.

Army: A player builds an army before the game. Once the game begins, a player’s army is composed of the units they control on the battlefield.

Attacker: A unit that is given a combat order is the attacker.

Attack icon (red): One of the four basic icons. When a unit attacks in close combat, it will roll a red attack die for each of its ready attack icons, subject to adjustments from special abilities and combat conditions.

Bad side: Found on a unit’s codex as grey, a unit attacking from or being attacked on a bad side rolls three fewer dice.

Base: The flat piece of plastic with holes into which the figures are inserted.

Basic icons: Represent the four primary stats a unit can have: attack (red), ranged attack (blue), defense (white), and movement (yellow).

Battlefield: The play area on which the Arcane Legions game is played.

Battlefield edge: Where the battlefield ends. Units can’t cross the battlefield edge.

Blocked: If a unit’s line of sight is blocked, such as by blocking terrain, its line of sight does not continue beyond the point at which it was blocked.

Blocking terrain: Terrain that blocks a unit’s line of sight to another object and can’t be moved through.

Blue side: Found on a unit’s codex. No matter which type of combat is occurring on this side, the normal amount of dice will be rolled.

Breakaway attack: A free close combat attack order that may be given to one of your units when an adjacent enemy formation unit is given a move order.

Build point cost: The amount it costs to add a unit to your army while building, found on the right of the unit bar on the unit card.

Build total: The number of build points in your army.

Build total limit: The number of build points allowed in your army for a given game.

Centerline: An imaginary line that runs down the middle of the short way of the table during setup of the standard game..

Circle color: The color of the circle on a unit card surrounding a slot. There are four: White, Green, Yellow, and Red.

Clear (LOS): A clear line of sight has no objects in it.

Close combat: Combat in which the attacker rolls red dice, the defender rolls white dice, and the attacker can be hit by retaliation damage.

Close combat order: The order given to a unit to make a close combat attack. It normally costs 2 order points for a formation and 1 order point for a sortie.

Codex: The codex can be found on the left of the unit bar on a unit card. It displays the unit’s facing, directional costs, and side strengths.

Combat order: Either a close combat order or a ranged combat order.


Command (control terrain): A player commands control terrain if they control a unit on or adjacent to that piece of control terrain, and no enemy units are on or adjacent to it.

Commander figure: A figure with a yellow circle color.

Control terrain: Terrain that grants victory points when commanded.

Control terrain zone: The area that control terrain can be placed in during setup of the standard game.

Critical hit: An attacker during combat scores a critical hit by rolling three or more six results, which gives the attacker an additional hit.

Damage: A unit deals damage during combat or through special abilities. Non‐lethal damage lasts only until the end of the current turn.

Defeat: A unit is defeated when it has no remaining figures. A defeated unit is removed from the battlefield.

Defender: The unit that is the target of a combat order is the defender.

Defense icon: Symbolized as a white die. A defending unit rolls dice equal to the number of its ready defense icons as adjusted by special abilities and combat conditions.

Deployment: At the beginning of the game players deploy their units onto the battlefield into the deployment zone.

Deployment zone: During setup of the standard game the deployment zone is the space within two sorties of the table edge on a player’s side of the battlefield.

Directional cost: The number of movement points it costs to move a unit one step in a given direction, found on the codex of the unit.

Downed: A figure that is downed is removed from the unit and the battlefield. A figure can be downed from lethal damage or a special ability.

Drawback: A special ability with a negative effect. Drawbacks appear as triangular icons in a unit bar.

Enemy unit: A unit controlled by an opponent.

Facing: The orientation of a unit. A unit’s front facing is in the direction of the arrow on its codex.

Faction: The allegiance of a unit. There are three primary factions: Egypt, Rome, and Han. A fourth faction—Mercenaries—works with the other three.

Figure: A plastic sculpted miniature with pegs that fit into a base.

Figure number: Each figure has a figure number on its base. The first number is the set number the figure was released in. The letter is the faction the figure belongs to. The remaining number is that figure’s collector number in the set.

Figure special ability: A special ability that is linked to a slot, only active if the slot is ready.

Footpad: The base of the figure is called its footpad. The footpad has a shape, size, and an arrangement of a number of pegs.

Formation: A formation is a unit built on a longer base. A formation base is two steps long and one step wide – the size of two side‐by‐side sorties.

Friendly unit: A unit controlled by you or an ally.

Hindered: A unit’s line of sight can be hindered, such as by other units or hindering terrain. The line of sight continues through hindering objects.

Hindering terrain: Terrain that hinders a unit’s line of sight and can’t be moved through.

Hit: Scored during combat based on the lineup, units will deal a point of damage for each hit they score.

Hit points (HP): A figure has hit points equal to the number of pegs on its footpad. A figure’s hit points are equal to the number of pegs even if it is injured.


Injured: A figure is injured if it has any nonlethal damage on it. An injured figure is downed when the nonlethal damage is increased to the level of the figure’s hit points.

Keywords: Descriptive words found on the upper left of the unit bar on a unit card. Each keyword indicates a type of the unit.

Lethal damage: When a figure has damage on it greater than or equal to its hit points, that figure has lethal damage on it.

Line of sight: A line drawn from a notch of a unit to a point on the battlefield (usually another unit’s notch). A line of sight continues through hindering terrain and other units, but does not continue past the point it is blocked (such as by blocking terrain).

Movement icon (black & yellow): One of the four basic icons. When a unit is given a move order it gains movement points equal to its ready movement icons as adjusted by special abilities and battle conditions.

Movement points: When a unit is given a move order it gains movement points derived from its ready movement icons. The unit spends these points to move, the cost of which is found on the unit’s codex.

Move order: The order given to a unit to move it across the battlefield.

Notch: An indentation on a side of a base. Line of sight is measured from notches, units are targeted on their notch, and units can snap to notches.

Object: A unit or a piece of terrain.

Order points: Spent to give units orders. A Player gains order points at the start of his or her turn (8 in the standard game).

Peg: Plastic on the footpad of a figure that fits into the peg holes on a base.

Peg holes: The holes on a base that a figure’s pegs fit into.

Penalty: A condition that reduces the number of dice a unit rolls in combat (for example, a firing‐into‐melee penalty).

Phantom dice: In combat, extra dice by the attacker beyond the dice the defender rolled are compared to phantom dice with a normal value of two.

Player A/Player B: The two players during setup of the standard game.

Push: Whenever a unit is given an order, if that unit has already been given an order of the same type that turn, then the unit must push and down a figure as an additional cost. A unit can only be pushed once each turn.

Ranged combat order: A combat order in which the attacker rolls blue dice and the defender rolls white dice from a normal range of up to six steps.

Ranged icon (blue): One of the four basic icons. When a unit attacks in ranged combat, it will roll a blue attack die for each of its ready ranged icons as adjusted by special abilities and battle conditions.

Ready: A slot is ready if a figure is in that slot. Icons and special abilities on a slot are ready if a figure is in that slot.

Red side: Found on a unit’s codex. This side is good for close combat and defense against ranged combat, but a ranged attack originating from a red side rolls three less dice.

Regroup order: When a unit is given a regroup order the ordering player may reposition any number of figures on that base.

Reminder text: Found at the end of special ability text in parenthesis and italics. Reminder text is only meant to clarify and has no functional impact.

Reposition: During a regroup order figures are repositioned on a base. Figures may only be repositioned into a slot with a matching circle color, peg count, and footpad shape.


Retaliation damage: During close combat the defending unit deals retaliation damage to the attacker for each defense die that beats an attack die.

Rolling off: When two players each roll a die, rerolling on ties until a player wins by rolling a higher value. Players roll off at the beginning of the standard game to determine who goes first.

Side A/Side B: The two sides of the table in the standard game.

Slide: After a unit snaps to another unit during movement, it may slide until one of its edges or sides is aligned with the other unit’s edge or side.

Slot: The holes on a unit card where figures are placed. Slots can have basic icons and special abilities associated with them.

Snapping to: When a unit collides with another unit during movement, the moving unit snaps to the other unit, rotating until the two units are adjacent.

Sortie: A small unit is a sortie. A sortie base is one step by one step, half the size of a formation base.

Special ability: Units may have special abilities that affect that unit or may be activated by that unit’s controller. There are figure special abilities that are active only when its slot is ready, or unit special abilities that are active as long as the unit is on the battlefield.

Special ability card: The rules for special abilities are found on the special ability card, along with other unit information. The special ability card is not necessary for game play.

Special order: The type of order required to use a unit’s activated ability. The cost of the special order is found at the beginning of the special ability’s description.

Standard game: The baseline game with the following characteristics: 7,000 build total, 8 order points, and 21 victory points.

Starting slot: A slot labeled with a figure number. At the beginning of the game all starting slots on a unit must contain a figure with a matching figure number.

Step: The standard unit of measurement, equal to the length of a sortie base.

Terrain: Placed on the battlefield at the beginning of the game. It comes in three types: control, hindering, and blocking.

Terrain zone: The area of the battlefield where terrain can be placed during setup of the standard game.

Turning tool: Used during movement to make 45‐ and 90‐degree turns.

Unblocked: Line of sight is unblocked if there is nothing blocking it. A hindered line of sight can still be unblocked.

Unit: A base with a unit card and figures.

Unit bar: The information on the bottom of a unit card, including the codex, unit name, unit special abilities, and build point cost.

Unit card: A thick paper card that is custom cut so that, when set on a base, it reveals only certain peg holes for figures to sit in on a base. The unit card contains the information for a unit such as the slots, name, build point cost, and special abilities.

Unit name: Found on the unit bar, the name of a unit is unique to that unit.

Victory point: The value used to determine the winner of a game. Players can gain victory points by commanding control terrain and defeating enemy units.

Victory point goal: The number of victory points needed for victory (21 in the standard game).

Within (X steps): Range is often measured within a certain distance. Within X steps includes the originating unit, any adjacent units, and any units with a notch at least X steps of a notch on the originating unit.

Documents

Arcane Legions Technical Rules v11 08022010