Walters/Qualtieri/Brown

Table of ContentsAndrew WaltersRules Design

Josh QualtieriRules Design/Digital Art/Setting

Anthony BrownRules Development/Layout

Sophie LagaceBackground Development

Jonathan HoffmanIllustration & Background DevelopmentPete McKennaSetting FictionPaul QualtieriMath WizardJennie RedwitzCopy Editor/Design ConsultantJennifer Bach, David Weinman,Sequoia Blankenship Additional ArtAaron Brown, Anton DucrotMiniatures SculptorsAdan Tejada, David Weinman, Andrew Walters, Victor Walters Tom Gabel, Jackson BigelowPlaytesters© 2014 ZombieSmith

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By Strength of Arms 4

Overview of a Battle 5Necessary Components 6Core Concepts 7

Fighters 7Fighter’s Status 8Die Rolls 8Skill Check 9Random Outcome Tables 9Measuring 10Terrain 11Froth 14The Sequence of Battle 16

Calling Warriors 16Deployment 17Activation 17

Movement Actions 17Move 17Sprint 18Careful Move 18Shifting 18Disengage 19Jumping 19

Melee Combat Actions 20Attack 20Shieldbash 21Powerful Blow 21Charge 21Interception 22On Guard, Melee 22

Ranged Combat Actions 23Ranged Attack 23Aimed Shot 24On Guard, Ranged 24Throwing Things 24

Other Combat Actions 25Taunt 25Disabling Attacks 25

Recovery 25Leadership Actions 26

Move! 26Stand Your Ground! 26Rally! 26War Cry! 26

Magic Actions 27Heal 27Smite 27Divine Bolt 28

Miscellaneous Actions 28

Special Abilities 29Assassin 29Berserk 29Bodyguard 30Brawler 30Cavalry 30Center of Magic 31Counterattack 31Creature 31Creeping Death 31Dumb 32Elite 32Flight 32Hard to Kill 32Hero 33Horde 33Infiltrate 33Leadership 33Leap 33Mount 34Multiple Attacks 35Musician 36Natural Weapons 36Non-Combatant 36Pack 36Pathfinder 36Priest 37Rapid Shot 37Reach 37Resilient 37Scaly Hide 37Scary 38Sea Legs 38Shadow Walker 38Short Range 38Skirmisher 38Sprinter 39Standard 39Sweeping Blow 40Trample 41Two Weapons 42Vomit 42Wallop 43Wave of Flesh 43Ylark Ignition 43

Far oFF, jutting above the slowly shiFting ground Fog, the city-mountain was ablaze with lights. torches hung in every home, and great bonFires burnt at every intersection. the only thing brighter was the Full moon above, its disc streaked and stained with red. the city walls, bright white and Freshly plastered, were imposing and tall, but the Front gates stood wide open.the jaarl raider next to udvar wiped his mouth and growled under his breath. “kinda brazen oF them, ain’t it, ‘var?”“are you kidding? do you know where we are, bucko?”“i’m no buck, you brokeback,” the jaarl replied, reaching For his spear. the red moonlight Flashed oFF his Fangs.“relax, ‘simo.” he’d Forgotten that the jaarl, as a race, had no sense oF humor whatsoever. what could you expect From a bunch oF people that worshipped rocks?“that’s no regular city, there,” he continued. “that’s eslenda, one oF the wild doe cities. you’ve heard oF the wild does?”‘simo said nothing For a long time, but he did put his spear back down. “the wild does? in there?”“aye. so we’ll be steering a wide berth around that particular plum, i should think.”“you talk Funny, For a brokeback,” the jaarl whispered.“as may be. some ‘vorix blood in me, somewhere.”“and on you!”they shared a booming laugh as they put eslenda to their backs, but ‘var was uneasy the whole night through. his wasn’t the only party oF raiders prowling these hillsides, but they all told the same tale – stay away From the wild does.especially when you were up to no good.

Rules of Conflict

By Strength of ArmsThe War of Ashes is not a war of front lines and set piece battles. Small groups encounter each other in every manner, and there can be neither truce nor quarter. Scouts and foraging parties, messengers, guards, and lost soldiers meet. They fight over a cache of food, a lost animal, a footbridge, a message, or just to get back home. These desperate skirmishes take place amongst camps and baggage, in ravines, at the edge of swamps, or on the decks of small ships. There is no warning and no time to call for help. These small battles that will never be named or recorded are decided by the choices and skill of a handful of fighters, and in turn these skirmishes decide the course of the war.

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Overview of a BattleShieldbash is usually played in Skirmishes depicting a particular encounter. These encounters may be isolated or part of a Tale, a linked series of encounters where characters and conditions carry over from one fight to the next. The Skirmish description states the starting forces, objectives, and any special conditions of the encounter.

These desperate actions will be contested by the fighters of Agaptus. A fighter is usually a single warrior on a 20mm base, but it can also be a beast or group of lesser warriors. Fighters are usually controlled by a commander, but some, such as animals or unaligned individuals, may move according to instructions given in a particular Skirmish.

During a Round of battle each commander will take turns as the active commander. His opponent will draw a Stone for him on his turn, allowing him to assign Surges to his fighters.

Surges allow the fighters to perform actions, which include moving about the battlefield, attacking enemy fighters, or other tasks performed in pursuit of victory.

The active commander repeats this process until his opponent informs him he has no further Surges to assign. At that point his opponent becomes the active commander, and he draws a Stone for his opponent’s turn.

In addition, each commander has access to the resource Froth. Froth allows a commander to perform extra movement, modify a die roll, or execute other minor actions that enable him to bend the rules to his favor. However, the active commander’s opponent must agree upon the expenditure of Froth, creating a dynamic of haggling and compromise.

This sequence plays out until either one commander attains his objectives or the Skirmish reaches its logical conclusion. At this point one commander is declared the victor. If the Skirmish was part of a larger Tale, both commanders determine the effects of the recent battle on their forces and prepare for their next encounter.

Necessary ComponentsTo fight a battle commanders will need the following items.Miniatures – Each commander will need miniatures to represent his fighters on the field of battle. Each fighter must be represented with his own miniature on the appropriate-sized square base.The Battlefield – To fight a Skirmish commanders will need a dedicated space to represent the battlefield. For typical Skirmishes we recommend a two-foot by two-foot battlefield. Larger skirmishes may require a larger battlefield. Fighting a Skirmish on a battlefield larger than four-foot by four-foot is not recommended.

Melees between small forces tend not to occur in open spaces but around campfires, bridges, ravines, or huts, amongst trees, carts, barrels, latrines, troughs, wells, and woodpiles. These obstacles and hindrances should be represented on the battlefield as they give flavor to the Skirmish in addition to increasing the tactical possibilities.Dice – Each commander will need at least three six-sided dice. Preferably each commander will have his own dice.Measuring Device – Each commander will need some way to measure distances, such as a tape measure or measuring sticks.Froth – Each commander should have the means to measure his pool of Froth. Glass beads, markers, or extra dice can all be used to track this resource.Markers – These are required to represent certain battlefield conditions. Each commander should have markers to indicate Discombobulated, On Guard, and Incapacitated fighters.

Rules of Conflict

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Core ConceptsFightersFighters have eight attributes that define how they function in play: Skill, Might, Toughness, Movement Allowance, Special Abilities, Equipment, Shield, and Point Value.

Skill (Sk)– The fighter’s ability to carry out various actions, which include combat. Higher skill makes a better soldier.

Might (Mt) – The power of a blow that a fighter has landed on his opponent. The dice indicated are used to determine the effect of a successful hit in combat. This is referred to as a Might roll.

Toughness (T) – How difficult a fighter is to incapacitate or kill. Toughness represents a fighter’s armor, size, vigor, and discipline.

Movement Allowance (MA) – The number of inches a fighter can move with a standard move action. All movement actions are based on this attribute.

Equipment – The weapons and armor the fighter carries onto the battlefield. This is listed for identification purposes as the effects of the equipment on the battlefield are already taken into account in the fighter’s profile.

Special Abilities – Additional skills and actions specific fighters may perform. Some require a skill check, while others are always in effect.

Shield – This attribute states whether the fighter is in possession of a Shield. A fighter with a standard shield is attacked at -2 Skill. Larger shields grant a -3 penalty, while some smaller shields or lack of training only grant a -1 penalty. This protection also applies against ranged attacks, but does not apply to attacks from the rear. Any fighter with a Shield can perform a Shieldbash attack.

Additionally, Elvorix, Vidaar, and Atronian fighters with Shields can benefit from a Shieldwall. Two fighters with this ability, in base to base contact, and facing the same direction gain an additional -1 to their defensive bonus.Point Value – This is a numerical value approximating the fighter’s worth on the battlefield relative to other fighters. This value is used to build Warbands of equivalent strength.

The number in parentheses following the point value indicates how many of these fighters a commander may gather for every 300 points spent on his Warband.

Glaive-GuardGlaive Sk 12

Mt 2d6+2Two Weapons T 6

MA 530 points Shield

Greybuck Sergeant

Sword and Shield Sk 14Mt 2d6+2

Elite, Leader(3/2)

T 6MA 4

46 points (1) Shield -2

TohanaStaff Sk 13

Bodyguard, Priest, Skin of Many

Colors

Mt 2d6-1T 5

MA 435 points (1) Shield

Rules of Conflict

Fighter’s StatusVarious states are used to describe a fighter’s readiness, or Status, on the battlefield. These are Ready, Engaged, Discombobulated, Incapacitated, and Killed.Ready – This is the normal status of a fighter, Ready for action.

Engaged – If a fighter is in base-to-base contact with an enemy fighter it is Engaged. Enemies in contact with the front or sides of the fighter’s base are considered in front of it. Enemies in contact with the rear side of its base are considered behind the fighter.

Discombobulated – This is a general term for any temporary condition that prevents the fighter from performing actions. It may be that the fighter is off balance, has lost his grip on his weapons, has received a stinging blow, lost his footing, or any of a hundred other things that can go wrong in a brawl.

All these discomfitures have the same effect: the fighter can take no other action but attempting to recover from Discombobulation, and in the meantime he is less able to defend himself. The fighter becomes Incapacitated if he suffers a second Discombobulation before recovering.

If he recovers, the fighter is again Ready, or Engaged if he is in contact with enemy fighters. Opponents in base contact with Discombobulated fighters are not Engaged.Incapacitated – The fighter has suffered a disabling injury that causes him to be removed from the battle. This does not mean that the fighter is dead. When a fighter is Incapacitated during a Tale, his fate will be determined between Skirmishes.Killed – The fighter has been mortally wounded, and is removed from the battle. When a fighter is Killed during a Tale, he is no longer available for any further Skirmishes.

Incapacitated and Killed fighters are removed from the battlefield and replaced with a marker to represent where they fell. This marker is considered entangling terrain to fighters occupying the same position on the battlefield

Die RollsUncertain outcomes are decided by dice. Six-sided dice (d6) are used for all rolls.

The notation “3d6” means that three dice are rolled and the results added together. The notation “Xd+Y” means that X dice are rolled, summed, and then Y is added to the result. Thus “1d6+2” means that you roll one die and add 2 to the result, yielding a number from 3 to 8, and 2d-1 means you roll two dice, add them together, and subtract 1, yielding a result from 1 to 11.

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Skill CheckWhen a fighter attempts to perform certain actions on the battlefield a Skill check is used to determine his success.

Conditions on the battlefield will often affect a fighter’s ability to perform certain actions. Penalties or bonuses due to these conditions modify the fighter’s Skill, not the dice rolled for the check. The fighter’s modified Skill for a particular check is referred to as his Target number for the action.

Three six-sided dice (3d6) are then rolled and compared to the Target number. If the result is equal to or under Target, the fighter has succeeded. A result above the Target is a failure. Extremely low and high results on the check often have additional effects reflected in a table associated with the particular Skill.

Example: An Elvorix Greybuck decides to attack a nearby Vidaar bondee, but first must cross the frozen pond to Engage him. The Greybuck could perform a careful move and avoid a Skill check, but that would not allow him to reach base contact with the bondee. He decides to make a standard move. He must first make a Skill check to not slip on the ice. The Greybuck’s Skill is 14 and there are no modifiers for the check. His commander rolls 3d6 and gets a result of 12, a success. The Greybuck crosses the ice to Engage the bondee.

The Greybuck then expends his second Surge to perform an attack. His Skill is still 14, but some modifiers to apply to this check. First, the Greybuck is on the ice, which counts as entangling terrain, giving him -1. Second, the bondee has a Shield modifier of -2. The Greybuck’s Target number for the attack is 11 (Skill 14, -1 for the ice, -2 for the Shield, equals 11). His commander rolls 3d6 and gets a result of 13—the attack has missed.

Random Outcome TablesThe battlefield is a chaotic, random space in which both the gritty and whimsical appear. Fate will sometimes make its presence know with a chart that uses two dice rolled together, with the two numbers determining a specific event on the battlefield.

Roll Outcome NotationEach die results in a 6 Very Positive 6/6

Either results in a 6, the other in a 2–5 Positive 6/-

Either results in a 6, the other in a 1 Both bad and good 6/1

Neither die results in a 1 or a 6 Neutral -/-

Either results in a 1, the other in a 2–5 Negative 1/-

Each die results in a 1 Very negative 1/1

Rules of Conflict

ActivationThe field of battle can be hard to read, leaving a commander unsure of the amount of time he has to marshal his fighters before the momentum of the battle turns against him. To represent this uncertainty, the amount of actions at a commander’s disposal remains unknown to him until he has used them all. During every turn a commander will gain a randomly determined number of activations known as Surges.

Surges are used to activate a commander’s fighters. A set of tokens, or Stones, is used to determine how many Surges a commander has before the turn passes to his opponent. The standard set consists of two Stones numbered 3, four Stones numbered 4, and two Stones numbered 5. Using this set a commander knows he will always have at least three Surges at his disposal, with the potential of one or two more. The set of Stones is placed in a container so the active commander’s opponent can randomly draw one, keeping its value a secret.

At the beginning of a Round, one Stone is drawn and removed from the pool without either commander viewing it. As the Round progresses, Commanders alternate drawing Stones to determine how many Surges their opponents may perform on their turns. On drawing the Stone the drawing commander does not tell his opponent, the active commander, its value. The active commander performs three Surges and then asks, “Do I have a fourth Surge?” Similarly, the active commander will not know if he has a fifth Surge until having completed his fourth. Once he is done with his Surges, signalling the end of his turn, the Stone is shown and discarded. Then the commander who just finished his turn draws a Stone for his opponent in the same way.

Commanders may examine the discarded Stones at any time, but not the one removed from the pool at the start of the round.

MeasuringCommanders can measure any distance at any time. For ranged weapons the distance between two fighters is the distance between their bases. For purposes of movement commanders should measure from the forward base edge of the starting position to the farthest base edge of the final position.

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TerrainArmies fight where they can while small groups fight where they must, and more often than not that happens in congested, uneven places. After setting up the terrain for the Skirmish, but before placing any fighters, commanders should agree on the categorization of each piece of terrain, and how it affects the fighters.

Solid GroundThis is where you’d like to fight: smooth, hard, stable. Solid ground has no impact on actions taken by fighters.

EntanglementsThis includes mud, vines, heavy pine needles, shallow water, baggage, snow, ice, fallen logs, freshly plowed ground, dead bodies, or anything else that might slow a fighter down or cause him to trip.

Fighters moving through entanglements may use two actions to make a careful move through the terrain or move normally but perform a Skill check to avoid tripping. If they fail the check they are Discombobulated where they entered the terrain, or if they began their move in the terrain they are moved 1” and Discombobulated.

Fighting while standing even partially on entanglements reduces fighters’ Skill by one, and if they are pushed they must make a Skill check to avoid Discombobulation.

Higher GroundThis is solid ground that is higher than the surrounding area, such as a slope, a flat-topped rock, or a four-wheeled wagon. Higher fighters attack opponents on lower ground at Skill +1, but they may fall when receiving a push combat result.

PlatformsThis is higher ground with suboptimal footing; examples could be a table, railing, baggage pile, a two-wheeled cart, or a very large dead animal. Fighters balanced on platforms combine the effects of higher ground and entanglements.

Rules of Conflict

ObstaclesThese features are completely impassable and block line of sight; examples are trees, tall walls, and large boulders.

BarricadesFences, barricades, or objects that a fighter can’t stand on or walk through but can see over and climb over given a little time are considered barricades. Barricades do not block line of sight, and it requires an entire action for a ready fighter to move from one side of the barricade to the other if it is not defended. It cannot be passed if there is a Ready enemy fighter in contact with the other side, and a fighter cannot climb over if he will become Engaged when he gets to the other side.

Attacks over barricades are allowed at -2 to Skill unless the fighter has a weapon with Reach. Sweeping blow attacks ignore barricades.

Fighters on 40mm bases treat barricades as entangling terrain.

BottlenecksA bottleneck is a narrow passage between two obstacles or between an obstacle and an enemy fighter. A fighter may move normally through a passage wider than his base. If the passage is less than a base width wide but more than half, a fighter may make a careful move through, or make a Skill check, with success meaning he can move through at his normal movement rate and failure meaning he moves to the passage and stops.

Stairs, Ladders, and ClimbingStairs rising at up to forty-five degrees are considered slopes, so they are treated as solid ground with bonuses for higher/lower ground applied. Stairs rising at more than 45 degrees are considered platforms—they are higher or lower ground, and occupants attack at -1 Skill. Careful moves or Skill checks may be required to perform certain actions.

A fighter may climb a ladder up to 2” in height as one action, including getting on and off. A fighter may climb a ladder up to 4” in height using two Surges in the same way. In either case the fighter is placed at the top of the ladder, facing the same direction as the ladder.

Other steep or vertical surfaces should be designated as climbable or nonclimbable before the Skirmish starts. A climbable surface is climbed like a ladder except that two actions will only move the fighter upward 2”.

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WaterKnee- to waist-deep water is treated as entangling terrain. Water chest deep may be moved through at 1” per action, the fighter may take no other action, and is treated as Discombobulated for the purposes of being attacked.

Deeper water requires swimming. Swimming requires dropping weapons, shields, and anything else carried. The Jaarl’s heavy armor causes them to sink and drown. Kuld swallow a lot of water, sink, and drown. Other races may move 2” per action and are treated as Discombobulated for the purposes of being attacked.

Drop OffsCliffs, pits, roof edges, and chasms are all terrain features that require a fighter to make a Skill check to jump from one position to the next.

As part of his movement a fighter may jump to a lower position with a difference of up to 1” in height without penalty. A fighter may jump down a large distance (between 1” and 2” in height) if he uses an entire action, but no other movement is allowed. Jumping down a large distance as part of a normal move also requires making a Skill check. Failing the Skill check means the fighter lands Discombobulated. Jumping down more than 2” in height requires two actions and a Skill check at -1 per each additional inch with the same consequences for failure.

Falling

If a fighter is pushed or involuntarily moved off an edge less than 2” in height, he lands Discombobulated. If the fall is greater than 2” in height, the fighter must make a Skill check where success means he is Discombobulated and failure means he is Incapacitated. A fall from a greater height will automatically Incapacitate the fighter.

If a fighter is pushed so that he is partially over an edge he should make a Skill check—success means he remains on the edge, failure means he falls with the consequences mentioned above.

Rules of Conflict

FrothIn close combat situations will arise where the rules won’t adequately handle the events. Commanders may feel torn between playing the rules as written and fudging them so events make sense. Froth is a way of allowing for these adjustments without giving either commander an undue advantage. Froth is an abstract representation of situational awareness, adrenaline, zeal, and just plain experience.

How much Froth each side starts with will be defined in each Skirmish. A commander also gains Froth during a Skirmish when his side achieves an encouraging success.

Some fighters may have special abilities that generate Froth for their side under certain conditions, and the Skirmish may also specify ways to earn additional Froth.

When a commander wants to affect a fighter in a way that slightly exceeds the rules, he can ask his opponent if he may make the change for a point of Froth. The commander performing the action must declare any changes before his opponent can react.A commander might use froth to:

Note that if you accomplish a Kill by spending Froth to modify any attribute during the Surge you will not gain Froth from that action. Froth cannot modify the results of a die roll, just the attributes involved.

Combat ResultsAction Froth

Enemy Incapacitated by 2nd Discombobulation +1

Might roll doubles Toughness +2Might roll triples Toughness +3Removed opponent is a Leader +1Removed opponent is a Hero +1Removed opponent is Hard to Kill +1

Other ActionsAction Froth

Capturing enemy standard +3Lose friendly standard -3Complete primary objective +4Complete secondary objective +2Incredible success +1*Horrible failure +/-1*

* By both commanders’ consent

• Ignore a push result scored against one of his fighters

• Modify a Skill or Might attribute by 1 after an Attack action roll

• Turn an already-Engaged fighter to face a newly Engaging enemy

• Move up to 1” extra to Engage a fighter

• Shift a friendly fighter to make room for an active fighter’s move

• Choose the direction of dodge from a ranged attack

• Shift after making an attack instead of before

• Make a charge attack (see page 31)

15

it was a beautiFul day. the sun was high, almost warm even, and a deep orange that tugged at her heart. she could almost believe all the stories about a happy god ruling over a happy agaptus.almost.her sword was notched, her boiled leathers soaked through with blood and sweat. her helmet – and a goodly sized chunk oF her scalp – was in the belly oF a troll. or a kuld. or a troll in a kuld. it didn’t really matter. she was alive, and it was a beautiFul day.almost.

Rules of Conflict

The Sequence of BattleAfter the gathering of Warbands, the battle begins with deployment, as both sides find their initial placement on the field. After deployment the battle begins. Commanders take turns activating their fighters in Surges, moving and fighting. This continues until one side is eliminated or the Skirmish’s objectives are met.

Calling WarriorsBefore the battle, commanders travel their lands enlisting the aid of fighters to form a Warband. The group mustered will be composed of fighters whose combined point value is equal to or less than a total decided upon by the commanders or the Skirmish at hand. For beginning or quick battles 200 to 300 points is ideal, while 400 to 500 points works for experienced commanders or longer battles.

Force RestrictionsSome types of fighters are rare in the world, numbering in handfuls rather than le-gions. The number of these fighters allowed to fight in a Skirmish is restricted by their Force Allowance. This is noted in the fighter’s profile.

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DeploymentA commander’s initial placement of his fighters often spells the difference between victory and defeat. When starting a battle both commanders agree on who will place his fighters first. Certain Skirmishes will dictate which commander should deploy first based on their roles in the battle.

The commander chosen to deploy first places his entire army on the field within a designated starting area. His opponent then deploys his fighters. After both forces have been deployed, the commander who placed his fighters first begins the battle as the active commander.

ActivationThe active commander may assign up to two Surges to any fighter, but only one may be used to perform combat or magic actions. The commander does not have to indicate in advance which fighters will receive how many Surges—he may see the result of each action before deciding on the next. A fighter’s two actions do not need to be performed consecutively. When the set of Stones is exhausted the Round ends—shuffle them, and start another Round.

The actions a fighter may perform are broken down into the following categories: Movement, Combat, Recovery, Leadership, and Magic. The number after the name of the action represents the number of Surges required to perform the task.

If a commander attempts an action that costs multiple Surges but does not have enough remaining on the Stone, the action does not happen, and his remaining Surges are lost.

Movement Actions

Move (1)A Ready fighter may move up to his Movement Allowance in any direction. This movement may bring a fighter into base-to-base contact with an enemy fighter, changing the status of both to Engaged.

Rules of Conflict

Sprint (1)A Ready fighter may move up to double his Movement Allowance during a sprint. If this movement takes the fighter within 2” of an enemy fighter, the opponent may make an immediate free attack against the sprinter. This action can be used to bring a fighter into base-to-base contact with an enemy fighter, but the enemy will gain a free attack.

A fighter may only Sprint once per Stone, and may not perform another movement action before or after a Sprint.

Careful Move (2)A fighter spends two Surges to make a careful move. This allows the fighter to move through difficult terrain without penalty. Depending on the type of terrain a Skill check may still be required (see “Terrain,” page 21).

Shifting (Free)As a free action a fighter engaged by one enemy fighter can move one position around or across that enemy’s base before attacking or going on guard. This move can be from any side of the engaging fighter to any adjacent side if the fighters have the same size base. A fighter with a 20mm base engaged by a fighter on a 40mm base could shift around an adjacent corner of, or sideways across the 40mm base.

When a fighter shifts, the enemy engaging the fighter may rotate 90 degrees toward the shifting fighter if desired.

If two or more enemy fighters engage a fighter, he may make a shift relative to one that disengages him from the others by spending a Surge.

In example A, the Vidaar bondee decides to shift to the left side of the Elvorix linebuck before attacking. This is a free action, and the linebuck may rotate to the left to face the bondee after he shifts.

In example B, the bondee can choose to spend a Surge to make the shift, as he is engaged by another linebuck. If the bondee does not spend the Surge, he may still shift, but the second linebuck will get a free attack.

A

B

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Disengage (1 or 2)Once a fighter is in close combat with another, it’s hard to do much else because of the need to maintain a defense. Separating without giving the enemy an opening isn’t a simple matter. Disengaging from an enemy may require one or two Surges, as outlined in the following details.

A fighter engaged by one enemy may step 1” away, disengaging from that enemy fighter by spending a Surge.

By spending 2 Surges a fighter may choose to make a Skill check to distract all nearby opponents, and if successful make a full move away. If the check fails, every engaging enemy gets a free attack before the move. If all these attacks fail to Discombobulate, Incapacitate, or Kill him, the fighter may move away.

If a fighter moves out of contact with an enemy in any other way the engaging fighter gets a free strike at the departing fighter. If this strike results in Discombobulation no movement takes place.

A Discombobulated fighter in base contact does not engage other fighters—an opposing fighter may freely break contact.

Jumping (1+)As part of his movement a fighter may jump a gap of up to 1” in width without penalty. A fighter may jump a gap of between 1” and 2” or vertically up to 1” in height if he spends both of his Surges. Larger jumps require that both of the fighter’s Surges are spent as well as a Skill check performed at -1 for each inch past 2” in distance or 1” downward. A failed Skill check will result in the fighter being Discombobulated at the end of the jump.

In example A, the Vidaar bondee has spent a Surge to Shift away from one engaged opponent to a better position next to the second Elvorix linebuck.

In order to disengage from the second Elvorix linebuck, as in example B, the bondee must spend a second Surge, moving up to 1” away.

The bondee could have chosen to make a Skill check instead of the Shift in example A, but he would have risked free attacks if he had failed.

B

A

Rules of Conflict

Melee Combat Actions

Attack (1)The fighter declares an attack against his opponent, performing a Skill check to see if the attack succeeds. If the result is equal to or below the fighter’s Target number the opponent is hit.

Regardless of the number needed to hit, certain extreme results on the dice always have an added effect as shown in the following table:

When a hit is scored the attacking fighter makes his Might roll and compares the result to the target’s Toughness:

Might roll equal to Toughness = PushMight roll greater than Toughness = DiscombobulationMight roll equal to or greater than double Toughness = IncapacitatedMight roll equal to or greater than triple Toughness = Killed

PushA fighter who receives a push result has been outmaneuvered by his opponent. The attacker moves the target fighter 1” either directly toward or directly away from the attacker. If the target is pushed away the attacker may follow and stay in contact. If the target is moved toward the attacker the attacker must move 1” in the same direction, staying in contact with the target. This movement occurs regardless of any other fighters engaging either the attacker or the target, but any other fighter on either side engaged with any of the moving figures can spend a Froth to move with the fight.

Melee Attack ModifiersModify Skill attribute to find Target numberTarget is Discombobulated +2Target has a Shield -1, -2, or -3Attacker on higher ground +1Defender behind barricade -2

Multiple friendly fighters Engaged with opponent

+1 per additional

fighter

Melee Attack Extreme ResultsRoll Outcome

3 Always a hit and the Might roll is tripled.4, 5 Always a hit and the Might roll is doubled.

16 Always a miss and an Engaged opponent gets a free attack, rolling Skill as normal.

17 Always a miss and an Engaged opponent gets an automatic hit, rolling Might as normal.

18 Always a miss and an Engaged opponent gets an automatic hit, doubling their Might roll.

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If a fighter collides with one fighter up to its own size it will push that fighter back as far as necessary to complete the move and both fighters will make Skill checks to avoid being Discombobulated. If a pushed fighter collides with a larger fighter or multiple fighters he must make a Skill check to avoid Discombobulation. A fighter who is moved into a railing or other waist-high obstacle or barricade moves as far as possible then rolls against Skill. If he fails, a single die is rolled; if the result is even he is Discombobulated, if odd he falls backwards over the railing (see “Falling,” page 23).

A Discombobulated fighter is pushed as above. If such a fighter has to make a Skill check because of terrain to avoid further Discombobulation he makes the check as above. If the fighter succeeds he is still Discombobulated. If he fails and the attacker is still in contact, the target fighter is Incapacitated.

A fighter on a 20mm base cannot push a fighter on a 40mm base; in this case the push result is ignored and the smaller fighter is Discombobulated.

Shieldbash (1)An Engaged fighter with a Shield may surprise his opponent with a shieldbash. This is an attack with a +1 Skill bonus to hit, but it may not Kill. If the Might roll equals the target’s Toughness it is pushed. If the Might roll exceeds Toughness by any amount the target is Discombobulated.

Powerful Blow (2)An Engaged fighter may spend two Surges to land a more powerful blow against his opponent. The attack is at a +2 bonus to both Skill and Might for the attack.

Charge (1 Surge and 1 Froth)A Ready fighter may spend a Surge and one point of Froth to perform a charge maneuver. The fighter moves at least his full and up to double his Movement Allowance to engage an enemy fighter. If the fighter ends the move in base-to-base contact with an enemy, he may immediately perform a free attack action.

If the fighter wishes to charge an enemy within his Movement Allowance, he must spend and additional point of Froth, making the total 1 Surge and 2 Froth.

Rules of Conflict

Interception (Free)There are a few situations in which a fighter may move during the enemy’s turn, without using a Surge.

A Ready fighter may move up to 1” to engage an enemy during its normal or careful move, but not during a charge. This may stop the enemy from completing its move, or simply engage him where he stops. A Ready fighter may move up to 2” to engage and attack an enemy fighter making a sprint move.

On Guard, Melee (1)A fighter may spend a Surge to prepare for an attack. When a fighter goes On Guard he is more prepared to defend himself, which gives him extra options.

A fighter with a close combat weapon may make a counter attack at -2 Skill against each fighter that attacks him, retaining his On Guard status. These attacks are limited to push and Discombobulate results—no matter how much a fighter’s Might roll beats his opponent’s Toughness, the attack won’t kill.

A fighter may also give up his On Guard status to make a single regular attack resolved before the opponent’s declared attack. A fighter may make one or more limited attacks while retaining his On Guard status, and then give it up for a regular attack.InterceptionAn unengaged On Guard fighter may also give up status to move up to 2” to intercept an enemy fighter who is moving. This applies to a standard move, a sprint or a charge, but not a careful move. The intercepted fighter is either stopped, or may perform a Skill check to continue his movement after the intercepting fighter has attacked.

If an On Guard fighter takes any other action, or is Discombobulated, he loses On Guard status.

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Ranged Combat Actions

Ranged Attack (1)A ranged attack is conducted like a regular attack, with a few added rules.

A Ready fighter armed with a ranged weapon may shoot an enemy fighter within his line of sight (a straight line in front of the fighter with minimal obstructions between the two). The shooting fighter may turn to face a potential target at the beginning of the action. An Engaged fighter with a ranged weapon may not shoot, unless he is On Guard, as described below.

The shooting fighter must be able to see part of the target fighter’s body, not just his shield or weapon. If there is anything along the line of sight in a path 1” wide the Skill check will be at -2. Ranged attacks do not incur this penalty from obstacles the shooter is directly behind.

For each full 4” from the shooting fighter to the target a cumulative penalty of -1 is applied to the Skill check. In addition, the attack penalty for a target with a Shield is applied, unless the shot is from behind.

Particularly good Skill rolls on ranged attacks are handled the same way as close combat attacks. Particularly bad Skill rolls on ranged attacks are treated as follows:

If the shot misses, the shooting fighter must make an unmodified Skill check to miss each object or fighter within 1” of the line of sight, starting with obstacles nearest the shooter and moving further away until the edge of the board is reached. The first object or fighter the shooter fails to miss is hit by the shot.

When a push result is achieved, the commander making the ranged attack can move the target fighter to either side of the shot—the target is dodging. If the shooter is behind him, the target cannot dodge and becomes Discombobulated. If the target is already Discombobulated he cannot dodge and is Incapacitated. If the target dodges into an immovable object, such as a tree, boulder, or larger fighter, the target is Discombobulated. The targeted fighter may spend a point of Froth to choose the direction of the dodge if the direction the shooting commander would choose is disadvantageous.

Ranged Attack Extreme ResultsRoll Outcome

3 Always a hit and the Might roll is tripled.4, 5 Always a hit and the Might roll is doubled.

16,17 Always a miss and the shooter must immediately roll to recover from Discombobulated.

18 Always a miss and the shooter is Discombobulated.

Rules of Conflict

Aimed Shot (2)A Ready fighter armed with a ranged weapon may spend two Surges to perform a ranged attack without penalties from the distance to the target.

On Guard, Ranged (1)The action that produces a shot from a ranged weapon includes preparing the arrow, stone, or dart. To have the weapon prepared without shooting, a fighter can use the option to go On Guard. During his enemy’s turn the fighter may give up On Guard status to make a single regular ranged attack: at an enemy fighter in front of him; after an enemy fighter moves but before it attacks; between the two moves of a double move; or after a fighter moves to engage him but before it attacks.

A ranged weapon fighter who has a shot prepared may move and maintain this readiness on his turn, contrary to the usual rules for being On Guard. The ranged fighter retains On Guard status until he performs a ranged attack, another combat action, or becomes Discombobulated.

Throwing Things (1)Some environments may provide objects that can be grabbed and tossed at opponents to distract them. By spending a Surge an unengaged fighter can grab and throw whatever is handy. These attacks are made at -1 Skill if the attacker is behind the target or the target is Engaged, or at -3 if the thrower is in front of the target and the target is unengaged. All improvised thrown weapons have a maximum range of 6”, with shots over 4” suffering the normal penalty (see the table on page 33). The Might of the attack varies; use the following examples as a guide.

Improvised Thrown WeaponsObject Might Effect of Might roll

Sand, soil, mud 1d6+2 Can never do more than Discombobulate, cannot affect a fighter from behind

Mug, bowl, fist-sized stone, plate of food

1d6+2 Can only Discombobulate unless it triples Toughness, which will Incapacitate regardless of the fighter’s original status

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Other Combat Actions

Taunt (1)By spending a Surge a fighter may attempt to distract a Dumb fighter within 12 inches by shouting, tossing stones, etc. If the taunting fighter succeeds at a Skill check, the Dumb fighter may only spend Surges to move toward and attack the taunting fighter until either the taunting fighter is dead or out of sight.

Disabling Attacks and Unconscious FightersA commander may also declare before his attack that he wants his fighters to disable instead of kill, either by a whack to the head with the side of the blade or by the blunt end of the spear to the chest. If this option is declared, carry out the attack as normal, but treat any Killed result as Incapacitated.

A fighter may carry an Incapacitated fighter of the same size or smaller using two Surges to make one move per turn if unengaged. Picking up the Incapacitated fighter takes one Surge. If the carrying fighter is attacked in close combat it should be treated as Discombobulated. A carrying fighter may drop the carried fighter on his turn and draw his weapon to defend himself, but he requires a Surge to do this.

RecoveryA Discombobulated fighter is temporarily unable to defend himself or move while he regains his feet. The only thing a Discombobulated fighter may do is attempt to recover. Any attacks against a Discombobulated fighter have +2 to the effective Skill. Remember, if a Discombobulated fighter receives a second Discombobulated result, he is Incapacitated.

A Discombobulated fighter recovers by spending a Surge and rolling 3d6 on the Recovery table. A fighter may attempt to recover a second time during the Stone by spending an additional Surge.

RecoveryRoll Outcome

3 The fighter recovers and immediately takes an extra Surge. In addition the recovery Surge is not expended.

4,5 The fighter recovers and the Surge is not expended.6–12 The fighter recovers 13–15 The fighter is still Discombobulated.

16,17 Fighter’s helplessness encourages foes, gaining their commander a point of Froth.

18 Fighter succumbs to wounds, is considered Killed.

Rules of Conflict

Leadership ActionsLeaders are powerful, experienced fighters who take control of their troops and influence the flow of battle. Leaders may perform the following actions once per Stone.

Move! (2)A Ready leader using the Leadership ability may spend two Surges to allow himself and a number of Ready friendly fighters to make a normal move or sprint move. This counts as one activation for both the leader and any friendly fighters moved.

Stand Your Ground! (2)A Ready leader using the Leadership ability may spend two Surges to allow himself and a number of Ready friendly fighters to go On Guard. This counts as one activation for the leader and one combat activation for any On Guard fighters. The leader may gain On Guard status as well, counting the activation as a combat action.

Rally! (Whole Stone)Before declaring any actions, a commander may opt to spend an entire Stone on a rallying cry that will allow all Discombobulated fighters on his side to make a recovery roll. If the Stone is revealed to be a 3, all fighters roll normally. If the Stone is a 4, all friendly fighters roll for recovery with a Target number of 13, and if it is a 5, with a Target number of 14.

War Cry! (1)A Ready leader may spend a Surge to let out a war cry or start a battle chant, allowing a roll on the War Cry table.

War Cry!Roll Outcome6/6 “Kill them all, let Agaptus sort it out!” Commander gains 3 Froth.6/- “We shall swim in their blood!” Commander gains 2 Froth.6/1 “Attack!!” Both commanders gain 2 Froth.-/- “To Battle!!” Commander gains 1 Froth.1/- “Mumble, mumble!” Commander loses 2 Froth.1/1 “We’re gonna die!” Opponent gains 2 Froth.

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Magic ActionsPriests may spend Surges to commune with their deity, allowing for potential divine intervention on the battlefield. A Surge spent calling the gods allows the commander to cast the plea of his choice. The following pleas are available to the Priests of all races. Additional, race-specific pleas are presented in their respective chapters.

Heal (1)Calling on the divine kindness of their god, the Priest allows friendly fighters within 4” to make recovery rolls. The result needed for recovery is reduced by 1 for each additional friendly fighter recovering—if 2 fighters are making recovery rolls, the check is 11, if 3, check is at 10, and so on.

Smite (1)Seeking assistance to smite her enemies, the Priestess designates an enemy fighter within 2” as the target of divine wrath, and rolls on the Smite table.

SmiteRoll Outcome

6/6 The Fist of Atronia – Enemy fighters within 2” are hit with 2d6 Might.

6/- The Hand of Atronia – Enemy fighters within 2” are hit with 2d6-1 Might.

6/1 The Hand of Agaptus – All fighters within 2” are hit with 1d6 Might.

-/- The Goddess Shall Smite – Designated fighter hit with 1d6+2 Might.

1/- The Wrath of Agaptus – Priest suffers hit with 1d6 Might.

1/1 The Fury of Atronia – Priest suffers hit with 2d6 Might.

Rules of Conflict

Divine Bolt (1 or 2)The Priest attempts to harness the power of his deity and hurtle it toward an opponent. The Priest spends one Surge to perform a ranged attack against an enemy fighter following the rules for a ranged attack (see page 33). The Priest may elect to use the Dead-eye ability for the attack (see page 42).

If the divine bolt hits its target, roll 1d6 Might.The Priest may choose to spend two Surges on the plea. The attack is resolved

as above, with the Might determined by the Divine Bolt table.

Miscellaneous ActionsMany actions performed during a battle do not fall into any of the standard categories; for example finding an object, getting control of an animal, igniting or extinguishing a fire.

Most of these actions require a Surge and a Skill check to be made. The difficulty of these Skill checks should be agreed upon by both commanders. If the task seems easy, assign a bonus to the check. If the task is challenging apply a penalty, or require a second Surge to be spent. Discuss the action with your opponent to arrive at a mutually agreeable Target number.

Divine BoltRoll Outcome

6/6Divine Annihilation – Double damage done to target, and the Priest may elect to perform a second attack. This second attack does not roll on this table and may not make use of the Dead-eye ability.

6/- Divine Assistance – Double damage done to target.

6/1 Divine Feedback – Double damage done to target. The Priest suffers a 1d6 Might roll due to the immense surge of power.

-/- Divine Accuracy – Normal damage dealt to target. Priest may elect to re-roll the Might result.

1/- Divine Indifference – The plea goes unanswered and the Priest may not activate again this Stone.

1/1 Divine Exile – The spell fails and the Priest may not call this plea again for the remainder of the battle.

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Special AbilitiesMany fighters of Agaptus possess skills that place them above the ordinary. Whether naturally occurring or the result of years of training, the following Special Abilities represent the many fighting styles of the War of Ashes.

AssassinThis fighter has been trained to make the most of an initial strike, positioning himself to the greatest advantage. When performing a charge action, an Assassin rolls an extra die in addition to his standard Might. If the attack is successful, he chooses which dice make up his Might roll.

A fighter with this ability may spend two points of Froth to use it when performing a standard attack action.

If a fighter with the Assassin ability begins his movement behind an enemy fighter, his opponent may not spend Froth to turn to face him. This grants the Assassin fighter a +2 bonus to his Skill if he attacks before the enemy fighter can be activated.

BerserkA fighter with this ability may allow his enthusiasm full reign in the hope that he won’t do more harm than good. A commander may declare that a fighter is going Berserk only before he has taken any actions that turn. The Stone is revealed and all the Surges are given to the Berserk fighter.

This fighter may only use these Surges to aggressively move toward foes and attack them. The Berserk fighter may make more than one attack, but only one attack against each enemy. The Berserk fighter ignores all engagement rules and penalties.

The Berserk fighter first spends Surges to attack each Engaged enemy. Then he must make a Skill check to avoid attacking adjacent friendly fighters; for each failed check he must spend a Surge and attack that friendly fighter.

The Berserk fighter will then charge the next nearest enemy. This charge does not cost a point of Froth, nor require a minimum movement distance. If the charge does not bring the Berserk fighter into base contact with the enemy fighter, he must spend another Surge to continue moving.

This will repeat until the Berserk fighter runs out of Surges. He must then roll on the Berserk table to determine his fate.

BerserkRoll Outcome

3, 4, 5 The fighter moves toward the next, nearest enemy fighter, attacking if Engaged. Then roll on this table again.

6–12 The fighter ends the Stone as Ready.13–15 The fighter ends the Stone as Discombobulated.

16–17The fighter moves toward the nearest friendly figure, attacking with an automatic hit and doubled Might if Engaged.

18 The fighter expires in battle ecstasy; he is Incapacitated.

Rules of Conflict

BodyguardSometimes an elder, scholar, or other non-soldier finds themselves in the middle of an unexpected fray. They will naturally seek the protection of a friendly fighter, who will in turn strive to protect the important personage.

A fighter with the Bodyguard ability may spend a Surge to link up with another friendly fighter in base contact, making that fighter his bodyguard. These two fighters are then considered one linked fighter as long as they are in base contact, using the profile of the commander’s choice at any given point.

They remain linked until one of the fighters is Incapacitated or Killed, the linked fighters are engaged by multiple opponents, or they choose to split.

If the linked fighters are the target of a ranged weapon attack, the shooter may attempt to pick which target is hit. This requires a Skill check after the attacker spends the Surge, but before the roll to hit. If the check is successful the ranged fighter chooses which fighter is hit. If it fails the targeted fighters choose which of them has been hit.

Example 1: A Jaarl Popio near the back of the Skirmish fears the rapidly flanking fighters of the opposing Vidaar. He calls to a nearby roccio, linking with the fighter to gain some protection. When a Vidaar bondee attacks the pair, the Popio’s commander chooses to use the roccio’s profile to gain the advantage of his higher Toughness and Shield. When next he is activated the Popio calls the smite plea to dissuade the remaining Vidaar from advancing.

Example 2: At the beginning of the battle an Elvorix spearbuck uses the Bodyguard ability to link up with a linebuck, forming a rather effective team. With the linebuck engaged with an enemy, the Elvorix commander may spend a Surge to attack with the linebuck, spend a Surge to attack with the spearbuck behind him, or two Surges to do both.

BrawlerThese fighters are hard to distract or discomfit. Fighters with the Brawler ability have no facing—every side is considered front. Fighters attacking them do not get Skill bonuses for additional friendly fighters engaged.

CavalryBy spending two Surges, a mounted fighter with this ability may make an attack during movement. This attack occurs at a point of the fighter’s choice during a standard move. The fighter chooses an enemy along his path of movement, resolves the attack, and completes his move. This ability cannot be combined with sprint, charge, or careful movement.

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Center of MagicThis fighter either is or carries a magical focus. When a Priest calls the gods he may use this fighter as the origin point of the spell regardless of the distance between them.

CounterattackA fighter with this ability will immediately strike back at any fighter who attacks him, provided he is still able to attack. The Counterattack ability has a -2 penalty. This Counterattack may happen any number of times during an opponent’s turn if the fighter is attacked repeatedly. If the fighter with Counterattack is attacked by a double attack the counterattack happens in between the two attacks.

CreatureAgaptus is home to many large beasts, most of which have been led to battle by cunning or desperate commanders. Creatures have the following Special Abilities: Hard to Kill and Brawler.

Creeping DeathThese slithering fighters don’t move forward in leaps, but creep inexorably toward their enemies. The Creeping Death fighter may move an additional 2” at the start of his commander’s turn. This movement must take place immediately after the Stone is pulled, before any other actions are performed.

Rules of Conflict

Dead-eyeThis fighter is extraordinarily skilled with his ranged weapon and may aim for a particular spot on the target. A fighter with this ability may reduce his effective Skill for a shot by up to three and then add that number to his Might roll if successful.

DumbDumb fighters are non-Sentian animals who are under the control of a commander or who are running wild on the battlefield. As such they may move and fight as normal, but may not start fires, manipulate objects, take objectives (except when a Skirmish may explicitly allow this), or discover things. They are also subject to taunting.

EliteTrained to shrug off lesser wounds and battlefield conditions, a successful recovery does not count as one of an Elite fighter’s two allowed Surges.

FlightAble to fly across the battlefield, fighters with this ability ignore all terrain difficulties and obstacles while moving. While participating in the battle they must remain close to the ground, thus not providing a penalty to ranged attacks.

Hard to KillThese fighters are Hard to Kill due to their size or numbers.

The first time the Hard to Kill fighter’s Toughness is beaten by a Might roll he becomes Wounded, not Discombobulated. The fighter is marked to note this Status, but suffers no other penalties.

If a Hard To Kill fighter’s Toughness is doubled he becomes both Wounded and Discombobulated, suffering the penalties associated with being Discombobulated.

Once Wounded he is Discombobulated if his Toughness is beaten, and Incapacitated if it is doubled. If a Hard To Kill fighter’s Toughness is tripled he is Killed regardless of his current Status.

A Hard To Kill fighter may attempt to recover from Wounded with a Recovery check at -3 (a 9 or less instead of 12) and recovers from Discombobulated as normal. The extreme results of the recovery roll only apply to recovery from Discombobulation. Wounded fighters recover between the Skirmishes of a Tale.

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HeroVeterans of many battles, Heroes are difficult to put at a disadvantage. Heroes ignore the effects of the Scary special ability. In addition, Heroes have the Brawler and Elite abilities.

A commander’s Warband may only include one Hero for every 100 points gathered, with a maximum of four allowed.

HordeThese fighters work together in small groups, their numbers making up for their lesser strength. Fighters with Horde gain the Resilient (page 47) and Brawler (page 40) abilities.

InfiltrateA fighter with this ability may start the Skirmish off the battlefield. When his commander chooses to bring this fighter on the field he designates a point anywhere on the battlefield, no closer than 4” to an enemy fighter. He then spends a Surge, and rolls on the Infiltrate table.

Leadership (X/Y)Leaders allow a commander to better control his troops through their abilities to activate multiple fighters at once. A Leader may perform a Leadership action with a number of fighters equal to his Leadership value (X) and within his Leadership range (Y), in inches.

Leap (X)When jumping during a movement action, this fighter multiplies the distance allowed, both horizontally and vertically, by their Leap value. This allows the fighter to ignore certain barricades and obstacles, as well as enemy fighters.

InfiltrateRoll Outcome

6/6Psst! Behind you! – Place the fighter anywhere on the battlefield, including Engaged with an enemy fighter. This is considered a free action and does not expend a Surge from the current Stone.

6/- Where did he come from?!? – Place the fighter anywhere within 4” of the designated point, including Engaged with an enemy fighter.

6/1 Stepped on a branch! – Place the fighter at the designated point. This is a free action and does not expend a Surge from the current Stone.

-/- Sneaky bugger! – Place the fighter at the designated point.

1/- Wait, where am I? – Opponent places fighter within 4” of the designated point, including Engaged with an enemy fighter of his choice.

1/1 Should have turned left at... – Opponent places the fighter anywhere on the battlefield, including Engaged with an enemy fighter of his choice.

Rules of Conflict

Mount (X)Beasts of burden are no stranger to the battlefield; even the lowly farmer’s snegil can be pressed to serve as a courier’s Mount. When carrying a fighter into battle, Mounts grant the following bonuses and abilities.

The number listed after the ability is the number of passengers the beast may carry and still perform as a Mount. More passengers are possible, but the beast will lose all of the bonuses associated with the ability. For the purpose of Mount, two Vorix count as only one passenger.

Mounts have a second column on their profile. These are bonuses to the mounted fighter’s profile while he is on the beast. If the beast does not have a rider it uses its own profile, as does the fighter if he leaves the back of the Mount.

While mounted the fighter uses his profile, modified by the mount, for all battlefield situations. When attacked the mounted fighter uses his modified Toughness against the Might roll. Combat results are treated the same with the exception of Incapacitated. When a mounted fighter is Incapacitated, the Mount resorts to its own profile and seeks to escape the battle. Mounted fighters are never considered Engaged by enemy fighters.

Mounts can be specifically targeted by melee and ranged combat, but the attacking fighter must spend a point of Froth to do so.

Mounts grant the Trample ability to the mounted fighter. The Trample attack uses the fighter’s modified Might. In addition, when mounted fighters perform a charge, the attack is considered a powerful blow without the expenditure of the second Surge.

If a mounted fighter moves within 1” of a Ready enemy without attacking, that opponent gets a free normal attack against him. If the Mount and rider stop after making contact with a fighter there is no free attack.

Mounted fighters in entangling terrain halve their Movement Allowance before choosing a movement action.

Example: Blagaard, a Vidaar Lunghshyld, has chosen to ride into battle upon a snegil. When gathering the warband, his commander pays for both profiles; Blagaard is 47 points, the snegil 20, for a total of 67 points. His commander modifies Blagaard’s profile by the second column of the snegil’s, giving the Lunghshyld +1 to Skill, +1 to Toughness, and +4 to his Movement Allowance. Since the snegil is not trained for combat, Blagaard does not gain a bonus to his Might. He does gain the ability associated with Mount and any listed in the mount’s profile.

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Multiple Attacks (X)Beasts that carry Ready fighters, creatures with multiple limbs, and certain weapon masters are all capable of unleashing multiple attacks in the time it takes a normal fighter to perform one. Fighters with this ability may perform a number of melee attacks equal to their Multiple Attacks value. This value is also the penalty applied to each attack the fighter makes while using this ability.

Example: The Atronian Grommel carries three Atronians on its back. This grants the creature Multiple Attacks (3), allowing its commander to choose to make one attack at its normal Skill, or up to three attacks at -3 to Skill.

Rules of Conflict

MusicianA Ready Musician may spend a Surge to strike up a jaunty tune from the list below.The musician continues playing the song as a free action until he chooses to change to another or performs any action other than movement.Battle Hymn – The musician’s commander gains 1 Froth every time a Stone is pulled for him, as long as the musician continues to play this song.National Anthem – All Recovery checks within 8” are at +1 to the Target number. This bonus is cumulative with other abilities.Theme Song – Designate a Hero or Leader within 8”. That fighter gains +1 Skill for any checks while in range.

Natural WeaponsA fighter with Natural Weapons may make two attacks at -2 instead of one normal attack, and one of these may be at an enemy behind him. In addition, any time the fighter is attacked from the front he may make a Counterattack at -1.

Non-CombatantA fighter with this ability may not purposely Engage an enemy fighter. If Engaged the fighter may attack, but the combat result cannot exceed Discombobulation.

Pack (X)Some creatures move and attack in groups, which can be both terrifying and hard to stop. When a commander spends a Surge to activate Pack fighters, a number of them equal to their Pack value may activate, moving or attacking as individuals. They may not perform a powerful blow action as a pack, only individually. Each individual fighter is still limited to two actions per turn.

PathfinderThis fighter is extremely adept at surprising his opponents. When rolling on the Infiltrate table, this fighter rolls three dice and chooses which two to apply.

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PriestThese spiritual leaders are often called to the battlefield to lend divine assistance. This ability allows the fighter to cast the three calling on the gods spells, as well as any spells specific to his race.

Rapid ShotThis fighter is a skilled marksbuck, capable of releasing multiple projectiles in a quick manner, sacrificing lethality for speed. A fighter with this ability may perform two ranged attacks for one Surge. Both of these shots are treated as separate attacks, and may take advantage of the Dead-eye ability. If the fighter spends two Surges, both shots are considered aimed shots.

ReachA fighter with reach may attack at a distance, giving him extra options.

Ready fighters with Reach will get a free attack on any fighter that moves into contact with them before that fighter can attack them. A fighter with Reach may attack an enemy up to 1” away, though they are not considered Engaged without base-to-base contact.

A fighter with Reach may also attack over a friendly fighter’s shoulder. To do this he must be in base contact with the friendly fighter and otherwise unengaged. He may then attack any enemy Engaged with the friendly fighter.

A fighter with Reach that fumbles his Skill check to attack, rolling a 16, 17, or 18, still suffers the extreme result. If he is 1” away from, or not engaged with, the opposing fighter, that enemy moves into base contact with him before performing the bonus attack listed on the extreme results table. If there is a friendly fighter between him and his opponent, the friendly fighter is the victim of the extreme result.

ResilientWhen Resilient fighters are Discombobulated they suffer no penalty for this condition; they still engage enemy fighters, may still move or attack, and there is no +2 bonus to attack them. If they receive a second Discombobulate, they are Incapacitated as normal.

Scaly HideThis fighter has very thick skin, granting it protection from attacks. An attack against this fighter will bring a -1 penalty to Skill. This penalty is combined with any other condition, including modifiers for the fighter’s Shield.

Rules of Conflict

Scary (X)A truly terrifying opponent, fighters with this ability lessen the effectiveness of their opponents. The first time a fighter attacks a Scary opponent, his Skill is reduced by X. When fighting an opponent with a higher Scary value the fighter suffers a penalty equal to the difference in values.

Sea LegsWhen onboard a ship and Engaged with a fighter lacking this ability the Sea Legs fighter gets a +1 to his Skill. In addition, no part of a ship is treated as entangling terrain.

Shadow WalkerFighters with this ability have the Infiltrate ability.

In addition, on his turn, a commander may spend a Surge to remove any number of his fighters with this ability from the battlefield. The commander may spend a Surge to bring back one of his fighters using Infiltrate as normal (see page 43).

Short RangeFighters with this ability use improvised thrown weapons with reduced range. Short Ranged fighters may only attack enemies up to a distance of 8”. The range penalty of -1 still applies to targets over 4” away. Fighters with Short Range may perform an aimed shot action.

SkirmisherSkirmishers are adept at hit-and-run fighting. When a fighter with this ability receives a Discombobulated result he may make a Skill check at -3 to dodge away instead, if it’s possible for the Skirmisher to move 1” away and break contact with the attacker.

If the Skill check fails the Skirmisher is Discombobulated as normal. If the check is successful the Skirmisher moves 1” in any direction that breaks contact with the attacker, even if that disengages the Skirmisher from other fighters. The attacker may not make a follow-up move unless he spends a point of Froth.

When Engaged with another Skirmisher the effects of this ability do not apply.

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SprinterA fighter with this ability may perform a sprint action without fear of being intercepted. This allows the fighter to sprint past or Engage enemy fighters without granting them a free attack.

StandardAny fighter within 2” of his side’s standard bearer can add 1 to their Skill for all purposes and may recover from Discombobulation as an action without a die roll.

If standard bearers are Discombobulated they cling to their standard whatever the situation (that’s why they were chosen, after all). If they are Killed, however, the standard falls to the ground and may be picked up by any adjacent fighter who spends a Surge. A fighter who picks up his own side’s standard gains this Standard Bearer Special Ability. If an enemy fighter picks up the standard, the side losing the standard gives 3 Froth (or all they have) to the side gaining the standard. If the original side regains their standard they take back 3 Froth (or all there is).

Rules of Conflict

Sweeping BlowA fighter with this ability may strike at multiple enemy fighters.

The commander may designate two fighters who are within 2” of the Sweeping Blow fighter, and no more than 2” apart. These two fighters, any fighters between them, and any fighters between them and the Sweeping Blow fighter are all attacked, no matter for which side they fight. The Target number of this attack is not affected by a fighter’s Shield.

The attacker chooses the direction of the swing, and each fighter is attacked in turn. If a large fighter suffers an adverse combat result because of a bad Skill check or counterattack on one of these attacks, the other attacks are performed before the adverse result is applied. All fighters attacked are moved 1” in the direction of the swing after the attack is resolved.

A fighter with Sweeping Blow may also attack a single opponent up to 1” away, though this enemy fighter is not Engaged.

The Nhilde declares that he will perform a Sweeping Blow. He designates two Jaarl roccio, A and B, as the end points of the attack because they are within 2” of each other and within 2” of himself. He also declares the direction of the attack’s path, from Jaarl A to Jaarl B.

All four of the Jaarl roccio and the lone Vidaar bondee will be hit by the attack as they are all considered between Jaarl A and B. Each fighter is attacked in turn.

Once the attack is resolved any remaining fighters will be moved 1” in the direction of the arrow, following the declared path of the blow.

1”

B

A

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TrampleA fighter with this ability may move directly over a smaller fighter in an attempt to trample him, if he can move all the way over the target with a standard move. If the moving fighter started the turn behind the target, or the target is Discombobulated, it is automatically trampled. Otherwise the targeted fighter makes a Skill check, finding the result on the Trample table.

If the target is trampled the Trampling fighter rolls his normal Might and applies the result as usual.

A Ready fighter with Reach about to be trampled may make an attack on the Trampling enemy before rolling on the Trample table. If the attack is successful the Trampling fighter will be either pushed and continue his move, or Discombobulated, Incapacitated, or Killed, and the trample will not occur. If the fighter with Reach is On Guard this attack is at +2 to Skill.

TrampleRoll Outcome

3 The trampling fighter is stopped and receives an automatic hit from the target fighter at doubled Might.

4, 5 The trampling fighter receives an automatic hit from the target fighter, and continues if able.

Success The target fighter may move 1” to either side of the trampling fighter’s path.Failure The target fighter is trampled.16, 17 The target fighter is trampled with doubled Might roll.

18 The target fighter is Killed outright.

Rules of Conflict

Two WeaponsA fighter with Two Weapons may either parry an incoming strike to give his attacker -1 to Skill, or make a counterattack at Skill -2 if he is still Ready after the attack.

The fighter may also choose to make two attacks instead of one on his turn. Each of these attacks will be at -3 to Skill and they may be at different, Engaged targets.

VomitCertain fighters can vomit tactically, if not precisely. Every fighter even partially inside a 3” by 3” area in front of this fighter is hit by the attack. The Might of the attack varies depending on the target’s distance from the Vomiting fighter.

Shields reduce the Might roll by the modifier they would normally apply to an enemy’s Skill roll.

Inanimate objects are also affected by this acidic spray: fires are extinguished, food and delicate objects are ruined, stores are damaged.

The fighter is Discombobulated by this regurgitation. He may recover as normal, and if he does he may purge himself again.

When a fighter with Vomit is Incapacitated or Killed his commander must roll on the Burst table.

VomitDistance MightUp to 1” 3d6Up to 2” 2d6Up to 3” 1d6+3

Burst TableRoll Outcome

6/6 It’s gonna blow! – The fighter performs a standard Vomit attack. The fighter’s status then becomes Incapacitated regardless of the initial combat result.

6/-Don’t cut there! – The fighter performs a standard Vomit attack with a maximum Might of 2d6. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the initial combat result.

6/1Look out! – The fighter bursts, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, within 1” with a 2d6 Might Vomit attack. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the initial combat result.

-/-Hik-up! – The fighter belches, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, within 1” with a 1d6 Might Vomit attack. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the initial combat result.

1/-Eww! – The fighter bursts, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, behind him with a standard Vomit attack, maximum 2d6 Might. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the initial combat result.

1/1 Dodge a bellyfull there! – The fighter belches to no effect. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the initial combat result.

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WallopA fighter with this ability has trained in the art of two-handed weapons, or he is naturally very strong, allowing him to attack with great strength. A Wallop fighter may perform a powerful blow attack by spending a point of Froth instead of the second Surge normally required.

Wave of FleshWave of Flesh fighters in contiguous base contact may all move with one Surge, each moving independently once activated. This move can be a standard, sprint, or careful move, but Wave of Flesh fighters may only charge individually.

Ylark IgnitionSacred to the sun god, ylarks are often sacrificed by being soaked in oil and burned alive. It didn’t take the Elvorix long to realize that this ritual was a great way to explain the power of Agaptus to their enemies in battle. Oiled ylarks fight as normal prior to ignition.

The commander may ignite the ylark at the beginning of his turn before any actions are performed by expending the entire Stone. The ylark immediately goes on a rampage, moving 10” directly forward. The ylark then rotates to any direction desired by the commander and moves another 10”, repeating this until it has moved a number of times equal to the Stone. The ylark ignores entangling terrain and fires, destroys barricades and baggage, and ignites flammable terrain. Obstacles will stop the ylark’s movement for that Surge. If the ylark enters water it will lie down and extinguish itself, ending the rampage.

Each fighter in the path must roll a Trample Skill check at -2 to jump out of the way (to the edge of the ylark’s path). Trampled fighters suffer additional damage from the splashing burning oil based on the value of the Stone.

At the end of the turn the ylark remains in place. On the owning commander’s next turn roll 3d6:

•8 or less The ylark rampages again, using the new Stone, in place of the commander’s turn.

•9 or more The ylark dies, burning in place, inextinguishable, and causing a hit with a Might of 2d6 on any fighter who passes within 1”. The ylark may rampage any number of turns before finally succumbing, its status changing to Killed.

Flame DamageStone Bonus

3 Might +1d64 Might +25 Might +1

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Two warbands meet with a

Clash of BladesFaelissa crouched, scratching a persistent louse in her matted fur, watching

the impeccably groomed Jaarl across the frozen cornfield. Overhead, a bloated red sun limped through the sickly yellow sky. She had heard of this Jaarl, the Rettori champion who carried a glaive and was hellbent on sacking Atronia. He had four of his villains with him. Around Faelissa, her five sisters waited on her signal. They called the Atronians weak, and said it with a sneer—Does playing at being warriors. But the Atronians had cast aside their racial differences to build a lasting peace for Vidaar, Elvorix and Jaarl alike. And that was an example the Jaarl conquerors simply could not abide.