CreditsCopyright © 2008 Daniel Mersey/Ganesha Games

Playtesting, helpful suggestions, and thanks: Simon ‘Lancelot Slayer’ Bell; Damian Beamish; Simon Egan-Payne; Pascal Saradjan; Rich Jones; Shaun McTague; Ponders End Wargames Club; Guy and Guy for their differing opinions on Arthur; James and Steve for reigniting my interest in Arthurian gaming; the Song of Blades and Heroes Yahoo group (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/songofblades/), from whom I’ve learned a lot about how to play the game; and the many, many people who have beaten me at my own games over the years. Most importantly, thanks to Andrea for asking me to write this book and for his contributions to the High Medieval special items.

Arthurian Sourcebook for Song of Blades and Heroes, v.1.1Written by Daniel Mersey

Song of Arthur

and Merlin

www.ganeshagames.blogspot.com

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Table of Contents Introduction 3 Page References Which King Arthur to Play

Special Rules 4 Bard Chivalry Dogged 5 Hero’s Horse Inconvenient Jouster Knight 6 Legendary Wizard Protect 7 Solar Force Stubborn UniqueSpecial Situations Herds Jousting Raiding 8

The High Medieval King Background 9Special Items The Adventurous Shield Balin’s Broadsword Blessed Armor Bor’s Sword 10 Damsel’s Ribbon Excalibur Galatine Golden Harness The Grail Hermit’s Potion 11 Lancelot’s Ring Magical Ring Perceval’s Sword Priamus’ Sword Relic Sword Sacred Vision The Spear of Vengeance Terror Tree Viviane’s Shields 12 Water of ParadiseWarbands Designing your Warband Games Between Bands of Knights Questing Knights 13High Medieval Warband Advances Champion’s Challenge Knights of the Round Table Knowledge of Folklore Sailing to Avalon ValorousHigh Medieval Rosters 14Scenario Generator 16 None Shall Pass! Blood Feud 17 Rescue Tournament

Special Scenarios 18Drawing the Sword from the StoneThe Strife of CamlannGrail Quest Campaign Within Camelot’s Hinterland 19 Into the Perilous Forest The Desolate Desert The Grail Castle 20 Finding the Grail Grail Tests

The Welsh King Background 21Special Items Arthur’s Mantle 22 Arthur’s Weapons Cauldron of Ceridwen Cauldron of Champions Dart of True Flight Enchanted Weapon Faerie Cloak Lion-Skin Shield Magical Torc Mead Padarn’s Tunic Pendragon’s Helmet 23Prydery and Manawyddan’s Shields Rydderch Hael’s Sword Standing Stones Terrifying War HornTudwal Tudelud’s Whetstone Weasel VenomWarbandsDesigning Your WarbandTriad TaleWelsh King Warband Advances 24 Befriended by Eagles Druid’s Favor Host of Riders Knowledge of Folklore Mead Raven Feeders Rustlers Sailing to Avalon ShapechangerWelsh King Rosters 25

Scenario Generator 27 Kill the Monster! Magical Cattle Raid Kidnap The Hunt 28Culhwch and Olwen Campaign Wrnach the Giant’s Sword The Cauldron of Diwrnach 29 The Hunt for the Giant Boar The Very Black Witch

The Historical King Background 30Designing Your WarbandWarband Advances Angons Boar’s Snout Flags and Horns Host of Riders Roman Equipment Rustlers Sea Raider Shieldwall Veterans Successor 31Historical King RostersDismounting Chieftains and Champions 33Scenario Generator 34 Raid Marauders Fight at the FordSpecial Scenarios: the Fifth Century AD The Battle of BadonGroups in Historical Games 35Zone of Control The Ride of the Gododdin

Designer’s Notes 36Miniature Lists and Further Reading

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Introduction This is an Arthurian sourcebook for Song of Blades and Heroes, rather than a new set of stand-alone rules. You’ll need to refer back to the original rulebook, Song of Gold and Darkness and Song of Wind and Water to learn the game and identify most special rules and some rosters used in this supplement. The special rules, objects, terrain, and game mechanisms outlined in SBH and other supplements are usable with this book if you wish to expand your Arthurian setting.Each section of this book contains new items and warband advances relevant to three different Arthurian worlds; feel free to include these ideas in non-Arthurian games. Rosters include models from previous supplements where applicable to the Arthurian setting; this is to clearly indicate what models most suit an Arthurian setting. If you fancy introducing other monsters, that’s fine so long as your gaming pals agree.

Page References To prevent repetition of rules, references to pre-existing rules are noted as SBH (Song of Blades and Heroes), SGD (Song of Gold and Darkness), or SWW (Song of Wind and Water) followed by the page number in that book. References including a page number only are references to this book.

Which King Arthur to Play? Stories of Arthur have been around for many generations, maybe from as early as the sixth century and definitely from the ninth century, intertwining many different settings and characters. Depending on your take on the legend or history, you may decide to play games set in the classic Arthurian setting of an enchanted medieval world (High Medieval King), or prefer the equally enchanted but slightly grittier setting of earlier Celtic folklore and old school history (Welsh King). Some players wish to re-enact the real life battles in Britain of the fifth and sixth centuries – the historical era in which a real life Arthur might have lived – bereft of magic and monsters, but still full of tactical choices and tough warbands (Historical King). The same miniatures can be used for the Welsh and Historical King games, using models from the many existing Dark Ages ranges; for High Medieval games, look to plunder fantasy ranges and historical models from the medieval period 1100-1500.

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Arthurian Special Rules

BardAs one action, a Bard may temporarily make any one friendly model within Medium distance into a Hero during that model’s next turn. The target model may be changed each turn, but a Bard may only make one Hero per turn. If a Bard uses this power on a model with the Hero special rule, that hero receives two automatic successes. A Bard is a Personality model.

ChivalryA Chivalry rating is given to any model with the Knight special rule – wizards, brigands, peasants, and creatures don’t live their lives by a chivalrous code of honor. Chivalry reflects the heroic or evil deeds a knight accomplishes, judged against the standards of the Round Table. Chivalry is not affected by Morale; a negative score represents a rogue or evil knight rather than a coward.All knights begin with a Chivalry of 0, but may carry over their Chivalry score from game to game. Every time a model performs a good act or a bad act in the game, they add or subtract points of Chivalry (this is one of the few bits of record keeping you’ll need in the game – and if you’re playing one off scenarios, you can leave this rule out). The Standard Chivalry Chart shows what constitutes a good or bad act. Some scenarios’ Victory Conditions allow the player to choose whether to take positive or negative Chivalry, depending on which is most beneficial to the models in his warband.

Standard Chivalry Chart

Good+?? As specified by scenario or agreed by

players in game (awarded at end of game)

+1 Moving to fight enemy with higher Combat rating (each time the model moves into hand to hand)

+1 Not striking at an opponent who has Fallen Down when the opportunity arises (each time)

+1 Unhorsing an opponent in a joust (once per opponent)

+1 Backing out of a combat so that opponent is no longer outnumbered (each time)

+1 Slaying a model with the Terror special rule (once per slaying)

Bad-?? As specified by scenario or agreed by

players in game (awarded at end of game)

-1 Killing opponent who has Fallen Down (once per opponent)

-1 Using a missile weapon (each time)

-1 Using an Ambush (each time)

-1 Using poison or spells – but not using magic weapons or armor (each time)

-1 Joining a fight where the enemy is already outnumbered (each time)

When a model attains certain Chivalry points, the warband may go on a Quest scenario to find a Special item of the player’s choosing; see Special Items in the High Medieval King section for more details.

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Given the epic nature of the Arthurian setting, you might wish to make your campaigns longer than the usual 4-5 games when using the Chivalry rules – the longer your campaign, the greater your chance of questing for some seriously good special items. Chivalry costs no extra points.

DoggedOnce entering into combat with an opponent, the model cannot leave that combat or start a fight with a new opponent until his current enemy has been killed or fled from the table. Other models may join the fight, but the original opponent must remain the Dogged model’s target on his own attacks. If the original opponent breaks off combat, the Dogged model must pursue until the opponent is dead or off the table.

Hero’s HorseAny model with this rule may choose to be Mounted on a horse (Long Move) at the start of the scenario

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InconvenientA player spends points on this model as usual and may choose to place it in his opponent’s warband rather than his own (at no points cost to the opponent). The model becomes part of the opponent’s warband for the entirety of the scenario, and one Knight on that warband (nominated by the Knight’s owning player) gains the Protect special rule for the Inconvenient model, for 0 points. Only one Inconvenient model may be given to an opponent in any scenario.

Example: Simon chooses to add an Inconvenient damsel to his warband for 8 points, so that he can place her in his opponent’s warband before either warband deploys on the table. This means that his total points value is now 292 compared to his opponent’s 308 – although both still count as their original 300 points in game terms.

His opponent, Damian, has several Knights in his warband, so must now select one of these models to Protect the damsel (at 0 points cost). Damian deploys and controls the Inconvenient model throughout this game, but will hand the model back to Simon when the game has ended. During the game, Simon gains Victory Points for killing the Inconvenient damsel, Damian’s Knight must abide by the Protect rules and if the Inconvenient model is killed, her loss counts for Morale and other game purposes against Damian.

Designer’s note:Purchasing an Inconvenient model and placing it in your opponent’s warband means that your opponent will need to keep that figure out of danger or potentially risk the Morale test caused by a gruesome death. In non-Arthurian settings, the model needing to Protect the Inconvenient model may be either a Knight or a Personality.

JousterWhen jousting on horseback, the model may add an additional +1 to his Combat score.

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Knight There are some things in the game that only a Knight character can do (such as joust, have a Chivalry score, or Protect an Inconvenient model). This special ability may not be given to Animals, Magic users, or monsters (unless specified on their roster). A knight may be mounted using Hero’s Horse and take Heavy Armor rule as an upgrade, at the normal cost for these rules.

Legendary WizardThis special rule gives the model the Magic-User rule, with more powerful spell casting ability. The distance that a spell (including Transfix) may be cast over is doubled (Power 1 becomes 2x Short, Power 2 becomes 2x Medium, Power 3 becomes 2x Long).In addition, as a Power 3 spell, the model may cast any of the following special rules to affect himself, or a friend or an enemy within Long range. The effect of this lasts only for one turn, but the Legendary Wizard may cast the same spell on the same model in as many turns as he wishes. If the target model is an opponent, that model makes a standard magic resistance roll against power 3 to prevent the effect (see SBH). The spell is chosen from the following list of special rules: Amphibious,Berserk,Combat Master, Danger Sense, Desert Walk,Distract,Flying, Greedy,Heavy Armor, Size (this increases the user’s or target model’s size from normal to Big, or from Big to Huge), Slow, Snow Walk,Stealth, Swamp Walk, Teleport, Terror (the target model gains this rule).

Example: Merlin, a Legendary Wizard, is activated with three successes. Choosing to use them all to create a Power 3 spell, he may either

cast a normal spell as detailed in SBH (pages 9-10), and being a Legendary Wizard he may double the distance of effect, or he may choose to use one of his special powers. Deciding that the latter would be more useful in this turn, he flicks his fingers and magically increases the size of his nearby friend Gawain, making him Big for this one turn (Gawain is within Long distance). At the start of the following turn, Gawain loses the Big rule. When Merlin is next activated, he rolls only two successes, so may only cast a Power 1 or 2 spell if using magic (but is able to do so over double the normal distance). Next time Merlin rolls three successes, he might cast a normal power 3 spell, or again choose to make Gawain Big, or choose to fly himself elsewhere, make his enemy Mordred Greedy for one turn, or create an aura of Terror around Arthur for one turn – so long as the spell is cast on Merlin himself or a model within long distance of him. Your choices are plentiful when you are a Legendary Wizard!

Designer’s note: This rule gives the user a wider variety of spells to cast, but doesn’t require players to learn lots of new rules. Cost-wise, this is expensive… we calculated its cost of 99 points adding up to all the special rules that can be cast, halved to reflect the random dice rolling aspect of using them.

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ProtectA model with this special rule must remain within a Long move of a named companion for the entirety of the game if both models are in the same warband. If this rule is ever broken, the model must attempt to move back within this distance as soon as possible. If the model being protected is killed or is removed due to a Morale test, the protector immediately gains the Dogged special rule against the slayer. If the protected model flees off the table, protection becomes void for the rest of the scenario.

Solar ForceSome models abilities are stronger or weaker according to the sun’s power. To find the time of day at the start of the game, roll 1d6 to discover the sun’s effect on this model: on a score of 1-2, modify +1 Quality and -1 Combat; on a score of 3-4, there is no change; on a score of 5-6 modify -1 Quality and +1 Combat. This does not affect the model’s points cost, and is not affected by weather conditions, night-time scenarios, or when the model is indoors.

Stubborn The model is unable to take part of Group moves, so must always act independently.

UniqueOnly one of this model may be used in a campaign; if both players wish to use a Unique character, roll a die to decide who may use it. If a Unique model dies, it may not be replaced in a campaign. This has no points cost.

Special Situations

HerdsHerds are used in raiding games (see Raiding, p8). A herd may be any domesticated animal, or even humans who are taken as slaves. Herds are based on stands the same size as mounted models.

JoustingOnly mounted Knights may joust. The models start 3 x Long moves from each other. Both players roll a die to see which model moves first (highest scorer chooses), and both players must move in a straight line directly towards each other, a full Long move for each action given to movement (no partial moves are allowed, all must be full length). Each model is activated as usual – successes and failures are acted upon in the usual way, but once a player has been activated (with 0-3 successes), the other player takes his turn. The first action of a model’s every turn must be a Long move – so models engaged at the start of a player’s turn cannot fight, the active model instead passing by his opponent.The model taking an action when contact is made gets a +1 Combat bonus for momentum; Power attacks can’t be struck when Jousting and Heavy Armor does not have any effect; recoil and fallen combat outcomes are treated as Unhorsed. If the result is a tie, or the riders pass each other when the active player cannot attack (for example, if he doesn’t have enough successes to make an attack or if the models start adjacent to each other), move both knights back to their starting positions and joust again. When one knight is unhorsed, the fight continues with both knights dismounting one Short move from each other, the unhorsed knight Fallen; the model who unhorsed his opponent gets an additional, temporary +1 Combat through the rest of this fight.

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RaidingThe aim of some scenarios is to steal herd and treasure chest counters from the table. Treasure chests carried in the same way as other treasure (SGD page 16-17); in the Historical King game, most treasure chests will have a weight of 1. To snatch a herd, a model must move into contact with or begin his turn in contact with the herd, and must spend one of his actions every turn keeping the it under Control and moving in base contact with him at his normal movement pace (for example, a model stealing a sheep herd who has passed three actions could expend one action to keep the sheep under control, and then move with the sheep for his other two actions). If a model does not use an action point to control a herd (or fails all of or doesn’t get the opportunity to make its activation rolls), the herd becomes Uncontrolled and automatically moves one base width away from the model, in a direction determined by the opposing player (but never into Control of another model).A model forced to recoil or fallen down in Combat may retain control of a herd, but a model killed means the herd becomes Uncontrolled. Unless a scenario states otherwise, all herds begins the game Uncontrolled.A model may Control or carry only one stand of herds at a time (regardless of the model’s size) or treasure, as outlined in SGD unless possessing the Rustler warband advance (see page 24) or the Hoarder warband advance (see SGD page 11). Players may give one successful action point from a model to move an uncontrolled herd up to one Medium move in any direction (abiding by other movement rules). For example, Bedwyr has passed three actions, so chooses to take two of these himself, and expend his final action to move a stand of sheep up to one medium distance. No model may give more than one action per turn to move a herd.

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The High Medieval King

BackgroundThis is the Arthur of Sir Thomas Malory, Tennyson, Hal Foster, and Hollywood! Set in a magical high medieval world, Arthur and his knights uphold justice and prove their piety whilst battling monsters and searching for the Holy Grail. Plate armor is worn, jousting is common, and there is underlying tension between Arthur’s knights and those of Mordred. To many gamers, this is the most identifiable setting for King Arthur.

Special ItemsSpecial items have been included in this book to add to the Arthurian theme. They are gained by trading in Chivalry points and completing a Quest scenario.A Knight may trade Chivalry points equal to an item’s ‘Cost to Quest’ at the end of a scenario (including points carried over from previous games if required) and the warband he is part of immediately undertakes a Quest scenario for a Special Item. Victory Points may be spent before undertaking this Quest. The player must specify which Special Item he will search for before the Quest starts, and his opponent may choose a new warband to fight with. The winner of the previous game in the campaign decides first if he wishes to take a Quest; if not, the loser may choose to. A Quest cannot be the first game in a campaign, as the player needs to

win a game (‘undertake some worthy deeds’ in knightly terms) to qualify for a Quest. If the Special Item is won, the player chooses which model will use it; if the Quest is unsuccessful, the Chivalry points are still traded in. Some items may only be used by models with + or – Chivalry; models for whom Chivalry is not applicable may use any item unless specified. Some characters already possess special items on their roster, although items named after knights are not always owned by that character at the start of the game. The points cost to a model equipped with a Special Item is the Cost to Quest -10 points.When a model with a special item is killed, the item magically disappears and may not be picked up or used by another character in the game (an exception to the usual SBH rule, but more in keeping with Arthurian tales). Every item listed here has the Unique special rule unless otherwise noted.So many items could have been included in this section! If your favorite Arthurian item is missing, feel free to create your own based on these guidelines, and use Malory as your guide.Remember that, as outlined in the Chivalry special rule, you may wish to play longer campaigns than in other SBH settings, to give players a chance to quest for more special items; and the more Chivalrous (or evil) you are, the quicker you’ll build up points to quest with.

The Adventurous ShieldThis shield was once owned by Galahad and gives +1 to Combat. In addition, the knight can ignore the first knock down or kill result he receives in combat. Cost to Quest: 20 Chivalry (+).

Balin’s BroadswordThis weapon gives +1 to Combat in hand to hand only. If the user rolls a 1 in Combat, he receives a Free Hack at Combat 3 from the sword itself. Cost to Quest: 20 Chivalry (+/-).

Blessed ArmorCounts as Heavy Armor without the negative Stealth or Quality modifiers. Cost to Quest: 15 Chivalry (+/-).

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Bor’s SwordThis is the Roman gladius that wounded Joseph of Arimathea. It was broken, then repaired by Sir Galahad and given to Sir Bors. A +20 Chivalry knight wielding this sword can automatically heal any Quality loss on himself once per game. Cost to Quest: 20 Chivalry (+/-).

Damsel’s RibbonOnly usable by a Knight (usually hanging from a helmet or weapon), the faith and dedication of a damsel allows the model to reroll one dice roll of any kind once per game; if the reroll is a failure, the ribbon slips away and is lost. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 5 Chivalry (+/-).

ExcaliburThe famous sword of Arthur. It gives +1 in hand to hand combat and ignores the opponent’s Heavy Armor, if any. In addition, when wielded by a model with the Leader ability, the sword doubles the model’s leadership command radius (so the leader bonus counts up to 2 x long range). Excalibur’s scabbard is magical, too. The model wearing the scabbard can ignore one knock down or kill result received in Combat, once per game.Only Arthur, Gawain, Merlin, or Mordred may wield Excalibur – the sword’s magical force is too powerful for anyone else to handle.Cost to Quest: 25 Chivalry (+/-).

GalatineThis is the sword that Arthur pulled from the stone (and was later used by Gawain). The user of this sword can give forth a flash of blinding light once per game. This requires one action. This ability can be used only if the user’s group is at a numerical disadvantage or if the wielder is Fallen. Any model within Long distance from the user must make a Quality roll on one die or be Transfixed.If for any reason Galatine begins a scenario mounted in the stone, the only way a figure may draw it is by rolling three simultaneous fives or sixes on his activation dice when adjacent to the stone. He automatically gains the Hero special rule if not already one (increasing his point value), but each model gets only one attempt per game to draw the sword from the stone. Cost to Quest: 25 Chivalry (+/-).

Golden HarnessThis gleaming golden Armor makes a model with the Leader special rule stand out on the battlefield. The model may reroll one failed activation roll (of any number of dice) of any model in leadership range, once per game. Only usable by a Knight. Worn by Mordred. Cost to Quest: 15 Chivalry (+/-).

The GrailThe cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper, the Grail can be touched and used only by a +25 Chivalry knight. The model using the Grail and his associates up to a Long distance away from the wielder cannot be Transfixed or Distracted and are immune to the effects of Poison. In addition, the model using the Grail ignores the first Kill or Fall he receives in a game. If the user’s Chivalry drops below +25, the Grail will instantly disappear and the knight dies. The Grail may only be Quested for using the Grail Quest campaign. Cost to Quest: 30 Chivalry (+).

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Hermit’s PotionA potion that restores a model’s Quality to its original score when consumed for 1 action. Single use. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 10 Chivalry (+/-).

Lancelot’s RingThe wearer of this ring cannot be Transfixed. Cost to Quest: 10 Chivalry (+/-).

Magical RingThree types of ring exist, so dice for effect when acquired: 1-2: Invisibility (gives Stealth rule, regardless of Heavy Armor); 3-4: Fleet of Foot (+1 to Quality rolls); 5-6: Boar Strength (+1 to Combat). Cost to Quest: 10 Chivalry (+/-).

Perceval’s SwordThis fine sword ignores the opponent’s Heavy Armor, if any. Cost to Quest: 15 Chivalry (+/-).

Priamus’ SwordAny model knocked down by this sword loses one point of Quality. If a model’s Quality reaches 7 or more, the model dies. Cost to Quest: 15 Chivalry (+/-).

Relic SwordA blessed sword with a saint’s relic in the pommel; Lethal vs Evil and Dragons. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 15 Chivalry (+/-).

Sacred VisionA Sacred Vision allows a model to reroll any number of Morale dice, and then disappears. Not unique; a model may hold two Sacred Visions at any one time. Cost to Quest: 5 Chivalry (+/-).

The Spear of VengeanceThis is the spear that inflicted the Dolorous Stroke upon King Pellam. A model using this weapon becomes Lethal against Paladins. Cost to Quest: 20 Chivalry (-).

Terror TreeFrom this tree hang the bodies or armor of the owner’s former opponents. Whenever the model to whom the terror tree belongs begins his turn within Long distance of the tree, he counts as having the Terror special rule (SBH page 15). The tree must be modeled and placed on the table at the start of the game before deployment, anywhere the owning player wishes to place it; during the game the tree is immovable! A Terror Tree may only be used in games where the player is the Defender. Unless a model is equipped with a Terror tree on his roster, this item may only be used by models with at least -20 Chivalry. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 15 Chivalry (-).

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Viviane’s ShieldsLancelot was given these silver shields by the Lady of the Lake. The shields have three red horizontal stripes. Each of the stripes allows the user to ignore one knock down result in hand-to-hand combat, once. A character can carry only one shield. These are one-use effects – once the effects are used, the shield loses its magical properties. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 15 Chivalry (+/-).

Water of ParadiseA vial of the waters of paradise, which brings the model back from the dead at the end of a game in which it was killed, or heals any wound or Quality loss. Single use. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 20 Chivalry (+/-).

WarbandsDesigning your warband

In the spirit of Arthurian gaming, mixing knights and monsters in the same warband isn’t encouraged (unless your opponent agrees to this). The Hero’s Horse special rule applies to all Characters and Knights, allowing them to take Mounted and Long Move for an extra 16 points. Knights may equip with Heavy Armor at normal points cost. All Characters have the Unique special rule – you can’t have two Arthurs or two Lancelots on the table; this doesn’t apply to Warriors or Creatures unless noted as Unique on their roster.

Designer’s note: The rosters work within the context of the game; an Arthurian knight will be weak or strong compared to other knights, but out of context, one of Arthur’s heroes will be no better than any other knight in SBH (the same goes for other models too). This prevents every named character having super-hero stats, which would provide a very unbalanced game.

Games between bands of knightsIf ever you are playing a game where both players are fielding a warband of King Arthur’s own knights, you have a choice of two background stories:

1) The game takes place in around the time of the Battle of Camlann; Arthur and Mordred’s knightly factions fight against each other to support their chosen leader. Treat this as an ordinary battle when dicing for casualties at the end.

2) The game is part of a Grand Battle in a tournament. If you choose this option, the scenario you play must be a set-piece battle. At the end of the game, dice for casualties on both sides (not just the winners), and treat any ‘killed’ results as one grade less serious. Experience and Chivalry gained during a Grand Battle is half the normal amount (rounded up).

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Questing KnightsSome players may wish to use this variant rule enabling a warband to field more than 100 points of Personalities. Tales from medieval romances often include two or three famous knights traveling together or meeting on the road. You may include up to three Personality models of any points cost in your warband, so long as the combined cost of them plus your other warriors does not exceed 300 points (this overrides the usual 100-point rule from SBH page 16).

High Medieval Warband Advances

Champion’s ChallengeAt the start of a game, one mounted Knight from the warband may challenge the opposing warband to a joust. The opponent chooses which model will fight, but it must be another mounted knight. If an eligible model is present, the opponent may not refuse; if there is no eligible model, the challenge is ignored with no penalty.Set the joust up in the centre of the board, and fight this duel to a conclusion before the start of Turn 1. No other model may affect the outcome (for example, other models’ magic or missile weapons may not be used) Cost: 10 VP.

Knights of the Round TableThis advance may only be taken by a warband comprised solely of Knights. At the end of a game, the Chivalry won in that game may be redistributed between the knights as the player wishes. Cost: 5 VP.

Knowledge of FolkloreChoose any opposing model of Big or Huge size and gain an additional +1 Combat against all models of this type in this scenario. This represents someone in the warband hearing stories of such creatures and recalling how to defeat them in battle. Cost: 10 VP.

Sailing to AvalonWhen a victorious warband with this advance rolls for the recovery or death of a model at the end of a game, the player may choose to reroll the dice for any models. The new outcome must be abided by. If the warband lost the scenario, the player may choose one model and roll for it on the Survival Table, as though that model had won the scenario. Cost: 15 VP.

ValorousChoose one model on the opponent’s warband that causes Terror, and ignore this special rule for the current scenario. Cost: 10 VP.

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High Medieval RostersCharacters

Arthur, High King of BritainPoints 127 Quality 3+ Combat 4

Special Rules Heavy Armor; Knight; Leader; Hero; Excalibur (+15 points, already included)

BediverePoints 38 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Steadfast; Knight

BorsPoints 48 Quality 3+ Combat 4

Special Rules Knight; Fearless

GalahadPoints 46 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Paladin; Knight

GawainPoints 62 Quality 3+ Combat 5Special Rules Heavy Armor; Solar Force;

Knight

The Green KnightPoints 112 Quality 3+ Combat 5Special Rules Assassin; Tough; Knight

GuineverePoints 55 Quality 2+ Combat 2Special Rules Distract; Stubborn

IsoldePoints 27 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Distract

KayPoints 48 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Dashing; Knight

The Lady of the LakePoints 268 Quality 2+ Combat 1Special Rules Amphibious; Legendary Wizard

LancelotPoints 83 Quality 3+ Combat 5Special Rules Heavy Armor; Hero; Knight;

Jouster; Protect (Guinevere)

MerlinPoints 218 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Legendary Wizard

MordredPoints 87 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Heavy Armor; Knight; Leader;

Golden Harness (+5 points, already included)

Morgan Le FayPoints 260 Quality 2+ Combat 1Special Rules Legendary Wizard; Evil

PellinorePoints 44 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Jouster; Dogged; Knight

PercevalPoints 36 Quality 4+ Combat 4Special Rules Paladin, Knight

The Red KnightPoints 62 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Heavy Armor; Evil; Terror Tree

(+10 points); Knight

TristramPoints 44 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Knight; Protect (Isolde); Dashing

TurquinePoints 48 Quality 4+ Combat 4Special Rules Knight; Evil; Poison (sword)

YwainePoints 42 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Knight

Ywaine’s LionPoints 42 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Forester; Stealth; Animal;

Protect (Ywaine)

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WarriorsArcherHuman Light Infantry (not ‘Archer’); SBH p.23Black KnightPoints 52 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Knight; Heavy Armor; EvilBrigandPoints 34 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Forester; Shooter (Medium)

Brigand LeaderPoints 66 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Forester; LeaderDamselPoints 8 Quality 5+ Combat 1Special Rules Stubborn; InconvenientHoly HermitPoints 29 Quality 4+ Combat 0Special Rules Cleric, FearlessHorn Helmeted BarbarianPoints 52 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Fearless; SavageHorsemanTreat as Human Light Cavalry, SBH page 23

JesterPoints 30 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Distract; Acrobat

Lesser KnightPoints 32 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules KnightMan At ArmsTreat as Human City Militia, SBH page 23PeasantTreat as Human Villager, SBH page 23

Renowned KnightPoints 42 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules KnightEnchanterTreat as Human Magic-User, SBH page 23

HuntsmanTreat as Human Hunter, SBH page 23

HagPoints 30 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Sorcerer

CreaturesBasiliskSee SBH p.31

DragonSee Dragon Rosters, SBH p.30 DwarfSee SBH page 27

FaeriePoints 18 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Forester; Shooter (Medium)

Faerie KnightPoints 78 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Forester;Hero; KnightGhostSee SBH page 22GiantSee SBH page 31

Giant SpiderSee SBH page 33HobgoblinSee SGD page 25LionPoints 36 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Forester; Stealth; Animal

NymphPoints 62 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Forester; Stealth; Magic-user

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Questing Beast (head of a serpent, body of a leopard)Points 90 Quality 2+ Combat 1Special Rules Terror (sound of baying hounds

from belly); Big; Long move; Free Disengage; Unique

Tormented SoulPoints 2 Quality 6+ Combat 0Special Rules Undead, Evil; Usable only in

designed scenarios

TrollSee SBH page 31

UnicornSee SBH page 31

Giant White StagPoints 40 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Animal; Big; Long Move

WyrmPoints 86 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Huge; Poison; Tough

WyvernSee SBH page 30

Scenario GeneratorTo determine what kind of scenario will be fought, a player should roll on the Scenarios table after players have picked their warbands.

scenarios table1) Roll on the Welsh King table. Standard

Chivalry list applies (see page 4). At the end of the game, all knights on the winning warband gain +/-1 Chivalry as they wish.

2) None Shall Pass!

3) Blood Feud

4) Rescue

5) Tournament

6) Roll on SBH table. If Quest for a Magical Item results, use the Magic Items table from SBH and the item costs 0 Chivalry to Quest for. Standard Chivalry list applies (see page 4). At the end of the game, all knights on the winning warband gain +/-1 Chivalry as they wish.

None Shall Pass!Set up as All Out battle with a natural barrier running across the length of the table with a crossing point one Medium move wide in the centre of it – a river with ford is ideal, but you may wish to use a thicket hedge with a gap, a line of rocks/cliff with a bridge, or whatever other scenery you own: each will give a different flavor to the game. Remember that if the barrier is scenery such as a hedge, it will block line of sight. Useful wilderness rules can be found in SWW. The Defender has set up a toll at the crossing and must deploy all models within Long range of the crossing point’s center the Attacker may choose one table edge parallel to the barrier and deploys all models within Short range of the edge. The aim of the game is for one warband to chase off or kill the other. The terrain rules from SWW can be used with this scenario. If playing with Chivalry, the Defender will be the warband with the model with the most negative Chivalry (or lowest positive Chivalry) – they are brigands after all!

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Victory conditions: 1VP for every 50 points of enemy killed/fleeing. At the end of the game, the warband controlling the gap gains +4VP (0 VP if control is still disputed). Controlling a terrain feature requires you having at least twice as many models (of any points value) within short distance of the feature as your opponent does. Chivalry: Standard Chivalry scores plus: Attacker: +2 Chivalry for the first attacking model to cross the barrier; Defender -2 Chivalry for killing any model who has crossed the barrier already. At the end of the game, all knights on the winning warband gain +/-1 Chivalry as they wish.

Blood FeudSet up as All Out Attack. The highest cost models on each warband have a long-standing blood feud, a familiar theme in Arthurian legend. If two or more models cost the same, the opponent may choose which is subject to the blood feud. The aim of the game, of course, is to kill the blood feud target. During playtesting, the question was raised whether you can being the game with a Joust to the death between the blood feud targets – I don’t recommend this as it gives a very random outcome, but if you’re feeling bloodthirsty and your opponent agrees, you could give it a go.Chivalry: Standard Chivalry scores plus +/- 5 points if blood feud target killed by a player’s own blood feud model (player chooses + or -); +/- 2 points for any other model killing blood feud target. At the end of the game, all knights on the winning warband gain +/-1 Chivalry as they wish.Victory conditions: 5 VP for killing blood feud target; 1 VP for every 50 points of enemy killed/fleeing off table (excluding blood feud target).

Rescue You may choose to play this game inside a castle or set of caverns, or in the wilderness. If in a castle or caverns, base your game on the Rescue scenario (SGD page 20). If outside, treat as the Ambush scenario (SBH page 18); the model to rescue is hidden as are all other defenders but may not be activated. Once revealed, a friend must move into contact with the kidnapped model and spend 2 actions untying and arming him. The kidnapped model then acts as normal; the kidnapped model may only be attacked by his opponent once revealed.

Victory conditions: Rescuers: 5VP for finding kidnapped model and keeping it alive until end of game; 1VP for every 50 points of enemy killed/fleeing off table. Kidnappers: 5VP if the kidnapped model is not saved; 1VP for every 50 points of enemy killed/fleeing off table. Chivalry: Standard Chivalry scores plus: +/-2 Chivalry (player’s choice) for untying the kidnapped model; +/-2 Chivalry (player’s choice) if the kidnapped model is later killed (applies to both sides). At the end of the game, all knights on the winning warband gain +/-1 Chivalry as they wish.

TournamentSet up as an All Out Battle, but at the start of the game each player chooses one or more jousters (if both warbands can select two, three, or more suitable models to joust with, pair models off into individual jousts), and once all of the jousts have been resolved, the scenario becomes a Grand Battle with all remaining models placed along opposite table edges.If a warband doesn’t have any Knights present, the player must send forward a non-Knight model to fight against the jouster – instead of a joust, just count the models as being in contact at the start of the first turn and continue play as normal; the non-Knight model counts as springing an Ambush (SBH page 6) if activated before his opponent.Victory conditions: As All Out Battle but half the final amount (rounded up).Chivalry: Standard points.

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Special Scenarios: In the Realm of CamelotThese special scenarios can be played as one off games, as the conclusion to a campaign, or in any other agreeable manner chosen by the players.

Drawing the Sword from the Stone

Set up as All Out Attack, with the special item Galatine mounted in an anvil in a stone in the centre of the table. See Special Items section for rules on drawing the sword. No mounted figures may attempt to pull the sword from the stone. The game ends when the sword is successfully drawn or if one side’s models are all killed, fleeing, or fallen.This is a good scenario to play immediately after a game where Arthur has been killed. Arthur may not be selected by either player, but each player must have at least one other knight who will become High King if drawing the sword from the stone. Victory Conditions: 10 VPs to the warband drawing the sword from the stone. No other points are awarded.Chivalry: Standard Chivalry list applies (see page 4), and +/-10 Chivalry as the player wishes for the model drawing the sword (the model also gets to keep Galatine).

The Strife of CamlannSet up as On Difficult Ground scenario (SBH page 19). This scenario does not replay the entire battle that ended Arthur’s reign, just the final action of it. For a suitably literary backdrop, roll on the Weather Table from SWW. Both players must use warbands formed exclusively of Knights, one side must have Arthur and Bedivere, the other must have Mordred. Arthur costs 15 points less than usual, and does not automatically hold Excalibur; instead, roll on the Camlann Table to see if Arthur or Mordred has the famous sword (at no extra points cost).Victory conditions: Kill Arthur/Mordred: 5 VP; 1 VP for every 25 points of enemy killed.Chivalry scoring: Standard Chivalry list applies (see page 4).

Camlann Table (roll one die)1 Mordred has Excalibur and scabbard

2-3 Mordred has Excalibur, Arthur has the scabbard

4-5 Arthur has Excalibur, Mordred has the scabbard

6 Arthur has Excalibur and scabbard

Grail Quest CampaignThis campaign is intended to be hard – but look at how badly most of Arthur’s famous Knights of the Round Table did! A player may only go on the Grail Quest when he has a model whose Chivalry is +5 or more. The warband of the player questing for the Grail is known as a Grail Band.

The quest for the grail is broken down into 4 scenarios, each one moving progressively further away from Camelot and into the enchanted lands beyond. During the course of each game, the Grail Band must encounter a Grail Test successfully or unsuccessfully (see later for more on Grail Tests) before the game ends and win the game to allow the Grail Band to play the next game. If these requirements are not fulfilled, your Grail quest fails. No other games or quests may be undertaken by a Grail Band – you must move straight from one Grail game to the next without diversion.

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Player 1 warbandTo qualify for the Grail Quest, you must have at least one Knight with +5 Chivalry, but this will need to rise to +25 Chivalry before the model qualifies to hold the Grail in Game 4.The Grail Band player has limited VPs to take spend on replacement models after each game (maximum of 100 points replacements after Game 1, 75 points after Game 2, and 50 points after Game 3), but may buy new advantages; the Grail Band may not go on other Quests in between the 4 scenarios. Only bands including at least one Knight may quest for the Grail; if no Knight lives at the end of a scenario, the quest ends.

Player 2 warbandYou will play the various forces opposing the Grail Band. At the end of a game, you may keep your current warband and buy new models and advances as normal at the end of a game, or use a completely new 300 point warband in the next scenario. Ideas for the sort of warband you might wish to play are outlined in the game descriptions below, although there are no hard and fast rules you must adhere to.

Game 1: Within Camelot’s Hinterland

Set up as All Out Battle. Only a Knight with +5 Chivalry or more may encounter the Grail Test in this game. Player 2 may wish to choose a fairly ordinary warband of knights (opposing the Grail Quest), brigands, or other humans for this game – nothing too supernatural.Victory conditions: 1VP for every 25 points of enemy killed/fleeing at end of game. 3VP for Grail Band completing the Grail Test successfully; opposing player gets one Warband Advance for the next game if the Grail Test not completed successfully.Chivalry: Standard list, and +2 for completing the Grail Test.

Game 2: Into the Perilous Forest

Set up as On Difficult Ground. Only a Knight with +10 Chivalry or more may encounter the Grail Test in this game. You may wish to use the terrain rules in SWW to make this scenario more magical as the Grail Quest progresses away from Camelot. Player 2 might again use a human warband (possibly barbarian raiders), or a faerie and magical animal warband.Victory conditions: 1VP for every 25 points of enemy killed/fleeing at end of game. 3VP for Grail Band completing the Grail Test successfully; opposing player gets one Warband Advance for the next game if the Grail Test not completed successfully.Chivalry: Standard list, and +3 for completing the Grail Test.

Game 3: The Desolate DesertSet up as On Difficult Ground. Only a Knight with +15 Chivalry or more may encounter the Grail Test in this game. Again you may wish to use the SWW terrain rules as the Grail Quest moves even further from the safety of Camelot. Player 2 might wish to use a magical warband in this game – perhaps an enchanter or dragon and the creatures under his control, or a warband of giants, trolls, and hobgoblins.Victory conditions: 1VP for every 25 points of enemy killed/fleeing at end of game. 3VP for Grail Band completing the Grail Test successfully; opposing player gets one Warband Advance for the next game if the Grail Test is not completed successfully.Chivalry: Standard list, and +4 for completing the Grail Test.

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Game 4: The Grail CastleThis scenario is a little removed from the traditional event, which wouldn’t make for a particularly good wargame.I suggest playing this as a dungeon crawl inside the Grail Castle (see SGD) or as the On Difficult Ground scenario (SBH), fought at the gates of the Grail Castle.In keeping with the setting, it would be good if Player 2 uses a magical warband like those suggested in Game 3; alternatively, a warband of powerful knights would be a good opponent (use the Questing Knights warband, page 13).Victory conditions: 5VP for finding the Grail and holding it at the end of the game.Chivalry: Standard list, and +7 for holding the Grail at the end of the game.

Finding the GrailOnce the Grail Test has been encountered (and only a Knight with +25 Chivalry or more may encounter the Grail Test in this game), the Grail Band player must defeat all remaining enemies on the board, and the Grail will then appear in the Grail Test location. Choose a Knight of +25 Chivalry or more, place them in the Grail Test terrain, and then try to hold the Grail – 3 Quality successes and each success must be rolled as a 5 or 6. If the first Knight fails, he dies and another suitable Knight may try with the same requirements and effect. Winning the Grail for your King is not an easy task!

Grail TestsNot all encounters in the Grail Quest were battles – many were tests of a knight’s courage or piety. As part of each scenario, place a Grail Test terrain piece centrally on the board (perhaps a ruined chapel, a wishing well, or a woodsman’s hut); it shouldn’t be larger than Medium x Medium, and may only be entered by a Knight from the Grail Band (no models from the opposing warband may enter the Grail Test). As a terrain piece, the Grail Test blocks sight in exactly the same way as if were ordinary terrain.To successfully complete the scenario and move on to the next (or in Game 4, for the Grail to appear), a Knight for the Grail Band must enter

the Grail Test and roll on the table below. Even if the Grail Band wins a scenario, it may not start the next game before encountering the Grail Test (although losing a test doesn’t prevent the Grail Band progressing if it wins the overall scenario). If you encounter a Grail Test that you have rolled in a previous game of this campaign, encounter the next item on the table if you rolled an even number, or the previous item if you rolled an odd number.

Grail Test Table (roll one die)1 Witness the Ghostly Wild Hunt2 Discover a holy well3 Encounter a faerie4 Encounter an enigmatic maiden with an apple5 Encounter your brother in a tragic duel6 Vision of the Grail

Witness the Ghostly Wild Hunt

Take a Morale Test, and gain +1 Chivalry if successful.

Discover a Holy WellHeal any Quality reduction back to original score for any one model, once. Gain +1 Chivalry.

Encounter a FaerieDon’t place a model – the faerie simply steals a random magic item from the knight. If the knight has no magic items, the faerie steals his sword, reducing his Combat by 1 for the rest of the campaign.

Encounter an Enigmatic

Maiden with an AppleGawain once fell foul of this old trick. Don’t place a model – the maiden offers the apple in such an irresistible way that the knight must pass 3 Quality checks to refuse it (or may voluntarily accept it). Gain +1 Chivalry if accepting the apple; gain no Chivalry if refusing it. Once accepted, roll a die to see if it was good or bad piece of fruit … 1-4: Poisoned! As Poison rule. 5-6: Apple of Courage: Automatically pass one Morale test die every time Morale is used in this game only.

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Encounter Your Brother in a Tragic Duel

Place a model the same as your own. Without recognizing you, your brother (a knight with the same stats and items as your model) appears and gives battle. You must fight to the death inside the Grail Test terrain immediately. The rest of the game is placed on hold whilst this happens and no other models may intervene in or affect the combat in any way.

Vision of the GrailTake a Morale Test. If passed, remain Transfixed for 1 turn but gain +3 Chivalry. If fail, follow Morale rules and gain +1 Chivalry.

The Welsh KingBackground

Before his medieval reinvention, Arthur features in the folk tales of Cornwall and Wales, emerging as a tough warrior fighting both human and monstrous enemies. This isn’t the Arthur of medieval Romance, instead he exists in an almost historical setting as a Dark Ages chieftain, but with the added twist of magic and monsters. This is the Arthur of Bernard Cornwell, Joy Chant, and Nennius. This setting also incorporates old school history where Arthur and Ambrosius battle against barbarian hordes of Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. The Welsh Arthur is no defender of law or the forces of good, often being portrayed in Celtic tales in an unflattering light, so the Chivalry special rule does not apply to Welsh King scenarios.

Special ItemsSpecial items have been included in this book to add to the Arthurian theme. They are gained by trading in Victory Points to go on a Quest.A warband may trade Victory Points equal to an item’s ‘Cost to Quest’ at the end of a scenario (including Victory Points carried over from previous games if required), and the warband immediately undertakes a Quest scenario for a Special Item (other Victory Points may be spent before undertaking this Quest). The player must specify which Special item he will quest for before the Quest starts, and his opponent may choose a new warband to fight with. If the Special Item is won, the player chooses which model takes the item; if the Quest is unsuccessful, the Victory Points are still traded in. Some characters possess these items on their roster. When a model with a special item is killed, the item magically disappears and may not be picked up or used by another character in the game (an exception to the usual SBH rule, but more in keeping with Arthurian tales). Every item listed here also has the Unique special rule unless otherwise noted. In the case of shields, a character will be able to carry only one at a time.

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Arthur’s MantleThe model always has line of sight anywhere on the table, and Stealth and the Ambush bonus do not count against this model. The wearer can shoot over obstacles with bows, slings, and javelins (but not crossbows or other direct fire weapons). Cost to Quest: 20VP.

Arthur’s WeaponsIn some Welsh tales, Arthur was not a distinguished warrior, and this is reflected on his roster’s Combat score. He gained extra fighting ability by using his special weapons: Caledfwlch his sword (‘hard cleft’), Rhon his spear (‘spear-slayer’), Wyneb Gwrthucher his shield (‘evening face’), and Carnwennan his throwing dagger (‘little white hilt’). Only Arthur may use his weapons. His weapons confer a +2 Combat Bonus and his shield counts as Heavy Armor. They count for both hand-to-hand and ranged combat. If for any reason he loses the weapons, Arthur loses these bonuses. Arthur’s weapons are built into his points cost, and may not be used by any other model. Cost to Quest: not applicable, only usable by Arthur.

Cauldron of CeridwenDrinking from the cauldron allows sight into the future; all models in the warband gain the Danger Sense special rule (See SWW, page 18). After each use, roll one dice; on a score of 1, the cauldron has been emptied and is discarded. Cost to Quest: 20VP.

Cauldron of ChampionsA model possessing the cauldron may drink from it before the start of a scenario, allowing one reroll in a Combat, once per game. After each use, roll one dice; on a score of 1, the cauldron has been emptied and is discarded. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

Dart of True FlightA magical javelin, which gives the model the Shooter (Long) special rule, once per game, counting as an aimed shot for only one action in total. Skilled users in Welsh stories could throw javelins from Cornwall to Wales or Ireland! Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

Enchanted WeaponGives the model +1 in close combat; Britons, Picts, and Irish usually use enchanted swords, and Saxons use axes or swords. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 20VP.

Faerie CloakGives the model the Stealth special rule until entering its first Combat of the game. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

Lion-Skin ShieldAs used on occasion by Arthur, this shield allows a knock down result to be treated as a tie, once per game. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

Magical TorcCeltic poetry is full of references to these heavy golden necklaces. A magical torc allows the wearer to reroll any one die, once per game. Not Unique, although only one may be worn per model. Cost to Quest: 20VP.

MeadMead is a honey wine, often referred to in Celtic poetry. If a model or warband drinks mead before a game, his roster will be modified with +1 Combat (positive) and +1 Quality (negative) for the entirety of one game. This may also be acquired as a warband advance. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 0VP, may be chosen as a Quest for free (costs 5VP if purchased as a Warband Advance).

Padarn’s TunicModel may Transfix one model, once per game, without a resistance roll; this effect works at up to Long range. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

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Pendragon’s HelmetA dragon-crested helmet owned by Uther Pendragon (Arthur’s father), allowing a model with the Leader special rule to double his command distance (to 2x Long). Unique. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

Pryderi and Manawyddan’s Shields

Exquisitely made shields allowing the user to ignore one knock down result, once per game. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

Rydderch Hael’s SwordThis sword bursts into flame once per game, doubling the user’s Combat for one blow only. This must be declared before Combat dice are rolled. Cost to Quest: 20VP.

Standing StonesUse as Place of Power (SBH page 18). The maximum size for this terrain piece is 2x medium distance across. The Standing Stones must be modeled (there are a number of Stonehenge models available in shops) and placed on the table at the start of the game before deployment, anywhere the owning player wishes to place it; during the game the stones are immovable! Standing Stones may only be used in games where the player is the defender. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

Terrifying War HornAt a cost of three actions in a turn, the horn may be blown once per game, causing all friends and opponents within Long distance to take a Morale test (except if Fearless). Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 20VP.

Tudwal Tudelud’s WhetstoneA model that owns this wins any tied Combat roll by 1 point on account of his sharpened blade. Using the Whetstone cancels the effect of Heavy Armor. Cost to Quest: 15VP.

Weasel VenomMedieval chroniclers believed that weasels were venomous (Gerald of Wales gives two examples). Smearing weasel venom onto a weapon gives the user the Poison special rule. Not Unique. Cost to Quest: 20VP.

WarbandsDesigning Your Warband

Warbands in the Welsh King setting look like their historical counterparts, with the added twist that magicians, monstrous creatures, and wildly fierce barbarians may also feature in the game. This is your chance to use horned helmets for your Saxons! The Hero’s Horse special rule applies to all Characters on the Welsh King roster, allowing them to be Mounted and Long Move for an extra 16 points.All Characters have the Unique special rule – you can’t have two Arthurs or two Bedwyrs on the table; this doesn’t apply to Warriors or Creatures unless noted on their roster.

Designer’s note: Arthur is not the strongest character on the roster, especially without his weapons; this may seem surprising, but in many early tales of Arthur, it is his followers rather than the man himself who achieve the victories in his name.

Triad TaleSome players may wish to use this variant rule enabling a warband to field more than 100 points of Personalities. Welsh tales often told stories of three associated characters; you may choose three Personality models in your warband, so long as the combined cost of them plus your other warriors does not exceed 300 points (this overrides the usual 100-point rule from SBH page 16).

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Welsh King Warband Advances

Befriended by EaglesOnce per game, the player may call upon the King of the Eagles to carry one model or group as per the Flying ability. Roll for the model/group’s activation as normal, and then allocate the required number of actions to movement as Long Flying moves. Cost: 10 VP.

Druid’s FavorAt a cost of one action from any model in the warband with the Leader special skill, the player may roll on the Weather table (SWW, page 3) and must apply that weather for the rest of the game.A Druid need not be present in a warband for this favor to be played. This warband advance is lost when used, but may be repurchased. Cost: 5 VP.

Host of RidersAt the start of the game, all models in this warband – mounted or dismounted (riding to the battle to fight on foot) – may take one free Long move at no action cost. Cost: 10 VP.

Knowledge of FolkloreSee page 13. Cost 10VP.

MeadMead may be purchased as an advance or chosen as a special item. A warband with this advance has the choice of all models or no models drinking mead before the start of the game. See page 22 for effect. Cost: 5 VP.

Raven FeedersA warband with this advance is accompanied by a flock of ravens at the beginning of the game, giving a +1 Combat bonus to every model in the warband until the warband has made its first kill of the game. The ravens need not be modeled. When the Raven Feeders make their first kill of

the game, the birds feast on the fresh carrion and the Combat modifier is no longer used. The ravens do not count as a casualty when removed and cannot be targeted or damaged by opponents. Cost: 15VP.

RustlersAny model in this warband may control a second herd at no extra action points cost. Cost: 10 VP.

Sailing to AvalonSee page 13. Cost: 15 VP.

ShapechangerOnce per game, one Character model from the warband may move and fight as a Big Cat or Hawk (SGD p.32) for as many turns as he wishes (but may change back to a human only once per game.) Shapechangers appear in Celtic myth in a variety of forms, for example, in the tale of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy. Other animals may be agreed between players. Cost: 10 VP.

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Welsh King Rosters

Ambrosius Aurelianus, Last of the RomansPoints 74 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Paladin; Heavy Armor; Leader

Arthur, Pendragon of the BritonsPoints 90 Quality 4+ Combat 3 (5)Special Rules Arthur’s Weapons (Heavy Armor);

Leader; Hero

Bedwyr, Arthur’s companionPoints 36 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules SteadfastCei, Arthur’s companionPoints 58 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Lethal vs Magic-Users; Giant

Slayer; Fearless

Culhwch, Arthur’s cousin (javelin)Points 40 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Fearless; Shooter (short)

Gildas, Monk and scholarPoints 35 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Cleric; FearlessGwalchmai, British hero*Points 60 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Solar Force; Combat Master

* Sometimes considered a bard in early literature –may replace Combat Master with Bard special rule.

Gwenhwyfar, Arthur’s wifePoints 17 Quality 4+ Combat 2Special Rules Stubborn; Stealth

Hengist, Saxon WarlordPoints 66 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Savage; Leader; Evil

Horsa, Saxon ChampionPoints 76 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Big; Terror

Mordred, British NoblePoints 78 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Opportunistic; Leader

Morfans the Ugly, British WarriorPoints 60 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Terror (ugliness)

Myddrin, the DruidPoints 86 Quality 3+ Combat 2

Special Rules Magic-User; Forester; Hero

Octa, Saxon WarlordPoints 76 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Fearless; Leader

St PatrickPoints 20 Quality 4+ Combat 1

Special Rules Lethal vs serpents and wyrms; Paladin; Steadfast

Taliesin, Chief BardPoints 45 Quality 2+ Combat 1Special Rules Bard; Free Disengage

Vortigern, High King and traitorPoints 47 Quality 4+ Combat 3Special Rules Coward; Free Disengage; Leader

WarriorsBarbarian champion (Saxon, Pict, or Irish)Points 52 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Fearless; Savage

Barbarian chieftain (Saxon, Pict, or Irish)Points 66 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Leader; Steadfast

Barbarian horseman (Saxon, Pict, or Irish)Points 39 Quality 4+ Combat 2Special Rules Mounted (long move)Barbarian warrior (Saxon, Pict, or Irish)Points 27 Quality 4+ Combat 3Special Rules GregariousBardPoints 23 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Bard

Champion (British)Points 46 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Mead (optional, free); Hero’s

Horse; SteadfastLesser DruidSee SBH page 23

Horseman (British)Human Medium Cavalry; See SBH page 23

HuntsmanHuman Hunter; See SBH page 23

Lesser Chieftain (British)Human Infantry or Cavalry Leader; See SGD page 26MonkPoints 12 Quality 6+ Combat 1Special Rules Cleric; Inconvenient

SaintPoints 26 Quality 5+ Combat 1Special Rules Cleric; Lethal vs Dragons;

SteadfastSaxon BerserkerPoints 82 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Werebear* (SGD page 29);

Unique *Instead of Berserk, this is in-keeping with Welsh setting

Sorcerer or SorceressHuman Magic-User; See SBH page 23

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Warrior (British)Human Warrior; See SBH page 23

Warrior Woman (British or Irish)Human Assassin; See SBH page 23WitchPoints 30 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Necromancer

Bowman or skirmisherHuman Light Infantry (not ‘Archer’); See SBH page 23

CreaturesBansheeSee SGD page 29

Black DogTreat as Disappearing dog; See SGD page 28

Big CatPoints 36 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Forester; Stealth; Animal

Cat of PalugPoints 56 Quality 3+ Combat 5Special Rules Unique; Animal; Stealth; Big

Dog Head WarriorPoints 42 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Fearless; Savage

Dog Head LeaderPoints 72 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Fearless; Savage; LeaderDog Head ChampionPoints 72 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Fearless; Savage; Terror

DragonSee Dragon rosters; SBH page 30DwarfSee SBH page 27

Faerie Points 18 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Forester; Shooter (Medium)

GhostSee SBH page 22

GiantSee SBH page 31

Giant Boar or WolfTreat as Sabre-tooth Tiger; See SGD page 32

Giant Stag Points 40 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Animal; Big; Long Move

HobgoblinSee SGD page 25War DogPoints 15 Quality 4+ Combat 2Special Rules Animal; ForesterEagleSee SGD page 32

Serpent Points 86 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Huge; Poison; Tough; (can be

Amphibious for +6 pts)

Otherworld WarriorPoints 45 Quality 4+ Combat 3Special Rules Terror

Otherworld ChampionPoints 76 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Terror; Savage

Tormented SoulSee SGD page 29

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Scenario GeneratorRoll on the Scenarios table after players have picked their warbands.

scenarios table1) Roll on the Historical king table.

2) Kill the Monster!

3) Magical Cattle Raid

4) Kidnap

5) The Hunt

6) Roll on SBH table. If Quest for a Magical Item results, use the Magic Items table from SBH and the item costs 0 VP to Quest for.

Kill the Monster!Set up as Ambush for this classic Arthurian scenario: a giant/dragon/troll hunt! Defender starts with models hidden and must include at least one Big or Huge model in his warband, and the Attacker must not include any at all (if necessary, make points-equivalent replacements within both warbands; for example, if you add a Big or Huge model worth 90 points, you must drop 90 points or more of existing models). Attacker’s objective is to kill the Big or Huge model; the Defender’s is to keep it alive.Scenario variant: If the defending player is finding it hard to keep his Big/Huge model alive, you may wish to experiment with playing a pre-determined number of turns in this game. Victory conditions: 1 point for every 25 points of enemy killed/fleeing off table plus an extra 3 points for every Big or Huge model killed.

Magical Cattle RaidSet up as Raid (see page 34). However, herds are worth different values, and can be changed by a model giving up 3 successful actions to swap the Herd with any other Herd on the board (whether controlled, uncontrolled, or any distance away). Herds are classified in the magical raid as cattle, pigs, and sheep, but can actually be any models you can clearly distinguish between, even represented

by just painting them different colors. Players must take herds back to their own table edge as in the ordinary raid scenario, and at this point the herd may no longer be swapped. Start with an equal number of all types of herd (so, in a 300 point game, two herds will be cattle, two pigs, and two sheep), and each player gets to place one of each type at the start of the game. This scenario is very loosely based on the tale of Arthur and Saint Cadoc.Victory conditions: 2 VP for every sheep, 3 VP for every pig, and 4 VP for every cattle herd controlled/taken off table at the end of the game.

Kidnap Set up as All Out Battle or On Difficult Ground, and use the special rules for Raiding and Herds (pages 7-8). The Defender has kidnapped a princess or wife of a chieftain and must move her from one table edge to the other; the Attacker must pursue and rescue her. In the first Turn, defender deploys 1 Short move in from a table edge, and takes the first move of the game. The Attacker begins off table, and dices for actions – first action must be used to move the model onto the table (touching the edge); second and subsequent actions allow the model to function as normal. The kidnapped figure is treated as a ‘Herd’ for this game, but the Defender may not move this model when Uncontrolled (the Attacker can).This is based on the stories of Melwas or Mordred kidnapping Gwenhwyfar; I’m sure that just this once, being called a ‘herd’ won’t upset her!Victory conditions: Defender gets 5VP if successfully moving kidnapped figure from one table’s edge into contact with the opposite edge. Attacker gets 5 VP by successfully rescuing her and moving her into contact with any table edge (and therefore to safety). The game ends when one of these criteria is fulfilled. Both sides get 1VP for every 50 enemy points killed.

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The HuntSet up as On Difficult Ground. After table is laid out, Defender deploys along one random table edge and must get from that side of the table to the table edge opposite; Attacker starts with figures deployed anywhere along the other two table edges. You may wish to use the Zone of Control rules from the Historical King section (page 35).Victory conditions: Attacker: 1VP for every 25 points of enemy killed/fleeing. Defender: 1 VP for every 25 points of model making it to the opposite table edge alive (but not fleeing).

Special Scenarios: Culhwch

and Olwen CampaignThis series of linked games is broadly based on one of the most famous tales of Arthur from medieval Wales: Culhwch and Olwen. Culhwch was Arthur’s cousin, born in a pigsty and magically destined to marry the beautiful Olwen, daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden. Ysbaddaden knows he will die if he allows his daughter to marry, so sets Culhwch a series of forty near impossible tasks to complete before allowing the marriage to go ahead. Culhwch requests the help of Arthur and his warriors, and it’s here that the campaign begins. I don’t follow the original tale exactly, and Culhwch need only complete four tasks and not forty, but many of the original story’s elements remain intact.Model selection for each game is pre-determined to some extent, so you may need to use a few substitute models depending on your collection. Part of the challenge is for the Culhwch player to decide how heavily to involve each of his models based on their skills in each game, and of course, to keep Culhwch alive at all costs.

Player 1 RosterYou begin game 1 with Arthur, Cei, Bedwyr, Gwalchmai, Culhwch, and one Warband Advance costing up to 15VP; this is an exception to the usual Personality/Triad rules. If player 1 wins a scenario, he may only move on to the next game if Culhwch still lives – the game revolves around his magical love, so if he dies the quest becomes

pointless. After each game, casualties may be replaced using the standard campaign rules in SBH, but may only consist of British Warriors, Champions, Bards, and War Dogs. All games in this campaign are fought on foot, so the Hero’s Horse rule may not be used.

Player 2 RosterYour models vary according to the scenario, with choices allowed as described (swap these models if you don’t have suitable figures available); you may take a Warband Advance for free if allowed by Victory conditions. If you kill Culhwch in any given game, Player 1 has failed and it’s time to swap sides and you get your chance to be Culhwch and Arthur.

Game 1: Wrnach the Giant’s Sword

Wrnach is big giant armed with a magical sword, and Player 1 must kill him and steal the weapon for Ysbaddaden. Set up as an Ambush. Player 2 is the Defender.

WrnachPoints 86 Quality 4+ Combat 5Special Rules Slow, Huge, Long Move, Shooter

(Long, rocks), Tough, Magical Sword (included in Combat score)

Wrnach’s warband consists of lesser giants, trolls, and hobgoblins.Victory conditions: Player 1: 5VP for killing Wrnach (thereby stealing his sword); 1VP for every 20 points of enemy killed/fleeing at the end of game (excluding Wrnach). Player 2: Take one Warband Advance for free for your Game 2 warband if you kill/make flee at least 150 points of Player 1’s warband.

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Game 2: The Cauldron of Diwrnach

This is a battle in Ireland against an Irish king named Odgar for possession of his magical cauldron. Set up as a Raid scenario; there is only one piece of treasure – the Cauldron, which Player 1 must steal for Ysbaddaden. The Cauldron is carried as Treasure (see SGD). Odgar, King of IrelandPoints 66 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Savage; Leader; Evil

The Irish warband consists of Barbarian Chieftains, Champions, Warriors, and Horsemen, and Huntsmen, Bards and Sorcerers. Alternatively, to reflect another Arthurian tale with the same story (The Spoils of Annwn), replace the Irish warriors with Otherworld Champions and Warriors, and Witches. Victory conditions: Player 1: 5VP for getting the Cauldron to the table edge (thereby stealing it); 1VP for every 20 points of enemy killed/fleeing at the end of game. Player 2: Take one Warband Advance for free for your Game 3 warband if you kill/make flee at least 150 points of Player 1’s warband.

Game 3: The Hunt for the Giant Boar

Ysbaddaden requires Player 1 to steal the comb and tusks of Twrch Trwyth (the giant boar king), who is accompanied by his seven piglets (which are actually huge wild boar). Set up as The Hunt, and use Zone of Control rules (see page 35).Suitable boar models are available from Splintered Light Miniatures in 15mm, and Game Workshop’s orcs’ boars are good for 28mm games. Alternatively, you could substitute other animals in place of the boars.

Twrch TrwythPoints 50 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Animal, Big, Long Move

Twrch Trwyth’s warband consists of 7 giant boars (use the stats of the Sabre-tooth Tiger, see SGD page 32). These cost 36 points each, meaning that

Twrch Trwyth’s warband adds up to 302 points. There is no penalty for this – I’m not going to argue over those two points with a giant boar!Victory conditions: Player 1: 5VP for killing Twrch Trwyth (thereby stealing his comb and tusks); 1VP for every 20 points of enemy killed/fleeing at the end of game (excluding Twrch Trwyth). Player 2: Take one Warband Advance for free for your Game 4 warband if at least 150 points of your warband crosses from one board edge to the opposite one.

Game 4: The Very Black WitchYsbaddaden requires Player 1 to collect the blood of The Very Black Witch, who lives in a cave. Set up as an Ambush, or if preferred, a dungeon crawl. The Very Black Witch is powerful magic user, skilful with a knife, and with supernatural allies in this game (she is unaccompanied in the original tale, but I balance things up here).

The Very Black WitchPoints 45 Quality 4+ Combat 3Special Rules Magic-User

The Very Black Witch’s warband consists of Witches, Dog-Headed Warriors and Champions, and Black Dogs.Victory conditions: Player 1: 5VP for killing The Very Black Witch; 1VP for every 20 points of enemy killed/fleeing at the end of game (excluding The Very Black Witch). Player 2: no points. If Player 1 wins and Culhwch is still alive at the end of this game, Ysbaddaden reluctantly offers his daughter’s hand in marriage and triggers his own untimely death. Why not swap roles and allow Player 2 to try to win Olwen’s devotion?

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The Historical KingBackground

If a real King Arthur ever existed, we can be pretty sure he lived in Britain in the period between the withdrawal of Roman armies and the rise of the Saxon kingdoms (roughly AD400 to AD700), or more specifically in the fifth or sixth century AD. Whether he actually did exist is a hotly debated argument, but in the interests of exciting gaming, let’s assume he did!The battles and characters that many gamers might expect to appear here are actually in the Welsh King section. If it’s Vortigern, Hengist, Ambrosius, and those other familiar old names you’re hoping to game with, head back to the Welsh King section –the Historical King game strips out unreliable old school history and focuses on my interpretation of real life warfare in the fifth and sixth century post-Roman kingdoms of Britain.

WarbandsDesigning Your Warband

Warbands in the Historical King section are a little different to those you’ll read elsewhere: all magical elements of the game have been stripped out, so this really is a test of your tactical ability. No magical items, magic-users, or non-natural creatures may be used in this setting.The missile weapons noted on the rosters do not represent the model’s only weapon – most models (apart from those with bows) will be armed with a spear and shield, and better equipped fighters may have a helmet, and on rare occasions a mail coat and sword.

Warband AdvancesAngons

The player may choose one turn where all non-Shooter models in his warband may use the Shooter (Short) special rule for 1 action (2 if aimed), reflecting the ability of some warriors in this period using short range heavy javelins and throwing axes. This may only be used once per game, and the shot may not be carried over into other turns. Cost: 10 VP.

Boar’s SnoutA Shieldwall group may fight with an additional +1 Combat once per game. Cost: 10 VP.

Flags and HornsThis warband advance allows the player to appoint one Standard Bearer and one Musician per game. They may be replaced if killed in a campaign.The Standard Bearer rules are given in SWW; a Musician may use the Leader special rule once per game (representing a pre-arranged signal call being made). Cost: 10 VP.

Host of RidersSee page 24. Cost: 10 VP.

Roman EquipmentIt was recorded that the Britons were left patterns from which to manufacture Roman weapons and armor when the Romans left. As a one-off advance, the player may add +1 Combat to 1d6 models of his choice (maximum +1 Combat to any given model). When the model is killed, the +1 may not be transferred between models. Cost: 10-15VP (9VP +1VP for each model with this equipment).

RustlersSee page 24. Cost: 10 VP.

Sea RaiderAt the beginning of any scenario where the player is the attacker, a warband with this advance may take one free activation phase before the first turn begins. Cost: 10 VP.

Shieldwall VeteransIf models in a Shieldwall fail Morale tests, any models that passed still count as being in Shieldwall, but must Regroup in their next turn to maintain Shieldwall/group cohesion. Cost: 10 VP.

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Successor As a one-off, the players may use this advantage to ‘bring a model back from the dead’ in the experience phase of the game where that model died, representing another blood relative of the deceased. This advantage reflects the many cases in history where a successor was on hand to step into his predecessor’s shoes, ensuring continuity within a kingdom. Cost: 15 VP.

RostersUnlike other Rosters in SBH, a Historical King warband must all be chosen from one list (for example, all models must come from the Romano-British list or from the Irish list). However, if both players agree, you may wish to employ mercenaries or allies in your warband from other rosters – if you do experiment with this, at least 50% of your warband’s points value should come from the parent list.Rooted firmly in history, there are no named historical characters in these rosters; if your opponent agrees, you may select models with non-magical skills from the Welsh King section in your Historical King warbands (for Arthur himself, retain the abilities of his weapons in a historical setting, to reflect his fine Roman-style equipment). Arthur, his companions, and Ambrosius may only join a Romano-British or Cymric British warband; Saxon warlords may only join Saxon warbands.

Romano-BritishWith the withdrawal of Roman power, many Britons continued to live in the Roman fashion they’d become accustomed to. This warband represents such kingdoms, who lived in walled Roman towns and villas, dressed in the style of late Imperial Rome, and fought against their enemies in the century following Roman withdrawal. Continuing late Roman tradition, Romano-British armies probably employed mercenary ‘barbarians’ in their warbands, as well as Romano-British warriors.

Romano-British kingPoints 82 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Leader; Mounted (Long move); Unique

Romano-British noblePoints 72 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Mounted (Long move)

Romano-British riderPoints 62 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Mounted (Long move)

Romano-British armored warriorPoints 36 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Shieldwall; Short Move

Romano-British warriorPoints 17 Quality 4+ Combat 2Special Rules Shieldwall

Romano-British skirmisher (bow or sling)Points 24 Quality 3+ Combat 1Special Rules Forester;Shooter (Medium)

Romano-British mercenary (Saxon, Irish, or Briton)Points 27 Quality 4+ Combat 3Special Rules Steadfast

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Cymric Britons

Not all Britons took to the lure of Rome so readily, and this warband represents those Britons who continued to live in their own fashion, mostly in the highlands of Cornwall, Wales, and the north. Cymric British armies fought on against Saxon, Pictish, and Irish enemies (and amongst themselves) well into the ninth century AD and beyond.

Cymric chieftain (javelin)Points 106 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Leader; Mounted (Long Move);

Shooter (Short); Unique

Cymric champion (javelin)Points 60 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Hero’s Horse; Shooter (Short);

Fearless

Cymric rider (javelin)Points 56 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Mounted (Long Move);

Shooter (Short)

Cymric warriorPoints 32 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Shieldwall

Cymric huntsman (javelin)Points 36 Quality 3+ Combat 2

Special Rules Forester; Shooter (Short); Lethal vs Animals

Saxons

This warband represents the Saxon and other assorted Germanic tribes who sailed to Britain, first as allies of Rome, then as seaborne raiders, and finally as settlers spreading out from the eastern coast. They carved out their own kingdoms in the sixth and seventh centuries, and contrary to popular belief, the professional warriors would have fought on horseback as well as on foot.

Saxon warlordPoints 80 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Hero’s Horse; Leader; Unique

Saxon championPoints 76 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Hero’s Horse; Fearless;

Assassin

Saxon riderPoints 62 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Mounted (Long)

Saxon armored warriorPoints 36 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Short Move; Shieldwall

Saxon warriorPoints 32 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Shieldwall

Saxon skirmisher (bow or sling)Points 18 Quality 4+ Combat 1Special Rules Forester; Shooter (Medium)

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IrishIrish pirates were raiding the western British coast long before the Romans left. They settled in areas of Cornwall, Wales, and Scotland when Roman power had dwindled, and for a while these new kingdoms flourished. Often portrayed a technologically backward in warfare, Irish armies nevertheless proved to be formidable foes.

Irish chieftainPoints 80 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Hero’s Horse; Unique; Leader

Irish champion (javelin)Points 60 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Hero’s Horse; Savage; Shooter

(Short)

Irish rider (javelin)Points 42 Quality 4+ Combat 2Special Rules Mounted (Long move); Shooter

(Short)

Irish warrior Points 36 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Forester

Irish huntsman (javelin)Points 36 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Forester; Shooter (Short);

Lethal vs Animals

PictsThe Picts, based in modern Scotland, fought off the Romans, their British successors, the Saxons, and for a long time the Irish, whilst still finding time to raid south into the British lowlands. Vivid images carved into ancient stones suggest that the Picts had a look all of their own, with square shields and ragged looking but fierce warriors.

Pict kingPoints 102 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Mounted (Long); Leader; UniquePict champion (javelin)Points 82 Quality 3+ Combat 4Special Rules Mounted (Long); Shooter

(Short); SavagePict noble (javelin)Points 66 Quality

3+Combat 3

Special Rules Mounted(Long);Shooter (Short)Pict rider (javelin)Points 56 Quality 3+ Combat 2Special Rules Mounted (Long);Shooter (Short)

Pict warriorPoints 38 Quality 3+ Combat 3Special Rules Shieldwall; Forester

Pict huntsman (bow or crossbow)Points 30 Quality 4+ Combat 2Special Rules Shooter (Medium); Forester;

Lethal vs Animals

Optional Rule: Dismounting Chieftains

and ChampionsAlthough most chieftains and champions would have owned a horse and probably fought from them in the small skirmishes played out in Song of Arthur and Merlin scenarios, some players might wish to use an entirely dismounted warband. If this is the case, you may replace the Mounted (Long move) special rule with Hero’s Horse (page 5) on the following rosters: Romano-British king, Cymric chieftain, Pict king, Pict champion. This subtracts 10 points from the model’s cost, and means the model starts the game dismounted.

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Fight at the FordSet up as All Out Battle with a river or stream running across the length of the table with a ford one Medium move wide at one point along its length. Apart from the (Slippery) fording point, the waterway is impassable to any non-Amphibious models. Both warbands start on the table edges running parallel to the waterway and the aim of the game is to control the ford when the game ends.Victory conditions: 1VP for every 50 points of enemy killed/fleeing. At the end of the game, the warband controlling the ford gains +4VP (0 VP if control is still disputed).

Special Scenarios: The Fifth Century AD

These special scenarios can be played as one off games, as the conclusion to a campaign, or in any other agreeable manner chosen by the players.

The Battle of Badon, circa AD495

Should this famous battle be listed in the history section or the Welsh King section? That’s one for historians to fight over, but I know most gamers would like this to have been a real battle.Set up is as an All Out Battle with one large hill in the centre of the table. Player 1 (recorded in history as Romano-British but playable any nation in this game) is the defender and deploys up to 250 points on the hill, and holds 350 points back in reserve with a specified baseline to enter from. Player 2 (in history, Saxons, but may be any in this game) is the besieger and deploys a 600 point warband no closer than 2x Long move to any on-table defenders. The attacker’s goal is to control the hill by having at least three models on the crest and no enemies within 1x Long move.At the start of every turn roll one die; keep a running total, and on the turn that this total is equal to or more than 10, Player 1’s reserve may enter on its baseline, taking 1 action to be placed on the table’s edge and using other actions as the player wishes.

Scenario GeneratorRoll on the Scenarios table after players have picked their warbands.

scenarios table1) Raid

2) Ambush. See SBH, page 18.

3) Marauders

4) On Difficult Ground. See SBH, page 19.

5) Fight At The Ford

6) All Out Battle. See SBH, page 18.

RaidSet up as All Out Battle (see SBH, page 18), and use the Raiding and Herd rules (pages 7-8). Within a Long radius of the table’s centre point (modeled as a village if you have suitable items), take it in turns to place herds – one for every 100 points of warband being played (so if the game is between two 300 point warbands, place six herds). Players may not move these until a model has made contact with the first herd.Victory conditions: 1 VP for every 50 points of killed opponents, plus 3 VP per herd controlled at the game’s end or moved to any table edge under control before the end.

MaraudersSet up as Raid scenario with 5 Herd models only; the Defender starts in the centre with the Herds, all of which are controlled (assuming that warband has at least five models – any excess models would be uncontrolled). The Attacker then deploys along any two opposite table edges, and the Defender must move the herds to either or both of the other two edges.Victory conditions: 1VP for every 50 points of enemy killed/fleeing. Each Herd moved to a table edge or controlled by the Defender at the end of the game +3VP; each Herd uncontrolled or controlled by Attacker at the end of the game +3VP.

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Scenario variant: Place the large hill along the defender’s table edge and deploy the defender’s reserve from one of the two flanks. The makes the game much harder for the attacker.Arthur supposedly fought 12 historic battles: River Glein; River Dubglas (four battles); River Bassas; Caledonian Forest; Fort Guinnion; City of the Legion; River Tribuit; Mount Agned; and Badon itself. Any of these could be played as an All Out Battle, the terrain features being suggested by the battle names. Arthur’s equally famous battle at Camlann can be fought by adapting the scenario outlined in the High Medieval section of his book. Victory conditions: 1 Victory Point for every 25 points of killed opponents; 1 extra Victory Point for every enemy Leader or Champion killed; 5 Victory Points for holding the hill when the game ends.

Optional rule: Groups in Historical Games

This new rule is optional and intended for use in games where warbands are of more than 300 points. It is intended to allow more flexible use of Leaders within larger games.The size of a group is increased to a maximum of 10 models, so long as they are within the required command distance.Concentrated Fire is still resolved in groups of 5 models at a time, so a Group of 10 models will need just one action to perform a concentrated fire, but that attack will consist of two rolls, as if two 5-model groups had loosed their arrows.

Optional Rule: Zone of ControlThis new rule is optional and intended for use in games where warbands are of more than 300 points (but may be used in 300 point games also). It prevents models sneaking around or rushing past an opposing model unless giving it a wide berth.Every model or group has a Zone of Control of a Short move distance surrounding it. An opposing model may only enter this zone to attack the model or to stop one base width inside; a model

beginning an action already in an opponent’s zone, has its options limited to one of the following:1) Move to contact the model.2) Move out of the zone of control using the shortest path possible (and may not re-enter this model’s zone this turn).3) Remain stationary (but may shoot or use magic if required).

The Ride of the Gododdin, circa AD600

This is an All Out Battle based on a famous battle poem written in about the northern British (Cymric) kingdom of Gododdin, whose warriors rode into battle against Saxon enemies and lost; however, their deeds were recalled by bards through the centuries, and the winner of this scenario is the player who achieves the greater feats, rather than simply defeating his opponent (reading the poem Y Gododdin leaves the reader with the impression that the final result wasn’t as important as the individuals’ feats in the battle).Both players select a 600 point warband, and are accompanied for free by a Bard from the Welsh King roster. The Bard’s role is to be on hand to memorize the deeds of the warriors, and the closer he is to the action, the better!Players score Heroism points for their warband as the game progresses, from the following list:+3 points for killing a Leader, champion, and for each Gruesome Kill within Long distance of the player’s own Bard.+2 points if beyond Long distance of the Bard.+1 point if member of own warband killed Gruesomely, anywhere on the board (memorable deaths are the stuff of legend).+1 point every time an enemy fails a Morale test within Long distance of the player’s Bard.-1 point every time member of own warband fails a Morale test within Long distance of the player’s Bard.At end of game, total the Heroism points of both sides; the winner gets half this number of Victory Points, and the loser gets one quarter of this number (round both up). The normal VPs for an All Out Battle are not awarded.

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Designer’s NotesGiving the choice of three settings was my preferred option as there are so many versions of Arthur; I hope you enjoy the varied games this allows. I’ve approached this book as a true supplement – the last thing I wanted to do was trample over SBH’s mechanics, so I’ve concentrated on giving players the characters, scenarios, and items that make a game of SBH feel Arthurian, rather than creating an Arthurian game which feels like SBH. There are a limited number of new rules and items as things could easily have got out of hand within such a rich fantasy setting, so I’ve tried to concentrate on the main plots and personalities gamers will recognize. Some of the characters and events I’ve included in the Welsh King section might raise eyebrows as they’ve been thought of for too long as real history; more accurately, the Historical King section strips the game to the reality of Dark Age warfare. The High Medieval King section is a catch-all for the Arthur of children’s books and fine literature, with a nod towards Hollywood and high fantasy.Arthurian legend is many things to many people, and has evolved and changed over many centuries; if you want a battle between Arthur and pig-snouted orcs or zombies, go for it . . . you’re simply adding to the ever-growing legend!

Miniature Lists and Further Reading

BooksFor an overview of Arthurian legend, history, and identity theories, I point you in the direction of my book Arthur: King of the Britons. For the High Medieval King, try Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte D’Arthur, the classic tale of Gawain and the Green Knight, and Roger Lancelyn Green’s King Arthur And His Knights of the Round Table (a lighter read than the other two); for the Welsh King, try Lady Charlotte Guest’s Mabinogion, John Morris’ The Age of Arthur, and Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of

the Kings of Britain; for the Historical King, try Stephen Evans’ Lords of Battle, Simon Young’s beautifully themed AD 500, and Leslie Alcock’s Arthur’s Britain. Helpful gaming resources include Phyllis Ann Karr’s The Arthurian Companion (and other books published to support the excellent Pendragon RPG); Ian Heath’s venerable Armies of the Dark Ages; James Morris and Steve Jones’ Warhammer Age of Arthur (even if you don’t play Warhammer); and my own Glutter of Ravens published by Outpost Wargame Services. Andrea’s note: GURPS Camelot is also good, as it lists nearly every Arthurian character and is divided into Mythic/Hollywood/Historical settings.

ModelsHere are some of our favorite ranges, but plenty of other models can also be used.

28mm High MedievalThunderbolt Mountain (Arthurians – simply brilliant!); Gamezone (Feudal Knights); Games Workshop (Brettonians); Dark Age (fantasy); Perry Miniatures (Crusades & HYW); Mirliton (Medievals and fantasy); Reaper (good creatures); Essex Miniatures (Medievals); Mega Miniatures (King’s Court).

28mm Welsh/HistoricalGripping Beast (Dark Ages); Foundry (Arthurians & Late Romans); Musketeer (Saxons); Tanatus (Saxons & Picts); Games Workshop (Rohan & other Lord of the Rings – Welsh King only); Westwind (Arthurians); Outpost Wargames Services (Arthurians); Crusader (Saxons and Irish – the latter make good Cymric Britons); Eureka (Beowulf’s retinue – Welsh king only).

15mm High MedievalPeter Pig (Arthurians & Wars of the Roses); Essex (Medievals); Mirliton (Medievals); Black Hat (Feudals); Corvus Belli (HYW); Splintered Light (good creatures).

15mm Welsh/HistoricalSplintered Light (Arthurians); Outpost Wargame Services (Dark Ages); Essex (Dark Ages); Feudal Castings (Welsh & Saxons); Black Hat (Late Romans and Goths).

20mm Plastic MiniaturesCheck out www.plasticsoldierreview.com for what’s currently available.

30mm Paper MiniaturesCheck out the official Song of Arthur and Merlin paper miniatures produced by www.onemonk.com

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Monsters from mankind’s worst nightmares come alive in this set of fast playing horror miniature rules based on the popular Song of Blades mechanics. Fight vampires, ghosts, werewolves, witches and other bloodcurdling monstrosities right out of folklore books and horror movies.

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Power LegionFast playing superpowered miniature system based on Song of Blades. Create any hero or villain out of comics or movies, build a team and fight for truth, justice, freedom... or be a villain and conquer the world!

Song of the Dragon KingsChinese mythology comes alive on your tabletop. This Asian fantasy sourcebook for Song of Blades and Heroes is based on the Tales of the Dragon Kings miniature line from Black Hat Miniatures and features characters from Journey to the West.

Song of Spear and ShieldPlay ancient small and large skirmish battles, with rules for all weapons, army lists for Bronze Age and Classical Ancient world, chariots, artillery and elephants.

Tales of Blades and Heroes RPGThis is a set of fast-playing, hassle-free fantasy roleplaying rules based on the Song of Blades rules engine. Design any character you want and fight for glory, freedom or loot. Simple, sleek mechanics that put the accent back on fun.