After playing a test game last night I've decided to make it that melee units don't have to always move and attack the nearest unit, this means the game will move a little faster & it means you can make greater uses of zones of control (formations and defensive lines will be a bit more powerful because they will be able to hold formaton much better!)
But now your enemy will also have more control over his troops
and will be able to punch a hole in your lines that much better as well!
Also in the test game last night (which you can't find in the rules yet) we used heros for the very first time!
The rules we used for using them were simple.
-You get 3 heros
-heros are the same as a normal foot soldier (your choice which one) and get +1 combat rating(they have better training and therefore can attack & defend against enemies that much better)! They also get + 1 attack!
-heros can be mounted, this has no effect other than doubling the heros movement, increasing the size of the base and making it so the hero can only attack to his sides in melee.
-When heros take a hit that would kill them roll a d6, on a 2+ the hero fights on(survives through sheer luck)! On a 1 he dies.
-After a hero dies if he is not within enemy territory (aka if he is fighting on your line of control or behind it and has a clear fall back route to one of your reinforcement objectives) roll a d6 if you roll 2+ he is still alive and has just retreated (assume he is wounded and can't fight on). On a one he is dead permanently, slain in battle for your troops to recover and bury or for the enemy to cut up & take as trophies! (only makes a difference if you are playing a campaign).
-After each battle roll a d6. on a roll of 6 you get another hero (assume one of your surviving warriors got promoted for some act of courage).
and the interesting bit...
-each of your heros gets a special ability
-after every battle your hero survives you get to add another special ability or improve and existing one!(only makes a difference if you are playing a campaign).
-one of your heroes must be nominated as your commander and if he dies you opponent wins immediately (finish the current turn)!
-the commander can have a more powerful ability for his first ability.
Creating abilities...
since there are no rules for creating abilities yet, just use your common sense and follow these guidelines.
-Abilities must incorporate a chance of failure,
-Abilities must be balanced, (try to make them so they could have a noticeable effect on the battle but not TOO much effect, use your commonsense, and a sense of decency.
note: you do not have to show your abilities on your character sheet to your opponent until after the battle (to prove you are not cheating). However when it is used in battle you should describe what is happening in detail!
Here is a brief summary of the characters we used last night to give you an example of abilities.
My Guys:-(i was using orcs)
Nobdreg SkullKrusher(orc) and his mount Grakzull(giant boar)
General(commander) of the Orcs
Stats
Move 7"
Nobdreg Cr6 Sr6 Dr7 Ar3(sides only), Grakzull Cr6 Sr7 Dr7 Ar2(front and front/side only)
Ability: If Nobdreg is within 6" of a group of Orcs he can shout words of encouragement (threats laden with vulgar expletives) at them in the hope they will fight harder.
Rules: at the start of the 2nd combat phase roll a d6, on a roll of 4+ Nobdreg "encourages" his Orcs to fight harder. Roll a d6 for each Orc in the group and count how many 4+ you get. That many Orcs (in the group) fight a third combat phase this turn and the re-arranging phase (for gang kills) is moved to the end of this 3rd combat phase!
ARRRGH!!(orc)(mounted on boar)
Standard of the army
Stats
Move 7"
Arrrgh!! Cr6 Sr6 Dr6 Ar3(sides only), Boar Cr5 Sr6 Dr7 Ar2(front & front/sides only).
Ability: Arrrgh!! will charge through the enemy ranks knocking all in his way flying!
Rules:Only if Arrrgh!! is going to attack this combat phase, at the start of the combat phase before moving anyone else roll a d6, on a roll of 4+ Arrrgh!!(you get no choice Arrrgh!! is a bloodthirsty maniac!) will immediately move 7" straight ahead (you may turn him prior to his move) move anyone who is in his way, out of his way, perpendicular to his line of travel so they are 1" away from his line of fire(line of travel,see page 9 rules for further details). For everyone moved in this way (friend or foe) resolve one attack from the boar against each of them to see if they dodged out the way or got knocked out the way by the rampaging boar! Note: if something larger than the boar (compare Sr & Dr) is in the line of travel stop and enter melee combat (front end of model touching/only boar can attack) when Arrrgh!! reaches it. The larger enemy unit may or may not be able to attack Arrgh!! from the front of the model(depending on reach, use own judgement).
Wazbang (goblin)
Army Shamen
Stats
Move 4"
Cr6 Sr4 Dr5 Ar2
Abilities: Spell: Fireballs. Wazbang conjures 5 fireballs above his head and hurtles them towards the enemy.
Rules: Ranged attack, maximum range 12', 45 degree arc.
Execution of spell: roll a d6 to see if spell is successfully cast (4+), on successful cast each fireball will always pick different targets in the 45 degree arc from the 5 units at the front of the enemy group(models to which Wazbang has clear line of sight). If there are less than 5 units at the front randomise who the excess fireballs will target, if there are more than 5 units at the front randomise (still in the 45 degree arc) who the fireballs will target. Fireballs hit on a 4+ and are Sr7
My opponents guys:-(she was using dwarfs)
Clasper, Runelock of Mountain Pass
General
Stats
Move 3"
Cr6 Sr5 Dr6 Ar2
Ability: Throwing Runes, Clasper can throw small rocks with killing runes carved into them.
Rules: One rock can be thrown 4-8" away roll a scatter dice to see if it scatters, if it hits someone it will kill them on a 3+
Cheiften Cuber of Tribe 49 (my comment: could be called "Cubar the reason you should never play with a girl" see below)
Stats
Move 3"
Cr6 Sr5 Dr6 Ar2
Ability: Confusion Nakedness, Cubar lifts up his beard conveying his aherm... "dignity" and running 3 times around his opponent.
Rules:Can be used in melee,Roll a 4+ (to see if the enemy saw anything), and then a 3+ (to see if the enemy is confused),if successful it increases all targets to hit rolls by +1 until the end of turn. (note it can be used in the opponents combat phase but dice rolls are 5+ and 4+ respectively).
Upper General Theodore
Stats
Move 3"
Cr6 Sr5 Dr6 Ar2
Ability: Has a rune on his axe which allows it to shoot light out the end.
Rules: Can be shot 4-10 inches, roll a scatter dice to see if it hits, if it misses it scatters 3" in the direction indicated and may hit someone else. If it hits it kills instantly (generals do not get to retreat, but they still get their 2+ luck roll to see if they can avoid being hit).
Ok so maybe that wasn't so brief!