Rules Q&A

[Chieftain]

Ask your rules questions here!  

If you're finding a rule or situation problematic, this is the thread for you!  Ask your rules questions, or pose any problems you've encountered through play here.

The Warband oracle will provide clarifications and explanations over rules that might be confusing you.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Paige The Oracle!

Right, have to ask: Dragons - how good? Last time I tried WFB, back in the late 90s, no one used them as they were an artillery fire magnets rather than all powerful killing machines...

Also, is it possible to have an example of magic?

[Chieftain]

How good are dragons?

Potentially devastating.  However, they are indeed vulnerable to archery and artillery.  Using them well, and combating their dominance will be very interesting tactical challenges.

Example of magic?

Not sure what you mean Lemmey?  Generally magic enhances your army, and gives you a bit of an edge or perhaps a special (magical) effect or two.  That is, of course, if you include a magic user in your army. 

[Ken]

Any chance of getting an combat example or sample game turn?

[Chieftain]

Any chance of getting an combat example or sample game turn?

Hi Ken,

Actually, this isn't as easy to answer as it might seem.  I'll give it a go though.  

It's perhpas best thinking of a Warband game turn and a 'combat round' as the same thing.  
In Warband the various parts of combat are sequenced over the phases of a game turn.  
As the turn represents 'everything that happens in the battle over 30 minutes' a turn will play out generally as follows:

1. Initiative and command/magic potential is generated.
2. Everything moves (or not).
3. Everything shoots (or not), and 'hits' are marked.
4. Everything melee fights (or not), and 'hits' are marked.
5. Everything resolves the outcomes of accrued hits (including protection from the hits, morale loss, and outcomes.

Command and magic can interact to affect each phase.

It means that as a player you need to make careful decisions about where to spend your limited command influence (or magic spells).  Do you blow it all early to get your units moved into good positions, use it in the fighting to damage your opponent's units, or save it to help protect and rally your own units?

The turn structure means that there will be a lot of uncertainty; you'll have to constantly make challenging choices, and the wisdom of those choices won't become clear until the end of each turn!

Does that help?

[Leman]

I thought we'd had the discussion about dragoons.

[cmnash]

I have 2 questions ...  so far!!   


Q1
In the turn sequence step 1.1, initiative is determined by rolling your commander's command die
In step 1.2, command points are determined by rolling the commander's command die

Should this be the same roll? i.e.  what is rolled in step 1.1 is used for step 1.2 ? how do you (the author I mean) play it?

Q2
Looking at the terrain choice list, I was surprised that there is not an 'open ground' choice available.  Was this a deliberate omission?


I've not played the game yet, just had a look through the rules and I like what I've seen! 

I am surprised that 100 x 50 was chosen as the standard base size though.  I would have thought that 80 x 40 would have roped in more Warmaster players as it's the size of a normal 4 base unit from that game

Cheers, Colin

[Chieftain]

Q1
In the turn sequence step 1.1, initiative is determined by rolling your commander's command die
In step 1.2, command points are determined by rolling the commander's command die

Should this be the same roll? i.e.  what is rolled in step 1.1 is used for step 1.2 ? how do you (the author I mean) play it?

Q2
Looking at the terrain choice list, I was surprised that there is not an 'open ground' choice available.  Was this a deliberate omission?

Hi cmnash and welcome!

Q1 - They are spearate dice rolls.

Q2 - There is no 'open ground' choice.  Open ground is default.  Unlike other rules (DBx, FoG, etc.) you can't 'reserve' an area of open ground.  This was a deliberate choice, as many of the armies have specific terrain interactions that players can exploit.  You as an opponent will have to figure out how to deal with these!     It was felt that simply allowing you to deny areas for your opponent to place their terrain wasn't the right way to do it.

[cmnash]

Hi cmnash and welcome!

Q1 - They are spearate dice rolls.

Q2 - There is no 'open ground' choice.  Open ground is default.  Unlike other rules (DBx, FoG, etc.) you can't 'reserve' an area of open ground.  This was a deliberate choice, as many of the armies have specific terrain interactions that players can exploit.  You as an opponent will have to figure out how to deal with these!     It was felt that simply allowing you to deny areas for your opponent to place their terrain wasn't the right way to do it.

Thanks for the rapid answers!  Thanks for expanding on the terrain choice - it makes perfect sense to me. It has just occurred to me, however, that you migh have covered that in the designer's notes, which I've not read yet! Sorry if you did ...

On Q1, though, is there a particular reason for them to be separate? not challenging, just asking ...

And on my point about base sizes, I've just seen the sabots in the warband bases range - great idea!

Cheers, Colin

[Chieftain]

On Q1, though, is there a particular reason for them to be separate? not challenging, just asking ...

Yes.

Initiative determines if you go first or second during each phase.  There are specific advantages and disadvantages to both positions, which should become clear during play.

CPs determine your command capacity to influence the battle for the turn, including enhancing your initiative advantages and reducing your opponent's advantages.

Combining them into a single roll would magnify either of these advantages or disadvantages.  Splitting the roll potentially avoids that.

And on my point about base sizes, I've just seen the sabots in the warband bases range - great idea!
Cheers, Colin

They are.  Kudos to Leon!

[cmnash]

Yes.

Initiative determines if you go first or second during each phase.  There are specific advantages and disadvantages to both positions, which should become clear during play.

CPs determine your command capacity to influence the battle for the turn, including enhancing your initiative advantages and reducing your opponent's advantages.

Combining them into a single roll would magnify either of these advantages or disadvantages.  Splitting the roll potentially avoids that.

Ah, now I understand!  If you had just the one roll, then whomever won initiative would also have more command points - magnifying the advantage as you said

Thanks for your patience, Colin

[AndyT]

Can I post an army list question here?

In the Goblin/Orc list wolf chariots are mentioned in the options but are they a unit available on the list? I can't see them.

Cheers, Andy

[Chieftain]

Can I post an army list question here?

In the Goblin/Orc list wolf chariots are mentioned in the options but are they a unit available on the list? I can't see them.

Cheers, Andy

Of course you may ask!

One for the errata that.  Wolf chariots were removed. 
I'll start an errata thread.   

[Upgraydd]

It's not really an errata but more an omission, for the Hill Dwarves there is no unit description for Scouts;

On Page 9 Morale is abbreviated to MR but in the army lists it's MO.

[AndyT]

OK thanks. So wolf chariots won't be added to the list then?