VII. Warfare

Combat

Combat occurs whenever hostile armies occupy the same location or when an army attacks a defended location.

Battles are resolved through a series of Assaults.

Each battle may contain up to two Assaults before forces disengage automatically.

Step 1 - Initiating Combat

• Withdraw: Any time your army is confronted by an enemy or after a battle, you may choose to withdraw peacefully to the nearest friendly province instead of fighting (or continuing to fight).

• Choose Sides:  All armies present must choose a side to support, and any supporting armies must move into the province. If two allied Generals enter the province and wish to fight as a team, they have to choose who will lead their combined forces.

• Determine Attacker and Defender: If two sides decide to fight, the attacker must be determined. This is done by taking the following points in order of priority:

  • Context and army orders.

  • Agreement between players.

  • Control arbitration if necessary.

  • If unresolved, the first General to openly declare battle becomes the attacker.

Step 2 - Announce Withdraws

Announce Withdraw: Any time your army is confronted by an enemy or after a battle, you may choose to withdraw peacefully to the nearest friendly province instead of fighting (or continuing to fight), if combat has been initiated your army will withdraw after the assault.

• armies may attempt withdrawal,

• negotiate surrender,

• request terms,

• or disengage by agreement.

Step 3 - Assault

• Assault Tactics: The Lead Generals chooses a battle tactic from their tactics cards to determine roll bonus and troop recovery.

• Action Cards: At this point, all generals play any Action Cards. Action Cards only effect that General's troops. Generals may expend up to two cards this way. Remember: once it’s laid, the card is played!

• Combat Rolls: Both sides roll a d8 for each troop.

  • 7–8 after modifiers. 

  • General fighting in his home province gets +1 to combat rolls

  • The higher-ranked Lead General gets +1 to combat rolls

  • Fights that take place in a mountainous province take a -1 to all combat rolls

Step 4 - Casualties and Disorganized Troops

Casualties suffered during combat become either:

• destroyed troops,

• or Disorganized troops depending on tactical recovery.

Disorganized troops:

• cannot fight again during the current season,

• but return to active service during the following season.

Disorganized troops represent wounded soldiers, scattered formations, desertion, exhaustion, supply collapse, and temporary loss of cohesion.

If an army becomes entirely Disorganized, it disperses automatically.

• Remove Casualties: Remove one troop per hit from both sides 

  • (Troops hit on a 7 - 8 after roll modifications)

• Check for outright victory: If an army looses more then half of its fighting force in a single assault it must immediately withdraw if able.

• Troop Recovery: Generals convert a percentage of casualties into recovering troops based on the tactic used in the assault.

  • Recovering troops (black) cannot be used this season, but will return to the army next season.

Note: When calculating losses, the General's token is the last to die, and garrisons from fortifications are always lost first. Garrison troops do not recover normally, instead they return to full strength at the end of each season. If an army loses its General and has no one left to lead it, that army immediately disbands.

If two or more armies are allied and suffer casualties, they split the casualties evenly between them (the higher ranked General takes the extra).

Step 5 - Resolution

• Retreat: Any announced withdraws retreat from the province.

• Continue Assault: Combat can continue for up to three assaults.

• Victory: The leading General may gain one ranks as a General by winning battles (one rank per battle won). Most players will begin the game at Rank I, but some characters begin at Rank II.

• Draw: If three assaults have happened and no clear victory is achieved, then forces can remain in place. They may not pass through their enemy.

Retreats and Victory

An army losing more than half its active fighting strength during a single Assault must retreat if able.

If neither side achieves victory after three Assaults:

• combat ends,

• surviving armies remain in place,

• and the location remains contested.

Victorious armies may:

• occupy locations,

• begin sieges,

• negotiate surrender,

• or continue campaigning.

Sea Combat

Sea battles occur whenever hostile fleets or embarked armies meet in a sea zone.

Sea combat follows normal combat rules with the following exceptions:

• Fortification tactics may not be used.

• All casualties are doubled.

Naval warfare is extremely dangerous due to drowning, shipwrecks, fire, and chaotic boarding actions.

Tactics Cards

Tactics cards are used to represent different fighting approaches in combat, each tactic has an advantage or disadvantage against opposing tactics.

Both attacker and defender use the same set (this keeps things simple). For a narrative justification for some of the seemingly illogical combinations, such as an attacker using Fighting Withdrawal, think of it as withdrawing using fast local counter-attacks; this would certainly be used by a smaller force led by a superior General against a larger force. The six battle tactics are as follows: