VII. Warfare

Overview

Warfare takes place at the main map during the Action Phase of non-winter turns. This is where Generals lead their team’s armies in battle, seizing new territory and defending it. There is no limit to the number of armies you may field, but you will only be able to give orders to the troops led by players or Commanders. Remember, if your entire team is out campaigning, you limit your diplomatic presence and leadership in your provinces back home.

The Main Map

Resource Nodes, buildings, armies, Generals, Commanders, and rebellious provinces will be marked on the main map.

• Resource Nodes: Strategic resource centers that produce goods for trade with other clans.

• Armies: The typical mobile force on the main map is an army, which is made up of a player token and the troops they are leading, represented by counters that signify either units of 1,000 men or companies of 5,000. You can raise a local militia force in any provinces you own, but they may not move outside their base province without a General.

• Generals: Each General has a token representing themselves. Like troop counters, these must be placed on the map. When you move with an army you are leading, Map Control will move you to the appropriate province. Your token also counts as an additional 1,000 troops (made up of loyal retainers, bodyguards, etc.) if used for combat.

• Commanders: These count as “rank zero” generals who can receive orders and lead armies. They gain no rewards for fighting and do not count as an extra 1,000 troops like a General’s token.

• Rebellious Provinces: Provinces in a state of unrest will be marked by a token indicating that the populace is deeply unhappy. The token is color coded to represent mild (orange) or severe (red) unrest. If an active rebellion forms, Map Control will place a sizable hostile force in the province, depending on the severity of the uprising. Left unopposed, rebellions will attempt to form new clans. Provinces adjacent to an active rebellion are more likely to revolt as discontent spreads.

• Buildings

  • Ostentatious Buildings: A lavish architectural wonder, center of learning, or sacred temple (see Expenses, for more details).

  • Ports: Strategic points for army movement.

  • Fortifications: Many provinces have existing frontier forts and defenses for major population centers, and new fortifications can be built by a team willing to spend significant time and resources. Fortifications increase the effective strength of the garrison in a province, and provide a location that friendly armies can retreat into for a last ditch defense. The garrison of a fortification counts as a static defense force, and so cannot be moved at all, even to assist with battles in neighboring provinces.

Orders

All orders are given at the Main Map, and movement for armies is from province to adjacent province. Each province is treated as a single movement area. How far an army can move is dependent upon the rank of the General leading them. Rank IV Generals may issue up to four orders in a turn, while Rank I Generals and Commanders may only issue one order. A General may only move and control their own army and their Commander’s armies.

In each season, armies led by a General can always move through at least one area, but may never move through more than four areas total. The amount an army can move is further altered by the factors below:

• Moving along a road in any non-Winter season: +1 bonus order.

Generals issue commands their army during the Action Phase by placing Order Tokens next to their troops. There are four rounds for giving orders (interaction disputes are sorted out by Map Control):

• Round 1: Rank IV Generals move and act.

• Round 2: Ranks II, III, and IV Generals move and act.

• Round 3: All Generals and Commanders move and act.

• Round 4: Rank III and IV generals move and act.

• Bonus Order: After the round 4, any general on a road who used an aggressive move or non-aggressive move as their last order takes their bonus order.

Combat

There are two opportunities for combat to take place: when two armies occupy the same province or sea zone, or when an army enters a province with a standing army or fortification. When this occurs players should follow the 5 steps of the combat sequence.

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:

  • The Map Controller’s judgment based on the situation and the orders given. (e.g. an attack on fortifications).

  • If there is no clear attacker, players may agree who becomes the attacker.

  • If players cannot agree, the higher-ranked General may choose to be the attacker.

  • If the Generals are equal rank, the first to shout “BANZAI!” 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.

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.

  • 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

• 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.

Sea Combat

In the event of two hostile armies meeting at sea, it is assumed that there is a sea battle. Sea battles are resolved in exactly the same way as a land battle with the following exceptions:

• The Fortify battle tactic cannot be used.

• All casualties are doubled.

Risk to Players

Whenever you engage in a dangerous endeavor, there is a risk of injury or death. This risk is magnified a hundredfold on the battlefield. After receiving four wounds, your character dies due to injury, illness, or accident. Control administers this system, so you don’t need to worry about how it works. All you need to know is that after a battle or after performing a risky action, you will be asked to draw from a deck of normal playing cards. Control will advise you on what has happened based on what you draw.

Wounds will be represented by red stickers placed on your name tag. You heal from injury at a rate of one wound per season. If you die, you will have to exchange your name tag for a new one. You will then rejoin your team as a newly-promoted retainer. You also lose any ranks you had as a General.