This is it for now, I promise!
The War Council
How many of you, like Balrog and I, have openly wept when you drew a Town card?
If a noble actively fighting in a battle has a Bishop card or cards, then his faction’s War Council may include a Level 1 cleric. A noble with an Archbishop card or cards may include a level 2 cleric. Bishop and Archbishop cards may not be combined to reach higher levels.
Any noble that possesses any 2 or more town cards other than Bristol qualifies for a level 1 rogue, warrior, or wizard (his faction’s choice). If 2 nobles on the same side have 2 or more Town cards each, then they may each buy a different War Council member, but they cannot combine to reach a higher level.
Any noble with Bristol may provide a level 2 wizard.
Any noble in possession of Carisbrooke castle may provide a level 2 warrior.
If any noble providing clerics, rogues, warriors, or wizards is killed or captured during the battle, this catastrophe causes the War Council to be treated as if it no longer has the council member that the lost noble provided. If more cards are held than the newly established level allows, then the player must discard lore cards from his hand until he is within limits. In addition, any lore cards played “out of character” will cost additional lore as described in the rulebook. This penalty remains in effect even if the poor noble is later liberated.
Nobles in Battle
So how do we represent the nobles and heirs in a game of Battlelore? Their position on the field is indicated by using the counters from Kingmaker. And, for the most part, we’ll use a modified version of how Commands and Colors: Ancients handles Leaders.
1. All units with a noble or nobles attached hit on a lore symbol (since these lore die rolls are being used for something, they do not add to the lore stockpile).
2. Player-nobles and Commanders (if not a player-noble), when attached, make their unit Bold.
3. If a unit with nobles or heirs attached takes casualties but is not wiped out, 2 dice are rolled for each noble/heir present; 2 lore symbols equal the death of that character. If the unit is wiped out, only a single die is rolled, and a lore symbol indicates the death of that particular heir/noble. Any unattached and surviving nobles (and escorted heirs, but only if they travel with their supervising noble) are captured if an enemy unit elects to move or “take ground” into their hex unless they are able to roll a flag. If the lost unit was killed by missiles or magic, the attacking enemy unit does not elect to enter their hex, or the noble rolled a flag in the face of pursuit, then the lucky survivor may retreat up to 3 hexes if desired, and is free to attach to any unit in its path of retreat. All nobles must roll for their own flags. Nobles/heirs on the last row of the battlefield may not attempt to roll a flag.
3. A killed noble adds one to the opposing player’s flag total for purposes of victory. A killed heir, or a captured heir or noble do not affect victory conditions (this may seem a bit odd, but often the opposing side in the Wars of the Roses claimed to only be trying to rescue the King from “evil advisors”…in addition, captured nobles may still be saved if their side is victorious).
4. Nobles may be ordered separately by using up one of the orders on the Command Card, so long as they are in a section to which that card applies. If ordered, they may move up to 3 squares. An heir may never leave his/her assigned unit (and will surrender immediately if left alone), but may accompany a noble if desired.
Winning a Battle
The number of flags required to win a battle is one-half (rounded up) of the total number of units and creatures in the opposing army. Flags are scored by eliminating enemy units, creatures, and nobles.
Victory
The game will last 15 turns (5 game years), as described in the Short Game, with standard victory conditions as written in the rulebook.
Alliances - dependent upon number of players.
Labels: administrative
