Battle Plans for Smaller Games

[Lord Aquillor]

We are developing an escalation league to attract new players and introduce the game in our area.  We have decided to start off slow to allow people plenty of time to buy, build, and paint their models.  We will escalate each month as so: 500 pts, 750, 1000, 1500, 2000.  The small games up front were meant to show people the ropes and not overwhelm them with models.  That being said, the traditional battle plans don't really work well for such low points.  

I have written the three battle plans below to be used during the 500-750 pt games.  Can any of you provide input on how to keep these fun, clear and balanced?  Thank you. 

 

 

Setup: For Month 1, all games will be played on a 4x4 game board with 1-3 piece of terrain per 2 ft section.  Players can agree on the amount of terrain or simply roll a d3 for amount per section.  Terrain selection and placement will rotate between players until all terrain is placed and then the winner of the roll off will decide to either place first or chose table side first.  The player who chooses their side of the table first doesn’t get to place first.

 

Battle Plans: Given the small amount of models at the low point values, an alternate set of battle plans will be used until we reach 1,000 point games.  Please roll a D3 on the list below.

 

D3

1. Capture the flag

2. Slay the General

3. King of the Hill

 

Capture the Flag: Your enemies have grown confident and are brazenly waving their colors in the face of your growing warband. Your troops are demoralized.  A plan to bolster your comradery, and hopefully, attract more followers has been contrived. Tonight, we steal their flag.

 

After all army setup is complete, the player who won the die roll will place an objective marker anywhere within their deployment area and then the other player does the same.  If at the end of any unit’s move, they come within 1” of the enemy flag, they may add the flag to their unit.  The flag moves with the unit and must remain in base contact with a model in the unit.  This model is considered the flag carrier. The unit possesses the flag until the flag carrier is slain.  If the flag carrier is slain, then another model may pick up the flag during the next move (any type of move, including pile-in) and place it in base contact.  

 

At the end of each turn in which you posses your opponents flag (it may have changed hands during the turn several times. This doesn’t matter, just that you have it at the end.) you gain 1 point.  If at any point, the unit carrying the opponent's flag manages to complete its movement in its own starting area with the rival flag, they score a Major Victory. At the end of game round 5, the general with the highest point total scores a Minor Victor.  Tie-breakers are number of points slain.

 

Slay the General: Your assassins have sharpened their blades.  One thing you ask of them.  Bring me the head of their General, or die trying.

 

During setup, starting with the player who won the die roll, elect one model without the Hero keyword to become your assassin.  The assassin gets +1 to hit and rend on all wounds dealt against your opponent’s general (For example, a - Rend would become a -1 Rend, -1 would become -2, ect.)

 

A player scores a Major Victory as soon as the opposing General is slain. Should both generals survive to the end of the 5th Battle Round, the player who has slain the most points wins a Minor Victory.

 

King of the Hill: An artefact of power, a key piece of battlefield, pride… many warbands squabble over these things.  But, none can hold it at one time.  It’s time to make your stand.

 

After both armies have set up and chosen sides, place a single objective marker in the direct center of the table (Must be round and preferably a 40-50mm base).  This represents the hill.  The player who finished setup will then declare if they are going first or second.  The player who is going first then declares whether they are to hold the hill during the game, or at the end.  The player going second then declares their choice of holding it during the game or at the end.

 

If a unit has at least one model in base contact with the hill at the end of their turn, they are considered to contest the hill.  If they hold the hill uncontested at the end of their turn (no enemy models in Base contact with the hill marker) than they score 1 point for each consecutive turn they have held the hill uncontested.

 

If a player chose to to hold the hill at the end and does so at the end of game round 5, they score a Major Victory.  If a player chose to hold the hill during the game manages to obtain 6 points at any time, they score a Major Victory and the game is immediately over.

[foolsama]

Have you playtested these yet? I particularly like the Capture the Flag one. Do you mind if we used it on our channel? Whom should I credit?

[Infernalslayer]

These are very interesting, will have a thorough look. Thanks for sharing!

[Chris Tomlin]

Hi @Lord Aquillor,

Nice work. For Capture the Flag I would give some consideration to stipulating that the objective marker should be a set distance (6", 8" etc) from any board edge, else you may find people sticking them in the back corners.

[stato]

These sound really cool.  I think capture the flag should include something about the model not being able to shoot or fight, as thats always what happened in historical battles, a soldier would drop his rifle or sword to hold the army banner (i think this should have been a rule for unit standards and musicians originally, but i digress).