Winter is here; Hell is upon us
The following rules formed the basis of a mega battle which Iowa Kings of War played during the spring of 2022. The rules are were tailored made to match the armies of the players in our group. It uses multiple tables with teams of players all trying to reach the center of the castle courtyard. We hope you feel inspired after reading them and hopefully create your own mega battle rulesets designed for your playgroup.
The History of Castle Winter: During the great frozen age of lady Winter’s rule the evil enchantress built many great fortresses across Panithor. Almost all of them have since fallen into ruin over the last millennium. Still, in the most fertile plains just north of the Dragon Teeth Mountains lies one of the last remaining fortresses built by Winter herself. For centuries the walled city has been the site of many pilgrims seeking its renowned cathedral which legend says was built by Elohim. In more recent years it also attracted a different kind of pilgrim looking for its increasingly famous elvish tavern. The great holdfast has also given rise to many myths over the eons. Some believe that the catacombs beneath the city are so large they hold entire armies of long forgotten dead. Others believe these so-called catacombs are really just caves where legions of goblins dwell. Obviously, a structure this old can be forgiven for sprouting many tall tales and nonfactual urban legends. What matters is that the castle has stood undaunted for a thousand years, and its inhabitants are sure it will stand a thousand more.
The Armies of the Siege of Winter Hell: The Basilians and Elven forces will directly defend the castle while a combined demonic host will assault it. Beneath the city in its ancient catacombs the empire of dust will arise and attempt to march through an underground greenskin city. Quietly lurking beneath the city’s sewers a marauding fleet of Twilight Kin sailors will find their attempts to attack the city from within intercepted by Trident Realm allies.
The Point Size: The players will bring 3,000 point armies. This is supposed to be a fast moving, simple game that squeezes as many models on the board as possible.
Siege Rules
The following rules are a simplified version of Clash of Kings 2019 siege rules.
Castle Stateline
- Castle walls are height 5, defense 7, nerve 18/20
- Castle gates are height 5, defense 6, nerve -17
- Small castle towers are height 6, defense 7, nerve 18/20
- Large castle towers are height 7, defense 7, nerve 18/20
Castles and Movement
- Adjacent units within the courtyard may garrison a wall/tower section
- Units outside the castle may not move garrison a wall section unless they have flying or ladders/siege engines.
- A garrison unit may leave its wall section and enter the courtyard
- A garrison unit may leave its wall section and garrison an adjacent wall section, tower section (if an appropriate kind of unit), or a wall section separated by a single tower
- Only one unit may garrison a wall section at a time (this includes individuals)
- Only individuals/large infantry characters/war machines/infantry troops may occupy small towers, these units plus infantry/monstrous infantry regiments may occupy large towers
- A unit’s footprint is equal to the wall/tower section it is garrisoning
- Only flying units or height 4 or higher units may attack a garrisoned unit in melee without ladders or siege towers. If they do so they are at -1 to hit and automatically hindered regardless of pathfinder/strider.
Attacking the Castle
- Only artillery can damage castle walls/towers through shooting.
- Spells have no effect on castle walls/towers but can effect garrisoning units.
- Indirect fire artillery is at +1 to hit a castle wall.
- Only large/monstrous infantry, monstrous cavalry, monsters, and titans can damage castles walls/towers in melee.
- Only attacks with at least 1 piercing or crushing strength can affect castle walls.
- Thunderous charge has no effect on castle walls.
- After waving a castle wall/tower, the garrisoning unit takes D6+2 damage. It must test again every turn thereafter as the wall continues to collapse.
- Units equipped with siege towers can attack a garrisoning unit in a wall (but not a tower section) without penalty. They may also occupy a castle wall (but not a tower) that is unoccupied from outside the castle. Speed is reduced to 5, nimble/pathfinder/stride is lost, obstacles are blocking terrain.
- Units equipped with ladders may attack a garrisoned unit in a wall (but not a tower) at -1 to hit. They may also occupy a wall section (but not a tower) from outside the castle.
- Infantry/monstrous infantry regiments/hoards/legions can be equipped with a battering ram. This grans blast D3 and an additional crushing strength 2 to the unit. Speed is reduced to 5, nimble/pathfinder/stride is lost, obstacles are blocking terrain.
- Shooting at a garrison unit is at -1 to hit.
Siege Equipment
- Siege towers are height 5, defense 6, nerve -17
- Battering rams are height 3, defense 6, nerve -17
- Shooting at a unit equipped with a siege tower or battering ram is at -1 to hit
- Neither castles walls nor siege equipment can be inspired, but their garrisoning units can
- All infantry (whether regular or heavy infantry) are assumed to be carrying ladders during a siege
- Remember that indirect fire artillery is at +1 to hit a castle wall.
The Battlefields – The Castle Table: The castle battlefield will consist of two 4 by 6 foot mats placed long side by long side, creating an 8 by 6 foot table. A 6 foot castle wall will run down the middle of the table. Behind the wall will be several buildings that grant the defenders various bonuses until the attackers can sack said buildings. To sack a building the attackers must have more unit strength within 3 inches (just like claiming an objective). The buildings are as follows,
Special Objective Terrain
Cathedral: Defenders all have +1 iron resolve
Tavern: Defenders all have fearless
Statue: Defenders are all inspired
Gatehouse: Defenders all have rally +1 (there are two gatehouses, rally stacks up to +2)
Non Objective Special Terrain
Trenches: Attackers may deploy within 3 inches of trench, trenches grant cover
Deployment: 2-foot section along non castle side for attackers, castle wall and everything behind it for defenders.
The Castle Table Special Rules: At the end of each turn the Games Master will announce changes in the setting and their impact on the rules.
Who Goes First: The defender goes first.
Game Length: The side with the most unit strength in the town square wins after 8 turns wins.
Board layout: Place a castle wall with two gatehouses across the middle of the table. Trenches should be placed 12 inches away from the castle walls. Place the cathedral in one castle side corner and the tavern in the other and the statue in-between them.
The Battlefields – The Catacombs: The catacombs will consist of two 4 by 6 foot tables placed short side by short side, creating a 4 by 12 foot table. The terrain will consist of many mushroom forests, ruined structures, and other suitable dungeon terrain.
Game Length: 6 Turns.
Scenario – Modified Invade: The attackers will race to put units on the defender’s board edge. Every unit that does so will roll a die and then appear on the castle battlefield next to one of the following terrain pieces starting no earlier than turn 5 of the castle battle.
1 – Trenches (drat… we got lost)
2 – West Gatehouse (not where we were hoping to emerge…)
3 – East Gatehouse (not where we were hoping to emerge…)
4 – Cathedral (grab the gold goblets and head for the square)
5 – Tavern (grab the beer and head for the square)
6 – Statue (Yes! We’re inside: the plan worked!)
Note that this will create a third and fourth phase of the castle battle turns as both empire of dust and goblin units enter the table.
Opening Scene: Life left the bones of this necropolis centuries ago. Now they lay covered in dust, long forgotten in all but myth and legend. And yet in recent years a new life has taken root amidst these stagnant chambers. Light feet carrying cloaked figures and malign, beady eyes now scamper across these venerable halls. They are erecting a new presence here, a goblin city for a race as numerous as ants. Slowly they corrupt these honorable graves left to rot by the ancient warriors’ own descendants. The rage of the dead is building as their memory fades and their tombs are desecrated by long, coalesced fingers looking for treasure. If only there were enough magic left to awaken these bones…
Turn 1: Commotion rattles down the many twisting halls of this catacomb complex. The ceiling is cracking. Legions of goblins hastily form ranks as the dead rise within their city. With all the noise and movement few notice the ominous cracking sounds emanating from the walls and ceiling.
Turn 2: At first no one noticed the creaking noises over the din of battle. But then animosity began to grow amidst the ranks. Sounds like, “Ouch! Who hit me?”, barked across the goblin lines as the occasional skeleton warrior collapsed for no reason.
Stones are falling. Every unit takes 1 wound on a 4+
Turn 3: Now neither side can ignore the truth. The ceilings are giving way! These caverns were carved many centuries ago and have not been properly maintained for at least a dozen generations. There is no longer any doubt as to what must be done. It is time to escape.
Its raining rocks! Every unit takes 1 wound.
Turn 4: Dust and dirt shift, blinding the eyes and dulling the other senses. Still, the bigger threat is the size of the falling debris. With each passing minute it seems to be growing. One has to wonder for how long this cavern can hold?
Watch out for the boulders! Every unites takes d3 wounds on a 4+.
Turn 4: Now soldiers turn the shields upwards towards heaven instead of towards the enemy. Most of the smaller rocks can be deflected this way, but the larger ones will crush a many regardless.
The sky is falling! Every unit takes d3 wounds.
Turn 5: Great swaths of earth come careening down alongside chiseled stone from a megalithic fortress above. The earth herself is swallowing us whole
Avalanche! Every unit takes d6 wounds on a 4+.
Turn 6: Boulders all falling! Ramparts are falling! The earth herself is imploding! Run, run for your lives!
Escape while there is still time! Every unit takes d6 wounds.
Turn 7: Many lives and legends ended that day; their stories buried and utterly forgotten beneath a tide of land too great to ever budge for mere mortal hands.
The collapse is complete. All underground units are removed from play as casualties.
Opening Scene: These ancient walls have stood against the living and the dead, the elements and time, and even treason and treachery from within. No one doubts their indomitable resilience. Their girth and unforgiving stubbornness have repelled every attack for 40 generations. But there is something different today. The land bustles with motion beneath the distant horizon. Something is moving. No, many are moving. Uncountable legions form infinite ranks amidst tattered banners. Their vast numbers are strange, impossible to believe. Stranger still is the way the light reflects about them… Who is coming? No, what is coming?
Turn 1: The skies turn dark as the winds begin to howl. Tiny figures off in the distance march resolutely beneath a sky simmering with bombastic displays of color. Bright purple interlaces with ashen gray, metallic silver luster crashes against darkest black, the sky itself vibrates like a beating war drum. Whatever is here was never meant for this world.
Turn 2: The winds grow violent, its screaming drowns out the many battle horns resonating across the frozen fields. Darkness has descended across the landscape with unnatural speed. All is black until the sky lashes out against the earth with crackling lightning. For a moment this illuminates the field, but whether the archers’ volleys can pierce past the wind gusts is another matter.
Standard shooting: – 2 inches
Piecing shooting: – 1 inches
Indirect fire: unaffected
Lightning bolt: all units with a spellcaster level acquire lighting bolt 3 unless they already have lightning bolt, in which case they increase their lightning bolt by 2.
Turn 3: The storm is here! The otherworldly skies call forth some primal hatred from another realm. Cascading lightning lashes out against the city like a forked tongue from a cosmic serpent! It careens through the streets with a malign intellect contrary to forces of nature, lighting fires wherever it goes. Buildings burst into flame! Those within the city walls feel their resolve slip as terror rises.
Terror: All units inside the city walls suffer -1 to their waver and rout rolls.
Frenzy: All monsters, titans, individuals, troops, and regiments within the city walls gain an additional d3 attacks. All hordes and legions gain an additional d6 attacks.
Turn 4: The legions are besieging the walls, climbing over the ramparts, and battering down the doors. But the walls still stand. They have always stood, and they always will. They are as much a part of this place as the mountains are a part of the land, and they will repel this primeval threat… what is that? No… it can’t be. Is the city is shaking? The walls are… cracking… Run, RUN! The walls are falling!
The Ground Gives Way: Each wall section takes d6 damage on a 4+.
Turn 5: Great chasms form where stone walls once stood. Some of these gaping holes send forth the rhythmic marching of silent, uniform bodies made only of bone. Others send an endless tide of screaming, devilish creatures with beady eyes and clad in rags. If ever there was a time when the hearts of men failed it would surely be this most terrible of days. Yet, the new forces are not of one mind. They turn on each other as quickly as they do the inhabitants of Winter. Perhaps in their chaotic discord lies our only hope.
The Walls Have Fallen: Each wall section takes d6 damage on a 4+.
Turn 6: Rise free peoples and fight for your city! Let every man who can grab a spear or an ax take what he can and form ranks. There is no sense in hiding. Your city needs you!
Cry of the People: The city defenders may deploy an additional horde of militia within the town square.
Turn 7: Rise free peoples and fight for your city! Let every man who can grab a hammer or a bow and take what he can and form ranks. There is no sense in hiding. Your city needs you!
Cry of the People: The city defenders may deploy an additional horde of militia within the town square.
Turn 8: Rise free peoples and fight for your city! Let every woman, child, and man of great years grab a knife, club, or even go with nothing more than bare hands and teeth. This is your final hour, fight for your city and by your death live forever.
Cry of the People: The city defenders may deploy an additional horde of militia within the town square.
