HORDES OF THE THINGS
Proposed Revisions
(As at 13.02.02, 1st posting)
Copyright Phil Barker, Sue Laflin Barker
& Richard Bodley Scott 1991 & 2001
The authors permit this document to be
freely copied but not altered in any way.
We would be grateful for considered
comments.
Send them to Richard@byzant.demon.co.uk, or join the revision group on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hottrevision.
Please note - we do not at present intend
to make any major alterations to the troop types, points values, move
distances, combat factors, tactical factors or combat outcomes. As far as we
can see, these items are already remarkably well balanced - we wish we could achieve
such balance in DBA/DBM!
The main purpose of the revision is
therefore to clarify the rules and to bring HOTT up to date with current
DBA/DBM mechanisms with regard to movement, contacts, effect of flank contacts
etc. where these are an improvement.
ALTERATIONS TO OTHER SECTIONS
The following alterations are proposed.
In this game two players (or teams of players) select armies of miniature figures from the lists in this book or make up their own using a points system. For ease of handling, multiple figures are glued to rectangular bases called elements. One player sets up pieces of terrain representing woods, hills, marshes, rivers, towns, etc. on a square board. The other player picks which board edges are to be each player's home edge. Then the players place their figures on the board. They then take turns moving their figures and resolving shooting and close combat. At the start of each player’s bound (turn), that player rolls a single 6-sided die and the number that comes up (PIPs) is the number of elements or groups of them that can be moved. The player can then move any of the elements of his/her army up to that limit, according to the distances allowed for each troop type. The players then resolve bespelling, shooting and close combat according to the methods given in the rules. It is then the other player’s bound. They alternate until one player achieves the victory conditions, then shake hands and play another game.
|
Board |
The area representing the battlefield. |
|
Close
combat contact |
An element’s front edge is in close combat contact if (with the
exception of aerials and ground troops not deemed to be in contact) it is: ·
in full contact with an enemy element’s
front edge. ·
in at least partial contact with an
enemy element’s flank edge and its corner is in contact with that enemy element’s
front corner. ·
in full contact with an enemy element’s
rear edge. ·
in at least partial front edge contact
with an enemy stronghold. |
|
Controller |
An element’s controller is the player commanding the army to
which the element belongs. |
|
Edge
contact |
Each element has at least part of an edge in contact with at
least a part of an edge of the other. Elements in contact only
corner-to-corner are not in edge contact. If a stronghold has a curved
perimeter, an element is in edge contact with it if any part of an edge
(other than the corner only) is in contact with that perimeter. |
|
Flat
good going |
Level terrain without slopes, bad going or water features. The
“flat” tops of plateau type hills do not count as flat good going. |
|
Maximum
move |
The move distance listed for the type and terrain in the
tactical move distance section. |
|
Partially
separated |
A moving element is partially separated from an enemy element’s
front by another element if any part of the latter is between (uncrossed)
straight lines joining the front corners of the enemy element to the corners
of the nearest edge of the moving element. A moving element is partially separated
from an enemy stronghold by another element if any part of the latter is
between (uncrossed) straight lines drawn perpendicularly to the stronghold
from the corners of the nearest edge of the moving element. |
|
Rear
support |
Spears or warband in close combat gain a +1 tactical factor for
rear support if they have a friendly element of the same type in full front
edge contact with their rear edge, and neither element is in bad going. |
|
Shooting
edge |
The shooting element’s front edge. |
|
Straight
back |
Perpendicular to the element’s rear edge. |
|
Straight
forward |
Perpendicular to the element’s front edge. |
|
Terrain
feature |
Any item of natural, cultivated or constructed terrain that is
not flat good going. (Exception: A stronghold does not count as a terrain
feature.) |
|
Unoccupied
space |
Space completely unoccupied by troop elements of either side. |
|
Within
1 base width |
At or closer than 1 base width. |
|
Within
x paces |
At or closer than x paces. |
PLAYING EQUIPMENT AND
REPRESENTATIONAL SCALES
CHOICE OF FIGURE AND MODEL SCALE
These rules can
be used with any scale of figure or model. 25mm offers the greatest choice of
fantasy figures, and is ideal for public demonstration games at conventions,
where its easier visibility for spectators is an advantage. 15mm combines
cheapness and convenience. 10mm & 6mm provide mass armies at some
cost in convenience.
ARMY SIZE AND TROOP REPRESENTATION
The basic game is
played between two armies, each consisting of elements totaling up to 24
army points (AP) (see P.9) and controlled by a single general representing a player.
Each
element consists of a rectangular base, to which is fixed either one or several
figures according to the element type.
The number of individuals represented by
an element is not specified. It can be assumed, however, that where there is a
perceived difference in quality between different troops of the same element
type, the difference is balanced out by the lower quality troop element
representing a much larger number of individuals.
Each
general is part of one of the army's elements. This must not be a god, dragon, paladin,
lurkers or sneakers element.
Each
army must also have a stronghold used only if defending, the loss of which is
fatal.
Both players must write down the composition of their armies
(specifying generals’ elements). They then, before dicing for attacker and
defender, show their opponent all elements except lurkers, specifying their
type and identifying the general’s element.
PLAYING AREA AND GROUND SCALE
The optimum
playing area is 600mm or 24” square for the basic two-player or campaign
battle if using 15mm or smaller figures, or 900mm or 36” square if 25mm.
The
ground scale varies with the size of army represented, but for convenience 25mm
or 1” on the table can be taken as equivalent to 100 paces in real life if
using 15mm or smaller figures, or 10mm as equivalent to 25 paces if using 25mm
figures.
TIME
SCALE
Play is in alternate
bounds, each of which simulates about 15 minutes in fictional life.
DICE
In the basic
game each side needs one ordinary 1 to 6 dice, which is used for all
dice throws during the game.
TROOP DEFINITIONS
BEASTS,
including all packs of carnivores with no armament other than tooth and claw,
such as hunting dogs, wolves, hellhounds or unmagical lions, with or without
other beings accompanying them as huntsmen, riders or handlers. They can
be used effectively to clear bad going or attack foot. Whimsical players
have suggested that they disconcert skeleton armies by stealing and burying
their bones.
BASING
All figures must be combined
into elements of one or more figures permanently mounted on a rectangular base
of card or similar material. Base size is not critical provided that all bases
have the same frontage and both armies use the same conventions. However, we
recommend the basing conventions of DBA & DBM, for the sake of
commonality and to enable those who normally play with historical armies to
make use of existing troops.
|
Recommended
Basing Conventions |
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|
Figure Scale: |
25-28mm |
15mm |
10mm |
6mm |
||||
|
Element
frontage: |
60mm |
40mm |
40mm |
40mm |
||||
|
|
Depth |
Figures |
Depth |
Figures |
Depth |
Figures |
Depth |
Figures |
|
Dragon |
80mm |
1 |
60mm |
1 |
60mm |
1 |
30mm |
1 |
|
Airboat |
80mm |
1 |
60mm |
1 |
60mm |
1 |
30mm |
1 |
|
Behemoth |
60mm |
1-4 |
40mm |
1-4 |
40mm |
1-6 |
30mm |
1-6 |
|
Artillery |
60mm |
1 |
40mm |
1 |
40mm |
1-2 |
30mm |
1-2 |
|
Beasts |
60mm |
2-4 |
40mm |
2-4 |
40mm |
3-8 |
30mm |
5-8 |
|
Magicians |
60mm |
1-3 |
40mm |
1-3 |
40mm |
1-3 |
30mm |
1-3 |
|
God |
60mm |
1 |
30mm |
1 |
30mm |
1 |
20mm |
1 |
|
Hordes |
40mm |
5-8 |
30mm |
5-8 |
30mm |
9-16 |
20mm |
15-20 |
|
Flyers |
40mm |
1-3 |
30mm |
1-3 |
30mm |
1-3 |
20mm |
1-3 |
|
Hero |
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