Wargaming in bed

I’m sure the Featherstone scholars among you will remember what I’m talking about but the specific article I’m thinking of has so far eluded me despite looking through all of my Featherstone books multiple times. I remember Donald talking about a time he was bedridden and desiring to get a game in so he requested some mounted toy knights for a jousting competition. He rolled for each knight in a combat and the higher roller won. Each time a knight won a combat they also added 1 to their roll in each future combat.

I tested positive for Covid on Monday afternoon and since then have been pretty much bedridden, I’ve managed a little painting but it’s been in fits and starts as I can’t sit upright for very long before needing to lie down. But apparently I’ve been preparing for this exact eventuality by working on my duelling rules and excitedly working towards a possible campaign.

Although the current rules require a little too much referencing which isn’t great when you’re struggling to sit up. So to combat that for now I’ve jumped back to that simpler ruleset I originally had with some minor tweaks and the inclusion of classes and special rules that I’ve used many times before so it takes much less brain power.

BUILDING A COMBATANT

To create a combatant you have 15 build points.

Each combatant in the game has 3 basic stats: Speed, Attack and Defence. Each stat point a combatant has costs 1 build point. No stat can be less than 1 or higher than 5.

A combatant also has 10 health points as standard and this costs no build points, however if you choose to reduce a fighters starting health value you gain 1 build point per two points of health reduced.

A combatant also gets a class, there are three classes – Fighters, Skirmishers and Shooters:

Fighters can only attack enemies in adjacent spaces and hit them on a 3+.

Skirmishers can hit enemies within 4 spaces and hit them on a 4+.

Shooters can hit enemies within 8 spaces and hit them on a 5+.

A combatant’s class doesn’t cost any build points.

Combatants can then also be given any of the special rules below (each special rule can only be taken once each and costs 2 build points):

SKILLED – Add 1 to each die rolled when hitting.

DODGER – Reduce each die rolled to hit this fighter by 1.

STRONG – Add 1 to each die rolled when damaging.

TOUGH – Reduce each die rolled to damage this combatant by 1. If a roll of 7 would be required re-roll a natural 6 and then 4+ counts as a 7.

SWIFT – This combatant can move two squares per point of speed instead of 1, additionally this combatant decides who has the first turn unless their opponent also has this rule.

BRUTAL – When this combatant rolls a natural 6 to damage with an attack their opponent suffers 2 points of damage.

VAMPIRIC – Roll a die for each point of damage this combatant does to their opponent, on the roll of a 6 this combatant regains 1 lost health.

EXPLOSIVE – When this combatant rolls a natural 6 to hit their opponent make 3 damage rolls for that hit.

POISON – When this combatant ends a turn in which they damaged their opponent roll a single die, on a roll of 6 their opponent is poisoned. At the start of each of their opponent’s subsequent turns roll a die and on a 3+ their opponent suffers 1 damage. Their opponent can only ever suffer a maximum of 1 point of damage at the start of each of their turns even if poisoned multiple times.

STUN – When this combatant ends a turn in which they damaged their opponent roll a single die, on a roll of 6 their opponent is stunned and misses their next turn.

KNOCKBACK – Roll a die for each point of damage this combatant does to their opponent, on the roll of 5+ their opponent is knocked back 1 space.

RUSHDOWN – When this combatant moves into an adjacent space to their opponent they can add 1 additional die per point of unused movement to their next attack roll.

COUNTER – Each roll of 1 or less to damage this combatant deals 1 damage to their opponent.

FIGHTING

The game is played on a 1×8 square grid and only ever between 2 combatants. 1 combatant begins on the second square and the other begins on the 7th. So that there is 4 squares between the combatants and 1 square between each combatant and the edge of the grid.

The combatant with the highest speed value goes first (unless the Swift rule comes into play). If both combatants have the same speed value randomly determine who goes first.

 First a combatant can move forward their full Speed towards their opponent until they are within range to attack. If a combatant is already within range they back away from their opponent at full speed until they are at the limit of their range. A fighter cannot move further than their speed value in spaces (unless they have the swift rule where they can move up to double). If the combatant moves up to their opponent they will stop in the adjacent space. If a combatant is cornered by their opponent instead of moving this turn they can switch positions with their opponent.

Once the combatants move is complete they will attack their opponent. A fighter cannot leave the grid and so under any circumstance will stop at the final grid space.

To attack roll a number of dice equal to the attacker’s attack value. To hit their opponent they must roll equal to above the values below (as determined by their class):

Fighter 3+

Skirmisher 4+

Shooter 5+

Each successful hit is then rolled against their opponents defence value. Each die that beats the enemy combatant’s defence value causes the enemy combatant to lose 1 life point.

Once the attack is resolved it is the other combatants turn.

Once a combatants life points are reduced to 0 they are KO’d and lose the fight.

Here are my 16 new fighters taking me up to 32 in total which is a good number to have for tournaments. I managed some pictures with the flash on which wasn’t ideal (especially because it shows off the painting mistakes) but then I needed another nap. You’ll no doubt see better pics of these guys in the future.

COMBATANTS

NAME	SP	AT	DF	HL	CLASS + RULES
Albert	2	4	3	10	Shoot, Skilled, Strong, Knockback
Albrecht	4	4	4	8	Fight, Brutal, Tough
Androphage	1	5	4	10	Skirmish, Poison, Vampiric, Stun
Ankh	5	2	2	10	Fight, Dodger, Brutal, Counter
Antiope	5	3	4	8	Fight, Swift, Rushdown
Assault	3	5	3	10	Shoot, Explosive, Knockback
Chrome	3	4	3	8	Fight, Swift, Dodger, Skilled
Cyrus	5	4	3	8	Fight, Stun, Rushdown
Darkness	3	4	3	8	Skirmish, Swift, Explosive, Brutal
Elric	4	5	4	10	Skirmish, Brutal
EX-117	4	3	4	10	Skirmish, Explosive, Stun
Han	2	3	4	10	Fight, Dodger, Tough, Stun
Harry	2	5	2	10	Fight, Explosive, Strong, Brutal
Hoplomachus	3	3	3	10	Fight, Dodger, Strong, Skilled
Hudde	2	3	3	8	Skirmish, Skilled, Explosive, Knockback, Stun
Jedediah	5	4	3	8	Shoot, Strong, Knockback
Kodiak	5	5	5	10	Fight
Magma	3	5	5	10	Fight, Explosive
Octopoid	1	5	2	6	Shoot, Swift, Strong, Explosive, Brutal
Phoenix	4	4	3	10	Skirmish, Rushdown, Skilled
Rajan	4	3	3	8	Skirmish, Counter, Skilled, Dodger
Shadow	3	3	3	10	Skirmish, Dodger, Brutal, Explosive
Shaka	4	5	4	10	Skirmish, Skilled
Sinha	5	5	1	10	Fight, Dodger, Tough
Sledge	3	3	3	10	Shoot, Skilled, Strong, Explosive
Templar	2	4	5	10	Fight, Tough, Strong
Vlad	3	4	4	10	Fight, Vampiric, Dodger
Wei	2	5	4	10	Fight, Skilled, Tough
Wilhelm	3	4	4	10	Fight, Skilled, Strong
Worm	3	4	5	8	Shoot, Poison, Vampiric
Xerxes	3	4	4	10	Skirmish, Tough, Counter
Zombie	1	3	5	10	Fight, Tough, Poison, Brutal

So now I’m set up with the figures, the easier rules and the ability to sit up for short periods of time I’m looking forward to wargaming in bed!