So after my successful return to my own Simple Toy Soldier system, I wondered how far that core mechanic could be stretched. So sensibly I went for what I thought would be the most difficult to adapt a 20th Century skirmish system to… fantasy battles (having said that Warlords of Erewhon is a thing).
I have tried fantasy battles before, I rather enjoyed ‘Skirmyth’ a system I wrote many moons ago, which is now sadly lost to time. The full rules on a long dead laptop. Sadly I never posted the system on here, just posted about a couple of the mechanics, but maybe can recreate it one day.
Oh… and there was also Crusage, I have got a full drawer of that!
Nonetheless, let’s have a go at doing some Simple Toy Soldiering…
The following are rules for playing quick fantasy battle games with a small army a side broken up into units, armed with medieval weaponry. A unit is represented by 3-4 15mm figures on a single base. Each force should have a single Command unit.
Players roll off to determine who has the first activation during a turn. During a player’s activation they can spend activation tokens to activate one unit. When a unit activates roll a die (civilians/militia D4, Regulars D6, Veterans D8, Elite D10) this is the number of action points (AP) the unit gets. If the unit is the Commander or they are within 6” of their Commander add 1 to the roll.
A player begins the turn with 2 activation tokens per unit they started the battle with. The first time a unit is activated they spend 1 token to do so. From then on the cost to activate that unit is equal to the number of tokens already spent on them in that turn (1,1,2,4,8 etc).
For 1AP a unit can move 2 inches forward or 1 inch sideways or backwards. Double these distances for cavalry, half these distances for artillery. Half all distances for units moving across rough ground. A unit can also pivot up to 90 degrees around its centre for 1 AP.
If a unit is armed with ranged weapons they can also shoot at an enemy unit, for 1AP the team can put 1 danger marker on a target in the open. If the target is in cover or is carrying shields their total danger is halved. If the target is in cover and it has shields the total is divided by 3. Roll for any remainder appropriately e.g. if 2 Danger is divided by 3, a single point of Danger is caused on a D6 roll of 3+. The maximum range a unit’s weapons can shoot is equal to the maximum value on its activation die, e.g. D6=6”. If a unit is artillery it can shoot double its activation die e.g. D6=12”.
If a unit moves into melee combat with another (touching bases) it immediately fights it in melee. Roll the activation die for each unit, adding one to the unit that initiated the combat, and reduce a unit’s roll by any danger and damage they have. The unit that scores highest causes an amount of danger to the other unit equal to the difference. Double a unit’s roll if it is attacking an enemy unit in the side, and triple if it is attacking an enemy unit in the rear. Half a unit’s roll if it is artillery. If a unit fights in melee it’s activation immediately ends after the fight is resolved.
A unit can defend against 1 danger on themselves for 1AP. A unit must defend against any danger before moving, fighting in melee or shooting. Each point of danger that is not defended against when the unit has spent all of its AP results in 1 damage.
If a unit is magical they can attempt to heal a friendly unit or curse an enemy unit within a number of inches equal to the maximum value on their activation die e.g. a magical unit with a D8 activation die can attempt to heal an ally within 8”. For 2 AP a magical unit can heal 1 damage or deal 1 damage, cover or shields have no effect. Or for 1 AP heal or curse on a D6 roll of a 4+. If rolling, a roll of 1 causes 1 damage to the magical unit.
A unit can also pass, meaning spend all of its remaining AP without doing anything. You cannot retain any AP, it must all be spent before moving on.
Once a player has run out of all of their activation tokens, their opponent can spend any they have remaining and the turn is then over. Each player regains all of their activation tokens. Any danger on units remains between turns.
Whenever a unit receives damage it must take a morale check immediately. Roll the unit’s morale die, adding 1 if the unit is the Commander, or the unit’s Commander is within 6”. If the unit scores equal to or above the amount damage it has received so far in the battle it remains in play, if it rolls lower then the unit retreats from the battle and is removed from play.
Building a Unit…
Each unit costs equal to its Activation die + its Morale die, e.g. D8+D6=14pts.
A unit can take any of the following upgrades:
+50% if the unit has shields.
+50% if the unit has ranged weapons or is artillery.
+50% if the unit is cavalry.
+100% if the unit is magical.
The cost of an upgrade is based on the unit’s initial cost, not its cost + any upgrades already applied.
A standard game is played on a 2’x2’ board at 150pts a side.
This should be something interesting to try, I’ve got a few Irregular Miniatures on their way to give it a go with.
Deathzap 