FAQs !!!
Q - Paul you have restricted the number of Heroes and Specials. Are we restricted in anyway with regards to Lords and Rare?
A - All your army compositions (except where exceptions are stated per turn) must still comply to:
Lords, upto 25%
Heros, upto 25%
Core, minimim 25%
Specials, upto 50%
Rare, upto 25%
The initial restriction is only on number of units, not their points. So you could still have 75% of your initial 1500 point army made from Heroes and Specials, however, their combined 1075 points could only be fielded as two units. So if High Elves want a 750 point unit of Swordmasters plus a Loremaster of Heoth (330) with some 45 point magic armour (total 375), they can.
In Round 2, you can spend some GOLD, and buy army upgrades to increase the number of heroes and specials units.
Q. You said that armies evolve. Does that mean we write an initial list, and then it varies from that, or do we more or less get to pick a fresh army each campaign round?
A. At end of each battle the losing (or drawn) sides can choose one unit to have a veteran upgrade. The winning side can have 2 upgrades. A random roll on a table, they may gain +1 toughness. This then stays with that unit. Ideally units will have names like, e.g. Skullspliters Swordmasters, and it starts with lets say 20 figs. That identified unit, can be maintained throughout the campagn, but it can't go from 20 figs one week to 40 figs the next. Otherwise you can pick a fresh army-ish.
Q. What happens with mounted units / chariots / monsters that cannot enter a building?
A. Tactically they might be better utilised to prevent the enemy gaining access to the teleoprt building. In other scenarios if there is a teleport point it might be on top of a hill and anyone can go through them. But in this case it is an added headache for you as a General to consider. I will write a brief background to the storyline...
Q. Ok if units persist does this mean random rewards will stay the same or be rerolled each game? Daemons can buy gifts as magic items which is a roll on a table so would this stay the same each battle normally or only if they get 'upgraded' at the end of the a battle ?
A. The rewards are gained after the battle and stay with that specific unit for rest of campaign. One unit can gain a maximum of three bonuses. (They can also lose them if they are defeated in battle!). In certain armies, e.g. Chaos Warriors, where Heroes et all can gain bonuses during a battle, they too will keep their bonus through the campaign. When they get to stage where they transmogrify into some higher form then will do so at whatever stage in the campaign they are at. Heroes et al can have a maximum of 4 such bonuses running. (By the by - Heroes et al have to have identifying names. e.g. Boris the Chaotic, etc... On Daemons (I don't have their codex) if as you state a gift is classed as a magic item (similar to a dwarf rune is cast on an item and that item becomes a magic item) then yes it is a permanent thing. You would not have to pay the points again in the next game. However, these non-magic item magic items are still limited to 2 for the first game. You can spend GOLD SPICE to buy more 'slots' after game 1. Races like Daemons for after the battle upgrades use their special tables and again max out at 4 and eventually grow into some horrible nasty daemon lord or something... All these extras come at no extra point cost.
Q. Do we need to declare a specific Lord at some point? One guy you must take as your general? Or is the player the Lord and sends different generals as req'd?
A. Every force requires a Lord or Hero as its Expeditionary Force Leader. That Leader represents you the player. You do not have to field him/her in battle. You have to pay GOLD SPICE upkeep for him every campaign turn or he can't be fielded that turn. If your Leader is a mage of level 3+, then instead of fielding him in battle you can wield these Winds of Magic to do a mighty spell, roll 2d6 on table. Various results mostly good but some bad (or deadly)! You may gain a bonus Lord at some stage...
Q. Presumably then (Scenario 1), there can only be one BSB across the 2 forces. If only 2 characters are taken, and 1 is a BSB, does this mean one of the forces cannot have a general? Or is the usual rule regarding BSB not being a general lifted?
A. Just 1 BSB and in this campaign he CAN be the 'General'. Further in this campaign, where scenarios are such that no Lord or Hero is available in an army, then a unit champion with highest leadership will gain temporary title of Captain and lead the battle.
Q - Also, regarding the 2 magic items you can take. If I choose not to take any items at all, are my characters locked into having no magic items until I find / earn them?
A - Magic Items and Army Composition. In terms of what can go between home world and the Sand World, you start off with 2 magic item slots available (This is all the magic your wizardly folk have so far been able to send through the void.) However, as you gain GOLD you can buy additional slots, representing a 'break-through'. This is also true for number of special units, heros, etc.
Magic Items found locally (and some allies) are purely bonus and do not affect your 1500 point and/or slots limits.
In theory, you can send units home from the front and replace them with fresh units. This is also possible for Home-World magic items.
However, it's not that simple. Assuming you have a full 1500 point compliment, then you have to send 'stuff' home, leaving a 'hole', then send stuff back out from home. There is always a chance stuff doesn't go, or is delayed in transit, and then the same applies to replacement stuff coming back the other way. This is a unit by unit and magic item by magic item roll, basically roll a d11-66, 11-13 means it is delayed in transit (until after next battle), 14-16, means it doesn't go at all. If you wanted to send a 100 point unit of archers home and replace them with 2 x magic items worth 100 points, three rolls are required.
Losses on the battlefield may not equal deaths. After a battle, units that take losses are rolled for. Basically on or off the field if they have zero models left roll a d6, on a 1-2 they are unsavable and their value is now available to be replaced from home world or local allies. Units that fall below 50%, roll d6, on 4-6 they recoup in time for next battle, on 1-3 they are unable to recoup in time for next battle and cannot be fielded (they are 100% OK for battle after that). Half units still count as full original unit point value. So you may want to try to send half units home, etc.
All the chopping and changing can be done with me during the weeks between games.
On battle nights (after the first) once you know what you are doing and who it's against you can pay GOLD for one emergency transport both ways (risk still applies).
Q - Paul you have restricted the number of Heroes and Specials. Are we restricted in anyway with regards to Lords and Rare?
A - All your army compositions (except where exceptions are stated per turn) must still comply to:
Lords, upto 25%
Heros, upto 25%
Core, minimim 25%
Specials, upto 50%
Rare, upto 25%
The initial restriction is only on number of units, not their points. So you could still have 75% of your initial 1500 point army made from Heroes and Specials, however, their combined 1075 points could only be fielded as two units. So if High Elves want a 750 point unit of Swordmasters plus a Loremaster of Heoth (330) with some 45 point magic armour (total 375), they can.
In Round 2, you can spend some GOLD, and buy army upgrades to increase the number of heroes and specials units.
Q. You said that armies evolve. Does that mean we write an initial list, and then it varies from that, or do we more or less get to pick a fresh army each campaign round?
A. At end of each battle the losing (or drawn) sides can choose one unit to have a veteran upgrade. The winning side can have 2 upgrades. A random roll on a table, they may gain +1 toughness. This then stays with that unit. Ideally units will have names like, e.g. Skullspliters Swordmasters, and it starts with lets say 20 figs. That identified unit, can be maintained throughout the campagn, but it can't go from 20 figs one week to 40 figs the next. Otherwise you can pick a fresh army-ish.
Q. What happens with mounted units / chariots / monsters that cannot enter a building?
A. Tactically they might be better utilised to prevent the enemy gaining access to the teleoprt building. In other scenarios if there is a teleport point it might be on top of a hill and anyone can go through them. But in this case it is an added headache for you as a General to consider. I will write a brief background to the storyline...
Q. Ok if units persist does this mean random rewards will stay the same or be rerolled each game? Daemons can buy gifts as magic items which is a roll on a table so would this stay the same each battle normally or only if they get 'upgraded' at the end of the a battle ?
A. The rewards are gained after the battle and stay with that specific unit for rest of campaign. One unit can gain a maximum of three bonuses. (They can also lose them if they are defeated in battle!). In certain armies, e.g. Chaos Warriors, where Heroes et all can gain bonuses during a battle, they too will keep their bonus through the campaign. When they get to stage where they transmogrify into some higher form then will do so at whatever stage in the campaign they are at. Heroes et al can have a maximum of 4 such bonuses running. (By the by - Heroes et al have to have identifying names. e.g. Boris the Chaotic, etc... On Daemons (I don't have their codex) if as you state a gift is classed as a magic item (similar to a dwarf rune is cast on an item and that item becomes a magic item) then yes it is a permanent thing. You would not have to pay the points again in the next game. However, these non-magic item magic items are still limited to 2 for the first game. You can spend GOLD SPICE to buy more 'slots' after game 1. Races like Daemons for after the battle upgrades use their special tables and again max out at 4 and eventually grow into some horrible nasty daemon lord or something... All these extras come at no extra point cost.
Q. Do we need to declare a specific Lord at some point? One guy you must take as your general? Or is the player the Lord and sends different generals as req'd?
A. Every force requires a Lord or Hero as its Expeditionary Force Leader. That Leader represents you the player. You do not have to field him/her in battle. You have to pay GOLD SPICE upkeep for him every campaign turn or he can't be fielded that turn. If your Leader is a mage of level 3+, then instead of fielding him in battle you can wield these Winds of Magic to do a mighty spell, roll 2d6 on table. Various results mostly good but some bad (or deadly)! You may gain a bonus Lord at some stage...
Q. Presumably then (Scenario 1), there can only be one BSB across the 2 forces. If only 2 characters are taken, and 1 is a BSB, does this mean one of the forces cannot have a general? Or is the usual rule regarding BSB not being a general lifted?
A. Just 1 BSB and in this campaign he CAN be the 'General'. Further in this campaign, where scenarios are such that no Lord or Hero is available in an army, then a unit champion with highest leadership will gain temporary title of Captain and lead the battle.
Q - Also, regarding the 2 magic items you can take. If I choose not to take any items at all, are my characters locked into having no magic items until I find / earn them?
A - Magic Items and Army Composition. In terms of what can go between home world and the Sand World, you start off with 2 magic item slots available (This is all the magic your wizardly folk have so far been able to send through the void.) However, as you gain GOLD you can buy additional slots, representing a 'break-through'. This is also true for number of special units, heros, etc.
Magic Items found locally (and some allies) are purely bonus and do not affect your 1500 point and/or slots limits.
In theory, you can send units home from the front and replace them with fresh units. This is also possible for Home-World magic items.
However, it's not that simple. Assuming you have a full 1500 point compliment, then you have to send 'stuff' home, leaving a 'hole', then send stuff back out from home. There is always a chance stuff doesn't go, or is delayed in transit, and then the same applies to replacement stuff coming back the other way. This is a unit by unit and magic item by magic item roll, basically roll a d11-66, 11-13 means it is delayed in transit (until after next battle), 14-16, means it doesn't go at all. If you wanted to send a 100 point unit of archers home and replace them with 2 x magic items worth 100 points, three rolls are required.
Losses on the battlefield may not equal deaths. After a battle, units that take losses are rolled for. Basically on or off the field if they have zero models left roll a d6, on a 1-2 they are unsavable and their value is now available to be replaced from home world or local allies. Units that fall below 50%, roll d6, on 4-6 they recoup in time for next battle, on 1-3 they are unable to recoup in time for next battle and cannot be fielded (they are 100% OK for battle after that). Half units still count as full original unit point value. So you may want to try to send half units home, etc.
All the chopping and changing can be done with me during the weeks between games.
On battle nights (after the first) once you know what you are doing and who it's against you can pay GOLD for one emergency transport both ways (risk still applies).
History is written by the victors - Sir Winston Churchill