Quick Start Rules Queries

I've read through the Quick Start Rules and they've certainly captured my attention, the mechanics largely look solid, but I have a few suggestions:

On the Combat Phase page, in the When Combat is Lost section, it refers to units that are defeated in combat but 'their Defence isn't beaten' having to withdraw 1" from the victor - what is meant by 'their Defence isn't beaten' in this instance? The only reference to 'beating' Defence I can see at the moment is in the Wounding section, and that of course is to determine casualties and who wins the combat. More to the point, what happens when a unit is both defeated in combat and their Defence is beaten? Do they automatically take a Morale check (which would make sense)?
I notice Cavalry units can ignore small obstacles, which makes sense as they can leap over them, but I would think they should also move faster than infantry - perhaps double the movement speed of an infantry unit, i.e. 12".
I trust you mean Support Heroes can prevent individual models in units within 6" from being killed by shooting or close combat attacks on the roll of a 6, rather than entire units? Because if they were able to inspire entire units to resurrect themselves, that would certainly be a miracle worthy of the most devout priest!
One additional thing I would add is that a Shieldwall should have a vulnerability to being attacked in the flank or rear - perhaps the models in a Shieldwall don't get the +1 Defence bonus against attacks coming from the flank or rear?

5 answers0 replies

5 Comments

matthewsuttonoconn

Jul 21, 2023

Thank you for your questions, I am more than happy to answer them. To make it easier to clarifiy I will number each bullet point question with numbers 1-4.

Before that however I've noticed that you may have missed the section in the Quick Start Guide in the "Things to know" section. A unit refers to a single model. There are exceptions to this however in the main book with things like artillery pieces and larger mounted units such as war elephants and chariots which depending on how they are modelled may be multiple models.

I feel I way need to amend that, It should actually say, if the unit is beaten in combat and not killed they must withdraw 1" as some units such as cavalry and heroes have multiple health points. Apart from a few special weapons in the main book such as throwing heads I have kept Morale to the Morale phase, as a poor performance in that phase can decimate an army.
In the sample army builder, an equippable item to any unit is the horse which modifies that unit's unit profile with the following statistics: +1 Health, +1 Attack and +6" to their Movement. "It looks like I need to amend that too as instead of +1 Health it states +1 wound*.
Yes the support hero saves individual models from dying.
I have expanded the Shield Formation rules in the main rulebook wich goes into declaring front facing to establish possible weak points. Also some factions have special rules such as the Viking Boar Snout that can remove all benefits of a shield formation. I will try and include a quick version of the vulnerabilities when I make the other amendments to the quick start guide. In brief, the way it would work is: "Any unit that is attacked from behind, either by ranged weapon or engaged in close combat loses the benefit of the shield formation and suffers -1 to their Defence value."

Thank you for your questions and I will make sure to amend the quick start guide as soon as I can.

matthewsuttonoconn

Jul 24, 2023

Replying to

That's not a problem at all :) I get rules wrong on occasion and I wrote the game!

With the unit = model classification, it is something I have been wrestling with for a while so I may well end up taking it out.

I do plan on creating a number of expansions, one of which will definitely be a full unit game, although I'm torn between loose unit groups as you are referencing or proper rank and file, The other thing I'm torn with is having the hero be an indipendent model or have a hero per unit mechanic but that's all things to think about later on after I've got this version out the way and following this will be the fantasy expansion.

Thank you very much, I am planning on a physical book along with more PDF resources in the form of the Quick Start Guide growing with a page on terrain and a couple of special units to try out, along with more types of tokens and a downloadable reference sheet. And who knows? Maybe a starter set if the book gets a good reception.

Toby Sullivan

Jul 24, 2023

Replying to

For the unit-oriented version of the game, one could either follow in the footsteps of SPQR and have largely loose unit groups but with the Shieldwall formation turning the unit into a rank-and-file one (like SPQR's Phalanxes), or you could go the route of Never Mind the Billhooks or WAB and have units predonimantly as rank-and-file but with obvious exceptions made for things like Skirmishers and light cavalry. Alternatively you could include a more even mix of each in the idea that elite units would always be rank-and-file, with a bonus for being ordered, while units of less disciplined warriors would largely be in loose groups, without said ordered bonus (or with a disordered penalty), except if they decided to form a Shieldwall, and Skirmishers would always be in loose groups.

Similarly, for Heroes one could either make them a more significant aspect of the game like in SPQR where they are serious combatants, or make them largely nonexistent as combat fighters so that they exist almost purely for generating orders as they do in Never Mind the Billhooks, though given the skirmish form of Brethren makes heroes quite prominent (in an SPQR sort of way with the promise of a hero levelling-up system), I would suggest the former, to keep things consistent between the skirmish and battle versions.

A starter set certainly sounds an interesting idea. Which company's models would you consider using for the set (I presume you'd be planning to include plastic figures with the set)? It'd be interesting to see if they'd be open to collaborating with you!

matthewsuttonoconn

Jul 27, 2023

Replying to

Yeah definitely great suggestions. It's something I'll be looking at in the future but is a little way off at the moment. Although on the point of the hero leveling system - I have one in Brethren for when playing a campaign, you can also use it in standard games by paying for the extra levels in points. It's generally things like stat increases but with extra abilities options as they level up.

As for the starter set, I approached the following companies who all said I could use their models in my book - Warlord Games, Wargames Atlantic, Victrix Miniatures, Gripping Beast and Conquest Games. I would be open to collaborations from any of these companies but would like to gauge reception of the book before approaching this as I would be relying on profits from the book to fund the investment needed to create a starter set.