Hostile Realms: Unholy Alliance

This large battle (or group of battles) was run using the Hostile Realms rules from Piquet, Inc. at Historicon in July, 2007. It was the result of a collaboration between Jim Mauro, who provided all but a small handful of the troops and myself, and was run twice on Saturday. I'll give the rough outline of the scenario and armies first, and then a brief account of the actions.

Unholy Alliance:

Conflict and Discovery in the legendary Valley of the Shadow of Death

From before the beginning of recorded time, there have been tales of this Valley, where foul things are said to stalk the night. Few were the souls bold enough to intrude on the quiet of the forbidden valley, and still fewer were those who returned, and even they were… forever changed by the experience. Ancient scrolls recently rediscovered in the Great Library at Ravendull bear tales of Artifacts of great power born by the original inhabitants of the Valley. With hostility running high between the various Realms, the factions have formed two tentative alliances as their rulers jockey for position, wealth and power.

Smirkwood, The River of Tears and the Iron Hill are Class III terrain, while the Village of Pale and the Barrows are Class II terrain. Lonely Mountain is Class IV terrain. Long Lake is ClassV (impassable); access is only by way of the bridge of barrels, which is passable to Heroes only. At the South end of the map are the impassable (Class V) Mountains of the Moon. Red, yellow, and pink dots indicate the location of rumored treasures. Set on distance is 18”

The Faction of Good: enters from the West
Followers of the Light: deploy opposite the River of Tears
Dwarven Alliance: deploys opposite Long Lake
High Elves/The Realm: deploy beyond the Forrest of Smirkwood and to the North
Gonfor and Rhodon: deploy opposite Lonely Mountain and West Barrow

The Faction of Evil: enters from the North and East
Empire of Steppes: deploys along the Eastern third of the North edge of the table.
Lizardmen: deploy opposite Long Lake and Mirkwood
Orcs of the Red Eye: deploy opposite Lonely Mountain and East Barrow
Sultanate of Harran: deploys near Iron Hill

Initiative Rolls: Each side will nominate an army to have overall command. The Leadership die of the C-in-C for that army will be used for Initiative rolls against the other side’s overall commander. Each time an Impetus roll is lost, overall command for the losing side shifts to the next army in a clockwise direction. All armies will get the same impetus.

Victory Conditions:
Each player will add the number of morale chips remaining at the end of the game to the value of any relic that their army has collected. An army forced to withdraw from the field by an Army Morale check has a 5 point penalty assessed for this. The highest total is the winner. In case of ties, the army with the fewest units and heroes destroyed, routed, and/or retreated off the table will be the winner. Artifact value: Red = 12, Yellow = 8, Pink = 4.

The Forces:

Army #1 Empire of the Steppes:
8 units Steppe Swarm (LC Bow plus Cumans/Alans etc as needed) @ 21 = 168 pts
3 units Attack cavalry (MC/HC sword/lance) @ 36 = 108 pts
1 Unit Assault cavalry (EHC Bow) @ 98 = 98
1 unit Khan’s guards (EHC Lance) @ 135 = 135

2 units EE Sorcerers @ 6 = 12
2 units EE Baked Clay Soldiers @ 50 = 100
1 unit EE Crossbows @ 16 = 16
2 units EE halberds @ 18 = 36
2 units Dismounted Swarm (LI Archers) @ 18 = 36

1 Unit Multiple Bolt Thrower @ 40; Shoots TWICE (simultaneously) for each Reload
2 Nagas  @ 133 = 266
(”Large” creatures, 8” move, 1 base of 1 figure, Magic Resistance Moderate, Battle Line formation, Armor Class Medium, Hits 12(3), Special Attributes: Fear, Strong; Multiple Attacks(4), Fire: N/A, Melee: D12, Morale: D10)

1 Great Khan (HC Champion) @180
3 Khans (HC Hero) @ 120 = 360
1 Grand Shaman (LC Wizard Hero IV) @ 110
1 Shaman (LC Wizard Hero III) @ 80

Total: 25 Units = 1015 pts; 6 characters = 730 pts; Total 1745 points

Relic Divisor 4 = 7 cards, 50% = 3.

Army #2 Lizardmen
2 units EHC Tharlarions w/ Lance @ 98 = 196
1 unit LC w/ Javelins (Skinks) @ 30

10 units Iguana Warriors (Pikes) = 5 Pike blocks, use 1 stand of hand weapons per 8 of polearms @ 110 per PB = 550
1 unit Monitors of the Shrine (poisoned polearms) (use hand weapons) @ 153
2 units Salamanders (Spear, spit fire) (use hand weapons) @ 98 = 196
2 units Viper Marksmen (MI Bow) @ 35 = 70
2 units Chameleons (LI Bow) @ 35 = 70

1 Behemoth (Dinosaur) @ 85

1 Tyrannosaur (Champion) @ 120
2 Saurians (heroes) @ 88 = 176
1 Cayman (Wizard II hero) @ 112

Total: 21 units @ 1350, 4 characters @ 408; Total 1758

Relic Divisor 4 = 6 cards, 50% = 3.



Army #3 Orcs of the Red Eye

4 Units Orc Warriors w/ Spears @ 27 = 108
2 units Orc Archers @ 21 = 42
2 units Raiders (LI Bow) @ 12 + 24
2 units Trolls (use Ogres) @ 75 = 150
5 units Blood Drinkers (2H swords) @ 84 = 420
1 unit Obsidian Warriors (use black orcs) @ 108
1 Giant @ 112

2 units Warg riders @42 = 84
1 Unit Orc Chariots w/ scythe @112

1 unit Orc Bombard (Medium Gun) @ 48

1 Bone Cracker (Champion on foot) @ 132
1 Flesh Trampler (Hero mounted) @ 96
2 Throat Slashers (Foot heroes) @ 80 = 160
1 Eye Piercer Foot archer hero @64
2 Inepts Wizards (one level 1, one level 2) @ 130 total

Total: 21 units @ 1208; 7 Characters @ 582; Total = 1790

Relic Divisor 5 = 5 cards, 50% = 2.


Army #4 Sultanate of Harran:
1 unit The Chosen (EHC w/ Spear) @ 153
1 unit Sipahis (use MC w/ Spear) @ 105
2 units Akinjis (use MC w/ Bow) @ 21 = 42
2 units Dellis (use LC w/ Bow and Spear) @ 50 = 100
2 units Camels @ 60 = 120

3 units Swordsmen (MI foot with Sword) @ 27 = 81
1 unit Guardsmen (Foot w/ polearms) @ 84
3 units Azabs (LI w/ Bow) @ 18 = 54

2 units Elephants (use 2 Javelinmen and 2 El per unit) @ 45 = 90
1 unit Oliphants (use 2 Javelinmen and 2 Oli per unit) @ 100
1 Wyvern @ 168
1 Water Elemental @ 65

1 Khalif (HC Champion) @ 180
2 Devishes (Heroes) @ 80
1 Grand Vizier (Wizard IV Champion) @ 110
1 Vizier (Wizard III Hero) @ 80

Totals: 20 units @ 1162, 5 characters @ 630, total = 1692

Relic Divisor 4 = 6 cards; 50% = 3.


Army #5 Followers of the Light
2 Brother Knights @ 144 = 288
2 Allied Knights ( 1 each Templar and Hospitaller) @ 112 = 224
2 Sergeants @ 65 = 130
2 Tribesmen (Turkopoles) @ 30 = 60
1 Hippogriff Riders (use Hospitaller w/ swords)@ 91 = 91

1 Zealots @ 36 = 36
2 Martyrs (use peasants) @ 8 = 16
2 Foot Knights @ 77 = 154
2 HI Crossbowmen @ 45 = 90
1 LI Crossbowmen @ 15 = 15

1 Heavy gun @ 52 = 52
1 Fire Elemental (Peter) @ 65 = 65

Grand Master @ 168
Paladin (Foot) @ 80
Paladin (mounted) @ 104
Abbott (Wizard Champion III) @ 160

Total 19 units, 4 characters, 1733 points

Relic Divisor 4 = 5 cards; 50% = 2.



Army #6 Dwarven Alliance (Mountain Dwarves plus some higher tech city allies)

2 units Wild Riders (Bear) (HC, “only” 3 hits) @ 80 = 160

2 units HI pikes (1 pike block – need an odd stand of whatever) @ 60 = 120
4 units Dwarven Infantry (2 units spears, 2 units mixed axe/sword) @ 60 = 240
1 units Guard Axemen (axes) @ 108
1 unit Dwarven Heavy Infantry @ 84
2 units Arquebus (MI, “only” 3 hits) @ 70 = 140
1 unit Veteran crossbows (HI, Elite) @ 98
2 units LI Scouts (bows and med armor) @ 27 = 54
1 Dwarven Mega Cannon (Up 3 to Fire, else as Heavy Gun)
1 Dwarven War Wagon, Mastadon Drawn
1 Dwarven Beer Wagon

1 Earth Elemental @ 65

1 Dwarf Lord (C-in-C) @ 132
1 Arlabest (hero w/ X-Bow) @ 72
2 Myrmidons (hero w/ axe) @ 80 = 160
1 Armorer (Wizard I) @ 96

Total 20 units @ 1,134 + war engines , 5 heroes @ 460 = 1594+ war engines.

Relic Divisor 3 = 8 cards; 50% = 4.

*Dwarf* War Wagons: Class IV terrain, Superior position, enemy must make a Difficulty check to engage them in melee. Missile armed troops aboard (models), and have a D8 for melee, D10 for Fire, and D6 for Morale. Unit is Fearsome.Like all Dwarvish units, they take one more hit than usual to wound, so 4 hits (and 4 nominal "stands" in a unit).

Dwarven Beer Wagon:  When the Dwarf player opens the taps (his option as long as he has the initiative), the Berserker Action card is added to their deck, and *all* Dwarvish units are Up 1 for Morale. Dwarf player in charge also has to drink a bottle of really BAD beer. Another bottle every time the Berserker action card is turned. If the Beer Wagon is destroyed, routed, etc., all Dwarves DOWN 1 for morale, but immediately add a SECOND Berserker action card. No children under age 18, please!  :-)  A few choruses of "Roll out the Barrel", (or "In Heaven, There is No Beer") might also be required, LOL!

Army #7: High Elves and The Realm allies

Elves:
2 units Cavalry @ 91 (Silver Guardians) = 182

3 units Polearm @ 60 = 180
2 units hand weapons @ 55 = 110
2 units archers @ 50 = 100

1 Dragon @ 189
1 Large Treeman @ 182 (Peter)
1 unit of Treemen @ 95 (Peter)
1 Air Elemental @ 65 (Peter)

1 Loremaster (Evish Wizard Champion IV) @ 198
1 Enchanter (Elvish Wizard Hero III) @ 144
1 Ranger (Elvish Hero archer) @ 80

The Realm (Crusaders):
2 Norman Knights @ 91
2 Archers (longbow) chain (counts as Medium Armor) @ 77
2 Men at Arms, Leather, Polearms (MI Halberdiers) @ 36
2 Heavy Foot, chain, polearms (HI Imperial Halberdiers) @ 60

1 Archduke (mtd EHC Champion) @ 168
1 Yeoman (foot archer hero) @ 72
1 Duke (foot hero) @ 80

Totals: 21 units @ 1449, 6 Heroes @ 742; Total = 2191

Relic Divisor 3 = 9 cards; 50% = 4.

Army # 8: Gonfor and Rhodon

Rhodon Cavalry
4 units HC Lancers @ 81 = 324
4 units HC Archers, swordsmen @ 60 = 240

Gonforian Foot
1 unit Guards of the Keep (HI Polearm) @ 84
2 units Piffilian Rangers (LI, Longbow, Elite) @ 77 = 154
2 units Gonfor Spearmen (MI/HI) @ 50 = 100
3 units Gonfor Archers (MI/HI) @ 40 = 120



1 King of Rhodon (mounted Champion) @ 132
1 Grand Wizard (Wizard Champion) @ 198
1 Prince of Rhodon (mounted Hero) @ 120
1 Lord Commander (Gonfor Champion) @ 120
1 Commander (Gonfor Hero) @ 80
1 Fletcher (Gonfor archer Hero) @ 70

Total: 16 units @ 1022, 6 heroes @ 720; Total = 1742

Relic Divisor 3 = 7 cards; 50% = 3.


The Undead: (GM’s or an extra player with antisocial tendencies!)

Smirkwood (4 pts) 1 unit Skeleton Archers
Iron Hill (4 pts) 1 unit Skeletons w/ Polearms
East Barrow (4 pts) 1 unit Skeleton Crossbowmen
West Barrow (4 pts) 1 unit Skeleton Swordsmen
East Bridgehead (8 pts) 1 unit Skeleton cavalry w/ sword
West Bridgehead (8 pts) 1 unit Skeleton Spearmen
East Mountain (8 pts) 1 Unit Skeleton Lancers
West Mountain (8 pts) 1 unit Mounted Wraiths
Brokenback Falls (12 pts) 1 unit Bolt Throwers (positioned atop the falls, can only be destroyed by missile/magic! Has “Superior Position”, Class IV cover, missile range bands doubled!)
Village of Pale (12 pts) 1 unit Skeletons w/ Polearms
South Mountain (12 pts) 1 Liche Champion Wizard Level 4 (Lard of Pale)
North Mountain (12 pts) 1 Liche Champion Wizard Level 3 (King of Undermountain)


Then roll a D6 for the placement of the Undead unit, which must be within 6” of the site:

1 The unit is placed in a location and formation of the discovering player’s choice, facing determined by the Undead player.
2 The unit is placed in a location of the discovering player’s choice, formation and facing determined by the Undead player
3 The unit is placed in a location, facing, and formation of the Undead player’s choice.
4 The unit is placed in a location, facing, and formation of the Undead player’s choice. The Undead player immediately gets one initiative point.
5 The unit is placed in a location, facing, and formation of the Undead player’s choice. The Undead player immediately gets two initiative points.
6 The unit is placed in a location, facing, and formation of the Undead player’s choice. The Undead player immediately gets three initiative points.

The Undead have their own sequence deck; they get half of the initiative points of the other armies after the Active side moves, and half after the Reactive side moves (odd numbers split at the Undead player’s choice. Each unit acts individually; for Move Purposes, treat them as having an Average Commander (D10).

In order to attain the artifact associated with a particular Undead unit, that unit must be defeated in melee, routed, or destroyed. Once the artifact has been obtained, it remains with the unit that captured it. It may be transferred to another unit or character within 4” on a Leadership card. Enemy units may take artifacts from the unit bearing them by the same means. Note that the artifacts are too complex and dangerous to be used on the battlefield until they are carefully studied by the College of Magic at each country’s capital.


Empire of Steppes: 25 Units = 1015 pts; 6 characters = 730 pts; Total 1745 points

Lizardmen: 21 units @ 1350, 4 characters @ 408; Total 1758

Orcs of the Red Eye: 21 units @ 1208; 7 Characters @ 582; Total = 1790

Sultanate of Harran: 20 units @ 1162, 5 characters @ 630, total = 1692

Evil Totals: 86 units, 22 characters, 6985 points.



Followers of the Light: 19 units, 4 characters, 1733 points

Dwarven Alliance: 20 units @ 1,134, 5 characterss @ 460; Total = 1594

High Elves/The Realms: 21 units @ 1449, 6 characters @ 742; Total = 2191

Gonfor and Rhodon: 16 units @ 1022, 6 characters @ 720; Total = 1742

Good Totals: 75 units, 21 characters, 7260+ points.

Unholy Alliance: After Action Report

    I met Jim Mauro in the Showroom to start set up the game at 10 AM. For those of you who don’t know Jim, he’s almost as insane as I am when it comes to running big games. Jim had been painting for a couple of months to complete the armies that I set up for the game. In the end, I think he brought about 200 units of 15mm Fantasy figures, each unit, beast, and character having a color coded base with a label detailing its stats in a format that was cryptic at first, but once used a few times, fairly easy to understand.After consideration, we decided that the game as we originally envisaged it was probably a bit too complex and ambitious for a new rules set with players who were unfamiliar with them, and so by default we essentially wound up running 4 simultaneous but separate side by side games. Overall, that worked well for our purposes.

The match-ups had The Empire of the Steppes vs. Gonfor and Rhodon (think LOTR),

Orcs vs. High Elves,

Lizardmen vs. Mountain Dwarves (thanks to Rob for providing the Dwarvish army),

and finally the Sultanate of Harran (with Elephants and Wyvern) vs. the Followers of the Light (think Teutonic Knights plus magic and gunpowder).

I’m afraid that I don’t recall too much of who played which army, except that my good friend Barry Frandsen played the Empire of the Steppes. Barry was a huge help in playtesting these rules, but his familiarity with the rules and indeed, the army was to little avail as events unfolded. The forces of Gonfor bottled him up quickly, preventing his myriad of weak but annoying horse archers form getting the room they needed to threaten the flanks of the enemy. Still, the Baked Clay soldiers and Nagas gave a good account of themselves before the army collapsed under the assault of the enemy. Elsewhere, the Orcs and Elves fought to what looked like a bloody draw (the Dragon was awesome in combat), the Dwarves defeated the Lizardmen (the Dwarvish War Wagon seeming particularly annoying to the reptiles), and the Sultanate of Harran soundly thrashed the Followers of the Light, the Wyvern seeming almost invincible. Rob’s Dwarf army also included a unique “Beer Wagon” model, in honor of which Rob supplied 2 kegs of Dwarf Beer to keep the players in both games well lubricated!

After round one (1 PM to 5 PM, we straightened all the troops out and set up for round two (7 to 11 PM).  The second round had a lot more veteran Piquet players, so we introduced some of the Relics (magic items) into the second round. Those games seemed to go smoothly, and curiously the results were exactly the opposite:

The Empire of the Steppes (under Christian) soundly defeating Gonfor,

the Elves (under Andy Cowell) and Orcs (Herman) once again seemingly fighting to a bloody draw,

the Lizardmen (Pat Velas) scampering all over Rob Chellis and his hapless Dwarves (I think Rob rolled almost all “1’s” during the game), 

and the Followers of the Light (Chris Velas) routing the troops of Harran (Michael).

A few anecdotes observed from the games of Round 2… In the Steppes/Gonfor game, the Characters included Khan Noonian Singh, The Ruby Khan, and Mad Alin Khan, with Grand Shaman Chainee and Shaman Dubyah in support. At about the midpoint of the game, Dubyah decided to cast the powerful spell, “Firestorm”, at the enemy. The odds of casting the spell successfully were best if the range to the target was 6” or less, so the eager Dubyah sited the impact point at exactly 6” away, targeting the front units of the advancing enemy hosts. Unfortunately, Dubyah hadn’t done well in Geometry in Wizard School, and forgot that the spell had an effect radius of… six inches! KAFLOOM!!! The spell managed to incinerate not only a considerable number of the enemy, but also some of his own skirmishers, Grand Shaman Chainee, and Dubyah himself as well. It is rumored that shortly before the casting of the catastrophic spell, Dubyah was heard mumbling about “Nuke – clear Weapons”. I couldn’t have scripted something that perfect if I had tried!

Note the ball of smoke indicating the detonation point for Dubyah’s Folly, and the now notable lack of units in front of it!

Meanwhile in the Followers of the Light game, the dreaded Martyrs came into play. These are basically a cloud of unarmed religious fanatics, eager to die for the Cause; each time one is killed, a unit of massed Zealots is recharged with Spell energy and can cast a Lightning Bolt spell! The Followers player (Chris Velas assisted by Jim) of course pushed the Martyrs out in front of his forces, and the Harranites cooperated by slaughtering many of them, only to find themselves targeted with many a righteous lightening bolt! Thereafter, Mike, the Harran player, seemed terrified of these completely incompetent and otherwise useless peasants, giving them wide berth! In this battle, the vaunted Wyvern was disordered, then outflanked and destroyed, while the Elephants ran for their Southern home, trampling many friendly units in their terror.

Christian rolls for the Empire of the Steppes while Andy Cowell calculates!

Overview of the “Evil side of the table: Herman, Pat, and Mike, all hotly engaged.

Overview of the table, Round 2; Lonely Mountain is prominent in the Foreground.

The cleanup, again affably assisted by Joe and many of the players, was completed by Midnight. Thanks again to Jimmy Mauro for the enormous amount of work he did to make these games a success. Hostile Realms has a tremendous amount of flexibility to model unique properties of various kinds of mundane and fantastic units in some different and fun ways!

Happy Memorial day weekend to those of you in the US. As we play our games of conflict, let us recall those men and women of all countries for whom war was and is no game, and especially those who lost their lives in the process.

Peter