THE DARK AGE

The Dark Age

RULES FOR DARK AGE WARBANDS

THE DARK AGE

PREPARING FOR BATTLE

QUALITY OF MEN
Before a game begins, each player must recruit a warband as explained in the Creating A Warband section.
Warbands may be made up of fighters of different quality - Champions, Warriors, Militia and even Peasants.

Champions: These are great and mighty fighters, extremely experienced and skilled in combat. They
are strong, brave and steadfast; the men who the bards write their songs about. Each warband must
have at least one Champion to be their Warlord, leading them into battle. The Warlord will usually, but
not necessarily, be the most skilled and experienced fighter in the warband with the strength and
charisma needed to lead his men.

Warriors: These are the men who fill the ranks of most warbands. They are usually seasoned and
competent fighters, the backbone of any Warlords force.

Militia: These are the young bloods, inexperienced but keen and eager for battle. They may have some
training but they have little experience. Those that survive may grow to be Warriors.

Peasants: These are all the people who do not normally fight farmers, villagers, monks, women and
children and so on. Peasants would normally only be used in certain scenarios, such as a raid on a
village, although there is no reason why you cant include Peasants in your warband.

CHARACTERISTICS
Each man has a number of characteristics that represent his abilities on the battlefield. All of these, except for
Stamina, show the number of dice you roll when using the characteristic. Stamina is the amount of damage the
figure can suffer before he is killed.

Fight (F): A figures skill in hand to hand combat with the weapon he is using. When he is in a Fight,
roll a number of dice equal to his Fight characteristic.

Shoot (S): A figures skill with both ranged weapons and when throwing, whether he is firing a bow or
throwing a knife, axe or stone. When he fires a bow or throws a knife, roll a number of dice equal to his
Shoot characteristic.

Courage (C): The figures steadfastness and ability to carry on against the odds. When he needs to
check his bravery, roll a number of dice equal to his Courage characteristic.

Leadership (L): A figures self-control and leadership. When he needs to test his motivation to keep
on doing what he has been ordered to do, roll a number of dice equal to his Leadership characteristic.
The rules also refer to a figures Leadership Range. This is simply a number of inches equal to the
figures Leadership characteristic.

Damage (D): The potential amount of injury the fighters weapon may cause when he hits an
opponent. When making a Damage test, roll a number of dice equal to his Damage characteristic.

Armour (A): The protection offered by the armour the fighter is wearing. When making a Armour test,
roll a number of dice equal to his Armour characteristic.

Stamina: A figures ability to avoid or shrug off the worst effects of the blows against him. A mans
Stamina characteristic is divided into Wounds. As he takes damage, his Stamina will reduce and,
when he loses a Wound, his performance on the battlefield will begin to suffer.

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ARMS AND ARMOUR

Figures carry into battle whatever weapons and armour are modelled on the miniature itself. Weapons have a
Damage characteristic that denotes the number of dice you roll to determine the damage you have inflicted on
an enemy. Armour has an Armour characteristic representing the amount of protection it offers. Adding together
the Armour characteristics of all the pieces of armour worn by a figure gives the number of dice you roll to
avoid him being hurt when he is attacked.
NAME

TYPE

Bjorn

Warrior

STAMINA
7
(a wound of 4 and
a wound of 3)

TALENTS
Increased
Fight

ARMS
Dane Axe
Mail
Helmet

UNITS
Each figure represents a single fighter. These men may act individually or they may join together to form units.
To band together in this way, figures must be within their Leadership Range of another figure. Both of the
figures must be able to do this with each other to be classed as a unit. As long as a figure can form a unit in this
way with another figure, he may join the unit even if other members of the unit are outside his range. In effect,
men in units form chains as long as they can link with the man next to them they may be classed as part of the
same unit. Figures may join or leave units at any time.
All of the men in a unit may Shoot (if they have ranged weapons) and move at the same time. To gain this
benefit, they must all be classed as performing the same action. For example, if one man in a unit is armed with
a bow and shoots during the Shooting Phase, all of the men in the unit with him may only move a maximum of
1D6 in the Movement Phase if they wish to remain as a unit.

WARLORDS
Every warband must have a Warlord to lead them. A Warlord is a charismatic Champion that has earned his
way to the top of his warband through a combination of leadership and prowess in battle.
Warlords command the men in their warband as described in the Command and Control section. They also offer
a boost to their mens Courage tests.
Warlords have to be tough too the first time in a game that they suffer enough damage to kill them, they make
a Leadership test. If they pass they may continue with a single damage point remaining. If they fail, they are
dead. This only happens the first time they lose their final wound. If they subsequently suffer more damage, they
will die.
If your leader is killed, the Champion with the highest Leadership characteristic will automatically assume
control of the warband. You may choose which one becomes the Warlord if there is figures have the same
Leadership values. If you have no other Champion, the Warrior with the highest Leadership will be the leader. If
there are no Warriors, the warband runs away. Any Champion or Warrior that assumes control will immediately
become a Warlord along with all the benefits a Warlord has.

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MAKING TESTS
Throughout a game, the fighters will be required to make tests to determine how successful they are when they
perform certain actions. There are three types of test.
CHARACTERISTIC TESTS
Roll the number of dice indicated for the characteristic the figure is using - if he is making a Courage test, for
example, roll a number of dice equal to his Courage characteristic. This number of dice may be modified by
different circumstances. Take the highest scoring dice of all those you have rolled this is the figures score for
that test. Normally, he will pass on a score of 5 or more. The degree of success or failure may be important for
some tests.
If you find that the modifiers for a test bring the number of dice you have to roll to zero or less, you roll no dice
and the figure automatically fails the test or is incapable of performing that action.
BASIC TESTS
If a fighter needs to make a test for something not covered by a characteristic (climbing a wall, for example), he
will make a Basic test, rolling three dice minus one dice for each Wound the figure has sustained. In all other
respects, a Basic test is the same as a Characteristic test, succeeding if at least one of the dice rolled scores 5 or
more.
OPPOSED TESTS
Sometimes a test will be opposed by the enemy, most usually the Fight test to see who has won a combat or the
test that follows combat to determine how much damage has been inflicted. The fighters score for such a test is
compared with his opponents to determine which of them has been successful the highest score wins.
LUCKY 6
He who rolls a 6 is favoured by the Gods! Whichever test you are making, rolling more than one 6 will increase
your fighters score further. Rolling one 6 for a test will give you a score of 6. If you roll a second 6, you will
gain a further two points. A third 6 will give you a further 3 points, and so on. So, if you rolled four 6s, you
would score 15 (6+2+3+4).
In addition to this, each 6 rolled by the winner of a Fight or a Shoot test adds one dice to his Damage test and
subtracts one dice from his opponents Armour test.

FATE CARDS
Fate cards represent random events that can happen in the heat of a battle incredible feats of skill or endurance
by individual fighters, sudden inspiration and encouragement from a leader at the moment his men begin to
falter, perhaps even the Gods themselves answering your prayers.
At the beginning of the game, shuffle the Fate cards and deal each player a number of cards equal to half his
Warlords Leadership characteristic, rounded up.
Fate cards may be played at any time throughout the game, unless the card specifies otherwise, even during your
opponents turn. You may play multiple cards at the same time if you wish and are able to. The effects of a card
are resolved immediately and then the card is discarded.

Whenever you kill an enemy Militia or Warrior, you may discard a Fate card from your hand and draw
a new one, if you wish.

Whenever you kill a Champion, draw a Fate card.

If you kill a Warlord, draw a Fate card for killing a Champion and then draw a second one for killing a
Warlord.

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WARBAND SPIRIT
The Spirit of a warband represents the general enthusiasm, or lack of it, that a Warband feels for their upcoming
battle.
Before the game begins, each player must find his warbands Spirit by rolling 1D6. Subtract 2 from the roll if
your Warlord has a Leadership of 4 or less. Add 2 to the roll if your Warlord has a Leadership of 9 or more. The
adjusted total determines the warbands Spirit:

A total of 2 or less gives a Spirit of 6

A total of 3 gives a Spirit of 7

A total of 4 gives a Spirit of 8

A total of 5 gives a Spirit of 9

A total of 6 or more gives a Spirit of 10

Players will need to track their Spirit throughout the game in order to see what impact the experience of battle
has on their warband. As the effect of casualties impacts on their will to continue the fight, the Spirit of the
warband may fall. Each time your warband suffers a significant setback, such as a fighter being killed or fleeing
under pressure, you must make a roll on the Spirit table and apply the results immediately, as explained in the
section on Spirit.

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INTO BATTLE
TURN SEQUENCE
Each turn has four phases, each of which must be completed before the next phase begins.
1.

Initiative Phase. Each player makes a Basic test plus 1 dice for each enemy figure killed or fleeing. Do
not count Peasants, no one cares about them! If there is a tie, roll again. The player with the highest
score gains the initiative for the turn.

2.

Shooting Phase. The player with the initiative selects one of his figures or units that is armed with a
ranged weapon and, if he wishes, shoots the weapon. Men in units may all shoot at the same time. His
opponent then selects one of his men or units that has a ranged weapon and does the same. Alternate
activating figures in this way until all figures with ranged weapons have had the chance to shoot.

3.

Movement Phase. The player with the initiative selects one of his figures or units and moves them, if
he wishes. Men in units may all move at the same time. His opponent then selects one of his men or
units and does the same. Alternate moving figures and units until all of the figures on the table have
been activated. Every figure must be activated in this way, even if they do not move.

4.

Fighting Phase. Resolve a round of fighting for every combat on the table. The order in which these
combats are resolved is up to the player with the initiative, although they are all assumed to happen
simultaneously.

Unless a Talent, Fate card or special rule says otherwise, a figure may only shoot once, move once and fight
once each turn, although there may be times when he can do all three.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

In the heat of battle, the men in your warband may not always do what you want them to. Men that are close to
their Warlord will be encouraged and directly commanded by him. These men are known as being Commanded.
The behaviour of those that are further away, however, can become unpredictable when they are facing the
enemy. These are known as being On Their Own. The other fighters in a warband, however, will be either
Commanded (if they are close enough to their Warlord) or On Their Own.
COMMANDED
Warlords lead their warbands, inspiring and ordering their men to victory. They have an area of influence equal
to twice their Leadership Range and influence all friendly figures that are within this area. Every member of a
warband within this area is Commanded. If some members of a unit are outside this area of influence, the whole
unit is still considered to be Commanded as long as at least one fighter in the unit is within the area.
All fighters are also considered to be Commanded if they are within their own Leadership Range of an enemy
figure or if they cannot see any enemy figures at all, whether they are inside their Warlords area of influence or
not. Also, Champions are always Commanded, no matter how close to their Warlord they are.
Commanded men may activate automatically each turn without the need to make a Leadership test.
ON THEIR OWN
Figures are On Their Own if they can see the enemy and they are outside the area of influence of their Warlord.
Without their leader to spur them on, the actions of these men became less predictable in the heat of battle.
Whenever men or units are On Their Own, they must make a Leadership test before they can perform any
actions in the turn. Units take the test using the man with the highest Leadership characteristic in the unit. If they
pass, they may continue as normal. If they fail, check their score below to see what how they react:

THE DARK AGE

Failed on a score of 3 or 4: They are nervous. They may shoot as normal but, if they move, they must
not move any closer to an enemy figure.

Failed on a score of 2: They hesitate, unsure of what to do. They may neither shoot nor move during
this turn.

Failed on a score of 1: They are confused and have misunderstood what was required of them. They
may not shoot and the opposing player may move them this turn. He cannot make them run off the
table however.

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SHOOTING
Any form of ranged combat, whether it is firing a bow, throwing a stone or dropping boulders from a wall,
counts as Shooting. Even if a figure is not armed with a ranged combat weapon, he will still have a Shoot
characteristic. This allows him to make a test if he throws something anyone can pick a stone up from the
ground as part of his movement.
Shooters may only target figures that are in range of their weapon and within their line of sight they must be
able to see their target and be within their weapons range in order to shoot at him. Men in cover may be
targeted as long as the shooter can see a part of the figure or the figures base (not just the tip of his weapon).
Figures can only see up to 4 into or out of woods.

SHOOTING PROCEDURE
1. CHECK THE RANGE
First declare your target and then measure the distance to him to determine whether or not he is in range.
Checking the range commits the figure to shooting at that target, even if he finds the target is actually out of
range.
2. MAKE A SHOOT TEST
Make a Shoot test by rolling a number of dice equal to the figures Shoot characteristic plus or minus the
following:

+2 dice if aiming
-1 dice for each Wound the shooter has
-1 dice if the target is obscured or in cover
-1 dice if the target is more than half the weapons range away

The score needed to hit the target is 5 or more. The shooter only needs one of the dice he rolls to score a 5 or 6
to hit the target but the more 6s he rolls, the more damage he may do.
To aim at a figure and gain the aiming bonus, the shooter must have been able to see his target for the whole of
the previous turn. Also, during the previous turn, the shooter may not have moved or fought a combat.
3. DETERMINE DAMAGE
If the Shoot test is successful, the shooter makes a Damage test that is opposed by the targets Armour test to
determine the amount of damage he has caused.
The shooter rolls a number of dice equal to his Damage characteristic. If he rolled more than one 6 on the Shoot
test, add another dice for every 6 that was rolled and then subtract one dice for every Wound the shooter has
sustained.
The target opposes the Damage test by rolling a number of dice equal to his Armour characteristic, minus one
dice for each Wound he has sustained and minus one dice for each 6 the shooter rolled on his Shoot test.
Subtract the targets Armour score from the Shooters Damage score. The result is the amount of damage points
suffered by the target. If the result is zero or less, the shot caused no injury to the target at all.
4. PUSH BACK
If a figure suffers damage from a Shoot Action, he will be pushed back 1 directly away from the shooter. If the
target figure cannot be pushed back, if he is backed up against a fence for example, he will fall down where he
stands.
If the shot did not cause any damage, the target is not pushed back.

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MOVEMENT
Figures may move up to the following distances, depending on the actions they are performing:

1D6 if the figure has shot in the Shooting Phase

1D6 if in a Shieldwall
2D6 for all normal movement
3D6 when charging

Figures in units all move with the same amount of dice, although they do not have to move the same distance.
Mounted figures roll an extra dice in each case, losing the lowest dice for each turn of more than 90 they make
during their move.
All figures must be nominated to move in the movement phase, even if they remain stationary. Figures that are
fleeing must make a Courage test to see if they rally or carry on running away.
Figures that are locked in combat cannot move. They are too busy fighting their opponent to simply move away
from the combat.

CHARGING
A figure attempting to move into contact with an enemy may roll 3D6 for his movement. This is not a
requirement however figures may contact the enemy even if they only moved 1D6 or 2D6. If a figure
contacts the enemy he will gain a bonus to his Fight test for that turn, but only if he moved with 3D6, he moved
a minimum of 4 and the last 4 of his move was in a straight line.
If Militia or Peasants are charged, they must make an immediate Courage test:

If they pass, they stand and receive the charge.

If Militia fail, they will immediately move 1D6 away from the charging enemy, hoping that they can
move far enough away to avoid the charge. If they do not manage to evade the charge and they are
contacted, they will suffer a -2 modifier to their Fight test.

If Peasants fail their Courage test, they immediately fall to their knees and beg for mercy. The charging
figure may choose to either take them prisoner or slay them outright.

If the 3D6 charge move is too short to contact an opponent, the charger loses the lowest movement dice and
moves the full distance indicated by the remaining dice.

TERRAIN
Rough ground includes such things as thick woods, steep hills, streams, marshes and so on. Moving over rough
ground counts as double the distance. In other words, to move over 2 of rough ground costs 4 of movement.
Some terrain, such as rivers, thick foliage, and so on will be impassable. Players should decide which terrain
features count as rough ground and which are impassable before a game begins.
OBSTACLES
Figures may cross low obstacles up to in height without penalty.
Medium obstacles up to 1 in height may be crossed but the figure must discard his lowest movement
dice. Mounted figures must move at least 2 up to the obstacle before they can cross it.
Tall obstacles up to 1 in height may be crossed but the figure must discard his highest movement
dice. Mounted figures must move at least 2 up to the obstacle before they can cross it and must make a
Leap test.
Obstacles higher than 1 must be climbed.
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LEAPING & CLIMBING

If a man wishes to jump a gap or if a mounted figure wishes to jump a tall obstacle, they must make a Leap test.
Figures may jump 3 (6 if mounted) plus 1 for every 6 they roll on their Leap test. Make a Basic Test. If the
figure passes, he has successfully cleared the obstacle or gap. If he fails, he will fall and may be injured
depending on the distance he falls.
Figures may climb obstacles at a rate of 1 per turn. At the end of his movement, if he is still climbing, he must
make a Basic test to see if he falls. Success means he may carry on in the next movement phase, failure means
he falls to the base of the obstacle.
FALLS
Whenever a fighter falls from a climb or a leap, there is a chance he will take damage, depending on how far he
falls. For each full 3 a figure falls, he will suffer 1D6 damage points.
If a mounted fighter falls off his horse, he will be unhurt but it will take him his whole movement phase to
remount.
BUILDINGS
Figures may move into or out of buildings as part of their normal movement if there is an open doorway. They
may move through closed doors or windows as if they are crossing a medium obstacle.
Movement inside a building or on the roof of a building always counts as rough ground.

OTHER MOVEMENT ACTIONS

There are other actions that figures may perform during the movement phase that are not actually movement:

Figures may pick something up off the floor (such as a stone) at the cost of their highest movement
dice.

If a figure has fallen to the floor, it takes him the whole Movement phase to stand up. Likewise, a
figure remounting his horse takes the whole movement phase to do so.

Fighters that are fleeing may only attempt to rally when they are activated in the Movement phase
(unless they are locked in combat see the Fighting section). If they fail to rally, they will flee again.

MOVING UNITS
Figures that are in a unit all move at the same time. If they do so, they must all still be within the distance
required to form a unit at the end of the move. Any figure that begins his movement phase as part of a unit must
move in this way if he wishes to remain part of the unit. If he does not, he must be activated separately.

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FIGHTING
If a figure is in base contact with an enemy, he is locked in combat. Figures that are locked in combat cannot
shoot in the shooting phase or move in the movement phase.
Wherever possible, individual figures must contact separate opponents that are not already locked in combat,
matching each single figure against a single enemy fighter. If two figures are in combat with a single opponent
and another opponent joins the fight, one of the figures must turn to engage the new enemy.
Men in units that move together into contact with the enemy can be more difficult to match off. If each figure in
the unit cannot be matched against an individual opponent, they may gang up and surround enemy figures. A
maximum of three men may surround a single opponent. Distribute the men in the attacking unit as evenly as
possible against the available opponents.
Each individual Fight on the tabletop must be resolved before the next is fought. The order in which they are
fought is decided by the player who has the initiative for the turn. Although each combat is resolved separately,
it is assumed that all fights occur simultaneously during the Fight phase. This means that a figure may not fight
more than once in the same phase unless he has a talent or a Fate card that allows it. This is true even if a figure
is following up a fleeing enemy and contacts another combat that has not been fought yet he does not fight and
offers no bonuses to this second combat until the next Fight phase.

FIGHTING PROCEDURE
To resolve a fight, follow the sequence below. The fighting phase will not end until this sequence has been
completed once for every Fight on the tabletop.
1. THE FIGHT TEST
All figures involved in the fight make a Fight test by rolling a number of dice equal to their Fight characteristics
plus or minus the following:

+2 dice for charging into combat this activation (+3 if mounted)

-1 dice for each Wound
-1 for each opponent after the first if outnumbered
-2 if opponent is in a Shieldwall
-2 if fallen
-3 if fleeing

The figure with the highest score wins the Fight. If the scores are tied, no blows were landed on any of the
combatants and they remain locked in combat.
Bjorn has charged into contact with Leofric. He has 10 dice for his Fight test (Fight
characteristic of 8 +2 for charging) and rolls 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 5, 6, 6, giving him a
Fight score of 8.
Leofric has a Fight characteristic of 5 and has suffered a Wound so rolls 4 dice for his
test (5 for his Fight characteristic, -1 for his Wound) and rolls 1, 3, 5, 5, 5, giving him
a Fight score of 5 which means he loses the Fight.
2. THE PUSH BACK
If the losing figure is on his feet, he is immediately pushed back 1 directly away from the winner. If the
winners Fight score is double that of the losers score, the loser will fall down after he has been pushed back.
If the losing figure cannot be pushed back, because he is surrounded or backed up against terrain, for example,
he will fall down where he stands.
Losing figures that have already fallen to the ground do not get pushed back.

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3. THE DAMAGE TEST

Once the loser has been pushed back, determine how much damage he suffers by comparing the winners
Damage test to the losers Armour test.
The winner makes a Damage test by rolling a number of dice equal to his Damage characteristic, adding one
dice for every 6 he rolled for his Fight test and subtracting one dice for every Wound he has sustained.
The loser opposes this by making an Armour test. Roll a number of dice equal to his Armour characteristic,
subtracting one dice for every 6 his opponent rolled for the winning Fight test and subtracting one dice for every
Wound he has sustained.
Subtract the losers Armour score from the winners Damage score. The result is the amount of damage points
the loser suffers. If the result is zero or less, the attack has caused no injury to the loser at all.
Bjorn has won the Fight and makes a Damage test. His Damage characteristic is 5
and he gains another two dice for the 6s he rolled on his Fight test. He rolls 1, 1, 1, 2,
2, 3, 6 a score of 6.
Leofric, in a mail shirt carrying a shield, has an Armour characteristic of 5. Because
of his Wound and the 6s Bjorn rolled, however, he rolls just 2 dice, scoring a 2 and a
4, making his Armour score 4.
Taking Leofrics Armour score from Bjorns Damage score means that Leofric suffers
2 points of damage.
4. THE COURAGE TEST
If the loser has suffered enough damage to lose at least one Wound, he must take a Courage test as described in
the section on Courage. He only needs to take a single test, no matter how many Wounds he loses in the phase.
If he does not lose a Wound, he does not need to take the test. If he is dead, he also does not need to take the
test!
If he fails the Courage test, he will immediately flee, as described in the section on Courage. If he has fallen
down, he will scrabble away from the enemy a quarter of his fleeing distance and then stand up at the end of the
move.
5. THE FOLLOW UP
The winner of the Fight may now, if he wishes, move 1 to follow up and remain locked in combat with the
loser. If the loser of the Fight failed a Courage test and fled, the winner may, if he wishes, follow him by
moving 1D6 to try to remain in contact. This move may allow him to contact other enemy figures instead of the
one he is pursuing.
A figure may not follow up in the following circumstances:

If he is still locked in combat with other opponents

If he has fallen down
If he is in a Shieldwall and the other fighters in the Shieldwall are unable to follow up (if all fighters in
a Shieldwall are free to move and follow up, they may all do so, even if only one of them was in the
Fight)

FEND OFF
Instead of Fighting, a figure may want to break away from combat by fending his opponent off to give himself
the space to move away. To do this, he must be standing and must make a Leadership test instead of a Fight test,
modified in the same way as the Fight test, as described above.
His opponent makes his Fight test as normal. If the figure wins the test, he fends off his opponent, pushes him
back 1 as described above and then may immediately moves 1D6 away from the combat. If he is facing
numerous opponents, they are all fended off. If his opponent wins, follow the normal Fight sequence to
determine push back and damage.

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OUTNUMBERED
It is not unusual to have a combat where multiple figures have ganged up on a single enemy. To resolve these
combats, make a Fight test as usual, finding the Fight scores of each man involved in the fight. All men that
score higher than their opponent count as winning the Fight unless their own score has been beaten. If the result
of the Fight is a tie, no damage is caused and all the figures remain locked in combat.
Ragnar, Bjorn and Ulf are surrounding Edmund. All four men make their Fight tests.
Ragnar scores 6, Bjorn scores 5, Ulf scores 3 and Edmund scores 4.
Ragnar and Bjorn are the winners as both their scores beat Edmunds. Although
Edmunds score was higher than Ulfs, he does not count as beating Ulf as he was
himself beaten by Ragnar and Bjorn.
An outnumbered fighter will be pushed back as normal if there is space for him to move. A maximum of three
men may surround a figure. If there are less than three, the single figure will have room to be pushed back
unless he is backed up against terrain. If he is surrounded and cannot be pushed back, he will fall down.
After the loser has been pushed back, all of the winning figures make a Damage test, adding their scores
together to give one single Damage score. The loser makes a single Armour test to oppose this as usual.
Ragnar and Bjorn make their Damage tests. Ragnar scores 6 and Bjorn scores 5.
They add these together to give a total Damage score of 11.
Edmund makes his Armour roll and scores a 4. Taking the Armour from the Damage
score means he suffers 7 damage points.
As Ulf did not beat Edmunds Fight score, Ulf did not land a blow and so does not
cause any damage to him.
If the outnumbered figure wins the Fight, he must choose which of his opponents he has hit before he makes his
Damage test. The opponent he chooses to hit is the only one that suffers damage.
The press of bodies against an outnumbered fighter makes it hard for him to push his enemies back, and he will
only do this if he rolled one or more 6s for his Fight test. He may push back one opponent for every 6 he rolled,
beginning with the enemy figure he hit.
The winners, and only the winners, of the Fight test may then follow up as usual.

SHIELDWALL
A unit on foot may form a Shieldwall. To do this, the unit must be at least four men strong, the figures must be
in a line in base contact and they must all carry shields. Fighters may leave a Shieldwall by simply moving
away. Figures may be forced to leave a Shieldwall due to the results of combat, push backs, and so on.
Figures in a Shieldwall may move only 1D6 each turn. They cannot Shoot. Iif a figure does so, he is considered
to have left the Shieldwall. Fighters in a Shieldwall only gain the Shieldwall bonus if they are engaged in
combat to their front. If they are attacked in the rear, the Shieldwall is considered broken.
The two fighters at each end of a Shieldwall do not gain the Shieldwall bonus as they do not have the same
protection as the rest of the fighters in the line. However, if a man at an end is protected by a wall or the bank
of a river for example, that end of the Shieldwall is considered to be anchored and he will gain the bonus.
SHIELDWALL BONUS
A figure attacking an enemy in a Shieldwall suffers a -2 modifier to his test. If a figure in a Shieldwall loses a
Fight, he may reroll all the dice he rolled for his Fight test. If this reroll beats his opponents Fight test, the result
of the combat is a tie.
Men in a Shieldwall that are beaten in a fight will only be pushed back if their opponent doubles their Fight test
score.

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WOUNDS
Each figure must divide his Stamina characteristic as equally as possible into a number of Wounds, depending
on the figures quality. If a figures stamina does not split equally into these Wounds, you may choose which of
the Wounds will gain the odd numbers that are left.

Champions split their Stamina into three Wounds

Warriors and Militia split their Stamina into two Wounds
Peasants have a single Wound equal to their Stamina characteristic

When a figure is injured, he suffers a number of damage points which are knocked off his first Wound. When he
has suffered enough damage to lose all of the points in this Wound, he loses one dice for every test he makes
and suffers -1 penalty for every dice he rolls for movement. He will then start to knock damage points off his
second Wound, and so on. If a figure suffers one or more Wounds from an attack, he must also make a Courage
test. When he has lost all of his Wounds, he is dead.
Einarr has a Stamina of 10. As he is a Champion, he divides this into three so that his first
Wound has 4 points and his second and third Wound have 3 each.
He loses a Fight, suffering a bad injury and taking 7 damage points. This means he has lost
two Wounds. He passes his Courage test but now, with only one Wound left, he will suffer -2
dice for every test, and must reduce his movement by 2 for every dice he rolls. He only has
one Wound of 3 damage points left.
Unfortunately, he also loses his next Fight, suffering another 4 damage points. Einarr is dead!

COURAGE
A fighter must make a Courage test whenever one of the following situations occur:

When he suffers one or more Wounds from a Fight or Shoot attack (only one test is needed if more
than one Wound is lost from the same attack)
When a member of his Warband of better quality than himself is killed within his Leadership Range
When a member of his Warband of better quality than himself flees within his Leadership Range

A figures must modify his Courage tests as follows

+1 if he is within his Leadership Range of his Warlord (the Warlord must be standing and not fleeing)
-1 for each Wound
-3 if already fleeing

The score needed to pass the test is 5 or more. Success means he may carry on as normal. If he fails, he will flee.

FLEEING
Figures that fail a Courage test will flee, immediately moving 3D6 directly away from the enemy. If this
direction is difficult to determine, try to be as logical as possible, bearing in mind that the figure will try to run
towards friends or his own table edge. The distance he moves will be modified as normal by his Wounds and the
terrain he is moving over.
When a figure is fleeing, he must make a Courage test each time he is activated in the Movement phase. If he
passes, he spends the turn rallying and may carry on as normal next turn. If he fails, he will flee again.
If a fleeing figure is contacted by an enemy and fights a round of combat, he will suffer the penalty for fleeing in
the first round of combat only. He will then automatically rally (assuming he does not fail another Courage test
as a result of the combat).
14

THE DARK AGE

SPIRIT
A warbands Spirit represents its overall attitude as it prepares for the battle and determines how well it
performs as it joins with the enemy and begins to suffer casualties.
At the start of the game, each player must find his warbands Spirit by rolling 1D6. Subtract 2 from the roll if
your Warlord has a Leadership of 4 or less. Add 2 to the roll if your Warlord has a Leadership of 8 or more. The
adjusted total determines the warbands Spirit:

A total of 3 or less gives a Spirit of 7

A total of 4 gives a Spirit of 8
A total of 5 gives a Spirit of 9
A total of 6 or more gives a Spirit of 10

You must keep a track of your warbands Spirit throughout the game. It may change as the warband suffers
losses. Spirit must be checked each time something bad happens to the warband when man is killed or flees.
How this effects their Spirit depends on the event and a dice roll. Roll 1D6 on the following table to determine
how much Spirit your warband loses.
SITUATION

NO
EFFECT

LOSE 1
POINT

LOSE 2
POINTS

LOSE 3
POINTS

1
13
13
12
36
25
25
24

25
14
46
45
35
6
6
5

6
5-6
6
6
6

Warlord killed
Warlord flees
Warlord wounded
Champion killed*
Champion flees*
Warrior killed
12
Warrior flees
1
Warrior flees
1
Holy man killed**
1
*Do not test for the Warlord as a Champion.

**Not only the warband that the Holy Man belongs to must make this roll but also the warband that
killed the Holy man are also affected by this and must roll as well.

EFFECTS OF LOSING SPIRIT

If a warbands Spirit falls to 4 or less, the Warlord must make a Courage test at the end of that turn. If he fails
the test, the warband will immediately withdraw, having lost the will to carry on with the fight. If he passes,
they continue with the battle but must make further tests if their Spirit is reduced again. If the warbands Spirit
reaches zero, they will withdraw automatically.
A warband may voluntarily withdraw at any time during a battle without the need of a Courage test or the loss
of Spirit.

15

THE DARK AGE

CREATING A WARBAND
Work through the tables below, randomly generating the quality, characteristics and talents for each member of
the warband, and noting the weapons and armour modelled on the figure. Finally, total up the points to calculate
the value of each figure.

A FIGHTERS QUALITY
Every warband must have at least one Champion to be their Warlord. To begin creating a warband, first
generate a Champion. The quality of the other members of the warband may be generated randomly by rolling
2D6 on the table below or, if you wish, choose each figures quality instead of rolling.
2D6
QUALITY
POINTS

35

69

10 - 12

PEASANT
-5

MILITIA
-2

WARRIOR
0

CHAMPION
+2

FIGHT, SHOOT, COURAGE, LEADERSHIP

CHARACTERISTICS
Roll 2D6 and cross reference the result on the table below against the figures quality to find his each of his
Fight, Shoot, Courage and Leadership characteristic values. If you roll a double 6 for any characteristic, you
may roll two more dice. If these result in any double, add 1 to the indicated characteristic score and roll another
two dice. If these also result in a double, add another 1 to your characteristic score and roll another two dice.
Continue to do this until you fail to roll a double.
2D6
CHAMPION
WARRIOR
MILITIA
PEASANT

10

11

12

3
2
1
1

4
3
1
1

4
3
2
1

4
3
2
1

5
3
2
1

5
3
2
2

6
4
3
2

7
5
3
2

8
6
4
2

9
7
5
3

10
8
6
4

Fight characteristic: A figures Fight characteristic will be adjusted by the weapon he is carrying. Check the
Fight Weapon table below in the Damage Characteristic section.
Shoot characteristic: If the figure is not armed with a ranged weapon, you may, if you wish, reduce the Shoot
score indicated on the table by up to 5.

DAMAGE CHARACTERISTIC
To find the figures Damage characteristic, first determine his strength and then check the weapon he is carrying
on the Fight Weapons and Shoot Weapons tables below. Add the two Damage characteristics together to find
the figures total. Fight weapons have a modifier that is added to the figures Fight characteristic.
STRENGTH
Determine if the fighters strength increase his Damage characteristic by rolling 1D6 on this table. If you roll a
6, roll another two dice. If these result in any double, add a further 1 to his Damage and roll another two dice. If
these also result in a double, add another 1 to his Damage and roll another two dice. Continue to do this until
you fail to roll a double.
1D6
DAMAGE

16

THE DARK AGE

FIGHTING WEAPONS
FIGHT
MODIFIER

DAMAGE
CHARACTERISTIC

Axe

+2

Dane axe

+1

Hammer

+2

Staff
Sword

+1
+3

3
6

Spear

+2

WEAPON

NOTES

POINTS

Two handed weapon figures

may not also carry a shield
unless it is strapped to their
back. This means they only
gain the benefit of their
shields defence if they are
attacked to the rear.
Damage characteristic is 7
against mail armour
Fight modifier is +3 when
used in Shieldwall against
infantry and +4 in Shieldwall
against mounted figures.

1
1

Two handed
+1
7
Two handed weapon
sword
Unarmed
-2
1
Reroll 6s on Damage test
*Figures carrying two handed weapons may not also carry a shield unless it is strapped to their back, in which
case, they only gain the benefit of their shields defence if they are attacked to the rear.
SHOOTING WEAPONS
RANGE

DAMAGE
CHARACTERISTIC

Bow

24

Rock

12

WEAPON

NOTES

POINTS

Not carried as weapons but may be

picked up during the Movement phase.

1
-

Throwing
12
5
Supply of four*
axe
Throwing
12
4
Supply of four*
knife
Throwing
18
5
Supply of three*
spear
*Fighters are only able to carry a limited number of these weapons into battle. When they have used their
supply, they have run out and cannot use that weapon again during the game. If you wish, however, you may
place a marker in contact with the target when these weapons have been thrown to show where they lie. Any
fighter may pick them up if they are in contact with them during the Movement phase and use them again.

ARMOUR CHARACTERISTIC
A figures Armour characteristic is calculated by adding up all of the characteristics of each type of armour he is
wearing, including his shield.
ARMOUR

No armour
Leather/Padded
Mail
Metal helmet
Shield

ARMOUR
CHARACTERISTIC

0
1
3
1
2

NOTES

See note above for two-handed weapons

POINTS

17

THE DARK AGE

STAMINA CHARACTERISTIC
For your figures Stamina characteristic, roll 2D6 and cross reference the result on the table below against the
figures quality. If you roll a double 6 for any characteristic, you may roll two more dice. If these result in any
double, add 1 Stamina and roll another two dice. If these also result in a double, add another 1 Stamina and roll
another two dice. Continue to do this until you fail to roll a double.
2D6
CHAMPION
WARRIOR
MILITIA
PEASANT

10

11

12

9
3
2
1

10
4
3
1

11
5
4
2

12
6
5
2

13
7
6
3

14
8
7
3

15
9
8
3

16
10
9
4

17
11
10
4

18
12
11
5

19
13
12
6

Champions split their Stamina into three Wounds. Warriors and Militia split their Stamina into two Wounds.
Peasants have a single Wound equal to their Stamina characteristic

TALENTS
Roll on the table below to discover what, if any talents, your figure possesses. The quality of the figure
determines how many rolls you may make on the table:

Champions: roll twice

Warriors: roll once
Militia: roll 1D6 if you score 5 or more, roll once on the table, otherwise Militia have no talents
Peasants: do not roll

D66

11 33
34
35
36
41
42
43
44
45
46
51
52
53
54
55
56
61
62
63
64
65
66

TALENT

Your figure has no particular talent.

When the enemy plays a Fate card that directly affects the figure (as opposed to his
whole warband), he may ignore it if he passes a Leadership test.
When the figure causes an enemy to lose a Wound, draw two Fate cards. Keep one
and discard one.
The figure gains +2 to his Shoot characteristic
The figure gains +2 to his Fight characteristic
The figure gains +1 to his Courage characteristic
The figure gains +1 to his Leadership characteristic
The figure gains +3 to his Stamina characteristic
The figure gains +1 to his Damage characteristic
The figure gains +1 to his Armour characteristic
The figure gains +1 movement per dice. May only be taken once.
The figure will never fall down because of a push back. May only be taken once.
The figure suffers no penalty moving over rough ground. May only be taken once.
The figure is terrifying. The enemy must pass a Courage test before they can move
into contact with him. May only be taken once.
When outnumbered, the figure gains +2 Fight. May only be taken once.
The figure gains +1 to his Shoot, Fight and Stamina characteristics.
The figure is a hunter and has an uncanny ability to avoid detection. He always
counts as being in cover, even when shot at in the open. May only be taken once
If the figure loses his last Wound, he may make an immediate final activation
before he dies. He does not need to make Courage tests during this activation and
counts as if he has full Stamina, then he dies. May only be taken once.
The figure treats all obstacles as if they are half as tall and half as wide as they
actually are. May only be taken once.
Choose any one of the figures weapons. It gains +1 Shoot or Fight modifier and +1
Damage
Once each battle, the figure may reroll any single dice he has rolled
The figure always wins any Fight he is in that ends in a tie. May only be taken
once.

POINTS

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

18

THE DARK AGE

SPECIAL CHARACTERS
Your warband may contain as many of the following special characters as you like.
BERSERKERS
A berserker is +10 points.
These legendary fighters are known for their frenzied and fearsome attacks. They normally wear no armour,
sometimes wearing nothing at all. They do not carry ranged weapons and rarely carry shields. Berserkers must
be either Warriors or Champions.
To begin with, berserkers act in the same way as any other figure but will go berserk in any of the following
situations:

If a berserker begins his activation Commanded, you may decide that his Warlord has ordered him to
attack the enemy, in which case he will immediately go berserk.
If a berserker begins his activation On His Own and fails his Leadership test, he will immediately go
berserk instead of the normal failure reactions.
If a berserker begins his activation with an enemy figure within three times his Leadership Range, he
will immediately go berserk.

Once the figure has gone berserk, all he will do is attempt to get into combat with the nearest enemy as soon as
possible and then continue to fight him until either himself or his enemy is dead. If he kills his opponent, the
berserker will again charge towards the nearest enemy and fight him until one of them is dead, and so on.
While berserk, the figure may reroll any or all odd-numbered dice he rolls for his Fight tests. He does not take
any Courage tests and cannot perform any action other than to attack or to move in an attempt to attack.
Berserkers only lose their rage if they can see no more enemy figures or they receive two Wounds. Once they
have calmed down, they suffer 1D3 damage due to fatigue and they will not go berserk again during the game.
HOLY MAN
A holy man is +5 points.
To the people of the Dark Ages, their Gods were very real and influenced every aspect of their lives. They
believed they could understand and see the power of the Gods, even those Gods that they did not worship
themselves. A warband may include a holy man who can pray to his God to aid them. Holy men will be either
Warriors, Militia or Peasants.
Once each turn, during the Initiative phase, a holy man may pray by making a Leadership test. He must not
move or perform any other actions during a turn in which he is praying. If he is attacked, the effect of the prayer
automatically ends.
If he passed the Leadership test, his prayer is successful - check the effect against the holy mans score:

Score of 5 All enemy figures within the holy mans Leadership Range suffer -1 dice to all tests until
the end of the turn
Score of 6 All enemy figures within the holy mans Leadership Range suffer -1 dice to all tests until
the end of the turn. The holy mans warband may draw a Fate card.
Score of 8 or more All enemy figures within twice the holy mans Leadership Range suffer -1 dice to
all tests until the end of the turn. The holy mans warband may draw a Fate card.

If you wish, the holy man may flagellate himself, believing that drawing his blood will encourage the Gods to
answer his prayers. If he does this, he causes himself one point of damage and may reroll any 1s he rolls for the
Leadership test when praying that turn.
When a holy man is killed, not only his own warband but also the warband that killed him must roll on the Spirit
table to see how his death affects them.

19

THE DARK AGE

SHIELD GUARD
A shield guard is +5 points.
Shield guards must be either Champions or Warriors. They are loyal fighters that have sworn an oath to protect
their Warlord. During a game, the shield guard and his Warlord must form a unit. The shield guard will always
try to remain within the unit with his Warlord. If his Warlord is killed, the shield guard may continue as any
normal fighter in the warband. Shield guards gain the following benefits:

During combat, the shield guard gains +2 Fight when he is in a unit with his Warlord.
If the shield guard is within half his Leadership range of his Warlord and not in combat, he may take
any damage the Warlord sustains instead of his Warlord.

A FIGHTERS VALUE
The value of each fighter is expressed as a number of points. This is determined by adding the points for his
Quality to his Fight, Shoot, Courage and Leadership characteristic values. Add to this half his Stamina points
(rounded up) plus the points cost of his weapons and armour. Also add on the points cost of any talents the
fighter has. Finally, if he is a special character, add the points for that. The value of all your men added together
gives you the total value of your warband.

SAMPLE FIGHTERS
Here is a list of pre-rolled fighters. Add the Fight and Damage characteristics of their weapons, work out their
Armour and add on the extra points for these to complete the fighters.
CHAMPIONS
FIGHT

SHOOT

COURAGE

LEADERSHIP

DAMAGE

STAMINA

7
8

5
4

14

5
5

10
8

1
2

14
11

14

15

SHOOT
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
4
4
3

COURAGE
3
9
3
7
4
3
6
5
3
7

LEADERSHIP
3
4
7
3
5
3
6
3
3
4

DAMAGE
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
0

STAMINA
8
9
5
11
12
10
9
6
8
5

TALENTS
+2 Fight if
outnumbered
+1/move
dice
Always in
cover

POINTS

TALENTS
-

POINTS
16
27
19
30
22
16
23
25
24
20

30
37
35
30
37

WARRIORS
FIGHT
3
6
4
11
3
3
3
5
9
3

MILITIA
FIGHT
2
3
2
2
2
5

SHOOT
2
3
2
5
3
2

COURAGE
2
1
2
3
3
1

LEADERSHIP
2
2
2
4
2
2

DAMAGE
0
0
2
1
0
2

STAMINA
7
4
9
5
7
10

TALENTS
-

POINTS
10
9
13
16
12
15

TALENTS
-

POINTS
5

PEASANTS
FIGHT
2

SHOOT
2

COURAGE
2

LEADERSHIP
2

DAMAGE
0

STAMINA
3

20

THE DARK AGE

RAIDS
All raids are played on a 4 x 4 table. Place the terrain in a manner agreeable to all players and then roll to
decide who will be the attacker and who will be the defender.
Roll a dice to determine which raid will be played.
1 On sacred ground
2 Clash
3 Capture the wagon

4 River battle
5 Bring home the breakfast
6 Pillage

GLORY
Just because a Warlord leads a successful raid or beats off an attacking warband, he does not necessarily win the
battle. A Warlord seeks fame, he wants to be feared and respected, and so must gain Glory in every engagement.
The Warlord who has accumulated the most Glory at the end of a raid is the winner. A Warlord gains Glory in
the following ways:

+1 Glory for each enemy Warrior his warband kills

+2 Glory for each enemy Champion (not including Warlords) his warband kills
+3 Glory for each enemy Warlord his warband kills
-1 Glory if he withdrew voluntarily
-3 Glory if he was forced to withdraw

He may also gain Glory through the use of Fate cards and by fulfilling the objective of the raid.

ON SACRED GROUND
SET UP
The defender chooses his table edge. Place a piece of terrain in the centre of the table to represent the sacred
ground a church, a stone circle, a grove of trees, or even just a hill. No other terrain should be placed within
12 of the edges of the sacred ground
Up to 1D6 defenders are placed within or adjacent to the sacred ground. If the defenders warband contains holy
men, these must be placed there before other fighters are. The attacker then deploys his men roll 2D6 for
each figure or unit. They may be placed up on the table to this distance, measured from the attackers table edge.
DURING THE GAME
The remaining defenders may enter from their table edge during the movement phase of the first turn.
Any defending holy men may roll double dice for all their tests while they are on sacred ground. The attackers
holy men also gain this benefit, but only if they worship the same gods.
OBJECTIVE
If the attackers worship the same gods as the defenders, they must attempt to capture the sacred ground. If they
worship other gods, they may either capture or destroy it. As soon as the attackers succeed in their objective,
they game will immediately end.
To capture the sacred ground, at least two figures must be on the sacred ground at the start of a turn with no
enemy figures on it. The warband that controls it at the end of the game gains 5 Glory.
To destroy the sacred ground, an attacker must be on or in contact with it at the start of a turn. He may then
spend the turn trying to set the sacred ground on fire. While doing this he may not move, shoot or fight for the
whole turn. Being hit, whether wounded or not, or pushed back will also disturb him. If he avoids this, he may
make a basic test before the initiative test of the following turn. Make a single test for this each turn - multiple
figures attempting to destroy the area increase the basic test by 1 dice each, they do not each roll separately. If
the test is successful, the sacred ground catches fire and is destroyed, in which case the attackers will gain 3
Glory.
21

THE DARK AGE

CLASH
SET UP
When setting up the terrain, specify two terrain pieces as objectives. These must be at least 15 apart located
along the centre of the table between the two warbands. The defender may choose his table edge.
Test for initiative. Beginning with the warband that won the initiative, players alternate placing a figure or a unit
within 6 of their table edge.
OBJECTIVE
The warbands must attempt to drive their enemy off. However, if, at the end of any turn, one warband controls
both objectives, the game will immediately end. To control an objective, at least two figures must be within 4
of it with no enemy figures within 4 of it. If a warband drives their enemy off, they automatically take control
of the objectives. Warbands gain 2 Glory for each objective they control at the end of the game.

CAPTURE THE WAGON

SET UP
The defender chooses a table edge. He must convey a wagon from this edge, across the table and exit on the
opposite edge. The wagon is driven by a peasant and may be accompanied by up to half of the defenders men.
The defender rolls 1D3. This is how many D6 the wagon and his men move before the game begins, measured
from the centre of his entry edge. During the game,. The rest of the defenders warband are then placed
anywhere along their exit edge. The attackers men enter along a randomly determined side table edge at least
32 from the defenders entry edge during the movement phase of the first turn.
DURING THE GAME
The wagon moves a maximum of 2D6 each turn. It will be under the control of whichever side last had a figure
within 4 of it without any enemy figure being within 4 of it, not counting the peasant driver. The driver will
not fight but will immediately switch allegiance to whichever side controls the wagon.
OBJECTIVE
Both warbands want the wagon. The defenders must take the wagon off their exit table edge, the attackers must
take it off their entry table edge. Whoever succeeds gains 5 Glory. If a warband withdraws, their opponents take
the wagon and win the Glory.

RIVER BATTLE
SET UP
A river, between 4 to 6 wide, runs across the middle of the table from one edge to the other, separating the
two warbands. Place a ford or bridge roughly 8 either side of the middle of the river. These crossing places
should be about 4 to 6 wide. The river is impassable except at these two places.
Test for initiative. Whoever wins chooses which side of the river he deploys on and then places at least half of
his men anywhere on his half of the table but no closer than 12 to the river. His opponent then places at least
half his men in his own half of the table no closer than 12 to the river. The first player places his remaining
men in the same way, followed by his opponent. The first player may then begin the game.
DURING THE GAME
At the end of the turn following that in which the first Courage test for loss of Spirit is made, make a basic test.
If the test is successful, the game ends. Otherwise the game continues for another turn. Continue doing this each
turn from then on, adding one dice to the basic test each time.
OBJECTIVE
Both warbands gain 1 Glory for each figure they have in their opponents half of the table at the end of the game.

22

THE DARK AGE

BRINGING HOME BREAKFAST

SET UP
The attacker has raided a farm and is making his way back to his camp with the plunder, this being livestock
from the farm. He must move as much of the livestock off the opposite table edge as possible. The attacker has
three bases of livestock (pigs, sheep, cows, etc.) Each livestock base must be herded by a member of the
warband.
The attacker may decide which table edge he begins from and then rolls 1D6 to determine how far the men in
his warband have progressed across the table before the defenders appear:

On 1 2, they may each move 2D6

On 3 4, they may each move 3D6
On a 5, they may each move 4D6
On a 6, they may each move 5D6

Roll for each figure or unit in the attackers warband separately and move them up to the indicated distance
from their table edge. Any units that come onto the table in shieldwall reduce their movement by 1 for each
movement dice they roll.
The game may then begin by deciding who has the initiative for the first turn.
DURING THE GAME
Defenders arrive: At the end of each turn, the defender rolls 1D6 to find out how many of his men arrive
during the next turn. Roll another dice to find out which table edge they appear from:

On 1 2, they arrive along the left hand table edge anywhere within 12 of the defenders corner
On 3 4, they arrive anywhere along the defenders table edge
On 4 6, they arrive along the right hand table edge anywhere within 12 of the defenders corner

These men activate as normal, moving on from the designated table edge. They may arrive as individuals or as
units. The defender keeps rolling at the end of each turn until all of his warband arrives.
Herding livestock: The livestock (and their herders) each move, avoiding terrain if possible, 2D6 every
movement phase. If a double is rolled, the beasts will deviate from where the herders want them to go. Move the
herders with their livestock and then roll 1D6:

On 1 3, the livestock moves 6to the left

On 4 6, the livestock move 6 to the right

At the start of each movement phase, each livestock base not in contact with a figure, will move 2D6 directly
away from the nearest figure, avoiding other figures in its path.
Ending the game: At the end of the turn following that in which the first Courage test for loss of Spirit is made,
make a basic test. If the test is successful, the game ends. Otherwise the game continues for another turn.
Continue doing this each turn from then on, adding one dice to the basic test each time.
OBJECTIVE
The attackers objective is to herd the livestock across the table and off the opposite table edge, gaining 3 Glory
for each base of livestock they get away with.
The defender simply has to prevent him from doing this and gains 3 Glory for each base of livestock that
remains on the table at the end of the game.

23

THE DARK AGE

PILLAGE
SET UP
The attacker is raiding a church, village or farm in order to take whatever plunder he can find. The defender
chooses his table edge and then rolls 3D6, adding 6 to the result. The church, village or farm is placed roughly
this many inches onto the table, measured from the defenders table edge. Place the terrain pieces centrally if
possible but be logical based on the terrain already present. If the players agree, they may take turns placing
1D6 peasants in and around the objective.
The players must then agree on at least two areas within the objective that may contain plunder. These areas
must be clearly defined, such as a room in a building or a corner of a field.
The defender then rolls 1D3 and places up to the indicated number of figures from his warband up to 12 from
his table edge.
The attacker now rolls 1D6 to determine how close the men in his warband have approached the objective
before they are spotted:

On 1 2, they may each move 2D6

On 3 4, they may each move 3D6
On a 5, they may each move 4D6
On a 6, they may each move 5D6

Each figure or unit should be rolled for separately and moved up to the indicated distance from the attackers
table edge. Any units that come onto the table in shieldwall reduce their movement by 1 for each dice they roll.
The game may then begin by deciding who has the initiative for the first turn.
DURING THE GAME
The defenders: At the end of each turn, the defender rolls 1D6 to find out how many of his men arrive during
the next turn. Roll another dice to find out which table edge they appear from:

On 1 2, they arrive along the left hand table edge anywhere within 18 of the defenders corner
On 3 4, they arrive anywhere along the defenders table edge
On 4 6, they arrive along the right hand table edge anywhere within 18 of the defenders corner

These men activate as normal, moving on from the designated table edge. They may arrive as individuals or as
units. The defender keeps rolling at the end of each turn until all of his warband arrives.
Plunder: To search an area for plunder, each figure present in that area may roll 1D6 instead of moving in the
movement phase. If he rolls a 6, he has discovered the plunder, if he rolls a 1, there is no plunder in that area.
Each area will contain either a single horde of plunder or none at all.
Each horde of plunder will require a unit of at least two figures to carry it off the table. These figures may
neither shoot nor fight. If they are engaged in combat, they must drop the loot in order to fight. To pick up the
plunder requires a successful basic test made by the figure who has the most Wounds.
OBJECTIVE
The attackers objective is to pillage the church, farm or village and escape off the table with as much plunder as
they can find. The defender must try to stop them.
Each horde of plunder is worth 4 Glory to the attacker if his figures remove it from their own table edge or 2
Glory if they remove from any other table edge. The defender gains 4 Glory for each horde of plunder that
remains on the table at the end of the game.

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NAME

T YPE
F

THE DARK AGE

A

ST AMINA

T ALENT S

PT S

THE DARK AGE

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