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Bane
Isildur's Bane by Guido Quaranta. Layout by Jos Jimnez (jmjimenez@gmail.com). Thanks to Nathan Brown (gil-galadofthenorth) for editing and clarifications. Version 2 All material is property of their respective owners. This hack is based on Games Workshop's Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game and it's a non-for-profit creation. It's distributed freely online. Please check http://dogui.wordpress.com/ for the latest version of these rules.
of the Rings Strategy Batt le Game, published by Games Workshop. I call it a rules hack, and you need to be familiar with the original rules for this to make any sense at all. These guidelines will hopefully enable you to enjoy the LotR SBG solitaire. Everything presented here will work with any edition of the game.
Important differences
6 sided dice, you will need a deck of playing cards. Split them in two, creating a red deck (with all the hearts and diamonds) and a black deck (with the spades and clubs). Put one joker in each deck, and shuffle them separately. Put them face down near the playing surface. You will use these decks to activate groups of figures during the game, therefore we call them red and black activation cards.
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start playing. Be mindful of the total points of each force if you wish to use OR1. You can fi nd the Optional Rules after the basic rules text.
group for that turn, whether character, mounted, monster, or anything. A regular mounted troop counts as one figure. A figure mounted on a monstrous mount counts as two. A mmakil and it's crew count as 10, therefore they must be in a group of their own. And a siege engine only counts as the number of crew figures. The machine itself is not counted towards the group's total.
you will split the armies into several groups and deal activation cards.
2 Actions: During this phase you will 3 Fight: In this phase every
combat will be resolved.
move, charge, use magic powers, and shoot with your figures in the order determined by the activation cards.
part of any group, but they will not be able to act during the actions phase. If using OR1 you will probably have to leave some inactive figures in some turns.
groups (even if it's a one figure group), deal a random card to each of them. You can deal black cards to any group you want. Red cards however can only be dealt to groups that have at least one character. Characters are the heroes from the army lists, those that have Might, Will and Fate scores (even if it's a score of 0 like Grima's). As you will see below, groups with red cards will activate before those with black cards.
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Put the card on the table, next to the group it will affect. The cards will determine the order in which the groups will be activated.
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activated fi rst, so as to carry on the actions with each figure. The order in which groups activate depends on the cards. First, every group with a red card will be activated. The order is by number (Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Joker) and by suit: fi rst hearts, then diamonds. Then the groups with black cards will be activated, by number and suit (fi rst spades, then clubs).
Any character capable of casting spells Please remember there are no Heroic
Actions in Isildur's Bane.
or using powers can do so normally. It can cast the spell at any point during the movement, and if another character is the target of the spell, it must always try to resist (see Will below).
out actions during its activation, and once they are done, the next group is activated. Th is means figures from both sides will be moving and shooting during this phase.
removed from the table. The only thing to remember after the fi rst activation (and the removal of the card back into the deck) is which side was activated fi rst. Th is is important for the fight phase. A simple way of reminding is leaving the card over the force's record sheet or its side of the table. Once a group is active, its figures can move, cast spells, and shoot.
and need not remain 10cm (4 inches) from each other. All the regular rules for movement and charging apply.
should check which side has the edge. Remember the side who activated fi rst in the turn? That's the side with the edge during this fight phase. Th is means that whenever a combat presents more than one possible match, the player should take the most tactically effective choice for that side. Th is will most likely change during the course of the game, so the player will make sound tactical choices for both sides during the batt le.
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Fighting
the remaining Might points the character has, not the maximum or starting score. If the result is 3 or more, the roll succeeded and the character can use as many Might points and needed from the Might score. However, rolling a 1 on the die is always a failure, never mind the remaining points the character has. If the roll is not successful, he won't spend any points at all.
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shuffled back into each deck. Th is is also the time when some actions that occur before the priority phase must be done. For example, the Courage test needed to see which side controls Denethor during the next turn. Th is is also the moment when you make break tests.
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Will
game's rulebook, except that there is no need to use Might for Heroic Actions (since there are none in this game). The important thing is to know when to use them, to avoid lett ing the player favor one or the other side.
Courage tests. There is no need for a Will roll. If a character is making a Courage test due to the force being broken and fails, it must always spend Will points to modify the result.
Might
In order to use Might points, the player will To make a Might roll, roll a die and add
will use Will points normally. If the target of the spell is another character, it must always try to resist using at least one Will point.
make a roll to see if the character will or will not use the points. Th is is called a Might roll, and you make just one roll whether using one or several Might points at the same time.
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differing command, or tactical skill. It is recommended for the bigger batt legames, with 500+ points a side.
be able to have up to 3 activation cards on the table each turn. A 300 points raw force however, will only be able to deal 1 card each turn, making the deployment and maneuver of the army quite different than that of the aforementioned elite force.
side phase as you want during priority, forces will have a maximum number of cards that can be dealt to them. Th is means that the player will have to create a number of legal groups complying to the army's quality rating. Th is will create very different play styles for each force without relying on the player's judgment alone. And it's a nice way to balance different kinds of scenarios.
of the armies as you see fit, specially when creating a scenario. However, if you want to randomize this and create proper fictional reasons you can always roll a die: 1-2: raw, 3-4: trained, 5-6: elite.
the game table, and maybe creates fun situations that test the skill of the player.
allowed activation cards are: An elite force will be dealt 3 cards per 200 points A trained force will be dealt 2 cards per 200 points
trigger a random event. Whenever a Joker is dealt to a group, the player must roll two dice, fi nd the appropriate event, and follow the rules and guidelines below. The event is rolled before any activation occurs, and its effects applied immediately. If both Jokers
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come into play during the same priority phase, the red one takes priority, and the black one is ignored as an event and just used as an activation card. Unless noted otherwise in the event's description, the group with the Joker card will activate normally (after that color's Kings).
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Strong winds punish the battlefield, making it impossible to strike from afar and bringing flying beasts down to the ground.
15 Warcry Warriors scream, taunt and challenge their 24 enemies in blind trust of their superior fate, 33
causing panic amongst those around them.
turns this effect will last. During those turns, all shooting is done with a -2 modifier to hit. Flying creatures and flying mounts half their movement.
that drew the Joker have +1 Courage and inspire terror, as described in the rulebook's Courage section. Remember break tests are taken during the end phase, meaning that these figures will still benefit from the Courage bonus.
Reckless charge
Troops see a weak spot in the enemy's formation and throw themselves at it recklessly, with high impetus but not mindful of the consequences.
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16 Nessa's swiftness The troops find safe passage through the 25 battlefield. They move unhindered on 34
the terrain and surround the enemy with the legendary speed of Tulkas' wife.
before any other group. For this turn only, figures from the group have +1 Attack and may move 5cm (2 inches) extra but only if charging. On the other hand, every enemy figure that wins a combat against a reckless charger has +1 on it's die roll for wounding.
before any other group. For this turn only, figures from the group can move twice in the actions phase. The second move must be made after shooting and can become a charge. In order to shoot, figures must follow the normal rules during the fi rst move only.
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Despair
The troops realize the grave danger they are in. For a moment they doubt their intentions and those of their leaders. Sacrifice doesn't sound heroic anymore.
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Joker will be able to fi re its ranged weapons twice, and all rolls to hit get a +1. Siege engines only shoot once, but get the bonus to hit and the shot will only scatter 8cm (3 inches) instead of the usual 14cm (6 inches).
Joker will not act in the actions phase. The figures will not move or shoot. If charged they will fight back, but figures with shields will always defend by shielding if they can. Characters may not spend Might points, but use Will and Fate normally.
Rage of Middle-earth
The ground shakes below our feet! A slight earthquake, a nearby volcano erupting, or even the traces of ancient powers facing each other somewhere near the battlefield creates an unexpected tremor.
(fog, smoke from nearby fi res, etc) The effect will only last as many turns as the die shows. 4-6 means the darkness will last the whole batt le (night comes, or any other type of supernatural effect suitable for the scenario). Rolling this event again during the batt le cancels the effect, whether temporary or permanent darkness.
board will make a roll. Do one roll per group (no matter the number of figures in the group), and one for each figure that was not included in any group.
roll of 1-3, every figure in the group falls to the ground. If mounted, make a roll on the Th rown Rider chart (found in the game's rulebook) for each figure. Flying creatures and flying mounts are not affected by this event at all.
the batt le is 24cm (10 inches). No figure can shoot or charge at something farther away than that. Figures on the ground partially obscured can't be seen (no roll necessary). Volley fi re can be used as normal, as long as there's a friendly figure with line of sight to the target. Light sources like those on top of defensive walls (during a siege), the Balrog's own flames, or Gandalf's bright staff (when Cast Light is used) cancel this effect and make them visible from any distance.
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66 Est's comfort
The soldiers feel relieved, nurtured and refreshed. Something in the tide of battle makes them confident that not all is lost, and fight with renewed energies.
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points replenished to their starting values. Wounds, however, are not. If the group has no characters and only regular troops, they get 2 extra points of Courage for the rest of the batt le.
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specifically noted, gives priority to the Good side during the fi rst turn. It is important sometimes, specially in scenarios where movement, or running someplace, are the main objectives of the game. If you think it's fundamental for the batt le to have one of the sides move fi rst, use this next rule.
the special rules usually found in models' profi les. They are here as optional, but are a good fi x in case you don't want to just ignore a special rule that won't work with this text. Using these as guidelines you can probably fi x any other rule you fi nd in other sources (such as White Dwarf articles or other fan made scenarios and profi les).
go fi rst should be given two cards face down (to tell them apart from the rest of the cards) during the priority phase. Those cards must be given to two groups of figures. Remember a group can even be just one figure. If any group includes characters, it must be given a red card.
cards normally, the groups with these face down cards will act fi rst. Check the values of the cards to see which of those groups will activate fi rst.
booklets checked for special rules compatibility include the basic rulebooks (Lord of the Rings SBG, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King), Khazad-dum, Legions of Middleearth, Shadow and Flame, Warhosts, War of Saruman, Last Alliance, The Ruin of Arnor, The Batt le of Pelennor Fields, The Scouring of the Shire, Fall of the Necromancer, Siege of Gondor, Harad, A Shadow in the East, Gondor in Flames, and Mordor.
Basic rulebook:
Elendil's Narsil special rule involves Heroic Combat, something not included in this rules. Instead, give him a free Might point each turn, as in Aragorn's Mighty Hero special rule. Gothmog's Master of Batt le rule is based on Heroic Actions and will not work with Isildur's Bane. Instead, you can do the following: If Gothmog is within 14cm (6 inches) of an enemy character whose
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group will activate before him, roll a die. On a result of 3+, Gothmog's group will activate just before that enemy group, ignoring the activation card dealt to them. Saruman's Palantr rule lets the wizard win priority once per batt le. When playing Isildur's Bane, roll a die when you want Saruman to use this power. On a roll of 3+, Saruman's group and any friendly group within 8cm (3 inches) from Saruman's group will activate before any other group for that turn only. If the roll fails, the power of the Palantr can be used again later, until it succeeds. Gollum's My Preciousss... special rule can be used as written, except for this change. Gollum is never part of a group, and is never dealt an activation card. The side with the highest activation card will control Gollum for that turn.
models. When playing solitaire, the side that has the fi rst activation will move them. Those models should however be always in a group of their own (or several groups if they are split over the board). The Trees are Moving! special rule from the scenario Odovacar Bolger's Promenade lets the Evil side use scenery trees as opposition. Roll the die to see how many trees move that turn before dealing activation cards. Then deal one card to each of the moving trees you choose.
Siege of Gondor:
The element of Surprise special rule from the scenario Forth Eorlingas! gives a priority die advantage to the Good player. To represent this deal 2 activation cards to each Good group and use the highest until the turn Gandalf, and the other Good reinforcements arrive.
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deployed. 4-6, they are reinforcements. Now roll a die to see which table edge they will arrive from. 1-2, north. 3-4, west. 5-6, east.
Designer's notes
(one of its main appeals). So it needed to be balanced somehow. That's why I decided to split the deck in two, creating the red deck for groups with characters in it. Th is way, characters would always be a bit ahead of the regular troops. The way the phases are changed also helps with that.
the wonderful LotR game that I love so much in the company of... well, oneself. The game sparks my imagination beyond any other wargame, and fi nding suitable opponents can be difficult depending on one's situation, physical location or even play style preferences. Th is section of the text will try to shed some light into the thinking process that went in the creation of these rules.
beyond making the game playable solo. It was more than just fi lling some gaps. I believe playing solitaire is a completely different kind of beast, and should be treated differently. The mechanisms found in this text will (hopefully) create a fun game on its own, making the most of the excellent original design. My desire for these rules is to make a set that holds its own, making it different to play than the regular game, and letting you enjoy both, not just using Isildur's Bane when in dire need of a gaming fi x. At the time of this writing I'm lucky enough to have a very good regular opponent, and somehow I find the time to play with this hack by its own merits. Now to comment on the actual rules.
that the distance between figures inside a group has increased from 5cm (2 inches) to 10cm (4 inches). Th is gives you more flexibility when making groups, but the real reason is another. It was shown in playtesting that after the fi rst combats occur, figures from groups that worked together during the batt le were gett ing left out. Th is is a normal event in the game, as figures start surrounding their enemies and piling up on each other, gett ing thrown back and forth. The bad thing was that while the figures were getting all bunched up, there was a need for more activation cards, specially for single figures left apart from their comrades (though near the actual combat). Hopefully this fi xes it and makes the group-making decisions more important during the fi rst stages of game play, and more tactically challenging during the later stages. Nothing prevents you from making one figure groups for that special charge if youd like!
is the lack of Heroic Actions. Th is is an amazing system that makes use of the main currency in the game: Might points. But the important characteristic of the system is that it involves heavy decision making and somewhat of a guessing game between players. Th is is something that loses all purpose playing solitaire. Taking it out, however, would take away much of the bigger than life quality of the game's characters
is the unification of the move and shoot phases in one actions phase. Th is was fi rst and foremost a cosmetic decision. If you were to play the game regularly, you would have to leave the cards on the table after movement, to remember the activation order. You would also need to show which figures can shoot and which cannot because they've moved too far. All this would keep the table dirty with markers, cards, or even create some bookkeeping. That's something I do not enjoy, for I fi nd that the spectacle a wargames table delivers is half the fun. It also speeds up play and makes the activation order even more important
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(imagine getting shot down before being able to hide behind the ruins), and thus gives more power to the red card activations, restoring characters some of the loss from the missing Heroic Actions.
then move during the actions phase. Th is is simply to avoid hit and run tactics, and the strange shooting, then moving half its speed situation that turns the original procedure upside down. With regular archers you will not see much of a difference, but elite shooters would have an amazing advantage if they could hide after sniping.
can be used as Might during the game, but only for Courage tests. Since Courage tests already imply some dice rolling, I thought it would not be elegant to require another roll to see if the Will point was or wasn't spent. Courage rolls are very clear affairs. When charging a terrifying opponent, the player can easily decide if the use of Will points is useful. It will usually be, otherwise the character wouldn't be making the charge. And when testing for a broken force, it's a matter of life and death, so it's also an easy call.
things in the game that was truly not fit for solo gaming. Creating the Might roll helped a bit to prevent careless use of the points and benefiting one of the sides. When wanting to spend more than one point in the same roll I went through different rules. First I thought making a roll for each one would be fi ne, but this had the potential of succeeding one and failing another. Not very useful if you needed at least 2 points for that situation. Then I changed it so that each roll was separate, but failing one of them cancelled the effect, so as to avoid spending Might points in vain. Th is was not very elegant and would have created lots of useless dice rolling. Then I decided to make just one roll, meaning that you'd get the same difficulty rolling for one as for three points. That sounds a bit strange at fi rst, but it really is up to the player how he spends the force's points. Might is still the most important currency in the game.
chaos into the batt le. The main effort here was trying to make interesting and fun events, with as litt le extra complexity as possible. They are not weather rules nor special powers. They are not supposed to be learned by heart, allowing a quick read to implement them. Optional rule #3 is prett y much self explanatory.
does not create an overflow of Might points. Since their use is somewhat restrained by the Might roll (and it gets more difficult as they're spent) these two rules balance each other out.
of how to adjust some of the special rules the original game has to play it solitaire. I have gone through lots of supplements looking for good examples, and with a litt le bit of thought you will be able to adapt any material to these rules.