Rules for Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game
Characteristics
MV (Move) = how far in inches the model may move in each of its move phases.
F (Fight) = models skill at fighting a duel and firing a shooting weapon. This is two numbers separated by a slash. The first number is the fight value for when fighting a duel, the higher the better. The second number is the Shoot value and is always followed by a + sign, this is the models skill with a shooting weapon. This is the number the model needs to be rolled in order for the model to hit its intended target, in this instance the lower the better.
S (Strength) = Higher the strength the easier it will be to injure an opponent.
D (Defense) = how hard it is to hurt a model. Higher the number the harder the model is to wound in battle.
A (Attacks) = How many blows the model can land upon a enemy during a Duel. This translates to how many dice the model will roll during the fight phase, both for making the initial duel roll, and for making strikes against an enemy.
W (Wounds) = This is how many injuries a model can sustain before it will succumb to its wounds and be slain. As soon as a models wounds are reduced to zero the model is removed from the board as a casualty.
C (Courage) = How brave and determined a model is. The lower the value the more likely the model is to flee in fear of their foe.
M, W, F (Might, Will, Fate) Some models known as Hero models, posses an additional three characteristics known as Might Will, and Fate. These are points that can be spent during the game. A Hero can use these points to perform special actions throughout the course of the game, avoid harm, or any number of other heroic feats.
Core Rules
Re-Rolls – if a rule says a dice can be re-rolled, the second roll will always stand.
Natural Rolls – certain rules say a certain number must be rolled on the d6. This is the dice roll before modifiers.
Line of Sight – when making an attack you must have line of sight. This means the model making the attack must be able to see the model it is attacking. It must be able to see a part of the head, body, arms, or legs of the model it wants to attack.
Turn Sequence
1. Priority Phase – Players roll off to see which player has priority.
2. Move Phase – Both player move their models – first the player with priority moves any models that they wish, when finished the other player moves their models.
3. Shoot Phase – The player with priority makes any shooting attacks followed by the other player making their shooting attacks.
4. Fight Phase – Any models in hand to hand combat will fight. The player with priority chooses the order in which combats are resolved.
5. End Phase – resolve any effects that remain until the end phase, and then clear any stray tokens.
Priority Phase
In narrative play the scenario often specifies who starts with priority. If the scenario does not state, you are fighting a battle that is not part of a scenario, or it is after the first turn, both players will roll a d6 with the highest number rolled getting priority. In the event of tie, the player that didn’t have priority last turn gets it.
Move Phase
Player with priority moves first, moving all, some or non of their models under their control. Once they are done their opponent goes.
When moving you have to complete the movement of one model before starting another models movement. Models don’t have to move in a straight line but can’t exceed their movement value. Models may not move through other models, to pass past a model it must be able to fit past the base without disrupting it.
All models would be moving around and being dynamic, because of this all models have a control zone of 1″. No enemy model may enter the control zone of an enemy unless they are charging. A model may be forced into a control zone due to a forced back away, failed jump or failed climb. Move the model so that it not in base to base. If you are stuck in a control zone you can charge, not move, or move away from the model.
Charging: Must have line of sight to intended target and within move distance. Once a model has charged into an enemy and is in base contact they are both engaged in combat and cannot move any further in the move phase. If when a model charges it would pass multiple control zones simultaneously, the controlling player may choose which one it will charge. A model that is engaged has it control zone cancelled out. A model may charge more than one model if it has the movement to do so and can get its base to touch both enemies bases.
Where it can be done, you should pair off the fighters. Where someone could be paired off with more than one model the person with priority would pick which one it would be paired off with.
Terrain
Difficult terrain: loose rock, think undergrowth, long grass and other terrain would be difficult terrain. Moving through difficult terrain costs double movement.
Obstacles: Barricades, broken walls, fallen tree, hedges, and piles of rocks can provide shelter from missile fire and impede movement. A model can cross an obstacle that is less than half’s its height without penalty. If the obstable is greater than half its height a jump test or climb test must be passed.
Jumping: A model may jump an obstacle that is not greater than it own height. Make a jump check by rolling a d6 and compare on table. Any jump movement counts towards overall movement.
1 – fails, ends movement
2-5 success, place the model on the other side of the obstacle and end the movement.
6 effortlessly bounds across and can continue it move up to its max movement.
Leaping: to leap across a gap, you model’s maximum move allowance must reach far enough to reach across the gap. A model can leap across a gap with a width up to twice the height of the model, if the gap is wider than twice the model’s height, they cannot leap across it. Move you model to the gap and roll a d6.
1 = stumble and fails, falls to the bottom of the gap, suffering falling damage and is knocked prone.
2-5 = success, place the model on the other side of the gap and end movement.
6 = the model leaps across without missing a step and may continue to use any movement it has left.
Climbing: if the height is more than the models height then the model would have to climb. To climb the model needs to be able to have some way to climb such as rocky hand holds, jutting rocks, wooden crosspieces. This is considered to be moving through difficult terrain. Areas that do not have a way to climb them are unscalable. Roll a d6 and consult the climb chart. Cavalry may not make climb tests. Some structures may take multiple turns, if you can’t place the model near the area they climbed, place at the bottom and use dice to indicate how many inches they have climbed.
Ladder, ropes and stairs don’t need a climb check and are not considered difficult terrain.
1 = fall, the model slips and falls to the ground and becomes prone. Place the bottom of the surface it attempted to climb. If the model began from the ground it does not take damage but if higher it might suffer falling damage.
2-5 = continue to climb to max movement
6 = swift ascent the model can climb max movement and can continue if it reaches the top with movement to spare.
Descending: a model may automatically descend a distance equal to its own height without penalty, if a model needs to descend further, they must make a climb test. There must be a way to climb down such as handholds. If the climb test is failed (a roll of 1) or the model falls for some reason, it will suffer falling damage.
Falling: A model that falls is knocked prone a the base of the surface they have fallen from. If the model has fallen a distance greater than its own height, it immediately suffers falling damage, one strength 3 hit plus once additional strength 3 hit for every 1″ more of height it has fallen.
Prone: a model can end up prone after being charged by cavalry, falling, or attempting to hide. A model that is knocked to the ground is said to be prone and should have a prone marker placed next to it. Prone models do not have a control zone. Prone models are considered half its normal height for the purpose of working out line of sight. A prone model can crawl 1″ in the move phase. If a model crawls the only other movement it may make that turn is to stand up. A prone model may stand up at the cost of half of the maximum move allowance and may still charge is it has movement to do so. A standing model may lie down for the same cost. A model may not lie down and stand up during its own move phase. Prone models may be charged as normal but have no control zone, any enemy can move within 1″ of them unimpeded as long as it does not come in base contact. You may attempt to jump a prone model by moving as close as you can without bases touching then taking a jump test. If passed move your model over the prone model and finish you movement. If you fail the roll, and the prone model is friendly then the jump is just a fail. If the model you are jumping is an enemy model and you fail you must instead charge, receiving any charging bonuses.
Reinforcements: normally enter play after a player has moved all of their models in a specified move phase. The model enter play on a specified board edge. The models may move as normal but may not charge that move phase.
Shoot Phase
Each player’s eligible models can make a shooting attack with their missile weapons. Pick a target, roll to hit, then roll to wound. The player with priority shoots first. Select one model and resolve the shooting attack, then select another model and resolve, continuing until all the models that the player with priority has finished its shooting. The other player then will have the opportunity to shoot following the same sequence.
1. Check Line of sight.
2. Work out the number of models or obstacles that are in the way.
3. Roll to hit by rolling a d6 and equal or higher to hit.
4. Make any in the way rolls if there are models/terrain along the path.
5. Roll to wound.
6. Remove casualties.
A model can shoot is it has a missile weapon, has a target to shoot at, hasn’t moved to far and is not engaged in combat. The target must be in line of sight and in range. If multiple targets are in line of sight and in range you may pick the one to shoot at. Every missile weapon has a max range and the target must be within that range. A model can move and shoot as long as it has not moved more than half its move in the preceding move phase. A model that has used a jump, leap, climb or swim action may not shoot. Terrain that reduces movement, then you still can only move half of the adjusted movement.
In the Way Roll: If terrain or other models are in the path their is a chance the shot will hit that object or target instead. Roll d6 and if it equals or beats the number given by the In the Way chart the shot continues on its way.
5+ – fortifications, large rocky outcrops, windows, doorways
4+ – walls, rocks, tree trunks, sturdy fence, intervening models and elevated positions (combat only).
3+ – flimsy fences, bushes, crops, and long grass
You would need to take multiple tests is multiple obstructions stand in the way. If a dispute arises on if a model is in the way roll a d6 (1-3 opponent chooses, 4-6 controlling player chooses). Good models will not shoot at an enemy obstructed by a friendly model with the risk of hitting the friendly model.
Shooting From Behind Cover: if in base contact with an Obstacle or piece of cover that you can see over or around you can ignore that item for the purposes of in the way tests.
Shooting From Behind Friends: If you are in base contact with a friendly model with base the same size or smaller, you may take a shot unless engaged in combat.
Shooting at models engaged in combat: evil models can shoot at an enemy that is engaged in combat, Good models would not risk hitting a friendly. The evil model must be able to see the model, roll to hit as normal and take any in the way tests. Then make a special in the way test rolling a d6. 1-3 hits friendly models closest to the firer is hit. 4-6 the original target is hit instead.
Moving and Shooting: A model can move and shoot but suffers a modifier of 1 to its shoot value. If it had a shoot value of 4+ it would now be 5+. A 6 always hits. Turning on the spot does not count as movement,
Rolling to Wound: when a shot hits its target roll on the to wound chart. Compare the strength of the weapon against the strength of the target. This gives the number or higher you need to wound on a d6. A score of 6/4 indicates you need a 6 followed by a roll of 4+.
Recording Wounds and Removing Casualties: If a model suffers a wound and has a wound characteristic of 1 the model is slain with one success on the wound chart. If the model has 2 or more that is how many times that model has to be wounded before it is slain. Use a marker to keep track of the wounds.
Fight
Models can fight if they are in base to base contact. To get in base contact one of the models would have had to have charged bringing as many models from the unit into contact as possible.
The player with priority picks a fight that is yet to be resolved and resolves the fight before moving on to the next fight.
1 Duel Roll: players roll a number of dice equal to their number of their attacks to see who wins.
2 Loser Backs Away – the losing model or models must back away 1″
3 Winner makes strikes to see if they cause wounds
4 remove casualties
Duel Roll: roll number of dice equal to attacks and the player with the highest result wins. If it is a tie then compare the fight value and the model with the highest fight wins. If it is still a draw the player with priority rolls a d6 on 1-3 the evil side wins the fight, 4-6 the good side is victorious. If you have 2 or more attack value then you would roll a d6 for each attack when you roll the duel roll keeping the highest roll.
Loser Backs Away: loser backs away 1″ in a straight line away from the winner. When a loser backs away, it can move through enemy control zones, but cannot move into base contact with an enemy model. Backing away is not slowed by difficult terrain. Backing away move cannot cross obstacles. Backing away could take a model off a ledge and depending on the height the model could suffer damage after taking any damage from the strike.
Prone Models: if the model is prone it can still fight but if it wins it does not strike. If both models are prone they loser still backs away and the winner only is allowed to stand up. Prone model that lose a fight are also considered trapped.
Make Way: If you are trapped in combat by a friendly model and not able to make the 1″ back away due to the friendly model, the friendly model can make a 1″ make way move that is not modified for difficult terrain. Models that are prone can make way. Models engaged in combat will not be able to make way. You can not use a make way move to get in base combat with an enemy. You are not allowed to jump, leap, climb or do anything that would cause falling damage.
Winner Makes Strikes: Once the loser has backed away, the winner of the Duel roll must strike against the Opponent. Roll on the To Wound chart comparing strength of the winner against the loser’s defence to find the target number. If the model is wounded its wounds are reduced by 1 and if that takes the model to zero it is removed from play.
Multiple attacks: If a model with multiple attacks wins a fight they make one strike for each attack on their profile when striking.
Striking a Trapped Model: Each attack that is directed against a trapped model becomes a set of two strikes rather than one. A model with one attack would deal a set of two strikes against the trapped victim. A model with two attacks would deal two sets of two strikes, and so on. If you have more than one attack you can still split the attacks but you can’t split the trapped bonus. If the trapped model is not able to back away the attacker must back away just enough to separate the models instead, so they are no longer in base contact.
Remove Casualties: Any model that is reduced to 0 wounds is immediately removed from play.
Multiple Combats: Both players make a duel roll to see who wins the fight. The player with multiple modes rolls a number of dice for each model they have involved in the fight equal to their attacks characteristic. When comparing the dice rolls to see which side has won, only consider the highest scoring dice and the highest fight value on each side. If it is the lone model who wins the duel roll, all of the enemy models in the fight must back away, otherwise the other model must back away. If the lone model wins the duel roll, it can make strikes again any of the models that it is fighting. If the lone models loses the duel roll, the winners each make their strikes against the loser in any order they choose. If the winner has multiple attacks, they may choose to resolve strikes against one target or against different models. All attacks must be resolved before moving on. Remove casualties if wounds are reduced to 0.
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