by Hrunn
Mantuanwar wrote:
As stated earlier I think this is an excellent rule, and we normally play it. It does require a couple of clarifications however. Do troops generated from Garrisons that have been attacked in Combat count? I play not, because it would be too easy for a player to make a 1 Troop token attack on a Location belonging to his fellow player of the same house in order to provoke the Garrison to generate Troops. Those not killed in Combat would then appear in a field battle in that area that turn.
Also, retreating Nobles should not take part in any Field Battle in the area retreated to.
Here are my modifications of the variant to account for this:
At the end of all Combat, after placing Ownership cubes but before removing Troop/Mercenary counters, check to see if a field battle occurs in any of the six regions. If both at least one Noble AND at least one Troop/Mercenary of each royal house is present, a field battle will take place there. For the purposes of this rule Troop counters generated from Garrisons do not count, and such Troops are always considered the first to die in Combat. Before checking for Field Battles remove any Troop counters that were generated from Garrisons but which did not die in Combat.
For a field battle the CPs of the Nobles present from each royal house are added to the number of each royal house’s troops/mercenaries present. Note that if players A and B belong to the same royal house this could mean that the Noble(s) or Troops/Mercenaries of A are combined with the Noble(s) or Troops/Mercenaries of B. One of the players from each royal house then rolls a 1D6 and adds the result to obtain his/her house’s grand total. The house with the highest grand total wins the battle. In case of a tie nothing further happens.
For each participating Noble from the winning side, the owning player rolls a 1D6:
1-5: the Noble has survived the fight and nothing further happens;
6: despite his side’s victory the Noble has been slain in battle, yet his heir will rejoin the owning player’s faction in due time. Place the Noble’s counter on his start symbol and the owning player may re-enter the counter into play at the start of the next turn.
For each participating noble from the losing side, the owning player also rolls a 1D6, but with potentially more devastating effects:
1: the Noble has survived the fight, is pardoned and nothing further happens;
2-3: the Noble manages to retreat from the battlefield and flees home. Place the Noble’s counter in the region in which he has his original powerbase (in cases where the battle took place in this region nothing further happens). If there is still a field battle to be fought there he will not take part;
4-5: the Noble has been slain in battle, yet his heir will rejoin the owning player’s faction in due time. Place the Noble’s counter on his start symbol and the owning player may re-enter the counter into play at the start of the next turn.
6: the Noble has been captured and is executed after the battle. The noble (card and counters) is permanently removed from the game.
Finally, both players from the victorious royal house are awarded 2 VPs in situations where both contributed strength to the battle. If only a single player contributed strength he will receive 4 VPs.
Also, retreating Nobles should not take part in any Field Battle in the area retreated to.
Here are my modifications of the variant to account for this:
At the end of all Combat, after placing Ownership cubes but before removing Troop/Mercenary counters, check to see if a field battle occurs in any of the six regions. If both at least one Noble AND at least one Troop/Mercenary of each royal house is present, a field battle will take place there. For the purposes of this rule Troop counters generated from Garrisons do not count, and such Troops are always considered the first to die in Combat. Before checking for Field Battles remove any Troop counters that were generated from Garrisons but which did not die in Combat.
For a field battle the CPs of the Nobles present from each royal house are added to the number of each royal house’s troops/mercenaries present. Note that if players A and B belong to the same royal house this could mean that the Noble(s) or Troops/Mercenaries of A are combined with the Noble(s) or Troops/Mercenaries of B. One of the players from each royal house then rolls a 1D6 and adds the result to obtain his/her house’s grand total. The house with the highest grand total wins the battle. In case of a tie nothing further happens.
For each participating Noble from the winning side, the owning player rolls a 1D6:
1-5: the Noble has survived the fight and nothing further happens;
6: despite his side’s victory the Noble has been slain in battle, yet his heir will rejoin the owning player’s faction in due time. Place the Noble’s counter on his start symbol and the owning player may re-enter the counter into play at the start of the next turn.
For each participating noble from the losing side, the owning player also rolls a 1D6, but with potentially more devastating effects:
1: the Noble has survived the fight, is pardoned and nothing further happens;
2-3: the Noble manages to retreat from the battlefield and flees home. Place the Noble’s counter in the region in which he has his original powerbase (in cases where the battle took place in this region nothing further happens). If there is still a field battle to be fought there he will not take part;
4-5: the Noble has been slain in battle, yet his heir will rejoin the owning player’s faction in due time. Place the Noble’s counter on his start symbol and the owning player may re-enter the counter into play at the start of the next turn.
6: the Noble has been captured and is executed after the battle. The noble (card and counters) is permanently removed from the game.
Finally, both players from the victorious royal house are awarded 2 VPs in situations where both contributed strength to the battle. If only a single player contributed strength he will receive 4 VPs.
I was thinking of trying this roll for the losing side...
1 : Nothing happens
2-3: Noble retreats from the battlefield and flees home. Place the Noble’s counter in the region in which he has his original powerbase (in cases where the battle took place in this region nothing further happens). If there is still a field battle to be fought there he will not take part.
4-5: The Noble is captured and ransomed back to the owning player. The ransom is the nobles CP value and the money comes from the bank not the owning player. However the owning player may decide that the ransom will not be paid and so the noble is executed and removed from the game.
If ransom is paid then place the Noble’s counter in the region in which he has his original powerbase (in cases where the battle took place in this region nothing further happens). If there is still a field battle to be fought there he will not take part;
6: the Noble has been slain in battle, yet his heir will rejoin the owning player’s faction in due time. Place the Noble’s counter on his start symbol and the owning player may re-enter the counter into play at the start of the next turn.
This would give a player who has nothing but nobles a slight chance to get gold. Which may spark another stategy.
Not sure if the owning player should get the choice or not to pay the ransom as the money comes from the nobles family (in this case, the bank) and im sure they would want the noble back alive...perhaps :p
Anyway.. just a thought