Open Battles.pdf

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create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

rules for fighting tabletop miniature battles

suitable for pre-gunpowder historical and fantasy settings

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credits

Written and created by: Cr Brwn

Games development: Cr Brwn, Gv Thr

Proof reading and essential editing: Nck Smmrsn, Gv Thr

Playtesters: Cr, Gv, Nck, Mtthw n ‘ths tht mst rmn nmss’

Graphic design, photography & illustration: Cr Brwn

Open Combat would not exist if it wasn’t for the help of many people. Thanks to my parents for setting me on the path of tabletop miniature

gaming so many years ago (they’re still giving the big kid new toys), my brothers for joining me on many fantastic adventures and all of the friends

(and strangers) I’ve played against over the years. Thanks too go to Gav for cracking the mental whip (and listening to my wild ramblings),

Nick for consistently asking ‘is it finished yet?’ (and providing a few bits from his collection for the photos) and to Catherine (and the kids)

for putting up with me as I dragged this publication into being. Thank you all.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Grng Bst, Hssfr Mntrs, Hrs Mntrs, Mntc Gms,

Rr Mntrs, Wrgms Fctr, Wrr Gms

Examples of miniatures manufactured by the above companies appear within this publication from the authors

personal collection (along with some Orcs from the collection of Nick Simmerson).

create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

By CaRl BRoWN

© Second Thunder Limited 2014. Second Thunder and Open Combat are trademarks of Sec ond Thunder Limited. All rights reserved.

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puBliSHed By

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CREATE THE HEROES, ADVENTURES AND BATTLES OF YOUR IMAGINATION

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contents

FRONT COVER 1

CREDITS 2

CONTENTS 3

PREFACE 4

INTRODUCTION 5

THE BASICS 7

THE TURN 10

INITIATIVE 10

ACTIONS 10

MOVEMENT 11

ENGAGING THE ENEMY 11

DISENGAGING THE ENEMY 11

COMBAT 12

SHOOTING 12

OBSCURED TARGET TEST 12

FORCE BACK 12

HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT 14

FOLLOW-UP 15

ADDITIONAL HITS 15

FORTITUDE LOSS 15

FIGHTING FROM AN ELEVATED POSITION 16

FIGHTING WITH TWO WEAPONS 16

FIGHTING ACROSS A BARRIER 17

FREE ATTACKS 17

PRONE 17

WARBANDS 18

RENOWN 18

LEADER 19

BREAK POINT 19

ZERO CHARACTERISTICS 19

MOUNTED MODELS AND MONSTERS 20

WEAPONS 22

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 25

PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTACKS 27

TERRAIN 28

COVER 28

ADDITIONAL RULES 33

HIDING, CLIMBING, FALLING 33

JUMPING 34

COMBINED ACTIONS 34

SCENARIOS 36

OPEN COMBAT 37

RETRIEVE THE PRIZE 38

CAPTURE 41

AFTERWORD 43

MINIATURES REFERENCE 44

WARBAND ROSTER 45

OPTIONAL WARBAND CHARACTER CARDS 46


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If you’re reading this then you probably have some

experience with tabletop miniature games. You may

even be similar to me and enjoy buying models ‘just

because they’re cool’. These models could be from all

kinds of periods, genres, settings and manufacturers.

Maybe, again like me, you want to build a new army

but can’t wait to have the whole lot finished before

starting to play using your latest purchases on the

gaming table. Open Combat is designed for you.

BACKGROUND

I’ve been playing tabletop games for over 30 years

and over that period I’ve collected a great mountain

of miniatures and played many different games. Lots

of the games I’ve played require a lot of miniatures

to create a force before they can be used on the

tabletop which has often resulted in my enthusiasm

waning. I have a multitude of half-finished projects,

one-off models or choice picks from particular ranges

of miniatures that I have purchased. Some of thesemodels have been bought on a whim without any

particular army, game or project in mind. Others are

intended for use in a specific project but need me to

finish something else before I can use them.

With regards to games, I love all kinds of games:

massed combat, RPGs and skirmish, fantasy, historical

or sci-fi. Despite enjoying a great many of the games

currently available I found I wanted a game that gave

me something else.

I wanted to have a game that didn’t need too much

space to play, could be played quickly and that gave

me a taste of that immersive action and drama you

get when reading an action scene or watching a

fight sequence in a movie or TV show. Perhaps more

importantly, I also wanted an outlet for my continuing

habit of buying models that I really like but don’t

necessarily want to commit to a whole range or game

setting to use.

THE CHALLENGE

It was with all this bubbling about in my head that I

recieved a verbal prod in the right direction from an

old friend. It was an off-hand remark made back in

2011 by my friend Gav that made me pull together

my thoughts about the kind of game I wanted to play.

We’d been working on another project together and

I’d been babbling on about tinkering with my own

system when he said I should try writing it up properly.He even joked about trying to keep it to two sides of

A4. I reckoned I could keep it to one side and Open

Combat was born.

The early incarnation of Open Combat did fit on one

side of A4 but it relied on a lot of assumptions based

on experiences of playing many other tabletop games.

The document you’re reading now is the fleshed out,

refined version of that early prototype.

AN OPEN SYSTEM

Right from the outset I’ve wanted Open Combat to

be as open as possible with regards to its usefulness

across genres and settings. I wanted a core system

that allows gamers to play out what they want on

the tabletop, creating their own encounters and

adventures in whatever setting they felt the itch to

play within. Essentially, if you imagine something a

particular way I wanted a system that allows you to

play it that way.

OPEN COMBAT

On the following pages you’ll find all you need to

get started with Open Combat. Hopefully you’ll see

the opportunities it presents for using your favourite

miniatures within your preferred time periods and

settings. It may even encourage you to try a new range

of miniatures or a setting you’ve not played before. Go

on, you know you’ll enjoy it!

preface


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WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Before you start, you will need to gather together the

following items:

■ This rulebook

■ At least three six-sided dice

■ A tape measure

■ A selection of models to represent

opposing warbands

■ A Warband Roster (see later) detailing

the characteristics, skills and equipment

of each warband

■ An area of approximately 24"x24" to use

as a battlefield

■ A selection of model terrain pieces to set the

scene and dress the battlefield

■ Scrap paper and pencils

■ and of course, a willing opponent!

introduction

Open Combat is a fast-paced tabletop skirmish game in which you create the

heroes, battles and adventures of your imagination.

You can guide the ragtag remains of a Roman expeditionary force through

barbarian territory, become a Saxon lord with his retinue as they face off against

a local rival, or chart the story of a group of adventurers fighting for fortune and

glory in a goblin-infested wilderness.

It could be anything you wish to play out on the tabletop. So grab a selection of

your favourite models and read on!


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SIX-SIDED DICE & TAPE MEASURE

Most gamers have access to six-sided dice (referred

to as D6). If you don’t, they’re readily available from

game and hobby shops or online retailers.

Open Combat uses inches for measuring distances

so you’ll need a tape measure with inch increments.

If you prefer to work in centimetres, please feel free

to do so, we’d recommend using a ratio of 3cm to 1”.

Whichever form of measurement you choose, ensure

both you and your opponent use the same approach.

Players may measure distances at any time, the

action in Open Combat takes place at close quarters

so we assume the combatants can assess relative

positions accurately.

MODELS

One of the great joys of playing miniature tabletop

games is the vast array of models available to buy,

paint and play games with. We’ve used 28mm models

from several manufacturers throughout this book

selected from the author’s own collection and Open

Combat has been designed with this size in mind.

If you and your opponent prefer using a different scale

of models these rules will work just fine regardless

(although you may wish to use centimetres instead of

inches for measuring distances if using 15mm modelsand smaller. Simply treat any references to inches as

centimetres. i.e. 1” = 1cm).

WARBAND ROSTER

Open Combat pits two rival groups of fighters,

called warbands, against each other. Each player

creates their warband and records the details of their

fighters’ characteristics, abilities and equipment on a

Warband Roster.

You can print the roster sheet from this book or

download it from our website.

PLAY AREA

Open Combat can be played comfortably within a

24”x24” area. The scenarios have been developed

with this area in mind but feel free to alter the size to

suit your own preferences and availability of space

and time. The play area is often referred to as the

battlefield, board or tabletop.

Note: If you choose to play on an expanded area you

may need to adjust a few details within the scenarios

to reflect the area you’re using.

MODEL TERRAIN

Open Combat can be played across a barren

landscape if necessary but you will find your games

are far more entertaining and engaging if you dress

the tabletop with appropriate pieces of model scenery.

Not only do terrain pieces create interesting tactical

situations, they make your games look great too!

AIM OF THE GAME

Open Combat games are played using scenarios.

Each scenario has its own set of victory conditions that

explain what you must do to win the game. It may beas simple as forcing the enemy to break away from

the battlefield or you may be required to complete a

task such as finding an important relic. You can find

out more about scenarios and victory conditions in the

Scenarios section (see page 36).

OVERVIEW OF THE GAME

Once you have all the necessary components to hand

its time to get down and play.

■ Choose Forces

Each player constructs their warband using anagreed number of ‘renown’ points.

■ Choose Scenario

You can randomly determine a scenario to

play or simply pick the one that you and your

opponent wish to use.

■ Set up the Battlefield

Set up the scene of battle by placing scenery

on the tabletop. Sometimes the scenario will

require specific pieces of terrain, otherwise set

up the scenery in any agreed fashion.

■ Deploy Forces

Both players place their warbands onto the

tabletop as detailed in the scenario.

■ Fight for Victory!

Start the game.


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THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE

Playing tabletop games is a social activity. Yes, we do

all try to win but a big part of the enjoyment of playing

tabletop miniature games is the shared experience of

playing through an encounter or battle and watching

the events unfold.

If a situation on the tabletop leaves you and your

opponent at odds over how you feel it should be

resolved agree a way forward to apply throughout the

game and move on, you can always discuss the details

after you’ve finished. If you cannot agree, roll a dice or

flip a coin for it and make a note for future games. (You

may wish to let us know about the situation too via

email or the Second Thunder forum).

Play with good grace and a smile on your face, even if

it is a grim smile of resignation when things aren’t quite

going your way. You’ll never be short of an opponent if

you win and lose with equal good humour.

MODEL BASES

The size and shape of a model’s base is not especiallyimportant in Open Combat so you may use whichever

approach you feel comfortable with. Generally this will

be one model to a single base (this is the approach

used throughout development).

However, if you play in a group where one or two

players like to squeeze every advantage they can out

of anything they play you may want to agree a standard

approach that you can all adopt to accommodate your

miniature collections.

MEASURING DISTANCES

Distances are measured from the edge of a model’s

base. You may measure distances at any time before

committing to an action. Once an action is announced

you are committed to it.

the basics

Before we get into the nitty gritty of the rules let’s cover a few concepts central

to playing tabletop miniature games.

Measuring the distance between two models:

Correct way to move a model:


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FRACTIONS

All fractions are rounded up.

FACING

Models have a front and rear facing. You may change

the direction a model faces as often as you wish during

that model’s activation. Once a model has completed

its activation its facing is fixed until it is next activated

or something happens to it in the meantime which

alters its position.

PRONE

There may be occasions when your fighters are

knocked from their feet. A model knocked from its feet

is referred to as being Prone.

When you are required to place a model Prone simply

place the model on its side, face down, to show

that it has fallen to the ground. Alternatively place a

suitable marker next to the model if you don’t wish to

risk chipping any paint off or bending a particularly

spindly part. When a model is prone it is stunned or

disorientated by the circumstances that led to it being

knocked from its feet. This will affect the model as

detailed later in the rules.

LINE OF SIGHT

A line of sight (LOS) between two models is drawn

by extending an imaginary line from the centre of one

model’s base to the centre of another model’s base. You are free to check line of sight at any time but when

you declare an action you are committed to that action.

A model cannot draw line of sight through its own rear

facing.

If the line is uninterrupted by intervening terrain or

models then there is a clear line of sight.

If the line crosses another model’s base, an obstacle

or a terrain feature which has been designated as

Obscuring (see Terrain on page 28) then the line of

sight is Obscured. Examples of obscuring terrain are

hedges, tall grasses or crops and low walls.

A model standing within 1” of a barrier can ignore

the barrier when checking line of sight to a model or

object on the opposite side.

If the line of sight crosses a terrain feature designated

as Blocking (see Terrain on page 28) then the model

cannot see and there is no line of sight. On occasions

when part of a model or its base is sticking out from

the Blocking terrain feature but its centre is Blocked

we assume the actual fighter, if the model was alive,

is ducking back out of sight or otherwise not visible.

Examples of Blocking terrain are buildings or largerocks or areas of dense woodland.

FRONT

REAR

FRONT

REAR

FRONT

REAR

A

B

C

D

EXAMPLES OF LINE OF SIGHT (LOS)

A: Clear LOS to B and C but blocked to D.

B: Clear LOS to A, Obscured to C and D.

C: Clear LOS to A, B and D.

D: Clear LOS to C, Obscured to B

and Blocked to A.

BUILDING

H E D G E


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CHARACTERISTICS

Open Combat allows you to field a wide variety of

combatants. These fighters all have different abilities,

strengths and weaknesses which contribute to theireffectiveness on the tabletop.

We measure a model’s effectiveness using a series of

characteristics. These characteristics are:

Speed (SPD)

A fighter’s Speed value represents their pace, agility

and dexterity.

Attack (ATK)

A fighter’s Attack value represents their skill at arms,

aggression or natural prowess when taking the fightto the enemy.

Defence (DEF)

A fighter’s Defence value represents toughness,

armour and their ability to defend themselves when

beset by enemies.

Fortitude (FOR)

A fighter’s Fortitude value represents their stamina,

health and physical ability to continue to fight.

Mind (MIN)

A fighter’s Mind value represents their mental

aptitude, discipline, strength of will and general desire

to fight on.

CHARACTERISTIC PROFILES

A model’s characteristics are written in the form of a

characteristic profile for easy reference during a game,

an example is given below:

SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN

4 3 3 3 2


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the turn

Open Combat is played over a series of turns with the initiative passing back

and forth between the combatants as the ebb and flow of battle sweeps from

side to side. A game can last for any number of turns depending on the victory

conditions of the scenario being played.

Example: Carl’s Celts are fighting a battle against

Nick’s romans. It’s Carl’s turn and after activating

a few of his models, disaster strikes and he loses

initiative after a poor attack roll, his turn ends even

though some of his models have not been activated.

Nick now has the initiative and starts his turn

as the romans attempt to take advantage of their

opponents misfortune.

During your turn each model in your warband may

activate once.

You might not always get the opportunity to activate

every model in your warband during your turn if

you lose the initiative at an inopportune moment.

Prioritising your warband’s actions is central to the

tactics of Open Combat.

INITIATIVE

When you have the initiative you may activate

members of your warband to move, fight in hand-

to-hand combat, shoot or otherwise interact with

equipment or elements on the battlefield. As members

of your warband attempt various acts they may losethe initiative, giving the enemy the opportunity to

pounce on the moment of hesitation or misfortune.

If you lose the initiative at any point during your turn

your current turn ends, the initiative passes to your

opponent and they start their turn.

When you have activated all of the members of

your warband that you wish to activate your current

turn is over and the initiative automatically passes to

your opponent.

When your opponent loses initiative you will start a

fresh turn as the initiative returns to you.

ACTIONS

A model can take up to two actions when it is activated.

The actions available are:

Move

A model may move up to its SPD in any direction (see

Movement).

Attack

A model may make an attack (see Combat). This maybe a shoot action or striking in hand-to-hand combat.

Interact

A model may interact with a piece of terrain, use a piece

of equipment or otherwise engage with an aspect

of the scenario. This may take one, two or multiple

actions spread across multiple models. Details can be

found when the rules state an interaction is possible.

Rest

A model may choose to rest when it is activated. Ituses both of its actions to rest - the model may may

not rest while Engaged and not change its facing.

The fighter takes time to check over a recent injury

or gathering its wits after a moment of madness. The

model regains either 1 point of Fortitude OR 1 point of

Mind after resting.

Stand Up

A model may spend both of its actions to stand up.

It may be placed facing in any direction.


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A model may move up to its SPD in inches when it

uses a move action. A model may not move over

other models.

The terrain a model is moving through may impede

the distance the model can move. See Terrain on page

28 for more details.

ENGAGING THE ENEMY

If you move a model into base-to-base contact with

an enemy model (or models) the models are Engaged

in combat.

This means that they are locked in melee and may

strike each other in hand-to-hand combat by using an

Attack action.

DISENGAGING FROM THE ENEMY

If you have a model Engaged with one or more enemymodels and wish to disengage, by moving the model

away from base-to-base contact, you must state

your intention to do so before you move the model.

The controller of the enemy model/s may make a

free attack with any models currently Engaged with

the model you wish to move. See the hand-to-hand

combat section for details of how to handle these

free attacks.

ENGAGING ACROSS A BARRIER

If an enemy model is in base contact with a barrier

(such as a low fence or wall) you may engage theenemy model by moving into base contact with the

opposite side of the barrier. We assume that the

combatants are swinging and stabbing at each other

from either side of the barrier and pose a threat

even though the models are separated by the terrain.

Note that some weapons like spears allow models

to fight in hand-to-hand combat at a distance.

A model with such a weapon can attack if the

part of the barrier the enemy is contacting is within the

range of its weapon.

movement

Arming a fighter with a spear, sword or bow will prepare him for combat but you

still need to get him into the most advantageous position to use them. As in all

battles being in the right place at the right time is crucial for victory in Open

Combat – especially so if you can surround your enemy…

Example: Nick activates a model with a SPD of

4 and uses a move action to move 4˝. Looking at

the battlefield Nick decides it would be useful if the

model were further forward and uses the model’s

second action to move a further 4˝.


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5. Roll attack dice

Roll attack dice according to the table below:

ATK vs DEF ATTACK ROLL

If the ATK value is equal to

or less than the DEF value

Roll one dice

If the ATK value is up to (and

including) twice the DEF value

Roll two dice,

choose one

If the ATK value is more than

double the DEF value

Roll three dice,

choose one

6. Apply result

Look up the score of the selected attack dice roll on

the table below:

SCORE RESULT

1 Terrible miss, lose initiative

2 Miss

3,4 Force Back

5 Minor Hit

6 Solid Hit

Terrible Miss It was a truly awful effort. It could

have been a fumble with an arrow, adropped stone, a broken bowstring

or any other appropriate calamity.

Lose Initiative.

Miss No Effect.

Force Back See Force Back box out.

Minor Hit Target loses 1 Fortitude.

Solid Hit Target loses 1 Fortitude and the

enemy is forced back (see Force

Back box out).

Example: A goblin with a bow is attempting to

shoot an enemy dwarf, the goblin has line of sight

but it is Obscured by intervening terrain. The player

controlling the goblin rolls D6 and gets a 2. Phew!

The little bowman just manages to spot the dwarf so

may take the shot. The goblin has an Attack value of

6, the dwarf has a Defence value of 3, however the

dwarf is tucked up next to a hedge giving him Light

Cover. Light Cover provides a modifier to the dwarf’s

defence of +2, giving the dwarf a total Defence of 5.

Comparing the Attack value of 6 and Defence valueof 5 the goblin has up to double the target’s DEF and

so rolls two attack dice. The goblin scores a 2 and a

5. The 5 is chosen and the dwarf is hit losing 1 point

of Fortitude to the goblin arrow.


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HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

The process for fighting hand-to-hand combat is very

similar to shooting but with a couple of alterations

to represent the different opportunities a warrior haswhen getting stuck into close quarter fighting.

Use the following procedure to attack an enemy in

hand-to-hand combat:

1. Specify target/s and declare the weapon/s

that your model is using

2. Compare ATK and DEF values

3. Apply any modifiers

4. Roll attack dice

5. Apply results

1. Specify target and declare weapons

You must specify which enemy model you wish to

attack and the weapon your model is using. The target

must be in base-to-base contact with your attacking

model (unless a piece of equipment, skill or ability

allows otherwise). This will normally be obvious in a

one-against-one situation but some weapons and

abilities allow models to attack multiple opponents, or

even allow multiple models to join forces and attack

single enemy models.

2. Compare ATK and DEF values

Compare the Attack value of the model making the

attack with the Defence value of the target.

3. Adjust for any modifiers

Apply any modifiers present.

Target prone Half DEF

Elevated position +2 ATK

Behind barrier +2 DEF

Attack target rear ATKx2

Target is disengaging Half DEF

Note: Weapons, skills or abilities may modify

attacks - see relevant rule for details.

4. Roll attack dice

Roll attack dice according to the table below:

ATK vs DEF ATTACK ROLL

If the ATK value is equal to

or less than the DEF value

Roll one dice

If the ATK value is up to (and

including) twice the DEF value

Roll two dice,

choose one

If the ATK value is more than

double the DEF value

Roll three dice,

choose one


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5. Apply result

Look up the score of the selected attack dice roll on

the table below and apply the result:

SCORE RESULT

1 Terrible miss, lose initiative

2 Impasse

3,4 Force Back

5 Minor Hit

6 Solid Hit

Terrible Miss A stumble, slip or brief lack of

concentration has given the enemyan opportunity. Lose initiative.

Impasse The sound of clashing weapons

heralds a momentary impasse.

No effect.

Force Back See Force Back box out. See also

Follow Up.

Minor Hit Target loses 1 Fortitude.

Solid Hit Target loses 1 Fortitude and the

enemy is forced back (see Force

Back box out).

ADDITIONAL HITS

In hand-to-hand combat particularly skilled fighters

can subject their enemy to a flurry of blows. If after

rolling the attack dice for hand to hand combat, youhave scored multiple hits on the dice (normally scores

of 5 or 6), you select one dice as usual but may also

select any additional hits and apply them too.

Note if you choose to select a Force Back result

(a score of 3 or 4 on the attack dice) you do not

count additional hits as your fighter is obviously

concentrating on driving the enemy back rather than

striking an effective blow.

FORTITUDE LOSS

Over the course of a game of Open Combat your

models may lose points of Fortitude. This will usually

be through combat but can also be as a result of other

circumstances. If a model is ever reduced to zero

Fortitude (or below) the warrior has either succumbed

to its injuries or lost the ability to fight on and fled the

field. Remove the model from play.

FOLLOW UP

When a model inflicts a Force Back in hand-

to-hand combat the model’s controller may

choose to have the model follow up Move the

attacking model directly after the forced back

model maintaining base-to-base contact. This

decision is made before any Fortitude losses

are applied.

Example: Alfred the saxon is battling with a viking

raider. After comparing ATK and DEF values Alfred

rolls three attack dice scoring 3,5 and 6. Alfred

chooses the 6, the viking loses 1 point of Fortitude

and is forced back from the blow. The viking then

suffers a further 1 point loss of fortitude as Alfred

chooses to apply the score of a 5 (an additional hit

on his attack dice). Alfred then chooses to follow up

on the retreating viking maintaining base-to-base

contact.

If the viking could not move the full 1” when forced

back by Alfred’s initial blow he would have suffered

an additional 1 point loss of fortitude.

If Alfred had chosen the score of 3 from his initial

attack dice roll the viking would simply have been

forced back and the two hits would have been

ignored (even if the viking lost Fortitude due to not

being able to move the full 1”)


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FIGHTING FROM AN ELEVATED POSITION

During Open Combat you may find situations where a

model is on higher ground such as on a hill, further up

a staircase or standing on a table.

A model engaged in combat while in an elevated

position adds +2 to its ATK value.

Note: Players should agree before starting play

whether a piece of terrain is a suitable place to fight

from. Clinging halfway up a tree might not be the best

place to make an attack from but it may appeal to your

sense of drama in the context of your games. Two

fighters racing to top of cliff towards a prize, slashing

and hacking at each other as they go, conjures up

some heroic imagery!

Discuss potential situations with your opponent when

placing terrain and agree an approach.

FIGHTING WITH TWO WEAPONS

Models armed with two hand weapons (or two

daggers or a hand weapon and dagger) may attack

two enemy models it is Engaged with in a singleattack action.

Make a single attack against each enemy model

using half of the model’s ATK value against each

enemy model. Nominate which weapon is used in

each attack.

If after making the first attack your model is no longer

Engaged with the second enemy model (for example,

after following up on a Force Back against the first

model) the second attack cannot be made.

Attacks are made sequentially, the attacker chooseswhich attack is made first, and performs the attack

and applies the result before performing the second

attack. If initiative is lost during the

first attack the second attack does

not take place.

When fighting with two weapons

we do not round fractions when

presented with odd numbers, the

controlling player splits the ATK

value (e.g. ATK 7 becomes ATK 4

and ATK 3).

Example: Carl’s crazed fanatic, armed with two

hand weapons, starts its activation engaged by two

enemy romans. One roman is armed with a sword

and shield the other with a spear. The fanatic has

an ATK of 7 and the romans both have a DEF of 3.

For the first Action Carl declares a hand-to-hand

attack against both romans. Starting with the roman

with the sword, the fanatic makes an ATK 4 attack

versus DEF 3. Rolling two dice he scores 6 and 6.

Two hits! The unfortunate roman is Forced Back andloses 2 Fortitude (he’s now looking very battered).

Carl chooses not to follow up and makes his attack

against the second roman. An ATK 3 versus DEF 3

sees a single dice rolled with a score of 2 meaning

an impasse.

Carl now delcares the second Action for the fanatic, a

hand-to-hand attack against the roman still engaged

with him. He now uses his full ATK of 7 versus a

DEF of 3 and reaches for three dice...


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FIGHTING ACROSS A BARRIER

If a model is in base-to-base contact with a piece of

terrain designated as a barrier (such as a hedge, wallor pile of crates) it can use the barrier to protect itself

in hand-to-hand combat.

A model fighting across a barrier receives +2 DEF

against hand-to-hand attacks from the opposite side

and can only be forced back as part of a Solid Hit (a 6

on the attack roll).

If a model manages to inflict a Force Back against an

opponent behind a barrier they may follow up across

the barrier filling the spot vacated by the retreating

opponent.

In the case of unusual base sizes move the enemy

model back to make enough space to fit the attacking

model even if this is further than the usual 1”. Fortitude

is only lost if the model cannot move back 1” rather

than the full distance needed to fit the attacker’s base.

If the Force Back move is blocked, move the enemy

model back as far as possible, if there is not enough

room for the attacker to follow up into the space the

attacker must remain where it is.

FREE ATTACKS

When a model disengages from an enemy model

(or models) each enemy model Engaged with it may

make a Free Attack as the model tries to escape.

A Free Attack is performed in the same way as a

regular hand-to-hand attack. A disengaging model is

at half DEF for the purpose of Free Attacks. We can

imagine that the model is retreating from combat in a

reasonably cautious fashion instead of simply running

away but unable to put up a full defence as they

attempt to back out of danger.

The player controlling the models eligible to make a

Free Attack chooses in which order any Free Attacks

are performed.

A model may not Follow Up after making a Free Attack,

a Free Attack represents a last slash or thrust with a

weapon as an enemy backs out of range.

Free Attacks may only be made against models

disnegaging from the front facing of a model. If the

enemy is behind you and decides to leave there’s not

much you can do about it! (Except perhaps to breathe

a sigh of relief.)

PRONE

There are several ways a model can find itself

knocked to the ground, while prone a model is

in a precarious position and will want to regain

its feet quickly if it wants to survive.

A model may regain its composure and

stand back up onto its feet by using a stand

up action.

A model cannot do any action except stand

up while prone. While in a prone position

a model’s DEF is halved. A prone model

has no facing.


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A warband consists of a leader model and any

number of additional models that fight alongside this

charismatic (or frightening) individual. These could be

trusted companions, subordinates, snivelling minions

or whatever fires your imagination.

RENOWN

Renown is the term we use to measure the worth

of an individual and a warband in Open Combat.

The first thing you need to decide when building a

warband is the Renown level you and your opponent

wish to play at.

We’ve found that 150pts is a good level to start

your first few games with and provides enough

room to experiment with warband construction.

It usually produces warbands of 6-10 models –

although this does depend on how you build the

individual fighters.

After you’ve played a few games you can experiment

with higher or lower Renown level games to find the

size of game that best suits your own tastes, space

and time constraints.

WARBAND CONSTRUCTION

You spend points of Renown to build a characteristic

profile for each warrior in your warband. Points are

allocated to characteristics on a one-for-one basis.

You buy weapons and equipment for your warriors for1 point of Renown each and can also add skills and

abilities to your warriors for 1 point of Renown each.

You continue to use your Renown to construct

your warband until all of the available points have

been allocated.

Once all of the Renown is allocated you designate

the model with the highest Renown as your

leader, writing Leader on the warband roster in the

skills/abilities section. The Leader ability does not

cost any additional renown. If you have two warriors

tied with the highest renown choose which will

be the leader.

WARBANDS

Before you start to play Open Combat you need to create your warband

to take to battle.

Example: Gav starts to construct the first warrior for

a new warband and spends 4 points on SPD, 6 points

on ATK, 5 points on DEF, 4 points on FORT and 2

points on MIN.

The warrior has the following profile: :

SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN

4 6 5 4 2

The profile above has the warrior valued at

21 Renown (4 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 2 = 21) but he hasn’t

got any weapons yet!

Gav decides to arm the warrior with a spear

(1 point) and a shield (1 point) taking his total value

up to 23 Renown.


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BREAK POINT

While all warbands fight for victory they have their limits.

To represent this sudden urge for self-preservation

(or running away as victorious enemy see it) eachwarband has a Break Point.

Players calculate the Break Point of their warbands

by adding together the total FOR of all the models in

the warband with the total MIN in the warband and

dividing by two.

Example: If I had a warband with 7 models, each

model with a FOR of 3 and a MIN of 2 I would have a

Break Point of 18. (Fortitude 3 x 7 models = 21 + Mind

2 x 7 models =14. This gives us 21 + 14 = 35, 35 /2 =

17.5 rounded up to 18).

During a game both players keep track of the

remaining FOR and MIN of their warbands, once one

of the warbands has reached their Break Point that

warband is driven from the battlefield. Remember that

FOR and MIN can be regained by resting, which will

move the warband away from its Break Point.

Zero characteristics

If a characteristic is ever reduced to zero it has the

following effect:

SPD: Model cannot move.

ATK: Model is not suitable for combat.

Cannot take attack action.

DEF: Model is not suitable for combat.

Opponents always roll three attack dice

when attacking this mode.

FOR: Model is removed from play.

MIN: Model is mentally exhausted.

Half ATK and DEF.

LEADER

Leaders all have their own particular ways of

getting things done. It might be sheer physical

prowess that terrifies lesser mortals into

doing as they’re told, astute tactical acumen

that observers have come to respect and

follow or something completely different.

Whatever it is that makes others follow a

leader is immaterial, leaders all have one thingin common: they’re good at influencing the

people around them.

While your leader is on the tabletop you have

access to his Leader ability. We represent

your leader’s influence over the warband

with rerolls. If your leader is removed from

play before you have expended all of your

rerolls any left over are lost. If the leader is

not on the table he cannot exert his influence

on events.

You have three rerolls available for the entiregame. If at any point you roll the dice and don’t

like the result you may expend a reroll and roll

all of the dice associated with the situation

again. You must abide by the result of the reroll

(no rerolling rerolls).

If your leader is prone you cannot use a

reroll - their attention is otherwise occupied

dealing with their own immediate situation.


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MOUNTED MODELS AND MONSTERS

Mounted models and monsters should have their

unique nature reflected in the characteristics that are

assigned to them. High SPD is appropriate in most

cases for cavalry and high FOR might be suitable

for your idea of the robustness of a Troll. The rules

presented here are a quick and easy way to establishtheir differences from regular infantry models. We

will revisit mounted models and monsters in future

micro expansions which will add rules for mounting

and dismounting, special monster attacks, unusual

behaviours and more.

Mounted models (such as roman cavalry or goblin

wolf riders) and monsters (suchs as Ogres and Trolls)

are all presented on larger bases than regular foot

troops. To reflect this greater presence on the tabletop

we assign these models the following rules.

When a mounted model or monster scores a Force

Back in hand-to-hand combat against a non-mounted

model or monster the enemy model is Forced Back

2” rather than the usual 1”. The mounted model or

monster may follow up 2” to remain in base contact. If

a model forced back by a mounted model or monster

cannot move the full 2” it is moved as far as it can go

and placed prone (in addition to losing 1 FOR due to

being unable to move back the full distance, see Force

Back page 14).

However, mounts can be difficult to control and

monsters can just stand still bellowing in a rage or can

get easily confused so whenever a mounted model or

monster is activated the controlling player must first

roll on the Behaviour chart below:

D6 BEHAVIOUR

1 Uh-oh... A jittery horse, a bellowing troll,

whatever it is it isn’t behaving at all. Lose

initiative.

2 Will...you...just...move! A bit slow off

the mark but active. Model may take

one Action this activation.

3-6 Model behaves normally.

It does not cost any Renown to be mounted or a

monster, the model must simply be appropriate for

what its supposed to represent and be presented on a

suitable base to reflect the difference.

You could put an infantry model on a large base and

‘counts as’ a monster if you feel it’s suitable for your

setting. For example, a frothing viking berserker or a

screaming ancient British fanatic are both arguably

suited to the title ‘monster’. Just ensure your opponent

is aware of what each model represents.


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NO LIMITS

Open Combat has been written to be as flexible as

possible with regards to warband creation and so

imposes no restrictions or limitations during warbandconstruction.

In our own games we simply build warbands to suit our

own perception of what the particular models represent

and what we feel they should be capable of on the

tabletop. Gaming clubs and groups that meet regularly

will quickly establish a level of warband creation that

suits their playing style, and we encourage players to

talk to each other about their warbands and ideas.

This is your chance to make your elves, dwarfs, Roman

legionaires, Celtic fanatics etc. as fast, skilled or tough

as you think they should be. It’s your warband, youcan build it the way you want to.

ORGANISED EVENTS

For those of you that like to run or participate in

organised play events and leagues you may wish to

set limits within an event pack to reflect the setting of

your event and/or to accommodate a special scenario

you may have produced for the event.

An example would be if you’re running a series of

games of Open Combat set within an historical period,

you may wish to limit SPD to 4 for infantry and 8 for

cavalry. You could go further and require a minimum

number of warriors in a warband and/or limit thenumber of skills the members of the warband can

take. You may also wish to limit the weapons available

to reflect the period. You can, of course, place upper

limits on characteristic values, but from our experience

don’t be too restrictive in this matter - the Renown cost

soon adds up and balances out!

It is entirely up to you.

One thing we would suggest including within an

event pack is a specification for model bases. Open

Combat can be played with any bases when played

within a small group of friends. You all know eachother and play in a mutually acceptable fashion. But

when planning an event or league, which could gather

players from many different gaming groups, you

can curb any potential over-competitive individuals

or forestall any arguments due to different accepted

conventions by setting criteria for model bases for all

to follow at the event.


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weapons

This section describes the weapons and equipment available to ready your

fighters for Open Combat.

WYSIWYG AND ‘COUNTS AS’

Generally speaking we play our games WYSIWYG

(What You See Is What You Get) where weapons and

equipment must be visible on the model. But there are

occasions, particularly with some of the more unusual

models in our collection, where we’ve used a ‘counts

as’ approach.

If you’re playing in a fantasy setting and wish to

use models of animals or creatures that don’t carry

weapons in the traditional sense, buy the weapon you

wish to use and say the claws/horns/bite etc. ‘counts

as’ the weapon. Just make sure your opponent is

absolutely clear what each model is capable of to

avoid any confusion during the game.

CARRYING MULTIPLE WEAPONS

You can arm a model with as many weapons as you

wish and swap freely between them while unengaged.

If the model is Engaged you must specify what

weapon/s the model is using in the engagement.

The model retains these weapons until it is no longer

Engaged when it is free to swap again.

RANGED WEAPONS

Open Combat games respresent close quarter

engagements. To reflect the close proximity of the

combatants ranges are only provided on weapons to

denote the range of effective use. If a weapon states

that it allows the user to make attacks but doesn’t

state a range, then the weapon is effective across

the entire tabletop.

Fists

Desperate times may see a warrior relying on his

bare hands.

Only causes loss of Fortitude when scoring a Solid Hit

in hand-to-hand combat. Cannot score additional hits.

Minor Hits count as a Force Back.

Note: This is the default ‘weapon’ that a human (or

humanoid in a fantasy setting) has available if no

Renown is spent on other weapons..

Dagger

A short, bladed weapon easily hidden away, a spike or a

knife. The term ‘dagger’ could also respresent the claws,

talons or bite of an animal or beast.

Only causes loss of Fortitude on Solid Hits. Minor Hits

count as Force Back. May score additional hits only if

Solid Hits.

Up to two daggers may be thrown as a single shoot

action. Remove from roster and take a shoot action.

Range 4”.

Obviously if using a Dagger to represent an animal

attack it cannot be thrown. If your opponent attempts

to ‘throw’ an animal ‘bite’ you should mock them

intensely for their blatantly unsporting behaviour.

However, feel free to arm an animal with two ‘daggers’

to allow the beast to fight as though armed with two

weapons. That’s a particularly nasty beastie!

Similarly, in a fantasy setting, if you have a strange

looking spikey beast there’s nothing stopping you

stating that beast can fire the spikes as a defense

mechanism and ‘count as’ thrown daggers. Just make

sure you pay the Renown for the number of spikes that

it can fire over the course of the battle.


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Hand Weapon

A sword, hand axe or club (or the massive fist of a raging

gorilla) the size and shape may vary but the effect of being

hit is essentially the same. It hurts!No special rules.

Rather than daggers, particularly fearsome beasts like

cave bears, sabre-toothed tigers and jabberwockies

might have one or more hand weapons.

Spear

One of the cheapest weapons invented but an effective way to

fight your enemy without getting too close.

May make a hand-to-hand attack against targets up to

1” away. Cannot score additional hits.

Spears allow fighters to support their comrades. Spear

armed warriors may measure through friendly bases

when making attacks against enemy models.

A giant toad or gribblie demon may have a lashing

tongue attack which could ‘counts as’ as a spear.

Halberd

A sturdy shaft topped with a steel blade incorporating a

point and cutting edge, the halberd can be used to chop and

thrust making it a versatile weapon.May make a hand-to-hand attack against targets up to

1” away. Cannot use Shield.

The horns of a rhino or other monstrous creature

could easily be counted as a halberd when thrust from

powerful muscles.

Double-handed Weapon

Huge axes and swords, sweeping tree trunks or lashing tails

from exotic monsters, these weapons can strike many foes

simultaneously as they slash and sweep in devastating arcs

but they can be difficult to control.

When making an attack with this weapon compare

the ATK value with the highest DEF (taking into

consideration any potential modifications) of all

Engaged enemy and make the attack roll.

All attack dice are scored in hand-to-hand combat.

First apply any Solid Hits (hits are scored against each

and every enemy engaged with this model), followed

by Minor Hits, Force Backs, Impasses and Terrible

Misses. Cannot use with Shield.

A model using a double-handed weapon may chooseto Follow Up any enemy model Forced Back by the

attack.

A multi-headed monstrosity such as a hydra or

tentacled swampbeast could easily ‘count as’ being

armed with a double-handed weapon.

Example: Nick’s viking armed with a mighty dane

axe (double-handed weapon) starts his activivation

faced by three closely huddled saxons.

Nick declares his first Action as a move and manages

to engage all three saxons with his viking warrior.

For his second Action Nick declares an attack action

using the double-handed weapon. Comparing his

vikings ATK of 5 versus the DEF of the three saxons

(DEF values of 3,3 and 4) Nick discovers that the

highest DEF is a 4 so he rolls two dice.

Nick scores a 4 (Force Back) and a 5 (Minor Hit).

A Minor Hit is applied to each saxon as they are

caught by the whirling dane axe. One saxon dies as

a result (losing his last remaining point of FOR tothe blow).

The Force Back is then applied to the two remaining

saxons as they stagger back from the assault.

Finally, with both scores applied, Nick chooses to

Follow Up after one of the retreating saxons and

moves his viking into base contact.


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Bow

A strong flexible wooden stave, sometimes backed

by sinew, horn or bone, used to cast arrows at the

enemy from afar.May take shoot action.

Crossbow

A more complex missile weapon than the bow, slower to use

but offering more power in return.

May take shoot action. Shoot action requires two

actions. May score additional hits (see hand-to-hand

combat – this represents the sheer power of the shot

rather than a flurry of blows).

Sling

A simple weapon which can be quick to use when close

to the enemy.

May take shoot action. Only causes loss of Fortitude

on Solid Hits. Minor Hits count as Force Back. May

take one shot with no range restriction or take two

shots at Range 8”.

Javelin

A lightweight, short spear suitable for throwing at the

enemy as a warrior moves to engage.

May be thrown as part of a move action. Remove fromroster and take a shoot action at any point during a

move action, continue with the move once the shoot

action is completed. Range 8”.

Only causes loss of Fortitude on Solid Hits. Minor Hits

count as Force Back. May score additional hits only if

Solid Hits.

Shield

Although the style and materials used in their

manufacture may differ, the protection a shield offers is

always welcome.

Do not suffer Fortitude damage when unable to move

the full distance during a Force Back from attacks

emanating from the user’s front facing .

Minor Hits from enemy missile fire emanating from the

user’s front facing are deflected, treat as a Miss.

A model cannot benefit from a shield if it is attacked

from the rear.


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skills and abilities

Along with their weapons and equipment some warriors may possess special

skills and abilities which they can put to good use on the battlefield.

COMBAT SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Aim

Some fighters practice their shooting skills intently, learning

how to focus and assess the prevailing conditions, only

loosing their shot when they are sure of its effectiveness.

This model may take an Interact action to gain

+1 ATK for its next Shooting action. Multiple

consecutive Interact actions are cumulative.

If a model using the Aim ability moves, is engaged,

Forced Back or hit by any kind of attack while taking

aim it loses any ATK bonus it has build up using Aim.

They have taken their eye off their target.

Focussed Blow

Talented warriors know how to assess amd read an opponent,

only making an attack when it is most advantageous for them

to do so.

A special hand-to-hand attack action that requires

two actions. This model recieves +3 ATK for this

attack. A Terrible Miss is treated as Miss.

Sharp Eyed

With eyes like a hawk it is a rare day when this hunter loses

sight of their prey.

May reroll the Obscured Target Test when checking

line of sight.

Marksman

Years of practice ensure that when mistakes happen they’re

not as bad as they could be.

When this model makes a shooting attack a Terrible

Miss is treated as Miss.

Shield Bash

Well accustomed to the mayhem of close quarter fighting

this fighter knows a trick or two to knock an unwary enemy

off balance.

May use shield in attack. If you score a Minor Hittreat it as a Force Back. If you score a Solid Hit treat as

Force Back and place enemy model prone.

Furious Assault

Raw aggression (or sheer panic) can drive a warrior to

incredible bouts of ferocity but the moment is often fleeting

and can leave them open to a counterattack.

A special hand-to-hand attack action that requires

two actions. Double the model’s ATK for this attack.

Surviving engaged enemy models may make a Free

Attack against this model after the result of the Furious

Assault has been resolved.

Resolute

Sometimes you meet a warrior that simply will not

give ground.

When this model is attacked from its front facing this

model can only be forced back with a Solid Hit.

Example: Carl chooses to activate an archer with

the Aim ability. Looking at the tabletop he decides

to take two Interact actions to Aim as his archer

draws a bead on the approaching enemy. On his

following turn he activates the archer again, he

takes a third Interact action to continue his aim then

takes an Attack action to make a shooting attack. The shooting attack is made at +3 ATK (plus any other

modifiers that may apply).


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PHYSICAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Exert

Heroes are renowned for pushing themselves beyond what is

expected of mortals but these feats come at a price.

Reduce Fortitude and Mind by one for an extra action

during this activation only. Use only once per turn.

Quick Recovery

Whether it is acrobatic skill or sheer determination this

warrior won’t stay down for long.

May stand up from prone position for a single action.

Nimble

There are some people that possess a natural agility that

makes them appear to glide past terrain which others must

clumsily clamber over.

Model is not impeded by barriers and moves at full

SPD when crossing them.

Evade

This warrior can use a deft sidestep or fake attack to allow

themselves the room to escape their enemies.

When this model is about to disengage it may

nominate one enemy model it is engaged with. The

nominated model may not make a Free Attack as this

model disengages from them.

Ambidextrous

It may be natural ability or long hours of training that allows

this warrior to fight with equal skill with either hand.

This model may split its ATK value between each

enemy model in any way the controlling player wishes

when fighting with two weapons.

Surefooted

This fighter can judge where to tread in even the most

precarious of environments.Model may reroll dice relating to crossing

Hazardous terrain.

Example: Carl’s elf warrior with the Evade ability

starts his activation engaged by an enemy orc with

an axe, shield and the Shield Bash ability. Not liking

the idea of the elf having his face put into the dirt

Carl decides to try to escape and declares that the

elf is disengaging. He uses Evade and nominates the

orc with the Shield Bash ability. The orc cannot make

a Free Attack as the elf disengages so Carl safely

moves the elf away to a more suitable position.


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INFLUENCE SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Open Combat often brings members of warbands

into very close proximity. In these fractious

environments some warriors have a knack ofgetting into the minds of their enemies or comrades,

reducing foes to quivering wrecks or adding grit

to the resolve of a wavering ally.

Psychological Attacks

Influence Abilities introduce a new form of Attack

action, a Psychological Attack.

A psychological attack is performed in the same way

as a shooting attack but instead of comparing the ATK

of the attacker with the DEF of the target you compare

the MIN of the attacker with the MIN of the target. Donot use the shooting modifiers for a psychological

attack.

A psychological attack may be used while engaged

and may target any model within range.

The results of the attack depend on the ability being

used.

Enrage

A few well chosen words can drive a warrior into

a rage, adding strength to their blows as they disregard

their own safety.

Range 6”.

Minor Hit = target is +1ATK -1DEF.

Solid Hit = target is +2ATK, -2DEF.

The effect lasts until the end of the target’s next

activation.

Taunt

Taunting the opposition (and friends) has long been part of

life for men of action, although it can lead to unexpected

results.

Range 6”.

Minor Hit = target moves half SPD directly towards

this model.

Solid Hit = target moves full SPD directly towards this

model.

If target engages this model because of the

movement the target must make a free attack

against this model.

Intimidate

An imposing physical presence, a frightening display

of skill at arms or a series of mind-numbing threats, whatever

form it takes intimidation can leave an opponent unwilling

to fight on.

Range 6”.

Minor Hit = target loses 1 Mind.

Solid Hit = target loses 2 Mind.

Inspire

Sometimes even the most downtrodden souls can be inspired

to continue the struggle.

Range 6”.

Minor Hit = target regains 1 Mind.

Solid Hit = target regains 2 Mind.

Feint

A half-move, a muttered comment or a fake attack can all

give your opponent pause for thought and create a gap intheir defences.

Range base-to-base.

Minor Hit = target is -1DEF.

Solid Hit = target is -2DEF.

The effect lasts until the end of the target’s next

activation.

Distract

A good distraction can buy valuable time for your friends

but if you get it wrong you could find yourself in a tricky situation.

Range base-to-base.

Terrible Miss = Target may make a Free Attack against

this model. Lose initiative.

Minor Hit = target loses one Action from its next

activation.

Solid Hit = target loses two Actions from its next

activation.


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TERRAIN

Battles can be fought across wide open spaces but games played with

plenty of model scenery are tactically more challenging and a great deal

more visually appealing.

Before you start a game of Open Combat it is important

that you discuss the terrain on the tabletop with your

opponent and agree how each piece of terrain will be

treated throughout the game.

HOW MUCH TERRAIN IS ENOUGH?

We try to ensure that every 6” square area has at least

some scenic element either within it or encroaching on

it at the start of the game. This is simply a guide and

you don’t have to follow this approach, but we have

found that this creates plenty of tactical challenges

to the game and (depending on the terrain features

used) several opportunities for mishaps and changes

of initiative.

We all have different collections of terrain available

so we have written the following rules which you canapply to your terrain to suit your own preferences

regarding the part you wish the terrain to play within

your games.

AREA TERRAIN

Area terrain is any terrain feature that has a defined

area that you can clearly discern on the tabletop.

If part of a model’s base is within the area terrain then

the model is subject to the rules of the terrain feature.

TERRAIN TYPE

There are three types of terrain in Open Combat:

open, difficult and impassable, in addition to these

some areas of terrain may be hazardous.

Open Terrain

Open terrain is terrain that does not affect a model’s

movement. Examples include grassy plains, roads,

elevated walkways, flat platforms or sloped hillsides.

Difficult Terrain

Difficult ground slows down models that try to move

through it. All distances travelled through difficult

ground count double, For example, a model with a

SPD of 4 using a move action in open ground would

move 4”, the same model in diffuclt ground wouldmove 2”. Examples of difficult ground include rocky

areas, swampland, shallow water, thick brush, crops

or farmland.

Impassable Terrain

Impassable terrain is terrain that models cannot move

through. Examples include lava flows, deep fissures,

cliff faces, fast flowing rivers or deep lakes.

You may agree to allow attempts to jump across some

forms of impassable terrain (such as a deep fissure,

fast moving water course or lava flow). Failure tosuccessfully jump across results in the model being

removed as a casualty. (See Jumping on page 34).

COVER

Models within or behind terrain features can claim a

cover DEF bonus against shooting attacks emanating

from the opposite side. There are two kinds of Cover:

Hard Cover (rocks, walls, battlements): +4 DEF

Soft Cover (fences, hedges, tall grasses): +2 DEF


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TERRAIN FEATURES

Model terrain and scenery varies a great deal. Before

you start a game of Open Combat discuss with your

opponent the rules you’ll apply to each feature. We’veincluded suggestions and guidelines to apply to the

more usual items of terrain you may come across in

your games in this section.

When measuring the height of terrain do not include

the thickness of a base. This is especially important if

you’ve mounted fences or walls onto a very thick piece

of board. This may help with the durability of the piece

of terrain when its stored away between games but

could artificially inflate the impact it may have during

a game.

Barriers

Barriers are features or objects up to 1” in height and

less than 1” wide. A model must spend 2” of its SPD

during a move action to cross a barrier. If a model

lacks enough SPD to cross a barrier it stops moving

when it makes contact with the barrier.

Barriers provide some protection from attacks

orginating from the opposite side. If a model is

touching a barrier and is attacked in hand-to-hand

combat by another model across the barrier it gains

+2 DEF. (See Fighting across a barrier on page 17 for

more details)

Standing behind barriers offers a degree of protection

from missile fire. If a model is in base-to-base contact

with a barrier it can claim cover from shooting attacks

from the opposite side. (See cover on page 28).

Barriers block Force Backs - if a model is Forced Back

into a barrier before it has moved the full distance the

model may suffer damage (see Force Back on page

12).

Obstructions

Obstructions is a catch-all term to cover objects or

terrain features larger than 1” in height and width

that are just impossible for models to get through.

This includes large rocks, ruined fortifications or

impenetrable undergrowth.

Obstructions block line of sight and are impassable.

If you wish to allow models to climb onto certain

obstructions discuss this with your opponent. For

example, a ruined fort may have a flat area on top thatmakes a good place for a bowman if he can get to it.

(See climbing and falling on page 33).


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Woods, Forests and Trees

There are two ways you can handle trees in your

games of Open Combat.

Individual Trees. If you have individually based trees

you can simply treat them as individual immovable

objects on the tabletop, obscuring line of sight,

blocking Force Backs and treating the base as a small

patch of difficult ground for the purposes of models

moving over it. A model cannot move across or

through the trunk of a tree.

Areas of Woodland or Forest. Another approach

is to designate woodland as area terrain. Mark the

boundaries of the wood or forested area with an

appropriate base or border and place a few trees

within this area to represent the woodland. As modelsmove through these areas you can move the trees

around to make room to move the models.

Areas of woodland can be light or dense so discuss

with your opponent which approach you’re using for

each area of trees before you start your game.

Light woodland obscures line of sight that passes

through it. It offers light cover if enemy missile fire must

pass through 1” or more of the terrain before hitting a

model standing within or beyond it.

Dense woodland obscures line of sight up to 3” into it.Dense woodland blocks line of sight beyond 3” as it is

simply too diffficult to see clearly enough to get a shot

off. It offers light cover if enemy missile fire must pass

through 1” or more of the terrain before hitting a model

standing within or beyond it. Thick underbrush makes

travelling through the area difficult ground.

In practice you may find that you use a mixture of

single trees and area terrain for your games.

Rivers, Streams, Ponds and Lakes

Water can present unique tactical challenges to the

general manoeuvrability of your warband.

There are two kinds of water you can include in your

games: running water and standing water. All water

terrain is area terrain. Assume any banks or grassy

edges to your stream or pond models are muddy or

slippery so any models touching them are subject to

the rules of the terrain piece. However, you may wish

to use different rules for a shallow ford or stepping

stones to create safe crossing points.

Running water is represented by rivers and streams.

If you use rivers or streams ensure they have an entry

and exit point on the tabletop. Include some way of

crossing them without resorting to jumping (seeJumping on page 34) at two or more points along the

course of the feature.

Streams are shallow areas of running water and count

as difficult ground.

Rivers are wider, fast flowing and usually run much

deeper than streams. Either treat as impassable or

treat as hazardous difficult ground (see Hazards on

page 32).

Standing water is represented by ponds and lakes.

These can be either difficult ground (such as a shallowduck pond) or impassable (such as a deep lake or

lagoon) depending on what you feel is appropriate

within the context of your game.


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Hills

The hills on a tabletop in Open Combat generally

represent rises and falls in the landscape rather than

huge mountains.

Hills should usually be treated as open ground for

movement purposes. However, in some cases,

treating part or all of the hill as area terrain, such as

difficult ground, may be more appropriate, especially

if the terrain piece is covered in broken rocks or gravel.

A hill, or parts of it, can be classed as impassable if

represented by a model terrain piece with sheer cliff

faces on some of the sides. If all sides are sheer cliff

faces the terrain feature is an obstruction which you

may allow models to climb (see Obstructions).

You will be able to make a judgement just by looking at

the piece of terrain you have on the tabletop.

If a model is higher up a hill when fighting in hand-to-

hand combat they gain the benefit of of +2 ATK for

fighting from an elevated position (see page 16).

If a model is standing on a hill line of sight to and from

this model is clear above barriers (although other

intervening terrain may interfere). However if the line

of sight between two models crosses the highest point

on the hill then it is blocked. This represents a fighterkeeping their head down below the crest of the rise.

Buildings

The treatment of buildings often depends on the

design of the model terrain that you have in your

collection and the preferences of your play group. In

a future expansion we plan to provide expanded rules

for using terrain pieces with lift-off roofs, integrating

floorplans and such. The following rules are a simplified

approach to allow you to include buildings and intact

structures in your games.

Intact buildings are impassable area terrain which

block line of sight.

If you have ruined buildings in your terrain collection

you should treat them as barriers, area terrain and/or

obstructions as appropriate.

Example 1: Elf E has a clear line of sight to all other

models. Orc B can claim cover from the fence due to

being within 1” but the fence does not obscure line of sight from the elves on the hill.

Example 2: Elf F has a clear line of sight to orc C and

orc B (orc B can claim cover from the fence) but cannot

see orc A.

Example 3: Orc C has a clear line of sight to both elves

even though the line of sight to elf E travels through the

base of elf F. This is because the elves are on different

levels of the hill. (It’s pretty exposed standing on a hill!)

A

B

C

E

F


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Hazards

No matter what period or genre you play your

games of Open Combat within there will be

dangers and hazards which can befall even the most

heroic of individuals.

Hazards are your chance to add extra character, depthand drama to your games.

Once you’ve set up the terrain on the tabletop take

a moment to look at what elements and features are

present. Consider what potential threats they may

pose to the warbands that are about to enter the fray.

Does that stretch of fence look a bit rickety

and unstable? Is that area of woodland strewn

with thorny underbrush? Does that patch of rocks

and debris look like it may be home to snakes

or more sinister threats?

If you decide to use hazards simply assign the

necessary terrain feature/s the following rules

(these are in additional to the existing rules for the

terrain piece).

1. All hazards require a model to make

a Hazard roll if it enters, crosses or

starts its activation within the hazardous

terrain feature.

Roll a dice, on a score of 1, the model

has stumbled, slipped, hesitated or

otherwise lost precious time due to being

beset by the hazard. You lose initiative.

2. In addition to losing initiative you can

increase the threat of the Hazard. Pick

none, one or more events from the list

below to apply to the hazard (theseevents occur before initiative passes

to the other player).

Model trips, falls or is dragged

over - place model prone.

Model is wounded, pulls a muscle

or suffers a blow - lose 1 Fortitude.

Model is shocked, stunned or

frightened - lose 1 Mind.

Note - you can further increase the risk of the

hazard simply by changing the score of thehazard roll to a 1 or 2. In really hazardous terrain

you could increase it up to a score of 1-4 if you’re

feeling really brave/spiteful.

If you’re feeling particularly vindicative you could make

the damage from the events even more risky too,

suffering losses of 2 or more Fortitude or 2 or more

Mind. The choice is yours.

Example 1: A piece of area terrain representing

a patch of thorny undergrowth (difficult ground)

presents a hazard to those entering it. Hazard score

1, lose 1 fortitude.

Example 2: A rickety stretch of fence (barrier) has a

chance of collapse if anyone crosses it. Hazard score

1-2, model placed prone.

Example 3: A rare and deadly beast lurks in the

area terrain piece representing a swamp (difficult

ground) waiting to strike the unwary. Hazard 1, lose

2 Fortitude, lose 1 Mind, model placed prone.


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additional rules

The following rules provide additional depth to your games of Open Combat.

HIDING

An unengaged model may take a single interact action

to Hide if it is in base contact with a terrain feature that

is at least half the height of the model.

While hidden a model cannot be targeted by a

shooting attack unless the model aiming at the hidden

model can draw a clear line of sight.

Mark the model with a counter or token as a reminder

that it is hiding.

If a hidden model is Engaged it is no longer hidden.

CLIMBING

A model may move up or down ladders and stairs

using a move action. Simply measure the distance up

or down for the distance covered as though the model

was travelling along open ground.

If a model wishes to climb walls, trees, rock faces or

other structures on the tabletop it must start touching

what it wishes to climb at the beginning of the climb

action.

A climb is a single interact action and the model can

climb a distance equal to half its SPD.

However, there is a risk that loose footing, lack of

concentration or some other mishap may occur.

Roll D6 following a climb action, on a score of 2-6

everything is okay. On a score of 1 the model falls from

the height it has achieved during its climb.

Several climbs may be needed to achieve the top of

the structure a model is climbing. Roll a D6 for each

action used during the climb. Put a marker or make

a note as a reminder of the distance a model has

climbed if a model needs to spend several turns to

make a climb.

FALLING

If a model loses its footing during a climb or is Forced

Back from an elevated surface such as a table, rooftop

or the edge of a cliff, it will fall.

When a model falls, place it prone below the point

it falls from and consult the chart below to see if the

model is hurt.

FALL DISTANCE EFFECT OF FALL

Up to 1˝ Not hurt

1˝+ to 3˝ Roll one dice,

lose 1 fortitude on 5 or 6

3˝+ to 6˝ Roll two dice,

lose 1 fortitude on each 5 or 6

6˝+ to 9˝ Roll three dice,


9˝+ Roll three dice,



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JUMPING

A model may jump vertically down from a height as a

single move action.

Follow the procedure for falling. If the model survives

the drop do not place the model prone as the fighter

lands on their feet. If the model has any actions left

they may continue with their turn.

A model may attempt to jump horizontally (such as

across a gap between roofs or over a stream) as part

of a move action as long as it has the SPD to complete

the distance to make the jump.

Roll D6 adding the distance moved during this

activation before take off (this represents the model

having a run up). If the result is equal to or more thanthat required to clear the gap the model continues its

move. On an unmodified roll of 1 the model stumbles

on take off and only travels 1˝ before landing in (or

falling through) the gap it was attempting to cross.

Lose initiative.

COMBINED ACTIONS

If a model starts within 1˝ of one or more friendly

models that have not been activated in the turn you

may make a combined action.

Nominate a model to start the combined action, this

model is shouting, signalling or otherwise leading the

combined action. All of the models activate together

and take part in the special combined action as

detailed below.

A model may only take part in one combined action

during a turn. Participating in a combined action

counts as a model’s activation.

“Follow Me!”

“Follow Me!” represents one of your fighters spotting

the need for haste and guiding or encouraging his

comrades onwards.

Each model taking part in a “Follow Me!” action takes

two consecutive move actions.

If a Hazard test is required for crossing a piece of

terrain make one test and apply the result to all models

taking part in the “Follow Me!” action. If the model that

started the combined action has the Surefooted ability

then it may be used during any Hazard test required

during the combined action. (The model is obviously

warning its comrades of the danger).

Models taking part in a “Follow Me!” action must finish

their moves within 1˝ of another model that was part of

the combined action.

Example: Carl’s barbarian adventurer is deep in

an underground cavern battling goblins and other

gribblie beasties. Starting the barbarians activation

Carl has the choice to take a long route around a

bottomless fissure (the terrain piece had been agreedto be an instant death to any model that is pushed

or falls into it) or attempt to jump across it. Carl

decides to take the risk and go for the jump.

The barbarian has a SPD of 4 the fissure is 3” wide

and the barbarian starts 4” away from the edge of

the fissure.

Carl declares a move Action and moves the barbarian

4” up to the edge of the fissure. Carl then declares

a second move Action to move across the fissure. He

rolls a single dice adding 4 to the roll for the run up,

he scores a 2 for a total of 6 (2+4 for the run up)easily enough to make the jump. He moves across

the 3” gap landing just on the other side, his SPD

of 4 providing just enough movement for the models

base to clear the fissure. We can imagine small rocks

tumbling into the depths as the barbarian lands,

wobbles and glances over his shoulder.

Note that without the run up a score of 1,2 or 3

would have seen the barbarian plummet to his death

as he would not have cleared the fissure.


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“Volley fire!”

“Volley fire!” represents a warrior organising his

comrades into making a devastating combined

shooting attack.

If a model armed with a missile weapon starts within

1˝ of one or more friendly models armed with the

same missile weapon you may make a special “Volley

fire!” combined shooting action. The “Volley fire!”

combined action is a special shooting action which

requires two actions. Nominate a model to start the

combined action.

Add together the ATK values of the models taking part

in the “Volley fire!” action and compare the total to the

DEF of the target model and make an attack roll as

appropriate. Additional hits may be scored (see hand-t

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