Mass Combat

[Polaris]

Greetings,

I was looking at the Fantasy Hero Mass Combat record sheet in the free stuff section. Does the new FH have information on calculating things like unit modifiers, and good ideas on running mass combat?? If so, are these ideas also applicable to running mass combat in other genres of the Hero system?

Polaris

[Monolith]

We will probably be using the FH mass combat rules in our Terran Empire game eventually. Mass combats are not something which come up too often in our games but the rules are easily adaptable to fit any genre.

[Polaris]

Does FH have the information in it on determing things like unit modifiers and using the Mass combat record sheets in the free section? I am sorry for asking so many questions, I have not been able to get over to the hobby store to pick it up. Dragon magazine recently had an article on mass combat in d20.. but I hate doign conversions, and would love to not have to start on it if I know I am going to get good rules in FH on the very subject.

Polaris

[Monolith]

I have not downloaded the Combat Record Sheets yet so I cannot really say. I will assume that the sheets are based off the informatin within FH though.

As far as the rules themselves, there is information on Unit Modifiers (covering from 1 to 1,500 units, you can then expand the table yourself if need be for more than 1,500), information on Terrain Modifiers, Morale, Readiness, Press of Battle and several other things. In total the Mass Combat rules seem to be around 19 pages long.

The sample examples are clearly for fantasy characters but it would be very simple to make example characters for a scifi or war genre game and plug them into the system.

[Michael Hopcroft]

It would be very interesting to see someone simulate Waterloo or Gettysburg with these rules. In a sanse, musketteers are just like archers ion that they can attack ar range, and adding cannons, exploding shells, and cavalry charges to the mix could result in quite an intriguing battle.

[Monolith]

Having now looked at the form in question I can say that yes, FH has all the information for filling in the "blanks" on the form.

[Polaris]

Thank you very much Monolith!

Michael: I agree, that would be interesting. It sounds like the Hero system could allow people to play military commanders and command armies into battle (like a wargame RPG). One could duplicate different battles or create hypocriphal ones (of course).

Polaris

[Captain Obvious]

I'm waiting for my copy of FH to make it in to my FLGS, but Steve has said that these mass combat rules are a fleshed out version of the rules from the FHC. If so, it shouldn't be too hard at all to run Waterloo or Gettysburg using them. The only thing you had to do with the old rules to do this was write up the stats for cannons and muskets, and tinker a little so that your cannons didn't fire once every hour, and muskets once every 10 minutes.

[austenandrews]

I was just pondering the idea that, since mass combat behaves more or less like normal combat, perhaps highly-trained troops (Romans, etc.) might have troop-level Martial Arts maneuvers? Sounds plausible to me.

-AA

[Captain Obvious]

Sounds like an interesting idea. I'd have to see an implementation of it before I passed final judgement.

[Michael Hopcroft]

It makes sense that a unit of archers would have trained long enough to have Archery martial manuvers, making them even more deadly on the battlefield. Until musketeers start showing up, then they become obsolete.