Mass combat takes place over the course of three battle phases: the Tactics Phase, the Ranged Phase, and the Melee Phase. a phase doesn’t denote a specific passage of time, leaving the GM latitude to determine how long a mass combat takes to resolve. For example, a battle in a muddy field after a rain could take place over hours and involve several short breaks to remove the dead from the battlefield, but still counts as one battle for the purposes of these rules. If there is an extended break (such as stopping at nightfall to resume combat in the morning) or the battle conditions change significantly (such as the assassination of a commander, the arrival of another army, and so on), the GM should treat each period of combat between armies as one battle. The battle phases are as follows.
1. Tactics Phase: The GM decides what battlefield modifiers apply to the battle. The commanders each select a tactic their respective armies will use during the battle.
2. Ranged Phase: Any army with the ability to make ranged attacks may make one attack against an enemy army. This phase typically lasts for 1 round (one attack) as the two armies use ranged attacks while they advance to melee range, and then use melee attacks thereafter. The battlefield’s shape and other conditions can extend this duration. If both armies have ranged attacks, they may choose to stay at range and never approach each other for melee (at least until they run out of ammunition, though the Consumption cost of maintaining an army generally means the army is capable of many shots before this happens). Armies without ranged capability can’t attack during this phase, but may still rush forward.
3. Melee Phase: The armies finally clash with melee attacks. Each commander selects a strategy using the Strategy Track, then each army makes an attack against another army. Repeat the Melee phase until one army is defeated or routs, or some other event ends the battle.
Strategy TrackOn the first Melee phase, the commander selects a strategy from one of five options on the strategy track. Strategies adjust the army’s DV, OM, and damage modifier.
Once each Melee phase after the first, the commander can alter the army’s strategy. Adjusting the strategy 1 step up or down does is automatically successful and doesn’t require a check. If the commander wants to adjust strategy more than 1 step, the army attempts a DC 20 Morale check. Success means the strategy changes to the desired level. Otherwise, the army’s current strategy doesn’t change.
| Strategy | DV | OM | Damage Dealt |
| Defensive | +4 | –4 | –6 |
| Cautious | +2 | –2 | –3 |
| Standard | +0 | +0 | +0 |
| Aggressive | –2 | +2 | +3 |
| Reckless | –4 | +4 | +6 |
| |
Attacking And Taking DamageIn mass combat, the hundreds of individual attacks that take place in one battle phase overlap each other enough that who actually attacks first is irrelevant.
When armies attack, each army attempts an Offense check (1d20 + the attacking army’s OM) and compares the result to the target army’s DV.
If the Offense check is equal to or less than the target army’s DV, the army deals no damage that phase.
If the Offense check is greater than defender’s DV, the defending army takes damage equal to the result of the attacker’s Offense check minus the defender’s DV. For example, if the attacker’s Offense check is 11 and the defender’s DV is 7, the defending army takes 4 points of damage. Because these attacks are resolved simultaneously, it is possible that both armies may damage or even destroy each other in the same phase.
If the Offense check is a natural 20, but that check is lower than the enemy army’s DV, the attacking army still deals 1 point of damage. If the Offense check is a natural 1, that army can’t attempt an Offense Check in the next phase, due to some setback: a misheard order, getting stuck in mud, and so on.
More Than Two Armies
These rules can also serve in battles where more than two armies clash. In such battles, when your army attempts an Offense check, you choose which enemy army (or armies, if you have multiple armies in the field) it is attacking and apply damage appropriately. On each phase, you may change which army you are targeting. If your kingdom fields multiple armies in a battle, you may want to divide responsibility for these armies among the other players to speed up play.
