"Skulldred" beta skirmish rules (version 1.03)- free .pdf

[Thantsants]

More bedtime reading - particularly like the sound of the new shooting/melee rules! 

[Delaney]

And now theres....

http://skulldred.blogspot.com/

[blacksmith]

...
Second- and this is a biggie too.  When you FAIL an initiative test, your model is DOWNED.  Alternatively you may elect to SACRIFICE YOUR GO INSTEAD of downing the character.  Therefore if a downed unit fails an initiative test, they are not removed from play as 'killed' if you don't want them to.  Likewise, if you charge a knight into a bunch of enemy, and he fails his roll, you certainly dont want him downed.  Sacrifice your go instead and he remains standing.
...

I really like this new option! I'll try your rules (only reading so far) ASAP as they look really interesting and fun.
Thanks!

[Delaney]

Thanks!

I cannot wait to see some pic heavy battle reports

[Argonor]

Signed up at the blog, and shall try to read the latest rules on the train this afternoon 

[blacksmith]

Thanks!

I cannot wait to see some pic heavy battle reports

I'll definately put some in my blog, but not in the following weeks as real life is kicking my ass lately

[Thantsants]

Been playing a game this afternoon - great fun but I've got a couple of questions (hopefully not too daft!) regarding shooting and melee -

Have I got the rules straight -
Shooter rolls same number of dice as his shoot score.
He has to get uner or equal to size of target to hit.
Once the target is hit it rolls the same number of dice as its melee score but must roll equal to or uner their size.
If the shooter has more hits compare number of hits against target's toughness and remove from play, down or dodge the hit mini.

If you move into base to base contact with an enemy model spending 1 action point on moving do you have to take an initiative roll for a melee attack or automatically roll to decide the fight?

and just to check - do you have to roll for initiative to right a downed model or does it get to use its free action point for this?

Should finish the game tomorrow (crying babies and toddlers and a party tonight interrupted play!) and get some nice piccies up!

[Delaney]

Cool you enjoyed it.

Re: shooter rules, yep.  Thats it.

Attacks are actions, and so cost 1ap.  If you have moved for your free action, you must roll initiative for more actions.  Bear in mind that attacking gives you an advantage if you get the draw, because you drive back the defender- if they have foolishly left no room behind them, and you attack from the right angle- its like getting a hit in.  Its perfectly fine to run up and engage an opponent and wait for him to attack you if he has no mates nearby- it will let you rush up some extra figures for gang ups.  Often though, you want to gain the initiative and put that sucker down before his mates can come help.

Currently if your downed, you dont get a free action.  Therefore you have to roll initiative to stand.  This means stupid characters may take a while to recover from being downed.  I think this may be too harsh- it was meant to simulate dumb characters taking time to get their stuff together from confusion or concussion.  Another option may be that you can recover as your free action, but cannot roll initiative when downed.  Lass harsh.

[Thantsants]

Cheers Dave - its a great set of rules

This means stupid characters may take a while to recover from being downed.  I think this may be too harsh- it was meant to simulate dumb characters taking time to get their stuff together from confusion or concussion.  Another option may be that you can recover as your free action, but cannot roll initiative when downed.  Lass harsh.

Sounds right although the wife's elf hero fell over while trying to rush across the battlefield - he then took 2 turns to get back up again (admittedly because of some very unlucky rolls of 5s and 6s!), which was all very humorous for my orcs as they swarmed over to his prone body! He did get up in the nick of time and successfully ran half the width of the table to catch his comrades up who'd left him for dead! 

One more question when something like a troll takes 1 hit in combat do you reduce his toughness by 1 (like taking wounds in WFB) or is being downed punishment enough and to kill him outright his opponents need to score 5 hits to beat his toughness score of 4 in the next round?

Should finish the game later today and I'll go back and take some "staged shots" and hopefully post them tonight...

[Argonor]

Currently if your downed, you dont get a free action.  Therefore you have to roll initiative to stand.  This means stupid characters may take a while to recover from being downed.  I think this may be too harsh-

I concur. Zombies will never stand up when downed under this rule. Let models use their free action, but make a roll to recover. Maybe have a set number for recovery, roll your initiatvie +1 die to recover (you can have initiative 0, so you have to have at least one die, anyway)?

[Delaney]

Lol- you can just imagine the elf champion standing in the battlefield looking around wondering if she should run away or press on.
Yep, its not right.

So try this instead.

• A downed model cannot make a free action.
• A downed model may recover instead of rolling for initiative.  This is called a free recover.
• A downed model may roll for initiative and spend the first won action recovering.  It may then perform the next actions as per normal
• A model with the clumsyability may not free recover.  It must roll initiative to stand up.
• A model that is not engaged will not die if rolling a second downed result- it simply stays down.

Toughness stays the same no matter what- attribute numbers never change mid game is a golden rule.  No numbers in the head.
However, I am thinking for larger creatures that they take wound counters.  When downed, any downed result adds a wound counter to the enemy card.  Or, simply stack up downed counters to represent this on the unit card.  Enemy get 1 dice bonus for each wound a monster takes.

[phreedh]

Printed and read during the weekend, have a game scheduled for the week.

[Thantsants]

Those downed rules work well now with the free recover and option for initiative roll - although with initiative 3 (the hero had been cut down a while back - more of which later!) the wife's elves did keep falling over a lot whilst trying to flee the oncoming horde but I guess that was down to some terrible dice rolls - loads of 4s, 5s and 6s!

We played the troll as having wounds which seemed to work but kept the little guys' toughness the same - one more question (sorry - I have read the rues through - honest!) when working out combat do successful hits cancel each other out - e.g. Elf hero lands 3 hits on orc warrior - orc rolls 2 hits in defence - elf wins with 1 hit on the orc which downs him but doesn't kill him because of his toughness score of 2.

Finished the game last night but didn't get chance to take pics before some friends came round for a BBQ - will post later today...  

Look forward to reading about your game Phreedh!

[Argonor]

• A downed model cannot make a free action.
• A downed model may recover instead of rolling for initiative.  This is called a free recover.
• A downed model may roll for initiative and spend the first won action recovering.  It may then perform the next actions as per normal
• A model with the clumsyability may not free recover.  It must roll initiative to stand up.
• A model that is not engaged will not die if rolling a second downed result- it simply stays down.

This seems better. I missed out on trying out the rules because of the extremely nice weather that meant I had to do gardening and play with my two little girls (I took out my 2 old softballs gloves and a ball and taught them to catch).

One of the evenings during this week I should manage to get a few minis on the table, though!

[phreedh]

I have a week of vacation now while my wife is working, so I've invited a mate to stay over for a few days of non-stop gaming. I would be VERY surprised if I haven't played a game or two of Skulldred by the start of next week.