Albion

Aeons ago, the Isle of Albion was the site of a sprawling techo-arcane complex created by an unspeakably ancient spacefaring race called the Slann. Their carefully aligned stone circles and thousands of miles of impressively taut laylines once served to harness the mysterious psychomagical power of the warp. This power was used to control the gigantic interspatial portals through which Slann craft traversed the galaxy. At some time there was an unfortunate accident; the portals became unstable, opening a rift into the void and creating the zone of contamination and temporal instability that is now known as the Chaos Wastes. In order to stop their damaged portals running out of control and engulfing the entire world, the Slann destroyed or disabled their control complex on Albion. A vast quantity of dangerous psycho-active energy was released as a result.

This catastrophe turned Albion into a warped land that was ever afterwards shrouded by chilling mists and ceaseless drizzle. The explosive release of warp energy had the effect of distorting local time and space in surprising ways. As a result, the island proved almost impossible to find afterwards and many Old Worlders came to doubt its very existence. Isolated from the world and from reality, the island’s inhabitants degenerated physically and culturally, coming to live an ape-like existence alongside the other malformed monsters of their devastated land.

Despite this, they still retain some vestigial memory of a time of greatness when their ancestors helped build the stone circles and other wonders that once formed the nerve centre of the Slanns’ techo-arcane warp mechanism.

The mist-wreathed isle has seen as much bloodshed and warfare as the rest of the known world. Albion is seen as a damp, bog-ridden backwater and reports of recent incursions have concentrated on the clashes between the supposedly more advanced invaders. However, a closer examination of the campaigns in Albion show that its native armies are every bit as lethal as those of any of the more so called ‘civilised’ nations.

The core of any Albion army comprises nobles in chariots and warbands of warriors on foot, screened by youths armed with slings and javelins led by the local chieftain. Poorer nobles and richer warriors are mounted on hardy native ponies and form the cavalry used to both scout and to support the noble chariot warriors.

Albion is famed for the great wolfhounds the natives breed. They are exported widely, but most especially to Bretonnia and the Empire where their size, strength and ferocity are much prized by noble huntsmen. In times of war these wolfhounds are gathered into huge slavering packs and are used to supplement the cavalry, screening attacks and harassing vulnerable enemy flanks.

In time of war some Chieftains can also call on the giant eagles whose eyries dot the highest peaks of the land. Few of Albion’s chieftains will pass up the chance to recruit some of their island’s largest inhabitants – the famed giants of Albion. Just like those giants that accompany Orc armies, these massive warriors make up for in brawn what they lack in brains!

Not quite so strong, but then again not quite so dim, are the bands of ogres which flock to join the armies of Albion – for a share of the loot and the chance to turn a former enemy into a quick snack! In addition to the warrior chieftains who lead the armies, there are heroic warriors who help to marshal the army and the enigmatic druids who are not only the army’s wizards but also its law makers, judges and soothsayers.

Albion army selector

Troop	Type	Attacks	Hits	Armour	Command	Unit size	Points per unit	Min/max	Special
Warriors	Infantry	3	3	5+	-	3	60	2/-	-
Slingers	Infantry	2/1	3	-	-	3	40	1/6	-
Ogres	Infantry	4	4	5+	-	3	105	-/2	*1
Wolfhounds	Cavalry	3	3	-	-	3	40	-/6	-
Cavalry	Cavalry	3	3	5+	-	3	90	-/4	-
Chariots	Chariot	3	3	5+	-	3	95	1/4	-
Giant	Monster	8	8	5+	-	1	135	-/1	*2
Giant Eagles	Monster	2	3	6+	-	3	70	-/1	*3
Fenbeast	Monster	6	4	5+	-	1	0	-/1	*5

General	General	+2	-	-	9	1	125	1	-
Hero	Hero	+1	-	-	8	1	80	-/2	-
Druid	Wizard	+0	-	-	7	1	45	-/1	-
Giant Eagle	Monstrous Mount	+2	-	-	-	-	+20	-/1	*4
Chariot	Chariot Mount	+1	-	-	-	-	+10	-/1	-

Special rules

1. Ogres

If an Ogre unit can use its initiative to charge an enemy unit of humans at the start of the Command phase then it must do so. This happens automatically and their commander can do nothing about it. ‘Humans‘ encompasses all ‘men‘ including Chaos Warriors and Marauders, but not Dwarfs, Elves etc.

2. Giant

Giants must always be given a separate order. They cannot be brigaded with other troops, although several Giants can be brigaded together if you so wish. If you attempt to give an order to a Giant and fail then you must take a test to see what it does. Ignore potential blunders - these are taken into account by the following rules. Roll a dice and consult the Giant Goes Wild chart. Where Giants are brigaded together roll for each separately.

Giants have a great many hits, 8 in fact, which are almost impossible to inflict during even a fairly lengthy combat engagement. Because Giants have so many hits we must consider the possibility of hurting the Giant and reducing its effectiveness in subsequent turns. Therefore, if a Giant has accumulated 5-7 hits by the end of the Shooting phase or Combat phase and is no longer engaged in combat it is deemed to have been badly hurt. Once a Giant is badly hurt all accumulated hits are discounted and its maximum Hits value and Attacks are halved for the rest of the battle (to 4 Hits and 4 Attacks).

A Giant causes terror in its enemies.

Giant Goes Wild Chart

D6	Oh no! What‘s he doing now!
1	The Giant will neither move nor fight this turn but simply stands rooted to the spot looking dopey.
2	Move the Giant directly towards the nearest table edge. If he moves into another unit he will charge it regardless of which side it is on. If victorious in combat the Giant will hold his ground.
3	The Giant throws an object at the closest visible unit (friend or foe) within 5xD6 cm, inflicting 3 Attacks. If the target is in combat, the attacks contribute to the combat result; otherwise, resolve them in the Shooting phase.
4	The Giant moves straight forward at full pace in the direction he is facing in. If he reaches an enemy unit he will charge. If he reaches a friendly unit he will walk straight through and out the other side if there is room and he has sufficient move. If he reaches a friendly unit and does not have sufficient move or enough room to walk all the way through then he halts on contact. A friendly unit that is walked through or contacted in this way instantly becomes confused as a result.
5	The Giant moves towards the nearest enemy unit that he can see as fast as he can. If he reaches the foe he will charge. If friends are in the way he will walk through them causing confusion as described above. If there is no visible enemy the Giant does nothing this Command phase.
6	The Giant gives a mighty bellow and rushes straight at the nearest enemy unit that he can see. Move the Giant at double his normal full pace move. If he reaches an enemy unit, he charges it and fights by jumping up and down on the foe, furiously doubling his Attacks value in the first round of combat. If there is no visible enemy the Giant does nothing this Command phase.

3. Giant Eagle

Giant Eagles can fly.

4. Giant Eagle Mount

Giant Eagles can be ridden only by Druids An Eagle can fly, increasing its rider’s move from 60 to 100cm, and it adds +2 Attacks to those of its rider.

5. Chariot Mount

Generals, Druids and Heroes can ride Chariots. An extra +1 Attack is added to those of its rider.

6. Fenbeast

A Fenbeast is an individual troop unit, but it is not fielded in the standard way. Fenbeasts appear on the battlefield only after a Druid casts the Summon Fenbeast spell.

A Fenbeast cannot be brigaded with other troop units, not even other Fenbeasts. Fenbeasts never use their initiative to move in the Command phase. Because they are completely dominated by the will of the Druid who summoned them, that Druid counts as having a Command value of +1 when commanding the Fenbeast – that is 8 rather than 7.

Fenbeast can move through bogs as though they were open terrain. Unlike the wild Bog Beasts from the ‘Dark Shadows’ campaign, Fenbeast will make way for friendly troops.

A Fenbeast causes terror in its enemies.

Albion spells

Downpour

4+ to cast Range 30cm

The Druid brings down a localised shower of fine, freezing rain upon his foes.

Until the start of the Druid player’s next turn all enemy units within 30cms of the casting Druid suffer -1 to their command.

Storm of Hail

5+ to cast Range 30cm

The Druid harnesses the power of the weather to attack his enemies with enormous hailstones.

The Druid targets a single enemy unit within range and that he can see. This has the effect of three shooting attacks except that it ignores any armour save the target may have. The target unit may be driven back in the same way as for shooting.

Mists of Albion

5+ to cast Range 30cm

The Druid breathes out some of the mystical mist that surrounds his enigmatic homeland and envelopes his compatriots, making them hard to target by enemy troops.

This spell may be cast upon a single unengaged friendly Infantry unit within range, regardless of whether the caster can see them or not. The spell lasts until the start of the caster‘s next turn, or until the target unit moves in any way. The target Infantry unit counts as Defended, even if in the open terrain.

Summon Fenbeast

6+ to cast Range 30cm

The Druid performs one of the most arcane rituals known to his order, using his power over the elements to bind together the horrific creature known as the Fenbeast.

The Druid summons forth a Fenbeast. Once summoned, the Fenbeast is under the control of the summoning player.

Since it is summoned in the Shooting phase it cannot be given orders until the following turn. It may be summoned into contact with an enemy unit only if that unit is already in combat. It may be removed from play if destroyed (like any other unit) or if the loss of a Druid character reduces the number of Druids to less than the number of Fenbeasts – the owning player chooses a Fenbeast and removes it from play.

Summoned Fenbeast units do not influence army withdrawal calculations in any way and do not have a points value.

Fenbeasts may only be given orders by Druids. Fenbeasts may not be brigaded with other troops, not even other Fenbeasts. An army cannot have more summoned Fenbeasts in play than it has Druids.