Magic
Magic is a potent ally but a dangerous adversary. All armies make use of some sort of sorcery so it is important to have a grasp of the arcane abilities that lie at your command.
Spells
Only Wizards can cast spells. The term ‘Wizard’ includes various types of sorcerer such as Orc Shamans, Elven Mages, Undead Liche Priests as well as human Wizards. Every army’s magic is different and some are better than others as we shall see. Individual spells are listed in Army List section of this book.
Magic items
Magic items are devices such as banners, swords or armour that confer special attacks, protection, etc. Each magic item has its own rules and points value. When you choose an army you can include magic items in it. Any unit of infantry, cavalry or chariots can be given one magic item. Each character can also be given one magic item. If you decide to give a magic item to a unit or character then you must pay the extra points. This means that you will have less points for other troops.
Magic items cannot be given to monsters or war machines. Some items can only be given to characters or to a Wizard as described later.
Casting spells
In his Shooting phase, each Wizard can cast one spell from the spell lists for his army. He can cast a spell even if he has joined a unit that is engaged in combat. The spell has a range just like a shooting weapon and the target unit must lie within this distance. Unlike shooting from missile weapons, the Wizard does not have to target the closest enemy unit but can choose whichever enemy unit he wants. The Wizard is assumed to be able to see all round though his vision will be blocked by unit stands and terrain as usual.
The Wizard nominates the target and must roll the required dice score to make the spell work; usually 4+, 5+ or 6 depending on how difficult the spell is to cast.
If you are successful, the spell works as described. If not then the spell has failed and there is no effect. The score required is sometimes modified but, regardless of any modifier, a dice roll of 1 always fails and a roll of 6 always succeeds.
Wizards can cast spells against any eligible targets within range, but a unit can only ever be affected by the same spell once in any turn. A unit has been affected if a spell has worked by rolling the appropriate dice score, has not been dispelled or antimagicked, and its effect has been resolved on the unit as per the spell description. Note that a spell might take full effect but still cause no damage – a Ball of Flame inflicts 3 shooting attacks for example but all 3 might fail to score hits or hits might be nullified by armour.
There are some situations where the target of a spell is not literally a unit – for example the Ball of Flame and Gotcha! spells inflict shooting attacks upon all units that lie within their path. In these cases, all units are affected once the appropriate dice roll has been scored to make the spell work and assuming it is not dispelled or antimagicked. Note that this means a unit can potentially be struck by two different Ball of Flame spells coming from different directions – but only the first will affect it.
Where there might be room for doubt, the spell descriptions specifically remind players that spells cannot affect the same unit twice. This is just to clarify the rule where it was felt worthwhile to do so. The rule applies to all spells not just those that contain a separate note.
Logically minded players might quibble that a spell could be cast upon a unit any number of times e.g., blasting it to pieces with fireballs from dozens of wizards. The restriction exists so that magic is rarely enough to cause casualties on its own. Magic is intended to augment conventional tactics and weaponry not from a battle-winning tactic in itself. For this reason wizards are allowed to target their spells upon specific foes, selectively augmenting conventional weaponry, but are prohibited from picking out single units for annihilation with the same destructive spell cast over & over again.
Magic items
Our armies rely on brute strength, courage and meticulous training to overthrow their opponents… and if that doesn’t work there’s always sorcery. It’s not just Wizards that get to use magic. Units can have magic items and other characters can carry them too.
Magic is part and parcel of the fantastic world our armies are fighting over. To keep things fair, each item is allotted a points value, just like the troops themselves, and some items can only be used by certain races or types of warrior. There are three broad types of magic item: Magic Standards (most of which protect the unit carrying them in some way), Magic Weapons (which are carried by a unit’s leader and which usually increase the unit’s fighting power) and Devices of Power (which increase the leadership abilities of Generals, Wizards and Heroes).
Magic standards
A unit of infantry, cavalry or chariots can be given a single Magic Standard. Characters and other types of units cannot be given Magic Standards. An army can never include more than a single example of each type of standard. Magic Standards serve to make a unit more difficult to destroy by increasing its Armour value or number of Hits. The effect doesn’t apply on any attached stands (such as Empire Skirmishers) or characters. Some banners have various ranks available only to units with specific values of Armour or Hits.
As a general rule, a unit or character can only have one magic item. A unit of infantry can have a Magic Banner or a Magic Weapon, for example, but not both. Similarly, a Wizard can have a Magic Weapon or a Device of Power but not one of each. Furthermore, a specific item may only appear in an army once. You cannot have two Banners of Fortitude or three Swords of Cleaving, for example.
The Battle Banner
Cost 30 pts
A unit with this banner increases the Attacks value of each of its stands by +1 during its first Combat engagement of fighting. The effect only lasts for the first combat engagement of the battle, including rounds of pursuit combat during the same engagement and any further engagements which result from an advance.
The Banner of Shielding
Cost – superior (units with Armour 4+ only) 50 pts
Cost – major (units with Armour 5+ only) 30 pts
Cost – minor (units with Armour 6+ or 0 only) 15 pts
A unit with this banner has its Armour value increased in effectiveness by +1. If the unit’s Armour value is 5+ then this banner increases it to 4+ and so on. A unit’s Armour value cannot be better than 3+. If a unit already has an Armour value of 3+ then this banner has no effect. This bonus lasts until the unit loses a stand. After the unit has lost a stand, the banner has no further effect.
The Banner of Fortitude
Cost – major (units with 4 Hits only) 50 pts
Cost – minor (units with 3 or 2 Hits only) 30 pts
A unit with this banner increases the Hits value of each of its stands by +1 during its first Combat engagement of fighting. The effect only lasts for the first combat engagement of the battle, including rounds of pursuit combat during the same engagement and any further engagements which result from an advance. Discard odd hits at the end of the Combat engagement before discounting the effect of the Banner of Fortitude.
The Banner of Steadfastness
Cost – superior (units with 4+ Armour only) 20 pts
Cost – major (units with 5+ Armour only) 15 pts
Cost – minor (units with 6+ Armour only) 10 pts
One shooting hit inflicted on the unit after saves have been taken in each turn is ignored because the missiles are cast aside by the Banner of Steadfastness. This includes hits from magic spells inflicted in the Shooting phase. This effect lasts until the unit loses a stand. After the unit has lost a stand the banner has no further effect.
The Banner of Fortune
Cost 15 pts
The player can choose to immediately re-roll all the unit’s Attack dice once in either the Shooting phase or Combat phase. This includes any bonus attacks from magic items or characters. The player declares that he is unsatisfied with the scores he has rolled, takes all the dice and immediately rolls them all once again. Note that the player must roll all the dice again, including any that have scored hits, so it is possible to be very unfortunate and roll an even worse score! The Banner of Fortune works only once during the game.
Magic weapons
Magic weapons can be carried by an infantry, cavalry or chariot unit or by a character. Only a single example of each type of magic weapon can be included in an army.
Sword of Destruction
Cost 10 pts
If a unit has this weapon then one enemy unit that it is touching is affected and must re-roll one successful Armour roll in each round of combat. For example, if three hits are scored and one is saved by armour then the successful roll must be taken again. Only one enemy unit can be affected by this.
Sword of Fate
Cost 5 pts
In the first round of the unit’s first combat, a unit with this sword adds a +1 bonus to the Attack value of one stand in a similar way as the Attack bonus of a character. The Sword of Fate only works once in the entire game. Note that this gives +1 Attack in total and not +1 to each stand!
Devices of power
Devices of power can be carried by characters. Only a single example of each device can be included in an army.
Crown of Command
General only 70 pts
If the General has this potent magic item he can choose to issue his first order of each turn against an unmodified Command value of 10. No command penalties apply when the Crown of Command is used. This only applies to the General’s first order each turn, subsequent orders must be given normally. Should the General fail to issue his first order, by rolling an 11 or 12, then the Crown of Command ceases to work.
Helm of Dominion
General only 40 pts
Only a General is allowed to wear the Helm of Dominion (only his head is big enough!). The General’s Command value is increased by +1 up to a maximum value of 10. The Helm of Dominion works for one turn only during the entire battle, the player must specify at the start of the turn if he wishes to employ its powers.
Orb of Majesty
General only 30 pts
If the General has this magic item he may disregard a single failed Command test and roll it again as if he had a Command value of 8. The usual adjustments are made for Command penalties but note that the previously failed roll is disregarded so it doesn’t count as a penalty. If the re-roll is successful the order is issued and the General can continue issuing orders in the usual way with his normal Command value.
The Orb of Majesty will only work once in the entire game and only affects an order that has been issued by the General.
Ring of Magic
Wizard only 30 pts
A Wizard with this ring is able to cast a spell without making the usual dice roll to do so. This item will only work once in the entire game.
Staff of Spellbinding
Wizard or Dwarf Runesmith only 30 pts
If an enemy Wizard fails to cast a spell, he can be spellbound on the D6 roll of a 4+. A spellbound Wizard suffers a −1 dice penalty each time he tries to cast a spell. The Staff of Spellbinding ceases to work once it has been used successfully. It follows that only one enemy Wizard can be spellbound as a result.
Sceptre of Sovreignty
General only 30 pts
If the General carries the Sceptre of Sovereignty, he may ignore one blundered ‘double 6’ roll for an order made by either himself or any of the army’s other characters. If the blunder is made by a subordinate character you can roll to see what the blunder is before deciding whether to use the Sceptre of Sovereignty or not. If ignored, the Command test is passed and the character may continue issuing orders as normal. The steely will of the Sceptre of Sovereignty reaches out and stays the incompetent wretch before the deed is done.
Scroll of Dispelling
Wizard or Dwarf runesmith only 20 pts
If a Wizard or a Dwarf Runesmith has the Scroll of Dispelling he can automatically cause an enemy’s spell to fail. The Scroll can only be used once to nullify the effect of a spell an enemy Wizard has successfully cast. In the case of a Runesmith, the Scroll can be used after a normal Dwarf anti-magic roll has failed.
Wand of Power
Wizard only 10 pts
A Wizard with the Wand of Power can add +1 to the chance of a spell working once during the game. The player must decide that he is using the Wand of Power before rolling the dice. As always a spell fails on the roll of a 1 even when using the Wand of Power.
Rod of Repetition
Wizard only 10 pts
If a Wizard casts a spell and rolls sufficiently well for it to work then he can cast another spell. He can only do this once during the entire game. Note that it does not matter if the previous spell is dispelled or anti- magicked by a Runesmith so long as the required dice score is rolled. Once any effects of the previous spell have been resolved, the Wizard can decide to use the Rod of Repetition to cast another spell – this can be the same spell again or a different one. Note that the same spell can be cast upon the same unit if the previous spell has been dispelled/ anti-magicked. This next spell is cast exactly like any other – roll a dice to determine if it works in the usual way.
Note that some spells, such as the Teleport spell, already allow for the possibility of casting a further spell on a random dice roll. In these cases the Rod of Repetition can be used instead of the random dice roll to try and cast the second spell if you prefer, or the Rod of Repetition could be used after the second spell has been cast assuming it is cast successfully. By using the Rod of Repetition with spells of this kind it is possible to cast the spell again, however, you do lose the bonus spell option, effectively restricting casting to a maximum of 3 spells per turn. For example: Teleport, 2nd spell, RoR, 3rd spell – or – 1st spell, RoR, Teleport, 3rd spell – supposing the 1st, 2nd or 3rd spell may be a Teleport too.
