Gary Chalk's Fantasy Warlord Mass Combat Ruleset...

I have just had a quick skim and I recall now why I liked it.
There are a lot more modifiers to factor in but there is a single roll for when a unit shoots or engages in HTH.
Also, there can be guaranteed casualties if you plan properly.

Without labouring the point:

A model has a base chance to kill.

You look up the weapon type vs the armour type, this gives you the base chance.
You add the modifiers, this gives you the modified chance.
Then you multiply it by the number of attackers.

EG:

We have Dwarves with axes attacking troops with chainmail.
Base Chance: 16%

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They are fighting gobbos +8%
They have Joseph Bugman in the unit (his Morale Factor) is let us say 2, +2%

That gives us +10% to the base making the final total 26%.
We have 6 dwarves in the front rank so we multiply this by 6, thus we have 156%.
For every 100% you kill 1 enemy model.
For any % left over you roll a d100, if you get under then kill another.

So we can see that the same troops with spears:

Base 14%
Same modifiers +10%

24% base, but spears can fight in up to 2 ranks.
So our 6 wide unit with multiple ranks can have 12 fighters, so that is 24*12 = 288%. 2 guaranteed dead with an 88% of a third.

I recall now why I liked my pikes who can fight in 3 ranks.


Same principal with shooters.

It is so much quicker than WFB.


Now the thing that sets it apart for me is the command.

Character models have a Command Factor and this CF is how many units they can command.
CF 3 seems about right for a decent general.
That means he can control up to 3 units.
He must be within 5cm of one of them and each unit must be within 5cm of another.
This forms a brigade.

You actually assign orders such as double move, advance, charge, evade, retire and so on.
Any unit with a commander will do the order. If a unit has no leader then dice rolls are needed.

Troops are graded A, B, or C.

Guard, Regular, Militia.

This has an effect not only on their combat chances, but how much movement is lost when changing formation an so on.
It also modifies morale tests and also what they do when they are not under control.


TLDR: Combat much quicker than WFB, Command and Control much more complex and thus seems to be a more tactical game.
 
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Michael Stockin said:
You actually assign orders such as double move, advance, charge, evade, retire and so on.
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Yeah, this may have put us off as teenagers! I like to imagine-as he is a self-confessed wargamer - he probably revealed his tabletop ancestory in his rules. More 'realistic' (!) & less chancey simulation mechanic, mass ranks. More 'art of war' big table tactical play and less skirmish rpg feel of WHFB 1e /2e? I think he opined himself somewhere in blog interview that FW rules appealed more to the serious (older?) wargamers, less to the +13yr old kids at the time! Those order chits remind me of a boardgame we played (tenuous comparison, I know) called 'Diplomacy'. It's mechanic (no dice) was all about those strict command simultaneous movement orders (& success) hinging on if it was enacted, a failure or nullified!
 
Michael Stockin said:
The cover and some of the pages are actually creased rather than bent, plus the spine is damaged and quite a lot of pages roughed up, not ideal but still readable.
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I can see why you would be annoyed (maybe the seller should have done the sandwich between boards thing.. not 100% fix but fair enough).. there are some ways to partly decrease but personally.. I tent not to be as precious about alot of things.. but then I have a cat ^_^ kinda always had cats. before she died, my last cat spent alot of time with me and when she was happy, she liked to dribble. and she loved being the centre of attention. So getting the odd water mark on a book or stuff isn't out of the norm.

my current cat (bad way to say that.. we had both but she passed away due to cancer), he isn't as bad but loves to jump on the table and no care if any figures are in the way, and just flop over them. also likes to join in the game at times so the odd bite mark on plastic ^_^ but on the whole, I'm not too fussed. I kinda draw the line with the Dice though as they are 'swallow' size.

though the girl.. she was very much a lap cat so I could just tap my lap, and she would walk over and lay on me, so she could watch while we play... Bruce just won't sit on your lap at all.
 
Fighelm said:
Yeah, this may have put us off as teenagers! I like to imagine-as he is a self-confessed wargamer - he probably revealed his tabletop ancestory in his rules. More 'realistic' (!) & less chancey simulation mechanic, mass ranks. More 'art of war' big table tactical play and less skirmish rpg feel of WHFB 1e /2e? I think he opined himself somewhere in blog interview that FW rules appealed more to the serious (older?) wargamers, less to the +13yr old kids at the time! Those order chits remind me of a boardgame we played (tenuous comparison, I know) called 'Diplomacy'. It's mechanic (no dice) was all about those strict command simultaneous movement orders (& success) hinging on if it was enacted, a failure or nullified!
Click to expand...
Oh, the assign orders is very much like the older 50s-70s wargames... not a HUGE fan of it but you have things like having to assign orders, and take time to countermand orders and stuff..
 
Hah! Just found Gary Chalks interview again. Reveals quite a lot including some honest truths and shots over the bow at GW. Also his direct comments: 'by the way, nowhere is it written that orcs are green'; 'never trust a man in a suit' & 'Fantasy Warlord was a ghastly mistake'...! 😂 Chalk's honesty
 
Fighelm said:
Weirdly, there are magic items that go against undead/characters ie blade of fire. Have you checked the FW app out? Think the army lists were cooked and never released as that would make sense...Blade of 🔥
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And spells too. I joined the forum affiliated with the app but it seems quiet.
I don't suspect for an instant that I will swap over to FW but I may have a tinker.

Having said that, with combat being so quick it may work for my 10mm WFB armies and their hordes of figures.
 
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