Galadrin
Vassal
Hi all, long time no see. I've been playing Warhammer Fantasy Battle with my kids recently and I thought I'd share the house rules I use these days. These are divided into general rules (used in all battles) and some very experimental rules for small-scale battles, used when playing with smaller-sized forces.
GENERAL HOUSE RULES
Base Game
The basis for the game is Warhammer Fantasy Battle 5th Edition, but using only 4th Edition supplements (including army books, Battle Magic and Arcane Magic sets, Chaos box, Chronicles of War etc.).
Archer's Row
A missile unit can fire in two ranks if it did not move that turn (including for a free reform).
Magic Item Draft
Characters may not purchase magic items unless they are special characters (in which case they may only use their listed items). Instead, each army gets a number of random magic item draws at the start of each battle equal to the number of non-special characters they have (that's one card draw per character in the army, regardless of level, and including champions!). You may discard and redraw items you cannot use and may then assign these magic items as desired, observing the normal magic item limits and other restrictions in the rules. You do not need to pay points for these magic items but they do count towards the victory point value of the character wielding them.
Dwarf Runes
Dwarfs are said to have storied hoards of magic items, crafted by their own hands with runes of power. When drawing magic items, an army that includes one or more Dwarf characters may convert up to an equal number of drawn magic items (including items that would normally be discarded) into Dwarf Rune magic items. The drawn magic item is lost but the player may add one rune item of any type of equal or lesser point value in its place, which then counts as one of the magic items for the army. This rune item may be customized as desired as long as it follows the Dwarf Rune rules and falls within the point value of the lost magic item. This exchange may be done up to once for every Dwarf character in the army, although the resulting rune item can be given to any Dwarf unit, Dwarf warmachine or Dwarf character following the normal restrictions and limits. Rune items may never be given to a non-Dwarf recipient, as the Dwarfs are jealous guardians of their enchanted treasures.
Chaos Rewards
After magic items have been assigned, Chaos Champions and Sorcerers who have not yet reached their magic item limit may petition the Dark Gods of Chaos for their favour, drawing one card each from the Chaos Rewards deck (which is kept separate from the main Magic Item deck). Chaos Rewards cannot be traded or redrawn: each reward is specific to the character who drew it and if he cannot use it, it is simply discarded (for who can truly account for the capricious will of the Dark Gods?). Chaos Rewards may bring the total magic items for the army above the number of characters in it.
Humanoid Heroes
These characters are given profiles in the books but never point values. They may be used by any army that can field their regular troop type.
SMALL BATTLE HOUSE RULES
Scenario Design
For these house rules, I generally aim for smaller, more narrative battles. Forces tend to be more varied, with plenty of monsters and characters and fewer large blocks of rank and file. The table tends to be densely clustered with terrain with heavy emphasis on thematic areas on the table and the missions tend to be asymmetrical and irregular.
Army Composition
The armies are generally on the small side (typically around 600 pts) and any character model may serve as the general (a lord is not required) as long as he has the highest leadership on their side. Other army composition rules and restrictions are considered entirely optional and may be disregarded as required to meet the needs of the scenario. Beyond this, each army choice (in the 4th Edition army books) should usually be limited to no more than 200 pts (including all options and champions). This need not be a single regiment, however. For example, you could include two regiments of 22 Night Goblins with spears, shields and full command (including champion) and still fit within the 200 pt limit, or you could fit one regiment of 51 Night Goblins similarly equipped and led or any combination up to 200 pts of that regiment choice in the army (or any other combination up to the point limit). Champions count towards this point cost, but attached units that have separate entries in the army list (such as Fanatics) are not.
Battle Experience
It can be assumed that any regiment that has picked its champion has acquired sufficient battle experience to be considered elite. Units with champions may be considered elite (as described in the 5e Battle Book, page 150) and may once per battle re-roll all of their to-hit dice after seeing the result. Likewise, hero-level characters (including master wizards) may have a random veteran character ability and any lord-level character (including wizard lords) may have a random general ability. Regular wizards and wizard champions (level 1 and 2, respectively) gain no benefit from this rules option.
Boozin'
Elite regiments as well as giants, halflings, ogres, chaos centaurs, Kislevites and allied dwarfs are all liable to hit the drink before the battle (as described in WFB 2e). Roll a die for each such unit before the game. On a roll of "6," the unit is particularly drunk and must roll a leadership test exactly as a Bound Monster test at the start of each turn (interpret the "struggles" result as the unit engaging in a bout of crude invectives and exaggerated boasts and the "desertion" result as the unit heading off to find more drink). A result of "fight on" will cause an unengaged inebriated unit to attempt to charge the closest enemy, even if it is quite obvious to a sensible player that this will result in a failed charge! Daemons, undead and units that are immune to psychology ignore these rules.
Armour Saving Throws
As in WFB 3e, armour saving throws are not modified by the strength of the attack. Only listed armour modifiers apply (such as the -3 for Skaven Jezzails or the "no save allowed" for most warmachines). An armour saving throw of "1" always fails. To account for this change, Dark Elf Black Ark Corsairs simply ignore armour saving throw penalties (but still lose their saving throw if no saves are allowed by the attack).
Fleeing and Pursuing
Base movement rate (before modifiers) is used to determine 2d6 and 3d6 movement rates for fleeing and pursuit. Apply penalties for armour to the dice roll instead (so Empire Knights will flee and pursue 3d6-2 inches).
Free Maneuvers
Regiments with musicians can attempt to make a free maneuver (reform, turn, wheel, change formation, snaking formation for fast cavalry) once per turn with a successful Leadership check (after declaring the intended maneuver). This is in addition to the normal benefit musicians give in winning tied combats. A failed roll means the unit must perform the intended maneuver and pay the full cost of it.
Charging Initiative
Charging doubles the Initiative characteristic of the charging model (rather than strikes first). This is also true for great weapons like two-handed swords. Great weapons always strike last on subsequent rounds of combat after the first. Keep in mind that impact hits from chariots are resolved before melee attacks and certain weapons and magic items (pikes, Helm of Many Eyes) have special rules that allow them to always strike first in melee, regardless of initiative.
Rank Bonus
A rank counts for rank bonus if it completely “backs up” (contacts and overlaps) every model in the rank ahead of it (corner contact does not count) at the start of the combat round. This typically means that the rearmost rank must have no less than one fewer model than the front rank to count for the bonus. Additionally, small units (of five or six models) can form a back rank with only two or three models, allowing for a frontage of 3 models and a rank bonus of 1.
Break Test
Formed, ranked regiments (i.e. units that count at least one rank bonus) only rout from a failed break test if they roll twice their modified Leadership score or higher on a break test. Otherwise, they are pushed back 2" and become "unformed" on a failed break test (stagger the back rank to indicate this). Unformed regiments lose the benefit of rank bonus for Combat Resolution and will break on any subsequently failed break test roll. An unformed regiment that would otherwise count a rank bonus may become "formed" again by winning a round of combat (or with a normal reform action, if not in combat). Units that have no rank bonus (solitary models, outflanked regiments, units with only a front rank, skirmishers etc.) break from a failed rout roll as normal.
Challenges
Issuing and accepting a challenge are both worth +1 Combat Resolution each. Refusing a challenge causes a formed, ranked unit immediately to become unformed as the cowardly character wiggles through the ranks to the rear of the regiment. In a duel, the combatants can focus entirely on one another and thus the fighting is more blow for blow. Resolve the order of attacks as per WFB 1e: the combatant with the highest initiative makes one attack first and each subsequent attack is made at one less point of initiative. Simultaneous attacks are resolved as normal, with the highest printed initiative going first (regardless of the initiative of the attack) if neither side has a special ability to always strike first or last; otherwise, a tied initiative characteristic is resolved with a die roll (only roll once and apply the result to all simultaneous blows that round). A victorious challenger can continue to resolve remaining attacks against a slain foe for the purpose of the overkill bonus to Combat Resolution (keeping in mind the note on page 108 of the 5e Rulebook that clarifies special abilities or weapons that multiply wounds do not continue to multiply wounds after the enemy in a challenge is dead and rather just cause a normal single wound per unsaved wound inflicted).
GENERAL HOUSE RULES
Base Game
The basis for the game is Warhammer Fantasy Battle 5th Edition, but using only 4th Edition supplements (including army books, Battle Magic and Arcane Magic sets, Chaos box, Chronicles of War etc.).
Archer's Row
A missile unit can fire in two ranks if it did not move that turn (including for a free reform).
Magic Item Draft
Characters may not purchase magic items unless they are special characters (in which case they may only use their listed items). Instead, each army gets a number of random magic item draws at the start of each battle equal to the number of non-special characters they have (that's one card draw per character in the army, regardless of level, and including champions!). You may discard and redraw items you cannot use and may then assign these magic items as desired, observing the normal magic item limits and other restrictions in the rules. You do not need to pay points for these magic items but they do count towards the victory point value of the character wielding them.
Dwarf Runes
Dwarfs are said to have storied hoards of magic items, crafted by their own hands with runes of power. When drawing magic items, an army that includes one or more Dwarf characters may convert up to an equal number of drawn magic items (including items that would normally be discarded) into Dwarf Rune magic items. The drawn magic item is lost but the player may add one rune item of any type of equal or lesser point value in its place, which then counts as one of the magic items for the army. This rune item may be customized as desired as long as it follows the Dwarf Rune rules and falls within the point value of the lost magic item. This exchange may be done up to once for every Dwarf character in the army, although the resulting rune item can be given to any Dwarf unit, Dwarf warmachine or Dwarf character following the normal restrictions and limits. Rune items may never be given to a non-Dwarf recipient, as the Dwarfs are jealous guardians of their enchanted treasures.
Chaos Rewards
After magic items have been assigned, Chaos Champions and Sorcerers who have not yet reached their magic item limit may petition the Dark Gods of Chaos for their favour, drawing one card each from the Chaos Rewards deck (which is kept separate from the main Magic Item deck). Chaos Rewards cannot be traded or redrawn: each reward is specific to the character who drew it and if he cannot use it, it is simply discarded (for who can truly account for the capricious will of the Dark Gods?). Chaos Rewards may bring the total magic items for the army above the number of characters in it.
Humanoid Heroes
These characters are given profiles in the books but never point values. They may be used by any army that can field their regular troop type.
- Halfling Champion (21 pts)
- Halfling Hero (46 pts)
- Halfling Lord (70 pts)
- Ogre Champion (110 pts)
- Ogre Chieftain (240 pts)
- Ogre War Chief (380 pts)*
SMALL BATTLE HOUSE RULES
Scenario Design
For these house rules, I generally aim for smaller, more narrative battles. Forces tend to be more varied, with plenty of monsters and characters and fewer large blocks of rank and file. The table tends to be densely clustered with terrain with heavy emphasis on thematic areas on the table and the missions tend to be asymmetrical and irregular.
Army Composition
The armies are generally on the small side (typically around 600 pts) and any character model may serve as the general (a lord is not required) as long as he has the highest leadership on their side. Other army composition rules and restrictions are considered entirely optional and may be disregarded as required to meet the needs of the scenario. Beyond this, each army choice (in the 4th Edition army books) should usually be limited to no more than 200 pts (including all options and champions). This need not be a single regiment, however. For example, you could include two regiments of 22 Night Goblins with spears, shields and full command (including champion) and still fit within the 200 pt limit, or you could fit one regiment of 51 Night Goblins similarly equipped and led or any combination up to 200 pts of that regiment choice in the army (or any other combination up to the point limit). Champions count towards this point cost, but attached units that have separate entries in the army list (such as Fanatics) are not.
Battle Experience
It can be assumed that any regiment that has picked its champion has acquired sufficient battle experience to be considered elite. Units with champions may be considered elite (as described in the 5e Battle Book, page 150) and may once per battle re-roll all of their to-hit dice after seeing the result. Likewise, hero-level characters (including master wizards) may have a random veteran character ability and any lord-level character (including wizard lords) may have a random general ability. Regular wizards and wizard champions (level 1 and 2, respectively) gain no benefit from this rules option.
Boozin'
Elite regiments as well as giants, halflings, ogres, chaos centaurs, Kislevites and allied dwarfs are all liable to hit the drink before the battle (as described in WFB 2e). Roll a die for each such unit before the game. On a roll of "6," the unit is particularly drunk and must roll a leadership test exactly as a Bound Monster test at the start of each turn (interpret the "struggles" result as the unit engaging in a bout of crude invectives and exaggerated boasts and the "desertion" result as the unit heading off to find more drink). A result of "fight on" will cause an unengaged inebriated unit to attempt to charge the closest enemy, even if it is quite obvious to a sensible player that this will result in a failed charge! Daemons, undead and units that are immune to psychology ignore these rules.
Armour Saving Throws
As in WFB 3e, armour saving throws are not modified by the strength of the attack. Only listed armour modifiers apply (such as the -3 for Skaven Jezzails or the "no save allowed" for most warmachines). An armour saving throw of "1" always fails. To account for this change, Dark Elf Black Ark Corsairs simply ignore armour saving throw penalties (but still lose their saving throw if no saves are allowed by the attack).
Fleeing and Pursuing
Base movement rate (before modifiers) is used to determine 2d6 and 3d6 movement rates for fleeing and pursuit. Apply penalties for armour to the dice roll instead (so Empire Knights will flee and pursue 3d6-2 inches).
Free Maneuvers
Regiments with musicians can attempt to make a free maneuver (reform, turn, wheel, change formation, snaking formation for fast cavalry) once per turn with a successful Leadership check (after declaring the intended maneuver). This is in addition to the normal benefit musicians give in winning tied combats. A failed roll means the unit must perform the intended maneuver and pay the full cost of it.
Charging Initiative
Charging doubles the Initiative characteristic of the charging model (rather than strikes first). This is also true for great weapons like two-handed swords. Great weapons always strike last on subsequent rounds of combat after the first. Keep in mind that impact hits from chariots are resolved before melee attacks and certain weapons and magic items (pikes, Helm of Many Eyes) have special rules that allow them to always strike first in melee, regardless of initiative.
Rank Bonus
A rank counts for rank bonus if it completely “backs up” (contacts and overlaps) every model in the rank ahead of it (corner contact does not count) at the start of the combat round. This typically means that the rearmost rank must have no less than one fewer model than the front rank to count for the bonus. Additionally, small units (of five or six models) can form a back rank with only two or three models, allowing for a frontage of 3 models and a rank bonus of 1.
Break Test
Formed, ranked regiments (i.e. units that count at least one rank bonus) only rout from a failed break test if they roll twice their modified Leadership score or higher on a break test. Otherwise, they are pushed back 2" and become "unformed" on a failed break test (stagger the back rank to indicate this). Unformed regiments lose the benefit of rank bonus for Combat Resolution and will break on any subsequently failed break test roll. An unformed regiment that would otherwise count a rank bonus may become "formed" again by winning a round of combat (or with a normal reform action, if not in combat). Units that have no rank bonus (solitary models, outflanked regiments, units with only a front rank, skirmishers etc.) break from a failed rout roll as normal.
Challenges
Issuing and accepting a challenge are both worth +1 Combat Resolution each. Refusing a challenge causes a formed, ranked unit immediately to become unformed as the cowardly character wiggles through the ranks to the rear of the regiment. In a duel, the combatants can focus entirely on one another and thus the fighting is more blow for blow. Resolve the order of attacks as per WFB 1e: the combatant with the highest initiative makes one attack first and each subsequent attack is made at one less point of initiative. Simultaneous attacks are resolved as normal, with the highest printed initiative going first (regardless of the initiative of the attack) if neither side has a special ability to always strike first or last; otherwise, a tied initiative characteristic is resolved with a die roll (only roll once and apply the result to all simultaneous blows that round). A victorious challenger can continue to resolve remaining attacks against a slain foe for the purpose of the overkill bonus to Combat Resolution (keeping in mind the note on page 108 of the 5e Rulebook that clarifies special abilities or weapons that multiply wounds do not continue to multiply wounds after the enemy in a challenge is dead and rather just cause a normal single wound per unsaved wound inflicted).