Quest for the Grail
After being lost for centuries, the floating island of Harr M'harr has suddenly reappeared. The island was reputedly hidden by the knights protecting the Grail of m'Ash Fforde, a relic of awesome power, and the island's reappearance can only mean that the knights' power is on the wane. Expeditionary forces from across the world have made haste to the island intent on seizing the grail for themselves or - perhaps more importantly - stopping their enemies from seizing the grail.
You must prepare a 2,500 point army list and then split it into THREE:
- A force of no more than 1,500 points to fight the first battle
- At least 500 points of reinforcements - led by a character - which arrive during the second battle, and
- At least 500 points of reinforcements - led by a character - which arrive during the final battle
The army list must be handed in before the first battle, before you even know who you'll be fighting in that battle. Army lists will be kept private - the first round lists (but not either reinforcements) will be published after the first round is completed while the 2,000 point version (but not the final reinforcements) will be published prior to the final.
The draw for both second round will be made once the first round of battles is over (i.e. if Alf beats Bob and Carl beats Doug in round one, Alf won't necessarily be playing Carl in the second round and may instead be facing Englebert or Gordon).
Army lists received
None.
Hand (or email) your army lists to Emrys as soon as possible as the cup can't start until they've all been received.
First Round - Night Attack!
You've not been on Harr M'harr for more than a couple of days and your scouts have reported in to say they've found where a rival army has camped. Under cover of darkness you've taken position to eliminate this threat to your mission. The sun is not yet risen when the whispered order comes through to attack ...
The defending army sets up their camp in the centre of the board. The attacker can set up within 9 inches of the camp. Visibility - and therefore the maximum movement and shooting range - for the first turn is 9" for Turn 1, 18" for Turn 2 and normal for Turn 3 onwards. Once set up is complete, roll a D6 (rerolling ties) to determine who goes first - if the defender wins it indicates that sentries spotted the attackers just before the attack was launched.
The winner will be the army which has (a) captured, killed or chased off their opponent's general while keeping theirs safe and not fleeing, (b) control of more table sixths or (c) scored more VP than the other - if you capture/kill your opponent's general while keeping yours alive and on the battlefield then you've won regardless of the table sixths or VPs.
Second Round - Taking the High Road
After defeating your first opponent you've moved inland, heading for the fabled Grail Tower. As you enter higher ground movement is increasingly restricted to one of the barely used roadways - and someone else has got here first! If your quest is to be successful you must take the high road ...
During this battle your first lot of reinforcement will arrive together with those units/characters which were relegated to reserves.
Flip a coin to determine who holds the high ground at the start of the battle. The defender sets up first and the attacker moves first. Reinforcements will arrive from turn 2 onwards - roll a 6 for them to arrive on Turn 2, a 4+ to arrive on turn 3 or automatically on turn 4.
You win if you capture, kill or chase off your opponent's general while keeping yours alive and on the battlefield (not fleeing). If neither side achieves this then count up the total Unit Strength for all units which are within a march move (ignoring the presence of enemy units) of leaving the table on the roadway in the defender's deployment area. A unit only counts if ALL its models are within a march move of the roadway. The winner will be the side with the higher combined Unit Strength. If neither of these conditions produces a winner, then the winner is the army that has scored more Victory Points.
Grand Finale - Capturing the Grail
At last you've reached the Grail Tower and were it not for the presence of other armies glory would already be yours. Your tactics for this grand finale will have to be at their sharpest as you have to see off not one but three pretenders. Can you trust any of your opponents to a temporary alliance or will be it everyone for themselves? Should you try to take the Tower before seeing off your closest opponent? It's being able to make these decisions that put you in charge of the expeditionary force ... so let's hope your luck continues!
Your final reinforcements will arrive during this battle together with any units sent to the reserves after taking the high road.
This grand finale is found on a 10' by 4' board between the four surviving armies. Deployment areas are allocated randomly with deployment, unit by unit, passing clockwise around the table. Turn order also rotates clockwise around the table so that if Red goes first in turn 1 the sequence goes: (Turn 1) Red - Lt Blue - Orange - Dk Blue, (Turn 2) Lt Blue - Orange - Dk Blue - Red, (Turn 3) Orange - Dk Blue - Red - Lt Blue, etc.
The winner is the army which controls the Grail Tower at the end of the game. Note that the tower is defended and all units within 2 feet of the tower will have d6 arrows shot at it (BS 3, St 3) at the end of the turn. Each gate tower is defended by unit of 20 halbardiers while the grail tower is defended by 20 greatswords and 10 archers (on the roof). Use the rules for storming buildings in the WFB rulebook (p.97) to resolve these attacks. Once a gate tower has been defeated the gates have been destroyed and any unit can pass through the gate.
If the Grail Tower remains unconquered at the end of the battle then the Grail's defenders win and the runner-up will be the army which has caused the most casualties amongst other attackers.
Reinforcements for each army arrive on board edges within its deployment area using the same rules as in the Taking The High Road scenario (6+, 4+, Automatic).
After-effects of battles
How units and characters fared in the battle will have an effect on their availablilty and statline for future battles.
| Result | Not fleeing | Fleeing/Fled |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 25% casualties | Upgraded | -3 Leadership, reduced to 75% strength |
| 26-50% casualties | No change | -2 Leadership AND EITHER reduced to half strength OR relegated to reinforcements at full strength |
| 51-75% casualties | EITHER reduced to half strength OR relegated to reinforcements | -1 Leadership, reduced to half strength AND relegated to reinforcements |
| 76% casualties or worse | Relegated to reinforcements | Reduced to half strength AND relegated to reinforcements |
Upgrades
Characters will gain a stat increase or skill if they survive a battle unharmed (with 50% of their wounds intact and not fleeing/fled) using the "Mightier Empires" advancement rules. Units which are upgraded gain +1 Leadership (but lose this if they are reduced in strength after a later battle). The army's general is never relegated to reinforcements and always starts each battle on the table (but may be at reduced wounds and/or lower leadership).
Examples
A unit of 20 crossbowmen finished the battle with 9 still alive. Looking at the "Not fleeing" column we see you have the choice of either starting them as a unit of 10 on the table in turn 1 or have them arrive as reinforcements at full strength whenever the reinforcements arrive.
One of 5 knights fled the battle after losing one of their number while another fled when reduced to just one knight. Looking at the "Fleeing/Fled" column we see the first unit will start the next battle with 4 knights (75% unit strength, rounded up) but with their Leadership reduced by 3 while the braver unit will start in the reinforcements with 3 knights (50%, rounded up) but with no deduction from Leadership.