Gaelic Mass Combat (Quick rules, sample units)

27 Jan, 2025

The following provisional mass-combat rules are designed for testing as part of a Mythic Ireland game that should be starting within the next month. As I am transitioning away from the mechanics of Mythic Bastionland to a Wolves hack, these rules draw inspiration from ItO-likes and BX/WuTC, hopefully to create something relatively light and easily adjustable.

Unit Stats

Each unit includes the following information:

• Rank: 1-4 (Untrained, levies, professional warriors, elite warriors).
• Health: Rank d6 + (Rank x 2).
• Damage: (Rank)d6.
• Range: Number of squares they can attack across.
• Armour: (Armour Level)d6 (rolled and subtracted from incoming damage).
• Movement: Squares moved without exertion/rushed movement (standard: 1 / 2).
• Type: Skirmisher, Ranged, Infantry, Heavy Infantry, Light Cavalry, Heavy Cavalry, Mounted.
• Morale: Bonus to morale. Morale functions as in Wolves Upon the Coast.

The values for each stat are rough baselines which are highly contextual depending on unit type and background (e.g. Skilled Heavy Infantry and Skilled Skirmishers may have similar levels of expertise, but skirmishers will generally have less hp and deal less damage.

Actions

Movement

• Units can move up to their free movement value.
• Rushing adds a -d6 penalty to all actions until the end of the next turn. Morale saves are made at disadvantage if exhausted.
• Moving out of melee combat incurs a reaction attack by all in range unless:
  • A rearguard unit moves in to take their position and absorb the attack.
• Units cannot move-attack-move, unless they have a special ability.
• Attacking after moving at a rush adds an additional +d6 damage before the penalty applies in subsequent rounds.

Melee

• Deals damage.
• Adds +d6 for each additional allied unit within melee range (excluding diagonally adjacent units unless flanking).
• Incoming damage is reduced by the unit’s armour die.

Skirmish

• Ranged attacks deal an additional +d6 damage if flanking enemies or taking them by surprise.
• If firing into melee, damage is distributed equally between allies and foes (e.g., 20 damage = 10 to the target and 10 to allies in the line of fire), unless flanking.

Brace

• Only available for infantry equipped with spears or similar weapons.
• Declare facing and:
  • Ignore morale effects of cavalry charges.
  • Add +2d6 damage in melee if a cavalry unit advances through the declared direction.
  • Skirmish attacks against the braced unit deal an additional +d6 due to the dense formation.
• Bracing consumes the unit’s movement for the round, changing facing also takes a round.

Heroes

• Attaching a Hero to a unit adds +d6 to the damage roll.
• Additional Heroes allow the unit to roll with the best result added to the damage.
• A lone hero against a warband:
  • Suffers double damage.
  • Deals half damage.
• Each knight improves a unit's morale by 1.

Breakthroughs

When a maximum damage die is rolled during an attack, a breakthrough occurs if at least 1 point of damage is dealt. Roll 1d6 for the result:

1. Pushed Backwards: Target unit is moved one additional tile backward; attacker may follow.
2. Overwhelmed: Target suffers +d6 damage from all attacks until passing a morale check at the end of each turn.
3. Formation Crumbles: Target suffers -d6 to all attacks until passing a morale check at the end of each turn.
4. Commander Vulnerable: Target unit commander can be engaged by heroes. PC Heroes take 1d6 damage if made vulnerable unless challenged by opposing heroes.
5. Formation Split: Target can be moved through by enemy forces until passing a morale check at the end of their turns.
6. Fleeing: Target must make a morale check with -2 or flee the battlefield.

Multiple breakthroughs can occur on a single attack roll.

Unique Units

Sisters of the Merciful Mother (Daughters of Scáthach)

• Type: Infantry
• Rank: 3
• Health: 3d6 + 6
• Damage: 3d6 (Stave-Spears)
• Range: Melee
• Armor: 0
• Movement: 1 / 2
• Morale: +4
• Special Abilities:
  • Blend in with Civilians: -1d6 damage as spearheads are removed for disguise.
  • Pole-Vaulting: Can cross small rivers or terrain features without movement penalties.
  • Spiritual Leadership: +4 morale as long as Abbess Emer remains on the field.
  • Can brace against cavalry when spearheads are attached.

This unit of thirty women are trained in the highest forms of martial arts and valour, in honour of the Amazon warrior Scáthach who trained the great warrior Cu Chulainn. Cast out by their communities or families to become cloistered nuns, the abbess honed these women into incredible warriors well-versed in both Pagan and Christian traditions. They often intercede in local issues to resolve banditry, tyrannical lords, and supernatural disruptions while maintaining their cover as charitable nuns. This unit represents all but the most junior nuns from the Abbey of the Merciful Mother.

Badbh's Banshees

• Type: Skirmishers
• Rank: 3
• Health: 2d6 + 4
• Damage: 2d6 (Slings, swords, hand axes).
• Range: 2 Squares
• Armor: 1 (Padded armours, leathers)
• Movement: 2 / 3
• Morale: +3
• Special Abilities:
  • Shrieking Banshees: Reduces the morale of all opponents within 3 squares by 1.
  • Head Slingers: If stationed on a square where a significant number of foes were killed, the unit can collect heads. Their next attack forces an immediate morale test, with a penalty equal to the rank of the collected heads.
  • Badbh’s Honour Guard: +4 morale as long as Queen Badbh remains on the field.
  • Skirmisher: Can move-attack-move.

Badbh 'The Red Queen' Mac Eidbe has been a dominant figure in politics within the Ulaid and her household warriors are one way in which she remains so. Although lightly armored, these high-ranking women bring terror and carnage to the battlefield. Wailing like banshees throughout battles, they have found special success in slinging the heads of their foes in battle to deal devastating blows to morale and cohesion among enemy ranks. Their signature headchopping axes decorate their banners, but you'll hear them coming long before you're close enough to decipher the imagery.

Gallowglass

• Type: Heavy Infantry
• Rank: 4
• Health: 4d6 + 8
• Damage: 4d6 (Spears, Axes, Swords)
• Range: Melee
• Armor: 3 (Heavy mail, shields)
• Movement: 1 / 2
• Morale: +2
• Special Abilities:
  • Drilled and Disciplined: Immune to hostile breakthroughs.
  • Mercenary Loyalty: Immediately makes a tactical retreat if their employer is killed or flees.
  • Can brace against cavalry charges.

These Gaelic-Norse warriors have in recent years become highly sought after assets by both Norman Lords and Gaelic Kings. Foreigners from the Hebrides and Scottish Highlands, they offer an attractive mercenary force isolated from Irish politics. Their heavy armour and weaponry also provide a tactical answer for Gaelic Lords to Norman military supremacy in pitched battles, often seeing use as bodyguards or shock troops. Failing to pay these Gallowglasses the agreed wage will see the employer paying a much higher price.

#mechanics #mythic ireland