BrokenShade/MailAndSteel

This page is for my Mail and Steel information.

Or, you can go back toBrokenShade/ArmyInformation

First, information on how Mail and Steel works.

How MnS Works

HTH Attack Modifier

If the troops can attack hth, the army can make hth attacks. Adjust the leader's hth attacks as follows

+ Magnitude Difference (min -3, max +3) successes

+ Troop average ((Dex + hth Abil)/2 round up) successes

+ Might

Ranged Attack Modifier

If the troops can attack at range, the army can make ranged attacks. Adjust the leader's ranged attacks as follows

+ Magnitude Difference (min -3, max +3) successes

+ Troop average ((Dex + ranged Abil)/2 round up) successes

+ Might

Range is limited to the troop average

Damage Modifier

Adjust the leader's damage as follows

+ 1/3 troop average damage for that type of attack (round up)

Minimum of Magnitude (not leader's Essence, unless Solo unit)

Parries

If the troops can attack hth, adjust the leader's parries as follows

+ Magnitude Difference (min -3, max +3) successes

+ Troop average ((Dex + hth Abil)/2 round up) successes

Dodges

Adjust the leader's dodges as follows

+ Magnitude Difference (min -3, max +3) successes

Armour Soak

The leader gains extra armour soak that cannot be bypassed as follows

+ 1/3 of troop average L soak (round up)

Essence

Adjust the leader's Essence for defensive purposes only as follows

+ Might

Health Levels

Unit health levels are as follows

The unit has the leader's health levels, but

When the army gets to incapacitated

Reduce Magnitude by one

"Heal" all wounds, i.e. start at full health levels for the lower Magnitude

Check for Rout! ^_^

Initiative

Unit initiative is as follows

+ Leader's Charisma + Leader's Presence + d10

+ Drill

- Magnitude

Secondrary Information

Drill

1 Militia, 2 Mediocre, 3 Good, 4 Elite, 5 Superior

Might

Add any of the following that apply (each line contributes once) to all troops

1 God Blood, 2 DB, 3 Old DB, 4 Celestial Exalt with XP, 5 ...

1 talismans, 2 daiklave + 5mm armour, 3 essence discharge weapons, 4 first age weapons

2 dragon armour or warstriders

2 terrestrial exalts withat least two group Charms

Valour

Minimum of (Leaders valour) and (troop average valour)

Order

Close

2x HTH "skill" (presume this means Ability)

2x shield and cover bonuses

2x Enemy magnitude for missile fire only

0.5 x movement

-2 hesitation difficulty

Relaxed

2x (shield and cover bonuses) against missiles

Skirmish

+3 difficulty for Enemy archers

2x (shield and cover bonuses) against missiles

2x Enemy magnitude for hth attacks only (3x if enemy in Close order)

1.5x movement

+2 hesitation difficulty

Unordered

+2 hesitation difficulty

Attacks on Individuals

These work as follows

Against leaders, heroes and relays ... - Max (Drill, Magnitude) dice

Against sorcerors ... - Max (Drill, 2xMagnitude) dice

The unit defends normally (i.e. leader, adjusted for unit)!

Damage is done to the individual. The unit takes no damage!

Do Individuals Survive

They sometimes do. ^_^

Roll Wits + Willpower, difficulty max drop in magnitude for battle ... or take d10L

Comments

Note that the wording (e.g. for Drill) is mine, but the effects are as per cannon. ^_^ -- BrokenShade

Can a unit that has hesitated still parry an attack? - Malikai

Has anyone worked out if might and magnitude apply to solo units? I presume might does, but magnitude is iffy... According to the rules, a single celestial exalt has magnitude above zero, perhaps as high as 2. Since this may make a big difference in small engagements (and allow them to kill armies much better) I'd love to hear what people think.
-- Darloth

The way I understand the rules is that solo units, regardless of how strong they are, are always Magnitude 0, because it makes mention that special characters, i.e. solo units, don't add the unit's Magnitude bonus or traits, and I'd assume that this extends to themselves not having a Magnitude bonus (however, I may be wrong, as I myself can think of counter-arguments). As for Might, however, I would definitely say that solo units have a Might modifier, because a solo unit consisting of an Essence 6 Solar in a warstrider carrying around a recovered First Age relic is a must more powerful addition to the team than a single farmer with a pitchfork (again, I know that no one in their right mind would make a solo unit of a farmer with a pitchfork, but I deliberately chose extreme examples). Even without a Magnitude score, a single Celestial Exalt does make a world of difference, but, as Magnitude seems to act as a series of health bars, I'd say no, solo units don't have Magnitude. -- DarkPhoenix, who needs to learn these rules as he'll soon be leading an army into battle.

While I'm thinking about Mail and Steel, something came to mind. Area effects don't actually get any bonus against troop formations that I can find... admittedly, you can't use single-target effects to damage legions at all... but the fact that a single guy with a sword often has more of an effect on a legion than someone casting DOoB (which seems to be designed to impede armies, based on the size and relatively low damage of the effect) is a bit weird. Artillery tend to have things made up by special rules for them, but what are people's thoughts on the area effect spells and their interactions with Mail and Steel?
-- Darloth