Index
Welcome to the Fantasy Rules! FAQ (Revision January 2000) These Frequently-Asked Questions are largely compiled from the Chipco Yahoo Group. In many cases, multiple answers have been provided by various people. The "official" answer is from Chipco, but other answers are often useful for house rules. No attempt has been made to compile the full rule set here. Quite the opposite, in fact--you will need the rule set to play Fantasy Rules! These FAQs are, rather, an attempt to clarify portions of the rules that occasion frequent questions, and to provide an overview for people who want to know more about the game. Wherever possible, these FAQs conform to the Fantasy Rules! 2nd Edition rulebook, errata, and official rulings (copyright © 1998, by Chipco). Play the game, not the rules and please restrict all violence to the gaming table :). Any additions, comments, corrections, and alternate interpretations are welcome. Please send them to the Chipco Yahoo Group (preferred) or to the compiler, David Lewis. Credits for this FAQ go to:
What is Fantasy Rules!? Fantasy Rules! is not...
Fantasy Rules! is a fast-playing, mass-combat fantasy miniatures wargame. It is typically played with 15 mm or 25 mm miniatures. With FR! you can play a minor battle between rival city-states or "recreate" the Battle of the Five Armies from J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. If you want one figure to represent one solder, FR! will not satisfy you. If, on the other hand, you need to resolve a battle in a fantasy milieu with thousands of soldiers on each side (even on multiple sides), FR! may be just what you're looking for. In FR!, each unit or stand of figures represents an unspecified number of individual soldiers (or monsters, or whatever). Combat effectiveness is abstracted so that a unit of handweapons has the same Combat Factor, regardless of what army it is part of. Thus, for example, a unit of orc handweapons has the same combat effectiveness as a unit of halfling handweapons (though there are probably far more halflings than orcs in the two units). Characters improve combat effectiveness and provide other advantages, but cannot by themselves determine the outcome of a battle; good tactics are more important than having a particular unit. And, of course, you can play FR! with whatever figures you have. You don't have to purchase special figures--even for tournament play. FR! gives the feel of a medieval wargame, with a variety of fantastic elements added. It also provides rules for...
FR! uses opposed 10-sided dice to resolve combat, with a single opposed roll required for each combat even if multiple units are involved. Additional units add modifiers to the die roll. What do I need to play? You will need...
What figure scales work with FR!? The FR! rules recommend 15mm or 25mm figures. However, since one of the guiding principles of Fantasy Rules! is that you should be able to play with whatever figures you have, you could play with just about any scale, with a few simple changes to ranges and distances. For example, some people use 6 mm figures, and either use the same distances and ranges as for 15 mm figures, reduce all distances and ranges by 1/2, or use cm instead of inches (a reduction of 1/2.54). Some people have assembled armies using 10 mm figures, as well. How many figures should I put on a base? The number of figures on a base is not specified by the FR! ruleset. The ruleset (2nd Edition) does contain a table showing the recommended number of units per base for specific unit types. As long as you make sure that all units of a given type have the same number of figures per base, you'll be fine. What base sizes are used in FR!? For 15mm figures, the standard base size is 40x40mm and for 25mm its 60x60mm. Juggernaut bases are 1x2, 2x2, or 2x3 standard base widths. Using 6 mm figures is not specifically addressed in the FR! rules. That said, some people use 6 mm figures, mounting them on either a 20x20 mm, 30x30 mm, or 40x40 mm base (with lots of figures). The FR! rules do not specify. Various approaches are taken; ultimately, you probably should agree with your frequent opponent(s) on a base size. Common approaches are:
What base size is used for characters? Characters may be on any base size. Chipco provides 20x20 mm bases in their (15 mm) army packs. If a character figure is cast with a base it can stand on, it does not need to be specially based. 15 mm character figures are commonly mounted on 20x20 mm bases, or on 20x40 mm bases if mounted. 25 mm figures could be similarly mounted on 30x30 mm or 30x60 mm bases. What if my figure doesn't fit on one base? You can juggernaut under the optional rules or simply put it on a larger base and pretend that its the right size. There could be a problem if the unit is attacked on the rear or flank. In cases where its a problem, it could be a good idea to replace the oversized unit by a counter (1BB size) until there is enough room to put back the mini.
What's the Best Army? Whatever army appeals to you. In FR!, the units are abstracted in such a way that a unit of any army has the same combat effectiveness as the same type of unit of any other army. This leaves you free to put together an army that appeals to you, without losing the ability to compete on an equal basis with any other army you may encounter. In effect, you are purchasing unit abilities (irrespective of race), as long as you pay the correct points, your unit can be as you envision it. A variety of army lists are defined in the rulebook, but you are also free to devise your own list if the predefined ones don't appeal to you. There is no singel best army, the winner is usually the best tactician. Some army lists have specific advantages, but the individual unit costs and the army lists are balanced to reward good tactics, not the selection of a particular army. Where can I find all the army list rules? It isn't easy to see exactly what is available to each army list, you can't just rely on the charts at the back. Many of the options are scattered throughout the rules and there have been additional errata and rulings on the matter. However, I have put together an Army List Viewer that has all the rules and official errata and rulings brought into a single location. There are no house rules here, you'll find that many lists look quite different than you expected (while others look just like you expect). Do I have to use the Orc list for my Orc army? No, I have a highly-mobile Orc army patterned after Ghenghis Khan's steppe raiders and not after Tolkien's masses of grunts. It's called "Kublah Kahn and his Mongrel Hordes!". Kublah is an Orc general and has lots of Goblin Wargrider Light Cavalry. If you don't like the army list that is most obvious for the army you envision, pick one that's closer to your vision. In this specific case, I should use the Steppe list in building and presenting my army. I could use the Arabic list, they have the extra movement for Light Cavalry I need and lots of extra troop types and monsters that I couldn't buy using the Steppe list. However, since I have patterned my army off Ghenghis Kahn and haven't bought any of those troop types or monsters, the Steppe list would give my opponent a better understanding of the army he could be facing. Its only fair that I should represent it to him as accurately as possible and not hide behind the extra troop types of the Arabic list. Army lists, like units, are abstract. Your Kobold army might not have any kobolds in it, it might be composed of lots of goblin juggernauted mobs with free throwing rocks. Aren't Orcs tougher than Halflings? In FR!, a unit is an abstraction. The unit is defined such that a unit of handweapons has a particular combat factor, regardless of race, nationality, bestiality, etc. FR! does not impose racial, national. or other advantages and disadvantages, such as orcs being far stronger, one-on-one, than halflings. FR! does not deal with the relative strength of individual soldiers at all. Instead, a unit of orc handweapons, for example, would contain far fewer individuals than a unit of halfling handweapons. The precise number of individuals in each unit doesn't matter in the least. It's simply "however many it takes" to get the same combat factor. So orcs are, in fact, sturdier and stronger than halflings (in any milieu I've heard of, at least). But if a unit of orc handweapons is a couple of dozen orcs, a unit of halfling handweapons might contain a hundred or more halflings. Why do Dwarves get +1 on combat rolls? To add a little color, some armies have army-specific advantages and disadvantages. In every case, the advantage and disadvantage are roughly equivalent in their effects on the outcome of a battle. In the case of the Dwarfs army, the CF+1 is balanced by a movement reduction of 1/2". Other army-specific special advantages and disadvantages include the Chinese army (allowed one elite dragon), the Halfling army (allowed elite traps), and the Kobolds, who get free mobs or mob-juggernauts, but lose bonuses from their ranged (throwing) weapons. Can I use my DBx armies with FR!? Absolutely. You will have to determine the unit conversions, but they are straightforward. Then pick out some compatible mythical elements to add to your army to bring them into the realm of fantasy. For example, a medieval germanic army might add Valkyries as lesser spirits, Lorelei as traps, etc. Or a Scottish highland army might add a bagpiper as "bard" (causes fear for an additional 10 points), bottles of single-malt as traps (or poison), Nessie as a large monster, midges as a swarm (if you can manage to model them in 15 mm!), etc. Will I need to re-base my DBx army? Yes and no. FR! is designed to work with 40 mm square bases (in 15 mm), while DBx uses various depths with a 40 mm frontage. However, you can use a removable adhesive (Blu-Tack, Plasti-Tak, etc.) to temporarily attach figures based for DBx to 40x40 mm bases for use in FR! If your DBx units are mounted on steel bases, you can cut 40 mm squares out of magnetic sheet and use these "movement stands" as your FR! bases. If your DBx units are mounted on magnetized bases, you can purchase 40 mm square steel bases at your local gaming store and simply set your DBx units on these as your FR! bases.
Why can't Battlwagons 1x2 Juggernaut? They can. The Juggernaut chart has an error in it and the rules on pages 87-88 are correct.
Can characters be targeted? No, characters can't be targeted by missiles or magic, but are very vulnerable to being run down by any unit. Do level-1 spellcasters provide unit bonuses? Yes. Unless otherwise listed, level-1 clerics/shamans add +1 to a units morale and wizard/necromancers add +1 to a units melee. Are Bards considered spellcasters? Yes. The rules say otherwise, but Chipco has ruled that they now count as level-1 spellcasters. This means that if you are playing with a limit of 2 levels of spellcasters, any Bard you buy will count as as half your limit. However, we feel that Chipco got it right the first time and that they shouldn't be considered spellcasters. Instead they should have their magic pool reduced or eliminated and their cost reduced because of this. Since they don't have spells, they aren't even close to on par with the other level-1 casters. How do multiple characters affect unit bonuses? The official answer is that all CF/Rally bonuse from any attached characters are added to the units stats. However, many people feel that this is two powerful and leads to abuse so they implement their own house rules. Some only allow the largest bonus, but we feel that the following unofficial method is slightly better for those who want to restrict it because it allows for all characters to count, but removes the potential for abuse that the rules currently have.
With this method, take the best bonus or the square root of the sum of all bonuses, round up (whichever is better). So if you have a General + 2 Heroes its still just +2/+2 (as highest and sqrt of sum is the same), but add a third hero and the sum is +5/+5 which is more than the sqrt of 2, so it becomes +3. This sounds much more complicated than it is. The following chart breaks it down more simply.
Are double demoralized units always pushed back? Yes, a unit must always fall back when double demoralized, regardless of the source of the demoralization (even from spell effects). If the unit is unable to fallback a full base depth, for any reason (not enough room, they are trapped, etc.), then the unit is destroyed instead. Does demoralizing undead units count towards winning the phase? No, undead units automatically clear all demoralization markers at the end of the phase prior to determining the phase winner (Rulebook pg:112). Can any type of contact cause a fear tests? Yes, any time a fear causing creature makes contact or is contacted by a unit which doesn't cause fear, an immediate fear test happens. This applies whether or not the unit moved intentially, by magic, by follow-up moves, etc. How does Taunt work? Taunt is loosely defined in the rules, but Chipco (specifically Curtis) has made recent rulings to firm up the rules. Here are the Taunt rulings:
What is a Group? A Group is a collection of units lined up in side to side base edge contact and front corner to front corner contact (such that their front edges all align to form a straight line). Normally an army can only execute a number of moves equal to the value remaining on their morale clock. Each of these moves can be used to move either a Unit or Group in your army. Thus if you have grouped up several units you can end up moving more troops in your movement phase than you would have been able to move as individual units. Groups also may provide Support (+1 CF) to the members on either side of them providing both the unit giving and receiving support have the Support ability. If a unit that is part of a group must turn to face an enemy, they are no longer considered part of a group even though their base may be lined up perfectly with the other members of the group, their front edge no longer matches up with the other members. Can a group make multiple formation changes? Units/groups may make any combination of allowed moves as long as the total movement cost does not exceed their movement allowance. Since a formation change costs 1/2 of a groups movement allowance, a group could make two formation changes, but could not make any other movement. Is following-up considered a charge? No, follow-up moves are not considered charges so attackers do not get their charge bonus and defenders do not get their when-charged bonuses. Can you turn after following-up? Yes if following up didn't cause you to become engaged and there is a enemy unit on the side you wish to face. Can I turn to face an enemy on my flank for free? You have to pay to face the enemy, unless following-up (see above). After all, you could just as easily move away from it. Can a flier swoop over and attack a rear? A flyer can move around or over a ground unit and turn to make its attack from the rear, if it has sufficient movement allowance remaining. That's one of the advantages of flyers. Can a unit move through an Etherial unit? Yes, you can move your units through any etherial unit, but they have to take a fear test while going through (even when moving through friendly Etherials). Can units end up overlapping other units? No, a unit cannot end its movement while interpenetrating another unit. "Spirits, ethereals, and air elementals can move through any unit type, friend or foe, but cannot end a turn with any part of their base overlapping any part of another unit's base." (Rulebook pg.48)
Can you fire into melee? No, a unit may not fire into melee, however here is an unofficial optional rule to allow it should your group prefer that it be allowed. For Bowfire, move up on the firing line for each extra unit in the melee. So if you fire a group of two into a melee of two you fire on the 1 line with any results being applied to both units. If you fire three into a melee of two you fire on the 2 line, four at a melee of four you fire in the 1 line, etc. For Artillery, give the firing unit +1 to hit and -1 to damage fore each extra unit in the melee. So if an artillery unit fires into a melee of two units, they would get +1 to hit but -1 to damage. Since units in a melee are in a sense co-located, it makes sense that they should share the fate of any results, but since they are so much larger than a single unit you need to concentrate more fire to achieve that result. How does Elite missile fire work? Well, there's 2 schools on this, I'll cover the official rulings first. Officially you get +1 on the line for each elite unit in the firing group. So if you have 3 elites and 1 normal unit firing together you'd get +3 to your die roll and apply that result to the 4 units firing line. Now on to the unofficial, but widely used method. Many FR! veterans from the mailing list (myself, John, Guy, Paul, Randel, etc.) feel that the official version of things doesn't make sense. Why do I fire better than I normally am able if the unit firing next to me is elite? Under the current rules, if I am normal and have an elite ally firing next to me I essentially fire as elite as well. If I am elite and have an elite ally firing next to me we both suddenly become double elite! This doesn't make much sense, so a house rule that we use is this:
So if 3 units are firing and 2 are elite the group would fire as elite and get +1 on the 3 line (2 Normal and 2 Elites would fire on the 4 line with no bonus as the masses of normal troops have dilluted the fire). How can I group my missile fire? You can take as many shots at a target as you have firing units and you can combine them or not as you choose. So with 12 firing you could take 3 shots on the 4 line or 12 shots on the 1 line at a single target (or any combination in between). Do I have to announce all my missile fire? Just like in melee, you may see the result of one firing before declaring and executing the next. Does artillery have an Arc of Fire? Yes, artillery has the normal 90 degree arc of fire that all missile troops have (you can find this at the front of the book under the "Arc of Movement" definition). This would mean that heavy artillery has its arc fixed once it has fired. However, Curtis has ruled that Heavy Artillery may turn in place if they don't fire that turn (i.e., they may swivel to change their arc, but not move normally). What about Blessed missile troops? Chipco has ruled that Blessings grant troops an additional (+1,+0,+1) instead of making them elite (this is in addition to any other bonuses). This ruling affects the rules in the following manner:
This latter effect is intentional by Chipco, but there is a large movement on the mailing list that allows Blessings to add to missile firing rather than combat. The rational behind this is that your god's blessing would help each particular troop type in the manner they fight. It seems most play it this way, but realize that this is against the official rulings (so won't be used in tournaments or in play with neutral parties).
Can a unit in melee still provide support? Yes, a unit with support provides support to allies on its flanks that can receive support even if its in a melee of its own. When can I use my "when charged" bonuses? You can uses these in a melee whenever the unit that charged you started its movement phase within your arc of fire (even if it was out of range). So if an enemy flier started its move within your arc of fire, but out of range and flew over and behind your unit, causing you to turn to face them in melee, you'd still get your "when charged" bonus in that melee even though you were attacked from behind by a unit that was out of your range last turn. Grapple is confusing, how does it work? Grapple has undergone some recent rulings, such that the rulebook description isn't close to its current state. Here are some current Grappling facts:
This change make grapple no longer a combat so you no longer get your charge bonus as you rush up on them in movement. However, later in the melee phase, once you have them immobile in your tenticles, you do get to add in your charge bonus. Does this make sense to anyone?. If you were going to drop the charge bonus in one of the 2 attack phases that round it should be in the melee portion. Why would anyone buy a grappling Battlewagon now? The extra 30 points actually makes them fight worse, oh well, that's how it works now. How does Fade work? Units and characters with Fade are not destroyed as normal, they Fade instead. Units caused to Fade still count as a Kill towards the determining the phase winner, but Faded characters do not cause their automatic Morale Clock reductions (if any). If they are killed after their Morale Clock has reached 4 or less, then they are actually dead and their death modifies the Morale Clock as well. Faded units return one full turn later and reappear as close as possible to the spot at which they were destroyed. If the exact spot is occupied, place it as close as possible, with the exact location being at the discretion of the player that originally destroyed the faded unit. Faded entities with magic casting abilities keep their existing personal magic pool and have that same amount when they return.
Please explain level-1&2 spellcasters? Level-1 spellcasters (of the type allowed by your list) are available in Level-1&2 magic games while Level-1 spellcasters are only available in Level-2 magic games, the rules are generally written with Level-2 magic in mind. Some army lists are only usable with Level-2 magic rules (Archangel, Demon Lord, and Hive Queen) and others (Necromancer and Druid) are less desireable in Level-1 Magic games as some of the lists special abilities go away. Level-1 Spellcasters
The last entry is important because some spells cost less for some armies or spellcasters. For instance, the Holy army casts the bless spell for 1 point less than normal, so a Level-1 Cleric (acolyte) may not pay 3/1 to affect 2 units instead of 1. Because they may not cast spells whose original cost is more than 4, Level-1 casters in armies like the Sea Elf list may not summon water elementals (its only a 4 point spell for them, but normally costs 6). Some people have house rules that ignore the last 2 bullets, but this doesn't have a majority of support from the list members, play how your group likes. Can spells be cast on engaged units? Yes, unless the spell specifically says otherwise. Do movement spells void normal movement? No, units may still make their normal move during the movement sub-phase, if able. Can I Bless an elite unit? Yes, the Bless spell has been changed, it no longer makes units elite. A unit which has had Bless cast upon it will have its morale level increased by 1. If that unit was already at its normal morale state (i.e., not demoralized or double demoralized), then the unit will be considered blessed and receive a (+1,+1) bonus. Yes, this means that if you bless an undemoralized unit of Elite Knights, they will get an additional (+1,+1) over and above their Elite status (cool).
What makes up a unit? A unit is the sum of what's in it. When you fly, disorient, destroy, etc. a unit, everything else in it is likewise affected, moved, destroyed, etc. (although any characters make a CRR roll if its destroyed). What is Native Terrain? Some armies can move through a specific terrain at no movement penalty (for example Wood Elf armies can move through woods at no movement penalty). This seemed a bit lacking, so I asked Chipco if this could be better defined and expanded upon to form a Native Terrain concept. The following rules for Native Terrain have been officially approved for FR! by Chipco. Native Terrain: Units in a native terrain receive no negative movement or melee effects and all positive melee effects for the given terrain. Using our Wood Elf example above, this means that if you wanted to buy your Treants as Heavy Cavalry, then, in Woods, they would move no penalty, maintain their +1 charge bonus, and not have to pay the -2 difficut terrain penalty. This also means that any fliers bought can fly in/out of woods without having to stop first and any Rangers would still receive their +1 in difficult terrain bonus. It should be noted that Native Terrain doesn't affect obstructed Missile Fire. I.e., you still can't fire at concealed units and you still receive cover penalties even if it is your Native Terrain. Are their multi-player rules? No, not officially, but there is an unofficial N-Player Sequence of Play Chart that seems to work well for any number of sides. This has been playtested a lot and is now even used in 2 player games by some. Many have also had success with multiple armies per side using the following modifications:
These rules are more epic in scale, so the loss of Heroes, Level-1 spellcasters, etc. shouldn't have as big an effect as they would in a normal smaller game of FR!. We have played using these modifications many times with 4 armies per side (8,000 total points) and they have worked out well. If anyone has good rules for 3 or more factions, then please drop me a line.
Where can I find the rules? Fantasy Rules! is published by Chipco games and you should be able to find it at your local gaming store. If not here is the Chipco contact information that you can provide to them so that they can order it. Chipco You should also be able to order it online at Saber's Edge hobbies and games. Is there a newsgroup or mailing list? There is no newsgroup, but there is a Yahoo Group here. There are very knowledgeable people on the list who will be able to answer most of your questions very quickly. How can I find opponents in my area? The Chipco Yahoo Group has a database that lists players from various locations across the country. Are there FR! related websites? Yes, here are some FR! related website links:
|