Scenario 3: Blockade
The soldiers posted on watchtowers in the Cathayan borderlands protect citizens from the predations of raiders. From their strategic vantage points they can alert the border towns whenever vicious assailants approach. These fortifications are dependent on regular supplies couriered from the border town and if these fail to arrive. As one such supply caravan makes its journey to fortified outpost, a tactical raid is underway to intercept its cargo.
terrain
Place a building (or other appropriate terrain feature, a herdstone for Beastmen for instance) that is roughly 10” x 10” in the middle of the board. This represents the watchtower. Then each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain appropriate for the Cathayan borderlands. We suggest that the terrain is set up within an area roughly 4’ x 4’.
warbands
The player who chose this scenario can chose the role of attacker or defender. The defending warband is placed inside the tower. The attacker may place his models anywhere on the board but at least 15” away from the tower.
starting the game
The defending player takes the first turn.
special rules
Defence: As long as the defending warband's leader is inside the tower he may re-roll a failed rout test once each turn.
Supplies: At the end of his turn the defending player rolls a D6 and adds the number of turns already passed. On a result of 6+ the supply caravan from the border town appears. Roll a scatter dice to determine the point of entry. Deploy the caravan on the table edge at the point of entry.
The supply caravan consists of a cart drawn by one draft horse and five Guards to protect it (see Bestiary). The cart follows the rules for wagons as described in the Empire in Flames supplement (p. 30). However, it is loaded with supplies that slows it down to a maximum Movement of 8”. Note that one guard will have to drive the wagon.
The defending player controls the models of the supply caravan as if they were in his own warband. Losses from the supply caravan do not count when taking rout tests. If the supply caravan reaches the safety of the tower then the Guards continue to fight in its defence. Any surviving Guards will return to the border town at the end of the battle.
ending the game
The attacker wins the game as soon as there are no warriors from the defending warband inside the tower and there is at least one attacking warrior placed inside.
In addition, the first warband to fail its rout test loses the game.
experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or a Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of a winning warband gains +1 Experience.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
raiding the supply caravan
If the attacking warband wins the game they may plunder the tower’s supplies. Roll for each item below to see what they find.
| Roll | Item |
|---|---|
| Auto | Victuals that decrease the warband’s size category by –1 |
| 2+ | D3 Helmets |
| 3+ | D3 Swords |
| 4+ | D3 Light armours |
| 5+ | Dragon Sword |
| 6+ | Handgun |
campaign points
- -1 Tower raided. Defending warbands with the Celestial Protectorate objective lose –D3 campaign points, if they lose this scenario.
- +1 Supplies received. The defending warband gets +1 campaign point, if the supplies caravan reaches the tower or if the attackers rout so that they cannot prevent the supply caravan from arriving at the tower.