In the latter days of Aelfgar of Rhinorrhea, son of Leofric the Enlightened Brute, those who dwelt beyond the great Orcs Rift grew in their numbers and boldness. They did determine that Orcs Rift would no longer be an impediment to their attaining their place in the sun - and all the treasure of the Far Lands. And so, the tribes gathered and moved. But the peoples of the Far Lands did receive warnings from the scouts and outposts along and beyond the Rift. As their armies gathered, the outposts were reinforced........

This scenario is very simple. One side represents the reasonably civilized peoples of the Far Lands attempting to reinforce and prepare for the expected attack of those barbarians dwelling Beyond The Rift. The other side represents the barbarians. Both sides are in it for individual or group glory. Oh! And the exact location of the armies is sort of ... er ... unknown. But we're expecting scouts!

The victory conditions are based on Victory Points (VP) from the following schedule:

Each player should track their own VP scores as the event occurs. This means - for example - that if an element under your command eliminates the element that results in the enemy command breaking, you get the VPs.

Bodies & Booty: You recover a body or booty when your element expends half of it's available movement for the bound next to the item. Foot elements that "carry" a body or booty are unaffected; other elements have their movement rates (except on roads) reduced by half. You lose it if the carrying element is eliminated, recoils, or flees.

Baggage: The Far Lands Baggage Master (FLBM) starts the game in control of the baggage. Small baggage elements are 5VP, large 10VP. Baggage fight as Foot and has a CF of 2. To control a baggage element, you must beat it in close combat. If a baggage element is shot at and doubled, it is eliminated. In order to receive VP for the baggage, the FLBM must exit the baggage off the other side of the gaming area on the road; other players must exit the baggage at their original entry point. Baggage moves 300p by road, 200 off-road (but can not move in bad going).

It's real simple. Follow the rules - as interpreted by the Host (Jeff Bolton) or leave. Understood? Here are the rules then:

1. Play Nice With The Others And Be Considerate Of Those Around Us.

2. Each side is given 24AP per player. No more than half of a side's total AP can be used for 3, 4 or 6AP elements. Note that this means that all of the 3, 4, or 6AP elements could be concentrated in 1 or more commands.

3. Troop elements can be purchased as Elite or Levy elements. An Elite element has its AP increased by 50%. Elites fight all combat with a +1TF. A Levy element has its AP cut in half. Levy fights with a -1 TF. Elite and Levy elements must be clearly recognizable according to the Host.

4. A command breaks when half of its assigned AP are eliminated or flee off the board. If a command breaks, the remaining elements are not removed from play. Instead, roll a die for each remaining element in the command - starting with the general's element (if possible). Add +1 to the die roll if the general is within 600p of the testing element or if the element is a Hero or Paladin.

5 You are expected to keep your nose clean (with a hankie or tissue; no nose-picking except in an emergency) and avoid promiscious expectoration.

6. Artillery can move or fire only in a friendly bound.

7. Walls - like those of the Prefecture - allow defending Foot to ignore recoils. They also give a +1TF to the defender except against aerial, magical, or artillery attack.

8The Brewery is a Stronghold and functions as such, but is on its own. (The Brewmeister hates every army that has ever come through.)

The Host is the Far Lands Baggage Master (FLBM) and deploys his command and the baggage on the table on or within 300p of the western of the road; the baggage must be in a column starting at the table edge. One other Far Lands command is allowed to deploy within 600p of The Prefecture

Entries to the gaming area are numbered 1-6. At the start of the first bound, every player rolls for an entry area. Only one command can use any one entry area. At the start of a bound, any friendly command not already on the gaming area rolls a die. On a roll of 5+, the command can enter. Players can modify the die roll by taking -3 VP for each +1 added to the die roll; the expenditure is declared before the die roll.

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There were 8 armies and 12 players (some armies were run in tandem). I can't remember all of the players (the curse of advancing years and the effects of excessive pharmaceutical use). But the armies were:

Good Guys: Dwarves (holding the Prefecture), Dwarves and Cossacks (with the baggage), Norman Humans (all Knights and 1 Aerial Hero!), and Arthurian Humans.

Bad Guys: Goblin Infantry Army, Goblin Wolf Rider/Infantry, Mixed Humans, and The Superb Rodentia (a GREAT and CREATIVE army).

The game area was about 12x6 feet - at least. (The tables at the Center Center are slightly odd in size.) It was disected by an North-South river and an East West Road. East of the river, on the road was the Brewery. Most of the area East of the river was wooded. West of the river, the areas were clearer and included the Prefecture and two farms (small BUAs with booty). Bodies were placed in three areas (8 bodies, total). The wagons started out on the road.

The players all had the right idea. It all seemed to be a mass charge towards the moving wagons and the Prefecture. Fortunately, the wagons got a few bounds of movement before most of the bad guys came on the game area.

Let's see if I can recall the order of deployment - actual entry point and entry bound was all based on die rolls: The Normans entered on the first bound in the south-east quadrant. This was followed by the Rodents entering at the south-east-center quadrant, just south of the river. Immediately, the Normans attacked the Rodents. Next, the Goblin Infantry/Rider army entered in the north-east quadrant and north of the river, heading for the Brewery through some heavy going. The Arthurian Humans entered in the north-west-center quadrant. Finally, the remaining bad guys entered in the south-west quadrant.

And so, battle was joined.

The Normans took the Rodents in the flank and the Rodents handled it - eliminating the Norman aerial hero. The battle went on with the Rodents breaking - and rallying almost all of the remaining Rodent elements!

The Arthurians took the Brewery, signed a bottling and distribution contract with the impressed Brewmeister, and then went on to fight the Goblin Infantry/Cavalry army in the bad going along the road and around the Brewery. Shooters - on both sides - proved to be pivotal in this ugly battle. There was a surprising amount of maneuver in those woods because neither side seemed able to form a line. Finally, the Arthurians triumphed and the gobs faded away.

As the baggage train started to laager near the Prefecture, the remaining two Bad Guy armies and the Dwarve/Cossack combo confronted each other in the south-west. The dwarven goat riders and heroes formed a line south-west of the Prefecture and charged and the Dwarve Legion (six elements of the Harlequin figures) blades also formed a double depth line and moved forward with a Great Eagle (flyer) overhead. When the goblins entered the area, their dragon led the way with their hero. The combo burned lots of PIPs in an attempt to meet the dwarve legionairies while they were in column. Fortunately, the eagle managed to withstand the hero for THREE TURNS before escaping (and dying to a bunch of Elite human archers.....). The death of the Goblin Dragon was spectacular. First, a dwarve hero jumped it from the rear and the dragon turned. Grounded, the dragon was jumped by every dwarve legionairie in reach. The goblin hero died in the same way. Amazingly, it was the Bad Guy humans that finally broke.

And so, the battle of Orcs Rift ended. The Bad Guys were in full retreat and the Good Guys were ready for the next battle and the wagons could move on. We did note that the hero that had taken the Brewery was under-age, which slightly soured the sweet victory.

The main thing was that we had a LOT of fun. We will do a similar scenario soon!

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