Author Topic: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...  (Read 46648 times)

Offline Horned Owl

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Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« on: December 10, 2012, 08:56:28 AM »
... Joshua wanted me to share the "house rule" units that I came up with during the course of my own steppe campaign. Most of those should be relatively easy to convert from existing miniatures. Note that those are far from official (but may of course be made so).

Please also note that the stats are First Edition (since I drew up most of the units when Warzone was still in full bloom). Especially the Armour stat would have to be converted if you are to use the units in Second Edition games.

« Last Edit: December 10, 2012, 09:40:08 AM by Horned Owl »
"How was I supposed to know he was an unarmed man? His back was to me."

Offline Horned Owl

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2012, 09:38:53 AM »


FIRSTBORN LIGHT HORSE

Highly mobile and versatile, Light Horsemen are the One King´s eyes and ears on the Burning Plains. They guard the flanks of marching armies, harry the enemy, patrol, forage, scout and carry messages. All Firstborn outposts in the grasslands have warbands of Light Horse in readiness. The hardy warriors of those bands pride themselves that they can ride a hundred and fifty miles a day for a week on minimal rations, and still fight at the end of the journey.

Light Horse wear similar armour to the foot knights, and are armed with straightswords and round shields. Their steeds are a smaller breed than the knights´ warhorses, but they have great endurance and are able to negotiate the most difficult terrain with little effort.

Light Horseman
  CC MW PW Ld Ac St MV DefCost
Rider  13 10 13 2 0 - - -
Horse  -   -   
Combined  - 21  -1 46

Light Horseman Leader
  CC MW PW Ld Ac St MV DefCost
Rider  14 10 14 2 0 - - -
Horse  -   -   
Combined  - 21  -1 50

Light Horseman Standard Bearer
  CC MW PW Ld Ac St MV DefCost
Rider  12 10 13 2 0 - - -
Horse  -   -   
Combined  - 20  0 50

Special Rules:
Firstborn Light Horse are Mounted models.
Firstborn Light Horse have the Leap Special Ability.

Structure:
3 to 6 Light Horsemen
Up to 1 Standard Bearer
1 Leader

Equipment:
Firstborn Light Horse and Leaders are armed with Straightswords and Shields. The Standard Bearer is armed with a Straightsword and carries the Light Horse Standard.

Straightsword
Single handed weapon
CR MX RM Dam
10

Light Horse Standard
All hidden models within 12" of the Light Horse Standard have to make a Leadership test at the start of their activation to remain hidden. A model that is not already hidden may not try to Hide inside the 12" radius.



Light Horse miniatures can be fashioned by cutting the legs and half the cloak off Firstborn Swordsmen Knights and attaching the torso to the leg assembly of a generic rider / knight model from a different range. Many mounted miniatures come in two or three parts (horse, legs and torso), so finding a suitable knight for the lower half should not be a problem. The sawn-off cloak is, though, and you´ll end up greenstuffing a new cloak to the miniature´s back. Getting the folds of a cloak billowing in the wind or draped over the horse´s rump right takes practice, of course.

Alternatively, one could use the top half of a Crossbowman Leader figure and leave off the crossbow that would be slung on its back. That way is less flashy, but easier. You would have to provide round shields from a different range, distinguish the leader somehow, and do some tweaking on the standard bearer.


(Rule 34P: Everything can be ponyfied. Alternatively: If it exists, there is pony of it.)
« Last Edit: December 11, 2012, 02:55:36 AM by Horned Owl »
"How was I supposed to know he was an unarmed man? His back was to me."

Offline Horned Owl

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2012, 10:07:46 AM »


ELVEN TRADE GUARD
(Generic Elven troops)

Trade is the lifeblood of the Elven realms: a steady stream of goods and merchandise that fills the coffers of the reigning Houses and ensures the prosperity of the domains. Each Elven city has ports and jetties to allow the Sky Barges to moor, vast storerooms, markets and trade houses where caravans are equipped. Mercantile Houses, often nominally affiliated with one or the other of the Great Houses, handle the bulk of the trade. While each House will go to lengths to present an honourable and fair facade at all times, the cutthroat nature of the competition means that illicit dealings behind the scenes are a practical necessity, and some cities are in a state of continuous, if hidden, war. Blackmail, bribery, sabotage, rigged bids, barratry and arson are the tools of the Elven traders; some (most notably the Obsidian House affiliates) might even resort to assassination to dispose of rivals and further their own profits.

The Trade Guard is administered by the Elven cities. They police the markets, root out smugglers, enforce taxes and tariffs and act as arbiters in trade matters. Warbands of Guardsmen also accompany caravans and Sky Barges to protect them against raiders. While they were originally created to fight the criminal trade practices, more often than not they are paid to look the other way; and many of the Mercantile Houses frequently use their own Trade Guard to spy and carry out sabotage missions against their competitors.

When escorting a caravan or patrolling the harbours, Guardsmen wear light armour similar to the city militia. They are armed with longswords and buckler shields that sport a short blade protruding out from the rim. While they rarely see real battle, most are experienced soldiers who have had their share of skirmishes with Orc and Firstborn raiders (and the occasional rogue Elven pirates), and are quite proficient with their arms.

Trade Guard
  CC MW PW Ld Ac St MV DefCost
Guardsman  14 10 12 2 0 4 16  -2 1 26 
Leader  15   10  13  16  -2  1    28 

Special Rules:
Trade Guardsmen and Leaders have the Secondary Attack special ability.

Structure:
4-8 Trade Guards
1 Trade Guard Leader

Equipment:
Trade Guardsmen and Leaders are armed with Longswords and Spiked Buckler Shields.

Longsword
CR MX RM Dam

Spiked Buckler
CR MX RM Dam
The Spiked Buckler confers -1 to damage in the same way that a shield does, but only against close combat attacks.



Trade Guards are basically Elven Militia with a different set of weapons. It´s possible to cut and scrape the halberds off a warband of Militia, and replace them with bucklers (domed buttons from your local needlework store might work) and swords. The weapons should cover up most of the ugly scratches where you had to scrape and file the shaft of the halberd away from the cloak, but some greenstuffery might be required if you want a smooth miniature. On the other hand, the Militia already come with a nice parrying pose if you glue the bucklers to the raised arm.

The Militia Leader is much easier to convert since he holds the halberd away from him. This means it´s also conceivable to just use a half score of Leader figures for the rank and file Guardsmen, and simply distinguish the warband´s leader by painting or other embellishments.

Edit: You could also use Ghamak´s pretty Ice Guard (Lotus Guard proxies):
http://www.ghamak.com/en/shop-en/ , cut off one sword and add a buckler shield.


« Last Edit: January 01, 2013, 04:38:18 AM by Horned Owl »
"How was I supposed to know he was an unarmed man? His back was to me."

Offline joshuaslater

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2012, 04:43:35 PM »
This is the stuff!!  Great descriptive text to go along with the stats and modelling suggestions.
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Offline Horned Owl

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2012, 01:17:11 AM »
Comments and suggestions are welcome. Especially about the points cost, which has worked as an ad hoc for us in friendly games, but may need a bit of professional tweaking for tournament play.
"How was I supposed to know he was an unarmed man? His back was to me."

Offline Horned Owl

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2012, 02:57:14 AM »
*edit* Pictures.
"How was I supposed to know he was an unarmed man? His back was to me."

Offline micmellon

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2012, 03:04:59 AM »
Beautiful work!
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Offline joshuaslater

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2012, 08:20:01 AM »
Nice artwork.   ;D
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Offline Horned Owl

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2012, 03:09:56 PM »


OGRE CARAVAN MASTER
Blackblood unit

While mighty armies clash on the Empire´s border with Firstborn Knights and Elven retainers, the trade routes see a peace that seems incongruous. Caravans, loaded with goods, cross the borders unhindered: the flow of goods, the tolls and tariffs enrich both sides, and without the trade, neither realm could exist. Pack animals and carts are searched diligently, it is true; travellers may be held up, and sometimes entire caravans will be detained. But on the whole, trade continues and shows no signs of slackening. At the trade ports, one may see Firstborn merchants sharing a table and cordially swapping news with Elven and Orc caravaneers, even though, mere miles away, their brethren fight and slay each other with unabating hatred.

Not wishing to disrupt the trade, all empires of Chronopia refrain from attacking caravans openly, but that does not mean that caravaning is an easy task. Devout Blood Hunters and other marauding troops harry the trade routes, plundering victuals to feed their ravenous horde. Many local tribes make their living stealing goods from under the pickets´ noses under cover of night. Treacherous guides may lead the caravans astray. And often, a lord will hire raiders or send disguised retainers to attack and pillage a rival caravan; those raids may be easily denied, and are accepted as part of the reality of trade. Unless there is blatant proof of involvement, no one will even take the trouble to file an official complaint.

Ogre Caravan Masters are in charge of the great trade caravans of Myrmadons, Kutara and pack slaves. Often, several clients will pool their resources to obtain a Caravan Master´s services to carry their goods along a trade trail. Theirs is a dangerous business; they have to plan routes, smell out traps and ambushes, hire guards to repel would-be raiders, organise the caravan´s defenses, keep the discipline, cajole the civilian passengers and dignitaries, avoid diplomatic blunders in enemy territory, judge the character of local guides, employ scouts to ride ahead and bring tidings. They have to decide where to rest, when to move ahead, which rumours to trust, which areas to avoid. All this calls for a shrewd tactical mind: A Caravan Master must be good judge of character, and a strategist rivalling the graduates of the Emperor´s Academy of War. And since trade posts abound with rumours, more often than not a Caravan Master is also a spy for his Emperor, cultivating a web of informants at every port and waystation.

The Ogre Caravan Master wears little in the way of armour. He is armed with a broad-bladed falchion (often a showpiece of his wealth, lavishly embossed and studded with jewels) and an alchemical hand rocket which is lit by a black-powder fuse. While notoriously inaccurate, this weapon´s loud whine and spectacular explosion serves to scare off raiders and hill tribes. Occasionally, the rocket is also used for signalling purposes.

Ogre Caravan Master
CC MW PW Ld Ac St  Mv Def S Cost
Caravan Master 14 10 16 3 20 -2 2 62

Special Rules:
The Ogre Caravan Master is immune to Panic.

Structure:
INDIVIDUAL

Equipment:
The Ogre Caravan Master is armed with a Falchion and a single Hand Rocket. He may be bought more Hand Rockets at 12 points apiece.

Falchion
CR MX RM Dam
- - - 11

Hand Rocket
CR MX RM Dam
6 18 -4 12(x2)

It takes 2 actions to fire the Hand Rocket.
The Hand Rocket may only be fired once and is then used up.
The Hand Rocket uses the Explosion template.
All models who are hit by the template, regardless if they make their Armour roll, are knocked down and must spend their next action standing up.
The Hand Rocket causes a Panic test to anyone within 6“ of the blast radius´edge.
The wielder of the Hand Rocket causes Fear to any unit that has already lost a model to the Rocket´s explosion or failed the Panic test, for the rest of the game.
On a fumble, the Rocket has misfired and ignited the entire bundle. Center the template on the firing model and work out damage for all remaining Hand Rockets. All Rockets are used up.



http://tritex-games.co.uk/store/product.php?id=1222

This fellow may have the making of a good Caravan Master proxy. It is hard to judge a model´s size from a picture, but since it´s billeted as an Ogre Mage, it might be tall enough to be an Ogre. One would probably have to use a small needle file to get the teeth down to size, and cut off the horns, but otherwise the miniature needs little change.

If you insist on fitting the miniature to the look of your troops and don´t mind a bit of work, you might saw off the head and replace it with an Ogre Heavy Infantry Leader´s; maybe you can saw chunks off the right shoulder and use the Leader´s shoulder pad as well.


  http://www.miniature-giant.com/ogre-mage-Reaper-Dark-Heaven-Legends-DHL-sku-2486-pr-506.html

Alternatively this one might be a good one, though it looks a bit unkempt for a dignified Ogre trader of the Blackblood Empire. One would have to shorten the sword´s handle, file down the teeth, horns and ears, and maybe add robes or pantaloons with Green Stuff.

Since its arms are raised away from the torso, you could also cut it in two at the waist and mount the upper body on an Ogre Heavy Infantry Leader´s legs.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2012, 03:23:34 PM by Horned Owl »
"How was I supposed to know he was an unarmed man? His back was to me."

Offline Cirith

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2012, 03:13:09 AM »
Nice work. I like the suggested minis too.
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Offline Delthos

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2012, 08:30:21 AM »
http://tritex-games.co.uk/store/product.php?id=1222

This fellow may have the making of a good Caravan Master proxy. It is hard to judge a model´s size from a picture, but since it´s billeted as an Ogre Mage, it might be tall enough to be an Ogre. One would probably have to use a small needle file to get the teeth down to size, and cut off the horns, but otherwise the miniature needs little change.

If you insist on fitting the miniature to the look of your troops and don´t mind a bit of work, you might saw off the head and replace it with an Ogre Heavy Infantry Leader´s; maybe you can saw chunks off the right shoulder and use the Leader´s shoulder pad as well.

In BlackBlood terms that miniature is taller than the Chronopia Troll I think. I don't have a troll model assembled so I don't remember exactly how tall it is. The Ogre Mage is on a D&D miniatures large sized base. I don't remember when it was released, or in which expansion, but their large bases were two different sizes. When the D&D collectible miniatures were first released the large size bases were closer to 2" in diameter and in the later expansions they reduced the base size to about 1.5" in diameter. My D&D miniatures are all packed away, but I'm remembering that fig being about 2.5" tall.

Offline kvaerne

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2012, 08:45:04 AM »
beautiful work.

Offline Delthos

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #12 on: December 13, 2012, 10:52:18 AM »
Also, I've gotta say, I love your concept art for the Firstborn Light Horsemen. You could also use the Firstborn Mounted Axeman for the conversion by cutting off the axe and giving him a sword and shield. Again less flashy without the cape, but the horse and fig would match the style and look of the army better.

Offline Horned Owl

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #13 on: December 17, 2012, 07:15:36 AM »
http://tritex-games.co.uk/store/product.php?id=1222

In BlackBlood terms that miniature is taller than the Chronopia Troll I think. I don't have a troll model assembled so I don't remember exactly how tall it is. The Ogre Mage is on a D&D miniatures large sized base. I don't remember when it was released, or in which expansion, but their large bases were two different sizes. When the D&D collectible miniatures were first released the large size bases were closer to 2" in diameter and in the later expansions they reduced the base size to about 1.5" in diameter. My D&D miniatures are all packed away, but I'm remembering that fig being about 2.5" tall.

Oh! That would probably make it too tall. On the other hand, one has to allow for some leeway. The Ogre Heavy Infantry were about two inches if I remember correctly. Thanks, Delthos!
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Offline Horned Owl

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Re: Horned Owl´s house rule units. Not exactly official but...
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2012, 08:55:44 AM »


ORC GUILD SLAVERS
Blackblood unit

The wealth of the Blackblood Empire is founded on the sweat of slaves; Firstborn, Elves, Dwarves, even Orcs and Goblins toil in bondage in the great mines. They harvest fields, carry loads, run errands and wait on their masters. A thousand slaves step on the auctioner´s block at Kharabad each day, and rare is the Orc household that does not have at least one or two footmen or serving-girls.

Not all slaves are treated ill. The mines of Qatuk have a well-deserved reputation as a place where men are broken in two days, and rarely survive the first week. But in the cities, slaves are usually kept well-groomed and fed, since they represent their master´s wealth – the same way that he may polish and emboss his prized falchion to show it off in public.

Professional guilds supervise the slave trade. They gauge prices, set quotas and maintain the great pens and schools where slaves are kept and trained until they are sold. They also equip caravans and slave trains; and like scavengers they follow the great hosts of the Emperor to battle, to collect the enemy wounded and to buy up the living spoils of war once the fighting is done.

Guild slavers are known to be canny and cruel. Like many Orcs, they delight in violence, and they actively enjoy breaking in their charges. They know better than to damage the goods, though; and most are careful not to leave disfiguring marks. The lords of the Blackblood Empire also employ them as strongmen, jailers and torturers. Guilders are universally hated and feared; Firstborn, with their long history of slavery and subjugation, especially despise them, and woe betide the slaver who falls into their hands.

A Slaver is usually armed with a weighted net and a long, sickle-bladed spear that is used to catch slaves and pin them to the ground. They wear little armour; often only a broad belt of bronze links and metal greaves, the better to show off their oiled, muscular arms and chests.

Orc Slavers
CC MW PW Ld Ac St  Mv Def S Cost
Orc Slaver 13 10 12 3 16 -2 1 25

Special Rules:
All Firstborn models get the Ferocity special ability against Orc Slavers.
Orc Slavers have the Group Attack special ability.

Structure:
4 Orc Slavers

Equipment:
Orc Slavers are armed with a Net and a Hooked Spear.

Net
Thrown weapon
CR MX RM Dam
Thrown - - see  below

When you throw the Net you can add your Strength to the range. Roll to hit as normal. If the hit is successful, the opponent must make an Armour roll to avoid being netted. A Netted model may not do anything but attempt to Break Away. The Strength of the Net is 8. You get a +4 bonus to hit a model caught in a net.
As long as there is a model in the Net, the wielder may not make further attacks with it. Once the Netted model is dead or has struggled free, the wielder may use the Net again.

Hooked Spear
Polearm
CR MX RM Dam
- - - 9

Any model trying to Break Away from a model armed with a Hooked Spear has a -4 modifier to its Break Away roll.



The Orc Archers and Leader, with their bare torsos, make a good proxy for Slavers. You would have to file and scrape away the quiver and cut off the bow, then build a spear out of stout wire (drilling through the hand with a fine drill). The Net can be fashioned out of fine wire mesh (sold in model or terraristics stores) bent into a shape like a folded tent and glued to the hand. If you coat it with a layer of slightly watered-down wood glue, it will be easier to paint, as the glue will fill the mesh links but shrink somewhat upon drying. Then paint black and drybrush grey or light brown.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2012, 10:59:24 AM by Horned Owl »
"How was I supposed to know he was an unarmed man? His back was to me."