The terrain pre-game

Quite a bit of interest has been shown in Optio's terrain pre-game, which is how terrain is determined for the main game. I've decided to make the rules for it a freebie. They are laid out in this post but are also available as a free download on the Optio forum. The pre-game usually lasts between 5 and 15 minutes and is IMHO a good deal more fun than throwing dice and watching the gods drop forests and hills down from the heavens (apologies to every single rules writer out there 😲).

Astute readers will note that this system is easily adaptable to other rulesets.

RULES

Each player has 6 blocks: one army block, one scout block and four dummy blocks. The blocks are green for one player and red for the other. The army block has a helmet icon on one side, the scout block has a spy’s head icon on one side, and the dummy block has a donkey’s head icon on one side. The blocks I use measure 10x10x10mm but they can be larger if desired.

Each player also has 6 kudo coins.

There are a variety of operational terrain maps, divided into a grid of 5x5 large squares of which each square is subdivided into a grid of 8x8 smaller squares. Each large square contains terrain for a mini-battlefield and is used to set up the battlefield for the main battle. One of these terrain maps is chosen by agreement for the game. The terrain maps can be downloaded from the Optio forum (see below) and measure 40x40cm. But make them larger if you like.

Each player sets up his blocks off the map with the icons facing him and hidden from his opponent.

The players each throw a die (or they can arm wrestle). The player with the highest throw / biggest biceps moves first. He moves at least one of his blocks onto any of the large squares adjacent to the edge of the map facing him. He may move more than one block, up to all his blocks. One or two blocks may occupy the same large square. He keeps his block icons facing him and hidden from his opponent.

The second player does likewise, moving one or more blocks onto the large squares on his edge of the battlefield and keeping their icons hidden from his opponent.

In the next turn the first player moves at least one of his blocks, though he may move more than one, up to all his blocks; the second player does likewise.

Blocks may move one large square per turn. They may not move diagonally.

A block may move into a large square occupied by an opponent’s block. In fact, up to two blocks may move into a square occupied by two of the opponent’s blocks. When a block moves into a square occupied by an opponent’s block it remains near the edge of the square from which it came, to clearly indicate from which direction it entered the square. This is important.

When an army or scout block moves into a large square occupied by an opponent’s block, the block may immediately “scout” the opponent’s block. To do this, the player turns his block so that his army or scout icon is face up, revealing the identity of his block. His opponent then turns his block to reveal its identity, or one of two blocks if he has two in the square.

An army or scout block may scout only one opponent’s block per turn. If it is in a square occupied by two opponent’s blocks it chooses which block to scout.

Blocks that are revealed in this fashion continue with their icons face up for the rest of the game.

Dummy blocks with the donkey’s head may not scout.

The game continues until both players’ armies have been revealed. Once the second army is revealed all blocks except the army blocks are removed. The player whose turn it is to move next must move his army closer to the army of his opponent. This means that the army must move in such a manner that it now has fewer squares to move before reaching the enemy army.

The player may avoid doing this by paying a kudo counter. He hands in one of his kudo counters and can now, for this turn, move his army further away from his opponent’s army, or not move his army at all.

The player in subsequent turns may continue to pay a kudo counter if he does not move his army closer to his opponent’s army, however, once he has run out of kudo counters he is obliged to move his army closer to the enemy army one square each turn until both armies occupy the same square.

The game continues until one army moves into the square occupied by the other army. That square (and half of each of the two squares on either side of it)  is used to set up the terrain of the battlefield. The side of the square by which the second army entered becomes that player’s side of the battlefield.

One army may by scouting reveal another army in the same large square. In this case the army who entered the square last determines the orientation of the battlefield, i.e. the side of the large square by which it entered becomes that player’s side of the battlefield.

The player whose army occupied that large square first uses a template to adjust the battlefield. The template covers exactly the area of two large squares. It is placed so the large square occupied by the two armies is in its centre, with half a large square on each side, i.e. an area measuring 8 x 16 small squares. Neither of these half-squares can be on the side by which the second army entered the central large square.

The player may then, if he wish, move the template one small square forwards or backwards, and one small square sideways left or right. 

The template must not be used to include more impassible terrain in the battlefield as well as the edge of the map, but may be used to include less such terrain.

Once the template is positioned as the player desires, the battlefield is set up following the terrain shown by the template. The battle is then fought.

Template moved one small square upwards.

Template moved one small square downwards.

Template moved one small square to the right.

Template moved one small square to the left.

Template moved one small square up and one small square to the right. It can also move right + down, left + up and left + down.

You can get pdfs for the ruleset, player aids and a selection of maps here.

PS: Anyone who is curious about why I include kudo counters please ask. I'll be happy to explain.

PPS: People have asked this elsewhere so here goes:

I've spent some time refining the game to the point where I'm now satisfied it does its job. The point of the game is to jockey for a battlefield that benefits you or at least doesn't benefit your opponent.

The concealed icons on the blocks simulate fog of war - an army initially doesn't know the location of its opponent, just that the opponent is in the vicinity.

The scout represents a small reconnaissance party (usually horsemen in real life). The donkeys represent local inhabitants - herdsmen with their animals, that kind of thing.

If you can discover the enemy scout and army, then you might be able to move your own army into getting an advantageous battlefield, usually letting the enemy army come to a square that suits you. More often though both armies are discovered and then the kudos come into play. They represent the reputation of the general with his men. Both armies know where the other is, there's no longer any need for concealment and the men are keen to fight. The general can rely on his reputation to avoid battle for a while until he finds a good enough battlefield but eventually he has to bow to the desire of his men for a fight and lead them to the enemy, regardless of the battlefield.

From the angle of playability, the kudos give the players a little more time to jockey for the terrain they want before finally closing for the battle. I think 6 are enough, at least for now.

What generally happens is that both players find a battlefield that doesn't decisively favour either, but has some good features for both - a hill for the one, some woods where the other can anchor a flank, and so on. Which is how it usually happened in real life.