Event cards for WotR

[FierceKitty]

The text below refers to random event cards for my WotR battles. Plain numbered cards would do, but we're making cards with suitable pictures and a few key words to be printed out by a friendly professional. Not wanting to risk copyright infringement, I'm not including the actual cards here - and Lee's still designing them. The rules references are to my set, but could be very easily modified for DBx, and probably for other sets.

WOTR bogey cards    For WotR battles, a deck of 38 cards may be used with numbers from 1-38. Percentage dice are not a satisfactory substitute. Each sided draws three at start of play, before setup. These supercede the usual bogey table.

1) Favourable winds and snowstorm from own first roll of 5, 6 on control until subsequent roll of 1, 2. LB shoot at +1, take SR against LB or CB at +1. Vector = both side edges of shooters extend to enemy base line.  
2-4) Vanguard. May set up 1-4 LB units an extra 10" forward or part thereof. May begin behind stakes.  
5, 6) TFM, mntd or any mountaineers.  
7, 8 )  Armour one levy unit.  
9, 10)  Scourers have lances.  
11, 12)  Normal ambush.  
13)  Stirring speech before battle. + 1 on first two army morale tests unless roll is 1.  
14, 15)  Family feud. Own Percies must attack any Nevilles within 8" at start of a round at any time in battle; own Nevilles likewise against Percies. Count I on contact until end of SR. Declare this card if ever within 8" of target unit.  Ignore the second card if both drawn together.  
16) Controlling Clarence:  If George of Clarence ever betrays his side, Yorkist player may use a sleeper agent in the pay of Richard of Gloucester; 4-6 Clarence is murdered; his unit leaves the field and does not count as a loss. If Lancastrians draw this card, ignore.
17) Queen Margaret has joined the battle and accompanies an infantry unit of own choice. They add 1 if they roll 4, 5 in melee unless she is killed (risk as to general, but in addition to other losses). If Yorkists draw this card, ignore.
18, 19)  Confusion: Play this card if a unit is fighting in melee and is threatened with an attempted flank attack. With 4, 5 the flank attackers get confused and withdraw at full speed to camp (rallying upon reaching camp or if control roll is ever 5, 6). With a 6 they accidentally attack friends in flank, causing no kills but disordering them. May not play both in one round if one has both.
20)  Play this card if support threatening enemy flank is confused by bogey card 18, 19); the confusion is rectified if the confused unit rolls 3-6; add 1 if supported unit or supporting unit is commanded by a C-in-C or accompanied by Margaret.
21) Kill Clifford! Any of the York brothers will attack Clifford unit on sight within 8"; +1" movement, count E until target unit (or self) is broken or destroyed. If Lancastrians draw, ignore.
22)  Any of own Welsh move unhindered in rough, fording, in towns, or over hills. Play when needed, but counts for entire game. Welsh spearmen on mountainside may throw stones at lower enemy at 4" range.  
23, 24)  Enemy known to have powder shortage. Play when their guns begin to shoot. They run out of ammunition if the first roll of a round is a 1, and may not shoot after this round. Handguns are not affected.
25, 26) Own foreign mercenaries demand outstanding pay. If this is refused, they leave the field if control ever rolls 1. If paid extra, they fight normally, but the army counts for morale as losing its baggage (excluding Henry VI), since this is where the cash comes from. "Foreign" includes Flemish, Burgundian, German, and Welsh.  
27)  Brotherly love. Edward and Richard within 3" of each other's units each +1 on first melee roll each round. Lancastrians ignore this card.  
28 - 30)  Extra beer. First recoil result may be ignored; play when needed.  May count only once per unit.
31, 32)  One unit of troops with pavises have upgraded them with spikes. Note in writing which. If attackers ever cross the pavises and defenders have shot this round or are deployed into line in readiness to do so but were preempted by attack, each attacking element in the front rank facing a defending element rolls a D6 and is a casualty with a 6.  
33)  German artillerymen. Own artillery may reroll first two missed shots of game.  
34, 35)   Reserve. If a control roll of 1 occurs, may bring reserves in to reinforce a depleted unit; unit recovers an element of casualties, or two with a roll of 5, 6. This card may be used once only. A unit presently in melee cannot be reinforced.  
36)  Peasant volunteers. Add 8 elements of HI, IPW levies. These are NOT the "levy" troops mentioned elsewhere.  
37, 38)   Coffee. Player may present this card and demand a cup of coffee (or sweet Madeira, aka Malsey, if available!).  

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Thanks look very useful.

[Steve J]

Very useful Alexander .

[Leman]

Thanks for those. I use the Bloody Barons 2 rules, which include various personality variations, but your cards may well assist in making solo game play a little more random fo me to weave my stories.

[Big Insect]

37, 38)   Coffee. Player may present this card and demand a cup of coffee (or sweet Madeira, aka Malsey, if available!).  

Coffee? Surely not - as you say some other fortifying beverage maybe

One other thought is

39-40 - Garlic! Unit is slowed to 50% move rate and fighting capabilities are impaired by 25%, as unit has come across a stash of garlic bulbs in a recent looting spree and over indulged - so terrible Dysentery effects the unit - having the runs in hose or full leg armour is not pleasant!

[DecemDave]

41.  Any unit present headed by a Stanley will move to attack the weakest unit on the table regardless of side.

[DecemDave]

Or perhaps better 41.  Any unit present headed by a Stanley will not move at all until it is obvious which side is losing at which point it attacks the weakest unit on the losing side.

[FierceKitty]

My rules already make provision for potential treachery by commanders designated unreliable; it just so happens that Stanley and Clarence qualify.

The English probably had less of a garlic phobia in the 15th century; no Mrs Beeton to frighten them.

[Last Hussar]

For cards I use "Magic Game Editor" - this allows you to make 'Magic" cards, so easily used for other sets. I then send the exported PDFs to ArtsCow for printing on professional cards.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lasthussar/albums/72157632271073354

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lasthussar/albums/72157637637258765

[FierceKitty]

Those look pretty good.

[FierceKitty]

We've just picked up the set of event cards from the printer; very professional-looking job. Reverse has pix of Edward, Richard III, Margaret, and Henry on background of royal blue and Burgundy, with gold fleurs de lys. Obverse has pix from WotR battles and a couple of key words to look up in the rulebook.

(watches postbox eagerly for the last figures....)

[Last Hussar]

I enjoy putting together a pack, finding the images, etc. I have 4 packs for IABSM, 1 each for US, UK, USSR and Germany.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Done similar for IABSM. Didn't know about Magic Game Editior, so I did a table playing card sized in word, printed off and stuck to a poundland pack of playing cards.

[hammurabi70]

An interesting idea but do random events enhance or detract from battles?  My associates [i.e. my opponents across the tabletop battlefield] tend to the view that such items are not additional factors that they want to consider.  A bit like playing chess with a random event cards that add or subtract pieces or move them about the board.  How do you conceptualise this?

Re 33, how many German artillerymen were there in the WOTR?

{For production I find thin card that will go through the printer sufficient but it looks amateur rather than the professional finish on a card.  However, it is a lot cheaper than the £15 a pack I had to pay for the Chinese cards!}

[FierceKitty]

German artillerists were very highly esteemed and well paid, and both sides hired whatever help they could get. For the rest, I play chess-like games with great pleasure, but they offer a different kind of satisfaction from what I seek in miniatures games.