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Chronopia


The basic rulebook provides both a rules system and a dark fantasy world. Each of five races has its own army and spell list. Book is lavishly illustrated, both with concept art and photos of finished miniatures.


Designers
Dave Jones, Alan Cowsill, John Robertson
Publisher
Target Games
Year Published
1997
Status
Out of Print
Contents

206-page softcover book, including four cardstock sheets bound into the back of the book:

  • a page of counters and a ruler (must be cut apart)
    Counter sheet

  • two pages of templates (must be cut out)

    Template sheet

    Other template sheet

  • one reference card (two-sided)

    One side of reference card

Scale
Designed for 25mm scale figures. (The publisher also produced the Chronopia line of 25mm miniatures.)
Basing
Individual

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This entry created by Personal logo Editor in Chief Bill The Editor of TMP Fezian on 15 September 1999. Last revised by Personal logo Editor in Chief Bill The Editor of TMP Fezian on 20 December 2016.

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Chronopia

Dark Fantasy Miniature Battles

Rating: gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star no star (9.00)
Total Votes: 10

Description

the world turns,
the sand falls,
and blood runs cold.
nothing lasts; nothing endures.
all is crushed,
and ground to dust beneath the wheels of time.
warriors, kings - kingdoms,
where time is the master we are all victims.
the only question is, who will be the first,
and who will be the last.
in the world of Chronopia
the battle to decide has begun.

- Chronopia, pg. 97

As the poem clearly tells, this is one dark, nihilistic, somber bitch of a world. Not the kind of place you'd like to live, but maybe a good place to get some gaming done, eh? Nearly one half of the lavishly illustrated rulebook is devoted to background and history, of which the condensed version is this:

  • the world is "a wild and untamed place," until a human leader - the Firstborn, also known as the One King - founds a mighty human empire.
  • obsessed with preserving his empire, the One King experiments with sorcery...and may inadvertently cause what he seeks to avoid...
  • a coalition of three peoples - the Blackbloods, Elves, and Dwarves - defeat and enslave humanity - the One King is slain.
  • centuries pass - the Triad coalition disbands.
  • the Four Prophets rise, enabling the One King's soul to be reincarnated as a newborn babe.
  • after much fighting, the One King founds the Second Kingdom, known as Chronopia
  • the Four Prophets rebel, following the Dark One and forming the Devout.

The rulebook introduces the five major races of Chronopia:

The FirstbornThe One King and his human subjects, whose religion and kingdom is called Chronopia. Their wizards - the Chronomancers - manipulate "the very fabric of time." The Sons of Kronos are barbarians loyal to the One King.
The ElvesElves recognize no national boundaries, and are themselves divided among several Noble Houses rather than having central leadership. The Lotus Flower is the center of their magic.
The DwarvesThe Dwarves were devastated when a magical cataclysm transformed their living gods into animalistic beings known as Totems. The various Clans live in great subterranean cities, called Ringholds.
The BlackbloodsThe union of Orcs, Goblins and Trolls under the tyranny of the Ogre Emperors. Their dress and customs have a strong Oriental/Arab influence.
The DevoutThe forces of "unearthly evil," led by the Four Prophets and worshipping the Dark One. The rank and file include Undead released by the Keepers of Hell, demonic warriors, and "perverted creatures" from other planes of reality.

The Armies

Roughly the last fourth of the rulebook serves as both a guide to the armies allowed, and an illustrated catalog of many of the official Chronopia miniatures.

In a nutshell, players create armies using an agreed-upon number of points. Armies are composed of Individuals and Warbands (groups of 2-12 models), with only one Individual allowed per Warband in the army. There cannot be more missile-weapon-armed Warbands than non-missile-armed Warbands.

The army list indicates for each type of Warband the maximum and minimum number of members, and whether any special types - such as leaders or standardbearers - are allowed.

Points must also be spent to purchase spells. Each army list includes its own, unique list of available spells.

Each Warband must have a leader, even if a specific leader-type model was not purchased for that group. If the leader is slain, a new leader will be chosen - usually on a turn by turn basis...

The army list provides a profile for every troop type, indicating a model's stats. The fields are:

  • Close Combat
  • Missile Weapons
  • Powers [mystical abilities score, if any]
  • Leadership
  • Actions
  • Wounds [hits]
  • Strength
  • Movement
  • Armor
  • Defensive Modifier
  • Size [normal, large, or giant]
  • Point Cost
Example: Let's say we're working on a Firstborn Army, and we want a Warband of Firstborn Knights. The army list tells us that this Warband type consists of 4-8 Firstborn Swordsmen and 1 Firstborn Swordsmen Leader. As an option, we can also take Firstborn Greatswordsmen (one per every four regular Swordsmen) and a Firstborn Swordsmen Standard Bearer (one per Warband).

The costs are listed by troop type, so the total cost for a sample Warband is easy to compute:
4 Firstborn Swordsmen 4 x 23 = 92
1 Firstborn Swordsmen Leader 1 x 25 = 25
1 Firstborn Greatswordsman 1 x 28 = 28
1 Firstborn Swordsmen Standard Bearer 1 x 23 = 23
TOTAL = 168 points
There's a ratio of one Individual per Warband, so now that we have a Warband, we can also choose an Individual. For instance, we could take a Chronomancer. (Special rules limit these to 1 per 1,000 points.) He costs a base 85 points, plus the cost of his spells - from the list of 7 available Chronomancer Spells in the basic rulebook.

The Game System

The rules, which compose the one-fourth of the rulebook which is not printed in color, are pretty straightforward. Players roll for Initiative, with the winner deciding which unit of either player begins the turn. After this, players alternate "activating" units until every unit has been activated once.

When a unit is activated, its members - one model at a time - have the chance to do something. Each troop type is rated for the number of Actions it can take per turn (usually 2 Actions per turn). The available Actions are:

  • Move
  • Fire [missile weapons]
  • Aim [improves chance to hit; not cumulative]
  • Close Combat
  • Charge [Move and Close Combat combined]
  • Concentrate [temporarily increases model's mystical powers, if any]
  • Cast [magic]
  • Spot [reveal hidden items]

A model may also choose to Wait. This allows it to postpone one Action until an enemy model does something that it can see.

Individuals (non-Warbands) may perform two special Actions - Give Orders, which activates another friendly unit; and Rally, an attempt to restore a panicked Warband.

A model which is farther from the Warband's leader than the Command Distance must spend all of its Actions on Moves until it is again within range of the leader (usually 4").

Close combat may occur when two models are in base-to-base contact. The attacking player rolls a d20, trying to roll equal to or less than a value determined by his model's Close Combat stat minus the defender's Defensive Modifier score. A natural "20" is a fumble, causing the attacker to lose any remaining Actions this turn; a natural "1" is an automatic hit.

Now the defender gets to roll a d20, trying to avoid damage by rolling under or equal to the defender's Armor rating minus the attacking weapon's Damage score. Some weapons require multiple Damage rolls.

Example: A Dwarf (a Dark-Tusk Legion Swordsman, to be specific) attacks a Troll. The Dwarf has a CC value of 14, but the Troll has a Def of -3, making the target number (14 - 3 = ) 11. The Dwarf player rolls a d20, scoring a "5" - a hit!

The Blackbloods player now rolls to avoid damage. The Troll's Armor score is 24, but the Dwarf's Bastard Sword has a Damage rating of 8. The target number is (24 - 8 = ) 16. The Blackbloods player rolls a d20, getting an unlucky "19"...and for failing the roll, takes 1 Wound. One more hit will kill this Troll...

Missile weapon combat is similar, except that the attacker must be facing his target and have an unobstructed Line of Sight. No measuring is allowed until after an attack is declared, when - depending on the weapon's stats - a target might be found to be at Close Range, Maximum Range, or out of range. To hit, the attacker must roll less than equal to his model's Missile Weapon score (minus a penalty, if firing at Maximum Range; or with a bonus, if it has previously Aimed).

Priority rules limit which targets an archer can select - preventing singling out leaders, or firing on distant units instead of nearer threats.

Spells are cast in a similar manner to ranged combat. The caster must roll less than or equal to his Power score, minus the Level of the spell. (Some spells allow the caster to choose the level of the spell.) Concentrating provides a bonus to spell-casting.

Once a Warband has lost half of its models, it is broken. A Morale Roll must be made now, and for each subsequent casualty. The roll is made versus the Leadership score of the group's leader, and failure results in Panic. (A natural "20" means the unit flees, and is instantly removed from play!) A panicked unit uses all Actions to move towards friendly territory. It recovers when safe, when it succeeds at a new Morale Roll (one per turn, with a penalty applying), or when an Individual succeeds with a Rally Action.

In Chronopia the prime objective is to have fun. Ok, we lied. The prime object is to win. To crush your opponent utterly, without mercy or remorse!

- Chronopia, pg. 105

The game is over when one player no longer has any forces, or when he surrenders. Alternately - such as when playing to a time limit - the player wins whose surviving forces add up to the most Army Points.

The rules also cover such topics as:

  • mounted combat
  • terrain effects on movement and combat
  • thrown weapons
  • area-effect weapons
  • shields (and shield wall)
  • multiple attackers
  • breaking away from combat
  • charging and countercharging
  • hidden models, hiding, and spotting
  • firing through friendly troops, or into melee
  • leaping, and diving for cover
  • special abilities (cause fear, berserk, etc.)
  • unique combat skills (killing blow, feint, ram, etc.)

What the rulebook does not include:

  • campaign rules
  • scenarios (though scenario ideas are provided)
  • rules for creating your own units or armies
  • painting or construction tips (although the photos of painted models are helpful)

Editions

Originally published by Heartbreaker.

Supplements

Land of the Two Rivers

Land of the Two Rivers

96-page full-color, soft-bound book. Introduces a major new race, an ancient quasi-Egyptian lizard race known as the Stygians. Explains how the One King awakens the Stygians in a desert wasteland known as the Land of the Two Rivers, and how all the major powers are now involved there. Provides new rules for the desert. New units and spells for all of the existing races, plus the complete army list for the Stygians. 1998. Designers: Dave Jones, with Peter Flannery and John Robertson

Land of the Two Rivers sheet

Land of the Two Rivers sheet

New markers and templates.

This supplement advances the storyline of Chronopia by involving all of the major races in a desert wasteland known as the Land of the Two Rivers. The One King, seeking a way to defeat the Devout, embarks on a scheme to arouse an ancient, hibernating race - the Stygians. The new race is saurian (lizard-like, but not lizard-men), resembling the Egyptians in look and style, but with a strong Aztec influence as well (they sacrifice victims on altars, gaining mystical benefits from the blood).

The first 33 pages cover the history and background of the One King's quest, with plenty of illustrations. Another 14 pages detail how each of the major races (Firstborn, Elves, Dwarves, Blackbloods, and Devout) are involved in the Land of the Two Rivers. Then 4 pages provide further background on the Stygians. There is also a page illustrating the Chronopian calendar.

(Note that although this supplement focuses on the Land of the Two Rivers, it turns out that the Stygians have buried cities throughout the world, and thus will now be a factor throughout Chronopia.)

New rules are covered in four pages, covering:

  • casting of spells before a battle begins
  • new special abilities (trample, back stab, cold-blooded, feasting on the slain, chameleon, blood frenzy)
  • battle effects of the desert climate (determined randomly before battle)

There is something new for all of the existing races:

RaceNew UnitsWeaponsNew Spells/Potions
Firstborn Firstborn Mounted Axe (I)
Desert Crusaders (W)
Straightsword
Cavalry axe
Envision
Tactical Advantage
Elves Generic Elven Militia (W)
Dream Warriors (W) [Crystal Lotus]
Warriors of the Golden Mask (I) [Helios]
Dragon Clan Slaves (W) [Obsidian Serpent]
Dragon Hammer
Halbard
Two-handed Lotus Sword
Flame Lance
Petrify [Black Lotus]
Engulfing Flames [Red Lotus]
Ice Weapon [Silver Lotus]
Levitate [Blue Lotus]
Dwarves Tusked Raiders (I) [Dark-Tusks]
Horned Raiders (I) [Horned Ones]
Warhammers (W) [Blood-Bones]
Vulture Impaler (I) [Vulture]
Desert Wolf Warriors (W) [Wolf]
Axe
Bladed Flail
Goring Spear
Warhammer
Lupus Axe
Impaler Crossbow
 
Blackbloods Goblin Myrmadon (S)
Orc Caravan Guard (W)
Goblin Crimson Blades (W)
Double-Mounted Kutara (I)
Scimitar
Falchion
Long Spear
Shortbow
Bow
Two-Handed Falchion
Fire Bomb
Devout Jackal Clan Scouts (I)
Jackal Clan Crossbowmen (W)
Wailers (W)
The Nameless (I)
The Forgotten (W)
Dusk Realm Demons (W)
Cursed Blade
Dagger
Claw Spike
Elbow Spike
Altar Axe
Vorpal Sword
Demon-Horn Sword
Heavy Crossbow
Dark Ones Fury [Warped Lord]
Corrosion [Necromancer]

Plus the complete army list for the Stygians:

New UnitsWeaponsNew Spells/Potions
Stygian Warriors (W) [Swords, Spear, Axe]
The Starved (W)
Stygian Reapers (W)
Great Warriors (I)
Guardian (I)
Stygian Priestess (I)
The Embalmed (?)
Sisters of Tiamat (I)
Venom Spawn (I)
Desert Wyrm (I)
The Drugged (S)
Talon-Sword
Sickle
Sacrificial Sword
Gilded Sword
Two-Handed Stygian Axe
Blade of Aspu
Viper-Tooth Flail
Gilded Polearm
Talon-Spear
Throwing Dart
Throwing Spear
Mirage
Greater Desert Wyrm
Sandstorm
Blazing Sun
Mesmerize
Quicksand

Lastly, two new cardstock sheets provide:

  • another cardboard ruler
  • 22 markers for Wounds, Activation, Hide, Petrified, Tunneling, Fear, Wait, and Panic
  • Greater Desert Wyrm "mouth" marker
  • area templates for Quicksand, Sandstorm, Desert Twister (3), Fire Bomb/Engulfing Flames
  • weapon template for Flame Lance

The Firstborn Watchtower

Boxed set. Includes a cardboard watchtower (to be constructed from eight cardsheets), two exclusive miniatures - the Enlightened of the Firstborn, and the Stalker from the Devout. Rules for fighting in and around buildings. A scenario.

Sons of Kronos

Sons of Kronos

96-page soft-bound, full-color book. Includes a detailed history and background of the lands of the Untamed, army lists for three tribes of the Sons of Kronos, new rules for fighting in the Frozen Wastes and the Great Pine Forest, a new time-line (illustrated with all the major events in the lands of the Untamed). 1998. Designers: John Grant and Patrick Casey, with Peter Flannery

Sons of Kronos sheet

Sons of Kronos sheet

New weapon templates and counters.

The story of Chronopia progresses as this supplement outlines a failed campaign of the Devout to conquer the One King by invading via the northern wilderness. Two of the Four Prophets agree to work together, advancing from northeast and northwest to unite just north of the One King's capital. (The book hints that this campaign might be cover for what the other Two Prophets are up to...)

The land through which they are advancing belongs to the Sons of Kronos, a quasi-Viking, semi-Celtic barbarian race loosely allied with the Firstborn. The supplement explains that the Sons of Kronos are divided into three branches:

  • The Tribe of the Dawn - Those who honor the pact with the One King, and have forsaken the traditional gods.
  • The Tribe of the Goddess - Those Sons of Kronos who still live by the ancient ways, including worship of the Earth Goddess. Their Matriarch distrusts the One King.
  • The Shadow Tribe - Those tribes which have chosen to ally with the Devout, though whether they have been deceived or have schemes of their own has not yet been made clear...

The other races have a minor role in this campaign - one of the Devout armies marches through Blackbloods territory, various Elven houses both help and hinder the Firstborn, the Stygians are fighting to seize several of the Sons of Kronos' sacred groves, and the Dwarves are retaking part of a lost northern Ringhold from the Devout.

The action ends with a dramatic battle at the prehistoric Wall of Ages, where the fate of the One King's empire is determined.

The first 36 pages, heavily illustrated, cover the history and background of the Devout invasion. Another 9 pages detail how each of the major races (Firstborn, Elves, Dwarves, Blackbloods, Devout, and Stygian) are involved, using maps to illustrate troop movements. Then 16 pages provide further background on the Sons of Kronos, with listings for each of the three divisions.

New rules are presented in 12 pages, covering:

  • mounted troops
  • chariots
  • climbing, jumping, and falling
  • "dead ground" and optional shooting rules
  • new special abilities (ferocity, climb, forest warrior, ice warrior, hunter, thrown weapon, sense presence)
  • snowdrifts and ice
  • battle effects of the northern climate (determined randomly before battle)

Army lists are provided for all three versions of the Sons of Kronos:

  • The Tribe of the Goddess can use elements from any Sons of Kronos army and spell list.
  • The Tribe of the Dawn can use elements from the "generic" and Dawn army lists, spells from the rune magic list, and up to one-third of their army can be from the Firstborn list.
  • The Shadow Tribe can use elements from the "generic" and Shadow army lists, spells from the Earth Mother magic list, and up to one-third of their army can be from the Devout list.
TribeNew UnitsWeaponsNew Spells/Potions
Generic Tribal Warriors (W)
Hearthguard (W)
Berserks (W)
The Wyrd (I) [spellcaster]
Slingers (W)
Hunters (I) and War Hounds (W)
Barbed Spear
Reaver Axe
Hand Axe
Javelin
Two-Handed Reaver Axe
Two-Handed Sword
Sling
Spear
Spirit Staff
Straightsword
Sword
Earth Mother Spells

Wall of Thorns
Call of the Dragon
Blessing of the Goddess
Voice of Despair
Savage Roots
Way of the Wyrd

Naqada Rune Magic

The Spear of Llyr
The Sword of Gwrnach
The Horn of Celtchar
The Helm of Moriath
Dalan's Cloak

Tribe of the Goddess Scythed Chariot (S)
Viridian Lords (W/I)
Shadow Tribe The Monarch (I) [mounted warlord]
The Unliving (W)
Tribe of the Dawn Aonbarr Horse Warrior (I)
Maidens of the Blade (W/I)

Lastly, two new cardstock sheets provide:

  • another cardboard ruler
  • 34 markers for Hide, Petrified, Fear, Wait, Freeze, Rampage, Shield, Activation, Wounds, Blessing of the Goddess, Sword of Gwrnach, Helm of Moriath, Dalan's Cloak, Stunned, Way of the Wyrd, Tunneling, Panic, and Berserk
  • Ice Storm template
  • 9 area templates for Wall of Thorns

Dwarf Talon Gates

Boxed set includes a full-color cardstock model of a Dwarven Talon Gate, and two exclusive miniatures - the Stygian Hammerhead and the Dwarven Vulture Clan Talon Lord. A 32-page booklet provides rules for fighting indoors and underground, plus a complete scenario.

Fallen Land

Fallen Land

88-page soft-bound book includes rules for fighting in jungles, a new army (the Swamp Goblins), and new units for existing races (including a Goblin Ripper Beast Chariot and a flying Elven Dragonbane). 1998. Designer: Peter Flannery

Fallen Land sheet

Fallen Land sheet

This supplement tells us something about the Fallen Land, a great sunken jungleland on the eastern frontier of the Blackbloods Empire. This land is chiefly inhabited by the Swamp Goblins, who are the only race able to harvest the many bounties of the jungle (including Yellow Lotus, highly prized by the Elves).

This book also advances the storyline of Chronopia: Encouraged by the Jade House of the Elves (a semi-independent Elven noble house whose chief city is on the rim of the sunken land), the Swamp Goblins renounce their traditional affiliation with their fellow Blackbloods and the Blackbloods Empire. They are joined in this rebellion by the Goblins of Terakan, who calculate that the Emperor Nizar is too involved elsewhere to be able to resist. By the end of a military and diplomatic campaign, the Blackbloods regain Terakan but have lost the Fallen Land to the Swamp Goblins and their Jade House allies.

(However, there are hints of more action to come - the Stygians are awakening in the Fallen Land, and a blight in the northern jungle may be connected to the growing influence of the Devout.)

The first 32 pages provide the historical narrative, with many illustrations. Another 3 pages provide background on the Swamp Goblins and the Jade House of the Elves.

New rules are presented in 13 black-and-white pages, covering:

  • mounted troops
  • chariots
  • flyers
  • climbing, jumping, and falling
  • "dead ground" and optional shooting rules
  • new special abilities (ferocity, climb, jungle warrior, hunter, outmaneuver, unseen assailant, sense presence)
  • hazards of the jungle

Some of the "new" rules have been published in other supplements, but are included in this book so that players are not required to own all of the other supplements in order to use Swamp Goblins or Jade House Elves. The "completely new" rules in this book are the flying and jungle hazard rules.

Army lists are provided for the Swamp Goblins and the Jade House of the Elves. A Swamp Goblin army can include some Jade House units, and vice versa. (The Jade House army list is independent of the other Elven army lists.) In addition, some of the other races receive some new units:

ArmyNew UnitsWeaponsNew Spells/Potions
Swamp Goblins Spearmen(W)
Heavy Spearmen (W)
Blowpipers (W)
Web Masters (W)
Headhunters (W)
Mantis Guard (W) [poleaxe]
Drone Warriors (W) [aerial cavalry]
Sentinel (I) [spider cavalry]
Swamp Fiend (I) [monster w/riders]
Shaman Drone Riders (I) [mage on flying mount]
Novice Shamans (S) [bombs/pipes]
Chitin Sword
Chitin Axe
Spiked Chitin Mace
Chitin Lance
Lore-Staff
Chitin Spear
Powder Pipe
Two-Handed Chitin Axe
Mantis Claw
Net
Blowpipe
Gourd Bombs
Chitin Poleaxe
Seed of the Poison Yukka
Fleetness
Primal Force
Fortitude
Hornet's Nest
Jade House Elves Militia (W)
Swordsmen (W)
Spearmen (W)
Archers (W)
Axemen (W)
Dragonbane Scouts (I) [lizard cavalry]
Dragonbane Warkillers (I) [lizard cavalry]
Skyrider (I) [aerial lizard cavalry]
Yellow Lotus-Eaters (I) [mage]
Longsword
Two-Handed Sword
Sword
Lance
Two-Handed Axe
Hand Axe
Two-Handed Spear
Longbow
Javelin
Halberd
Clouded Sight
Illusory Shroud
Illusions of Dread
Illusory Foe
Monstrous Visions
Stygian Stygian Tree Devil (I)    
Devout Demon Wing (W) [flying] Two-Handed Spear  
Blackbloods Blackblood Goblin Chariot (I)
Ogre Myrmadon Bull Cavalry (I)
Heavy Longspear
Poleaxe
Shortbow
 
Generic Elven Warkiller (I) [lizard cavalry]
Scout (I) [lizard cavalry]
Skyrider (I) [aerial lizard cavalry]
Longbow
Javelin
Longsword
Lance
 

The Jade House army list also provides rules regarding the Staff of Sorcery - which allows a player to buy a special power for each Yellow Lotus-Eater prior to battle - and for the random effects on ordinary units from eating Yellow Lotus in battle.

Lastly, two new cardstock sheets provide:

  • 44 markers for Wounds, Fear, Berserk, Panic, Activation, Hide, Wait, Hornet's Nest, Chokewort, Grabber Plant, Explosive Spores, Clouded Sight, Illusory Foe, Illusory Shroud, Fleetness, Primal Force, and Fortitude
  • 5 templates for Seed of the Poison Yukka, Hornet's Nest, Small Explosion, Powder Pipe, and Burning Nectar

The Dwarven Labyrinth

The Dwarven Labyrinth

96-page full-color, soft-bound book includes new rules for fighting underground and in buildings, cards and rules for simulating the unpredictable nature of the underworld, new counters and templates, and new units for the Dwarves, Devout, Stygians, and the Firstborn. 1998. Designers: John Grant with Peter Flannery

Sample card

88-page softcover book (back cover mistakenly claims the book is 96 pages long). Book includes two cardstock sheets bound into the back of the book, providing:

  • 2 templates (must be punched out)
  • 4 markers
  • 30 cards
  • sample card

An earlier supplement - the Sons of Kronos - described how the Dwarves marched north and reconquered a lost Ringhold from the Devout. This supplement continues the story by telling us the tale of the Devout campaign to regain the lost underground fortress - involving a mysterious Dwarf legend, two Devout armies, a noble martyr, and several epic battles.

The first 31 pages, highly illustrated, provide the historical narrative. Another 3 pages provide background on the Labyrinth itself.

New rules are presented in 30 black-and-white pages, covering:

  • mounted troops
  • chariots
  • flyers
  • climbing, jumping, and falling
  • "dead ground" and optional shooting rules
  • new special abilities (subterranean warrior, hunter, outmaneuver, stalk)
  • 17 pages of rules for indoor combat (including buildings, tunnels, caves, etc.)
  • rules for the underground environment

The new underground rules introduce the use of Hazard Cards. Players draw these cards per turn when playing in unstable underground environs. The "play" of a card represents an attempt by a friendly unit to trick an enemy into a dangerous spot. Some cards have a "risk" chance, meaning that a player might accidentally endanger his own units when playing the card.

A page of black-and-white markers (i.e., doors, windows, hatchways) are provided for use in "indoor" environments. These must be copied (and perhaps mounted on cardboard). [In another editorial error, the back cover copy incorrectly claims that all templates are full-color.]

Some of the "new" rules have been published in other supplements, but are included in this book so that players are not required to own all of the other supplements in order to use this supplement. The "completely new" rules in this book are the indoor combat and underground environment rules.

New units, optimized for underground combat, are provided for the Dwarves, Devout, amd Stygian armies. The Firstblood also receive a new unit.

ArmyNew UnitsWeapons
Devout Blood Hunters (W) [demon riders]
Soulflayer (I) [winged demon]
Abyss Crawler (I) [giant tunneler]
Shadow Stalker (I)
Sword
Bone Cleaver
Javelin
Parrying Claw
Dwarves War Totem of the Horned Ones (I) [bearing crossbow team]
Dwarven Tunnel Fighters (W)
Dwarven Warshields (W) [hammer and crossbow]
Dwarven Fire-Thrower (W) [team of two]
Sword
Axe
Fire-Thrower
Heavy Throwing Spear
Two-Handed Sword
Two-Handed Hammer
Heavy Hand Crossbow
Heavy Repeating Crossbow
Large Warshield
Firstborn Firstborn War Chariot (I) [drawn by 4 horses] Poleaxe
Stygian Ophidian (I) [flying venom-spitter]  

The book closes by presenting lists for two sample armies: Ss'thaa N'aaa's Accursed Troop (993 pts), and Colm Crainnach's Ranger Patrol (1,000 pts).

Lastly, two new cardstock sheets provide:

  • 2 templates (flame, visibility arc)
  • 4 color markers (stalking, tunneling)
  • 30 Hazard Cards

The templates and markers consist of art but no text, making it difficult to tell what they are for - unless you notice the key on the inside back cover.