A one-inch hexagon grid overlays the strategic map. One hex equals six miles.
Figures
Each force is represented on the strategic map by its commander figure, which occupies one hex. The commander’s entire force is assumed to occupy the same hex.
Only one commander may occupy a hex at any time. The space provides the army with forage and ensures units do not become mixed. A commander figure cannot move through a hex occupied by another commander figure.
Advanced: Passage of Lines
In the advanced game, a force may move through a hex occupied by a stationary allied force but may not stop on it. If enemy contact is made during a passage of lines, both forces are considered unformed.
Turns
Since many fantastic creatures may move in darkness and sailed vessels may also move throughout the night, a turn is defined as 24 hours, beginning at daybreak and divided into two periods: day and night. In some case, each period may be further broken into half-periods. These half periods are called morning, afternoon, evening, and night.
Light-sighted creatures prefer to move in the day period, while dark-seeing creatures may move in either period or split their movement, making half a move during each period.
Simultaneous Moves and Contested Hexes
All moves for a period, day or night, are simultaneous. In the case where two or more forces may move into the same hex at the same time, the force with the fewer number of figures moves into the hex. The figure count includes only troop figures. It does not count figures representing individuals, like leaders, heroes, wizards, and trolls.
If the number of figures on each side is equal, the force with the most move points remaining. If it’s still a tie, the commander with the most daily move points. Still a tie—dice for it.
Note: The case might arise in which cavalry gains the contested hex and continues movement, thus allowing the other force to move into it.
Reading Map
The remainder of Strategic Movement is divided into four parts.
The Valormr Campaign opens as Anax Archontas raids the dwarven citadel to establish a lair within and to cut off the main surface entrance to Throrgrmir, the dwarves’ underground realm. Meanwhile, the dragon’s allies and operatives in the subterranean realms east and west of Throrgrmir cut off communication and supply by the subterranean highway and river.1
Dwarf High King Harbard V then sends out a call to Throrgrmir’s surface neighbors, requesting aid to break the siege.
Whether they believe the Wyrm Prophecy, the lands of Law consider a dragon laired up so close to home an unacceptable threat. More than that, Throrgrmir is the richest, most influential, and most powerful state in the region. Its neighbors come to its aid to ensure lucrative trade with the gold- and gem-producing realm and to earn the favor of the dwarf kings and their powerful clans.
Objectives
Anax Archontas desires to subjugate the Throrgrmir dwarves and begin the Age of Dragons. Failing subjugation, their destruction will do. His orders to the General Commander of the Chaos Armies are to besiege the underground realm until the dwarves surrender or perish.
Each of the responding Forces of Law is under its own command. The commanders’ objectives are to march to the Throrgrmir Valley, to join forces with the dwarves and any other responding forces, and to break the siege on the citadel, routing the red dragon and, if possible, destroying it.2
General Commander of the Chaos Armies Hadewych the Arbiter gives orders to certain of her subordinate army commanders to harass the Forces of Law as they march to the valley. The intent is to reduce the combined threat to break the siege, if not destroy the Forces of Law in detail. To the remainder of the Chaos Armies, her orders are to reinforce the siege on the citadel and prepare for battle against the oncoming Forces of Law.
Flying High Above the Throrgrmir Valley, Anax Archontas Surveys the Assembled Chaos Armies. On the eve of attack, the Chaos Armies are massed at the Keep on the Pale Moor, constructed to serve as the staging area and the General Commander’s headquarters. The Ellriendi Elves respond to the massing of troops in the west, increased orc activity in the east, and the movement of a large body of gnolls in the south by blocking all river traffic through the forest and reinforcing perimeter patrols.
Notes
1 Chaos’s underground operations are not the focus of the campaign so are not played out. We assume they are successful to a great degree. The dwarves manage to get messages through service tunnels, narrow and circuitous, but not supplies in any appreciable amount.
2 In a more complex scenario, each of the Forces of Law may seek to advance its own agenda.
While Anax Archontas makes plans in a temporary lair in the Western Mountains, the normal state of affairs in the Throrgrmir Valley and the lands beyond is this (counterclockwise from upper left):
Goblinoids infest the Pale Moor and the Western Mountains.
From mountain caves, kobolds harass the highland folk.
Highlanders farm rich soil in the upper valley and keep to themselves.
Giants come down from the southern ranges every few years to raid surrounding lands.
Gnoll raids are more frequent to either side of their mountain lair.
In the east, the three towns surrounding the central city Aeskrvald are trading partners and allies.
The northern port town is frequented by merchants and travelers from lands farther east.
Northmen farm the land and ply the coastal waters, trading and raiding in the southern regions.
Orcs dominate the northern range, making the crossing at Eckselon Pass too dangerous for trade.
Gnomes dwell in hills at valley’s edge.
Pirates occupy Skullhaven, once named Thror’s Gate.
Lizard men make their homes in the marshy peninsula between the Grunthraesir River and Smaragd Bight.
Halfolk enjoy quiet lives in rolling hills between gentle streams within the confines of the Ellriendi Forest.
Elves protect the age-old forest. The Elf Queen leads the combined forces, which guard the Elding (west), the Grunthraesir (center), and the Groennendr (east), while the Elf King maintains a company of elite fighters.
Finally, the dwarves of Throrgrmir keep watch on the surrounding territory from the heights of their citadel.
“1 Valormr: val (war or slain) + ormr (wyrm), pronounced Val-ORM-r. During the Throrgrmir Renaissance, when the new-hatched wyrmlings prowled the dungeon, already dragons came to hasten the prophesied Age of Dragons. The dwarves called to their neighbors, who responded in force. Dragons recruited forces of Chaos to oppose them.”
Wargamers often refight historical battles. They layout terrain similar to that upon which a battle was known to be fought and command troops equipped and armed as those of the era in numbers and composition according to historical record. These aspects they couple with the game rules to simulate events as they may have unfolded. Curious wargamers might change some aspect of a battle, thereby departing from history, in order to ask the question, “What if…?”
Eskilsson tells us precious little about the Battle of Valormr and, of the campaign that led up to it, nothing at all. We understand from this that the dragon incursion had little impact on history’s course. Being curious wargamers, we want to learn more.
The Valormr Campaign, like a historical wargame, simulates history. It doesn’t tell us what happened. It tells only what might have happened. Still, we may draw from events unfolded to inform the history of Wyrmwyrd.
In the introduction to Setting Up a Wargames Campaign, Tony Bath warns the neophyte campaigner against “plunging immediately into complicated campaign rules” (551). Though the preparation is much different, the risk is similar to that of the adventure game campaign creator: “For many it can end by getting bogged down in the complications and, in the ensuing frustration, vowing never to go in for that sort of thing again.”
To this I add my own constraint, shared by many modern wargamers, that of time. I aim to finish the Valormr Campaign by summer’s end. I prefer to spend these days fighting battles with fantastic creatures in murky swamps, not getting bogged down with the rules in them.
Bath continues: “For that reason it is often best to start off with a simplified campaign.” Valormr is such a campaign. I draw from the first three chapters of Wargames Campaigns, wherein Bath discusses the map of the continent, the people and cultures which inhabit it, movement and weather, making contact with the enemy, transferring the strategic to the tactical scenario, and disengagement.
In later chapters, Bath delves into supply, characterization, and lots of fun and interesting bits he calls “campaign extras.” I’ll save these for more advanced games of the future. In setting up the Valormr campaign, where I make an obvious shortcut for simplicity or where I am so inspired, I record ideas concerning more complicated rules. As ideas, these are neither fully developed nor well thought through. If you go for a more complicated campaign, massage them as necessary to fit into your game.
Notes
1 As copies of the original text are less common, I cite page numbers from Tony Bath’s Ancient Wargaming (Curry, 2009).
Heroes trained, Solon Theros is ready to show them to Anax Archontas. He wants to showcase them—not kill them. But if the heroes are not challenged, the dragon will be displeased.
Champions of Chaos
“Heroes of Chaos” is the fantasy combat phase of Champions of Chaos, an introductory wargame scenario, in which Solon Theros chooses champions to fight for Chaos.
Heroes of Chaos Versus Ortuyk’s Horde.
Orders of Battle
The heroes are accompanied by heavy and armored footmen. Solon Theros charges the hobgoblin Ortuyk to assemble an army. To the goblinoid horde, Solon Theros adds lizard men, who inhabit the marsh south of Aldefane, plus lycanthropes, an ogre, and a true troll, all of which are found in the surrounding countryside. From the dungeon below Aldefane, he adds ghouls.
The point value of creatures that fight on the fantasy combat table should equal the point value of the total number of heroes that survived training. For example, I have eight heroes, which comes to 160 points.
Choose from ghouls, lycanthropes, and at most one ogre and one true troll. The first three are the easiest on the Fantasy Combat Table and still challenging as a group to the heroes, while the true troll is a significant challenge on its own.
The goblin horde and the lizard men should total 100 points and include a couple units of archers. The heroes can lead the forty points of foot troops, divided evenly between heavy and armored, to take out the goblinoid archers, which are a threat to lone heroes.
Orders of Battle
Heroes of Chaos
Ortuyk’s Horde
Troop/Creature Type
Cost
Figures
Total
Figures
Total
Troops
Heavy Foot
2
10
20
Armored Foot
2.5
8
20
Subtotal
18
40
Fantasy Combat
Heroes
20
8
160
Subtotal
8
160
Troops
Goblins
1.5
10
15
Goblin Archers
4.5
4
18
Hobgoblins
2.5
12
30
Hobgoblin Archers
5.5
4
22
Lizard Men
2.5
6
15
Subtotal
36
100
Fantasy Combat
Lycanthropes
20
2
40
Ghouls
10
3
30
Ogres
15
1
15
True Troll
75
1
75
Subtotal
7
160
Total
26
200
43
260
Notes on Orders of Battle
Choose one hero to be the Army Commander, who sets up not attached to any unit.
Ortuyk is the Army Commander of the Horde, which includes the lizard men. The lycanthropes, ghouls, ogre, and troll are unaffected by the Army Commander.
The usual pall over Aldefane obscures full sunlight, so goblins do not suffer from it.
Goblin and hobgoblin archers, using short bows, have a missile range of 15″.
Lizard men attack as Heavy Foot and defend as Armored Foot. With a move rate of 6″, lizard men traverse the bog at normal rate, though they cannot charge through it. Morale Rating: 10; Point Value: 2.5.
As heroes do not check morale, Solon Theros has no need for the torturer and executioner and leaves the east and west gates open. Roll morale for the foot soldiers and Ortuyk’s Horde as normal.
Setup
Heroes of Chaos deploys troops to the west of the killing field, Ortuyk’s Horde east of the stream—except the lizard men, who are deployed (hidden) in the bog.
Army Deployment. Ortuyk arrays the goblinoid foot troops behind the two eastern columns, the archers forward at stream’s edge. The lizard men, hiding in the bog, emerge from beneath the water’s surface to attack from the flank and rear.
The lycanthropes, ogre, and troll enter the arena from different locations in the movement phase of the turn following a trigger, according to the table below.
Creature Type
Start Location
Trigger
Werewolves
South gate
First melee
Ogre
East gate
Werewolves enter
Ghouls
Loggia base (center north)
Horde at 25% or less
Troll
West gate
Ogre enters
The ghouls, in the dungeon, flee a cleric’s turning up the stairs out a door at the base of the loggia. As the ghouls tend to avoid conflict with the large fantastic creatures and rather enjoy humanoid flesh, Solon Theros signals the cleric once the goblinoid presence is thinned, i.e, when the Horde is reduced to one-quarter or less of its starting strength (9 figures).
Victory Conditions
Heroes of Chaos and Ortuyk’s Horde win when all enemies are defeated or forced from the field.
Solon Theros wins the dragon’s praise if at least six heroes survive. If eight or more heroes survive, Anax Archontas appoints the super-hero General Commander of the Chaos Armies.
So Long, Solon…
If five or fewer heroes survive, Anax Archontas has Solon Theros over to the lair for dinner. Menu: Super-hero Barbecue.
High in the sky, the sun seeped through the foggy shroud that covered Aldefane. The arena’s hard dirt, stained with blood, was silent. The victors stood in one rank. Swords sheathed, helmets under arm, mail dented, shields marked by scores of deflected blows. The day broke with hundreds on the field. These twelve warriors defeated all foes.
With a boom, the western door burst open, and Solon Theros strode through it. Red eyes glared from the mask of the winged helm. Mask and eyes fixed the rank of twelve. He approached the victors with one purpose. From these, Solon Theros would make heroes to fight for Chaos in the dragon’s army. But first, each must pass the final test.
In one hand, he grasped a broad-blade sword. In the other, a shield, demonic skull splayed across the face. Bare shoulder muscles rippled with the swing of his arms. Oiled leather creaked at every step. Scaled armor clinked at every other. Boots crushed the ground, grinding stones beneath.
“When a Super-hero approaches within his charge movement of the enemy, all such units must check morale as if they had taken excess casualties” (Chainmail, 30).
Following the joust, remaining figures are armored foot. Any who fail the morale test finish in the care of the torturer and executioner. All who pass undergo one year of training to become heroes. These will fight in the final phase of Champions of Chaos.
A Final Test of Courage. “Heroes (and Anti-heroes) need never check morale” (30).
Her name was Nine. Pal Hargrane knew by reputation the fighting woman, another countryman who, by decree of Solon Theros, was his enemy. Hargrane had not confronted a Ternesman in the melee. He faced one now in the lists. And this one, if he’d got the story true, once slew a trio of orcs while holding the gate alone at Thornedown Fort before it could be closed. The make of warrior opposing him gave Hargrane no reason to disbelieve the tale.
Astride a roan horse, she sat tall in the saddle and handled the lance with ease. Like his, her shield bore gouges from flail spikes.
In the first ride, he broke his lance on the shield. Its point striking the scarred blue field above the middle of three white stars was pressed into his mind’s eye, as though he’d glimpsed the sun, and now a shadow of it obscured his vision.
Hargrane took another lance from a lackey and held it aloft. When the horn sounded, he tucked his heels into the mount’s flanks, and horse and rider launched across the tiltyard. Nine did the same. Pal Hargrane would never remember the moment when the two met in a clash of steel that thundered between the arena’s walls. Both mail-clad riders fell to the ground. While the horses paced out the charge, neither moved.
He wasn’t aware of time passing as a slit of shrouded sky turned in slow circles through the helm’s visor. As the nausea passed, a vague memory of imminent danger crossed his mind. With a grunt he raised himself to an elbow. Wood splinters lay on hard packed dirt. Between him and the south gate, the black-hooded torturer halted, shoulders fallen. A blade-length away, Nine struggled to stand.
Hargrane grabbed his shield and stood, drawing his sword. Nine stood also, but her stance was unsteady. Though a leg was injured, her blade moved at arm’s end in a nimble dance. A thrust slid across Hargrane’s breast plate as he turned to avoid it. She blocked his cut with the shield. His sword added to the scars upon the blue field.
They exchanged more blows in like manner until, lowering his shield, he drew her into another thrust. He stepped aside. On the bad leg, she was slow to recoil, leaving her flank exposed. He saw the opportunity through the imprint in his mind’s eye of three white stars on a blue field. Ternemeer was his country; the Ternes were his countrymen, indeed. It was the only time Pal Hargrane ever hesitated in battle.
“Jousting in Chainmail is like playing rock-paper-scissors.”
The analogy is as oft cited as apt. In Chainmail (3rd ed., Tactical Studies Rules, 1975), opposing knights each choose, in secret, an aiming point and a defensive position. Each aiming point is then compared against the other’s defensive position on the Jousting Matrix to determine results of one “ride.”
Results range from a miss to breaking a lance to being injured or unhorsed. Based on the results, points are awarded for each ride. Unless one is unhorsed, the knight with the most points at the end of three rides is declared the winner, awarded the laurels, and gets his or her dance partner of choice at the after party.
Playing the hand game, probabilities for a win, loss, or tie are exactly equal. Your choice of three forms—rock, paper, or scissors—versus your opponent’s choice is either weaker, stronger, or equally matched.
Winning at Even Odds
Deprived of any rationale, strategies for winning rock-paper-scissors often involve being quick—watching the opponent’s hand to see what shape is forming, sneaky—waiting till the last possible instant to form your own shape, or tricky—calling out one shape just prior to forming another. These are denied us in Chainmail jousting, where we write our choice of aiming point and defensive position on a hidden sheet—outside of learning the rhythm of your opponent’s pen marks on a hard table, which is sneaky.
For more complexity, we might play rock-paper-scissors-Spock-lizard, which adds two more choices. Since each choice defeats half the remaining choices, no one is superior to another. Five choices does, though, reduce the odds of a tie to one-in-five.
The French play the game with four choices. In pierre-papier-ciseaux-puits, the rock and scissors fall into the well (puits), while the paper covers it as well as the rock. Here we have two options that outperform the others, which gets closer to jousting in Chainmail.
But Chainmail jousting is different from all those. Instead of one choice, each player in a joust has two: the attack (aiming point) and the defense (defensive position). But this only doubles the complexity, effectively playing the same game twice at one go—once as attacker, once as defender—without necessarily reducing the chance for a tie. Although we’ll see that a draw in Chainmail jousting is improbable.
Where Chainmail differs from the hand games is in the options. Instead of three, four, or five, each player has eight options for the attack and six for the defense. This, again, only complicates the matter, though by magnitudes.
“Results can vary from both opponents missing to both being unhorsed, as a study of the Jousting Matrix will reveal” (26).
To figure any strategy out of the Jousting Matrix, our study must go further than the range of results. More careful examination shows the attack options differ in their probability of success and limit the attacker’s possible defense options. As well, the defense options have differing probabilities of success. One successful defense result, “B,” ensures a favorable end to the joust in the next ride. A frequent occurrence, a “B” also subtracts 1 point from the attackers score, making a tie unlikely, though not impossible, in even a single ride. At this point, we see that the analogy is less apt, even if it isn’t entirely inapplicable either.
At this point, we see that the analogy is less apt, even if it isn’t entirely inapplicable either.
Evaluating Options
Point System
To evaluate the strength of each attack and defense, we use a simple point system.
Result
Points
(U)nhorsed
1
(H)elm Knocked Off
½
(B)reaks Lance (without unhorsing)
−½
Miss and Glance Off results are equivalent: no effects, no points. A glancing blow only lends dramatic effect.
We give and take ½ point for Helm Knocked Off and Breaks Lance, because once either is accomplished, the next ride ends in an Unhorsing. For if a defender’s helm is knocked off or an attacker’s lance breaks, he or she must take a Steady Seat the next ride. Knowing this, the opponent aims FP. The other can only hope to achieve an unhorsing as well.
Because a Breaks Lance with Unhorsed (B/U) result penalizes the attacker only 1 point while it wins the joust, we don’t subtract any points in the evaluation system when they occur together. Similarly, the Injured result with Unhorsed (U/I) awards extra points to the attacker but does not impact our assessment. We use these results—and the combination B/U/I—to break any ties in the evaluation.
Defensive Positions
Aiming Point
Lower Helm
Lean Left
Lean Right
Steady Seat
Shield High
Shield Low
Total
Helm
+½
+1
+1½
DC
+1
−½
−½
−½
−½
CP
+1
+1
−½
+1
+1
+3½
SC
−½
+1
+½
DF
−½
+1
−½
−½
−½
FP
+1
−½
+1
+1
−½
+2
SF
+1
+1
Base
−½
+1
−½
+1
−½
+½
Total
+2
+1½
+1
−½
+3½
+½
Aiming Points
Counting up the total points for each attack reveals the optimal aiming points assuming random defensive positions.
Aiming Point
Score
CP
+3½
FP
+2
Helm
+1½
SF
+1
SC
+½
Base
+½
DC
−½
DF
−½
The tie between SC and Base might be broken in favor of Base due to the extra points for an Injury versus Shield High. We’ll see below, however, that Shield High ranks low on the defensive positions list, so the Injury is unlikely. More likely is the Breaks Lance result, which comes up three times when aiming at Base versus only once at SC.
The tie between DC and DF is broken by a lance which suffers in the later case against the Lean Right position.
“Aim pale; avoid dexter.”
This might be part of initial jousting instruction. For we see that CP is by far the best aiming point, with FP coming in second. While DC and DF are the worst.
Defensive Positions
To evaluate each defense, we apply the same point system. In defense, the lower score is better.
Defensive Position
Score
Steady Seat
−½
Shield Low
+½
Lean Right
+1
Lean Left
+1½
Lower Helm
+2
Shield High
+3½
“Steady in the seat; don’t raise the shield.”
Steady Seat is the best defensive position, with Shield Low next. Lower Helm ranks above Shield High, which is by far the worst defensive position. In the best case, your opponent Breaks Lance against Shield High, but only when aiming DC. Plus, we see above that dexter is not a favorable side for the aim. In the worst case, your opponent aims Base, and you won’t be up for much dancing at the after party.
In Play
Now that we know the best and worst attacks and defenses, we might think it’s that simple and mumble the analogy under our breath as we turn the page to the fantastic parts of the book without first tilting. But unlike rock-paper-scissors, we only experience the interaction of rules and human psychology seated opposite an opponent. In that sense, it’s more like Diplomacy—to exaggerate the point in the opposite direction. We discover its virtues in play.
Simple to Teach and Learn
The rules consist of a few lines of text and the Jousting Matrix, which, once we learn to read it, contains the essentials of play. A few minutes and a couple demonstration rides and we’re off to the lists. Best if each player has a copy of the Matrix before them.
Change It Up
Once the players understand how the game works, it isn’t long until everyone is aware of the best and worst attacks—if that wasn’t the final instruction of their tutelage. Of course, we all use two or three best attacks and defenses. But we have to change it up with middle-ranked options for both from time to time to keep the opponent guessing.
Note Attacks and Defenses
To play, each player makes a secret note of his or her aiming point and defensive position. This done, both players reveal their choices, and results are read from the table.
Know Your Opponent
I recommend keeping a record not only of your own but of your opponent’s aiming points and defensive positions as well. For a single joust of three rides, it probably doesn’t matter as there isn’t much chance for patterns to emerge. But in a jousting tournament, they do, and it’s difficult to see the patterns in memory.
With a quick look at previous rides, you might notice that your opponent favors a particular attack. You might see also that he or she intersperses a second favorite every third ride. Thereby, you gain an advantage.
Know Thyself
Take a look at your own previous choices too. If you see a pattern in your attacks or defenses, your opponent may see it as well. Use any patterns in your opponent’s defense to choose a different aiming point, likewise for the defensive position.
The Jousting Matrix in Fiction
I used the Chainmail Jousting Matrix to add strategy to a fictional jousting scene. In The First Story of Littlelot, the hero must joust against the villain to rescue Gwenevere. If Lancelot wins, Maleagant frees the queen from his tower prison. If Maleagant wins, Lancelot becomes a prisoner too. Those familiar with the Matrix might decipher the knights’ aiming points and defensive positions in each ride. All action in less than two pages, “The Joust” is a quick read.
Range of Results
Examining the Matrix, we see the results of aiming points against defensive positions. In play, we see the myriad combinations of two aiming points and two defensive positions in a series of rides combined with a series of jousts.
May well Gygax and Perren mention the range of results as a selling point. Even in the not infrequent case of a broken lance: We are constrained to a defensive position, certain to be unhorsed in the next ride. In our final effort, should we aim pale to increase our chances to unhorse the opponent as well? Or will she expect that strategy and lean left. In that case, we aim sinister fess… But maybe she’s expecting that too?
The best strategy depends on knowing the opponent. Look for the pattern in your record.
Within a Scenario
As a stand-alone game, Chainmail jousting rejoins the hand games in the list of games you play once and never pick up again. There must be consequences to winning and losing a joust.
Simple stakes are built in to OD&D’s wilderness exploration (Vol. III, 15). If we wander too close to a castle, its lord might challenge us to a joust. Win, and the after party goes on for a month. Lose, and we continue our exploration of hostile territory sans armure.
We might build an entire scenario around a tournament, but the scenario should include high stakes on the tournament’s outcome. Since winners and losers are determined at the end, the stakes might propel the story into the next scenario—in one direction with a win, another direction with a loss.
Conclusion
So, while some may yet liken it to a simple game of blind choice and even odds, I think the analogy an exaggeration that unjustly discredits the game. For, while it is easy to learn, Chainmail jousting is complex, its outcomes diverse, and its judicious use can enhance our role-playing and wargame scenarios.
…while it is easy to learn, Chainmail jousting is complex, its outcomes diverse, and its judicious use can enhance our role-playing and wargame scenarios.
If you have any strategies for winning the game, ingenious uses for Chainmail jousting, or other comments about it, please leave a note in the comments. I’m always looking for ways to up my game.
Gygax and Perren describe the jousting event: “Knights in ‘friendly’ combat, armed with lance and sheild, and mounted upon mighty destriers” (Chainmail, 26).
The original quotation marks imply irony. Indeed, in the context of our scenario, this is no amicable tournament but mortal combat. The objective is to slay the opponent.
Start
The 24 victors of the man-to-man combat phase mount horses and face each other across the central arena. Each figure competes in one joust of three rides. Victors go on to the final phase of Champions of Chaos.
Notes on Jousting
Follow Chainmail’s Jousting rules (26-7, 42) considering the following notes.
By now it is understood: one does not yield nor give quarter in the presence of Solon Theros.
When a rider is unhorsed, combat continues on the Man-to-Man Melee Table (41).
The other rider is not obliged to dismount. These are not knights; they follow no code. This is Chaos.
Consider each rider to wear plate mail and helmet, carry a shield and lance, as well as a sword—all provided by Solon Theros.1
Mounts, also provided by the super hero, are not barded.
See the section on Mounted Men (26), including the table on the chances for an unhorsed rider to be stunned.
A combatant injured as a result of a joust (an “I” result) subtracts 1 from any dice rolls—on the Melee Table, for instance.2
If neither combatant is unhorsed after the third ride, both continue to the final phase.
Knights Among Us
A rider who unhorses the opponent on the first ride may have had significant training. Mark the figure for a mounted hero. Should he or she succeed the final phase, consider treating the figure as a Knight (not from Religious Orders of Knighthood) under Historical Characteristics (18).
Lists at Aldefane. Twenty-four riders compete for the right to become heroes.
Figures
Miniatures are not at all necessary for the jousting phase. There is no difference from one rider to the next. In my case, having only one horsed figure and it without a lance, putting miniatures on the table adds nothing to the spectacle.
I do find one purpose for their use. As one of the competitors is a favorite—Pal Hargrane has some background developed through play—I plant two additional figures of the same likeness among them. By so doing, I triple Hargrane’s chances to continue to the final phase.
Notes
1 The Jousting Matrix assumes combatants are properly equipped.
2 I’m making this up. Other than losing 10 points, Chainmail includes no consequences to a jousting injury.
