Unit Base Stats
First we will look at units. Units are often represented by some sort of sprite that more or less corresponds with what the unit looks like. Underneath this sprite are five categories:
Str-The unit's attack strength
Def-The unit's defensive strength
Exp-The unit's experience(command bonus)
HP-The unit's composition
Upkeep-The unit's upkeep
Beginning with
Str, or the unit's attack strength, we are given just how strong this unit is by itself.
The Str of a unit is used in all offensive actions during combat regardless of the unit's type. In most combat checks the unit compares its Str against the enemy's Def + other various rolls.
Next the
Def, or the unit's defensive strength, shows just
how well armored/evasive/whatever the unit is at a base level. In most combat checks the unit compares its Def against an attacking unit's Str:.
A unit's
EXP is a bit more complicated in that it represents a unit's experience and
next to it, in parentheses, any command bonuses that may be given to the unit. Command bonuses deserve a special mention because they are only gained through an exceptionally good commander or by attaching a military Chieftain/Follower to the unit. A unit's
Exp has no direct bearings on any rolls, but every time a unit increases its Exp it may assign 1 point to its Str, Exp, or Hp. Upon increasing Exp a unit may choose to subtract -5 from it's Upkeep.
Unlike the other stats
Exp is not represented by a number. Instead it follows this scale:
Green-Blooded-Veteran-Hardened-Hero. At Hero the unit gains some random trait that best suits all the experiences the unit must have undergone to reach such a high status.
Only the transition from Green-Blooded has a set requirement: experience in at least 1 victory. If a unit loses enough Hp and breaks they may fall back a rank to represent refilling the ranks with new units.
A unit's
HP, or composure, is analogous to health. During combat rounds any lost round results in a -HP by 1. A unit 'breaks' in combat once all of its Hp is gone.
Lastly a unit's
Upkeep is how much it costs per turn to keep it in the field. A unit's Upkeep is halved when it is garrisoned.
*Note that Str, Def, and Hp will never be above 10 initially, so a 10 for any of these traits is exceptional and rare.. The average for all these stats is 4.
After you have absorbed all the, hopefully, streamlined information about the unit's stats there is a few complex components: Type and Traits.
Types & Traits
All units fall under one of three categories:
Ranged, Mounted, and Melee.
Ranged units are bowmen, javelin-throwers, slingers, etc. These units
do not normally engage in Melee/the Charge/Clash phase, but dominate the Crossfire phase. Mounted units range from your stock dudes on horses to more exotic things like dudes on rhinos.
Mounted units participate in primarily in Charges and may remain in the Clash phase at a penalty. Lastly, but certainly not leastly, Melee units are your men armed with pointy things that they put into the squishy bellies of their opponents.
Melee units participate in the Clash phase primarily, although some impetuous warriors may participate in the Charge.
Types can be further categorized, but these descriptions are ornamental and meant to give a player general notions of the unit's traditional role. Players are encouraged to be nontraditional.
Any traits a unit may have are listed last. These traits are described in depth in a separate post.
Example Unit
Wazsaja Pygmy
5Str
2Def
Blooded(+0)
4Hp
15Upkeep
Melee-Light Shock
Fearsome; Tiny; Blooded
In the above example we see that the Wazsaja Pygmy is a stronger-than-average offensive warrior, but lacks somewhat in defensive capabilities. They are special in that they begin with a Blooded level of experience, meaning that immediately upon recruitment a player can assign a point to Str, Def, or Hp or even subtract -5 from the Pygmy's upkeep (making the upkeep 10). They have no innate command bonus. The unit is a melee unit, further designated as primarily being a light shock troop. This means that they are great at clashing with the enemy's front row and should thus be in the front row of an army, but should not be expected to hold the line for long. They are
Fearsome, and thus confer a -1 to an enemy's defensive roll against them;
Tiny and thus better at ambushes due to being able to hide in many places; and
Blooded, meaning that they come to the army at a Blooded Exp.
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