Introduction Looking Forward

Making new rules and trying them out is my favourite part of this hobby so I August 2017.
thought I should put together a document or two. I decided to stat with sieges More than anything I look forward to playing more siege battles against
as its an area that I feel doesn’t get much love from Games Workshop. different opponents and trying out different tactics, both as attacker and
defender. I also hope to convert a Hasharin or a few Morgul Stalkers to have
The rules for sieges provided in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Strategy
Climbing Claws – that feels very fitting, and very deadly!
Battle Game rulebook are fantastic as a starting point. The core rules for the
game and all of the model’s profiles are found in that rule book and it's If people use this document I will add an FAQ section and update a few of the
accompanying sourcebooks; go out and buy them! Support your hobby! blank areas to include some nice conversions (starting with an Earth Hammer),
but this really is just for my own enjoyment so we’ll see how it goes.
What I present here is an updated, more in depth set of rules designed to
answer questions that were always open to interpretation, along with new Disclaimer
profiles for some exciting new (converted) models to try out. Take a look below
There are profiles in this document which can be found in various places on the
for exactly what’s over the next few pages.
internet without their points values so I am hoping I have not breached any
What’s in this Document? rules as all of the points values on show have been created by me and are in no
Artillery and Siege Equipment. This is the bread and butter of siege way official.
battles. There are profiles included for ladders, trebuchets and
catapults amongst many other dastardly ways to defend or attack a Thanks for reading
fortress – including Grond, The Great Battering Ram of Mordor. - Jacob

Fortress Upgrades, Defensive Measures and Assault Tactics. Here

are many more tools to attack and defend a fortress with. These
include rules for grapples, boiling oil and relief forces.

Points Matches. In this section are guidelines for how to set up a

fortress ready for battle as well as three new Points Match scenarios
and various optional special rules. There are also details for
recommended army composition.
Movement
How Boats Move – some boats use oars, others use sails and some use a Wind – A random direction for the wind is chosen at the start of the game.
combination of both. The method of movement for each boat will be stated on Every time that priority is drawn the wind may change and a new direction
its profile. must be randomly selected.

Order of Movement - Boats move before warriors and heroes. Sails – After using its oars to move a boat with a sail may use the wind to move
If a heroic action is called it affects only the boat that the model is on and all of an additional D6 inches in the direction of the wind. This only takes effect if the
the warriors and heroes in the boat. In case of a heroic move; the boat moves ship is facing with the wind.
first, then the hero that declared the action, then the remaining warriors and
heroes on the boat and then the rest of the game moves as normal (boats first). If the ship is not facing with the wind it may instead choose to turn and face in
the direction that the wind is blowing.
When a boat moves it uses its Oars and then Sails (if applicable) before applying
modifiers for Current and Drifting. When rolling to see how much further a boat travels due to the wind, if the
result is a six every model on-board must roll on the Unwieldy Ship Chart. If the
Turning – Boats may turn 45 degrees each turn. They may turn at the start or result is a 1 the model is thrown into the water before the ship moves.
end of their oared moved. Boats with sails may choose to face with the
direction of the wind instead of using their sails to move. Current - Current is decided before the game. A D3 is rolled and a random
direction chosen; this is the strength and direction of the current. The current
never changes during the game.

If a boat faces with the current, it must move the score of the D3” extra.

Unwieldy Ship Chart

Dice Score Effect
1 The model is thrown overboard to the
nearest available space in the water.
2, 3 The model remains in place but is
knocked down and may not move until
the following turn.
4, 5, 6 No effect.
Combat
How To Board an Enemy Ship. Other than swimming and climbing aboard – Broadside Attacks - Broadside attacks are used when the attacker is trying to
which is a perfectly acceptable option – boats can be boarded in two ways; seize control of an enemy vassal or simply needs to kill those aboard. Broadside
through Ramming Attacks and Broadside Attacks. In both cases, the ships are attacks occur when a ship pulls alongside another ship to attack it.
grappled together. No damage is suffered by either ship but the boats are placed in contact with
each other and are grappled together.
Grappling Ships - Unless a boat has the Boarding Ladder upgrade, in boat
Defending warriors are treated as defending a barricade.
combat grapples are always used. To represent this straighten the boats up so
that the attacking and defending boat edges are parallel and in contact with
each other. Monsters - Monsters may use their Hurl special attack on boats.
If a ship is grappled to another ship and wants to move away, they may do so
The monster picks up a railing, barrel or something similar off the surface of the
but only if the barricade at the side of the ship that is being defended has more
boat, it is then thrown D6” + Half of the Monster’s Strength Value.
warriors in base contact with it than the attacker does.
It is just like throwing a model; it will cause Strength 3 hits on anything it passes
Ramming Attacks - A ramming attack occurs if a ship attacks another boat from through and will not pass through anything of Strength 6 or higher.
the front. Following the steps below to complete a ramming attack: Monsters do not need to be in combat to use this rules but they must be
• The attacker inflicts a wound of equal strength to the distance travelled aboard the boat which they wish to use as a projectile, they may even use their
to hit the defending boat, to a maximum of 10. own boats if they wish.
• The attacker suffers one hit at half of the strength of the hit that the
Any boat that has pieces of it used as part of a Hurl suffers a Strength 3 hit.
defending boat suffered, rounded up.
• If the attacker successfully wounds the defending boat they may
continue to attempt to wound it until no wound is caused, the same
rules apply for wounding the attacking ship.
• If the defending ship is destroyed by a ramming attack the attacker must
complete any remaining distance it has left to move.
• Any models on a boat that suffers a wound from a Ramming Attack must
roll on the Unwieldy Ship Chart.
• The boats are now grappled together as if a broadside attack has taken
place (see across)
Artillery
Artillery are ranged weapons such as Catapults and Bolt Throwers. They follow Firing –Artillery may fire once per turn, providing it has the required number of
all of the rules for Siege Equipment with the following additions. models in base contact with it. The Shoot value of the Artillery is always 4+ if it has
the correct number of crew, before upgrades and modifiers are applied.

Points Matches – Artillery costs 1.5x their usual points value in Nava Battles. Less than the minimum required crew may operate a piece of Artillery, but shots
fired always hit on the score of a 6+. Likewise, when operating enemy Artillery (with
Movement – Artillery may not move in Naval Battles. It is placed on a boat and any number of models) the score To Hit is always 6+.
remains there for the rest of the game. It is assumed to be able to rotate and so Crew operating Artillery may not also man a ship, the player must decide if the
may fire in all directions. artillery or ship is being crewed if there are not the required number of models.
If a boat is destroyed the Artillery sinks and is removed from the game.
Artillery aboard a boat that has moved more than 6” suffers -1 To Hit.

Attacking Siege Equipment - If a model is in base contact with a piece of If a shot from Artillery hits and is aimed at a Siege Target continue as normal. If the
Artillery, they may attack it in the Fight phase. The attacker automatically wins shot hits and is aimed at a Battlefield Target, roll on the Scatter Chart.
the Fight and may roll To Wound as normal. Regardless of its Attack value, a
If there is a friendly model within scatter range of a Battlefield Target, the Good
model only ever rolls a single dice To Wound. Furthermore, a model rolling to
player may not shoot at it. This includes any friendly models aboard a boat that is
wound Artillery does not receive weapon bonuses.
being targeted by Artillery.
Only Shooting attacks with a Strength of 5 or greater may damage Artillery.
A ship that is wounded by a catapult or trebuchet suffers D3 wounds instead of one.
If brought to 0 Wounds, the model is disabled for the rest of the game – leave Any model aboard a boat that is wounded by Artillery must roll on the Unwieldy
the it in place, but it cannot be used anymore. Ship Chart.

Artillery does not have Control Zones and has a Strength value of 6 for the Wounding - Once any scatter has been resolved, roll to Wound as normal using the
purposes of Sorcerous Blast and other similar effects. Strength of the Artillery and the Defence of the target.

Unless specified, any Battlefield target struck by a shot from Artillery is knocked
Scatter Chart
Prone and slain if wounded. A model only needs to pass one Fate roll to prevent the
D6 RESULT
Wounds it would have suffered.
Wide of the Mark. Your opponent may nominate one of your Battlefield
1 targets, or a Siege target within 6” of the initial target, as the new target.
If no alternative target is within 6”, or if the player does not want to do
If the target has Defence 10 or 10 or more Wounds on its starting profile, a
wounding hit will cause the model to suffer a number of Wounds equal to half its
this, the shot misses completely.
Wounds characteristic, rounded up, rather than die instantly.

2- 5 Slight Deviation. Your opponent may nominate one of his own Battlefield
targets within 6” of the initial target, or choose the original target. If a Cavalry model is struck, the mount and rider are both hit and knocked Prone.

Anytime a battlefield target on board a boat is wounded by a catapult or trebuchet

6 Dead on! The shot lands exactly on the target. roll a dice, on the score of a 4+ the attacking player may also roll to wound against
the boat – but only one wound is caused, rather than D3.
Setting Ships Ablaze Attacking a Ship
Set Ablaze - A ship may be set ablaze by being wounded by a warrior with fire Close Combat - If a model is in base contact with a Boat, they may attack it in
arrows or a flaming weapon or from a fire spreading from another ship which is the Fight phase. The attacker automatically wins the Fight and may roll To
already on fire. Wound as normal. Regardless of its Attack value, a model only ever rolls a single
If a boat is Set Ablaze instead of removing a wound from it, place a Fire Token dice To Wound. Furthermore, a model rolling to wound a boat does not receive
aboard. weapon bonuses.

A model may choose to attack a boat even if it is in combat with an enemy but
In the Combat Phase, Fires can be put out by crew who are unoccupied. A 6+ is it must first win its Duel Roll as normal.
needed but multiple crew may attempt to put out a single fire. If they are
successful in their first turn of trying it is possible that the fire is put out before Ranged Attacks - Only Shooting attacks with a Strength of 5 or greater may
it even has chance to spread or wound the boat. damage Artillery.

If a crew member has shot or been in combat that turn, they count as occupied.
One crew member may not attempt to put out more than one fire token.
Destroying a Ship

In the End Phase, a ship suffers one Strength 9 hit in the per Fire Token aboard. If a boat is destroyed for any reason place all models on board into the water.
Each model suffers one hit of equal Strength to the Defence of the boat that
Spreading the Fire – Fire will spread to a ship in base contact in the End Phase has sunk, per wound on their profile.
on the roll of a 3+. Roll a dice for each Fire Token aboard.
Fire will spread to any ship within 3” on the roll of a 5+. Roll a dice for each Fire
Token aboard.
If a fire has spread, place one Fire Token aboard the ship that it has spread to, if
multiple 3+/5+ scores are rolled add the relevant amount of fire tokens to the
target ship.

Models on board may be burnt by fire. On a 6+ for each model on board a boat
that is Set Ablaze, it suffers a single Strength 9 hit. Roll a dice for each Fire
Token aboard with all scores of 6 causing a Strength 9 hit.
Landing Craft and Beaching Models in the Water
Landing Craft - Only Small and Medium boats may be used as landing craft. Swimming – Models in the water may swim half of their Move each turn. They
Move the boat as normal and stop 1” onto the shore. Models on board may must also test for drowning in every End Phase by testing on the Swim Chart.
disembark and make their full moves as normal but must first test on the Swim Chart
Unwieldy Ship Chart. Equipment Score Needed To Stay Afloat
Mordor Siege Barges do not have to test on the Unwieldy Ship Chart. No Armour or Shield 2+
Wears Armour or Carries a Shield 3+
Beaching - A boat may deliberately or accidentally overshoot the distance Wears Armour and Carries a Shield 4+
needed to reach the shore by using its sails or other means. If this happens roll Wears Heavy Armour 4+
a dice for every inch of movement left, on a 2+ the boat continues to move. Wears Heavy Armour and Carries a Shield 5+
A boat may not move further onto the shore than it moved in the water to *Mithril Armour counts as wearing no armour
reach the shore.
Models must roll on the Unwieldy Ship Chart as normal when the shoreline is
reached, except that two dice must be rolled and the lowest result is chosen.
Fighting in the Water - If two models in the water fight each other they both
At the end of its Move the boat suffers a hit of equal Strength to the distance count as unarmed and the surrounded for the duration of the combat.
travelled onto land.
Models on the shore that are hit by a boat take one hit of a Strength equal to If a model in the water is hit by a boat, the model suffers one hit of equal
the boat’s Defence, any model not slain is pushed aside and knocked Prone. Strength to the boat’s Defence per wound on their profile.

If a model is in the water and it is attacked from the side of a boat, it counts as
Moving Onto the Water suffering from the transfix magical power and surrounded for the duration of
Onto the Water – a boat may be pushed onto the water by the minimum the combat with the exception that if it wins combat it may attempt a Climb
number of models required to operate the boat. The boat moves up to half of test to board the boat. If the climb test is passed on a 6, the model may also
the maximum movement of the slowest model pushing. take its attacks.
Once the boat is entirely in the water, each crew pushing must pass a Climb test
are placed on the boat as near the point from which they were pushing as
possible. On the roll of a 1 the model simply does not board the boat. Natural to the Water - Models that can swim, like the Watcher in the Water,
are assumed to dive deep into the water and so cannot be rammed by boats
The boat may now move half of its oared move.
and have a 3+ in the way roll applied at all times. They may also move freely in
the water. These models cost 1.5x their usual point value.

The Army of the Dead may move on the water but there must be three other
Warriors of the Dead within 3” at all times. If there are not three other Warriors
of the Dead within 3” of the model during the End Phase, the model perishes
instantly; it cannot swim.
Boat Sizes Points Games
Boats and Ships come in three sizes; Small, Medium and Large. Players should pick boats from a separate pool of point’s worth up to half the
value of the rest of the army. This will work for most armies but players should
Small Boats - may not wound Large boats through ramming. be flexible with their opponent. An easy solution is to both pick the same basic
boats.

Medium Boats - may save wounds caused by a ramming attack from a small Models that can swim and fly cost 1.5x their usual cost, as do Army of the Dead.
boats on the score of a 5+, exactly as if a point of Fate had been spent. Flying models are assumed to never land and are thus open to shooting attacks.

Large Boats - may save wounds caused by a ramming attack from a small boats
on the score of a 4+ and medium boats on the score of a 5+, exactly as if a point
of Fate had been spent.
Large boats suffer -1” to current and wind distances.

Very Small Boats - may not ram but often only require one or two models to
move.

Ship Sizes
Size Min Models Required Rough Boat Capacity
V. Small Variable 1-4
Small 3 4-10
Medium 5 6-16
Large 7 8-24

Drifting
If there is less than the required number of models on a boat, it may drift.
Roll a dice. The boat will drift on the result of a 4+ with the following modifiers:
• +1 per inch of current
• -1 if the ship is grappled
• -1 if there are five or more models (in total) on board.
Drifting happens in the End Phase.
 Standard Boats

Type (points) Defence Wounds Movement Sails Size Barricades Special

Corvette (40) 6 3 8” No Small 3+ May turn twice in one Movement Phase

Long Boat (55) 6 4 6” Yes Medium 3+ n/a

Galley (60) 7 4 5” Yes Medium 4+ n/a

Frigate (140) 9 6 4” Yes Large 5+ n/a

Specialised Boats
Type (points) Defenc Wound Movemen Sails Size Barricades Special
e s t
Tall Ship (75 ) 7 4 4” Yes Medium 4+ Roll two dice for wind and choose result. The roll of a 6 has no effect on the
crew. Set Masts: May use the wind even if under manned but must always
use the wind where possible.
Ramming Galley (65) 6 4 5” Yes small 3+ May re-roll failed wounds when ramming. Ignores all hull saving rolls.
Life Boat (60) 6 3 8” No Small 3+ Friendly warriors and heroes within 6” who are in the water do not have to
take drowning tests. One dice must be rolled if poison and a life boat are
present.
Fire Ship (80) 6 3 5” Yes Small 3+ Crew may set the ship ablaze by passing a courage test. If successful, all boats
within 3” are set ablaze on a 4+. Any boat in base contact is set ablaze
automatically. All crew of the fire ship are automatically set ablaze and may
not be put out whilst on the fire ship but may jump over board. Fire Ships
have ‘Set Masts’ (see Tall Ship).
• Add
• Boarding ladders.
• Swing Attack Upgrade
• Fire arrows /Flaming Brands/Flaming Ammunition

• Pics
• Grappling Ships
• Releasing a Grappled Ship
• Moving with the Wind
• Turning with the Wind

To attempt a Swing Attack the attacker must roll a dice and add his Strength value to the result, the defender also rolls a
dice but instead adds their Defence value. If the defender’s result is the highest, the attacking model is placed in the
water. If the attacker’s result is the highest, the attacking model is positioned on the other side of the barricade in place
of the defender who becomes knocked down. Swing attacks may be attempted from further away but a jump test must
be taken and on the role of a 1 the model is placed in the water.