Warlords of B’Zaarcke
OBJECT
WoB is a turn-based strategy game for multiple players. Each takes the role of a factional leader, building and commanding forces while conquering worlds. Victory is achieved when a player controls more than half the sector or when all remaining players acknowledge one player's supremacy.
PLAYER
Each player controls planets, ships, squadrons, and ground forces. The ships and squadrons are those found in a normal game of Armada. Upgrades, officers, and commanders are not used.
TURN
There will be at least one turn per week, with hopes of two or three. Players are expected to reply to any messages from the GM within 24 hours. Orders must be submitted by the appointed deadline, or no actions will be taken by the side. The turn has three phases:
1. Construct Units
2. Jump
3. Combat
Each phase occurs simultaneously among players.
MAP
The map is made up of planets, systems, and hyperlanes. Ships in a system may travel to any planet in the same system or a planet in a linked system in one “jump” – the distance a Capital ship can travel in a week. Ships do not have to end their move at a planet but can instead specify to land in deep space in a listed System.
PLANETS
Planets produce a number of Credits (C) each turn.
Planets can hold up to 10 Ground Forces (GF).
PHASE ONE: CONSTRUCT UNITS
Credits are the currency of the game, representing resources for production and fuel for movement.
A planet can produce up to its credit value of units each turn.
For Example: A planet with TEN credits can build UNITS up to 10 points in a turn (so 10 points towards a larger ship).
Units that cannot be fully produced in a turn will remain partially built (and non-operative) until a future turn.
Ships and Squadrons have the same cost as in Armada. Ground Forces cost 10 credits.
Blockaded worlds produce credits but these can only be spent on production of Ground Forces at that world. Ships cannot be produced at blockaded worlds.
Any unspent Credits at the end of the turn are lost.
For example: Planet Redjik 30 credits. Up to 30 credits can be spent each turn at Redjik to produce units. The planet could construct 3 Ground Forces; or 2 squadrons of X-wings and 4/13 of another; or build 30/39 of a CR90B. Only one partially constructed unit may be left at each planet per turn. If another unit is begun before the partial is completed, the partial is considered destroyed and any resources invested are lost. For example, Redjik spends 30 credits in turn 1. The player builds 2 A-Wings (11 each, 22 total) and 8/13 of an X-Wing. In turn 2, the Player decides to spend 30 credits investing in 30/57 of a Nebulon B Escort. The 8/13 of an X-Wing is lost.
Newly constructed units may jump / move in the same turn as they are constructed.
Credits may be spent to increase a planet’s Credit production. For each 10 credits spent the credit production of the planet increases by 1 the following turn.
Credits cannot be saved for future turns. If not used in a turn credits are lost.
PHASE TWO: JUMP
The Jump to Lightspeed allows ships and fighters to travel between planets. Ground Forces must be transported with fleets. Ships may carry their Squadron value in squadrons without having to pay the cost of hyperjump.
For Example: A Corvette can carry 1 X-Wing squadron and hyperjump for 1 credit – if the Corvette and X-Wing jump to 2 separate locations that would cost 2 credits.
For our purposes, all ships and squadrons have the same kind of jump capacity. They can jump to any planet in the same system OR any planet in an adjacent system. They can also jump to a non-planet place in a system – deep space. While in deep space the ship cannot be attacked – it is simply at some random place, and space is very, very big. Units in deep space MUST jump the following turn, and CANNOT jump to another deep space location.
It costs 1 credit for each ship or squadron to Jump – this covers the cost of fuel.
Please Note: It is Star Wars canon that not every fighter has hyperdrive capability - it is up to a player’s own discretion as to how they justify Tie fighters and Z-95s suddenly having hyperdrive capacity.
Ground Forces are transported alongside fleets - for every full 50 points of space units in location TWO ground forces may be transported.
For Example: A fleet of 432 points can carry up to 16 ground forces. A fleet of 801 points can carry 32 Ground Forces.
PHASE THREE: COMBAT
Once all units have jumped, planets that have units from two or more sides may have combat. For small or very one-sided battles the GM will simply roll a dice to determine an outcome. For very important or interesting battles players may have the option of “fighting it out” using vassal (or IRL? Possibly). But we can’t hold up the game for these purposes, so any such battles will have to be resolved quite quickly.
For auto-resolve purposes, the GM will roll 1d6 for every 50 points (or part thereof) of fleet. A result of 4+ inflicts 25 points of damage on the opposing fleet. A maximum of 11d6 and a minimum of 1d6 will be rolled in any given battle.
For example: An Imperial fleet of 401 points encounters a Rebel fleet of 51 points.The Imperial fleet would roll 9d6, and the Rebel fleet 2d6. Every result of 4+ will inflict 25 points of damage on the enemy.
Actual unit casualties will be randomly determined by the GM.
The force that inflicts the greater amount of damage on the enemy is victorious, the opposing fleet must retreat. The combat is concluded, and the defeated force MUST jump the next turn to another location. If it is unable to jump, it is considered destroyed. A retreating fleet may not take any GF off the planet it was defending before retreating. Only GF already loaded on the fleet may escape with the fleet.
INVASION
Once any space combats are resolved, the winning player may decide to launch a ground assault. Ground combat is resolved using standard RISK rules - up to 3d6 rolled for the attacker, 2d6 for the defender. Highest pairs of each side are compared, higher roll destroys the other side.
Where the pairs are tied, the defender wins.
Ground combat ends once one side is eliminated.
BLOCKADED
If a fleet of one player is in orbit of a planet controlled by another player the planet is blockaded. Blockaded planets may only construct Ground Forces and may not contribute credits towards Jumping.
BOMBARDMENT
If a planet is blockaded planet may be bombarded. A d6 will be rolled for each 50 points (or part thereof) of fleet above the planet. On a roll of 6 a GF is destroyed. You cannot Bombard and Invade in the same turn.
REPAIRS
Any unit that takes more than half its points in damage in battle is “scarred” and must be repaired before it can face battle at full strength. A scarred ship counts as half rounded down of its point for combat calculations (or if playing a vassal or irl game, give the ship damage cards equal to half (rounded up) of its hull value). To repair a ship it must be in orbit of a friendly planet. The cost to repair is equal to one quarter of the cost of the ship, rounded up.
For example, if a CR90B is “scarred” it would cost 10 credits to repair. If the planet it is located at has less than 10 credits in production, it may take multiple turns to repair. If the planet is part-way through production of another unit the ship may not be repaired until the production is completed OR the production is lost.
When a ship is scarred it must be marked as such in your roster.
FLEET SIZE
There is no limit to Fleet Size in any given location, but a maximum of 11d6 will be rolled for combat resolution.
STANDING ORDERS
A player should set some standing orders for all or some fleets to attack or not attack certain players forces if encountered. A player with a no-shoot order that is attacked will roll as normal, but only inflict damage on the enemy on a roll of 5+. These standing orders should be repeated in each set of orders to remind the GM of those that are appropriate.
MULTIPLE FLEETS IN ONE LOCATION
Multiple Players may have fleets in the same location, but planets may only have GF of one player at any one time.
In the event that multiple fleets arrive in a location in a turn with SHOOT orders the battle is resolved by pairing the two largest fleets, resolving battle, and then pairing the next two largest fleet. Battles will continue until only one force remains in the location.
OTHER THINGS
Matters not covered by these rules will be decided by the GM typically by shouting and then rolling some dice.
END OF RULES
