Kings of War Special Rules - Sieges

David Child-Dennis (2012)

davidchild@slingshot.co.nz

Introduction
These additions to the Kings of War historical rules are designed to cover aries fighting over
defensive !ositions and fortifications. There are t"o gaing !ro#les !la$ers should ta%e into
consideration "hen atte!ting scenarios including fortifications. &ttac%ing fortifications is a 'troo!
#urner(. )tatisticall$* the odds are heavil$ "eighted against the attac%er. The tie to set u! and !la$
an$ gae containing fortifications is usuall$ uch longer than an o!en field gae. Water #arriers*
even "ith #ridges* a%e !la$ing tie longer still. &fter organizing a highl$ successful +,T- . /ig
0ae . in "hich 10 !la$ers (1 a side) s!ent eight-hours fighting a siege action* 2 "ould li%e to offer
soe !ractical suggestions for using the siilar KoW gae s$ste.

The system overview
2n order to save gae tie* it(s essential the attac%ers set u! onl$ one ove a"a$ fro the first line
of "alled defenses. /ut* in using this setu!* it(s i!ortant the defender(s forces are !laced last.
,#viousl$ the$ "ould have "atched the attac%er(s a!!roach and had a!le tie to a%e their
defensive de!lo$ent in res!onse. We also re3uired the defender to de!lo$ no ore than 4 of their
forces on the "alls or at the first line of defenses* leaving the rest as a reserve to #e coitted onl$
after the attac%er had landed on to! of the "all* or in the case of a !alisade* #reached it. This
allo"ed the attac%er a reasona#le chance of gaining a foothold against the defenses* #ut not an
over"heling advantage.

1

The castle "e used "as #uilt #$ our son* )cott* and is 25-inches s3uare* including to"ers. 6ven "ith
a siege to"er !er side of the castle* and a nu#er of scaling ladders* the attac%ers found it difficult
to a%e an$ inroads into the defenses until the #eginning of the third turn. 6ach turn too%
a!!ro7iatel$ half an hour to co!lete* even for the e7!erienced !la$ers. )o tie is of the essence.
8ortunatel$* "e had gae tested the /ig 0ae scenario a nu#er of ties #efore the event* "hich
!revented a lot of confusion9

General Rules
)all defense "or%s* -oan field forts* earth ditches and !alisades have a defensive value of :1 to
the defender onl$. The attac%er never #enefits fro defense "or%s* ;<+6)) the$ have occu!ied
the and are the su#=ect of a counter-attac% #$ the defender. 2n order for an$ unit to clai a
defensive cover #onus* the unit #ase ust #e in contact "ith the feature.

Crossing a defended wall or feature
The attac%er ust defeat (rout) the defender to cross the "all (!12). &ttac%ing units reain in
contact "ith the "all after failing to rout an ene$ unit* the$ do not ove #ac% 1-inch as re3uired
under the '-egrou!9( rule (!1>)* instead the$ reain in '8ollo" on Co#at( (!1>).
&ttac%ing units that rout a defender* iediatel$ occu!$ the routed ene$ !osition* "ithout
re3uiring a oveent test #$ dice roll. &fter ca!turing the ene$ !osition* the$ iediatel$ halt
and regrou!. This re!resents a gradual reduction of the defender* and a consolidation to hold the
ca!tured !osition against !ossi#le counter-attac%* rather than a #rea% through and a rout.

Special Assault nits
-oan +egionaries in 'testudo( foration (?vezda @05>) gain an e7tra 1 dice during the turn in
"hich the$ attac% a defender.

War !ngines
)iege cata!ults can onl$ #e fired at fortifications* #uildings and other cata!ults. The$ cannot #e
used to target troo!s. &ll cata!ults and large #allista (as o!!osed to light scor!io) ust #e !re-
!ositioned at the #eginning of the gae and cannot #e oved after the gae coences. 2f the$ are
overrun or a#andoned #$ their cre"s* the$ are deeed to have #een destro$ed.
Cata!ults have D6A5* &TA10* -aA5: <6A2 and Crush strength :>
Defending units occu!$ing a section of fortification* or #uilding* that is destro$ed ta%e an &TA1 hit*
"ith a D6A:1 #onus for #eing in cover* #ut the crush strength !enalt$ reains at :>
2

"efense #alues
)tone "allsA 12 !oints daage* !er section . a#out 100 in length
BalisadesA 10 !oints daage* !er section . a#out 100 in length
6arth "allsA C !oints daage* !er section . a#out 100 in length

Destro$ed defenses #ecoe 'o#stacles( (!D -Terrain) and !rovided the defender is in #ase contact
"ith the reaining ru##le gets a #onus o#stacle cover !oint of :1.

"efending stairs$ ramparts or fighting in confined spaces%
This does not include fighting fro siege to"ers. The rule is designed to reflect the !ro#le of
fighting in a deli#eratel$ confined s!ace associated "ith defense "or%s* coon to fortifications
and castles. When fighting in reduced s!aces all units* defender and attac%er* "ill reduce their &T
factor #$ 4 (rounded do"n).

Siege Towers
)iege to"ers have the follo"ing statisticsA
)!A1* D6A1:* &TA0* <eA0 DEA10 (daage value)


&ll siege to"ers are self-!ro!elled* containing a "indlass and scre" drive in the lo"est floor* "hich
"ound the to"er along. )iege to"ers contain assault ra!s that reove the D6:1 #onus fro
defenders. While an$ contained #allista and a variet$ of "ea!ons to aid the assault* 2 recoend
not using such achiner$ on siege to"ers* in order to si!lif$ the gae.

>
&adders
+adders a$ #e !laced against the defenses* "hile a unit reains halted* in #ase contact "ith an
o#stacle. 2 "ould recoend 1-ladder !er four infantr$ #ases. +adders ove at the sae !ace as
their trans!orting troo!s. +adders can #e thro"n do"n #$ defenders* #$ a si!le* single*
unodified dice roll off* #et"een attac%er and defender. The highest dice roll "ins. 2f the attac%er
"ins* the ladder reains in !lace* if not* it(s !ushed to the ground and the attac%er ust ta%e a >-
dice &TA5: roll for the unit on the ladder.
&ttac%ers autoaticall$ ascend the ladder* one troo! #ase !er gae turn* to the to! and if
uno!!osed* a$ cross the defenses and sto! iediatel$ on to! of a castle "all or in #ase contact
"ith a !alisade "all. 2f the ascending attac%er is o!!osed #$ defenders* the attac%er ust rout the
defender to cross onto the #attleents or over the !alisade "all. The defender al"a$s receives an
o#stacle #onus of D6:1* "hile the$ reain in #ase contact "ith the o#stacle.

Re-'alancing (orces
The attac%ing force "ill need to e7ceed the defender(s #$ at least 21F in nu#ers . not !oints
value. 8or instance* in the 2!erial -oan era* +egionaries "ere usuall$ the siege troo!s* and as
such* under a !oints regie* the attac%er "ill not get sufficient nu#ers to !revail against even light
troo!s #ehind defenses. 2 have deli#eratel$ not !ut !oint values on siege to"ers or cata!ults. The$
should #e allocated at 1 to"er or onager !er 1*000 !oints of troo!s. )cor!io are costed and this
should #e !urchased as !er the rules.
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