create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

rules for fighting tabletop miniature battles

suitable for pre-gunpowder historical and fantasy settings

create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

By Carl Brown

published by

credits
Written and created by: Carl Brown
Games development: Carl Brown, Gav Thorpe
Proof reading and essential editing: Nick Simmerson, Gav Thorpe
Playtesters: Carl, Gav, Nick, Matthew and those that must remain nameless
Graphic design, photography & illustration: Carl Brown
Open Combat would not exist if it wasnt for the help of many people. Thanks to my parents for setting me on the path of tabletop miniature
gaming so many years ago (theyre still giving the big kid new toys), my brothers for joining me on many fantastic adventures and all of the friends
(and strangers) Ive played against over the years. Thanks too go to Gav for cracking the mental whip (and listening to my wild ramblings),
Nick for consistently asking is it finished yet? (and providing a few bits from his collection for the photos) and to Catherine (and the kids)
for putting up with me as I dragged this publication into being. Thank you all.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Gripping Beast, Hasslefree Miniatures, Heresy Miniatures, Mantic Games,
Reaper Miniatures, Wargames Factory, Warlord Games
Examples of miniatures manufactured by the above companies appear within this publication from the authors
personal collection (along with some Orcs from the collection of Nick Simmerson).

Second Thunder Limited 2014. Second Thunder and Open Combat are trademarks of Second Thunder Limited. All rights reserved.


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

contents
Front Cover 1 Warbands 18

Credits 2 Renown 18

Leader 19
Contents 3
Break Point 19
Preface 4
Zero Characteristics 19
Introduction 5
Mounted Models and Monsters 20
The Basics 7
Weapons 22
The Turn 10
Skills and Abilities 25
Initiative 10
Psychological Attacks 27
Actions 10
Terrain 28
Movement 11
Cover 28
Engaging the enemy 11
Additional Rules 33
DisEngaging the enemy 11
Hiding, CLimbing, Falling 33
Combat 12
Jumping 34
Shooting 12
Combined Actions 34
Obscured Target Test 12
Scenarios 36
Force Back 12
Open Combat 37
Hand-to-Hand Combat 14
Retrieve the Prize 38
Follow-up 15
Capture 41
Additional Hits 15

Fortitude loss 15
Afterword 43

Fighting from an elevated position 16

Fighting with two weapons 16 Miniatures Reference 44

Fighting Across A barrier 17
Warband Roster 45
Free Attacks 17
Optional Warband Character Cards 46
Prone 17

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
preface
If youre reading this then you probably have some
experience with tabletop miniature games. You may
even be similar to me and enjoy buying models just
because theyre cool. These models could be from all
kinds of periods, genres, settings and manufacturers.
Maybe, again like me, you want to build a new army
but cant wait to have the whole lot finished before
starting to play using your latest purchases on the
gaming table. Open Combat is designed for you.
Background
Ive been playing tabletop games for over 30 years
and over that period Ive collected a great mountain
of miniatures and played many different games. Lots
of the games Ive played require a lot of miniatures
to create a force before they can be used on the
tabletop which has often resulted in my enthusiasm
waning. I have a multitude of half-finished projects,
one-off models or choice picks from particular ranges
of miniatures that I have purchased. Some of these
models have been bought on a whim without any
particular army, game or project in mind. Others are
intended for use in a specific project but need me to
finish something else before I can use them.
With regards to games, I love all kinds of games:
massed combat, RPGs and skirmish, fantasy, historical
or sci-fi. Despite enjoying a great many of the games
currently available I found I wanted a game that gave
me something else.
I wanted to have a game that didnt need too much
space to play, could be played quickly and that gave
me a taste of that immersive action and drama you
get when reading an action scene or watching a
fight sequence in a movie or TV show. Perhaps more
importantly, I also wanted an outlet for my continuing
habit of buying models that I really like but dont
necessarily want to commit to a whole range or game
setting to use.
main contents
The challenge
It was with all this bubbling about in my head that I
recieved a verbal prod in the right direction from an
old friend. It was an off-hand remark made back in
2011 by my friend Gav that made me pull together
my thoughts about the kind of game I wanted to play.
Wed been working on another project together and
Id been babbling on about tinkering with my own
system when he said I should try writing it up properly.
He even joked about trying to keep it to two sides of
A4. I reckoned I could keep it to one side and Open
Combat was born.
The early incarnation of Open Combat did fit on one
side of A4 but it relied on a lot of assumptions based
on experiences of playing many other tabletop games.
The document youre reading now is the fleshed out,
refined version of that early prototype.
An open system
Right from the outset Ive wanted Open Combat to
be as open as possible with regards to its usefulness
across genres and settings. I wanted a core system
that allows gamers to play out what they want on
the tabletop, creating their own encounters and
adventures in whatever setting they felt the itch to
play within. Essentially, if you imagine something a
particular way I wanted a system that allows you to
play it that way.
Open Combat
On the following pages youll find all you need to
get started with Open Combat. Hopefully youll see
the opportunities it presents for using your favourite
miniatures within your preferred time periods and
settings. It may even encourage you to try a new range
of miniatures or a setting youve not played before. Go
on, you know youll enjoy it!


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

introduction
Open Combat is a fast-paced tabletop skirmish game in which you create the
heroes, battles and adventures of your imagination.

You can guide the ragtag remains of a Roman expeditionary force through
barbarian territory, become a Saxon lord with his retinue as they face off against
a local rival, or chart the story of a group of adventurers fighting for fortune and
glory in a goblin-infested wilderness.

It could be anything you wish to play out on the tabletop. So grab a selection of
your favourite models and read on!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Before you start, you will need to gather together the
following items:

This rulebook
At least three six-sided dice
A tape measure
A selection of models to represent
opposing warbands
A Warband Roster (see later) detailing
the characteristics, skills and equipment
of each warband
An area of approximately 24"x24" to use
as a battlefield
A selection of model terrain pieces to set the
scene and dress the battlefield
Scrap paper and pencils
and of course, a willing opponent!

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Six-sided Dice & Tape Measure
Most gamers have access to six-sided dice (referred
to as D6). If you dont, theyre readily available from
game and hobby shops or online retailers.
Open Combat uses inches for measuring distances
so youll need a tape measure with inch increments.
If you prefer to work in centimetres, please feel free
to do so, wed recommend using a ratio of 3cm to 1.
Whichever form of measurement you choose, ensure
both you and your opponent use the same approach.
Players may measure distances at any time, the Aim of the Game
action in Open Combat takes place at close quarters
so we assume the combatants can assess relative
positions accurately.
Models
One of the great joys of playing miniature tabletop
games is the vast array of models available to buy,
paint and play games with. Weve used 28mm models
from several manufacturers throughout this book
selected from the authors own collection and Open
Combat has been designed with this size in mind.
If you and your opponent prefer using a different scale
of models these rules will work just fine regardless
(although you may wish to use centimetres instead of
inches for measuring distances if using 15mm models
and smaller. Simply treat any references to inches as
centimetres. i.e. 1 = 1cm).
Warband Roster
Open Combat pits two rival groups of fighters, opponent wish to use.
called warbands, against each other. Each player
creates their warband and records the details of their
fighters characteristics, abilities and equipment on a
Warband Roster.
You can print the roster sheet from this book or
download it from our website.
Play Area
Open Combat can be played comfortably within a
24x24 area. The scenarios have been developed
with this area in mind but feel free to alter the size to
suit your own preferences and availability of space
and time. The play area is often referred to as the
battlefield, board or tabletop.
main contents
Note: If you choose to play on an expanded area you
may need to adjust a few details within the scenarios
to reflect the area youre using.
Model Terrain
Open Combat can be played across a barren
landscape if necessary but you will find your games
are far more entertaining and engaging if you dress
the tabletop with appropriate pieces of model scenery.
Not only do terrain pieces create interesting tactical
situations, they make your games look great too!
Open Combat games are played using scenarios.
Each scenario has its own set of victory conditions that
explain what you must do to win the game. It may be
as simple as forcing the enemy to break away from
the battlefield or you may be required to complete a
task such as finding an important relic. You can find
out more about scenarios and victory conditions in the
Scenarios section (see page 36).
Overview of the Game
Once you have all the necessary components to hand
its time to get down and play.
Choose Forces
Each player constructs their warband using an
agreed number of renown points.
Choose Scenario
You can randomly determine a scenario to
play or simply pick the one that you and your
Set up the Battlefield
Set up the scene of battle by placing scenery
on the tabletop. Sometimes the scenario will
require specific pieces of terrain, otherwise set
up the scenery in any agreed fashion.
Deploy Forces
Both players place their warbands onto the
tabletop as detailed in the scenario.
Fight for Victory!
Start the game.


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

the basics
Before we get into the nitty gritty of the rules lets cover a few concepts central
to playing tabletop miniature games.

The most important rule

Playing tabletop games is a social activity. Yes, we do

all try to win but a big part of the enjoyment of playing
tabletop miniature games is the shared experience of
playing through an encounter or battle and watching
the events unfold.

If a situation on the tabletop leaves you and your

opponent at odds over how you feel it should be
resolved agree a way forward to apply throughout the
game and move on, you can always discuss the details
after youve finished. If you cannot agree, roll a dice or
flip a coin for it and make a note for future games. (You
may wish to let us know about the situation too via
email or the Second Thunder forum).

Play with good grace and a smile on your face, even if

it is a grim smile of resignation when things arent quite
going your way. Youll never be short of an opponent if
you win and lose with equal good humour.
Measuring Distances
Distances are measured from the edge of a models
base. You may measure distances at any time before
committing to an action. Once an action is announced
you are committed to it.

Measuring the distance between two models:

Model Bases

The size and shape of a models base is not especially

important in Open Combat so you may use whichever
approach you feel comfortable with. Generally this will
be one model to a single base (this is the approach
Correct way to move a model:
used throughout development).

However, if you play in a group where one or two

players like to squeeze every advantage they can out
of anything they play you may want to agree a standard
approach that you can all adopt to accommodate your
miniature collections.

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Fractions
All fractions are rounded up.
Facing
Models have a front and rear facing. You may change
the direction a model faces as often as you wish during
that models activation. Once a model has completed
its activation its facing is fixed until it is next activated
or something happens to it in the meantime which
alters its position.
Front
Front
REAR
Front
REAR
REAR
Prone
There may be occasions when your fighters are
knocked from their feet. A model knocked from its feet
is referred to as being Prone.
When you are required to place a model Prone simply
place the model on its side, face down, to show
that it has fallen to the ground. Alternatively place a
suitable marker next to the model if you dont wish to
risk chipping any paint off or bending a particularly
spindly part. When a model is prone it is stunned or
disorientated by the circumstances that led to it being
knocked from its feet. This will affect the model as
detailed later in the rules.
main contents
Line Of Sight
A line of sight (LOS) between two models is drawn
by extending an imaginary line from the centre of one
models base to the centre of another models base.
You are free to check line of sight at any time but when
you declare an action you are committed to that action.
A model cannot draw line of sight through its own rear
facing.
If the line is uninterrupted by intervening terrain or
models then there is a clear line of sight.
If the line crosses another models base, an obstacle
or a terrain feature which has been designated as
Obscuring (see Terrain on page 28) then the line of
sight is Obscured. Examples of obscuring terrain are
hedges, tall grasses or crops and low walls.
A model standing within 1 of a barrier can ignore
the barrier when checking line of sight to a model or
object on the opposite side.
If the line of sight crosses a terrain feature designated
as Blocking (see Terrain on page 28) then the model
cannot see and there is no line of sight. On occasions
when part of a model or its base is sticking out from
the Blocking terrain feature but its centre is Blocked
we assume the actual fighter, if the model was alive,
is ducking back out of sight or otherwise not visible.
Examples of Blocking terrain are buildings or large
rocks or areas of dense woodland.
EXAMPLES OF LINE OF SIGHT (LOS)
A: Clear LOS to B and C but blocked to D.
B: Clear LOS to A, Obscured to C and D.
C: Clear LOS to A, B and D.
B
D: Clear LOS to C, Obscured to B
and Blocked to A.
A
C
HEDGE
BUILDING


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Characteristics Fortitude (FOR)

Open Combat allows you to field a wide variety of A fighters Fortitude value represents their stamina,
combatants. These fighters all have different abilities, health and physical ability to continue to fight.
strengths and weaknesses which contribute to their
effectiveness on the tabletop. Mind (MIN)

We measure a models effectiveness using a series of A fighters Mind value represents their mental
characteristics. These characteristics are: aptitude, discipline, strength of will and general desire
to fight on.
Speed (SPD)

A fighters Speed value represents their pace, agility

and dexterity.

Attack (ATK)

A fighters Attack value represents their skill at arms,

aggression or natural prowess when taking the fight
to the enemy.
Defence (DEF)
A fighters Defence value represents toughness,
armour and their ability to defend themselves when
beset by enemies.
Characteristic Profiles
A models characteristics are written in the form of a
characteristic profile for easy reference during a game,
an example is given below:
SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN
4 3 3 3 2

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

the turn
Open Combat is played over a series of turns with the initiative passing back
and forth between the combatants as the ebb and flow of battle sweeps from
side to side. A game can last for any number of turns depending on the victory
conditions of the scenario being played.

During your turn each model in your warband may When your opponent loses initiative you will start a
activate once. fresh turn as the initiative returns to you.

You might not always get the opportunity to activate Actions

every model in your warband during your turn if
you lose the initiative at an inopportune moment. A model can take up to two actions when it is activated.
Prioritising your warbands actions is central to the
The actions available are:
tactics of Open Combat.
Move
Initiative
A model may move up to its SPD in any direction (see
When you have the initiative you may activate
Movement).
members of your warband to move, fight in hand-
to-hand combat, shoot or otherwise interact with
Attack
equipment or elements on the battlefield. As members
of your warband attempt various acts they may lose A model may make an attack (see Combat). This may
the initiative, giving the enemy the opportunity to be a shoot action or striking in hand-to-hand combat.
pounce on the moment of hesitation or misfortune.
Interact
If you lose the initiative at any point during your turn
your current turn ends, the initiative passes to your A model may interact with a piece of terrain, use a piece
opponent and they start their turn. of equipment or otherwise engage with an aspect
of the scenario. This may take one, two or multiple
When you have activated all of the members of actions spread across multiple models. Details can be
your warband that you wish to activate your current found when the rules state an interaction is possible.
turn is over and the initiative automatically passes to
your opponent. Rest

A model may choose to rest when it is activated. It

Example: Carls Celts are fighting a battle against
Nicks romans. Its Carls turn and after activating
a few of his models, disaster strikes and he loses
initiative after a poor attack roll, his turn ends even
though some of his models have not been activated.
Nick now has the initiative and starts his turn
as the romans attempt to take advantage of their
opponents misfortune.
uses both of its actions to rest - the model may may
not rest while Engaged and not change its facing.
The fighter takes time to check over a recent injury
or gathering its wits after a moment of madness. The
model regains either 1 point of Fortitude OR 1 point of
Mind after resting.
Stand Up
A model may spend both of its actions to stand up.
It may be placed facing in any direction.

10

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

movement
Arming a fighter with a spear, sword or bow will prepare him for combat but you
still need to get him into the most advantageous position to use them. As in all
battles being in the right place at the right time is crucial for victory in Open
Combat especially so if you can surround your enemy

A model may move up to its SPD in inches when it
uses a move action. A model may not move over
other models.
Example: Nick activates a model with a SPD of
4 and uses a move action to move 4. Looking at
the battlefield Nick decides it would be useful if the
model were further forward and uses the models
second action to move a further 4.
Disengaging From The Enemy
If you have a model Engaged with one or more enemy
models and wish to disengage, by moving the model
away from base-to-base contact, you must state
your intention to do so before you move the model.
The controller of the enemy model/s may make a
free attack with any models currently Engaged with
the model you wish to move. See the hand-to-hand
combat section for details of how to handle these
free attacks.

Engaging Across A Barrier

The terrain a model is moving through may impede
the distance the model can move. See Terrain on page
28 for more details.
ENGAGING THE ENEMY
If you move a model into base-to-base contact with from either side of the barrier and pose a threat
an enemy model (or models) the models are Engaged
in combat.
This means that they are locked in melee and may
strike each other in hand-to-hand combat by using an
Attack action.
If an enemy model is in base contact with a barrier
(such as a low fence or wall) you may engage the
enemy model by moving into base contact with the
opposite side of the barrier. We assume that the
combatants are swinging and stabbing at each other
even though the models are separated by the terrain.
Note that some weapons like spears allow models
to fight in hand-to-hand combat at a distance.
A model with such a weapon can attack if the
part of the barrier the enemy is contacting is within the
range of its weapon.

11

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

COMBAT
A model may use an Attack action to make either a shooting attack with
a missile weapon (if not Engaged) or attempt to strike an enemy in hand-to-hand
combat (if Engaged).

SHOOTING 1. Nominate weapon and specify target

Use the following procedure to shoot: Nominate the weapon used and choose an
unengaged target to shoot at.
1. Nominate weapon and specify target
2. Check line of sight and range 2. Check Line of Sight

3. Compare ATK and DEF values Check that there is a line of sight between the model
4. Adjust for modifiers making the shot and the target.

5. Roll attack dice If line of sight is Obscured, make an Obscured Target

6. Apply result Test to see if the model can acquire a line of sight (see
Obscured Target Test box out).

If line of sight is Blocked a shot cannot be taken and

Obscured Target Test the action is lost.

If line of sight is Obscured, roll a D6. On a score
of 2-6 the fighter has a good enough view of
the target and may make the shot. On a score
of 1 the fighter attempting the shot struggles
to get a view of the target and wastes precious
time. Lose initiative.
If the weapon the model is using has a range value
check that the target is within range. If the target is
beyond the range of the weapon the shot cannot be
taken and the action is lost.
3. Compare ATK and DEF Values

Compare the Attack value of the model attempting the

shot with the Defence value of the target.

Force Back 4. Adjust for any Modifiers

Move the target model 1 directly away from
the source of the attack. If the target model
cannot move the full 1 it moves as far as it
can and loses 1 Fortitude.
Apply any modifiers present.
Soft cover (see page 28) +2 DEF
Hard cover (see page 28) +4 DEF
Point blank, target within 2 +2 ATK
Shot in back Half DEF

Note: Weapons, skills or abilities may modify

shooting - see relevant rule for details.

12

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

5. Roll attack dice 6. Apply result

Roll attack dice according to the table below: Look up the score of the selected attack dice roll on
the table below:
ATK vs DEF Attack Roll
If the ATK value is equal to Roll one dice Score Result
or less than the DEF value 1 Terrible miss, lose initiative

If the ATK value is up to (and Roll two dice, 2 Miss

including) twice the DEF value choose one
3,4 Force Back
If the ATK value is more than Roll three dice,
double the DEF value choose one
5 Minor Hit

6 Solid Hit

Terrible Miss It was a truly awful effort. It could

have been a fumble with an arrow, a
dropped stone, a broken bowstring
or any other appropriate calamity.
Lose Initiative.

Miss No Effect.

Force Back See Force Back box out.

Minor Hit Target loses 1 Fortitude.

Solid Hit Target loses 1 Fortitude and the

enemy is forced back (see Force
Back box out).

Example: A goblin with a bow is attempting to

shoot an enemy dwarf, the goblin has line of sight
but it is Obscured by intervening terrain. The player
controlling the goblin rolls D6 and gets a 2. Phew!
The little bowman just manages to spot the dwarf so
may take the shot. The goblin has an Attack value of
6, the dwarf has a Defence value of 3, however the
dwarf is tucked up next to a hedge giving him Light
Cover. Light Cover provides a modifier to the dwarfs
defence of +2, giving the dwarf a total Defence of 5.
Comparing the Attack value of 6 and Defence value
of 5 the goblin has up to double the targets DEF and
so rolls two attack dice. The goblin scores a 2 and a
5. The 5 is chosen and the dwarf is hit losing 1 point
of Fortitude to the goblin arrow.

13

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Hand-To-Hand Combat 2. Compare ATK and DEF values

The process for fighting hand-to-hand combat is very Compare the Attack value of the model making the
similar to shooting but with a couple of alterations attack with the Defence value of the target.
to represent the different opportunities a warrior has
when getting stuck into close quarter fighting. 3. Adjust for any modifiers

Use the following procedure to attack an enemy in Apply any modifiers present.
hand-to-hand combat:
Target prone Half DEF
1. Specify target/s and declare the weapon/s Elevated position +2 ATK
that your model is using Behind barrier +2 DEF
2. Compare ATK and DEF values Attack target rear ATKx2
Target is disengaging Half DEF
3. Apply any modifiers
4. Roll attack dice Note: Weapons, skills or abilities may modify
5. Apply results attacks - see relevant rule for details.

1. Specify target and declare weapons 4. Roll attack dice

You must specify which enemy model you wish to Roll attack dice according to the table below:
attack and the weapon your model is using. The target
ATK vs DEF Attack Roll
must be in base-to-base contact with your attacking
model (unless a piece of equipment, skill or ability If the ATK value is equal to Roll one dice
allows otherwise). This will normally be obvious in a or less than the DEF value
one-against-one situation but some weapons and If the ATK value is up to (and Roll two dice,
abilities allow models to attack multiple opponents, or including) twice the DEF value choose one
even allow multiple models to join forces and attack
If the ATK value is more than Roll three dice,
single enemy models.
double the DEF value choose one

14

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
5. Apply result
Look up the score of the selected attack dice roll on
the table below and apply the result:
Score Result
1 Terrible miss, lose initiative
2 Impasse
3,4 Force Back
5 Minor Hit
6 Solid Hit
Terrible Miss A stumble, slip or brief lack of
concentration has given the enemy
an opportunity. Lose initiative.
Impasse The sound of clashing weapons
heralds a momentary impasse.
No effect.
Force Back See Force Back box out. See also
Follow Up.
Minor Hit Target loses 1 Fortitude.
Solid Hit Target loses 1 Fortitude and the
enemy is forced back (see Force
Back box out).
Follow up
When a model inflicts a Force Back in hand-
to-hand combat the models controller may
choose to have the model follow up Move the
attacking model directly after the forced back
model maintaining base-to-base contact. This
decision is made before any Fortitude losses
are applied.
15
main contents
Additional hits
In hand-to-hand combat particularly skilled fighters
can subject their enemy to a flurry of blows. If after
rolling the attack dice for hand to hand combat, you
have scored multiple hits on the dice (normally scores
of 5 or 6), you select one dice as usual but may also
select any additional hits and apply them too.
Note if you choose to select a Force Back result
(a score of 3 or 4 on the attack dice) you do not
count additional hits as your fighter is obviously
concentrating on driving the enemy back rather than
striking an effective blow.
Example: Alfred the saxon is battling with a viking
raider. After comparing ATK and DEF values Alfred
rolls three attack dice scoring 3,5 and 6. Alfred
chooses the 6, the viking loses 1 point of Fortitude
and is forced back from the blow. The viking then
suffers a further 1 point loss of fortitude as Alfred
chooses to apply the score of a 5 (an additional hit
on his attack dice). Alfred then chooses to follow up
on the retreating viking maintaining base-to-base
contact.
If the viking could not move the full 1 when forced
back by Alfreds initial blow he would have suffered
an additional 1 point loss of fortitude.
If Alfred had chosen the score of 3 from his initial
attack dice roll the viking would simply have been
forced back and the two hits would have been
ignored (even if the viking lost Fortitude due to not
being able to move the full 1)
Fortitude loss
Over the course of a game of Open Combat your
models may lose points of Fortitude. This will usually
be through combat but can also be as a result of other
circumstances. If a model is ever reduced to zero
Fortitude (or below) the warrior has either succumbed
to its injuries or lost the ability to fight on and fled the
field. Remove the model from play.

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
FIGHTING FROM AN ELEVATED POSITION
During Open Combat you may find situations where a
model is on higher ground such as on a hill, further up
a staircase or standing on a table.
A model engaged in combat while in an elevated
position adds +2 to its ATK value.
Note: Players should agree before starting play
whether a piece of terrain is a suitable place to fight
from. Clinging halfway up a tree might not be the best
place to make an attack from but it may appeal to your
sense of drama in the context of your games. Two
fighters racing to top of cliff towards a prize, slashing
and hacking at each other as they go, conjures up
some heroic imagery!
Discuss potential situations with your opponent when
placing terrain and agree an approach.
16
main contents
FIGHTING WITH TWO WEAPONS
Models armed with two hand weapons (or two
daggers or a hand weapon and dagger) may attack
two enemy models it is Engaged with in a single
attack action.
Make a single attack against each enemy model
using half of the models ATK value against each
enemy model. Nominate which weapon is used in
each attack.
If after making the first attack your model is no longer
Engaged with the second enemy model (for example,
after following up on a Force Back against the first
model) the second attack cannot be made.
Attacks are made sequentially, the attacker chooses
which attack is made first, and performs the attack
and applies the result before performing the second
attack. If initiative is lost during the
first attack the second attack does
not take place.
When fighting with two weapons
we do not round fractions when
presented with odd numbers, the
controlling player splits the ATK
value (e.g. ATK 7 becomes ATK 4
and ATK 3).
Example: Carls crazed fanatic, armed with two
hand weapons, starts its activation engaged by two
enemy romans. One roman is armed with a sword
and shield the other with a spear. The fanatic has
an ATK of 7 and the romans both have a DEF of 3.
For the first Action Carl declares a hand-to-hand
attack against both romans. Starting with the roman
with the sword, the fanatic makes an ATK 4 attack
versus DEF 3. Rolling two dice he scores 6 and 6.
Two hits! The unfortunate roman is Forced Back and
loses 2 Fortitude (hes now looking very battered).
Carl chooses not to follow up and makes his attack
against the second roman. An ATK 3 versus DEF 3
sees a single dice rolled with a score of 2 meaning
an impasse.
Carl now delcares the second Action for the fanatic, a
hand-to-hand attack against the roman still engaged
with him. He now uses his full ATK of 7 versus a
DEF of 3 and reaches for three dice...

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
FIGHTING ACROSS A BARRIER
If a model is in base-to-base contact with a piece of
terrain designated as a barrier (such as a hedge, wall
or pile of crates) it can use the barrier to protect itself
in hand-to-hand combat.
A model fighting across a barrier receives +2 DEF
against hand-to-hand attacks from the opposite side
and can only be forced back as part of a Solid Hit (a 6
on the attack roll).
If a model manages to inflict a Force Back against an
opponent behind a barrier they may follow up across
the barrier filling the spot vacated by the retreating
opponent.
In the case of unusual base sizes move the enemy
model back to make enough space to fit the attacking
model even if this is further than the usual 1. Fortitude
is only lost if the model cannot move back 1 rather
than the full distance needed to fit the attackers base.
If the Force Back move is blocked, move the enemy
model back as far as possible, if there is not enough
room for the attacker to follow up into the space the
attacker must remain where it is.
17
main contents
FREE ATTACKS
When a model disengages from an enemy model
(or models) each enemy model Engaged with it may
make a Free Attack as the model tries to escape.
A Free Attack is performed in the same way as a
regular hand-to-hand attack. A disengaging model is
at half DEF for the purpose of Free Attacks. We can
imagine that the model is retreating from combat in a
reasonably cautious fashion instead of simply running
away but unable to put up a full defence as they
attempt to back out of danger.
The player controlling the models eligible to make a
Free Attack chooses in which order any Free Attacks
are performed.
A model may not Follow Up after making a Free Attack,
a Free Attack represents a last slash or thrust with a
weapon as an enemy backs out of range.
Free Attacks may only be made against models
disnegaging from the front facing of a model. If the
enemy is behind you and decides to leave theres not
much you can do about it! (Except perhaps to breathe
a sigh of relief.)
PRONE
There are several ways a model can find itself
knocked to the ground, while prone a model is
in a precarious position and will want to regain
its feet quickly if it wants to survive.
A model may regain its composure and
stand back up onto its feet by using a stand
up action.
A model cannot do any action except stand
up while prone. While in a prone position
a models DEF is halved. A prone model
has no facing.


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

WARBANDS
Before you start to play Open Combat you need to create your warband
to take to battle.

A warband consists of a leader model and any Warband construction

number of additional models that fight alongside this
charismatic (or frightening) individual. These could be You spend points of Renown to build a characteristic
trusted companions, subordinates, snivelling minions profile for each warrior in your warband. Points are
or whatever fires your imagination. allocated to characteristics on a one-for-one basis.

You buy weapons and equipment for your warriors for

RENOWN
1 point of Renown each and can also add skills and
Renown is the term we use to measure the worth abilities to your warriors for 1 point of Renown each.
of an individual and a warband in Open Combat.
The first thing you need to decide when building a
warband is the Renown level you and your opponent Example: Gav starts to construct the first warrior for
wish to play at. a new warband and spends 4 points on SPD, 6 points
on ATK, 5 points on DEF, 4 points on FORT and 2
Weve found that 150pts is a good level to start points on MIN.
your first few games with and provides enough
room to experiment with warband construction. The warrior has the following profile: :
It usually produces warbands of 6-10 models
SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN
although this does depend on how you build the
4 6 5 4 2
individual fighters.
The profile above has the warrior valued at
After youve played a few games you can experiment
21 Renown (4 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 2 = 21) but he hasnt
with higher or lower Renown level games to find the
got any weapons yet!
size of game that best suits your own tastes, space
and time constraints. Gav decides to arm the warrior with a spear
(1 point) and a shield (1 point) taking his total value
up to 23 Renown.

You continue to use your Renown to construct

your warband until all of the available points have
been allocated.

Once all of the Renown is allocated you designate

the model with the highest Renown as your
leader, writing Leader on the warband roster in the
skills/abilities section. The Leader ability does not
cost any additional renown. If you have two warriors
tied with the highest renown choose which will
be the leader.

18

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Break point

While all warbands fight for victory they have their limits.
To represent this sudden urge for self-preservation
(or running away as victorious enemy see it) each
warband has a Break Point.

Players calculate the Break Point of their warbands

by adding together the total FOR of all the models in
the warband with the total MIN in the warband and
dividing by two.

Example: If I had a warband with 7 models, each

model with a FOR of 3 and a MIN of 2 I would have a
Break Point of 18. (Fortitude 3 x 7 models = 21 + Mind
2 x 7 models =14. This gives us 21 + 14 = 35, 35 /2 =
17.5 rounded up to 18).

During a game both players keep track of the

remaining FOR and MIN of their warbands, once one
of the warbands has reached their Break Point that
Leader warband is driven from the battlefield. Remember that
FOR and MIN can be regained by resting, which will
Leaders all have their own particular ways of
move the warband away from its Break Point.
getting things done. It might be sheer physical
prowess that terrifies lesser mortals into
doing as theyre told, astute tactical acumen
that observers have come to respect and
follow or something completely different.
Whatever it is that makes others follow a
leader is immaterial, leaders all have one thing
in common: theyre good at influencing the
people around them.

While your leader is on the tabletop you have

access to his Leader ability. We represent
your leaders influence over the warband
with rerolls. If your leader is removed from If a characteristic is ever reduced to zero it has the
play before you have expended all of your
rerolls any left over are lost. If the leader is
not on the table he cannot exert his influence
on events.
You have three rerolls available for the entire
game. If at any point you roll the dice and dont
like the result you may expend a reroll and roll
all of the dice associated with the situation
again. You must abide by the result of the reroll
(no rerolling rerolls).
Zero characteristics
following effect:
SPD: Model cannot move.
ATK: Model is not suitable for combat.
Cannot take attack action.
DEF: Model is not suitable for combat.
Opponents always roll three attack dice
when attacking this mode.
FOR: Model is removed from play.

If your leader is prone you cannot use a MIN: Model is mentally exhausted.
reroll - their attention is otherwise occupied Half ATK and DEF.
dealing with their own immediate situation.

19

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
MOUNTED MODELS AND MONSTERS
Mounted models and monsters should have their
unique nature reflected in the characteristics that are
assigned to them. High SPD is appropriate in most
cases for cavalry and high FOR might be suitable
for your idea of the robustness of a Troll. The rules
presented here are a quick and easy way to establish
their differences from regular infantry models. We
will revisit mounted models and monsters in future
micro expansions which will add rules for mounting
and dismounting, special monster attacks, unusual
behaviours and more.
Mounted models (such as roman cavalry or goblin
wolf riders) and monsters (suchs as Ogres and Trolls)
are all presented on larger bases than regular foot
troops. To reflect this greater presence on the tabletop
we assign these models the following rules.
When a mounted model or monster scores a Force
Back in hand-to-hand combat against a non-mounted
model or monster the enemy model is Forced Back
2 rather than the usual 1. The mounted model or
monster may follow up 2 to remain in base contact. If
a model forced back by a mounted model or monster
cannot move the full 2 it is moved as far as it can go
and placed prone (in addition to losing 1 FOR due to
being unable to move back the full distance, see Force
Back page 14).
20
main contents
However, mounts can be difficult to control and
monsters can just stand still bellowing in a rage or can
get easily confused so whenever a mounted model or
monster is activated the controlling player must first
roll on the Behaviour chart below:
D6 Behaviour
1 Uh-oh... A jittery horse, a bellowing troll,
whatever it is it isnt behaving at all. Lose
initiative.
2 Will...you...just...move! A bit slow off
the mark but active. Model may take
one Action this activation.
3-6 Model behaves normally.
It does not cost any Renown to be mounted or a
monster, the model must simply be appropriate for
what its supposed to represent and be presented on a
suitable base to reflect the difference.
You could put an infantry model on a large base and
counts as a monster if you feel its suitable for your
setting. For example, a frothing viking berserker or a
screaming ancient British fanatic are both arguably
suited to the title monster. Just ensure your opponent
is aware of what each model represents.

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
No Limits
Open Combat has been written to be as flexible as
possible with regards to warband creation and so
imposes no restrictions or limitations during warband
construction.
In our own games we simply build warbands to suit our
own perception of what the particular models represent
and what we feel they should be capable of on the
tabletop. Gaming clubs and groups that meet regularly
will quickly establish a level of warband creation that
suits their playing style, and we encourage players to
talk to each other about their warbands and ideas.
This is your chance to make your elves, dwarfs, Roman
legionaires, Celtic fanatics etc. as fast, skilled or tough
as you think they should be. Its your warband, you
can build it the way you want to.
ORGANISED EVENTS
For those of you that like to run or participate in
organised play events and leagues you may wish to
set limits within an event pack to reflect the setting of
your event and/or to accommodate a special scenario
you may have produced for the event.
21
main contents
An example would be if youre running a series of
games of Open Combat set within an historical period,
you may wish to limit SPD to 4 for infantry and 8 for
cavalry. You could go further and require a minimum
number of warriors in a warband and/or limit the
number of skills the members of the warband can
take. You may also wish to limit the weapons available
to reflect the period. You can, of course, place upper
limits on characteristic values, but from our experience
dont be too restrictive in this matter - the Renown cost
soon adds up and balances out!
It is entirely up to you.
One thing we would suggest including within an
event pack is a specification for model bases. Open
Combat can be played with any bases when played
within a small group of friends. You all know each
other and play in a mutually acceptable fashion. But
when planning an event or league, which could gather
players from many different gaming groups, you
can curb any potential over-competitive individuals
or forestall any arguments due to different accepted
conventions by setting criteria for model bases for all
to follow at the event.

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
weapons
This section describes the weapons and equipment available to ready your
fighters for Open Combat.
WYSIWYG and counts as
Generally speaking we play our games WYSIWYG
(What You See Is What You Get) where weapons and
equipment must be visible on the model. But there are
occasions, particularly with some of the more unusual
models in our collection, where weve used a counts
as approach.
If youre playing in a fantasy setting and wish to
use models of animals or creatures that dont carry
weapons in the traditional sense, buy the weapon you
wish to use and say the claws/horns/bite etc. counts
as the weapon. Just make sure your opponent is
absolutely clear what each model is capable of to
avoid any confusion during the game.
Carrying Multiple Weapons
You can arm a model with as many weapons as you
wish and swap freely between them while unengaged.
If the model is Engaged you must specify what
weapon/s the model is using in the engagement.
The model retains these weapons until it is no longer
Engaged when it is free to swap again.
Ranged Weapons
Open Combat games respresent close quarter
engagements. To reflect the close proximity of the
combatants ranges are only provided on weapons to
denote the range of effective use. If a weapon states
that it allows the user to make attacks but doesnt
state a range, then the weapon is effective across
the entire tabletop.
22
main contents
Fists
Desperate times may see a warrior relying on his
bare hands.
Only causes loss of Fortitude when scoring a Solid Hit
in hand-to-hand combat. Cannot score additional hits.
Minor Hits count as a Force Back.
Note: This is the default weapon that a human (or
humanoid in a fantasy setting) has available if no
Renown is spent on other weapons..
Dagger
A short, bladed weapon easily hidden away, a spike or a
knife. The term dagger could also respresent the claws,
talons or bite of an animal or beast.
Only causes loss of Fortitude on Solid Hits. Minor Hits
count as Force Back. May score additional hits only if
Solid Hits.
Up to two daggers may be thrown as a single shoot
action. Remove from roster and take a shoot action.
Range 4.
Obviously if using a Dagger to represent an animal
attack it cannot be thrown. If your opponent attempts
to throw an animal bite you should mock them
intensely for their blatantly unsporting behaviour.
However, feel free to arm an animal with two daggers
to allow the beast to fight as though armed with two
weapons. Thats a particularly nasty beastie!
Similarly, in a fantasy setting, if you have a strange
looking spikey beast theres nothing stopping you
stating that beast can fire the spikes as a defense
mechanism and count as thrown daggers. Just make
sure you pay the Renown for the number of spikes that
it can fire over the course of the battle.

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Hand Weapon
A sword, hand axe or club (or the massive fist of a raging
gorilla) the size and shape may vary but the effect of being
hit is essentially the same. It hurts!
No special rules.
Rather than daggers, particularly fearsome beasts like
cave bears, sabre-toothed tigers and jabberwockies
might have one or more hand weapons.
Spear
One of the cheapest weapons invented but an effective way to
fight your enemy without getting too close.
May make a hand-to-hand attack against targets up to
1 away. Cannot score additional hits.
Spears allow fighters to support their comrades. Spear
armed warriors may measure through friendly bases
when making attacks against enemy models.
A giant toad or gribblie demon may have a lashing
tongue attack which could counts as as a spear.
Halberd
A sturdy shaft topped with a steel blade incorporating a
point and cutting edge, the halberd can be used to chop and
thrust making it a versatile weapon.
May make a hand-to-hand attack against targets up to
1 away. Cannot use Shield.
The horns of a rhino or other monstrous creature
could easily be counted as a halberd when thrust from
powerful muscles.
23
main contents
Double-handed Weapon
Huge axes and swords, sweeping tree trunks or lashing tails
from exotic monsters, these weapons can strike many foes
simultaneously as they slash and sweep in devastating arcs
but they can be difficult to control.
When making an attack with this weapon compare
the ATK value with the highest DEF (taking into
consideration any potential modifications) of all
Engaged enemy and make the attack roll.
All attack dice are scored in hand-to-hand combat.
First apply any Solid Hits (hits are scored against each
and every enemy engaged with this model), followed
by Minor Hits, Force Backs, Impasses and Terrible
Misses. Cannot use with Shield.
A model using a double-handed weapon may choose
to Follow Up any enemy model Forced Back by the
attack.
A multi-headed monstrosity such as a hydra or
tentacled swampbeast could easily count as being
armed with a double-handed weapon.
Example: Nicks viking armed with a mighty dane
axe (double-handed weapon) starts his activivation
faced by three closely huddled saxons.
Nick declares his first Action as a move and manages
to engage all three saxons with his viking warrior.
For his second Action Nick declares an attack action
using the double-handed weapon. Comparing his
vikings ATK of 5 versus the DEF of the three saxons
(DEF values of 3,3 and 4) Nick discovers that the
highest DEF is a 4 so he rolls two dice.
Nick scores a 4 (Force Back) and a 5 (Minor Hit).
A Minor Hit is applied to each saxon as they are
caught by the whirling dane axe. One saxon dies as
a result (losing his last remaining point of FOR to
the blow).
The Force Back is then applied to the two remaining
saxons as they stagger back from the assault.
Finally, with both scores applied, Nick chooses to
Follow Up after one of the retreating saxons and
moves his viking into base contact.

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Bow
A strong flexible wooden stave, sometimes backed
by sinew, horn or bone, used to cast arrows at the
enemy from afar.
May take shoot action.
Crossbow
A more complex missile weapon than the bow, slower to use
but offering more power in return.
May take shoot action. Shoot action requires two
actions. May score additional hits (see hand-to-hand
combat this represents the sheer power of the shot
rather than a flurry of blows).
Sling
A simple weapon which can be quick to use when close
to the enemy.
May take shoot action. Only causes loss of Fortitude
on Solid Hits. Minor Hits count as Force Back. May
take one shot with no range restriction or take two
shots at Range 8.
24
main contents
Javelin
A lightweight, short spear suitable for throwing at the
enemy as a warrior moves to engage.
May be thrown as part of a move action. Remove from
roster and take a shoot action at any point during a
move action, continue with the move once the shoot
action is completed. Range 8.
Only causes loss of Fortitude on Solid Hits. Minor Hits
count as Force Back. May score additional hits only if
Solid Hits.
Shield
Although the style and materials used in their
manufacture may differ, the protection a shield offers is
always welcome.
Do not suffer Fortitude damage when unable to move
the full distance during a Force Back from attacks
emanating from the users front facing .
Minor Hits from enemy missile fire emanating from the
users front facing are deflected, treat as a Miss.
A model cannot benefit from a shield if it is attacked
from the rear.

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
skills and abilities
Along with their weapons and equipment some warriors may possess special
skills and abilities which they can put to good use on the battlefield.
COMBAT SKILLS and abilities
Aim
Some fighters practice their shooting skills intently, learning
how to focus and assess the prevailing conditions, only
loosing their shot when they are sure of its effectiveness.
This model may take an Interact action to gain Marksman
+1 ATK for its next Shooting action. Multiple
consecutive Interact actions are cumulative.
Example: Carl chooses to activate an archer with
the Aim ability. Looking at the tabletop he decides
to take two Interact actions to Aim as his archer
draws a bead on the approaching enemy. On his
following turn he activates the archer again, he
takes a third Interact action to continue his aim then
takes an Attack action to make a shooting attack. The
shooting attack is made at +3 ATK (plus any other
modifiers that may apply).
If a model using the Aim ability moves, is engaged,
Forced Back or hit by any kind of attack while taking
aim it loses any ATK bonus it has build up using Aim.
They have taken their eye off their target.
Focussed Blow
Talented warriors know how to assess amd read an opponent,
only making an attack when it is most advantageous for them
to do so.
A special hand-to-hand attack action that requires
two actions. This model recieves +3 ATK for this
attack. A Terrible Miss is treated as Miss.
25
main contents
Sharp Eyed
With eyes like a hawk it is a rare day when this hunter loses
sight of their prey.
May reroll the Obscured Target Test when checking
line of sight.
Years of practice ensure that when mistakes happen theyre
not as bad as they could be.
When this model makes a shooting attack a Terrible
Miss is treated as Miss.
Shield Bash
Well accustomed to the mayhem of close quarter fighting
this fighter knows a trick or two to knock an unwary enemy
off balance.
May use shield in attack. If you score a Minor Hit
treat it as a Force Back. If you score a Solid Hit treat as
Force Back and place enemy model prone.
Furious Assault
Raw aggression (or sheer panic) can drive a warrior to
incredible bouts of ferocity but the moment is often fleeting
and can leave them open to a counterattack.
A special hand-to-hand attack action that requires
two actions. Double the models ATK for this attack.
Surviving engaged enemy models may make a Free
Attack against this model after the result of the Furious
Assault has been resolved.
Resolute
Sometimes you meet a warrior that simply will not
give ground.
When this model is attacked from its front facing this
model can only be forced back with a Solid Hit.


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

PHYSICAL SKILLS and abilities

Exert
Heroes are renowned for pushing themselves beyond what is
expected of mortals but these feats come at a price.
Reduce Fortitude and Mind by one for an extra action
during this activation only. Use only once per turn.

Quick Recovery
Whether it is acrobatic skill or sheer determination this
warrior wont stay down for long.
May stand up from prone position for a single action.

Nimble
There are some people that possess a natural agility that
makes them appear to glide past terrain which others must
clumsily clamber over.
Model is not impeded by barriers and moves at full
SPD when crossing them.
Ambidextrous
Evade
This warrior can use a deft sidestep or fake attack to allow It may be natural ability or long hours of training that allows
themselves the room to escape their enemies. this warrior to fight with equal skill with either hand.

When this model is about to disengage it may This model may split its ATK value between each
nominate one enemy model it is engaged with. The enemy model in any way the controlling player wishes
nominated model may not make a Free Attack as this when fighting with two weapons.
model disengages from them.
Surefooted
This fighter can judge where to tread in even the most
precarious of environments.
Example: Carls elf warrior with the Evade ability
starts his activation engaged by an enemy orc with Model may reroll dice relating to crossing
an axe, shield and the Shield Bash ability. Not liking Hazardous terrain.
the idea of the elf having his face put into the dirt
Carl decides to try to escape and declares that the
elf is disengaging. He uses Evade and nominates the
orc with the Shield Bash ability. The orc cannot make
a Free Attack as the elf disengages so Carl safely
moves the elf away to a more suitable position.

26

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

INFLUENCE SKILLS and abilities Intimidate

Open Combat often brings members of warbands An imposing physical presence, a frightening display
into very close proximity. In these fractious of skill at arms or a series of mind-numbing threats, whatever
environments some warriors have a knack of form it takes intimidation can leave an opponent unwilling
getting into the minds of their enemies or comrades, to fight on.
reducing foes to quivering wrecks or adding grit Range 6.
to the resolve of a wavering ally.
Minor Hit = target loses 1 Mind.
Psychological Attacks
Solid Hit = target loses 2 Mind.
Influence Abilities introduce a new form of Attack
action, a Psychological Attack. Inspire
Sometimes even the most downtrodden souls can be inspired
A psychological attack is performed in the same way to continue the struggle.
as a shooting attack but instead of comparing the ATK
of the attacker with the DEF of the target you compare Range 6.
the MIN of the attacker with the MIN of the target. Do
Minor Hit = target regains 1 Mind.
not use the shooting modifiers for a psychological
attack. Solid Hit = target regains 2 Mind.

A psychological attack may be used while engaged

and may target any model within range.

The results of the attack depend on the ability being

used.

Enrage
Feint
A few well chosen words can drive a warrior into
A half-move, a muttered comment or a fake attack can all
a rage, adding strength to their blows as they disregard
give your opponent pause for thought and create a gap in
their own safety.
their defences.
Range 6.
Range base-to-base.
Minor Hit = target is +1ATK -1DEF.
Minor Hit = target is -1DEF.
Solid Hit = target is +2ATK, -2DEF.
Solid Hit = target is -2DEF.
The effect lasts until the end of the targets next
The effect lasts until the end of the targets next
activation.
activation.
Taunt
Distract
Taunting the opposition (and friends) has long been part of
A good distraction can buy valuable time for your friends
life for men of action, although it can lead to unexpected
but if you get it wrong you could find yourself in a tricky
results.
situation.
Range 6.
Range base-to-base.
Minor Hit = target moves half SPD directly towards
Terrible Miss = Target may make a Free Attack against
this model.
this model. Lose initiative.
Solid Hit = target moves full SPD directly towards this
Minor Hit = target loses one Action from its next
model.
activation.
If target engages this model because of the
Solid Hit = target loses two Actions from its next
movement the target must make a free attack
activation.
against this model.

27

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
TERRAIN
Battles can be fought across wide open spaces but games played with
plenty of model scenery are tactically more challenging and a great deal
more visually appealing.
Before you start a game of Open Combat it is important
that you discuss the terrain on the tabletop with your
opponent and agree how each piece of terrain will be
treated throughout the game.
How much terrain is enough?
We try to ensure that every 6 square area has at least
some scenic element either within it or encroaching on
it at the start of the game. This is simply a guide and
you dont have to follow this approach, but we have
found that this creates plenty of tactical challenges
to the game and (depending on the terrain features
used) several opportunities for mishaps and changes
of initiative.
We all have different collections of terrain available
so we have written the following rules which you can
apply to your terrain to suit your own preferences
regarding the part you wish the terrain to play within
your games.
Area Terrain
Area terrain is any terrain feature that has a defined
area that you can clearly discern on the tabletop.
If part of a models base is within the area terrain then
the model is subject to the rules of the terrain feature.
28
main contents
Terrain Type
There are three types of terrain in Open Combat:
open, difficult and impassable, in addition to these
some areas of terrain may be hazardous.
Open Terrain
Open terrain is terrain that does not affect a models
movement. Examples include grassy plains, roads,
elevated walkways, flat platforms or sloped hillsides.
Difficult Terrain
Difficult ground slows down models that try to move
through it. All distances travelled through difficult
ground count double, For example, a model with a
SPD of 4 using a move action in open ground would
move 4, the same model in diffuclt ground would
move 2. Examples of difficult ground include rocky
areas, swampland, shallow water, thick brush, crops
or farmland.
Impassable Terrain
Impassable terrain is terrain that models cannot move
through. Examples include lava flows, deep fissures,
cliff faces, fast flowing rivers or deep lakes.
You may agree to allow attempts to jump across some
forms of impassable terrain (such as a deep fissure,
fast moving water course or lava flow). Failure to
successfully jump across results in the model being
removed as a casualty. (See Jumping on page 34).
Cover
Models within or behind terrain features can claim a
cover DEF bonus against shooting attacks emanating
from the opposite side. There are two kinds of Cover:
Hard Cover (rocks, walls, battlements): +4 DEF
Soft Cover (fences, hedges, tall grasses): +2 DEF


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Terrain Features Barriers block Force Backs - if a model is Forced Back

Model terrain and scenery varies a great deal. Before
you start a game of Open Combat discuss with your
opponent the rules youll apply to each feature. Weve
included suggestions and guidelines to apply to the
more usual items of terrain you may come across in
your games in this section.
When measuring the height of terrain do not include
the thickness of a base. This is especially important if
youve mounted fences or walls onto a very thick piece
of board. This may help with the durability of the piece
of terrain when its stored away between games but
could artificially inflate the impact it may have during
a game.
Barriers
Barriers are features or objects up to 1 in height and
less than 1 wide. A model must spend 2 of its SPD
during a move action to cross a barrier. If a model
lacks enough SPD to cross a barrier it stops moving
when it makes contact with the barrier.
into a barrier before it has moved the full distance the
model may suffer damage (see Force Back on page
12).
Obstructions
Obstructions is a catch-all term to cover objects or
terrain features larger than 1 in height and width
that are just impossible for models to get through.
This includes large rocks, ruined fortifications or
impenetrable undergrowth.
Obstructions block line of sight and are impassable.
If you wish to allow models to climb onto certain
obstructions discuss this with your opponent. For
example, a ruined fort may have a flat area on top that
makes a good place for a bowman if he can get to it.
(See climbing and falling on page 33).

Barriers provide some protection from attacks

orginating from the opposite side. If a model is
touching a barrier and is attacked in hand-to-hand
combat by another model across the barrier it gains
+2 DEF. (See Fighting across a barrier on page 17 for
more details)

Standing behind barriers offers a degree of protection

from missile fire. If a model is in base-to-base contact
with a barrier it can claim cover from shooting attacks
from the opposite side. (See cover on page 28).

29

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Woods, Forests and Trees
There are two ways you can handle trees in your
games of Open Combat.
Individual Trees. If you have individually based trees
you can simply treat them as individual immovable
objects on the tabletop, obscuring line of sight,
blocking Force Backs and treating the base as a small
patch of difficult ground for the purposes of models
moving over it. A model cannot move across or
through the trunk of a tree.
Areas of Woodland or Forest. Another approach
is to designate woodland as area terrain. Mark the
boundaries of the wood or forested area with an
appropriate base or border and place a few trees
within this area to represent the woodland. As models
move through these areas you can move the trees
around to make room to move the models.
Areas of woodland can be light or dense so discuss
with your opponent which approach youre using for
each area of trees before you start your game.
Light woodland obscures line of sight that passes
through it. It offers light cover if enemy missile fire must
pass through 1 or more of the terrain before hitting a
model standing within or beyond it.
Dense woodland obscures line of sight up to 3 into it.
Dense woodland blocks line of sight beyond 3 as it is
simply too diffficult to see clearly enough to get a shot
off. It offers light cover if enemy missile fire must pass
through 1 or more of the terrain before hitting a model
standing within or beyond it. Thick underbrush makes
travelling through the area difficult ground.
In practice you may find that you use a mixture of
single trees and area terrain for your games.
30
main contents
Rivers, Streams, Ponds and Lakes
Water can present unique tactical challenges to the
general manoeuvrability of your warband.
There are two kinds of water you can include in your
games: running water and standing water. All water
terrain is area terrain. Assume any banks or grassy
edges to your stream or pond models are muddy or
slippery so any models touching them are subject to
the rules of the terrain piece. However, you may wish
to use different rules for a shallow ford or stepping
stones to create safe crossing points.
Running water is represented by rivers and streams.
If you use rivers or streams ensure they have an entry
and exit point on the tabletop. Include some way of
crossing them without resorting to jumping (see
Jumping on page 34) at two or more points along the
course of the feature.
Streams are shallow areas of running water and count
as difficult ground.
Rivers are wider, fast flowing and usually run much
deeper than streams. Either treat as impassable or
treat as hazardous difficult ground (see Hazards on
page 32).
Standing water is represented by ponds and lakes.
These can be either difficult ground (such as a shallow
duck pond) or impassable (such as a deep lake or
lagoon) depending on what you feel is appropriate
within the context of your game.


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Hills If a model is standing on a hill line of sight to and from

The hills on a tabletop in Open Combat generally
represent rises and falls in the landscape rather than
huge mountains.
Hills should usually be treated as open ground for
movement purposes. However, in some cases,
treating part or all of the hill as area terrain, such as
difficult ground, may be more appropriate, especially
if the terrain piece is covered in broken rocks or gravel.
A hill, or parts of it, can be classed as impassable if
represented by a model terrain piece with sheer cliff
faces on some of the sides. If all sides are sheer cliff
faces the terrain feature is an obstruction which you
may allow models to climb (see Obstructions).
You will be able to make a judgement just by looking at
the piece of terrain you have on the tabletop.
If a model is higher up a hill when fighting in hand-to-
hand combat they gain the benefit of of +2 ATK for
fighting from an elevated position (see page 16).
this model is clear above barriers (although other
intervening terrain may interfere). However if the line
of sight between two models crosses the highest point
on the hill then it is blocked. This represents a fighter
keeping their head down below the crest of the rise.
Buildings
The treatment of buildings often depends on the
design of the model terrain that you have in your
collection and the preferences of your play group. In
a future expansion we plan to provide expanded rules
for using terrain pieces with lift-off roofs, integrating
floorplans and such. The following rules are a simplified
approach to allow you to include buildings and intact
structures in your games.
Intact buildings are impassable area terrain which
block line of sight.
If you have ruined buildings in your terrain collection
you should treat them as barriers, area terrain and/or
obstructions as appropriate.

A E
F C

Example 1: Elf E has a clear line of sight to all other

models. Orc B can claim cover from the fence due to
being within 1 but the fence does not obscure line of
sight from the elves on the hill.
Example 2: Elf F has a clear line of sight to orc C and
orc B (orc B can claim cover from the fence) but cannot
see orc A.
Example 3: Orc C has a clear line of sight to both elves
even though the line of sight to elf E travels through the
base of elf F. This is because the elves are on different
levels of the hill. (Its pretty exposed standing on a hill!)

31

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Hazards
No matter what period or genre you play your
games of Open Combat within there will be Model is shocked, stunned or
dangers and hazards which can befall even the most
heroic of individuals.
Hazards are your chance to add extra character, depth
and drama to your games.
Once youve set up the terrain on the tabletop take
a moment to look at what elements and features are
present. Consider what potential threats they may
pose to the warbands that are about to enter the fray.
Does that stretch of fence look a bit rickety Mind. The choice is yours.
and unstable? Is that area of woodland strewn
with thorny underbrush? Does that patch of rocks
and debris look like it may be home to snakes
or more sinister threats?
32
main contents
If you decide to use hazards simply assign the
necessary terrain feature/s the following rules
(these are in additional to the existing rules for the
terrain piece).
1. All hazards require a model to make
a Hazard roll if it enters, crosses or
starts its activation within the hazardous
terrain feature.
Roll a dice, on a score of 1, the model
has stumbled, slipped, hesitated or
otherwise lost precious time due to being
beset by the hazard. You lose initiative.
2. In addition to losing initiative you can
increase the threat of the Hazard. Pick
none, one or more events from the list
below to apply to the hazard (these
events occur before initiative passes
to the other player).
Model trips, falls or is dragged
over - place model prone.
Model is wounded, pulls a muscle
or suffers a blow - lose 1 Fortitude.
frightened - lose 1 Mind.
Note - you can further increase the risk of the
hazard simply by changing the score of the
hazard roll to a 1 or 2. In really hazardous terrain
you could increase it up to a score of 1-4 if youre
feeling really brave/spiteful.
If youre feeling particularly vindicative you could make
the damage from the events even more risky too,
suffering losses of 2 or more Fortitude or 2 or more
Example 1: A piece of area terrain representing
a patch of thorny undergrowth (difficult ground)
presents a hazard to those entering it. Hazard score
1, lose 1 fortitude.
Example 2: A rickety stretch of fence (barrier) has a
chance of collapse if anyone crosses it. Hazard score
1-2, model placed prone.
Example 3: A rare and deadly beast lurks in the
area terrain piece representing a swamp (difficult
ground) waiting to strike the unwary. Hazard 1, lose
2 Fortitude, lose 1 Mind, model placed prone.


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

additional rules
The following rules provide additional depth to your games of Open Combat.

HIDING

An unengaged model may take a single interact action

to Hide if it is in base contact with a terrain feature that
is at least half the height of the model.

While hidden a model cannot be targeted by a

shooting attack unless the model aiming at the hidden
model can draw a clear line of sight.

Mark the model with a counter or token as a reminder

that it is hiding.

If a hidden model is Engaged it is no longer hidden.

CLIMBING

A model may move up or down ladders and stairs

using a move action. Simply measure the distance up
or down for the distance covered as though the model
was travelling along open ground.

If a model wishes to climb walls, trees, rock faces or

other structures on the tabletop it must start touching
FALLING
what it wishes to climb at the beginning of the climb
action. If a model loses its footing during a climb or is Forced
Back from an elevated surface such as a table, rooftop
A climb is a single interact action and the model can
or the edge of a cliff, it will fall.
climb a distance equal to half its SPD.
When a model falls, place it prone below the point
However, there is a risk that loose footing, lack of
it falls from and consult the chart below to see if the
concentration or some other mishap may occur.
model is hurt.
Roll D6 following a climb action, on a score of 2-6
everything is okay. On a score of 1 the model falls from
Fall Distance Effect of Fall
the height it has achieved during its climb.
Up to 1 Not hurt
Several climbs may be needed to achieve the top of
the structure a model is climbing. Roll a D6 for each 1+ to 3 Roll one dice,
lose 1 fortitude on 5 or 6
action used during the climb. Put a marker or make
a note as a reminder of the distance a model has 3+ to 6 Roll two dice,
climbed if a model needs to spend several turns to lose 1 fortitude on each 5 or 6
make a climb.
6+ to 9 Roll three dice,
lose 1 fortitude on each 5 or 6

9+ Roll three dice,

lose 2 fortitude on each 5 or 6

33

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Jumping COMBINED ACTIONS

A model may jump vertically down from a height as a
single move action.
Follow the procedure for falling. If the model survives
the drop do not place the model prone as the fighter
lands on their feet. If the model has any actions left
they may continue with their turn.
A model may attempt to jump horizontally (such as
across a gap between roofs or over a stream) as part
of a move action as long as it has the SPD to complete
the distance to make the jump.
Roll D6 adding the distance moved during this
activation before take off (this represents the model
having a run up). If the result is equal to or more than
that required to clear the gap the model continues its
move. On an unmodified roll of 1 the model stumbles
on take off and only travels 1 before landing in (or
falling through) the gap it was attempting to cross.
Lose initiative.
If a model starts within 1 of one or more friendly
models that have not been activated in the turn you
may make a combined action.
Nominate a model to start the combined action, this
model is shouting, signalling or otherwise leading the
combined action. All of the models activate together
and take part in the special combined action as
detailed below.
A model may only take part in one combined action
during a turn. Participating in a combined action
counts as a models activation.
Follow Me!
Follow Me! represents one of your fighters spotting
the need for haste and guiding or encouraging his
comrades onwards.
Each model taking part in a Follow Me! action takes
two consecutive move actions.

If a Hazard test is required for crossing a piece of

Example: Carls barbarian adventurer is deep in
an underground cavern battling goblins and other
gribblie beasties. Starting the barbarians activation
Carl has the choice to take a long route around a
bottomless fissure (the terrain piece had been agreed
to be an instant death to any model that is pushed
or falls into it) or attempt to jump across it. Carl
decides to take the risk and go for the jump.
The barbarian has a SPD of 4 the fissure is 3 wide
and the barbarian starts 4 away from the edge of
the fissure.
terrain make one test and apply the result to all models
taking part in the Follow Me! action. If the model that
started the combined action has the Surefooted ability
then it may be used during any Hazard test required
during the combined action. (The model is obviously
warning its comrades of the danger).
Models taking part in a Follow Me! action must finish
their moves within 1 of another model that was part of
the combined action.

Carl declares a move Action and moves the barbarian

4 up to the edge of the fissure. Carl then declares
a second move Action to move across the fissure. He
rolls a single dice adding 4 to the roll for the run up,
he scores a 2 for a total of 6 (2+4 for the run up)
easily enough to make the jump. He moves across
the 3 gap landing just on the other side, his SPD
of 4 providing just enough movement for the models
base to clear the fissure. We can imagine small rocks
tumbling into the depths as the barbarian lands,
wobbles and glances over his shoulder.

Note that without the run up a score of 1,2 or 3

would have seen the barbarian plummet to his death
as he would not have cleared the fissure.

34

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Volley fire!
Volley fire! represents a warrior organising his
comrades into making a devastating combined
shooting attack.
If a model armed with a missile weapon starts within
1 of one or more friendly models armed with the
same missile weapon you may make a special Volley
fire! combined shooting action. The Volley fire!
combined action is a special shooting action which
requires two actions. Nominate a model to start the
combined action.
Add together the ATK values of the models taking part
in the Volley fire! action and compare the total to the
DEF of the target model and make an attack roll as
appropriate. Additional hits may be scored (see hand-
to-hand combat this represents multiple missiles
raining down on the target rather than a flurry of blows)
regardless of the missile weapon being used.
Note the obscured target test and range is calculated
from the model calling the combined action. If the
model that started the combined action has the Sharp
Eyed ability then it may be used during the combined
action.
Models taking part in a Volley fire! combined action
do not block line of sight to other models taking part
in the same action (we assume they keep out of each
others way). However, if line of sight to the target is
blocked for a participating model in any other way the
model may not take part in the combined action.
35
main contents
With me!
With me! represents one of your warriors seeing an
opportunity (or realising help is needed) and calling
for the aid of his comrades in attacking an enemy.
If a model Engaged with an enemy model starts the
action within 1 of other friendly models Engaged
with the same enemy model you may make a special
With me! combined hand-to-hand attack. The
combined action is a special combat action which
requires two actions. Nominate the model to start the
combined action.
Add together the ATK values of the models participating
in the With me! action and compare the total to the
DEF of the target model and make an attack roll as
appropriate.
Any number of the attackers may follow up in the case
of a Force Back.
If the models are armed with weapons which have
special rules only use the rules associated with the
weapon/s wielded by the model that started the With
me! action.


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

scenarios
When you have created your warbands its time to get stuck into the action and
see what your warriors are made of.

Scenarios provide you with the background to Objective and victory conditions
the situation that has brought your warbands into
conflict and provide you with the rules for fighting This section details what the warbands need to do to
out the encounter. secure victory and how to work out which warband is
the winner.
In keeping with the accessible nature of Open Combat
the scenarios included here are intentionally kept Set-up
suitable for a wide a range of settings and genres.
This section describes how forces should be deployed
Weve included a selection of ideas and concepts
and highlights any additional elements which may
to consider in the Background and Terrain section
need to be placed on the battlefield for the scenario.
for each scenario to help inspire your imagination for
your own games. Special rules

Each scenario is presented with the following sections: This section includes any additional rules that need to
be considered when playing the scenario.
Background and terrain

The potential reasons for the encounter taking place

are explained along with what environment it could
take place in.

36

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Scenario 1 : Open Combat

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you...

Background and terrain Players deploy a model by taking a single move action
with the model using any point along their board edge
The Open Combat scenario is your opportunity to as the starting position.
set-up whatever battle you fancy playing out as befits
your warbands and terrain collection. A handful of Corner Deployment
adventurers fighting goblins in an underground cavern,
Both players roll a D6, the
rival native tribes in ritual combat across a jungle river
player that scores the highest
ford, Saxons and Vikings clashing on a wind-lashed
chooses a corner to start from,
coastline or even opposing merchant guilds coming
the opposing player starts
to blows in a busy market square. You are limited only
from the opposite corner.
by your imagination.
Players alternate deploying
Arrange the terrain to reflect the situation you feel befits
models from their warbands in the same way as Board
the opposing warbands and agree with your opponent
Edge deployment but use the chosen corner as the
what rules apply to each terrain element.
starting point.
Objective and victory conditions
Confrontation
Drive the opposing warband from the battlefield.
The opposing warbands
The warband which drives their enemy from the
have spent a few moments
battlefield wins.

Set-up
posturing, exchanging threats,
jibes or general abuse as they
ease themselves into position
?
Prepare a 24 x 24 play area with a selection of terrain before one of the leaders
to suit the coming conflict. Once the terrain has been loses patience and battle
placed roll on the deployment chart below. commences.

Dice Roll Deployment Both players roll a D6, the player that scores the
1-2 Board Edge
highest places a model from their warband anywhere
on the battlefield. The opposing player now places a
3-4 Corner model from their warband anywhere on the battlefield
as long as it is at least 8 away from an enemy model.
5-6 Confrontation Players alternate placing models until both warbands
are on the tabletop.
Board Edge

Both players roll a D6, the

player that scores the highest
chooses a board edge to start Special rules
from, the opposing player
First Turn
starts from the opposite edge.
Both players roll a D6 and add the MIN of their leader.
Players alternate deploying
The player that scores the highest chooses which
models from their warbands, starting with the player
player takes the first turn. (Reroll ties).
that chose a board edge, until all of the models from
both warbands are on the battlefield. (If your opponent Game End
finishes deploying their warband and you still have
models left, simply deploy the remainder of your force The game ends when one warband reaches its Break
after your opponents last deployment). Point and flees the battlefield.

37

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Scenario 2 : Retrieve the prize

No one knows its here do they?

Background and terrain L2 L2

The Retrieve the Prize scenario represents two
warbands arriving simultaneously at the whereabouts
of a relic, treasure or other suitable prize as befits your
setting or genre. It could be rival thieves guilds sent to
plunder a merchants warehouse, barbarian tribesmen
ransacking an enemy village, the guards of a roman
senator searching for incriminating evidence against
a rival or any other situation that sees two opposing
groups searching for a common prize.
Objective and victory conditions
The prize is in multiple parts. The warbands must find
the parts of the prize and escape with them from the
battlefield.
The warband that gets the most prizes off the tabletop
wins. A model carrying a prize must move off the table
via their own deployment zone while carrying a prize
to secure it. A model may not re-enter the battlefield
once it has left.
The warband either takes the prizes to their employer,
enjoys the benefits of their gains themselves or
otherwise basks in the glow of victory.
If both warbands manage to get an equal amount of
prizes from the battlefield it is a draw the honours
are even.
If one warband breaks and flees any remaining
prizes are claimed by the warband in possession of
the battlefield. If a model is carrying a prize when its
warband flees roll a D6, on a 1-3 the model drops the
prize leaving it for the opposition, on a 4-6 it takes the
prize with it.
L5
L2 L2
Set-up
Arrange the terrain to depict a suitable environment
for an encounter between your warbands. Include five
features which are Locations of Interest and possible
resting places for the items the warbands are searching
for. (See map for details). These features should be
of a size and shape roughly comparable to a pile of
crates or barrels. You can of course put one, some or
all of these inside a piece of area terrain. (Hazardous
area terrain if you feeling really vindictive).
Both players roll a D6, the player that scores the
highest chooses a board edge and deployment zone
to start from, the opposing player starts from the
opposite edge and deployment zone.
Special rules
First Turn
Both players roll a D6 and add the MIN of their leader.
The player that scores the highest chooses who gets
the first turn. (Reroll ties).
Prize in parts
Once the terrain has been set-up, the possible
locations of the prizes have been decided upon and
before deployment, roll a D6 to discover how many
parts the prize is actually made up of.

D6 Parts
1 Two

2-5 Three

6 Four

38

main contents

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Its not that easy
Unfortunately for the warbands finding the prizes isnt
that easy. There are a number of other objects that can
confuse or distract them during the search which they
may discover before they find the prizes.
You will need to create pool of items to be discovered
which can be blindly drawn from. This can be a deck
of cards or a cup with different coloured chits or beads
inside. Whatever system you choose the pool of items
will consist of:
Item Number
Prizes 2-4 (see Prize in Parts above)
Calamity 1
Distraction 2 and follows the rules for a double-handed weapon.
Large Fish 1 or Solid hits, it knocks the target/s prone instead.
Nothing to see here Enough to bring total items to 13
Prizes
This is what the warbands are after. When a model
finds a prize it carries it, either put a counter beside the
model or mark it on your roster sheet. A prize can be
passed to another model in base contact using a single
interact action. If a model carrying a prize is removed
from play or knocked prone the prize is dropped in
base contact with the model. Use a suitable marker
to represent a prize on the floor. A prize on the floor
may be picked up by moving into contact with it and
making a single interact action. A model can carry
more than one prize. A model may put a prize down
by making a single interact action, place the prize in
base contact with the model.
Calamity
A trap, falling masonry or a venomous creature, the
calamity could be anything, whatever it is its not good
news for the model discovering it.
Make an immediate ATK 10 hand-to-hand attack
against the model and if it survives, place the model
prone.
Distraction
Fine wine, good ale or a selection of interesting
cheeses. Something has distracted the model making
the search. The model discovering this loses the
39
main contents
rest of this turn and its next activation as it enjoys
its discovery. Make a note or mark the model with a
counter to remind you that it is distracted.
Large Fish
What the... what? How it got there no one knows but
its a whopper.
The model discovering it may throw the fish by making
a shooting attack with a range of up to 6. If a minor or
solid hit is scored do not cause any damage but knock
the target prone. Regardless of a hit or a miss place a
suitable counter to represent the fish in base contact
with the target. The fish may be picked up by a model
in base contact using an interact action.
The fish can also be used in hand-to-hand combat
However, it does not cause any loss of FOR on Minor
Nothing to see here
A dirty plate, a dead rodent or broken pot, whatever
the model has found it is of no importance and is
discarded.
Locations of Interest
The map shows you where to place the Locations
of Interest and also includes a number next
to each location. This is the number of items which
can be found at that location. When a model
searches a location and finds an item (draws a card/
chit from the item pool) you decrease the number
that can be found at that location by one. As you
can see the outer locations have two items and the
central location has five.
An alternative approach is to place item cards/chits
face down next to the location they belong to and a
player takes the top one when discovering an item.
Use whatever system best suits your collection and
item pool cards/chits.
Searching for the Prize
A model may search for a prize by making two
consecutive interact actions while in base contact
with a Location of Interest that has items still to be
found. After the second interact has been performed
the player controlling the model draws a card (or
chit/bead) from the pool of items to see what he has
discovered.

Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination
Determination
The warbands are determined to get the prizes. The
Break Point of warbands in this scenario is calculated
as a quarter rather a half of the total FOR and MIN.
Example: If a warband had 7 models, each model
with a FOR of 3 and a MIN of 2 it would have a Break
Point of 9. (Fortitude 3 x 7 models = 21 + Mind 2 x 7
models =14. This results in 21 + 14 = 35, 35 /4 = 8.75
rounded up to 9).
Game End
The game ends when the final prize is removed from
the battlefield or a warband reaches its break point
and flees.
40
main contents
Variations
You can have a lot of fun making up your own
variations for this scenario. Simply adjusting the mix
of the item pool can produce very different games,
more calamities or distractions will give your games
a very different tone. Another option would be to flip
the mix of the item pool around and have the majority
of the prize pool valuable. The terrain can also play
a huge part, having the Locations of Interest within
hazardous area terrain or on different levels can add
more chances for fun and mayhem to the experience.


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Scenario 3 : Capture
You are free to use any means necessary but I want them alive!

Background and terrain

The Capture scenario represents the warbands trying

to capture or retrieve living targets. This might be Starting
villagers fleeing a warzone with one warband trying Position
to rescue them and the other trying to capture them. of Prey
The two warbands could be on a hunt, the opposing AREA
leaders attempting to outdo each other by capturing
the most valuable prey for their menagerie. It could
even be as simple as livestock running loose outside
of a village and the locals are rushing to claim the best
animals for themselves. Whatever it is both warbands Both players roll a D6, the player that scores the
want them alive. highest chooses a board edge to start from, the
opposing player starts from the opposite edge.
Objective and victory conditions
Special Rules
Capture the most valuable targets and get them away
from the battlefield. First Turn

Warbands score victory points based on the prey
they remove from the battlefield via their deployment
edge. A model with a secured prey that moves off the
battlefield may not re-enter the battlefield.
Unsecured Submissive prey moving off a deployment
edge are claimed by the warband using that
deployment edge. Other unsecured prey moving off
the table are lost.
Both players roll a D6 and add the MIN of their leader.
The player that scores the highest chooses who gets
the first turn. (Reroll ties).
The Prey
Once the terrain has been set-up roll a D6 to see what
the warbands are trying to capture.
D6 Result

Prey Victory Points 1 3 x Submissive

Submissive 1 2-5 1 x Hostile, 2 x Neutral

Neutral 2 6 1 x Hostile, 2 x Neutral, 3 x Submissive

Hostile 3
Youll need appropriate models to represent the prey
depending on what they are supposed to be (villagers,
If a warband breaks, any models from the warband livestock, trophy monsters or gribblie critters). There
that have not left the battlefield when they break but are potentially three kinds of prey as detailed below.
have secured prey in base contact leave the prey
Submissive
behind as they run for their lives.
These are completely at the mercy of the approaching
Any unsecured prey on the battlefield is claimed by the
warbands. A model within 6 of Submissive prey may
remaining warband.
take an interact action to coax the prey into moving.
Set-up The model will move D3 directly away from the model
making the interact action.
Prepare the play area with a selection of terrain to suit
the coming conflict and place the prey in the starting
area (see below).

41

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

Neutral The Prey move after both players have taken a turn
and do so throughout the game (Player A turn, Player
Neutral prey is moving about in a daze or otherwise B turn, Prey move, Play A turn, Player B turn, Prey
unaware of the potential danger surrounding it and move and so on).
can be secured by anyone that gets close enough to
convince it to move. When it is time for the Prey to move the players take
turns nominating a prey model and moving it as
Hostile follows:
Feisty, some might say dangerous this one wont Nominate a point on the models base as 1 and roll
come quietly. Hostile prey will not willingly submit to D6 for random direction (see Random Direction guide)
anyone. When a model moves within 1 of this prey the
model immediately suffers a psychological attack with Roll D3 for distance in inches.
MIN 5 as the prey lashes out, spews abuse or otherwise
puts the frighteners on the model approaching. On
a Solid Hit the model suffering the attack is totally
6 1
unnerved and its activation ends immediately, lose the
initiative. On any other result the model may continue Random
its activation normally. While secured (see below) the 5 Direction 2
prey does not lash out so no attack is made against Guide
nearby models.

Securing Prey 4 3

A model in base contact with prey may take an interact

action to secure the prey. If prey moves into contact with terrain features other
than area terrain it stops as it contacts the terrain
While a prey is secured it remains in base contact with
feature. If prey would move into contact with another
the model that secured it, moving with the model when
prey or a model from a warband it stops 1 away. Prey
it activates (the owner chooses where to place the
moving off either board edge not used for deployment
prey model in base contact after a move). If a model
has escaped or wandered too far from the action. Prey
with secured prey next to it is removed from play or
does not test for hazardous terrain and is not affected
knocked prone the prey becomes free again and
by difficult ground. It cannot move into impassable
immediately moves D3 directly away from its recent
terrain (For example, prey will stop at a deep fissure
captor. A model may only secure one prey at a time.
or lava flow... its not completely crazy!). Discuss with
A model may only take one action while it has prey
your opponent what you feel is appropriate for prey to
in base contact. (We assume the models attention is
move into or through before the game starts.
divided by keeping an eye on its surroundings and
dealing with keeping the prey secure). Game End
Prey Starting Positions The game ends when the final prey is removed from
(or leaves) the battlefield or a warband reaches its
At the beginning of the game the Prey are positioned
break point and flees.
in the Starting area (see map). Once you have
discovered what prey the warbands are looking for
the players alternate placing a prey model fully within
the starting area. Randomly determine who will place
the first prey.

Moving Targets

The prey will not stand idle waiting to be grabbed. In a

state of confusion, agitation or panic it will move about
once the game commences.

42

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

afterword
The Open Combat rules contained within this e-book
provide you with a system which can accommodate
most close quarter engagements you might care to
play on the tabletop. But there is a lot more to come.
Additional scenarios are already in various states
of development. Then there is the prospect of an
advancement and campaign system. They are in the
works too.

When I started the process of putting the rules
together I had, at the back of my mind, the desire to
produce micro expansions to add additional flavour to
the system. During development I have had to squirrel
away various details and mechanics which, while
being great fun, could have detracted from the open
nature of the core system.
Expanded rules for monsters, mounted models,
particular historical periods and campaigns are all on
my development list. So too are expanded rules for
particular fantasy tropes such as dwarfs, orcs, elves
and so on. Also for fantasy gamers theres the undead
and magic to explore. Many of the rules exist to one
degree or another (strewn across several notebooks)
they just need me to swing my focus onto them to
bring them fully to life.
I plan to release some supporting material online as
articles on the Second Thunder website while other
material will be released as micro expansions. The
eventual aim is to publish a range of optional material
that players can pick and mix from depending on the
tastes, budgets and desires of their play group.
I hope Open Combat fires your imagination and
encourages you to explore new frontiers and model
ranges for your tabletop gaming. It may even rekindle
the fire for old projects, maybe even putting into
use old favourites from your collection that have lain
dormant for too long.
Whatever aspect of tabletop gaming you enjoy I wish
you luck in Open Combat.

Theres also the landscape that the games are played

upon which I wish to provide expanded rules for. What
about the weather conditions, hazards, random events
and/or unique inhabitants of a particular region? The
prospect of expanding the treatment of buildings and
urban environments is another exciting area to explore.
All of this is fertile ground for providing additional fun
for years to come.

Join us online
Wed love to hear from you about your experiences with Open Combat
join us online at www.secondthunder.com

43

main contents


Create the heroes, adventures and battles of your imagination

miniatures reference
This book contains miniatures and terrain from the Page 9:
authors personal collection (along with a few pieces Mantic Games, Reaper Miniatures.

from the collection of Nick Simmerson). Page 11:

Warlord Games.
The following information is provided to acknowledge Page 13:
the manufacturers of the miniatures and to help Hasslefree Miniatures (Dwarf), Heresy Miniatures (Goblin).

you find them should you wish to add particular Page 14:
Warlord Games.
miniatures to your own collection. Where a miniature
Page 16:
appears multiple times within the book only the
Mantic Games, Warlord Games.
manufacturer is named on subsequent pages).
Page 17:
Hasslefree Miniatures, Reaper Miniatures (Skeletal barrier).
Gripping Beast
Page 18:
http://www.grippingbeast.com/
Mantic Games.
Hasslefree Miniatures Page 19:
http://www.hfminis.co.uk/ Heresy Miniatures, Warlord Games.
Heresy Miniatures Page 20:
http://www.heresyminiatures.com Gripping Beast, Reaper Miniatures.
Page 21:
Mantic Games
Warlord Games.
http://www.manticgames.com/ Page 23:
Reaper Miniatures Warlord Games.
http://www.reapermini.com/ Page 26:
Gripping Beast, Wargames Factory.
Wargames Factory
Page 31:
http://www.wargamesfactory.com/
Mantic Games.
Warlord Games Page 32:
http://www.warlordgames.com/ Reaper Miniatures (Scorpion).
Page 33:
Front Cover (left to right):
Hasslefree Miniatures, Reaper Miniatures (Ruins).
Mantic Games (Elves, Orcs), Reaper Miniatures (Owlbear),
Page 36:
Gripping Beast (Norman knight), Wargames Factory
Gripping Beast (swine, child and lady), Wargames Factory
(Saxons), Heresy Miniatures (Barbarian), Warlord Games
(Saxon with staff).
(Romans, Celts).
Page 40:
Page 5:
Heresy Miniatures, Mantic Games, Reaper Miniatures.
Mantic Games.
Page 7: Some of the scenery is available from Ainsty Castings,
Reaper Miniatures, Gripping Beast, Warlord Games, Heresy
Lost Valley and Renedra, the rest of the pieces are
Miniatures, Wargames Factory.
scratch built.
Page 7:
Reaper Miniatures, Gripping Beast, Warlord Games, Heresy
Keep an eye on the Second Thunder website for
Miniatures, Wargames Factory.
tutorials on building your own terrain along with a few
Page 8:
hints and tips on painting your miniatures.
Warlord Games.

44

main contents

Warband Roster
Warband Name Renown
name SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN Weapons Skills/Abilities Notes Renown
TOTALs
Second Thunder Limited 2014. Permission is granted for personal use only.
Break Point
Second Thunder and Open Combat are
trademarks of Second Thunder Limited.
All rights reserved. www.secondthunder.com

Character
Character
Name Renown Name Renown

SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN

Weapons Skills/Abilities Weapons Skills/Abilities

Notes Notes

Second Thunder Limited 2014. For personal use only. www.secondthunder.com Second Thunder Limited 2014. For personal use only. www.secondthunder.com

Character
Character
Name Renown Name Renown

SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN

Weapons Skills/Abilities Weapons Skills/Abilities

Notes Notes

Second Thunder Limited 2014. For personal use only. www.secondthunder.com Second Thunder Limited 2014. For personal use only. www.secondthunder.com

Character
Character
Name Renown Name Renown

SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN

Weapons Skills/Abilities Weapons Skills/Abilities

Notes Notes

Second Thunder Limited 2014. For personal use only. www.secondthunder.com Second Thunder Limited 2014. For personal use only. www.secondthunder.com

Character
Warband
Name Renown Name Renown

SPD ATK DEF FOR MIN

FOR MIN

Weapons Skills/Abilities Totals

Break point

Notes

Second Thunder Limited 2014. For personal use only. www.secondthunder.com Second Thunder Limited 2014. For personal use only. www.secondthunder.com