Hello there,

We, some people in Ede/Apeldoorn in the Netherlands, want to start with our own battle companies.
I've got some questions about it.

If a model has a rallying horn and you want to roll on the reinforcement roll, what if the model is injured, must miss a gam, it's slain in battle but has a full recovery or fleed from the field, do you still got the +1 bonus on the roll? Because it says 'if one or more models with a rallying horn are on the bord', but I'm not sure if you roll on that exact moment... It feels a bit strange, that if it flees or the model is recovered from his (or her) wounds, that the rallying horn wouldn't be usefull.

Another question: if I've got some warriors, but I want space for other ones, can I dismiss a warrior?

And if I'm correct a warrior can only get 2 experience points per game (1 for participating, 1 for one or more woundings). I understand that Heroes gain experience faster, but if a warrior kills 5 others, it just gains 1 experience point for it, right?

And if I follow the rules, all 'army specific hero upgrade' are worth 10 points (like all special rules), but isn't it weird that there seems to be a big power level difference for all the same points. Like the reroll 1's to wound for dwarves (Durin's folk) against only orcs, uruks and goblins is nice, but not as good as the reroll all failed to wound rolls (harad).

Maybe I've got some more questions when we play...
We start tomorrow. I will keep you updated (about our experience from this game-mechanic and for follow-up questions )

Another question, can heroes only takes what the partymembers can have, or what the potential warriors can have. So if a special unit is only available after a good reinforcement roll has some weaponupgrades, can the hero buy it only if that warrior is in the BC?

And, can all human heroes can buy a mount. Like warriors of Númenor can't have horses, but captains of Númenor can (in the 'normal' game), so can a hero of Númenor have it? And can a hero from, for instance, Dale, have a horse, because it's a human? Normaly captains of Dale can't, so I thought heroes of a Dale BC couldn't either.

1. Yes, you have to have the model with the horn on the field and in play when you make the role you want to modify.

2. I don't see that you are prevented from doing this but I do not think it was intend to be possible. You could always house rule it since it seems like it might be a fun addition.

3. Yes, you are reading it correctly. Warriors can only gain a maximum of 2 experience per game.

4.Yes, that is true. Not all the special rules are equally useful but they still cost the same for your rating.

5. Heroes can buy any wargear that a member of their company could potentially have. You have to have the model in the company to get access to their gear.

6. No, not all human heroes can get horses. You have to have a warrior unit in your battle company that can get or has a horse then buy that upgrade for your hero.

Hope that was explanatory. Good luck with your league!

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"

Analyze the points cost for each warrior, dwarves have a free extra defense(or courage,mhowever you calculate it). Thus, their bonus must be lower.

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By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,
I bid you stand, men of the West!

Thanks a lot. That will help a lot.
And yes, the dwarves are a bit undercosted in that way, so that make some sense. Still some rules are overcosted, but if the opponent has the same problem, it will still be balanced.
One follow-up questions (follow-up from question 5), if I'm right, if in Durin's Folk I've got a Vault Warden Team, heroes could buy a spear? Or not? Still only for heroes, so I'm not sure if I would buy them, but it will help this faction which is 'spearless' with the exepction of the Vault Wardens.

Well... an update about the games we played and some questions we had or maybe will get over the course of some more battles...

First game was 6 dwarves vs. 7 uruk-hai scouts.
The scenario was 'A show of strength', in which both leader did... zero...
Even worse, both leader were killed, so it was a draw.
The dwarves had two of their models killed, a warrior survived whitout any problems. My leader, Niroth, had a arrow, whitin a fight, shot in his arm that coused an arm wound. So the shield is not of use for at least some time...
I wasn't very worried about the two scouts shooting at the fights, cause statisticaly they would kill their own models sooner. But statistics where not my best friend.
1. First question that pops up in this game... there were two heroes from my opponent who are 'lost in battle'.
Is this possible, like, do we have to play two times in a row, or do we play it once with both heroes as objective. And if we play it in one scenario, will they put both in the middle, or will there be two places to fight for?

The second game was a 'secure the area', with warg riders on my side and Rohan on the other. In the first battle we both used the 'normal startng BC', but this time we both used 50 points to make a warband. This results in 3 warg riders (1 with bow, 2 with shield) and 2 wild wargs vs. 4 warriors of Rohan with shield and throwing spear and 2 with bow.
The scenario is build to have 'random' deployment, but we ended up with all his models in north and east and all my models from south and west (only 1 wild warg didn't start on the board, but in turn 3 he poppud up behind one of the Rohan bowmen and eat it (the conversion I have has a head from a Rohan warrior between his teeth,I named it 'Headache-solver').

Then we analysed the games and discussed about some rules... A few questons about a Vault warden team that is possible as reinforcement for the Dwarves:
2. Will they be deployed as a team (like in 'secure the area), or do I have to roll them apart from each other?
3. Maybe a logical question to ask first, do they count as one model in the roster. I suppose not, because it would make sense that they both can be a hero some time and they begin already with two different profiles. It will be to strong to count as one (it's not a Mumakil of course...), so I do think they will count as two, but will be sure of it.
3. About the wargear, if I have a Vault warden team, can heroes buy a vault warden spear or shield? I don't think so, would be logical, but I want to be sure.
4. If a lieutenant dies, what will happen then? Will the sergant with the highest point cost become the lieutenant? And what will happen (worst case scenario) if all heroes died and didn't recover from their wounds?

1. I think it would be intended that you play two recovery scenarios in a row. I would think making a house rule to have both of them tied up as individual objectives in the same place would be fine if your opponent agrees. I would not have them tied together as a single objective though.

2. Each model would turn up on its own. A vault warden team could be split up like that.

3. The team would count as two models in your roster. It is two models they just join the company at the same time.

4. Yes, the heroes should be able to get both the foe spear and the tower shield unless their is some rule in their battle company to prohibit it.

5. I guess you nominate a new acting lieutenant from your remaining heroes. If there are no heroes left, your acting lieutenant for scenario purposes would be a nominated warrior until that model became a hero. That is how real units deal with combat casualties and I do not think there is anything in the rules that says a company either gets a new hero to replace the lieutenant or is dissolved if that character is lost. You could house rule that sort of thing if you thought it would make sense or be fun but I think the first option makes the most sense given how the system works and lacking a clear instruction from the book. I will have to check the FAQ when I get the chance to see if that is covered.

Hope that helps.

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"

Yes, thanks, that will seriously help. Thanks!

We discovered another question, maybe it's already in the faq, but I can't find it online.

If a warrior becomes a hero (either from the basic start or later on) and has some wargear, like a two-handed weapon, shield or bow addad as option, this will be calculated as 1 point worth for that model.
If a hero has 3 or more attacks and wounds (together), it will be calculated as 5 points.
Question 1A. Becomes the pointvalue of that equipment higher from 1 to 5 from that moment on or only if you buy it after that point?
I assume it will increase the point value from 1 to 5 for every optional item the hero has.

But...question 1B. A warrior of Arnor has a shield and spear in it's basic cost/equipment, will the pointincrease not be for those heroes, because you couldn't choose to add the wargear, while it's automatically included?

Question 2. I thought I read somewhere that you had the option to 'flee' or have a 'tactical retreatment'. Maybe it was in some fanbased/homebrew pdf file about BC, I'm not sure, but I can't find it in the official rulebook. Is there something you can do to minimize your losses if you see you can't win anymore?

Another question, I found a link with some extra scenario's (some only with another name):
https://www.scribd.com/document/9012498 ... -Scenarios
Does someone know more scenario's or where to find them, or maybe made some nice ones on their own?
I will like to have some diversity in the games.

1. The points cost thing is for calculating the battle company's point value right? When the hero meets the requirement to adopt the standard points cost heroes pay for gear it ought to apply to everything they have got as if they bought it as a hero. You would calculate all the wargear the model has at that price to get an accurate sum too. So even starting wargear will be valued as gear given to a hero.

2. I do not see anything. Again, it sounds like a lovely house rule. The only thing I can think of is, depending on the scenario, abandoning the objectives and hoping the game's end is triggered by something other than percent of casualties taken.

I have never seen that one before but you could try the DCHL website. They might have some scenarios posted there.

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"

Zorpazorp (Lachie) made a great Edoras battle company scenario.

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By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,
I bid you stand, men of the West!

One question I had, does a hero follow the advancement path for their particular model? For instance if I have a Mordor company with an Orc Warrior /w Shield as my lieutenant, could he advance to become a Morannon Orc? Or does he remain a standard Orc Warrior and the advancements are just for warriors?

A hero can't upgrade to another warrior type. You can however buy equipment the other warriors could have, like an orc hero can have heavy armour, because Morannon orcs in the same battle company have it.
His advancements are only on the charts (combat, shooting, leadership, good/bad).

Question 2. I thought I read somewhere that you had the option to 'flee' or have a 'tactical retreatment'. Maybe it was in some fanbased/homebrew pdf file about BC, I'm not sure, but I can't find it in the official rulebook. Is there something you can do to minimize your losses if you see you can't win anymore?

Page 5 of Battle Companies, Second Edition has “The Battle is Lost”. If your company is reduced to 25% or less you can voluntarily fail Courage tests for being Broken. Unless of cpiurse they have already been charged, then they must stand and fight.

Johnathan Baker has a house rule in his Unofficial BC book where you can flee after 10 turns. My wife and I have discussed adding that house rule but are currently undecided.

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