Beasts

Beasts of War

There are some animals that are simply gigantic. For the most part, these follow normal rules. The issue arises when someone wants to ride them. This may only be done if specified in the Bestiary entry, and may be done by multiple models.

When attacking ridden war beasts, attacks may target either the beast or the crew, and damage is done seperately. This functions in varying ways.

Shooting

Shooting is resolved against Beast and Crew as a whole. Each hit is randomly assigned by rolling 1d6, with a 4 or lower hitting the beast, and a 5 or higher hitting a random crew member.

Hand to Hand Combat

Models able to attack the crew of a War Beast include the following:

• Models over 10' tall.
• Troops under 10' tall using spears, pikes, or halberds.
• Troops mounted on Riding Animals.

Models only able to target the War Beast include:

• Troops under 10' tall not using spears, pikes, or halberds.
• Normal sized Riding Animals.
• War Beasts always target other War Beasts rather than their crews.

War Beast Units

All missile hits against War Beast units are randomised within reason. War Beasts are struck in combat by any in base to base contact, with each War Beast struck being handled as a seperate combat, though wounds from the entire unit are totalled for determining the victor.

The Crew

The crew receive a +1 bonus to Armour Saves from sitting within a structure upon the War Beast, but not from simply sitting in the open. Crew may shoot over the top of troops below 10' tall, hedges, and other such obstacles, but not mounted troops or otherwise large obstacles. Crew may attack in any direction in close combat, and may strike enemy War Beast crew in hand to hand, even if they could not be targetted in turn. Crew cannot fire in the shooting phase if the War Beast is locked in combat, but may shoot the unit attacking them during the fight phase, with casualties counted as normal.

The Controller

One model in the crew must be nominated as the Controller, who sits at the front of the War Beast and may only attack forwards in close combat. The controller may not be specifically targeted beyond the usual systems for combat and shooting. Any psychological tests are made against the Controller's Cool value. If the controller is slain, the War Beast automatically runs amok.

Wounds

At the end of each round of combat, roll 1d6 for every ww=ar beast that took damage that turn, adding one for every wound sustained that turn beyond the first. If the result is a 6 or more, then the War Beast runs amok.

Running Amok

When a War Beast runs amok, the crew cannot shoot or attack.
The war beast will normally attempt to charge the nearest unit, friend or foe. If one of a unit, it will attack other members of the unit if no other target presents itself. If no other targets are in reach, the War Beast moves its full distance in a random direction.
The war beast may have control restored at the end of the controlling player's turn with a Leadership test against the current controller's Leadership, +1 for every Wound sustained, +2 if the current controller is not the original controller. If the original controller is dead, this test may only be rolled once.

Death of a War Beast

The remaining crew suffers one Hit each as if attacked by the War Beast, and any survivors are placed within 1" of the corpse. Multiple crews may be combined into a single unit at the start of the next turn as part of the unit arranging itself into a formation. Single models will move to and attempt to join the nearest infantry unit.

When the War Beast dies, roll 1d8:

• 1: ANy models nearby are unharmed.
• 2-3: Any unit within 1" of the creature's left side suffers D3 hits as if the War Beast attacked them in combat.
• 4-5: Any unit within 1" of the creature's right side suffers D3 hits as if the War Beast attacked them in combat.
• 6-7: Any unit within 1" of the creature's front suffers D3 hits as if the War Beast attacked them in combat.
• 8: Any unit within 1" of the creature's front suffers D3 hits as if the War Beast attacked them in combat. At the turn, roll again on the chart, and apply the result at the end of the following Combat phase.

If the War Beast was part of a unit, results on the table can affect that unit, but does not hit the crew of other War Beasts.

Pack Beasts

Animals can be used in small packs led by a handler.

• A pack of beasts must have one or more handlers, one of which is the unit's Leader.
• Beasts must be arranged in ranks in front of their handlers.
• All psychology tests are made using the Leader's profile.
• A pack of beasts may make a single free simple maneouvre during the movement phase or reserve phase, or charge. They may not make any other maneouvres.
• If the unit is shot, whether the handlers or beasts are hit is randomised according to the number of both. For example, if there are four handlers and eight beasts, the handlers are hit on a 1D3 roll of a 1. If the numbers are inconveniant for rolling, round in the favour of hitting the beasts.
• Packs move at the rate of their slowest member, but charge and pursue at the rate of the beast members.
• If all handlers are slain, the beasts will continue any Fights and Pursuit, but will otherwise move towards the board edge in order to leave, and will not voluntarily Charge.
• Handlers may not fight in the first round of hand-to-hand combat, but may be moved to the front rank during formation alterations to pile in.

Temporary site navigation is temporary, click here to return to the Realm of Chaos hub.