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I’m always struck by how valiantly the Good Guys fight

in fantasies. Maybe it’s the absolute desperate nature
of the conflict, or perhaps they’re heroes to a man.
Whatever it is, there’s not much room for complicated
morale decisions. They’re there to fight, and that’s
what they do, so this is a fighting game.

However, some horrors are too much even for Heroes,

and the approach of a scythe-swinging giant, or even
worse critters from my twisted imagination, will trigger
a very strong fight-or-flight response. We’ll come to
that.

In this game a unit fights or shoots at an enemy unit.

The resulting casualties are tallied and recorded on a
small piece of paper placed near the respective unit on
the game table.

All the information, almost, is on the CHART (page 7).

Keep that by you until you remember it. There are
special rules for White- Ant fighting juice, Bison charges
and Giants, naturally. There’s also room to add to it if
you keep forgetting something.

So let’s go.

Peter Dennis

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 A base of Heavy Infantry (e.g. Axemen or Spearmen) 4 figurines in 2 ranks
A base of Light Infantry (e.g. Archers or Crossbowmen) has 4 figurines in 1 rank
A base of Cavalry has 3 figurines in 1 rank
A Command base has a Commander and his personal banner bearer

THE MUTANT ARMY is made up of:

6 bases of Drone Raider Skirmishers

12 bases of Elite Spearmen

6 bases of Open-Order Boar Cavalry

6 bases of Drone Warband

6 bases of Bison Cavalry

The Army has 36 fighting bases plus the Army

Commander.

THE HUMAN ARMY in made up of:

6 bases of Milita Armoured Crossbows

12 bases of Citizen Militia Unarmoured Spears

12 bases of Militia Armoured Spearmen

6 bases of Polovtsi Horse-Archers

The Army has 36 fighting bases, plus the Army

Commander.

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Each unit of soldiers will have a frontage of 3 bases.

(Note: In Wofun’s StarterPacks the stands for 28mm

scale are 40mm wide and the stands for 18mm scale
have 30mm.)

Each unit will need a casualty cut out or a square of

base paper to note the casualty score on the back
during the game.

A multi-stand unit can sustain up to 12 casualties

before being removed from the game table. A single-
model unit (e.g., a dragon) can endure up to 8
casualties. Three Tree men make a unit and a single
wasp, beetle or dragon is a unit.

The chart will have all the information about the types
of soldier in your army and I will refer to the various
categories as we go along.

What is in your army is up to you, but in the Mutant

army there should be at least three times as many
‘White Ant’ units – the small guys, as ‘Soldier Ants’ - the
big ones. The Soldier ant units are the heavy spearmen
Both sides should set up their armies in a military
and the Bison Cavalry.
fashion facing each other no more than 30cm (one
foot) in from the long table edges.

The mutants have a traditional way of fighting where

they try to surround their enemies with a double-
pincer movement. Their intention is always to capture
and eat their opponents. The white ants are always
kept short of food by their larger masters to encourage
them in battle.

Normally the Rus are defending, in which case the

Mutants move first.

If both sides are attacking, this is an ‘encounter battle’

so dice for first move.

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 NOTE – units already fighting may be attacked in the
flank or rear and may not ‘test’ to react. This is the only
exception to the one unit versus one unit fight rule.

The player whose turn it is can move all or none of their Note that Bison cavalry are a mounted herd. They
units. must move at infantry speed to keep under control.
Once they begin a charge they move straight ahead
If you have a large table, infantry move 15cm (6 inches) and may not deviate from that direction or stop until
Cavalry including Bison, Boars and Wolves move 30cm they meet an enemy unit- or charge straight off the
(12 inches). enemy side of the table.
If you have flying creatures, they can move 100 cm. Evading: If you have a skirmish unit which you wish to
evade a contact charge in the enemy turn, you must
If your table is small you can reduce the moves, but
‘test’. If it passes you can scatter the unit or move away
keep them in the same proportion.
to escape contact, reforming in your own turn. If it fails
If they change direction they wheel at the start of the the test a fight will result.
move from the centre of the middle stand. No stand
may move further than their move distance.

Flying creatures may move freely up to their move

distance.

If your unit is cavalry or a warband hoping to contact

an enemy unit with combative intentions it may have a
‘charge’ move once per game only.

This means that you may throw a single dice for

infantry and two for cavalry adding the scored distance
in inches – or double the score in centimeters - to your
move.
This is valuable, as the attacking unit causes the first
combat casualties. So don’t waste it with unrealistic
move expectations!
If your unit has a shooting capacity on the chart it may
now shoot. Close order units which have moved this
turn may not shoot.

Skirmish units of infantry and cavalry can move and

It may be that an enemy attempts to contact your flank shoot in a turn. For both fighting and shooting the unit
or rear during their move. If your unit is not already must throw the number of dice on the chart and it will
fighting another enemy, it may react outside of its turn cause one casualty for each dice with a score of 4,5 or
sequence if it passes ‘the test’. 6.

Note that, for this type of test and the evading test, a Armored units have a saving throw for each casualty
unit failing the test is not removed from play. It merely that occurs during the turn. A roll of five or six cancels
fails to maneuver and stays where it is. the casualty.

Move your unit to face the enemy attack if you pass Armoured Units in Shooting
and do the combat as a normal fight. If a unit is
successfully contacted in the flank or rear the attacker Units wearing heavy armour such as Knights and
may throw double the normal of combat dice per turn mutant heavy spearmen, or creatures with natural
of combat. armour such as giant wasps and Beetles make a saving
throw for each casualty scored. A throw of 5 or 6 will

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cancel the casualty. Unarmoured units in cover from Note that when a unit has reached the limit of its
shooting may also make that saving throw. Armoured casualty number it is removed from play without
units which are also in cover from shooting save with testing.
4,5 or 6.
Exceptional elite units, such as the Rus knights, or
Note, close order shooting units must shoot straight soldier ant armoured spearmen, throw three dice in
ahead and within a 45 degree arc to left and right. the test.

Skirmishers can shoot all-round. You may not shoot Cavalry testing because of fear of flying creatures
into a combat, or attack an enemy already fighting one throw only one dice.
of your units with a flying creature.

If one of your units contacts an enemy unit they fight. This type of battle is bitter and hard-fought. Neither
Only one unit V one unit fights are allowed. Units only side will spare their enemy.
cause casualties in their own turn.
If the game is concluded because time is up, the side
The unit rolls the number of dice shown on the chart. with most units on the table is the winner.
The enemy will fight back in their following turn. The Rus and their allies see the mutants as Demons
from Hell and the Mutants see the Rus as as prey to be
The fight will go on turn by turn until one or other unit
destroyed and eaten. However, there will come a point
reaches its casualty limit and is removed. It is assumed
in the game where the observant player will see that
to have scattered, leaving many dead.
their enemy has lost a lot of units and can challenge his
Note that if a ‘White Ant’ infantry warband or infantry opponent, or perhaps time has run out for play.
skirmish unit wins a fight it must remain in place for the
It is the moment for a count-up.
next move to devour its prey before the officers whip
it into action the move after. It may not evade or react If either side has lost half or more of the units in their
to flank threats in the ‘eating turn’. army (they have left the field or are currently in rout),
the other side can claim victory!
There is a special rule for White Ant warbands and
skirmishers. In their first fight only, they will fight for If the game is concluded because time is up – the side
two turns regardless of their casualties. This is because with most units left is the winner.
of the ‘fighting juice’ drug they take before action.
We imagine that the losing army breaks up and tries to
Even if they exceed their permitted casualty score they escape the field in the hope of fighting another day.
fight for two rounds of combat. If, at the end of that, The victor holds the field and collects loot and trophies
they have more than 12, they are removed from the from the battlefield.
table.

The unit testing throws two dice normally. The result

must be equal to or above the number of casualties
that the unit has taken. If it fails the test the unit’s
morale has broken and it is removed from play. Units
which pass the test continue in the game.

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 In the story the Rus learn to cover the eyes of their
horses, but they may not do that until later in the
‘campaign’ in the second year of the invasion. Then
Both armies will have an overall commander, who they test with two dice as normal.
represents the player on the table and who does not A wasp may only menace one unit per turn. Any units
become involved in the fighting unless he is attacked, may shoot in the enemy turn at overflying wasps which
in which case he will join their nearest unit (which are about to menace them or bomb them, or nearby
should be his bodyguard unit) and fight. unit. The Wasps are considered to be naturally
The overall commanders may not be attacked by flying armoured. Units that shoot at them in the enemy turn
creatures or shooting weapons if they are not attached may not shoot in their own turn.
to a unit.
Fire Bombs
Also, every three or four units should have a mounted
Wasp riders have a small fire-bomb.
officer or a character on the Rus side, to command
them. All commanders may re-roll one dice per turn Drop a 1cm square of paper from 30cm over the target.
for any unit in their command that they are attached If it lands on any unit’s base or even touches it, it causes
to – i.e. are base-to base with. two hits.
If that unit takes casualties, or even if it is destroyed, Any flying creature which gets three hits in one turn –
roll a dice at the end of the turn. A score of 1 means after armour deductions – must test. If it fails it flies
the commander is a casualty and must be removed. If away never to return.
the Mutant army overall commander becomes a
casualty the Mutants lose the battle. Dragons
These are not part of the Rus story, but feature in the
Fantasy set. They fly, of course, and cause a three dice
terror test in any unit they menace from the air.
They cannot hover like insects, they swoop like aircraft
and may make a fire attack on one unit per turn
Giants causing two dice worth of damage before causing a
Giants, although rather dim-witted, are very test.
frightening. If a Rus unit is contacted by one it must They are subject to shooting from the ground and to
take the test. the flying creature test as above. Only one Dragon per
If it fails it will rout back a double move and must test army is allowed.
again to halt the next move. Skirmish units may shoot
backwards at the Giant as they flee.

Giants fear and hate each other. If two giants are closer
than 12 inches – 30cm to each other they must both
test. If either loses they will charge towards the other
giant next turn and fight them

Giant Wasps and Great Beetle

The Giant Wasps and the Great Beetle are very
frightening too, particularly to horses. The mutants are
used to them, but if they overfly and menace a unit of
Rus that unit must test. If it is a cavalry unit it takes the
test with one instead of two dice.

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 Dice

Short/Long range CM

Modifiers note – they accumulate

Fight  Cavalry V. Open Order Infantry +1

Remember: Mutants who win a fight must  Cavalry/ Boars Contact Move +1
Dice
spend the next move eating bits of the dead
Modifiers  Bisons Contact Move +2
bodies, so miss a turn.
 Infantry Defending Obstacle +1
 Mutant Warband "Juiced-Up" +1
* "Juiced" Mutants Warbands do not test if
(2 turns)
they lose a fight until the end of the second
 Close-Order Cav [Link]-Order +1
juiced turn.
(Any)
They "TEST at the end of the second turn if  "Outflanked" -1
they have lost 6 or more casualties in the  War Machines at Long Range -1
game.  Levy Spearmen V Cavalry +1

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