The new Battle March: General’s Companion is available to pre-order next weekend, so we sat down with Dave from the design studio to learn more about this expansion.
Dave: In Battle March, players muster armies of between 400 and 750 points for fast-paced, high stakes battles, and fight for control of treasure troves, vital landmarks, and baggage carts carrying essential cargo to the frontlines. Not only does this format allow players to enjoy a quick game in the evening, it’s also a great opportunity to experiment with a new army, and perhaps even create a thematic force especially for the format. Battle March is also a fantastic gateway for new players to experience Warhammer: The Old World with only a few units – a bold leader and some faithful troops is all you need to get started!
Whilst nothing beats the grand spectacle of large games fought between mighty armies of the World of Legend, one of our goals with Warhammer: the Old World was to create a game that scaled down as easily as it scales up. With the release of Arcane Journal: The War of Settra’s Fury last year we took the opportunity to explore this potential with a new game mode – Battle March. Since its release, it’s been a joy seeing all the compact, flavourful armies that players have created for these dynamic, fast-paced clashes. So much so, the studio team decided to expand on Battle March’s initial offerings and create a variety of entirely new rules and scenarios, all of which can be found in the Warhammer: the Old World – Battle March General’s Companion.
A full narrative campaign forms the backdrop of this supplement, allowing players to recreate a series of infamous events within the Axe Bite Pass through six special scenarios. In order to further inspire players to create similar campaigns of their own, the book also expands upon the scenario rules found in Arcane Journal: The War of Settra’s Fury, increasing the choice of primary objectives and doubling the number of scenario maps. You will also find rules for two brand new optional secondary objectives, and eighteen random happenings that completely change the dynamic of the game by making the battlefield an even more chaotic and dangerous place for your armies to be.
These random happenings are split across three tables – Disruptive Weather, Wilderness Terrain, and the Chaos Of War. Each offers a fun twist to ensure no two games feel alike, such as Fierce Gales that reduce the range of light missile weapons, bands of Wandering Mercenaries, or terrain features that may hold healing herbs or a surprise encounter with an Enraged Troll. We suggest players incorporate just one random happening, but those willing to embrace the chaos can easily use all three tables at once to create a scenario where players are tasked with escorting Baggage Carts through Freezing Winds, with Dwindling Ammunition stocks, all whilst narrowly avoiding Toxic Spore-infested terrain.
Fierce Gale
Wind roars across the battlefield, hampering the effectiveness of even the most potent ranged weapons. Reduce the range of all missile weapons with a Strength of 5 or less by 6" (to a minimum of 3").
We’ve also created a range of new magic items designed exclusively for games of Battle March. These new options cost between 5 and 30 points each, and offer players plenty of variety and value for their characters and champions. The Banner of Renown, for instance, is a cheaper alternative to the War Banner, offering a unit an additional point to their combat resolution score once per game, perfect for snatching victory at a crucial moment.
Banner Of Renown (Magic Standard)
The mere sight of an infamous regiment’s banner can fill the enemy with dread and tip the outcome of battle.
Single use. When calculating its combat result, a unit carrying the Banner of Renown may claim an additional bonus of +1 combat result point.
Last but certainly not least, this General’s Companion also includes suggestions for running narratively driven matched play events using the Battle March format, including bespoke Secret objectives. The Battle March format is ideal for running a fast-paced, competitive event in a single day, or even over the course of an evening, and we hope to hear of your armies’ exploits as they march to battle!
Thanks, Dave! Battle March: General’s Companion is available to pre-order from Saturday, alongside the new Warhammer: The Old World Core Set, which features two armies of around 600 points each – ideal for Battle March games. The box also contains an updated version of the rulebook, which not only features the Battle March rules, but has also been updated with all the latest errata.
