FOG Medieval: Kingdoms & Empires Campaign - TURN 4

RULES

The map is divided into 36 provinces, grouped into 12 regions of three provinces each (indicated by the colour on the province names)

Players have 15 turns to consolidate as large a kingdom or empire as they can from their initial scattered possessions while playing with a large variety of medieval armies.

Basic concept is simple:

1. At start each player picks a faction colour. I then assign provinces to each faction by random draw. Each player then in turn places their capital into a province of their choice. 

2. Each faction gets ONE attack per turn and fight each other to consolidate their kingdoms -- controlling the three provinces in a region adds TWO extra points to their score.

3. In TURN 1, the attack orders sequence is determined by random draw -- from TURN 2 onwards, the attack orders sequence is determined by the best battle result % differential each faction scores in the previous turn.

SET UP

With a campaign of FIVE factions/players, each faction get a random draw of SIX provinces.

The leftover SIX provinces are designated as NEUTRAL or Minor States provinces (see: Neutral Provinces)

Players then secretly let the DM know where they will place their Capitals.

(as DM I will lock in my choice first, before the other factions make their placements)

ATTACKS & ARMIES

Every TURN each faction gets to launch ONE attack.

A faction can attack any enemy or neutral province that is adjacent to a friendly-controlled province or across a sea zone if a FLEET is available.

You may not attack from a province that is already under attack by another faction.

You may attack into a province from which an attack into a different province has been launched.

They can also attack across sea zones (see: Seaborne Attacks)

They can also attack across CROSSING POINTS (see between Morocco & Granada or between Ireland, Scotland and England in map above)

ARMIES used in the battles are determined by the TURN TRACK -- which is 15 turns divided into FIVE eras of 3 turns each, each era covering roughly a century. 

The attacking player will select an army geographically appropriate for the province attacking from... and the defender will select an appropriate army from the province being attacked.

Both armies will have to be from the time period on the Turn Track of the current turn. 

The ATTACKER declares the attack and selects his army from the province he is attacking from appropriate to the time period on the Turn Track.

The DEFENDER then selects his army from the province he is defending, appropriate to the time period on the Turn Track.

The DEFENDER then sets up the battle.

BATTLES are all Medium, Open Battle. 

Map Type is by default "Pot Luck" -- or can be arranged between the players to fit the terrain of the province being contested.

Also, if a map is totally unplayable, players can arrange a re-start by mutual agreement -- I will rely on the FGM's honour and sportsmanship to sort it out amicably.

ATTACKING A NEUTRAL PROVINCE works a little differently.

The ATTACKER declares the attack and selects and army from the province he is attacking from.

A DEFENDER is then chosen amongst the other faction players (by DM draw or volunteering) who then choses an appropriate defending army.

The DEFENDER must play the battle with an AUTOFILL force selection.

Battle parameters are the same as above. 

BATTLE RESULTS

Attacker Major or Minor Victory -- Province is captured -- attacker earns 1 Bonus Point.

Attacker Minor Defeat -- attack is repulsed

Attacker Major Defeat -- attack is repulsed -- defender earns 1 Bonus Point (bonus points are not awarded for defending Neutral Provinces) 

If a battle times out with no side being routed, then the battle is a Draw and the attacker has the option to withdraw or continue the battle in the next turn using the same armies. (even if the Turn Track has advanced to a new era)

Victory Level Definitions

A Major Victory is when you win by routing the enemy with between 40% to 59% casualties and a minimum +25% margin.

A Minor Victory is when you win by routing the enemy with 60%+ casualties, with any % margin.

However, if you adjust the above winning score down to 59% and the difference is still +25%, it's upgraded to a Major Victory.

If a battle times out with no side being routed, then the battle is a Draw and the attacker has the option to withdraw or continue the battle for ONE more turn using the same armies. (even if the Turn Track has advanced to a new era).

BONUS POINTS

Bonus Points are very important in this campaign, as they allow you to do additional things over and above the ONE regular attack per turn.

One Bonus Point each is earned for:

1. Capturing a Province (either enemy or neutral)

2. A Defensive Major Victory

4. Destruction of an Enemy Fleet (see Naval Combat)

5. TWO Bonus Points for capturing an enemy Capital Province

A faction can earn several Bonus Points per turn, but there is a maximum limit of FOUR Bonus Points a faction may possess at any one time.

Bonus Point can be spent to do the following:

1. Attack an Enemy Capital -- 3 pts

2. Launch a seaborne Attack -- 3 pts

3. Launch a seaborne Attack on an Enemy Capital -- 4 pts

4. Move your Capital -- 2 pts

5. Launch a SECOND land attack -- 3 pts

6. Deploy a counter-attack FLEET -- 2 pts

1, 2, 3 are actions that use up your ONE attack per turn.

4, 5, 6 are actions in ADDITION to your ONE attack point per turn (also marked in BLUE on campaign map Bonus Points Action Costs box) 

CAPITALS

The Capital is the most important province of your kingdom - without a Capital in place a faction cannot issue attack orders.

ATTACKING A CAPITAL PROVINCE

An attacker needs to spend THREE Bonus Points to attack an enemy Capital. (FOUR if by seaborne attack: see below)

The Battle is executed as all other battles, but the results play out slightly differently:

A Major or Minor Defeat of an attacker will result in the attack being repulsed.

A Major Victory by an attacker will capture the enemy capital.

A Minor Victory by an attacker or a Draw will result in the province being CONTESTED. No decisive battle result has been achieved by either side and the fighting continues until one of two things happens:

1. One side wins best 2 out of 3 Minor Victories.

2. One side wins a Major Victory and settles things.

The attacker has the option to call off the attack to avoid being tied down, but if he wishes to re-attack in the next turn with new armies, he needs to spend THREE bonus points to do so. 

ARMIES: a CONTESTED battle is continued with the same armies as it started with until conclusion, even if the Turn Track moves into a new era. 

If the attacking army's home province is lost during the battle phase of that turn or subsequent turns, then the CONTESTED status is lifted and the defender declared the winner.

The Attacker does not have to pay any additional Bonus Points after the initial THREE to continue the CONTESTED capital battle.

IMPORTANT: If your attack is tied down in a CONTESTED Capital province, you cannot launch another attack anywhere else, unless you have enough Bonus Points for a second land attack. (see Bonus Points above)

LOSING YOUR CAPITAL

If a faction loses its Capital, it can, in the next turn, re-establish it in any friendly province (not under attack) after all the other factions have declared their attacks for that turn. 

It cannot, however, launch any attacks or perform any other actions that turn. His provinces will however, defend as per normal. 

If no friendly province is available, the faction player has to wait until one becomes available.

Once the new Capital has been placed, he can resume attacks & actions as per normal from the following turn. 

SEABORNE ATTACKS

If a faction has a FLEET available in the "Available Fleets" box, he can spend THREE Bonus Points to launch a seaborne attack on an enemy province with a coastline in the same sea zone. You cannot attack from one sea zone into the next.

Some provinces border two or more sea zones and can launch seaborne attacks/fleets into either. (ie: Scandinavia, Crete & Cyprus or Scotland)

Seaborne Attack battles are resolved like all other battles, but If the side attacking by sea suffers a Major or Minor Defeat, the Fleet is removed from play and only becomes available again TWO turns later.

If a battle times out with no side being routed, then the battle is a Draw and the attacker has the option to withdraw or continue the battle for ONE more turn using the same armies. (even if the Turn Track has advanced to a new era)

If this second battle also results in a Draw, then the seaborne attack is deemed to have failed and the Fleet is removed from play and only becomes available again TWO turns later.

SEABORNE CAPITAL ATTACKS

If a faction has a FLEET available in the "Available Fleets" box, he can spend FOUR Bonus Points to launch a seaborne attack on an enemy CAPITAL with a coastline in the same sea zone. 

Seaborne CAPITAL Attack battles are resolved like all other CAPITAL battles.

If the side attacking by sea suffers a Major or Minor Defeat, the Fleet is removed from play and only becomes available again TWO turns later.

The Fleet supporting the Seaborne Capital Attack remains in place until the land battle is resolved (or a naval battle occurs: see below)  

The Attacker does not have to pay any additional Bonus Points after the initial FOUR to continue the CONTESTED battle.

If a battle times out with no side being routed, then the battle is a Draw and the attacker has the option to withdraw or continue the battle in the next turn using the same armies. (even if the Turn Track has advanced to a new era)

If this second battle also results in a Draw, then the seaborne attack is deemed to have failed and the Fleet is removed from play and only becomes available again TWO turns later.

NAVAL BATTLES

If a faction has a FLEET available in the "Available Fleets" box, he can spend TWO Bonus Points to launch his FLEET to attack the enemy fleet supporting a Seaborne Attack or Seaborne Capital Attack.

If in the same turn as the Seaborne Attack was launched, the defending faction's orders come after the attacker in the Attack Sequence Order, the Naval Attack can come from the province under Seaborne Attack.

Otherwise it will have come from a friendly province with a coastline on the same sea zone. 

NAVAL BATTLE RESOLUTION

Naval battles are resolved before any land battles are played out, using a 8-sided dice on the Naval Battles Table:

1-3: The counter-attacking Fleet is destroyed. (returns after two Turns)  

3: The counter-attacking Fleet returns to port (placed back in the Available Fleets box)

4: The defending Fleet supporting seaborne attack returns to port. (attack is cancelled and Fleet placed back in the Available Fleets box)

5-8: The defending Fleet supporting seaborne attack is destroyed (attack is cancelled and Fleet removed returns after two Turns) -- winning faction gains 1 Bonus Point

SCORING

Point scored are not cumulative, and point standings are updated at the end of every turn, with a FINAL SCORING at the end of Turn 15. 

Points are awarded for:

1 point per friendly province

3 point per Capital province

1 points per Region under control 

FINAL SCORING:

1 point per friendly province 

3 point per Capital province (1 point if Contested)

1 points per Region under control 

0.5 point per unused Bonus Point 

-1 point if your Fleet not on map or in Available Fleets box