Before the Game Begins:

Miniatures are organized by Unit

Unit characteristics are noted.

Units may be of the following types:

Armor Type:

Light Cavalry (LC) Little or no armor for horse or rider, may have shield

Medium Cavalry (MC) Rider has ½ armor and shield

Heavy Cavalry (HC) Heavy Horses, Rider is 3/4 armored with shield.

Armored Cavalry (AC) Rider is fully armored with shield. Horse is at least partially armored

Heavy Armored Cavalry (HAC) Rider and horse are fully armored with heavy armor.

Light Infantry (LI) No Armor, maybe a small shield

Medium Infantry (MI) Leather and Shield, or Hauberk and no shield

Heavy Infantry (HI) Hauberk and Shield, or full armor and no shield

Heavy Armored Infantry (HAI) Full Armor and Shield

Each Unit is assigned a Morale Level, from 5(best) to 2 (worst).

Special weapon types are noted for units which possess them. Special weapons include:

Missile weapons (Bows, etc.); Lances; Pole arms (including spears); Pikes

Commanders are assigned a Command Level (CL) and Combat Factor (CF) and Command Span (CS)

Setup:

Players set up units as per scenario.

Gondor sets up first, anywhere inside city. Dark Lord sets up second. Mordor Host is deployed anywhere farther than 12 inches from city walls. Harradrim are deployed adjacent to game board edge, cannot move until Turn 2 Grond is placed no closer than 24 inches from the city walls.

Rohan and Provincial Troops arriving with Aragorn are deployed later in game as per instructions in Sequence deck.

Game Sequence:

Beginning of TURN

Each player's sequence deck is shuffled.

Impetus markers are set to Zero.

Each player rolls a 20 sided die. The winner takes the difference between the rolls as his IMPETUS. This amount of impetus is marked off on the Impetus Marker. (I use a marker that comes with the Piquet rule set, that has two dials numbered 0 to 20. One dial keeps track of the player's current impetus. The player with the impetus then uses his impetus to maneuver units, engage in combat, fire missiles, or take other game actions. This is called an impetus ROUND. When the active player has used up all of his impetus, the Round is over, and both players roll D20 again to compete for the impetus remaining in that PHASE.

Ways to spend impetus: During an impetus Round, a player may expend impetus on various actions. Each of the following actions uses one impetus point:

• Turning a new card
• Acting on the current card with one unit. (Each unit may only act on a card once, and may only act on the current card. Once a new card is turned, the previous card can't be acted on again until the TURN ends and that card is reshuffled and is turned again.) So long as a card is current, however, ALL of a side's units may act on that card, until all relevant units have acted on that card, or until the player decides to turn a new card. The active card can remain active from Round to Round, so long as a new card is not turned.
• A unit fires missiles. (arrows or siege engines) Firing missiles can be done regardless of what the current sequence card is. Once a unit has fired, it cannot fire again until it reloads (which requires a re-load card).
• Engaging in close combat with a unit initial combat doesn't require additional impetus beyond the move which initiated combat. This is continuing combat only.
• Using breakthrough movement following a successful breakthrough of enemy troops in close combat. Breakthrough movement can be done regardless of what the current sequence card is.
• Putting impetus into the "reaction bank" (up to 4 points may be in the bank at any time.)

Other rules regarding sequence:

The Dark Lord adds 1 to all impetus rolls until the Darkness Breaks.

If the Lord of the Nazgul is killed, the Dark Lord loses 1 from all impetus rolls for the remainder of the game.

If either player loses the impetus 2 times in a row, the loser adds 2 to his impetus roll until he wins.

Up to 4 react pips may be banked per side, at a cost of 2 impetus per react pip.

React pips may be used for spell casting, counter charges or to evade, or to fire missile troops in your opponent's Round. (See section on reaction movement below.)

End of Turn:

A TURN ends, and all cards are re-shuffled and a new turn begins when one of the following events occurs:

One player runs out of cards in his sequence deck

The D20 impetus roll is a (natural) tie

A sequence card indicates that a new turn must begin.

Depending on circumstances, certain sequence cards may be added or removed from the sequence deck when a new turn begins.

Movement and Missile fire

Cavalry Movement.

Cavalry may utilize infantry move cards. ONLY cavalry may utilize cavalry move cards.

Combined Units.

Units which are within 4 inches of each other and within the command span of a common leader may combine for purposes of movement only, so that moving those units only requires expenditure of a single impetus point. The combined units must make identical moves, moving at the movement rate of the slowest unit. Moves into combat contact cannot be combined. Missile fire and other actions cannot be combined (combined action is limited to movement only).

Horse Archers

Horse Archers may spend an additional impetus pip and move a full move (split up in any way) and fire. Thus, a horse archer unit could move forward ½ move, fire, then retreat ½ move, or could move forward a partial move, fire, then charge into close combat.

Infantry Missile Troops

Infantry missile troops can only fire before or after a move. (But see Reaction Movement below)

Reaction movement Up to 4 impetus points may be banked as reaction impetus, and used for movement, missile fire, or other actions in the opponent's initiative round. A unit must be organized and within the command span of a leader in order to use reaction impetus.

Reaction pips may be used for the following:

In response to an enemy who is advancing into missile or combat range, a unit may use reaction movement to retreat or to countercharge. If a unit is attacked in the flank or rear, it may not utilize reaction movement.

Retreat:.

Fall back 1/4 move in good order, may oblique.

Fall back up to ½ move in good order, no oblique.

Fall back a full move, may turn or oblique. Disorganized.

Counter charge:

Reacting Cavalry and medium or heavy Infantry may use reaction pips to countercharge if the enemy is advancing to engage them from the front.

Archery:

Units may use reaction pips to shoot.

Type A, B, or C missile infantry units which shoot may also expend an additional reaction impetus point and fall back 1/4 move, ignoring movement restrictions on unit interpenetration. For missile troops, this maneuver is useful for firing on the advancing enemy, and then retreating behind friendly lines.

Spell Casting:

Commanders with spell casting abilities may use reaction pips to cast spells.

Close Combat

Resolve close combat for any units which have moved into combat contact with the enemy. If such contact was the result of a charge, then use shock combat tables for the initial engagement. Both attacker and defender inflict casualties simultaneously.

No card or expenditure of additional impetus is required in order to initiate combat on the initial contact, however, continuing combat requires the appropriate card and expenditure of one impetus point for each attacking unit (not figure) involved. Grouped units moving together do NOT count as one unit for these purposes. If not enough impetus is available for all units to attack, then the attacker may choose which unit to attack with first.

Flanks and Rear

In order to have the combat (or morale) bonus for attacking in the flank or rear, a unit must START its movement on the enemy's flank or rear when it moves into combat contact with the enemy. The flank is the 90 degree arc formed by the 45 degree angles on the side. The rear is the 45 degree arc directly behind each side of the unit.

Close Combat:

Engagement:

Troops may engage with the first 2 ranks

The combat takes place along a frontage equal to the smaller frontage plus 4" (4 units in close order, 2 units in open order) on either side.

Appropriate charts are consulted, cross referencing the attacker and defender types. Bonuses and deductions are taken, and casualties determined by die rolls per the appropriate chart. As casualties are taken, troops from the back ranks take their place.

Disengaging from Melee:

Organized troops within the command span of a leader may attempt to disengage from melee on a move card. If a unit wishes to disengage, it expends an impetus point and rolls d8. On a roll equal or less than the Morale Level of the troops plus the command level of any attached leader(s) the unit may disengage by falling back up to ½ move in good order, facing the enemy or directly away from the enemy as desired. On an natural roll of 8, the unit falls back ½ move and is disorganized.

Destruction of Siege Engines:

Siege engines are automatically destroyed if an enemy unit is in contact with the engine, and a close combat resolution card is acted upon. Siege Engines are not destroyed by moving into combat contact as a result of a move card. Siege Engines which are in contact with an enemy unit can not move or fire.

Close Combat Results:

Following Close Combat, roll D6 die roll for each of the opponents and add the following modifiers:

Disordered -2

Charging Infantry +1 (shock only)

Charging Cavalry +2 (shock only)

Charging Heavy Cavalry (aditional) +1 (shock only)

Heavy Troops (HI; HAI; HC; AC; HAC) +1

Elephants +4

Per rank over 2 +2 (Max bonuse is +5)

Infantry in shield wall +3

Caused the Greater Number of Casualties +3

Fighting downhill +1

Fighting uphill -1

Infantry had pole arms or spears +1 (shock only)

Infantry had pikes +3 (shock only)

Cavalry charging with lances +1 (shock only)

Defending inner wall vs ladder attack +4

Defending battlements vs siege tower attack +1 (or)

Defending a higher level of castle or city +3

Attacking flank +3

Attacking rear +5

Cavalry vs. Infantry:

Cavalry which is charged while standing is disorganized, and will not retreat, but will be forced back and penetrated as per infantry.

For cavalry charging:

If infantry has higher total, attacking cavalry will retreat one full move, Roll d8. If d8 roll is higher than morale level +attached commander CL, then the cavalry is disordered.

If cavalry has higher total, for each point difference, the losers will be pushed back one inch.

All units will be penetrated if pushed back 5 inches. If penetrated, the size of the gap will be equal to ½ of the frontage of the front rank of cavalry.

If cavalry has higher total, but infantry line is not penetrated, cavalry will be disorganized. Cavalry which is attached to a Commander may choose to rally back up to a full move, facing the enemy, or stay and fight in melee. If cavalry is not attached to a commander, a die is rolled. Even number = cavalry will stay and fight in melee; odd number = cavalry retreats 1 full move, facing enemy in disorder.

Infantry vs. Infantry; Cavalry vs. Cavalry:

For each point difference, the losers are pushed back one inch. All units will be penetrated if pushed back 6 inches. If penetrated, the size of the gap will be equal to ½ of the frontage of the front rank of the winner.

Breakthrough Movement.

Breakthrough movement does not require a current movement card, but does require expenditure of impetus.

By expending an additional impetus point, attacking units which penetrate the enemy lie may continue to advance and engage in further combat with any units within a charge move, or, may stand in place and remain for additional melee. If not attached to a commander, attacking cavalry will always continue its attack.

Flanks and Rear Following Breakthrough:

Units using breakthrough movement are not considered to have a flank or rear for the rest of the

Round and the following Round. No combat effects are taken into account for the breakthrough unit's flanks and rear for the two following rounds.

Disorganization:

Following melee (after any breakthrough movement and combat has concluded) , roll a D8, add 1 to the die roll if the unit lost the melee subtract 1 from the die roll if the unit won the melee. Add CL of leaders within command span. If this adjusted die roll is greater than the unit's morale level, the unit is disorganized.

If combat has taken place in woods, or if combat was with an elephant, roll d10 for infantry, and d20 for cavalry.

Movement through fires:

A unit which moves into a sector in which more than 3 fires are burning must roll d8 for disorganization as per combat, with +1 to the die roll for each fire over 4 burning in that sector.

Automatic Disorganization: Disorganization occurs automatically when:

A unit has been forced back into an obstacle (wall, etc.)

A unit has been penetrated.

Disorganization Effects:

No Movment, Formation, Facing, or Organization changes. Penalties for Combat.

Recovering from Disorganization:

(Only possible on Leader Check or other appropriate card)

Leader check card or recovery from disorganization card allows recovery check only for units within command span of leader.

Roll D10; if Leader is within span, subtract CL from roll.

Roll less than or equal to Morale level, Unit recovers.

Movement:

Movement Rates:

Road Bonus: +10" Unit must be in march column (no road bonus for siege engines)

Charge Bonus:

A unit can only take the charge bonus if attacking (Must have possibility of reaching enemy) If a unit chooses to charge, but does not come into combat contact, its next move cannot be a charge move. A unit must move into contact with enemy or move at full move if charging.

Turning:

Turns may be undertaken on any movement card.

A unit may turn and use its entire movement allowance.

Units may move obliquely at less than 45 degrees. No facing changes allowed.

Pivoting from the end of the line is calculated by the movement rate of the furthest man.

Wheeling from a point other than the furthest man (i.e. a point somewhere in the middle of the line is done at ½ rate.

Units may back up or move sideways without a facing change at a cost of 2 times their normal movement.

Formations:

Changing formation takes up one half of a unit's move if within the command span of a leader, and a full move otherwise.

A formation change involves any change which alters the number of ranks a unit is in, or which alters its facing (other than turns).

Special Formations:

March Column: Required for road bonus. Two units abreast.

Square/Shield wall: Only possible for Class A or B Heavy infantry or dismounted heavy cavalry. No movement. Requires at least 4 units. Moving to or from Shield wall requires a full move.

Open Order: Unit bases are spread at least 2 inches apart.

Close Order: Unit bases are touching or within ½ inch. .

Interpenetration: Units may interpenetrate friendly units. Interpenetration of a friendly unit requires 2 inches of movement per rank penetrated.

Terrain:

Hills: Half speed uphill. Normal Speed downhill

Roads: +6" for all units in march column

Movement within Minas Tirith

Minas Tirith is divided into several sectors and levels. Movement between levels or sectors by a combat unit requires a full move. A unit must begin its move adjacent to the level which it wishes to move to. Movement up or down a level requires a full move. (Can't move over walls except through gates) Leader movement is measured normally (in inches), with no penalties for level or sector movement. (Can't move over walls except through gates)

Movement through fires:

A unit which moves through a sector in which more than 4 fires is burning must roll for disorganization. D8 roll greater than morale level = disorganized.

Siege Towers and combat on City Walls and within the City.

Action Card Required

Attacking from Siege Towers

Initial combat is shock combat

Attacker can attack with up to 12 figures. No depth bonuses.

Defender can defend with up to 12 figures. No depth bonuses.

Attacker gains the walls if Defender is pushed back 3 inches. The Attacker may occupy the walls with up to 12 figures and may move an additional 18 figures onto the walls on each infantry deployment or infantry move card thereafter (one impetus pip per 18 figures units) provided that there is sufficient space on the walls (It is possible that the defenders could push the attackers back and there would not be sufficient space to deploy additional attackers onto the walls.).

If Attackers occupies the walls, further combat is melee combat, with no bonuses for ranks on either side. Once walls are occupied, up to 18 units from each side may participate in combat on walls, regardless of the number of units in base to base contact. No flank or rear bonuses for combat on walls.

City Combat

Attacker can attack with up to 18 units. No depth bonuses.

Defender can defend with up to 18 units. No depth bonuses.

Attacker pushes the Defender out of the Sector if the Defender is pushed back 4 inches.

Grond:

Grond is the great battering ram used to attack the city gate. It must be wielded by a minimum of one attached unit. It smashes the city gate on a roll of 10 on 2 d6. Plus 1 to die roll if wielded by Trolls. Grond attacks the gates on Siege Engine Move Cards.

Elephants (Mumakel):

An elephant figure may house one archer figure per each elephant figure. They may fire in any direction. These archers may not be attacked individually in close combat, but may be attacked individually by missile fire. Destruction of the elephant results in destruction of the archers.

Elephant archers do not require expenditure of an impetus pip to fire, but they do require expenditure of impetus to reload.

Catapults:

Large Catapults have a 35" range

Small Catapults have a 25" range

Add 5" to these ranges if firing from above.

Subtract 5" from ranges for each wall fired over after the first.

Catapults are subject to scatter. (Use Scatter Die to determine direction and D6 to determine distance of scatter)

Catapults are used to set fires.

Fire.

Fire is a 3 inch square.

Catapults cause fire if scatter die is a hit, or if the scatter number is even (provided that the shot falls on or inside the walls of Minas Tirith or on a catapult or siege tower) (Grond is immune to fire).

2 fires destroy a catapult or siege tower

If a fire is caused on top of a unit, that unit must then retreat to the edge of the fire and check for disorganization. Roll d8. Roll greater than Morale value = disorganization.

Fires may be fought on a Fight Fire Card. An entire unit is disorganized and fights the fire. The fire is extinguished on a d20 roll of 1 - 3. (Roll for each figure in the unit) A unit must begin next to the fire in order to fight the fire.

Commanders:

Commanders have a Command Level (CL) and Combat Factor (CF)

Commanders also have a Command Span (CS).

Commanders may do the following actions, when the current card is a Leader card and one impetus point is expended:

Cast a spell.

Engage in personal combat with an enemy commander who is attached to an enemy unit in combat contact with an attached friendly unit.

Move the commander up to his/her full movement allowance, and, if desired, engage in personal combat with an unattached enemy commander.

Attempt to reorganize any unit within his command span

Move and attach themselves to any unit they contact

Detach themselves from an attached unit and move their full movement. (Can't detach and attach in same action)

(Nazgul only) may change from horse to flying beast.

(Flying Nazgul only) may attack enemy leaders who are attached to units. (-2 to die roll)

Other than spell casting and melee, only one such action can be undertaken on any one card. Therefore, a commander can not move and undertake other command actions (other than spell casting or melee) on the same Leader card.

Commanders attached to a unit may only influence that unit. Attached commanders give bonuses to combat and morale checks to the attached unit only.

A Commander may move along with any friendly unit within its command span, using that unit's appropriate movement card. Such commander movement does not require expenditure of an additional impetus point.

Commanders attached to a friendly unit move with that unit and pay no additional impetus.

Leaders and Magic:

Each side has a certain number of spell points they may expend during the game. Spells can be cast by expenditure of impetus pips on a leader card, or by expenditure of reaction pips.

Gandalf: 12 Spell points

Dark Lord: 14 Spell points

Spell: Activate Grond (Lord of Nazgul only) Range: 10 inches

Cost 2 spell points Adds +4 to Grond attack die rolls for remainder of TURN.

Spell: Magical Attack Range: engaged

Cost 1-2 spell points points

Adds 1-2 to CF roll when in combat with enemy leader.

Spell: Magical Leadership (Gandalf and Horse Mounted Nazgul only) Range 4 inches for all except lesser Nazgul (2 inches for them).

Cost 1-3 spell points Extends CL of Leader by 1-3 points (may exceed normal maximum modifiers) for 1 Round. This effect may apply modifiers to disorganization/reorganization checks of all friendly units within command span, and combat modifiers to any 1 unit within command span.

Spell: Demoralization: (Nazgul only) Lord of Nazgul range 10 inches (Lesser Nazgul range is 1") (All Nazgul only on flying beast).

Cost 2 spell points

Enemy unit checks for disorganization. Roll d6 +2. Roll greater than morale level, and unit is disorganized. If Gandalf is within his command span of a unit, then morale check is only at d6.

Leader/Character Combat:

Leaders have a Combat Factor "CF" and Command Level "CL"

CF measures combat skills, (CL is ability to command troops.)

Leaders attached to fighting units which are engaged with enemy units with attached leaders or otherwise in contact with enemy leaders may become involved in combat.

Combat involves rolling 2d6 and adding your CF and subtracting opponent's CF. An adjusted roll of 9 or greater kills the opponent. Combat is simultaneous, with all engaged leaders able to take part.

Leaders may attempt to avoid combat. Avoidance involves subtracting from your own and your opponent's die roll. The amount subtracted from your own die roll is always two more than that subtracted from the opponent.

Maximum allowable avoidance adjustments (adjustments to own die roll are additional -2):

Foot evading Flying beast (no adjustments allowed)

Foot evading Mounted or Mounted evading flying beast -1

Mounted evading Mounted or Foot evading Foot -2

Mounted evading Foot -3

Nazgul on flying beast evading anything -4

Leader Overrun, Death of a leader

Death of over-run unattached commander, or commander attached to a destroyed unit: Successfully evades on d8 less than or equal to CF+2. Horse mounted over-run Nazgul will always escape on a flying beast and may re-appear after a Leader Check card is played. Following play of the card, the Nazgul appears on horse or flying at the Dark Lord player's option.

If a commander has been attached to a unit which has suffered casualties in the Round in which a leader check takes place, both sides roll 1 d6. The leader adds his/her CF. If the leader loses the die roll, the leader is killed. A tie means that the leader is injured and out of action for the remainder of the Turn. If the leader wins, there is no effect. Gandalf and the Nazgul cannot be killed in this manner.