Latest update: 31/7/2025

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Fields of Iron and Echo

Battlefields fade, echoes endure

For supplementary rules for the Vharnoth Wars click here. These rules are used in conjunction with the core rules below.

Core Rules

The Turn

A game lasts for 5 turns.

Each turn of the game lasts until all units on the board have been activated.

Players rolls at the start of the turn to ascertain who will activate a unit first. All rolls in this game use 12-sided dice. The player who rolls the higher number activates a unit first.

A unit is activated by the player who won the turn roll. A unit is then activated by the player going second. The players continue to rotate until all the units have been activated. If one player still has several units to activate once the other player has finished, they continue until all the units acted.

A unit can activate using the following order of events.

1.      Move or charge, leadership skills happen in this phase, during the activation of a unit.

2.      Shoot (if not in combat)

3.      Fight (if in an adjacent hex to an unfriendly unit)

Line of sight

Unit can draw line of sight, to anything on the board, that is in the front arc (3 sides) of their hex, in the direction they are facing.

However, terrain may block line of sight. See the terrain rules for which of these block line of sight. In such cases, if you can draw a straight line from any part of the front arc of the unit any part of a hex, then it can be seen.

Move

Leadership skills

Follow the instructions on the unit card. Leadership skills that must be activated are done so at the start of the activation of that unit unless otherwise stated.

Basic move

No unit must move its full distance, or at all, when it is activated.

An infantry unit can move 1 hex in the direction of the front three hexes of its facing. It can the move 1 more hex in the direction of the front 3 hexes it is facing after the initial move.

A heavy cavalry unit can move 2 hexes in the direction of the front three hexes of its facing. It can the move 2 more hexes in the direction of the front 3 hexes it is facing after the initial move. It cannot change direction apart from at the middle point of the move.

A light cavalry unit can move 1 hex in the direction of the front three hexes of its facing. It can the move 1 more hex in the direction of the front 3 hexes it is facing after the initial move. It can then do this twice more to a maximum of 4 hexes, changing direction each time if desired.

Artillery can move 1 hex in any direction but cannot shoot on the turn they move.

Charge

Units that have moved into an adjacent hex to an unfriendly unit are deemed to have charged. Once a unit moves into a position that is adjacent to an enemy unit, it cannot move further.

Shoot

Check if the target unit is in range. Measure from the any of the front 3 hexes which your unit occupies to, and inclusive of, the hex that the target unit occupies. If that is within the range of the weapon’s profile, then they are fair game.

Roll number of attacks on unit card to hit using the unit shoot value, adding or subtracting any modifiers.

Receiving unit rolls number of saves equal to hits using their save value, adding or subtracting any modifiers.

Receiving unit takes damage equal to the value of each shot on the attacking unit’s card.

Add damage to the unit, if it exceeds the wounds value the unit is removed from play.

Moving and shooting: Units can move half their total distance and still shoot. So, infantry can move 1 hex and cavalry 2, and are then able to shoot.

Units cannot shoot if they are engaged in combat unless a special rule negates this.

Units engaged in combat can be shot, but the hits are shared equally between all units in the combat. In the case of leftover shots, the odd number is allocated to the unfriendly unit.

A shooting unit cannot shoot through a friendly unit, with the exception of artillery which can shoot over them.

Artillery can shoot over other units but at –2 to their hit roll (if they are on a hill there is no penalty if the unit being shot over is immediately adjacent to the hill). If artillery is charged it is immediately destroyed.

Fight

Unfriendly units in adjacent hexes are deemed to be in combat.

To resolve the combat, follow the same process as the Shoot phase, excepting that the attacking unit use their fighting weapons.

Defend the boss! Leaders who are adjacent to friendly non-leader units increase their save roll by +1 for each friendly unit that is also in the same combat.

Terrain

Certain types of terrain affect units as in the table below:

Woods: A unit can only move into or out of woods in a turn. Units in woods add 1 to their save roll. Units in a wood can be seen, but woods cannot be seen through.

Hills: A unit can only move onto a hill in a turn, they can move off the hill without penalty. Hills cannot be seen through. A unit on a hill can shoot over any unit immediately adjacent to the hill. Flying units can move over hills at no penalty. Units occupying hills have the high ground, they apply +2 to their save roll against a unit attacking them from below.

Rivers: Rivers cannot be crossed by infantry or artillery unless there is a bridge or ford. A unit of cavalry or a monster can only move into or out of a river, unless there is a bridge or a ford, in a turn. Flying units can move across rivers with no penalty.

Villages, farms or ruins: A unit occupying villages, farms or ruins add 1 to their save roll as they are able to use the defensive position to their advantage.

Walled settlements: A unit occupying a walled settlement adds 2 to their save roll. 1s always fail to save.

Fortification or castle: A unit occupying a fortification or castle is very hard to dislodge. Add 4 to their save roll. 1s always fail to save.

Broken or difficult ground: Examples of this could be marshes and ruins. Units can only move into or out of broken or difficult ground in a turn. This does not affect flying units.