Random Idea Dump Thread.

[Silver]

So I've decided whenever I have a random idea about any rule modification or something I'd like to see changed in one way or another.. ill post it here!


Stand & Shoot:
Leadership Test at -1 to hold fire until Short Range. Some armies could have the -1 penalty ignored, such as Disciplined High Elves.

Disciplined and Veteran warriors wait for the best opportunity to unleash a volley on their advancing enemies, holding out to get a clearer shot and then hope to finish off whats left.

Pros: Makes our archers slightly better, makes stand&shooting deadlier all around - maybe too much for Gunpowder weapons (Dwarves with easy LD9/10)

Cons: Helps gunlines slightly more. The -1 LD on the 'hold fire ld test', though, should reduce the amount of times it will succeed.

[Lethalis]

One could argue that Dwarfs would benefit, but then again they can pretty much already achieve this because of the long range of the crossbows and just giving the Thunderer champion a brace of pistols.

I am wondering on who you'd call disciplined though. You say High Elves, but what about Dark Elves? Wood Elves? Men? Skinks? Goblins?

Okay scratch the latter, but still

[Kithail]

It's not a bad idea, and has flavor. It should be extensively playtested with all armies with shooting capability, although.

[Arhain]

It could possibly apply only to bows? It's a great rule, and something that would definitely help the overall effectiveness of using bows. Guns don't need an upgrade, reasoning behind giving it to only bows could be that units with Guns feel "overly confident" and don't feel the need to wait. Besides, most units with guns have a champion that can have a pistol, which allows them to shoot at incredibly short ranges anyways, which most bow units do not have!

[draxynnic]

One possibility...

Make it an Initiative test rather than a Leadership test. The justification is that troops who know they have faster reflexes feel more secure about being able to be able to switch to melee weapons and prepare to hold the charge even after delaying the shot. This also gives an inbuilt system for determining who is good at this particular technique... while, on the other hand, giving an inbuilt reason why gun-users don't benefit so much from this rule as gunpowder-using races tend to have lower Initiative.

[Silver]

Idea #2.

Unit Upgrades! GASP!

Warhammer 40k Has unit upgrades, much like our champions, but that offer something more for the unit. Exemple:

An Orc mob can upgrade 1 to a Nob that can take a Big Choppa (S6) or Power Klaw (S8/9, Ignore Armour).

Why not have this sort of Upgrades in Fantasy as well?

'For every 10 Spearmen, 1 may be upgraded to a White Lion or Swordmaster'

'For every 10 Spearmen, 1 may be upgraded to an Executioner or Black Guard'

Rules such as Stubborn wouldn't be given to the unit but it would add a few more attacks to the unit without the need of an expensive character. Adding 1 or 2 more attacks that have a bit more punch. It would also show the Elite commanding a unit of warriors, instead of miserable champion upgrades such as a Sentinel or Lordling that are only there to take challenges and add a weak extra attack.

[Musashi]

Specifically, gunpowder weapons.

The ideal time and usual training was to wait until you see the whites of their eyes, or twenty paces.

[draxynnic]

Idea #2.

Unit Upgrades! GASP!

Warhammer 40k Has unit upgrades, much like our champions, but that offer something more for the unit. Exemple:

An Orc mob can upgrade 1 to a Nob that can take a Big Choppa (S6) or Power Klaw (S8/9, Ignore Armour).

Why not have this sort of Upgrades in Fantasy as well?

'For every 10 Spearmen, 1 may be upgraded to a White Lion or Swordmaster'

'For every 10 Spearmen, 1 may be upgraded to an Executioner or Black Guard'

Rules such as Stubborn wouldn't be given to the unit but it would add a few more attacks to the unit without the need of an expensive character. Adding 1 or 2 more attacks that have a bit more punch. It would also show the Elite commanding a unit of warriors, instead of miserable champion upgrades such as a Sentinel or Lordling that are only there to take challenges and add a weak extra attack.

Interesting idea. So... something like "Upgrade to a Champion for +X points. Further upgrade the Champion to a (normal but still better in every way to a regular Spearman Champion) Swordmaster for +Y points."?

(I was going to say more, but then my housemate talked at me and I lost it. Probably had something to do with unit champions bestowing special abilities (similar to Exarchs) and then realising that magic items could cover that.)

[Silver]

Something like multiple champions, but just something that adds flavour to the unit, instead of being 20 with full command x 3, which is boring. Just having more options and different options, to strengthen the unit, at a decent price of course.

Also more random ideas:

Immunity to whatever changed to Resistance to whatever.
Halves the Strength of the Attack.

Bloodthirster would be S4 instead of S7, it'd be less stupid than the current full immunity.

For Poisons, it'd probably be best to remain a full immunity though. Or if we apply the concept of 'resistance' -> Poisons would work on a 4+ against the models attacked by the poison.

And add more resistances - Lightning for exemple.

More statplay is always fun.

Also random bretonnian idea: Charging peasant bowmen that have the defensive stakes: take D3 S4 hits. That oughta teach you!

[Musashi]

While I still think the Bretonnian bowmen are based on the lacklustre French attempt to imitate the English yeomen, you could give them mauls, which either act as GW or +1 Strength at -1 Initiative.

[Silver]

And its time for another random idea.
Initiative Penalties.

Been fighting for 2 rounds against the same unit and some fresh enemy get into the fray? -2 Initiative to you!
Been charged in the rear or maybe flanked? -2/-1 Initiative!

etc

Change the order of fights (even amongst ASF, Assassin with I10 would have lowered I and could end up going second against another ASF that just got into combat)

Easy to keep track of with counters of a kind (a big capital I per initiative lost should do the trick), minimum I1 of course, never zero or under.
This could add a new aspect to the tactics and timing of fights.

[Arellion Sapher]

Idea #2.

Unit Upgrades! GASP!

Warhammer 40k Has unit upgrades, much like our champions, but that offer something more for the unit. Exemple:

An Orc mob can upgrade 1 to a Nob that can take a Big Choppa (S6) or Power Klaw (S8/9, Ignore Armour).

Why not have this sort of Upgrades in Fantasy as well?

'For every 10 Spearmen, 1 may be upgraded to a White Lion or Swordmaster'

'For every 10 Spearmen, 1 may be upgraded to an Executioner or Black Guard'

Rules such as Stubborn wouldn't be given to the unit but it would add a few more attacks to the unit without the need of an expensive character. Adding 1 or 2 more attacks that have a bit more punch. It would also show the Elite commanding a unit of warriors, instead of miserable champion upgrades such as a Sentinel or Lordling that are only there to take challenges and add a weak extra attack.

I don't like this concept, if only because White Lions and Swordmasters are Warrior Orders and wouldn't lead a unit of common levies into battle. Same goes for the Executioners and Black Guard. It only makes logical sense for armies like Orcs, Beastmen etc. and even then it's unlikely.

I like the Initiative Penalty principle... but can we make it simpler? The last thing we need is more rulery.
How about "Can only pursue a broken enemy on the turn you charge"... representing momentum. After a couple of rounds of combat I don't see a unit of greatswords chasing cavalry.

[geoguswrek]

I kind of like the unit upgrades idea, maybe not for elves so much, but upgrades that give the options to make the unit unique. Specifically options to give champions other weapons. (this is easily justified with fluff, as a veteran warrior they have picked it up from old battlefields, or as a more wealthy person they have purchased additional equipment). Specifically i'd like to see elves getting the option to give heavy armour to the champion of spears, empire foot champions get great weapons, pistol and fullplate options (they are the well off one in the unit after all). dark elves getting great weapons (aggressive) and orcs getting a black orc champion... i'd also like to see the option to have an orc boss in goblin units (not ng's, normal goblins) telling them were to go. This however makes them ld 7 standard.

[Elaithnir]

I've long been an advocate of champions granting more than just an extra attack to their unit... Wasn't there a thread a while back where we kicked around ideas? Like, a Hawkeye allows archers to ignore long range penalties, a Sentinel has Ld9, a Seamaster allows LSG to fire in two ranks, Harbinger grants Reavers the fire and flee ability, etc?

[Musashi]

We probably need to pour some more RPG mechanics into this game.

[Arellion Sapher]

Only if the game markedly decreases in size. If you're looking at less than 2,000 points, then fine, more RPG aspects might well work - but 3,000? 4,000? Big games are just going to become insanely curmudgeonly on the tabletop.
I agree with benefits from unit champions, but we have to have some kind of standardisation here or agreeing on all the details will be confusing. Example - a champion offers a re-roll on fear and terror tests.
Something simple and neat, or we'll be here forever.

[Lord Anathir]

im automatically against any rule that improves shooting. No need to boost the strongest and most reliable phase. Maybe it should be a longbow rule?

[Silver]

random ideas randomly pop in my random mind

IMPROVING TECLIS!

Improving as in making it slightly more enjoyable to play against, or something, while also fixing the very very small problem of the ring of hotek...

"Teclis may sacrifice 4 power dice, once per magic phase, to cast a spell automatically with Irresistible Force."

replacing the "all doubles = Irresitible Force"

Yay or nay?

Or to really somewhat nerf it, add to that "to cast one randomly determined spell of his chosen lore, automatically with I.F."

[Musashi]

I doubt that the random part would be fluffy, seeing as he knows them all.