We will test some house rules in the following months and I would be very greatful if you could share your ideas on this
Motivation:
1. I think its ridiculous that wounded characters and pure mages have to stand in the first rank as if they had a deathwish. Sure, for a Prince and a Loremaster its fluffy to fight in the first line. But my white Lions dont even try to protect my Archmage or a (wounded) BSB - who never gets to carry a magical banner anyway, so can survive longer?
2. Also its stupid that an Archmage can cast direct damage spells out of combat - as if nothing is happening around him - but not against the unit(s) he is actually fighting! And all he can do to hurt his foes is swing his sword once or twice without much force, - even if he knows some badass magic missle spells!
3. I love magic being unpredictable. Random. Potentiolly strong. Potentially disappointing. But 6dicing dwellers with 25% or so chance for IF and 33% for every Character in there to just die, even ignoring wards and MAGICAL RESISTANCE?!
4. Unkillable Chars are stupid.
5. My dragon lord tries to kill the opposing general or obliterate a whole unit. I only get the star lance (and possibly potion) bonus in the round I charge. The unit champion challenges me and everyone knows I need 1 or 2 of my 10ish attacks to kill him. And when the unit is steadfast the combat resuslt doesnt even matter...
6. Steadfast is too easy to get for some armies and too hard to break for others.
House rule suggestions:
1.
Characters can be moved anywhere inside of a unit in your own movement phase. Even when you are in combat.
Combat characters with full health should be placed in the first rank, so they get all their attacks.
Squishy mages, BSBs, and perhaps wounded chars can be placed in the 2nd rank and still get one support attack, can grant their bonusses and cast spells.
1a.
Characters in the 2nd rank who wield a magical ranged weapon can use it (with BF -1) instead of their regular supporting attack.
2.
How can this be allowed without mages becoming overpowered?
Direct damage spells can also target the unit(s) the mage is fighting.
Magic Missle spells can only target the unit(s) the mage is fighting.
In these cases:
a) spell complexitiy is raised by X (2? 5?!)
and/or
b) after casting the mage has to do a test on his wizard level, if he failes the spell failed. If he had IF the spell still failes but he has to roll on the miscast table.
3.
Every time a model "just dies" (dwellers, other spells) it suffers as many wounds as he has hit points left. No armor save. But he can use his ward save for each wound individually.
Edit: Agree with killing blow, Nox. Will not be altered.
4.
All reversed ward saves become a 4++ instead.
Edit: I meant stuff like the Pendant of khaeleth. Save gets better depending on strength you get hit by, up to 2++ starting at S5 or 6. In itself its evil. When combined with a good armor save it becomes absurd.
5.
Not sure here... Do we need rules for challenges? Just move somewhere and attack? If I try to kill an Orc Boss but he rather kills off my White Lions than hitting me back Id be fine with that...
6.
If a unit has at least 2 more ranks than any enemy unit in their close combat it is steadfast.
If a unit lost combat and has only one more rank the combat result is halved (rounded up) for this unit.
Again: Id love to hear any comment! Would you love to try any of this? Do you think it could break the game in any way? Or be less fun somehow?
