Open Combat by Second Thunder is one of my favourite games. It’s marketed as a “micro skirmish” game, and its rules are “suitable for pre-gunpowder historical and fantasy settings”.
It was exactly the type of game I was looking for following my return to the hobby after a long exile. It’s a “use whatever you have” game, in terms of minis. The rules were easy to learn, but with a depth that always keeps it interesting and fresh. Each game is unique. No two warbands are the same.
Recently, I’d been building multiple warbands, and putting together a collection of medieval/fantasy terrain. I decided I wanted to experiment by using the Open Combat rules system to run a bigger battle. One with multiple warbands – and even a canon.
This might be seen as an odd decision given that, 1 – this isn’t what Open Combat was designed for. And 2 – many other games are tailor made for this type of battle. But there’s a fun in experimentation with rules and systems. I’m more about the storytelling than the winning. So what’s the worst that could happen?
Multiple Warbands in Open Combat
A typical game of Open Combat sees 2 warbands face off against each other. The average size of a warband is around 7. You can create small ‘elite’ forces, or larger ‘strength in numbers’ gangs of fighters. It’s entirely up to you.
Each warband has a break point, and when that is reached, the rival warband wins. But I decided to set up a game where each player controls 3 warbands, rather than just 1. So now we have a 3 v 3 situation. A bigger battle, but still essentially a skirmish.
The recommended size of the Open Combat play area is 24″ x 24″. But it’s a good idea to increase this slightly, if playing with more than 2 warbands.
Each warband is still removed from the table upon reaching its break point. But that doesn’t mean the game is over. At least until 1 player loses all of their warbands.
Open Combat is an “I go, you go” system, so there are a few different ways to approach a turn when working with multiple warbands. Players should agree on this before the game starts. Here are the options I’ve come up with…
- You can activate 1 warband per turn
- You can activate all your warbands per turn
- You roll a D6 at the start of your turn. A 1-2 let’s you activate 1 warband, on a 3-4 you activate 2, and on a 5-6, you activate 3.
I didn’t think it was necessary to come up with rules/limitations on how each warband worked when activated. For example, if they should to stay in a “squad” formation, like a game of 40K. To me, there doesn’t seem any need to do this. You just need to remember which minis are which, and which warband they belong to.
So that’s the multi-warband stuff. What about the artillery?
Big Guns in Open Combat
Continuing to experiment, I wanted to add artillery into the mix. This was quite simply because I’d “refurbished” the canon from Battlemasters – my first ever miniature wargame, the remnants of which I’d recently dug out of the attic.
The canon (and its operator) would be its own “warband”, with some modifications. The canon would have an ATK value of, say, 100, but no other stats. Its continued use depended purely on the survival of the operator, who’d be easily killed if the enemy could reach him.
I’m not a rules writer, and I can imagine my efforts here are full of holes. But one additional requirement here, was that the operator must be within 1″ of the canon in order to fire it. This is so he couldn’t go and hide in a faraway corner safe from enemy attacks.
Firing the canon takes 2 activations, so can be done a maximum of once per turn.
Firing
I decided that normal shooting rules would apply. Playing longways on a 22″ x 30″ mat, I imagined a canon would have no trouble with range, providing it had line of sight.
Here’s where I differed from the normal Open Combat shooting rules. You select your target, and take the shot, using the normal ATK Vs DEF modifiers.
The D6 results I came up with were…
- 1 = Disaster strikes. The canon jams, then explodes. Remove from play and lose initiative.
- 2-3 = Impasse. A terrible shot that flies harmlessly over the battlefield.
- 4 = The ball grazes the target, knocking them prone, and veers off in another direction, where it may continue to wreak havoc (see below).
- 5 = The ball clips the target on the way past, knocking them prone and scoring 1 Fortitude point. Canon ball ploughs on (see below).
- 6 = A direct hit on the target, resulting in immediate death. Canon ball ploughs on (see below).
On a 5 or 6, the ball would continue on in a straight line, providing the way is clear of terrain and obstacles. If there are any targets in that line (friend or foe), move on to the next one in the “queue” and perform an attack roll on them.
If you roll a 4, use the Random Direction Guide on page 57 of the Open Combat rulebook (the ‘Capture’ scenario) to see where the ball will go next. If it hits anyone else, perform an attack roll and continue with the above.
This could be slightly absurd as, in theory, the ball could bounce around the field forever killing scores of fighters. However, that is extremely unlikely, and I felt it added some fun to the attack 🙂
Summary: Open Combat Additional Rules
I’ve mentioned already that I’m in no way a games designer or rules writer. In fact, this is my first ever attempt at some “enhancements”.
The Open Combat system is totally robust, and I’ve no doubt that my own additions are flawed in many ways. However, I’ve had fun experimenting with them and wanted to share them with fellow players.
Miniature wargaming to me is about having fun, being creative, and creating memorable events on the tabletop. If you’re the same, then maybe this will help give you a few ideas of your own.
And if you’ve never played Open Combat before, you should definitely check it out.
Finally, if you’ve enjoyed these ramblings, then please check out some of the other articles on the site. I’ve covered things like miniatures, terrain, general hobby musings, and even created some free audio ambience to use as a soundtrack for your games!
