Isildur's: Playing The Lord of The Rings SBG Solitaire
Isildur's: Playing The Lord of The Rings SBG Solitaire
Isildur's: Playing The Lord of The Rings SBG Solitaire
Bane
Version 2
“
To bear a Ring of Power
is to be alone”
Important differences
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Guido Quaranta
Before the game group for that turn, whether character,
you will split the armies into several You can decide some figures will not be
groups and deal activation cards. part of any group, but they will not be
3 Fight: In this phase every Once figures in both forces are split into
combat will be resolved. groups (even if it's a one figure group), deal
At the start of the turn split the figures on Put the card on the table, next to the group
each force into several groups. A group it will affect. The cards will determine the
is a temporary unit and may change order in which the groups will be activated.
from turn to turn. A legal group needs
to comply to the following rules:
▶ A group must have between
one and ten figures.
▶ No figure can be farther away
than 10cm (4 inches) from another
figure in the same group.
▶ Any mix of figures can be made into a
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Isildur’s Bane Guido Quaranta
ABD
The actions After moving, any figure capable of shooting
can do it. It's important to remember
phase that figures should always move and then
shoot, and never the other way around.
Activate the All the regular rules for shooting apply,
groups in order so bow armed warriors will have to move
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Fighting the remaining Might points the character
ABD
been completed, the fight phase is over. points and needed from the Might score.
However, rolling a 1 on the die is always
a failure, never mind the remaining
The end phase points the character has. If the roll is not
shuffled back into each deck. Th is is also Using Might during Will and Fate rolls
the time when some actions that occur requires the Might roll just described.
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Isildur’s Bane Guido Quaranta
ABD
▶ A raw force will be dealt 1
Optional rule card per 200 points
Instead of creating as many groups for each of the armies as you see fit, specially
side phase as you want during priority, forces when creating a scenario. However, if
will have a maximum number of cards that you want to randomize this and create
can be dealt to them. Th is means that the proper fictional reasons you can always
player will have to create a number of legal roll a die: 1-2: raw, 3-4: trained, 5-6: elite.
The quality ratings and their trigger a random event. Whenever a Joker
allowed activation cards are: is dealt to a group, the player must roll two
▶ An elite force will be dealt dice, fi nd the appropriate event, and follow
3 cards per 200 points the rules and guidelines below. The event is
▶ A trained force will be dealt rolled before any activation occurs, and its
2 cards per 200 points effects applied immediately. If both Jokers
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come into play during the same priority 14 Rainfall
phase, the red one takes priority, and the 23 Heavy rain falls down on the battlefield. If
black one is ignored as an event and just fighting in caverns or inside a mountain,
used as an activation card. Unless noted dams collapse and subterranean rivers leak
otherwise in the event's description, the from the ceiling and damp the chambers.
Roll a die to determine the number of that drew the Joker have +1 Courage
turns this effect will last. During those and inspire terror, as described in the
turns, all shooting is done with a -2 rulebook's Courage section. Remember
modifier to hit. Flying creatures and break tests are taken during the end
flying mounts half their movement. phase, meaning that these figures will
still benefit from the Courage bonus.
Reckless charge 13
Troops see a weak spot in the enemy's 22 16 Nessa's swiftness
formation and throw themselves at 25 The troops find safe passage through the
it recklessly, with high impetus but 34 battlefield. They move unhindered on
not mindful of the consequences. the terrain and surround the enemy with
before any other group. For this turn only, The group that drew the Joker is activated
figures from the group have +1 Attack and before any other group. For this turn only,
may move 5cm (2 inches) extra but only if figures from the group can move twice in
charging. On the other hand, every enemy the actions phase. The second move must
figure that wins a combat against a reckless be made after shooting and can become a
charger has +1 on it's die roll for wounding. charge. In order to shoot, figures must follow
the normal rules during the fi rst move only.
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26
For this turn only, the group that drew the
Despair
The troops realize the grave danger they 35
are in. For a moment they doubt their 44 Joker will be able to fi re its ranged weapons
intentions and those of their leaders. twice, and all rolls to hit get a +1. Siege
Sacrifice doesn't sound heroic anymore. engines only shoot once, but get the bonus
board will make a roll. Do one roll per During darkness, line of sight for everyone in
group (no matter the number of figures the batt le is 24cm (10 inches). No figure can
in the group), and one for each figure shoot or charge at something farther away
that was not included in any group. than that. Figures on the ground partially
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Isildur’s Bane Guido Quaranta
points replenished to their starting
values. Wounds, however, are not. If Optional
the group has no characters and only
regular troops, they get 2 extra points rule #4:
of Courage for the rest of the batt le.
ABD
Special rules
Optional rule adjustments
#3: First move These are just a few changes to some of
Every scenario in the battle game, unless
the special rules usually found in models'
profi les. They are here as optional, but are
specifically noted, gives priority to the Good a good fi x in case you don't want to just
side during the fi rst turn. It is important ignore a special rule that won't work with
sometimes, specially in scenarios where this text. Using these as guidelines you can
movement, or running someplace, are the probably «fi x» any other rule you fi nd in
main objectives of the game. If you think other sources (such as White Dwarf articles
it's fundamental for the batt le to have one or other fan made scenarios and profi les).
During the first turn, the side that must booklets checked for special rules
go fi rst should be given two cards face compatibility include the basic rulebooks
down (to tell them apart from the rest (Lord of the Rings SBG, Fellowship of the
of the cards) during the priority phase. Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of
Those cards must be given to two groups the King), Khazad-dum, Legions of Middle-
of figures. Remember a group can even earth, Shadow and Flame, Warhosts, War of
be just one figure. If any group includes Saruman, Last Alliance, The Ruin of Arnor,
characters, it must be given a red card. The Batt le of Pelennor Fields, The Scouring
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Isildur’s Bane Guido Quaranta
group will activate before him, roll a die. models. When playing solitaire, the side
On a result of 3+, Gothmog's group will that has the fi rst activation will move
activate just before that enemy group, them. Those models should however be
ignoring the activation card dealt to them. always in a group of their own (or several
▶ Saruman's Palantír rule lets the wizard groups if they are split over the board).
win priority once per batt le. When ▶ The Trees are Moving! special rule
playing Isildur's Bane, roll a die when from the scenario Odovacar Bolger's
you want Saruman to use this power. Promenade lets the Evil side use scenery
On a roll of 3+, Saruman's group and any trees as opposition. Roll the die to see how
friendly group within 8cm (3 inches) many trees move that turn before dealing
from Saruman's group will activate before activation cards. Then deal one card to
any other group for that turn only. If the each of the moving trees you choose.
roll fails, the power of the Palantír can
be used again later, until it succeeds. Siege of Gondor:
▶ Gollum's My Preciousss... special rule ▶ The element of Surprise special rule
can be used as written, except for this from the scenario Forth Eorlingas! gives
change. Gollum is never part of a group, a priority die advantage to the Good
and is never dealt an activation card. player. To represent this deal 2 activation
The side with the highest activation card cards to each Good group and use the
will control Gollum for that turn. highest until the turn Gandalf, and the
other Good reinforcements arrive.
Fall of the Necromancer:
▶ Saruman's Consuming Rivalry rule A Shadow in the East:
talks about Heroic Actions. To fi x that ▶ Disordered Leadership special rule
for Isildur's Bane use the rule as written from the Strange Circumstances scenario
changing only this: Saruman can never has an awkward activation method. For
be put in a group together with Gandalf, Isildur's Bane, do the test before dealing
and must always activate separately the red activation card to an orc captain. If
(either on his own, or with another the orcs around him pass the check, those
group that does not include Gandalf). that can be included in the captain's group
▶ Khamûl the Easterling's Essence Leech (see the group's restrictions above) can
rule lets you spend one point of Will at the be activated with that card. Other orcs,
start of the Fight phase to improve a score or those that do not pass the check will be
(Fight, Strength, Attacks). While playing dealt a black activation card and will not
Isildur's Bane, you may only use this power be able to move, but will shoot and fight
if the Evil side has the edge that turn. as normal. Do the tests before dealing the
other cards, for some orcs will probably
The Scouring of be affected by several captains' tests.
the Shire: ▶ Flanking Force special rule from The Field
▶ Th is supplement has several scenarios of Celebrant scenario has some decision
where some models can be controlled making that can be randomized easily.
by either side. Usually the side with Roll a die to see if the Evil side leaves some
priority gets to move and fight with said figures as reinforcements. 1-3, they are
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Isildur’s Bane Guido Quaranta
deployed. 4-6, they are reinforcements. Now (one of its main appeals). So it needed to be
roll a die to see which table edge they will balanced somehow. That's why I decided to split
arrive from. 1-2, north. 3-4, west. 5-6, east. the deck in two, creating the red deck for groups
with characters in it. Th is way, characters would
Designer's notes always be a bit ahead of the regular troops. The
the wonderful LotR game that I love so much in If you read the playtest version, you’d have noticed
the company of... well, oneself. The game sparks that the distance between figures inside a group
my imagination beyond any other wargame, has increased from 5cm (2 inches) to 10cm (4
and fi nding suitable opponents can be difficult inches). Th is gives you more flexibility when
depending on one's situation, physical location making groups, but the real reason is another.
or even play style preferences. Th is section of the It was shown in playtesting that after the fi rst
text will try to shed some light into the thinking combats occur, figures from groups that worked
process that went in the creation of these rules. together during the batt le were gett ing left out.
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Why not a «Will roll»? Well, as you know, Will
(imagine getting shot down before being able to
hide behind the ruins), and thus gives more power
to the red card activations, restoring characters can be used as Might during the game, but only
some of the loss from the missing Heroic Actions. for Courage tests. Since Courage tests already
The use of Might is one of the very important a crazy experiment. An attempt to add some
things in the game that was truly not fit for command and control flavor to a game that
solo gaming. Creating the Might roll helped doesn't really need it. But when playing solo,
a bit to prevent careless use of the points and the more things are off your hands and into the
benefiting one of the sides. When wanting to system's, the more interesting the experience.
spend more than one point in the same roll I It is however just optional, and playing with
went through different rules. First I thought and without it through different games will
making a roll for each one would be fi ne, but (I believe) enrich the gaming experience.