t

elcome to he first
W
hsworn Journal
Oat

Hello and welcome to the first Oathsworn Journal, an irregular PDF publication containing random stuff
for fans of Oathsworn’s miniatures and games. In this issue, we’ve got some rules for battles underground
in Burrows & Badgers, a new scenario, a couple of competitions, and a new game for you to try out, plus
plenty more besides...

You may be wondering how often we’ll release a new issue of the Journal... and to be honest, so are we!
We’ve got more content prepared, so we’ll get the next issue done fairly soon, I expect. But we’re also open
to suggestions on what kind of content you’d like to see more of, so feel free to let us know what you want!

Page3 Goin’ Underground - trial rules for things like breaking doors, and getting stuck in
narrow passageways! For Burrows & Badgers.

Page 5 Scenario: Mole Hunt - track down a messenger mole, give him a whack, and pinch
his messages... just watch out for the bomb! For Burrows & Badgers.

Page 6 Competition time! Win one of five Mole-in-a-hole miniatures.

Page 7 Furball! The basic rules for Northymbran Shinty... this is the core rules, and there’s
lots to be added, from exhaustion and injuries through to special skills and league tables.
But we need to be sure the core works properly first. There’ll be a Playtest Group set up
on Facebook soon, so if you try these rules out, you’ll have the chance to let us know what
you think. Just proxy in your Burrows & Badgers miniatures. It might look a bit odd, but
that’s playtesting!

Page 15 Making a Haunted Burrow - my attempt at making some terrain, and making
quite as mess as I do...

Page 19 Secondary Objectives - an alternative Secondary objectives chart, to provide a bit

more variety in your games. For Burrows & Badgers.

Page 23 Competition Time! Win Henlor Kremmel and Lord Skraal, two characters from
the next Kickstarter!
 Goin’
nderground northymbra
U

Sometimes it can be fun to mix things up a bit, and play a game where the models can move into build-
ings, or maybe even on a table which represents an underground location, such as a dungeon or a burrow.
Here’s a few extra rules which might come in handy to add a bit of flavour! You can try any or all of them;
but even just adding one of them can really change the feel of the game.

Break Down the Door

Any doors are assumed to be locked, unless the scenario states otherwise. To break down a door, make an
Attack Action against the door; the Attack will hit automatically (ie the door won’t roll Block dice!). The
door counts as having Tough (7) but a single Wound will break it down. Each Turn spent adds +2 to the
Strike Roll.

Narrow Passages
Space in buildings and tunnels is restricted; models may move normally where there is sufficient width
for their base to pass through. Where the gap is too narrow for the model’s base to pass through, the
model may attempt to squeeze through anyway. If the gap is up to 10mm less than their base size, then
roll the Movement stat dice, as if in Difficult Terrain. If the gap is smaller, roll the Movement stat dice
twice, and take the lowest roll. If you roll any doubles, (i.e. two 1’s, or two 4’s etc.) then the model has got
stuck! They are jammed in the gap; whatever Action they were performing fails. Any Attacks or Shoot Ac-
tions taken against them for the rest of the Turn count as successful Ambush Attacks (ie they may not roll
Block or Nimbleness dice).

Models with the Flight Skill may only use it if the space they are flying through is double or more the
width of their base. So a Small Bird could fly in a room/corridor 60mm or more wide, and a Massive Bird
could fly in a room/corridor 100mm or more wide.

Gridlock
Sometimes you’ll end up with a situation where two groups of fighters are locked in battle, totally block-
ing a passage or doorway. Which can be very irritating… so when fighting indoors, allow all models to
(temporarily!) have the Push Back Skill from the Warren Percy Affair supplement. Here it is again:

Strength Skill - Pushback

Capable of forceful blows, this beast can shove their opponents back during combat. Any time an Attack
by this character causes Wounds, you may convert some or all of them into a Pushback. For every Wound
converted, the enemy model is moved directly away 1/2”, (half an inch) up to a maximum of six Wounds
converted to 3”. Any extra Wounds are applied as normal.
If the enemy is pushed over 2”, you cannot take the free Attack for disengaging with this character; but
any other models which were in Base Contact may still do so.

Darkness
Many underground locations might be unlit; leaving your characters in total darkness! Although many
beasts have reasonable night-sight, the total absence of light leaves everyone totally blind.
Scenario Special Rule - The Darkness
In the total darkness of the world below, sight is useless, and a beast must rely on their other senses for
survival. All areas of the tabletop are assumed to be in Darkness, unless the scenario states otherwise.
Any character that makes a Move in Darkness must roll their Movement stat, exactly as if in Difficult Ter-
rain. (Yes, even Wildbeasts!)

Any character that rolls Block or Nimbleness dice while in Darkness must also roll their Awareness dice,
and use whichever roll is LOWER.

Bats may ignore The Darkness, thanks to their echolocation abilities!

New Equipment
Torch; Item. Free.
A character using a Torch may ignore the effects of Darkness, and so may any characters, friend or foe,
within 3” of the Torch user. A Torch user starts the game with the Torch lit. A Torch user cannot perform
Hide Actions with the Torch lit.
A Torch may go out; anytime the Torch user rolls a 1, the Torch goes out. A Torch may also be put out
deliberately, if desired.
A Torch can be relit by spending an Action stationary, and doing nothing else. This will only work once
however; if the Torch goes out a second time, it is useless.
A Torch cannot be used with Double-handed weapons, Shields or Bows, Crossbows, Calivers, and Blun-
derbusses. It can be used a second weapon to gain the Dual-Wielding bonus, and an extra Strong (1) for
the effects of the flame; however, the Torch goes out on a roll of 1, 2, or 3, if used as a weapon.

Lantern; Item. 8 pennies.

A character using a Lantern may ignore the effects of Darkness, and so may any characters, friend or foe,
within 3” of the Lantern user. A Lantern user starts the game with the Lantern lit. A Lantern user cannot
perform Hide Actions with the Lantern lit.
A Lantern may be put out deliberately, if desired.
A Lantern can be relit by spending an Action stationary, and doing nothing else.
A Lantern cannot be used with Double-handed weapons, Shields or Bows, Crossbows, Calivers, and
Blunderbusses.
 Scenario:
Mole Hunt
A courier mole carrying vital documents on behalf of the Reynard fox family is burrowing northwards;
and a lot of beasts want to get their paws on those documents! Two warbands have managed to locate the
rough area the mole is in. But catching him may prove more difficult than expected...

Terrain
Each player takes it in Turn to place a piece of terrain, ideally at least one piece of terrain per square foot
– the more the better.

Secondary Objectives
Both players make two rolls on the Secondary Objectives chart (near the back of the book), and choose
one of them to carry out.

Warbands and Deployment zones

The player with the lower Warband Rating chooses a table edge, and places a model within 4” of the edge.
Their opponent then sets up a model within 4” of the opposite edge. Keep on until all models are on the
table.

Special Rules

Tracking the Mole

Both Warbands have a rough idea of where the mole is, and where he’s likely to pop up for air… Both
players need three small markers; take it in turns to place markers on the tabletop. Each marker must be
at least 6” away from any others. The player with the lower Warband Rating places the first marker.
At the start of the second Turn, the player who loses the Initiative Roll-off chooses two of the markers and
removes them.
At the start of the third Turn, the player who loses the Initiative Roll-off chooses two of the markers and
removes them.
There will then only be two markers left.
At the start of the fourth Turn, before Initiative is decided, two things happen. Firstly, the mole pops up,
right where one of the markers is; and secondly, the casket of black powder he’s left as a decoy explodes
right where the other marker is!

To decide which marker is which, both players pick one of their characters, and roll their Awareness stat
dice. There is a -1 to this roll for every full inch the model is away from the nearest marker; so the closer
you are the better! There’s a +1 to this roll for any friendly model within 2” of the character making the
roll. Whichever players scores the highest has done the better job of tracking; they decide which marker is
the mole and which is the bomb! If both players draw, then decide which is the bomb randomly.

The Mole
The mole pops up – place a model or something to represent him on the tabletop. Any model that was in
Base Contact with the marker is now in Base Contact with the mole. The mole has a Block of 10 (not d10;
there’s no need to roll. His Block roll is always 10). He’s exhausted after tunnelling for three days straight;
causing a single Wound will take him Out of Action.
If he is not taken Out of Action by the end of the Turn, move him 4” towards the nearest table edge. This
does not trigger the free strikes for moving out of Base Contact!
Do this every Turn, until he is taken Out of Action, or escapes off the table edge.
The character who takes the mole Out of Action claims the documents, and must leave the table via their
Warband’s table edge. The character carrying the documents may pass them to any model in Base Con-
tact or may drop them at any time; place a marker in Base Contact with them. Another character may
pick them up by moving into Base Contact with the marker. If the carrier is taken Out of Action, place a
marker at the spot where they fell. Any character may pick up the documents by moving into Base Con-
tact with it.

The Bomb
The cask of black powder explodes - the blast stretches 6” from the marker in all directions. Any character
within range takes 3d6 Wounds, reduced by Tough and Armour as normal. The character may also roll
their Nimbleness dice and reduce the Wounds taken by that amount, to indicate an attempt to jump clear.

Starting the game

The warband with the largest number of models goes first.

Ending the game

When one of the warbands fails its Rout Roll-off, the game ends. The routing warband loses and their op-
ponents win. The game also ends if one of the Warbands manages to leave the table with the mole’s docu-
ments; that Warband wins. The game will end in a draw if the mole escapes off a table edge.

Experience
+1 Survives. If a character survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
+1 Whacked the Mole. If a character took the mole Out of Action, they gain +1 Experience.
+1 Survived the blast. If a character got caught in the explosion, they gain +1 Experience, even if it took
them Out of Action.
+1 Escaped with the documents. If a character left the table carrying the documents, they gain +1 Experi-
ence.

The winner gains 3d12 pennies in payment for the documents.

Competition Time!
One day this mole-in-a-hole miniature will
be available in the webstore… but while we’re
waiting for new moulds to be made, we’ve been
clearing out old boxes, and we’ve found five
casts left over from the last Kickstarter!

So if you want to be in with a chance of win-

ning yourself a mole-in-a-hole cast, just send an
email to:
competitions@oathsworn.net

with the subject HoleyMoley and your name,

and you’ll be entered into the draw!
Competition closes February the 28th 2021.
 Throughout all the many Kingdoms of that mighty island Albion,

FurBall
the populace have long enjoyed a most noble pastime. Whether they
call it Shinty, Hurling, Camanachd or some other local variant, it
all boils down to a handful of beasts running up and down
a field, using bent sticks to to send a small leather-covered
ball hurtling into the opposing team’s goal.
We’ll call it Furball...

With grateful thanks to those noble and legendary heroes,

Lee Parry and Luke Driscoll
What you will need
As well as these rules, you will need the following items to play a game of Furball.

You will need 12 to 24 miniatures, six to twelve for each team, and something to represent a ball. We’re cur-
rently testing with teams of ten models, which seems to work well. And you’ll need Stat Cards for each of the
miniatures. There’s some to print out later on.

Playing surface
You will also need something to play the game on. Any firm, level surface is best, such as a tabletop or an area
of floor. I’d recommend using a size around 30” x 44”, although a 36” x 36” works too. You’ll need something
to use as goals, too, even if it’s just marking the area with a bit of paper or similar.

Dice
You’ll need a set of polyhedral dice, with a four sided dice, a six sided dice, an eight sided, ten sided, twelve
sided, and twenty sided dice. Dice of this sort can be found at your local game store or online at various re-
tailers. These dice are commonly referred to by abbreviations; a four-sided dice is known as a d4, a six-sided
dice as a d6, and so on.

Tape measure
For measuring, you will need a tape measure marked in inches.

Measuring distances
You measure movement in inches. The rules use the double apostrophe as a symbol for inches, so if we say
that a model may move six inches inches, we will express that like this: 6’’. Measurements are taken from and
to the edge of a model’s base. Both players may measure at any time.

‘May’
When we use the word ‘May’ this means what is described is not compulsory.

Base contact
One model will be in Base Contact with another model, or the ball, when both bases are touching each other.

Line of Sight
During most tabletop miniature games, you will often be required to check whether a model has ‘Line of
sight’ to a target. In Furball, this does not apply – ALL models are assumed to have clear line of sight to any
part of the table at all times.
The Rules

The Ball and Possession

Place the ball touching the base of whichever model currently has Possession of it; it does not matter where
on the base it is touching, and may be move around the base edge freely to suit. Another model from the
same Team may take Possession by making a Move Action that touches the Possessing model’s base at some
point during the Move.

If the ball is not in any model’s Possession, then whichever model next carries out a Move Action that reaches
or passes through the ball will take Possession of it.

If one of a Team’s models sends the ball out of play, place it in the Possession of whichever model from the
opposing Team is nearest the point at which the ball left the table.

Statistics
When you play Furball, you and your opponent will control teams of miniatures, with each miniature pre-
senting a player on the pitch. Their abilities in the game are determined by five Statistics, which are shown on
the character’s Stat Card.

These Statistics are: Speed, Tackle, Aim, Reflexes and Grit. Speed is represented by a number, such as a 6 or
8, for example. All other statistics are assigned a dice value – the higher the number, the better the Statistic.
So a character with an Aim stat of d10 would be better at passing the ball than one with a Aim stat of d6, for
example.

Speed is used to determine how far in inches the character can move in a Move Action.

The Tackle statistic is used to take the ball from another player.

The Aim statistic determines how well the character passes the ball and shoots on goal.

Reflexes is used when the character tries to intercept a pass, or stop a shot on goal.

Grit is a measure of mental strength and physical endurance, and helps you avoid exhaustion. In this core
version of the rules, it is only used for Initiative tests.
 e C ore Rule Mechani
Th c:

the
Action Roll

Furball is based around Action Rolls. When player carries out an Action with one of their models, they will
often have to take an Action Roll.

This involves one of the model’s Statistics. Which one will vary depending on the type of Action being carried
out. The player rolls the type of dice assigned to the model’s Statistic. This is the player’s Roll.

If the Roll is a 4 or higher, the Action succeeds. If the player’s Roll is 3 or less, the Action fails.

Example 1: Fleabite Hardpad is Tackling an Away Team player for possession of the ball. His Tackle statistic is
d6. So he rolls a d6, scoring a 5. 5 is higher than 4, so Fleabite’s Tackle Action succeeds.
Example 2: Fleabite Hardpad makes a Pass Action. His Aim statistic is d8, so he rolls a d8, scoring a Roll of 2.
This is lower than the required 4 or more, so Fleabite’s Pass Action fails.

Perfect rolls
Anytime you roll the highest possible number on any given dice (such as a 6 on a d6, or an 8 on a d8, for
example), that counts as a Perfect Roll. A Pass or Shoot Action that has succeeded with a Perfect Roll cannot
be Intercepted.

‘Odds on’ and ‘No Chance’ rolls

Sometimes an Action Roll or a dice roll will be referred to as ‘Odds On’ or ‘No Chance’. When the roll is Odds
On, you may roll TWO dice and choose which to use (typically that would be the higher of the two rolls!).
When the roll is No Chance, roll TWO dice and you must use the LOWER of the two rolls.

Occasionally, you may get a situation where a roll is both Odds On and No Chance at the same time… when
that happens, they cancel each other out. Just roll a single dice, like any normal Action Roll.
The
Turn Sequence

Turns, Initiative and Actions

A game of Furball is divided into Turns. Each Turn has two Phases; the Initiative Phase, and the Action
Phase.
In the Initiative Phase, both players roll their team Captain’s Grit stat; the higher roll wins the Initiative for
the Turn. Re-roll draws. If one player has a Perfect Roll, they win the Initiative, even if their opponent rolled
higher (unless they scored a Perfect too!)

Next is the Action Phase. The Action Phase begins with all the models ready to Act, and it ends when all the
models have been Activated.
During each Turn, every model on the table gets to make up to two Actions, and once a model has acted, that
model may not act again until the next Turn (barring the ‘Free Activations’ special rule, that is!), and counts
as Activated. The team with the Initiative chooses a model to Activate, picks an Action to perform, and car-
ries it out; any results of that Action is applied immediately. Then the player chooses a second Action for
that model to perform, and carries it out; any results of that second Action are applied immediately. Place a
marker of some kind next to the model, or on it’s Stat Card, to show it has been Activated this Turn.
Then the opposing team chooses a model to activate in the same manner.
This continues, swapping back and forth between the two teams, until all the models have been Activated.
Then the Turn ends, and a new Turn begins.
There is one exception to this; even if there are still models which have not been Activated, a Turn IMMEDI-
ATELY ends when a Goal is scored.

Actions

In the Action phase, each model may choose their Actions from the following list to perform:
Move, Tackle, Pass, Shoot, Ready & Intercept

Move
A model making a Move Action may move their model in any direction, making as many turns as they like, a
distance up to their Speed stat in inches.

Tackle
A model making a Tackle Action must be within 2” of the model they are tackling; the model being tackled
must have possession of the ball when the Tackle Action is declared. The Acting model makes an Action Roll
using its Tackle statistic. If the Tackle succeeds, possession of the ball changes to the Tackling model. If the
model making the Tackle has Moved over 3” towards the target model immediately before the Tackle, then it
counts as a ‘Crushing Tackle’, and the Action Roll is considered ‘Odds On’. Roll two dice and chose which to
apply.
Pass
A model making a Pass Action must be in Possession of the ball and be able to draw clear Line of Sight to the
target point, which may be a model, or just a point on the tabletop. The target point must be within 8 inches.

The acting model takes an Action Roll using their Aim statistic, against the appropriate Difficulty. If the Ac-
tion Roll is a success, the ball has been passed successfully. Possession of the ball passes to the target model.
If the Pass is being made to a ‘Ready’ model, the Action Roll counts as ‘Odds On’. Roll two dice and chose
which to apply.

If the Pass fails, the ball will scatter. Place the ball at the chosen target point, then roll a d8; move the ball a
number of inches equal to the number rolled, in the direction the tip of the d8 is pointing.

A Pass that succeeds as a result of a High Roll CANNOT be Intercepted.

Shoot
A model making a Shoot Action must be in possession of the ball and be able to draw clear Line of Sight to
the opposing team’s goal. You cannot Shoot from further than 8 inches away.
All Shoot Actions are always aimed at the centre of the goal, whatever size/shape it is.
The acting model takes an Action Roll using their Aim statistic. If the Action Roll is a success, the shot has
been successful. The Shooting model’s Team gains one Goal. As previously stated, the scoring of a goal ends
the current Turn.
If the Shot fails, the ball will scatter. Place the ball at the chosen target point, then roll a d8; move the ball a
number of inches equal to the number rolled, in the direction the tip of the d8 is pointing.
A Shot that succeeds as a result of a High Roll CANNOT be Intercepted.

Ready
A model may become Ready, to increase it’s chances of receiving or intercepting a pass successfully, or of
avoiding a Tackle.
A model making a Ready Action remains ‘Ready’ until they make another Action; this means if the last Ac-
tion they make in a Turn is Ready, they will remain ‘Ready’ until they perform an Action in the following
Turn.
A Pass to a model that is Ready counts the Aim roll as ‘Odds On’.
An Intercept by a model that is Ready counts the Reflexes roll as ‘Odds On’.
A Tackle (including Free Tackles) against a model that is Ready counts the Tackle roll as ‘No Chance’.

Intercept
Intercept is an incidental Action; it cannot be chosen, but happens automatically under the following condi-
tions. When a Pass or Shoot Action takes place, use the tape measure to indicate a straight line between the
Acting model and the point the ball lands at. Any model that is within 2 inches of any point on that line may
attempt an Interception.
The Intercepting model makes a Reflexes Action Roll. If they succeed, they take Possession of the ball.
If the Intercepting model is ‘Ready’, then their Reflexes Action Roll counts as ‘Odds On’. Roll two dice and
choose which to apply.
A model which Intercepts the ball within 2” of it’s own Team’s goal may make an immediate Pass with double
the normal range (16”)

Note: a Pass or Shoot Action that has succeeded due to a Perfect Roll CANNOT be Intercepted.
Free
Activations
In addition to the two Actions a model may carry out when it Activates, they may also make use of the fol-
lowing Free Activations. Note; when using any of these Free Activations, the player must make it clear that is
what they are doing! They alter the normal sequence of events; so both players need to be made aware of what
is going on.

Free Tackle
Any time a model in Possession of the ball BEGINS a Move Action within 2” of an opposing model, that
opposing model may make a Free Tackle. If the Tackle succeeds, they take Possession of the ball. The other
model may continue their Move, or stop where they are, losing that Action.

Free Activation
At any point during a Turn, a model which comes into Possession of the ball via a Pass, Interception or Free
Tackle may make a Free Activation. This is exactly like a normal Activation, and the model may choose two
Actions as normal, but does not count as the model’s Activation for the Turn. The model may have already
had it’s Activation for the current Turn, or may still be ready to Act later in the Turn; that is irrelevant. Free
Activations happen in addition to normal Activations.
For example, model A, who is in Possession of the ball, makes a Move Action, then a Pass Action, to send the
ball to another friendly model, model B. Model A has now completed it’s Activation for the Turn. Normally
the other Team would then Activate a model. But as model B came into Possession of the ball via a Pass, they
now receive a Free Activation, and may make two Actions immediately. This does not count as model B’s Ac-
tivation for the Turn. Model B could pass onto model C, and model C would also get a Free Activation. If you
want to stop them, get Intercepting!

Each player starts with 5 points to spend for every

g two models on their team. So for a team of ten,
Pickin you would have 25 points to spend. Small and
Team
Your
Medium models cost 2 points each, Large 3 points
each, and Massive 4 points each. You can see their
Stat Cards below. Pick one model to be your Cap-
tain.

Small (30mm base) 2 points Medium (30mm base) 2 points

Speed Tackle Aim Reflexes Grit Speed Tackle Aim Reflexes Grit
5 d6 d8 d10 d6 6 d6 d8 d8 d8

Large (40mm base) 3 points Massive (50mm base) 4 points

Speed Tackle Aim Reflexes Grit Speed Tackle Aim Reflexes Grit
7 d8 d8 d6 d10 8 d10 d8 d6 d12
 u rball Standard
F
nament Match
Tour

Determine Initiative
Both players roll their team Captain’s Grit stat; the higher roll wins the Initiative for the first Turn. Re-roll
draws.

Starting positions
The player with the Initiative places one model at the centre of the table, with Possession of the ball. Then the
opposing player places one model anywhere within their half of the table, but at least 3” away from the model
in Possession of the ball. Take it in turns to place models, until all 12 are on the table.

Ending the First Half

After four full Turns have been played and set up both Teams again as above. The player who is behind on
Goals starts with the Initiative; there is no need to roll in the Initiative Phase. If the teams are drawing on
Goals, roll for Initiative as normal.

Ending the Second Half

After another four full Turns have been played, stop!

After a Goal is scored

After a Goal is scored, set up both Teams again as above. The player who conceded the Goal starts with the
Initiative; there is no need to roll in the Initiative Phase.

Winning and Losing

If one Team has scored more Goals than the other, they win! If both teams score the same amount of goals,
the game is a draw.
 ample
An ex
of Play

We join the action as Model A on the Red Team is about

to be Activated; and Model A has Possession of the ball.
A
Model A can make two Actions, as normal. First, Model
A makes a Move Action, and with a Speed of 6, moves
forward 6”.
Then Model A makes a Pass Action to Model B, who
is just within the 8” range of a Pass. The ball is placed
where it would be if it had travelled in a straight line
between the Models. Then Model A makes an Aim Ac-
B
tion Roll to see if the Pass is successful... but, rolling a 3,
the Pass fails! As always, a 4 or more would be needed
to succeed.
A

So the ball Scatters. A d8 is rolled, and the ball is moved

a number of inches indicated by the roll (8, in this case!)
The direction of the move follows the direction which B
the d8’s tip is pointing.

Using the tape measure (or a ruler, laser pointer, bit of

dowel... anything straight and thin, basically!) a straight
path between Model A and the ball’s new position is
indicated.
It’s always important to know the path the ball has trav-
elled, as it affects Interceptions. Any model within 2” of
that path is able to attempt an Interception.
A

Blue Team’s Model C is within 2” of the ball’s path, and

can attempt an Interception as the ball passes by! Model 2”
C makes a Reflexes Action Roll, and scores a 6... the ball
is successfully Intercepted, and Model C takes Posses- C 2”
sion of the ball immediately.

A
So, Model C on the Blue Team has taken Possession of
the ball by Intercepting a Scattered Pass. And when a
model comes into Possession of the ball via a Pass, In-
terception or Free Tackle, they may make a Free Activa- C
tion.

Model C can make two Actions, just like a regular Acti-

vation. First, Model C makes a Move Action, and with
a Speed of 5, moves forward 4”. Model C could have
moved an extra inch, taking the full 5 inches allowed,
but wanted to stay close to Red Team’s Model B, plan- C
ning ahead for possible Passes/Tackles later in the Turn. B

Then Model C makes a Pass Action to Model D, who

is well within the 8” range of a Pass. The ball is placed
where it would be if it had travelled in a straight line
D
between the Models. Then Model C makes an Aim Ac-
tion Roll to see if the Pass is successful... and, rolling a
7, the Pass succeeds! As always, a 4 or more results in a
successful Action.

No Models are close enough to Intercept, so Model D

takes Possession of the ball. As before, when a model
comes into Possession of the ball via a Pass, Intercep- 2” E
tion or Free Tackle, they may make a Free Activation. So
Model D can now make an Activation. The first Ac-
tion chosen is a Move, and Model D starts to make the
move... But Red Team’s Model E is within 2”, and any
D
time a model in Possession of the ball BEGINS a Move
Action within 2” of an opposing model, that opposing
model may make a Free Tackle.
Model E makes a Tackle Action Roll; rolling a 4, the
Tackle succeeds, and Model E takes Possession of the
ball! And as before, when a model comes into Posses- E
sion of the ball via a Pass, Interception or Free Tackle,
they may make a Free Activation. So the Red Team are
back in control... Blue’s Model can decide whether to
continue the Move without the ball, or just give up the
Action. He stays put, to keep pressure on Red’s Model E.
In that whole sequence, only Model A had a ‘real’ Acti-
vation, and is the only one to have used their Activation
for the Turn!
 Making a
au nted Barrow
H

I’m currently working on Necromantic Warband rules,

and so I decided I needed a Haunted Barrow. My necro-
mancers need a reliable source of dead heroes, after all! So
I gathered the blue foam and plasticard, and got to work…
I started with a rough sketch to give me a basic plan to
work from; I used that to work out the rough dimensions.

I wanted a stone doorway, and a carved symbol of the

Horned God; my first thought was to make these in Mil-
liput, as you can get some very realistic stone effects that
way. But once I’d roughed in the shapes, I realised just

how much sanding and carving I’d have to do, and quick-
ly decided to switch to blue foam instead… Using off-
cuts of 5mm & 10mm blue foam sheet, I cut out a similar
set of shapes. Less realistic, but saved lots of time!

Next, I cut a base for the model out of a 1mm plasticard

sheet. You can use MDF, but that usually ends up quite
thick and you need to chamfer the edges. You can also
use cardboard, but I find that tends to be a bit flimsy, and
prone to damage.

I decided to make the main structure out of 75mm blue

foam sheets. You can cut the thin sheets with a craft knife
easily enough, but the thicker ones need a saw, or some

kind of heated cutting tool. I’ve tried hot-wire cutters

before, but I always seem to snap the wire by going too
fast (just too impatient, I guess!) So I’ve got a proper
heated blade this time. And it cuts the foam like a hot
knife through, well, blue foam… ;)
 I stuck the first layer down with PVA. This takes forever
to dry, as neither surface is porous… There’s probably a
better option, but I’m not sure what it is... just be careful
not to use anything solvent-based, as that melts the foam.

Then I added the second layer on top.

I took some chunks of slate (I bought a 5kg bag of chip-
pings from a garden centre a few years back… it’ll

probably last me forever!) and broke them up with a

hammer. Then I stuck them in various places over the
barrow, and around the base. I also stuck a tree in… it’s
actually a privet branch that’s been cut and dried. Next I
added the Horned God skull and the doorway pieces.

At this point I realised I hadn’t carved enough depth into

the doorway! I’d meant to cut that away before I stuck
the top layer on… thankfully the hot knife saved me, as

it melted a hole into the foam easily enough. Then it was

time to start smoothing off the shape. Apparently you
can sand blue foam, but I decided adding some filler
would be easier. I used Sculptamold, which you mix with

water, and smear on. It covered easily, sticking to the blue

foam with no real problems. I was a bit worried at this
point, as it was really lumpy and roughly textured…

...but after about twenty minutes, it hardened enough

that I could start smoothing it with a bit of water on my
fingertip. Next I wanted to add a layer of sand. You can
buy modelling sand, but I’ve bought a 5kg bag of ‘play
sand’ meant for children’s sand pits.
 I covered the whole barrow with PVA glue…

Unfortunately it took so long to add the PVA that some

areas had already dried. So the first effort was a bit
patchy…

I went over the bare areas a couple more times until the
whole thing was covered with sand, and let it dry.
The sand layer needed a bit of protection to stop it

rubbing off, so I covered the whole thing in a layer of

thinned PVA, and left it to dry out. Next I used some
gardening wire, and some jewellery wire, to add roots to
the tree.

The skull and doorway area were still bare, having not
been covered with sand (although I had added some in a
few strategically placed patches!).

So I painted them black with some Vallejo Surface

Primer.

Then I thinned some of the Surface Primer down, and

covered the whole thing.

Next, I went in with the spray paints! A grey for the stony
bits first, then a few areas of brown, then finally a green
over the whole thing. This was all done very lightly, and
from a distance.
 Then I grabbed a big old brush, and started drybrushing.
A light grey for all the stony bits, and a Sap Green mixed
with White for the rest.
I then used some of the thinned Surface Primer to add
darker patches and shading around the stones and door-

way, and added several areas of Athonian Camoshade,

and a few of Seraphim Sepia (Games Workshop washes)
to add some tonal variation.

So that was all the painting done; time to move on to

the foliage! I gathered a variety of stick-on tufts to use as
clumps of grass. I also grabbed a bag of Reindeer Moss /

Lichen to use for the tree, and some spray glue. The spray
glue’s messy, so I covered everything but the tree with
newspaper. And it’s a spray, so if you use it, makes sure

you cover the area quite a long way behind as well. I

stuck a few lumps of the Reindeer Moss onto the branch-
es, and removed the (very messy!) newspaper.

I gave the Reindeer Moss a very light spray with some

brown paint, and the Barrow was finally complete...

...and ready to have ancient, evil heroes summoned from

it’s depths!
 Secondary
Objectives
One problem with skirmish miniatures games is that even with scenarios to play, games can often end up
as a big fight in the middle of the table... to help mitigate that, Burrows & Badgers scenarios also use Sec-
ondary Objectives, to give the players something extra to do. But a lot of them are still combat-oriented,
such as having to defeat the enemy Leader in a fight.
So here’s a new Secondary Objectives chart, which uses some of the regular objectives, with several new
ones, focussing mostly on non-combat stuff. Guaranteed to get your Warbands running all over the table!

Roll a d20:

1 Deliver the Message Sometimes a vital message must get through… Choose one model to
carry the message, and mark it on your roster. That model must leave the table via the edge opposite your
deployment zone. If your deployment zone is not within 6” of a table edge, exit via the table edge which
has the largest number of enemies deployed near it. If you succeed, the messenger gains +2 Exp, and all
other Surviving warband members gain +1 Exp, and you receive 2d8 pennies as payment.

2 Secure A strong point needs to be taken and held… occupy the largest piece of terrain on the
table, by having a model in base contact with it, with no enemy models within 1” of the terrain piece, at
the end of the game. If you succeed, any of your models occupying the terrain piece gain +1 Exp. You will
also gain 2d8 pennies payment.

3 Invade Hit the enemy on their home turf… have 3 or more of your models in your opponent’s De-
ployment zone when the game ends. If you succeed, any of your models in the enemy Deployment zone
gain +2 Exp, and all other surviving Warband members gain +1 Exp.

4 Capture Take control of the battlefield… occupy 3 or more pieces of terrain on the table, by hav-
ing a model in base contact with it, with no enemy models within 1” of the terrain piece, at the end of the
game. If you succeed, any of your models occupying terrain pieces gain +1 Exp. You also receive 2d8 pen-
nies from scavenging.

5 Scavenger Run Finders keepers, losers weepers… perform a Search action on any Terrain piece,
with a Target of 9; for every Terrain piece successfully Searched, you gain 2d6 pennies, and the Searching
model gain +1 Exp. Note; each Terrain piece can only be successfully Searched once.

6 Fetch the Message Sometimes a vital message must get back! Choose one model to recieve the mes-
sage, and mark it on your roster. That model must reach the table edge opposite your deployment zone. If
your deployment zone is not within 6” of a table edge, reach the table edge which has the largest number
of enemies deployed near it. Then get back across the table, and leave the table via the edge nearest your
deployment zone. If you succeed, the messenger gains +3 Exp, and all other Surviving warband members
gain +1 Exp, and you receive 4d8 pennies as payment.

7 Push Through Through the mud and the blood, to the green fields beyond… you achieve this
objective if 3 or more of your models leave the table via the edge opposite your deployment zone. If you
succeed, each model that leaves the table gains +1 Exp, and counts as Surviving.
8 Escort Get them safe home… You’re responsible for the safety of an important traveller; use a
spare model to represent the traveller. They start in Base contact with your Leader, and Activate just like
any other model. However, they can only perform a single Move (M: d6) when they Activate, and may not
perform any of the usual Actions. You must move them off the opposite table edge to the one you start
with. They may not be targeted by any enemy, but will be considered to be killed if they are not within 4”
of one of your Warband members at the end of any Turn. If you succeed, all your Warband members gain
+1 Exp, and you get 4d8 pennies as a reward.

9 Reclaim The enemy have taken something of yours… take it back!

Place a marker of some kind on the Terrain piece nearest to the position where the enemy’s Leader de-
ployed. You must reach that Terrain piece and drag the marker off the table via your table edge. Dragging
the marker will slow the character holding it; all Movement is treated as Difficult, and Nimbleness Roll-
Offs are at a -1 penalty; however, the character may Sprint. The character dragging the marker may stop
doing so at any time. As the marker represents a large and heavy item, Spells such as The Gate or Trans-
pose will not affect it; the dragging models would be moved but the marker would remain in place. If you
succeed, all Surviving warband members gain +1 Exp, and you receive 4d8 pennies.

10 Rescue One of your heroes has been captured… get them back!
Choose one of your characters; they start the game off the table. They are being held in whatever Terrain
piece is nearest your opponent’s table edge. You must get a character into Base Contact with the Terrain
piece, and spent one Turn performing a ‘Rescue’ Action (remain stationery, and do nothing!). Then place
your captured miniature in Base Contact at the start of the next Turn; they can Act normally. If you suc-
ceed, the model that performed the Rescue gains 2 Exp, and all other Surviving warband members gain
+1 Exp.

11 Destroy Smash up the enemy’s stuff!

Place 3 markers of some kind on the three Terrain pieces nearest to the enemy’s deployment zone. You
must reach those markers and destroy them! Reach Base Contact with the marker and make an Attack
Action against it; it will hit automatically (ie the marker won’t roll Block dice!). The markers count as
having Tough (7) but a single Wound will destroy them. Each Turn spent adds +2 to the Strike Roll. Any
model that destroys a marker gains +1 Exp. If you destroy all three, all Surviving warband members gain
+1 Exp, and you receive 2d8 pennies.

12 Locate A secret message has been placed on the battlefield… The message is Hidden in the Ter-
rain piece nearest the enemy’s table edge. Any of your characters may search for the message, by the usual
method of being in Base Contact with the Terrain piece, and performing a Search action.
The message is Well hidden, requiring an Awareness Roll-off against a Target of 7. As soon as a character
succeeds at the Search Roll-off, the message is discovered; the character must take the message off table
via their table edge. If you succeed, the model that found the message gains +2 Exp, and all other Surviv-
ing warband members gain +1 Exp, and you receive 3d8 pennies as payment.

13 Mark You’re scouting the area; place scent marks on any important discoveries….
Reach Base Contact with any Terrain pieces which are more than 10” from your Deployment zone and
spend one Turn performing a ‘Mark’ Action (remain stationery, and do nothing!) Each model that marks
one (or more) Terrain pieces gains +1 Exp. Your Warband receives d12 pennies for every Terrain piece
marked.
14 Test a Spell You’ve been given a new spell to try out… test it on the battlefield, then report
back!
The Spell has a range of 6 inches, and a Casting Target of 3.
Roll a d6 to see what happens:
1 – Feedback! The spell causes magical burns; the caster suffers 3 Wounds.
2 – Gravity Increase! The spell’s target treats all Movement as Difficult for the rest of the Turn and next
Turn, and may not use Flight.
3 – Fire! The spell’s target bursts into flames… briefly. They must miss their next Action, as they beat out
the flames.
4 – Clang! Any Armour the target is wearing becomes magnetic… any Strike or Shoot Actions directed at
them for the rest of the Turn are at +3.
5 – Explosion! The spell causes a huge blast; any model within 6” of the target (so yes, even the caster!)
suffers d8 Wounds, not reduced by Armour.
6 – Petrifaction! The target of the spell turns to stone… they count as Out of Action; remove them from
the table. After the game, they will recover, and do not need to roll for Permanent Injury.
(note – each time you cast the spell, roll again to see what happens.)
Once you have cast the spell, the spell-caster may move off the table via your table edge. If you succeed,
the Spell caster gains +2 Exp, and all other Surviving warband members gain +1 Exp, and you receive 3d8
pennies as payment.

15 Test a Weapon You’ve been given a new weapon to try out… test it on the battlefield, then report
back!
Make an Attack Action using the experimental weapon. If you cause 1 or more Wounds, roll a d6 to see
what else happens:
1 – Flop. The weapon bends like rubber. The Wounds caused don’t count!
2 – Shatter! Several shards break off the weapon; the target takes two additional Wounds, and so does
your character (not reduced by Armour or Skills).
3 – Sharper than a razor. The weapon slices straight through Armour; if any Wounds were reduced by
Armour, add them back on!
4 – Bang! The weapon gives off a massively loud noise on impact; both characters are stunned, and may
not roll Block or Nimbleness dice for the rest of the Turn.
5 – Vampire blade. The weapon sucks blood from the wound; the target suffers an extra d6 Wounds, not
reduced by Armour or Skills.
6 – Devastator! The weapon causes an immediate Permanent Injury upon the target!
(note – each time you choose to use this weapon, roll again to see what happens.)
Once you have made an Attack Action, the character may move off the table via your table edge. If you
succeed, the weapon user gains +2 Exp, and all other Surviving warband members gain +1 Exp, and you
receive 3d8 pennies as payment.

16 Perform the Ritual (Blessing) Receive the blessing of the Great Mother… Place some kind of ritual
marker at the centre of the table; something like a standing stone, statue, or altar, on a 50mm base or
similar. (Use whatever you have, really!)
Your models may use this Action for the duration of the game:
Bless – The model may make one Move, which must end in Base Contact with the ritual marker. Roll
your Perception, minus any modifiers for Wounds, and make a note of the Result, adding it to any other
Bless Actions your Warband has made.

If your Warband manages to roll a total of over 50 before the game ends, you succeed in fulfilling this
objective. You may choose one model to receive The Blessing; they make one free roll on the Advance
Chart – do this as soon as you hit 50 or more, even if the game is still ongoing. After the game, all Surviv-
ing members gain +1 Exp.
17 Test some Armour You’ve been given a new piece of armour to try out… test it on the battle-
field, then report back!
The experimental armour is worn in addition to any other Armour the character has, and provides no
Tough bonuses. To test it, you must suffer at least one Wound! Roll a d6 to see what happens:
1 – Worse than useless. The Armour causes you to suffer 3 extra Wounds, not reduced by Armour or
Skills.
2 – Shatter! The Armour breaks into shards; you take two additional Wounds, and so does any model
within 2” (not reduced by Armour or Skills).
3 – Crack! The Armour fails, and tangles you up – you may not Move for the rest of the Turn.
4 – Sparks! There’s a shower of sparks, and all characters within 2” are stunned, and may not roll Block or
Nimbleness dice for the rest of the Turn.
5 – Super-tough. The armour works brilliantly; ignore the Wounds you suffered during this attack.
6 – Boing! The armour rebounds the damage caused; ignore the Wounds you suffered during this Attack,
and instead they are inflicted upon the enemy that caused them.
(note – each time you suffer Wounds while wearing the experimental armour, roll again to see what hap-
pens.)
Once you have taken one or more Wounds, you may move off the table via your table edge. If you suc-
ceed, the armour wearer gains +2 Exp, and all other Surviving warband members gain +1 Exp, and you
receive 3d8 pennies as payment.

18 Survey Map the battlefield… Your characters must reach each table corner; once your characters
have touched each table corner, the objective is fulfilled. Note; this does not need to be the same charac-
ter. If you succeed, all Surviving warband members gain +1 Exp, and you receive 4d12 pennies as pay-
ment.

19 Scorched Earth Destroy it all, leave nothing for the foe. Reach (at least) three Terrain pieces
(which must all be at least 10” from your deployment zone) and set them on fire with a flint and tinder,
by rolling your Strike against a Target of 6 (i.e. roll 7 or more on your Strike dice). Each Turn spent trying
adds +2 to the roll.
After the lighting model has moved away, and model moving within 2” of the burning terrain piece suf-
fers d8 Wounds, reduced by Toughness in the normal way.
Each model that lights a Terrain piece on fire gains +1 Exp. If you succeed in burning three Terrain
pieces, you gain 2d8 pennies as a reward from your patron.

20 Perform the Ritual (Curse) Call down the curse of the Horned God… Place some kind of ritual
marker at the centre of the table; something like a standing stone, statue, or altar, on a 50mm base or
similar. (Use whatever you have, really!)
Your models may use this Action for the duration of the game:
Curse – The model may make one Move, which must end in Base Contact with the ritual marker. Roll
your Fortitude, minus any modifiers for Wounds, and make a note of the Result, adding it to any other
Curse Actions your Warband has made.

If your Warband manages to roll a total of over 50 before the game ends, you succeed in fulfilling this
objective. You may choose one enemy model to receive The Curse; they must make one immediate roll
on the Permanent Injuries Chart – do this as soon as you hit 50 or more, even if the game is still ongoing.
After the game, all Surviving members gain +1 Exp.
Competition Time!
As you may already know, our next Kickstarter project features, amongst other things,
several more undead Mistghasts, along with a necromancer or two, and a couple of ‘stable’
Ghasts, to serve as heroes. The rules for using them are still in progress (and will probably
show up in a later edition of this journal!)

Although the Kickstarter’s launch has been delayed due to the endless complications caused
by Covid-19 and Brexit, we’ve got resin pre-production casts of some of the miniatures…
so if you want to be in with a chance of winning yourself Henlor Kremmel and Lord Skraal
(unpainted, mind… those painted ones are mine! ;) ) just send an email to:

competitions@oathsworn.net

with the subject NecRatmancer and your name, and you’ll be entered into the draw!
Competition closes February the 28th 2021.