Warmaster Night before the battle

[Thorin Hubertson]

Some years ago, there was an article in White Dwarf covering special extended rules for Warmaster. I think the article was named "The Night before the battle". You had to randomly decide how your units would perform in battle, for example whether the unit would rather retreat or stand and fight if ordered so.

I can't find that article anymore. Does anyone of you remember which White Dwarf (month/year) this article was in?

Thank you very much for your help.

[azraelezekiel]

It was published in the warmaster annual.
Here is a overview.



THE NIGHT BEFORE
THE BATTLE
Originally written by Nigel Stillman, adapted to fit
the Warmaster rules by Kevin Kent and Tristan Hoag.
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In White Dwarf 243 Nigel Stillman wrote the
article ‘The Night Before the Battle’. This
article provided Warhammer players with
the ability to simulate the effects that the
personalities of different unit leaders would
have on a General’s battle plans, and also to
explore how the activities of the General
immediately preceding the battle impact the
performance of his forces. In essence, the
goal of the article was to introduce a feeling
of generalship to the Warhammer game.
Warmaster is a game of generalship. As a
Warmaster General, your responsibility is to
pull several different sections of your force
together and make them function in
accordance with your master plan. To do
this, you are required to depend upon other
characters to control distant sections of the
army. How they react in certain situations,
and how well you have prepared your forces
for battle, can have a dramatic impact on the
outcome. It seems only natural to have a way
to represent this, and the rules for ‘The
Night Before the Battle’ are an excellent way
to do this.
LEADER PERSONALITIES
It is a cruel fact of war that command and
responsibility is often left in the hands of
those least suited to the task. Often, the
General of an army will have little say in the
matter of which men he must trust to carry
out his plan, and pride, power and position
can conspire to keep those less than worthy
in their place. Nonetheless, fortunate
Generals find that there are diamonds
among the rough. Learning to judge the
dependability of those in your chain of
command and to place as much (or little)
trust in them as they can handle is an
important skill in leading an army.
Before the game, each player must roll 2D6
for each Hero or Wizard in his force,
consulting the appropriate army table on
the next page to determine the characters’
personality. Make a note of each character’s
trait. Once you have determined the
personalities for each of your characters,
consult the descriptions on the following
pages to see how they will react during play.
The General of an army is meant to
represent the player’s will on the battlefield,
and as such, no roll need be made for him or
her.
If these rules are being used in conjunction
with a campaign system, roll only at the
beginning of the campaign, before any
games are played. When a character dies and
is replaced, and every time a new Hero or
Wizard is brought into the army list, a roll on
the relevant chart must be made for the new
character.
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LEADER PERSONALITIES
Bretonnians
2D6 Result
2 Incompetent
3 Incompetent
4 Rash and impetuous
5 Rash and impetuous
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Valiant Nobleman
10 Expert Veteran
11 Cautious
12 Cautious
Chaos
2D6 Result
2 Incompetent
3 Incompetent
4 Rash and impetuous
5 Rash and impetuous
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Marked by the gods
10 Rash and impetuous
11 Treacherous
12 Treacherous
Dark Elves
2D6 Result
2 Incompetent
3 Incompetent
4 Treacherous
5 Treacherous
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Beastmaster
10 Expert Veteran
11 Rash and impetuous
12 Rash and impetuous
Dwarfs
2D6 Result
2 Treacherous
3 Incompetent
4 Cautious
5 Stubborn Leader
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Rash and impetuous
10 Expert Veteran
11 Expert Veteran
12 Treacherous
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Empire
2D6 Result
2 Treacherous
3 Treacherous
4 Incompetent
5 Cautious
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Academy Graduate
10 Expert Veteran
11 Rash and impetuous
12 Rash and impetuous
High Elves
2D6 Result
2 Incompetent
3 Incompetent
4 Cautious
5 Legendary Leader
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Expert Veteran
10 Cautious
11 Rash and impetuous
12 Rash and impetuous
Kislev
2D6 Result
2 Treacherous
3 Treacherous
4 Incompetent
5 Rash and impetuous
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Fearless Leader
10 Expert Veteran
11 Cautious
12 Cautious
Lizardmen
2D6 Result
2 Incompetent
3 Incompetent
4 Cautious
5 Mark of Sotek
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
iniative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Expert Veteran
10 Cautious
11 Rash and impetuous
12 Rash and impetuous
Orcs and Goblins
2D6 Result
2 Incompetent
3 Incompetent
4 Rash and impetuous
5 Rash and impetuous
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 One uv Da Boyz
10 Expert Veteran
11 Treacherous
12 Treacherous
Undead
2D6 Result
2 Incompetent
3 Incompetent
4 Treacherous
5 Treacherous
6 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
7 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
8 Decisive, intelligent and uses
initiative
9 Necromantic Adept
10 Expert Veteran
11 Expert Veteran
12 Necromantic Adept
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Academy Graduate: The character has
received training in the High Military
Academy of Nuln. As a result, he will know
what to do on the battlefield every once in a
while!
The character may add +1 to his Leadership
for one order per game. This must be
declared before rolling.
Beastmaster: This character is an expert at
dealing with the vile and dangerous beasts
that the Dark Elves employ in battle. He is
able to establish a rapport with the
creatures, and can get them to perform on
the battlefield like nobody else. The rest of
the army, however, finds the character to be
a ‘little odd’.
This character may issue one command per
turn to a monster unit, or a brigade
consisting of monster units, with +1 to his
Leadership. This must be declared before
the roll is made. When issuing commands to
non-monster units or brigades including
non-monster units, the character suffers a -1
Leadership penalty.
Cautious: This character is overly careful
with troops under his command. He always
expects to be outnumbered, outgunned or
outflanked at any moment.
Any command this character gives will suffer
a -1 penalty for any enemy unit within 40cm
as opposed to the normal penalty for an
enemy unit within 20cm. If the command
will move the unit or brigade directly away
from the nearest enemy unit, though, it
suffers no penalties for enemy units,
regardless of their range.
Decisive, Intelligent and uses Initiative:
The character is a reasonably competent
leader. The character acts as normal.
Expert Veteran: This character has fought
alongside you before, and has proven to be
very effective. He knows and understands
your tactics and his part in them, and will
perform that role flawlessly.
This character may re-roll one failed
Command test each game.
Fearless Leader: Living in the harsh
Northern Wastes, this character has seen it
all, fought it, killed it, and come back to tell
the tale. Nothing can strike fear into his
heart, and his courage emboldens those he
leads.
Any unit the character is joined with ignores
the attack penalty caused by terror.
Incompetent: This character is grossly
incompetent. He may have no skill for
command, or may have been trained in
tactics that are now obsolete. The character
will far too often order troops into the
absolute worst position, or completely
misinterpret the tactical situation.
The character will count any Command roll
of 11 or 12 as a Blunder.
Legendary Leader: This character has been
leading Elves to success in battle for
hundreds of years, and has gained a
reputation for being unbeatable. In any
situation, the character is calm and
collected, and knows what needs to be
done; after all, he has been doing this sort of
thing longer than many of these other
upstart generals have existed!
This character may add a +1 bonus to his
Leadership for one order in each game. This
must be declared before the dice are rolled.
Marked by the Gods: This character has
been rewarded for his devotion to his Chaos
god. He is an unbelievably inspiring leader,
and is able to spur the hordes to amazing
feats of slaughter. Rather than the normal
one attack, roll D3 at the beginning of any
Combat phase where this character is
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attached to a unit that is in combat, or as
soon as such a unit is engaged in a pursuit
or advance. The result is the number of
attacks the character will have for the rest of
that turn.
Mark of Sotek: This character has been
chosen by the gods for success.
Once per game, the character may add +1 to
his Command for one order, or, if the
character is a shaman, +1 to a spell attempt.
This must be declared before the roll is
made.
Necromantic Adept: This character has
spent long ages studying magic and its uses.
Once per game, he may add +1 to a spell
attempt. This must be declared before the
dice is rolled.
One uv Da Boyz!: This character has an
impressive rapport with other Orcs. An Orc
will be better at smashing and beating, while
a Goblin knows how to snivel and grovel to
the best effect. While these techniques are
very effective with the common Orcs, other
warriors are not as impressed with the
character’s carrying on, and take him less
than seriously.
This character may issue one command per
turn to an Orc Warrior unit, or a brigade
consisting of Orc Warrior units, with a +1
bonus to Command. This must be declared
before the roll is made. When issuing
commands to other types of units or
brigades, including other types of units, the
character suffers a -1 Command penalty.
Rash and impetuous: The character is
flashy and hotheaded, eager to prove
himself on the battlefield. This type of
behaviour encourages and inspires the men.
The character will add +1 Attack to any unit
he joins (in addition to the normal number
of attacks he would add by his profile.). The
character is also a risk taker; if there is a
combat occurring within 30cm, the
character MUST join one of the units
involved (chosen by the player). If there are
multiple combats, the player may decide
which combat the character will join.
Stubborn Leader: This character is of truly
noble stock, and as such prides himself in
the fact that he will give no ground to any
foe. Heedless of the odds, the grimness of
the situation, or the ferocity of the foe, the
character will stalwartly hold the line, and
others, inspired by him, will do the same!
Any unit that this character joins will always
subtract 1cm from any retreat distance. This
will not affect combat resolution, but may
affect the bonus attacks an enemy unit gains
for pursuit.
Treacherous: The character is secretly (or
perhaps not so secretly!) opposed to your
leadership. He will be hesitant and
subversive while giving commands, and as
such counts as having a -1 to his Leadership.
In addition, the character will never join a
unit except to avoid the enemy.
Valiant Nobleman: This character is a born
and bred nobleman, and has spent most of
his life hunting, feasting, jousting and
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fighting with other nobles. The other
knights look up to him, as he embodies their
sense of feudal superiority. The common
folk, however, view him as just another loud,
boisterous mouth to feed. This character
may issue one command per turn to a
cavalry unit, or a brigade consisting of
cavalry units, with a +1 bonus to his
Leadership. This must be declared before
the roll is made. When issuing commands to
non-cavalry units or brigades including noncavalry
units, the character suffers a -1
Command penalty.
GENERAL’S ACTIVITIES
Once the actual battle is engaged, the focus
of the General is upon strategy and altering
his battle plan to counter the enemy’s
activities. He must leave the battlefield
performance of his army in the hands of
others, and trust in the training, ability and
morale of his men to carry them through in
the roles he has planned for them.
Nonetheless, the General’s activities
immediately prior to the battle can have a
dramatic impact upon the army, and can
sometimes alter the course of the battle.
To represent this, choose one of the
following activities to represent what your
General is doing to prepare his army for
battle. If you are playing a campaign system,
you may choose a different activity before
each individual game. The description
following each option details how your
choice will affect your army’s performance
during the game.
Call a Council of War: You call together all
leaders in your army to discuss the battle
plan for the next day. This will give you a
chance to judge the character of your
subordinates and to deal with those that will
become or have been a problem.
You may re-roll (fire and replace) one of the
character personalities in your army. This is
the only way for you to alter the
personalities in your forces.
Equipment Inspection: You spend your
time checking the equipment, focusing on
war machines and artillery and such. If there
is a problem, you make sure it is put right.
One unit, chosen before the battle begins,
gains +1 to all dice rolled for shooting for
one turn. You must decide to use the +1
before you roll.
Consult the Omens: You summon the
priests to attempt to divine the will of the
Gods. Whether or not you believe what the
outcome predicts, your soldiers are likely to
react very strongly to whatever the priests
foretell.
D6 Result
1-2 The priests declare that tomorrow
will bring you defeat. As a result,
your forces will be more likely to
break and run when things get
tough. Count your force as having a
Break point one lower than the
number of units would provide.
3-6 The omens are favourable, and the
priests declare that the Gods are
behind you in your cause! Your
army has a strengthened resolve
and will be more likely to stay to the
bitter end. Count your force as
having a Break point one greater
than the number of units would
indicate.
Sacrifice to the Gods: You go about making
a ritual sacrifice to the Gods to try to ensure
their support in the battle to come, but how
do you know what to give to the God who
has everything?
D6 Result
1-2 The Gods are disappointed with
your sacrifice “You killed a GOBLIN
for me!” This insult will be
avenged! During the course of the
game, every time your General is
forced to move by an enemy unit,
roll a D6. On a roll of 1, the General
has been killed.
3-6 The Gods are impressed with your
sacrifice. They will support you in
the coming battle. During the game,
you may re-roll one Command
failed by your General.
Study the Maps: You spend the night
gathering as much information about the
local topography as you can. Your studies
yield results, and you find a way to sneak
some of your forces into a more
advantageous position.
Advantage: At the of any one of your turns,
you may have a brigade of two units and a
character arrive from any board edge that is
not in your opponent’s deployment zone.
These units cannot be placed with your
army on initial set-up (obviously!).
Disadvantage: The information may not be
completely accurate; your forces may not be
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able to arrive exactly as planned. On the
turn you wish to place them, roll a D6. On a
1 or 2, they don’t arrive this turn. You may
try again at the beginning of each of your
turns.
The Last Supper: You decide to cheer up
the men by issuing double rations for a feast,
figuring that tomorrow, you will have your
opponent’s supplies to draw upon, or many
fewer mouths to feed… In any event, your
soldiers celebrate this night, and go into
battle well fed and with high spirits!
Advantage: Your army is feeling vigorous
today! Any time one of your units charges,
they will receive an extra attack! (note: this
is one attack for the unit, not one attack for
each stand in the unit).
Disadvantage: The troops are slow to get
out of bed after a night of feasting and
drinking. Your opponent may choose to go
first in this game, or may deploy in half again
the normal deployment area. (ie, if they may
normally deploy up to 20cm from the table
edge, they may now deploy 30cm).
Inspired Oration: You spend the night rewriting
Henry V’s, St. Crispen’s day speech
to fit your current situation! In the morning,
you deliver it to your eager army, with
glowing success!
Advantage: The General suffers no
Leadership penalty for ranges up to 40cm,
though he will suffer the normal penalty for
any longer ranges.
Disadvantage: The General is also very tired
from a long night spent trying to create his
speech. As a result, the General may only
move 40cm in a turn, and may only flee
20cm, instead of the usual 30cm.
Survey the Battlefield: You spend the early
hours studying the lay of the battlefield. It
reveals some particularly strategically useful
terrain, which you have the opportunity to
exploit.
Advantage: Before the armies set up (but
after you have chosen deployment zones),
you may move one terrain piece to
anywhere on the table you want it.
Disadvantage: Your opponent can wait for
you to set up your forces before deploying
his own army.
Fraternise with the Troops: You once again
copy Henry V and wander around amongst
your troops in disguise, dicing, drinking,
and giving out words of encouragement.
Advantage: Your troops know you care
about them and will fight harder for you in
the upcoming battle. All units gain a +1
bonus to any Combat Resolution.
Disadvantage: You are not as good with
dice as you are with commanding an army,
and your troops make quite a profit playing
with you. Your General may not carry a
magic item in this game.
These rules were designed to add a bit of
variety to one-off games, and to add a new
degree of detail to a campaign system. They
provide the sense of working with a group of
individuals to achieve a common goal, and
add personality to your army. Over the
course of a campaign, they encourage you to
work at assembling the best commanders for
each job, and to make the best decisions to
prepare your army for what is required of
them. Essentially, they
allow you to incorporate
the aspect of army
maintenance into a campaign
system.

[Thorin Hubertson]

Thank you! I did not realize that I was searching the wrong place...