Middle Earth PBM

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Middle-Earth Play-By-Mail, or Middle-earth PBM for short, is a turn-based, strategy play by email and play-by-mail game set in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

Transcript of Middle Earth PBM

  • TThhee MMiiddddllee--eeaarrtthh

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    GGaammee CCoonncceepptt aanndd DDeessiiggnn William Feild, Peter Stassun GGaammee PPrrooggrraammmmiinngg William Feild, Peter Stassun PPrroojjeecctt CCoonnttrriibbuuttiioonnss Jason Duerstock, Gisela Feild, Ulrico Font, John Williford SSppeecciiaall CCoonnttrriibbuuttiioonnss Coleman Charlton, Peter Fenlon, Kurt Fischer, John Morgan, Bruce Neidlinger, Jessica Ney - Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Steve Feibus - Apple Computer, Inc., 11sstt EEddiittiioonn RRuulleebbooookkss TTeexxtt William Feild, Lorrie Stassun, Peter Stassun 11sstt EEddiittiioonn RRuulleebbooookkss LLaayyoouutt && DDeessiiggnn William Feild, Lorrie Stassun, Peter Stassun GGuuiiddee LLaayyoouutt && DDeessiiggnn John Davis AAddddiittiioonnaall GGuuiiddee TTeexxtt John Davis, M. E. Games Ltd Staff and Players AArrttwwoorrkk Anne Stokes

    "The Hobbit", "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers", "The Return of the King" and "The Lord of the Rings" and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein, are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises and are used, under license, by Game Systems International Ltd. Copyright 2006-10 by Game Systems International Limited. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without prior written (not emailed) permission of the publisher.

  • One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

    The Fellowship of the Ring, Book One, II The Shadow of the Past

  • Middle-earth PBM A Introduction

    CCoonntteennttss

    CONTENTS A INTRODUCTION

    1 WELCOME 2 WHAT IS PLAY-BY-MAIL? 3 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE 4 INTERACTING WITH ME GAMES LTD 5 READ THE HOUSE RULES!

    B BASICS 1 WINNING 2 STAYING ALIVE 3 GAME TIME AND SEASONS 4 NATIONS, THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, ALLEGIANCES & ENEMIES 5 YOUR TURN, A BRIEF OVERVIEW

    C CHARACTERS 1 NUMBER OF 2 SKILLS 3 ORDERS 4 CHALLENGE RANK 5 HEALTH 6 DEATH 7 STEALTH 8 SPECIAL ABILITIES 9 HOSTAGE 10 DOUBLE AGENTS 11 CHARACTER MOVEMENT 12 COMPANIES AND COMPANY MOVEMENT

    D POPULATION CENTRES 1 SIZE AND LOCATION 2 FORTIFICATIONS 3 LOYALTY 4 CAPITAL 5 PRODUCE AND PRODUCTION 6 HIDDEN? 7 SIEGED? 8 SIGHTINGS 9 PORTS AND HARBOURS

    E ARMIES 1 TROOP TYPES 2 WEAPON AND ARMOUR RANK 3 RECRUITMENT 4 MORALE RANK 5 TRAINING RANK 6 STRENGTH 7 CONSTITUTION 8 BAGGAGE TRAIN 9 FOOD 10 WAR MACHINES 11 ARMY MOVEMENT 12 NAVIES

    F MAGIC 1 CASTING RANK 2 SPELL TYPES 3 RESEARCH 4 LOST SPELLS

    G COMBAT 1 PERSONAL CHALLENGES 2 ARMIES 3 POPULATION CENTRES 4 NAVIES

    H ECONOMY 1 INCOME 2 EXPENSES 3 BALANCING THE BOOKS 4 ADVICE FOR A HEALTHY ECONOMY

    I MISCELLANEOUS 1 ARTIFACTS 2 ENCOUNTERS 3 RUMOURS 4 EFFECTS OF NATION RELATIONS 5 COMMUNICATION 6 VICTORY CONDITIONS 7 RATING SYSTEMS

    J RECEIVING YOUR RESULTS 1 EMAIL 2 RESULTS SHEET 3 .XML FILE 4 PLAYING BY PAPER

    K SENDING YOUR ORDERS 1 BY FILE 2 BY PAPER 3 BY EMAIL 4 ABBREVIATIONS

    L ORDERS 1 GENERAL SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 2 LIST OF ORDERS # ORDER DETAILS

    120 Cast Heal Spell 175 Change Allegiance 180 Upgrade Relations 185 Downgrade Relations 205 Use Combat Artifact 210 Issue Personal Challenge 215 Refuse All Personal Challenges 225 Cast Combat Spell 230 Attack Enemy 235 Attack Nation 240 Defend 250 Destroy Population Centre 255 Capture Population Centre

  • Middle-earth PBM A Introduction

    260 Siege Population Centre 270 Destroy/Capture Ships 275 Scuttle Ships 280 Abandon Ships 285 Reaction to Encounter 290 Investigate Encounter 300 Change tax rate 310 Bid from Caravans 315 Purchase from Caravans 320 Sell to Caravans 325 Nation Sell to Caravans 330 Cast Conjuring Spell 340 Transfer Food: Population Centre to Army 345 Transfer Food: Army to Population Centre 347 Transfer Food: Army to Army 349 Transfer War Machines: Army to Army 351 Transfer Weapons: Army to Army 353 Transfer Armour: Army to Army 355 Transfer Troops: Army to Army 357 Transfer Ships 360 Transfer Artifacts to Character 363 Transfer Hostages to Character 370 Upgrade Troop Weapons 375 Upgrade Troop Armour 400 Recruit Heavy Cavalry 404 Recruit Light Cavalry 408 Recruit Heavy Infantry 412 Recruit Light Infantry 416 Recruit Archers 420 Recruit Men-at-Arms 425 Retire Troops 430 Put Troops on Manoeuvres 435 Put Army on Manoeuvres 440 Make War Machines 444 Make Armour 448 Make Weapons 452 Make Warships 456 Make Transports 460 Remove Harbour 465 Remove Port 470 Destroy Population Centre Stores 475 Destroy Bridge 480 Remove Fortifications 490 Build Bridge 494 Fortify Population Centre 496 Build Road 498 Threaten Population Centre 500 Recruit Double Agent 505 Bribe/Recruit Character 520 Influence Your Own Population Centre Loyalty 525 Influence Others Population Centre Loyalty 530 Improve Harbour to Port 535 Add Harbour to Population Centre 550 Improve Population Centre 552 Post Camp 555 Create Camp 560 Abandon Camp 565 Reduce Population Centre

    580 Spread Rumours 585 Uncover Secrets 600 Counter Espionage 605 Guard Location 610 Guard Character 615 Assassinate Character 620 Kidnap Character 625 Release Hostage 630 Rescue Hostage 635 Interrogate Hostage 640 Take Custody of Hostage 645 Imprison Hostage 650 Execute Hostage 655 Demand Ransom for Hostage 660 Offer Ransom for Hostage 665 Sabotage Bridge 670 Sabotage Fortifications 675 Sabotage Harbour or Port 680 Sabotage Production Stores 685 Steal Artifact 690 Steal Gold 700 Forget Spell 705 Research Spell 710 Prentice Magery 725 Name New Character 728 Name New Character as Commander 731 Name New Character as Agent 734 Name New Character as Emissary 737 Name New Character as Mage 740 Retire Character 745 Create Company 750 Disband Company 755 Join Company 760 Leave Company 765 Split Army 770 Hire Army 775 Disband Army 780 Transfer Command 785 Join Army 790 Leave Army 792 Drop Artifact 794 Anchor Ships 796 Pick up Artifact 798 Pick up Ships 805 Use Movement Artifact 810 Move Character 820 Move Company 825 Cast Movement Spell 830 Move Navy 840 Stand and Defend 850 Move Army 860 Force March Army 870 Move Character & Join Army 900 Find Artifact 905 Scout Army 910 Scout Area 915 Scout Hex 920 Scout Population Centre

  • Middle-earth PBM A Introduction

    925 Recon Area 930 Scout for Characters 935 Use Scrying Artifact 940 Cast Lore Spell 942 Move Turn Map 945 Use Hiding Artifact 947 Nation Transport 948 Transport by Caravans 949 Transfer Ownership 950 Relocate Capital 960 Increase Caravan Prices 965 Reduce Caravan Prices 990 One Ring

    M SPELLS 1 SPELL LISTS # HEALING SPELLS

    2 Minor Heal 4 Major Heal 6 Greater Heal 8 Heal True

    # DEFENSIVE SPELLS 102 Barriers 104 Resistances 106 Deflections 108 Blessings 110 Protections 112 Shields 114 Barrier Walls 116 Force Walls

    # OFFENSIVE SPELLS 202 Call Fire 204 Wild Flames 206 Wall of Fire 208 Words of Pain 210 Words of Calm 212 Words of Paralysis 214 Call Winds 216 Wild Winds 218 Wall of Wind 220 Words of Agony 222 Words of Stun 224 Words of Command 226 Chill Bolts 228 Frost Balls 230 Wind Storms 232 Fire Bolts 234 Fire Balls 236 Fire Storms 238 Summon Wind Spirits 240 Summon Fire Spirits 242 Words of Death 244 Fearful Hearts 246 Summon Storms 248 Fanaticism

    # MOVEMENT SPELLS 302 Long Stride 304 Fast Stride

    306 Path Mastery 308 Capital Return 310 Major Return 312 Return True 314 Teleport

    # LORE SPELLS 402 Perceive Allegiance 404 Perceive Relations 406 Divine Army 408 Perceive Nationality 410 Divine Allegiance Forces 412 Research Artifact 413 Scry Population Centre 414 Scry Hex 415 Scry Area 416 Reveal Production 417 Divine Characters With Forces 418 Locate Artifact 419 Divine Nation Forces 420 Reveal Character 422 Perceive Power 424 Perceive Mission 426 Divine Army True 428 Locate Artifact True 430 Reveal Character True 432 Perceive Secrets 434 Reveal Population Centre 436 Scry Character

    # CONJURING SPELLS 502 Weakness 504 Sickness 506 Curses 508 Conjure Mounts 510 Conjure Food 512 Conjure Hordes

    N 1650 MODULE # NATIONS

    1 The Woodmen 2 Northmen 3 othraim 4 Arthedain 5 Cardolan 6 Northern Gondor 8 Dwarves 9 Sinda Elves 10 Noldo Elves 11 Witch-king 12 Dragon Lord 13 Dog Lord 14 Cloud Lord 15 Blind Sorcerer 16 Ice King 17 Quiet Avenger 18 Fire King 19 Long Rider 20 Dark Lieutenants 21 Corsairs

  • Middle-earth PBM A Introduction

    22 Haradwaith 23 Dunlendings 24 Rhudaur 25 Easterlings

    O 2950 MODULE # NATIONS

    1 The Woodmen 2 Northmen 4 Dnadan Rangers 5 Silvan Elves 6 Northern Gondor 7 Southern Gondor 8 Dwarves 9 Sinda Elves 10 Noldo Elves 11 Witch-king 12 Dragon Lord 13 Dog Lord 14 Cloud Lord 15 Blind Sorcerer 16 Ice King 17 Quiet Avenger 18 Fire King 19 Long Rider 20 Dark Lieutenants 21 Corsairs 22 Rhn Easterlings 23 Dunlendings 24 White Wizard 25 Khand Easterlings

    P FOURTH AGE MODULE 1 NATION CREATION 2 DIFFERENCES TO 1650 RULES

    Q BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES MODULE # NATIONS

    10 The Goblins 11 The Warg Riders 12 The Elves 13 The Dwarves 14 The Northmen

    2 - ARTIFACTS 3 DIFFERENCES TO 1650 RULES

    R THE UNTOLD WAR OF THE RING S KIN STRIFE T VARIANTS

    1 12 VS. 12 2 GUNBOAT 3 ALL NEUTRAL GAME 4 BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES ADVANCED 5 WAR OF THE RING

    U J. R. R. TOLKIEN 1 THE WORLD OF MIDDLE-EARTH

    V PLAYER-COLLATED INFORMATION

    1 1650 ARTIFACT LIST 2 2950 ARTIFACT LIST 3 FOURTH AGE ARTIFACT LIST

    W HOUSE RULES 1 OUR CONTACT DETAILS 2 PROCESSING TIMES 3 ONLINE TURN SUBMISSION 4 FUNDING YOUR ACCOUNT 5 NEW PLAYERS 6 ACCOUNT NUMBERS 7 BULLETIN BOARDS 8 ADDRESS CHANGES 9 NEWS FROM BREE 10 JOINING NEW GAMES 11 GAME WINNERS CERTIFICATES 12 YOUR CONTACT DETAILS 13 CEASING PLAY AND TAKING OVER DROPPED POSITIONS 14 CORRECTIONS TO TURNS 15 SHADOW TURNS 16 MISSING TURNS 17 WHAT IS YOUR FRONT SHEET? 18 WHAT IS THE XML FILE? WHAT IS PALANTIR? WHAT IS AUTOMAGIC? WHAT IS MEOW? 19 DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES 20 PLAYING MORE THAN ONE POSITION 21 ALIASES 22 PRISONERS 23 RULINGS 24 SPECIAL SERVICE TURNS 25 GM PLAYERS 26 GM INTERFERENCE 27 WE WORK CEASELESSLY ON YOUR BEHALF 28 BUT MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN 29 SO PLEASE KEEP CALM 30 CONTACTING PLAYERS WHO HAVE MADE ERRORS 31 TURN WRITING - WHAT TO DO, AND WHAT NOT TO DO 32 SAMPLE EMAIL ORDER FORMAT 33 TARIFF 34 A COMEDY OF ERRORS

    X REFERENCE CHARTS 1 CHARACTERS 2 POPULATION CENTRES 3 COSTS 4 ARMIES 5 COMBAT 6 MAP ICONS 7 ORDER ABBREVIATIONS 8 SPELLS 9 THE NATIONS OF MIDDLE-EARTH 10 GENERAL SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 11 ORDERS

    GLOSSARY DISCLAIMER

  • Middle-earth PBM A Introduction

    AA IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn

    11 WWeellccoommee Welcome to Middle-earth Play by MailTM (ME-PBM), the classic confrontation between Good and Evil, set in the world of J. R. R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Depending on the module you choose to play in, you can lead armies during the build up of military forces prior to the Battle of the Five Armies described in The Hobbit, or seek control of the lands of Middle-earth in the Third and Fourth Ages before, during and after the time of the War of the Rings.

    22 WWhhaatt iiss PPllaayy--BByy--MMaaiill?? Imagine an internet game where you had dozens of opponents, where you had time to pause for thought and really plan your next series of moves, and where you didn't have to pay for each minute of phone time. Imagine receiving all the emails you could ever want from your allies and enemies, discussing tactics, suggesting strategies, negotiating deals and threatening retribution. Imagine that this game has a flavour and history equalled only by your favourite role-playing game. That's PBM. It works like this: You buy a 'start-up' in one of our games and we send you the rules, background information, and a list of other people playing on your side. Every few weeks (usually every two weeks, depending on the type of game) we send you a turn, either by post or by email. This gives you detailed reports of what is happening in the game, often with maps and personalised descriptions. These will generally span from 6-30 pages. You read your reports, email, phone and write to your allies and enemies, ponder your choices and eventually write down a list of things that you want to do. Then you email or post this to ME Games by the deadline we gave you with your turn. On the day after the deadline we take all of these orders and instructions and feed them into our computers. The computer then processes the game, and determines what has happened. We send out a new turn, and the process starts all over again. If you have never tried it before, we promise that it will be nothing like any other kind of gaming you have experienced.

    33 HHooww TToo UUssee TThhiiss GGuuiiddee In the following Guide you will learn not only the rules of ME-PBM, but also find advice on how to make use of the characters and armies that you will control, for better or for worse, in your attempt to explore and conquer the lands of Middle-earth. We have attempted to make it as easy as possible both to navigate and to understand, but, due to the amount of information contained here, and the fact that this information is intended to cater to both the new player to the expert, please take a moment to familiarise yourself with its layout. Each chapter covers one area of ME-PBM, within which are a number of sections. The bulk of these cover the rules and mechanics of the game; these are then followed by a detailed example of a turn, orders, spells, and information specific to the various game modules. Each section should cover everything you need to know to understand the following section. The first time you read these rules, we suggest you at least skim through it in the order it is written in order to get a grasp of the basic concepts of the game. Otherwise, if you start in the middle, you may find that concepts are talked about of which you are not yet aware.

  • Middle-earth PBM A Introduction

    With the exception of the Battle of the Five Armies module (which uses a reduced set of orders and simplified game mechanics) the rules for all the modules are, for the most part, the same. There are some differences, of course, and these will be detailed in the Modules and Variants chapters. But as the 1650 module is the most commonly played, unless stated otherwise please assume that this book is referring to the 1650 module rules. The Guide is designed to be an ongoing, modular source of information. Which is to say that in the future we hope to add further information and advice. For this reason, we have not used a standard page numbering system. Instead, each section within a chapter has been given a number. For example, the section of the Guide covering character abilities is C 8. This means that if we decide to add another page of advice to character abilities, references to section C 8 will remain accurate, whereas if references were to a page number, these would become out of date. In addition, if you choose to print out this Guide, when newer versions become available you will not have to print out the entire Guide again, but can just print out the new pages and add them in to your folder. The exceptions to this numbering system are the chapters covering spells, orders and nations. In these, instead of arbitrarily giving each order, spell or nation a section number, we have given their sections the same number as the order, spell or nation. So order 690 is to be found in L 690, whilst spell 4 is found in section M 4, and Nation 1 for the 1650 module found in N 1.) In such cases, the appropriate heading in the contents is marked with an #, to represent a variable number.) Everything that can be achieved in the game is accomplished through the issuing of orders. Wherever the rules state that something can be done, then, it is safe to assume that the mechanics of how to do so will be covered in greater detail in the section on the relevant order. For example, section E 2 states that you can improve the type of weapons your troops are wielding, whilst the details on how exactly to do so will be found in section L 370 (where the appropriate order is described). The glossary at the end of the Guide is not comprehensive, but we hope it will be useful in getting to grips with the various terms used in the game. If you are in doubt as to the meaning of a term, then, please make use of it! Finally, a note on electronic versions of this Guide. We envisage that most people will view this on their computer. In which case we recommend that you view it as an acrobat.pdf file, and make use of the bookmarks on the left-hand side of the page, which will make navigation through the Guide much easier. (If you have bookmarks turned off on your version of Acrobat, we recommend you turn them on again!) Alternatively, if you are viewing this as a Word document in Office2003 or later editions, bear in mind that to make full use of the contents page you may need to Ctrl+LClick instead of just LClick to be taken to the appropriate section (depending on how you have set up your version of Word). If you are online while reading it in either form, you can also make use of the occasional links to appropriate sections of our website.

    44 IInntteerraaccttiinngg wwiitthh MMEE GGaammeess LLttdd The following is not related to the rules and mechanics of the game, but rather information you will need to know in order to actually play. Strictly speaking, perhaps, it should not form part of the introduction, and does break our general aim of not mentioning anything in the Guide that relies on an understanding of information found later on. However, it is vital that you see, read and inwardly digest this information, so we have placed it here in the hope that it will have less chance of being missed amidst the bulk of the rules.

    PPrroocceessssiinngg TTiimmeess Games are processed which is to say run at 10am BST on the day after the due date shown on the turn. Your orders must be with us by that time at the very latest. Also, bear in mind that even the internet is not instantaneous, and emails sent to us at 9.59am will probably not arrive in time.

    FFuunnddiinngg yyoouurr AAccccoouunntt Your account must have enough credit in it to pay for your next turn. If there not sufficient funds in your account when the game is processed, you will be charged an additional fee, and may not receive your results until payment is made.

    AAccccoouunntt NNuummbbeerrss When you first start playing, you will be allocated an account number. Please mention this in all correspondence with us.

  • Middle-earth PBM A Introduction

    CCoorrrreeccttiinngg EErrrroorrss In a perfect world, errors would not occur. However, we acknowledge that on occasion, mistakes will be made. If you think there has been an error in processing your turn, please get in touch as soon as possible, and, if the fault is ours and you contact us promptly, we will rectify the error.

    55 RReeaadd tthhee HHoouussee RRuulleess!! These are found at the end of this Guide, on our website, or can be sent to you on request, and not only cover in greater detail the topics mentioned above, but also cover all aspects of interacting with ME Games when playing Middle-earth. Please do read these, or at least take the time to familiarise yourself with what is covered in them so you know where to look if you need help. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr V House rules

  • Middle-earth PBM B Basics

    BB BBaassiiccss

    11 WWiinnnniinngg There are several ways of determining how well both you and your team are doing, and several ways of achieving victory. These will be discussed in detail later on in this book, when all the terms and mechanics necessary to understanding them have been explained. However, it is often helpful to bear in mind the aim of a game when reading the rules, and so for now, it should suffice to say that the aim of ME-PBM is to conquer the lands of Middle-earth by destroying those nations who oppose you. How you do this be it through routing their armies, capturing their population centres, or killing their leaders depends on your own style of play and the abilities of your nation. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 990 Orders; One Ring OOtthheerr I 6 Miscellaneous; Victory Conditions

    22 SSttaayyiinngg AAlliivvee There are three ways in which your nation can be eliminated from the game, though there are many ways in which these can be achieved. The first is to end a turn with no major towns or cities: your nation must have a capital, and only major towns and cities can be capitals. (Note that you can lose your last major town or city during a turn but still remain alive if by the end of the turn you have gained another major town or city which can then become your capital.) The second is to bankrupt your nation by forcing your tax rate above 100%, upon which your subjects, with some justification, rebel. And the third is to have all your characters killed or kidnapped. The game mechanics involved will all be described later on, but it is worth bearing these conditions in mind as you read on, so that you might begin to work out how to defeat your enemies. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr C 1, 5, 6 Characters; Number of, Health, Death D 4 Population Centres; Capital H Economy

  • Middle-earth PBM B Basics

    33 GGaammee TTiimmee AAnndd SSeeaassoonnss Time in the game flows at the same speed as it does in the real world. Games beginning during winter, for example, will commence with winter as their initial season, and the seasons then proceed to change even as the seasons we all endure change. Most games are played to a fortnightly turnaround (one turn is received every two weeks), but some are played weekly or three-weekly. When planning, then, bear in mind that a game played to a weekly turnaround will have twice as many winter turns as one played to a fortnightly turnaround. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr D 5 Population Centres; Produce And Production H 1 Economy; Income

    44 NNaattiioonnss,, TThheeiirr RReellaattiioonnsshhiippss,, AAlllleeggiiaanncceess && EEnneemmiieess

    AAlllleeggiiaanncceess The twenty five nations of Middle-earth are initially divided into three allegiances: The Free Peoples, The Dark Servants and The Neutrals. Or rather, the Free Peoples and the Dark Servants are allegiances formed on the sides of Good and Evil respectively, whilst the Neutrals are nations who have yet to decide which side to join. In the 1650 and 2950 modules, neutral nations must join either the Free Peoples or the Dark Servants, whilst in Fourth Age (1000) modules, they can either join the Free Peoples, the Dark Servants, or choose to band together to form a third allegiance, capable of achieving victory in its own right. The Free Peoples are an alliance of nations who seek to destroy those nations who follow Sauron, the Lord of the Rings. Arrayed against them are the Dark Servants, the minions of Sauron, bound to serve him, yet each also seeking to increase their own power. It is the aim of each allegiance, or side, to defeat the opposing side, and through so doing achieve victory. In addition to this, each individual nation has their own goals and aims, by which an overall winner can be determined in the victorious side.

    RReellaattiioonnsshhiippss As well as nation allegiances, every nation has an individual relationship with each of the other nations in the game. This relationship reflects the disposition of the nations populace, troops, and characters, towards the other nation. Relations range (from most to least friendly) as follows: FFrriieennddllyy TToolleerraanntt NNeeuuttrraall DDiisslliikkeedd HHaatteedd These relations affect many aspects of the game, which will be described in detail at a later date. In the meantime, all it is necessary to know is that the less friendly your relation to another nation, the less effective their offensive actions against your nation are likely to be, and vice versa. Also, it is important to remember that your nations relationship to another nation will not necessarily be the same as their relationship to you. Which is to say that just because you are tolerant to another nation does not mean that they do not hate you. An enemy nation is a nation to whom your relations are either disliked or hated, and a nation which considers your nation an enemy is a nation whose relations to you are either disliked or hated.

  • Middle-earth PBM B Basics

    FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 175 Orders; Change Allegiance L 180 Orders; Upgrade Relations L 185 Orders; Downgrade Relations OOtthheerr H Combat I 4 Miscellaneous; Effects Of Nation Relations

    55 YYoouurr TTuurrnn,, AA BBrriieeff OOvveerrvviieeww A detailed walk-through of a turn report can be found later on in this Guide, when you will be familiar with all the terms and mechanics referred to. However, before going any further it may be useful for you to know, in broad terms, what information you receive each turn. And if you do not understand all the terms used, please do not worry about this, for as you continue to read the Guide, hopefully all will be made clear!

    FFrroonntt SShheeeett This contains your personal details, such as your address, account balance, etc., and contact details for other players in your allegiance.

    RReessuullttss SShheeeett This is the main body of your turn, wherein all the information regarding your nation can be found. This includes information on the following: Season Relations with other nations Population centres (settlements) your nation owns Armies (and navies) your nation owns Companies led by your characters

    Market prices and economic details Rumours and messages for your nation Orders given in the last turn The characters of your nation

    TThhee MMaapp On the last page or pages of your turn results you will see a map of your theatre of war in the ME-PBM world. This map is divided into hexes, with each hex being of one of the following types of terrain: Open seas Coastal waters Shore/plains Open plains Hills & rough

    Mixed forest Desert wastes Fens & swamp Mountains

    The map also shows the major rivers, minor rivers, bridges, fords, roads, ports, harbours, population centres, and perhaps most importantly armies and navies in the area. The map is not wraparound, which is to say that you cannot move off the edge of one side of the map and appear on the edge of the other side.

  • Middle-earth PBM B Basics

    OOrrddeerrss SShheeeett If you play by paper, you use these sheets to write your orders for the next turn, and to send them to us. If you play by email, instead of an orders sheet you write your orders using specially written computer software, and send us a file created by this program. The due-date which is to say the day by which you must get your orders to ME Games is found here. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 910 Orders; Scout Area L 925 Orders; Recon Area L 942 Orders; Move Turn Map OOtthheerr F 11 Armies; Movement

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    CC CChhaarraacctteerrss Richly detailed heroes and personalities are what lend Tolkien's works much of its wonder. And it is through these heroes, or characters, that ME-PBM is played. The only way you can affect the world is by giving your characters orders: you issue orders to your characters, who, through implementing them, then affect your nation and the world around them. Throughout the rules we have used the convention of saying that you may do something: this, then, refers to the fact that you can order your characters to do something. Your nation begins with eight characters, many of which are taken from Tolkiens writings. Each turn, your characters will be pictured on your results sheet, together with their name, character ID, statistics, and the results of any acts they have performed that turn. The characters ID consists simply of the first 5 characters of their name (ignoring case and accents, but including punctuation and blank spaces), and is used to refer to that character and for others to refer to them in orders (detailed later).

    11 NNuummbbeerr ooff The maximum number of characters your nation possesses is dependent on how long the game has been going for. You may train new characters up to the character limit, and if you have reached the maximum number of characters, it will state this on your results sheet. Characters who are held hostage count towards this maximum number. The maximum characters allowed at any point the game is as follows: NNuummbbeerr ooff CChhaarraacctteerrss Turn Number

    Characters Available

    1 5 12 6 10 15 11 15 17 16 20 19 21 onwards 21

    Because the orders to train new characters come after characters die in a turn, if you think a character will die in a turn, it is possible to try and name a character to replace them even if you are at your character limit. However, bear in mind that if no characters die, you will have wasted your order. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 725 Orders; Name New Character L 728 Orders; Name New Character as Commander L 731 Orders; Name New Character as Agent L 734 Orders; Name New Character as Emissary L 737 Orders; Name New Character as Mage L 740 Orders; Retire Character OOtthheerr C 9 Characters; Hostage L 1 Orders; General Sequence of Events

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    22 SSkkiillllss Whether male or female, goblin or elf or Nazgul, all characters have one thing in common. They each have skill ranks which indicate their abilities or lack thereof in the four professions of commander, agent, emissary, and mage. Some characters are only skilled in one profession, others capable in two or even three areas. Skill ranks normally range between 10 and 100, although the possession of magical items may increase a characters skill rank beyond the 100 limit. These skills can be improved by successfully performing certain actions (orders) throughout the game, or through interacting with random encounters. CCoommmmaanndd RRaannkk This determines a character's ability to lead armies, to erect fortifications at population centres, and make overall leadership decisions. AAggeenntt RRaannkk This determines a character's ability to perform espionage, assassination and theft. EEmmiissssaarryy RRaannkk This determines a characters ability to perform diplomatic and political tasks. MMaaggee RRaannkk This determines the characters ability to learn spells, and how effective they are when cast. CChhaarraacctteerr TTiittlleess bbyy RRaannkk Rank Commander Agent Emissary Mage 10-19 Veteran Journeyman Envoy Apprentice 20-29 Hero Footpad Kingsman Acolyte 30-39 Commander Agent Emissary Mage 40-49 Captain Cutpurse Ambassador Mystic 50-59 Lord Burglar Warden Enchanter 60-69 Regent Rogue Banneret Warlock 70-79 Warlord Spy Curate Conjurer 80-89 General Thief Proclamator Sorcerer 90-99 Marshal Assassin Legate Wizard 100 Lord Marshal Guild Master Herald Arch Mage

    Note that if a character has more than one skill, their title is generally that of their highest skill. However, in certain circumstances their secondary skill title may be used, such as the commander of an army, who, when being identified as the army commander, will be referred to by their command title, even if they have a higher rank in a different skill. Titles are not affected by items which increase ranks. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr L 2 Orders; List of Orders

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    33 OOrrddeerrss Orders are commands which you issue to your characters. They are the means by which you accomplish all of your actions in the game. Each character can issue two orders a turn, though they do not have to issue two orders. A list of orders you can issue to your characters is to be found later in these rules, together with a description of each order, and the prerequisites needed to successfully issue that order. Each order falls into a certain type. The following types of orders can only be done by a character once per turn: Command orders Agent orders Emissary orders Mage orders Movement orders (including movement spells) Healing spells Combat spells Conjuring spells Lore spells

    That is to say that a character may not, for example, issue two command orders in a turn. Neither could they enact two agent orders, nor cast two healing spells or attempt two movement orders. However, it is possible for them to perform, for example, a command order and an agent order (provided they have the appropriate skill ranks), or a movement order and a healing spell. All other orders in the game may be issued twice per turn without restriction. These are called: Miscellaneous Orders

    Most orders have prerequisites. Prerequisites are those factors needed to successfully issue the order. Prerequisites might include the character having a particular skill, resource materials, and/or costs, as well as location requirements. FFoorr EExxaammppllee In order to build a tower at a population centre, there must be 1000 units of timber at the population centre to build a tower, 1000 gold must be in your treasury to pay for the construction, a character with command rank must be at the population centre to build the tower, the population centre must belong to your nation, and there cannot already be any fortifications at the population centre. Note: miscellaneous orders often require the character to have a particular skill. However, a miscellaneous order requiring command skill is still a miscellaneous order and not a command order, therefore can be issued twice per turn. If an order fails, the cost (be it gold or resource materials) is not paid. The exception to this rule is order 705 (Research Spell), which uses 1000 gold whether or not the order is successful. Each order also indicates whether any additional information is required to accomplish the order. Be sure to include all additional information required, and in the correct order, or the order may fail. Assuming the order does not automatically succeed, the success of an order is primarily determined by the skill rank involved (the type of the order). In general, the rank is added to a randomly generated number (between 1 and 100), other relevant modifiers are added or subtracted, and if the resulting sum exceeds a hidden number which represents the difficulty of the task, then the order is successful. In some cases, the extent to which a character succeeds or fails is also determined by this sum, in others there is a second roll.

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    Such orders will have an associated 'difficulty' rating to help you judge whether a character is ready to attempt that order. These orders are rated as easy, average, and hard. Actual difficulties within each of these ratings will vary, but guidelines are given below: EEaassyy Skill ranks of the order type between 20 - 40 have a fair/reasonable chance of success. AAvveerraaggee Skill ranks of the order type between 40 - 60 have a fair/reasonable chance of success. HHaarrdd Skill ranks of the order type between 60 - 100 have a fair/reasonable chance of success. Some orders, on the other hand, automatically succeed. This means that if the prerequisites are all fulfilled then the order will succeed, although that is not to say the order will necessarily achieve the intended result. For example, the instruction to your commander ordering their army to attack an opponents force might succeed, but the battle may nevertheless be lost. Orders have both an 'order number' and an 'order code'. The order number indicates where in the game's sequence of events the order is executed. The lower the number, the sooner it is executed. Orders are executed in ascending order according to their number, not in the order that you issue them to your characters. The order code serves as a handy mnemonic (way of remembering) for the order itself. If you are writing a turn by hand (instead of using one of the software packages available), you must use the order number when you are filling out your turn sheet. You may include the code as well, if you like, but if there is any disparity between code and number, and we cannot determine from the context of the order which you intended, we will use the number. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L Orders OOtthheerr -

    44 CChhaalllleennggee RRaannkk Characters also have a challenge rank, which is used when two characters fight each other. This rating is based upon the characters skill ranks, though it is also affected by any relevant artifacts the character may be carrying, or a special ability (both of which will be explained later). A characters challenge rank is given on the result sheet, and is determined as follows:

    100% of highest skill rank challenge rating +

    25% of each other skill rank challenge rating +

    challenge rank artifact bonuses +

    special ability bonuses Command challenge rating: 100% of the command rank (including artifacts which add to command rank) Mage challenge rating: 100% of the mage rank (including artifacts which add to mage rank) Agent challenge rating: 75% of the agent rank (including artifacts which add to agent rank) Emissary challenge rating: 50% of the emissary rank (including artifacts which add to emissary rank)

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    Rounding of figures in working out challenge ranks is a little esoteric. You do not need to know how it works, but if you are interested, it does so as follows. The highest skill challenge rank rating is determined, and rounded down to the nearest whole number. The other skill rank challenge ratings are determined, added together and then rounded down to the nearest whole number. This combined figure is then multiplied by 25% and again rounded down to the nearest whole number. Finally, the two figures (the rounded highest skill challenge rank rating, and the rounded 25% the rounded combined ratings of the other skill ranks) are added together. If this is unclear, please see the examples below. Finally, note that the skill rank challenge rating is based on the challenge rating of each skill, not the skill rank itself. So for example, a character with 50 emissary and 40 commander obviously has a higher emissary rank than command rank, but since the challenge rating of an emissary rank is only 50% of the rank whilst the challenge rating of a commander is 100% of the rank, the emissary challenge rating is 25 whilst the commander challenge rating is 40, giving the character 100% of their commander challenge rating and 25% of their emissary challenge rating, not vice versa. FFoorr EExxaammppllee A character with 80 mage rank will have a challenge rank of 80: 100% of 100% of mage rank = 80 A character with 85 agent rank will have a challenge rank of 63: 100% of 75% of agent rank rounded down = 63.75 rounded down = 63 A character with 80 command rank and 40 mage rank will have a challenge rank of 90: 100% of 100% of command rank, plus 25% of 100% of mage rank = 80 + 10 = 90 A character with 80 emissary rank and 50 command rank will have a challenge rank of 60: 100% of 100% of command rank, plus 25% of 50% of emissary rank = 50 + 10 A character with 75 agent rank, 11 command rank and 25 emissary rank will have a challenge rank of 60: 100% of 75% of agent rank rounded down, plus 25% of (100% of command rank plus 50% of emissary rank rounded down) rounded down = 56.25 rounded down + 25% of (11 + 6.25 rounded down) rounded down = 56 + 4 = 60 FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 210 Orders; Issue Personal Challenge L 215 Orders; Refuse All Personal Challenges OOtthheerr C 8 Characters; Special abilities G 1 Combat; Personal Challenges I 1 Miscellaneous; Artifacts

    55 HHeeaalltthh Characters also have a rating which indicates their current health. Like the skill ranks, this ranges from 0 (in this case representing death) to 100 (fully healed). A characters health rank will normally be increased by 14 points at the start of each turn that the Character is 'injured' (which is to say their health rank is less than the maximum of 100) until it reaches 100 again, and can also be affected by healing spells. Some characters may have a special ability which allows them to heal at a faster rate.

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 605 Orders; Guard Character L 610 Orders; Guard Location L 615 Orders; Assassinate Character L 620 Orders; Kidnap Character OOtthheerr C 8 Characters; Special Abilities F 2 Magic; Spell Types G Combat M 2,4, 6, 8 Spells; Spell Details

    66 DDeeaatthh A Character whose health is reduced to 0 is assumed to have died (or, if immortal, to have left the realm of Middle-earth.) The character may no longer be given orders, and will quickly disappear from your turn reports. Any artifacts that the character had at the time of their death will either be dropped where they died, taken by their slayer, or picked up by a character of the same nation in the same hex as the deceased character. If a character dies, any orders given to them that turn which have not yet been completed will fail. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr G Combat I 2 Miscellaneous; Encounters L 1 Orders; General Sequence of Events

    77 SStteeaalltthh Another rank which characters possess, and that indicates their natural stealth. This normally ranges from 0 (no stealth the level of most characters) to 40, though artifacts can increase stealth ranks further. The degree of stealth that a character possesses is determined when they are created, and unlike skill ranks, a characters stealth rating cannot be improved through training. A character will automatically get the benefit of the stealth during attempts to fulfil their own orders, but not when another character is seeking to harm him. They will also be harder to spot by scouting orders, or a population centres scouting. And finally, a character with high stealth is more likely to escape being held hostage, or indeed, being captured in the first place. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr C 8 Characters; Special Abilities

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    88 SSppeecciiaall AAbbiilliittiieess Characters may be lucky enough to have a special ability. These abilities may affect skill ranks, stealth ranks, health ranks, improve their challenge rank, etc. If a character possesses such a special ability, this will be indicated on the turn sheet when the character is first created. If the ability is that of double healing (the character heals more quickly than other characters) then a + sign will appear by their health rank. If the ability is that of an increased challenge rank, then a will appear by the challenge rank, with the extra challenge bonus included in the challenge rank of the character. If the ability improves one of the characters skills, then after having been mentioned when the character is created, it is simply part of the characters skill rank. (Later on in this Guide, the details of each nations starting characters are listed. In additon, one character chosen at random in each nation will have an additional special ability.) FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr P 1 Fourth Age Module; Nation Creation

    99 HHoossttaaggee If your character is very unfortunate, they may find himself held captive by another character, perhaps following a defeat in battle, or as the result of being kidnapped, for example. Characters which are held captive can not be given orders, and may be interrogated, imprisoned or offered for ransom by their captors. They will automatically attempt to escape each turn, with their chance of success being dependent on the agent and stealth ranks of the characters involved. (Hostages with no agent or stealth skills still have a chance of escape, but only a small one.) Other characters may also try to rescue the character. However, you will also not know from your turn sheet where characters held hostage are located until they manage to escape, although it is possible to locate them through magical means. A character can hold up to three other characters hostage, and there can only be a limited number of hostages at any point in the game. This exact number is hidden, but is approximately 50. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 620 Orders; Kidnap Character L 625 Orders; Release Hostage L 630 Orders; Rescue Hostage L 635 Orders; Interrogate Hostage L 640 Orders; Take Custody of Hostage L 645 Orders; Imprison Hostage L 650 Orders; Execute Hostage L 655 Orders; Demand Ransom for Hostage OOtthheerr -

    1100 DDoouubbllee AAggeennttss It is possible for emissaries of other nations to recruit the services of one or more of your characters (and vice versa), so that they become a double agent. Double agents will give the nation they are working for the same information that appears about them on your turn sheet, including where they are, and what they are doing. Further, if you order your character who is a double agent to perform an action detrimental to the nation they are working for, that action has a far greater chance of failure than normal. Double agents can be ferreted out by your own nations agents, and forced to stop working for the other nation.

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 500 Orders; Recruit Double Agent L 600 Orders; Counter Espionage OOtthheerr -

    1111 CChhaarraacctteerr MMoovveemmeenntt To move a character, you simply order them to do so. The order is given by an individual character, and all that is necessary is to select a destination hex. This destination hex must be within 12 hexes of the initial hex location, and not be a sea hex, but movement is regardless of intervening terrain type, so that they can be moved across the sea. Characters will not meet other characters or armies while travelling, but may still meet them at their destination. Note that you cannot move a character from a sea hex in this way they must continue to move with the navy they are travelling with. Alternatively, characters can join armies, companies and navies, and will then move automatically when the army, navy or company moves. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 755 Orders; Join Company L 785 Orders; Join Army L 810 Orders; Move Character L 870 Orders; Move Character And Join Army L 825 Orders; Cast Movement Spell L 905 Orders; Scout Army OOtthheerr E 10 Armies; Movement

    1122 CCoommppaanniieess AAnndd CCoommppaannyy MMoovveemmeenntt Characters can form and move with companies. A company is a group of between two and nine characters who have decided to move together, and whose movement is directed by a single company commander. The characters do not have to be of the same nation, but a character attempting to join a company must have friendly relations to the company commander, and vice versa, in order to successfully join. (If their nations relations then alter once the character has joined, however, the character does not have to leave the company.) In order to form a company, the character to become the company commander must issue a create company order, and at least one other character must issue a join company order in that same turn. Once the company is formed, it can be moved by the company commander issuing a move company order, whereupon all the characters in the company will move together. This is the chief benefit of a company, as, with one character issuing a movement order which moves them all, the other characters can issue two orders and still move, instead of having to spend an order moving.

  • Middle-earth PBM C Characters

    Any character (except for the company commander) may leave the company at any time by issuing a leave company order or simply moving away. A company is disbanded if it ever has less than two characters (including the company commander) in it, or if the company commander issues a disband company order, or if the commander is killed and there are no suitable characters to take command. If a commander dies and there is more than one suitable character (a character with command skill) who can take command, then the character with the highest command rank does so. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 745 Orders; Create Company L 750 Orders; Disband Company L 755 Orders; Join Company L 760 Orders; Leave Company L 770 Orders; Transfer Command L 820 Orders; Move Company OOtthheerr -

  • Middle-earth PBM D Population Centres

    DD PPooppuullaattiioonn CCeennttrreess Population Centres are one of the keys to victory. They allow nations to harness natural resources, generate revenue, and to build armies. The bigger the population centre, the more gold it can generate through taxation, but the less products it will accumulate for use in your war efforts. There is a limit to the number of population centres which can be in the game at any single time, and when this limit is reached, no further population centres can be created until others are destroyed.

    11 SSiizzee aanndd LLooccaattiioonn A hex may have, at most, a single population centre. The size of population centres range from rruuiinnss ccaammpp vviillllaaggee ttoowwnn mmaajjoorr ttoowwnn cciittyy (Ruins being unowned and uninhabited population centres.) Population centres may degrade in size when captured in an attack, when their loyalty drops below a certain rating, or when the nation controlling them becomes eliminated. Camps that are decreased in size in this manner will have their populace evacuate, and the camp will disappear if the population centre has no fortifications, or become a ruin if it had fortifications. A new population centre can only be built in a hex which has no existing population centre larger than ruins. The size of a population centre determines a number of other factors. The chart below shows the following: The amount of tax revenue (gold) generated by a population centre a turn if your nation has a 100% tax rate.

    The number of troops available for army recruitment at the population centre per turn.

    If an army seeks to recruit more men than the population centre has available, the army will recruit the maximum possible. If more than one army attempts to recruit at a population centre, and between them they attempt to recruit more men than are available, the order in which each army recruits is determined at random. The army who then recruits first recruits all the men it can, before the second army attempts to recruit.

    EExxaammpplleess 1) An army is seeking to recruit 300 men from a village, which only has 200 men available to be recruited a turn. As such, the army will only recruit 200 men. 2) Two armies are both seeking to recruit 300 men from a major town, which only has 400 men available to be recruited a turn. The army lucky enough to recruit first will recruit 300 men, then the second army will recruit the last 100.

    The size of army the population centre can feed each turn.

    The inhabitants of a population centre will seek to feed the armies of its own nation, and, if the population centre is not hidden, those it has friendly relations towards. This saves the army from having to use its own reserves of food. (If there is more than one army at the population centre, the forces are fed on a proportional basis, according to how much food each army requires.)

    The average force needed to assault (capture or destroy) the population centre.

    The average size of the force needed to threaten a population centre. These figures, together with the troop numbers needed to overcome fortifications (see next section below) are very rough estimates, based on heavy infantry troops with little training, poor weapons and armour, and with the population centre possessing an average loyalty. More detailed information regarding combat can be found later in the Guide.

    The cost required to increase the size of the population centre.

    The percentage of the population centres resources available for use.

  • Middle-earth PBM D Population Centres

    PPooppuullaattiioonn CCeennttrree SSiizzee FFaaccttoorrss Population Centre Size

    Revenue at 100% Tax Rate

    Recruits available per turn for armies

    Number of troops which can be fed*

    Approximate force needed to assault

    Approximate force needed tothreaten

    Defensive Value

    Cost to increase size (or build camp)

    Percentage of resource production available

    Camp 0 100 0 100 100 200 2000** 100 Village 2500 200 200 150 200 500 4000 80 Town 5000 300 1000 400 1000 1000 6000 60 Major Town 7500 400 2500 900 2500 2500 8000 40 City 10000 500 5000 2100 5000 5000 10000 20

    *Infantry troops cavalry troops require twice as much food as infantry, and so a population centre can only feed half as many cavalry troops. ** If being created by an emissary. The cost is 4000 if a commander is posting the camp. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 550 Orders; Improve Population Centre L 552 Orders; Post Camp L 555 Orders; Create Camp L 560 Orders; Abandon Camp L 565 Orders; Reduce Population Centre OOtthheerr D 6 Population Centres; Hidden H Economy

    22 FFoorrttiiffiiccaattiioonnss Fortifications can be built to help defend a population centre. These range from TToowweerr FFoorrtt CCaassttllee KKeeeepp CCiittaaddeell Each level of fortification increases the population centres defences, which must be overcome in the event of being assaulted or threatened by an enemy army. Their presence also helps restrict movement through the area of armies belonging to nations the population centres nation does not have friendly or tolerant relations with. Armies that are defending their own population centres will also receive a bonus to their combat defence based upon the level of fortifications. Fortification levels are increased through issuing the fortify population centre order. Only one level of fortifications can be erected per turn. For example, a tower cannot be improved to a keep in one turn even if three characters were available to give the necessary orders. It is, however, possible for an agent to reduce an enemy population centres fortifications (L 670) by more than one level in a single attempt on given turn.

  • Middle-earth PBM D Population Centres

    To build fortifications requires both gold and timber: FFoorrttiiffiiccaattiioonn CCoossttss Fortification Type Gold Cost Timber Cost Defensive Value Approximate number of

    troops needed to overcome Tower 1000 1000 2000 800 Fort 3000 3000 6000 2400 Castle 5000 5000 10000 4000 Keep 8000 8000 16000 6400 Citadel 12000 12000 24000 9600

    Timber must be available in the population centres stores, whilst the gold must be available in the nations reserves. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 480 Orders; Remove Fortifications L 494 Orders; Fortify Population Centre L 670 Orders; Sabotage Fortifications OOtthheerr G 3 Combat; Population Centres

    33 LLooyyaallttyy Every population centre has a loyalty rank. This is a number from 1 (lowest loyalty) to 100 (fanatical loyalty). The loyalty rank of a population centre is established when it comes into possession of a nation (either created or captured), based upon the skill rank of the character who establishes or captures it. Loyalty is important when trying to resist a threatening or attacking army, whilst population centres with too low a loyalty risk the population leaving in disgust. If a population centres loyalty rank drops to 15 or below, then it has a chance of deteriorating from one size level down to the next each turn. Camps that are decreased in this manner will have their populace evacuate and the camp will disappear entirely. Having characters, armies, or fortifications at the population centre, however, will stop this deterioration, and capitals will not degrade in this manner. If a population centre has 15 or less loyalty, it is also at greater risk of being taken over by another nations emissary. Loyalty of all population centres of a nation may be reduced whenever any population centre of the nation is lost as a result of being threatened, captured or destroyed, and when the nations tax rate is increased. In addition, loyalty in population centres can increase or decrease by up to 4 points or more each turn depending on the current tax rate (increasing if the tax rate is low, decreasing if the tax rate is high). Loyalty of all population centres will decrease if the nations capital is lost in any way (see below for information on capitals). The efforts or presence of travelling non-player characters (NPCs) can also affect the loyalty. Your emissaries can improve the loyalty of your population centres, whilst enemy emissaries can work to decrease population centre loyalty. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 520 Orders; Influence Your Own Population Centre Loyalty L 525 Orders; Influence Others Population Centre Loyalty OOtthheerr G 3 Combat; Population Centres

  • Middle-earth PBM D Population Centres

    44 CCaappiittaall Each Nation has one population centre designated as its capital. If a capital is lost, another city or major town will automatically take over as the nations capital. The capital serves as the 'seat of power' for the nation, and its safety is vital to the nation's survival: if your capital is lost and there is no other major town or city which can take over as your nations capital by the end of the turn, then your nation will be removed from play at the end of that turn. Certain orders can only be given by characters that are located at the capital, and all new characters will come into play at the capital. The location of the capital is assigned at game start, and capitals will not deteriorate due to low loyalty. Since the treasury of the Nation is kept at the capital, the gold reserves of a nation are the most vulnerable to agents stealing there. If a capital population centre is captured or destroyed, then the capital (along with its gold reserves) will be relocated to another major town or city, if possible. If this is not possible at the end of any given turn, then the nation falls and is removed from play. The fall of a nation's capital, whether or not it is then established at a different population centre, will also cause all of that nation's population centres to lose about a fifth of their Loyalty. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 950 Orders; Relocate Capital OOtthheerr L 2 Orders; List of Orders

    55 PPrroodduuccee aanndd PPrroodduuccttiioonn For each population centre you possess, your turn-sheet will detail both the amount of products that population centre has accumulated for use, and amount it is due to produce during the coming turn. Population centres produce less in winter. This is important to bear in mind when planning a nations economy, especially since the turn-sheet estimations do not take into account season changes. LLeeaatthheerr Used in the construction of leather armour, and saddles for cavalry armies BBrroonnzzee Used in the construction of bronze armour and weapons SStteeeell Used in the construction of steel armour and weapons MMiitthhrriill Used in the construction of mithril armour and weapons FFoooodd Consumed by armies and navies in the field, and by population centres under siege TTiimmbbeerr Used in the construction of fortifications, bridges, ships, harbours, ports and war machines MMoouunnttss Used to form cavalry units for the armies GGoolldd Used to finance your nations activities

  • Middle-earth PBM D Population Centres

    Products can be used as above or sold for gold. Any food created is considered to be the excess over and above what the population needs to survive.

    CClliimmaattee The climate of a hex where a population centre is located affects the amount of products a population centre produces. The table below gives the percentage of potential hex production produced in different climates. PPeerrcceennttaaggee ooff PPrroodduuccttiioonn bbyy CClliimmaattee TTyyppee Climate Leather Bronze Steel Mithril Food Timber Mounts Gold Polar 10 30 30 30 10 10 10 30 Severe 20 40 40 40 20 20 20 40 Cold 30 60 60 60 30 30 30 60 Cool 80 100 100 100 80 80 80 100 Mild 90 100 100 100 90 90 90 100 Warm 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Hot 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80

    TTeerrrraaiinn Different terrain types support different types of production. The list below shows which hexes are most likely to produce each product type, and is useful when deciding where to try and build new population centres. Leather: can be found in shore/plains, open plains, hills & rough, desert wastes Bronze: can be found in hills & rough, mountains Steel: can be found in hills & rough, mountains Mithril: can be found in mountains Food: can be found in shore/plains, open plains, hills & rough, mixed forest Timber: can be found in hills & rough, mixed forest Mounts: can be found in shore/plains, open plains, hills & rough, desert wastes Gold: can be found in hills & rough, mountains

    FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 310 Orders; Bid From Caravans L 315 Orders; Purchase from Caravans L 320 Orders; Sell to Caravans L 325 Orders; Nation Sell to Caravans L 947 Orders; Nation Transport L 948 Orders; Transport by Caravan OOtthheerr H Economy

  • Middle-earth PBM D Population Centres

    66 HHiiddddeenn?? Population centres can be hidden. If a population centre is hidden, it will not appear on other nations maps, and only the owning nation may enter it, or transfer goods (with the exception of gold) to and from it. These restrictions do not apply to movement into or through the hex containing the population centre, only to interaction with it. Which is to say that enemy armies can move through the hex as if there were no population centre there, no matter what fortifications the population centre has. Fortifications, ports and harbours associated with the population centre will also be hidden, but bridges, fords, and roads present in hexes with hidden population centres will be visible. Characters and armies belonging to the nation which owns the hidden population centre will appear, and can be interacted with, in the normal manner. (Note that although a population centre may be hidden, if it is a starting population centre then its location will still be known to other players, as this information is found in this Guide in the chapter detailing the appropriate module.) FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 945 Orders; Use Hiding Artifact OOtthheerr M 434 Spells; Reveal Population Centre

    77 SSiieeggeedd?? A population centre is considered to be sieged either if an army is actively laying siege to it, or if it was attacked by an army that turn, whether or not the attack was successful. Which is to say if your settlement successfully withstood an attack it will be considered under siege, whilst if you successfully took an opponents settlement, it will be under siege for the rest of that turn. (If a population centre is defended by armies from attack, and is therefore not involved in the combat, it will not be under siege.) Population centres under siege cannot be used for certain orders (see section on orders), and generate no tax revenue or products. When under siege, the population will start to consume their food stores. When the food stores run out, the loyalty of the population centre will begin to decrease. The amount of food the population centre will consume each turn if under siege is as follows: FFoooodd CCoonnssuummppttiioonn uunnddeerr SSiieeggee Size of population centre Food consumed per turn under siege Camp 500 Village 1000 Town 2000 Major Town 3500 City 6000

    FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 260 Orders; Siege Population Centre OOtthheerr G 3 Combat; Population Centres

  • Middle-earth PBM D Population Centres

    88 SSiigghhttiinnggss Any character (or NPC) entering the hex where a non-hidden population centre of another nation is situated runs the risk of being sighted and their presence brought to the attention of local rulers. The chance of a character being sighted is based on the population centres loyalty and size, and the total ranks of the character (with the higher the characters rank, the greater the chance of their being recognised). The names of any characters or NPCs sighted will appear on your result-sheet beneath the population centre at which they were spotted.

    99 PPoorrttss aanndd HHaarrbboouurrss Ports and harbours allow ships to be anchored at population centres. Furthermore, ships can also be built in ports. Ships can only be anchored in ports, harbours and shore hexes. (Note that if you anchor ships in a harbour, and that harbour is destroyed, the ships remain.) Harbours can be built in towns, major towns and cities, whilst ports can only be built in major towns and cities. If a port is present in a population centre that is reduced in size to smaller than can support it, then it is reduced to a harbour, whilst if a harbour is present in a population centre that is reduced in size to smaller than can support it, then the harbour is lost. Any ships that were anchored in the harbour (even in a non-shore hex) can still be picked up by that nation's armies in the hex. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 452 Orders; Make Warships L 456 Orders; Make Transports L 460 Orders; Remove Harbour L 465 Orders; Remove Port L 530 Orders; Improve Harbour to Port L 535 Orders; Add Harbour to Population Centre L 830 Orders; Move Navy OOtthheerr E 12 Armies, Navies

  • Middle-earth PBM E Armies

    EE AArrmmiieess Armies are one of the most important means by which you defend your population centres, and take enemy population centres. An army must be composed of a minimum of 100 troops and an army commander (a character with the commander skill). If an army ever contains less than 100 troops at any point in a turn, then it will be disbanded. Furthermore, if the army commander is captured or killed and there are no other characters travelling with the army that can assume command (which is to say, have a command skill), then again the army will disband.

    11 TTrroooopp TTyyppeess There are six different troop types available, and an army can consist solely of one type, or of several, and as long as there are at least 100 troops overall, it does not matter how many troops of each type the army contains. Nations may have different races and creatures making up these troop types. The Free People, for example, may have men riding on war horses for their cavalry troops, whereas a Dark Servant's forces may consist of orcs on wargs. But in both cases, the troops are considered to be cavalry. The troop types available are as follows: HHeeaavvyy CCaavvaallrryy Tough shock troops with excellent mobility, formidable in clear terrains though less so in rougher terrains. Around twice as effective as heavy infantry, but expensive to maintain. LLiigghhtt CCaavvaallrryy Less effective than heavy cavalry, nevertheless they retain excellent mobility, and are cheaper to maintain than heavy cavalry. HHeeaavvyy IInnffaannttrryy The standard troop type. Weaker than cavalry, and slower, but tough enough for most jobs. LLiigghhtt IInnffaannttrryy Weaker than heavy infantry, their main advantage, aside from their cheapness to maintain, is that they are reasonable in rougher terrains. AArrcchheerrss Cheap to hire, they are the only troop to start with steel weapons (steel tipped arrows), making them an excellent choice if you are looking for offensive capability at the cost of defensive ability. MMeenn--aatt--AArrmmss The cheapest troops to maintain, they are also the least effective. Troops require food to eat, and gold to maintain. These costs are detailed below, and are explained further in the army food (E 9) and the economy (H 2) sections. If an army is at a population centre that belongs to the same nation or a nation which has friendly relations towards the army, that population centre will help to feed the troops (see section D 1).

  • Middle-earth PBM E Armies

    MMaaiinntteennaannccee CCoossttss Troop Type Cost in gold per troop per turn Cost in food per troop per turn Heavy Cavalry 6 2 Light Cavalry 3 2 Heavy Infantry 4 1 Light Infantry 2 1 Archers 2 1 Men-at-Arms 1 1

    For Example: An army consisting of 4000 heavy infantry in a plains hex will eat 4000 food from the baggage train and cost 16000 gold to maintain each turn. The same army in a hex with a major town belonging to the same nation will have 2500 of its troops fed by the army, leaving the remaining troops to consume 1500 food from the baggage train. It will still cost 1600 gold to maintain. Troop types perform differently in different terrains, and also have a favoured tactic (tactics are issued when an army attacks). These differences, and what affect they have in combat, will be covered in more detail later on in this book (G Combat) . FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 400 Orders; Recruit Heavy Cavalry L 404 Orders; Recruit Light Cavalry L 408 Orders; Recruit Heavy Infantry L 412 Orders; Recruit Light Infantry L 416 Orders; Recruit Archers L 420 Orders; Recruit Men-at-Arms L 770 Orders; Hire Army OOtthheerr G 2 Combat; Army H Economy

    22 WWeeaappoonn AAnndd AArrmmoouurr RRaannkk Each troop type of an army also has an individual weapon and armour rank. This represents the average quality of all the weapons and armour currently in use by that specific troop type (since troops recruited into an existing army may have different weapons to the older troops). Weapon ranks range from a value of 10 (wooden weapons) to 100 (an army equipped entirely with mithril weapons), and armour ranks range from 0 (no armour) to 100 (mithril armour). The higher the weapon rank, the more damage is inflicted upon enemies in combat, and the higher the armour rank, the less damage is inflicted on your troops by the enemy. Weapons and armour are created using appropriate stores from the population centre where the troops are hired or recruited. It is also possible to upgrade both weapons and armour, thereby issuing your troops with better equipment. In order to do this, the weapons or armour must already be in the armys baggage train (see below), not merely in the stores of a population centre. If you do this, all replaced weapons or armour are then discarded. It is not necessary to improve the weapons or armour of all the troops of that type in an army to gain some benefit. If you only replace some of the weapons or armour, the new ranks are calculated using an average of the sum of the two types of weapon (old and new) involved. The relevance of these values will be explained later (G Combat), but for now it is sufficient to note that the higher the value, the better the equipment.

  • Middle-earth PBM E Armies

    WWeeaappoonn RRaannkkss Weapon Type Value Wood 10 Bronze 30 Steel 60 Mithril 100

    AArrmmoouurr RRaannkkss Armour Type Value Leather 10 Bronze 30 Steel 60 Mithril 100

    FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 370 Orders; Upgrade Troop Weapons L 375 Orders; Upgrade Troop Armour L 400 Orders; Recruit Heavy Cavalry L 404 Orders; Recruit Light Cavalry L 408 Orders; Recruit Heavy Infantry L 412 Orders; Recruit Light Infantry L 416 Orders; Recruit Archers L 420 Orders; Recruit Men-at-Arms L 444 Orders; Make Armour L 748 Orders; Make Weapons L 770 Orders; Hire Army OOtthheerr E 3 Armies; Recruitment G 2 Combat; Army

    33 RReeccrruuiittmmeenntt Armies are created at population centres, and further recruits can be raised there as well. This is done using the hire army and recruit troops orders respectively. An army that recruits at a population centre will need to decide upon what type of armour and weapons will be given to these new troops. If the population centre present has enough materials of the appropriate type (leather, bronze, steel, mithril) in stores, then the armour and/or weapons will be fashioned from the population centres stores. If there are not enough stores available to create the armour and/or weapons, then the troops will be recruited without armour and with wooden weapons (at no material cost). The number of recruits available at any given population centre (detailed in the section on population centres) is the total number available from the population centre that turn. In other words, a camp can only provide 100 troops a turn, not 100 troops per character recruiting. More than one army can recruit from a single population centre, but the limit cannot be exceeded. For example, two armies could recruit from the same town on the same turn but could not recruit more than 300 troops between them. If an army attempts to recruit more troops than are available, then the maximum available will be recruited. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 400 Orders; Recruit Heavy Cavalry L 404 Orders; Recruit Light Cavalry L 408 Orders; Recruit Heavy Infantry L 412 Orders; Recruit Light Infantry L 416 Orders; Recruit Archers L 420 Orders; Recruit Men-at-Arms L 770 Orders; Hire Army OOtthheerr M 512 Spells; Conjure Hordes

  • Middle-earth PBM E Armies

    44 MMoorraallee RRaannkk Armies have a morale rank. This is a value from 1 (lowest morale) to 100 (maximum morale). The higher the army's morale, the better they will fight. The morale of an army is defined as the collective cohesiveness of the troops constituting that army under its current commander. In other words, the morale reflects the collective pride and courage of the troops, and their faith in its commander in the heat of battle (or lack thereof). Recruiting more troops into an army will not lower its morale, but transferring command of the army to another commander may well do so. A newly hired army (as opposed to an existing one which recruits new troops into its ranks) typically begins with a low morale. Morale can be increased through victory in combat, and decreased through events including marching without food or force marching. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 780 Orders; Transfer Command L 850 Orders; Move Army L 860 Orders; Force March Army OOtthheerr G 2 Combat; Armies

    55 TTrraaiinniinngg RRaannkk Each troop type of an army has an individual training rank. This is a value from 10 (the worst training level) to 100 (representing elite troops). The training rank is reflective of the ability of the troops to maintain formations and tactics in the heat of battle. The higher the training rank, the better that troop type will fight in battle. Training ranks can be increased by specific training orders, or as a result of combat experience. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 430 Orders; Put Troops on Manoeuvres L 435 Orders; Put Army on Manoeuvres OOtthheerr G 2 Combat; Armies

    66 SSttrreennggtthh The basic strength of an army is based upon the quantity and type of troops present. This is then further modified for each combat by the following factors (those of which have not yet been explained will be covered later): Nation Relations to other nations Tactics Morale Training Weapons Terrain Climate Combat spells Artifacts Army commander Presence of NPCs

  • Middle-earth PBM E Armies

    FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr G 2, 3, 4 Combat; Armies, Population Centres, Navies

    77 CCoonnssttiittuuttiioonn The constitution of an army represents its defensive capacity. The basic constitution of an army is based upon the quantity and type of troops present. This is then further modified for each combat by the following factors: Armour Local fortifications belonging to the armys nation

    BBaassiicc TTrroooopp CCoommbbaatt VVaalluueess Troop Type Strength Constitution Heavy Cavalry 16 16 Light Cavalry 8 8 Heavy Infantry 10 10 Light Infantry 5 5 Archers 6 2 Men-at-Arms 2 2

    FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss - OOtthheerr G 2, 3, 4 Combat; Armies, Population Centres, Navies

    88 BBaaggggaaggee TTrraaiinn Armies also have a baggage train which travels with them. This baggage train is where war machines, spare weapons, spare armour, and food supplies for troops and their mounts in the army are carried. If an army disbands for any reason, the baggage train is lost. It may also be captured during combat. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 440 Orders; Make War Machines L 444 Orders; Make Armour L 446 Orders; Make Weapons OOtthheerr G 2, 3 4 Combat; Armies, Population Centres, Navies

  • Middle-earth PBM E Armies

    99 FFoooodd Food is consumed by an army each turn at the rate of one food unit per troop of heavy infantry, light infantry, archers and men-at-arms, and at a rate of two food units per troop of heavy cavalry or light cavalry (one for the troop and one for the mount). If an army is at a friendly population centre (which is to say, the population centres nation has friendly relations towards the armys nation) then the population centre will automatically provide as much food as it can spare (the amount each population centre type can provide is detailed in the section on population centres). This food is consumed before food from the baggage train. If an army's size exceeds the limit a population centre can provide, the remainder of the needed food will be taken from the army's baggage train. (For example: an army with 6000 troops is at a city. The city will automatically provide food for 5000 of the army's troops. The remaining 1000 troops will consume 1000 food from the army's baggage train.) If a population centre has more than one army outside it, it will split the food it has available to provide proportionally between the armies present, according to how much food each army requires. If an army does not have at least one unit of food in its baggage train after food consumption in a turn (even if located at a population centre), the troops will begin to forage for food, and both movement and morale (up to 10 morale points a turn) will be reduced. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 310 Orders; Bid from Caravans L 315 Orders; Purchase from Caravans L 340 Orders; Transfer Food: Population Centre to Army L 345 Orders; Transfer Food: Army to Population Centre L 347 Orders; Transfer Food: Army to Army OOtthheerr D 5 Population Centres; Produce And Production E 8 Armies; Baggage Train E 11 Armies; Movement H 2 Economy; Expenses

    1100 WWaarr MMaacchhiinneess War machines include many different type of devices: catapults, ballistae, movable towers, battering rams, etc., all of which are not individually specified, but covered by the single category of war machine. War machines can be useful in normal combat against other armies in the field, but are most useful in assaulting, sieging and threatening population centres, where they come into their own. War machines are used to destroy a population centres fortifications, and thus make it much easier to gain control of them. Although an army can take a population centre without war machines, the troop losses will be greater, and the chances of success decreased. War machines may be destroyed during the course of any type of combat, not just combat involving a population centre. A war machine is (very) roughly equivalent to 50 Heavy Infantry, or 25 Heavy Infantry when threatening. FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 440 Orders; Make War Machines OOtthheerr D 2 Population Centres; Fortifications G 2-3 Combat, Armies; Population Centres

  • Middle-earth PBM E Armies

    1111 AArrmmyy MMoovveemmeenntt To move an army, the army commander issues an order giving the string of directions through which they wish the army to travel, with one direction for each hex the army is to enter. For example, to move three hexes north-west, they would issue nw, nw, nw. The directions an army can travel in are north-east, east, south-east, south-west, west, and north-west (since the map is divided into hexagons, it is not possible to move directly north or south). In addition, it is possible to issue a home movement order, which instructs the army to wait where it is. Each hex is a particular terrain type, and, based on the type of the troops in the army, costs a different amount of movement points to enter. Each army can have a maximum of 14 movement points, each representing a day spent in travel or in the case of a home movement, a day of rest. Please note that moving evasively and/or without food will slow down the army during its movement. A few things to note with regard to army movement: A home movement (a day of rest) costs 1 movement point.

    Armies cannot move from one mountain hex directly into another mountain hex unless there is a road or ford present.

    Armies are also prohibited from crossing major river hex-sides unless a bridge is present. Rivers, both major and minor, run

    along the sides of the hexes ('hex-side'). Whenever your armies move across a hex-side with a river running along it, they will be considered to be trying to cross that river. Armies can cross minor rivers with only a slight penalty in movement, but cannot cross major rivers at places where there is not either a bridge or a ford. Note that bridges and fords cross only one hex-side and, therefore, you must travel from the hex on one side of the bridge/ford directly across the hex-side to the hex on the other side of the bridge/ford in order to successfully utilise said bridge or ford. Roads work in the same manner, moving through specific hex-sides. If an army does not move exactly as the road does, then it will not be able to avail itself of the enhanced movement rate the road provides. All hex-side features always affect movement in both directions.

    If more than one army of the same allegiance appears at a population centre, only one icon will appear on the turn map.

    If an army enters a hex where there is an army belonging to a nation which is not tolerant or friendly to the army or to whom

    the army is neither tolerant or friendly, or a fortified population centre belonging to a nation which is not tolerant or friendly to the army, then it will normally be forced to stop in that hex. If the army is large enough, however, they may be able to either force their way past armies, or even overrun a smaller army, in which case all troops and characters in the smaller army are killed. It is not possible to force past a fortified population centre in this manner, though an army can attempt to pass it by moving evasively (see below).

    Armies can choose to move evasively. This gives them a chance of moving past enemy population centres and armies where

    otherwise they would be stopped (see above point). It also means that they are less likely to appear on enemy nations population centre and army reports. Success is based on their command skill and the size of the army (a high command skill is required for a good chance of success). Moving evasively doubles the movement cost for each hex (applied after a cost for moving unfed troops, if applicable).

    Armies travel at the rate of their slowest troop type. War machines and the amount of items in a baggage train have no affect

    on travel rates. The following charts show what each type of troop spends in movement points for each different terrain. Movement cost is computed by determining the appropriate terrain cost (for the hex being moved into), then modifying it by any hex-side costs. Fractional costs (for example, those incurred through travelling without food) are rounded upwards for each hex travelled, and are applied to the hex terrain cost after all factors are taken into account (such as crossing a river, ford or bridge). Thus it is possible for an army to find itself unable to move in a direction even for one hex, if the movement cost for that hex is higher than the armys movement points a turn.

    If an army has no food, the movement cost to move through a sector, and over rivers, bridges and fords, is increased by 1/3

    (as shown in the table below), and each time it is issued a move order, the army will lose 1-5 morale. This extra cost is applied after extra movement costs for a hex such as a river or bridge have been added to the movement cost of the hex.

    Armies may also choose to 'stand and defend'. This means that the army will attempt to prevent the passage of enemy armies

    from their initial hex location through the defended hex-sides, although a large enough army might still push past or over-run the blocking army. The defended hex-sides include the hex-side in the direction chosen along with the two adjacent hex-sides (see details of order 840 Stand and Defend for clarification on this).

  • Middle-earth PBM E Armies

    AArrmmyy MMoovveemmeenntt TTeerrrraaiinn CCoossttss ffoorr NNoorrmmaall MMoovveemmeenntt Terrain Infantry or Infantry and Cavalry

    Mixed*

    Cavalry alone

    Normal cost (unfed cost)

    Road cost (unfed cost)

    Normal cost (unfed cost)

    Road cost (unfed cost)

    Shore 3 (4) 2 (3) 2 (3) 1 (2) Plains 3 (4) 2 (3) 2 (3) 1 (2) Rough 5 (7) 3 (4) 3 (4) 1 (2) Forest 5 (7) 3 (4) 5 (7) 2 (3) Desert 4 (6) 2 (3) 2 (3) 1 (2) Swamp 6 (8) 3 (4) 5 (7) 2 (3) Mountains 12 (Not allowed) 6 (8) 12 (Not allowed) 3 (4) Shore with Bridge/Ford 4 (6) 3 (4) 3 (4) 2 (3) Plains with Bridge/Ford 4 (6) 3 (4) 3 (4) 2 (3) Rough with Bridge/Ford 6 (8) 4 (6) 4 (6) 2 (3) Forest with Bridge/Ford 6 (8) 4 (6) 7 (10) 3 (4) Desert with Bridge/Ford 5 (7) 3 (4) 3 (4) 2 (3) Swamp with Bridge/Ford 7 (10) 4 (6) 6 (8) 3 (4) Mountains with Bridge/Ford Not allowed 7 (10) Not allowed 4 (6) Shore with Minor River 5 (7) 4 (6) 4 (6) 3 (4) Plains with Minor River 5 (7) 4 (6) 4 (6) 3 (4) Rough with Minor River 7 (10) 5 (7) 5 (7) 3 (4) Forest with Minor River 7 (10) 5 (7) 7 (10) 5 (7) Desert with Minor River 6 (8) 4 (6) 4 (6) 3 (4) Swamp with Minor River 8 (11) 5 (7) 7 (10) 5 (7) Mountains with Minor River Not allowed 8 (11) 14 (Not allowed) 5 (7) Major river Not allowed Not allowed Not allowed Not allowed Seas/Coast Not allowed Not allowed Not allowed Not allowed If moving evasively, the above costs are doubled. *Infantry here includes heavy infantry, light infantry, archers and men-at-arms. FFoorr EExxaammppllee Plains without food costs infantry 4 Forest and minor river without food costs armies with infantry troops 10 Rough with road without food costs armies with infantry troops 4 Rough and minor river without food costs armies consisting only of cavalry 7 Mountain without food or a road through it costs any troops 16 and is therefore impossible FFuurrtthheerr RReeaaddiinngg OOrrddeerrss L 840 Orders; Stand and Defend L 850 Orders;