Coup-De-Grace: Arena Design

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The following categories provide discussion and examples of different aspects of arena layout. Its intended as a design workshop, to give GMs and players ideas as to cool ways to vary their arenas. Nothing here is set in stone, but players should be made aware of which different rules are in play.

Objective markers and scenario goals

The default set-up of coup-de-grace is two teams fighting to the death. Once you've taken the other team out of action, you win. This section chanegs that idea with the concept of scenario goals and objectives.

Consider trying out the following example scenarios.

Variant Rules relating to scenarios

Respawn

In games where annihilating the opposition is not the objective, there may be the ability to "respawn". At the start of each round, as that warband's first activation, the warband may restore one out-of-action mini and place it in his starting area.

Reinforcements

This is the same as respawning, but rather than use out of action minis, the player may pick a mini from a shared "reserve pool" and bring this one into play in his starting area. This means that there'll be a new mini each turn!

Variant Objectives

Checkmate

Each player nominates a single model as his "King". This model gains +3 Hit Points and has its status revealed to all players.

When a warband's King is taken out of action, it loses the game. Depending on the scenario other minis in the warband may be instantly taken out of action as well, or may remain in play for the player of that warband to have a chance to affect the ongoing outcome.

At any point that only one player has a King in play, that player wins the game.

Try this objective with the reinforcements rule as above.

Capture the Flag

Each player has a "flag" placed on the board which their team must guard. Any model may spend 1 movement point to pick up a flag in an adjacent square. Doing so takes the place of whatever is in that mini's left hand. If the mini is downed or taken out of action, the flag drops in an adjacent square (dropping mini decides which one). A mini can voluntarily drop a flag in an adjacent square for 1 movement point.

When a warband brings an opposing team's flag back to a target area (maybe that team's starting area, or maybe a separate area to any players starting zone), that flag is removed from the game, and the warband wins the game. For 3+ multiplayer games, instead remove the warband whose flag is captured from the game, and continue till only one warband remains.

As variants consider the following:

• "Murderball": One flag only, which is "neutral" and in the centre of the board. First team to bring it home wins.
• "Defence and Attack": One flag per team, and the team's own flag starts in their starting zone.
• "Bomb run": Teams start with a neutral flag each, but the target is their opponent's starting zone.

Capture the flag works well with the respawn rule.

Zone Capture

The board has three or more designated zones which count as target zones. At the start of each round, a zone which only contains targets