Coup-De-Grace: Non-standard minis

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Overview

Up to this point in the rules, the minis have dealt with "standard minis", that is humanoids with 2 legs and 2 arms, that take up one square.

This doesn't cover many minis in most people's collections, so this page looks to let you expand beyond this.

Mini Value and Balance

The default assumption and intent of this game is that all standard minis are of roughly equivalent value in game, and that any weapon / focus combination in any sort of armour should be more or less as useful. There are some combinations that don't work terribly well (such as double handed staff wielding magi with heavy armour) and there are some that are very strong (such as a shield bearing living construct with heavy armour, who'll be stomping around with Defence 8 a lot of the time), but its pretty much meant to be self balancing. This makes warband construction by most methods workable.

If you start including non-standard minis, effectiveness changes (normally increasing). This makes blind bidding and constructed scenarios the preferred method for warband building. Points buy could work too, if you can agree on values, but this can be hard to judge!

Blind bidding is probably the best approach, and you should generally present the highest value minis first, as late in bidding auctions wins will be more determined by how many resources a player has left rather than how they value the mini.

Suggested Rules

Cavalry, beasts and other 4-leggers

This rules-set is designed to make creatures of this sort balanced with 2 legged minis.

4 legged creatures have the same Movement Allowance and Defence Value as standard minis of their armour type. However, they can spend MA differently.

• A 4 legged creature can spend 1 MA to move up to three squares straight forward, without changing facing. It is considered to be stepping on any spaces it moves through.
• A 4 legged creature can spend 1 MA to move straight backward one square, without changing facing.
• A 4 legged creature can change its facing for 1 MA.

Large Footprint Minis

These rules don't balance with standard minis. A large footprint mini is one that fills more than 1 square.

• When a large footprint mini moves squares, it moves one square forwards, backwards or sideways. All its destination squares must be empty for it to make the move (excepting "massive creature" effect as below.
• When a large footprint mini with a square footprint turns, it just turns on the spot.
• When a large footprint mini with a non-square footprint turns, it should turn around a pivot as close to its centre point as possible. If this isn't possible then it should pivot around a square which is to the rear of the centre point for front/back calculations, and to the left of its centre point for left/right calculations. For example, a cavalry model that is 2 squares from front to back and 1 square wide will pivot around its rear space. A monster that fills a space 5 squares wide and 3 squares deep would pivot around its centre square. A monster that fills a space 4 squares wide and 2 squares deep would pivot around a square diagnonally back and left of its centre point.
• A "massive creature" is one that is 6 squares or larger. These creatures can sweep aside smaller ones in moving. When a massive creature turns or moves, any mini that is six or more times smaller in footprint than it count as empty spaces for determining whether a move is legal. A mini whose space is moved into in this way immediately moves one space for free (direction determined by its controller). If a mini has no legal moves to make to move out of the way, it is crushed and taken out of action!
• A large footprint mini doesn't fall into pits unless more than half its footprint is in the pit.
• A large footprint mini is considered to be adjacent to all the squares that contact its edges, but not the diagonal squares from its corner.
• Consider giving the weapons of a large footprint mini special rules, or treating them as double handed weapons that the large mini holds in one hand. Also consider giving its melee weapons an extra square or two of reach to represent long limbs.
• Consider making it so a large footprint mini doesn't double the MA costs of any mini that it is considered a "massive creature" against. Such creatures are considered too small and nimble for it to exert zone control over.

4 legged creatures have the same Movement Allowance and Defence Value as standard minis of

Wings

Decide whether a winged creature is always airborne, or whether it flies then lands, depending on whether the mini's feet are on the ground.

A winged creature that is always flying can be represented by having a higher Movement Allowance: maybe 50% higher than its armour might indicate. Also:

• It can move through other minis during its move, as long as it ends on an empty space.
• It doesn't double its MA costs for moving squares due to being adjacent to opponents.
• Attacks that force movement on it have double effect.
• It is always considered airborne, so can't fall into pits and the like.
• You might want to play with altitude as well - in this case, gaining altitude is moving a square "upwards" and can easily put such minis put of melee range of ground opponents. Be wary of the scenario balance effects!

A winged creature that flies then lands is treated as a standard mini with the following extra options:

• It can move through other minis during its move, as long as it ends on an empty space.
• It doesn't double its MA costs for moving squares due to being adjacent to opponents.