Update #122 Sep 6 2015
Darklands: First Edition Rules
Darklands is a tabletop skirmish wargame in which you command the hosts of man and beast that your ancestors once did for glory, power or simple survival!
To play Darklands with our fantastic range of miniatures, you need the rules - and whilst the full Darklands: First Edition rulebook will not be printed until later on in 2015, you can play the game right now with the rules presented here as a download or from our Rules and Musters Downloads page - which is constantly being updated.
As well as the Darklands: First Edition rules, you'll also need the Savage Hordes download which combines the Muster Rules (which show you how to build a host) and the various Kindred Musters (which give you all the warrior profiles for every single miniature we have produced or will produce).
Last updated - 4th September 2015
The Darklands: First Edition rules are (just about) here!
We have been working very hard to put the Darklands: First Edition of the rules together for you as a PDF download, and whilst this has taken a bit longer than we'd hoped they're now (almost) ready for public consumption. Note that these downloadable rules do not yet have any lovely illustrations or many example graphics, which will be of great use to a newcomer to Darklands; they will appear in the full rules.
Now, we've not quite had enough time to get everything sorted for today - there's a few actions (Dive, Swoop, Drop, Bind and Unbind) and reactions (Engagement and Counter-Engage) to revise yet - but we hope to have everything rules-wise by Monday.
Darklands: First Edition download
You can download the rules that are available now in one document:
•Darklands: First Edition - Full Rules
We've been a little lazy and simply merged the individual .pdf files you'll find elsewhere on this update, so the page numbers don't work - but at least you don't have to mess around...
Note, too, that these downloadable sections of the rules do not yet have any lovely illustrations or example graphics, which will be of great use to a newcomer to Darklands. We aim to have at least one set of example graphics for each action or reaction!
Hunt down grammatical errors!
In the meantime, feel free to hunt down typos, incorrectly numbered headers, passages that don't make sense or any other grammatical errors and e-mail us at
kickstarter@mierce-miniatures.com. The more people that scour the rulebook for these errors, the more we'll find!
Printing the rules
Once all of the rules are sorted, we will begin converting it all into print format with some nice graphics and images, and it will look similar in style to the Darklands: QuickStarter rules.
We do hope to have completed this task by the end of September and have it at the printers sometime in October, with a print date of "before Christmas", we hope!
Okay... now that you have the full rules, let's go through them and explain a little bit about each section...
This will be a general overview of Darklands and the wargame itself. It's not written yet, and probably won't be until we near the print stage. We also need some nice photographs!
• Darklands: First Edition - 1: Darklands, the Game - coming soon
These aren't strictly necessary up front, but they will be done at some point soon.
Last updated: 4th September 2015
The "The Darklands Host" section will contain everything you need to know about hosts, commands, warriors, profiles and equipment!
• Darklands: First Edition - 2: The Darklands Host - NEW!
The various subsections of The Darklands Host are explained below.
• 2.1: Hosts - describes what a Darklands host is, and what it is made of.
• 2.2: Commands - explains what a command is, and the various types of command.
• 2.3: Units - the units subsection is important because it describes the composition of units - unit leaders, unit command warriors and unit warriors - as well as unit structure, unit states (vigour, heart, form, mobility and strength) and how bound units work.
• 2.4: Warriors - even more important than units are the individual warriors within them. Warriors are described by their privilege (their importance), class (their type, such as an infantry warrior) and acuity (how well they can fight), as well as their traits and abilities (the special things they can do on the battlefield).
• 2.5: Mounted Warriors - mounts and riders form mounted warriors and these are described here.
• 2.6: War Engines - even though it is the dark ages, some esoteric kindreds can field war engines. How they work is explained in this subsection.
• 2.7: Warrior Profiles - a warrior's profile governs almost everything about what that warrior can do upon the field of battle and explains such things as a warrior's details, his attributes and his equipment - weapons, armour, artefacts and invocations.
We don't expect to change anything except grammatical errors from this section, so this is pretty much how it will be in the rulebook.
Last updated: 4th September 2015
The "The Battlefield" section covers everything that shapes a Darklands battlefield and what can be done on it, so such things as the battlefield itself, battle scenarios, terrain, weather, time and positioning - as well as movement and sight - are covered.
• Darklands: First Edition - 3: The Battlefield - updated
We do hope you like the example diagrams, too - they're a taster for what's ahead in the printed rules.
The various subsections of The Battlefield are explained below.
• 3.1: The Field - this subsection explains what a battlefield is, its various components and how big they are for a game of Darklands.
• 3.2: Battle Scenarios - only one battle scenario is given, a generic one for every kindred to use.
• 3.3: Terrain - the terrain features on the battlefield are described and explained here, as well as rules to generate terrain for your Darklands battlefield and where it goes.
• 3.4: Weather - sometimes the weather can have a great effect on the battlefield, and weather rules are described here.
• 3.5: Time - the time a battle begins can be important for many kindreds!
• 3.6: Positioning - this subsection governs how a host is positioned upon the battlefield, and gives generals rules on the various positioning fields they can use.
• 3.7: Sight - the sight of a warrior is extremely important. If he can't see, he can't fight - and so lines of sight and other rules to do with seeing the enemy are described here.
• 3.8: Movement - arrows and magic can perform wonders, but in the end it is hand to hand fighting that counts. To fight, however, warriors have to move around the battlefield, and this subsection describes how to do just that!
We don't expect to change anything except grammatical errors from this section, so this is pretty much how it will be in the rulebook.
Last updated: 4th September 2015
This section is the meat of Darklands; if you can understand "The Battle" and play this correctly, everything else falls into place!
• Darklands: First Edition - 4: The Battle - updated
The various subsections of The Battle are explained below.
• 4.1: Joining Battle - this subsection governs the period after hosts are positioned and before the battle begins. Orders are issued to units and commands and Incite actions are performed by generals to inspire their troops or daunt the enemy, among other things!
• 4.2: The Battle Hour - the bloody tornado of the slaughter ahead, this subsection decides which general gains the initiative, ensures players know when and how to activate their units as well as how to retain or force the initiative, and covers the end of the battle hour where continuous effects are applied and both time and the weather could change but, more importantly, decides who has won the field...
• 4.3: Ending the Battle - when both hosts have had a good go at each other, it's time to see whose butcher's bill is greater!
We don't expect to change anything except grammatical errors from this section, so this is pretty much how it will be in the rulebook.
The "Orders" section will explicitly tell you how orders work and what they do, as well as which actions can be performed under which orders!
• Darklands: First Edition - 5: Orders - NEW!
We don't expect to change anything except grammatical errors from this section, so this is pretty much how it will be in the rulebook.
The "Actions"section tells you how actions work and interact with each other, and how they can be performed by an activated unit.
• Darklands: First Edition - 6: Actions - NEW!
The various actions a unit can perform are listed below, split into their action groups.
MOVEMENT ACTIONS
Here's the Movement actions to get your warriors Moving around the battlefield!
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.02: Walk action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.03: Run action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.04: March action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.05: Fly action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.06: Soar action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.07: Land action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.08: Burrow action - NEW! - this action allows units with the "Burrower" ability to Burrow underground and flank the enemy by tunnelling underneath them...
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.09: Reform action - updated
ENGAGEMENT ACTIONS
Getting into combat to actually Attack the enemy is pretty important. If you can't get there, you can't hit 'em!
As there are now a few ways to get into combat - and not just by Charging - it was necessary to formulate a set of rules that covered how a unit actually Moves into the enemy. Rather than include the same engagement rules in a Charge action or a Trample action, the Engagement action does so for them. Whilst units still Charge into an enemy, or Walk and Run into them, the Engagement action controls what units can be engaged, how the Engaging unit moves and when Engagement reactions are brought to bear, among lots of other things!
So, when you want to Charge an enemy, ensure you understand both the Engagement action and the Charge action (which is now much simpler). Similarly, if you want to Trample an enemy, you'll need the Engagement action and the Trample action. It may sound a little complicated, but once you understand the Engagement action the rest will be easy.
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.10: Engagement action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.11: Engage and... action - NEW! - this action allows units to Engage and perform another action whilst Engaging, such as a Shoot action, an Invoke action or even an Inspire action!
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.12: Charge action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.13: Trample action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.14: Slam action - coming soon - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.15: Ambush action - updated - this action allows Flanking units and Scout units to Ambush an enemy unit when they Emerge - even though they can't see them, they can Charge them!
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.17: Dive action - coming soon
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.18: Swoop action - coming soon
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.19: Retreat action - updated - used by highly-trained warriors to disengage from combat
The Dive and Swoop actions should be with you on Monday.
ATTACK ACTIONS
Probably the most important action of all is the Attack action, along with its more energetic sibling, the Attack Move action. We've tidied them both up and made sure they are updated for the loss of stamina, and we've also added a larger Parry Chart, as the addition of some massive monsters kind of made the old one a little rubbish!
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.20: Attack action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.21: Attack Move action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.22: Challenge action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.23: Stomp action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.24: Grab action - updated - you can now Grab objects from terrain and even dead warriors lying around and Throw them at the enemy!
SHOOT ACTIONS
The lovely Shoot actions allow you to... well, Shoot the enemy, although Shooting does cover a number of different distance attacks and not just bow shots!
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.30: Shoot action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.31: Attack Shoot action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.32: Volley Shoot action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.33: Shoot and Drag action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.34: Spray action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.35: Throw action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.36: Gaze action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.37: Drop action - coming soon
We should have the final Shoot action, Drop, next week.
INVOKE ACTIONS
Invoke actions enable sorcerers to blast the enemy with sorcery or maybe tickle them a bit with some sorcerous effects, both via invocations.
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.40: Invoke action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.41: Attack Invoke action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.45: Recover action - updated
COMMAND ACTIONS
The various command actions and effortless actions serve to motivate your units and sometimes
de-motivate your enemies, and also get your units out of a tricky situation
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.50: New Order action - NEW! - enables generals to change the order of a unit or command
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.51: Inspire action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.52: Roar action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.53: Daunt action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.54: Augur action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.55: Rally action - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.56: Flank action - NEW! - this action ensures units under a FLANK order can enter the battlefield behind the enemy
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.57: Emerge action - NEW! - this action enables Scout units and Burrowers to Emerge onto the battlefield from terrain or from underground respectively
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.58: Goad action - NEW! - this action enables Goaders to incite their charges into Attacking the enemy
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.59: Brace action - NEW! - this action enables units to defend their ground more easily
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.60: Join action - updated - nobles can Join a unit with this action
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.61: Leave action - updated - nobles (and sometimes other warriors) can Leave a unit with this action
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.62: Bind action - coming soon
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.63: Unbind action - coming soon
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.64: Shieldwall action - NEW! - this action enables units with shields and the "Shieldwall" ability to form a shieldwall, giving them great protection
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.66: Disentangle action - updated - entangled units can free themselves with this action
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.68: Wake action - NEW! - unconscious units can Wake using this action
• Darklands: First Edition - 6.69: Rise action - NEW! - prone units use this action to get up from the ground
We should have the Bind action and Unbind action to complete the command actions next week.
Reactions mostly occur as a result of other actions and are sometimes not in the control of a player, especially the reactions of poorly-trained units!
• Darklands: First Edition - 7: Reactions - coming soon
This section should be up next week. The various reactions a unit can perform are listed below, split into the reaction groups.
MOVEMENT REACTIONS
There's a couple of Movement reactions to speak of...
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.01: Displacement reaction - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.02: Dodge reaction - updated - used by nobles to dodge being crushed by an enemy!
ENGAGEMENT REACTIONS
It follows that - when a player declares an Engagement against you - you need to know what your unit will be doing in response. Most of the time you'll just Hold, of course, but there are many other Engagement reactions... including the new Hold and Shoot, Hold and Invoke and Withdraw, as well as the devastating Counter-Engagement reaction (although thankfully, that's mostly only for Feral and Fanatical units...!)
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.10: Engagement reactions - coming soon
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.11: Counter-Charge reaction - coming soon
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.12: Restrain reaction - updated - to enable failed Engagers to restrain themselves from moving forwards
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.13: Divert reaction - updated - to enable failed Engagers to redirect their Engagement into a fresh enemy
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.14: Withdraw reaction - updated - to enable units to retreat from an Engagement
ATTACK REACTIONS
The Attack reactions sort out exactly what happens to the victorious and defeated units at the end of a combat, as well as other reactions to being Attacked.
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.20: Panic reaction - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.21: Flee reaction - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.22: Frenzy reaction - coming soon
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.23: Rampage reaction - coming soon
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.24: Reflex Attack reaction - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.25: Stand reaction - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.26: Chase reaction - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.27: Breakthrough reaction - updated
The Frenzy and Rampage reactions need a little bit of attention to bring them into line with frenzied changes and that should happen next week.
INVOKE REACTIONS
Here's the Invoke reactions to try and get rid of enemy sorcery!
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.40: Earth reaction - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.41: Absorb reaction - updated
• Darklands: First Edition - 7.42: Channel reaction - updated
That's it for the First Edition rules... there'll be an update early next week!
Now, as mentioned above, we have something new for you all - and that is the Darklands: Savage Hordes download, which combines the Muster Rules and various Kindred Musters into one document.
We can neither confirm nor deny that Savage Hordes will be produced in book form in 2016...
Darklands: Savage Hordes download
You can download Savage Hordes in one document:
• Darklands: Savage Hordes - NEW!
We've been a little lazy and simply merged the individual .pdf files for the muster rules and kindred musters you'll find elsewhere individually on this update, but the eventual "proper" document will look rather better!
The Darklands Muster Rules govern how you build a host for Darklands from the various Kindred Musters and will always be "living" rules - i.e., they will be updated when necessary and always available for download.
The updated PDF version of the Darklands Muster Rules can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.
• Darklands: First Edition - Muster Rules v2.6 - updated
We've been hard at work updating the muster rules to reflect all of the latest changes, and we hope they'll make sense to you all!
A Kindred Muster, what we call an army list, gives you the blocks to build a host of a particular kindred or realm for Darklands. It includes all of the different unit types available to you as a general wishing to create an army, in the shape of warrior profiles.
The kindred musters given below include all of the warriors unlocked by our projects so you can check exactly what you're getting for your gold in game terms. Again, the Kindred Musters will always be "living" rules - i.e., they will be updated when necessary and always available for download.
Bear in mind, however, that any new profiles are only partially playtested - expect changes and feel free to give us feedback. Check them out for some awesome new warriors, however!
You can see what we have updated on the downloads page of course, but here's your kindred by kindred list anyway:
• Albainn Muster - v1.13 - updated 4th of September
• Angelcynn Muster - v1.18 - updated 4th of September
• Atalantes Muster - v1.05 - updated 4th of September
• Brythoniaid Muster - v1.13 - updated 4th of September
• Byzantii Muster - v1.09 - updated 4th of September
• Érainn Muster - v1.06 - updated 4th of September
• Fomoraic Muster - v1.16 - updated 4th of September
• Infernii Muster - v1.07 - updated 4th of September
• Jutes Muster - v1.05 - updated 4th of September
• Khthones Muster - v1.11 - updated 4th of September
• Norse Muster - v1.13 - updated 4th of September
• Vras Muster - v1.10 - updated 4th of September
• Ysians Muster - v1.15 - updated 4th of September
•Sell-Swords Muster - v1.06 - coming soon
Keep watching this space for further updates over the coming weeks.