Discworld WarfareAnkh-Morpork Army with Allies - based on Warhammer rulesDuring the many years since I first created this army I have seen a number of threads about the making a Discworld themed army raised on Wargaming Forums, but nothing has ever come of them. I have recently been searching the Web and collated all the data I could find on this subject, and while I have found little to alter my impressions of such an army I have found some evidence of people thinking further afield on the Disc and have added this information on other pages for the benefit of like minded gamers and to save them the long searches I have had to find the snippets that have been combined to make these rules. I
have updated my previous ideas about a possible Discworld
army to an army of possible unit/regiments. You never
know but I may actually bite the Thinking behind the army.This army is based on the slim evidence contained within the Discworld books. There are nations like Chimeria, Khanli, Ephebe, Tsort, Muntab and Klatch, some of whom are quite powerful, as well as individual towns and citys like Ankh-Morpork, Sto Lat and Pseudopolis. All these nations and citys have a history of fighting one another. Even though Jingo is all about war, Pterry has given little real detail about the art of war or the make up of the units, etc. Ankh-Morpork doesn't have a standing army - but every gentleman (stuck up noble) is entitled, in fact required, to raise men if the city requires. Also every citizen has the right to bear arms. It therefore ended up with a private army with units under the command of someone whose fitness for the job lay in a thousand years of breeding for leadership i.e. the fact he could afford to pay for a thousand funny hats. The picture of Nobby in plain clothes by Paul Kidby is very Italian/Renaissance style. Vime's Dress uniforms had tights and slashed/puffy sleeves. Even the palace guards had feather/plumes in helmets. Leonard of Quirm and his inventions are a definite da Vinci take off. The main feelings from Pterry is that armies consist of massed banners and sun sparkled spears with the use of horses. Lord Rust had 2000 men and 200 horses so this could be used as guide to a ratio of infantry to cavalry. The main weapon for both infantry and cavalry is therefore the spear and its variants, but only one unit may have lances. All units must have a banner. All cavalry units are also to use barded horses, which will all be painted in the same scheme based on their standard or benefactor's colours, to continue the impression of massed banners. A musician is optional unless the Unit is sponsored by the Musicians Guild where it is compulsory and free. When Colon tried to use his old army bow it was suggested that this was old technology* so the crossbow is the chosen missile weapon for this army. The Peeled Nuts - Ankh-Morpork Civil War Historical Reconstruction Society dress up to fight old battles with blunt swords and tin pikes. In FoC they were preparing to celebrate the 300 year anniversary next year of the Battle of Ankh-Morpork. Nobby was to play King Lorenzo, on a white horse, the last king of Ankh-Morpork who was killed by Old Stoneface Vimes. For this reason the pike is also considered old tecnology and only the Pheasant Pluckers retain this weapon. All units must have a suitable regiment name based on an actual Discworld character and because of this Heroes and Champions can only be used if they are named either as the benefactor of the regiment or someone who has a proven connection. The army is
in the main human with the possibility of dwarf infantry
units - I have included Detritus as he is a major part
of the Watch but it has also been suggested that Troll
units are included. Discworld and Warhammer trolls are
different, but while I have just increased Troll stats
others think the stats for mercenary ogres could be used.
Other characters should be be their actual species as
in the books. (Depending on the period the army is set in there may be some sort of animosity between Dwarves and Trolls. This hasn't been thought about yet but if enough units develop something based on the Orc/goblin rules may be considered. It is assumed that the Dwarf and Trolls from the Watch know each other well enough that there wont be a problem. The same could be said about animosity between the Guilds if they were to supply units) Basically the army's appearance is poorly equiped Empire spear, crossbow and Bretonian style cavarly units led by well armoured (mounted) nobles. Nobles don't want to be seen leading any old rif-raf so their troops have been supplied with over-the-top brightly coloured uniforms and feathers. Good weapons are a waste of money as everyone knows the enemy will leg it the moment they're confronted with cold steel. Games Workshop
figures have recently had an Italian theme, i.e. Tilean
crossbowmen, Dogs of War bands and old and new plastic
halberd/crossbow regiments. The Dogs of War include Pikemen
and da Vinci style flying machines and other ready made
groups that need little or no adapting. However bearing
in mind that Paul Kidby has used various periods as inspiration
for his drawings and most fantasy works are based on the
technology of the Middle-ages I would suggest that any
mixture of arms and armour from 1066 to the ECW would
be acceptable. There are no black powder weapons in Discworld,
and with the assumed different historical path of Lance
and pike armour would not have developed in quite the
same way as it has on the round world. *Burleigh and Stronginthearm still make bows, the 'Shureshotte Five' with a 100 lb draw, designed for the expert; and the 'Locksley Reflex 7' a whole lotta bow, which both sound as if they are for hunting/hobby use rather than military. Special Rules Unless stated
otherwise the rules are current or passed official Warhammer
rules or use the flavour of an official rule. The Watch is
the only unit that can have troops of mixed races although
any unit's champion/hero can be of a different race. Where
unit figures may be modelled on different races a standard
set of stats is used for all - i.e. Reg's Band of Grey.
Other than
the units discribed all other units will be human or dwarf,
and will be armed with spears/javalins or crossbows. They
must be given a regiment name based on a Discworld character/country.
Crossbow units cannot be larger or more than spear units
and dwarf units also cannot be larger than the human equivalents.
Of the described
units where a character, military unit or weapon has actually
been mentioned in the Discworld books they are shown in
purple and
anything of my own invention in red
just to help clarification or to
confuse you even more. In Discworld there are no guns or black powder weapons of any sort. No ill treating of swamp dragons either. These are an expansion of my previous ideas The
Discworld Warhammer Army - Foot & Cavalry These are ideas mainly based on snippets found on the Web. I am not sure whether they are intended for Warhammmer/Mordhiem or both or how points, rules etc. were thought out or calculated. Discworld
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