SAC! - Play test the game - Bandit Camp

Hi folks,

Thanks for visiting and supporting the idea of SAC! through reading and test playing this scenario.
If you do manage to find the time to play through it, I would love to hear your feedback. You can email me directly at - Project_Vehemence@yahoo.co.uk

I have played through the scenario myself on a number of occasions before writing this invitation. To view one of my games, please follow this link - http://marchingincolour.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/sac-play-test-game-2-bandit-camp.html


The Scenario - 

The player takes command of a small group of soldiers lead by a low-ranking officer without much experience. The goal is to clear out a local group of bandits who have made camp in a patch of woodland.

This scenario is very flexible with regards to setting and models. You could play a small group of Romans vs bandits, Anglo-Saxons, medieval, or even fantasy.


Models Needed - 

10 models and 1 officer for the soldiers
10 models and 1 leader for the bandits


Scenery Needed -

Although the scenario calls for the setting to be a 'woodland', this like the models and period is flexible. It could as easily be a mountain region, or a swamp. What is important is that the board is set up something like the shot below -

The board should be around 48" in length, and 20" wide. The terrain around the two roads should be very rough and almost inaccessible

The Set-Up

The Soldiers - begin at the bottom of the map. The 10 soldiers must be split into two groups of 5 models each. The models in each group operate (move and fight) together, and models from each group must stay within 3" of another member of the same group.

The Officer is an independent character, he moves and fights on his own initiative and does NOT require and order to activate.

The Bandits - operate in a similar fashion. Place one group of 5 in the bandit camp, and keep the other group of 5 models off the table for now.

The Bandit Leader - starts in the bandit camp alongside the unit of 5 models. Like the Officer in the Solider's force, the Bandit Leader is an independent character and doesn't need an order to activate.

Scenario Special Rules

This scenario uses the following special rules - 

Areas 1 and 2 

The areas marked 1 and 2 on the map are special event zones. When a player moves a unit into either area roll 1D6,

1-3: The Bandits have set traps here. The unit must end its move immediately and takes 1 point of armour damage.

4-6: The Bandits launch an ambush! Place the 5 models of the bandit unit in base to base contact with the 5 models of the players unit. Fight a round of combat immediately

Bandit Camp - Personal Challenge

When the player makes it to this location two events will trigger. Firstly the Bandit Leader will issue a challenge to Personal Combat to the player's Officer. The Officer may accept or decline.

If the Officer accepts - the two models are immediately placed into single combat. No other units may influence this combat.

If the Officer declines - the Officer will fight at -1 H2H value. In addition, any remaining bandits will receive +1 to their Morale score.

Optional: Bandit Reinforcements

The second event at the Camp will only trigger if the event at Area 1/2 was a Trap and not an Ambush. At the start of the 2nd turn of combat in the Bandit Camp place the off table bandit unit at Area 1 or 2. This unit will activate in the Bandits phase and automatically head back to the camp to join the fight.  This is a special form of movement that doesn't require an Order. 

Bandit Morale?

The Bandits in this scenario don't have much desire for an all-out fight with the Soldiers. Anytime a Bandit has the option to fall back from losing combat they should do so. 

Model Stats

The Players force - 

Officer: Move:5   Leadership:2    H2H:3d6   Assist:+2    Morale:2d6+2    Weapon:3   Armour:9 

Soldiers: Move:5     H2H: 2d6+2    Assist:+3     Morale: 2d6+1    Weapon: 3     Armour: 9

The Bandits - 

Leader: Move:6   Leadership: 2    H2H: 2d6+2   Assist:+2     Morale:2d6+1   Weapon: 3    Armour:4

Bandits: Move:6    H2H:2d6    Assist:+2     Morale:2d6     Weapon: 3     Armour:3  

Victory Conditions

The Player wins if he manages to defeat the Bandit Leader. If the Bandit Leader flees the table the scenario is lost.

The Rules - SAC! light

Units in SAC! normally have more stats than featured (including special skills) but for this game we will be using a very basic version of the rules. The idea is to collect feedback on the command structure, movement, and basic combat.

The stats used are as follows - 

Move - the maximum amount a model can move in inches.

Run - a model may run an additional amount of inches up to half its original movement.

H2H - Hand-to-Hand, the fight/combat value of the model

Morale - the conviction and staying power of the model

Weapon Damage - the power of the models weapon  

Armour - the defensive strength of the models armour


Order Phase

You will need 4d6 for this phase, ideally two different colours. 2 red dice, 2 black dice for example.

These dice represent the Leadership values of both the Soldier's Officer, and the Bandit's Leader.

Roll all 4 dice together, Each dice represents 'One Order', and the number showing is the phase of the turn it can be executed in. Any tied dice, then the Soldiers activate first.

An example of a Turn Order is shown below -

What you can do in a Phase

A note on the Bandits - the Bandits will take no action until the players forces reach either of the areas marked 1 or 2 on the map. Then they will follow a turn order and activate as normal. The Bandit leader will remain in his camp, but will order any units he has to engage the players forces by the shortest route.


Step 1 - Issue an 'Order'

Orders are issued from the Officer, to a unit of Soldiers. To issue an order the Officer must have a clear Line of Sight to at least one model in the unit. Friendly models do block line of sight.

For this scenario all the terrain should be assumed to also block line of sight.


Step 2 - Activate the Unit

Once an order has been issued to a Unit, that order can Move or Run.
If the movement ends with models in base-to-base contact with a Bandit unit, a round of combat will be fought.

A note on the Officer - this model never needs to receive an order to activate and may activate in any phase in which you issue an order.

Sticking with our Phase Order above, the Soldiers activate in Phase 1 and 3 when given an order. The Officer can activate in Phase 1 or 3 for free, either before, after, or alongside the activating unit.


Step 3 - Move or Run

All models in the unit move together and must remain within 3" of another member of the same unit.
Any movement that ends in base contact with an enemy model will result in a round of combat being fought. Where contact does occur, and where move distances allow, all models of a unit should be placed in front base-to base contact with all models of the enemy unit. Lining-up for combat should look something like this -

Note - one red model moves slightly to make way for a blue model. There are advanced rules for combat in the normal version of SAC! but we are using a 'light' version of the rules for this scenario.

Step 4 - Combat

Combat is handled by a single role of the dice for each side.

If one side has more models engaged than the other, such as if one unit has lost a casualty, or the Officer (or Bandit Leader) joins a combat, these models add their 'Assist' value to the dice roll.

The score of the dice are added together, and the totals of each side compared. The higher score is the Winner, the lower is the Loser. Any tied scores result in a Draw.

The Winner then compares their 'Weapon Damage' to the Losers 'Armour' value.

If the Weapon Damage is Higher - one model from the losing side is removed as a casualty.
If the Weapon Damage is Equal, or Lower - the Armour Value of the losing side is reduced by 1 point.

SPECIAL RULE - Any dice (from either side) that score a '6' automatically inflict 1 point of armour damage on their opponent. This is inflicted regardless of who wins or loses, and is inflicted BEFORE calculating the Weapon Damage vs Armour.

The Loser then chooses to either stay in combat or attempt to withdraw.

If the Loser chooses to Stay, another round of combat will be fought when either unit receives a new order (in a subsequent turn), or another unit engages in combat.

If the Loser choose to Withdraw, they immediately make a full move (Run Speed) directly away from the combat. They then must test their 'Morale'

To test Moral the unit rolls dice equal to its Morale stat. If they roll 10 or higher they have PASSED. If they roll under 10 they have FAILED.

A unit which passed its Morale falls back in good order. They may face any direction and suffer no negative effects.

A unit which failed its Moral test is 'Routing'.

A note on 'Routing' - Routing units are moved at the start of every subsequent turn, before the command dice are rolled. They may not be given orders, but an order may be spent on them to try and rally the unit.

To successfully rally, a unit needs to roll equal to or above 10 on their Morale dice.

Once the action of the losing unit has been resolved, the Winner must resolve their action. 

If the Loser chose to Stay, then the Winner must also Stay.

If the Loser chose to withdraw, then the Winner must follow them UNLESS they pass a Morale test. 

If they pass a Morale test, they may,

Hold Position - stay where they are, but may change formation, and/or facing, or

Fall Back - take a free move (up to Run distance) directly back from the combat.

If they fail their Morale test, then they must PURSUE the retreating enemy unit by making a Run move directly after them.

If the Winning Unit pursues the Losing unit and connects, one of two results will happen, based on if the losing unit has fallen back or routed.

Fallen Back - the two units remain in combat and will fight again next turn.

Routed - the losing unit automatically takes 2 armour points of damage. If this damage is higher than the units current armour, or the unit has no armour left, the unit takes one casualty.

A Note on Multiple Combats

Although this scenario is small in terms of units and characters, there is still the possibility of finding combat between more than 1vs1. Wherever you find multiple combats you still only roll 1 attack per side. When choosing which stat from which unit/model to use, always use the unit with the most models in combat.

For example, where a unit and a character are fighting another unit - use the units base stats, and the characters 'assist' value.

It is also important to note that 'Assist' is PER MODEL.
So, where a unit of 5 models is in combat against a unit of 5 and another unit of 4, both sides would still only roll 1 set of dice. The side with the 4 and 5 models, would use the H2H stat of the majority (5) unit, while each of the 4 models would add their assist bonus (if their assist was +2 each, that would be +8 total), assuming all models are in base-to-base contact.

End Phase

Once all orders have been issued and resolved, the turn ends, Any orders which cannot be issued are lost. A new turn then begins with a new roll of the Leadership dice, and the turn begins again.

Units still in combat from the previous turn do NOT require an order to fight this round, but may only be activated in the order shown on the leadership dice.

For example if the player rolls 2 and 5, and has one unit already in combat, that unit may fight a round of combat in either phase 2 or phase 5 but does not require an actual order to be spent to do so. A player can spend the order as normal on their other unit (turn 2 for example could see one unit activate as normal through the command order AND the combat also fight).