Mechanics
185 concepts in 15 rules families. The number is how many games use each.
Turn Structure & Sequence
How play time is divided and who acts when.
- Structured phase sequence · 30
- Reactions & interrupts · 19
- Initiative determination · 14
- Alternating player turns (IGOUGO) · 12
- Written / plotted orders · 12
- Simultaneous turns · 10
- Card-driven activation · 6
- Real-time / timed play · 6
- Variable turn / game end · 4
- Alternating unit activation · 3
- Initiative held until failure · 2
- Day/night turn halves · 1 · coined
- Positional sweep resolution order · 1 · coined
- Random chit / token draw · 1
- Scale shift on close action · 1 · coined
- Unannounced self-resolution · 1 · coined
- Variable game-time turn length · 1 · coined
Command & Control
Leadership, orders, activation limits, friction, information.
- Leader effects · 29
- Command friction & delay · 19
- Hidden units & blinds · 13
- Activation test · 12
- Command points / PIPs · 11
- Command radius / control range · 11
- Spotting & detection · 11
- Umpire / double-blind play · 9
- Orders states · 8
- Per-unit action allowance · 4
- Commander personality traits · 3
- Pre-committed order pool · 2
- Unreliable allies & factions · 2
- Command hierarchy suppression · 1 · coined
- Deck attrition clock · 1 · coined
- Expanding activation zone · 1 · coined
- Line-of-sight command influence · 1 · coined
- March to the sound of the guns · 1
- Matrix argument resolution · 1 · coined
- Positional advantage forces order disclosure · 1 · coined
- Random allegiance · 1 · coined
- Rolled action dice pool · 1 · coined
- Timer cooldown activation · 1 · coined
Movement & Manoeuvre
How units relocate, change formation and facing.
- Terrain movement effects · 33
- Fixed movement allowance · 31
- Formations & formation change · 24
- Charges & assault moves · 20
- Evade, retreat & pursuit · 19
- Facing, wheeling & turning · 19
- Interpenetration & zones of control · 13
- Random movement distance · 12
- Gridded movement · 10
- Momentum / vector movement · 6
- Transport & mounting · 6
- Forced march · 3
- Disorder from movement dice · 2 · coined
- Alternating placement with encirclement capture · 1 · coined
- Chokepoint throughput limits · 1 · coined
- Involuntary formation drift · 1 · coined
- Rider skill and mount control · 1 · coined
Ranged Combat
Shooting, artillery, gunnery at a distance.
- Line of sight & cover · 27
- Range bands · 24
- Dice pool fire · 17
- Target-number to-hit · 17
- Ammunition & fire limits · 16
- Indirect & artillery fire · 12
- Armour penetration · 8
- Hit location · 7
- Combat results table · 5
- Fire strikes unintended targets · 5
- Ranging / bracketing · 4
- Skirmish run-in · 3
- Dexterity-based shooting · 2
- Opposed fire roll · 2
- Crewed weapon requirement · 1 · coined
- Fast-draw duel · 1 · coined
- Firing pins the shooter · 1 · coined
- Reaction-only ranged fire · 1 · coined
Close Combat
Hand-to-hand, shock, charges, boarding resolution.
- Opposed melee roll · 23
- Support, flanks & overlaps · 23
- Recoil, push-back & breakthrough · 18
- Troop-type matchups · 15
- Multi-round / continuing melee · 10
- Secret simultaneous combat choice · 2
- Cap on decisive attacks per turn · 1 · coined
- First strike · 1
- Formation differential · 1 · coined
- Layered defence penetration · 1 · coined
- Line relief / rotation of ranks · 1
- Numerical attrition melee · 1 · coined
- Order-state combat matrix · 1 · coined
- Ordered precedence resolution list · 1 · coined
Damage & Attrition
How losses are recorded and applied.
- Figure / stand removal · 20
- Hit points / strength points · 9
- Individual wounds & injury · 8
- Critical hits / special damage · 7
- Step losses · 7
- Damage records & systems · 4
- Saving roll · 4
- Single-attack damage threshold · 3
- Ascending card-chain damage · 1 · coined
- Deferred hit resolution · 1 · coined
- Escalating destruction chance · 1 · coined
- Persistent fire damage · 1
- Resource spent to absorb losses · 1 · coined
- Scatter and regroup · 1 · coined
Morale & Cohesion
Will to fight, disorder, rout, army breakpoints.
- Morale tests · 28
- Rout & rally · 23
- Morale / disorder states · 22
- Army breakpoint · 16
- Morale contagion · 14
- Fatigue & cohesion erosion · 5
- Suppression & pinning · 4
- Event-driven desertion · 2 · coined
- Conditional surrender trigger · 1 · coined
- Consolidation of broken remnants · 1 · coined
- Last-stand position · 1 · coined
- Personal hatred and fear · 1 · coined
- Ritual morale building · 1 · coined
Resolution Engine
Randomisers and core resolution maths used throughout.
- Six-sided dice core · 35
- Polyhedral / quality dice · 7
- Re-rolls & exploding dice · 6
- Modifier stacking · 5
- Table-driven resolution · 5
- Percentile resolution · 4
- Quality / chart ladder shifts · 4
- Advantage / disadvantage dice · 3
- Deterministic / diceless · 3
- Cards as randomiser · 2
- Multi-use card hand · 2
- Odds-graded dice · 1 · coined
- Push-your-luck dice handful · 1 · coined
- Stepped proportional value modifiers · 1 · coined
- Universal cohesion check · 1 · coined
Forces & Unit Definition
Troop types, grades, points, lists, representation.
- Troop quality grades · 27
- Special traits & abilities · 22
- Troop type taxonomy · 16
- Element basing & representation · 14
- Points-based force building · 14
- Army lists · 13
- Named characters & heroes · 8
- Unit cards & rosters · 6
- Random force composition · 4
- Character ageing, illness and mortality · 1 · coined
- Comparative force balancing · 1 · coined
- Quality revealed in first combat · 1 · coined
Battlefield & Environment
Terrain, weather, visibility, fortifications.
- Fortifications & siege · 19
- Weather · 8
- Terrain generation · 6
- Visibility & time of day · 6
- Battle debris markers · 3 · coined
- Terrain revealed on contact · 2
- Dynamic terrain · 1 · coined
Scenario, Campaign & Victory
Set-up, pre-game, objectives, campaigns, events.
- Objectives & victory points · 27
- Campaign linkage · 21
- Historical scenarios · 18
- Pre-game sequence · 17
- Multiplayer structure · 16
- Reinforcements & schedules · 11
- Random events · 8
- Post-battle consequences · 3
- Campaign action menu · 2
- Airborne landing & scatter · 1
- In-game currency · 1 · coined
- Title challenge · 1 · coined
Solo & Non-Player Forces
Rules that drive one side without a human player.
- AI behaviour tables · 3
- Noise and tension escalation · 1 · coined
- Programmed opponent · 1
Air Systems
Aircraft-specific mechanics: altitude, energy, tailing, damage.
- Air support to ground · 5
- Air manoeuvre system · 1
- Altitude & energy · 1
- Departure from controlled flight · 1 · coined
Special Systems
Magic, myth, logistics, engineering, other domain add-ons.
- Supply & logistics · 11
- Engineering & construction · 10
- Prisoners · 6
- Monsters & creatures · 3
- Equipment capture · 2
- Magic & supernatural · 2
- Audience favour economy · 1 · coined
- Legitimacy claims and counter-claims · 1 · coined
- Social status / nobility · 1