What We Know So Far - Combat

As usual, all of this is subject to further change, but probably less so than other sections.

Firstly.. the one-second rule will apply. PD have used this is Maelstrom and Odyssey. A number of smaller systems have picked up on this and it has proved workable and popular.

Combat will remain a global hits system. How many hits a player can take is not yet known.

Zero hits is unconcious, but not dead. Dying still involves a death-count.. but significantly smaller time period than currently in Maelstrom. Maybe only 150 seconds instead of 300!

Damage calls will be largely absent. Only special effects will be called. This makes the damage calls more audible when used, and hopefully makes magic in larger battles finally a workable solution.

Special calls will only be available to combat players a limited number of times per battle. Make them count!

So far, special calls are the predicable types. Stun, Strikedown, Crush, Shatter, Disarm.

One additional special that is implicit rather than called. Impale. Archers in Empire are big and clever. Impale will take you to instant zero hits.

Plate Armour is immune to Impale. Armour is big and clever. Unfortunately.. it's also OC expensive. but there are BIG BIG advantages in Empire to being able to wear heavy armour. There are about 6 different levels of benefit from wearing more and more expensive/heavy armours.
The counter for us of course is the light armoured mage with strikedown (even in plate mail.. asses must hit the floor. Let's see them get up again before the mage mashes them to pulp with a staff after that....)

Shields are useful... shield walls are even more useful... Shields can shrug off some of the nasty calls (Impale, Strikedown, Stun). Put mages with Shatter in second rank...

During one of the inevitable armour-rules threads on Facebook, someone suggested that the role of fighters in Urizen was as big dumb meat shields... I disagreed in the following way:

"I would also like to counteract the suggest that Urizen fighters are meat shields for the Mages. They're not...
They look for the best place and time to hold engagements (as per the Net of the Heavens), they keep back in reserve waiting for the right time/place to influence the battle (as per Poise) and, most importantly, the fighters lead in fights because that is their area of expertise (as per Arete).

To reduce it to a cliche: Urizen fight like a cross between modern Special Operations Forces and Craftworld Eldar."

Does this match people's readings of the wiki and the descriptions of Sentinels?

I think of the Elves from LOTR - fellowship, from the battle at the end of the second age. Look at the Orc charge at the elven line, while the elves wait patently then with a few lighting-fast moves cut the Orc down. That is what I think sentinels are.

Maninblue wrote:

To reduce it to a cliche: Urizen fight like a cross between modern Special Operations Forces and Craftworld Eldar."

Does this match people's readings of the wiki and the descriptions of Sentinels?

I agree. It will be absolutely great if we can ensure that our sentinels are grouped into specialist units, or, if we don't have the numbers then that our sentinels are armed and armoured in the same way, with the same IC skills.

Perhaps GW High Elves are a good inspiration with Lothlern Seaguard (light armour, spears and bows) as our "basic" millita.

Failing that, we could start with elites and have something more like the Swordmasters of Hoeth (light armour + great swords).