About
In all the Holds of Men, one is first among equals. . . Hawkshold.
No feudal duke, nor Elven prince, nor Dwarven lord marches to war without knowing how Hawkshold will respond. The Grand Duke of Hawkshold can field legions of brave knights, trained soldiers, and ruthless mercenaries.
The Men of Hawkshold is the first reprint of the award-winning Battleground Fantasy Warfare system, written by Robert Doughtery, Chad Ellis, and Darwin Kastle.
Battleground Fantasy Warfare is a miniatures game — only without the miniatures! Units are represented by cards portraying the warriors and their characteristics. Each player builds their army, deploy their units, and assigns them orders. Once the battle begins, each player only has a limited ability to command their army. The player with the better plan can use their commands to inspire or enchant their units in combat.
Quick to set up, easy to store, Battleground is a game that can be played at your kitchen table and carried in your pocket. And yet Battleground is a deeply tactical game, where maneuver and marshaling your limited command resources are the keys to victory.
The ancient alliance that binds together the Holds of Men was built around Hawkshold. When Orc invasion or outbreaks of necromancy threaten the lands, Hawkshold's armies mobilize. Yet the kingdom finds itself stretched thin, unable to meet all of its obligations.
The newly crowned Grand Duke has instituted sweeping reforms to replace the feudal army with a standing, professional force. In the meantime he has recruited mercenaries all across the realm, from the mountainous highlands to the coastal cities. The young Duke is transforming his realm at every level so that Hawkshold retains its primacy.
Hawkshold is a disciplined, combined arms faction. It has the flexibility to field a variety of armies. Your Spearmen can be a redoubt for a strike wing of Lancers. Or they can be the rampart protecting the Longbowmen who rain destruction upon your enemy. Or your Lancers can form the core a rapid attack force alongside Knights and Scout Cavalry.
The Hawkshold faction is composed to 12 distinct units:
- Swordsmen
- Spearmen
- Militia
- Bowmen
- Lancers
- Great Swordsmen
- Peasant Mob
- Scout Cavalry
- Communal Pikemen
- Knights
- Dismounted Knights
- Longwbomen
It also includes a deck of 30 Command Cards, which represent tactical ploys, acts of heroism, or mystical influences. These cards are drawn during the game and can be played on your units. Ten of these Command Cards are unique to the faction, representing Hawkshold's use of training and complex formations.
The faction also includes two special abilities, detailed on reminder cards. The Bravery ability instills your units with courage to face whatever foe comes their way. The Strategic Insight ability lets them draw additional Command Cards before the game, representing the faction's diligent training.
Included in the box is also a set of Quick Start Rules, designed to get you playing Battleground immediately. Also included is a Rulebook featuring the full set of Battleground rules.
Battleground Fantasy Warfare is a two-player (or two-side, if multiple players want to ally) tactical game. Before the game, you build an army from the units in your faction. Units have points cost and the total cost of all units can't exceed the maximum points for each side. A standard game is 2,000 points per side.
After assembling their armies, you will deploy your units and assign them Standing Orders. You can give a unit the order to run forward and kill the enemy, or tell the unit to advance to the top of a hill and hold position, or concentrate fire on the giant monster on the flank.
Once a unit has been given a Standing Order, the unit keeps the order until you change it. Every turn you will get a number of Command Actions that can be used to change a unit's order. In a standard game you will have 4 Command Actions and between 6-10 units. Seldom will you have enough Command Actions to do everything you want, so the key to victory is a solid plan and wise use of this limited resource.
You can also spend Command Actions on your faction's special ability or to draw Command Cards, which represent strategic ploys, acts of heroism, or magical effects. In this way Battleground rewards the player with the better strategy.
Once combat begins, you will roll dice to determine hits and wounds between the units. The target number needed depends on your unit's stats and those of the enemy it is attacking. All stats are written right on the unit card and as damage is inflicted, you will mark off damage boxes on the unit.
Taking damage can cause a unit to rout and once its last box is marked, the unit is destroyed. Once you have destroyed or routed a little more than half of your opponent's army, you win!
To learn more about how to play, click here for our Quick Start Rules!
What others are saying about Battleground:
"Every once in a while, a game comes out with which I have the reaction, "Why didn't anyone else think of this before?". . . the rules are excellent - the Command Action system is one of the best I've ever seen" - Tom Vasel, in his very first review of Battleground Fantasy Warfare.
(And he still loves Battleground!)
"Good, solid rules, attractive cards, reasonably quick games, and best of all, it won't cost you a car payment to buy all that metal." -Drake's Flames
"When you play, you really get the feeling of being a general and guiding your forces on the battlefield." -Hand Cannon Online
As part of this campaign we're offering Kickstarter-exclusive deals on our entire product line! Get an entire fantasy faction for $20 (MSRP $30) and give Hawkshold some enemies to battle! You can also order additional copies of the Men of Hawkshold by including them as add-ons.
If you're unsure which faction you might like, click on the image to be taken to our website for faction overviews.
Our Battleground Historical Warfare sets are available as well! Historical factions are fully compatible with fantasy factions. See if the Roman legion can throw back the Orc hordes or if Alexander could topple Hawkshold!
Also available only through this Kickstarter is the promotional Ancient Blue Dragon unit. This card will not enter distribution from us and this is one of the only chances to get it!
Finally, this is a perfect opportunity to try out our other games: The Battle for Hill 218 or The Battle for Sector 219. These stand-alone games are fast to play but possess a depth of strategy that will have you playing again and again.
Thank You to all of our supporters and everyone who helped make the Men of Hawkshold possible! We hope this is but the first many new releases for Battleground Fantasy Warfare and Your Move Games!
Follow out progress on Kicktraq!
Risks and challenges
Every first project is a learning experience filled with unforeseen challenges. This is why we are working with industry experts to make this Kickstarter a success. We have partnered with PledgeManager for our post-campaign management and have contracted with a fulfillment company.
We will be printing in China, and many times overseas shipping can be a source of delays. However we will be working through an established tabletop game manufacturer.
Finally we've tried to give ourselves a generous timeline for delivery, for when that unknown obstacle crops up. That said, our estimate is just that: an estimate. If there is an issue that affects quality, we would rather you have the best product possible. However we will do everything in our power to get your pledge to you on time.
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