Pillage converted to Border
Pillage into a Border Reiver variant means shifting the focus from Viking raids to the Anglo‑Scottish frontier warfare of the 16th–17th centuries. The mechanics (activation, combat, morale, pillaging) stay the same, but troop types, equipment, and special rules need to reflect Border Reiver skirmishing: fast cavalry, ambushes, cattle raids, and fortified bastle houses.
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Border Reiver Warband Rules (adapted from Pillage)
Core Adjustments
- Objectives: Replace “loot/pillage” with cattle, horses, or household goods.
- Terrain: Bastle houses, peel towers, farmsteads, and rough moorland.
- Morale: Units test morale when losing 25% casualties, same as Pillage.
- Activation: Alternate unit activations, but cavalry may “ride through” enemy zones if they pass a control check.
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Troop Types & Stats
| Unit Type | Models | Weapons / Gear | Attack Dice | Defense | Wounds | Special Rules / Traits | Points |
|------------------|--------|-
| Reiver Captain | 1 | Sword, pistol, light armor | 3 dice (melee) / 1 die (pistol) | 4+ | 2 | Command radius +1 morale, may rally cavalry | 100 |
| Moss Troopers (Light Cavalry) | 4 | Lance, sword, light armor | 2 dice (charge), 1 die (melee) | 5+ | 1 | Ride Through (may disengage without penalty) | 120 |
| Footmen (Border Levies) | 8 | Spear + buckler | 1 die each | 5+ | 1 | Shieldwall (reroll 1 defense die if ranked) | 80 |
| Steel Bonnets (Veteran Raiders) | 6 | Sword + pistol | 2 dice (melee), 1 die (pistol) | 4+ | 1 | Ambush (deploy hidden, strike with +1 attack first round) | 120 |
| Archers (Retainers) | 6 | Bow, light armor | 1 die (range) | 6+ | 1 | Volley fire (reroll 1 miss if whole unit shoots) | 60 |
| Cattle Rustlers | 3 | Daggers, ropes | 1 die each | 6+ | 1 | Rustle (may seize livestock objectives faster, +2 to pillage rolls) | 40 |
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Scenario Hooks
- Cattle Raid: Steal livestock markers and drive them off the board.
- Bastle Defense: Defenders hold a fortified house while attackers try to burn or loot.
- Ambush on the Moor: Cavalry attempt to intercept raiders before they cross the border.
- Night Raid: Reduced visibility, ambush rules emphasized.
Key Differences from Vikings
- Cavalry focus: Moss Troopers and Steel Bonnets add mobility and firearms.
- Objectives: More about livestock and property than monasteries or treasure.
- Ambush mechanics: Hidden deployment and surprise attacks reflect Border Reiver t8actics.
- Weapons: Pistols and swords replace axes and Dane axes, but bows remain common.
Perfect — let’s expand your Border Reiver conversion to include the heavier troop types and weapons that were common in late 16th–17th century skirmishes. These additions give you the option to run raids that feel more like small‑scale battles, with firearms and polearms alongside the raiding cavalry.
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Further New Troop Types for Border Reivers
| Unit Type | Models | Weapons / Gear | Attack Dice | Defense | Wounds | Special Rules / Traits | Points |
|------------------|--------|-
| Musketeers | 6 | Matchlock musket, light armor | 1 die (range, high damage) | 6+ | 1 | Reload (must spend 1 action to reload after firing), +1 attack die if firing in volley | 80 |
| Pikemen | 8 | Pike, light armor | 1 die each (reach) | 5+ | 1 | Reach (fight from second rank), Hold Line (enemy cavalry suffer –1 attack when charging) | 90 |
| Halberdiers | 6 | Halberd, medium armor | 2 dice each | 4+ | 1 | Versatile (may fight cavalry or infantry equally), Push Back (on a hit, force enemy back 1”) | 100 |
| Border Captain (Heavy) | 1 | Halberd or sword, pistol, breastplate | 3 dice (melee), 1 die (pistol) | 3+ | 2 | Command aura, Rally (may remove shaken from one unit per turn) | 120 |
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Tactical Roles
- Musketeers: Long‑range punch, but slow rate of fire. Best used in cover or behind pikemen.
- Pikemen: Defensive backbone — ideal for protecting objectives or anchoring infantry lines against cavalry.
- Halberdiers: Aggressive shock infantry, able to break formations and counter armored foes.
- Heavy Captain: A sturdier leader option compared to the lighter Reiver Captain, suited for set‑piece fights.
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Scenario Integration
- Cattle Raid with Firearms: Musketeers covering retreating rustlers.
- Border Skirmish: Pikemen hold a ford or bridge while cavalry attempt flanking maneuvers.
- Tower Assault: Halberdiers storm bastle house doors, supported by musketeers firing into windows.
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Conversion Notes
- Keep the activation/morale system identical to Pillage — just swap weapon stats.
- Firearms add a reload mechanic, slowing pace but increasing lethality.
- Polearms (pike/halberd) emphasize formation play, contrasting with the loose raiding style of cavalry.
- This mix lets you run Reiver raids as skirmishes or escalate into proto‑pike‑and‑shot battles.
Elaborating on gunpowder weapons. These mechanics keep the skirmish feel but add the flavour of pistols, muskets, and even small field pieces like falconets or light cannon.
Gunpowder Weapon Rules
Pistols
- Range: Short (6–8”)
- Attack Dice: 1 die per shot
- Reload: May fire every turn (assume quick reload), but only once per activation.
- Special:
- Close Shot: If fired at point‑blank (base contact), gain +1 attack die before melee.
- Sidearm: Can be used in melee as an extra die once per combat.
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Muskets
- Range: Long (up to 24”)
- Attack Dice: 1 die per shot, but high damage (counts as 2 hits if successful).
- Reload: Must spend 1 full action to reload before firing again.
- Special:
- Volley Fire: If 3+ musketeers fire together, add +1 die to the group attack.
- Smoke & Noise: Any unit fired upon must test morale if it takes casualties.
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Cannon (Falconet / Light Field Gun)
- Range: Very Long (36”+)
- Attack Dice: 3 dice per shot
- Reload: Requires 2 actions (crew must spend a full turn reloading).
- Damage: Each hit removes 2 models (or inflicts 2 wounds on multi‑wound targets).
- Special:
- Crewed Weapon: Needs 3+ crew models to operate.
- Blast: Units within 2” of the target also test morale.
- Siege Use: Against buildings, cannon inflict double damage.
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General Gunpowder Rules
- Misfire: On a natural roll of 1, the weapon misfires — no damage, must spend 1 action to clear.
- Cover: Muskets and cannon ignore light cover, but heavy stone walls still provide defense bonuses.
- Morale Impact: Gunpowder weapons cause extra morale checks — they’re loud, shocking, and deadly compared to bows.
-Scenario Integration
- Raid with Firearms: Musketeers covering cattle rustlers.
- Tower Defense: Cannon used to batter bastle house doors.
- Ambush: Pistols fired at close range before cavalry
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