Glave

Fantasy Battlefield
Rules

Basic rules
Glave Fantasy battle rules is a basic miniatures rule set that can be
used with any style or type of miniatures. The system uses 6 sided
dice to resolve all combat outcomes. Each player gets a certain
amount of “training points” to train and equip his army with. The
higher the point value, the better trained and more powerful a unit
will be. There are limits to the amount of bonuses and training each
unit can have. A unit can have no more than 30 points of training
total. Also, a unit can only add a maximum of 3 bonus points to
any dice roll. This is to allow balance to the game. Let’s start with
the basic combat sequence.

Combat sequence
After each side has built their army to their satisfaction,
each player should roll a six sided dice(D6) with no
bonuses added to the roll. The player with the higher score
wins the initiative roll and decides whether to activate a
unit first or allow his opponent to start first. Players can
activate as many, or as few individual units or squads as
they like before turning over control to the next player. All
units (individual models) must be activated only once in a
combat round. To activate a unit you can move, and/or
attack, and/or wait. So, for example, each player can take
turns activating one unit at a time or they can activate their
entire army at once before allowing the next player to take
control of the combat round, or any combination in
between. Combat casualties are not removed from the game
until the end of the combat round. Which means that even
if some of your troops are wounded during play, they may
still activate and take their turn before being removed.

Attacking and Defending

Each unit has basic and advanced statistics which we will be going
over later, but to understand how to attack and defend, It isn’t
necessary to get into details at this time. When a unit come within
range of an enemy combatant, It has the option to attack that unit
when It is active. To attack an enemy, you declare which model is
attacking and which one is the defender. Units must attack the
closest enemy unit in range before targeting any others, unless they
have the “pin point accuracy” special ability. After declaring your
target, roll a six sided dice. Next add any attack bonuses that you
may have (weapon, training, terrain, ect.) up to a maximum of 3. If
you are using a template weapon or special ability, follow the rules
for that type of attack. Next the defending player rolls a six sided
dice to defend himself. Then he will add his defensive bonuses
(armor, terrain, special ability, ect.) When the two numbers are
added up. The highest score is the winner of the engagement. If the
attacker wins, the defending unit suffers a wound. If the defender
wins, the his unit has successfully deflected the attack. If the
defender loses and the unit suffers a wound, then he is given a
wound marker. If the wounded unit has not been activated yet, he
may still take his turn as normal until the end of the round. At the
end of the round, and all unit in each army have activated, those
that have been wounded and have no wound points left are
removed from the battlefield. Who goes first at the beginning of
the next combat round is determined by another initiative roll at
the beginning of the next round.
 Terrain Advantages
And Disadvantages
Terrain rule are very easy for this game and you can expand on
them if you want, but here are the basics.
Blocking terrain: blocking terrain consists of hills, walls, rocks,
cliffs, and other impenetrable features that block line of sight and
moving objects. You cannot attack enemies hiding behind blocking
terrain.
Cover terrain: cover terrain consists of objects such as low walls,
fences, stands of trees, bushes, and other simi-penetrable features.
Cover terrain gives a defending unit, that is using It effectively, a
+1 to his defensive roll not to exceed +3 total.
Hills and elevations: Hills and other elevations effect units ability
to engage in combat significantly. Just as It is easier to defend from
covered terrain, It is easier to attack from the top of a hill. So
attackers get a +1 to their attack roll, but they will get -1 to attack
if they are downhill from a defender.
Difficult terrain: Difficult terrain consists of areas that are hard to
travel across such as rubble, plowed fields, rivers and streams, ect.
When unit travel over this type of terrain they must roll a six sided
dice and subtract that amount in inches from the units total
movement. If the total is less than zero, then the model cannot
move this turn.
Now that we have gone over the battlefield conditions, let’s start
Building an army!
 Building an Army
To start building an army, each player has to decide how many
point the army size should be. 100 points is a good starting place
for a skirmish game.
Next we need to recruit troops and get them trained. Train troops
by equipping them with proper armor, weapons and special
abilities. Then build up their basic statistics like health and
movement.
Next, you should decide what type of special war machines you
want for your army, such as Cavalry, Catapults, and Ballista’s.
Finally, you want to place your army on the battle field. Place a
visual barrier between your side and your opponents side of the
table so that each player can deploy his troops in private. Troops
must be set up between the edge of the table and 12” deep. You
may also hold up to 25% (points cost)of your troops in reserve, but
you must declare that you are doing so at the beginning of the
game before the first move is played. Glave is mainly set up as a
backdrop for a medieval setting, but can be easily converted for
modern and sci-fi settings as well. The only difference between the
two is terminology and imagination. So feel free to take “poetic
license” with the building blocks of the rules. You can also use
different scenarios and campaigns as a backdrop for all of your
battles. Capture the flag, or defend the fortress are good scenarios
to try once you have played out a few skirmish games. You can
even recreate you favorite scene from movies, books or TV shows.
Let’s start training some troops!
 Basic troops
Each unit in the Glave system army starts out as a basic
troop. All troops start with the same abilities that all people
would normally have. These are represented as statistics, or
stats.
POINT COST: 5 training points
Everybody starts off with 5 training points. This represents
all the training that average individuals of recruit able age
would have. This is a very cheap cost and would advantage
you to pad your army with basic troops. Now let’s see what
you get for your 5 points.
MOVEMENT: 6”
Six inches is the standard rate of movement the average
person can move in a given amount time (6 seconds) during
the heat of battle. You can increase the distance that troops
can run during their turn by training them in endurance.
The cost is 1 training point for each additional 3 inches of
movement up to a maximum of 12 inches. So the
progression would be 6”, 9”, 12”.
WOUNDS:1
Wounds are the amount of hit’s a person can take before
they are taken out of combat. Wounds are the most useful
stat in the game. Their usefulness is expressed in the
expense of additional point cost. In order to gain an extra
wound for a unit, It costs 5 training points. You can add a
maximum of 2 wounds to an individual for a total of 3
wounds. At this expense, It is wise to reserve these for your
most elite of soldiers.
ARMOR: D6
Basic troops have an innate armor of D6. This means that
even the most basic troop can defend itself against attack
by rolling a six sided dice. We can supplement that by
equipping them with some defensive armor. For the price of
1 training point we can train our unit to effectively use
body armor to give him a +1 bonus to his defensive roll.
For 1 more training point, we can train him to carry a shield
for another +1 armor bonus. The last defensive training
technique we can train for is wearing a proper helmet for 1
training point and +1 armor bonus. That maxes us out for a
total of +3 armor bonus.
ATTACK TYPES AND SPECIAL ABILITIES: Finally, to
finish out our basic troop, we have to train him in some sort
of offensive weaponry! Offensive weaponry is where you
can really get out there and customize your troops. There
are a few free options that come with basic training, or you
can op for more extravagant methods. Each troop can only
have ONE attack type or special ability. So choose wisely.
 Weapons Training and
Development
Due to advancements in weaponry from the medieval time
period and modern to future time periods, some of the rules
will differ slightly for consistency. If rules differ, they will
be noted at the end of each weapon type section.
As you can tell by now, bonuses to your rolls play a crucial
part in this game. Several characteristics will be factored in
to the calculation of roll bonuses for different types of
weapons. You will notice that weapon strength starts out
with a simple D6 roll and can have up to +3 added to this
roll. The following characteristics are what is represented
in these bonuses.
Strength= Axe size, bullet caliber, weapon quality
Rate of fire= fast reload time, auto and semi-auto fire
Skill level of operator= years of training on the weapon
Accuracy= ease of handling, finesse, weight
Armor penetration= armor piercing, anti tank
These characteristics have been boiled down to attack
strength to make the game easier to play. You can
concentrate more on shooting and less on statistics.
Range bonuses are attributed to some of the same factors
( long bow vs. short bow, machine gun vs. sniper rifle).
For instance, a weapon set up as +3 attack with a 6 inch
range would represent a weapon such as a machine gun.
Whereas a weapon with stats like +1 attack with a 12 inch
range would represent a armor piercing sniper rifle. This is
where your imagination can come in and you can custom
build whatever kind of weapon you want.
 Melee weapon
This is the first type of weapon that troops can be equipped
with. This weapon is FREE to train on. It does not cost any
points to assign this weapon type in It’s basic form. In order
to use a melee attack, a soldier must be in “base-to-base”
contact with the enemy. This represents the soldier wielding
a weapon such as a sword, mace, axe, or some other hand
to hand type weapon. These weapons can be upgraded for a
price. You can add one point to your D6 attack roll for a
training point cost of 1 point each, up to a max of +3.
There is a special bonus to engaging the enemy in melee
combat. If you are in base-to-base contact with an enemy
and they attempt to move away from you, this is called
“breaking away”. If an enemy attempts to break away, you
have the opportunity to perform a counter attack on that
unit even if you have already activated. This means you get
a free attack. So lets review:
Attack type: Melee, D6 attack, base-to-base contact
Point cost: free*
Bonuses: up to +3 attack at a point cost of 1 each, max+3
Special ability: free counter attack on break away attempt

Special rule: If you are playing a modern or future setting,

you may equip both free weapon options. But it will cost
you 3 training points to add the second option. Free
weapons are the only options which can be combined.
 Ranged weapons
Ranged weapons are weapons such as bows, crossbows,
and guns. Ranged weapons are also a FREE option to equip
your troops with. In addition to attack power, ranged
weapons have distance statistic. A basic ranged weapon has
an attack power of a standard D6 roll and a range of 6
inches. Like the melee weapons, you can increase the
attack power of your weapon by +1 for a point cost of 1.
You can also increase the range of your weapon by 3 inches
at a point cost of 1 point up to a max range of 12 inches.
The one crucial difference between melee and ranged
attacks is that you CANNOT be in base-to-base contact in
order to perform a ranged attack. If you are in base contact
with any enemy combatant, you CANNOT use your attack
skill and must attempt to “break away”! So lets review the
ranged attack stats.
Attack type: ranged, D6 attack, 6” range
Point cost: free*
Bonuses: up to+3 attack at a point cost of 1 each, +3 inch
range at a point cost of 1 each up to a max of 12”
Special ability: cannot attack when in base-to-base contact
with an enemy

Special rule: If playing a modern or future setting, you may

equip both free options at a point cost of 3 points for the
second ability. Free options are the only options that can be
combined.
 Fire breath/ flame
thrower

This special ability/weapon is the first on that we will be

using a weapon template. A template represents an area of
effect that the ability can attack. In this instance the
template is a cone shaped area 8” long and 4” wide at It’s
furthest most point. If you have played wargames in the
past, you may use any cone shaped template you have
available. If you don’t have a template, you can cut out a
triangular piece of cardboard 8 inches long and 4 inches
wide at one end. From now on will e referred to as a cone
template. Fire breathing is a special ability and take longer
to learn than other attacks. Therefore It will cost more
training points. This is the first special weapon that requires
more training. This option cost 10 training points to equip.
Flame throwers and fire breathers Use a basic D6 attack
and effects all units that are covered or partially covered by
the cone template. Since It is fire, armor cannot protect
against this attack, therefore armor bonuses are ignored.
But since It is fire, you cannot upgrade or add bonuses to
your attack either. So let’s review.
Attack type: flame, D6 attack, cone template
Point cost:10 training points
Bonuses: ignores armor bonuses on attack
Special rules: Uses a cone template for range, cannot be
upgraded.
 Battle mage/Grenade
launcher

This attack type also uses a template, but it is smaller and

round. This attack type uses a 3 inch diameter circle. The
best home made item I have found to represent this is a top
off of a soup can. This unit can attack any number of units
within a 6 inch radius that can fit under the small blast
radius. This unit also has the “pin point accuracy” ability.
Which means that It’s attack template is placed exactly
where the user wants It within range. This ability starts
with a basic D6 attack and can be upgraded by +1 at 3
points each, up to +3 total bonus attack points. You can also
increase It’s range by 3 inches at a time for a cost of 1 point
up to a maximum range of 12 inches. So to review.
Attack type: explosion, small template, D6 attack, 6” range
Point cost: 10 points
Bonuses: +1 attack at 3 points each, max +3; +3” range at 1
point each, Max 12”
Special abilities: pin point accuracy
 Broadsword/shotgun

This next weapon choice would probably be considered an

“In betweener” type weapon choice. The broadsword
allows the wielder to attack multiple targets in a fairly close
range. While this weapon is not considered a ranged
weapon, It can hit targets up to 2 inches away due to It’s
large size. In order to use this weapon, the attacker uses a
“sweeping template”. A sweeping template is used just like
the flame thrower template, but It is much smaller. You can
make a sweeping template by measuring out a right angle
that is 2 inches long on each side. Next use a drawing
compass to connect the two lines and cut out the shape.
You can use cardboard, paper, or thin plastic to make a
good sweeping template. Place the sweeping template to
the front of your attacking model so that the pointed part is
touching base. Any target models that the template partially
covers must make a defensive roll against the attack. The
attacker only makes one attack roll, but the defender rolls
for each model targeted. This weapon option has a point
cost of 5 training points and cannot be upgraded. This is a
well rounded option and is very useful for bodyguards and
close quarters.
So to review.
Attack type: sweeping template, D6 attack roll
Point cost: 5 training points
Bonuses: no bonuses available
Special abilities: Can attack multiple enemies.
 Ice Blast

This weapon option operates very much like the Battle

mage special ability, but instead of doing damage, It causes
the targets to loose their turn. So in order to cast this spell,
you would place a small round template anywhere within 6
inches of the caster and roll an attack roll. Target units are
unable to use any armor bonuses against this attack. On a
successful hit, any targets that failed a defensive roll will
loose their turn and be automatically activated. If the target
unit has already activated this turn, then they will loose
their turn in the next round. This ability can be upgraded as
listed below.
Attack Type: ice blast, small template 6” range
Point cost: 5 training points
Bonuses: +1 attack at 3 points each, max +3; +3” range at 1
point each, Max 12”
Special abilities: pin point accuracy
 Poison cloud

This weapon option uses the cone template just like the
flamethrower choice. But this one has lingering effects.
Any target unit that has It’s base touching the template
when being attacked is poisoned, but is necessarily
wounded. Anyone caught on the receiving end of this attack
must make a defensive roll for the next two rounds until the
gas clears. There are no armor bonuses added to the roll.
On a roll of 3 or less, the unit takes a wound. There are no
upgrades to this weapon option. So let’s review
Attack type: Poison, cone template
Point cost: 10 training points
Bonuses: ignores armor bonuses on attack
Special rules: Uses a cone template for range, cannot be
upgraded.
 Combat Medic

This is a good choice for keeping your high value troops

alive. A combat medic can heal soldiers wounds on the
battlefield and keep them in the game. On a medics turn, he
may target one fallen ally within melee range and attempt a
heal roll. On a result of 5 or 6, that ally is healed for 1
wound point. Please note that he may only heal targets with
no wound points left and cannot “Top Off” heroes with
multiple points left. So lets review
Attack type: healing on a roll of 5 or 6, base to base contact
Point cost: 5 points
Bonuses: none
Special abilities: Resurrect fallen comrades
 Glave

This is the final single unit weapon choice and the

centerpiece of the game. This is the most powerful weapon
in the game and takes the wielder many years to master.
Most Glave wielders start their training from a very young
age and have their weapons specially attuned to them. For
an untrained soldier to attempt to pick up and use a Glave
found on the battlefield would be seriously foolish and
potentially fatal. there are many different types of Glaves
and they are made by most Races and civilizations, but they
all work basically the same way. A Glave is thrown by the
wielder on a circular pattern and is connected to him in a
certain mysterious fashion that outsiders cannot understand.
Glave attack all enemy combatants in close proximity to
the wielder. In order to represent this on the battlefield, we
will use a “Large round template”. Large templates are 5
inches in diameter and are can most easily be made by
using a compact disc or DVD disc. They are the perfect
size. You can also use a large template from another game
system if you like. Any enemy unit with their base in
contact or underneath the template must make a defensive
roll. Unlike most of the other special abilities, this is NOT a
magical spell and therefore defenders MAY use armor
bonuses in their defensive roll. The glave wielder only
makes one attack roll for his turn and can upgrade his
attack power by spending training points. So lets review.
Attack type: Large template,D6 attack roll
Point cost: 15 points
Bonuses: +1 attack for 3 points each, max +3
Special abilities: Large template attack centered around
wielder.

It is pretty simple to equip your miniatures with Glave

weapons. You can simply replace any sword or bow with a
home made Glave weapon. To make a Glave weapon,you
can use many different types of small discs that you
probably already have laying around the house. The easiest
and most common is a simple washer. The lock style
washers look best. Then just paint the new weapon up to
match the rest of your model or army. Below are some
examples and inspirations to get you started on making a
Glave weapon.
Different style
Glaves
Fantasy

Elven
 Orkish

Primitive
Mercenary

Modern
Alien
War machines
This next section will be going over the rules an statistics
for war machines. These are vehicles and units that are not
considered troops. Each machine or cavalry piece behaves
slightly different than regular troops. Vehicles must be
manned by specially trained crew members. Each different
type of equipment has a different sized crew. How many
crew are manned on a machine will determine It’s fighting
capability. The more crew members you loose, the less
effective the machine becomes. War machines also ignore
enemy bases and break away rules. If a war machine
encounters an enemy, the enemy must dodge out of the way
and cannot counter attack if it engages in melee combat.
You cannot use a vehicle as a ramming device to run over
adversaries. We will start with the smallest and work up to
the largest.

Cavalry/ jet bikes

The first mobile equipment we will discuss is cavalry.
Cavalry has been used since the begging of recorded time
and is very effective against infantry. For the purposes of
this game, cavalry is used to get soldiers to the front line
and beyond quickly while still offering some protection. A
cavalry unit carries 1 soldier into battle. They have a
movement speed of 12 inches and ignore enemy bases. This
means you can go through enemy defensive lines and
attack from the rear. If you engage in melee combat you
may also move away from base to base contact without a
break away counter attack penalty. If you suffer a wound
while mounted on a cavalry unit, then the mount runs away
or is rendered inoperable and the soldier must dismount
immediately and end It’s turn. The cost for each cavalry
unit is 10 training points. So let’s review.

Unit type: cavalry/jet bike

Point cost: 10 training points
Movement: 12 inches
Special abilities: Ignores enemy bases and break away
rules.
Wounds: 1 wound point, no upgrades

Ballista/ jeep
This unit has a 2 man crew and a max speed of 6 inches.
One crew member directs the unit and the other fires the
weapon. Unlike regular troops this unit cannot move and
shoot on the same round. If the unit moves, It may not
shoot until the next round of combat. If one of the crew
member is wounded, then the unit may only shoot from It’s
current location. Due to It’s large size a ballista cannot
target enemies in close proximity. It must have a minimum
of 12 inches between It and the target. The trade off is that
this unit has unlimited range. You can shoot clear across the
other side of the battlefield. You may target one enemy
combatant at a time with this weapon. Targets can still use
any cover and terrain rules to their advantage. So what is
this baby gonna cost ya. Well, for what you get, It’s not too
pricey at a cost of 20 training points. Let’s review the stats.

Type: ballista/ wheeled vehicle

Point cost: 20 training points(includes crew)
Movement: 6 inches
Range: min 12 inches, unlimited max range
Crew: 2 driver/ gunner

Catapult/Tank
This is the most damaging weapon in the game. The
catapult has the ability to change the battlefield layout. Like
the Ballista, this unit needs a minimum of 12 inches to fire
and has an unlimited maximum range. Unlike the ballista,
this unit uses the small explosion template. When ever this
unit attacks an enemy, if there is terrain under the template,
the explosion will deteriorate that terrain piece. With each
hit, blocking terrain will become covering terrain, and
covering terrain will become difficult terrain. Any
combatants under the template will make a regular
defensive roll and can take advantage of the terrain in It’s
unaltered state before the attack. Each catapult or tank has
a 3 man crew. A director, a loader, and a launcher. This unit
has a max speed of 6 inches. This unit can either move, or
shoot on It’s turn, but not both. If this unit looses a crew
member, it can no longer move, but can shoot normally. If
the unit is reduced to a single crewman, then It can only
shoot once every other turn. This is because the one
crewmember must spend one round loading the gun. Thhsi
unit will cost 30 points and includes the cost of the crew.
Like with other vehicles It ignores enemy bases and
breakaway rules. Lets review the stats.
Type: Catapult/ Tank
Point cost: 30 training points
Movement: 6 inches
Range: minimum 12”, unlimited max, small template
Crew: 3, driver, loader, launcher
Special abilities. Ignores enemy bases and break away.
Deteriorates terrain features.

Drop pod/
 Helicopter

This option is only available in modern and future

campaigns due to advancements in technology. This is a
pretty fun unit to use but very expensive. As stated in the
rules above, you may hold up to 25% of your troops in
reserve. With this unit, you can deploy those troops
anywhere on the board you wish with a maximum of 6
passengers. The unit has one pilot which comes with the
cost of the pod. The price tag for this bad boy is 40 points.
Once the drop pod is deployed, passengers must use their
activation to disembark the vehicle. You may not fire on the
same combat round that you disembark the vehicle on. This
is also a one way trip. Once the unit has landed the only use
for it is blocking cover for the passengers. So choose
wisely how you orient your troops once on the ground. This
vehicle has NO offensive capabilities. You cannot land on
top of enemy units and “smash” them. Attempting to do so
would crash the vehicle and wound all passengers and
crew. Lets take a look at the stats.
Type: Drop pod/ helicopter
Points: 40 training points
Movement: lands anywhere on the battlefield
Crew: 1 pilot ( non-combatant)
Special abilities: Can be used as blocking terrain after
deployment

Making terrain and

 drop pods
The fun part about making terrain is that you can use
anything and everything to make good terrain. Some people
like to make as cheaply and quickly as possible. And others
like to pay meticulous attention to detail. I am somewhere
in the middle, but lean towards the former. Many time I
will get an idea about a piece of terrain I want to make
while I am at work, and when I get home I build It that
night. Below is a list of suggested items that you can use to
make terrain at no cost, not including tools, paint, and glue.
Straws
Card board
Bottle tops
C.D. spools
Old electronic components from broken stuff
Sand
Food containers(usually snacks)
Moss and Twigs
Foam
Cork (free from nice restaurants)
Fast food containers

Drop pod construction

I built the above drop pod from a big mac box and some
soda tops in a matter of 20 minutes or so. With more time
and care, you can probably make a nicer one, bit this one
does the job just fine. Below I will show you step by step
how to build your own. The purpose of this exercise is to
think outside the box and create something from nothing….
and make a cool space ship.

Step one: conceptualize what you are trying to make.

Step two: gather materials to fabricate your project.
Step three: construct the basic design.
Step four: add color
Step five: add details
Step six: finishing touches
Basic materials

Basic color
Construction

Add details
 Finishing touches
Color highlights, dirt and soot

The end
Thank you very much for reading my game rules. It was a
lot of hard work and my head hurts from all the balancing
issues. Don’t hesitate to adjust the rules to suit your taste,
as long as your opponent agrees on the changes. I hope
everyone has fun with this one and It becomes a hit.
Franz Braatz (Franzyland)