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Westeros Battle Tournament 8

Bright Blue Eyes

By Bright Blue Eyes,
in Forum Games

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Bright Blue Eyes Council Member

Bright Blue Eyes

Posted
Posted

Welcome to the Eighth Edition of the Westeros Battle Tournament!

 

   1. First, a brief overview of the game:
 
   Each player will represent one of the Seven Kingdoms (plus the Crownlands) and will get the opportunity to build an army and choose their general. The players will be drawn against each other in a three-phased knockout tournament (Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and a Final). They will then be assigned a battlefield, get to deploy their army, and finally get a peek at the opposing army's disposition, before devising a battle plan. Three judges will look at the armies, their generals, the deployments and the battle plans, and select a winner, who will then proceed to the next round.
 
   The 8 kingdoms/regions are The North, The Riverlands, The Westerlands, The Vale, The Crownlands, The Stormlands, The Reach and Dorne. The army of each kingdom has different characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, based (as much as possible) on the ASoIaF books - although some changes have been made to "even things up". Each army has 6 standard troop types (Heavy Cavalry, Light Cavalry, Crossbowmen, Infantry, Pikemen and Archers), with different skill scores and numbers; as well as one special unit, unique for each Kingdom. Those will be explained in detail further down this post.
 
   Each player can select up to 12 troop units to form their army in any way they see fit.
 
   Each player will get to select a general, who comes with a Command unit of 250 knights. Each Kingdom has two generals available (all of them - characters from the books), who have different characteristics. There is a "cautious" general and an "aggresive" general for each Kingdom. This can dramatically alter the way the battle goes. Cautious generals are more likely to successfully carry out defensive strategies and counter the enemy's attacks, but are less likely to succeed with offensive maneuvers (especially if the enemy is prepared for them). An aggresive general is the opposite of that - his attacks will be more likely to succeed (especially if his opponent doesn't suspect or hasn't prepared for them). On the other hand, if he's unprepared for an enemy attack, his chances of repelling it are lower.
 
   While the selection of a general and troop units is important, the key to success is the battle strategy (the Battle Plan, as we call it). It doesn't need to be an essay, it just needs to give an overview of how your army will fight the battle. What units of yours will go on the attack? What units will be used in a defensive capacity? Which of your enemy's units will you target? How do you expect the enemy to attack you and how will you defend against this and counter attack? So on and so forth...
 
 
   2. Participants in the game:
 
   The Players:
 
   There will be 8 players.  We presently need to fill 8 player slots.

   If you want to play, post (in this thread) a number between 1 and 1000 and say you want to participate. After you do that, send me a PM listing your preferences for a Kingdom, in a descending order from 1 to 8, with 1 being most-preferred.  After all 8 spots have been claimed, I will generate a random number and the player closest to that number will get their first pick. After that the next closest person will get their number 1 choice - unless it's the same as the first person's, in which case they'll get their number 2. That process will be repeated until every player has a Kingdom.
   After all the contestants have a Kingdom, we move on to the draw for the Quarter finals.
 
   The Judges:
 
   There will be 3 or 5 Judges for each battle, depending on participation. If 5 judges are enlisted, then we will have 2 teams of judges for the quarter- and semi-finals to speed up results, and all 5 judges will judge the final.  Most likely we will have 3 judges.
 
The Judges are:

- Bright Blue Eyes

-

-

-

-

NOTE: Obviously, I need some judges. 
 
 
   3. Overview of the armies:
 
   Each army has one general, who comes with a cavalry unit of 250 of his chosen knights, all of them with a score of 12.
 
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   THE NORTH
 
Generals: Ned Stark (cautious), Robb Stark (aggresive)
 
Unit - Score (number of men)
Infantry - 9 (900)
Pikemen - 9 (900)
Archers - 6 (900)
Heavy Cavalry - 6 (500)

Light Cavalry - 9 (500)

Crossbowmen - 6 (900)
 
   Special unit - Crannogmen (1000) - A guerilla unit, whose speciality is the surprise attack. The enemy won't be able to see them during the initial deployment stage, no matter where they're placed on the field. While their lightning-fast attacks can be devastating, they're not cut out for the grinding-down nature of pitched battles.
 
   The North has a reputation for producing tough and reliable men, loyal to the Starks. As such, that loyalty is hard to break on the battlefield. The Northern army has great morale and won't rout when the going gets tough. Although it has a large population, troops are notoriously difficult to mobilize and this affects the number of men the Starks can put in the field. While their soldiers are as hard as they come, the North's unwillingness to embrace chivalry means that their archers and cavalry are weaker than other kingdoms'.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
   THE RIVERLANDS
 
Generals: Brynden Tully (cautious), Edmure Tully (aggresive)
 
Unit - score (number of men)
Infantry - 7 (950)
Pikemen - 8 (950)
Archers - 8 (950)
Heavy Cavalry - 7 (500)
Light Cavalry - 8 (500)

Crossbowmen - 7 (950)

 
   Special unit - Brotherhood without Banners (1000) - A guerilla unit, like the Crannogmen, their speciality is the surprise attack. The enemy won't be able to see them during the initial deployment stage, no matter where they're placed on the field. While their lightning-fast attacks can be devastating, they're not cut out for the grinding-down nature of pitched battles.
 
   The Riverlands army is a well-rounded one, with no glaring strengths or weaknesses. Decent numbers, decent morale, and solid (if unspectacular) troops across all unit types.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
   THE WESTERLANDS
 
Generals: Tywin Lannister (cautious), Jaime Lannister (aggresive)
 
Unit - score (number of men)
Infantry - 8 (1000)
Pikemen - 7 (1000)
Archers - 7 (1000)
Heavy Cavalry - 8 (500)

Light Cavalry - 6 (500)

Crossbowmen - 9 (1000)
 
   Special unit - The Brave Companions - 10 (1000) - The Lannisters have the cash to hire 1000 men from this sellsword company. As an infantry unit, their skill and experience is unmatched by the run-of-the-mill Westerosi infantry. However, they have no loyalty and care only about their reputation and getting paid. If the battle's going your way, that's fine. However, if the tide turns against you, these cut-throats will turn-tail and run away.
 
   The Westerlands can put a large army in the field. The Lannisters can afford good armor and weapons and breed fine horses - and as such, their troops are of a pretty high standard. Their main weakness is the loyalty of the men. The Lannisters have a vicious streak and with lunatics like Gregor Clegane and Vargo Hoat involved, they don't inspire the same loyalty and troop morale as the Starks of the North do.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
   THE VALE
 
Generals: Jon Arryn (cautious), Yohn Royce (aggresive)
 
Unit - score (number of men)
Infantry - 6 (950)
Pikemen - 7 (950)
Archers - 7 (950)
Heavy Cavalry - 10 (500)

Light Cavalry - 9 (500)

Crossbowmen - 6 (950)
 
   Special unit - Hill Tribes (2000) - The hill tribes are brave and ferocious fighters, but lack the discipline and the weaponry/armor of traditional Westerosi infantry. Used wisely, they can cause fear, panic, and no little damage in the enemy ranks; used unwisely they can be a liability.
 
   The strength of the Vale lies in their knights. Their cavalry units are unparalleled in all of Westeros, except for the knights of The Reach and the Kingsguard. They don't have the largest army, but their troops are fiercely loyal and proud to serve the Arryns.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
   THE CROWNLANDS
 
Generals: Barristan Selmy (cautious), Rhaegar Targaryen (aggresive)
 
Unit - score (number of men)
Infantry - 6 (1000)
Pikemen - 8 (1000)
Archers - 8 (1000)
Heavy Cavalry - 8 (500)

Light Cavalry - 7 (500)

Crossbowmen - 8 (1000)

 
   Special unit - The Crownlands get a choice (you are the King, after all):
   The Gold Cloaks - 1750 - The city watch can be kitted out with spears and used as a large pikemen unit. With little battle experience, they're not individually as good as most other pike units, but their large number does give an advantage. Don't expect them to fight to the bitter end though.
   The Kingsguard - 13 (250) - The legendary knights of the Kingsguard can gather together a small cavalry unit and join the battle. They're few in numbers, but there are no better knights in all the world. These men would rather die than surrender.
 
   The Crownlands has the clout to field a decent-sized army, despite of not being in direct control of a lot of land. Some of their army is made up from the sweepings of Flea Bottom though, so their Infantry and Pikemen lose points. The people of King's Landing have an uneasy relationship with the Iron Throne, so they're not the most committed troops - but the resources of the Crown mean that they have a choice about special units, depending on who they fight and what their strategy is.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
   THE STORMLANDS
 
Generals: Stannis Baratheon (cautious), Robert Baratheon (aggresive)
 
Unit - score (number of men)
Infantry - 8 (1000)
Pikemen - 7 (1000)
Archers - 8 (1000)
Heavy Cavalry - 7 (500)
Light Cavalry - 8 (500)

Crossbowmen - 7 (1000)

   Special unit - The Kingswood Brotherhood (1000) - similar to the BwB and the Crannogmen, the Kingswood Brotherhood is a guerilla unit, whose strength lies in surprise attacks, and whose deployment remains a secret from the enemy during the deployment phase.
 
   The Stormlands are a bit of a jack-of-all-trades force. No major strengths and no major weaknesses.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
   THE REACH
 
Generals: Mace Tyrell (cautious), Loras Tyrell (aggresive)
 
Unit - score (number of men)
Infantry - 7 (1050)
Pikemen - 7 (1050)
Archers - 6 (1050)
Heavy Cavalry - 10 (500)
Light Cavalry - 6 (500)
Crossbowmen - 9 (1050)

   Special unit - The Second Sons - 10 (1000) - like the Lannisters, the Tyrells are loaded and can hire this sellsword company if they choose. Like all sellsword companies, they are extremely good at what they do, but also extremely fickle.
 
   The power of the Tyrells is two-fold: their wealth and their knights. They can afford to put more bodies on the field than any other House and their cavalry and knights, along with those of the Vale, are the best in the land. However, while money can buy you many things, it can't buy you love. The men of the Reach aren't particularly known for having the stomach for a dirty fight. If they face a choice between fighting to the bitter end for their lord and escaping to live another day, many will flee.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
   DORNE
 
Generals: Doran Martell (cautious), Oberyn Martell (aggresive)
 
Unit - score (number of men)
Infantry - 6 (950)
Spearmen - 10 (950)
Archers - 7 (950)
Heavy Cavalry - 7 (500)
Light Cavalry - 9 (500)

Crossbowmen - 6 (950)

   Special unit - The Golden Company - 10 (1250) - A specialist sellsword infantry unit. Like the Brave Companions, they are superior in skill, experience, weaponry and armor to normal Westerosi infantry. However, like all sellswords, they are a bit fickle and won't continue fighting if they think they're about to be wiped out or the battle is about to be lost. Unlike the other two mercenary companies, they have a larger number of men available.
 
   The Dornish are famed for their spearmanship and have the best pikemen units in Westeros - they're deadly and highly mobile. They don't have the largest army and their normal infantry is not as good as most other kingdom's, but they are loyal to the Martells and have higher-than-average morale.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
   4. Some additional rules and regulations.
 
1. The battlefields will be created by me and then randomly assigned to each battle.
2. Each battlefield is a 3x3 km square.
3. The central 500m of the battlefield (on the north-south axis) are a Neutral zone, where no troops may be placed during the initial deployment.
4. Unless otherwise specified, each army will be standardly deployed in the center of the battlefield, on the edge of the Neutral zone.
5. The results of the battles in each phase will be posted simultaneously.
6. Every battle plan must include an attack strategy, even if it is only a single paragraph at the bottom of the main plan. It's perfectly acceptable to have a predominantly defensive strategy, but you also have to come up with some offensive plan. You can't just sit on the battlefield and stare the enemy into submission.
7. The standard armament of the units is as follows:
 - Pikemen - chainmail shirt or partial plate, open-faced helmet, pikes, shortswords
 - Archers - padded jack, open-faced helmet, longbows, swords
 - Infantry - chainmail shirt or partial plate, open-faced helmet, swords or maces, shields
 - Heavy Cavalry - full set of chainmail, plate-and-mail or full plate, visored helmets, lances, swords or maces, shields, horses, barding

- Light Cavalry - Light armor and weapons, riding small, agile, and endurant horses.  Generally breastplate, chainmail hauberks with no shields.  Generally equipped with javelins, bows, or light lances. 

-Crossbowmen - Heavy leather armor and obviously crossbows, with a pavise.  Most effective when in position, vulnerable during movement.  Significantly higher accuracy compared to archers, with a significantly slower reload and fire rate.

8. You can customize the equipment or bring additional stuff, to a certain degree. What can be reasonably found in the supply train or easily foraged in the area. If you want to customize further, you have to sacrifice one unit for it.
9. Your troops have 30 minutes to prepare your side of the battlefield. If you wish to have more time, you can sacrifice one unit to increase that to six hours.
 
 
   5. Stages and The Timetable.
 
   Each round (QFs, SFs and Final) has 3 stages. 
 
1. Deployment submission. After I have posted the pairings for the round, the players have 3 days (72 hours) to PM their initial deployment to me. The deployment must contain the name of your chosen general, the number and types of units you've decided to use, their position on the battlefield, any battlefield preparation or unit customization.
 
2. Battle plan submission. After I've received the deployments and posted them, the players have 5 days (120 hours) to PM their battle plan to me.
  
3. Verdict submission. After I've sent out the battle plans to the judges, they have 5 days (120 hours) to PM me their verdicts.
 
   If a player fails to meet the deadline, he/she will be disqualified and his/her opponent will proceed to the next round without fighting (unless a substitute player can be found in a timely manner).
   If a judge fails to meet the deadline, the decision will be posted without his verdict.
 
   Please, do not apply unless you can check the thread and your PM at least once a day for the next month or so.
 
   Also, I would greatly appreciate it if the players put "WBT8 - /Player name/" as the subject of the PM, when they send me their Kingdom preferences.

   And obviously, I need judges.

 

   Also note I am on Central European Summer Time (CEST), so keep that in mind when I mention days of the week or timescales.

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TheCrannogDweller Council Member

TheCrannogDweller

Posted
Posted

Let's get the ball rolling then.

 

I'd like to judge this one, but if we are short on players (and it seems we are), I'll be happy to take both the field and a shot at a third championship.  :cool4:

 

In order to facilitate the process, I'm posting a number and I'll be sending a PM to BBE later today with kingdom preferences.

 

681.

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