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The Forest Is Vast

A Tribe Against Tribe Scenario Generator

for fights in the Wilderness

By Tim Greene and Trevor Brabyn

I.American Indian Version

Tim’s original system

Divide the table into a grid of squares each 2’ square. Choose what tribe you will use. Dice off to see who will be the “aggressor”. Add Aggression factor for tribe to die roll. Europeans always have an Aggression of 2. High die wins. The defender sets up the terrain. The aggressor gets 4D12 worth of warriors. He can take up to 3D12 extra worth of warriors but each D12 worth costs him 5 victory points. The defender gets 3D12 worth of warriors and may have random reinforcements. Europeans may choose to take one of the following: Indian allies (treat as a separate war party) or a unit of friendly Indian scouts (no more than 6 figures) or no Indians at all. Each figure armed with a matchlock musket, or a shield, or steel weapons, or wearing armor chosen counts as 2 figures. Each figure with a firelock musket or shield/armor and steel weapons chosen counts as 3 figures. Each figure with armor and a shield, steel weapons, or musket chosen counts as 4 figures. There should be 1 leader figure for every 8-12 figures chosen or a minimum of 1 leader in a force. Any additional leaders are counted as assistants. After forces have been chosen, the defender secretly writes down which square his war party is occupying at start of game. Europeans can split their units up among different squares if defending. The defender will not move his force until the aggressor enters a square his figures occupy. He will manipulate any forces that appear on the table below. Once his occupied square has been entered, the defender may move out of it and around the table like the attacker. If he enters a previously un-entered square he rolls a D12 and consults the table below. The aggressor chooses a grid square on any table edge to start on. The aggressor moves onto the table from that edge rolling a D12 each time he enters a new grid square and consults the following table:

  1. path through forest
  2. bad medicine, go back one square (if playing solitaire encounter defender’s force in the square you back into)
  3. open terrain (on a further roll of 11-12 there is a party of 1D12 trappers/couriers or Indians of a neutral tribe (as players choose) encamped in the square. The war-party may ignore or attack them..)
  4. moose (or buffalo if further West) herd. May stop and hunt; +1 victory point per moose/buffalo killed and butchered (as per scalping). (in solitaire games 50% chance defender’s war party is hidden in ambush in this square; use odd-even or other random method to determine).
  5. open terrain
  6. encounter enemy war party of 3D12 worth of figures
  7. open terrain (on a further roll of 11-12 there is a lone settler cabin or hunting camp of Indians of a neutral tribe[as players choose] with 1D12 of settlers or natives in the square. The war party may attack or ignore them as it chooses).
  8. encounter 1D12 worth of enemy hunters and 2D12 worth of enemy villagers hunting moose or buffalo +2 victory points to the enemy for each buffalo killed and butchered (squaws may do butchering).
  9. enemy camp/or fortified town or European settlement with palisade [as players decide] visible 1 square further on. Camp/town has 2D12 worth of villagers and 1D12 worth of warriors. They can’t do anything until they spot you.
  10. open terrain
  11. open terrain (on a further roll of 10-12 there is a party of 1D12 enemy squaws and old people gathering berries. If the war-party entering the square is the defender’s this changes to 1D12 novices of the aggressors war party guarding the warrior’s effects.)
  12. bad medicine, go back 1 square (if playing solitaire encounter defender’s force in the square you back into)

Special Rules: These rules supersede any provisions in the main body of the Rules which may contradict them. Figures entering a new square must halt (keep track of their remaining movement) and roll a D12 to see what is in the square. If anything is, the figures entering the square immediately roll to spot. If successful, figures can react as they like to the figures discovered in the square. If not, they may continue moving but must act as if figures discovered in the square are not present. During the opponent’s turn he may manipulate the figures in the square and must try to spot the enemy player’s figures before reacting to them (unless they have already made their presence known in some way). If his own force is in the square entered he may say they are in ambush. It is generally assumed that figures may not see beyond the square they are currently occupying unless they pass a spotting check. Nor may they see into a square none of their force has yet entered. In solitaire games, player is always the aggressor. Defender is run randomly using the control checks for all figures in the defender’s force. Treat “do as nearest leader desires as a “charge” result on an even roll, “fire at nearest figures” on an odd one.

Scalping:

Figures who kill an opponent in melee may scalp them by remaining by the body for an entire turn and doing nothing besides defending themselves if attacked. If they are not killed or driven off they have taken the scalp of the dead figure.

Victory: Indians get +1 victory points for each enemy killed. They get +2 victory points for every scalp taken (enemy killed in hand to hand combat or shot and their body falls into other tribe’s hands). They get +3 victory points for each captive taken and held by game’s end. If they capture the enemy principal leader they get +10 victory points. A subordinate leader’s capture is worth +5 victory points. They get +5 victory points if they locate, capture, and loot an enemy/neutral camp. They get +10 victory points if they locate, storm, and burn the enemy town. . For Europeans each enemy killed is +5 victory points. Each scalp taken (see above) is +2 victory points. Each captive taken is +1 victory point. If the Indian’s camp is destroyed +5 victory points. If the Indian’s town is destroyed +10 victory points. Each man lost for Europeans is –5 victory points (Indian allies/scouts don’t count). Add any Victory Points gained or lost from game set up or random events. Player with the highest total wins. Tote up allied war parties’ points separately. Captives taken by the aggressors must be escorted off the table edge they entered on to count for victory.

5 Nations Iroquois: (Aggression 4) May have palisaded towns. Should have many figures armed with muskets (half the party would not be unusual).

Hurons, Neutrals, Tobbacco Nation: (Aggression 2) May have palisaded towns. Many of their warriors would wear wooden armor (count as armored). They had few muskets.

Eries: (Aggression 3) May have palisaded towns. Did not like muskets, maximum of 10% may have muskets. Used poisoned arrows and rod and slat armor.

Algonkins, Montagnais, Abenaki, Passamoqoddy: (Aggression 1) May not have palisaded towns. Excellent woodsmen, give them an extra D6 when moving in woods or forest. Few guns, armor rare. Many should have steel weapons due to trade with the French.

Lenni-Lenape, Delawares, Three Fires Confederacy (Ottawa, Ojibwa, Mascouten): (Aggression 2) Palisaded towns rare. 50% chance town is unfortified. Excellent woodsmen, get extra D6 moving in woods or forest. Guns and armor rare. Many should have steel weapons due to trade with the French.

Pequots, Mohicans, Narragansetts, Nanticokes, Wampanoags: (Aggression 3) May have palisaded towns. Excellent woodsmen, get extra D6 moving in woods or forest. Armor and guns rare.

Illini: (Aggression 2) May not have palisaded towns. Well organized, leaders get an extra D6 for control. Armor not used. Guns rare. Steel weapons rare.

Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks: (Aggression 3) May have palisaded towns. Well organized, leaders get an extra D6 for control. Armor not used. Guns rare.

II. Maori Version

Modifications by Trevor Brabyn

Divide the table into a grid of squares each 2’ square. Choose what tribe you will use. Dice off to see who will be the “aggressor”. Add Aggression factor for tribe to die roll. Europeans always have an Aggression of 2. High die wins. The defender sets up the terrain. The aggressor gets 4D12 worth of warriors. He can take up to 3D12 extra worth of warriors but each D12 worth costs him 5 victory points. The defender gets 3D12 worth of warriors and may have random reinforcements. Europeans may choose to take one of the following: Maori allies (treat as a separate hapu) or a unit of friendly Maori scouts (no more than 6 figures) or no Maoris at all. Each figure armed with a musket and steel weapons chosen counts as 3 figures. There should be 1 leader figure for every 8-12 figures chosen or a minimum of 1 leader in a force. Any additional leaders are counted as assistants. After forces have been chosen, the defender secretly writes down which square his hapu is occupying at start of game. Europeans can split their units up among different squares if defending. The defender will not move his force until the aggressor enters a square his figures occupy. He will manipulate any forces that appear on the table below. Once his occupied square has been entered, the defender may move out of it and around the table like the attacker. If he enters a previously un-entered square he rolls a D12 and consults the table below. The aggressor chooses a grid square on any table edge to start on. The aggressor moves onto the table from that edge rolling a D12 each time he enters a new grid square and consults the following table:

  1. path through forest
  2. bad omens, go back one square (if playing solitaire encounter defender’s force in the square you back into)
  3. open terrain (on a further roll of 11-12 there is a party of 1D12 trappers/couriers or Maoris of a neutral tribe (as players choose) encamped in the square. The war-party may ignore or attack them..)
  4. plentiful fern root (in solitaire games 50% chance defender’s hapu is hidden in ambush in this square; use odd-even or other random method to determine).
  5. open terrain
  6. encounter enemy war party of 3D12 worth of figures
  7. open terrain (on a further roll of 11-12 there is a lone settler cabin or small grouping of huts owned by Maoris of a neutral tribe[as players choose] with 1D12 of settlers or natives in the square. The war party may attack or ignore them as it chooses).
  8. Crops. Encounter 1D12 worth of enemy men and 2D12 of villagers carrying baskets of provisions en route to a place of safety in anticipation of a siege. The enemy gets +2 points for every one of the villagers who makes it off his or her edge of the table.
  9. enemy camp/or fortified town or European settlement with palisade [as players decide] visible 1 square further on. Camp/town has 2D12 worth of villagers and 1D12 worth of warriors. They can’t do anything until they spot you.
  10. open terrain
  11. open terrain (on a further roll of 10-12 there is a party of 1D12 enemy squaws and old people gathering berries. If the war-party entering the square is the defender’s this changes to 1D12 novices of the aggressors war party guarding the warrior’s effects.)
  12. Clearing with a frightening, spectacular tapu place, nobody may enter the square – back up one square (if playing solitaire encounter defender’s force in the square you back into). It could be the scene of an ancient massacre or some natural wonder, for example.

Special Rules:

These rules supersede any provisions in the main body of the Rules which may contradict them.

Command dice scores are halved and rounded down to accommodate smaller numbers of figures.

New projectile weapon ranges to fit the squares:

WeaponShortLong

Thrown tomahawk--4”

Maori Darts/Throwing Spears --6”

Short Bows9”15”

Muskets, rifles12”24”

Shotguns4”12”

Figures entering a new square must halt (keep track of their remaining movement) and roll a D12 to see what is in the square. If anything is, the figures entering the square immediately roll to spot. If successful, figures can react as they like to the figures discovered in the square. If not, they may continue moving but must act as if figures discovered in the square are not present. During the opponent’s turn he may manipulate the figures in the square and must try to spot the enemy player’s figures before reacting to them (unless they have already made their presence known in some way). If his own force is in the square entered he may say they are in ambush. It is generally assumed that figures may not see beyond the square they are currently occupying unless they pass a spotting check. Nor may they see into a square none of their force has yet entered. In solitaire games, player is always the aggressor. Defender is run randomly using the control checks for all figures in the defender’s force. Treat “do as nearest leader desires as a “charge” result on an even roll, “fire at nearest figures” on an odd one.

Victory: Maoris get +2 victory points for each enemy killed. They get +4 for each enemy killed whose body is in their possession by the game’s end (A bloke’s gotta eat!). If they kill and have the body of the enemy principal leader they get +10 victory points. If they kill and have the body of the enemy subordinate leader they get +5 victory points. They get +5 victory points if they locate, capture, and loot an enemy/neutral camp. They get +10 victory points if they locate, storm, and burn the enemy town.

For Europeans each enemy killed is +5 victory points. If the Maori’s camp is destroyed +5 victory points. If the Maori’s town is destroyed +10 victory points. Each man lost for Europeans is –5 victory points (Maori allies/scouts don’t count). Add any Victory Points gained or lost from game set up or random events. Player with the highest total wins. Total up allied war parties’ points separately. Enemy bodies recovered by the aggressors must be carried off the table edge they entered on by one figure per body to count for victory.

Intertribal Wars pre-1840:

Nga Puhi 1818-1828, Ngati Toa 1819-1831: (Aggression 4)

Palisaded towns -- 75% chance of it having earthworksor natural obstacles as well. Should have many figures armed with muskets (a third or a half of the party would not be unusual). Well organized, leaders get an extra D6 for control. If outside the dates listed, treat as Waikato, Ngati Maniapoto, etc.

Ngati Maru (Waikato), Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Pouru, Ngati Hau (Whanganui), Ngati Ruanui, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Awa, Te Ati Awa, Ngati Maru, Ngati Hinganga, Nga Potiki (Tuhoe): (Aggression 3)

Palisaded towns -- 75% chance of it having earthworks as well. Should have some figures armed with muskets from the late 1820s on (a third of the party would not be unusual at this late date).

Other North Island Tribes: (Aggression 2)

Palisaded towns -- 50% chance of it having earthworks as well. Excellent woodsmen, get extra D6 moving in woods or forest. Muskets were rare; a maximum of 10% may have muskets.

South Island Tribes and Moriori: (Aggression 1)

Few fortified towns -- 33% chance their town is palisaded. No earthworks are allowed. No muskets. Always on their own lands, so they get extra D6 moving in all rough ground for knowing the country. Moriori on the Chathams may have no canoes.