Trying a 6e Battle converted from 5e for the GPC Battle of Mearcred Creek

[pduggan]

Seeking advice: So 6e has changed the battle system significantly I think, and since i'm just starting the GPC I wanted to try using it for the first battle, the battle of Mercred Creek. I've also never run a Battle before but I've run Pendragon 3e and 4e some many years ago.

The Original SetupPlayer’s Unit Size: 7 + player knights
Unit Commander’s Battle Skill: 19
Length of Battle: 5 rounds
Battle Size: Medium (2K-5k)

Commanders
King Uther (Battle = 19)
Ælle (Battle = 17)

Modifiers
Uther has superior troops: +5
After the Battle
Victor: None
Plunder: None.

Glory: 30 per round.

Question: what does Uther’s Superior Troops do for the 5e battle and what would it do for the 6e battle?

My understanding is for each round I roll on the Battle Enemy Table to get the opponents the Knights group will face. Each one gets one opponent, whether its a Ceorl with a spear or a Berserker. This seems to be changed in 6e where some weak enemies explicitly have 3x the numbers compared to the Knights. So there is a fair amount of risk of changing the balance of the battle enemies. But also, the PKs seem to get more choice of enemies depending on Battle rolls.

The other difference is that in 6e you typically fight 2 rounds against your foe, whereas in 5e each of the Battle Rounds is one round of melee. So if I have the 6e Max Battle turns = 8 then there will be way more rounds of combat than in a 5e battle. I will set the length to 4 Battle Turns.

Am I correct that a third difference is that the battle round fight doesn’t roll a full combat with damage to the foe, etc, but a simple weapon skill check vs the enemy?

I need to decide “intensity” for the battle. Since this determines how likely it is that the PKs will get choice of opponent I suspect I will pick “10”

For this experiment I think I will have
2 Ceorls for every knight. Four “cards” with choice of
Greatspear, Spear, Bow, Javinilers

Small Heorthgeneat contingent = 1 per knight.
armed with greatspear 1 card,
Armed with sword and spear 1 card,
Armed with Bow 1 card. 

Veteran Heorthgeneat Warrirors 2 per as per the included "Saxon Warrior" battle card. Will use the Sheild Wall Tactic, since it looks interesting. No ransom

Mounted Heorthgeneat 1 per. Ransomable?

Berserker, no ransom.

Small Giant only as an Opportunity. Will use the Capture Banner, Rally Division, and Fight Commander Opportunity cards.

Reading the Battle Table and trying to understand the comment about Thegn leaders I understand now that in a 5e battle you get PK# opponents for the knights but one of them counts as a Thegn instead of a Heorthgeneat. Poor, I will assume if dismounted and Landed if mounted?

Should the Landed also accept ransom? But why since these are evil saxons who show no quarter. Maybe I will make a test of Valor for Ransom checks if defeated.

Saxons! Says saxons don’t accept ransoms. My research is mixed.

Any advice you want to offer is appreciated.

[Morien]

2 hours ago, pduggan said:

Question: what does Uther’s Superior Troops do for the 5e battle and what would it do for the 6e battle?

Modifies the Army commander's Battle skill, so it does nothing for the PKs, generally. Except maybe decide which way the whole battle turns. GPC battles are scripted, so you don't need to worry about that.

2 hours ago, pduggan said:

Am I correct that a third difference is that the battle round fight doesn’t roll a full combat with damage to the foe, etc, but a simple weapon skill check vs the enemy?

In 5e? Yes, you generally don't care how much damage you do, since it is all about Win/Lose.

In 6e, my understanding is that you run it as a skirmish combat for those turns. Try to down as many enemies as possible and make sure that they stay down.

EDIT: Yes, the Appendix B of the Starter Set (under Combat!) makes it clear that you do the combat as normal, roll damage, etc.

2 hours ago, pduggan said:

I need to decide “intensity” for the battle. Since this determines how likely it is that the PKs will get choice of opponent I suspect I will pick “10”

Sounds about right to me. Personally, I prefer making it an opposed contest, typical enemy unit commander battle (15+) vs. the PK unit commander, rather than an intensity roll, with modifiers based on the situation: if your guys are winning and pushng the enemy before them, you are more likely to have a moment to make your assessment and pick an enemy, whereas if they are pushing forward, you pretty much have to fight the one before you.

2 hours ago, pduggan said:

Greatspear, Spear, Bow, Javinilers

 

I don't think Great Spears exist in 6e? At least not in the Starter Set.

2 hours ago, pduggan said:

Reading the Battle Table and trying to understand the comment about Thegn leaders I understand now that in a 5e battle you get PK# opponents for the knights but one of them counts as a Thegn instead of a Heorthgeneat. Poor, I will assume if dismounted and Landed if mounted?

Sounds fair.

2 hours ago, pduggan said:

Should the Landed also accept ransom? But why since these are evil saxons who show no quarter. Maybe I will make a test of Valor for Ransom checks if defeated.

Saxons! Says saxons don’t accept ransoms. My research is mixed.

Any advice you want to offer is appreciated.

I am generally in favor of ransoms, since it helps to keep the PKs and NPCs alive.
On the other hand, it is a quite useful way to 'other' the Saxons, when they don't even extend the courtesy of a ransom, being barbarians and such.
My Wessex would definitely use Ransoms (due to the Cymric/Gewisse influence and Cerdic trying to be a more acceptable, civilized leader), but Aelle is a bit of a [redacted], who sacrifices a whole town to Wotan, so he might not be about that game. Only weaklings surrender anyway, not worth ransoming them back.

Edited September 15, 2023 by Morien