People have asked me where the forces came from for Hellfire in the City, what was their backstory. Well it isn’t complicated, and struck me it might make an interesting solo game.
Well south of the great, if somewhat shrunken, city of Velonopolis on Kalaw III, there is an area called ‘the Castors’. The inhabitants largely practice subsistence agriculture and pursue basic crafts. Thus they build their own vehicles which they fuel with biodiesel. But they also make considerable use of draught animals as well.
The settlements are scattered, proudly independent, and survive by trading both with each other, with Velonopolis, and with the towns to the south of the Castors. In between the settlements there are the ‘tribes’. These are pastoral people, following their herds. Each clan has its own range over which the clan will move. At the same time the clan will have a good working relationship with the settlements in its area. The clan will also ‘escort merchants’ that pass through its range. This is a polite way of saying that they charge for protection, but do indeed provide the protection.
Relationship with the settlements.
The clans and settlements have a patron/client relationship. A proportion of the clan’s population will probably live in one of the settlements. The clan leader will normally maintain a house there and will, at least nominally, be a member of the semi-elected committee of worthies who provide what government the settlement needs. They may even station a unit there to bolster the settlement’s militia. Certainly the Mahina can be based there.
But should the settlement need a military force, rather than just relying on its own small and somewhat ragtag militia, it will grant the clan chief ‘imperium’ and appoint him as commander of the settlement’s armed force. In reality this means the clan forces with concentrate to defend the settlement. Such is the action of a dutiful patron.
At other times the settlement will pay tax to the clan and the settlement’s trade goods will leave via the clan’s caravan. The settlement will also ensure the services of the settlement’s tradesmen are available to the clan at purely sensible rates.
The Map
I suggest a pack of cards at this point.
Red cards (of whatever suit or value) are just ‘rough grazing.’ This term can cover a multitude of sins, extending from a rather infertile piece of steppe, but including scattered grazing marshes, and even the sort of rough fell you might find in, say, the Lake District.
Black cards are more fertile terrain. All have a nominal value of 1, except for court cards.
Jack. Small town, on a roll of 4,5,6 on a d6 they can probably fix any vehicle. The militia consists of two units
They have nine bases of infantry who count as having obsolete projectile weapons. They fire at half effect over 10” but at normal effect under 10”. (Some of them don’t have proper rifles).
Reaction 2,2,3,2,1,2,1,1 14pts
There is one crew served projectile weapon for every two militia units.
Can support a patron with one unit and will pay 500c every other month.
Queen. A middling sized town who can fix anything unless they get a 1 on a d6.
The militia consists of four units
They have nine bases of infantry who count as having obsolete projectile weapons. They fire at half effect over 10” but at normal effect under 10”. (Some of them don’t have proper rifles).
Reaction 2,2,3,2,1,2,1,1 14pts
There is one crew served projectile weapon for every two militia units.
Can support a patron with two units and will pay 500c per month
King. A large town, not only can it fix most things (unless they get a 1 on a d6), on a 4,5,6 they can build you a technical or artillery piece. You have to pay for them, but they’ll do a nice job. On a 1,2,3 they’re short of parts and you got a technical or artillery piece drawn by draught animals.
The militia consists of six units. Two are ‘regular’.
They have nice bases of infantry who have personal projectile weapons and flak armour.
Reaction 2,2,3,2,2,2,2,1 16pts
The other four units have nine bases of infantry who count as having obsolete projectile weapons. They fire at half effect over 10” but at normal effect under 10”. (Some of them don’t have proper rifles).
Reaction 2,2,3,2,1,2,1,1 14pts
There is one crew served projectile weapon for every two militia units.
Can support a patron with three units and will pay 1000c per month.
Terrain and rivers
Ideally you’d have at least two rivers cross the map. They will tend to flow the more fertile territory but can flow through rough grazing areas. (By definition such a territory with a river running through it is not likely to be rough fell)
Your towns are likely to be on rivers. If so, they will have bridges or fords.
Trade routes
Next put in the trade routes running north to south. These can pass through rough grazing areas (after all the Clans will provide security etc) but they can only cross rivers at bridges or fords (so at a town) and every town will be on a trade route. Just not necessarily the same route. Ideally have as few trading routes as are necessary to satisfy the above.
Urban territories
Now you’ll have twenty black cards which aren’t court cards. Divide these territories between the cities. The two Kings get 5 each. The two Queens get 3 each, and the two Jacks get 2 each. Ideally the cards should be ‘contiguous’ but can be separated by rough grazing if necessary.
Clan territories
Roll a d6.
1,2 There are five clans
3,4 There are six clans
5,6 There are seven clans.
There are 26 territories that have red cards, so divide them equally between the clans so each gets about the same number.
If a clan territory is adjacent to a settlement, then there is a chance that the settlement will be a client of theirs.
- If a clan has only one settlement adjacent to their territory, that is their client.
- All other things being equal a clan adjacent to more than one settlement will chose the biggest to be a client.
- Otherwise if a settlement is adjacent to two clan territories, toss a coin to see which clan the settlement goes with.
- If at the end of the process there are settlements without patrons, perhaps because the nearest clan doesn’t want them, then the next nearest can become their patron.
Clan troop types
When you pick your initial force you get six choices. For five of them you roll a d10 and take what you’re given but you can freely chose a 6th choice, and you always get one band of mahina. So if you don’t roll one at random, and don’t pick mahina as your free choice, you could end up with seven units.
With regard to replacements, Hellfire in the City has a reasonably comprehensive system. But for this game we’ll keep it simple. At the start of a new year just pay an extra month’s wages for each unit that has gaps you want to fill.
Recruit table
1) One warband of Piling Tao, your elite warriors.
Each warband has eight bases of infantry armed with personal projectile weapons and a ninth base equipped with a crew served energy weapon. They wear flak armour.
Reaction 3,2,3,2,3,2,2,1 18pts
2,3,4,5) One warband of Tabak, the standard fighters of your people
Each warband has 8 bases of infantry armed with personal projectile weapons and a ninth base equipped with a crew served energy weapon. They wear no armour.
Reaction 3,2,2,2,2,1,2,1 15pts
6,7) One band of Mahina. These are the older men, youths, women and children who guard your camp and who are your people. They are ten bases of infantry who count as having obsolete projectile weapons. They fire at half effect over 10” but at normal effect under 10”. (Some of them don’t have proper rifles).
Reaction 1,2,3,2,1,2,1,1 13pts
8) One Kanyon Kulog.
This is a vehicle mounted artillery piece, although in your case it might be towed by oxen, bantha or even mounted on a vehicle. The crew are competent. They can be represented by three bases of infantry with personal projectile weapons and no armour.
Reaction 3,2,3,2,3,2,2,1 18pts
9) One warband of Anino Tabak
They are scouts, the shadow warriors of your force. They are good at infiltrating, so even when they’ve ‘gone to ground’ they count as in cover. It they are ‘in cover’ they cannot be seen unless they fire, unless the enemy has figures within 5cm of them.
Each warband has eight bases of infantry armed with personal projectile weapons. They wear flak armour.
Reaction 3,2,3,2,3,2,2,1 18pts
10) Drone Master Team
This is a small group of experts who can control three drones. In reality it doesn’t matter if you model them as men controlling small flying machines via complex technology, or telepathically directing genetically modified and cyber enhanced raptors whose eyes they can see through, and whose brains they can command.
However it is configured, a drone can see troops who might be hidden from visual observation. Either because the drone is higher than the wall they are hiding behind, or is looking for heat signatures or similar. Also a drone can carry one manportable explosive round which it can drop on a target it has acquired.
A drone master team can provide anybody on the same board as them with improvised ECM as well.
Each team counts as six bases of infantry armed with personal projectile weapons. They wear flak armour. Three bases might be vehicles if the drones are flying machines. You can split this company up if you want to, and deploy the three components in different districts.
Reaction 3,2,3,2,3,2,2,1 18pts
Clan economics
| Unit type | Monthly Unit cost | Raising cost, equipment only |
| Tribal troops | ||
| Tabak | 450c | |
| Piling Tao | 500c | |
| Anino Tabak | 500c | |
| Kanyon Kulog | 500c | 1600c |
| Drone Master Team | 500c | 1900c |
One wilderness territory will support one unit of Tabak, or one band of Mahina.
The others need paying. Your clients will contribute, see above.
Merchants and trade routes will also contribute. You get 100c per month for each area that a trade route passes through that is under your control.
- It is under your control if the route passes over a card controlled by a client.
- It is also under your control if it passes over a rough grazing card you control.
- If the trade route crosses a river at a bridge or ford you control you get an extra 200c.
Note that for every 800c or part of 800c you get from merchants you are expected to provide at least a unit of Tabak to act as caravan escorts. So if you get 900c you have to provide two.
These are assumed to be spread out over the entire caravan route and it takes two months to concentrate them if you want to use them as a unit. When you’re doing this, you don’t get any money from the merchants.
Warfare
In simple terms a move is a month and there are ten months in the financial year.
With regard to warfare, in one sense there is none. No massed artillery, air support or human wave infantry attacks. But there is generalised unpleasantness, and what passes for warfare has a certain feel of ritual about it.
Raiding
A clan can descent on a card/area which is part of the territory of a settlement that is not a client of theirs. They proceed to pillage. If undisturbed for a month (or if disturbed but they defeat those who disturbed them) they will gather enough loot to support the pillaging units for a month so they do not need paying.
The settlement who has seen its territory violated appeals to their patron who is duty bound to turn up with everybody he has (so not those guarding convoys or currently busy somewhere else) and drive the pillagers off. This will take either a successful action or the pillagers will flee as the patron is obviously too strong to be faced.
The settlement will place up to half its forces under the control of the Patron.
Total the number of pillaging units. If the settlement rolls less than that number of a d10, the settlement is financially embarrassed and cannot afford to pay the Patron next month. (It’s the patron’s fault, had the clan responded with greater alacrity, there would have been money.)
Encroachment.
With this a Clan merely places forces on a rough grazing territory held by another clan. Again the other clan will respond immediately with everybody they have and there will be a battle fought. The loser falls back and the victor has a fair claim to the territory.
Moving the boundary stones.
One settlement decides to annex one of the territories belonging to a neighbouring settlement. This is a two stage process. The attacker sends up to half their forces, plus any units their patron has in the settlement. The defender may respond with up to half their forces plus one unit and any units their patron has in the settlement.
The victor from that action will hold the area, but both sides will now demand their Patron comes to rescue them from the product of their folly. Thus clans who are otherwise friendly might end up fighting because the peasantry got uppity.
After this battle the territory is held by the victor.
How often do actions happen?
- Each month roll one d6 for each clan. On a 6 they will do something. Toss a coin, heads they’ll encroach, tails they’ll raid.
- Each month roll one d10 for each settlement. On a 1 they will try to move the boundary stones.
Winning and losing
If you enjoy yourself you’re winning.
But eventually some of the clans will get pushed out. These can drift north, pass through ‘A stop on the road.’
And if successful there, they can make their way to Velonopolis where glory awaits.
Troops and figures.
As always I recommend you use what you want. Every wargamer I know has fallen in love with figures for which they have no conceivable use. Well, now you can get to use them.
♥♥♥♥
If you’ve not come across Hellfire in the City, it’s a supplement for Hellfire rules and is available from Wargame Vault in pdf for £2.50
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/417977/Hellfire-in-the-City
It’s also available from Amazon, on kindle for £2.50, or in paperback for £6.50
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