How do you run mass combat?

[Pinotage]

There is also the BRCS at Birthright.net and of course the upcoming mass combat system by WotC should be something to look at.

Upcoming? Last I heard Heroes of Battle wasn't going to contain a Mass Combat System. I thought WotC were sticking with the one outlined in the miniatures handbook.

Pinotage

 

[werk]

I decide the outcome based on DM fiat.

What?

 

[Arnwyn]

I also use OMC v.2 - the integration with both siege rules and with the Open Naval Combat system in Book of the Sea makes it too handy not to use.

Hey, what's the Open Naval Combat system like?

Is it used for multiple ship (armada-like) combat?

 

[ThirdWizard]

What?

I hit them all with my car.

No, wait, that's wrong. I look at the army sizes, which is better equipped, who has better supplies, medics, terrain, etc, and decide based on all these factors what the outcome is impartially. If the PCs take part in the battle, they can try to take out commanders and strengthen their possition or other such things which might turn a the battle their way, but at the same time the enemy might be doing this...

In other words, I play it by ear.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

I like the look of Cry Havoc, but I haven't had a chance to run it yet. No armies available to be raised to battle, you see. I don't find it complicated at all, although there's a bit of prep for figuring out each unit's stats. But that's to be expected when, for example, a unit of ogres is physically more powerful than a unit of halflings.

 

[Garnfellow]

I like the look of Cry Havoc, but I haven't had a chance to run it yet. No armies available to be raised to battle, you see. I don't find it complicated at all, although there's a bit of prep for figuring out each unit's stats. But that's to be expected when, for example, a unit of ogres is physically more powerful than a unit of halflings.

I'm really not a big fan of Cry Havoc, but Green Ronin's Advanced Player's Guide uses the same unit combat system and has an appendix of sample units -- including both a halfling warrior and an ogre unit.

 

[MarauderX]

Gotta plug Field o' Blood, as it contains info on dragging your army to and fro, spellcasting for warmages and monsters. It can be a bit complicated if you let it, but with a hand wave I ignore half of it and pluck out the aspects that work with my game. We have yet to delve into anything dealing with an army with the PCs IMC, but at least with those rules I have a firm grasp on how fast and what size an army can be mustered and how large the standing army is. Add on that it contains running realms, taxes, resources, etc., and this book outweighs any other in the same genre.