How would you model squad-level mass combat in 4e?

[vic20]

I think this is an awesome thread, that's what I think.

Is your next session going to have a fuller compliment of players?

 

[the Jester]

I think this is an awesome thread, that's what I think.

Is your next session going to have a fuller compliment of players?

Oh, who knows! We had seven of eight of us here last time!

The only guy who missed that session is also the only guy whose character isn't military (despite several offers to join up at increasingly high ranks, or to head the spy agency of the city), so it worked out very well (he wouldn't have had a command; and while I had things in mind for him to do, he wouldn't have had a command).

 

[the Jester]

All right!!

The big problem that I had with my split-scene scenario was simple: Having enough figures/markers to use for the attackers. I ended up buying some rolls of pennies and nickels, and using most of my d6s (sorted by color).

So far, so good, though my bad guys haven't been able to get more than the most momentary foothold on the wall. Too many fall to their deaths.) Meanwhile, the pcs are able to launch catapult missiles at my scorpion units, and they keep knocking down my siege towers before I can get inside the catapults' minimum range.

The defenders have a clear advantage; even though they are outnumbered, they're inflicting significant losses on the baddies.

The ogres under the mantlet are approaching the gates, though...

One of the most important elements of this battle is the abstraction of time. The two simultaneous scales of battle are on the same initiative set, but the unit-scale battle rounds are more like 1 minute long. The battle is an abstract representation of the battles for the walls over the course of several years.

Things are going quite well. Oh, and we had six of the players present this time.

 

[the Jester]

Just a bump, since a couple people have recently asked about this stuff. Also, for anyone that is interested, the most current couple of installments of my Fall of Civilization story hour (link in sig) show how it all came out in the form of a big ol' set of wargaming scenarios that were integrated into the campaign's play. Most awesome.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Check out One Bad Eggs Hard Boiled Armies for D&D 4E
An awesome resource, a clever system requiring very little rule changes. Cheap too

 

[Jack99]

Check out One Bad Eggs Hard Boiled Armies for D&D 4E
An awesome resource, a clever system requiring very little rule changes. Cheap too

(how did i miss this thread)

I can only second that. It's awesome. And if you are lucky, there might be a glowing review somewhere near!

/whistles innocently.

 

[Bold or Stupid]

I've been toying with this issue some; I used the swarm concept to create higher level, larger sized versions of units in order to accomodate the idea of mass combat units. Which potentially means a party could fight dozens of people at once and win. Which is how I like it

I've just done something similar with gnolls for one game I run, I built three gnoll packs. A Battle Pack (normal marauders), a Hunter Pack (Archers), and a Claw Pack (claw fighters).

For another game I'm planning on giving the PCs the chance of leading unit, I'll use the PC stats to represent the units they command and normal monsters representing large units. Each PC will have a set of minion counters that act as Second winds/def bonuses or can be spread out as Minions to allow more offence.