Overview

BattleLore is a two-player miniatures board game that combines medieval warfare with fantasy elements. Using the Commands & Colors system, players lead armies on a hex-based battlefield, playing Command cards to order units in different sections of the board. The game features infantry, cavalry, and archers, enhanced by mercenary races (Dwarves, Goblins), mythical creatures, and a Lore magic system. Players fight pre-designed Adventures (scenarios), and the first player to capture a set number of Victory Banners wins.

Components

• 1 Double-sided game board (hex grid with terrain)
• Over 100 plastic miniatures (various troop types and creatures)
• 60 Command Cards (Section and Tactic cards)
• 24 Lore Cards
• 42 Terrain tiles and Landmark pieces
• Battle dice (custom 6-sided dice)
• Adventure booklet with multiple scenarios
• Summary cards, War Council sheets
• Banner Bearers and unit figures
• Lore tokens and Council tokens

Setup

Each Adventure specifies:

1. Place terrain tiles on the board as shown in the scenario map.
2. Place unit figures on starting hexes. Each unit has a Banner Bearer (always last to be removed) plus additional figures.
3. Determine starting Command cards per adventure rules (typically 4-6 per player depending on Commander level).
4. Set up War Council if using advanced rules.
5. One side is Standard Banner, the other Pennant Banner.
6. The board is divided into three sections (Left Wing, Center, Right Wing) by two red dotted lines.

Turn Structure

Players alternate turns. Each turn has these phases:

1. Command Phase

Play one Command Card from your hand. Command Cards determine which units you can order (activate) this turn.

Section Cards: Order a number of units in a specific section (Left, Center, or Right). Tactic Cards: Special orders that may affect units across sections or provide unique effects.

2. Order Phase

Activate the units specified by your Command Card. Ordered units may Move and/or Battle.

3. Movement Phase

Move each ordered unit up to its movement allowance:

Troop Type	Move	Move & Battle
Infantry (Green)	1 hex	Move 1 and Battle
Archers (Green/Red)	1 hex	Move 1 and Battle, or stand and Battle
Cavalry (Red)	2 hexes	Move 2 and Battle
Heavy units	Reduced movement	Varies

• Units cannot move through hexes occupied by other units (friendly or enemy).
• Terrain may restrict or modify movement.

4. Combat Phase

Each ordered unit that is in range may battle one enemy unit.

Melee Combat: Adjacent units attack. Roll battle dice equal to the unit’s combat strength. Ranged Combat: Archers (and some special units) may attack at range. Range limits and line of sight apply.

Battle Dice Results:

• Matching troop symbol (sword, bow, horse): Hit if it matches the target’s troop type
• Lore symbol: Generates a Lore token (if using Lore rules)
• Flag: Forces target to retreat 1 hex per flag
• Bonus Strike: Hit on any unit

For each hit, remove 1 figure from the target unit. When the last figure (Banner Bearer) is removed, the attacker captures a Victory Banner.

5. End of Turn

• Draw a new Command Card.
• Collect Lore tokens if using advanced rules.
• Check for victory conditions.

Actions

Retreat

When a unit takes flag results, it must retreat 1 hex per flag toward its own side. If it cannot retreat (blocked by terrain, board edge, or friendly units), it loses 1 figure per un-retreated flag.

Pursue (Follow-on Actions)

Some units may advance into the vacated hex after forcing a retreat or eliminating a unit.

Terrain Effects

| Terrain | Effect | |———|——–| | Forest | Blocks line of sight; limits combat dice | | Hills | Combat bonus; blocks line of sight | | River | Costs extra movement; may prevent battle after crossing | | Buildings | Defensive bonus; may ignore flags | | Waterways | Impassable |

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Each Adventure specifies a target number of Victory Banners (typically 4-6). Earn 1 Victory Banner by eliminating an enemy unit (capturing its banner). Some scenarios have special victory conditions (controlling objectives, etc.). The first player to reach the target wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Mercenaries (Advanced)

• Iron Dwarves: Tough infantry with high combat values; slow movement.
• Goblinoids: Numerous but weaker; special retreat rules (may panic).

Creatures (Advanced)

Large monsters that occupy a hex and have special powers:

• Critical Hits: Some attacks deal extra damage.
• Trampling: May damage units they retreat through.
• Special Powers vary by creature type.

Lore System (Advanced)

• Each side has a Lore Master (Wizard, Cleric, Rogue, or Warrior).
• Lore tokens are collected from battle dice.
• Lore Cards are played by spending Lore tokens for magical effects (healing, combat bonuses, terrain manipulation, etc.).
• Each Lore Master type has unique cards and abilities.

War Council (Advanced)

Players compose a War Council of Commander + Lore Masters:

• Commander level determines number of Command Cards in hand.
• Lore Masters determine access to Lore Card types and how many Lore tokens can be stored.

Bold and Battle Back

• Bold: Some units may attack before the defender’s normal response.
• Battle Back: Surviving units that were attacked in melee may immediately attack back.

Player Reference

Turn Sequence

1. Play 1 Command Card
2. Order specified units
3. Move ordered units
4. Battle with ordered units (roll dice)
5. Draw 1 Command Card; collect Lore

Battle Dice Symbols

| Symbol | Effect | |——–|——–| | Sword (green) | Hit on infantry | | Helmet (blue) | Hit on heavy/special | | Horse (red) | Hit on cavalry | | Bow | Hit on archers (ranged) | | Flag | Force retreat | | Lore | Gain 1 Lore token | | Bonus Strike | Hit on any unit |

Victory

• Eliminate enemy units to earn Victory Banners
• First to target number (per scenario) wins
• Typical target: 4-6 banners