Pilum Up:
Mythic-Tier Wargaming
Table Of Contents
Getting Started With Warstack 4
Playing a Game of Warstack 5
Choose Your Army 5
Point Levels 5
Army Construction Rules 5
Select a Scenario 5
Setup Terrain 5
Pregame* 5
Deployment 5
Reserves 5
The Initiative 5
Basic Game Rules 6
Turn Structure 6
The Strategy Phase 6
The Action Phase 7
Actions 7
Activation Order 8
Interrupts 8
The Resolution Phase 10
Advanced Rules 11
Multiplayer Battles 11
Universal Special Rules 11
Introduction
Did you ever watch old Sword and Sandals epics, where
Hercules fought off space aliens or stop-motion Hydras
threatened to slay Sinbad? Did you ever recall the stories
of Thermopylae, the uprising of Spartacus, the wars of
the Titans? If so, then welcome to the war of Pilum Up!
Pilum Up is a game setting that is The Ancient World
Beyond That Was. Although there has been some
*research done into making the game “plausible,” this is
very much a fantasy game. The Legions are post-Marian
to perfection, technologies that were speculative are
more than mere novelties, and the triumph of progress
juxtaposed with the horrors of early industrialized
warfare. Although mythic creatures do exist, they are just
one threat among many; the average soldier is more
likely to meet an unlikely demise to an errant ballista
round or from a spatha to the ribcage, than to a Hydra’s
venom or a flock of carrion-eating Stirges.
Pilum Up is the first in hopefully several settings that
uses the Warstack wargaming system. Warstack is a
miniatures combat system framework, that combines
Alternating Activations, a “stack” for resolving interrupts,
and a resource-management mechanic to in lieu of
turn-order randomization. The end result is a fast-paced
wargame where player downtime is at a minimum and
victory is as much about tactical supremacy and seizing
the initiative, than aiming for statistical superiority.
But enough with formality. Fortune favors the bold, so go
forth, and conquer. The world of Pilum Up awaits you!
Getting Started:
Playing a Game of
Warstack
Choose Your Army
Point Levels
Army Construction Rules
Select a Scenario
Setup Terrain
Pregame
Deployment
Lorem ipsum
Reserves
Derpderp
The Initiative
At the start of the game, every player rolls
off to determine who starts off with The
Initiative. The player with the Initiative
makes the first set of Activations that turn.
Basic Game Rules
Turn Structure test. If the unit fails its Leadership check,
you must place an Action token on it as it is
Warstack is an “Alternating Activation” "shaken." If it fails by twice its Leadership
game, divided into 3 phases. In the value, it is *broken*, meaning it must use 2
“Strategy Phase”, players resolve actions each turn to retreat towards "safety"
Maintenance Effects, determine how many (usually defined as your deployment edge);
Strategy Points they have per turn, and then a Broken Unit will continue to retreat in this
determine the order players activate their manner in subsequent turns unless it
units. During the Action Phase, players successfully passes another Leadership
alternate activating units and spending Test successfully in a subsequent Strategy
Strategy Points, and the Resolution Phase Phase.
is where players tally points scored for the
turn. Seize the Initiative: A player that starts a
turn with The Initiative will start subsequent
As a general rule, turn structure is done in a turns with the Initiative in turn. However,
“clockwise order”. This generally only other players may attempt to Seize the
matters for games with more than two Initiative. This results in all players bidding
players, however. clockwise on Strategy Points. The winner of
this bid has The Initiative for that turn and
subsequent turns, but must spend the full
The Strategy Phase amount of SP bid. Those that lose on the
In the Strategy Phase, each player must do bid must only spend half the SP (rounding
the following: up) on the bid.
-Generate Strategy Points for the army. Bringing in units from Reserves: There is
-Generate Heroic Points for characters in no cap on how many units in your army may
the army. These will be expanded on, but come in from Reserves. However,
for now, Heroic Points can either be used by Activating a unit in Reserves costs 1 SP in
the Character for rerolls, or as a substitute addition to any other SP cost. This
for Strategy Points for the Character’s unit. represents the additional logistical and
-Resolve any Maintenance effects (this is a command overhead needed to coordinate
catchall, for whether you want to add reinforcements.
"damage over time", warp charge, etc).
-Take Morale checks: A morale check is
done on 2d6, subject to Leadership
modifiers (-1 for each round of attacks the
unit has suffered that turn); a unit that
wasn't attacked that turn does not take this
Full Action: A Full Action takes up a single
The Action Phase action, and may not be combined with
movement.
In the Action Phase, each player (starting
Example Full Actions: Entrenchment, firing
with the player that has The Initiative)
a battle rifle, repairing a destroyed wagon
alternates between Activating their units
wheel.
until no player is left with any units that may
Double Action: A Double Action counts as
be Activated, even accounting for Strategy
one action, but uses up two actions. This is
Point expenditure.
primarily for artillery, crew-served weapons,
etc. (Note: This might be eliminated, with
“Brace/Cooloff” as separate Full Actions.
Actions This bears playtesting).
A unit performs Actions throughout the turn. Movement: A unit may move up to its
There are fundamentally three main types of movement stat; for now, most infantry
Action: generally moves 6”. Although the specifics
for movement are up in the air, the most
Movement Actions deal specifically with important element is that Melee weapons
getting a unit from one location to another. project a zone of control.
The most common Movement Action is for a ● Engaged: When a unit is within the
unit to move up to its Movement statistic in melee range of an enemy unit, both
inches. Other Movement Actions may units are said to be Engaged. As a
include attempting to climb a wall, leap general rule, Engaged units may not
aboard a chariot, or other such actions shoot, nor may outside combatants
defined on a unit’s profile. shoot into a combat with Engaged
units from their own side.
Rapid Actions are actions that are easy to ● Charge: A charge is a move where a
do, and thus may be done in conjunction unit that is not Engaged
with Movement Actions. subsequently ends that move
Engaged with a foe.
Extended Actions: ● Free Strike: Should a unit move
within the Zone of Control of an
Move + Rapid Action: A unit may Move up enemy model as part of a normal
to its Movement stat, then subsequently Move, that enemy may make a Free
perform a Rapid Action as a single Action. Strike against it. This is a single
Note that if the Action is an Offensive melee attack that automatically hits.
Action, it must be declared before Note that Free Strikes do not permit
movement, yet the opponent has the choice Interrupts.
to Interrupt either before or after the Move. Note: As a rule, most melee weapons have
Example Rapid Actions: Melee attacks, a “Lunge” ability. When a model declares its
firing certain “assault weapons” (Shotguns, intent to attack with a melee weapon, that
SMGs), certain “quick” options (decoy model may move an extra 3”, ignoring Free
launchers, smoke shells, etc).
Strikes with this move, but the move must target as part of an action, you may attempt
end with making a round of melee attacks. an Interrupt, either before your opponent
moves or before your opponent attacks (but
not both). With an Interrupt, select one unit
Activation Order (and only one unit) to perform an Action.
The only restriction is if an Interrupt is used
Activating a Unit: When it is a player's turn to declare an attack, it may only target a
to activate one of their units, they nominate target that is immediately “below” it in the
one unit, which must perform either 1 or 2 Interrupt Stack.
actions (to a maximum of 2). It costs 1 SP to
Activate a unit that has already taken a The Interrupt Stack: You may Interrupt an
single Action. Interrupt that declared a target, by spending
a SP (in addition to any other SP costs);
Retaining the Initiative: Once you have these Interrupts can be Interrupted in turn,
finished performing an Activation, the next but the SP cost increments by 1 for every 2
opponent gets to Activate a second unit. Interrupts on the Stack (round down). A unit
However, you may choose to Activate a may not Interrupt if it is being Interrupted by
second unit by spending 1 SP. You may any other unit in turn. Interrupts are placed
activate a third unit by spending 2 SP, a in a ‘stack’ and resolved from the most
fourth unit by spending 3 SP, etc. These recent Interrupt downwards.
costs *are* cumulative, and are in addition
to any other costs (bringing in units from Play Note: Perhaps the best way to keep
Reserve, activating units that previously track of which units are interrupting which
took only one action, etc). This means units is to place a die next to each unit. For
activating 5 units at once will cost 10 SP example, Player A has Infantry Squads 1
(1+2+3+4). and 2, and Player B has Infantry Squads 3
and 4. Player A has Squad 1 fire at Squad
Yielding The Initiative: Once a player that 3, and so places a die with a “1” faceup next
has The Initiative has activated all the units to Squad 1. Player B decides to have Squad
they wish to, they Yield The Initiative to the 4 Interrupt to shoot Squad 1 first, so Player
next player. Costs for activating consecutive B places a die with a “2” next to Squad 4.
units are reset accordingly. Player A decides to have Squad 2 Interrupt
to shoot Squad 4, placing a “3” next to
Should you have The Initiative, yet you are Squad 2, and Player B then decides to have
the player with the least amount of units that Squad 3 Interrupt to shoot at Squad 4, thus
have not taken at least one action, you may placing a “4” next to Squad 3. Once these
“pass” the Initiative, in effect skipping your dice are placed and no Interrupts are being
Activation. added, “count backwards” from these dice.
Squad 3 has a 4, and would shoot at Squad
Interrupts 2 which has a 3 on it. Resolve the shot,
remove the “4” die, and place an Action
Counter next to Squad 3. Continue counting
Interrupts: After your opponent declares a
down, replacing dice with action tokens until Blocker: As the Interrupt Stack gets
it's back to Squad 1 shooting at Squad 3. resolved, a scenarios may occur where an
Attacking unit cannot attack its original
Scramble!: If an Offensive Action would target. Notable causes may include the
impact multiple units belonging to a player, original target no longer being in range or
that player may opt to Scramble! When a Line of Sight, the unit entering a building or
player Scrambles, the player *must* make a transport, or the Attacking unit is now
Move Action with each unit that would be engaged in melee. A Blocker is a unit that
impacted by the Offensive Action, and only prevents the attacker from resolving an
with those units. Furthermore, none of the attack against its original declared target.
Move Actions may be used as Offensive Should the Attacking Unit be unable to
Actions. Should the player not be able to attack due to a Blocker, it *must* re-declare
Interrupt with any of the units being its attack against a Blocker. The original
Targeted (reasons including but not limited target remains in its place on the stack for
to: No actions left, having taken a single this purpose. Attacking a Blocker can trigger
action but no SP left, already on the new Interrupts; said with Interrupts are
Interrupt Stack), then the player may not pushed onto the pre-existing stack.
Scramble! (but may Interrupt with a single
unit as normal). Invalidation: If an Attacking Unit is unable
to attack its Target, and no enemy unit is
considered a Blocker, the attack is “wasted.”
The action is still executed as intended.
Fake Out: Just before a unit is about to Note: This part is still subject to rule
resolve an attack, the player may declare a interpretations, and will need clarification.
Fake Out. By spending a SP, the player Invalidated attacks mean moving directly
may substitute the unit attacking with towards the target, and invalidated aoes get
another unit not already on the stack? executed as if the target were still valid.
subject to +1 SP cost if the second unit has Comments are appreciated of course.
only taken one action. Alternately, the
player may Fake and Scramble, spending
a SP to enable a Scramble, subject to
normal SP costs and prerequisites.
Stand Down: Just before a unit is about to
resolve an attack, the owning player may
have that unit Stand Down. Spend a SP,
and the unit does not actually attack or use
an Action. (Note: This is basically a “Roman
Cancel”). Note that a unit that Stands Down
can subsequently attack as the result of a
Fakeout (akin to a “False Roman Cancel”)
The Resolution Phase
In the Resolution Phase, you must do the
following:
-Tally VP for objectives.
Advanced Rules
Multiplayer Battles
Multi-Player Attack: In games with three or
more players, units from multiple separate
players may be affected by the same
Offensive Action. If the attack is a Targeted
Attack, then only the player that is directly
being targeted may choose to Interrupt.
Otherwise, neither opponent may Interrupt,
though both players retain the option to
Scramble.
adding +1 for each "Hit" you scored with
Universal Special Rules that unit's Haywire attacks. If you exceed
the Defense of that vehicle, it gains an extra
Universal Special Rules are a system for "Action Point". "Sniper" weapons can do
describing something similar to enemy Infantry.
Aura[USR]
Granted[Another USR]:
=Misc Notes=
General: These rules were intentionally
made very loose to enable some pretty
open-ended stuff.
Unit Types: Individual unit types might
have a few restrictions or permutations on
the Actions. As an example, Flyers need to
perform at least one Advance Action per
turn, but ignore the SP cost for being
activated a second time if their second
action is a move. As another example:
Priority Target: You may subtract 1 from
the SP cost of any Activation or Interrupt if
the end result is to attack an enemy
Superheavy with the Interrupting/Activated
unit that turn.
Disruption: Another thing that may be
worth considering is the ability for certain
weapons to place "junk" Action Points on
enemy units, effectively giving them one
less Action to work with that turn. As an
example: If you hit an enemy vehicle with a
variable number of EMP attacks, roll a D6,
