Custom Rules: Capture the Flag

Today’s special article is part of the Custom Rules series. Click here to see other custom rules we’ve put together!

This one’s a nice light custom game mode for you all. Special thanks to Discord user Phyriphiry for suggesting this idea! Today we will introduce some rules for playing a Capture the Flag version of Warhammer Underworlds: Embergard or Spitewood.

At times, an object of immense intrigue can be found in the outskirts of the realm. In others, a military banner of significant moral importance, strategic significance, or sheer monetary value might lay unclaimed, happened upon by the warbands crawling the Underworlds. Whatever this flag is, and however it came to be here, your warband is interested in recovering it at all costs – either for their own purposes, or simply to keep it out of the clutches of their nefarious foes.

Setup:

Choose the board per the rulebook, place feature tokens and fighters as usual, and roll off to determine first turn as usual. All aspects of a standard Warhammer Underworlds game remain in effect with the following modifications.

Victory Condition:

The goal is to be in possession of the flag at the end of the third action phase. The physical location of the fighter holding the flag is irrelevant. No glory score is used for victory conditions, but glory is still accumulated as normal when scoring objectives or collecting bounty. Glory is still used for the purposes of applying upgrades, inspiration for some warbands, etc. It is possible to be outscored by 10+ glory and still win the game!

The Rules

The Flag

Designate a token, miniature, or coin of some kind to represent “The Flag”. Place this token/counter/item in the center hex of the board in neutral territory at the start of the game.

For a fighter to obtain control of the flag, they must take a move action and enter the hex that contains the flag. The flag can not be captured with a push, nor can it be captured with a charge action. Once the fighter’s move enters the hex with the flag, remove the token from the boar and place it on the fighter’s card. That fighter’s move stops in that hex; you cannot move further than the flag with the move action that allowed you to obtain it. A fighter who has the flag token is considered to be the Flag Bearer.

The Burden

While holding the Flag, the Flag Bearer must reduce all of their fighter card and attack upgrade characteristics (move, defense, health, attack range, attack dice, damage). Each of these values is -1 to a minimum of 1, and fighters with the Fly runemark cannot fly while in possession of the flag.

To You From Failing Hands

Falg-Bearing Fighters have an additional Core Action available to them. While using this core ability, a fighter with the flag can transfer ownership of the flag to an adjacent friendly fighter. Remove the Flag token from that fighter’s card and place it on the adjacent fighter’s card. The fighter that now has the flag token is the new Flag Bearer and reduces their characteristics accordingly. The fighter that relinquished control of the flag has their characteristics restored to their original values.

The Flag Falls

If the Flag Bearer is slain, remove the flag token from their fighter card and place it in the hex that fighter occupied when slain. It can now be picked up with move actions again, just as it was at the outset of the game.

If the fighter that slew the Flag Bearer is able to overrun into the now-slain Flag Bearer’s hex, they wrest control of the Flag Token and become the new Flag Bearer without having to use an action or movement. Reduce their characteristics accordingly.

Variant Rules

Feel free to incorporate one or more of these variants into your games!

Spade Finial: the flag token represents a zero-glory spear weapon upgrade with a 2 range/2 hammer/2 damage attack with cleave: the characteristics of this weapon upgrade are not modified by the flag’s -1 to characteristics.

Furl and Hurl: The Flag Bearer can take a core action to ‘throw’ the flag to a friendly fighter within 3 hexes (not as part of a charge). Roll one attack dice. On a roll of Sword of Crit, the target fighter receives the flag. On a roll of hammer, it falls one hex short of the fighter. On a roll of flanks or surrounds, it falls one hex behind the target fighter.

Cursed Banner: The Flag Bearer is affected by the dread aura or other power emanating from its design, material, or enchantment. The player whose warband possesses the flag must roll an attack dice immediately after their activation. On a roll of crit, the fighter in possession of the flag suffers damage. Roll another attack dice if this happens: on a sword or crit, they take 1 damage. On a hammer they take 2 damage, and on a flanked or surrounded the fighter suffers 3 damage.

Icon of Khorne: The banner can only be picked up in the midst of a charge action or an overrun, rather than a move action. The Flag Bearer does not reduce their characteristics as usual; instead, they gain one attack dice and grievous on their melee attacks. Additionally, do not roll save dice for the Flag Bearer in possession of the Icon of Khorne – all attacks against that fighter are successful so long as the attack roll resulted in at least one success.

Icon of Nurgle: The Flag Bearer reduces all characteristics by two to a minimum of zero, except defense and health which remain as printed. All enemy fighters within 3 hexes of the Flag Bearer are staggered while they remain within 3 hexes of the Flag bearer.

Icon of Tzeentch: The Flag Bearer is staggered, but gains a range 3, 3 hammer attack for 1 damage with cleave and ensnare. After making that attack, the Flag Bearer can push as many hexes as successes rolled in the attack.

Icon of Slaanesh: The Flag Bearer does not reduce their movement speed and instead gains +1 movement. All other characteristics are reduced as normal. If an enemy fighter succeeds on an attack against the Flag Bearer, roll one defense dice. On a dodge or a crit, the Flag Bearer does not take any damage, and the attacker instead takes that damage.

Wrap

What do you think? Does this sound fun? Which variant is the most busted? I’d love any and all feedback, battle reports, and more ideas for custom rules in the comments on this post or at SpentGlory@gmail.com

Today’s special article was part of the Custom Rules series. Click here to see other custom rules we’ve put together!

Whether you’re capturing the flag, playing standard Underworlds, or brewing up your own custom rules, I hope you enjoy Spending your Glory.