Heroes trained, Solon Theros is ready to show them to Anax Archontas. He wants to showcase them—not kill them. But if the heroes are not challenged, the dragon will be displeased.
Champions of Chaos
“Heroes of Chaos” is the fantasy combat phase of Champions of Chaos, an introductory wargame scenario, in which Solon Theros chooses champions to fight for Chaos.
Orders of Battle
The heroes are accompanied by heavy and armored footmen. Solon Theros charges the hobgoblin Ortuyk to assemble an army. To the goblinoid horde, Solon Theros adds lizard men, who inhabit the marsh south of Aldefane, plus lycanthropes, an ogre, and a true troll, all of which are found in the surrounding countryside. From the dungeon below Aldefane, he adds ghouls.
The point value of creatures that fight on the fantasy combat table should equal the point value of the total number of heroes that survived training. For example, I have eight heroes, which comes to 160 points.
Choose from ghouls, lycanthropes, and at most one ogre and one true troll. The first three are the easiest on the Fantasy Combat Table and still challenging as a group to the heroes, while the true troll is a significant challenge on its own.
The goblin horde and the lizard men should total 100 points and include a couple units of archers. The heroes can lead the forty points of foot troops, divided evenly between heavy and armored, to take out the goblinoid archers, which are a threat to lone heroes.
| Orders of Battle | Heroes of Chaos | Ortuyk’s Horde | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troop/Creature Type | Cost | Figures | Total | Figures | Total |
| Troops | |||||
| Heavy Foot | 2 | 10 | 20 | ||
| Armored Foot | 2.5 | 8 | 20 | ||
| Subtotal | 18 | 40 | |||
| Fantasy Combat | |||||
| Heroes | 20 | 8 | 160 | ||
| Subtotal | 8 | 160 | |||
| Troops | |||||
| Goblins | 1.5 | 10 | 15 | ||
| Goblin Archers | 4.5 | 4 | 18 | ||
| Hobgoblins | 2.5 | 12 | 30 | ||
| Hobgoblin Archers | 5.5 | 4 | 22 | ||
| Lizard Men | 2.5 | 6 | 15 | ||
| Subtotal | 36 | 100 | |||
| Fantasy Combat | |||||
| Lycanthropes | 20 | 2 | 40 | ||
| Ghouls | 10 | 3 | 30 | ||
| Ogres | 15 | 1 | 15 | ||
| True Troll | 75 | 1 | 75 | ||
| Subtotal | 7 | 160 | |||
| Total | 26 | 200 | 43 | 260 | |
Notes on Orders of Battle
- Choose one hero to be the Army Commander, who sets up not attached to any unit.
- Ortuyk is the Army Commander of the Horde, which includes the lizard men. The lycanthropes, ghouls, ogre, and troll are unaffected by the Army Commander.
- The usual pall over Aldefane obscures full sunlight, so goblins do not suffer from it.
- Goblin and hobgoblin archers, using short bows, have a missile range of 15″.
- Lizard men attack as Heavy Foot and defend as Armored Foot. With a move rate of 6″, lizard men traverse the bog at normal rate, though they cannot charge through it. Morale Rating: 10; Point Value: 2.5.
- As heroes do not check morale, Solon Theros has no need for the torturer and executioner and leaves the east and west gates open. Roll morale for the foot soldiers and Ortuyk’s Horde as normal.
Setup
Heroes of Chaos deploys troops to the west of the killing field, Ortuyk’s Horde east of the stream—except the lizard men, who are deployed (hidden) in the bog.
Ortuyk arrays the goblinoid foot troops behind the two eastern columns, the archers forward at stream’s edge. The lizard men, hiding in the bog, emerge from beneath the water’s surface to attack from the flank and rear.
The lycanthropes, ogre, and troll enter the arena from different locations in the movement phase of the turn following a trigger, according to the table below.
| Creature Type | Start Location | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Werewolves | South gate | First melee |
| Ogre | East gate | Werewolves enter |
| Ghouls | Loggia base (center north) | Horde at 25% or less |
| Troll | West gate | Ogre enters |
The ghouls, in the dungeon, flee a cleric’s turning up the stairs out a door at the base of the loggia. As the ghouls tend to avoid conflict with the large fantastic creatures and rather enjoy humanoid flesh, Solon Theros signals the cleric once the goblinoid presence is thinned, i.e, when the Horde is reduced to one-quarter or less of its starting strength (9 figures).
Victory Conditions
Heroes of Chaos and Ortuyk’s Horde win when all enemies are defeated or forced from the field.
Solon Theros wins the dragon’s praise if at least six heroes survive. If eight or more heroes survive, Anax Archontas appoints the super-hero General Commander of the Chaos Armies.
So Long, Solon…
If five or fewer heroes survive, Anax Archontas has Solon Theros over to the lair for dinner. Menu: Super-hero Barbecue.