This has been a pet project of mine for the last few months and I’ve reached the point where I’m looking for playtesters.

What is Orders & Omens?

What if commanding an army in a fantasy battle felt closer to the real chaos of war? You take on the role of a General in this setting where your army doesn’t act instantaneously and perfectly to every situation. Instead it attempts to simulate a real battle in the eyes of a General. Your soldiers may not respond instantly to your commands, you orders may be captured and you soldiers could break under pressure.

Orders & Omens is a fantasy mass-battle wargame that puts you in the General’s shows, commanding divisions of troops and not just pushing a few soldiers forward at a time. It’s inspired by late Medieval and Renaissance warfare, mixing in historical flavour with classic fantasy armies and tropes.

The heart of the system comes down to command friction:

• This isn’t a “You go, I go” game, and you can’t move everything every turn. You choose the Brigades which attack and players move their Brigades based on a draw mechanic. You may find that you have the opportunity to move three Brigades in succession only for your opponent to be able to move their units after you and counter your plans.
• Generals and troops have Control Values (CV), these are used to determine how easily your troops obey your commands.
• Regiments aren’t revealed until they either shoot or come within sight of a Brigade, only then will you know the troops of an enemy Brigade.
• Wounds aren’t tracked, instead your troops will fight until their morale falters then disorder, push backs and routs will decide the course of the battle.

It’s a system that is designed to feel, fast, brutal, and cinematic. Easy to learn but hard to master.

What’s in the Playtest Rulebook?

The full core rules are there to fight your first battles. These include the deployment mini-game, Brigade formations, and movement with diagram explanations. Descriptions of the different units (such as infantry, cavalry, and monsters) and their uses, as well as how they can be equipped.

You’ll also find the first few army lists for Humans, Dwarfs, Elves and Orcs. The victory conditions for you first few games and a Quick Reference Guide to help you.

How to Join the Playtest

You can download the Playtest Rulebook (PDF) below at the bottom of the article. We also have a Discord community for playtesters and those interested in its progress.

All you’ll need is a few rectangular bases, a tape measure some dice and a playing area. You don’t even need models.

Those who contribute to Orders & Omens will receive recognition in future iterations of the Rulebook as well as receiving updates first before anyone else.

What’s Next?

This is just the start. Coming down the line we’ve got:

• Further factions to add as well as a points update to balance the lists fully.
• Expanded Siege rules (ladders, towers and artillery against walls)
• Campaign rules to link battles together as well tracking losses and notable units.
• More lore development for those interested in World Building.
• A mysterious Omens system, bringing fate and portents to the battlefield.

Your feedback will help me shape where Orders & Omens goes next.

If you want to give the rules a try, let us know how your battles unfold. You can do so, either in the comments here or on our dedicated Discord server. Every playtest result helped refine the system, and your games will help shape the shared history of the world that Orders & Omens lie in.