Battle Platforms: Chariots, Elephants, and Battle Beasts

A battle platform is any vehicle or structure, usually designed to carry troops, that can be moved quickly around the battlefield while being pulled or carried by a large animal. In BATTLESYSTEM™ scenarios, the most often seen types include chariots pulled by horses or other animals, elephants with howdahs (platforms) mounted on their backs, and battle beasts—dragons or other huge monsters equipped with platforms or enclosures that can hold troops.

At least one riding figure is required to control the platform; all other figures carried aboard can participate in missile or melee combat. An animal pulling or carrying an empty battle platform cannot move unless it is performing rout movement (see below).

A battle platform has its own AD figure, and adds its attack die roll to the attack of each of the figures it is transporting when they enter melee combat. Missile troops aboard a battle platform can fire as if they had remained stationary during a turn, even if the platform moves. Archers in chariots, for example, could fire twice during a turn (during the movement steps or the Missile Combat Step) even if the chariots move their full allowance. The troops on a battle platform can engage in melee combat even if some or all of them have fired missiles during the same turn.

Charging platforms are treated as cavalry, inflicting double AD against the target of the charge.

Routing of Battle Beasts

If an elephant or other large animal figure routs, it will not necessarily flee toward its own side of the board. Instead, roll a d12 for each unit of such beasts that routs to randomly determine its direction.

Orient the "12" result to north (think of the face of a clock) and rout the unit in the direction indicated by the roll. A result of "3" sends the unit east, for example, while "6" sends it south. The unit will veer within the allowances of the rules on rout movement (see page 33) to avoid units in its path.

If, however, the unit contacts any unit, friendly or enemy, during the course of its rout, melee combat is resolved immediately. If the unit struck by the routing unit fails to displace enough to allow the routing unit to pass, a new direction of flight is determined for the routing beasts

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