Battles in the Tunnels

If the defenders know that mining is going on, there’s no reason why they have to simply sit still while the attackers go about their business. Historically, counter-mining was not an uncommon tactic.

Once the garrison has established the location of the enemy mine (by observation, listening, or magical means), they might begin excavations of their own. The garrison would dig a tunnel that met up with the enemy’s gallery, then send troops down it to kill the attacking miners. The weapon and armor restrictions on miners applies to both sides . . . at least while excavation is actually going on. Once tunnels are complete, however, fully-armed troops can be sent down them, limited only by the space in the excavations.

Counter-mining was raised to an art by the Muscovites when Moscow was besieged by the boyars in 1606. The Muscovite miners had prepared secret galleries under the walls, and from there, they dug under the foundations and out. They located the attacking mines and galleries, broke into them and killed the enemy miners. In some cases, they even excavated under the attacking galleries and blew them up with gunpowder.

Rules for morale and movement in tunnels are identical to those referring to buildings, with the following exceptions. Missile combat (except for spells such as magic missile) is forbidden; there is simply not enough space to use such weapons effectively. If figures representing unarmored and lightly-armed miners are met by fully-armed troops, all Morale Checks made by the miners are at -2.

For movement purposes, tunnels are considered as rough/rocky terrain. Troops in tunnels and galleries can be ordered to “hold the breach.”