3.4.9 Attacks by the mount

Normal attacks

A mount can attack opponents in combat. For example, a warhorse can bite or kick an opponent in front of it, or can kick an opponent behind it. The mount uses a stand and attack action to carry out such an attack, and may only do this if the mount is either stationery or travelling at slow speed (i.e. a walk). The basic values for attack dice roll and damage dice roll depend on the type of mount and on its quality, as follows:

Mount Attack type Attack basic value Damage basic value
Mule/donkey Bite (2 APs) 2 2
Kick (3 APs) 4 8
Mature pony Bite (2 APs) 1 1
Kick (3 APs) 2 4
Old nag Bite (2 APs) 1 4
Kick (3 APs) 4 8
Riding horse Bite (2 APs) 2 5
Kick (3 APs) 5 9
Draft horse Bite (2 APs) 1 4
Kick (3 APs) 3 9
Warhorse Bite (2 APs) 2 7
Kick (3 APs) 5 12
Camel Bite (2 APs) 3 4
Kick (3 APs) 2 9
Elephant Tusks (2 APs) 6 13
Kick (3 APs) 6 11
Wardog Bite (2 APs) 8 4
Kick (3 APs) 2 3
Quality of mount Attack modifier Damage modifier
Abysmal -2 -2
Poor -1 -1
Average +0 +0
Good +1 +1
Excellent +2 +2

Riding down people on foot

In addition to normal attacks, a mount can ride down people on foot and trample them. To do this, the mounted character directs his/her mount to move into the hex in which the target is standing. The mounted character must make a dice roll to steer the mount successfully at average difficulty. If he/she fails this, the mount will instead veer off to the side of the target, or, if this is impossible, will rear, requiring the mounted character to make a dice roll to remain mounted. If he/she succeeds, the mount will move onto the target's hex and ride them down; this counts as an average difficulty obstacle, so the mounted character must make a dice roll to remain mounted.

A character who is ridden down in this way is knocked prone by the mount and is then subject to a trample attack. The basic values for attack dice roll and damage dice roll for the trample attack are the same as for a kick attack (see above), except that the trample attack costs no action points to make and there is a bonus on the attack and damage dice rolls for the speed at which the mount is travelling (+0 for slow, +2 for average, +4 for fast and +6 for breakneck). A character being ridden down can react to the situation by dodging with a side-step or jump backwards; if he/she is successful at dodging (i.e. the trample attack misses him/her), he/she will not be knocked prone (he/she managed to get out of the way in time).

Diagram showing possible attacks for a warhorse

Attacks by a warhorse