Osprey Game’s Oathmark: Battlesworn On Pre-Order Now
July 8, 2020 by avernos
Osprey Games first new release for Oathmark is due in August and has gone up for pre-order now. Oathmark: Battlesworn is a supplement for Oathmark: Battles of the Lost Age, contains rules for adding elite units to your armies and charting the progress of those units from battle-to-battle alongside including new rules, and scenarios to change the way you play your games of Oathmark.
Oathmark: Battlesworn
Still little on the way of substance in regards to the contents of the book, what we do know for certain is that it is introducing new units for the original armies, sorry undead fans you'll need to wait for Oathbreakers, and that will be interesting to see what they add there. I expect only a handful in it - possibly two per army - as the book itself is paperback and I'm guessing based on the price that it will be around the 90-100 page mark.
But given that the armies are fairly balanced in their lists already with swordsmen, spearmen, and archers appearing in practically every list I'm hoping that they take the opportunity to add something unique and distinctive to the forces to give you a greater sense of individuality in composition and gameplay.
There is a box of Specialist Soldiers coming, although I believe that will be branded for Frostgrave rather than Oathmark these heavily armoured humans could easily represent the Linebreakers from the main rules but I'm hoping that something unusual could be made from them as well. Time will tell exactly how that pans out.
Extract From Oathmark: Battlesworn - Battle Honours
There is one rule that we have been given a sneak peek for and this is the Battle Honours system, I'll let the book explain the premise itself.
Most units, with enough drilling and practice, can be taught to manoeuvre and fight as one; however, it is not until units face the horrors of battle that their true strengths and weaknesses are revealed. Some break as soon as the situation turns against them. Others fight to the last man, dying for a hopeless cause, in order to stay true to their oathmark. Unfortunately, even the greatest generals can rarely determine which units are which before battle.
Over time, though, certain units acquire reputations as tough, determined fighters. These are units that stand the test of battle – the ones you can count on when the fighting is at its height. Traditionally, such units are awarded battle honours, usually represented by a badge, medal, or some other token worn on the warriors’ armour. If the unit has a standard, the honour is often represented there by the name of the battle during which the unit won the honour.
These rules allow players to award battle honours to units that fight in their battles. When a player awards a unit an honour, that unit becomes a unique, fixed, part of the player’s kingdom. Such units receive a limited number of rerolls, equal to their number of battle honours, which they can use throughout a battle. Due to this increased ability, these units also cost more points. As these units participate in additional battles, they may add additional battle honours or, if fate turns against them, they may be destroyed.
It sounds like a very thematic way of building your nation and the warrior elite that form the core of your force. Over time you could adore the unit's standard with them or paint your honoured veterans to differentiate them from the rest of your army. This is what makes Oathmark different from a lot of the current massed rank and file fantasy games, it's the story-telling narrative built around your own army to make it and the world you build uniquely particular to you and your friends and you could map out in time the realms you own and how they wax and wane.
If you're interested in this narrative aspect Osprey Games are running a competition to create a unit for your own Oathmarkarmy and write a short backstory for how those soldiers earned their battle honours (either from a game you have played or from your imagination). They are looking for a unit of at least 10 figures on either 25x25mm bases or 25x50 mm bases, so show us what you've got!
The contest will run until 15th August, and the winner will receive a free print and PDF copy of Oathmark: Battleswornwhen it is released. Please post your entries on the Oathmark Players Page and include #Battlesworn in your post. So if you fancy getting involved with that you'll need to be on facepage, if you are not then you only have another month to wait so holdfast it won't be long now.
How many variations of the Dúnedain Rangers will be entered?
"...it's the story-telling narrative built around your own army to make it and the world you build uniquely particular to you"
This is a nice addition to the rules. It really captures my imagination. I think its really cool to start with all novice units and let the games decide who will be your elites over time.
That’s a pretty nifty addition to what’s shaping up to be a great game ?
Love the cover artwork.
‘They’ say don’t judge a book by its cover but in this case your so right it’s a great bit of art work and first time I saw it I thought that’s what I want to see more of. ?
I haven’t had the chance to play yet thanks to social distancing but ok, lets do an expansion.
I’m really excited about this! I think that the system is very good, but the troops its a bit too generic. This book could help.
The only short coming Oathmark has, is there is not alot of difference between the races. It doesnt really matter mechanically what race you pick, they all are just about the same.
From a core concept, I could see that working for tournament and more competitive players. So that, to me, is okay. Expansion books should be the place to add the more optional rules to add narrative elements like this anyway. So I hope thats what they plan to do.
There are differences (dwarf: slow, but good defence, elf: best stats, but expensive, goblin: cheap troops, human: somewhere in between, with best cavalry). I just would like to have some more unique unit options, and a bit more balance between the races (for example: lack of fast dwarf troops can be annoying). But to be honest, because of the concept (any race can hire any unit), these things are maybe not so important…
I think when most people are thinking about this sort of thing, they are using Warhammer Fantasy as the general meter stick to compare too.
Elves having “racial” abilities that only they can do, etc. I really like Oathmark, so its not a complaint, but all the races just lack a little extra flavor that makes them feel unique.
Yes, but I hope, that Battlesworn will add this little flavour to it. If not: houserules (I already made some new units, just for fun).
Nice. I’ll watch out for this> As a game it looks pretty good, but there are lots of games in my queue for playing, however the artwork really sets this apart, and having bought the core book, I will be buying the expansions pretty much only because of the artwork given it will probably be a couple of years before I get around to playing the game!