War (info)

While running this war-scenario, we will be operating with three sorts of maps.
1) Big map aka area map: The area map will cover the area where the war will be fought. Each square is 2½ times 2½ miles. Combat can not happen on this map. Power Ranges are meaningless. Two adjacent armies can not attack each other. They need to enter the combat map in order to do that. On the area map, each movement (1 square) takes 1 hour, so basically 1 round = 1 day.

2) Medium map aka combat map: When two enemy armies enter the same square on the area map, they switch to the combat map. On a combat map each square is 250 feet, and a round is 10 minutes. The two armies start approximately 1 mile (or 20 squares) from each other. Depending on from where the square is enterered, this distance might vary. Combat between armies can only take place on the combat map.

Standard ranges on the combat map (for reference) is: Melee 1, magic 2, bows 3 and catapults 5.

3) Normal map aka the grid: This is when your characters leave their armies to team up with the other Swords and perhaps kill a dragon, a demon or whatnot.

Other rules to know:
There is 2000 creatures in a unit.
Short rest = 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep
Long rest = 3 days or uninterrupted rest
Elevation gives CA against the other army
Walls, cities, forts and a lot of different things gives fortification ie cover against the other, as well as CA against the other army.
You autocrit against a surprised army.
When bloodied, an army is by default weakened - exceptions may apply
Roads = +2 sq movement
Plains = normal movement
Forests, swamps and mountains = difficult terrain, ie ½ movement.
Unless noted, every single unit has 1 surge, and the ability to second wind as a standard action until you have taken a long rest.

But wth does this mean? How can an army shift? What magic powers have 500' reach?
The short answer is that we are going to use a simulation of the 4e rules to play with armies.

The longer answer is that while the numbers on the cards will be very familiar, they will often mean other things. Now, a basic melee attack is just that, but when the power is called fireball, range 3, 1d10+5, it doesn't mean that suddenly casters can throw fireballs over 500+ feet. Instead is a simulation of 30 spellcasters working in concert and casting powerful rituals that amplifies combat spells and enables them to use them on the battlefield. A healing surge represents that some of the wounded recover enough to be able to fight.

I guess what I am saying is that you need to think a bit abstract for this to work well.