This article originally appeared in Pyramid #10

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Q&A -- GAMING QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

ASK THE OGRE

A very frequently asked question: "What happened to the rule from the original Ogre about Ogres losing treads when they ram armor units?" Many people have assumed that that rule should be in there somewhere.

That rule is replaced, in the more complex miniatures version, by overrun attacks. Instead of automatic damage to the Ogres' treads, the victim gets one last chance to hit the Ogre with its weapon. Ogre treads are really too tough to be damaged by running over little tanks . . .

And another frequently asked question: "When will the miniatures be back?"

We now have a firm answer. Soldiers and Swords will ship the first set of new miniatures on September 15. It will include the Mark IV Ogre, the Combine Superheavy, the Combine MHWZ, and the Combine LGEV. More will follow each month, including Nihon and Chinese units.

Is an armor unit always destroyed by a second D result, even if the first did not come from enemy attack? What if the first D came from a GEV that missed its roll when it entered swamp?
--Charles Van Norman

An armor unit is always destroyed by a second D result, no matter where it came from. If the first D was from swamp, it just slowed the target down enough that the second attack could kill it.

Are Combat Engineers required to move Size 5 and 6 units off roads?
--Ray Forsythe

Yes, per the table on Ogre Miniatures, p. 17, at least one squad of Combat Engineers must participate in order to move units of size 4, 5 and 6. There is a mistake in that table, though . . . a size 6 unit requires 15 squads to move, not 5! (I suspect the reason that the error wasn't caught before is that very few people have played Mark II Ogres so far; the miniature isn't out yet. But it will be . . . )

--Steve Jackson

The 3rd edition Ars Magica contains the +5 virtue "Giant Blood." The text describes characters with this virtue as having two extra "Hurt" body levels and Size +2. Does this mean such a character would, because of his or her size, be able to wield two-handed weapons in one hand? If so, which set of statistics would apply in the case of the bastard sword, a one- or two-handed weapon? Also, could a character with giant blood use both hands for extra effect? And if a giant-blooded character has Strength of +6 or +7, can he or she "perform an incredible feat related to your characteristic" as per the virtue "Mythic Characteristic?"

Wizards of the Coast's Wade Racine answers:

What I would allow would be for a character with Giant Blood to be able to wield weapons that have one-handed or two-handed options in just one hand but use the stats as if they were being used in two. These weapons are Bastard Sword, Short Spear, Club, Mace, and Morning Star. Other weapons that are two-handed only aren't used two-handed simply as a matter of strength...it is also a matter of using the weapon properly. It isn't the brute strength of the user of a military flail (although that has something to do with it), but rather the great sweeping arcs the weapon is used in and the momentum it possesses when it smashes into the opponent. The character with Giant Blood could not use the "allowed" weapons with two hands for extra effect, as there is only so much space on the weapon for a good, useful grip (and we are talking about rules balance, here, after all...let's try and keep it simple, balanced and logical). As for the +6 or +7 strength and the mythic characteristic, that is probably up to the troupe, depending on the style of saga they are in. I personally would say no, because the Mythic Characteristic virtue isn't just "do I have a high enough strength" question . . . it is also the limited "once per day do something really nifty that peasants who saw it will sing about it around the hearth and I will become a local hero and eventually a legend in a couple of generations, whence forth the peasants will name children after me" question. It is the "village strong guy" vs. "Hercules." They both are mind-blowingly strong, but Hercules is "special," nay, indeed, shall we say "mythic."



Article publication date: December 1, 1994

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