Border Princes Campaign 9: More on Banners

Ok, so in my last post I tried to convey how much more important the special map sections are in terms of victory points and strategic benefits.  Today I am going to be contradictory and argue the opposite case: the vital importance of normal terrain sections BEYOND special map sections in order to acquire more BANNERS (armies).  As a preface, I think this is all MUCH easier to understand if you imagine the CAMPAIGN PHASE of this game as being very much like the map section of Medieval Total War...

• Each player controls a force which is made up of 'banners' (armies essentially) which are moved around the map.  Each 'banner' normally represents a 2,250 point army (though there are ways to increase the pts. of each banner, eg. fortifying, allies, etc.).
• Each Banner is not a 'fixed' list - the 2250 points are chosen differently every battle.  It is assumed that  between battles troops are redistributed across the players' realm, etc.  This keeps bookkeeping simple, which for a first campaign is very important.  Of course, each Banner should absolutely have an appropriate name, named characters, etc.!
• A Banner takes CONTROL of a terrain section (special or normal) by moving into it in the CAMPAIGN PHASE, UNLESS it is occupied by an enemy banner, in which case a battle is fought in the BATTLE PHASE to determine control of that territory.
• When a BANNER is DEFEATED in the Battle Phase (but NOT SOUNDLY DEFEATED or MASSACRED), then that Banner must fall back to an adjacent FRIENDLY territory (controlled by either the defeated player or one of his/her allies).  If the only available adjacent territory is occupied by a another banner, that Banner is automatically displaced into a further friendly territory (such that multiple friendly banners may be displaced in one go).  If the only available territory is occupied by an ALLIED player, the ALLIED player may decide whether or not to allow that banner to be displaced.
• If a defeated banner is SOUNDLY DEFEATED, then the above-rules apply, but that unit MAY NOT undertake any actions in the following turn which involve moving into an ENEMY CONTROLLED TERRITORY (including SUPPORTING the invasion of enemy territory).  The SOUNDLY DEFEATED banner is licking its wounds and regrouping, but may perform any action which does not involve invading enemy territory (including moving through uncontrolled or friendly territory, or defending against enemy attacks).
• If there is NO AVAILABLE friendly territory to fall back to OR if the defeated banner is defeated by a CRUSHING VICTORY, then that banner is considered to be SCATTERED.
• A SCATTERED banner represents forces which have been resoundingly defeated and forced to retreat helter skelter (often in small groups) towards their HQ before forming up again/recruiting reinforcements.  Troops which are scattered are removed from the board until the END OF CAMPAIGN PHASE, at which point it REFORMS at the players HQ territory at HALF POINTS.  The reformed banner returns to full points in the following END OF TURN PHASE, whether or not it remains in the HQ.  This represents the gradual regrouping of scattered units and raising of new levies to form a fighting force.
• Once CONTROLLED, a terrain section does NOT need to be occupied by a banner - the occupying banner can move on without losing control over the territory.  Obviously, undefended territories are easily lost to opposing banners, however.
• The more terrain sections you CONTROL (special or normal) which are NOT RAZED, the more BANNERS you can support.  Specifically, for EVERY THREE TERRITORIES you control, you may field ONE ADDITIONAL BANNER, provided none of your territories have been RAZED (ie. a player with 3 territories may support 2 banners, a player with 6 territories may support 3 banners, etc.).
• Acquiring/losing territories and RAZING/RECOVERING territories changes the number of banners a player can support, and this all happens at the END OF TURN PHASE.  An extended example follows:

The Bretonnian player has two UNRAZED territories and 1 Banner, the Empire Player has 2 UNRAZED territories and 1 RAZED territory and 1 Banner, the Orcs and Goblins Player has 3 UNRAZED territories and 2 banners and the Chaos Warriors player has 6 UNRAZED territories and 3 banners.

In the campaign phase the Bretonnian player captures one of the Chaos player's territories, The Empire player RECOVERS its razed territory, the Orcs and goblins player RAZES TWO of the Chaos player's territories (using a rule specific to Orc and Goblin banners called FORCED MARCH - more on this later) with one banner and captures another Chaos territory with the other.  The Chaos player is unsuccessul in attacking the Bretonnian player: the Chaos warrior banner is defeated and SCATTERED.  So, at the END OF TURN PHASE:

Bretonnians: Now have 3 UNRAZED territories (they captured 1 territory), so they can support a new banner in their HQ territory.

Empire: Now has 3 UNRAZED territories (they recovered 1 territory), so they can support a new banner starting in their HQ territory.

Orcs and Goblins: Now have 4 unrazed territories (captured 1 territory), so they still support their current 2 banners.  If they can capture a further 2 territories they will have 6 territories and support THREE Banners (the new banner begins in the HQ).

Chaos Warriors: Now have 2 UNRAZED territories (lost 1 to Bretonnians and 1 to Orcs) and 2 RAZED territories (Orcs razed 2 territories) so they can only support ONE of their three banners.  In the End of Turn Phase the Chaos player must DISBAND TWO Banners.  The Chaos player MUST disband his SCATTERED banner FIRST, and then may CHOOSE which of the remaining Banners to disband.

Right, that's all for now.  Note that I have left bits out of this account (how SUPPORTING works) and included others which I will repeat elsewhere (what happens if you are SCATTERED or SOUNDLY DEFEATED).  I might try and consolidate all the rules into one more easily read document at a later date, but in the meantime fire away with any inconsistencies!