My advice is to pay VERY SPECIAL ATTENTION to these rules because there are benefits to be had for taking certain territories with certain armies beyond the victory points, and you may well want to consider the benefits of each before choosing your HQ territory/planning your overall strategy.
Geistenmund Hills
The Geistenmund Hills are dotted with ancient barrows where some long-forgotten people were purportedly laid to rest. Some say that the dead here burn with hatred for the living and seek vengeance for that which brought about their demise, others that ages past fell necromancers used dark magics to raise the dead here and bind them to their will, and that the dead are restless here still as a result. Whatever the cause, the Geistenmund Hills have long been regarded as haunted. In better times, the lords of the Border Princes enlisted the aid of dwarf Runesmiths to seal the barrows with powerful wards. These protections have grown old, however, and occasionally someone will destroy the runes either in order to plunder the barrow's riches or to deliberately free the restless dead. To this day, odd ululations can be heard from the hills on the darkest of nights, and mists from the river shroud this region in constant fog...
Rules:
Difficult Terrain: Given the haunted reputation and eerie surrounds of the Geistenmund Hills, most warriors are very reluctant to enter this region. All armies EXCEPT Vampire Counts, Tomb Kings and Daemons of Chaos must make a difficult terrain test in order to enter the Geistenmund Hills (failed on roll of 1-2).
Battle in the Barrows Scenario: Battles fought in the Geistenmund Hills always use the 'Battle in the Barrows' scenario (see General's Compendium). Basically, the battle involves four Barrows and a stone circle from which zombies and ghouls emerge to randomly move towards and attack the nearest enemy unit! Vampire Counts and Tomb Kings generals have the chance to control the undead in each turn (general's leadership at -2, unmodified by banner). Given that the (random) undead of the Geistenmund Hills move and act in the compulsory movement phase of BOTH PLAYERS' TURNS this gives Vampire Counts and Tomb Kings players a decided advantage in taking/holding this terrain section.
A sea of bones: The Geistenmund Hills can be RAZED such that they provide no support for BANNERS or VICTORY POINTS, but clearing the area of the countless restless spirits is impossible and as such some of the special rules for the Geistenmund Hills (Difficult Terrain and Battle in the Barrows only) apply even if they have been RAZED.
Iron Claw Orc Camp
The Iron Claw Orc Camp is a rocky, inhospitable region that hosts a seasonal campsite for the local greenskins. Temporary huts and shelters are abandoned one month only to be inhabited the next. The area is largely infertile and barren, and only Orcs and Goblins would find the landscape pleasant, but this stretch of barren rock has on occasion been the site of strategic battles. Perhaps more importantly, the Iron Claw Orc Camp has been the rallying/gathering point for many a mighty Waaaaaagh! which has gone on to wreck havoc in the Border Princes and up through Black Fire Pass towards the Empire beyond...
Rules:
Seasonal Greenskin Campsite: As one might expect, battles fought in the Iron Claw Orcs traditional territory favour Orc and Goblin players. Whenever two banners fight a battle in the territory containing the Iron Claw Orc camp and the territory has NOT been RAZED, then BOTH players roll a d6 BEFORE building their army lists and apply the result below.
1-2: The banner encounters few local Greenskins and is not affected in any way.
3-5: The banner encounters small bands of Greenskins as they journey through the territory. Orc and Goblin armies may recruit these Greenskins, ADDING (2d6 x 10) points to their Banner FOR THIS BATTLE ONLY. All other armies LOSE 2d6 x 10 points from their Banner FOR THIS BATTLE ONLY as a result of ambushes and skirmishes with the local Greenskins.
6: The banner encounters large bands of Greenskins as they journey through the territory. Orc and Goblin armies may recruit these Greenskins, ADDING 2d6 x 25 points to their Banner FOR THIS BATTLE ONLY. All other armies LOSE 2d6 x 25 points from their Banner FOR THIS BATTLE ONLY as a result of battles with the local Greenskins.
Note that the above described effects DO NOT APPLY if the territory has been RAZED, in which case the resident Greenskins make for more hospitable (well, for Greenskins anyway) territories in the Badlands to the south.
Malko
Malko has been taken and retaken countless times in the long and bloody history of the Border Princes, and few would-be lords of the Border Princes have the time or the wherewithal to repair its ancient stone walls before a new invader approaches. Nevertheless, Malko's timeless stone foundations endure, usually topped by hastily assembled log palisades and other timber defenses. Though often makeshift and poorly maintained, these defenses have repelled many would-be invader.
The fortress-town of Malko is a large settlement by the standards of the Border Princes, and lordship of Malko confers upon the holder considerable symbolic status in this region. This is probably because Malko is strategically placed on a dangerous portion of the lucrative silk-road, and has traditionally been responsible for the defense of the trade-town of Aldium. Confused cartographers, scholars, ambassadors and heralds from the Empire, Bretonnia and Tilea, frustrated by the ephemeral governments and constantly shifting boundaries of the Border Princes, often assume that Malko serves as something of a capital in the Border Princes, though in reality the influence of Malko's lord is limited to the reach of his sword. The current occupant of the Lord's Palace in Malko is a descendant of one of those Border Princes who was somewhat successful in bringing this region to a semblance of unity. The current lord of Malko's rule is failing, however. His influence now extends no further than Malko's walls, the citizens of Aldium no longer look to him for protection and and few have confidence that he will be able to check the warlords rising across the Border Princes. Malko is isolated and ripe for the picking...
Rules:
Symbolic Heart: Traditionally, those who have (somewhat) unified the Border Princes have ruled from the ancient city of Malko, though holding the Lord's Palace in no way guarantees that other lords will bend the knee (witness the weakness of the current incumbent). As such, the player who holds Malko at the end of the last turn of the campaign receives TEN victory points.
Take Malko!: The current lord of Malko may lack the vigour of his forebears, but is clinging tenaciously to his authority within the town itself. The citizens, for their part, are rightly wary of accepting a new, crueler lord. To represent this, the first banner to move into Malko must fight a siege scenario against a neutral Empire force representing the Lord's garrison and mercenaries. The Malko garrison ALWAYS comprises 1325 points, no matter the size of the attacking force, and will never leave Malko's walls. Paranoid and delusional, the lord of Malko will NOT form any permanent alliances or OFFER SUPPORT, but will ACCEPT SUPPORT from HUMAN banners in adjacent territories in the siege scenario. Once the Malko garrison has been defeated (even ONCE) then the Malko garrison is removed from the game - effectively, the failing ruler has been killed/imprisoned/driven into exile, a dynasty ended, and a new era established in the Border Princes. When battle ensues with the garrison, the garrison is to be played by one of the other players who is NOT allied with the invader. Should 2 armies try to take Malko at the same time, they make a DON'T PASS IN THE NIGHT test. The winner gets to assualt Malko, while the loser is forced to HOLD and await the outcome.
Hold Malko!: Once Malko has been taken and the original lord and his garrison dispatched, Malko functions as a territory with the following special rules. The DEFENDER of Malko must either withdraw behind Malko's walls and fight a SIEGE scenario against the invader, OR sally forth from the walls and fight a decisive BATTLELINE scenario against the invader (defender chooses).
Malko ALWAYS counts as being FORTIFIED (200 point bonus to the defender in both SIEGE and BATTLELINE scenarios), though results of WATCHTOWER on the DEFENSIVE OBSTACLES chart must be re-rolled. Malko CANNOT be FORTIFIED further.
In both the SIEGE and BATTLELINE scenarios in Malko, both DEFENDERS and ATTACKERS may be SUPPORTED by adjacent banners and/or allies as per usual.
These rules cease to apply if Malko is RAZED, and will re-apply when Malko is RECOVERED.
Tor Anrok
Scholars at the Imperial College of Magic claim that the ancient tower of Tor Anrok was once the ancient seat of the High Elven House of Lothain, long before the War of the Beard and the coming of Man to these parts. Although the Elves abandoned the tower long ago, most of the structure stands to this day. Rumour has it that Tor Anrok can only be seen once per month, and even then only when struck by moonlight. Either these rumours are false or Tor Anrok's ancient magics are weakening, because the tower can indeed be spied by the keen-eyed and by those who know where to look for it. Nevertheless, the tower provides an excellent defensive position: not only is it difficult to see and therefore attack, but it provides an unparalleled vantage point from which to observe surrounding lands...
Rules:
The following rules apply when a player's banner (any faction) controls Tor Anrok:
Vantage Point: All banners which BEGIN their turn in Tor Anrok OR in ANY TERRITORY ADJACENT TO Tor Anrok AUTOMATICALLY WIN DON'T PASS IN THE NIGHT ROLLS.
Command Post: All banners which BEGIN their turn in Tor Anrok OR in ANY TERRITORY ADJACENT TO Tor Anrok may choose which table-side to deploy on, whether to deploy first or second only and whether to take the 1st or second turn, BUT ONLY IN SCENARIOS WHERE THESE DECISIONS ARE RESOLVED RANDOMLY.
Battle for Tor Anrok: Battles fought in the territory of Tor Anrok when the territory is NOT YET CONTROLLED are determined with the CAPTURE scenario (6th ed. rulebook), with the Elven Tower of Tor Anrok as the Objective.
If Tor Anrok is already controlled by one player and is invaded by another banner, then the battle is played using the BATTLELINE scenario. However, the defending player may deploy the Elven Tower inside their deployment zone (see Elven Tower, below).
The Elven Tower: In either the case of BATTLELINE or CAPTURE scenarios in Tor Anrok, a SINGLE wizard character may enter the Elven Tower. A wizard character who ENTERS the elven tower may use the tower's ancient enchantments and libraries to enhance their own magical prowess. While atop the tower the wizard character has access to all the spells of their lore (as per the wizard's tower in the 8th BRB, though the wizard must have ENTERED the tower for this to take effect). Furthermore, the wizard casts all spells as if one spell level higher while atop the tower.
Elven Ancestry: Furthermore, if Tor Anrok is controlled by an Elven army (either High, Dark, or Wood), the spellcasters in each of their banners are entitled to memorize ONE EXTRA of their RACE-SPECIFIC spells (e.g. High Magic, Dark Magic, Forest Magic).
Razing the tower: Tor Anrok's magical defenses remain potent, and RAZING Tor Anrok has NO EFFECT on the VANTAGE POINT and COMMAND POST rules, though the other special rules are nullifed if Tor Anrok is RAZED until the tower is RECOVERED.
Aldium
The cosmopolitan town of Aldium is the closest thing in the Border Princes to an international trading town like Marienburg or Miragliano. Because of its proximity at the intersection between the Silk Road, South Road and the most navigable reaches of the Blood River, Aldium sees a good deal of foreign trading caravans which bring with them specialist mercenaries, caravan guards and other soldiers into town. Aldium is also a haven for artists, engineers, intellectuals, Tilean engineers, outcast Imperial alchemists, tinkers, merchants and craftsmen of all kinds. This intellectual and free-spirited community is very accepting of all kinds of eccentrics: religious zealots, discredited wizards and even deviants. While the work that goes on in Aldium would never be permitted in regions where the Witch Hunters hold sway, the remoteness of this Border Princes town and its connections with exotic locales breed an atmosphere of tolerance. Of course, this also means that darker forces may also have freer reign...
When there is a strong lord in Malko it usually falls to him to defend Aldium. However, when Malko is weak (as is the case now) the burghers of Aldium will either defend themselves by employing the countless mercenaries who pass through the town or, more commonly, simply welcome the invaders and carry on living their lives as usual! Such is the wealth, expertise and vice available in Aldium that even the most violent of invaders are often convinced not to completely level the town and, once convinced of Aldium's usefulness, these warlords quickly find the town to be indispensable! Should the worst come to the worst, however, and the town be raised to the ground, it is seldom long before tents are pitched and then shops rebuilt... the potential profits to be made at this trade nexus outweigh the risks for many...
Rules:
Cosmopolitan Aldium: To represent the access to resources and skilled retainers in Aldium, the player who controls Aldium is allowed to discount 100 pts of their COMMON troop choices and allocate them instead either their SPECIAL or RARE slots in EVERY BANNER.
Battle for Aldium: Aldium is a haven for mercenary captains and caravan guards seeking employment, and whenever foreign powers try to take Aldium, the mercenaries immediately begin playing the foes off against each other and hiring their services to the highest bidder! In practice, any invader who DID NOT try to hire these gold-hungry ne'er do wells would be annihilated, such that all parties are forced to hire as many as they can! To represent this, battles for Aldium use the MERCENARY scenario rules from the 8th Ed. Brb.
The Warrens
The Warrens are a region of unusual rock formations in the foothills south of the Black Mountains. The rocks form a natural labyrinth of natural corridors, walls and chambers which are the perfect hiding places for the cutthroats and brigands which plague Black Fire Pass. Chief amongst these is a famous band of mercenaries called the Carrion Band.
Rules:
Battles in the Warrens are fought using the ROCK LABYRINTH scenario as per the General's Compendium. Essentially, this battle involves many many rock obstacles and thus suits skirmishers. Furthermore, 2 NON-SKIRMISHING units may adopt skirmish formation in this scenario, and both sides may keep ambushers in reserve. Finally, HUMAN armies may hire the mercenaries and brigands which lair here, allowing them to add 100 points of core infantry for battles fought here.
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