Ponyhammer
The Game of Pony Battles
First Draft Rules
Welcome to Ponyhammer, the game where those sweet colorful ponies we all love get into huge fights! Friendship is great, but sometimes making friends just doesn't solve everything. Times like that, you got to get your hooves dirty, and take a few hits for the team. This is what Ponyhammer is about. Why? Because Why Not?!
Right off the bat, some of you may notice that Ponyhammer draws heavily on ideas from other table top miniature games, such as Warhammer, Carnage, and Warmachine. However, previous experience with these games, or games like them, are not required to play Ponyhammer. In fact, the goal of this game is to present rules that are easy and simple enough for anyone to start playing and enjoy without even having known about any other table top miniature games. Because, let's face it, once you've played Ponyhammer you won't want to play any other game! Right?
Now, let me just state that these rules are only the first draft. And as such, expect them to be a bit rough, and for somethings to not always work out in every situation. Think of them as being 'experimental'. What does that mean? Well, for starters, the balance between the different types of ponies may seem off. Balancing abilities, stats, and costs can be a long process, and it requires a lot of input from people playing the game. Some rules may work well on paper, but not so well in practice. Again, this is something that requires input from players, and can take a while to hammer out till it runs smoothly. Think of these rules as the 'alpha' version of a video game. It's fresh from the concept stage, not all the features are in place, and bugs are still needing to be worked out of the system. So, by now I'm sure you're asking why release unfinished rules like these to the public. Well, the answer is simple. I would very much like your input on this. This is all an idea that just game to me over the course of a couple days, and I unfortunately have no one locally to help test things out. So please, if you try these rules out, let me know what you think. Post a reply where you found these rules, and tell me what works, what doesn't, and what you would like to see added. I can't say I'll try to work every idea into the game, but I'll take each into consideration.
Now, without any further horsing around, I present to you; Ponyhammer!
Getting Started
The first thing you will need is a place to play. Now, we all wish we could hop on over to Equestria and play a rousing game over a round of hayshakes, but unfortunately any convenient table, counter, desk, or floor will have to do. You will need a fairly sizable area to play in, depending on the size of the game you wish to play. A school desk may be fine for a quick game with only a hand full of ponies. Where as you will need a dinning room table for any game larger than that. An area at least three feet by six feet is recommended for most games.
If you wish to add some detail to your battle field, and some strategy to your game, you can add terrain to the area. If you happen to have some miniature game terrain, you can certainly use that. Trees, cottages, walls, old ruins. Anything you feel might be appropriate or simply interesting to use. If you don't have access to miniature game terrain, do not worry. You can use anything at hand. Books, cups, salt shakers, anything can be used in a pinch. When you are placing terrain, do remember not to favor one side of the area too heavily. It will be no fun for the other player is they are stuck out in the open while you have lots of places to hide behind.
The next thing you will need is, of course, ponies! It wouldn't be Ponyhammer without those colorful little horses. For the purposes of these rules, we will assume that the players are using the two inch tall 'Blind Bag' ponies, as they are cheap and generally easy to obtain. Also, many people will have several of these on hand. If you instead wish to use the larger 'brushable' figures for a game, you may do so. If that is the case, please multiply all measurements and distances by three. For example, if an Earth Pony can move six inches in a turn, then they would move eighteen inches when using the 'brushable' figures. It is not recommended to use the much larger 'fashion' figures, lest we play every game in empty parking lots.
For now, it does not matter which individual ponies you have in your collection. Just that you have a good selection of each of the three types. Depending on your preference, you will want to have a fairly equal selection of both Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi. If you happen to have access to bases for gaming miniatures, you may wish to mount your ponies on these, both to help them stand up and to help tell your ponies apart from your opponent's. While any base will do, it's recommended that you use the one inch by two inch long bases, as these best fit the size and shape of the ponies while not leaving a lot of empty space to get in the way. How you attach your ponies to their bases is up to you.
Lastly, you will need some dice. As this is a game, it is important that some element if random chance is included. This, combined with your pony's stats and the choices you make, will determine how events in the game play out. Events such as seeing if your pony hits her target, runs away from a loosing fight, or manages to knock out her opponent will all depend on a roll of a dice. For Ponyhammer, it is recommended that each player have at least two six sided dice, here forth referred to as a 'D6'. These dice are easily obtained from board games, other table top miniature games, role playing games, or from gaming shops. It will often be handy to have several of these dice on hand, particularly in a couple different colors. It's also recommended that you have some paper and a pen or pencil on hand, to help keep track of any notes such as number of turns or points scored.
Rounding Them Up
Now that you have your ponies and a place for them to duke it out, you're all set to play, right? Well, almost. Don't worry though, there's just one last thing you need to do. Decide which ponies you want to use!
While it may seem like fun just to use all your ponies, and let whoever has the largest herd win, it wouldn't be much fun for the players with smaller herds. So, in Ponyhammer, we try to keep everything as even as we can. It's all in friendship and fun, right? That's not to say that having a lot of ponies isn't a good thing. It means you will have more ponies to pick from. A player with a lot of ponies may decide to have an all pegasus herd, and he wont have to take any ponies he doesn't want to just so he can fill out his herd. But at the same time, the player with only a few ponies to pick from should still have a fair chance of coming out the winner at the end of the game. It's OK to loose if you did your best, and you had fun doing it. But if you couldn't win to start off with, it's no fun at all. And that makes Pinkie Pie sad.
So, as you probably already know, there are three main types of ponies. These are, in no particular order; Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi. For the First Draft rules of Ponyhammer, we will assume that each type of pony is equal to the others. No pony is more valuable to the others, and they each have just as good a chance of winning the fight as the others. The main difference will be in how they fight, and how you choose to use them in your herd.
And what makes each pony unique and different is their stats and their abilities. While the different ponies may look very similar, each has strengths, weaknesses, and things they can do which others can not. First, we will look over their stats, which are a way to show where a pony's strengths and weaknesses lie.
Movement (M)
This is how fast a pony can move on her hooves. Generally speaking, no pony can run much faster than the other, and so every pony has a movement value of 6. This is how many inches they can move in a turn. Ponies can only move once a turn under normal circumstances. However, some situations and abilities may allow, or even require, a pony to move more than their normal movement. For example, if a pony wishes to charge into melee combat, she may move an additional 6 inches AFTER taking her normal movement for that turn.
Attack Bonus (A)
This is how well a pony can hold her own in a scuffle. It represents her skill in kicking, punching, bucking, and generally smacking other ponies around. The higher a pony's Attack Bonus, the better she is at it, and the more likely she is to score hits against whoever she's fighting. More information on the Attack Bonus stat can be found in the Combat section, later in the rules.
Ranged Bonus (R)
This is how good a pony's aim is with anything that's thrown, shot, or otherwise flung at her target. While Unicorns will generally be the ones making use of their Ranged Bonus, some special abilities may give other ponies a chance to use it. Like the Attack Bonus stat, the higher a pony's Ranged Bonus is, the better their chance of hitting her target. More information on the Ranged Bonus stat can be found in the Combat section, later in the rules.
Strength (S)
This is how much force a pony can put behind her attacks. In a sense, this is their horse power. Ponies with a higher Strength will be more likely to knock out their opponents in a fight, and are the ones you want to get into melee combat most often. Remember that a high Strength doesn't mean that a pony will be able to hit with her attacks. It simply means that the attacks she does hit with will hurt more.
Toughness (T)
How easy a pony can shrug off attacks, and how difficult it is to knock them out. Ponies with high Toughness will be more likely to ignore attacks from their opponents, and will generally last longer in a fight than ponies with a low Toughness. Remember that some abilities may actually ignore a pony's Toughness, meaning that no matter how bit and tough a pony may be, she isn't ever invulnerable.
Courage (C)
Fighting is tough for ponies. They'd be more happy reading books or playing in the park. But even a peaceful pony will fight if she has to. But some ponies are more able to handle the craziness of a fight better than others. These ponies will have a high Courage stat. They are more likely to 'tough it out' and stay in the fight rather than turn tail and run away. Some ponies may even use their Courage stat for other uses, such as casting spells or making use of their abilities.
While looking at purely a pony's stats may make it seem that some ponies are better than others, a player must keep in mind that every pony will have special talents that they can use that sets them apart. A pony with fairly weak stats may have very useful special talents. Players should never ignore these talents, as they are what give each type of pony their uniqueness. These are a pony's Abilities. How useful an Ability is may be hard to measure, and a player must consider which Abilities they can best make use of, which ones promote a play style that suits them best, and what Abilities his opponent's ponies will make use of.
Each type of pony will have different Abilities, and so they will be listed under the stats of each pony. Which is where we are headed next!
Now that you know what to look for in your ponies, it's time to pick them out from the rest of the herd! Below you will find the stats for each type of pony, as well as their Abilities.
Earth Pony
M 6
A 6
R 4
S 4
T 4
C 6
Stalwart: Earth Ponies are very dependable, and slow to budge in the face of danger. Any time an Earth Pony has to roll their Courage to see if they run away, they may roll one extra dice and use the two highest dice, disregarding the extra. Any other modifiers still apply.
Buck: In any turn in which they charge into combat, Earth Ponies may add +2 to their Strength for that turn only. Afterwards they fight using their normal Strength. Any other modifiers still apply as normal.
Pegasus
M 6
A 6
R 4
S 3
T 3
C 4
Fly: Pegasi may use their wings to take great, leaping bounds over long distances. This allows them to move up to 12 inches as their normal movement in a turn. When doing so, they may move over any sort of obstacle, such as walls, trees, buildings, or even other ponies. They must always end this movement in a clear, open area. They may not end their movement in trees, lakes, or other such obstacles. They may, however, end their movement on top of any appropriate building, hill, or similar structure. At the end of this movement, they are considered to be on the ground like any other pony. This movement is not subject to any modifiers. They may, if the player wishes, move on the ground like any other pony, at the usual speed of 6 inches a turn.
Brush Off: Using their wings to buffet their opponents, Pegasi may end their turn by taking a leap directly away from their opponents. They may do this at the end of the controlling player's turn, after any attacks have been made. The Pegasi may move up to 6 inches away from their opponents, moving out of combat. They may only move in a direction that does not take them closer to another enemy unit. They must end their movement in a clear, open area. If they can not, then they may move as far as they are able to till they come in contact with the obstacle. The Pegasi may only do this if they have not moved any that turn.
Flighty: Pegasi prefer to take advantage of situations they can easily win, but their overconfidence often leads them to bad choices. If they do not out number their opponents in any combat, then the Pegasi are at a -2 penalty to any Courage rolls to avoid running away. All other modifiers still apply as normal.
Unicorn
M 6
A 4
R 6
S 2
T 3
C 6
Bolt: Unicorns are able to use the magic channeled through their horns to shoot a magical projectile to stun their opponents. They may target their Bolt at any opponents within 24 inches. Roll a Ranged attack as normal. The Bolt hits with a Strength of 4, and rolls to knock out the target as normal. Unicorns may not shoot at other targets if they are already in melee combat with an opponent.
Wink Out: Unicorns may use their magic to teleport themselves out of danger, appearing a short distance away. They may do this at the start of their turn, before any movement or attacks are made. The Unicorns may move up to 6 inches in any direction that does not take them closer to other opponents, and may teleport out of melee combat. They may teleport behind walls, bushes, trees, buildings, or other obstacles. The entire unit must be able to arrive in a clear, open area. If not then any Unicorns who can not make the teleport are lost. The Unicorns may move as normal afterwards, but may not attack, charge, or use their Bolt ability.
Now that you know what ponies you can choose from, and what their strengths and weaknesses are, it's time to build your herd! This is pretty easy. Simply agree on a number of ponies that you and your opponent will use, and select a number of Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns till you have filled out your herd. Remember, a well rounded herd will have a good mix of each, and will be able to take advantage of all their special talents. But that isn't to say you can't go with a particular theme for your herd. A herd of nothing but Pegasi may be fun to play, and will excel in certain games, but they may find themselves lacking in some areas.
Typically, playing with larger herds will result in longer games. A game where each player only has six ponies is good for a quick game lasting less than a half hour. A game where each player has dozens of ponies may take an entire afternoon. There is really no upper or lower limit to the number of ponies you can include in your herd, simply how much time you have to spend playing the game.
Out To Pasture
Now that you have your cute and colorful herd assembled, it's time to get everything set up! This is generally pretty simple, and can be done quickly and easily. Players start off by selecting opposite sides of the playing area. This may be edges or corners of a table, sides of a room, or even inside castles set up as terrain. The thing to remember is you always want to set up your ponies so that they are a fair distance from your opponent's. This way you have the entire playing field to move through. Setting up in corners at the same end of a table generally isn't a good idea, though some unusual scenario type games may allow for this.
On an average sized playing field, you'll want to set up your ponies roughly three feet away from your opponent's, and about a foot from the sides of the playing field. This is, of course, depending on the size of your herd and the size of the playing field.
When setting up your ponies, remember to group them into Units. A Unit is any group of ponies of the same type, which numbers three or more, and in which all ponies are within three inches of each other. This is done for a number of reasons. For starters, it makes it easier to move your ponies. If they are all part of a unit, you can simply measure out the distance, move one pony, then move the rest of the unit to match. No need to be exact. Otherwise players would have to measure out the distance and move each pony individually, which could take quite a while in larger games.
Secondly, if one pony in a unit can see and/or shoot at an opponent, then the entire unit can as well. This is particularly useful for unicorns, as they can point out where an opponent is to their friends. Remember that unicorns will still need to have line of sight to their targets. More on this will be explained in the Combat section.
Having your friends around is also good for keeping your Courage up, and getting through tough fights. The number of ponies in a unit is important, and ponies trying to fight all on their own may find themselves swamped with opponents, and forced to run away from tough fights. It also makes it easy to keep opponents occupied, since ponies in a unit can step up and keep the fight going if their friends get knocked out. In this case, if some of the ponies in a unit get knocked out, you can simply remove some of the ponies from that unit who are not actually fighting, rather than having to remove the ones in front first, then move the others around again.
Overall, it simply makes the game quicker and easier. Roll once to see if a unit of ponies stays or runs away, rather than having to roll for each pony. Roll all of your attacks at one time, instead of pointing out which pony is hitting who in a fight.
Also, it just looks bucking cool!
Now that you've got your ponies out on the field, and they're all grouped up into units with their friends, it's time to see who goes first. This is very easy. Each player simply rolls one D6, and the player who rolls the highest number goes first. Should they both roll the same number, they roll again. In games where there are more than two players, each player rolls, and the player with the highest number goes first. The player with the next highest goes second, and so on. Should two players roll the same number, they roll between each other to see which one of them goes before the other.
Each player takes turns, moving their ponies, making their attacks if they are able, and using abilities till they have done all they are able. Remember that a player need not move, attack, or do anything with a unit they wish not to. It is perfectly acceptable for a player to not take any action and wait till his turn comes around again. Or he may decide to only move one unit and leave the rest where they are. There is no real advantage to this, aside from seeing what your opponent does, so players are free to do so if they wish.
A game of Ponyhammer can last for as long as it takes for one player's ponies to knock out all their opponents, or it can last for a set number of turns. If a game has a set number of turns, the player with the highest score at the end wins. More information on scoring points can be found in the Combat section of the rules.
Combat
Friendship is great, but sometimes ponies just don't see eye to eye. When that happens, they aren't afraid to get rough. This is where combat comes into the game. In Ponyhammer, the objective is to knock out your opponent's ponies till there's only one mare or stallion left standing! And to make sure every pony has a fair chance, there are rules for how to do just that.
There are two main types of combat in Ponyhammer; Melee and Ranged. As you can tell from their names, Melee combat happens up close, where ponies kick and buck to knock each other out. Ranged combat happens at a distance, where ponies try to knock each other out with magical spells or anything at hoof that they can use. Each kind of combat is handled in a similar way, though there are some important differences.
Melee
The first step in Melee combat is to get to grips with your opponent. After your ponies have moved, decide which units will attempt to get into melee with your opponent's ponies. To get into Melee, ponies charge at their opponents. A Charge is an extra move they take, running as fast as they can before their opponents can slip away. Units of ponies may Charge up to 6 inches straight ahead towards the closest unit of opponents. Measure out the distance. If it is more than 6 inches, then the opponents are too far away, and the Charge fails. Your ponies do not move now, as they would not be able to get to their opponents this turn. Normally, you may only charge at the closest unit of opponents. However, if two units are an equal distance away, you may pick which your ponies will charge. If, for whatever reason, you wish your ponies to charge a unit that is not the closest, make a Courage roll for them on 2D6. If, after any modifiers, the result is 10 or more, then your ponies have mustered up the courage to ignore the immediate threat and go after a more select target.
Once your ponies have charged their opponents, they may attack. In Ponyhammer, you use a simple roll of a D6 to see if your pony's attack hits her opponent or not. Just roll 1D6, and add your pony's Attack Bonus. If the total number is equal to or greater than 10, then your pony has managed to hit her opponent, and she can then roll to see if she knocks that opponent out. For example, an Earth Pony has an Attack Bonus of 6. This means she needs to roll a 4 or better on the D6 in order to hit her opponent. Where as a Unicorn, with an Attack Bonus of only 4, would be required to roll a 6 if she wishes to hit an opponent in melee.
When your pony lands a hit on her opponent, it's time to see if that hit knocks the opponent out. This is done by rolling 1D6 and adding your pony's Strength to the roll. Compare this to her opponent's Toughness plus 4. If your result is equal to or higher than the target number, then your pony has successfully knocked out her opponent. For example, an Earth Pony attacks another Earth Pony. They both have a Strength of 4 and a Toughness of 4. The attacking Earth Pony would need to roll a 4 or higher on the D6 to match or beat the target number of 8, which is her opponent's Toughness plus 4. If the same Earth Pony was attacking a Unicorn, who's Toughness is only 3, she would only need to roll a 3 or higher in order to beat the target number of 7, which is the Unicorn's Toughness plus 4. As you can see, ponies with higher Strength will have an easier time knocking out other ponies, but ponies with higher Toughness will be less likely to get knocked out.
Under most circumstances, every pony will have at least a slim chance of hitting and knocking out an opponent. But there may be times when, due to modifiers or bad luck, it seems that they would have no chance of knocking out their opponent, or even hitting them. At times like this, there is still always a small glimmer of hope, and that is to roll a 6. Any roll to hit or knock out that comes up a 6, regardless of modifiers, will succeed. There is always the chance that some lucky shot, or a cleaver move will let your pony win the day. Unfortunately, this luck can also turn bad. Just as a 6 will always win, a 1 will always fail. Your pony trips over a misplaced wagon wheel, she gets distracted by a bird, or some other stroke of bad luck causes an otherwise perfect scenario to go wrong. Thankfully, once it's over, the pony suffers no ill effects from her misfortune, and carries on.
Ranged
Not all ponies have to resort to using their hooves in a fight. Some are lucky enough to have the gift of magic on their side. Unicorns are unique in Ponyhammer in that they have the ability to attack their opponents at a distance. Using their Bolt ability, they can stand back and blast shots of magical energy at enemies, while hopefully saying well out of harm's way. But like melee combat, there are rules for seeing if a Unicorn's aim is true.
Just like with melee combat, when a Unicorn attacks with her Bolt ability, you roll a D6. This time, you add the pony's Ranged Bonus to your roll. Again, like with melee, if the total number is equal to or greater than 10, then your pony has hit her target. From then on, the attack is treated the same way as attacks from melee. The Unicorn's player rolls 1D6 and adds the strength of the attack, in this case 4, and compares it to the target's Toughness plus 4. If his result is equal to or higher than the target number, then the Unicorn has knocked out her opponent.
For example, a Unicorn rolls to attack a Pegasus with her Bolt ability. Firstly, since her Ranged Bonus is 6, she must roll a 4 or higher to hit her target. Should she hit the Pegasus, she must roll a 3 or higher on a D6 in order to reach the target number of 7, which is the Pegasus's Toughness plus 4, in order to knock out her opponent.
Unicorns can only use their Bolt ability to attack opponents that they can see. When selecting a target for your Unicorns, check to make sure that there's not anything blocking their line of sight to their targets. This includes any obstacles such as buildings, trees, walls, bushes, and enemy ponies. Friendly ponies do not block line of sight, unless they are engaged in melee with opponents. Imagine drawing a line from the Unicorns to their target. If the line passes through any of the listed obstacles, then they can not hit their targets.
Once a pony has been knocked out, they are removed from the game. She'll recover later, but for now she's out cold, and can't take part in the game anymore. At least not till it's time for a new game.
Running Away
Fighting can be a scary thing for some ponies, and some would rather run off when things get too dangerous. Those that stay and fight are the ones with a lot of Courage, but sometimes even they can decide that it's best not to get beat up. As ponies in a unit start to get knocked out, take note of how many ponies the unit started with, and how many have been knocked out so far. If half or more of the ponies in that unit have been knocked out, there's a chance they may run away. If your unit had an odd number of ponies, then round down the number of ponies it started with when figuring out what counts as half of the unit. If a unit is at or below half it's starting number, roll a Courage test for them on 2D6. Add the pony's Courage to your roll, applying any bonuses or penalties that may apply. If the unit is out numbered by their opponents two to one, they make their Courage roll at a -2 penalty. If the resulting number is 10 or more, then your ponies have managed to keep their wits about them, and will hold their ground. If, however, the resulting number is less than 10, they will turn tail and flee on their next turn.
When ponies run away, the entire unit tries to get as far away from any opponents as they can. They will try to get away from any enemies, running towards friends, a place to hide, or simply to get away from all the fighting. When deciding where fleeing ponies will run to, look for friendly units not in combat, the edge of the playing field, and any obstacles they can hide behind. The fleeing unit will move towards the closest of these provided that there are not any opponents in their path. For example, a unit of Pegasi are trying to run away from a unit of enemy Earth Ponies. They are 24 inches from the edge of the playing field, and 16 inches from a unit of friendly Unicorns. However, moving towards the friendly Unicorns would bring them closer to a unit of enemy Pegasi. In this case, the fleeing Pegasi will try to leave the fight by running for the edge of the playing field.
Fleeing ponies will not try to attack other opponents, either in melee or ranged combat, and may not make use of their special Abilities. Should the ponies reach the edge of the playing field, they will be removed from the game and count as being knocked out for the purposes of scoring. If they manage to hide behind something, or get within 4 inches of a friendly unit not in combat, they will start to calm down and stop running away.
Each turn after the first in which a unit of ponies runs away, you may roll another Courage roll to see if they stop fleeing and can act normally again. Like before, roll 2D6 (2D6 for Earth Ponies) and add their Courage stat to the roll. All modifiers still apply. If the result is equal to or greater than 10, they have regained their Courage and may fight as normal. Ponies who are hiding, or are within 4 inches of a friendly unit which is not in combat will gain a +2 bonus to this roll.
Once a unit of ponies has regained their Courage, they need not make another Courage roll due to ponies in the unit being knocked out. However, they may still be required to take Courage rolls to avoid running away for other reasons.
Keeping Score
If you have decided to play a game of Ponyhammer for a set number of turns, then the best way to see who wins is to keep score. Generally, this is done by keeping track of who has knocked out the most ponies. For each of your opponent's ponies you knock out, you score two points. If, at the end of the game, your opponent has any units of ponies who are still trying to run away, then that unit is worth 1 point for every pony that's still in it.
In short, ponies are worth 2 points when knocked out, and 1 point if they are running away.
You may decide that, to make things interesting, you wish to play Ponyhammer with objectives. This is perfectly fine as well. You and your opponent should agree on what objectives the game will have, and how many points those objectives will be worth. For example, if the objective of your game is to have some of your ponies near a magical item at the end of the game, then the player who can keep his ponies at the objective by the end of the game earns an extra 20 points. This way, even if a player is having bad luck in combat with his ponies, if he can manage to hold the objective, then he may still win the game.
Remember that the point of Ponyhammer is to have fun with your ponies, rather than leaving them to collect dust on a shelf. Any ideas you can use to make the game all the more fun are worth trying, as long as both you and your opponent agree and enjoy the game.
Experimental Rules
Consider these rules 'extra experimental'.
Normally, ponies are considered to be worth the same regardless of type for right now. Later on, as input is given about the rules, this may change. Some ponies may be worth more, and others less. This is called a 'point value' system. This will allow for players to put together herds where they may have a lot more ponies than their opponent, but those ponies may be weaker of have fewer abilities. This also allows for players to make use of special ponies, who are very powerful, but also worth a lot more points.
For those of you who wish to play out battles against well known ponies, such as Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon, consider the following a test for just such a system.
Alicorn
M 6
A 7
R 4
S 6
T 6
C 7
Fly: Alicorns may use their wings to take great, leaping bounds over long distances. This allows them to move up to 12 inches as their normal movement in a turn. When doing so, they may move over any sort of obstacle, such as walls, trees, buildings, or even other ponies. They must always end this movement in a clear, open area. They may not end their movement in trees, lakes, or other such obstacles. They may, however, end their movement on top of any appropriate building, hill, or similar structure. At the end of this movement, they are considered to be on the ground like any other pony. This movement is not subject to any modifiers. They may, if the player wishes, move on the ground like any other pony, at the usual speed of 6 inches a turn.
Buck: In any turn in which they charge into combat, Alicorns may add +2 to their Strength for that turn only. Afterwards they fight using their normal Strength. Any other modifiers still apply as normal.
Bolt: Alicorns are able to use the magic channeled through their horns to shoot a magical projectile to stun their opponents. They may target their Bolt at any opponents within 24 inches. Roll a Ranged attack as normal. The Bolt hits with a Strength of 4, and rolls to knock out the target as normal. Alicorns may not shoot at other targets if they are already in melee combat with an opponent.
Wink Out: Alicorns may use their magic to teleport themselves out of danger, appearing a short distance away. They may do this at the start of their turn, before any movement or attacks are made. The Alicorns may move up to 6 inches in any direction that does not take them closer to other opponents, and may teleport out of melee combat. They may teleport behind walls, bushes, trees, buildings, or other obstacles. The entire unit must be able to arrive in a clear, open area. If not then any Alicorns who can not make the teleport are lost. The Alicorns may move as normal afterwards, but may not attack, charge, or use their Bolt ability.
Unique: You may only include one Alicorn in your herd.
Costly: As very powerful ponies, Alicorns count as 4 ponies for the purposes of building your herd and scoring points.
