Defensive Tactics (TCG)

Note: This chapter refers to rules and concepts used in TSR'S BATTLESYSTEM™️ miniatures rules. Since siege warfare is, by its very nature, an activity involving scores, hundreds or even thousands of troops. BATTLESYSTEM™️ is the system of choice. Of course, this doesn't mean that small segments of a siege can't be roleplayed to great effect using standard AD&D® rules.
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==Defensive Tactics==
Acting Legate Talgilgalad shielded her eyes from the sun, and strained her elven vision to the utmost. Yes, that was dust on the horizon. Again, the sharp eyes of her commanding officer had picked out the approaching force before she was aware of it. It was shameful. she thought, for she was more than 300 years his junior. But, she admitted to herself, experience-not just sensory acuity-played a part. He knew where the orcs would be attacking from. Or, at least, where he would attack from, were he an orc.
Talgilgalad looked right and left along the battlements. The preparations were made. Vats of oil were readied to rain fire on the attackers, engines (called bombards by the dwarves) were positioned to duel with any orcish siege guns, cold-eyed archers tested bowstrings or used whetstones to touch up already razor-edged broadheads.
And there, standing at the salient of the east bastion, stood Talgilgalad's father. Although he spoke no spell, wove no dweomercrafter's web about himself, still his power was evident-whether in his manner and bearing, or in something more mysterious. Every warrior on the walls could feel his determination, determination burning so strong that even his daughter feared to approach him. Gilgalad Mooncrow was preparing to kill. Preparing to sell his life as dearly as he could.
Yes-The castle was doomed. Talgilgalad and her comrades-inarms knew that, and accepted it to the core of their being. Within one moon-two at the outside-the orcs would foul the marble courtyards and despoil the gold-chased floors of the Councilroom. Certainly, surrender was possible: even orcs accepted surrender (sometimes). It was possible, but it was never an option. The elves would fight, and they would die, but they would take a legion of orcs with them.
When hope is gone, all that remains is duty.
==Fortifications==
Historians and military strategists have said that defensive tactics start with the building plans. Certainly, the defenders' options are affected by the "trace" (ground plan), and a well laid-out castle is easier to defend than one with design flaws.
As it had altered strategy for the attacker, the introduction of gun. powder made the job of the military architect considerably more difficult. In addition to withstanding the assaults of a besieging army and the pounding of siege batteries-the fortification's trace had to maximize the effect of the garrison's own artillery. These (sometimes conflicting) goals broke down along the following lines. First. a rampart that was spacious and low-lying enough to provide a stable platform for artillery had to be built.
Second, the walls had to maintain a low enough profile to make it difficult for the enemy to hit, while still being strong enough to resist the blows of the enemy shot. Further, a wall and ditch arrangement. had to be formidable enough to deter attempts at escalade.
Lastly, a trace had to be so arranged that it left no "dead ground" through which an enemy might reach the rampart without coming under the defensive fire of the keep's weapons.
Satisfying more than one of these requirements was not an easy task for the medieval architect.
Probably the most significant advance in fortification architecture was the development of the "bastion" in the late Fifteenth and early Sixteenth, and its ascendancy over the round tower so typical of the Medieval period. Bastions were projections shaped like an ace of spades. positioned where older forts would place round towers. They were usually no higher than the walls from which they sprung. and had battlements and crenellations running around their tops. Bastions were sometimes hundreds of feet across.
The bastion neatly met most of the requirements discussed above. Bastions had wide flanks, making it possible for the garrison to concentrate withering cross-fire on troops trying to approach the wall. Too, the angular salient-the meeting of the two faces of the bastion eliminated the patch of dead ground which had existed in front of the circular medieval tower. Fields of fire were opened for the flanks of neighboring bastions. which meant that individual towers no longer were on their own when it came to close-range defense. Finally, the defenders could mount considerably more cannon on the walls of a bastion than they could on a circular tower of equal size (and cost).
===Other Forms of Construction===
When we think of "castles", we al most always imagine imposing edifices of rock and stone. Historically. however, many fortresses-particularly semi-permanent or improvised ones-were built of earth, braced with timber, and transversed with beams for extra strength. Fortresses like these were cheaper and much faster to build. and had one great advantage: impacting cannon balls didn't knock off splinters or shrapnel of rock. which often caused more casualties than the actual enemy cannon shot themselves did (this effect is discussed in a later section). Perhaps surprisingly, fortresses of this kind were quite resilient. In three successive days of siege in 1555, a revetted-earth fortress in Piedmont absorbed 3,500, 1,600 and 1,200 rounds of Spanish cannon fire, and emerged unscathed.
In game terms, a well-revetted earthen wall with properly-placed cross-beams can withstand as many hits as can a stone wall of similar thickness. (The figure given for earthen walls on page 82 of the BATTLESYSTEM™️ rules refers to walls without revetments and cross-beams-perhaps a rampart thrown up in haste to close a breach.) Note, however, that revetted and unreinforced earthen walls are treated the same with regard to the table in the section on "Siege Attack Values".
===Interior Ramparts===
When a fortress was attacked, the defenders would often pile earth high against the inside of the wall, making an interior rampart (or "rampire". in Medieval parlance). This had the dual advantages of reinforcing the wall. against impact, and of forming an additional ditch within the castle that the attackers would have to cross (the earth for the rampart had to come from somewhere, after all). The disadvantage-and a significant one, at that-was that this earth applied significant outward pressure against the wall. When the wall was weakened, this pressure would often cause it to collapse outward. The earth would. then pour out through the breach. mixing with the rubble and making a hill which was easy for the attackers to walk over.
In game terms, an interior earthen rampart adds 10 hits to the section of wall against which it's built. When the wall-plus-rampart is reduced to 20 hits remaining (i.e., when the wall is significantly weakened). the weight of the earth starts inflicting damage in addition to any done by the attackers. Each turn after the section of wall reaches this weakened state, roll an AD of 6. The resulting hits are applied to the wall. When a breach is formed (that is, when the section of wall is reduced to zero hits), the earth-and-rubble mixture filling the breach is treated as normal terrain (instead of rough/rocky, as with normal breaches).
The Pisans came up with an improvement to the standard rampart during their conflict with the French in 1500. They preferred an earthen interior rampart that wasn't in contact with the walls. but was separated from it by a wide ditch. This added no strength to the outer wall (and applied no outward pressure), of course, but when a breach was formed, the attackers would have to enter the breach (rough/rocky terrain). cross the interior ditch (an obstacle, costing 4" to 6" of movement allowance, depending on its depth), and then assault the rampart. During all this, the attackers would probably be taking fire from defenders on the rampart and maybe even on the surviving stretches of outer wall. This interior rampart, usually thrown up in haste, would probably not be revetted and cross-beamed (although in some cases it might). and therefore would be able to survive 40 hits per 30' section.
This technique became known as the "retirata" or "double Pisan rampart", and was very successful, even in improvised form. For example, in 1573 the Spanish were besieging the Dutch town of Haarlem. While the Spanish were pounding down the walls, the Dutch demolished a number of houses inside the walls and entrenched the town with ramparts and a large ditch. This made the old wall of the town (what little was left of it by that time) a counterscarp to their new fortification. A Spanish captain was recorded as exclaiming, "Who would believe that we are no further forward than on the first day of the siege!"
==Sorties==
Although many advantages lie with the attackers in a siege, they also labor under a significant disadvantage. While they're waiting for the garrison to hurry up and starve, or while they're digging an extensive network of trenches and saps, the attackers are pretty much out in the open, and can't really go anywhere. The defenders-although they can't go anywhere either-are under cover of walls and roofs, and can pick their moment to sally forth and wreak havoc on the besieging forces. A well-timed sortie can have catastrophic effects on lightly-armored troops digging trenches, destroy inadequately-guarded batteries or siege engines, or even punch through the encirclement and go for help.
Sorties can be staged through breaches in the wall, but will more often issue through gates, which take time to open and close (particularly since they are often barred and latched). Opening or closing a large gate (single or double, larger than 20' across and 10' high) takes one-half of a turn; opening or closing a small gate or a door takes one-quarter turn. Obviously, there must be at least one figure adjacent to the gate to open or close it. This duration equates directly to a portion of a unit's movement allowance. Note that additional defensive measures-like a portcullis or drawbridge-doesn't add to the time required, since mechanisms exist to open both gate and portcullis simultaneously.)
Assume that a cavalry unit (MV 12") is within a castle, adjacent to a small gate, and wishes to make a sortie. The unit begins to open the gate at the start of the defenders' turn. By the time the gate is fully open, one quarter of the turn has elapsed, which means that the unit can only expend three quarters of its movement allowance. In other words, this turn the cavalry unit has an effective movement allowance of 8".
A gate can't be opened and closed on the same turn. For example, if a heavy gate is opened during Turn 4. it won't be completely closed and secure until half-way through the defender's movement phase of Turn 5. This means that opening a gate to allow a sortie can be a grave risk. The attackers will have one movement. phase during which they can pass through the gate or attack its guardians. Remember, too, that the gate has to be opened again to allow the troops back into the castle...
Units must start a sortie with a frontage small enough to let them pass through the gate. Once through, they are free to change their frontage (standard costs apply, of course). Units can charge through a gate; however, their total movement allowance is decreased by one-half or one-quarter to represent the time taken to open the gate. Rules for minimum charge distance are still in effect.
If a unit engaged in a sortie is forced to retreat, it can retreat through an open gate back into a castle. If the gate isn't open at the beginning of the unit's retreat, however, the unit is eliminated.
===Uncontrolled Charge===
Sometimes creatures with intelligence of "low" or less forget their orders and act in an uncontrolled manner. This is particularly true. when carnivorous creatures are hungry. As an example, take a unit of wolf-riding goblins who are making a sortie against besieging elves. Neither goblins nor wolves have had anything to eat for ten days. Is it likely that the wolves are going to obey the orders of their riders when they're surrounded by food (1.e., elves)? Not really.
To represent this, there is a chance that creatures with intelligence of "low" or less, which have undergone at least one attrition roll as a result of starvation, will charge uncontrollably whenever they're involved in a sortie. The base chance is 10% per turn (noncumulative), with the following modifiers:
+5% 	Creatures have been out of supply for 15 or more days +5% Creatures have animal intelligence
+10%	Creatures are non-intelligent
-5% 	Creatures are acting as mounts for more intelligent troops
Thus, there is a 10% chance each turn that the wolf unit described above will charge uncontrollably (that is, 10% base chance +5% for animal intelligence -5% for acting as mounts for intelligent troops).
An "uncontrolled charge" roll is made at the beginning of each turn for every eligible unit. If the roll indicates that the unit becomes uncontrolled, it immediately charges directly towards the nearest "edible" unit... whether enemy or ally. ("Edible" is a key word; nothing will consider stone golems or trolls as edible.) No charge initiation morale check is necessary. The charging unit will engage the target unit in melee combat, and attempt to maintain contact by any means.
At the end of each turn, the player can try to regain control of an uncontrolled unit. The base chance to regain control is 50%. with the following modifiers:
+5% Creatures are acting as mounts for more intelligent troops
+10% Unit has suffered 25% or more casualties since it began its uncontrolled charge
-5% Creatures have been out of supply for 15 or more days
-5% Creatures have animal intelligence
-10% Creatures are non-intelligent
If an uncontrolled unit fails a morale check, it automatically returns to control; this is in addition to any other consequences of the failed morale check.
==Defending the Walls==
===Troop Tactics===
Defending troops atop a wall. protected by crenellations and battlements, are in an admirable position. They can fire on or simply drop objects onto enemies outside the walls while still enjoying the protection of the surrounding stonework. Once the attackers have established a "beachhead" on the walls, however, the defenders' position is no longer a comfortable one. Thus, it's important for the defenders to make scaling the walls as difficult as possible for the attackers.
The current BATTLESYSTEM™️ rules seem to imply that the defenders on the battlements have little recourse against attackers using grapples and ladders, other than waiting for them to reach the top then meleeing with them. In fact, troops atop the wall that are not engaged in other activities-such as missile combat-should have several options.
Wall top units can drop missiles on enemies at the foot of the wall or on figures attempting to scale the wall, as mentioned on page 83 of the BATTLESYSTEM™️ rules. These rules state that the targets of these attacks gain their standard AR against small projectiles or regular weapons, but are allowed no armor checks against large projectiles or hot and corrosive substances. To reflect the vulnerable nature of troops on ladders or scaling the walls using grapples, this rule should be extended. Against. small projectiles or regular weapons, scaling troops receive armor checks, but with a penalty of 1 to their AR. Against large projectiles. or hot and corrosive substances. they receive no armor checks.
In addition to dropping heavy objects or unpleasant materials on attackers, wall top defenders can sever grapple lines and wreck ladders. A defending unit atop a wall being climbed by a grapple-equipped unit can forego all other actions in order to deal with the grapples. This action has the same effect as an attack with AD 4 (no armor check allowed, since this damage represents troops falling when. their grapple lines are cut). In addition, it increases the movement cost for scaling the wall to 5" per figure moving up 10 feet. Although the attack component is unlikely to inflict as many casualties as other forms of attack, this might sometimes be an appropriate tactic-when an attacking unit must be delayed until enough defender reinforcements arrive to deal with them properly, for example.
Ladders are another matter. Rather than concentrating on slay. ing the troops on the ladders, the defenders above can try to push the ladders over or otherwise wreck them. The chance of overthrowing or wrecking a ladder is 7% per wall top figure that is adjacent to the top of the ladder. Fig. ures trying to overthrow a ladder can do nothing else in that turn. If the dice roll indicates success. each figure on the ladder suffers 1d6-1 hits (falling damage). There is also a 50% chance that the lad. der is no longer usable.
The BATTLESYSTEM™️ rules state on page 82 that, in melee combat between wall top defenders and units that have climbed ladders and grapples, the defenders receive the AR benefit (-2) of being protected by a wall. This is true only during the first turn of melee between these units. On the second and subsequent turns, the attacking unit is considered to have attained the same position-i.e., the walkway or turret-top-as the defenders. In the case of a narrow walkway, the rules for "Fighting in Narrow Passages" (page 81) come into play.
Being at the foot of a wall, or attempting to scale it, while the wall top is defended is a tense situation. to say the least. This is even more true when death in particularly nasty forms is raining down upon you. To reflect this, a unit in such a position must make a morale check on each turn that it loses a figure from a particularly terrible attack launched by the troops above. Such "terror" attacks include fire (it's definitely demoralizing to see comrades burning to death around you), corrosive materials, and magical spells that are "visually spectacular". Fireball, lightning bolt and meteor swarm spells would fall into this category while a magic missile, cone of cold, or creeping doom spell does not. Note that this morale check is in addition to checks required for other reasons (such as taking 4 or more hits in one step).
===Holding the Breach===
Once a breach has been opened in a wall, or once a gate has been bashed down, the garrison must find some way to defend the gap. There are other methods in addition to packing it with troops ordered to "hold the breach".
First, assuming they have the time, the defenders can throw up an earth rampart (assuming they haven't done so earlier). This is basically the same activity as digging trenches, and follows the rules described under "Offensive Tactics". For example, 10 figures representing human troops could raise an earth rampart 16' high and 50' long in one day.
If manpower or time were in short supply, the garrison could try to block the breach with rubble, empty barrels, broken wagons... literally anything they could lay their hands on. While not as effective as an earthen rampart. blockades like this would qualify as "obstacles", costing 4" of movement allowance to cross, and lending defenders a -1 or -2 benefit to AR. Blockades of this type would typically be able to withstand 10 hits.
Magic can also be invaluable. The wizard spell wall of fire will remain in effect as long as the caster maintains concentration-and escapes being hit in combat-and is very effective in closing a breach. Slightly less effective, but still useful, is the wall of thorns, particularly since the caster doesn't have to maintain concentration. In a full AD&D game campaign, the list of useful spells is greatly enlarged, to include more wall spells, glyphs, symbols, and many others. Illusions might also do the trick, if the attackers can be made to believe that there's another wall behind the one they've just breached... or that they haven't really breached the wall at all.
Given enough time, the garrison could repair the breached wall (or at least construct a smaller wall in its place). Use the construction rules earlier in this book to calculate time and requirements for this work. Note that, during a siege, it's very unlikely that the garrison will be given the time to do any real construction as defined in the section on castle construction, so all of the figures given here are assumed to be for makeshift structures.
===Counter-mining===
Although counter-mining was discussed in the section on "Offensive Tactics", there are some additional issues important to the defender.
Obviously. before the garrison can begin counter-mining, they have to know both that mining is underway and exactly where the enemy mines and galleries are. The first is relatively easy: observers on the walls can probably see where the attackers begin to dig. Even if they can't (if the attackers have roofed the whole area before the wall over with logs, for example), the large volumes of rock and earth being excavated must be disposed of somewhere, and piles of such debris are a dead give-away. The second, however, can be more difficult.
To be successful in countermining, the defenders have to know where along the line of the wall the attackers are digging, and how deep their galleries are driven. Otherwise, there's little chance that the defenders' tunnels will intersect (or undermine, if the garrison wishes to emulate the Muscovites) the attackers' diggings.
Excavation can't be totally silent, and the impact of metal tools on stone can carry quite well underground, depending on conditions. Defenders in the cellars or dungeons of a castle might be able to localize the attackers' excavation and gauge their progress. Alternatively, the defenders could drive narrow test shafts under the wall, hoping to find the attackers' galleries that way. The disadvantage of this method is that it will often warn the attackers' that their mines are in peril. A third option is to dig tunnels and chambers ahead of where the attackers are expected to be, and then wait for them to "run into" the defenders' excavations. The advantage of this technique is that well-armed and-armored warriors can wait in the defenders' chamber. ready to wreak havoc on the unarmored and lightly-armed attacking
miners.
Magic can be invaluable. In an AD&D game campaign, clairvoyance. clairaudience and other scrying spells and items can tell the defender exactly where enemy excavations are. In the BATTLESYSTEM™️ rules, however, there are no spells that would prove of any use.
Note that all these means of detection work both ways. While the defenders must know where the attackers are digging in order to counteract them, the attackers themselves would be quite interested to know the exact progress of the defenders' counter-mines in order to avoid them.
Defenders should consider carefully the consequences of countermining. While a successful battle in the tunnels can slay numerous enemy troops and prevent the castle walls from being breached, there is a risk. If it turns out to be the attacking miners who are victorious, the counter-mine gives them a passage into the castle interior... unless, of course, the defenders have guarded or blocked off their end of the tunnel.
==Special "Terrain" and Obstacles==
Castles are designed so as to make it as difficult as possible for invaders to move, fight, and survive within their walls. Military architects, particularly in the Middle Ages proved to have fertile (and rather nasty) imaginations in this regard. Among their triumphs were such things as "killing passages", spiral staircases, spikes. and trip steps.
Most castles have arrow slits and loopholes on the outside. Many. however, also had them on the inside. A common design-and one seen in more modern constructions, up to and including Alcatraz Penitentiary-was the double gate or "killing passage". Once attackers had broken down a door or gate, they found themselves in a high-walled passage or anteroom. The only exits were the gate by which they'd just entered, and an equally reinforced gate at the far end of the anteroom. Set into the walls of the passage were many arrow slits or loopholes, through which the defenders, totally protected, could shoot down upon the invaders. The attackers could either turn tail, or try to breach the second gate while all the while suffering withering crossfire. To represent the close quarters, limited mobility and horror of a killing passage, troops trying to operate in such an area suffer a +1 penalty to their AR against missile attacks from the wall slits, and suffer a penalty of 1 to moorale while in the killing zone.
Even such simple things as staircases could be turned into obstacles for the attacker and advantages for the defender. Psychologically, people expect that the riser of each step in a flight of stairs will be of about the same height. If one riser is significantly lower or higher than the others, the chances are good that someone who doesn't know about this "trip step" will stumble or fall when they reach it. Historically, this was a very common trick, and trip steps can be found in many castles still standing in England (usually painted white or otherwise marked so tourists won't break their necks).
In game terms, a unit must pay a movement penalty of 2" the first time it uses a staircase that includes a trip step. For each subsequent time that the same unit uses that stairway, there is no movement penalty. Defending units who theoretically know about the trip step-pay no such movement penalty. In addition, any unitinvader or garrison-forced to melee while on a staircase that includes a trip step suffers a +1 penalty to AR (because it's more difficult to concentrate on defending yourself when you're trying not to fall over). This penalty is in addition to any other penalties (for example, due to lower elevation).
The vast majority of spiral staircases-even today-form a counterclockwise helix (that is. someone climbing the stairs turns left or counterclockwise). In fact, this convention is so pervasive that, when people use one of the few staircases that turns "the wrong way", they get the feeling that "something's strange" about the staircase, even though they can't put their finger on the difference.
This convention developed from a conscious design decision of castle architects. They knew that most warriors were right-handed; they also knew that most invaders would have to fight their way up a staircase. That's why a counterclockwise spiral makes sense: right-handed warriors will find their sword swings hampered by walls of the spiral. Defenders above have no such hindrance. To reflect this in game terms, units equipped with slashing or bludgeoning weapons (particularly long. or broadswords, maces or hammers) who are fighting their way up a spiral staircase suffer a penalty: from each AD the unit rolls. subtract 1. Units using piercing weapons such as short swords suffer no such penalty.
===Other Obstacles===
In addition to features of castle design, the garrison can use a number of unpleasant pieces of equipment to make life difficult for invaders.
A commonly employed object is the caltrop, which looks something like a four-limbed spiked jack from the child's game of "ball and jacks". These range in size from an inch or so across to three inches or more. The four-limbed arrangement makes sure that, no matter how the caltrop lands, one spike is always pointed up. Defenders can lay caltrops along the approaches to the castle, scatter them from the walls, or strew them across the courtyard when the wall is breached. In each case, the purpose is the same: to cause attacking units to slow down while they sweep away the caltrops (assuming they notice them) or press on through the area, suffering damage all the while.
Any unit equipped with caltrops can "sow" them as they move through an area. The area sown is equal to the size of the unit in its current formation, plus 1/2" on each side. When thrown from atop a wall, the caltrops cover an area as wide as the frontage of the unit doing the sowing, plus 1/2" on each side, and 1" deep (1.e., away from the wall).
Infantry or dismounted cavalry can clear away caltrops, by moving through the sown area at a cost of 5" for each 1" moved; mounted cavalry cannot clear away caltrops. Alternatively, units can choose to move through a sown area without clearing the caltrops. The unit pays 2" for each 1" moved, and suffers damage based on the type of caltrop (discussed later). Routing units, or units retreating for morale reasons, which pass through a sown area cannot elect to clear away the caltrops. Charging units who pass through a sown area cannot elect to clear away the caltrops, and suffer double damage from the devices. Caltrops come in two main varieties: infantry and cavalry. Infantry caltrops are smaller, and do more damage against foot units. Such devices have an AD of 4. Cavalry caltrops are larger, and do serious damage to cavalry or units composed of size L or larger creatures (AD=6). These caltrops are so large that it's easy for M or smaller sized infantry to step around them. This negates damage to the infantry units, but they still must pay the movement penalty discussed above.
Caltrops take no sides: any unit, attacker or defender, suffers the same consequences from entering a caltrop-sown area.
Another effective tactic is to set spikes in the earth, either in the bottom of trenches, or along the approaches to the castle. Like caltrops, a spiked area slows down movement and has the potential to inflict damage. An infantry unit (or dismounted cavalry unit) equipped with spikes can plant them as they move through an area. The area so spiked is equal to the size of the unit in its current formation. Setting spikes costs 4" of movement allowance.
Unlike caltrops, a placement of spikes can have a definite facing. This is because the spikes are set at an angle so their points are aimed in a certain direction. The unit setting the spikes can select any facing or combination of facings for the spikes (i.e.. the spikes can all point north, half can point north while half point south, or the spikes can point in all directions like spines on a sea urchin). This facing must be marked somehow when the spikes are originally set, and can't be changed unless the spikes are cleared (see below) then re-set. Infantry or dismounted cavalry can clear away spikes by moving through the spiked area at a cost of 6" for each 1" moved; mounted cavalry cannot clear away spikes.
Alternatively, infantry units can choose to move through a spiked area without clearing the spikes at a cost of 3" for each 1" moved. Each infantry figure of size M or smaller moving into a spiked area against the area's direction of fac ing suffers an attack of AD 6; no damage is done if the unit enters from a non-facing direction, although the movement cost still applies. For example, take an area with spikes all facing north. A unit moving south into the area suffers damage. If the unit had entered the area heading west, however, it would have suffered no damage. Areas of spikes facing in all directions cannot be entered safely. regardless of direction of approach. Routing infantry units, or units retreating for morale reasons, which pass through a spiked area cannot elect to clear away the spikes. Charging units who enter a spiked area in a direction opposite to its facing cannot elect to clear away the spikes, and suffer double damage from the devices.
Mounted cavalry and creatures of size L or larger cannot enter an area set with spikes, unless they pay the movement cost to clear the area. Figures of this type that rout into a spiked area are eliminated.
==Morale Issues==
While morale effects on the attacker during a long siege can be severe, they are much more profound are on the defender. The consequences to morale of being out of supply have been discussed in an earlier section. There are many other factors that come into play, however.
The following table lists morale modifiers that apply to the besieged garrison. These modifiers are cumulative (except where common sense dictates otherwise), and are applied to every Morale Check made by any defending unit while the conditions of the modifier(s) are in effect.
-1 Attackers have cannon while defenders do not.
-1 Attackers have used magic. while defenders have no spellcasters.
-1 Siege is taking place in winter.
-1 Attackers have flying troops (whether or not defenders do also).
-1 Defenders have tried to break encirclement with a sortie, but failed.
-1 At least one sortie has suffered 50% casualties.
-3 The attackers are known (or believed) to have performed "atrocities" on prisoners in the past.
+1 Relief troops allied with the defender are expected to arrive within 24 hours.
+1 Defenders have cannon while attackers do not.
+1 Defenders have spellcasters while attackers have (as yet) used no magic.
+1 At least one sortie has inflicted casualties on the attackers without suffering more than 10% casualties itself.
+2 Relief troops allied with the defender are surrounding or challenging the attackers' position (includes double encirclement).
In addition to the factors above, the length of the siege carries with it its own modifiers. The following table shows how the length of the siege (in days) affects the morale of the defenders:
Lengthof Siege	Moralemodifier
0–30 days 	0
31–80 days 	-1
81–100 days 	-2
101 + days 	-3
As stated before, all of these modifiers are cumulative.
For example, an elven garrison has been encircled by an orcish force for 45 days. The orcs have no spellcasters among their number, while the elves have a handful of mages. Unfortunately, the orcs have a number of cannon, and have been reinforced by a unit of evil bandits mounted on griffons. An elven sortie, in an abortive attempt to break the encirclement, inflicted casualties on the orcs, but suffered grievous harm itself: only one in ten of the elven troops returned. On the bright side, a small force of elven cavalry has arrived from elsewhere, and is harrying the orcs' supply lines. The elves" morale is suffering, but not much: each Morale Check made by an elven unit suffers a penalty of -2.
==Surrender==
Good commanders know when it's time to cut their losses and surrender an unwinnable situation. Even if the commander doesn't accept the necessity of surrender, the troops will often take the initiative. If (in AD&D game terms) the commander of a besieged fortification is a Player Character, the decision of whether or not to officially surrender is up to him or her. There is no rule to force a player to capitulate against his or her will. An NPC commander, however, will officially surrender at the first opportunity whenever the average morale (including modifiers) of all surviving garrison troops drops to 4, or is 10 or more points less than the average morale of all attacking
units.
The above rule refers to official surrender, where the commander capitulates in the name of all troops under his or her command. Sometimes the decision is taken out of the hands of the commander, of course. If the condition arises where all defending units are shaken, the troops will look for the first available chance to offer surrender. Any friendly unit that is within 1" of an enemy unit but is not engaged in melee combat must make a special Morale Check. If the unit fails, it immediately offers surrender to any enemy unit within 1". To qualify, enemy units must be on the same level (a unit atop a wall isn't going to offer surrender to a unit 40' below on the ground).
The enemy unit now has a choice: accept surrender and take the friendly unit prisoner, or refuse the offer and attack the surrendering unit.
===Prisoners of War===
If an enemy unit accepts surrender, the figures of the surrendered unit are interspersed with those of the unit taking them prisoner. The prisoner figures are moved by the player who owns the capturing unit. The combined unit has the movement allowance of the slower of the two types of figures (i.e., a cavalry unit with infantry prisoners moves at the same rate as the infantry unit). In addition, it suffers a movement allowance penalty of 2". A unit with prisoners must always be in irregular formation, and cannot initiate melee combat (it can initiate missile combat, however).
If a unit with prisoners is the victim of missile fire, half of the attacking figures (rounded down) are considered to be attacking the prisoner figures, while the remainder are considered to be attacking to the captors.
For example, an orcish unit with an AR of 8 has taken prisoner a unit of peasants (AR 9). The combined unit is attacked by 7 figures of longbowmen (AD 6). By the rule above, the components of the combined unit suffer damage as though it's the victim of two distinct attacks: the peasants suffer an attack by 3 figures of longbowmen (half of 7. rounded down). while the orcs suffer an attack by 4 figures (the remainder).
If a unit with prisoners is attacked in melee combat, the prisoners instantly break free and move 4" in the direction of the "friendly" side of the table. At the end of this movement, they are routed (but can be rallied normally). For the first step of combat. the captor figures suffer a penalty of +1 to their AR.
As can be seen, taking (and keeping) prisoners isn't the easiest matter. In some cases, however-and in some scenarios-there should be some significant bene. fits to taking prisoners. Perhaps they can give the attackers valuable information about the castle's defenses, or should the siege fail. maybe they could be ransomed back for a handsome profit.
===Refusal of Surrender===
Traditionally, evil armies aren't always keen about accepting surrender. They'd much rather not be hindered by prisoners.
If a unit decides to refuse surrender, it immediately attacks the surrendering unit in melee combat. The unit offering surrender cannot attack that turn (i.e.. the enemy unit gets a free attack), and for that turn it receives no roll for AR. If the surrendering unit survives, its condition is routed (but it can be rallied normally).