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Keeping Enemies Manageable

Encounters can get unwieldy and slow down when the Host has to control multiple characters they didn't personally create and don't know well. This challenge is exaggerated when the enemy is of an Order that the Host hasn't played as a player. For example, controlling an enemy Messenger is easier when the Host is already used to Martial Maneuvers, knows how to use Perception to their advantage, and knows the benefits of Trained Eye from first hand experience. The challenge also exaggerated when enemies increase in Power and have more activity options to choose from.

While applying these suggestions may reduce the variety and tactical strategy each encounter brings for the players, the time saved in making decisions and resolving actions for the enemies increases the fun each player has by allowing them to spend more time playing their character and less time waiting for their next Turn.

Simplify the Experience

There are multiple ways to simplify the Hosting experience so that you can more easily run combats and make decisions quickly.

  • use Beasts

  • select favored actions for non-Beast enemies 

  • limit enemies with Spiritual Effects and Songs

  • apply some enemy Spiritual Effects in advance

  • use fewer enemies

  • use identical enemies

  • use Groups

Use Beasts

Beasts are easier enemies because they have very limited and predictable abilities. If they have Maneuvers, they only have a one or two Maneuvers. The same is true of Spiritual Effects and Songs. This allows a Host to learn the mechanics of Maneuvers, Spiritual Effects, or Songs, without also needing to choose between a lot of them.

Select Favored Actions for Non-Beast Enemies

By looking at an enemy and selecting just a few abilities they will favor, a Host can greatly cut down the number choices they must consider for each character. It is recommended that you choose:

  • no more than 3 favored Maneuvers for Warriors, Messengers, and W-Me
  • no more than 2 Spiritual Families for Ministering Spirits
  • no more than 2 Song Families for Minstrels
  • no more than 2 Maneuvers, 1 Spiritual Effect Family, and 1 Song Family for Multi-Order characters

Choosing favored actions will give the Host default options for each character. If the situation makes those default options impractical the Host is still free to browse the other abilities the enemy has at their disposal.

Limit Enemies with Spiritual Effects and Songs

Spiritual Effects and Songs have a lot more variance and steps in their use and resolution than Strikes and Maneuvers. This can slow the game down while the Host looks up details and walks through applying their effects. If you are not already comfortable with using Spiritual Effects and/or Songs, try only including one enemy with the ability to use one or the other. If you are comfortable with some specific Spiritual Effects or Songs, lean more heavily on the ones you are comfortable with and slowly start to include others. Doing this will take a lot of pressure off of you to understand and juggle multiple unfamiliar abilities all at once.

Apply Some Enemy Spiritual Effects in Advance

Most Ongoing Boosting Spiritual Effects are applied to a character and then maintained throughout the War. Some of these make sense to have already been in effect before the War starter. In that case, writing down the Allotments for these Spiritual Effects and any changes they would make to the Target ahead of time can speed up the early Turns of a War by avoiding some predictable immediate slowdowns.

Use Fewer Enemies

While it is feels awesome to wade through masses of weaker enemies, it feels proportionately less awesome the longer you wait for your next Turn to come around. More enemies, even weaker ones, means enemy actions and more down time for the players. Instead, consider using fewer, stronger enemies. 

Use Identical Enemies

The more unique enemies are in play, the more differing abilities the Host and players need to think about and keep mental track of. Making some of the enemies identical to one another (i.e. two Power:5 Warriors with Axes who know the same Maneuvers) makes their abilities and Attribute values easier to manage.     

Use Groups

Groups are a great way to include larger numbers of enemies in situations without bogging down the War with long strings of enemy actions. With the exception of Unclean Spirits, Groups are an option intended for characters of Tier:2 and higher. 

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