In a Break Through one army attempts to break through the opposing lines whilst the enemy tries to stop them, either to prevent them reaching a vital objective or to contain and destroy them. The defending army sets up as the enemy approach and braces itself for the attack.

Scenery

Players set up the scenery in any mutually agreeable manner.

Armies

Armies are chosen from the Warhammer Armies army lists to an equal points value agreed before the game.

Deployment

Armies are deployed no closer than 24" to each other and no closer than 12" to the side in the same way as a Pitched Battle. The side that is attempting to stop the break out deploys its entire army first. The side attempting the break out can then deploy its entire army.

Special Deployment Rules

In the case of the army attempting to contain the break through, units which are allowed to deploy closer to the enemy or after normal deployment due to a special movement rule can do so. For example, Wood Elf Scouts are allowed to deploy beyond the usual permitted zones because they are assumed to scout out these areas some time before the battle. The side attempting the break through may not deploy closer to the enemy, as it has just arrived to discover the enemy blocking its route.

Turns

The players elect to play for an agreed fixed number of turns or, alternatively, roll a D6 to decide how many turns to play. A score of 1-3 = 5 turns, 4-6 =6 turns. Note that this is longer than most scenarios in order to give sufficient time for the army attempting the break through to reach the opposing table edge. If your table is very wide (more than 4) it may be necessary to allow longer.

The game continues until each side has taken the number of turns indicated, or until one player concedes, or until the player attempting the break through has successfully moved 3 units of at least 5 models each off the opposing table edge (units of flying models do not count).

Who Goes First

Both players roll a dice. The highest scoring player chooses whether to go first or second.

Victory

The game automatically ends and the player attempting the break through wins if he gets 3 units of at least 5 models off the opposing player's table edge. A unit which reaches the opposing table edge and which is not engaged in combat is automatically removed - it has successfully broken through. Otherwise, unless one player concedes beforehand, the winner is the player who has accumulated the most victory points at the end of the game.

The standard victory points schedule explains how these are worked out, but note that no victory points are awarded for possessing table quarters in a Break Through game. In addition, the player attempting the break through receives additional victory points for each unit of 5 troops or more he moves off the opposing player's table edge before the end of the game (other than flying troops). Each unit of 5 troops or more which breaks through in this way earns its own value in victory points as if it had been destroyed/broken. For example, a unit which cost 170 points is worth 1 VP, a unit costing 425 is worth 4, and so on.