Today we’re proud to offer some fun optional rules for using the Casualty Markers for Blood & Plunder! These rules are not-at-all official and are purely fan-made. They might add some spice to your games and give you a reason to paint up those dead guys. Especially if they have been hanging around your painting table ever since the No Peace Beyond the Line Kickstarter expansion was delivered 2 years ago!

Below is a copy of the short rules sheet written by Guy Rheuark that we’ve used in our local games. We’ve cleaned up the rules, refined them with some graphics, and put them in a PDF. So now you and the rest of the Blood & Plunder community can use them in their own games. 

Placing Casualty Markers

When every model in a unit is killed or routs, place a Casualty Marker within 1″ of a model from the removed unit. The player whose unit was removed determines the placement of the casualty marker.

Interacting With Casualty Markers

Interacting in any way with the dead can be an intensely emotional experience. As such, any unit that comes into base-to-base contact with a Casualty Marker must take a Resolve test. If you fail, your unit takes a point of Fatigue and doesn’t get any of the benefits! For instance, scalping your enemies might strike fear into their hearts sending them fleeing to avoid the same terrible fate. However, if you lack the resolve to accomplish the ugly deed, your will to fight might waver. And your efforts will not only be wasted, but they will suffer a penalty.

Interacting with Casualty Markers

This ruleset offers you three different ways to interact with casualty tokens on the board.

Option 1: Scavenge

The fallen no longer need their weapons, ammo, and valuables. It would be a shame for them to go to waste.

Rules:

“You go to work, searching the dead for anything of value. Greed glints in your eye as you spot a loaded firelock musket in good shape, and quickly grab it. In a rasp, its former owner grasp it, using his off hand to hold in his spilling gut. With a quick knife work you make sure he will never come looking for it.”

Remove up to two reload markers from the active unit, or regain the use of an expended sidearm.

Option 2: Aide the Dying

In this situation, the Casualty Markers don’t necessarily reflect men that have died. Instead, they represent models that have become incapacitated or wounded beyond their ability to engage in combat further.

Rules:

“Your eyes look over the scene before you. Moving among the dead to close their eyes, a dying man holds his hand up. His final words only an inaudible whisper. You grasp his hand, letting him know that he is not alone.”

Gain a Fortune Point (only if you have no Fortune Points),

Option 3: Collect Trophy (enemy casualty marker only)

Collecting a head, ear, scalp, hand, or another trophy from the dead is often used as proof of a bounty or reward.

Rules:

All enemy units within 16″ of the Casualty Marker must take a Resolve Test on one D10.

Tips and Suggestions for Interacting with Casual Markers

• Sometimes it is difficult to approach the Casualty Marker since they are often in the hottest part of the battlefield. And sometimes taking the time to interact with the token wasn’t as strong as moving or firing on the enemy. So be careful when you choose to interact with the casualties.
• In some cases, like when one of your own units dies, especially if it’s on your own ship in a naval game, it is easier to interact. When your own unit falls, it is very beneficial to ease the death of your unfortunate comrades to regain Fortune or relieve them of their unused weapons. 
• Collecting a Trophy and scalping an enemy in the midst of battle can affect multiple units in range. It may be worth the risk of death to invoke Fatigue on multiple enemies with a single action. Shaking them can turn the tide or save you from an enemy charge.

Download a PDF of the Casualty Marker Rules

If you’d like to print a copy of the rules to have at the game table for quick reference, you can download a Casualty Marker Rules PDF.

Conclusion

Feel free to comment with any thoughts your might have on these rules or any insight you might gain by adding these Tokens of the Dead to your games. 

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Additional Content Suggestions

• Tokens of the Dead may be a nice addition to our The Ghost Ship Scenario – A Blood & Plunder Halloween Special
• Check out the new Raise the Black Casualty Markers in the Complete Guide to Raise the Black Plastic Miniature Sprues
• Order some Casualty Markers for Blood & Plunder from Firelock Games