BATTLEWARD · PUBLIC BETA 0.1 · ENGINE v6.0.11

Battleward Table

PUBLIC BETA
QUICK PLAYBlueTurn 1 · CommandNo pending rulings
Map size100%Mouse wheel scrolls the page; use − / + to change map size.
Turn controls beside the battlefield. Full details remain in the side panels.
NAPOLEONIC DEMONSTRATION
Drag pieces in ½″ steps · zoom with − / + above · R measures
AI COMMAND DESK · v5.8LOCAL · NO SERVERAwaiting recommendation

Army → Division → Brigade planning now compares movement, firing, charge and reserve candidates using explainable priorities; defense reactions take precedence. Queue brigade intentions, then execute legal movements or verified whole-brigade maneuvers one at a time. Optional automation supports limited, rules-checked Fire, charge declarations, defensive reactions, and charge-chain steps; more complex situations still require review.

Select AI choice and ask for a tactical recommendation to compare available orders.
Army → Division → Brigade
Choose an objective, then ask for a legal recommendation.
Army organization loading…
AI ORDER QUEUE · v6.0.2 VALIDATIONREVIEW BEFORE ACTION
No planned orders. Choose your AI role and turn phase, then prepare orders.
Battlefield reassessment0 revised plans
Current orders have not been challenged by a new battlefield action.
Orders are proposed using current positions. Enemy moves and changed combat states pause the plan. Reassess before issuing further orders. Charge declarations may now be auto-committed only with the separate opt-in and successful strict checks; subsequent reactions/contact/shock need review.
AI ACTIVATION ASSISTANT · v6.0.2 VALIDATIONLOCAL · ONE ACTIVATION

v6.0: Optional four-leg waypoint lookahead avoids marked scenery and bases using actual geometry, but only commits the first wheel. All later turns replan. v5.9: Optional two-turn clear-ground lane scouting compares checked whole-brigade wheels and hypothetical next-turn advances. No sideways translation, extra CA, or guaranteed future order. v5.8: When Fire opportunity is the selected plan but no legal target is available, the optional adaptive setting can select a verified advance instead of holding. An optional facing/formation follow-up can reuse the Rules Lawyer brigade maneuver checker if straight advances are impossible; it never overrides Hold orders, terrain/map review, compulsory events, or insufficient CA. Opponent: takes one legal alternating activation, then yields to the human. Subordinate: uses one activation for its assigned friendly division. Infantry normal Fire may resolve automatically only when separately enabled and its exact checks pass; target Return Fire and any retreat still require player review. Eligible Form Square and flank/rear Charge Reaction Tests use their existing rules executors with separate opt-in. Simple, individually verified clear-ground charges may be declared automatically with a third opt-in; the defender still reacts before contact. A fourth, separately disabled option enables one conservatively verified defensive volley, contact, or first-round shock at a time. Terrain, formations requiring manual pivots, uncertain modifiers, and complex charges still stop for review. No timers or cloud calls.

AI-run activations are off until you enable automatic handoffs or click Play one AI activation.
Select Fire opportunity, prepare an order, and preview its verified geometry before committing.
v5.1: coordinated charges use one primary, support up to +1, a single defensive-fire choice, and a single pending combat record.
Six matched fixture scenarios, ten repeats each; tests advisory decisions without changing the battlefield, dice, or CA.
No AI activation outcomes recorded yet.
Load AI Command Workshop and choose an order to inspect. AI orders can now be queued for controlled review. Combat still requires human adjudication.

Experimental AI: movement uses the existing legal-move validator. Normal infantry Fire can now roll 2D6 and apply results only on verified clear ground, with a separate opt-in. Charge and reaction policies are experimental; simple charge declarations and normal infantry Fire have separate safe opt-ins, while defender reactions, supports, contact, shock and fog of war may still require review. No cloud service.

Ready — your game is on this device only

Game log

Latest activity first

Load a saved game

Choose how the complete battle was saved. This replaces the current battlefield after the game's normal validation checks. Save your current game first if you want to keep it.

Map-only JSON files belong in Map Studio's Open editable map, not this complete-game loader.
BATTLEWARD TABLE v6.0.11

Help / Controls

Quick-start guide for the supervised AI prototype. You can read this without leaving your battlefield. Press Esc or Close to return to play.

1. Start or resume a battle

  1. For a new test, select Start test session in Quick Play.
  2. For a saved battle, select Load Game beside Quick Play. Choose the browser save or a complete-game .json file.
  3. After loading, inspect the turn, active side, pieces and unresolved rulings before playing.

2. Battlefield and map controls

ControlAction
− / + / ResetReduce / increase display zoom; Reset returns to 100%. Actual base sizes and measurements never change.
Mouse wheelScroll the page, without zooming the board.
Hover over unitTemporarily show that unit's name; moving the cursor off hides the label.
Select / MoveSelect a unit to inspect it; use Move or drag with the appropriate tool active. Movement remains subject to rules validation.
Terrain / Edit terrainPlace new scenery or edit existing objects. Use Ruler (R) to measure.

3. Advance turns and use the AI

  1. Follow the current Quick Play turn step. Select Next turn step only when required actions are resolved.
  2. Use Pass + hand off to switch the active participant in a test session.
  3. Use Show outstanding / rules when a charge, reaction, retreat or rout needs a referee decision.
  4. Under the battlefield, open the AI Command Desk and AI Activation Assistant to inspect tactical advice or play one verified AI activation. The opponent is human-supervised, not self-learning.

4. Save, load and share games

5. If play stops

Check Show outstanding / rules. Mandatory reactions, compulsory retreats and Broken routs may intentionally prevent advancing. Record the turn, units and displayed message when reporting a problem. Do not bypass a required ruling.

This is an experimental, locally running supervised-opponent build. It does not publish to Battleward.com or train on players' games.
QUICK START

Welcome to Battleward Table

A simple virtual table for historical, fantasy, science-fiction and board games. This version runs entirely in your browser. v5.6 expands opt-in verified combat to isolated cavalry-line shock and deterministic gun contact after manual confirmation; v2.9 adds coordinated charge declarations, player-confirmed reactions, exact-base contact, and detailed first-round shock rolls. v2.8 adds a Morale Phase review, superseded-check handling, and explicit player-confirmed 2D6 morale tests; v2.8 adds a Morale Phase desk, manual trigger tests, and safe superseded-check closure; v2.7 adds safe Broken-rout previews, continued routs and nearby morale checks; v2.6 adds player-confirmed blocked retreats and friendly passage; v2.5 adds Group Fire previews, target assignment and recorded 2D6 rolls; v2.5 added division commanders, selected group Move activations, relay paths and group CA costs; v2.1 adds whole-brigade wheels and formation layout changes; v1.9 adds editable brigades, 3″ commander-linked cohesion chains and delayed restoration; v1.8 added source-grounded Drums at Dawn v11.2 Beta movement, formation-change, facing-change, and commander-distance reference. The Brigade Movement Workshop now supports rigid multi-stand movement, 1 CA single-brigade activations and commanders moving with their stands. CA rolls use your entered division count and ACR. Divisional group Move and infantry Group Fire are available, with explicit command-event selection; artillery Group Fire, reactions and full DaD terrain are not yet automated. The Brigade Cohesion Workshop shows continuous 3″ chains, Incohesive status and next-turn recovery. The earlier prototypes also added full-base terrain-sensitive wheels, turns, and charge-facing checks to the troop-category sample rules: unit-specific movement costs and explicit restricted terrain. It retains v1.2 geometry, printable map exports, exact bases, and editable rivers and bridges. The included values are fictional examples—not Drums at Dawn rules.

  1. New in v3.3 — Artillery Defensive Fire: Load Artillery Assault workshop, select a blue brigade and red unlimbered gun, declare a legal charge, then select a gun profile and enter measured range at the actual firing moment. Confirm LOS and corridor, preview the range band and modifiers, and resolve or decline the shot before contact. A retreat or Broken result halts the charge without refunding its CA. Gunfire range at the future charge position is a player-confirmed measurement; the geometric aim preview uses current stand positions.
  2. New in v2.9 — Charges and Detailed Shock: Choose the Charge & Detailed Shock workshop, select a blue infantry battalion, choose the Blue Assault Division, select two brigades and their red targets, and check charge LOS/path eligibility. Preview charges, then Declare charges & spend CA. Resolve defender reactions on the table and confirm contact individually. Enter a 2D6 total or roll automatically for each contact. The rules helper applies the detailed v11.2 Impact table and size/quality/formation basics; add all other verified modifiers manually.
  3. New in v2.6 — Blocked retreats and Panic: After incoming fire causes a retreat, select one blue battalion to open its right-side panel. In Fire effects & pending retreats, preview the full path. For a blocked straight retreat, explicitly confirm no legal alternate route before committing the partial movement and +1 Disorder Marker. For passage through one friendly formed brigade, preview, confirm the necessity of the passage, then move the full retreat and add +1 marker to both. For a Broken unit passing through friendlies, confirm where it physically routed, then run the recipient's immediate Panic Test in the new panel; routing movement itself remains manual.
  4. New in v2.5 — Division Group Fire: Select Division Group Fire workshop, select a blue battalion and the blue division, assign a red target to each blue brigade, then preview. Inspect range, firing arc, potential intervening stands, cost, and assumed modifiers. Commit to spend CA and roll independently for each participating brigade. The roll outcomes and eligible markers can be recorded automatically; complex movement and morale still require player confirmation.
  5. v2.5 — Division Group Move: Open Division group activations under Table setup. Select a blue battalion, choose the Blue division, leave all three brigades checked, and preview a 2″ Group Move. Direct/relay paths and +1 CA relay delay are displayed. Change the doctrine selector to Russian to compare costs; select a Command Confusion or Command Flow event only when the die and division assignment justify it. Click Move group & spend CA to act simultaneously. Other Group Actions are not implemented.
  6. New in v2.1 — Brigade wheeling and re-formation: Open Brigade movement workshop, select a battalion, choose the brigade and preview a 15° left/right wheel around the brigade’s outer front corner. Preview Line/Column to examine the proposed formation. Both operations check full-base positions and movement cost; strict mode spends 1 CA only for a completed action. The wheel cost interpretation is provisional and is labeled accordingly.
  7. New in v2.0 — Brigade activation: Choose Brigade movement workshop under Table setup. Set CA for a side on the left. Select any battalion in a brigade, preview a half-inch-step move and commit to move every stand, with optionally accompanying commander, as one coordinated group. The initial v11.2 movement profiles may be assigned to an entire compatible brigade. Divisional group Move is available in the new v2.5 Division Workshop; linked move/facing turns remain future features.
  8. v1.9 — Brigade cohesion: Choose Brigade cohesion workshop under Table setup. Move a stand away from its commander-linked chain to see its connection ring; restore the gap to 3″ or less and start a new turn to complete recovery. On the right, use Brigade organization to create and assign battalions and a Brigade Commander. One stand represents a battalion/regiment, NOT a whole brigade.
  9. v1.8 — DaD movement and formation: Select the Drums at Dawn v11.2 Beta pack in Rules control. Select a stand and assign its initial documented formation before movement. Use Change formation or Change facing to charge half of the original normal movement allowance for each action. One of each is permitted per turn in the current single-stand prototype. Change to the new formation rate at the next turn. The distance to a selected commander is advisory and does not establish a brigade command chain or spend CA.
  10. Move: drag a unit in ½″ increments of travel (not x/y coordinates), or choose a ½″ multiple and click Move forward/backward. Existing map-grid snapping is independent of this movement rule.
  11. Ruler: choose Ruler and drag from one position to another. Distances are in tabletop inches.
  12. Base range: select Base range, click any two units to see their closest physical base edges and precise separation in inches.
  13. Wheel: select a stand, enter a wheel angle, and click Wheel left/right to pivot around the left- or right-front corner. Facing changes turn around the stand center; outer-edge arc distance is measured exactly, but spent movement is rounded up to the next ½″.
  14. New in v1.5 — terrain-aware wheels: Select a unit and enter a wheel angle. Use Inspect left/right to see a no-action rule-cost estimate, then Wheel to commit. The program samples the ENTIRE base along its curved path rather than drawing a straight line between the centers. It checks unit-specific restrictions, other stands, and table edges. A charge now also examines the initial facing turn.
  15. Contact: click the Contact tool, then the attacking and defending stands. Bases touch at the exact contact point, regardless of the ½″ step; spent movement for the demonstration is rounded up to the next ½″. Geometric contact is not charge legality.
  16. Fire check: choose Fire check, click the shooter then target. Inspect the highlighted aim ray, range, sample arc, and units/terrain that it crosses. This is not rules-authoritative LOS or firing permission.
  17. Fire lane: select Fire lane, click an artillery stand, and change its facing or preview length in the right panel. Units crossing its full-width, forward corridor are flagged as possible obstructions, not rules violations.
  18. Miniature look: select Miniature tabletop in the left panel for stylized model trees, stone bridges, 3D-shaded hills, fields and roofed villages. Switch back to Classic anytime; boundaries and rules checks do not change.
  19. Terrain: stamp woods and buildings with Terrain. Choose Continuous road or river to click successive waypoints, then Finish. Edit terrain (G) allows dragging path control points or whole terrain features; adjust path width using the left editor. Hill elevations graduate from the slope to the plateau (abstract levels).
  20. New in v1.6 — Rules Package Builder: Find the editor under Rules control. Click Load selected rules into editor, choose a terrain and troop category, adjust its movement multiplier, sight classification, restriction or crossing rule, then click Save as new & use. A saved custom pack is activated for the current game. Built-in examples remain unchanged. Download draft JSON to share. Only implemented checks are supported; this does not translate whole rulebooks.
  21. Try sample rules: Select Terrain rules workshop from Table setup. Select Infantry at Woods and advance 5 inches. The rules inspector will show the actual distance, the illustrative terrain-weighted cost, and the reason. Compare Free Play, Assistant, and Rules Lawyer. You can download the sample rules JSON, edit its numbers, and import it as a custom rules package.
  22. New troop-type workshop: Choose Troop category workshop, select infantry, cavalry, or artillery approaching the woods, enter 4 inches, and press Preview entered forward move. Their effective costs differ under the fictional sample pack. Artillery at marsh illustrates an explicit prohibition. Free Play ignores the rules. Imported JSON supports terrainRules.unitRules.
  23. Quick crossing test: Select River crossings demonstration under Table setup. Select Bridge Line Infantry, set Move distance to 8 inches, and Move forward. The infantry should cross the bridge. Try Ford Foot Artillery and Unmarked Crossing Cavalry the same way to compare the inspector reports.
  24. Bridges and fords: Draw a continuous river, then place a Bridge or Ford over it. Edit terrain to adjust the crossing width, length and direction. Move a miniature across: the inspector tests the water-contact part of the entire base along the move and reports whether it fits within a marked crossing. It does not decide legal movement or movement penalties.
  25. Terrain guidance: When a stand moves or charges, the inspector checks the swept footprint against terrain zones. In the optional Terrain workshop, it calculates sample costs; other rule packs remain advisory unless they declare explicit rules. Show exact terrain boundaries to see the actual geometries used by the inspector.
  26. Rules: Free Play permits manual actions; Assistant reports movement costs and declared restrictions without blocking play; Rules Lawyer also blocks declared unmarked-river crossings, over-budget moves, declared troop-specific terrain restrictions, and physical base interference unless a one-time GM override is armed. This is NOT enforcement of a published ruleset.
  27. Map Studio: Add scenery, then use Download map only or Print map only to exclude every unit and marker. The editable map JSON can be reopened later.
  28. New turn: clears each unit's movement tally. Undo restores the prior state.
  29. Save: save in your browser or download a JSON file. Export/import is the most reliable way to keep or transfer a game.
Not yet included: Live network multiplayer, account registration, full Drums at Dawn rules enforcement, rule-authoritative bridge capacity/fording effects, complete official artillery and charge rules including exceptional trajectories, authoritative terrain-specific wheeling rules, fully unattended mixed-arms combat, or automatic Battleward website publishing. These need subsequent development and testing.