AlbionLand of Faerie — Getting Started

Welcome, war-leader. This short guide walks you through your first battle. For the full rules, see the printed manual (docs/manual.pdf) or press ? in the game.

1. Choose a battle

On the menu, pick a scenario. Albion Alone is the 3-turn learning battle — start there. Then choose your side: the Sidhe (defenders) or the Fomor (invaders). Press Sound the Horns to begin. The computer commands the other host.

2. Read the field

Two landmasses face each other across the sea — Hibernia in the west, Albion in the east. Your pieces are discs: blue for the Sidhe, red for the Fomor. Letters mark their kind — Infantry, Riders, Archers, casters (M), heavy (T), and Garrisons. Triangles are your leaders. Golden stars are Power points; squares are fortresses (gold-edged ones are key to victory).

3. Move a host

Click one of your units. Green hexes show where it may go — click one to march. Watch for enemy Zones of Control: stepping beside a foe halts you. Leaders move far and fast; keep them with a strong host for protection.

4. Come to blows

Move adjacent to a foe; its hex glows red. Click it to attack — every fresh neighbouring unit of yours joins in, and the result is read from the Combat Results Table. Archers and casters can strike first at amber hexes two away. Concentrate your strength: odds win battles.

5. Work magic

Each turn you gain Power from the sacred sites you hold. Select a caster, press Cast Spell, and click a nearby foe to blast them. If you lead the Fomor, watch Balor's Eye charge — when it reads OPEN, unleash it on a cluster of Sidhe.

6. Duel of champions

Move a leader beside an unguarded enemy leader; the hex glows pink. Click to duel. A decisive win slays the loser. Remember the prophecy: Lugh is fated to slay Balor — and Balor's death breaks the Fomor host.

7. End your turn

When you have moved, fought, and cast as you wish, press End Turn. The enemy host answers, and play returns to you. Hold your objectives until the turns run out — or seize victory outright.

Good fortune upon the field. — Tronsoft Games · tronsoft.net
An unaffiliated fan homage. All content original.

Turn Reports: After the enemy response, review losses, fortress changes, Power changes, and the new turn state. Press R to reopen the latest report.

Threat Overlay

Use the Threats button or press T to display potential enemy danger zones. Red indicates movement/adjacent-attack danger; amber indicates ranged reach with current line of sight. Treat the overlay as a planning aid rather than a prediction of AI orders.

Strategic Guidance

Select a friendly piece to see nearby strategic objectives. The panel ranks enemy fortresses, friendly key fortresses, sacred Power sites, and scenario-critical enemy leaders. Each item shows hex distance and compass direction; click it to center the battlefield there.

v2.0 Movement Preview: Hover a green legal destination to see the route and movement-point cost before clicking.

Combat Experience

Albion v2.1.0 can confirm melee and siege attacks before commitment. Combat results appear briefly on the battlefield and are stored in Combat History; select an entry to center the map on that engagement. Enemy combat actions are summarized after the AI turn.

AI Tactical Intelligence

Before starting a battle, choose Novice, Standard, or Veteran. Novice follows simpler objectives. Standard balances objectives with terrain, support, and threat. Veteran evaluates those factors more aggressively, concentrates force more deliberately, protects leaders, and values Power sites and key fortresses more strongly. Difficulty never changes dice, unit strength, movement, or scenario forces.