I'm currently working on creating additional tokens and house rules to add flavour to my New Zealand Wars games.
DESIGN NOTES
- Māori rules = tempo, concealment, shock
- British rules = preparation, discipline, friction
- Bad European habits are allowed, but punished
- Good adaptation is slower, safer, and less glorious
The Maori
AMBUSH
HIDDEN PATH
CALL THE WHĀNAU (the extended family or tribal links, basically reinforcements)
I’ll go through them each as:
- What it represents
- When you can use it
- Simple tabletop effect
- Why it feels right for Māori warfare
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| Version one! |
Of course the Maori are "elusive" and that gain of extra use of cover in terrain is important. They also felled logs for cover in dense woodland, and indeed dug Rifle pits! I'll consider using Ambush and hidden deployment as part of the points system.
AMBUSH
Represents:
Prepared killing grounds, concealed firing pits, and deliberate baiting of British advances.
When:
At scenario start, a Māori unit is deployed Hidden.
Rule:
- Place an AMBUSH token next to a Hidden Māori unit.
- When that unit first reveals itself, it may:
- Shoot before the enemy activates, or
- Shoot with +1 die / +1 to hit, or
- Force the target to test Resolve immediately after the attack, even if no casualties are caused.
- AND count as rifle pits. Hard cover. (a single Shoot Test penalty of +1 applies, and Hard Cover also provides a -1 Shoot Save bonus.)
- Remove the token if the unit moves or fires.
Why it works:
Māori combat doctrine often relied on timing and shock, not sustained firefights. This gives them one decisive moment — not a permanent bonus.
Possible mechanicm
I may place up to three Maori Ambush markers, with only one of these being the actual ambush.
HIDDEN PATH
Represents:
Bush tracks, fern gullies, creek beds, and local knowledge that simply doesn’t appear on European maps.
When:
Once per game per Māori force, during movement.
Rule:
- Spend a HIDDEN PATH token to:
- Move one Māori unit through Difficult Terrain without penalty, or
- Enter the table from any jungle/bush edge (not the enemy baseline), or
- Withdraw from combat and immediately become Hidden if in cover.
Restrictions:
- Cannot be used while Shaken.
- Unit may not Shoot in the same activation unless it has Run to Ground.
Why it works:
British columns repeatedly lost contact with Māori forces who seemed to vanish into the bush. This makes terrain feel asymmetric, not just difficult.
CALL THE WHĀNAU
Represents:
Kinship, mana, and rapid mustering when the fighting turns serious.
When:
Triggered by loss or crisis.
Rule:
- When a Māori unit is:
- Reduced to half strength, or
- A Leader is wounded or killed,
- Place a CALL THE WHĀNAU token on the table edge or a terrain feature.
On the Māori player’s next activation:
- Replace the token with:
- A small reinforcement unit, or
- Restore 1 removed model to up to two nearby units, or
- Remove Shaken from all Māori units within 6”.
Campaign variant:
- Costs 1 Glory / Mana point.
- If overused, future calls arrive Delayed.
Why it works:
This models community response rather than drilled reserves. It’s not infinite manpower — it’s social resilience.
HOW THEY INTERACT WITH EXISTING TOKENS
These slot neatly into what I already have:
- Run to Ground + Hidden Path = classic bush skirmish withdrawal
- Ambush + Wet Powder (British) = historically brutal matchup
- Call the Whānau counters British Sentry / Activated tempo play
Nothing replaces core mechanics — they add decision points, not bookkeeping.
OPTIONAL BALANCE LEVER (VERY IMPORTANT)
To keep things fair and historically grounded:
Māori forces may only have two of these tokens in play at once.
This forces choice:
- Do you ambush now?
- Or save strength for a call later?
For the British answers to Māori asymmetry, with the right amount of friction. I went with the same Blood & Steel “token + decision” language.
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| I went a little too "shako" heavy there. |
FORM SQUARE
Represents:
European drill instinct kicking in at exactly the wrong moment, in terrain and at troop densities it was never designed for.
When:
Declared at the start of a British unit’s activation.
Rule:
- Place a FORM SQUARE token.
- Unit:
- May not move
- May not enter Skirmish Order
- May only fire at Short range
- Unit gains:
- +1 Resolve against melee only
Critical Downside (the important bit):
- All Māori shooting against a unit in Form Square gains:
- +1 die, or
- Re-roll 1 failed hit
- If the unit suffers any casualties from shooting:
- It must immediately test Resolve
- On failure, it becomes Shaken and the Square collapses (remove token)
Scaling Clause (key for NZ Wars):
A British unit may never gain full Square benefits unless at full strength.
Reduced units gain no melee bonus at all — they just clump up.
Why this works historically:
- Squares require numbers, open ground, and cavalry threats — none of which apply.
- Māori skirmishers loved dense, static targets.
- It becomes a panic button, not a tactic.
Table Effect:
Players can do it… but quickly learn they shouldn’t.
FIX BAYONETS
Represents:
Preparation, drill, and psychological hardening before close combat. Required for Bayonet drill.
When:
Declared at the start of an activation. Not an action, a state.
Rule:
- Place a FIX BAYONETS token.
- Unit:
- May move at full speed
- May not Shoot this activation
- Remove Shaken if already in cover.
- The next time this unit charges or is charged:
- It gains Bayonet Drill automatically.
Restrictions:
- Cannot Fix Bayonets if already Shaken in the open.
- Token remains until used or the unit fires.
Why it matters:
This prevents Bayonet Drill from being an “always on” buff and makes the British player telegraph intent.
I know shooting could occur with bayonets fixed, but this is the prelude to a charge or defence so shooting at half effect seems reasonable. You may still volley, fix bayonets then charge in an activation.
BAYONET DRILL
Represents:
Controlled aggression, volley discipline, and willingness to close.
When:
Triggered after Fix Bayonets, during a charge or melee.
Rule:
- Unit gains:
- If the enemy breaks or withdraws:
- British unit may immediately advance D6 inches.
Risk Clause (important):
- If Bayonet Drill fails to break the enemy:
- British unit falls back 6"
Why this works:
Bayonets were effective — but only when conditions were right. In bush fighting, failure was often punished brutally.
BRING UP THE GUNS
A Scenario Tool
Represents:
Naval guns, mountain howitzers, or dragged field pieces.
When:
Once per scenario, when conditions allow.
Rule:
- Place a BRING UP THE GUNS token on a road, track, or table edge clearing.
- After 1 full turn, replace it with:
Bombardment effect:
- Pick a terrain feature or fortification.
- All units within test Resolve.
- Cover in that feature is reduced by one level for the rest of the game.
Why this works:
Guns shape the battlefield — they don’t dominate it.
Option B: Risky Field Deployment
- While the token is in play:
- British units within 6” suffer –1 Move (they’re guarding, hauling, arguing).
- If Māori reach the gun:
- Remove it and gain Glory / Mana.
SKIRMISH ORDER
This one is essential for NZ Wars.
Represents:
Adaptation — files opening out, men taking trees, junior NCO initiative.
When:
Declared at start of activation.
Rule:
- Place SKIRMISH ORDER token.
- Unit:
- Forms a loose line on table
- Moves at half speed
- May simultaneously Shoot with –1 die
- Gains:
- Improved Cover in bush or broken ground
- May ignore first point of movement penalty from terrain
Trade-off:
- Skirmishing units:
- Cannot Form Square
- Cannot use Bayonet Drill unless re-formed first
Re-forming:
- Spend an activation to remove Skirmish Order and return to close order.
Why it’s good design:
This becomes the British answer to Māori Run to Ground — not superior, just survivable.
HOW THESE TOKENS INTERACT (IMPORTANT)
| Situation | What Happens |
|---|
| Form Square vs Ambush | Square gets mauled |
| Skirmish Order vs Hidden Path | Cat-and-mouse |
| Fix Bayonets + Bayonet Drill | Decisive but risky |
| Bring Up the Guns | Shapes objectives |
| Call the Whānau vs Bayonet Drill | Momentum vs resilience |
