These are a list of pre-made 10 card warbands that you can download and use to play games of Force of Virtue in the Eternal City. These are only samples and as such you would need the decks themselves to expand upon these warbands or make your own. The ones in red are built to be simple and require common models and use only one deck. The ones in orange are a little bit more complex and flavourful.
Tokens and Reference sheets
Jean Le Chien – French
Born a bastard to an impoverished noble family Jean de Bezancourt rose quickly in the kings army as a commander in the newly raised archer regiments.
Called by his better born compatriots the dog for his humble roots he still gained a reputation for leadership and the respect from his men.
His archers are a poor attempt by the French crown to copy the English longbowmen, they armed with far weaker bows. However they are still a threat to be taken seriously. He has a few picked veterans he trusts to manoeuvre around his opponent’s flanks, pick off easy targets and accomplish objectives
Born a bastard to an impoverished noble family Jean de Bezancourt rose quickly in the kings army as a commander in the newly raised archer regiments. Called by his better born compatriots the dog for his humble roots he still gained a reputation for leadership and the respect from his men. Armed with far weaker bows his archers are a poor attempt by the crown to copy the English longbowmen they are still a threat to be taken seriously. He has a few picked veterans he trusts to manoeuvre around his opponent’s flanks, pick off easy targets and accomplish objectives.
Johann’s Specialists – Landsknecht
Captain Johan Ernst and his crack team are known in the black company as “The Specialists”. They are tasked with missions for the that require a scalpel rather than a hammer.
The gunners lead by Feldweibel Lukas Gorling harass and search for an open way to the objective. Meanwhile the Captain’s bodyguard cuts through the enemy with sweeps of his greatsword and the captain backs him up and looks for openings to accomplish their purpose and get out.
With a command range of 6 and 6 virtue Captain Johann can coordinate actions and serve as a strong reserve of vitue to fuel his bodyguards actions. His 3 actions also mean he is capable of keeping up with the Doppelsoldner or spend actions rallying. Andreas’ Greatsword means that he has 6 faith while in combat, this combined with his Death’s Dance card allow him to single handed put out a great deal of attacks to remove enemies. The Feldweibel can command the gunners using them for flanking actions towards the objective or for effective fire. If he sticks close to the captain he can also rally for the captain, rerolling 1s. The gunners can also put out an excellent rate of fire with their “Trained to Gun” card.
However you will need to be careful to keep the captain alive and unengaged and not be overwhelmed by enemies.
Aguirre’s Conquistadors – Spanish
Led by the merciless marksman de Aguirre, his Conquistadores are a band of cunning and ruthless veterans of the new world conquests. skilled in ambushes and crippling volleys. Their experience makes them hard to shift, slippery to catch and full of surprises
With two groups of veterans they are able to split up and out manoeuvre the enemy, avoiding the enemy’s most dangerous troops and pursuing the objective. The ambush card can be used to put Aguirre and the gunners into a position to pop and unleash a volley into the enemy
While your sword and buckler men have good defence from their shields they lack some striking power against heavily armed targets. You can also use the conquistador cards for extra damage.
The Lost Band – Spanish
Lead by the bold Capitan Juan Perez the lost bands are the remnants of Juan’s Tercio. Most of their numbers lost in a valiant rearguard action after one of the legendary Gonzago de Cordoba’s raids.
The band still however retains its training. With Perez’ fearless and unshakeable Escaladores at the forefront the band still works with the clockwork efficiency of a Spanish tercio. Each element trained to support and cover the others
Unlike many commanders Perez does not rely on vast stores of his own virtue to command his troops he relies on professionalism and drill. His unshakeable Escaladores and their shields to take the brunt of the enemy and his men’s tercio drill to lend his men’s action confidence and surety. He also has his trusted veteran gunners that manoeuvre to the flanks to catch enemies in deadly crossfires and to independently pursue objectives while the Tercio occupies the enemy with rapid devastating manoeuvres.
Beware however commanding such a band requires skill and planning as still shaken from heavy losses Perez lacks the will to withstand heavy casualties.
The Mutts – Landsknecht
The Mutts are among the Landsknecht company’s fiercest and most motivated fighters. Formed from remnants of multiple companies they have gained many victories under their patchwork banner! The banner is the company’s and the men would rather die then disgrace it and the fiery reputation of the company it represents.
However it is the stoic and quick-witted Feldweibel Schneider that keeps order in the ranks with stubborn discipline! The men staying close to the banner until they engage the opponent’s main strength and drive them back with push of pike and furious assaults. When the enemy is fully committed Feldweibel Schneider splits take the objective with a few picked men and secure victory! Many a foe has fallen before the stubborn fortitude and fiery disposition of this ragtag band of mutts and with this success has come offers of employment
Deck Featured – Landsknechts
While the mutts lack the greatswords or gunners of other Landsknechts they have numbers and the determination to use them. With both a banner and a Feldweibel rallying virtues after losses is far from impossible. You can also split off the Feldweibel with a body of troops to outflank or pursue objectives. You will however want to hit hard and fast to make sure you make use of numbers before a more heavily armoured opponent wear’s them down. Hit hard and use “Emperor’s Finest” to drain further virtue. Use “Push of Pike” to keep enemies away from your lines or to shove them away from objective.
Uli’s Reislaufer – Swiss
The main export of the Swiss Cantons is it’s .fighting men. Hired out as mercenaries known as Reislaufer.
They are highly valuable commodity to the French Crown and Italian Free Cities. Uli Neff’s Company of veterans are a heavily armed band of professional campaigners with years of experience.
They can manoeuvre quickly on the enemy and have enough virtue to stick around. His gunners are the most veteran of his troop, mostly men who’s beards have grown long and grey campaigning for cash.
Deck Featured – Swiss
With two groups of veterans and a Capo the warband has excellent ability to pursue the objective and manoeuvre on the opponent to land devastating volleys with the gunner.
The White Fox – Condottieri
Giacomo di Monteregioni is known to many as the white fox for his cunning and skill. He is a skilled duellist with sword and dagger who likes to leave command to his banner carrier. Those that face often find that things are not as they seem.
With his skirmishers shields, his armour and sword and dagger he is capable of holding even fierce foes at bay while his veterans close in and manoeuvre on the objective peppering the enemy with light crossbows. However the white fox is not one to stick around if a battle sways against him so manage your virtue well!
Deck Featured – Condottieri
With both veterans and a banner the company has manoeuvrability and some staying power since the banner will be able to hang back and regularly rally. As the Fox can be used either for a much need virtue boost or to check hidden cards of the opponent. Until Ripe for Execution can either be used for rerolling an unfortunate roll like a failed armour save on Giacomo or to recover one of your other cards. Use the Poison card early to start draining the opponents virtue. The shields on the mercenaries and Giacomo’s armour allow staying power to tie up the opponent while the veterans manoeuvre on the objective or pick off Capos with prudence shoot actions. If you choose a poleaxe for Giacomo you can use him for aggressively hunting armoured targets, a sword dagger will be more defensive and longsword will be more of a general allrounder.
Lo Straniero di Ferro
A mysterious stranger with a strange accent appeared on the Palatine two days ago stark naked. He pulled a Forza knight off his steed and demanded “I need your armour, your boots and your horse.”
Soon after he annihilated a guardhouse of the city watch and was heard saying he has been sent from the future to find Rodrigo Borgia and terminate him.
Decks Featured – Condottieri, Born to Battle, Born to Battle
The Iron Stranger is quite literally a one man army, no single unit will be able to stand against him. However be careful as a savvy opponent will attempt to tie up the iron stranger in combat while other troops achieve the objective. You will have to focus on using the stranger’s prodigious combat power to win the field rather than achieving the objective
Don Diego Del Mar
Since their conversion to Christianity in the time of the great Cid Don Diego del Mar’s family have raised their blades in the name of the crown of Castile.
Despite this long service there are those that still mistrust his family for its Moorish ancestry. However none can dispute the skill of him and his Escalodores. Many a fortress in the Reconquista fell with Diego’s men streaming up their scaling ladders and over the walls.
Now at the behest of the king he fights a much subtler war, a scalpel to remove “problems” in the Eternal City that threaten Castilian interests.
Decks Featured – Spanish, Born to Battle, Renaissance Man
Diego Del Mar’s warband is small and has strong defensive capabilities. Due to the special rules of the Escaladores and the high stock of Virtue attached to Diego it is unlikely you will be burnt out of Virtue even if you put Diego into combat. You can use your javalineers for harassing the enemy, as a reserve and for hunting objectives. Careful as the warband lacks armour penetration
The Blades of St Angelo
The Papal Guard is a fanatical bunch at the best of times. But those known darkly as the Blades St. Angelo are a special breed. A band of fanatical madmen commanded by the Konstaffler Uli Weiss. When not causing indiscriminate bloodshed they are used by the Papacy to resolve tasks others might consider distasteful. Among the ranks of his fighters number the Papal headsman Gregor Entz a fanatical sadist easily whipped into a frenzy by fiery rhetoric capable of chopping enemies into bloody chunks with his axe. Uli Weiss also never goes into a fight without his “gift” what he claims to be a fragment of the true cross gifted to him by the Pope himself. Many claim it’s just a splinter from a dung cart. But none dare say that within earshot of him or any of his men.
Decks Featured – Swiss, Fires of Faith, Dogs of War
The fanatically high faith of Uli’s men gives them great speed and flexibility in maneuver and combat. The reliquary should provide a steady stream of Rally actions to increase the fanatic’s faith and keep your virtue reserves high as well as allow you to use Uli in combat. You should also be able to use that supply to burn virtue to reroll wound saves as well. As the warband lacks armour and armour piercing capabilities.