How to get Started
what you will need
This post takes you through what you’ll need to play Force of Virtue and how to get it.
- A cool warband idea
- Some models
- Some terrain
- The Rules
- Cards, Tokens, Dice
Your Warband
In Force of Virtue most warbands are not great lords, but freelancers, adventurers or vigilantes taking on jobs or following their own private agendas.
![](https://i0.wp.com/masterstrokegames.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Warband-Roller-1.png?resize=791%2C1024&ssl=1)
Mustering your Models
Generally in Force of Virtue knights and characters (called Capos) are bought singularly and groups of mercenaries are bought and outfitted in groups of three via cards taken from your nation deck(s). We suggest singular basing on 1″ base, square or round doesn’t matter. Generally for most warbands a box set of plastics for under 30 Euro will set you up for 2 or 3 forces! If you prepare a knight or banner, 3 mercenaries with halberds and pikes and 3 with guns or crossbows generally have a pretty simple and flexible base to start from. If you are short on models or don’t like painting, start with a single knight and give him a bunch of scary cards to make him a Johann Wick style badass.
Go nuts!
Force of Virtue plays in the shadows of history so you can go as crazy as you want with your warband’s concept.
Condottieri
Sly snakes with excellent intrigue cards annoying light infantry and devastating heavy knights!
Troop Types
- Knights
- Mercenaries
Available Armaments
- Halberds
- Pikes
- Sword/Spear and Shield
- Heavy Crossbows
- Light Crossbows
- Guns
- Poleaxes
- Longswords
- Sword and Dagger
Suggested Manufacturers: Perry Miniatures, Steel Fist Miniatures, Warlord Games
Swiss
Uncomplicated and effective elite infantry that are as hard to shift as their mountains!
Troop Types
- Konstaffler (knight equivalents)
- Mercenaries
Available Armaments
- Halberds
- Pikes
- Heavy Crossbows
- Guns
- Poleaxes
- Longswords
- Swiss Arrows
Suggested Manufacturers: Perry Miniatures, Steel Fist Miniatures, Warlord Games
Landsknecht
Fearless and bold light infantry with solid officers and lethal specialists.
Troop Types
- Hauptman (Captain)
- Feldweibel (Sergeant)
- Doppelsoldner (Specialist)
- Mercenaries
Available Armaments
- Halberds
- Pikes
- Heavy Crossbows
- Guns
- Poleaxes
- Longswords
- Sword and Shield
- bows
- light crossbow
Suggested Manufacturers: Steel Fist Miniatures, Warlord Games
French
The cream of chivalry with unstoppable knights who inspire their men to great deeds!
Troop Types
- Knights
- Mercenaries
Available Armaments
- Halberds
- Pikes
- Heavy Crossbows
- Guns
- Poleaxes
- Longswords
- Lance a Pousser
- bows
- light crossbow
Suggested Manufacturers: Perry Miniatures, Steel Fist Miniatures, Warlord Games
Spanish
Grind your opponent into dust with coordinated manoeuvres or with bold gambles!
Troop Types
- Knights
- Mercenaries
- War Dogs
- Mastiffs
- Escaladores (Shock Troops)
Available Armaments
- Halberds
- Pikes
- Sword and Shield
- Guns
- Javelins
Suggested Manufacturers: Foundry, Wargames Atlantic,
Painting
Paint as You Go
We generally suggest getting a few cards worth painted and then painting up more as you add cards to your warband over the campaign.
Force of Virtue you are playing your own mercenary warband independent to any of the great houses so you don’t have to follow any particular colour schemes. There are also no standardised uniforms so your warband could all share the colours of the warband’s heraldry or wear whatever they want. The three colours you rolled during your warband’s creation often create a nice pallet to start with though. If you don’t enjoy
Your Table
Force of Virtue plays on a 2×2 foot table so you need a minimum of terrain to get started. The setting for your games could be a contested farm, some ruins that hide roman artefacts, the back allies of Rome, crypts, a roadside Inn or palatial gardens. Anything really works. If you’re really stuck there’s lots of free printable paper terrain on the internet.
What Next?
Free
Download our tutorial scenarios, free starter warbands, tokens and printout standee models from our website here.
Cheap
Either buy a single Nation Deck which comes with a PDF of the rules and use your own tokens. You can get our Pikeman’s Bundle, which has a nation deck, rules, dice and tokens.
All-In
Get one of our box sets with a wealth of decks tokens, dice and cool accessories. If you need models try this one.