Banner and Shield

A banner has a 3" area of effect that extends out from the model carrying the banner (although some special banners may have a larger range). If a friendly model is within the range of one or more friendly banners, can draw Line of Sight to that banner, and is either Engaged in Combat or Supporting a friendly model, then that Combat is affected by the banner. If a Combat is affected by a banner then a single friendly model in that Combat (including a Supporting model) can re-roll a single dice in the Duel Roll. If a Combat is affected by multiple friendly banners, then this will still only allow a single dice to be re-rolled as part of the Duel Roll, not one for each banner. A model cannot use a banner to re-roll a dice in a Duel Roll that the model is currently winning, in order to try to lose the Combat.

A banner must be flying in order to inspire its followers. If a model carrying banner is Prone, then friendly models cannot benefit from it, or any special rules associated with the banner if applicable.

If a Hero has a special rule that means that friendly models in a certain range treat them as a banner, then the Hero must be standed in order for the effect of the banner to be applicable.

It is possible that one player will use their banner to re-roll a dice and then find themselves winning the Duel Roll, in which case their opponent may wish to use a banner of their own. This is perfectly fine, though each side may still only re-roll a single dice as the result of using a banner or a special rule that counts as a banner.

If a banner states it only affects models with certain keywords, then those models must be in range of the banner themselves for the banner to affect that Combat, and only those models may re-roll a dice as a result of the banner.

A model carrying a banner suffers a -1 penalty to their Duel Rolls.

If a Warrior carrying a banner (not a Hero) is removed from the battlefield as a casualty for any reason (such as being slain or fleeing the board as the result of being part of a Broken Army), then they may pass their banner onto another friendly Warrior model in base contact. However, they cannot pass their banner onto a model that is Prone, Engaged in Combat or to a model that could not normally take a banner as part of their profile. Swap the models over if they are the same type of Warrior, or find a suitable model in your collection. When a model takes a banner in this manner, it will count as having the wargear its profile allows it to have when it is upgraded to caryy a banner as part of its profile, and will drop all others. So, if a Warrior of Minas Tirith with a spear and shield were to pick up a banner, it would have to drop its shield and spear as a Warrior of Minas Tirith that has a banner does not also have a spear and shield.

A model carrying a shield adds 1 to their Defence characteristic. Where a model is listed as carrying a shield in its profile, then the improvement in its Defence characteristic will already have been included in their profile.

A shield is cumbersome, and so a model carrying a shield that wishes to use their hand-and-a-half weapon as a two-handed weapon during a Combat cannot gain the Defence bonus for carrying a shield during that Combat. Additionally, a model carrying a shield does not gain the Defence bonus if it also carries a type of bow, crossbow, two-handed weapon or pike.

A model with a shield can also use the Shielding special rule.