Before play: counting the fallen

Counting the fallen just happens when we know a battle is over right? When one side surrenders or flees and the other accepts the surrender, accepts the escape, or falls to butchery or thereabouts.

There isn't a circumstance, seems like, where you'd forgo counting the fallen - where there'd be any benefit at all to skipping that.

(Now I want to set up an escape and pursuit after a fight such that the fallen can't be counted right away. Then what?)

I would also like to know the answer to this question.

Even if the PCs aren't in a position to actually count their fallen, go through the process as players.

Does that answer your question? I confess I can't tell what you're asking!

-Vincent

Even if the PCs aren't in a position to actually count their fallen, go through the process as players.

Does that answer your question? I confess I can't tell what you're asking!

The question could be rephrased as "Is counting the fallen a mechanical move that happens at the conclusion of every battle, or is it a narrative move that happens when the players' characters literally count the fallen members of their war company?"

But it sounds like it just happens at the natural conclusion of a fight, so maybe Counting the Fallen should read "when battle comes to an appropriate end" instead of "when you count your fallen"

Does somebody have a good picture of how this move actually works? What's gets changed on my sheet when I count the fallen?

Probably, the only thing that changes on your sheet is the number of your warriors.

Under some circumstances, you might also change your stats, if because of losses your War +2 constituent now outnumber your War +1 constituent, or something.

-Vincent

This is mostly just me turning the gears in my head, working through it; lets say my war company of 40 souls is limping when we count the fallen. (expect some killed, some no more threat to anyone, and some hurt and shaken.)

From here I gather than some = 10% and many = 20%

How many of us are dead? How many dying?
We should expect the MC to tell us 4 of us are dead.  Would we expect the 4 of us who are no more threat to anyone are dying?

How many of us are missing?
We should expect an answer based on the narrative of what happened in the battle? If we get split up, presumably those warriors are not available for the next attack? Maybe we now have two war companies if we are on some sort of prolonged campaign and can't reconnect right away?

How many of us are wounded but still able to fight?
Would we expect this to be the 4 of us who are hurt and shaken?

Who notable is dead, missing, or wounded?
We should expect an answer based on what played out in the narrative or any MC moves they want to make?

How does __ fare?
We would ask if there was someone specific we care about?

At the end of that what happens to my War Company's Harm? If we change the number of fighters to the 28 warriors who are strong sure and whole, do we erase it? .  If we include the 4 who are hurt and shaken, are we now 32 who are bloody? What is the best way to track how many warriors are in each state?

Exactly so, top to bottom.

If you can afford to do so, the easiest is to release the 4 who are hurt and shaken from your service, so that your company is 28 with no harm marked.

If you decide to keep them in your company, marking your company bloody is too severe. (Bloody would be some hurt and shaken, plus some no more threat to anyone.) Check with your MC. If it were me, I'd shrug and say cool, your company is 32 with no harm marked, and I'd just remember those 4 for when you take stock, or next time you suffer losses, or if I have an opportunity to bring them into a move of my own.

I might make one or more of them into notables, too, just to make the situation that much more concrete.

-Vincent

I like the idea of "the wounded" getting a face / notable, and now they are a person to deal with, even though the war company is technically at no harm.