On 8th July, 2009, Jagex released the latest multiplayer combat minigame of RuneScape, Mobilising Armies. Instead of controlling your avatar you'll be controlling a whole battalion, deploying your squads with tactical precision and trying to second-guess the intentions of your opponents. We collect some guide and review for you about this minigame. Check below.

Official Mobilising Armies Guide

Snippet of the official guide

Mobilising Armies is only accessible to RuneScape members. Please subscribe to get this feature. Please note this is a 'Safe' minigame - your squads do the fighting for you, so there is no chance of dying.

Location

The Mobilising Armies Command Centre is situated west of Oo'glog. It is also accessible by walking south-west over the Feldip Hills. The site can also be reached by teleportation: cast the Mobilising Armies Teleport spell from your standard spellbook, operate the ring of duelling, or use a spirit tree to appear at the gates of the Mobilising Armies Command Centre.

Requirements

There are no specific requirements to play Mobilising Armies – your performance is not based on skill or combat levels, but is instead based on your tactical abilities.

Quick Start

To begin mobilising your armies, talk to Junior Cadet Mal, who patrols the Command Centre's southern gates. He will guide you through the ins and outs of commanding, from recruiting squads to the rewards. He also has extra lessons that are not compulsory and can be completed at a later date.

During your whistle-stop tour, Mal will give you enough investment credits for ten level 1 mercenary squad contracts. These are all you need to start warmongering. To choose the race and class of the squads you wish to command, go to the recruitment room and talk to the various recruiters there.

With 10 squad contracts in your inventory, all of the same level, you can begin a battle. No items may be taken to battle with you other than worn items, squad contracts or special unit forms, so place any other inventory items within a bank (there is one in the north-west of the encampment). Begin a battle by entering the briefing rooms near the south wall of the encampment.

Recruitment

The following information is written for those who wish to know more about Mobilising Armies. You will be required to complete a tutorial with similar information before you can start playing.

A commander is only as good as the army they command, so your first step should be to recruit one! Armies are made up of ten mercenary squads of the same level, each of which can be hired from the recruitment room in the south-west corner of the camp.

Representatives of three different races (elf, goblin and dwarf) wait at their desks in the recruitment room, ready to offer you the services of their mercenaries. You need ten squads of mercenaries to complete an army, and you may mix and match from any of these races. You may also choose whether you want each squad to be light (fast but weak) or heavy (slow but powerful). Make sure you get ten squads - otherwise, you will not be able to begin a battle.

Special Units

Special units are one-off events that can be used in battle to gain the advantage. These, like the squads, are bought with the investment that you have accrued by offering commodities to Junior Cadet Mal.

Special unit requisition forms are available from the Special Units Table in the south-east of the encampment. You may purchase a maximum of five special units for battle, and there are five different types:

• Cannon - This can be placed so it faces north, south, east or west. Once placed, it will damage any squads in that direction.
• Glider – This will instantly damage any one squad.
• Chompa bomb – This furry menace damages any units within its explosive range.
• Distractor – This pauses nearby units, giving you time to gain the upper hand.
• Barricade – This is a long wall that can be used to defend yourself or slow down your enemies.

Unlike squads, once you use a special unit, it is discarded and cannot be recovered.

Preparing for Battle

A battle can be initiated once you have ten squad contracts of the same level in your inventory and up to five special unit contracts. When you feel ready, enter the briefing room near the south wall of the encampment. You will need to bank all inventory non-contract items before you go down the briefing room stairs.

Once here, you will be greeted with the Scenario Selection screen. Four scenarios can be unlocked as you play different scenarios, each of them offering very different rules and conditions for victory.

Once you have chosen your scenario, you will be presented with the Scenario Options. Here you can read the details of your chosen scenario, and you can also change your squad formation. There are nine formations in total, each unlocking as you increase your Rank. It is often worth changing your formation according to your style of play, the scenario, or what you fancy at the time. Click 'Next' when you are happy with your choices.

Next is the Scenario Investment Options screen. Here, you can invest as much as you wish for the next game. Mobilising Armies' rewards are determined by how much you invest on this screen (as well as how mightily you perform, of course) so keep this in mind when choosing how much investment to put into the scenario. For example, if you invest 10k, you will receive a reward based on this value PLUS how well you did in battle. Once you are happy with your selection, click 'Play!'

Battle!

When the game starts, your squads will be circled by rings of one of four different colours. This is where you start commanding and take your first tentative steps on the path to glory!

An at-a-glance display is available in the top-right of the game window, so you can keep tabs on the number of players that are playing, the time remaining before the end of the battle, the strength of your army, your team colour and how many squads you have defeated. You will also notice that your side interfaces have changed to include Mobilising Armies-specific tabs. These tabs are as follows:

Camera

The first you will want to explore is the Camera tab. Here, you can move the position of the camera, zoom in or out, see a basic map of the island, reset your view and go to your squad at the touch of a button.

Squad Commands

Once you have selected a squad, your side panel will change to include a tab called 'Squad Commands'. An arrow will appear above a squad to indicate that it is active. The commands for a squad changes according to the scenario.

Special Units

If you have special unit requisition forms ready for your battle, you can see them displayed in another side panel. From here, you are able to place your cannons, gliders, chompas, distractors and barricades. Simply click on the graphic of the unit you wish to place, then select the area of placement on the map.

My Squads

The My Squads tab is not available in the Tutorial, but will be accessible in the main game. By clicking on this tab, you get an overview of each squad's status, race, level and class.

Forfeit

The tab to the right of My Squads is the Forfeit tab. This allows you to surrender, but you would be advised to continue playing. You lose all your squads, special units and credits that you invested in the scenario if you surrender, and you receive no reward points or Ranks.

End-Game

A game of Mobilising Armies lasts until one person is left or the scenario-specific rules have been achieved (for information on these scenario-specific rules, please see the Scenario section at the bottom of the page). If you exit the game before it has finished, your squads will disband and you'll have to rehire them at the recruitment room.

If you see it to the end of the battle, regardless of whether you win or lose, you'll get rewards based on the investment you offered before the battle, and how well you performed.

Rewards

Reward comes in the form of 'reward credits' and increased Ranks. The number of reward credits you receive after a battle is based on the amount you invested before the battle, and how successful you were. These reward credits can be spent or saved up – they do not disappear when you leave the encampment.

To exchange reward credits, visit the Officer's Tower in the north-west of the encampment.

Scenarios

Conflict - This is the standard scenario for the game, being the first to be played by all, and the "lowest leveled" scenario. Four teams are placed on a battlefield and must kill each other off, one by one. This version is a "free-for-all".

Siege – In this scenario, victory is gained by defeating your opponents or by breaking into the castle that sits at the centre of the map. To break into the castle, you'll need to breach the walls with a squad or with a catapult. To attack the walls with a squad, use the 'Attack wall/catapult' command in your Squad Commands tab and then click on the offending wall (you may also attack an opponent's catapult in this way) or simply left-click the wall. To build a catapult, use the 'Collect' command in your Squad Commands tab to gather wheels, wood, rope and limbs from the shipwrecks that are strewn across the shore, or simply left-click the shipwreck. Once all of the catapult parts are collected, a catapult will automatically appear. Use the 'Collect' command to gather 4 rocks from the rockpiles around the map and the catapult will fire at the castle automatically, bringing you closer to victory.

Hoard – This scenario is set at a dragon's volcano, where you must collect 100,000 gold or defeat your opponents to become the victor. Gold can be collected by using the 'Cave Collect' command in your Squad Commands tab or by just left-clicking the cave. In order to collect gold from the dragon, you need at least two squads, one collecting at the cave and another to carry the gold from the cave to the boat. You can also steal gold by killing opponents' squads, and it is worth noting that squads collecting gold are more susceptible to damage.

Rescue – This scenario requires you to be the first to save 28 TzHaar from their steaming fissures. This comes with a new command, 'Rescue'. Click this command and then click on a flailing TzHaar to save them from certain doom, or simply left-click on the TzHaar. You may also steal TzHaar from your opposition by clicking on the 'Steal' command and then an enemy's stock, which is by their command tent and lander on the outskirts of the map.