Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Last Stand on Doric-Ar1: A D-Con 2019 Big Game

So in February my gaming group is organizing their first ever Con-style Big Game.  Its still mostly an invite-only event but various members of the group are running various games on the Friday and Saturday of the Con.

I have decided to run a 40k big game with my buddy Greg.  We have titled it: The Last Stand on Doric-Ar1.

This event will span Friday and Saturday.  It is supposed to harken back to big games of old.  It will include elements of games we have played in and games we have always wanted to play in.

The idea is that the Imperials and their allies have been pushed back to one city on Doric-Ar1 and that Chaos and their allies are attempting to crush the final remnants of resistance.

In different sectors of the city proper and in outskirts of the city the Chaos-led forces are trying to take resources from the defenders and then push into the center of the city and take the capital building.

On Friday there will be 4 games of one-on-one or possibly two-on-one.  These games are at the different sectors of the city.  Each game has a specific objective that if the Attackers get will hamper the Defenders on Saturday.  Some objectives may be deemed more valuable by one side or the other and so tat side must allocate their resources to defending or taking the objective(s) on Friday. 

Each team will have a certain number of Power Level Points total that they can draw from for the Friday games and the Saturday game.  Once points are taken from the pool they are gone for the rest of the weekend.  The games on Friday have a minimum of 75 PL per side in the game to force people to play the Friday games.

The Attackers will have more PL points than the Defenders but that will be balanced out by the table layout and extra units and rules for the Defenders on Saturday and the outcomes of the games on Friday.

Now with the basics out of the way, I am going to post the Friday Missions here.



Titan table rules

Deployment
The Defenders deploy first, alternate deploying one unit at a time per usual.
Roll off for first turn; winner chooses to go first or second.
Whoever goes second can then attempt to seize the initiative to go first instead.

Terrain and table setup
The Warhound Titan is in the center of the table inside an industrial zone.  It is being assembled during the battle and it is covered in scaffolding.
Space crates, shipping containers and crates and barrels provide cover within the Defenders deployment zone.
The table is covered in a tan felt and is a desert-esque environment.
Dead trees litter the table.
Tan hills are spread around.

Game Length
After turn 3 roll a die and consult the following table:
After turn 3 roll a d6 on a 3+ the game continues
After turn 4 roll a d6 on a 4+ the game continues
After turn 5 roll a d6 on a 5+ the game continues
The game ends at the end of turn 6.

Win condition
Whomever has the most scoring models at the end of the game within 3” of either foot of the Warhound Titan is the winner.

Special Rules:
- Units hit with flamer-type weapons do not get cover save bonuses.
- Only units without the TITAN keyword and have legs can score.

Rewards for success:
If the attacker wins the defender is denied the use of a Warhound Titan in Saturday’s game.
If the defender wins then they get a free Warhound Titan armed with a Vulcan Mega Bolter and Turbo Laser Destructor.
The rules for the Warhound Titan can be found in the Forgeworld book; Index: Forces of the Astra Militarum



Void Shield Generator table rules

Deployment
The Defenders deploy first, alternate deploying one unit at a time per usual.
Roll off for first turn; winner chooses to go first or second.
Whoever goes second can then attempt to seize the initiative to go first instead.

Terrain and table setup
The Shield Generator is a non-destructible building.
The table will be covered in green felt and it has forests which use the standard rules for Woods as listed in the main rulebook on page 248.
There is a line of light fortifications which use the rules for barricades as listed in the main rulebook on page 249.
A river runs through the battlefield from the lower left corner to the upper right corner on the map.  The river rules are as follows:
- Units moving into, out of, or through the river must half their movement no matter what type of movement it is. 
- Shooting at units who are wholly or partially in the river grants the firer a +1 to hit the unit in or partially in the river.

Game Length
The game has no turn limit.

Win condition
The game ends immediately if the Attacker has assaulted and subsequently held the building for one full game turn.

Special Rules:
- Units hit with flamer-type weapons do not get cover save bonuses.
- Only units without the TITAN keyword and have legs can score.
- Units that traditionally could traverse water features without negative impact on them may do so in this mission.

Rewards for success:
If the attacker wins then their side gets to use the Tactical Reserves rule listed on page 215 of the main rule book in the game on Saturday.
If the defender wins then the attacker may not use the Tactical Reserves rule on Saturday and their entire army MUST be deployed on the battlefield at the beginning of the game.



Teleportarium table rules

Deployment
The defender deploys 1 unit in the circle in the center of the board first
The attacker then deploys 1 unit in their Zone second.
The remainder of both armies then start in Tactical Reserve as per the main rulebook on page 215.
Then the players roll off for first turn, whomever rolled highest picks to go first or second, the player going second may attempt the seize the initiative.
The players use Staggered Reserves to handle their Tactical Reserves (see Special Rules below).

Terrain and table setup
The table is made up of light city / ruined city terrain.
The Teleportarium itself is an indestructible building.
The Attackers zone is lighter city terrain; it’s the edge of the city.

Game Length
The Game ends at the end of turn 6.

Win condition
At the end of turn 6 whomever has the most scoring models within 3” of the teleportarium wins.

Special Rules:
- Units hit with flamer-type weapons do not get cover save bonuses.
- Only units without the TITAN keyword and have legs can score.
- Staggered Reserves.
Staggered Reserves: Unless a unit has a special rule that describes how it can arrive from Tactical Reserves, the rest of each side’s unit arrives as follows (Note that units will not be destroyed if left in Tactical Reserves beyond turn 3 unlike what the main rulebook says.):
The unit may move onto the board from a board edge that is touching their Zone.
Staggered Reserves arrive from Tactical Reserves as follows:
Turn 1: Each side may bring on 1 unit from Tactical Reserves.
Turn 2: Each side may bring on up to ¼ (round down) of their starting number of units on the board.
Turn 3: Each side may bring on up to ½ (round down) of their starting number of units on the board.
Turn 4: Each side brings on the rest of their army.

Rewards for success:
If the attackers win this mission then the defenders may not use Tactical Reserves (p.215 main rule book) on Saturday.
If the defenders win this mission then the defenders may use Tactical Reserves on Saturday.




Munitorum table rules

Deployment
The defender deploys first, inside of any of the three 1’ squares.  The defender can place any amount of units in Tactical Reserves.  When the unit arrives from Tactical reserves it can either deploy as per the rules on the unit’s datasheet or it can move onto the table from any deployment zone edge.
The attacker then deploys after the defender is done deploying and can deploy up to ¼ of infantry units 18” away from and defender’s model.
The rest of the attacker’s army can deploy in their deployment zone and can use the Tactical Reserves rule as normal. (see page 215 main rule book.)
Roll off for first turn.  The high roll goes first and the side that goes second may attempt to seize the initiative.

Terrain and table setup
The table is an industrial / city / ruins table.

Game Length and Win Condition
The game ends immediately if the attacker gets the bomb into one of the three 3” zones within one of the defender’s deployment zones.  Random Game Length: after turn 3 on a 6+ the game is over, after turn 4 on a 5+ the game is over, after turn 5 on a 4+ the game is over.  Turn 6 is the final turn.  If the game finishes and the attacker hasn’t gotten the bomb into one of the three 3” zones then the defenders win.

Special Rules:
- Units hit with flamer-type weapons do not get cover save bonuses.
- Night Fight for 1st turn (-1 to hit enemy units; 6+ to hit being the worst)
- Only units without the TITAN keyword and have legs can score.
- The Bomb.  See below.
 One of the attacker’s infantry units has a bomb and only infantry units may carry the bomb.  (The Bomb will be represented by a model but will not be on the table initially.) The attacker must note on his or her army list which unit has the bomb before the game begins. 
If the unit carrying the bomb is completely destroyed then the bomb is dropped and represented by a bomb model.  The bomb model needs to be placed within 1” of where the last model from the unit which was carrying it was destroyed. 
A unit carrying the bomb may embark on a transport but may not begin the game mounted in a transport.  The transport may not have the Flyer keyword. 
If a unit has the bomb and wishes to give it to another infantry units, the attacker must declare which unit has the bomb and which unit they wish to give the bomb to.  This can happen at any point during the attackers turn.  The two units exchanging the bomb must have at least one model within 1” of each other.
The attacker cannot voluntarily drop the bomb and can only exchange the bomb or drop it if the unit carrying it was completely destroyed.  If the bomb is on the table because the unit carrying it was destroyed and another attacker’s unit wishes to pick it up it needs to get within 1” of the bomb at any point during its turn.

Rewards for success:
If the attackers win this mission then the defenders have limited ammo for their weapon emplacements on Saturday.
If the defenders win this mission then the defenders have unlimited ammo for their weapon emplacements on Saturday.



I will post more rules in the future.




Tuesday, September 18, 2018

2000 Point Horusy Heresy Battle Report: Iron Warriors Vs Night Lords: Attack on Base 716

The Night Lords had captured the informant against the best effort by Captain Erasmus Golg of the Iron Warriors.

The informant was a lowly Sergeant in the Iron Warrior's Imperial Militia regiment that was assigned to Warsmith Martok's Grand Battalion.

While the Sergeant thought that he had been treated poorly by the Iron Warriors and wanted revenge, he couldn't have picked a worse Legion to defect to.  He was never seen again after the rendezous with the Night Lords' leadership.

Base 716 was an outpost on the edge of the Scarus Sector.  The Scarus sector is named after the Word Bearers 52nd Company Captain; Scarus.  It was named by Lorgar himself when Captain Scarus and his entire company was lost in the Warp during The Pilgrimage.

Base 716 has been used by Warsmith Martok as a listening post / weapon depot for the last 3 years.  It was gifted to him from Chaplain Erebus of the Word Bearers himself.  Why Erebus did this remains unknown.

After the debacle of Istvaan V by Martok's Grand Battalion, the Primarch Perturabo had refused to allow them reinforcements or replenishment of supplies.  Martok had faired poorly on Istvaan V, his Grand Battalion getting badly mauled by not only the Raven Guard but also elements of the Night Lords.  Martok had ordered his men to not only fire on the Raven Guard but also to continue to fire on the Night Lords when they closed for close-quarter fighting against the loyalists.

Martok made enemies of the Night Lords that day.  And since Perturabo has denied Martok's Grand Battalion resupply for the foreseeable future, he has had to turn to other sources.  Erebus had offered Base 716 and Martok accepted.


Defending Base 716 was a combined force of Iron Warriors and Imperial Militia.  Led by Force Commander Draxxen Loor and Praetor Holiton Grell.

The Night Lords attacked under cover of darkness......

The Night Lords surround the base.

Surrounding a ruin is an Aegis Defence Line.  In the past this has been all that was needed for defense of this base.

The Command Council discusses supply shipments and other logistical concerns unaware of the Night Lords' presence.



The Night Lords' armour lines up on a flank.

The Night Lords advance.

A large hole in the Militia's line appears and the Contemptor rushed to fill it.

As the Night Lords get within charge distance the Iron Warrior's Contemptor moves to counter them.

The Night Lords have very nearly taken the right flank.

The left flank is being better defended, but it seems like only a matter of time before it collapses.

The large Iron Warrior marine squad joins with the Command staff to provide mutual support and a last defence of the base.

The Militia bravely, or possibly foolishly, charges into the Night Lords.

The Night Lords close in.

There aren't many Iron Warriors remaining.

One of the last battles before the base is taken.

In the end the Night Lords were able to take control of Base 716 only to discover that there was more than meets the eye about the old run down base.

Behind the ruins almost hidden inside a large rocky outcropping, was a metal door which led to a staircase that went down.

The Night Lords had found the actual Base 716 and it was a vast sprawling underground tunnel system.

What awaits the Night Lords as they push into the tunnels?

For the Night Lords Perspective, check out the Eye of Isha blog post here:
http://eyeofisha.blogspot.com/2018/09/time-of-heresy-attack-on-base-716.html

Until next time...