Mission pack ideas

[apologist]

While we wait for an FAQ or balance pass from GW, it struck me (following the discussion in this thread) that making up our missions is a good way to bring in some requested tweaks, as it allows you to adjust issues with scoring while also introducing mission-specific rules that allow you to make changes. 

 

Mission-specific special rules already have precedent (the Matched Play mission Devastation, for example, has 'Tactics of Devastation'. While this relates to objectives, there's no reason it couldn't apply to something else, like the Deadly Fog of War environmental effect.

 

For example, here's the Confrontation mission from Legions Imperialis. 

 

 

We'll set it on Armageddon and retitle it 'Battle for Hel's Highway'. The Scoring rules are tweaked as follows:

 

Scoring
At the end of the third and each subsequent round, you score:
• 3 VPs for each Uncontested Objective marker in your deployment zone that you control.
• 7 VPs for each Uncontested Objective marker in your opponent’s deployment zone that you control.

 

Special Rules:

Crucial ground: Instead of rolling for Secondary Objectives, both Attacker and Defender have the Control the Battlefield and Defiant Secondary Objectives.

 

Obscuring dust: The ash wastes of Armageddon make movement draining for foot infantry, and are difficult to draw sight through. This has the following effects:

• When issued a March Order, Infantry models may move only up to a number of inches equal to twice its Movement characteristic, rather than three times as normal.
• A Detachment may only call Overwatch if it has been issued with a First Fire Order.

 

Edited September 3 by apologist

[Deschenus Maximus]

I will never like the Overwatch limitation myself. It's a core mechanic of the game and melee is already stupidly powerful as it is I don't think we need to make it even more powerful by removing the chance to get Overwatched on the way in. Just my 2 cents on that specific point.

 

 I like the rest of the scenario 

[Crablezworth]

I think you're on the right track, this tends to be how I go about making modifications, tie it to a specific scenario rather than like a faq/errata. I think people are more likely to try something like this because it feels less permanent, if they don't like the changes they can just not play the scenario again etc. 

 

I'm with you on keeping overwatch to first fire, but I would still allow point defense to do it. I like infantry only moving double. Scoring wise I still prefer end game scoring but anything is better than the current progressive scoring. 

[apologist]

Thanks for the feedback, both – and I hasten to add the example scenario and rules above are very much placeholders; think of it as an illustration of the principle (though if anyone fancies giving it a go, I'd love to hear your experience).

 

Please do all feel free to pop up your own scenarios/missions/special rules. I'd love for this thread to grow into a repository of material for us all to dip into and try in games :)

Edited September 3 by apologist

[Deschenus Maximus]

The scenario @Crablezworth developped (I'm sure he's posted it here somewhere) has a cool reserve mechanic that I really like. Basically it forces you to put some stuff in Reserves (both deep strike/outflank and "traditional" reserves as we had in old 40k, where you came in through your own board edge) and thus helps to extend the length of the game past T2-3 to an extent.

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

I appreciated Overwatch on Advance orders as units can push on and still have a chance of repelling assaults. Otherwise the game becomes too static as nobody wants to deliberately move into charge range of the opposition.

 

[Crablezworth]

 

I appreciated Overwatch on Advance orders as units can push on and still have a chance of repelling assaults. Otherwise the game becomes too static as nobody wants to deliberately move into charge range of the opposition.

 

 

The scenario I made still allows point defense weapons to overwatch without being on first fire, just normal weapons, the detachment needs to be on first fire to overwatch. It fixes a lot of the sillyness with planes/interceptor getting screwed. 

 

But also, personally I find advance is too much of a super order if it also allows overwatch, my reasoning for this is very few weapons traits benefit no moving/being on first fire, and unlike other games, movement never affects firepower or accuracy, this combined with 6's always hitting just makes advance a super order, it doesn't even require that you advance either. Units like heavy sentinels like don't have to care, they throw so many dice that stuff like their target having a cover bonus like -1 doesn't often phase them, much like needing 6's to hit a flyer isn't that big of a deal when you throw as many dice as they do/can. 

[Crablezworth]

 

The scenario @Crablezworth developped (I'm sure he's posted it here somewhere) has a cool reserve mechanic that I really like. Basically it forces you to put some stuff in Reserves (both deep strike/outflank and "traditional" reserves as we had in old 40k, where you came in through your own board edge) and thus helps to extend the length of the game past T2-3 to an extent.

 

Thanks guy, I'm glad you like it. I feel like it's something really missing as core rule, especially as the point size increases. If it can help get games to turn 4-5 I think it's a good thing. 

[Deschenus Maximus]

On the topic of the utility of First Fire, I think a lot of people underestimate how powerful being able to shoot before Advancing Fire is.
 

Sure, Advancing Fire is used more, but that’s on account of most weapons being so short ranged that it’s hard to use FF as often as one might want to, not because FF is crap. 

[Crablezworth]

 

On the topic of the utility of First Fire, I think a lot of people underestimate how powerful being able to shoot before Advancing Fire is.
 

Sure, Advancing Fire is used more, but that’s on account of most weapons being so short ranged that it’s hard to use FF as often as one might want to, not because FF is crap. 

 

I'd argue its used more for two reasons, 1, players generally deploying the majority of their forces from the starts outside of outflankers and deep strikers and 2, progressive scoring making it necessarily to get on the point train immediately or forever fall behind. 

 

First fire's only real issues are too few weapons benefit from it/not moving, there are traits that do this but no weapons yet have them like siege weapon doubling range or power capacitor doubling dice/shots. The other issue is as good as first fire is for weapons like barrage, it's not that useful for weapons with short range and because it can't pre-empt movement is the biggest reason I'd tie overwatch into it and not advance order as well.  Like I'd put it another way, I'd rather see weapons ranges get fixed than have every detachment advancing have its cake and eat it too. Like imagine if first fire doubled infantry's lasguns or bolters in addition to being the only way to overwatch outside of pd. I think then the flow of the game wouldn't get lost in endless tit for tat overwatches to the point you forget its the movement phase. 

Edited September 3 by Crablezworth

[Deschenus Maximus]

Unfortunately, it is what it is WRT weapon ranges. Yeah it would be nice if more weapons had longer ranges and thus could use FF effectively but we have the ranges that we have. I don’t see the appeal of making melee even more powerful than it is just because we don’t use FF as often as Advancing Fire.

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

 

 

The scenario I made still allows point defense weapons to overwatch without being on first fire, just normal weapons, the detachment needs to be on first fire to overwatch. It fixes a lot of the sillyness with planes/interceptor getting screwed. 

 

But also, personally I find advance is too much of a super order if it also allows overwatch, my reasoning for this is very few weapons traits benefit no moving/being on first fire, and unlike other games, movement never affects firepower or accuracy, this combined with 6's always hitting just makes advance a super order, it doesn't even require that you advance either. Units like heavy sentinels like don't have to care, they throw so many dice that stuff like their target having a cover bonus like -1 doesn't often phase them, much like needing 6's to hit a flyer isn't that big of a deal when you throw as many dice as they do/can. 

If weight of dice is a danger to aircraft then this concept needs to go onto the chopping block. SM2 had hit rolls which were worse than having to roll a 6. You had to roll first a six and then depending on the difficulty another target number. Exempt from this rule should be weapons with the anti-aircraft trait.

 

I have so far only played two solo games (Ash Scorpions vs. Iron Hands) with more or less only the contents of the core box. The marine tanks need to get close with Advance orders while the Russes sit on first Fire orders with their Vanquisher cannons. Needless to say the Russes had the upper hand in that exchange. So First Fire in combination with a long-ranged gun is a sound strategy.

[Crablezworth]

 

Unfortunately, it is what it is WRT weapon ranges. Yeah it would be nice if more weapons had longer ranges and thus could use FF effectively but we have the ranges that we have. I don’t see the appeal of making melee even more powerful than it is just because we don’t use FF as often as Advancing Fire.

 

You can still overwatch with pd. 

[Crablezworth]

 

If weight of dice is a danger to aircraft then this concept needs to go onto the chopping block. SM2 had hit rolls which were worse than having to roll a 6. You had to roll first a six and then depending on the difficulty another target number. Exempt from this rule should be weapons with the anti-aircraft trait.

 

I have so far only played two solo games (Ash Scorpions vs. Iron Hands) with more or less only the contents of the core box. The marine tanks need to get close with Advance orders while the Russes sit on first Fire orders with their Vanquisher cannons. Needless to say the Russes had the upper hand in that exchange. So First Fire in combination with a long-ranged gun is a sound strategy.

 

In titanicus stuff could take shots to 7 or more and thus unable to target/fire. That's also another problem in li with 6's always hitting. Knights and titans are the only models to benefit from natural cover of 25%+ or 50%+ giving a native -1/-2 to hit, but often the second one doesn't matter because the -1 has already taken a shot to a 6 and it can't go any higher even though it probably should. This is another issue with the new fog of war rules, as nice as it is that the -1 seemingly stacks with other cover, if 6's always hit it isn't as meaningful, it also gets a bit funny with weapons with the rapid trait like vulcan megabolters, where they'll often only be hitting on 6's, but every last one of those causes 2 hits lol. 

[Pacific81]

I would love to give this a go. Rather than everyone charging forward to smash together in the centre field like teenagers playing football at lunchtime, it should allow players the option of trying to capture and dig-in around objectives but also probe defenses and manoeuvre to the best position for turn 3, and not throw your troops away.

 

Like the overwatch on FF only too. One of the key tactical decisions with old Epic was whether to be cautious and remain on FF, in case you were charged. The downside was that you might then be left out of position by a more bold opponent - so there was a good risk/reward mechanic which is lost by Advance being the default "I'm not sure what to do" option, and there not really being a penalty for being caught flat-footed.

 

Will give this a go if I get the chance and then feed back :)

[Crablezworth]

This is the latest build of the scenario with deadly ish fog

 

Edited September 7 by Crablezworth