Campagining in 40K Part 3- Some Rules

Hey there friends and fellow fanatics. Old Man Chaos is back with another update. I'm working on a bunch of stuff currently (some Chaos, some Dark Eldar). I did pick up the book and I'm itching to give them a spin. The codex took some cool things away, but added others, so I really want to see how they do- hence I dusted off some DE stuff I haven't touched and I'm back at it. I will have to get the new models- they all look fabulous. If you give the Archon a more dynamic pose he'd be perfect (and you can, as he can be converted with ease). I'll show you new stuff as I get it done.

Back in the day, whenever my DE tried to run, they would roll 1s or 2s, thus earning them the "Lazy" insult.

 Meanwhile, I'm back with another part in my ongoing series regarding the new 40K Campaign I developed- The Judgement of Trovana Prime. Last time, I showed the storyline for the campaign, which allows for several factions (Chaos, Space Marines, Imperial Guard, Traitor Guard, Grey Knights). Now, I know that lots of people love tournaments and/or one off games (I predominantly play one offs). However, the idea of doing an actual campaign is what I really want to do. A full storyline, filled with action, heroes and villains, with a whole world or system at stake. And the 40K universe is SO big, that you could just make up a system and breathe life into it. I wish I could do more campaigns, but it is tough to get people together regularly to do it. However, this didn't stop me from developing a campaign of my own.

For this "edition" of Chaos Corner, I want to show off a special rule that I developed for this campaign: Plot Threads. Now, an ongoing campaign has a lot of ups and downs, reversals and utter defeats. However, battle after battle might become a little stale. So, I added an element that each battle COULD mean more than just planting a flag on a map. So, here it is, presented for your approval, straight from the campaign pack I made:

“Plot Threads”

To ensure that each battle of the campaign has weight and “means” something, the following “plot threads” are in place to raise the stakes of the game for your faction as well as contribute to the overall narrative.

Lords of War

The Lords of War are the greatest engines of destruction, literally looked upon as gods of the battlefield. Such is their terrible might and awe inspiring power, that whole campaigns are waged with the Lords of War being the hammer and anvil of a warlord’s strategy.

However, Lords of War are an uncommon sight- they are difficult to manufacture and therefore rare. To reflect this, each faction has access to only 1 Lord of War. This Lord of War may be used ONCE in any battle PER TURN without any forewarning (see 7^th edition army organization). However, if the Lord of War is destroyed, it CANNOT be used in any future battle for the remainder of the campaign. Thus, while a powerful weapon, a Lord of War must be used wisely.

Imperial Guard- 1 Baneblade

Chaos- 1 Lord of Skulls                                    

Space Marines- 1 Imperial Knight

Scorched Earth

War never changes. Lives, cities, civilizations, planets, and even whole solar systems have been utterly destroyed by war. This may be done out of simple blood lust, the desire to “set an example” to enemies, or as a sacrifice to thirsting gods.

However, in a war, there are more practical reasons for setting something to the torch. Resources, factories, and more can be destroyed in the “scorched earth” approach to war. If you have been defeated and you are losing a tile that has a building on it, you can attempt to destroy it. Roll a D6 after the battle. On the roll of a 1, the building is destroyed. On a 2+, it is now in the hands of the enemy. If the building is destroyed, it is removed from the tile and cannot be used again. If it is the tile itself (like the spaceport), simply note it on your faction sheet. Hive Cities cannot be destroyed in this way.

Special Characters

These are the heroes and villains of the 41^st millennium; warriors of such strength, cunning, and renown, that simply their presence on the battlefield inspires courage from their allies and total terror in their foes. However, despite their prowess, these heroes are not immortal, and they can only be in one place at any time.

Like Lords of War, each faction can only use the following special characters ONCE in any battle PER TURN. If the character is reduced to 0 wounds. Roll a D6. On a 1-5, the character is “dead” and may not be used for the remainder of the campaign (he died, has withdrawn, suffered great injuries). On a 6, the character retreats from the field, ready to fight another day (he still counts as destroyed for victory points purposes, etc.), thus he can be used again in subsequent turns.

For this campaign, the characters are as follows:

Ultramarines:

Marneus Calgar

Tigurius

Inquisitor Corwin (counts as Kasimov)

Imperial Guard:

Lord Governor Porter Vasser (counts as Lord Creed)

Inquisitor Wynter (counts as Inquisitor Coteaz)

General Xan (counts as Commander Pask)

Chaos:

Kharn The Betrayer

Lord Pandemicus (counts as Typhus)

Colonel Strommer, Traitor Guard (counts as Col Straken)

 Well, I hope that you liked this sample of my campaign rules, and that it inspires you to make your own campaign. I have been playing the campaign for weeks off and on, though not quite in the way I intended. In the next edition, I'll inform you as to the progress of the campaign,  which has been interesting, and a little ironic.

Until next time...