Badab War Campaign

Dusktiger (Mike), Dan and myself are trying to get together Wed (at the Den) or Thurs (at my basement) to get some games in for the campaign. Can anyone else make it, and is a particualr day better for you? We'll be playing 1500 pt standard missions and 1500 pt Boarding Actions, if you need the rules for building a boarding action list, PM me or Dusktiger and we'll give you the rules for it. Ben, I believe your Deathwing are already 100% legal for it.

Termagant is interested and will play SSSSSectionists as Orks and Tyranids.

Not a loyal bone/exoskeleton on me.

i'm not sure how well we could work your armies into the campaign termagant, the campaign's designed to be a civil war of space marines, and the special missions we'll be doing focus on characters from the space marine chapters; reworking some of the rules so that we could proxy an ork or nid army in place of a space marine one might be too hard.

update: the group is meeting at Roland's place @ 6pm weds June 1st

yea, we can fit you in with any of those 3 armies, no problem. as for numbers, its not an issue; fluff-wise there were 3-1 odds in favor of loyalists so feel free to pick any side you like, or you can even switch sides with each phase if you want the variety; we just need to know the side your playing as in each match for the sake of determining which side earns CP. you could switch back and forth every game even and that would still work just fine.

new update: tonight will be at 7pm, and another match meeting will be held on thurs nite at the same time

well so far, we've had 2 matches of boarding actions; red scorpions vs tzeentch worshiping chaos marines, and deathwing vs astral claws.

in the first match, we played sabotage rules, where there's D3+1 objectives placed by the defender that must be destroyed by the attacker (AV12, auto-destroy on any glance/pen hit). From almost 100 models a side, we dropped down to 3 or 4 chaos models, and around 8 red scorpions by the end of turn 7. my oppenent tried tabling me instead of going for the objectives, and it wound up backfiring as the turns progressed. had he started hunting them by turn 4, he probably would have won and taken less casualties as his demon lords were pinning me in place for the longest time. So loyalists won 3 CP.

the next match was search and destroy (kill points) and the astral claws were tabled by the deathwing. only 50% of the DW squads were destroyed and the CCW arm of a venerable dreadnought. this battle consisted of approx. 65 models between both sides. another 3CP for Loyalists.

So far, we're finding boarding action games are very brutal combat-loss-heavy games. you best not go in expecting many of your men to survive.

I'll try to post some decisions we're making on the rules as we come across them in the gameplay. for example, a dreadnought just fits in a corridor, so if it's immobilized or wrecked, it becomes an instant 4+ cover save barricade that you can climb over and treat as difficult terrain.

Agreed, Andrew HAD one objective easy (when his termies came in), and could've had one more if he'd focused on that (with his blob squad). But I think he was looking for some death and destruction:)

A few notes from the game I observed, and the one I played.

Flamers and template weapons are brutal, with HIGH # of hits. Models tend to get very clustered up. Ben seige dread (Inferno cannon) fried 7 Assault marines in one go.

Shooting is very touch and go. You will have no LOS, no LOS, BAM everything shoots, and then assaults.

Deep Strike only works if you can teleport or similar, but it's very touch and go. Andrew came in spot on with his. My 3 Termie units had mishaps with every one. My Assault Termies were delayed, one shooty materialized into the ship and was lost, and the last scattered and materialized between 2 DW squads w/ Ass Cannons. Ben walked all his on, and honestly if we played again, that's what I'd do.

I'm finding the games great fun, with the ship falling apart around you (there is random nightfighting when the lights go out, one turn 3 Str5 pie plates dropped on the board as stuff exploded, hull quakes where the whole board is difficult terrain and difficult become dangerous, etc.) As there are no vehicles (other than walkers on a 60mm base) it has a very different feel from the stuff like the BoLS bat-rep in the other thread.

We're playing on the Space Hulk tiles (4x4) as a deck level, but they can also be played as a cargo vault (think city terrain) or even on the surface of the ship. 1500 pts. Ben and I were taking that to the low end of the model spectrum and it was crowded. Both of us mentioned a Nid/DW game would be worth playing.

Attacker FOC
HQ 1-2
E 1-4
T 0-5
FA 0-2
HS 0-2

Defender FOC
HQ 1-2
E 0-4
T 1-5
FA 0-1
HS 0-3

No DT.
No vehicles except walkers or artillery, and they cannot have a base larger than 60mm (Defilers are out)
Assault Squad w/o JP count as troops.

Bikes, Artillery and Walkers treat difficult terrain as dangerous, and jump infanty than move over 6" must make a dangerous terrain test.

Cold Void: if the board becomes unpressurized teh following happens:
Str 4+ become rending, if tehy were rending before, they rend on 5 or 6.
Void Hardened Armor (detailed in IA9), any AV, or a 2+ armor save nullifies that.
Blast weapons also become pinning.

If you want, I'll print up a set, and we can meet up on monday.


PS So far concensus seems to be for Wednesday of next week, but it sounds like everyone would be open to Thursday.

there's also a series of strategems you may take. the rule is, you get 1 plus another point for every 500pts the limit allows. so for 1500pt missions, you get 4 strategem points. here's the general ones to start off:

General Strategems (either player):
Tunnel Access - 3 points
Declared when placed; you may place 3 hatch markers anywhere on the board at least 12" apart from eachother and nat in impassible terrain. any units in reserve that are type; infantry may enter via deep strike rules from one of these hatches, to which the arrival may scatter as normal.

Spearhead Sentry Gun - 2 or 3 points
artillery 60mm base, searchlight, BS 2, AV 10 all around. equivalent to a tarantula, heavy gun servitor, or defence platform. weapon choices are:
for 2 points, a TL Heavy Bolter, or TL Heavy Flamer, or single Missile, or single Assault Cannon.
for 3 points, a TL Plasma Cannon, or TL Lascannon, or two TL Heavy Stubbers.

Void Hardened Armor - 1 point
negates Cold Void rules.

Las-Cutters - 1 point
shown on models, choose 2 infantry models that arent IC, or already carrying a special weapon. these now have cutters that allow them to cut through bulkheads, or forgo their usual CC attacks to make a single str 9 attack, no armor saves allowed, at initiative 1.

Flanking Counter-Assault - 2 points
write down 1 squad in your reserves. when they come on the board, they may use your opponents deployment area to enter play.

Boarding Shields - 1 point
shown on models. squad has a shield that gives a 5+ invul save, but they're bulky, so they cant run, and dont get a bonus attack when charging.

Graviton Gun - 2 points
range 18" str * AP 3 Type Heavy 1, 3" blast, Pinning.
instead of rolling to wound, any models caught under the template each roll a D6, trying to roll equal or under their Str value, or suffer a wound (roll of 6 always counts as a failure). targets with an AV suffer a glance on a roll of 5+. after fired, leave the blast marker in place; this area is now difficult and dangerous terrain for the next turn. this weapon needny be fired at a target, but instead can be shot at any location on the board that the model has line of sight.

Cool, sounds great. I'll track down a copy .. IA Vol. 9 right?

The thought I might be able to use my Space Hulk tiles for something at all is a bit exciting.. considering I played the game once and didnt really like it.. Ooo, and even those four heavy bolter turrets might see some play.

I'm also fasciniated with being able to send a unit of Khorne bikers barrelling through a ship at top speed.. but, its going to make for an odd chaos list with no vehicles or daemons.. theres no other Heavy Support for them. But it will be a fun list.. thats for sure.

Actually both attacker and defender can take tarantula style turrets. There are stratagems for te mission, sorta like Cities o' Death, and you get something like 1 strat point +1/500 pts in your force.

They are somewhat weird lists, but it's great fun running your army around, and you see thing you wouldn't normal see. Like a Tact squad getting the charge off on a DW squad (and winning?!).

Actually, you make a good point. And I've already run thru the logistics and there is no way I could do both if they run seperate. We'll I could up to the end of July, but after that, no way.

I'm fine with it, however I don't know the scoring system for the campaign and how to translate it into the system I set up so let me know when you guys are playing and i'll stop by and we can work it out.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

The Badab War continues Thurs, June 9th @ 7pm, in Roland's "Space Yucky Basement". (1500 pts a side)

RULE FAQ!!!

we're going to modify a couple Boarding Action rules that we found were either too vague, or just stupid.

First of all, the Catastrophic Damage Chart used at the start of each turn to see if anything happens to the table to represent the fact your fighting on a space ship that's being shot at.



the original chart is thus:

2-3 - All clear terrain is counted as difficult for this turn, and already difficult terrain becomes difficult and dangerous for this turn.
4-5 - Night Fighting rules are now in effect from this turn on. if night fighting was in effect, it now stops. Additionally, if the defender placed any bulkhead doors, roll a D6 for each door; on a 5+ they will open or shut on their own (reverse the state they were in before rolling)
6-9 - no effect (BORING!!! and rolls too often!!!)
10-11 - board is divided into sections as per the diagram(we will have someone with a copy of this at all games). Roll a D6 + 1 for how many 5" blasts will occur. for each blast roll a D6. the result is the section it starts centered in. then, roll 3D6 scatter dice to see where it moves from its starting point. any unit or model caught under the blast suffers a Str5 AP 5 Pinning attack.
12 - Roll a D6 to see which section via the diagram suffers a collapse. a 5 or 6 result means the entire board. all models with a toughness value in the effected section suffer a str 4 rending hit. models with an armor value suffer a glance on a 4+. from this point on, Cold Void is in effect.
Cold Void - all shooting attacks of str 4 or higher become rending unless the target has void hardened armor, an armor save of 2+, or an armor value. weapons that already rend now do so on a 5+ except on target types named previously. weapons using a blast template now cause pinning.



New Chart:

2-4 - All clear terrain is counted as difficult for this turn, and already difficult terrain becomes difficult and dangerous for this turn.
5-7 - Night Fighting rules are now in effect from this turn on. if night fighting was in effect, it now stops. Additionally, if the defender placed any bulkhead doors, roll a D6 for each door; on a 5+ they will open or shut on their own (reverse the state they were in before rolling)
8 - no effect
9-11 - board is divided into sections as per the diagram(we will have someone with a copy of this at all games). Roll a D6 + 1 for how many 5" blasts will occur. for each blast roll a D6. the result is the section it starts centered in. then, roll 3D6 scatter dice to see where it moves from its starting point. any unit or model caught under the blast suffers a Str5 AP 5 Pinning attack.
12 - Roll a D6 to see which section via the diagram suffers a collapse. a 5 or 6 result means the entire board. all models with a toughness value in the effected section suffer a str 4 rending hit. models with an armor value suffer a glance on a 4+. from this point on, Cold Void is in effect.



next rule change: if your a defender and take bulkhead doors, its supposed to be D3+1 doors that you get to place in locations of your choosing. this will be changed to D3+2 as a minimum of 2 doors for one of your strategem points isnt enough when there's so many corridors and routes your enemy can take to get around them. so now you'll get 3-5 doors instead of only 2-4.

Next up, Strategem points. there's alot of fun looking ones to take, but with the limitation of only having 4 in a 1500pt game doesnt give you many options, especially when some are worth 2 or 3 points each, and with the risk of the Cold Void and what it'll do to guardsmen, i want the option of being able to upgrade those little men to void hardened armor to be possible. so now you start with 2 points and get another 2 points for every 500pts the roster limit contains. meaning 1500pt games now give you 8 points to spend!

that's all the changes for now.

LOYALISTS! WAR CALLS YOU! tonight, June 9th, 7pm @ Beau's place. 3 seccessionists are facing a lone loyalist; who will join me in defense of our emperor?

RULE FAQ!!!

so last night we decided to take a try with some of the strategems you can play with, and found the rules for a couple were VERY stupid;

---

Tunnel Access - 3 strategem points.

this option lets you place 3 tunnel hatches anywhere on the table, at least 12" apart from eachother and not in impassable terrain (ie, a bulkhead). these can then be used to enter the board from reserve. place at the start of the game before deployment.

the problem is, they state you "enter the game via deep strike rules, using one of the hatches as the arrival point". as far as we can tell, this was meant to allow infantry that cant deep strike to enter the board somewhere outside your deployment area. However. if this is a tunnel hatch in a ship, then why would you roll deep strike scatter dice from them and possibly wind up mishapping into a wall???

so it's been decided that we will treat these like exiting a vehicle, such as a rhino; you can deploy within 2" of the marker, and like a deep strike, treat it as the unit has used up their movement for the turn. do not roll for scatter.

since this is a power both players can choose, if both of you play this and put down hatches, then both of you can use any of the hatches.

---

now because we changed this rule, we have lowered the price of Interdiction Assault to 1 strategem point;

Interdiction Assault - 1 Strategem Point (was 2 points)

this gives you a boarding torpedo, represented by a 3" marker. placed at he start of the attacker's first turn. place anywhere not touching an enemy model, on impassable terrain, or touching an objective. roll 1D6 scatter for it. if it lands on a table edge or one of the items previously mentioned, reduce scatter until its no longer touching one of these. from this point on, up to 1 reserve unit per turn may enter the board from this location as if they're walking onto the board from their deployment zone.

---

After a stunning blow from the Secessionists, will the Loyalists recover??

The Badab War continues... Thursday, June 16th @ 7pm in the Space Yucky Basement.