The Reaping of Solar Sector Warhammer 40K FTW Games Campaign #1 Since the end of the Horus Heresy and the relative defeat of the Tyranid Hive Fleets, the home of Mankind in the Solar Sector has endured relative peace in these times of war. Now, with their gaze ever outward to the many threats pressing their armies, mankind is about to see blood spilled on their own soil once again. Several death cults, hell bent on the eradication of all life, have worked to open warp rifts along the edge of the Solar Sector. These rifts have caught the immediate attention of the Chaos gods, and the psychic shriek emanating has awoken many long thought dead Tyranid splinter fleets in hiding. Throngs of aliens have raced to these sights to take advantage of this weakness. Chaos forces spill daily from these immense gates, Tyranids rising to feast once more, Orks flocking for the chance at a good fight and Mankind scrambling to recall defense fleets and the mighty Space Marines. Even the fledgling Tau have slipped past, hearing the call for aid, putting aside their differences and rising to the occasion, hoping that their act of kindness will be repaid in the future. Necron Tombships have altered course for unknown reasons and even the enigmatic Eldar have appeared out of the webway to alter the course of fate in their favor. The time of darkness has come, who will answer the call? Every Warlord has their own stake, their own personal goals. Some fight for honor and defense of the Imperium, others fight to forge alliances, others fight for glory and the spoils of war. This campaign will focus on your Warlord. This campaign is set in the Solar Sector, the birthplace and stronghold of mankind. The campaign is set for 8 weeks, with 4 2‐week phases. Each phase will build on the previous and culminate in a large tournament. The winning side, for the entire campaign, will drastically change the outcome of the Imperium forever for future in‐store campaigns. Campaign Specific Rules: A. Allies: Due to the fleeting and quick nature of battle, considering most games of 40k are in reality anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes of actual fighting, 2 sides could be theoretically ‘allies’ for the duration of the fight, and then turn on each other the second the ‘common enemy’ (Other player) is defeated. To represent this, all armies are allowed to take allies. This includes Tyranids. The new matrix follows the old with 3 exceptions.
1. There are no ‘Battle Brothers’. All the generals have their own agendas, and are fighting for their own specific goals. To represent this, no army is confident in their allies abilities to help or hurt them, and as such no Battle Brothers are allowed. Instead, treat all Battle Brother allies as ‘Allies of Convenience’. 2. All other allies that are currently allowed are valid. 3. Any ally considered now considered ‘Come the Apocalypse’ means no allies at all per normal, with one exception, Tyranids. 4. Tyranid armies will now use the current (unaltered from the changes above, see new diagram below for campaign allies reference) ally chart for Chaos Space Marines on page 113 of the BRB with the following exceptions; Tyranids are considered ‘Allies of Convenience’ with each other Wargear and Special abilities that affect your Tyranid detachments (or your opponent’s army) DO NOT stack, unless specified by a Codex, FAQ, etc. (Shadows of the Warp for instance, will not stack from two different detachments to make psykers ‐6 to casting psyhic powers). Synapse is universal for all Tyranid detachments, as there is only one Hive Mind. This means we can have some truly awesome combinations without the hefty Battle Brother buffs. See the new allies chart below.
To reflect the nature of these shifting alliances, you are not restricted to one army for the duration of the campaign. You may switch armies and allies every single battle if you wish.
There will be 2 sides to the campaign. The ‘good’ side and ‘bad’ side. Although armies will fluctuate and change, and the new ally matrix changes a lot of the fluff, the 2 sides are the only constant. The good side is determined to close the warp rifts, defend the Imperium, and save Mankind. The bad side is the exact opposite, all with their own nefarious goal be they the destruction of mankind, a good fight, or something shiny! The winner of the campaign will determine the next campaigns fluff, and rules for the outcome.
B. Lords of War, Dataslates, and Supplement Books (Stronghold Assault, Escalation etc)
To reflect the nature of the campaign, and the serious implications an assault on the birthplace of Mankind, Lords of War are permitted! However in the first 6 weeks they are dependent on opponent approval. Dataslates and supplement books are always permitted, provided the opponent agrees to their use throughout the campaign. This is to reflect the fact that in the first 6 weeks, forces are smaller, reinforcements are coming slowly, and having a Lord of War is improbable, along with the special rules and options coming with Dataslates or Supplement Books. However it is not impossible for a Warlord to have a personal Titan travelling with his band, or something similar, which is reflected in allowing their use as long as your opponent is aware, and agrees, beforehand. C. Point Values: The warp rifts opened quickly, and although they are a significant and immediate threat, response times are slow, most armies are engaged elsewhere! To represent this we have 4 phases of point values. The first weeks represent the first responders, the Warlord and his small detachment of units that can get there the quickest. The following weeks represent the influx of reinforcements and troops called to battle. Week 1+2: 1000 points. Week 3+4: 1500 points. Weeks 5+6: 2000 points. Weeks 7+8: 3000 points. By the last 2 weeks all‐out war has broken loose. This is the only time in the campaign when Lords of War are permitted without opponent approval. At no point will there be any double‐force organization shenanigans allowed. Everything is considered 1999 points + the difference.
D. Wins and Losses Battles will follow the specific missions provided. The missions will be randomly determined before every battle with 2 exceptions. 1. You are not allowed to play the same mission twice per phase. 2. You are not allowed to play the same opponent without 2 battles in between. This is on the honor system. If Player A battles Player B, then Player A must battle C and D before they can battle Player B again in the same phase. The missions will provide the victory conditions. For the purposes of this campaign: Win
=
2 Points
Tie
=
1 Point
Loss
=
0 Points
At the end of the phase the points will determine which side has won. As of right now there are 4 different missions. This means that you are only allowed, in the 2 week Phase, to play 4 different 40K games, against 3 different opponents (Game 1 and 4 can be against the same opponent). This is in an effort to do 2 things: 1. Vary the players and games to limit repeating missions and armies against each other. 2. Limit the number of Campaign points overall. For example, if we had 20 players total, 10 on each side, then the total points available per phase, assuming everyone plays all 4 missions, is 80 points, split in varying degrees between the layers for wins or losses. This means with all 4 phases, with 4 missions played each phase, the total available points is 640. During Phase 1, and even 2, with the lower point armies it might be very easy to play all 4 games in 2 weeks. However, once the higher point phases go into effect, the games will last longer and playing all 4 games in only 2 days (One Wednesday per week) can be difficult. This means winning earlier phases will have high point values, but the later phases might only have 40 or 50 points instead of the 80 available. Therefore, in the beginning losing a match or two will not make or break the outcome of the Campaign, but as the armies ramp up, forces increase, and the battle get larger, every single mission will be vital to bringing points to your side to win a phase. Winning a phase has no outcome on the Campaign as a whole, as only the total Campaign points in the end matter. The reason why the smaller games are important, is the simple fact that if you establish a foothold early, drive the enemy back, and gain early
victories, then the opponent has to rally and fight against odds already stacked in their favor. Representing this is the early missions, due to their low point values and relatively quick games, there will be more of them contributing more points.
E. Winning a Phase
To win a Phase, your side must have more campaign points than the other side. Ties for Phases will be broken with an impartial dice roll, odds and evens. For example, the ‘Good’ Side will win the Phase if a 1, 3, or 5 is rolled, while the ‘Bad’ side will win on a roll of 2, 4, or 6. This campaign revolves around your Warlord and their personal battles. Your Warlord’s desires and motives drive their every action. Because of this, the winning side will gain special rules and bonuses. Every Phase you win will compound the bonuses. If the opposing side wins the next phase, they will gain the first bonus. If your side wins 2 phases, then they will gain both the first and second tier bonus. Tier 1: Your Warlord trait is no longer rolled, it can be selected at the beginning of the battle. Tier 2: Your Warlord can have an additional trait, however this one is rolled on the table. Tier 3: Your Warlord may select any trait from any codex, and still roll for their second trait on their original table. This represents your Warlord’s personal growth, tactical genius, and confidence with their wins. Wining a Phase, or several, has no effect on the overall outcome of the campaign other than providing you with bonuses to help secure victories. At the end of the campaign, the total Campaign Points for both sides will be calculated, and the side with the most points wins regardless of the total number of phases won. For example: Example 1: Phase 1, the ‘Good’ Team wins. For all Phase 2, they may select their Warlord trait from their Warlord table without rolling. Their side wins Phase 2. For all of Phase 3, they may now select their Warlord trait, and roll for their second trait on the same table. They win Phase 3, for Phase 4 they may now select any Warlord trait from any codex, and then roll on their standard table for their second trait. Example 2: Phase 1 the ‘Good’ Team wins. For all Phase 2, they may select their Warlord trait from their Warlord table without rolling. In Phase 2 the ‘Bad’ side wins. Now for Phase 3, both sides may select their Warlord traits from the table without rolling. Then the winner of Phase 3 will be able to select their first trait without rolling as well as roll for their second trait. F. The Tournament The Tournament at the end of the Campaign is the final all‐out war raging on the nearest planet’s surfaces. Although it is tied into the campaign being 3000 points, the specifics for the tournament will follow the standard rule set, and the details will be fleshed out later.
The Tournament will most likely include players from outside the campaign. Regardless of their performance, only the performance of the Campaign members will matter (For the Campaign itself). Your standings in the Tournament will determine points won for your side in the Campaign. Top Campaign Player: 30 points Second:
20 points
Third:
15 points
Fourth:
10 point
The tournament is being used to represent the last push in the Campaign. The armies massed for a final assault to win. In an effort to drive attendance, and get the narrative correct, the more people that show the higher odds are for winning points for your side! In this, it is completely possible for the losing side going into the tournament to sweep the top spots, win a total of 75 campaign points and win the entire campaign! This represents the fact that the last ditch effort, that final push to secure your objectives, drive the enemy off, or crush the defenders, can make or break an entire prolonged war. Even if you have had the upper hand the entire time, should you get destroyed by the opposing side at the end, all that matters is who is standing when the dust settles!
G. Winning the Campaign At the end of the Campaign and the Tournament the total points for each side will be calculated. The side with the most points wins the campaign. Although this campaign seems focused on purely winning, what war isn’t! H. Battle Royale Tie Breaker In the unlikely event that the Campaign points are tied at the end, there will be a tie‐breaker Battle Royale! The Battle Royale will require strategy and cunning! Both sides will collaborate, and determine their single best player they choose to represent their team. This player will conform to all the normal rules for Phase 4 (ie: 3000 points, Lords of War and all supplement materials allowed) These 2 players will fight an all or nothing battle. It will have this format:
Dawn of War Deployment
Night Fight Turn 1
All other standard 40K rules apply for determining sides, who deploys first, psychic powers, fortifications etc.
There are no objectives. There are no kill points. There is no game length.
The outcome is only decided when one player either concedes, or their army has been completely tabled. A ruling by a Campaign judge will determine if Flyers remaining count towards tabling. (ie: if all the opponent has left are flyers, there is a chance depending on the circumstances that they will be considered ‘tabled’. After all, without ground support air superiority is useless.) The winner of the Royale will win the Campaign for his side! I. Picking Sides, Future Campaigns, and Prizes Sign‐ups for the Campaign are for attendance only. Teams will be randomized. This is for 3 reasons: 1. It will help get a mix of competitive tournament level players with newer players to help keep things balanced. 2. Because the armies themselves are not limited to Imperium vs. Xenos (ie: anyone can play any army) this will help solidify who is fighting for what outcome. 3. Future campaigns will have the same teams, provided the members stay the same. New members will be evenly randomized and distributed among sides, and any members not returning may prompt a slight shuffling of the team. Wining the Campaign will help determine prizes, as well as shape bonuses for the side going in for the following Campaigns. The Winning side will have a higher prize payout, and the prizes will be randomized between their members only. There will be smaller prizes that are randomized between the losing side as well. This is to represent the spoils of war! In addition to the prize payout reflecting the winners and losers differently, future campaigns will be directly influenced by the outcome! The exact specifics are unknown at this point, however several ideas involve either point or Force Organization limitations for the losers, or increases for the winners, or perhaps the Tiered Warlord Trait bonuses carrying over. This could be due to the Bad side winning, smashing aside the defenders, breaking through their barricades and setting siege to Holy Terra itself! Or the opposite, the defenders battling to the Rifts, driving the enemy inside sealing them, requiring the Bad side to expend more resources and time travelling conventionally to the Sector. Perhaps the generals themselves are demoralized and uncertain of their ability to effectively lead their troops, forfeiting their Warlord Traits. The possibilities are endless!
However, this relies upon a steady group of Campaign players, returning Campaign after Campaign to duke it out, as well as attracting new players to flesh out the sides! Good Luck! Let the blood flow and the dice roll!