RE: [Epic] Variation Rules

From: Miller, Chris <CMiller_at_...>
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 16:06:26 -0600

> Not the fixed sets of GW Epic2nd, but Units created by the players
> themselves on the sheets in Epic40k. Thease are the ones you create to
> organise your own units for every game anyway. You just make up a set
> of
> variable units with everything you have in all possible combinations,
> approximating the same price cost, and then pick them face down from a
> spread out deck.
--------> Ah-ha - not a bad idea...

> We tried this with our own group to favourable results. Haven,t
> you been
> given units to get "stuck in with" as part of a larger "pick up" game
> a
> Convention or your own gaming group? We apply this method to many
> periods
> and scales. It prevents "Praetorian" units created by "must win"
> types.
>
>
> sauron1_at_...
>
--------> I like using preselected units at cons, for sure...I make up
both sides, other people play them.

My group tends to use similar units anyway, even in SM/TL just because
we have a fairly stable mini collection philosophy- get one of
everything then get a few more of the stuff you like. So, my IG usually
contained the arty co supported by 1 ogryn unit, 1 beastman unit
(bodyguards) and one Leman Russ detach. It might also have one
deathstrike unit (if called for) a shadowsword and/or a stormhammer
(depends on terrain) or up to two hydra batteries. This is partially
because those are mini's I have, partially because I painted them to
match (battleship grey with red & white company markings) and partially
because I disagree with the philosophy of completely changing your army
around depending on who your facing. If you call the 10th Imperial guard
division, you get the 10th division, not a random collection of units
optimized to fight this particular enemy...

   My orks are really stuck in this - heck, that's originally why I
painted up my mega-g's : so I could field all the support units I have
without destroying my "standard deployment" - My goffs have 2 units of
battlewagons and 1 Gibletgrinda, which makes them the Mechanized goffs,
plus a Dragsta (natch) and a unit of bonebreakas ( with 4 deathrollers
in this unit,the _first_ troops they hit usually aren't the ones who
stop them...), and the final unit could be stompas (slow) Pulsas (have
to lose the dragsta to get him in) Mekboy Rokkit speedsta ( same), or
maybe a magna-kannon (same). When the Goff Mega-Gargant comes in he has
a unit of stompas and a unit of dreads 'cause I like the image of the
big guy with all of these smaller followers, and I just like the
mini's...

   My snakebites have the boyz, nobz and boarboyz (normal) + 1 unit of
Squiggoths, 1 unit of squig kats, 1 unit of stompas, 1 unit of extra
boyz, and usually a magna kannon or rokkit speedstas - or dreads if
we're really going HTH.

   These are just examples, but they are what I take _regardless_ of who
I'm fighting - I may not take the snakebites every time, but if I do,
most of my force is preselected. These guys have a history, and tactics
have been honed against various opponents. I fight chaos and impies all
the time, squats some, and nids almost never, so I figure we're in one
part of the galaxy (maybe near the Eye of Terror) where there just ain't
many nids or squats.

   Again, this was in SM/TL when I painted up all these guys and "fixed"
my forces, so I don't see the new "cafeteria-style" points system as a
revelation - it allows some interesting things and compositions, but it
didn't change things so much for me.You can hone your skills with a
particular _army_ by optimizing your force to face a particular
opponent, -or- you can learn the strengths and weaknesses of a given
force by playing the same force against different enemies. I think both
are valid approaches, but after I've painted up my armies, I find it
easier to do the latter. I get attached.

Chris Miller
Received on Fri Feb 06 1998 - 22:06:26 UTC