[Epic] Epic 40k from WD207 (LONG)

From: <oki_at_...>
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 09:24:14 +0800

Some highlights from the article.


Epic40k started out as a system called Heresy, as opposed to Adeptus Titanicus.
Some basic concepts for the Epic40k.
1. Linked to WH40K in as many way as possible (btw, only 5 termies a
LandRaided, from the WD photo)
2. Game should look good.
3. Should be able to use all sorts of units without slowing the game down.

CHARACTERISTICS
Stats in Epic40k : speed, range, firepower, assault and armor.
For special troops additional stats (characteristics) are : Save, Barrage,
Assault, Hevat Weapons and so on.

THE TURN
Both players get to move and fight in the same turn rather than alternating
like WH and WH40K.
In each phase, players draw a counter from a mug or cup to see who has the
initiative and gets to act first (or second). The cunning part is that
although they are only four phases, five counters are placed in the mug -
three for the side with the best strategy and two for the other side. As
counters are drawn for each phase they are kept out of the mug until the end
of the turn, so an early run of the luck in gaining initiative means you
won't be getting it later ! (This part I do not quite get it)

When a detachment fires, it totals up the firepower values for all of its
units which are within range of the enemy. You then take your handy firing
chart and cross reference this firepower total against the target type and
whether they are in cover or not. This gives you the number of dice you roll
to hit. When you roll the dice, any scores which equal or beat the armour
values of units in the target detachment inflict casualties on them.
 
As well as inflicting casualties, we wanted detachments under fire to be
slowed down and disrupted. This is because in real life (and in WH40K) being
shot at tends to force troops and even vehicles to stop and seek cover. To
cover this we came up with the idea of placing markers to show when
detachments are under fire, and as a homage to WH40K we called them blast
markers.

(SNIP) This is getting tiring :( The text below are in my own words...

Blast markers accumulate to show a detachment is under fire, taking damage,
squads temporarily breaking and fleeing and so on. The blast markers are
also good in indication where the fighting is the heaviest and who's in
trouble. Detachments with blast markers on them have to pass the "leadership
test" to be able to move, and their firepower is reduced. At the end of the
turn, each detachment can remove a number of blast markers as they rally.


ASSAULTS
Opposing detachments which have got units in base contact with the enemy
work out combat bonuses and then roll d6 each. The side with the highest
score after modifiers is the winner, and the difference between the scores
tell you how badly the loser was beaten and how many blast markers it
suffer. Both sides then roll to inflict casualties with units which are in
base contact with the enemy. After casualties are removed the losing
detachment is forced to retreat, and any units which can't get more than
15cm from the enemy are shot whilst trying to escape.

Detachments get their combat bonusse for the assault values of units
engaging the enemy, for other units which are close enough to lend
supporting fire, for the number of blast markers already on the enemy
(making it impt to soften up the enemy before the assaults go in) and for
having psykers in support.

As well as assaults, opposing detachments at close quarters (within 15cm)
become embroiled in firefights - similar to assaults but used mainly to
drive the enemy back.

Phew...
Last bit

WAR ENGINES
Vehicle, infantry 1 hp (hit point, my own definition)
Baneblade (superheavies) 4 hp
MegaGargant 24hp
Note large war engines (superheavies, titans) do not have to retreat when
they lose if firefight or assault.
bLAH, bLAH....

ARMY LISTS
Detachments list are broken into command, main force and support units. Eg.
a tank detachments would have its main force chosen from a list of different
sorts of tanks, its support would be either/and infantry and artillery. Its
command unit would be a command tank.

That's it. WD207 has obviously more details than this. But I think this
should give a fairly good overview of the Epic40k system.

Regards
Oki
Received on Fri Feb 28 1997 - 01:24:14 UTC