[Epic] [E40k] Campaign Version II

From: Erik Rutins <snowdo1_at_...>
Date: Fri, 9 May 1997 11:43:26 -0400

Included below is my attempt to reconcile the first version of my campaign
rules with suggestions from the list, my gaming partners, and other new
ideas bouncing around in my head. Take a look through and let me know what
you think! Areas marked with * are points under discussion and are being
focused on in playtesting.

Regards,

- Erik

-----------------


The Rutins Rules for EPIC 40k Campaigns v. II
(with help and inspiration from Andy Chambers)
----------------------------------------------


== The Goal of this Campaign:

The goal of this system is to allow you to have a lot more fun in your
regular EPIC 40k games. By tying together the results of each battle into
a campaign scenario, the 'wages of war' increase. On top of that, of
course, is the added layer of strategy that comes from having an actual
front line, detachments in reserve and battling for entire planets! Your
ultimate goal is to bring total victory to your side by gaining a decisive
victory in the key sector under your command.


== Army Creation:

Agree on a points total for the entire army (I suggest 4000 - 6000 points
in the E40k system). Create your army, divide it into detachments. These
detachments are fixed for the duration of the campaign. Generate starting
experience for each detachment, per Andy's rules (posted earlier). One
detachment may have/be the supreme commander for your army. You may have
only one such detachment (except in the case of Tyranids and Eldar,
multiple supreme commanders are allowed).


== Your Command:

You are considered to be in command of a key sector of your race's
military effort on a given planet. As such, your failures or successes
will influence overall victory strongly, but will not be the sole
determinants.


== Determination of Planet Type:

Determine what kind of planet the campaign and its battles will take place
on (either agree with your opponent(s) or roll on the following chart):

        2d6 Roll Planet Type
        2 Daemon World
        3 Death World
        4,5 Primaeval World
        6 Ice World
      7,8 Agri World
      8,9,10 Hive World
      11,12 Desert World

For all battles in the campaign, use the terrain available on your
planet type (consult charts in battle book pp. 52-63)


== Territories and Lines of Resistance:

The next step is to lay out the map. You can use an abstracted grid or an
actual detailed topographical map to represent your sector. The important
part is to subdivide it into a 3x3 grid of territories for each side (you
may make this grid larger, if you wish, but be sure to also adjust the
victory conditions listed later on or your campaign will be very short).

Your sector is considered to have 2 Major Territories and 7 Minor
Territories. The Major Territories are considered to be the keys to your
sector. As noted later on, you must always keep at least one detachment in
your Major Territories by order of your supreme command. Control of Major
and Minor Territories will grant you victory points and deny them to your
opponent.

These territories are divided into three 'lines of resistance', each
consisting of three territories (the 3x3 grid I mentioned above). In order
for any territories in the second line to be attacked, you must have troops
in a first line territory. In order for any territories in the third line
to be attacked, you must have troops in both first and second line
territories. Airborne and Dropship-borne detachments may circumvent this
requirement, as described below, but in order to do so they risk becoming
isolated (see isolation below).

Sample Map:

1-9 = Your Territories
A-I = Enemy Territories

147ADG
258BEH
369CFI

7-9 = Your first line of resistance.
4-6 = Your second line of resistance.
1-3 = Your third line of resistance.

You mark 1 and 3 as your major territories, the rest are minor. Etc....


== Allocation of Detachments in Territories:

Once you have arranged your territories into the desired grids, allocate
your detachments between territories. The army with the lowest strategy
rating places the first detachment, the players then alternate. We use
cardboard counters to represent our detachments. The visible side of the
counter simply says "Space Marines" or "Orks" and the reverse side lists
the name of the detachment. Make sure the detachment markers are all face
down (i.e. so you opponent doesn't know exactly which detachment is where).
 Each major territory must have at least one detachment at all times,
regardless of where it is situated in your lines.

Your opponent will only see your detachments when battle is joined, unless
he gets lucky with scouting (see scouting below).

== Dropships

Detachments may be created already equipped with dropships. Such
detachments are not deployed on the board at the beginning, but are placed
on the board later during a move, attack, or response. Once a
dropship-based detachment has been placed on the board, the dropships are
considered used and the detachment is now entirely ground-based (and
follows normal rules).

Dropship-based detachments may be intercepted by aircraft on intercept
missions. However, due to the difficulty of the interception, roll a die
for each unit in the intercepting detachment(s). If the unit rolls below
its intercept rating, it may intercept as normal.

The armor of dropships is considered to be 6+ for intercept purposes. As
dropships have no intercept or firepower value, use the aerial assault
rating of the intercepting units as firepower. Sum the intercepting
firepower and apply the losses to the detachment. The dropship owner
chooses which units to remove as casualties. Dropship detachments do not
accumulate blast markers from an intercept.

== Strategy Rating

Strategy Rating is applied to the campaign in a variety of ways. The army
with the higher strategy rating will always be able to choose whether or
not to act first in a given phase (such phases are listed as (alternating
order). Also, each army may declare a number of moves, attacks, and
responses equal to 4 + the Strategy Rating / 2 (rounded up) (example:
Strategy Rating of 5. 5 / 2 (round up) = 3. 4+3 = 7 moves, attacks,
responses). You can calculate this at the beginning of the campaign, it
will remain constant.

The above calculated value will be referred to as army initiative from now
on.

Strategy rating in the battle is now modeled based on who attacked in the
campaign. So if you were the one to declare an attack, you are treated as
having a higher strategy rating for that battle (you get 3 chits, your
opponent gets 2).

== Turn Sequence

1. Declaration of Aerial Missions (alternating)
3. Scouting (alternating)
4. Declaration of Moves (alternating)
5. Declaration of Attacks and Responses (alternating)
6. Determination of Victory Conditions

== Declaration of Aerial Missions (alternating order) *

Aerial detachments must have a mission declared at the beginning of each
turn. The player with the lower strategy rating declares the first
mission. You do not need to reveal what a detachment is, simply assign it
a mission. We use chits for aerial detachments too and put them in mission
"boxes" as we declare their missions.

Scouting: Detachments may be assigned scouting missions. During the
scouting phase, each such detachment may be assigned to scout one enemy
held territory. (see scouting below) Scouting detachments may be
intercepted by enemy aerial detachments on intercept missions (see
intercept below). Scouting detachments may be fired at by flak units in
the territory being scouted. For each detachment in the territory being
scouted that has at least one flak unit, roll a d6 before any aerial
scouting detachments in the territory roll scouting dice. If a 6 is
rolled, that ground detachment may fire all its flak units at one aerial
scouting detachment once, as if they were in range on the battlefield.
Detachments with this mission may scout any territory but must trace a
route to it _and back_ over other territories to determine intercept/flak
opportunities. One scouting mission may be performed per turn by this
detachment.

Intercept: Detachments on intercept may intercept any enemy aircraft that
stray into their territory. Resolve the intercept as one round of
battlefield combat. One intercept may be performed per turn by this
detachment.

Transport / Ground Support: Detachments with this mission may carry
friendly troops and/or move into enemy territories to strafe enemy troops.
Such detachments may be intercepted if they move into a territory
containing an intercepting enemy aerial detachment. Such detachments may
also be attacked by flak when they move into a territory per the scouting
detachment flak rules. Detachments with this mission may move to any
territory but must trace a route to it over other territories to determine
intercept/flak opportunities. If an attack is unsuccessful, the detachment
must also trace a route back, and is again susceptible to intercept/flak.
One transport or ground attack mission may be performed per turn by this
detachment.

Escort: Detachments assigned Escort duty may be attached to Transport /
Ground Support or Scouting detachments. These detachments cannot be
attacked by flak. Any time an intercept is declared by the enemy against
an escorted detachment, the escort may counter-intercept. In this
situation, the combat is resolved between escort and intercept. One
counter-intercept may be performed per turn by this detachment.

== Scouting *

Scouting may be conducted by land and air. Ground detachments that have at
least one unit with the infiltrate ability may attempt to scout. Airborne
detachments may be assigned scouting missions for the turn (see Air Warfare
below).

Before the declaration of Moves, each player may roll one d6 _per enemy
detachment_ for each detachment that is scouting an enemy-held territory.
Ground detachments must be in an adjacent territory to the territory they
are attempting to scout.

On a roll of 6, the player may examine the sheet of the scouted detachment
before returning it to his opponent.

On a roll of 5, the opposing player must reveal to the scouting player how
many (if any) war machines are in the scouted detachment and what type they
are.

On a roll of 1, the scouting units are captured and the friendly detachment
that contains the scouts must be revealed to the enemy for examination.
(aerial units may ignore rolls of 1 - no Gary Powers clause here)


== Declaration of Moves (alternating order)

Players begin by declaring moves. The player with the higher strategy
rating may choose who will declare the first move. Players then
alternate.

A player may declare a number of Moves equal to his army initiative (see
Strategy Rating above). Each move may affect one detachment, and may move
that detachment to one adjacent territory.

For each supreme commander in a line of resistance, one additional move may
be made using a detachment from that line of resistance.

Players may declare a "fortification" move. This uses one move per
territory. If the territory is still friendly-controlled at the end of the
turn, it is considered fortified. Defending troops in this territory may
use fortification rules in battles from now on.


== Declaration of Attacks and Responses (alternating order)

Once moves are done, the player with the higher strategy rating may choose
who will declare the first attack. Players then alternate.

A player may declare a number of Attacks equal to his army initiative (see
Strategy Rating above). Each attack may affect one territory, and allows
all detachments in that territory to attack one adjacent territory.

For each supreme commander in a line of resistance, an additional 'hasty
attack' may be made using _a single detachment_ (rather than all
detachments in a territory) from that line of resistance to attack an
adjacent territory.

Entirely Airborne or Aerial detachments with Transport/Ground Support
missions may attack any territory per the aerial rules. Each such
detachment will use one of your attacks to carry out its mission.
Dropship-borne attacks also count as one attack per detachment.

As soon as an attack is declared, the defending player must declare a
response. The defending player may declare a total number of responses
equal to his army initiative.

Each response affects one detachment. Response detachments may be taken
from currently unengaged territories adjacent to _or_ on the same line of
resistance as the territory being attacked.

Entirely Airborne or Aerial detachments with Transport/Ground Support
missions may respond to an attack in any territory per the aerial rules.
Each such detachment will use one of your responses to carry out its
mission. Dropship-borne responses also count as one attack _per
detachment_.

In the following battle, any response detachments enter as reserves,
according to their reserve speed.


== Isolation

Territories and the Detachments in those territories are considered
Isolated when both of the following conditions are true:

1. There are no friendly-controlled territories in the line of
resistance immediately behind the line of resistance the detachment is
in. (i.e. if you are in your first line and the enemy controls every
territory in your second line, you are isolated until that changes).

2. Condition #1 existed at the end of the last turn.

So a detachment does not become immediately isolated, but if it ends
the turn meeting condition #1, it is isolated for the next turn.

Isolated detachments may not be used to declare moves or responses.

Isolated detachments which lose a battle are destroyed (gone!).

Isolated detachments may only declare one attack for each isolated
territory (this counts as part of your normal attacks).

Isolated detachments do _not_ retreat from battle when their army morale
reaches zero. They have nothing to lose! Only if their army morale is
zero _and_ the enemy holds all objectives will they retreat (and thus be
destroyed/captured/dispersed).

Exception: Completely airborne units which are isolated may also declare a
single move if it brings them back to a friendly-controlled territory.
This must be a transport move and cannot be escorted. Trace the route of
the escape and follow the flak/intercept rules. Dropship-borne troops,
when isolated, are isolated just like any other unit - no special escape
rules, as they are considered ground troops after then initial drop.


== Battles:

In a battle, defending detachments that were not part of a response start
the game set-up within their half of the board.

Fortified territories (see move declaration above) entitle defenders to
also use fortifications.

Defending detachments that were part of a response enter as per the reserve
rules.

Attacking detachments enter the board as per the meeting engagement rules.

Entirely airborne attacking detachments that are attacking from a
non-adjacent line of resistance enter the board as per the reserve rules.

The victor of a battle gains control over the territory. He may choose
which detachments to leave in the territory and which to move back to their
starting territories (pre-attack). The defending detachments must retreat
to a friendly territory in the same line of resistance or
to a friendly territory one line of resistance to the rear.


- Scoring:

Each player starts with a victory score of 0. Victory can be achieved
by gaining a victory score of 25, controlling all 18 territories, or
through your opponent's unconditional surrender.

Victory score modifiers:
Gaining control over an enemy major territory: +4
Gaining control over an enemy minor territory: +2
(note, does not include regaining control over one of your territories)
Winning a battle: +1
A detachment is 'wiped out' (see Andy's rules): -1

In addition, at the end of each turn a d6 roll is made to determine the
modifiers to the overall victory score based on events in other
sectors. The d6 roll should be modified as follows:

Your victory score:

<0 = -2 modifier
0-5 = -1 modifier
6-10= 0 modifier
>10 = +1 modifier

d6 Roll Strategic Victory Score Penalty/Bonus

1 -2: Your forces have been dealt a severe blow in another
sector.
2 -1: The mounting casualties in other sectors make a quick
victory unlikely.
3,4 0: The struggle is even, all depends on your forces.
5 +1: The enemy is being worn down, there can't be much of a
struggle left.
6 +2: News of the collapse of an enemy line on one of your
flanks.
--------------------------


That's it for version 2. Comments ant play-testing greatly appreciated.
Received on Fri May 09 1997 - 15:43:26 UTC