Strike Force testing has begun

So a game today, and it wasn't a massacre(I won 4/5kp to 2/6)! That's always a pleasant change. I'll admit, in hindsight, I deployed poorly, but I managed to get out of it with sheer firepower and using Vypers as shields against assault.

I continue to chug away at my Sisters of Battle, repainting well over half of my army. I sure hope I can get them done in time, as I am a rather slow painter.

On to the real meat of this post, Warhammer 40k: Strike Force. It went over really well today, everyone liked it quite a bit. I feel confident enough that my whole two viewers can look at it.
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Warhammer 40k: Strike Force (version 0.31)

List Building Changes and Restrictions

Armies will be made up to 300-500 points with the modified force organization chart below. Minimum unit sizes have been changed to 3 for 25mm (infantry) bases and 2 for 40mm (terminator) bases. No unit or single model may be more than 120 points or have more than 10 models. No units of vehicles or bikes are allowed. Only 1 vehicle may have more than 33 Armor when all sides are added together. No model may have a 2+ save or have more than 2 wounds. No special characters are allowed. No Ordinance or “Large Blast” weapons. One model in your list that is either an HQ choice or a unit leader must be designated as your “Strike Force” leader.

0-1 HQ

0-3 Troops

0-1 Elites

0-1 Fast Attack

0-1 Heavy Support

0-1 Floater choice that can be Troops, Elites, or Heavy Support.

Gameplay Changes

These are elite forces who know their mission is dire. To represent this the following changes to the 40k rules have been made. The morale check for suffering 25% casualties from shooting has been removed. Any non-vehicle unit may claim objectives, not just troops.

Missions

Mission 1: Collect supplies

Turn Limit: none

Goal: First to claim 6 objective counters

Deployment: Short Board Edges

Terrain: Heavy (50-75%)

The war is costly, and you must send out small forces to gather supplies from nearby. There are 9 loot counters placed on the board. The first counter is placed in the center and each player gets 4 counters that they can place on the board alternating between them. No counter can be any deployment zone, and no counter can be within 12” of any other counter. If any unit ends its movement in base contact with a counter it is claimed for that player. The counters remain claimed until an opponent’s model moves in base contact.

Mission 2: Assassinate

Turn Limit: 10

Goal: Kill the enemy’s Strike Force Leader

Deployment: Short Board Edges

Terrain: Heavy (50-75%)

You must strike a decisive blow by killing the enemy’s Strike Force leader. The first player to assassinate their opponent’s Strike Force Leader is the winner. If at the end of 10 turns no one is able to win the game is a draw. Strike Force Leaders may not use Silent Strike in this mission.

Mission 3: Recon

Turn Limit: none

Goal: To get your units off your opponent’s board edge, while stopping your opponent

Deployment: 4x4 table

Terrain: Heavy (50-75%)

Opposing army’s recon units stumble across each other in the dark. They struggle to get back to base as quickly as possible without letting their enemies do the same. This is a night fight mission. The game ends when one army only has 1/3^rd of their units left on the board. The winner is the one with the most units off their opponent’s board edge.

Mission 4: Destination

Turn Limit: 10

Goal: Get your Strike Force Leader to a target on the board or stop them from doing so

Deployment: Short Board Edges

Terrain: Medium (25-50%)

You have the coordinates for your mission, but will you make it in time? One player is chosen to be the defender for this mission. It is their goal to stop the opposing Strike Force Leader from getting to the destination point. The attacker for the scenario is trying to get their leader to the destination point and remain there for 2 consecutive turns (to send a secret message, seek divine guidance, perform a ritual, etc.). The destination point is chosen by placing a marker in the center of the board and rolling the scatter dice. Move the marker 3d6” in the direction of the arrow, or half that distance if a hit is rolled. The defender then may choose to deploy one of his units within 6” of the marker before normal deployment.

Mission 5: Ambush

Turn Limit: 6

Goal: To wipe out your opponent’s force

Deployment: 4x4 (Special)

Terrain: Heavy (50-75%)

You lie in wait for the signal to strike… what was that sound? Have the hunters become the hunted?

This mission has an attacker and a defender. At the start of deployment the defender places one of his units in the center of the board. The attacker then places all of his units as though they have the infiltrate USR. After the Attacker has finished deploying the defender then places each of his units one at a time depending on a d6 (+1 if the unit has scout). On a roll of 1-5 the defender must place the unit within 4” of one of his other units. On a roll of 6 the unit may be placed anywhere on the board, even as close as 1” to an enemy unit. After all the units have been placed the defender rolls a d6 for each unit that he was allowed to place anywhere and adds those numbers together. On a 6+ the defender gets first turn, otherwise the attacker gets first turn. The attacker wins if he kills all the defender’s units, the defender wins if half or more of his units are left, and it is a tie if over half are destroyed.

Missions 6: Disaster

Turn Limit: None

Goal: Survive

Deployment: 4x4 table

Terrain: Medium (25-50%)

Your strike force is left out in the open during a horrible disaster (Exterminatus, volcanic activity, etc.). In your hurried rush to get back to safety you come across a small enemy force. After setting up terrain roll a d3, +1 for each other player. The players then take turn placing disaster tokens on the board within 12” of the board edge, but not within 3” of a deployment zone, or 12” of another token. Each token represents a 3” area that causes Instant Death to any model ending it’s movement there. At the start of each turn after the first roll a d3 and each disaster area increases by the amount rolled. Any terrain piece touched by any disaster area is considered dangerous terrain. The game continues until one player has no models left.

Special Orders

Units can perform special orders if they have a unit leader. Units may also perform a special order if they are within 12” of the Strike Force leader even if they do not have a unit leader. To perform a special order declare which one you wish to use and you must pass a leadership check using your unit leaders Ld or the Strike Force leader’s Ld if you are in 12”.

Charge

Unit gains the Fleet USR but must move in a straight line and may not move through difficult terrain. Units with fleet get to roll 2d6 and pick the highest.

Suppression Fire

Any unit that is equipped with a ranged weapon that did not move in the movement phase may chose to provide suppression fire. If any of the shots hit the enemy unit must take a pinning test. If passed the unit is not pinned, but moves as if through difficult terrain in their next movement phase only rolling 1d6 instead of 2d6. Only a maximum of one wound may be caused from suppression fire.

Advance

Unit may move 4” in the movement phase regardless of difficult terrain, but may not run or assault.

Overwatch

The unit may make its normal shooting attack during the opponent’s turn instead of its own. The unit may not have shoot in their own shooting phase. At any time during the following player turn declare that you are firing and the opponent must immediately pause his turn and resolve your shooting attack. For instance, Overwatch allows you to shoot at a unit that has just moved, but has yet to make its own shooting or assault actions. Overwatch can also be used to stop an opponent mid-move if you desire. Using Overwatch in this fashion incurs a -1 to hit. This accounts for the enemy darting from cover to cover and you trying to hit a moving target as they are out in the open.

Silent Strike

The unit must have the infiltrate USR. At the start of their movement phase the unit may be removed from the table, as they go into hiding. In any subsequent movement phase the unit can be placed back on the board within 12” from where they were remove and may then shoot and assault as normal.

Army Specific Rules

Chaos Daemons

One HQ choice does not give you two heralds. Units within 6” of a Chaos Icon may perform orders as if they were within 12” of the Strike Force leader.

Chaos Space Marines

No Gift of Chaos psychic power.

Daemonhunters

No Holocaust psychic power.

Dark Eldar

Mandrakes are considered to have the Infiltrate USR for purposes of Silent Strike.

Eldar

A single Warlock may be fielded as an Independent Character for an HQ choice.

Imperial Guard

Units within 6” of a vox caster can perform orders as if they were within 12” of the Strike Force leader.

Necrons

There is no phase out. Nominate one model with the Necron Special rule as your leader. Necrons have the “Arced Consciousness” special rule. Arced Consciousness: The SF leader projects his 12” order radius as normal, and any unit partially or wholly within this radius then in turn projects an order radius of 6”

Orks

Boyz may have a single special weapon as long as they are over 5 models. Lootas and Burnas may only have 1 Mek per 5. The following are considered unit leaders for Orks: Nobs, Mekboys, Runtherds.

Space Marines

Space Marines may not use the Combat Squads special rule (just buy lots of little squads). Any unit other than Devastators may have 1 special weapon if they number 5 models or higher. Devastators may have one weapon per squad member up to their normal maximum even if they do not meet the normal codex squad size requirements. The Gate of Infinity psychic power is not allowed.

Tyranids

Any unit in synapse range may use special orders.

Witch Hunters

No Hammer of the Witches psychic power. Acts of Faith are performed by passing a leadership check rather than rolling against the number of models in the squad.

Copyright Joseph Page 2009
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Of course feel free to comment on any questions or concerns. Any other suggestions for missions, or special orders are also appreciated. I intend for this to eventually be a campaign game of 3 different sizes, so even if I don't use the missions for the small recon-style games they may work in the medium and large scale games.

Sisters Pictures, and a hint of things to come

Ask and you will receive.

Here are some pictures of a few things in my SoB army. I'll try and get a group pictures together later.


In the mean time I started working on a 40k skirmish game like Warbands for Warhammer Fantasy. The rules are in their second wave, and Beta testing has just started (I already found things I need to tweak). This will probably be an ongoing work in progress. More testing will go on tomorrow, so I'll let you guys know how it goes. If I am happy enough with it I'll post it up here.

Rhino

A bit of work on the rhino. Got the armor to a passable level. I am going to work on the skin and wings before I go any further with the armor. I want to look at the piece as a whole and make decisions about how the whole thing meshes together. I already know I want to go back and fix the linen on those cherubs.

Jetbike Eldar vs. Blood Angels

This was the game today from the 40k campaign in my local shop. I was challenged by a younger guy with his blood angels army. He is doing decently well in the campaign against the other space marine players (8 different marines types, 1 eldar, 1 tau, 1 ork, 1 SoB). Playing marines every week does get a bit bland, but at least they were a slightly different flavor this time.

He had:
Mephiston with Honor Guard (they have various doodads like a banner), 2 10 man tac squads, 1 5man assault squad, 5 Death Company, 1 Venerable Dread, 1 techmarine with 4 servitors (2 gun and 2 regular), 2 whirlwinds.

I had:
2 farseer + bike squads (the usual), Warp Spiders, 3 warwalkers with scatters, 2 squads of 2 vypers with starcannons

I won the roll and chose first turn. Setup was like this. I put the one objective on my side, he put the one behind the rocks, and I put the last one on his side out in the open. I hoped that he would place his guys across me and out in the open so I could easily kill them and zoom over the at the end to contest/claim if I had to.
On my first turn I moved everything but my spiders. I wanted to go easy this turn, so I spread fire around. I killed a few tac marines in a combat squad with a missile launcher, 1 honor guard, and a few assault marines.


His assault marines fail their leadership and run off the board. I hop back with my bikes to give cover to my walkers and vypers. My other vypers are save from fire as they are already behind cover.

He moves his honor guard, dread, and death company forward. The death company don't have jump pack so they move slowly (he didn't field his rhino for some reason). Now I have only ever played again 2 BA players before, but they both just moved their honor guard out in the open. This time it was with Meph, and the other with Dante. Is this a common tactic? His two tac squads on the right move so they can see/claim. He fires his missile killing a jetbike. His assault cannon dread does nothing, and his two whirlwinds don't do anything either.

Well with the honor guard out in the open the choice is easy. I have seen this before and it fared just as well the first time. My left hand jetbike squad goes after the dread to get character campaign points, otherwise I probably would have just ignored it. Everything else moves and fire on the honor guard and Mephiston, killing them.


I assault the dread, take an arm off and immobilize it. My other jetbikes hop back to protect my walkers and spiders move in front to cover the vypers.


He runs his death company into terrain for cover from the starcannons. Each missile fires at a different vyper squad, destroying one on the left and stunning one on the right. A plasmacannon fires on my bikes killing one. He fails to repair his dread.

I finish off the dread, it explodes killing 2 servitors but my bikes are fine.

My vypers, jetbikes and warp spiders all move up to engage different units. My walkers move forward to have a clear shot on just about anything. My spiders wipe a unit by themself with some poor armor save rolls, the lone vyper kills the lone missile marines, and my bikes and the other vyper combine to kill the other missile tac squad. My jetbikes on the far left fire on his objective holding tac squad, killing the Sergent and 2 others.
I assault the marines and kill them taking no damage. My jetbikes and warp spiders jump out of assault range.

With nothing to attack he runs his death company in between to cover both objectives. He moves his techmarine in and flames by bikes, but it does nothing.


He called the game. Another victory for the Eldar.

Not the best game as it was very one sided, but I hope that this will give those of you not familiar with my Battle Reports an idea of what to expect.

I look forward to the local tournament in a month where I will be bringing my sisters of battle. Those should be some great fights and hopefully some even better reports!

Played a few games of Warhammer Fantasy warbands today with a new dwarf player. He is just starting out, and it was good to demo some of the rules and make situations where he would get introduced to different things. Another young kid sat and watched us play and I fielded his questions too. They both seemed to enjoy themselves, and that's always great. As an added bonus the young bystander was so taken by my little demos that he has completely changed his mind about GW games (a former Privateer Press snob, those guys are worse than Apple!) and will be starting up a Wood Elf army.

Not much to show on the rhino, as I played instead of painting today.

My list for the tournament will most likely be my normal list for 1000 point Sisters of Battle.

Cannoness
Jump Pack, Cloak of St. Aspira, Blessed Weapon, Plasma Pistol

10 Battle Sisters
Veteran Superior, Plasma Pistol, Flamer, Heavy Flamer
Rhino
Extra Armor, Smoke

10 Battle Sisters
Veteran Superior, Plasma Pistol, Flamer, Heavy Flamer
Rhino
Extra Armor, Smoke

5 Seraphim
Veteran Superior, Plasma Pistol, Evicerator, 2 Twin Flame Pistols

6 Retributors
4 Heavy Bolters

Exorcist
Extra Armor

I think 5 Faith should be plenty. The games will indeed be played on a 4x4 board, which is weird. I think my flame weapons combined with rhinos at that short distance will make quick work of any troop I come across (they usually do).

For those who actually play SoBs you will notice a distinct lack of Celestians or Books of St. Lucius. I hate them. There, I said it. I consider both of those things the two worst things in the entire Codex. Now granted Repentia (and other options) suck something fierce, but it is obvious. Celestians and those Books on the other hand are sneaky points wasters, hence my dislike. They plague new lists like, well, the plague. I speak out against them wherever I can like a crusader....sorry got carried away for a second, but hopefully you now understand the depth of my loathing.

I will start out with the one main reason that they both fall under.

What type of army are you playing? Sisters of Battle are a shooty force. Granted they shoot people from right in front of their face, but they still shoot. At no point should your sisters ever ever EVER be in assault. The only exception to this is Seraphim, and then only when the time is right, as they are still better at shooting than assault.

What do Celestains do better than normal Sisters? They hit on 3+ in close combat. Where should your sisters not be? You guessed it, in close combat. Hitting on 3s doesn't matter when you are S3 T3 and only have 1 attack on profile. So in the end you are paying 2 extra points per model for a unit that can't score.

Books of St. Lucius are often just as useless. When 5th edition came out there was tons of hype about them in the Sisters community, and there still is. With combat now lowering your leadership for how much you lost by having stubborn 9 is pretty awesome, right? Yeah, it would be, if you wanted to be in combat in the first place. I tried them out for a tournament and took them back out the next day. This is something I see with a lot of gamers. They look at something and think "Wow, in this situation X would be awesome." They don't think to ask "How often will that come up?" All these players keep talking about how Celestians and Books will be awesome in case you get assaulted. Truth be told I almost NEVER get assaulted if I don't want to. Even in mid-level tournament play against armies like orks, even when I am blasting away at people in flamer range. In a foot slogging force (I will talk about their effectiveness in a later post) those Books might be more helpful.

Blarg! First post, I guess I will try one of these blog things.

This place will be my sounding board for tactics and painting for all sorts of wargames. I am not sure exactly what direction this will take.

If you know of any games that I might like, let me know and I will check them out!


So down to business for the first post. There is a small 1000 point 40k tournament coming up at the end of April, and I need to get ready. My Eldar will not be going, because of the low point setting. Also, I think we will be playing on small 4x4 tables rather than the normal 6x4, so I think the speed advantage of my Eldar would be lessened. Leaving my Jetbikes at home might dissapoint some people, but I will be taking my Sisters of Battle instead. Truth be told, it will be a breath of fresh air to go back to them.

I have done pretty well with my Inquisition list in the past placing 2nd, 1st, and 1st in the last 3 local tournaments (I have yet to play in a GT as I don't have the money to burn on a hotel and 100ish dollar entrance fee). I am probably a bit rusty, though, and this time around I will be in a new shop.

Over the next few weeks I will be testing and tweaking my old list to get it prepared. My only real descision I need to make is the choice between an evicerator for my Seraphim Superior and 5 faith points, or having an extra Retributor (for a total of 7) and 6 faith. I think that in only 1000 points 5 faith should be fine, as I normally have some left over. Having one less Ret worries me in the new edition, as does not having enough anti-tank when they are so much tougher. I normally just ignore most vehicles, as making them shaken is enough for me, but with a completely new crowd who knows what kind of playstyle they have developed.

No matter what I am going to take advantage of something that has for long been out of my reach. Painting score. Yes, for too long has my army been "mostly finished." Sure it looks fine. All my sisters are painted, and my tanks have the prerequisite 3 colors, but they are only halfway done. So I start on the first of my 3 vehicles, rhino #1.
Yep, I plan to have a bunch of freehanding. More to come