Warhammer 40,000

Warhammer 40,000 Campaign Outline

Black of Day

A Flexible Progressive Warhammer 40,000 Campaign

Backstory

On the outer rim of the Garon Nebula a barren moon is the scene for a bloody struggle. An Imperial Prison Colony, Grimvold IX is a bleak and hopeless place, filled to the rafters with heretics, vicious Dark Eldar Exarchs, arrogant Tau prisoners of war and scores of Orkish battlefield butchers, driven even more mad by the desolate hell of the Obsidian Fortress.

A recent escape attempt was thwarted by the Eagle's Talon Space Marines Chapter, but at a horrible cost. Nearly 75% of the stationed Eagle's Talons were massacred before order could be restored and with a battered guard force, reinforcement requests were sent through the Segmentum by Adeptus messengers requesting aid. The $CHAPTER Space Marines, fighting nearby responded to the call. A local Division of Imperial Guard arrive on-scene as well... followed closely by nearly every enemy of the Imperium imaginable, now aware of Grimvold's location and savagely intent on retrieving their comrades-in-arms.

Immediately the Imperial Guard and Space Marines disagree on how to handle the situation; the Guardsmen believe that destroying Obsidian Fortress with all the scum of the galaxy inside is their only hope. The Space Marines believe they can withstand the coming assaults until transfer forces arrive. They have faced the galaxy's worst and stand to tell the tales, after all.

As the enemies of man descend, the Space Marines and Imperial Guardsmen bitterly part company and await the coming tide. What none can know is that deeper in the blackness of space the pernicious eye of the Necron turns toward Grimvold IX, and the Hive Fleet closes in...

Preparation

This is a flexible progressive war campaign which follows a loose storyline but allows for any number of individual clashes or skirmishes to be played out on the surface of Grimvold IX and around or within the Obsidian Fortress. Any army may be played at any time, excepting node missions (more on that later). Since nearly every type of army is gathering around this small moon, and few of them get along, battles will break out constantly on the planet's surface. The following are the motivations for each 40K force; should any conflict arise that seems illogical, it is recommended that either players fabricate some suitable rationale for the specific battle or, if possible, join forces against a third mutual foe.

Campaign Lists

There is no specific requirement for campaign lists; available models and units may be used at will. It is useful, however, to note the maximum number of points your army is capable of fielding for purposes of Army Size rolls.

Terrain

The surface of Grimvold IX is dark, barren volcanic rock with high rocky spires and little vegetation. The Obsidian Fortress is an ancient, sprawling complex built into the side of a dormant volcano (Mount Abeo). Moblie rock formation terrain, craters, hill structures and fortifications should be good for most outdoor missions; ambitious players may wish to build sections of the Fortress for some missions which take place just outside the prison walls. Indoor missions will mostly take place in the Fortress' Grand Hall/Receiving Room which is mapped out below.

Campaign Rules

Encounter Creation

Most encounters in the Black of Day campaign are randomly generated. This allows any number of players to join the campaign. It may take some extra creative effort to create some backstory for some of the missions; that's okay. If both players agree once the mission is generated that it does not fit the story being told through these battles, the mission may be re-rolled until a suitable one is found. It is also possible to simply bypass random generation altogether if a specific mission makes the most sense in a particular narrative thread. The most important part is that the campaign flow in an engaging manner and give purpose to occasional battles.

The campaign progresses through a series of Node Encounters, which are one of five different non-random missions to be completed before the campaign is over. Node Encounters follow pivotal moments in the Campaign plot, so it may be useful to read the major plot points explained in these Nodes before beginning random encounters so the progression of the story as determined by the randomly generated missions builds toward the nodes.

Node Encounters are played whenever a player earns a sufficient number of Campaign Points. The recommended Node Encounter requirements are every five Campaign Points, although this number can be adjusted up or down depending on how many players wish to be involved or how long the campaign should last.

Campaign Points

Campaign Points are earned in a similar fashion to Experience Points. Each mission or battle an army participates in earns Campaign Points and the better the performance in the battle, the more CP are earned. The following table lists Campaign Point events:

Event Campaign Points Earned
Participating in a Random Mission 1 CP
Solid or Alpha Victory in a Random Mission 1 CP
Crushing Victory in a Random Mission 2 CP
Victorious Slaughter in a Random Mission 3 CP

There are also several ways to spend Campaign Points; to re-generate a random mission for example or to prevent Experience Point loss for a particular unit. However, spending Campaign Points makes it that much harder to get to the next Node Encounter. Since the campaign is essentially won by the player who completes the final Node Encounter, it is a high-risk decision to spend CP.

Note that once a Node has been played it is not necessary to replay that Node Encounter even if you spend down to that level of Campaign Points. Node missions only need to be played once, but the appropriate number of CP must be earned to reach the next Node Encounter.

Strategy Ratings

This campaign uses Strategy Ratings to great effect in determining how missions will be played. It is mentioned above that in certain circumstances, no randomizing will make sense for the story being developed. While this is true, situations like this should be used to a limited extent and to prevent players from fast talking their way to rapid victory through some creative storytelling, at least 1/3 of the missions required to advance to the next Node Encounter must be completely randomized. So using the 5 CP step recommendation, at least two of every five missions should be randomly generated. Additionally, non-randomized missions can never earn additional Rewards (such as Strategy Rating points for Kill Team missions or XP bonuses).

The base Strategy Ratings for each army are listed below (and also appear on page 80 of the WH40K rulebook):

Army Strategy Rating
Space Marines 3
Witch Hunters 3
Alien Hunters 3
Daemonhunters 3
Craftworld Eldar 3
Necrons 3
Chaos Space Marines 2
Dark Eldar 2
Imperial Guard 1
Tyranids 1
Tau 1
Orks 1
Other Armies 1

Additional Strategy Rating Points may also be added for various campaign achievements. Some Node Encounters add Strategy Ratings if they are completed successfully; it is also possible to earn Strategy Ratings points from random encounters. Generally speaking, however, Strategy Rating Points may be earned either by spending one Campaign Point to add a Strategy Rating or by successfully completing Kill Team missions. Strategy Ratings that are earned are permanent for the course of the campaign and cannot be lost.

Creating an Encounter

The process for creating an encounter follows these basic steps:

  1. Roll Strategy Rating with opponent.
  2. Strategy Rating winner rolls Mission Type.
  3. Strategy Rating winner rolls Mission Scenario.
  4. Strategy Rating winner rolls Mission Reward.
  5. Strategy Rating loser rolls Mission Points.
  6. Check for mutual acceptability, discuss storyline.
  7. Begin mission.

Each step is described in detail below.

Roll Strategy Rating

This is handled the same as described on page 80 of WH40K rulebook; roll a D6 for each Strategy Rating your army has and choose the highest. However, in the case of a tie, re-roll the Strategy Rating with all players subtracting one from their Strategy Rating (therefore armies with SR1 who tie on the first roll automatically forfiet the re-roll and so on).

The Strategy Rating Winner will make the majority of the decisions regarding which mission is played. Note however that the missions are still random. The way this works is that each mission aspect is rolled on a table below by one player or the other; the Strategy Ratings winner may use a number of re-rolls equal to his/her Strategy Rating to attempt to achieve the result they want. They may even force their opponent to re-roll the Mission Points results if they choose. The player who did not win SR does not receive any re-rolls during Mission generation. Note that unlike all other instances of re-rolling in 40K, these re-rolls may be used on the same roll, so long as enough SR points remain. Therefore a player with a SR 5 may re-roll the Mission Type roll up to 5 times if s/he chooses.

Roll Mission Type

Each mission is categorized as one of six types. Roll 1D6 on the following table to determine the type:

  1. Kill Team
  2. Combat Patrol
  3. Normal Mission
  4. Raid Mission
  5. Battle Mission
  6. Breakthrough Mission

If a 1 or 2 is rolled, ignore the Mission Points roll; Kill Team missions do not use points and Combat Patrol missions are always 400 Point matches. If a 1 is rolled, also ignore the Mission Reward roll. If a 2 is rolled, also ignore the Mission Scenario roll.

Roll Mission Scenario

Each type of mission (aside from Combat Patrol) has various scenarios that may be chosen. Roll on the appropriate table(s) below.

Kill Team: 1D6

  1. Sabotage/Escape
  2. Assassinate/Escape
  3. Hit and Run
  4. Reconnoitre
  5. Sabotage/Last Stand
  6. Assassinate/Last Stand

Normal Mission: 1D20

  1. Alpha Cleanse
  2. Gamma Cleanse
  3. Omega Cleanse
  4. Alpha Secure and Control
  5. Gamma Secure and Control
  6. Omega Secure and Control
  7. Alpha Seek and Destroy
  8. Gamma Seek and Destroy
  9. Omega Seek and Destroy
  10. Alpha Recon
  11. Gamma Recon
  12. Omega Recon
  13. Alpha Take and Hold
  14. Gamma Take and Hold
  15. Omega Take and Hold
  16. Rescue
  17. Night Fight
  18. Patrol
  19. Omega Random Mission
  20. Random Special Mission

Random Mission: 1D6

  1. Cleanse
  2. Secure and Control
  3. Seek and Destroy
  4. Recon
  5. Take and Hold
  6. Choose Mission Scenario

Special Mission: 1D8

  1. Gamma Cleanse
  2. Gamma Secure and Control
  3. Gamma Seek and Destroy
  4. Gamma Recon
  5. Gamma Take and Hold
  6. Rescue
  7. Night Fight
  8. Patrol

Raid Mission: 1D3

  1. Sabotage
  2. Ambush
  3. Strongpoint Attack

Battle Mission: 1D3

  1. Bunker Assault
  2. Hold at All Costs
  3. Meat Grinder

Breakthrough Mission: 1D3

  1. Blitz
  2. Breakout
  3. Rearguard
Roll Mission Reward

Some missions carry an additional bonus reward for winning. Roll 1D6 to determine what (if any) rewards may be granted. Ignore this roll in the case of a Kill Team mission; the Reward for winning a Kill Team mission is always +1 Strategy Rating.

  1. No Reward
  2. No Reward
  3. +200 XP for each unit with 100% starting strength
  4. 2 units may receive Commendations at +2D6x10 XP
  5. +50 XP for all participating units
  6. +1 Strategy Rating
Roll Mission Points

The mission points for any given mission may never be higher than the maximum amount a participating player can field. There are two methods to rolling for points value; the rolling player may choose which method to use.

Method #1: Since the minimum army size is 400 points, players with up to 1,000 points should use (1D6x100)+400 up to the maximum army size. Players with up to 700 or 800 points can use a variant such as (1D3x100)+400 or (1D4x100)+400.

Players with more than 1,000 points maximum should use 1D10x100 for each 1,000 points available and use the rolling equations above for 1,400+, 2,400+ etc. or divide the hundreds place by 100 and add that number to the D10 roll(s).

Example: In a mission where the smaller army has 1,300 points, the players roll 1D10+3 and multiply the result by 100. In this case a roll of 6 makes the mission points value 900. If the smaller army has 1,700 points, roll 1D10x100 (roll of 4 = 400) and then 1D3x100 (roll of 2 = 200) plus 400 for a grand total of 1,000 (400 + 200 + 400).

Method #2: Roll 1D10 on the following table. If the number listed is above the Maxiumum points available, play with the Maximum.

  1. Minimum: 400 Points.
  2. Tiny: 500 Points.
  3. Small: 25% of Maximum (or 500 Points, whichever is higher).
  4. Skirmish: 35% of Maximum (or 600 Points).
  5. Middling: 50% of Maximum (or 700 Points).
  6. Sizeable: 60% of Maximum (or 800 Points).
  7. Serious: 70% of Maximum (or 900 Points).
  8. Heavy: 80% of Maximum (or 1,000 Points).
  9. Massive: 90% of Maximum (or 1,100 Points).
  10. Maximum: Full points possible.
Agree to Mission

At this point the mission should be fairly clear. If both players agree that the mission is acceptable, play on. If either player is unsatisfied with the results of the mission generation, they may spend a Campaign Point to recreate the mission as if they had won the Strategy Rating check. This re-generation may happen as many times as necessary for both players to agree (or run out of Campaign Points).

Experience

Units that participate in campaign missions earn experience points. The rules for experience that follow are slightly modified versions of those found in the Warhammer 40K 4th Edition rules.

The following table indicates how experience for a unit can be earned (or lost):

Experience Events
Battle Participation Each Mission the unit participates in earns 150 XP. +150
On Winning Side If the unit's army achieved a Decisive Victory, add 50 XP. In multiplayer Missions, the second place player also receives this award. +50
Effective Assault Units that:
  • Force an enemy to fall back from an Assault
  • Wipes out an enemy unit during an Assault
  • Performs a successful Sweeping Advance
  • Destroys a vehicle in Hand to Hand Combat
Earn 100 extra XP.		 +100
Effective Marksmen Units that:
  • Wipe out an entire enemy unit (from starting strength) in the Shooting Phase
  • Force an enemy unit to fall back due to Shooting losses
  • Inflict a Penetrating Hit which destroys a vehicle during the Shooting Phase
Earn 70 extra XP.		 +70
Live to Fight Another Day If a unit falls back after losing an assault and then makes a successful leadership check to regroup, the unit earns 25 XP. +25
Objective Achieved If the unit is counted as a scoring unit when determining the winning side, it earns 100 XP. Note that the unit does not need to be part of the winning army, it earns this experience just for doing its part to try and helps its team. +100
Commendations After each Mission, all involved players may nominate one unit for admirable performance. That unit receives D6x10 XP. +1D6x10
Owned If the unit is reduced to 50% or less of its original numbers, or is a vehicle that suffers lasting damage (Immobilized, Armament Destroyed) it loses XP of 1D3x100. This is deducted from the XP earned during this battle but does not reduce the number of Experience Points they had going into the Mission. -D3x100
Wiped Out If the unit is completely destroyed, falls back off the table or is a vehicle that is Destroyed, it gains no experience from the battle at all and loses 100 XP from its previous total, which may reduce the unit's Experience below 0. -100 From Total
Benefits of Experience

For each 1,000 XP a unit earns, it gains one roll on the Battle Honors table. Likewise, each time a unit drops below a multiple of 1,000 they lose a randomly determined Battle Honor.

Drawbacks of Experience

Once a unit has reached 3,000 Experience Points, they are considered to be well-regarded within the army and have caught the eye of the commander. Being under the microscope in this manner means that they come to be expected to perform admirably and therefore are no longer eligible to be nominated for Commendations so long as there is another eligible unit without 3,000+ XP. Because Commendation recommendations are subjective, so long as the other player agrees this rule may be broken. For example, a player with two veteran units possessing 3,000 or more XP finish a battle each with several kills and objectives completed. A third unit was pinned down by enemy fire after failing to arrive from Reserves in time to be much help. Technically this third unit should be the only qualifying unit for Commendations, but in this case both players agree that it is better to give the award to a unit which is technically ineligible but obviously more deserving.

Specialization Training

Normally Battle Honors are earned and lost based on Experience Point fluctuations. However, in some cases certain units may begin to be "known" for some type of specialization and may begin to train all new recruits in the finer aspects of these particular skills. At any point between Missions a player may choose to voluntarily spend 2,000 XP to permanently add a Battle Honor (which they must already possess) to the unit. This Honor may not be lost due to future Experience loss, including loss from temporarily assigned troops (see Recovery for more details).

Battle Honors

Battle Honors usually offer one re-roll per game for a particular circumstance. In some cases a secondary ability is listed; in these cases the secondary ability may only be taken if the unit already possesses the primary ability (re-roll). Units are not required to take the secondary abilities, they may choose additional re-rolls instead. As always, dice may only be re-rolled once. You may have as many secondary instances of the same honor as you have primary instances, but no more. Therefore, a unit may have three primary honors of the Street Fighters type (re-rolls) and two secondary honors (+1), but not two secondaries and one primary. Like re-rolls, roll bonuses from secondary honors may not be stacked (you may not, for example, add +2 to any given roll; having multiple instances of secondary honors must be used on separate rolls).

Secondary abilities add +1 to a die roll instead of allowing the entire roll to be repeated. Note that the secondary ability may be applied to any roll, even a re-roll, but it must be declared before the roll is made. For example: A unit has both the primary as secondary ability of Seasoned. The unit faces a Morale check. The player may choose to roll the Morale test once and re-roll it if it fails adding +1 to the re-roll. Or, the player may choose to perform the initial check with the +1 bonus, and re-roll the check without the bonus if that fails. He may also choose to save either the bonus or the re-roll for a later check if he wishes.

Note that it is possible in some cases for a Secondary ability to result in an effective automatic success. For example, a Terminator unit with the Heads Down secondary ability can automatically pass one Armor Save check (2+ save, +1 to the roll means the lowest roll is 2, passing the check). This is perfectly valid use of the Secondary ability and the roll need not actually be made. Remember that the bonus may not be added after the roll takes place, though: The automatic success must be declared ahead of time.

For each Honor earned (each 1,000 XP), roll 1D12 on the following table:

Infantry Honors
1 Street Fighters. May re-roll a Difficult or Dangerous Terrain test. Secondary: Add +1 to a Difficult or Dangerous Terrain test. (Jetbikes re-roll this result)
2 Grizzled Veterans. May re-roll failed To Wound rolls from a single turn of Close Combat.
3 Marksmen. May re-roll failed To Wound rolls from a single turn of Shooting.
4 Seasoned. May re-roll a failed Morale check. (Fearless units re-roll this result)
5 Tank Killers. May re-roll an Armor Penetration roll. Secondary: May add +1 to an Armor Penetration roll.
6 Camouflage Artists. May re-roll a failed Cover Save check. Secondary: May add +1 to a Cover Save.
7 Natural Survivors. May re-roll test to avoid a Sweeping Advance. Secondary: May add +1 to Initiative for the purposes of avoiding a Sweeping Advance. (Space Marines may re-roll this result)
8 Punctual. May re-roll a Reserves check roll.
9 Heads Down. May re-roll a single failed Armor Save. Secondary: May add +1 to an Armor Save roll.
10 Diggers. May request that opponent re-roll an ordinance scatter.
11 Accurate Strikers. May re-roll a Deep Strike scatter (inches die only). Secondary: May re-roll the Scatter die for a Deep Strike roll. (Units without Deep Strike or who may not take Deep Strike as a Veteran Skill may re-roll this result)
12 Choose Honor. Select one of the above honors.

Roll a D8 on the following table for vehicles granted honors. Note that Vehicle Honors do not include Secondaries.

Vehicle Honors
1 Imposing. Owning player may request that an enemy unit Tank Shocked by the vehicle re-roll its Morale check. (Walkers re-roll this result)
2 Hardened Crew. Owning player may request an enemy re-roll the result of a glancing hit against the vehicle.
3 Reinforced Armor. Owning player may request an enemy re-roll the result of a penetrating hit against the vehicle.
4 Skilled Gunner. May re-roll a failed To Hit roll.
5 Veteran Gunner. May re-roll a Scatter die or a failed Armor Penetration roll.
6 Skilled Pilot. May re-roll a Dangerous Terrain test. (Skimmers re-roll this result)
7 Veteran Pilot. May add +1 to a Dangerous Terrain test (declare before the roll). (Skimmers re-roll the result)
8 Choose Honor. Select one of the above honors.

Node Missions

In the Mission Cards below the original scenario rules have been included as reference. Wherever the Mission Card listings differ, the Card overrules the scenario. So if a scenario lists Concealment but the Mission Card does not, Concealment does not apply for the Mission. The text of most standard scenario Special Rules is listed below, but in some cases deviates from the original texts listed in Warhammer 4th Edition. The rules below overrule the official rules for the sake of the campaign.

Mission Special Rules

Concealment

All non-vehicle units that are deployed at the beginning of the mission are assumed to have made efforts to conceal themselves before the battle, even in open terrain. Deploy concealed units using generic markers instead of the unit models themselves and other than vehicles you may ignore deployment order. Note which marker belongs to which unit. If a concealed unit is fired at, the firers must determine if they can actually see their target: Roll 2D6 and multiply the result by 3, rolling once per unit firing only. This is the maximum range that any non-barrage weapon can be fired at. If the shooters have selected a marker to be fired at beyond this range, they cannot see the unit and do not fire. Barrage and ordinance barrage weapons may fire at concealed targets but add an extra D6 to the scatter distance.

Concealment is lost (replace the marker with the actual unit models) as soon as the concealed unit moves, shoots or uses a psychic power. If Night Fighting and Concealment are used together, leave all markers on the table until Night Fighting no longer applies or the unit loses its concealment. If Concealment is used in non-Night Fighting situations, it ends after the first turn.

Deep Strike

Deep Striking units begin the game in Reserve (regardless of whether Reserves is in force for the Mission) and will enter the battle via tunneling, teleportation, flying or other extraordinary means. Roll for the arrival of these units and then deploy as follows:

Place one model from the unit anywhere on the table, in the position you would like the unit to arrive and roll the Scatter dice. A HIT roll means the model stays where it is, an arrow scatters the model 2D6" in that direction.

All Deep Striking models are arranged around the first model. Models must be placed in base contact with the original model in a circle around it. When the first circle is complete, a further circle should be placed with each model touching the circle inside it. Each circle should include as many models as will fit, and they may be facing any direction. If the first model scatters off the table, the entire unit is destroyed. Models may not be placed within 1" of any enemy. If you are unable to complete a circle of models without any of them coming within 1" of the enemy, entering impassable terrain or going off-table, the surplus models are destroyed but not subject to Recovery.

Troops arriving via Deep Strike may not move or assault on the turn they arrive. They may shoot as normal, but count as having moved.

Dusk & Dawn

Battles may be fought before first light or so late that dusk falls before an advantage is gained. After deployment but before determining who has first turn, roll D6. On a 1, the battle starts before dawn and the Night Fighting rules are used on Turn 1. On a roll of 6, the battle starts at dusk and the Night Fighting rules are used on Turn 6 and any subsequent turns.

Escalation

This rule is always used in combination with the Reserves rule. Escalation represents the situation where a battle begins quietly and suddenly explodes into action as reserves are deployed. In such a mission only basic infantry units that do not have dedicated transports (no Monstrous Creatures, Bikes, Jump Infantry, Artillery, Beasts, etc.) may be deployed at the start of the game.

Units not deployed are in reserve. Some units such as Scouts have special rules that will allow them to deploy on-table. These rules apply as normal.

Infiltrate

Infiltrators deployed on the table at the start of the game are deployed after all other units. A coin toss determines who goes first if both sides have infiltrators. They may be set up anywhere on the table that is more than 12" from an enemy unit, if no deployed unit can draw line of sight to them. If they are set up in line of sight, they may be anywhere on the table more than 18" from an enemy unit.

Night Fighting

After selecting a target but before a unit fires, roll 2D6 and multiply the result by 3, rolling once per unit only. This is the maximum range any non-barrage weapon can be fired at; if the shooters have selected a target beyond this range they lose their right to fire as they search the darkness for a target that never appears.

Barrage and ordinance barrage weapons may fire at concealed targets but add an extra D6 to the scatter distance.

Random Game Length

At the end of the mission's stated number of turns, roll D6. On a 4+ a further turn is played. Repeat this process at the end of every turn after up to three extra turns. If it is dark on turn 6, it remains darks for the extra game turns.

Reserves

Reserves are troops who can be called in for reinforcements. Do not deploy units in reserve, instead roll on the following table at the start of the Turn:

Reserves Table
  Turn 1 Turn 2 Turn 3 Turn 4+
Reserves unit arrives on: N/A 4+ 3+ 2+

When a reserve unit arrives it must move on as specified in the reserves section of the Mission Card (or as listed in the Deep Strike rules if the unit has that ability). If a unit has a transport attached, roll for both together although the passengers do not have to arrive mounted in the transport.

Note: You must roll for reserves as soon as possible and must bring them onto the table as soon as they are available. You may not delay making the dice rolls or keep the reserves hanging around off-table until you decide you need them! If a reserves roll is missed, roll it as soon as it is remembered and deploy immediately; units deployed in this way may do nothing until your next full Turn.

Fortifications

In some scenarios the defender may set up fortifications. All fortifications must be represented by a suitable model.

There are many forms of fortifications but broadly they represent cover for the defender. Sandbagged positions, trenches, redoubts, makeshift barricades and fortress walls all count as fortifications. The defender may set up as many fortifications as he likes and the scenario set-up rules explain where they may be placed—usually in the defender's deployment zone.

A model in fortifications receives a Cover Save of 3+.

Bunkers

Bunkers will consist of an enclosed structure no more than 8" across in any direction. It should have one access point and vision slits all around.

A bunker may contain as many models as will fit within it without overlapping bases. Each individual slit or 1" length of continual slit allows one model to fire out at targets visible from that slit. Units in bunkers may still only shoot at a single enemy unit.

Bunkers grant a 3+ Saving throw to any models occupying it and they may not be assaulted while the bunker is intact. A bunker is entered and exited by its access point the same way as vehicles. An occupied bunker can only be accessed this way by troops on the same side as the occupying troops.

A bunker can be breached in one of two ways:

Once a bunker is breached, the Cover Save of occupants is 4+ and they may be assaulted normally, although they will still count as occupying cover. Fortifications may be placed along the tops of bunkers and occupied by troops normally. Attacking troops may either shoot the bunker or the bunker's occupants or any troops on the roof. You may not claim to attack all three even if using blast or template weapons.

Sustained Attack

Occasionally, the enemy will have an overwhelming superiority of numbers, with wave upon wave of foes hurling themselves forward. To represent the size of an attack like this, the player making the Sustained Attack can 'recycle' some of his units when they are destroyed. Recycled units are brought back into play to represent the almost limitless supply of reinforcements.

Any attacking Troops unit that is wiped out may move on from the attacking player's own board edge or either of the short table edges outside the enemy deployment zone. They move on at the beginning of the attacker's next turn.

Units of troops which are forced to fall back and reduced to less than 50% strength in models can be removed from the table immediately and reused as if they had been wiped out in their owner's next full player turn. They do not have to fall back off the table first.

Destroyed vehicles and HQ units cannot be recycled. Note that this includes transport vehicles for Troops units.

Obstacles

Fortifications are not the only form of defenses. In some scenarios the defender may place obstacles.

Razor Wire

If the defender has suitable models then he may set up razor wire. Razor wire comes in 6" sections and defenders get D3+3 sections to start the Mission. Razor wire counts as difficult ground for all non-vehicle models. Vehicles ignore razor wire.

Tank Traps

Tank traps are also 6" long sections and defenders may have D3+3 sections to start the game.

Preliminary Bombardment

In a major offensive, the attacker will often attempt to soften up the target with a heavy bombardment before launching the attack.

Roll D6 for each enemy unit and each section of razor wire and tank traps on the table. On a roll of 6, the unit or obstacle is hit. A squad takes D6 hits from the shelling causing 1 Wound each (make Armor Saves as normal), and must roll a Leadership test or be pinned in their first turn. Place a suitable piece of scenery under the squad if you have on available. A vehicle hit by a preliminary bombardment starts the game stunned (roll for each vehicle in a squadron separately). Troops that start the game in reserve are not subject to preliminary bombardment.

Razor wire sections and tank traps are automatically destroyed and removed from the table by being hit.

Bunkers are not affected by long range shelling, but roll for troops inside them.

Sentries

In certain scenarios the defender has set up sentries to keep a lookout for enemy activity. Sentries can be represented with card counters, but it is preferable to use spare miniatures of the appropriate type (note: These models can be those restricted from play due to Recovery or Dedicated Kill Team/Brute Boss models).

The number of sentries available depends on which army is being commanded. Sentries do not cost extra points.

Space Marines: 6 Space Marines (Initiative 4). Note: Chapters such as the Space Wolves with improved initiative due to Acute Senses only use 4 Space Marines as sentries.

Chaos Marines: 6 Chaos Space Marines (Initiative 4).

Necrons: 10 Necron Warriors (Initiative 2).

At the start of the sentries' turn, both players roll a dice for each sentry model (or marker). The player that rolls highest can move the sentry the distance indicated on the dice in any direction. If the rolls are tied then the defender moves the sentry.

Sentries do not have any Squad Coherency rules and operate independently.

Sounding the Alarm

At the start of the game, the defending forces are not expecting combat. Instead they are resting, etc. Only sentries will be active to start with because of this.

Until the alarm is raised, sentries move as described above and none of the defender's other units may move or fire. The Alarm can be raised in several ways:

Note that all the other defending models with an Initiative value count as sentries for purposes of sounding the alarm, they just can't move. After raising the alarm, all sentries are removed and take no further part in the game. If the alarm is raised during the attacker's turn, they finish it normally. The defender can move and shoot normally with all their forces in their next player turn.

If the alarm is raised during the defender's turn they begin a game turn immediately. The first defender turn is the first turn of the game proper and counts as such for the purposes of determining game length and reserve arrival.

Hidden Set-Up

Forces have had time to conceal their troops to delay their enemy. You need a set-up marker for every unit in the force, even those in reserve or not starting on the tabletop for another reason.

The defender places Hidden Set-Up markers during deployment instead of models. A marker may be placed on any terrain, as long as it can be moved over by the model it is representing and is in the defender's normal deployment zone.

Each marker needs to be numbered so that you can note which number corresponds to which unit.

Hidden Vehicles

Vehicles must be hidden in appropriate terrain features. It is not possible to disguise a Leman Russ tank in an open plain but it could be hidden at the edge of a wood or behind a hill. Vehicles must be hidden behind or in a terrain feature which could conceivably hide the model. Apply common sense.

Revealing Hidden Troops

Once the defender has placed all his Hidden Set-Up markers the attacker then deploys his forces as described in the Mission Card. Once the attacker's deployment is complete the defender reveals his Hidden Set-up markers and places the appropriate models on the table. For a unit of multiple models, one model is placed on the counter with the rest of the unit in 2" coherency as normal with no model more than 6" from the counter. A lone vehicle must be placed on the counter itself. Counters that are used for units in reserve has a chance of being a minefield or a booby trap.

Minefields and Booby Traps

If a counter is for a unit that is not deployed on the board, there is a chance the counter represents a booby trap or minefield instead. When the counter is revealed or triggers, roll a D6. On a 4+ it is a booby trap or minefield (defender's choice), otherwise it is just a dummy and is removed from the table.

Divided Force

This rule is used when a mission calls for an army to be split into an active part and a passive part. The owning player splits his army into two separate forces, each must consist of at least 30% of the total army points value. A dice is then rolled to determine which force is the active force and which is the passive force.

Flammable Terrain

Wooded terrain is dry and susceptible to catching fire from the surrounding conflict. Any time fire or heat based weapons (including Flamers, Melta Weapons, Plasma Weapons, Missiles or Blast Ordinance; also includes vehicles exploding) are used within woods area terrain (including firing into, firing out of or having templates which fully or partially cover a section of the terrain), the terrain may catch fire. When a potentially combustible event occurs, roll 1D6; the terrain gets a 3+ save versus ignition. If the terrain ignites, the following occurs: