WHFB: Watchtower Rules Query

My most recent game of Fantasy saw us roll the Watchtower scenario.  Now, Skaven have two ways to destroy buildings and I was equipped with both.  On the first turn I rocked the building with Crack's Call, destroying it.  The rulebook fails to provide an answer for what happens if it is destroyed, we assumed that it still counts as the main objective.  However, since it's now a ruin you can have multiple units in it, so it's not as simple to determine the victor.

To resolve this we decided that if one side had the ruin with no enemy units touching it, it would be a win. If there were an enemy unit "contesting" the objective (touching it) we would go to the secondary victory conditions provided in the rulebook which were victory points.

So is this the best way to resolve the problem?

Let's Clarify Something (40k FAQ)

There's been a surprising amount of confusion on this issue with the new 40k FAQ.  It comes from this question:

Q: If a transport vehicle is destroyed in the same turn as it moved flat out what happens to any embarked models? (p70) A: They are removed as casualties.

Eldar haters are just a bit too excited about this one.  Allow me to elucidate.

Page 9 of the rulebook defines what a turn is. It reads, "In a complete turn, both players get a player turn, each one divided into Movement, Shooting and Assault phases..."

So that's a player turn. One person's Movement, Shooting and Assault phases.

Then it reads, "Whenever a rule uses the word 'turn', both in this rule book and in the Codexes, it means 'player turn', otherwise it will clearly state 'game turn'."

So if you move flat out in the player turn and crash yourself your passengers are destroyed.

The confusion comes from reading the FAQ without reading the original rules. This rule has always existed.

Here it is on p. 70:

"FAST TRANSPORT VEHICLES

Passengers may not embark onto or disembark from a fast vehicle if it has moved(or is going to move) flat out in that Movement phase."

The key is IN THAT MOVEMENT PHASE. You can't disembark if you move flat out in your own movement phase (not even an emergency disembarkation). Imagine it's my turn. I move flat out. If I try to ram something and wreck myself because I failed to check myself, my passengers are destroyed because they cannot disembark because I moved flat out IN THAT MOVEMENT PHASE.

Continuing my example, let's say I successfully checked myself so I didn't wreck myself. If you shoot at me in your turn, I get a cover save because the rule on page 71 says "...and has moved flat out in its LAST movement phase counts as obscured (cover save of 4+) when fired at."

Now let's say you shoot it down in your turn, I having moved flat out in my previous movement phase. My passengers are not automatically destroyed, because the restriction on disembarking only applies to my movement phase.

I hope that makes sense.  Now they need to FAQ the FAQ.

Halloween 40k Zombie Night, The Return of the Revenge

Like all horror movies these days, my 40k Zombie adventure just keeps coming back with more sequels.  But this is the reinvention of the reimagining.  I updated the rules from my original version to be more streamlined and squad-based as opposed to who has the best HQ options.

Here they be.  This is not exactly how we ran it last night, I have updated the rules based on feedback during the game though it still needs a bit more work.

Army Selection:

You have 75 points. There is no minimum requirement for squad sizes (so an
Eldar player could take one Fire Dragon, one Striking Scorpion and so on). Only
three of these can be "upgrade" characters, like a sergeant or an exarch, though
that model may take an upgrades allowed without counting for further "upgrades." No more than two can have "upgrade weapons" such as a heavy or special
weapon that isn't standard equipment. For example, a Space Marine player takes
3 Marines and a Scout. He can upgrade one into a sergeant with any weapons
normally allowed, and two more can have special weapons normally allowed by
their codex entry.

After selecting your team, you may assign one Universal Special Rule from the
standard rulebook to any one squad member.

For codices like SM or IG who purchase squads as groups, some math will be
involved. Divide the points cost by the squad number to get the individual
points cost of each squad member.  If upgrade characters are included in the cost of the squad, you may upgrade the squad member for free.

You may select team members from any Force Organization slot except HQ. Only infantry models may be selected.  No dedicated transports are allowed.

Your squad must remain in 2" coherency, and are treated as a single squad.

Setup and Objective

Set up the board with the normal amount of terrain for a 40k game.  Ruins and graveyards make great terrain for this mission.  If you have a large amount of players you may need to either split into two tables or widen the current table.  The players should have to cross about 6' of board with enough room side to side so that everyone isn't clustered together.

The goal is to reach the escape helicopter (or truck or whatever). The first squad (at least one guy
alive, obviously) to be within embarking distance at the beginning of their movement
phase wins (so you have to survive one round before you can win).  If there is another unengaged player within embarking distance you may not embark.  You must duke it out with the other player as there can only be one.  There should be one escape helicopter per 5 players, spread out evenly along the back board edge.  Each escape helicopter is guarded by a boss zombie.

Turn order is determined randomly.  Each player will move, shoot and assault, then pass to the next player.  When all players have gone the zombies take their turn.  There's no need for a zombie controller as the zombies are on autopilot.

Movement Phase: Players who fled from combat will automatically rally and may move, shoot and assault as normal.

Shooting Phase: You may not shoot another player's squad, unless that squad is
within 18" of the escape chopper. After that all bets are off and the squad
that is within 18" may fire at any squad that has fired on it in a previous
turn. If the closest unit is in close combat randomize non-template hits.

Zombies only ever take a 5+ cover save as they do not actively seek cover.  They get this cover in all the normal fashion, from terrain or from a player shooting through another unit.

Assault Phase: You may not join another player's assault. Consolidate moves
are taken on a D3 instead of D6 (we found super killy assault units unbalanced as they can just consolidate for an extra D6" per assault phase). You may however assault another team if they are within 18" of the escape helicopter, but if they are already in an assault you may not assault them. 

If your assault involves multiple squads of zombies, for simplicity's sake you don't have to say which squad you're attacking.  Remove casualties from the smallest squad first (you get more powerups that way)

No one in the squad is treated as an Independent Character, treat wounds as you would for differently armed models as normal.

After all players have gone the Zombies will move.

ZOMBIE TIME

Zombies come in squads of 5. There should be about two squads of zombies per
player, deployed in a spread out fashion. Their stats are as follows:

WS2 S3 T3 A1 W1 I1 LD5 Feel No Pain, Fearless, Rending

Zombies only have two phases, the Shamble Phase and the BRAAAAAIIINS phase.

Shamble Phase: Killed zombies will respawn in groups of 5 during this phase, before rolling to move the zombies.  Roll a  D6 on the following chart to see where they go.

1:  Starting table edge

2:  The table edge to the left of the starting edge

3:  The table edge opposite the starting edge

4:  The table edge to the right of the starting edge

5:  Scatter 3d6" from the center of the table.  Zombies deepstrike like a drop pod and will move out of the way of obstructions.  They will move and assault with the rest of the zombies as normal.

6:  The player who is furthest from the chopper chooses a result 1-5 on this chart.  Further rolls of a 6 will go to the second furthest player and so on.

Zombies moving in from a board edge will enter in line with the nearest unengaged player.  Subsequent entries in the same phase on the same table edge will move in towards the second nearest, and so on.

Zombies will move 2D6 to the nearest target. All zombies on the
board move the same distance but at their own relative targets. If this move
brings them in base contact with a player squad they count as assaulting. The
poor squad then responds to their charge.

Zombies will join a current assault if they can fit.  If they can't fit they will instead move towards the next nearest target.

If a player kills the last member of a zombie squad, or kills the last member of a player squad (only whomever removed the last model, doesn't matter who did all the work) he may roll on the powerup chart.

BRAAAAINS Phase: Zombies assault during their movement, we just combine it because they don't shoot.  They receive +1 attack if they charge as normal. They have Rending to represent the danger of infection.  If zombies win combat they will attempt to pursue as normal but will not consolidate.

The Boss Zombie:  The boss zombie does not move during the shamble phase as normal.  It will only move if a player moves within embarking distance of the escape vehicle, and will automatically assault that squad.  If there are multiple squads that meet this requirement randomize which one it assaults.

WS3 S4 T4 A3 I2 W3 LD6 5+ Armor, Feel No Pain, Eternal Warrior, Fearless, Rending

It is of course perfectly legal to move your squad and escape in the vehicle while the other player is off fighting the boss or another player.

Respawns:

Should your squad be destroyed, you may respawn in your turn no closer than 6" behind the
furthest player, but it can be anywhere on the board (as long as you are 6" further away from the choppa than the current furthest squad).  You lose all upgrades and powerups earned during their previous lifetime.  If you wish you may play a new team.  When you respawn you may roll on the powerup chart.  You may voluntarily suicide your squad at any time to respawn, but if you do you may not roll on the powerup chart.

Powerups:

If you kill the last member of a squad (zombie or player, this also includes killing the boss zombie, and also includes wiping them out due to Fearless rolls) you may roll 2D6 on the powerup chart.

2:  Zombie Bile:  You are treated as the only target for the next Shamble Phase.  If two or more players have this then the zombies will move to whomever is closer of those players.  If another player is in the way of the zombie movement, the zombies assault that unfortunate unit as they just happened to be in the wrong place.

3:  Banana Peel:  In your next turn, you move as if through difficult terrain.

4:  Ork Boy Tag Along:  An Ork boy has decided to join you for some reason.  He is armed with a pistol and a choppa and is treated as a member of your squad for all purposes.

5:  Duct Tape:  Whether it's a chainsaw taped to a kayak paddle or a duct-taped-over-under gun, you may give one model either +1 attack or +1 shot per turn.  Permanently.  Until you die.

6:  Chainsaw:  The ultimate zombie close combat weapon.  One model may be equipped with this item.  Requires 2 hands.  Hits on a 2+, and if it hits instantly takes a wound (no saves or FNP) off any zombie in close combat.  If you roll a 1 the chainsaw has run out of fuel and is discarded (but any hits you got in this round still count, if you roll a 1 and get a reroll it does not run out of fuel unless you roll another 1).

7:  Medpack.  May be saved, one use only, you may carry any number of these.  You may ignore one suffered wound.

8:  Shotgun:  There is no better tool in an zombie invasion.  One model is armed with it, and that model does not need to have a ballistic skill.  The shotgun has a range of 6" and hits on a 2+, instantly taking a wound off a zombie with no FNP or cover save applicable.  It is an assault 1 weapon.  If shot at a player it is treated just as the Imperial Guard version of the shotgun.

9:  Super Mushroom Speed Pack:  You may carry up to one of these in your squad.  When activated all members in your squad may add an extra +1 to all their movement, which includes movement, running and assaulting.  The squad's initiative is also increased by 1 for that turn.

10:  Defibrillator:  Counts as a Medpack but may be used to bring back one model in your squad who has previously died.  If that model had multiple wounds only one is restored.

11:  Sweet Aviator Shades:  In the next Shamble Phase, zombies will ignore your squad for the purposes of the closest target.

12:  The Blessing of Chuck Norris:  Your squad receives the blessing of the Great Red Bearded One until the end of their next turn.  Your squad may reroll all rolls they make (if they already have a reroll they can reroll that reroll as Chuck is that awesome).  All shooting counts as AP 2 with no cover allowed and all assault counts as power weapons.

If you are the furthest player from the board edge, you may add +1 to your roll.  You may roll the dice before deciding whether or not to add the +1.  You may also switch out any rolled result for The Blue Shell.  If you pick The Blue Shell you may move the player closest to the escape vehicle back D6" away from the vehicle.  If they are in close combat, the whole combat moves with them.  If your roll on the powerup chart is because of a respawn, you may not select The Blue Shell.

Okay, that was a long read!  Tomorrow I'll post how the adventure went.  Have a read-through and let me know if I missed anything or any suggestions you may have.

A Synapse Rules Query

Last night this issue came up, not in my game but in another. There were two combats going on, one between some Tyranid Warriors and another involving Termagants. The player who's turn it was decided to do the Tyranid Warriors combat first. He wiped them out. Next, when it came to the Termagant combat they lost, and the question was, did they count as fearless because they were within synapse at the start of the combat?

My argument was that since the combat rules say to complete each combat before starting the next, the warriors are dead and the Termagants do not benefit from synapse.

The other side compared it to the Blood Angels where they gain Furious Charge even if they assault out of its range.

The order in which you do things is very important in 40k. Here's a similar situation that justifies my position. Let's say it's your shooting phase and I have a creature projecting Shadow In the Warp on your psyker. You choose to use another unit to shoot that creature, killing it. Now you use your psychic powers. Obviously, you can cast the power unhindered. Order of actions is very important.

What do you guys think?

A Kill-Team Tournament and FAQ?

In a few months my local store owner will be hosting a Kill-Team tournament. We have a lot of brand new players in the area so the owner wants to make it Troops only. This will make it somewhat bland, but a single Vendetta won't dominate like it normally does. It's not the most competitive but it does allow the new guys to participate. This means we have to come up with some kind of FAQ because there's a lot of gray areas in KT.

I also want to point out that this isn't an argument about the merits of a KT tournament, it is what it is but we might as well clear up as many gray areas as possible.

As much as I love to stick to RAW (rules as written) KT is a different issue than standard 40k. In some cases I think you have to go with RAI (rules as intended).

So here's a few things I think need clarification, questions that people have asked during some of our games, and I'd appreciate it if you can come up with more problems or solutions. These are just my first impressions, I haven't thought about them in depth yet and would appreciate as much input as possible.

1. Do squads have to deploy together and then move off separately, or do they deploy individually just like they were their own units?

Since each model is its own unit, they don't have to start off in coherency.

2. How do things like Orders and Exarch powers work, and other "benefits the squad" type rules?

RAW would suggest that since each model is its own unit it would only affect one guy. That makes upgrade characters kind of pointless (and defeats the purpose of Kill-Team, where it is supposed to be about individuality). A possible solution is to have the powers affect only models that stay within coherency of the character granting the upgrade power. That way you still get the benefit but trade off your flexibility and make yourself more vulnerable to blasts.

3. How do transports work?

Since each model is an individual unit, RAW would say that only one guy can be in it at a time. However, RAI would rule that it can fit as many guys as its normal capacity, and that you don't have to embark/disembark the whole squad at once.

4. How does the Doom's aura work?

Since each model is its own unit, each model has to make its own test. This might make the Doom too powerful (though he's always more powerful on paper) but I'm not sure how to balance it. Although in the last KT game I played with him my opponent simply meched up and the Doom couldn't do anything.

5. Reserves aren't used in the KT scenario. What about a unit that must start in reserve such as a drop pod?

Remember, Codex trumps expansion. So if it says that it MUST or MAY start in reserve, it can. Units that do not have that rule cannot go in reserve.

6. What about Ymgarl Stealers? Do they have to all go in the same terrain piece as a unit?

Each is its own unit, so you'd have to clarify in which terrain each individual model was hiding.

7. When half the Kill-Team is gone, what if there is no model remaining on the table with a LD value?

I would rule that you use the "standard" leadership of the army. Space Marines would be an 8, IG and Orks would be a 7, Eldar would be an 8 and so on.

8. What if your last models are fearless?

They still have to take the leadership test. It's not a morale test.

This is what I've come up with so far, some may seem obvious but others will likely require clarification if we're going to hold a tournament. If you've got any input, let me hear it! Whether you agree or disagree please provide your reasoning.

Another Thought on the Malantai Debate

One of the hottest debates right now in the 40k online community is whether or not the Doom of Malantai's aura effect affects units inside transports. I'm on the side that it doesn't, and I don't really want to get in on the debate but a thought occurred to me that I have not seen elsewhere, and figured I should point it out.

One point of contention for the whole debate is that there are no rules for if a unit in a transport has to take a morale check. What I'd like to bring up, and this is a case of neglectful rules writing on GW's part, is that the 40k rules allow models inside an AV to take casualties.

If your group uses the Buildings rules towards the end of the rulebook (they're not optional, your group should be using them) you'll know that flame template weapons can affect the guys inside. Yet there are absolutely no rules for what happens if they take enough casualties to take a morale check. This is a big problem in Planetstrike.

My gaming group simply assumes units inside a building are Fearless to avoid this problem. We usually have two to three buildings per game, so this situation has come up plenty of times before.

As for the DooM himself, I don't think he can affect units in transports. However, this does go to show that there are certain effects that can harm a unit inside, lending some credence to that argument.

Ran the 40k Zombie Adventure Last Night...

*Edit:  I have updated the rules, you can find them here.*

...and I can say it really needs some work! It was fun, but suffered from some of the same problems that 2nd edition did. There's just too much stuff to keep track of. I am going to simplify the power ups and simplify the zombies. I also think the game would be better off if there were a player controlling the zombies, but if I simplify it enough that may not be necessary. I'm thinking next time of reducing all power levels, and having the players be little more than Guardsmen, or some kind of rank-and-file trooper but with shotguns, so it comes down to skill and a bit of luck instead of who has the best character options in their codex.

Here's the field. We started in the graveyard, and worked our way forward.

Here's the escape vehicle with the trophy nearby.

Also! Wolf Lords are overpowered in this scenario. He was just mowing through zombies getting ridiculous numbers of attacks. Even after dying, the Wolf Lord still made it back into the lead simply through wiping out inordinate amounts of zombies, and then consolidating.

My group went all out and we had great terrain, great models and a lot of fun. One group member even made a trophy out of an old Necromunda figure. In the end, we ran out of time and decided to give the trophy to the Wolf Lord player as he had killed at least 50 zombies, was the furthest ahead even after dying. No one had reached the escape vehicle, but since he was the closest and also owned the zombie models (which were a mix of Fantasy zombies, skeletons, Skaven, and D&D miscellanea) we decided he should get it.

These are the three characters I chose. I only used the Autarch, but I should have ran the Broodlord. Close combat was way better than shooting.

A group photo of all the characters prepared. We had ten players, and some brought more than one character.

The Space Marine Captain getting eaten by Zombies. He died.

Halloween Zombie 40k Night!

**Double Edit:  I have updated the rules.  Here is the new version.**

*Edit: I have tested the scenario and it is fun but kind of broken! Here is the post in which I review how it went.*

I read about something like this a while back, and figured I'd write up my own version of this adventure. Here is the PDF. I have not playtested it yet. We were supposed to play it tonight, but Nurgle has seen fit to strike me down with some kind of nasty flu. So my group will either play without me or reschedule to Thursday night, when hopefully I'll be better.

If you haven't downloaded it yet, here's the intro:

++On a distant planet in the Imperium, war was raging. Like most planets in the Imperium, this one happened to be a Necron Tomb World, house important Chaos artifacts, be part of a Tau expansion, in the path of a Tyranid Hive-Fleet, and in the path of an Ork Waaaagh! Furthermore, the Eldar decided to join battle for reasons unknown. During the course of the fighting, Nurgle let slip his latest creation, Imperial Designated H1Z1, or the Plague Zombie Flu. This outbreak ground the fighting to a halt as the plague affected all combatants, xenos, machine, and human alike. Even Nurgle himself lost control of his own plague zombies. The leaders of each faction called a temporary uneasy truce. How this was managed is unknown but our plot demands it, thus it is so. The plague became so bad that the survivors became desperate to escape the planet before Exterminatus is declared.++

The objective is to reach the escape vehicle. Your character is any Independent Character from your codex. There is no points limit, but the character must be on foot.

There are character upgrades to balance out those characters with fewer options.

There are also 4 different kinds of zombies. When attacking a zombie with shooting or close combat, you have the rending ability which represents the chance of getting a headshot.

Zombies respawn, as do exploding barrels.

There are power up boxes scattered across the field, and when you get a headshot zombies will drop a box as well. Here's a sample power up:

Shotgun: Despite all the technological advancement of the galaxy, there is no better zombie-killing tool than a good ole’ pump action shotgun. The shotgun has the following profile:
Range 12” S: 4 (see special) AP: 6 (see special) Assault 1
If fired at a zombie within 6” you do not need to roll to hit, and that zombie suffers an automatic wound with no save possible. It may also be fired once at any time during the Shamble Phase. The Shotgun has 6 shots. Further pickups of this item will add D3+3 shots to your inventory. Once all ammo is gone it is discarded.

There is also an item called "The Hat Of Chuck Norris." Needless to say it's pretty potent.

Please note that it is not really intended to be balanced, but to be a fun zombie-killing night. But who cares about balance when there's zombies to kill? So what are you waiting for? Download it and let me know what you think! Run it with your groups and give me feedback so I can improve it for next time.

Planetstrike FAQ, Version 2 (Feedback Requested)

Here is my updated version of a FAQ for Planetstrike. I could use as much feedback as I can get.

Terrain:

Comms Relay: Counts as an artillery piece. Can be targeted separately unless it is part of an intact building, in which case a "Weapon Destroyed" result can take it out. Models don't have to be on the roof to use it.

Bastion Turret Weapons: Use a BS of 2 as normal, but if a occupying model is on the roof he may use his own BS instead (and may fire at a separate target).

Stratagems:

Crash and Burn: If a Hit is rolled, use the arrow to show what direction it scatters but it will only scatter half the number rolled on 3d6 (round up). This same rule applies to any stratagem that rolls 3d6 for scatter (I'm beginning to be not so sure about this one).

Laserburn: The affected area is treated as Dangerous terrain afterward. If one of the markers goes off the table edge, the strike will still hit, but measured from the point where it exited the table.

Teleport Barrage: Models on the roof are not affected.

Krak Attack: If used on a drop pod, it strikes the pod and not the unit inside.

Other: Chaos Daemons may use the Blasphemous Broadcast, Euclidean Mindphase and Hellish Cacophony stratagems.

Chaos Daemons: Follow the Planetstrike reserves chart instead of normal deployment (I'd like a Daemons player to chime in on this one).

Here's another question, should Automated Weapons still be allowed to shoot even if the building is shaken? They are machine spirits after all. Last game that's how we played it, I'll have to try some games both ways.

A Proposed Planetstrike FAQ/Errata (rough draft, feedback needed)

Planetstrike is obviously not intended as a balanced, tournament game. It is intended to be a fun, agreeable narrative style game, with winner and loser not as important as having fun. As such, an official FAQ would not be expected from GW (well, when are they ever). That doesn't mean the book doesn't need it, so here are my proposed revisions. This isn't how I play it, but these are just suggestions. I would appreciate feedback on this post so I can tweak the list and maybe make it official for my group.

Terrain:

Comms Relay: Counts as an artillery piece. Can be targeted separately unless it is part of an intact building, in which case a "Weapon Destroyed" result can take it out. Models don't have to be on the roof to use it.

Bastion Turret Weapons: Use a BS of 2 as normal, but if a occupying model is on the roof he may use his own BS instead (and may fire at a separate target).

Stratagems:

Crash and Burn: If a Hit is rolled, use the arrow to show what direction it scatters but it will only scatter D6 inches (I feel that since you get 4 templates, they ought to be a bit more unpredictable).

Laserburn: The affected area is treated as Dangerous terrain afterwards (it's a friggin' lava scar).

Meteor Strike: Count it as a D weapon from Apocalypse (at 4 Stratagem points, it ought to be a bit more beefy).

Teleport Barrage: I don't like this stratagem. It is far too powerful. It should either cost more points or have a different effect. It makes it so a defender can't put any valuable units in a bunker. No terminators, independent characters, nothing as they don't just take a wound, they are removed from the game. It punishes small, elite armies like Eldar and Marines, while IG and Orks will laugh it off. It seems to me a cheap way to kill off very expensive models. I am not sure how to fix this one.

Imagine this- I have one bunker with 5 Dark Reapers plus Maugan Ra. If hit with the Teleport Barrage I would likely lose all but one or two reapers which would be several hundred points down. Another bunker has 20 Ork boyz. They would only lose about 3 guys, which is like 21 points or whatever. It's just so imbalanced I think it needs to be removed.

Edit: I thought of a way to fix it, simply state the models on the roof are not affected.

Other: Chaos Daemons may use the Blasphemous Broadcast, Euclidean Mindphase and Hellish Cacophony stratagems (since they don't get their own, I figured these fit in their theme, plus they all sound like titles to H.P. Lovecraft stories).

Chaos Daemons: Of course they can assault the turn they come in. For their deployment, don't use the rules in the codex, instead follow the Planetstrike reserves chart. I'd like a Daemons player to chime in on this one, especially on the normal deployment/reserves issue.

Like I said, I'd like some feedback on this, especially from Daemon players and those with a hefty amount of Planetstrike experience, as this is just a rough draft.